Our Group Challenges - April

The group challenge for April was based on a baby photo of ourselves, the journalling to be what you wanted to tell the baby you what she would need to for now, the present. It was an interesting challenge and I found the journalling difficult; it is hidden in the tags. The papers were from Simple Stories-Documented.

These photos were taken in 1958; I am about 12 months old. I am with my Mum and Uncle Frank, my father had already left the scene and was long gone only to return a few years later to give me two more wonderful and much loved sisters.

Uncle Frank was a batchelor farmer who worked the family farm in the south of Western Australia.  I am the oldest granddaughter on my mothers side and he is her eldest brother; a favourite uncle because he had time for us not having a family of his own.

My Mum was a beautiful, intelligent young woman but life and being left to bring up four children alone without the supporting mother's benefit, or a life partner have worn her down and changed who she should have been.

Thank you for looking and any comments you may leave, best wishes.

Introducing - my husband

We met at a Benedictine Monastery about 130kms north east of Perth in the small country town of New Norcia established by the monks about 160 years ago. He was a guest of my uncle who was attending a Catholic Policeman’s picnic and I was with my family heading north after holidaying with my grandmother. I was 14 and he was 15.

We started dating when I was 16, married when I was 21 and last weekend we celebrated 34 years of marriage. I am truly blessed to have this lovely, tall, handsome, quiet, committed and conservative man at my side. We have been through so much together; he has supported me in so many ways. He has a quiet way of letting me know I am asking too much or expecting too little. I come home to cooked meals, clean floors and bathrooms and washing on the line. We don’t celebrate Valentines Day on February 14; I receive these gifts of love many times in a single week and throughout the year.

He has helped me raise tall, good looking (they take after their Dad!) competent young men who are a credit to themselves, their parents and their community and who now have wives and families of their own whom they treat with the respect that they have learnt from their Dad.

He is my prince, my rock and even after all these years, I still consider myself the luckiest girl in the world as he has chosen me to share his life.

Thank you for looking and for any comments you may leave, best wishes.

Daring You to Scrap Challenge - April

I think that it is sometimes too easy to focus on the tough stuff, the bad things that happen and not on the good things. We have had two beautiful weddings and been blessed with the birth of three gorgeous grandchildren since 2009. But we, as a family had been through a couple of tough years as well. We had lost family members in 2009 and 2011 and there had been serious illness to deal with as well; we were all feeling a little fragile by the end of 2011.

We don't usually get together as a family on New Years Day but I wanted to start 2012 a little differently in the hopes of a better year. I had made small baskets containing representations of what I wished for my families, a little like the 'first foot' tradition in Scotland. I wanted to deliver them on New Years Day morning and take a photo of each family in their house door ways, looking out toward 2012.

The baskets contained: bread for plentiful food, drink for good cheer, money for health and wealth, salt for flavour and a chocolate heart for love.

We were able to see three of our four families that day. Unfortunately I have not been able to get a photo for the other family as yet so that frame waits for that photo. 

Thank you for looking and any comments you may leave, best wishes, Susan

Generations

I scrapped this photo of my darling grandmother a couple of months ago. She was 80 at the time the photo was taken; born in Ireland in the very early 1900's, she came out to Australia with her parents and two brothers. They settled in a small town in the south west of Western Australia. She later married my grandfather and produced 6 children whilst helping around the family farm. She lived until two days short of her 94th birthday and left 26 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Grandma was a lovely lady, greatly respected in the small town that she called home. Everyone would greet her when she went down the street; always properly dressed with hat and gloves, sturdy shoes, necklace and broach with a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes. Every line on her face reflecting the beauty within. 

Thank you for looking and any comments you may leave, best wishes.

Once Upon a Sketch - April 1 Challenge

The Back Yard of No. 13 holds so many memories of tree climbing, sand pit play, bike rides, cricket matches, water gun fights, gatherings of family and friends and four little boys growing into young men. It is now the play area for a whole new generation, the children of my sons.

The yard has changed a lot over the years but the memories remain and new ones are being made.

No. 13 has been our home for 34 years; this photo is of our family; our sons and their children taken on Christmas Eve 2011, there is only one missing; he should be standing on the right beside his wife and the little boy who was born after his death. Today is his 3rd anniversary.

Thank you for looking and any comments you may leave, best wishes.