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Thursday:: Marlene, Marlyss, Herm and I went to Biddeford to check out the York County Franco-American Society's library located inside the McArthur Library. We all did some research and found a little of this and a little of that. I think we had out every Blue Drouin book nearly all at once! Then we went shopping........not so fun for Herm. Finished the large RRV sign with the help of everyone. I think we all colored some of that sign. Ed & Lance Loranger, Barb & Art Dery, Marlene Rivard Kurowski, Marlyss & Herm Hernandez and moi.
Friday morning: We pitched in, made and decorated cakes for Friday nite's dessert and found out that I cannot decorate a cake for the life of me! However, Marlyss should win a prize for her perfect cake decorating abilities!
Friday, Sept 16, 2005 After moving all the stuff to the Brunswick and setting up our tables, a good crowd of approximately 78-80 came to enjoy a buffet dinner of baked stuffed haddock, carved roast beef and baked stuffed chicken breast with a creamy dill sauce, roasted herbed red bliss potatoes and roasted chef's vegetables while relaxing to the sounds of Ti' Acadie. And of course, cake for dessert.
During Friday night's festivities, the ghost of our "black sheep" Lucien "Luc" Rivard made an escape from jail again on Friday nite of the RRV. He showed up in his striped jail attire with his garden hose in tow. Jim Rivard from Quebec, narrated the poem "The Ballad of Bordeaux Jail" while the "ghost" of Luc ran around the room trying to find a way to escape his pursuers.
"Luc" was jovially played by Don Rivard from Lewiston, Maine. Don looked positively criminal in his striped prison outfit. And a thank-you to my Mom who actually cut a piece from my garden hose while it was still attached to the outside faucet, washed it and curled it nicely so "Luc" could carry it over his shoulder.
Saturday, September 17, 2005 Saturday morning the cousins breakfast at Beach Bagels was unfortunately rained out. So a few of us went to my house and traded info. Later on Saturday afternoon, the new Association had its annual meeting. Finally the sun started peeking through and around 5pm on Saturday many of the Friday night attendees and some additional folks somewhere in the number of 85 met at the Oceanside Grille for lobster, steamed clams, corn on the cob, potato salad, corn bread, rolls and butter and delicious desserts of strawberry shortcake and blueberry crisp. There were also a few who ordered STEAK---in MAINE? Who knew? Maine Author Doris Provencher Faucher made a presentation about life in early Quebec around Batiscan and Trois Rivieres.
Attendees represented names of Rivard, Rivord, Dufrense, Lavigne, Bellefeuille, Loranger, Lanouette among others. Some came from Quebec, Ontario, Florida, Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and of course, Maine. It was great to meet our Canadian cousins who I can now recognize in person!
We met some new folks who signed up or showed up at the last minute on both Friday and Saturday. Some descendants of Heliodore Rivard who came from Lewiston, Maine and Grafton, MA. And some new cousins from Fitchburg, MA.
On Sunday morning, after a continental breakfast at the Brunswick, provided by Beach Bagels, Cousin Andre Dufresne from Quebec gave us a wonderful presentation on the "dit" names and the correct pronounciation of the Rivard names and dit names. Those of us who don't speak French certainly now know how to correctly pronounce the names........LOL..... Andre---was that Du-FreZ-knee?
Then, we had the drawings for the Raffle prizes. There were so many terrific prizes. It seemed to take forever to draw all the names.
Then another group of unconnected Rivard descendants, Dolly Lemay and family, arrived from Manchester, NH. Mary Ann and I have been working on connecting them and today----thanks to Dolly's memere's book of names, they are now connected. How great is that?
Sunday afternoon, after the departure of many cousins, a small group of us played mini-golf at Pirate's Cove miniature golf in OOB. Barb and Art Dery and Charles Rivard and Bette Nebel all won prizes. Barbara, have you tried your new lobster floatation device yet?
Monday morning, Marlyss and Herm left for Canada, then Vermont. Marlene and I went sightseeing, seafood eating and shopping. We walked out on the deck at Pine Point to view the lobster and fishing boats. We watched a young boy fish as the tide was sweeping down through the salt marsh and out to sea. We saw a man digging clams along the shore. We also stopped at the nearby deer and elk farm around dusk to hear the elk/reindeer calling and the males crashing their antlers together.
Some people went sightseeing during the weekend--checking our various lighthouses and points of interest. Others did an 11k walk in Kennebunkport. I think nearly everyone (except those steak-eaters) tried out various seafood restaurants in the area.
Thank you all for attending the RRV2005 in Old Orchard Beach, giving us the chance to meet face-to-face and connect with cousins who, without the Rivard Family Forum, we may never have had the chance to know about.
A HUGE thank-you to all of you who pitched in and made this RRV happen. Another HUGE thank-you to those of you who made/donated raffle items! They were all great. And again, thank-you to all of you who attended the RRV!
Your Host, RRV 2005.
Ann Loranger
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Rivard Cousins
Jewels of Maine NH
