The Book of Me... Written by You... Prompt 61

This week's prompt is - How do you measure success?

• Can success be measured?
• Medals or Trophies
• Money or reward
• Status
• Personal Knowledge
• Achievements
• How others view you?

Can success be measured.. good question..
It depends really.. success is more of a journey than a destination.
If you're doing better than you were yesterday, then you're successful.
If you're kinder than you were yesterday, if you look for opportunities
to be kind , or to be helpful, then in my eyes you're a success.

I personally don't judge success by how much money someone makes or
has, although...good for them. :) I'm sure they work hard for that.

Medals and Trophies... you have worked hard to achieve them..absolutely
something to be proud of.

Personal Knowledge.. I have a friend who has gone back to school.. its hard,
but they are doing it.. I am so proud of them ..and yes, I feel that they are
successful.

How others view me... to be honest, I care too much.
No-one wants to be judged, and I get hurt easily by how I think
someone feels about me.
Would I like to change my way of thinking..I really, really would , because
when all is said and done, it shouldn't really matter how someone views me..
it should only really matter what I think, and what I think is, if I'm a wee
bit better than I was yesterday, if I'm kinder than I was 2 days ago, if my dreams
are a bit closer than 6 months ago.. if I'm happy, and those around me
are happy.. if  I made a goal, and can say in my heart, YES !! I've done it,
then maybe, just maybe I'm a success...

The Book of Me.... Written by You... Prompt 60

This week's prompt is - Family Traits

Do you exhibit any family traits?
Do you even recognise them or simply accept them as face value?
Do traits exist or are they simply a coincidence?

Is worry a family trait???  If it is, then I absolutely exhibit that.
My Dad was somewhat of a worrier.
I heard from my Aunt Doris that I kind of pick at my nails the way my Mum did.
I do wonder who I got my chocolate loving habit from..I know for sure that I have
passed that along to my own kids .. sorry kids !!

I wonder who I got my blue eyes from..  thank you to whomever it is..

I think traits exist..   you know my boys didn't know my dad or brother..but..
Paul walks like them..that is definitely a trait that is carried on..

I wish I had more to say, but since I don't know much about what traits
I've inherited from anyone... this is it :)

The Book of Me... Written by You... Prompt 59

This week's prompt is - Task Reflections

• Write a list of each task you undertake for any given day. 
• Include the fine details of the tasks
• taking milk out of the fridge to add to a drink - what was the milk in? a jug, quart container?
• Compare those tasks to an ancestor - someone born in the late 19th Century or early 20th Century and preferably someone that you knew or remember. 
• Record and discuss the differences
• What of those discoveries has impacted on you?

Here's a list of some of my tasks...

Make my bed... smooth out the bottom sheet, pull up top sheet, blanket and quilt..fold over at the top, tuck everything in. Fold up pj's and either put under my pillow or leave at bottom of the bed.

Wash the dishes...  I either rinse them off and then load them in the dishwasher, but I mostly wash them by hand, and let them dry on the draining board, and then put them away

Vacuum.. pretty straight forward.. I get the vacuum out, plug it in , turn it on and vacuum the carpets.

Clean bathroom(s) I get my cleaning supplies.. clean the bathroom mirror, put the toilet stuff in around the rim and let sit while I clean the sink and countertops, get the toilet brush and clean inside toilet.. get paper towels and cleaning supply for the outside.

Cook dinner.. well first decide what's for dinner, take something out the freezer.. if didn't take it out in time, then defrost in microwave ( I know, I know ) :)  Tonight its pork chops.  Then cook on the stove or in the oven..

Do laundry.. sort the clothes into different piles. eg: whites, darks, towels etc   put one load at a time in the washing machine on the correct setting. Put the laundry detergent in and turn on machine.  When done, put in the dryer with a bounce sheet and turn on dryer.

Comparing  doing the laundry in my grandparents day and doing it now..

It was so much harder.. washing in the big tub by hand.. and afterwards
putting it through a wringer..

It took a lot of time and hard work to do it.. the laundry would be
wet and heavy.  They didn't have dryers, so it would be hung on a washing
line outside.

I can remember even doing this when I was younger.. it makes the clothes
smell fresh... but having the convenience of a dryer is so much easier.
Don't have to iron afterwards... less work.. :)
Its amazing how much has changed... even in my lifetime.
There were no dishwashers... water would be put on the stove to warm up
just to be able to wash the dishes, or to even have a bath.

There were no inside bathrooms either, just outhouses... I'm glad
I didn't experience that. To have to go outside in the middle of the night
when it was dark and cold...
We are lucky in so many ways

The Book of Me... Written by You.... Prompt 58

This week's prompt is - What do you See?

 

Having seen the image what is the thing you thought? Write that down.

Does what you have written have any resemblance to how you view life?

• Half full or half empty

Describe how you feel after you have reflected. Does that differ from your immediate thoughts?

The first thing I thought was... the glass is half full....

Well, I'm glad that I didn't read anything else till I wrote down the first
thing that I thought...

You know I do try to view life that way, but... I know that I don't always.
Sometimes I have a pity party with only one invited.. Me !!  :)

How do I feel now that I have reflected ?   Actually, I know that I try
hard to be more positive, because looking at the glass, and what we think
when we see it means either negative or positive.
I know the older I get, the harder I try, because... well , lets face it.. life can
get to you.  I know that .. I hope will all the stresses of life that I can
feel ( almost always ) that the glass is half full, because even with everyone
that goes on in the world... we have a lot to be thankful for x

The Book of Me... Written by You... Prompt 57

This week's prompt is - Life Chapters

• Is your life divided into chapters?
• How has that happened? Has it naturally evolved?
• Can you easily reflect where one chapter ends and another begins?
• Are there any surprises?
• Are those Chapters determined by people and / or places / or significant events?

I would say everyone's life would be divided into chapters..so yes.. mine is also.
My life chapters I feel are determined mostly by events, but by
people also..

Chapter one :  I Nora was born .. my name on my birth certificate
is Norah Greves Newman.  Of course I didn't know it then, but my dad
would be the one I would be closer too.
I don't remember when my brother was born, but my sister I remember.
I had an uneventful life really, till the age of 5.
That's when Chapter two begins..

My parents broke up... I remember my mum leaving. .I
remember my dad crying..I remember crying myself.
We moved from Dundee to Greenock.. I would say that's when
Chapter Three begins..

My dad and I lived with my grandparents ( his parents ).
I remember how happy I was then... my Uncle David also lived
at home still. My Gran had a budgie ( Peter Pan ) it was blue, and
was in a cage by the window... my Grandfather had a dog
named Laddie.
I was still living there when my grandfather died.. I remember seeing
him lying on the bathroom floor... I remember the neighbour ( called
Mrs Cousins ) took me to her house. I remember my Uncle George
coming over, and my Gran crying.
I got to sleep in my Gran's bed with her after that... I love my Gran,
and I still miss her now.
When I was about 7 years old is when Chapter Four begins

My dad got remarried... my step mum's name was Bridget ( Bridie )
She used to work on the buses..I don't know how my dad met her.
I loved her... she was good to me
I remember her sister My Aunt Cathy and her husband my Uncle Donald.
And they had the cutest wee baby.. my cousin Margaret, who I felt
close to... would take her everywhere , and we would go in the photo
booths and get our picture taken... they were all black and white.
Life was pretty good.. I had good friends, I had a boyfriend ( off and on )
When I was 17.. things changed... that's when Chapter Five begins...

I was looking into changing my religion... my step mum told my dad
I had to leave.. I basically lost my family... this was another tough time for me. 
Looking back..I understand why my step mum felt like she did.. its not her
fault, but at the time, it was one of the more difficult times in my life.
Mrs Diamond took me in for a bit.. she had to be the most
non judgemental person I know... she was also my friend Helen's mum.
This photo is Helen and I....

I had new friends also that without knowing it ( because I
didn't tell them ) were also my lifesaver... so even though it was a
sad time.. they made it a happy time.
I lived with my friend Stacy and her family in Kilmacolm.. they were leaving
soon to go back to the USA though... at that time I found a Nanny job
in Edgeware, England.. thus begins Chapter six...

I moved to England.. I was only 18 years old...
Rosina also got a Nanny job there as well... and Lisa and Agnes too..
I have to say that living in England has some of the fondest memories for me.

This is Rosina and I .. ( I'm the dark haired one... Rosina is the pretty one )  :)
This is when we were in England...
This was such a fun time... I LOVED it there..
We made the loveliest friends... I also fell in love... kind of  ( and no, I didn't have a boyfriend)
No explanations either.... :)

Chapter Seven...  I came to Canada as a nanny .. went to Toronto.. I was 20 years
old.  I was so scared coming so far across the ocean.
It was 1976 ( January ) I had never seen roads so wide.. trying to cross them was
a nightmare.. and the cold !!!
In March, I met my husband, we were engaged in July and married in November
I remember sending a wedding invitation to my parents, but got
no response...that was tough
The next year, I went back on holiday and decided one day to go and see them..
it was all they needed.. they saw that I was okay and welcomed me..
I felt in a way that, that was a new chapter in my life... my relationship
with my parents was on the mend..

Chapter Eight would have to be when we started our family..including
adopting my daughter... we went from 0ne to three kids that year (1980 - 81' )
We had one more after that :)

Chapter Nine would have to be when my dad died... my passport had
expired and I hadn't renewed it yet.. I couldn't leave the country,so
wasn't able to go back to Scotland.. I still beat myself up over that.
I would have to say because I wasn't able to go over, that I have
never really got over the death of my Father... and I cant put into
words how much I miss him.. it was 1988

Chapter Ten.. I found my mum... she was living in South Africa, with finding
her I found out I had another brother and 3 other sisters, which made me the
oldest of SEVEN !!  I love them..  That year I also found my sister..
My life sounds so complicated !!  I also got to meet my mum, something
I thought I would never be able to do.
That same year my brother was killed in a fire, and also his 5 year old
daughter Emma. It was 1993.. This time I did go back for the funeral.
My nieces and nephew were hurt and in the hospital.. my heart was hurting..
You know just a few days before he died, he called me to tell me
he loves me.... I will never forget....

Chapter Eleven.. would be the rest of my life so far...
Lots of ups and downs, but a good life... I would have to say that everyone
has the ups and downs.
I have grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren, and I find myself
wondering what the rest of this chapter has in store..
I hope a lot of good  x x