I only count the beautiful days.

I visited Switzerland after a two year absence this October 2010.  For a number of years when visiting my father's sister, Michelle, I would encourage her to talk about the family as well as identify the people and places in old pictures.  I was very thankful that I had done this research when I started my blog over one year ago.  On the last visit I enjoyed hearing once again the family stories and as always there were new ones and deeper understandings.  I learned that Caroline Fleur de Lys did return to Switzerland once after immigrating to Canada whereas I had thought she had not.  She travelled alone, leaving the rest of her family back in Montreal. The majority of my trips to Switzerland  have been alone as well although I did go back once with my children and husband and another visit just my husband and I.

I reflected often during my visit on the nature of these family visits.  I shifted through the photos and letters at my Aunt's home where many of the earlier visits with Eddy and Betty are recorded.  I saw picture after picture of family groups and dinners.  These short visits are very intense in nature as family tries to catch on the years as well as offer a memorable visit with dinner parties and special outings.
My Aunt Michelle lives in Hermance, a historic village about half an hour from Geneva along the Lac Leman.  Gus also lives in this village too and it is a short walk between the houses.  This walk takes me by the home that once belonged to my father's Uncle, Mico.  The home was used as a vacation retreat for Mico and his wife, Jacqueline.  The cousins often spent their summers in this chalet as it was perfectly situated along a river and beside a large forest. The large chalet burned down, taking with it what Uncle Mico called the Miege museum.  The top floor of the chalet housed much of the family memorabilia and photographs.  We are fortunate for the photos that remain that may of been duplicates or were with other family members.  Mico and Jacqueline then constructed a new home in the chalet's place.  This home is stunning.  On one of the outside walls Jacqueline designed and painted a sun clock with the inscription "Je ne maiqerant que l'heure des beau jours" - "I only remember the hours of the beautiful days".  Jacqueline Blancard, as she was known in her role as a concert pianist, was extremely talented.  Her accomplished musical career included a role as the Laureate of the International Faure Contest which was held in Luxembourg.  She also appeared as soloist with Symphony Orchestra in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland and Ireland, presenting a most extensive repertoire from Bach and Mozart to Ravel.  Her American debut at the Town Hall in 1948 proved one of the most exciting events of the New York musical season.  The following years she played in several American cities like Cincinnati, Boston, Baltimore, Rochester and also in  Canada.
I often reflected on the sun clock's inscription during my last visit and felt that it encapsulated the essence of the family gatherings.  After a large family gathering or when reflecting on our visits to the "home country" we remember the beautiful days.  The trials of the "day to day" fall away.

Jacqueline's sun clock.

Mico at his home in Hermance playing croquet with his nieces and nephews in the courtyard in front of the wall with the sun clock.

Family dinner during visit to Switzerland, 2003