MEMORY MONDAY

 

My mother has written her memoirs and has been after me to write mine. I have been resisting for a while however I am creating Memory Monday to help me along. Come join me with your own memories. Each week will be a different prompt to encourage the writing of your memories. Link your memories and share them with everyone.

Our prompt is: My Dad

My Dad personifies the definition of a self-made man. He was the youngest of 8 children with 3 brothers and 4 sisters and his parents were homesteaders on the prairies of Saskatchewan. Unfortunately his mother died when he was 10 years old at the height of the depression. Having families of their own except for one sister he was left to his own devices most of the time. He joined his youngest sister in Ontario when the farm was sold at the  start of World War 2,  and stayed with an aunt.

Failing to complete his Grade 8 education during the day and working to set up pins in the local bowling alley at night, he left school and joined the Merchant Marines where he worked the boats on the Great Lakes.  He also worked for Parker pens as well as at a Texaco Gas station until he finally he learned the glass trade.

On his first day of school his teacher verified his birthday and told him he would own his own business someday. This eventually came true one week before my brother Doug was born. The business started with his last pay cheque in his pocket and the pillows from the bed. He never looked back until the business was closed 52 years later because of  Alzheimer's.

My Dad is a gambler and made his world by betting on the odds and beating them. He worked hard and provided us with a wonderful upbringing. He ensured we had a good education because he didn’t get one. He took risks and most of them paid off.

His story will continue to be told as these memories grow.

 

Next Week’s Prompt: My Christmas Stories

My daughter made us a Memory Monday button that you can grab from my sidebar if you want.

Please link up your posts to this continuing linky so we can watch each other’s memoirs develop over this year.  Please use the format of “PROMPT – BLOG NAME” so we can follow each week’s writing.

 

SUNDAY IN THE CITY

 

Let’s travel the world together

Window shopping before we went to the theatre to see a musical about Patsy Cline:

I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!

SIX WORD SATURDAY

 

Weekend with grandchildren! Fairs & Snow White!

FRIDAY FRAGMENTS & FOUR FILL IN FUN

 

  

We can write another November into the books as we draw this month to a close. Fall did not want to leave us however winter is being very persuasive with its many storms.

We have finally let our colds go and hopefully no one caught it from us. It sure took a long time to recover. Let’s hope we can avoid another this winter.

We have our final theatre trip this weekend. This year we have added our granddaughters into the mix. We will be seeing the panto “Snow White”. We are also seeing “Patsy Cline” again. We loved it so much and enjoy her music. We have even driven past her burial site on one of our trips South.

Am I ready for Christmas? No! I have everyone’s list though and just need the time to finish all of the projects. The grandchildren are already looking ahead to next year as they have found some interesting patterns for me to work on. I have their mother’s to get me the patterns and we will work on them.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

This week’s co-host is Elizabeth from Silver’s Reviews- she came up with all the statements:

The statements:

1. Can you really dream if you don’t get to sleep!
2. What are your thoughts about Christmas display showing up before Halloween?
3. Would you cruise around the world if you could?
4. Do you listen to the old songs or  the new ones?

THRIVING THURSDAY

 

Time to Ponder yet again with Brenda at BYG Adventures!

Today's word is Stuffing!

The first thought to come to mind is the stuffing one gets from a chicken or a turkey. I make mine with bread, butter, onions and poultry seasoning. I know there are recipes out there that include sausage meat. One time DH made the stuffing and included mushrooms as well as peppers which did not go over as well.

One of the volunteer activities is stuffing Heart Pillows. The pillows are shaped like hearts and when they are made they are donated to local hospitals for heart surgery recovery patients who hug the pillow when they have to cough.

Stuffing can also be found in furniture, mattresses and pillows. I try not to stuff my suitcases when I travel. First of all they become to heavy and the clothes get wrinkled. We are learning to travel light.

To all of my American bloggers and readers of my blog:

May you have much to be thankful for in the coming year!

Happy Thanksgiving!    

WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE

 

1. Besides U.S. Thanksgiving, it's also National Game and Puzzle Week...what game have you played most recently, and who were you with? Have you worked a puzzle of any kind in the past week?

Hubby and I regularly play “Hand and Foot” which is a form of Canasta. We learned the game on one of our cruises and have enjoyed teaching it to our family as well.

2. What is one place you were thankful for this year?

We did not cruise this year because we had the siding put on our house so I am thankful for staying home.

3. Take a nap, watch football, go for an after dinner walk, or hit the stores...which ONE is on your must-do list for Thanksgiving day? For those of you playing along who aren't in the US, answer as it relates to any big holiday meal.

It is too cold at this time of year for an after dinner walk however we do try to walk before dinner. Sorry no football here either and I am not much of a shopper.

4. Besides Thanksgiving, what's your favorite home cooked meal?

I love pot roast with potatoes and carrots.

5. What product from an infomercial would you most like to own?

Don’t do infomercials.

6. Christmas shopping? Have you begun? Finished? Will you shop on Black Friday? How do you feel about stores opening on Thanksgiving Day? What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done online?

I am not a big shopper and my Christmas gifts will be homemade. Most of them are finished and if my grandson doesn’t add any more to his list I will be ready for Christmas.

7. What are you most grateful for that adds beauty to your everyday life?

I am grateful for my health and my wonderful family who keep me young and busy.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We celebrated Thanksgiving last month. We actually had 2 family dinners – one in South Carolina and one at home. To my American friends and my daughter and her family in South Carolina have a happy thanksgiving.

THOUGHTFUL TUESDAY

 

Tuesday, November 25/14

How Full is your glass?

 

I am not much of a drinker so my glass is not full of wine or a gin and tonic. I prefer a glass of orange juice or water.

I have to go with my glass is full as I use glass as the imagery of life. I have a wonderful husband who loves to do housework, yard work and cook. I have 3 fabulous children who all married terrific people. I have amazing grandchildren ranging in age from 1 1/2 years to 16 years of age. I am retired from a job I enjoyed and have the time to travel even if the money is sometimes hard to find.

I still have both of my parents who live 4 1/2 hours away although I talk to my mother every day on Skype. I also have my 2 sisters and a brother to keep in touch with.

I am writing my memoirs (sort of) on my blog on Mondays and I am so pleased to be joined each week by so many other bloggers.

I am blessed to have my health to able read and knit and crochet. I can walk by myself and still go up and down stairs. Driving my car allows me to maintain my independence as well.

Thank you Lesley for your wonderful prompts. Have a Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!

MEMORY MONDAY

 

My mother has written her memoirs and has been after me to write mine. I have been resisting for a while however I am creating Memory Monday to help me along. Come join me with your own memories. Each week will be a different prompt to encourage the writing of your memories. Link your memories and share them with everyone.

Our prompt is: My Mom

My mother was the oldest daughter in a family of 9 children, 2 older brothers, 5 younger brothers and a sister.My mother has conquered a lot of adversity in her life.As a baby she was tiny and sickly with her first operation for mastoid at 6 months of age. At 5 years of age she was hit by a truck as she crossed the road on a red light. She remained in hospital from Halloween until Easter of the following year. This would not be my mother’s only accident as she had a farm accident when she 18 years of age. At the time they gave her 6 months to live, and was one of the first civilians to be given penicillin.

My mother attended school in a rural one room schoolhouse when she could. Often times she was the only girl. At age 11 she left school for a year to raise her twin brothers who weighed less than a pound each at birth. There were no incubators for preemies in 1940s. She fed one twin with an eyedropper because he couldn’t suckle.

There was still no electricity or running water in the house and a year later my mother finally got her wish when her sister was born. Mother completed her education at Baker’s College and moved to the city to find work and left the young ones on the farm. Of course they would eventually come to the city and stay with us.

Mother met my father and they were married in April of 1949. My father proposed to her by saying “she would have to work to help out”. Little did she know then that she would work with him for a very long time.

My mother had been told that she would never have children so it was a surprise to learn she was pregnant with me.  She also gave me 3 siblings – 2 sisters and a brother.

Even after we were born my mother suffered from encephalitis and was paralyzed for a while. I remember the dining room was turned into her bedroom. My mother also had several operations and took a while to recover however she toughed it out. Before my youngest sister was born she suffered a stroke.

My mother worked hard to give us a comfortable life. Besides helping to run the family business she is a wonderful baker and her butter tarts are famous. Our clothes were sewn by her when we young and we always had a new Easter outfit.  She loved shopping  at Eaton’s for the best deals and  made sure we had the best shoes possible because she had often gone without shoes when she was growing up.

My mother and I had our struggles over the years because we are both strong minded. She only wanted the best for her children and she made sure we would have a good life. My mother is 5 foot 2 with blue eyes and to this day could pass for my sister.

My mother has overcome a lot of adversity in her lifetime and is enjoying her golden years in a Retirement home where she can get help looking after my father. To this day she still irons his shirts and loves it.

There is a lot more that I can say about my mother and she will be in more of my memories. I value all that she has taught me and helped to make me the woman I am today. Love you Mom!

 

 

Next Week’s Prompt: My Dad

My daughter made us a Memory Monday button that you can grab from my sidebar if you want.

Please link up your posts to this continuing linky so we can watch each other’s memoirs develop over this year.  Please use the format of “PROMPT – BLOG NAME” so we can follow each week’s writing.

 

SUNDAY IN THE CITY

 

Let’s travel the world together!

Winter came early this week. It came before the garden was ready. Here is how our backyard looked:

Our Christmas cactus is heralding its arrival as well:

I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!

SIX WORD SATURDAY

 

Winter coats, boots & scarves! Bundle up!

FRIDAY FRAGMENTS WITHOUT FOUR FILL IN FUN

 

    

 

Happy Friday everyone! I am so glad this week is coming to an end. Unfortunately it still cold as heck however the forecast is for warmer weather. We were lucky enough to miss most of the snow because of our position on the lake. I feel very bad for our neighbours to the south. Even my daughter-in-law’s parents were caught up in some of the dastardly weather. We are so looking forward to our cruise and the countdown clock says it is only 107 days away.

Have you got your 2015 calendar yet? We have 3 on the go at the moment. The first 4 months are starting to fill up as well as some of our summer weekends. We need to get our theatre tickets soon and must coordinate with our friends for the best times.

Our colds are still lingering. Just when we think we are through with it we cough and sneeze a little and it is back. Are we re-infecting ourselves? I hope not.

Unfortunately there is no fill in fun at this time. Hopefully it will return next week. Have a great weekend everyone!

THRIVING THURSDAY

 

It is time to ponder with Brenda.

Today's word is Orange

I am changing my usual colour from purple to orange to write today.

I need my orange juice first thing in the morning even before my cup of coffee. I prefer to drink an orange juice rather than eat an orange. Peeling an orange is not my favourite way to spend my time.

1. Nutrition Facts

   OrangeOrange, FloridaOrange, NavelOrange

   Amount Per 1 small (2-3/8" dia) (96 g)100 grams1 fruit (2-5/8" dia) (131 g)1 cup, sections (180 g)1 large (3-1/16" dia) (184 g)100 grams

   Calories 47

2. % Daily Value*

   Total Fat 0.1 g
   0%

   Saturated fat 0 g
   0%

   Polyunsaturated fat 0 g

   Monounsaturated fat 0 g

   Cholesterol 0 mg
   0%

   Sodium 0 mg
   0%

   Potassium 181 mg
   5%

   Total Carbohydrate 12 g
   4%

   Dietary fiber 2.4 g
   9%

   Sugar 9 g

   Protein 0.9 g
   1%

   Vitamin A
   4%
   Vitamin C
   88%

   Calcium
   4%
   Iron
   0%

   Vitamin D
   0%
   Vitamin B-6
   5%

   Vitamin B-12
   0%
   Magnesium
   2%

   *Per cent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Orange is also associated with Halloween. I suppose that is because the pumpkins that become jack-o-lanterns are orange as well.

 

There are also lots of other fruits and vegetables that are orange such as squash and carrots as well as some peppers.

Orange fruits and vegetables are very good for your eyesight. It contains beta-carotene.

It is a colourful ponder today.

WEDNESDAY HODGE PODGE

 

1. What's something you take for granted, that when you stop and think about it you feel truly grateful for?

My good health. I talk to people much younger than me who have so many things wrong with them. I feel their quality of life isn’t as good.

2. The color brown-love it or no? What's your favorite shade of brown? Most loved something in your home or closet in a shade of brown?

I love brown. I have pants, skirts, sweaters, blouses as well as jackets. I love pairing it with orange  or green as well.

3. What's something you're looking forward to today?

It is Wednesday so it must be our day with the grandchildren.

4. The word 'feminism' is not new, but it has been generating all kinds of headlines in recent days and months. What do you think/feel when you hear the word? If you're a woman, do you want to be described as a feminist? Why or why not?

I come from a long line of feminists. My grandmother was one long before the word had been coined. I taught my daughters to be self-sufficient because no one ever knows when they have to look after themselves.

5. What's something you personally can't eat without making a mess?

Spaghetti. The sauce is more than finger looking good. Any time I wear white pants or a skirt it doesn’t matter what I eat I will spill it.

6. When did you last surprise someone with a little gift or when were you last surprised by someone with a little gift? What was it?

We surprised our friends M & N with a light up number for the outside of their house. They are a new development and everyone gets mixed up with their numbers. They had surprised us in  June with a kitchen item from their trip to Newfoundland.

7. Share a favorite quote, saying, song lyric or scripture relating to gratitude.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Sorry I am late getting the Hodge Podge up today. Our day started at 6 am with a call from our son and his wife. They had prepared us last night however we kept hoping we wouldn’t be needed. It turns out we were. Our grandchildren need us to come out early because their other Grammy had gotten snowed in. Instead of working the afternoon and evening shift we were needed for first thing this morning. Grampy took E to school with T along for the ride. I got the job of taking my son to work because his car is in the shop.

I also had some more car trouble. The map lights as well as the reading light in the back of the car would not turn off. I checked the manual and Grampy checked as well. We could not solve the problem so I trundled off to the dealership where a wonderful mechanic fixed the problem by adjusting the dimmer switch.

I guess when it is hectic and out of routine even the simplest things seem overly complicated.

Fortunately M got off work early and it only took us a little over an hour to get home. Hopefully we have beat the biggest part of the snow that is blowing in tonight. Let us hope the other Grammy can be there for her regular Friday shift otherwise I m up to the challenge.

THOUGHTFUL TUESDAY

 

Les asks:

How Big is Your Brave?

As most of my friends and blog readers know I do not like to fly. I am not afraid of being in the sky in an airplane however I am not brave enough to want to fight the security and the line ups in an airport. I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it. I prefer to drive and then get on a cruise ship.

First of all you can take a lot of luggage with you and you don’t have to worry about its weight. Secondly once you are on the ship you can unpack your clothes and not worry about your suitcases. Lastly someone else does the driving, the cooking and the cleaning.

There are still many places in the world I would love to explore. I would love to see Australia as well as New Zealand. I have put DH in charge of finding away for me to accomplish this feat without having to fly. It can be done you know as long as you have lots of money and oodles of time.

Another brave thing I have done is retire. Many of my friends are afraid to take that plunge. They fear they will not have anything to do. Of course there is the money worry as well. Personally I say it is time to enjoy life while you have your health. Working can lead to sickness.

My last worry is – Am I brave enough to last the winter? It has already gone below freezing and the weatherman is using the wind chill word. I hope to survive by counting down my days until I cruise in March. I am only 109 days away.

Have a brave day everyone!

MEMORY MONDAY

 

My mother has written her memoirs and has been after me to write mine. I have been resisting for a while however I am creating Memory Monday to help me along. Come join me with your own memories. Each week will be a different prompt to encourage the writing of your memories. Link your memories and share them with everyone.

Our prompt is: Most Influential Person

I have had many influential people in my life however the most influential was my grandmother. My grandmother may have only been  4 foot 11 inches tall, but she was a remarkable woman. She was a mother to 19 children, 9 of whom lived to adulthood. She had 2 girls and 7 boys.  My mother  was the oldest girl (more about her story in the next blog).

My grandparents lived on a farm but my grandfather was away a lot. He was stationed in Newfoundland during the Second World War so she had to manage the family and the farm without  running water or electricity. My earliest memories are of visiting the farm as a child. There was a big apple tree in the middle of the drive. I used to walk around the drive holding onto the dogs and when I got tired I would nap under the apple tree.

My grandparents moved to the schoolhouse where my mother had attended classes. They converted the one room school house into several bedrooms with a kitchen and a bath. There were no doors on the rooms just curtains. A lot of my memories are here since  Grandmother insisted that everyone come home in June to celebrate her wedding anniversary. There would sometimes be as many as 100 people in attendance. It was a huge family reunion.

When my grandmother was 50 years old she went back to school and  earned a degree as an Assistant RN. She took a job at the local  hospital. She earned enough money to buy the first family home in the town of Lindsay. I remember it had a big summer kitchen and there was always bottles of water in the fridge. The bottles were used whiskey bottles so we called it whiskey water. She also learned to drive and actually won a car in a Supermarket Sweepstake.

Grandma finished her nursing career as a night supervisor at the local correctional facility for girls. Here she became the grandmother figure for troubled girls. They never caused any problems when she was working. Her experiences helped me through my own turbulent teenage years. Compared to these girls I had nothing to complain about.

My grandmother was my back up support. I would call her when Mom and I got into an argument. Often she would invite me to come by bus for a visit. Partly to give my Mom a break but also for my sake. She instilled in me a love of books as well as a love of tea. When I was pregnant she confided in me that those were her happiest days.

When she passed away I acquired her pearl necklace as well as her mink stole. I don’t wear the stole any more however I have worn the pearls to all of my children’s weddings as well as the christenings of my grandchildren. She is with me in spirit and I miss her.

Next Week’s Prompt: My Mom

My daughter made us a Memory Monday button that you can grab from my sidebar if you want.

Please link up your posts to this continuing linky so we can watch each other’s memoirs develop over this year.  Please use the format of “PROMPT – BLOG NAME” so we can follow each week’s writing.

 

SUNDAY IN THE CITY

 

Let’s travel the world together!

November is definitely the beginning of winter. Even though we haven’t had a big snowfall yet it is coming. When it does it will look like this:

Are you prepared for the snow?

I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!

SIX WORD SATURDAY

 

 

 

Bought yarn for grandchildrens’ Christmas presents!

FRIDAY FRAGMENTS & FOUR FILL IN FUN

 

             

It has been a heck of a week. Both D H and I are suffering colds. Mine is on the mend however D H’s is still lingering. We have basically been cooped up in the house. The weather has turned cold and we actually had flurries yesterday. My daughter C refuses to use the s word until it actually stays on the ground. There has definitely been snow to the north of us.

The car is fixed. Hopefully with 4 new tires we can save some money for the next few years. It was an expense I wasn’t expecting to incur. Back to being on a budget and thinking of each purchase on an as needs basis.

We also missed our grandchildren time this week. Mainly because of our colds but also because the car was in the shop for 2 days. I also had to for go swimming.

Hopefully next week will be better!

Happy Friday, everyone!

This week’s co-host is OBI from ELOQUENT RAMBLES- she came up with the last two statements:

The statements:

1. I just hate being sick.
2. Fall is just about over.
3. If I could, I would live on a cruise ship all of the time.
4. Grandchildren makes me stay home as they are the loves of my life.

THRIVING THURSDAY

 

Today's word is WEB

I am so glad that it is Thursday because I love to ponder with Brenda at BYG adventures. She gives us a word with multiple meanings to work with. Usually I brainstorm the words and when all else fails I use my trusty Thesaurus.

My mind immediately went to spider’s webs. If I don’t get around to cleaning my house the spiders have a field day. I am not afraid of spiders especially when I heard that they help control the mosquito population. I also believe that spiders are more prevalent before a rain. They seem to know. We get lots of webs on our veranda which is fine by me.

When decorating the outside of the house for Halloween lots of webs were used as well.

I also thought of a web of lies. When you tell on lie it just lead to more and more lies until it becomes a tangled mess. There is no such thing as only one lie.

Of course I am sure everyone has thought of the world wide web. Is it catching us up in a spell. The news is reporting that children will no longer be able to avoid school on snow days. Their work will now be on the computer and the teacher can use SKYPE to lecture them. They can also put it on You Tube for the children to download the lectures and their work.

Does anyone remember Jackie Kennedy and her web hats? I was so glad when we could wear one of these because I no longer suffered headaches. Unfortunately I can’t find a picture of the hats she wore.

It is all about the interweaving!

WEDNESDAY HODGE PODGE

 

1. We celebrate Veteran's Day in the US of A on November 11th. When did you last interact with a member of the armed forces (either currently serving or retired)? Have you ever written a letter to a soldier, bought a meal or coffee for a solider, said an unprompted thank you to a soldier you encountered out and about somewhere? If you're not in the US, comment on a similar holiday in your own country.

We celebrate November 11th as Remembrance Day in Canada. We use the poppy as a symbol of our regards for the military. The poppy was the flower written about by John McCrae in “In Flanders Fields”.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow. Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky. The larks, still bravely ...

We have just had several soldiers  killed in the last month. They both were unarmed and they are being recognized for their commitment to our country. The money from the poppies sold support our veterans throughout the year.

We observed 2 minutes of silence at 11 am as the first world war ended on the 11th day of the 11 month at the 11th hour.

2. You can have fifty pounds of anything at all (except money)...what would you choose?

Chocolate of course!

3. When did you last receive an invitation in the 'real' mail? What was it for and did you attend? When it comes to RSVP-ing, are you an 'early responder' or a 'last minute, barely-under-the-wire' kind of guest?

I think the last invitation we received in the mail was last year for a birthday party and yes we replied promptly.

4. What's something you really don't like to waste?

Electricity, water and gas. They cost a lot of money and there is no need to keep lights on or water running in excess. Gas has gone down in price but we still watch how we use the car.

5. Cheers, Friends, MASH, Seinfeld...of the ones listed, your favorite long-running sitcom?

I watched MASH in reruns and have not watched any of the others. I am not really a sitcom person.

6. What decision are you glad you made?

The best decision I made lately was to retire. The other decision was to marry my wonderful husband and have 3 children.

 

7. In this month of 'Thanksgiving' what is one thing that's different today than it was a year ago that you're grateful for?

I am grateful for my grandchildren. They are growing up so quickly. The youngest one is not a baby anymore.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

The week started of well then we went downhill. Returning home on Sunday night after a wonderful visit with our friends N and M we had a flat tire. Thank goodness for cellphones and CAA. It only took an hour but we could drive home on the spare. Got up early on Monday and called our tire guy. No way were we getting the tire fixed on Monday. “Could I bring the car in at 8 am on Tuesday”. Being retired my days usually start at 10 am but I made an exception.

I got the dreaded call at 4 pm. The rest of the tires are not in very good shape. It is cheaper to replace all of them. Big bucks!! The car also has to stay in the shop until Wednesday. Fortunately I had already let my grandchildren know that our Wednesday visit would have to be postponed but it was because we both have colds.

We don’t take over-the-counter cold meds because they give us a reaction we are toughing out our colds with lots of hot drinks and rest. What is the saying “You can take medicine and your cold will be better in a week or you can not take medicine and your cold will be better in 7 days”. I guess we will wait out the 7 days.

Good news – I am finally getting some books read.

Have a great week everyone!

THOUGHTFUL TUESDAY

 

 

Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

-Today Lesley at Time out for Mom has asked if we need to let go of something. I think I have already done that. I have let go of the cooking and the cleaning and gave it to my husband. I am left with the laundry and the baking.

For me the hardest thing to let go of is driving the car. Initially I started to drive because I get car sick. I had my license before my husband as well as I had the car so naturally I did the driving. I also can not read a map and since hubby is good at it, he can navigate. I have to be tired or sick to give up my seat in the car.

Driving also represents independence. I don’t have to rely on the transit system and wait around for hours. I also don’t have to bother other people to pick me up. My greatest fear is that I will lose my license especially as I get older.

Do you have a fear or something you have to let go of?

MEMORY MONDAY

 

My mother has written her memoirs and has been after me to write mine. I have been resisting for a while however I am creating Memory Monday to help me along. Come join me with your own memories. Each week will be a different prompt to encourage the writing of your memories. Link your memories and share them with everyone.

Our prompt is: My Family

I am the eldest daughter of Ken and Dorothy. I might be something of a miracle baby as my mother had been told she would never have children. She laboured long and hard for me. When I arrived my father called my maternal grandmother to tell her I was in this world. When he called the farm at least 10 people answered the phone because it was a party line. ( Was I destined to work for the telephone company?). My middle name is for my grandmother.

I have a sister Pat who is 18 months younger than me. I say “I taught her everything she learned”. She won an award at school because I had 2 babies while she was studying to be a doctor.  She also loves raisin toast because I traded my toast for her bottle.  She is married to her husband Tony for 37 years and she has 3 children and 2 grandchildren.

My brother Doug came a long one week after my father started his own business. My mother was the secretary and kept it running. My brother later went on to own his own business as well.  He is married to a wonderful woman named Sao and has 4 girls and 3 grandchildren.

Five years later my youngest sister Barbara was born. I was nine years old and she was my baby. To this day she thinks of me as her mother as well. She is a business woman for the telephone company and she actually got me my first job after my own children were old enough for me to return to  the workforce. She is married to her husband John and has 2 girls and 1 grandson and another due in December.

Here we are on a trip to the local park:

 

Next Week’s Prompt: Most Influential Person

My daughter made us a Memory Monday button that you can grab from my sidebar if you want.

Please link up your posts to this continuing linky so we can watch each other’s memoirs develop over this year.  Please use the format of “PROMPT – BLOG NAME” so we can follow each week’s writing.