Anne's 100th Anniversary!

This is the house that Anne built.....actually the author's relatives lived her and she enjoyed visiting them so much that she based Anne's home with the Cuthberts here.

Selected excerpts from Budge Wilson's The Prequel to Anne of Green Gables, Before Green Gables:

“So today,” he continued, smiling now in an oddly special way, “I’m going to start telling you about the smallest province in Canada. It’s even smaller than Nova Scotia. And it’s an island. The sea is all around it.” Pg. 283

“Paths are red; roads are red. The red roads and green fields are like a beautiful patchwork quilt.” He sighed, fold his arms across his chest, and looked at the ceiling.
“And the sea,” said Harold. “Are there beaches? Or just rocks?”
“Oh!” exclaimed Mr. McDougall, sighing again. “The beaches! The beaches! Oh yes! And the high sand dunes with their long waving grasses. Flowing in the wind like a mermaid’s hair! Oh, such a place!” pg. 284

“Every summer I go back to the island and stay with my uncle for a while- walking along the beaches, watching the moon make its path across the sea, marveling at the high waves in the storms, listening to the sound of the breakers at night.” Then he stopped abruptly, as though he’d been dreaming and had just woken up. Pg. 285

….Aloud (Anne) said, “Someday I will go there. It may take a long time to happen. Maybe not till I’m an old lady-But I will go.”

Thus was born Anne’s love affair with Prince Edward Island. Pg. 286

The sea and red beaches and red rocks

Chippy, who followed us from OH
Below, Baby Elephant Rock

If you've never read Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables books (there are 8 in all) or watched any of the movies with Megan Follows or have never visited Prince Edward Island, Canada, then let me just say that you are missing out in life! Robert and I celebrated our honeymoon there and the great thing about it was that we both were drawn in by the island. It offers different things to each of us. For him, Tim Horton's and golf. For me, Anne of Green Gables. For us, beaches and lobster dinners! 5 years later we went back with our parents. Both sets. Call us crazy, but it worked and we all had a great time. We've gone back every summer since, with the exception of the last summer and this. What this means exactly is that my baby has never put her feet in the ocean and the only time she has been on PEI was in utreo. For a place this special to us both, it breaks my heart that she hasn't seen it yet. Thus, next year's plan! We're already looking forward to renting a house by the beach. I can't wait to take the girls to the Village of Avonlea (where they re-enact the entire first book throughout the course of the day and Mr. Heather leaves repeatedly to make a coffee run to Tim Horton's right down the street.) I recently downloaded all of my digital pics to our external HD and it made me so island-sick! If you've never been, I know it's hard to understand, but for those of you who have felt the call of the island, the wind, and the sea....you know all too well. It's truly heaven on earth! I hope you get the chance to fall in love with it too!

Robert picked out his birthday cake-a pile of TimBits!

Canada Day Sand Contest

Lotsa Lobster!

(Anne of Green Gables was first published in 1908. She is a fictitious character, which irritated Mr. Heather when we visited "Anne's House", etc. The book mentioned above just released in time for the anniversary-thanks to Jennie for enlightening me about it or I wouldn't have known about it so soon!)

FYI-All of these pics are from our 2005 Trip!