Sunday, October 30, 2016

The House At Sugar Beach, by Helene Cooper

Hi Dear Folk,



The House At Sugar Beach, by Helene Cooper, is an autobiography that I bought at the library on CD for just $0.50 cents.  What makes this audio so good is that it is read by the author, with all the nuances of the different Liberian speech dialects and cadences.  It is about the author's childhood into her teens, growing up in Liberia, her later life as a journalist and her return to Liberia.

Liberia in it's more recent history was founded by free slaves sailing from New York, landing and founding Monrovia in 1820.  After months of negotiation to buy land it was eventually forcibly taken from the indigenous tribes and there lies the whole route of the problem.  These new settlers came to be known as The Congo people, they were the elite ruling class.  With all major positions in government, lawyers and major land owners.

Helene grew up at Sugar Beach in a twenty-two room early 1970's mansion, which her father had built, with beautiful vistas of the beach and Atlantic Ocean.  A life of servants, flashy American cars, a villa in Spain, and a farmhouse and plantation property up state, an almost duplicate look of a Southern Plantation.

An African childhood filled with knock foot games and hot pepper soup, heartmen and negree.  When she was eight years old they took in a foster child, a Bassa girl Eunice.  They lived blissfully in a privileged world of private schools, summer holidays in Spain at their villa, trips to family in the USA.  Regular visits to local family which meant everything, grandmothers, aunts, uncles and cousins.  A country where western ideas, American TV shows, Paris designer dresses and government balls, lived along with Witch Doctors and a sub strata of poor.

The 12th April 1980 this all came to an end, a group of soldiers staged a coup d'etat, assassinating Liberian President William Tolbert and executing his cabinet.  The Cooper's and the entire Congo Class were now the hunted, being imprisoned, shot tortured and raped.  This is when Helene's family fled to the USA leaving Eunice behind.

Beautiful Sugar Beach became a place of terror, and the soldiers found out how easy it was to overthrow a government but how hard it is to actually govern and keep the infrastructure going. All descends into madness and chaos, different groups overthrowing the previous, until barbarity rules. Men running round with machine guns, wearing white wedding dresses and blond wigs because the witch doctor said this would stop bullets hurting them.

I knew some basics of Liberian history and had a friend, who escaped from Liberia with her grandmother, who set aside a large bag of rice which they travelled with, to bribe people on the way and a boatman who rowed them across the border to another country.  She had many stories, but I would have so much more to ask her now that I have listened to this book.  I asked my son if he learned anything of this in his American History class at school, but no, I would have thought this would have been a most interesting part related to the USA's checkered history of race.

I will always remember the saying "I'll hold your foot," which means "I beg of you," must say it in the Liberian way.  Well worth reading this book and even better if you can listen to the audio, I would say almost a must.  In view of that I have a give-away.  If you would like to listen to the book, leave a comment between now and next Sunday November 6th at Midnight and I will draw a name.  I will send this CD book set anywhere in the world.

Christy

P.S.  I just wanted to add this our friend Wilf  (bottom photo Wilf and Rose) from S. Africa says that in SA the health insurance will even pay for a visit to the Witch Doctor

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Bear Claws

Hi Dear Folk,

I'm still in October, just.  The boy got off this morning on his trip to Shenandoah and the Skyline Drive, it's a beautiful sunny day so they should see some good fall foliage.  His car is running well after a snuffoo Thursday, with a bolt that came off that held a belt on.  Up early Friday morning and sorted that out before work.  As it had to be done before the long ride, it's about four hours from us to the park.

I forgot to share with you my 35th Anniversary Gift,  that's why I say still in October, from Mr. B.  a Navajo Bear Claws necklace and earrings.  I've always wanted a piece in this design, so he knew I'd love this.




I've watched the last four episodes of George Gently on Acorn, new to me, I hope there are more.  I love that series, set in the 1960's in the Newcastle and Durham area, with Geordie accents in tow.  Vera is also set in that area, and they are both two of my favorites.

The scenery around the City of Durham and the countryside, plus all the 1960's cars and clothes well makes watching the series just for that.  I like it when they cast characters well.

I hope to get started on a crochet shawl in a lattice work.  This is the yarn I chose for it, Peacock Feather.  Last winter I knitted a hat, mitt and scarf set in the color Babbling Brook.  I do like the colors in this line.




Found a dear little Kenya basket to sit them all in.

Off for a cup of tea and get started.

Christy

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Whinging Wednesday and Other Things

Hi Dear Folk,

We have been quite spoiled with two weeks of Indian Summer and temperatures even up to 95f, so this weather coming in now is the beginning of winter.


A snow and rain storm heading in our direction from the Mid-West, but I'm looking at our little corner of Pennsylvania, near to Philadelphia, and it seems we may miss it all.

This morning as I ran out of the house, but that's too much of an exaggeration, rushed out would be more like it, I grabbed my leather jacket that was sitting on the stair corner post.  When you walk out of the house, straight to the car, drive to work and then straight into the office, you do not need truly heavy clothes, you're never outside long enough to warrant them.  That is all going to change when our office moves to Philadelphia and I have to catch the train.  Cold mornings standing on platforms and a walk home from the station are ahead of me.  The only thing I can say is a walk home from the station will do me good and I will have to do it.

Plus I found out no reimbursement for all the extra costs of travel into the city, yikes.  Now I'm wondering about the increased city wage tax and health insurance increased by $600 this year and is now up to a whopping total of $7,601.00 and that is just my husband and I, if we had all the family on it it would be $14,000, and this is through a company health plan. You can see where all our money goes here in the USA.  And it's not as if you don't pay out of pocket expenses when you do go for any medical issues.  But we do have cheap gas/petrol at $2.50 per gallon.  I should take off and drive the States.

Well best hunker down.

Christy


Tuesday, October 25, 2016

1997 Mazda Miata

Hi Dear Folk,

1997 Mazda Miata is The Boy's car.  He keeps a running list of all the things that he has done on the car and this is it.  So since he bought it in May 2016, this is what he has done.  He likes the older Miata's because it's a lot easier to work on.

This is his second Miata, the first one was totaled just before he went away to Ithaca, same colour Montego Blue only the first Miata was a 1996.  The only thing he got to salvage from that was the stick shift nob which a friend had hand made for him in wood. This was his old car. Before this he went through two other cars, one hit a concrete lamp-post in a parking lot as he was trying to tune in the radio and on the Mini, he thought cleaning the engine with one of those fluid cleaners might be a good idea, but that just loosened all the gunk and seized up the engine. At the time I didn't think it was a good idea. So when it came to changing the timing belt I was somewhat apprehensive, but as my sister said on the phone, "just let him get on with it, " and that is what I did.

When he was looking for his very first car I saw a nice Miata, much newer at a dealership and said how about this Rob.  "Oh I wouldn't buy a Miata they're just for girls."  Fast forward a few years and getting to drive a friend's Miata, then he realized he likes Miata's.  So can mum say "I told you so."  Mums do know best after all.

10/9 the weekend of wind and rains from the hurricane he spent two days working on that, about 20 hours of work in his friend's driveway with a canopy over the car.  The wind blew the canopy into the car and left white marks on the door, which his dad has since compounded and buffed them out for him.  It took a long time because he was being really meticulous, especially working on the timing belt.

10/15 was a lovely day and he put in a new radio.

10/21 I came home from work Friday night and there he is working in the dark, which carried on over into 10/22 Saturday morning.  Mr B and The Boy went to get his front end aligned only to find out one of the wheels is bent.  On the computer and he finds a set for sale in Scranton, PA a two hour drive away.

10/23 Sunday a beautiful day, was a trip up to Scranton with his dad in the SUV to pick up four new wheels.

05/20/16
New Tires and Alignment

05/29/16

New used latches

06/10/16
New used steering wheel

06/30/16 79400
Oil change 0w30 mobile 1 full synthetic and Bosch filter

07/02/16 79650
New OEM taillight seals

10/9/16 - 81050
New coolant hoses from flying miata, BPE8-15-186, BPE8-13-682, B61P-15-261A, NA75-61-211, NA75-61-212, (B61P-15-185 and B61P-15-184 replaced with flying miata's silicon hose), and coolant flush done. New mix 60/40.
New PS and alternator/water pump belts
New thermostat and radiator cap
New CAS sensor O-ring
New NGK OEM spark plugs
New timing belt and idler pulleys form flying miata
New water pump
New Cam and front crank seals
New head gasket

10/14/16 - 81150
New OEM Gas cap

10/15/16 - 81250
New Pioneer MVH-X390BT Headunit. Factory wiring harness completely unchanged. All connections between adapter harness and headunit harness made with in line solder connections and then tube shrink wrapped. All unused wires tube shrink wrapped to prevent shorts.

10/16/16 - 81250
New OEM air filter

10/22/16 - 81400
Shifter rebuilt using kit from Moss Miata (all new bushings, washers, and boots)
Transmission and shifter turret Oil replaced with Motorcraft
Diff Fluid replaced with Redline MTL

10/23/16 - 81550
Got daisies to replace the steelies and had them Road Force balanced


Monday, October 17, 2016

Eve of a Hundred Midnights by Bill Lascher, The Link To His Website and Photos

Hi Dear Folk,

Just a short post ago I reviewed Bill Lasher's book, Eve of a Hundred Midnights.  I was thrilled to have the  author leave a nice comment on my blog and said to take a look at his website with lots more information and Melville Jacoby's personal photo collection, including photos from this amazing experience that two young people had.

So here is the link for "Eve of a HUNDRED MIDNIGHTS"

I had wanted to share some of the photos and this website has so many more historic personal photos, information about the author and this book, plus his blog.

I know you will enjoy it as I have.

Christy 

Sunday, October 16, 2016

My Park

Hi Dear Folk,

Come walk with me on this Autumnal day, our 35th Anniversary morning.  Berries are red and just one more week and we should truly see those autumn colours.  I must say if you would like to chose a day to get married in all my 35 years of marriage this day in Pennsylvania, October 10th, almost always dawns like this.  The day we got married was a little colder and the leaves were more turned, making for some lovely photos.


I feel so fortunate to have this lovely park on our doorstep, five mins in the car and here we are.  As I've mentioned before thank goodness for the old mental hospital circa 1850's that had all these grounds for the patients to work on, a farm.  This was thought to be therapeutic and I think it was until the powers that be said no that's forced labour and now all they do is smoke cigarettes and drink coffee.  However we get to benefit and now it's The Farm Park, quite a large area surrounded by suburbia, but who would know when you're in the park.  Capsulized when all else grew around it.







The Boy and I have paddled up this creek, he loved this as a kid.





I borrowed a baseball cap from Mr. B. as I find the sun gets right down behind my sunglasses and this helps my eyes.



Memories of The Boy, this is where I always took him as a little boy, almost every day.



I hope you too enjoyed our park.

Christy

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Eve of a Hundred Midnights by Bill Lascher

Hi Dear Folk,



Eve of a Hundred Midnights, by Bill Lascher.  A love story of two WWII correspondents written by Melville Jacoby's, cousin's grandson.  The biography is a window in time, set in the Pacific, just before America became involved in WWII and a short period of time after the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

I will not disclose why I think the book has this title because I think it would give away the ending and maybe I've already said too much.  Bill Lascher has combined their story from old family letters and the historical events of the time.

It's a fast moving snapshot of time in two young peoples lives, tied in with the fast moving events of history. Both Melville Jacoby and Annalee Jacoby (nee Whitmore) graduated from Stamford University, CA their paths crossed each other but not in any depth.  Mel was a ringer for different news papers and Annalee was a script writer at MGM.

They fell in love in Chungking, China, which at the time was being heavily bombed by Japan, they followed the story out to Manila and the Philippines, and were married there just a month before Pearl Habour and America entered the war.  They were staying at the Bay View Hotel in Manila with other journalist friends, diplomats and civil servants, all caught up in making snap decisions, to stay and surrender to the Japanese, or try and escape to Corregidor, an island shaped like a tadpole with it's bulbous head facing China, where MacArthur had retreated to.  Racing to the docks at midnight they barely escaped on a freighter to Corregidor.  All the time doing their jobs as journalists recording and reporting the events as best they could. There was a black and white American war  film made about Corregidor in 1943, and you can still see it on You Tube, directed by William Nigh.

It is a gripping, well-told very dramatic and romantic time in the life stories of two young journalists, and I would well recommend this book.  I also liked coming to grips with some of the history unfolding in Asia at that time, especially about Mel's time spent in Chungking prior to them both being there, a part of history I was not familiar with.  He made friends with many influential Chinese people, especially Madame Chiang, the wife of Chiang Kai-shek, who had wanted to throw a complete wedding for Mel and Annalee in Chungking.

As a side point, Barb, who I went to Hawaii with, her father was an American pilot in WWII and flew the supply route over and through the Himalayas to China, the odds of surviving that deployment were very low.  When I was single I would share a cup of tea with her mum and dad and he would tell me all sorts of stories about his exploits during the war.  Hardly clearing mountains and having to throw things out of the doors of the plane to lighten it up and just make it through, harrowing times.

It even touches slightly on European events of WWII which had repercussions in Asia, especially the Tripartite Pact.  Mel was in Hanoi, Vietnam when Japan started landing thousands of troops there, only five days earlier the French Vichy government had signed a pact with the Japanese, Germans and Italians.  While in Hanoi Mel had to work with French officials and Japanese officers to be able to even try and get something out of the country that was news worthy.  The Vichy government used forced retirement of all it's generals in Indochina, to comply with this pact.  A dark period in French history.  One time he was held and asked the following:

"Who is the sovereign power in this country, "Jacoby asked him, "you or the Japanese?"
"We are, of course."
"Well if you are the masters, how does it happen that we can be arrested on French territory by the Japanese?"
The officer smiled sadly and answered, "When a man has lice in his hair, who is the master?"

Did the young couple get to spend some time as newly weds on a honey moon?  Well read the story and see.

Chrsty

P.S.  Guess what I've decided to watch along with my Yellowstone mug and Malawi coffee?

Friday, October 14, 2016

Candlelight Tea Recipe Book From 1910

Hi Dear Folk,

Isn't this just delightful?  A Candlelight Tea Recipe Book From 1910 on the Library of Congress website.  I will not claim to have found this Angela did at Tea With Friends, but I thought this was so sweet I just had to share it around.

In the front pages is a quote from Foster "Then My Old Kentucky Home, Goodnight."  The book was published by the Transylvania Printing Company of Lexington, Kentucky.  Do go and take a look, plus you can download the PDF and print it up.


Christy

Monday, October 10, 2016

#18 Louisiana State Quilt Square

Hi Dear Folk,

I did almost get to go to Louisiana, the New Orleans area to be precise.  It was right before I was going to return home to England after having lived here for two and a half years, at the end of the seventies.  But I had also planed a camping trip up to Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island to be precise, with a friend, Nancy, in her sixties VW Beetle, and couldn't take the time off for both, although Nancy did, and in hindsight I wish I had of done.

We had friends who had moved out there, with a job transfer and all my little group of friends drove out to see them.  One of the highlights was breakfast at Brennan's.

So here is #18 Louisiana.


Christy

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Sated Sunday

Hi Dear Folk,

Hurricane Mathew has blown out to see and we are just receiving rain and wind gusts.  Everything is greening up again after almost a month of no rain.  Autumn is in the air creeping into the house and I feel the need to wrap my hands around mugs of hot chocolate and see flames dance.  The house is damp and chilly and I say to Mr. B. "we should light the wood fire," but he says "no there is no dry wood," and I say why not?  Then drop the whole subject because it is easier to do so, and say well we will need to bring some wood into the basement and start drying it off for the winter.  So here I am in the Simla room with my instant gratification gas stove, and I am sated with a need to watch flames and feel cozy and warm.

A box marked fragile came this week all the way from Echo Canyon Road, Yellowstone.  Mr. B. phoned me at work and said had I ordered anything, but as soon as he told me the sender address I knew who it was from.  Even the name Echo Canyon sounds so out West, and my mind darts back to images of a black and white screen with cowboys and indians dancing across.





Thank you Candyce.  Thoughts of wood fires and my hands wrapped around this mug full of coffee, hot chocolate or soup have been running through my mind all week.

An envelope from funky pigeon was in the mail, this was a little harder, what is funky pigeon?


This is funkypigeon, thank you Jean we love this card, so special.

I think of Rob who has been working on his Miata all weekend, new timing belt and other things, which when all added up might have been cheaper to just had the timing belt done at a shop, but he says no because he is doing so much more and it is the accomplishment of working on his own car.

He is working on it in a friends driveway with a canopy over them, and I think has he secured it down properly with these gusts of wind, and how is he making out, and will the car actually run when he is finished, put aside such foolish questionings of a mother, as my sister said on the phone this morning, "just let him get on with it" and yes that is what I'm doing.  Mr. B. says this weather reminds him of days when he was younger than Rob and worked on his car, rolling up mats to catch the rain rolling down the driveway, so he was not laying in a pool of water under the car.

I have almost finished 'Names for the Sea' and I don't want it to end because I want to continue wandering around Iceland, peeking into a different way of life, looking at scenery which I can only imagine from visits to the Scottish Isles.  Thinking of scavenging round the thrift shops for travel books on Iceland and wondering if a trip is feasible.

Should I look on You Tube and try and learn the Icelandic way of knitting, instead of the British, since I need to relearn in any-case.  I ask this question of my sister the absolute guru on knitting and she says she prefers the British way as the use of ones fingers in the knitting pulls it tighter and she prefers a looser knit, but did I remember Sylvia? Sylvia an older friend who knitted with needles and fingers.  Sylvia who had lived in India and wore a sari and taught me how to type, who lived in a new seventies house with big plate glass windows and a big brass Indian tray coffee table that sat on carved wooden inlaid legs.  Yes I remember that Sylvia.  So now I have a dilemma.  Since I think in crochet the American way I don't think it would be treason to knit the Icelandic way if I so desire.

I have found the new Persephone release at the library Madame Solario, by Gladys Huntington, an original edition I think, unfortunately it is not in my hands as Mr. B. forgot to go and pick it up for me.  He said if I'd off stressed the importance of the holiday weekend and the library closing early on Saturdays, he would have done so, never mind.  Tomorrow is Columbus Day and my office is closed, but just maybe the library is open as not so many places close for this holiday, and I can pick my book up.

Every Sunday Mr.B. makes me poached egg on toast, also toast and marmalade accompanied by coffee, my treat after a week of work, he's a keeper.  Mr. B. will have eggs and bacon, I can smell it now wafting by.   I'm going to debut my new mug.



Tomorrow is our anniversary, thirty-five years, it's flown by like a drop in the bucket of time.  How many drops does one get to a life time, more than two and not three.  The Boy said he would treat us to dinner, but we are still undecided as to where we want to go.  He had mentioned the Dandelion in Philadelphia, which has leanings towards an English Pub, but I said we would be just as happy with something nearer home and not have to worry about parking, and less expensive, are we just getting old?   I think the sun does promise to come out tomorrow.

Have a wonderful weekend and I have one more day yippee!

Christy

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Skippack Craft Show

Hi Dear Folk,

I had off yesterday, Monday, and went back to work today.  I was so full of energy last night and stayed up late, but today I come home from work tired.  It's then you realize how much work takes out of you.

I wasn't going to do any work yesterday as it was a day off, I read, listened to BBC Radio and watched Britain's Best Bakery.  However I did get into my linen closet and sort a bit, along with getting some clothes drawers sorted to, so that felt good as they'd been niggling at me.

Have you watched Britain's Best Bakery? I watch it through Tubi TV, which is an app I downloaded on my iPad.  There are twenty episodes altogether in the first season.  You get to see some lovely British countryside, and many styles of bakeries and the goodies they showcase.  I like the Great British Bake Off, if you like that I think you'll like this.

So much seems to be rubbish on TV today that this is a nice come to.  Look under the British section.  I will forewarn you that you have to put up with adverts.  One was for the NRA, I definitely whipped out to the kitchen and got a strong cup of tea on that one.

Mr. B. and I just popped out last Saturday afternoon and went to a craft show, in the old village of Skippack.  I think I was in my have enough stuff mood, it's always fun though to look and get ideas.


These pouches were fun to see.


I did like this stall, especially the scarf with reindeer on.  Mr.B. has a nice jumper with reindeer on that my mum knitted him.



So what better than a stop at a cafe for an Americano coffee, I'm telling you it's becoming my go to coffee of choice when out, along with coffee cake.  Cake you drink with coffee and has no actual coffee in it, which was most confusing when I first came here.

I bought a very nice small run coffee from Trader Joe's and it's from Malawi, a name I remember from my teenage years, the country went through some very turbulent times.

Christy




#17 Kentucky State Quilt Square

Hi Dear Folk,

Kentucky is the farthest I have ever driven westward in the USA, that's not to say that I haven't been out West, as I've been to California, Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.  It is a dream of mine to drive across the States, maybe take the iconic Route 66

Kentucky is a state of hollows and coal, whisky stills, dulcimers and country music.  Enter a hollow, then that forks off, and then there's another fork, and then there's another fork and before you know it you are totally lost.  So not surprising that some nefarious distilling goes on.  Take my advice do not pull out in front of a coal truck barreling down the mountain.  The people are friendly and the music is wonderful.


Christy

#16 Kansas State Quilt Square

Hi Dear Folk,

Dorothy's home Kansas.


Christy

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Sun to Squalls And Family and Finds

Hi Dear Folk,

It's Saturday morning where I have the luxury of time and if I want to stay in bed with a cup of tea and read I can do that.  My reading is "Names for the Sea, Strangers in Iceland" by Sarah Moss.  I'm learning all sorts of things about Icelandic culture.  I wanted to read this as my friend Jean has been there and also Tracy from Sunny Corner Farm.  I know I've flown over Iceland and near to Iceland a couple of times in my many years of crossing the Atlantic.  I would recommend this book as a very good read.


Flowers fresh water and a new vase keeps my bouquet going.


Still working on the cardi, I may never have to buy anymore yarn, the secret is crochet five lines, undo eight.  Plus the different types of yarn I'm using and working that all out.


On my desk a card from Wyoming with Mule Deer.  Candyce has been out there visiting family staying in their Cabin, and other family have flown in from Mozambique to all be together.  Lots of food and fun.  Visiting all those parks that are on my hit list.


It's Wednesday after work, the day they have 25% senior discount.  I walked in the new thrift, I come in at the lower level and take the lift up, as I'm walking over to the jewelry counter to see if just maybe they have some amber, I es spy sitting up behind a counter on a high shelf these boots. I know they must be more expensive just because of where they are.  I ask to try them on and joy of joys they fit, Ralph Lauren Polo, leather and Australian shearling.  It never ceases to amaze me what people buy and get rid of, brand new.  So with my discount and the gift card Mr. B. got when the store opened, they were a great price.


Photos always show the dust you never see.


German Seeburger Hat established 1890 a hat in felt and velvet, a nice find.

When I see a date like 1890 I think well were was Germany in her history then?  I guess she was the German Empire that aligned itself with the Austria-Hungry Empire in WWI, came out of that went into WWII and landed up as East and West Germany which is now back to Germany.

So my thought is how did this company survive two world wars, did they supply uniform hats to the Nazi regime?  Let me Google that and who pops up but Hugo Boss started in 1924 at the beginning of the rise of the Nazi Party, he joined in 1931 and yes that's how they got their beginning supplying Nazi uniforms.  So didn't find anything on Seeburger but did on Hugo Boss in a Daily Mail article.


Did find a bracelet that looks like amber, still have to test it, but is nice even if not.


These are the ladies that sit on my dressing table.  Above great grandma on my mum's side Ada, sitting in the chair.


Great grandma on my dad's side.


My mum.


Grandma Kitty, my mum's mum, Ada's daughter.


Ada wearing the broach I have, in fact she is wearing it in both photos, it must have been a long time favorite and wonder whether it was a gift from great grandad.


Here is the broach and the earnings were Ada's too, I need to get them repaired as one is missing the top part, although I still do have the inner dangle.


GG Ada's  husband as a young man in the London Metropolitan Police Force, with his medals.


My mum's younger brother and sister, uncle Don and aunt Joan.

Aunt Joan sent me the copies in the mail unfortunately they got a bit creased during transit.  My sister BB and I got together several times with uncle Don and aunt Joan on my last visit.  Aunt Joan is a wealth of family history that mum never told us.

For instance after granddad died of polio in 1939, for a while grandma kept things going by working at an aircraft factory, Ripper's in Castle Hedingham, and selling off pieces of antique furniture, which we knew.  But after the war when all the boys came home grandma lost her job and the house and for a while they all had to live in a Nissen hut.  Which was one of those steel corrugated, half cylinder buildings that were all over during the war.  Mum was pretty ashamed of this arrangement and would never let friends drop her off right there as they would know where she lived.  Something mum never told us.

My uncle Don said that my dad lived on a neighboring farm and long before mum dated dad, in fact when they did start dating dad had moved away by then, he remembered my dad taking him and aunt Joan to the cinema and buying them a big bag of chips, this was a real treat for them.  Uncle Don said my dad was very kind.

I remember my childhood as big fires, big dinners and and lots of entertaining and family and friends staying as quests.  Yes dad and mum were always generous and kind.

Christy
01 09 10