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| Ann and Jim |
Fontaine has lived in Cannon Beach full-time for two years since she and her husband, Jim, retired. Though the couple lived in Lander, Wyo. for nearly 35 years, they owned a house in Cannon Beach for nearly as long. Ann, a professional interim minister ordained in 1996, realized long ago that the heart of her spirituality lay at the Oregon Coast.Read more at the Astorian.
Early in life, Fontaine’s ties to the North Coast grew. “I grew up in Portland and spent all my summers with my grandparents in Seaside,” she said. “My uncles – Norwegians and Scots – all fished the Columbia River and put down deep roots in this area.” As an adult, she raised three children in Wyoming where her husband was a doctor. Whenever possible, the Fontaines made the trek west to their home in Cannon Beach. “We owned a home here for years and always knew we’d retire here one day,” she said. “It was always like coming home.”
Ann and I were virtual friends for a few years before we met in person at General Convention 2009 of the Episcopal Church. Looking back over the time I've known Ann, I'm grateful for her good company, sympathetic listening, wise advice, guidance and support through the highways and byways of Episcopal Blogland, and source of jokes, cartoons, and funny pictures.
From my description, Ann sounds downright pastoral, doesn't she? I expect that the churches where she has served during the interim from one rector to another are grateful for her gifts. Wise guidance through an interim period is, as I've come to see from my experience in my own church, a vital bridge toward a smooth transition from the departure of a rector to the arrival of another.
Ann says the North Coast has always been "the home of my heart", and I'm pleased that she and Jim, who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, are settled in their home on her beloved Oregon coast. Ann can't seem to settle into retirement, but maybe it's not yet time.
Thanks Grandmère.
ReplyDeleteAll true.
DeleteAnn totally rocks!
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