The Healer

Today Marie made me so happy. She had told me this story years ago and of course, I didn't write it down. She was very bright and happy this morning. After breakfast I took a chance and asked her about the time she burned herself. This is how the story goes:

Marie's grandfather Joeseph H. Aubin and his wife.
This picture was in an album of Marie's.
Note the paper clip holding the photo.

Marie was home alone. She said that her husband had gone to his parents' house to play cards with his brothers. She added, "cards, cards, cards. Never got tired of playing cards."
She was "carrying" her first child, Marie, and was in her first trimester. She and Ray lived on the fourth floor of a cold water flat. She had decided that she wanted a cup of tea and heated water for it on the stove in a pot. She did not say tea pot. She just said, pot. When the water was boiling, she was going to pour it in a cup for either tea or coffee. She did not specify what she was going to make. In the process of pouring the scalding water, she hit the sink with the pot of water. It slopped the terribly hot water all over her pregnant belly. Of course, soaking her clothes in the process. She said that she had called her mother. She told Marie to call her pep'e. or pe'p'ere or grandfather in Canadian French.
She did that because he was known as a healer. He told her to mix soda and bluing (laundry bluing) and smear on her stomach. The lady from the floor below brought some ice. The healing began immediately. I have never heard of such a thing. Marie called her work and told them she "wouldn't be there for a couple of days." Missing work was almost a disaster at that time in her life.
Marie went to the doctor and the doctor told her that if she had been further along she would have lost the baby. I question that because generally the first three months are often the times when ladies lose their babies. However, when she told me that this morning, I do remember her telling me that before.

Photo of bluing.
Still selling.

Since Marie is disabled, I do her personal cares. She has always said that the only thing she has to show for the horrible burn is a "cauliflower" scar. There is no scar, there is however, an almost indiscernible naval. I'm thinking she was burned so badly that her naval was scarred over and now is no longer seen.
Since Google is my best friend now days, I asked it what the ingredients of laundry bluing was. "Laundry bluing is made of a very fine blue iron powder suspended in water (a colloidal suspension.)"
Another site said that it contains a pH balancer and a biocide to prevent the buildup of algae and bacteria. There you go! How did he know this? Probably was something handed down for generations in his family. It may have in fact saved Marie's child that she was carrying.
What do you have in your house for burns?

Squirrels, Dogs, Cats And Marie

When I thought that I had heard all of the Marie Stories, I found out that I was completely wrong. This morning her son, Roger and his wife, Virgie stopped to say good-bye to Marie before they left to go home to Texas. Marie has been very very ill these last few weeks, but a couple of days were wonderful gifts to us all. She was verbal for the first time in a very long time and also was alert and aware of her surroundings and knew her boys.

Marie Rose Aubin Lizotte
Age 96 

This morning the four of us were sitting out on her deck and the reminiscing started. Then a new story popped up that I had never heard before. Of course, I couldn't wait to share it with you all.

I was aware for many years that Marie loved animals. I also knew that Fran had to put a stop to her feeding the neighborhood cats as well as the wildlife that lives in the timber next to her home. She didn't realize how much it was costing to feed the o'possums, squirrels, cats as well as dogs.

Roger started telling about Marie years ago when she lived in Massachusetts feeding critters IN her home! 

Marie allowed two families of squirrels to come into her home. She fed them table scraps until one of them bit her. She immediately stopped the "squirrel soup line" and told them to get out. Her boys knew not to hunt squirrels unless they were deep in the woods, because the ones close by were hers.

Then the story started to get more and more detailed. It seemed she had countless numbers of cats and dogs that lived in her house. They had designated closets that each cat knew which one was theirs.

One day a Husky dog decided to come into her home uninvited seemingly because he had heard the "free food rumor" started by the squirrels. Roger said that the Husky left with two cats on his back. The owner of the dog tried to get Marie to pay her vet bill. Evidently the cats were very territorial and their attack caused the dog to have 142 stitches. True to form, Marie held her ground and did not pay the vet bill!

This was a new story for me and of course, I told Roger he was making it up. Since Fran was there and verified it I am putting it on line for posterity.
Another Marie story is probably still waiting to be written. When I hear it, I will post it.