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Category Archives: family history

Story Writing, Raymond Carver and Old Notebooks

We were shopping for children’s books today, for six months old to nine years old and found some beauties with which to entertain the LiveWires later this month. While we in the bookshop there was an author event going on, Craig Green writing a story with young customers. It was a delight to hear the contributions for their 26 words story and his lovely way of using their suggestions.

Story writing with Craig Green

Today’s poem in Poem for the Day is this little beauty from Raymond Carver who died on this day in1988. To love and be loved really is all that matters.

Late Fragment by Raymond Carver

Big, big sorting today on another rain-filled day – this time through all my writings from when our son was very ill soon after being born. My notes take us from Day 11 of his little life, his three heart operations, (though today, reading just the first two was enough), my poems, the little things I have kept from those days. We have both cried this afternoon, reading and remembering, but the beautiful thing is that, despite the odds, 50/50; then 60/40  and again 60/40 against his survival, he and his twin sister are almost 40 and he is himself the Father of twins. One day soon, I shall write up the whole experience, the horrors and the delights, the successes and the mistakes, the lovely things that were said and some of the shocking thoughtless words said by people who should have known better.

Here is a photo of the garden a few moments ago when the sun came out after a day of rain reminding us of how the sun shone in our lives as our lovely boy and his three lovely siblings grew to be such wonderful, thoughtful, kind and much loved adults.

Sunshine after rain

 

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Frida Kahlo, Earrings and First Words

I’ve been trying to find time to get to Studio 10 in Redruth to see the Frida Kahlo exhibition since last Sunday. I made it at last, met some lovely people, saw some amazing art and bought some earrings! I just loved the humour in these mosaic characters by Susie Chaikin, an artist I am delighted to have discovered today. Do have a look at her website by clicking on the red link. I featured some of her husband, Mike Chaikin’s, kinetic sculptures in April without knowing they were his – sorry! You can see them here.

Frida and Diego by Susie Chaikin

Here are the earrings I bought today. I need to find out the name of the artist maker. (I have now been told they have been made by Anne Boo Whetter.

Beautiful earrings

Sorting through stuff again – it’s ongoing! – I re-discovered Baby’s Progress, a little booklet given to my Mum to record my progress many years ago. Here is one page from it.

Mum’s record of me!

 

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Post Card, Tea Pot and Another Bus

A postcard arrived today, from my cousin, David,  in Australia. He says, “Last time we were in the UK we visited Grandfather’s Church in Cockerham (in Lancashire) where we were jointly christened.”  Somewhere I have a photo of us both in our Granpa’s arms, just christened. I must look it out. We are both Capricorns…….

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In Truro today in the Lemon Street Gallery I saw some beautiful pottery that I may not resist next time we are there. The full slogan is, today you must sparkle!  I especially love the little tea-pot.

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We followed another of our new buses today and I caught a different  back view – another for our Cornish friend S who lives in Vermont.

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Painted Van, Living Eulogy Boxes and Delicious Supper

Happily, I just managed to catch a photo of this painted van as it left the supermarket car park.

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On BBC Radio 4 this morning, I heard about Living Eulogy Boxes and was very taken with the idea. As the author of the blog says, “The concept of a Living Eulogy Box is to encourage you to formally thank and praise those you love and admire in their living years – to write down your thoughts so that your words can be treasured by those who receive them and they can live their lives knowing that they have made a valued difference.”  I understood what she meant immediately.

When my Mum died, a wonderful individual who taught deaf children to speak, her eulogy was lovely – but she didn’t hear it! When my Dad was given a terminal diagnosis, I wrote to everyone in his address book to tell them and he received countless letters from people whose lives he had touched, as a teacher, a Head teacher, a colleague, an author. It was wonderful to read these to him so that he knew how loved he was, not just by us but by all those for whom his life had made a difference to theirs.

I have a drawer marked “Afterwards”. Among other things including Thomas Hardy’s poem, ‘Afterwards’ , it contains a printout of something wonderful an ex-student wrote to me when she happened upon my blog. You can read it in the comments here if you wish. You will need to scroll down to the comment headed,  Still wondering what the ‘H’ stands for...  I have letters of thanks and love in there from Pastor Peter whom we met when we volunteered in Mapoch, South Africa. I have the references written for us by our beautiful friend Kath for that same project and in whose memory this blog is written.

A friend passed on a link to a delicious supper, Cauliflower Grilled Cheese. Click on the red link to fine the recipe.  I didn’t find it quite as easy as the video suggests – ‘flipping’ the patties was a bit hit and miss! However, I will try it again as they were scrumptious, especially served with Garlicky Crispy Kale.

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Family History, An Award and A Note

I have so much stuff to sort! In a long unpacked box today I discovered some forgotten family treasures, one relating to my maternal Grandfather and the other to my Dad.

My Grandfather, Rev. W Richards, won a Championship of some sort and was given the following beautiful little piece with the Preston Coat of Arms enamelled on one side and P.T.C.L. on the back with the date 1928. If anyone knows what the letters stand for, I would love to know.


What a thoughtful teacher wrote this little note for my Dad to take home from Primary School.It was written when Dad was ten years old before he moved on to Manchester Grammar School. In another ten years it will qualify as an antique!

 
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Posted by on November 8, 2016 in awards, Beauty, family history, Kindness

 

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Weekly Photo Challenge – Nostalgia

I made Blackberry and Apple Crumble for tea – just scrumptious, especially with cinnamon and oats added to the crumble mix. Every Autumn since I was a little girl we have picked blackberries from the lanes and my Mum made just the best Blackberry and Apple Crumble. Every family gathering sees some B&A Crumble on the table!

Served with vanilla ice cream or custard

Served with vanilla ice cream or custard

For others in this challenge, click here.

 

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Twin Knitting, Buttons and Borage

I am knitting baby clothes in pairs for our twin Live Wires due next January! Only just able to share this delightful news.:)

Twin cardigans with buttons from the expected babies' Great Great Grandfather

Twin cardigans with buttons from the expected babies’ Great Great Grandfather

My Father’s Father, my Grandfather,  was a button salesman and I still have cards of his buttons which I have inherited and treasured. I have sewn some of them onto these tiny cardigans which pleases me greatly.

Buttons from my Grandfather

Buttons from my Grandfather

The blue of Borage flowers is gorgeous and really enhances a salad.

Beautiful Borage

Beautiful Borage

 

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Weekly Photo Challenge – Admiration 

What a beautiful piece of work this is. It shows the names of the Great Grandmother, Aunts and Uncles of the lovely person we met last night at her B&B,  River House in Grassy Creek, North Carolina. I so admire anyone who works with such skill, love and dedication.

  
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/

 

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Print Tray, Treasures and Cheesecake

I have spent the morning finding little treasures collected over so many years and have put them in the print tray. They may well be moved again!

My print tray filled or nearly

My print tray filled or nearly

Here I have some of Mum’s thimbles, the ones most associated with Cornwall – two showing engine houses, an ivory one from early 1900’s bought in Redruth in 1981, two made especially for Mum, one in Granite and one in Serpentine and one with a Welsh dragon on it to show my Welsh heritage. There is one of a collection of small brass owls (The owl was the logo of our family – the Wisemen) and three of my keys. I started collecting keys when I was in Primary school but can’t remember where each one came from. There is a tiny green glass bottle that used to hold iodine and which still has the chemist’s label on it. It is from Lytham where my Granny lived her last few years. There is also a pressed Parrot flower brought home from a holiday in Morocco.  Five more segments to show you at a later date………

Detail

Detail

At the weekend there was a delicious recipe in the paper – Baked Pumpkin Cheese cake by Thomasina Miers. Mine is still in the oven as I write so here is the picture of hers. I hope mine turns out as well!

Baked Pumpkin Cheesecake

Baked Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

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Baby Snail, Print Tray and Singing

After I had finished washing the spinach, kindly given to us by Sue-next-door from her allotment, and was preparing to cook it, I noticed a tiny snail in the kitchen sink. He was moving at a fair old rate but I caught him on camera before he was taken outside! His shell was no bigger than my little fingernail.

Tiny snail

My beautiful Mum used to collect thimbles and many of her collection of 500 were housed in old print trays. For some reason I cannot quite fathom, I have never wanted to have these on display and they have languished, wrapped up and away, since my Dad died in 2004, fifteen years after my Mum. However, I have been collecting little treasures for many years with a mind to displaying them in said print trays. Yesterday I  lifted them all down and what a wave of nostalgia!  The lovely Mr S has put the print tray on the wall for me and I will show you the contents and give you the histories of the little things bit by bit.

Old print tray

Old print tray

I cannot tell you often enough how good it is to sing in harmony with others! Tonight, with Claire and The Ingleheart Singers we were learning a new carol, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree,  and it is fabulous – six harmonies on some verses! This link will give you a taste but I hope to be able to give you us singing it in due course.

 

 

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