Noreen Spence has lived in the rural village of Baie Verte, N.B. (population 300) almost her entire life. The 90-year-old raised her family here and still lives in the grand Victorian home where she grew up.
Her 93-year-old friend Flora Annand grew up in the village too, in a family of 12 children. Annand says that the village was the best place to be for exploring and having fun. She married her sweetheart Douglas (94 years old) and moved around the world, only to land back in Baie Verte over 30 years ago.
Friends for as long as they can remember, Noreen, Flora, and Douglas have been swimming together in the local river for decades. As soon as the water warms enough in June, they grab their swimsuits — and pool noodles — and head to the river. They swim almost every day until the end of September when the water gets too cold.
“Not a lot has changed since we began swimming together,” Spence says. “Except now I use the swimming noodles, as my balance isn’t what it used to be.”
She laughs and says, “I call us the moldy oldies, but Flora and Doug prefer to say the noodles.”
The Noodle Group follows Noreen, Flora, and Doug as they reflect on the passage of time and where they are in life. With calming clarity, the friends show us that life’s magic exists in finding joy in the simple moments of everyday life.
