May 24 Weekend as in Two Four

Well it is a kind of lolling around weekend here in Canada.  The neighbourhood is quiet and most folk who have not headed out to cottages or camping are puttering at this and that.  May 24 to the young adults means 24 (the number of bottles of beer in a case) but the holiday celebrates the reign of Queen Victoria who ruled the United Kingdom from 1837 until 1901.

Victoria at 18 coronation

That lady would have seen a lot of changes in all those decades and today her style is defined by her name: Victorian; architecture, clothes, morals (although the morals have long since changed drastically).

It’s a day for catch up (having sorted through a couple thousand emails – how do I get so far behind?)  The biography ‘Steve Jobs‘ by Walter Isaacson sits on my reading table awaiting some much anticipated attention and a newly started cross stitch sits beside the TV remote for a planned movie watch this afternoon.

Most of my spare time over the last few weeks has been spent devouring book after book including a reread of the Harry Potter series minus 6 0f 7, Joseph Boyden‘s ‘Through Black Spruce‘ which was gripping and demanded my complete attention deliciously, and completion of the ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ series by Steig Larsson, also delicious.  My reading group of friends is trying to entice my attention to ‘The Hunger Games‘ but for some reason I am resisting.

So thanks to Vicky this is one of those cozy days wrapped in other folks creativity and I cannot complain.  It is also a day for appreciation of family and friends and life in general.  It’s a very hot day, truely summerish and reminds me of other two four weekends when blizzards blew and my sons’ and their friends threw blankets and sleeping bags into the back of cars  and headed off for adventure.

This is tradionally when cottagers head north, east, west, or south, to open their little bits of heaven for the summer and fall.

So dear friends I am off to get the rest of this wonderful day done in pursuit of just plain old content activity.

News Alert Regarding Pennies For…..

Our federal budget is out and of course there are a lot of yeah sayers and nay sayers accompanying it, but for the first time in a long time our government is a majority so its not going to matter much.  But what really did matter in yesterday’s news?  What touched the heart of this tax payer bringing a sad sigh and warm thoughts of days gone by?

The Canadian Government is getting rid of the penny.  Our copper penny.  Not surprising is the news that each one cent penny costs 1.4 cents to make.  So much in life is going to have to change.  No more putting in your two cents worth or giving a penny for  your thoughts.  And what about poor penny lane?  A penny saved was a penny earned but not for many many years now as it just wasn’t worth it.  No more pennies in the fountain.

What about bad pennies?  What will come back in their place?  What will you have if you no longer have a penny to your name?  If there are no more pennies what will heaven send us?  And will our good luck disappear altogether as in, ‘Find a penny, pick it up, All day long you’ll have good luck.’

Will the free newspaper called the Penny Saver go out of business?  Will we lose wieght as ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’?

When it comes to our daily taxes the government already rounds up the number.  Will they now just skip nickels and round up to the nearest dollar?

Will there be a penny spending spree where everyone who has gallon jugs of pennies will suddenly want them gone?  What are used pennies good for any way?

Perhaps, a penny for your thoughts?

And The Winner is…New Zealand!

I heard on the radio yesterday that a survey was done to determine the friendliest country in the world and New Zealand was the winner. This does not surprise me in the least – right Judith and Cecilia? – and I was pretty happy for my friends.
I do have an issue with surveys and wonder about the second third and fourth runner ups. (Canada was third, the USA fourth and I think South Africa was second).
I know how friendly Scotland and The Netherlands is, so I would like to know exactly how the survey was compiled. Was every country rated? I’ll bet lots of you know countries that could or should have been top rated.
CONGRATS NZ!!!

Canadian Black Friday

 

Canadian Black Friday

There is no Canadian Black Friday, and really who would want one.  I keep seeing blogs about the horror of it all but obviously there are some dyed-in- the-wool shoppers who actually get a high from the thrill, the challenge, the adventure.

However Canadians do take part – by the bus load, willingly.  Go figure.

If I am going to take part in a large public gathering I want it to be for a blues, jazz, rock, or country band, or.. or…nope cannot think of another thing that would get me out there.

I must say I admire those driven to Black Friday activities but it is admiration from afar. And the further the better.  

So while I sit here all snuggy enjoying yet another fall like winter day I hope everyone gets what they want.  For me, I don’t have a lot, but I cannot think of one thing I need, no matter how cheap or great a deal that would move me from this spot.

Hmmm now I find myself wondering if those brave warriors actually are buying things they need, or is it a contest for bragging rights on who got the best deal?

Secret Tapes

Secret Tapes

I have discovered the illicit fun to be gotten from having the recorder on my phone
tape delightful secret words.  I have meandering chatter by G2 as he explores his imagination with his toys unaware that his sweet voice ……

This past Saturday my sister and I went to visit a dear aunt; a sole survivor of ten, and my Mom’s sister who is now 84 years old. I listened, awestruck as she recounted things from her youth, the war and life in Canada.  She and my mom were both war brides.

It was the best three hours I have spent ever.  Tea and chat – laughs and tears.  She is the
last historian for that side of the family, the last voice to be heard.  I sit now listening marveling at her memory which may take a few minutes to unravel but unravel it she does.

I listen to, “It was in 1936 and…..”

Several things strike me as wonderful and in some ways a little sad; her work ethic for
one.  We seem to be afraid of this kind of work ethic these days, and would call it child labor, but then everyone worked.  When she was 10 she delivered papers early in the morning then returned home for breakfast and off to school.  After school it was chores, then supper, then brownies and then she ran deliveries for the local merchant.  The next morning it started all over again.  She said that each week when the merchant would pay her she would have him keep back a portion of her pay and then each Christmas a huge basket of food would arrive at their front door from the shop keeper.  The gift was anonymous and no one ever did find out who it came from.

Her husband to be was from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and both he and his brother Gerald were in the same unit.  Gerald never did make it home and when he first died it was unknown who he was.  His brother had arrived at the cemetery in
France to deliver something and seeing his brother’s body was the first time he
knew he had died.  My aunt took a few moments to remember and name several others who did not make it home.

Working hard is not something this lady did…it is something she continues to do every
day..and she continues to do for others.
She is smart as a whip about current events and her opinions are based
on good thought….she is who I would like to be when I grow up….you know..once I
leave my sixties..it takes some of us longer to grow up than others.

Family History Mystery

My great grandmother, Annie Dolly (Dorothy) Frampton was born February 14, 1884 at 4 Poole Rd. in the Subdistrict of South Hackney in the County of Middlesex England.

 A certified copy of her Entry of Birth obtained in June 25, 1963 lists her father as Francis Frampton whose occupation was listed as Commercial Traveler.

 Her mother was listed as Edith Frampton formerly Davies. Annie’s birth was registered on April 18, 1884.

 A google search shows Annie Frampton born 1884.  A search under her father’s name of Francis only reveals the birth of perhaps one Francis born 1842.  I don’t know if this could be him as he would have been 42 yrs when she was born.

 The search for her mother shows one name of Edith Davies born 1847. It could be her as she would have been 37 yrs.

 It is unknown what happened to Annie or her family but four short years later there is a certified document from Dr. Barnado’s Homes: National Incorporated Association, obtained Dec. 14, 1944 stating that Annie Dolly Frampton came from England to Canada under the auspices of THE ANNIE MACPHERSON HOME, Stratford Ontario (which had amalgamated with the Dr. Barnardo Homes) July 1888.

 How was she orphaned?  What happened to you Annie?

In my research I came across excerpts from a book written by Kenneth Bagnell on the orphans who came to Canada and how badly they were treated. My heart breaks as I think of what it was like not only for four-year-old Annie but all the thousands of orphans who were imported for cheap labor.

Over eighty thousand children were sent over through different agencies.  Their intentions were good thinking to send the children to better lives.  Many years later the program was stopped when facts of abuse and slavery were revealed.

 Annie MacPherson’s part in the Bagnell’s story says the children were aged nine to eighteen but of course this cannot be accurate since my great grandmother was just four years old.

 Somehow she came to live with the White family as a maid where she married the only son.

 I have a very aged parchment certifying Robert White was born in the Parish of Glasgow Scotland.  The parchment is his military discharge paper.  He enlisted in the Horse Guards on April 17, 1858 at the age of 26.  He was honorably discharged March 30, 1859 after paying twenty pounds and had been in service for three hundred and forty-seven days.  I have no information how he came to settle in Ontario.  Yet.  He had one son, James Henry White.

 I have the original marriage certificate of James Henry White and Annie Dorothy Frampton dated December 20, 1899 in Stratford Ontario.  My future great grandmother was fifteen years old.

My great uncle Jack used to tell a story his father told him how after the wedding James’ mother told Annie to get out of the nice wedding clothes and get back to work. James reportedly said that his wife was no one’s maid and he promptly packed her up and headed of to a life together.

 My most immediate thought right now is: and we think we have it tough?

 ”The little immigrants: the orphans who came to Canada – By Kenneth Bagnell”

 To be continued.

How Well Would You Integrate Into a Foreign Culture?

Some folk now and then will pull up roots and head off to some foreign land. I did it in the mid nineties without realizing it was truly a foreign land when I headed off to Texas.  I know, I know. How different can Texas be for a Canadian girl?  I figured since it was the same land mass and we all spoke English it could not be too different.  But it was.

 Locals for the first few months continually corrected my pronunciations of just about every word out of my mouth. Within a few months I was fitting in pretty good and the only give away that I was Canadian, or so I was told, is that I used the phrase ‘out and about’.  I embraced all things Texan and even though I have been back on Canadian soil for a few years I left a big part of my heart there in that fabulous state.

 But what about people that settle into strange lands and languages not even remotely related to their natural backgrounds?  I guess you can do it kicking and screaming or you take hold and launch yourself forward to enjoy, embrace, laugh, screw up, and then blog about the whole thing, taking all your readers into the adventure with you.

 As you know this is day three of my handing out awards to fifteen bloggers.  There are three awards, The Stylish Blogger Award, The Irresistibly Sweet Blogger Award and the Versatile Blogger.

The previous two winners were:

Colleen Brown at bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com

Tricia The Domestic Fringe found at http://thedomesticfringe.com/

 Even though today’s blogger has awards and FP falling out of her pores I absolutely have to recognize her great work.

She is Emily Cannell at amblerangel.Wordpress.com

She is Stylish

 My twist on giving out the awards (in addition to one day at a time) is that I will list seven things about her without trying to make stuff up!

She is Irresistible

 1)     She and her family really are in Japan.  Reasons unknown but a good thing for all of us.

2)     I first found her when the earthquakes hit and her ‘Hey from Japan – Notes on Moving’ became ‘Hey from Japan – We are being shaken and stirred’. Which gave all of us a rare inside look at what was happening.

3)     She has a section on her site called ‘Culture Lessons Learned the Hard Way’ that can’t be missed

4)     Her site has had 50.222+ hits

5)     She Hurdles down rivers

6)     She has embraced different art forms and is not shy about showing her own results

7)     Her family is depicted as The Clampitts.

 Above all she is brave, (I probably would have left if not at the first shake then at the Nuclear problems that ensued after), she is eternally funny and the girl has heart!

 

She is always Versatile!

Congratulations Emily!  I am happy to follow you anywhere…at a safe distance of course!

Mama I am Promptless!

Good Ol Mama

This week’s prompts and I got nuthin!

.) Girls Night Out! Describe the last time you got to hang out with your friends? What stops you from doing this more often?
2.) If Social Media died tomorrow, describe another hobby you might get into.
3.) Share a Summer Camp memory.
4.) We’re too old to be getting in trouble…aren’t we? Write about a time you were scolded…as an adult.
5.) Barefoot and hormonal…describe an incident that upset you when you were pregnant, but now looking back makes you laugh.
 
Mama I am Promptless!!!
 
Oh my! My nightmare has come true. Prompts yes Inspiration No. I am museless, clueless.
What am I to do?
 
Girls’night out? Yes without a doubt the best at an old four hundred year old country bar, Commercial by name, but home just the same. Beer. music, dance, and maybe by chance, a cowboy.
 
Social media died? I cried. Or not. Then to the street corner, speaker’s corner to spread my message far and wide.
 
Summer camp? It was damp. And buggy and hot and a snake crawled out of our portipot.
 
Old and in trouble? Don’t break my bubble cause trouble and scolding just keeps molding.
 
Barefoot and hormonal? Oh Lord it’s just normal. Preggie and menopausal and all things between.
 
So Mama I fail you and I fail me. When I find that muse he is getting such a beating!