Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The Book of Me.... Written by You..... Prompt 30

This week's prompt is - Your First day of School
  • Do you remember the day?
    • The weather 
    • What you wore 
    • How you got there
    • Who took you to school
  • Where was the School
  • Any stories?
    • Friends
    • Teachers
  • How old were you?
  • Were you perhaps home schooled or taught in a different way to the usual traditional methods - such as were you in a remote area and lessons conducted using the phone etc
  • Do you have any other memories or thoughts of your first day of school?
    • Or perhaps ask a sibling, parent, child etc
I don't remember my first day of school at all... but I do remember my first
Primary School..
When my parents were divorced, and we  ( my siblings and I ) moved with my dad
back to Greenock... the first school I went to was Belville Street Primary.
 
I used to walk down the hill from my Grans, and cross the street to get here.
I dont have a lot of memories, as I left when I was around 7 years old.
That is when my Father re-married. He married Bridget Keyes.
When he got married again, I went to another Primary school
called Clune Park Primary..
 This school is in Port Glasgow ..

I don't have any pictures of me in my first days here, but I do have
a couple of class pictures... which years they are, I'm not sure.

 In this first picture, I am in the second row and the 4th one in from the left.

In this one, I'm also the second row, but the 3rd from the right..
The school uniform we wore, was a white shirt, grey pleated skirt, a
Maroon blazer and a Maroon, yellow and grey tie ( I think )

I usually walked to school... it was quite the walk I remember.
I lived on Kelburn Terrace  at that time.
When the weather was bad  ( it rained a lot ). I would be soaked, but what
good times .. walking with friends... talking, skipping, running all
the way there.

The only teacher I remember from there was Mr Bannister... I'm hoping
it was from this school... and I think he was the teacher from my
last year there.
He was tall and had dark hair..
I'm sorry that I don't remember a lot... I will write more here if I do...
I do remember being happy... I met my friend Jean here, and we are
still friends today.  We may not keep in touch as often , but when we talk, its just like it was yesterday...

Friday, March 14, 2014

The Book of Me.... Written by You.... Prompt 29

This week's prompt is - What's in your bag/pocket?

  • Do you routinely carry a bag or holdall?
  • What do you carry?
  • Why do you carry it?
  • What do you carry it in?
  • Do you carry differently things on specific days or to specific places?

I do have a purse that I carry... its one that Ken bought me for either Christmas
or my birthday a long time ago.. its getting OLD !!
It's a brown purse with a long strap that I put over my shoulder.
I take it with me whenever I go out...

Why do I carry it???  Well, because it has my wallet in it, and I
may need it when I'm out... I guess... its force of habit.. when I
go out, I grab my purse...

I don't really put different things in it... maybe my house key, as I usually
keep that on the counter.

Oh dear...what do I keep in it... its ready for a good clean out, to be honest.
Here goes... I have my wallet..  I have gum, and also some medicine incase
of a headache.  Some Kleenex... also the program from church ( probably
more than one..told you I need to clean it out  )
I have a Burts Bees Chapstick, and a lip gloss... and put my keys in when I'm
going out ( sometimes ) most of the time I forget about my keys, because
I assume Ken has his anyway :)

I have to be honest here... not sure I understand this prompt.. talking
about my purse and its contents are a wee bit boring... I don't
know how to jazz it up either... :)
I'll leave you with a photo of said purse... just incase your interested..



Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Bucket List....

I have a Bucket list.....  I want my posterity to know as many things as
possible about me.. so that's why I'm putting this on my blog..
I'm a bit of a dreamer, so I have some things on there like

 
I would also like to see the sunset from the Eiffel Tower...

Some other things on there are...

Visit Oban ( in Scotland ) again
Spend the night in an Aquarium
See the Grand Canyon
Visit the rain room in London ( I love rain )
 
See the Northern Lights

I also have simple things on there like

Fly a Kite
Visit Disneyland and go on a hot air balloon ride

I want to stargaze, birdwatch and hug Jay Osmond... :)

I would also love to visit Alaska
Be in New York City for New Years Eve
Try a Zipline
Be in a Marathon.. even just walk it...

I'm also going to write a letter to myself that I can open in 10 years..

I have other things on my list as well, but don't want to bore you too much..
I just hope that..........


I know that we are all so different... some things I want to do , is not something
someone else would be interested in..
How cool would it be if some of my posterity were a lot like me??? !!
Had similar dreams and asperations.... I can but dream ....

Friday, March 7, 2014

The Book of Me... Written by You... Prompt 28

This week's prompt is - Parents

  • Names / Nick Names
  • Where were they from?
  • Where were they born? - 
  • Were they migrants? Born somewhere else from where they were living
  • How did they meet?
  • Photos
  • Anything you want to share about your parents

My Father's name is Archibald McLeod Newman, and my Mother's name
is Patricia O'Brien McCulloch, but they were called Archie and Pat.

My dad was born in Greenock, Scotland, and my Mum was born in Dundee, Scotland
They lived in Dundee until they broke up, when my dad moved back to
Greenock, my mum moved to England, and then to South Africa..

I think my dad was in Dundee working, he must have found a job there, and of
course met my mum while there.
I don't know exactly how they met, but I wish I did.
They were married when my dad was 23 years old, and my mum was 18 years old.

Some pictures of my mum



 
and some photo's of my dad
 



 
My Dad passed away at my brother Andrew's home on May 14th,1988,
he was only 57 years old.
I don't think I will ever stop missing him.
His birthday is coming up on March 11th..
He was the youngest child in his family.. his twin ( a girl ) died
after she was born.. there were 8 other siblings ( 2 of
which also died young )
 
My Mum was born on the 15th January...she passed away
at home July 5th, 2004, she was 68.
she lived in South Africa at that time.
My mum had 3 older brothers, and one younger brother, so
was the only girl in her family.
I'm sure my grandmother must have been overjoyed
to finally have a girl :)
 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014



I wish that wasn't me...... but in so many ways, it is...
I often don't feel good enough...
Deep down, I know its not so, but you know that wee voice in your head
that says something different... I would sometimes like to bop it one :)

I'll tell you what I'm not ....

I am not very outgoing.. I'm more on the reserved / shy side
I am not beautiful... not ugly either..
I am not perfect... sigh
I am not soooo many other things...
but what I am is.....

ME !!  Love me or hate me...
If there's something I want my posterity to learn , its to just be
themselves...  BELIEVE in yourselves

Saturday, March 1, 2014

The Book of Me... Written by You... Prompt 27



  • Did you have a car in your family whilst you were growing up?
  • What methods of transport were there? And what did you & your family typically use?
  • Your Driving Test
  • Where Did you learn? - Can you drive?
  • Your first car?
  • Your Favourite Car?
  • Do you name your cars?
  • Can you remember the registration details? And perhaps explain what the registration means.
Well, this will be very short..

We didn't have a car in our family growing up, and actually I don't know
anyone that did.
To get around we usually took the bus or the train... I mostly walked everywhere.
I did take the bus into town, or to go to church , because it was too far to walk.
But I usually walked to friend's homes..

I don't drive.. even now...  I wish I had've tried when I was younger.. but I didn't.
I should have.  I did start to take driving lessons when my boys were young,
but the instructor was such a jerk to me that I never finished.
Now.... I'm too old :(