The Book of Me.... Written by You... prompt 9

This week’s prompt is Halloween

Have you ever participated in a Halloween event?

When was it?
Where was it?

What did you dress as?

Trick or treat?

All Hallows Eve, or Halloween in Scotland in the 60's was simpler than it is now....  we would go "guising" .. we would just dress up in some old clothes that belonged to our parents... we were usually made to do a dance or sing a song or say a poem to get something.  I don't remember getting sweeties so much, we would get nuts or apples...we would also go " dookin " for apples.  We could use a fork in our mouth, or just plain dip our head in the water and use our teeth.

simpler times,  but fun times..

I don't ever remember pumpkins... I do remember ( just a little ) neep lanterns ( turnip lanterns )

We cut a face in the turnip ( just like we do for pumpkins now ), and usually turnip was on the menu the next day. :)

 

Since I live in Canada now, and I take care of children, I usually decorate my house up...

I have never been one to dress up too much... but I do love seeing all the children come around. They all yell " Trick or Treat "

We used to take our kids out when they were little... my husband usually took them around, while I stayed and handed out candy.

Halloween is not my most favourite holiday, although I do love getting the kids excited about it, and I love decorating for it,,, but all in all, I'm usually glad when its over.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!!!!

 

 

The Book of Me... Written by You... Prompt 8

Week 8 - The prompt is Time Capsule

1. You can choose who to create the time capsule for as that will influence what you put (or would put into your time capsule)

2. The creation of a time capsule...

 

a. you can do this in the literal sense or
b. you can simply write what you would place into your time capsule and why. It is much more fun to create though!

* You may choose to create a time capsule for your children, or a niece/nephew, for grandchildren – A physical item that you will give to a named person.

*Why have you chosen that person and when do you intend for them to have it?

*You may choose to create a time capsule of your home and leave it for someone in the future to find.

*You may want to create a time capsule relating to an actual event or anniversary

*If you create a physical time capsule, what did you choose to use as your capsule and why?
 

 

 

This one is a little bit daunting for me, but I have decided that I will not look at anyone else's responses... I want to figure it out myself...

I LOVE the idea of a time capsule... it tells a lot about the person doing it, in saying that, what do I want it to tell about me?

I think I would like to physically do one, but not sure yet if I will... but if I could do one for my Grandchildren...what would I put in it...what would I like to tell them about me.... what would I use to put these treasures..

 

First, I would have a beautiful wooden box, one that is detailed with carvings.. one that has purple satin inside... purple is my favourite colour.  Inside this box I would have a letter... a letter that tells them how much I love them.... I ALWAYS will ..

I would have a picture of their Grandpa and I on our wedding day

We were married in the Washington DC Temple... they could see, that we were young once too. :) hehe

 

I would put a piece of  the red Ross Tartan... that is the tartan that is the McCulloch side,, I want them to be proud that their heritage goes back to Scotland.

 

I love daisies... its my favourite flower.. I seem drawn to white flowers, but especially daisies, with their sunny yellow centre.. they look so pretty..so I would put a picture of my favourite flower..

 

I have kept every passport I ever got... so I would put my British passport in it...they could see what I looked like when I first came here to this country... how young I was

 

 

 

 

Oh dear.... young and full of adventure to come to another country at such a young age.

 

I would put my cookbook in, where I have put some tried and true recipes

You never know... maybe they would be happy to try those same recipes...wouldn't that be wonderful

 

I think I would also put a picture of my home..... when they look at that picture, I hope what they remember is the good times there... a comfortable place... a place that maybe they miss..

 

What I wish I could put in it is all my love... all the love their wee hearts can hold, so as soon as they opened the box...that love hit them like a freight train... that they would have no reason to doubt that they are very much loved

 

 

 

 

 

The Book of Me... Written by You... prompt 7

The prompt for this week is.... Grandparents

What were their names?
Where were they from?
Were they related? – Cousins perhaps
Where were they born? Another County or state/area?
Photos
What did they do?
Did you know them?
What was your relationship with them?
If you didn’t know them have you researched about them?

I was named after my Mum's mother... my Mother's parents lived in Dundee, Scotland where I lived till I was around 5 years old.

This is Norah O'Brien ( McCulloch ) and Thomas Boyd McCulloch.. my Mother's parents
Because I was young when my parents divorced, I don't remember them too much... but what I know, I love...  I remember black wallpaper with flowers on it.. they had it on some walls in their house.
I have been told that my Gran was the life of a party... always singing etc.
I think My Grandfather has the most kindly eyes in this picture..

My Grandfather was born September 12, 1905, and died September 10th, 1973

My Grandmother was born December 2, 1907, and died July 25th, 1972

I really wish I had known them as I was growing up... I was their first Grandchild... it's funny though, because when I see their picture, it always jogs something in my memory, even though I don't remember them exactly.

 

My Father was a twin... his sister died not long after she was born.. my Dad's Mother also died.
This is a picture of her

 

Her name is Agnes McGowan... my cousin Agnes is named after her...
Another cousin sent me this picture after his Mother ( My Aunt Helen ) died, and the feelings I felt when I got it were overwhelming, because I was able to put a face to the name.
I know that she was very much loved and missed by her children when she died...

The only Mother my Father knew  Catherine Brown Greves..
My Grandfather David Scott Newman married her on the 6 December 1940.
Of course she was the only Grandmother I remember... and I love her so much.
I remember she always had a Budgie... and always took good care of it.
When my parents were divorced, we lived with my Gran and Granda Newman... always thankful to them for letting us stay with them... I got to know my Gran so well because of this... She was a church going woman...always took me with her... I remember always getting up and singing, I must have embarrassed her, many a time, but I always felt her love.... always !!

My Grandfather had this dog... I think its name was Laddie.
My memories of my Grandfather was that he always looked stern, but then he was older and he had a Granddaughter living with him ( me )... that is always hard
I don't remember an awful lot about him... I was young when he died.
I'm so glad I wrote about my Grandparents today... it has stirred up some feelings in me, and makes me miss them...  I am so Thankful for the family I have... I'm glad they're mine

The Book of Me... Written by You... prompt 6

The prompt for week 6 is Journals and Diaries

Do you keep a journal or diary?
How far back do they go? What do you record?
Where do you keep them?
Do you always buy the same one or vary them?
Have you inherited any?
Do you intend to pass along your journals or destroy them?
Pictures
Do you have a favourite?
What do you use to write with – biro, pencil, ink or fountain pen?


This is a hard one for me... because although I kind of call myself the Family Historian... I don't really keep a journal... I have tried. I have a journal that I started sooooo long ago... still lots of unwritten pages in it. Its always been one of those things that I have procrastinated about.  My descendants will not find out much about me through that ( unless I change ) :)
But hopefully this blog will fill in all the details eventually that they can read ..
Even though I don't write in a journal, I do like to write lists.. I even write lists for my lists... cough, cough
I have a little black book that has lists in it from Thanksgiving and Christmas from the last few years..

Yes... I even write down gifts I'm buying etc... hehe

I'm also a picture taker... I take pictures of everything... put it all on Facebook...I know, I know
I even take pictures of my dinners sometimes... eg:

I made chicken pot pie for dinner the other night... first time to make it, so of course have to document it ..

I have a book that I have had since 1974... in it, are poems I may have liked, or the words to songs that I loved from The Bay City Rollers, Osmonds, David Cassidy,Bread , Simon & Garfunkel ...well you get the picture, but what makes the book so special, is in the back,.. I have things that friends have written down. You see I left Scotland for England... and eventually left England for Canada...so that book is so special.  I love looking through it, and reading some things I wrote, and also it just brings back memories of long ago days

I'm hoping that doing these prompts will instill other things in me, that I should be doing.. like a journal  :)

The Book of Me, Written by You... prompt 5

I'm doing this one a wee bit late..
Here is prompt 5..
Your Childhood Home..
When did you leave home?
Where was it?
Where did you move to?
Was it rented or owned? – with parents/Grandparents
Was it inherited
What was it like – describe it – each room.
Were there a favourite room?
Is there anything you particularly remember from the house?
Pictures
The road & area

I didn't have per say a childhood home.
When my parents split, we lived in Dundee ( Scotland ) ... my dad moved us to where his family lived, which was in Greenock ( Scotland ), and we stayed with his parents...my grandparents.
We lived at 11 Belville Avenue..

I loved living here... my grandmother was always so kind to me...

I remember a small hallway to the living room, and the kitchen was off the living room.

We lived on the bottom floor , on the left hand side of this tenement building...

My grandmother, always had a blue budgie called Peter Pan, and its cage was in front of the window.

My Uncle David still lived at home, when we were here.// I remember that I would hide under the table and jump out to scare him... only thing is, I did it every day, but he always acted scared anyway :)

My Father re married when I was about 7yrs old

At that time we moved to Port Glasgow, and we lived at 18 Kelburn Terrace..

This picture isn't the exact building...

We lived on the top floor on the left hand side of the tenement building.
I remember having to walk all the way up to the top.. there would be daddy long legs on the stairs... not lots, but I am so afraid of bugs ( even now ) so it has always stuck in my memory.
The living room had a coal fire.. but the back went into the kitchen to one of those black stoves.  The kitchen was a fair size... I remember my bedroom feeling cold, but it was also a big room.
After here, we moved to another home... the only way I can describe it is it would have been like a 4 plex
The address for it was 28 Pleasantside Avenue...funny how I can remember all these address's, but cant remember what I did 2 days ago...

This is the street, but where I lived is no longer there.... how sad..
It was a lovely wee street...  the home was nice, and more modern than the last place we lived.
I had a lot of friends, and attended High School from here.
I also left here ( not because I wanted to ) to be on my own, although not at first..... I lived with friends, and then moved to England to be a Nanny, after that to Canada...
Looking back on these homes makes me feel so nostalgic... the memories... the happy times...it makes me thankful for my roots, my family... so thankful ~