December 16, 2019
by Jen Robinson
I thought I would post what I read at the celebration on Sat. Lots of memories and hopefully some things that people can relate to when remembering our one of kind Shelley
“Good Afternoon and thank you all for coming today to celebrate the incredible legacy of Shelley. Its evident here today just how many life’s she touched and each in their own special way.
I’m Jen Robinson or more commonly known to most of you as “Jenna , Jenna” or “ my Jen” as Shelley would often say when introducing me to anyone. How do I even begin to deliver a tribute that would do justice to someone who embodied perfection in everything she did?? When I was starting to compose my thoughts and thinking how I was going to put them to paper I did a google search of “if your favorite color is purple” I came across a phycology of colour article. It was amazing to me how closely it embodied her that I wanted to share just a few points to start.
Having purple as your favorite color means you are sensitive and compassionate, understanding and supportive, thinking of others before yourself - you are the person others come to for help.
You are creative and like to be individual in most of your endeavors, including your dress and home decoration - you love the unconventional.
People who don't understand you sometimes think you are eccentric.
As a personality color purple, you are a generous giver, asking for little in return except friendship.
You are a visionary, with high ambitions, dreams and desires, and a compulsion to help humanity and to improve the planet earth.
You are a good judge of character and sum others up quite quickly and accurately, although you usually see the best in everybody.
I first met Shelly in the summer of 1997. I was 13 years old. We had just moved in 2 doors down on Inverness Park in Mckenzie Town.
I was out on the front step waiting for my sister Ali to get back from the Macs and I remember seeing her unload Spencer out of his car seat from her purple car. She waved us over to meet their new puppy Bazel . She introduced her self and invited us in. It wasn’t long before we were shown the pantry and it felt like I had just opened the door to Willy Wonka’s! My parents were both working that summer so naturally, Shelley took it upon her self to keep us entertained and that she did!
It wasn’t long before I was reminded of the fundamental lesson of “blue and red make purple”! We experimented for days with so many boxes of RIT dye to find the perfect ratio for the most beautiful purple. We colored everything that day including the curtains!
Another day that summer we went over, and she had brushes and paint in the back yard and told us to paint the fence however we wanted. I thought she must be crazy but soon realized that was just Shelley! She made fun out of any situation. When summer was over and we went back to school I remember having the best projects to hand in. I would have cricket cut outs, a staples size selection of any coloured paper, or any type of sticker I could dream of.
As the years went on, we became family. I don’t think I ever knocked on the door and it was always open. I was around all the time and ended up watching the boys grow up into the young gentleman that they are today. She was so proud of them! She never missed a violin performance, soccer game, or school play. She tirelessly advocated for them and truly was their biggest fan.
I have so many wonderful memories with her. Nothing was ever ordinary with Shelley and she never just had one of anything. I realized quickly that it was pointless to even question the logic of it. Like for example why anyone would need 100+ containers of sprinkles! If I ever asked her response would just be “oh you be quiet!”.
She taught me from a young age the importance of the best kitchen aid with all the attachments. And how important it was to own a spurtle. She taught me to appreciate good quality things when it came to cooking or baking. I’m sure I never saw whole vanilla beans or imported saffron before her! You never made anything with her that didn’t include good butter, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, or bacon.
We watched so many episodes of Americas test kitchen or would sit and flip through cooking magazines while eating 2” thick cut multigrain toast with creamed honey. We would mark what we wanted to make and then made sure we did. We had so much fun and she never said no to anything I wanted to try. She was adventurous. We made jams, banana bread with (ground fresh whole nutmeg) which I still do to this day, the best snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies that I’m pretty sure were more chocolate then cookie! Double chocolate, ooey gooey puff wheat squares, and oh so many things with lemon!
She put everything in the dishwasher, and I mean everything. She would always say if something couldn’t go in the dishwasher then it was “no good”. I learned how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet from her and developed the same passion (o.k obsession) of ironing. Because of her I have a professional steam iron and know where to go in Calgary if I need it fixed! I visited that small repair shop with her so many times. If it wasn’t for the iron it was for the kitchen aid which speaks to how much she used them both!
Her sewing machine was also always going. She made the coziest blankets. My youngest and my sisters’ children are fortunate enough to own one. They will be cherished keepsakes. Her knitting, scarfs and stockings she was always giving too. Her mom Sherri shared with me the other day that not long ago, someone commented on how beautiful the scarf she was wearing was. She took it off her neck and gave it to her. That was Shelley. It didn’t matter who you were. She had the most giving heart.
We took so many trips up to Warner and they were mostly always all the same. We would get a Jones soda and listen to an audio book or CBC radio. I never remember it being music! She would always make me drive and was the one who actually ended up taking me for my drivers licence in Lethbridge in her Van. I just told the boys this and they couldn’t believe it as she would never let them drive with her!
Shelly had a passion for helping the earth, people and animals too. I’m pretty sure she was one of the early pioneers of recycling! It was so foreign to me then that someone would spend so many hours washing, sorting and then paying someone to come get it. She truly wanted to make a difference and has been long before most of us even thought of it. There was also a time that a duck with her ducklings ended up in their window well. Shelley got a box and put the babies in it. We all walked down to the pond with the momma to let them free. Even the animals knew where to go if they needed help. She loved all her fur babies and spoiled them like crazy.
Over these last few years and now that I have kids of my own, we had never lost touch. Sometimes months would go by without checking in but when either of us did its like we had just talked the day before. Life got busy but she never forgot my girls at Christmas. They have special memories of making make gingerbread houses with her and had recently just asked me when we were going to go over to do them. I’ll make sure this is something we do every year and I’ll find purple candy of some sort in her honour. Some things that will always remind me of Shelly (outside of the obvious anything purple) and will be sure to bring a smile to face are:
“Good Afternoon and thank you all for coming today to celebrate the incredible legacy of Shelley. Its evident here today just how many life’s she touched and each in their own special way.
I’m Jen Robinson or more commonly known to most of you as “Jenna , Jenna” or “ my Jen” as Shelley would often say when introducing me to anyone. How do I even begin to deliver a tribute that would do justice to someone who embodied perfection in everything she did?? When I was starting to compose my thoughts and thinking how I was going to put them to paper I did a google search of “if your favorite color is purple” I came across a phycology of colour article. It was amazing to me how closely it embodied her that I wanted to share just a few points to start.
Having purple as your favorite color means you are sensitive and compassionate, understanding and supportive, thinking of others before yourself - you are the person others come to for help.
You are creative and like to be individual in most of your endeavors, including your dress and home decoration - you love the unconventional.
People who don't understand you sometimes think you are eccentric.
As a personality color purple, you are a generous giver, asking for little in return except friendship.
You are a visionary, with high ambitions, dreams and desires, and a compulsion to help humanity and to improve the planet earth.
You are a good judge of character and sum others up quite quickly and accurately, although you usually see the best in everybody.
I first met Shelly in the summer of 1997. I was 13 years old. We had just moved in 2 doors down on Inverness Park in Mckenzie Town.
I was out on the front step waiting for my sister Ali to get back from the Macs and I remember seeing her unload Spencer out of his car seat from her purple car. She waved us over to meet their new puppy Bazel . She introduced her self and invited us in. It wasn’t long before we were shown the pantry and it felt like I had just opened the door to Willy Wonka’s! My parents were both working that summer so naturally, Shelley took it upon her self to keep us entertained and that she did!
It wasn’t long before I was reminded of the fundamental lesson of “blue and red make purple”! We experimented for days with so many boxes of RIT dye to find the perfect ratio for the most beautiful purple. We colored everything that day including the curtains!
Another day that summer we went over, and she had brushes and paint in the back yard and told us to paint the fence however we wanted. I thought she must be crazy but soon realized that was just Shelley! She made fun out of any situation. When summer was over and we went back to school I remember having the best projects to hand in. I would have cricket cut outs, a staples size selection of any coloured paper, or any type of sticker I could dream of.
As the years went on, we became family. I don’t think I ever knocked on the door and it was always open. I was around all the time and ended up watching the boys grow up into the young gentleman that they are today. She was so proud of them! She never missed a violin performance, soccer game, or school play. She tirelessly advocated for them and truly was their biggest fan.
I have so many wonderful memories with her. Nothing was ever ordinary with Shelley and she never just had one of anything. I realized quickly that it was pointless to even question the logic of it. Like for example why anyone would need 100+ containers of sprinkles! If I ever asked her response would just be “oh you be quiet!”.
She taught me from a young age the importance of the best kitchen aid with all the attachments. And how important it was to own a spurtle. She taught me to appreciate good quality things when it came to cooking or baking. I’m sure I never saw whole vanilla beans or imported saffron before her! You never made anything with her that didn’t include good butter, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, or bacon.
We watched so many episodes of Americas test kitchen or would sit and flip through cooking magazines while eating 2” thick cut multigrain toast with creamed honey. We would mark what we wanted to make and then made sure we did. We had so much fun and she never said no to anything I wanted to try. She was adventurous. We made jams, banana bread with (ground fresh whole nutmeg) which I still do to this day, the best snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies that I’m pretty sure were more chocolate then cookie! Double chocolate, ooey gooey puff wheat squares, and oh so many things with lemon!
She put everything in the dishwasher, and I mean everything. She would always say if something couldn’t go in the dishwasher then it was “no good”. I learned how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet from her and developed the same passion (o.k obsession) of ironing. Because of her I have a professional steam iron and know where to go in Calgary if I need it fixed! I visited that small repair shop with her so many times. If it wasn’t for the iron it was for the kitchen aid which speaks to how much she used them both!
Her sewing machine was also always going. She made the coziest blankets. My youngest and my sisters’ children are fortunate enough to own one. They will be cherished keepsakes. Her knitting, scarfs and stockings she was always giving too. Her mom Sherri shared with me the other day that not long ago, someone commented on how beautiful the scarf she was wearing was. She took it off her neck and gave it to her. That was Shelley. It didn’t matter who you were. She had the most giving heart.
We took so many trips up to Warner and they were mostly always all the same. We would get a Jones soda and listen to an audio book or CBC radio. I never remember it being music! She would always make me drive and was the one who actually ended up taking me for my drivers licence in Lethbridge in her Van. I just told the boys this and they couldn’t believe it as she would never let them drive with her!
Shelly had a passion for helping the earth, people and animals too. I’m pretty sure she was one of the early pioneers of recycling! It was so foreign to me then that someone would spend so many hours washing, sorting and then paying someone to come get it. She truly wanted to make a difference and has been long before most of us even thought of it. There was also a time that a duck with her ducklings ended up in their window well. Shelley got a box and put the babies in it. We all walked down to the pond with the momma to let them free. Even the animals knew where to go if they needed help. She loved all her fur babies and spoiled them like crazy.
Over these last few years and now that I have kids of my own, we had never lost touch. Sometimes months would go by without checking in but when either of us did its like we had just talked the day before. Life got busy but she never forgot my girls at Christmas. They have special memories of making make gingerbread houses with her and had recently just asked me when we were going to go over to do them. I’ll make sure this is something we do every year and I’ll find purple candy of some sort in her honour. Some things that will always remind me of Shelly (outside of the obvious anything purple) and will be sure to bring a smile to face are:
- Fresh peas
- Lindor chocolate balls
- Corn on the cob
- Little licorice candies from the Italian shop
- Red cinnamon hearts
- Turtle pecan cluster blizzards
- Diet coke
- Elephant ears
- Popcorn balls
- The smell of that cinnamon/nutmeg/clove concoction she would always have boiling
- And most recently, Our angel Christmas tree topper. It decided to stop working this year, so we went out and found one with a purple light. Shelley truly was angelic in so many ways. She was an exemplary, saintly, and wholesome human being.