https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8817075/Services/2015%20March%2021%20Funeral%20Jan%20MusselmanED.mp3

Thank you all for coming today. Mom would be so honoured with the turn-out and all of the pomp & circumstance. She would have loved this so much that if she could have she would have wanted to do it all again next week.

While reading all of the tributes that have been pouring in I found a really nice quote that said "In the end we are all just stories". Mom certainly had a ton of stories and although we will all miss her, we will be able to remember her kindness, spunk and joy for life through all of the stories and memories we have.

I was thinking about all of the things I will miss about Mom and the list is endless. After reflecting, I've come up with a top 10 list of things I will miss most about her.

So without further adieu " The top 10 things I will miss about Mom Or the reasons that my Mom is better than yours are..."

10) Her love of Baking - Everyone who knew her, knew how much she loved to bake. Her baking was epic, and us kids often would find ourselves coming back for 2nds or 3rds whenever cookies, cakes or squares were made at home. I can remember one time in Junior High, she had baked a fresh batch of squares and had given Nikki, Bill and I a few before heading out for the evening. As soon as she was gone, we went to town on the squares and shortly after realized we had eaten the entire pan. Nikki and I panicked, knowing we would get it if Mom came home to no squares, so we found the recipe and went to work making a new batch. Once they were done, we knew we had to eat a few so it would look the same as it did before she left. But then we thought, there would be no way she would buy that we didn't eat any of them while she was out, so we had to eat a little bit more to make it believable. I definitely blame her for my love of sweets, but I will certainly miss her baking.

9) As my daughter Caroline would say "Nana loved to be fancy". She loved being fancy so much that she even wanted all of her words to sound fancy, often resulting in a mis-jan-unciation as we called them. Avon would become Ave-on, Home Deepot - Home depo and sautee - souday. We all loved poking fun at this and I will definitely miss all of her misjanunciations.

8) She was a fashion icon - She loved to dole out fashion advice to Nikki, Bill and I and would often lend Nikki clothes that she thought Nikki should wear. I can remember one time I was visiting her at the IWK while I was on a break from work. She took one look and me and said "Love the suit, love the shirt, hate the shoes" She immediately took me out to get new shoes to make sure I was stylin again. I will definitely miss her fashion advice.

7) Mom loved a good deal. She would always find nice "high end" items for a steal, but would never buy any "cheap crap". One Christmas we were over at Mom's opening our stockings, because even at 33 she still would make a stocking for me, and my wife Katie opened a pack of napkins. Mom mentioned to her "Now, these are not dollar store napkins, these are high end napkins". Later in the day Katie noticed the price tag was still on them for $1.00. They definitely weren't from the dollar store, but she had gotten a good deal.

6) She loved to spoil her grandkids with treats, cookies and candy. Anytime she was anywhere they would be, she would have a treat on hand. They were always a mixture of fresh homemade items, or fresh baked goods from the market - in fact, someone might want to warn the ladies at the market that their businesses might take a bit of a dip. My daughter Grace was talking about Mom the other day and said "Nana always brought mini marshmallows to church for us. She won't be able to do that anymore. Mommy, you can do it though" So I guess the torch has been passed!

5) She was a great cook and she knew it. If we were out to dinner, while she loved being treated, we could hear her say "I can make this better and for way less". At dinners at home, she would often comment on the cooking. It usually went something like this "These potatoes are delicious" Someone would reply, "yes they are awesome, who made them" She would pipe up with "ME, compliments to the chef". I certainly will miss her cooking.

4)She knew how to get her point across and ensure you knew what to do about it, even if it were only one word, a noise or a look. If you ever had the privilege of getting the look, you know what I mean. With a simple sigh or a "sayin" you knew where she stood on the subject and you knew what had to be done.

3) Her love of Holidays, especially Christmas - She was our little Christmas elf, who loved spreading Christmas cheer wherever she went. Her gifts were wrapped exquisitely, She always wore jingle bells and started planning for Next Christmas as soon as the current Christmas had ended. There were always a multitude of Christmas events and she loved each one of them from the trim a tree night, to Christmas dinner, her open house party and even cousins night, which she wasn't invited too, but definitely wanted to be there. She loved hosting Christmas dinners and last year was no exception. As usual everything was organized perfectly, even down to who would be helping with the pass out and clean up. Everyone would chose a job from the jar, whether it be take orders, pour the wine or the worst job of all, wash dishes. Even special guests were not exempt from helping and when her international exchange student chose wash dishes, he was expected to do it, which he did. Christmases definitely won't be the same.

2) She loved playing dress up and she ensured her grandkids loved that too, often bring over old clothes for them to play around in. She loved dressing in costume, whether it be Halloween or not. In fact the night Keith and my Mom met, they were at a costume party. Keith met Tina Turner that night but unfortunately discovered the next day that Tina was a single mother with 2 kids. Despite this, he stuck around and we will definitely miss her costumes.

1)Her love of life. She crammed 99 years of living in to her 66 years. She lead by example and taught me how to work hard. On our headstones we always list the birth date and date of death but what is most important is the dash in between. While Mom's dash was shorter than it should have been, it was overflowing with life and it's those great times that we will always cherish.

Thanks

My dearest Keith, Nikki, Timmy, and Billy, and your families. 

It is with a very heavy heart I write this to you.   I feel compelled to share some of my thoughts, and memories of Jan.

I met Jan when she came to live in Bridgewater, Jackie, Introduced us and we all became great friends.  Jan had a bigger than life personality, she was highly energetic,  happy, and so much  fun to spend time with. I remember one dinner party in particular when she arrived as Nana Mouskouri, dressed to the hilt, dark glasses,  with a recording that she lip synced to.  It was to good to be true.  We had many wonderful times together.  We shared all aspects of our lives, like me she was an x- Ray technologist and we both had two children.  We worked, played, laughed and cried together.  In those days we were almost inseparable.  During good and bad times we counted on each other and supported our decisions right or wrong.  We shared lives, children, stories, secrets, gossip (I am ashamed to say), with lots of glasses of wine.  

Family was everything to Jan, and her immediate family I came to know and love.  Her mom, sisters, brothers, and Auntie Bee a force to be reckoned with, Jan had a lot of Aunt Bee's qualities in her personality. She was always there to help, lend a hand and support anyone who needed it.  She was a loving, giving person, kind, compassionate, fun, funny and a very good friend.  Jan had a softer, gentle quiet side that she showed to her dearest friends and family.  She was good at almost everything.  Who here in this room has not enjoyed many of her baking delights.  Organizing and entertaining came naturally to her and she loved a house full of people.

When Jan met, fell in love and  married Keith, she found her place in life.  Keith brought a calmness to her and was her anchor becoming the ying to her yang.  They were a good team, and brought out the best in each other.  They shared many good and hard times and now it will be difficult to think of Keith without Jan.  Two peas, so very different,  but in the same pod.

Over the years our friendship has taken us in different directions.   The strength of good friendship comes with the knowledge that when we meet again, it will be like only yesterday.  We share history, a past, love, devotion and perhaps the most important we take comfort in knowing that we love each other no matter what. 

In closing what can I say but I, like everyone in this room, am in shock over her passing.   I loved Jan, will miss her and even though I did not see her often the knowledge that I cannot is hard to accept.

For Keith, Nicki, Tim, Billy their partners, the wonderful grandchildren and all her family and friends I grieve with you all. It is long journey to acceptance of loss, one day at a time.  A very bright and shining light has left this earth.  It will our tremendous loss but heavens gain, an angel with golden wings, she is already flying off meeting everyone there.  She is no doubt organizing a welcoming party, and I pray she is hugging my David for me, at least that is what I would like to believe. 

I will hold my cherished memories close to my heart and pray for your comfort. 

I leave you all with parts of two stories I read to my grandchildren by Nancy Tillman and Robert Munsch.

Nancy Tillman's first page begins     " I wanted you more than you will ever know, so I sent love to follow you wherever you go "

      " you are my angel, my darling, my star......my love will find you wherever you are."

And  Robert Munsch's book I take liberty to change

    I love you forever

    I like you for always,

     As long as I' m living

    My friend you'll be.

Rest in Peace my dear friend Jan, you will be missed...........

 Jacquie