Nanaimo, B.C., senior crochets more than 10,555 toques for charity
The other day, someone approached Kathleen Remple and asked why she always seemed so happy.
“I told her it was because I’m lazy,” Kathleen says, with a twinkle in her eye.
An answer that’s proving to be only partly true.
“Well, takes a lot more effort to frown than smile,” Kathleen says, bursting into laughter.
While that part is accurate, Kathleen’s mention of being “lazy” isn’t.
She grew up on the farm in Prairies during the Great Depression, learning to be resilient early.
“That was hard,” Kathleen says, before revealing she was one of 12 kids.
“It’s not cheaper by the dozen.”
They had no choice but to start working almost as soon as they were walking.
“Money was scarce as hen’s teeth,” Kathleen says. “And hens don’t have teeth.”
While the chickens lacked chompers, Kathleen says she always possessed a sense of positivity.
“I guess I was born that way,” she laughs.
The 89-year-old is now focusing her enduring positivity and unwavering work ethic on crocheting multi-coloured toques.
“I make one before breakfast, one before lunch, and one before dinner,” Kathleen says. “And if we’re lucky, one before bed!”
Although she consistently crafts three to four toques a day, Kathleen stopped keeping track of the total number she’s made a few years ago. But Kathleen does know she’s donated all of them to charity, more than 10,555 of them.
“It feels good,” Kathleen says humbly.
Because when you grow-up in the winter cold with nothing, you know how meaningful a little warm something can be.
“I’m glad I can do it,” Kathleen says.
Glad that being so “lazy” is keeping her so busy.
“You don’t have time to mope around,” Kathleen says, before bursting into the biggest laugh of all.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.