A Day In The Life of Gail/JustG 

It’s been a while since I documented my thoughts, and today is a family BBQ so I will attempt to update you on what’s been happening. 

I fell recently and fractured my foot and I am now waiting for the appointment for the Fracture Clinic to be fitted with a boot and crutches. Luckily, I acted quickly, applied ice, ordered the ankle brace and put the foot up for the past week. It has left me in quite a deal of pain and the medication ordered hasn’t alleviated the excruciating pain so I look forward to the phone call arranging my appointment. 

Back to the BBQ with “Hop along Cassidy” which I am fondly referred to now by my family. I can take their quips and name-calling. What I cannot take is the rain that is stalling us all from the wonderful outdoor activities, including swimming, and an amazing epicurean feast. Each year The Merricks throw an awesome gathering and always extend an invitation to The Siemkos. We gladly accept and bring along our contribution to the feast along with the main requirements which are our smiles and animated conversation.

I look forward to catching up with everyone, including the children who entertain us with their activities and plain old happy existence. Last year, we played with a Piñata, and I was lucky enough to bust it open with candy flying everywhere. I had never done that before and found it particularly satisfying. I think just getting your frustrations out, along with all that chocolate, made my day.

Today marked the announcement by Jessica, of a new Merrick baby on the way, which was received with a roar of hurrays and back slapping to the Father, David. His beautiful wife is fighting an extremely powerful case of morning sickness and was forced to remain at home. After all was said and done a group photo was taken and I’ve included it at the bottom. 

I especially enjoyed playing catch-up with all of the Merricks and even found out new information that is the norm at these celebrations. After an hour the youngest were swimming their little hearts out in the well-decked out pool. I love watching them interact with each other and their elders, I felt right at home which is per usual when I visit. Subsequently, the buffet was served and all lined up with the amazing spread, including homemade zucchini cake made by the charming Carmen. These various desserts were gobbled up, which I believe slowed all down immensely and the children were looking for their various activities that the Nanas had already planned for. 

I thoroughly enjoyed watching my immediate family members interact with each other and all of these interesting and comical people. 

I learned more about Star Trek and its present filming location in Toronto along with fantastic photos from Farrell who is employed there and makes it sound unimaginable. I want to thank Doug for his BBQing skills as the chicken was moist and scrumptious. We also met two new cousins from out west, Megan and her hubby Chris who enthralled me with their musical background and talent. 

When the crowd started to disband it was my cue to pack up my men and start the 1 1/2 hour drive back home to Oakville and per usual the drive was similar to a parking lot. I arrived home in time to rest my foot and watch a few episodes of our recent show, Butterfly (which is action-packed) and off to bed. It was a pleasure being included in the festivities and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Many thanks for being included. 

Gail xo

Jonathan Siemko 41st

It has been forty-one years since I first met my eldest son, Jonathan Devin Siemko, in person, up close and personal, and I wanted to take a moment to review how he has changed my life and the lives of those around him. If you know me already, then what I’m about to say will probably bore you, so turn the page or fast forward to today. Still, I was considered a high-risk pregnancy. I didn’t quite know the extent of it until they tested my sugar levels by force-feeding me glucose at the laboratory and checking levels, the reason being that I was huge for my due date, and my specialist wanted to be safe. So later that night, this first time, Mom was waddling downtown at the annual Oakville Midnight Madness, feeling more and more tired, not knowing she was in the early stages of premature labour, at 33 weeks of gestation, my baby was going to come whether I wanted it or not!

I woke up after a restless sleep and panicked as my waters had broken; I called the doctor’s office and was told to head down to the hospital as soon as possible. Well, it took a few hours to pack my bag, have my hubby shave my legs as I was going to meet my son, go to Tim Hortons on the way for coffee and a muffin, and stroll into the emergency at 6:30 am. I received a harsh scolding from the nurse and was shown to my room for the day, along with my briefcase with work that HAD to be submitted by the following Monday; after all, I didn’t plan on early arrivals for anything. The day progressed slowly, and I called all of my available family. My Mom had already passed away the previous February 1983. My Dad was the first on my list, and he drove like a madman to bring me roses, which the nurses wouldn’t allow in. Still, he was very welcomed as my hubby was coming and going in and out of my room for a myriad of things; he was helping the local federal government ministers campaign for re-election (knocking on doors, that kind of thing), changing clothes and several exits for food was a priority if I recollect. Since I was so early, they wouldn’t give me any pain meds or lumbar spine meds, so I had to rely on my breathing techniques learned in the shortened Lamaze classes and oxygen, which I was sucking back on until then, the tank was empty.

After 9 hours of letting my body work on birthing, I was getting ready to push my little boy out. Still, everyone had to get changed before going into the delivery room, and there I was alone, praying to God and all my Angels in Heaven that my son be healthy. Well, he was in distress, and the doctor wanted him out fast, so you can guess how that happened, with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his little neck three times. I was told to STOP PUSHING, a feat only the Gods and possibly Olympians can do but not me, so my son breathed in amniotic fluid and whisked away from me at precisely 4:49 pm, to which I was given two sedatives and nothing to hold, not to worry they said, he will be “drying out” under the hot lights. He should be good as new, but my hubby, a 6 lb 3 oz baby, was not okay, and my cousin Susie Pearce, who was an ambulance supervisor at the time, took him directly to Sick Children’s Hospital

for observation and life-saving nursing in the NICU, but I wasn’t allowed to go! I was forced to stay at the hospital until my migraine and body could travel, but I was encouraged to express the essential first mother milk for all of the excellent healing properties that it contained; at least it gave me something to do instead of crying while watching others with their newborns. After seeing him in the isolate naked with his head shaved for I.V. purposes, my heart swelled, and I started to cry and leak from every possible orifice.
Still, the NICU doctors wouldn’t let me near my beautiful baby Jonathan Devin Siemko until

I calmed down, and my anxieties over my Mother’s milk were just one more thing wrong with me. I truly felt that I had let my little, tiny, premature baby down by walking too much when, in fact, it was the doctors who let us down by not diagnosing me with gestational diabetes, and testing me so late in my pregnancy was a bad thing that they did not me. As a result, my beautiful boy has Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy and Dyslexia. I have tried to teach him all the good in life and that all the adverse effects are not his fault.

Despite Jonathan’s rocky start, he was given one-on-one assistance, first from me and then at school. It has been an uphill battle all of the way; even when he was wearing a leg brace and helmet for protection and heavily medicated, he never gave up on his interests in History, Baseball and playing sports with friends. This young man was bright enough and worked hard enough to maintain an above-average grade all of the way through school and was accepted into the University of Guelph for majoring in Political Science and History, which he accomplished after seven years full time, 24-7, living in residence and taking care of himself until graduation in 2010.
I have been so busy living life and being a caregiver to him and all three of his grandparents that I missed out on recording this old soul sooner on my blog. Still, he has been critical in my life as a young man, through our combined interests in baseball, history and politics, into a very supportive son. At the same time, I have been ill during the past few years especially. Jonathan and I are Christmas nuts, and since I wasn’t able to shop this past year, he took it upon himself to be Santa while I was being admitted to the hospital and home; he knew how to access Amazon and ordered us all presents for under the mantle, as we didn’t even have a tree. We have become more health conscious during the past year, meaning more exercise, including walking together at least five times weekly for an hour while we hold each other up and talk about our lives. So very kind, gentle, loving, and computer literate is this son of mine that I wanted to share with the world and let you comprehend that he has a deep understanding of life and should expand his horizons. During the past few weeks, Jonathan spent an entire weekend in Toronto at his brother’s new home in North York; they enjoyed the same closeness as they did when they were young and went out to the ROM for breakfast and dinner. I didn’t hear back from him until it was time to return, and we hugged like it had been months. Addison Pearce Siemko is his younger brother, and I will be bringing you up to date about everything shortly; that is another new story worthy of my time and will be documented.

Until I write again, I remain,
Mom,
Justagail

A Day In The Life Of Gail

#HappyFathersDayDennisSiemko2025

It’s been a while since I wrote about my hubby for Father’s day, and today I’m writing about all the things he did with his sons, Jonathan and Addison.

It began over forty years ago and continues until today. The first memories my children have of their Dad are going to Denniger’s and being given a taste of their veal bologna while shopping for the house. I was at work while they made this weekly jaunt and would regale me with their visits. Another good memory that I have is them playing with their Dad outside, baseball, touch football and red rover coming over. When they were 7 and 5 respectively they were enrolled in Kinsmen baseball and their dad was the coach for both of their respective teams, so four nights a week, off we would go to the park and on the weekends would practice.

As these two, full of energy children grew up, their Dad drove them to all of their events, including singing lessons and Sears drama for the youngest Addison.

The Boys’ Day out was usually going to a movie and lunch at McDonald’s while I was waiting to see what they saw and heard all about the movie. In the car on trips we always played music, especially Billy Joel and Harry Chapin, to which the boys memorized all of the lyrics and I can still hear them singing as they returned home. This treat gave me a break and Dennis an entire day to enjoy his children.

After they each graduated from highschool my hubby, took great pleasure in driving back and forth to each of his childrens universities to ensure they had all of their requirements for living and succeeding in today’s environment.

Now they still go to the movies and Boys Day Out, and on special days, Addison goes with his Dad golfing for the day and a meal. I’m fortunate to have such great sons and look forward to when they get together with us. Happy Father’s Day to the Man in our lives.

Gail Pearce Siemko

A Day In The Life Of Gail #FathersDay2025

Another year another memory about Father’s Day. It’s been a long time since I heard my father’s voice, but I can still hear him on the phone calling and leaving his one-word message, “Dad” and that’s my cue to call him back long distance.

I’m still talking to him long distance, but he’s available 24/7 now. I miss our lunches in Hamilton and Oakville when we talked about everything under the sun, including his library borrowing habits. At the end of his life, Dad was mobile, using a scooter to go to the library, but only on good days. I would come in and take him out for groceries on sale at several locations and then our favourite lunch at Swiss Chalet. The waitress knew us well and brought a bread basket over while we decided on the menu items, and Dad would always try to pay but not on my watch.

After lunch, we went to get his hair trimmed and shopping at the local Sally Ann where he took an inordinate amount of time checking out the wares.

I went to pay for the purchases with my debit card but he thought it was a credit card, and wouldn’t accept it, so the cashier showed him how I used the card, and he was amazed. I showed him my receipt and then my cash in my account, and then he felt better, knowing that it wasn’t a credit card.

Upon leaving there we meandered home with a bag of goodies and I stayed for another cup of tea while Dad unpacked his prized possessions and I talked to Mom. This happened on a regular basis and its these types of visits that I miss about my Father, the hugs, the kisses, the voice of his and memories like these that I treasure forever.

All I want to impart to everyone is a Happy Father’s Day and if your Dad is still alive, call him, show up or just be there for him in any capacity you can. Trust me you will regret it if you don’t.

Gail Pearce Siemko