Madison loves the Canucks

Madison made this 2nd video (after cutting out her face in her 1st). Once again, here she is expressing her love for the Canucks and hockey.

We love you, Canucks!

Big game tonight. Game 6. Canucks could bring home the Stanley Cup tonight...on Michael's birthday. Here's a video that Madison made on her own expressing her feelings about the Canucks. You gotta love the kid!

Remembrance of Auntie V

My first memory of Auntie Vera is not about her coffee chiffons, lazy daisies, lemon chiffons and banana tortes. My first memory is actually of this jet-setting aunt that would fly in and out from Montreal. My mom and I would often pick her up at the airport. She always had style, a fashion icon. It was clear that she liked shopping for the latest style. I remember her wearing these batwing tops (or dolman sleeves) and big junky jewelry. I really thought she was a fashion designer. Before she would fly back to Montreal, she would take my measurements, and then on her next trip to Vancouver, she would bring me these outfits, like this poncho with matching jumper and this muumuu.

Auntie V gave me the name Dee Dee because she thought Deanna was too grown-up for a little girl. And the name stuck. That’s the name that I still go by.

When Yen-Yen died in 1973, Auntie V & Uncle George Wong moved from Montreal to the King Ed house in Vancouver. Auntie Vera took over as the matriarch of Lee family, and worked at Foo Hung. Chrissy came a couple of years later. I remember when Uncle Bill brought this adorable, little girl from Taiwan wearing a blue poncho and these cute red shoes. They had just gotten off the plane and we were the first to meet her.

Our families would see each other often; it seemed like almost everyday when I was growing up. My dad, for years, took Chrissy to school, and my mom would pick her up after school. Then Chrissy would hang out at our house until Auntie V got home from work.

We would often have dinner at the King Ed house, and I remember Auntie V calling out through the kitchen window above the sink. “Ba hec la” or “Pop, Dinner!”

While my mom and Geoff stayed home to prepare for Christmas family dinner, my dad and I would spend Christmas afternoon at the King Ed house. It was a tradition to have Uncle George’s potato pancakes for Christmas brunch.

Auntie V, as you all know, was extremely neat, tidy and clean…so much so, that she would fold the grocery bags just so and put them in the drawer.

Auntie V often would phone us in the evening and tell us to turn on the TV to watch Frank Sinatra or Barbra Streisand or Bob Hope or whatever special was on. (In recent years, she would phone about Dancing with the Stars and American Idol.)

Auntie V was also very persistent. She would call to get us to do something. And then before we could count to 60, she would phone back to make sure we did what she said. And sometimes when it was super important, there would be a 3^rd or 4^th call…all within a span of a couple of minutes.

In today’s times, she might have been labelled “Tiger Mom” but if people got to know her, they would see that she really was a “Paper Tiger”, where in appearance, she seemed very powerful but in reality, she was nothing to be afraid of. She had a big, BIG heart.

When Yeh-Yeh went to the hospital in Dec of 1994, and after his surgery, the doctor told us that Yeh-Yeh didn’t have much longer with us. I remember Auntie Vera was the one that reached out to me and pulled me towards her and gave me a big hug. I’d never received such a deep display of emotion from her. We comforted each other. After that, I would see her through different eyes.

Uncle George Wong passed away in 2003, and Auntie V softened up some more. Chrissy and her relationship would also, over time, change for the better.

Auntie V worked for many years for my dad. She was exceptional at keeping the office in good working order. My dad’s clients would often mistaken her as his wife because of the way she bossed him around. “Jack, put your coat and hat on; Jack, come and eat; Jack do this. Jack do that.” My dad had a wife at home and a wife at the office! Auntie V was always checking up on dad and protecting him.

When my dad was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and then later with other health issues, I would call Auntie V and just cry. She was a source of strength for me. We talked on the phone quite often during that time and we continued to do so over the years. When my dad, to no fault of his own, stopped going to the office, she continued to work there everyday, fielding calls and slowly shutting down his practice. I don’t know what my family would have done without her. She took such great care of my dad.

Auntie V was not just a mother to Chrissy but to all of us. She was the matriarch of the Lee Clan.. She was our central line of communication – when one of us graduated from school, got engaged, got pregnant, or anything – we went through her, and she would disburse the news. She organized our family dinners at Marco Polo, Foo’s and Brothers Restaurant. She was the glue that kept us together. She united us.

For Auntie V’s whole life, she took care of each and every one of us. The Lee Family is what it is today because of her devotion. My hope is that we, nieces and nephews, continue what she did and keep the family together.

Thank you, Auntie V, so much for modeling to us “family loyalty”. We miss you and love you so so much. I look forward to eating your cookies in heaven. Your World’s Best Cookies will be called Heaven’s Best Cookies.