Week 83 - My Sunday Photo - The Crematorium

Visiting the UK and making time to visit my Gran.

Sadly my Granddad died 4 years before I was born.

My Gran would have loved to have heard about our travels and life abroad. 

From time to time I pick up a post card or a small gift to give to her, then I remember she's not here anymore.

My Gran on Holiday 1940's with #timetraveller

It's 10 years ago next month that my Gran died. We finally got round to unpacking the last few boxes after our move in December which contained photo albums and childhood books of mine.

I'm off to the UK next week and will be visiting the crematorium in Newport.

My Gran is never far from my thoughts and every time we move I think about how proud she would be of us living abroad and although if she was still alive, she'd be 102, she'd not have made the trip to South Africa or Dubai, but she would have loved every photo and every letter and I can guarantee every member of the WI and the church would know about our travels.

So as my Gran is no longer here, I thought I'd show you some of her travels.

On the ferry from Torquay to Brixham 1940's

Gran 2nd from right

Bournemouth 1964

Gran and Granddad
Sadly I never met my Granddad, he died a few years before I was born.

Drusilla Zoo 1975
Me and my Gran, I have many fond memories of holidays with or at my Grans, just sadly not too many photo's from back then.

Porthcawl 1980

L-R back to front

Mum, Uncle, Me, Gran, Aunt, Cousin, Sister

Regardless of the weather, we always got on the beach, there's no month on the back of the photo, but it would've been the school holidays as we lived in York in 1980.

Teignmouth 1987

Uncle Joe and Gran

 Not a lot has changed over the years, apart from maybe the stripy deck chairs on the beach. I've seen numerous photo's this summer of people on the beach with their families in their wet weather gear, being 'typically British' and many photo's of families visiting Drusilla Zoo.

Stuck in a rut? Baby steps, is all it takes

Today is a day for Blogging...well it's the last day of the month and the internet gets reset tomorrow, so it would be silly not to use it up.

This weeks #groovymum challenge by kateonthinice is all about Baby steps and how to take them through a variety of challenges that Kate sets each week. You can link your blog post here http://kateonthinice.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/what-are-the-baby-steps-to-changing-your-life/

I have till Monday to put this blog up, but life throws me enough challenges and I have more than enough to do without creating new ones, so in time honoured tradition (this blog hop has only been running since September 2011) I will reflect on the week and see where I met these challenges.

1. Body – Sign up to do a Sports Relief Mile. Check out http://www.sportrelief.com/the-mile There are challenges of varying types for different levels of fitness so do take a look whether you are a rampant runner or a slouch potato.
OK NOT FOR ME, UNLESS ANYONE KNOWS HOW I CAN DO THIS FROM SOUTH AFRICA, BUT I'M ALREADY GIVING MY TIME FREELY HERE AND SWIMMING A MILE A DAY IN THE POOL AT THE GYM

2. Mind – Do you have a favourite artist? Would you like to know more about art? How can you incorporate more art in your life? Blog about it and tell us more.
NO I DONT HAVE A FAVOURITE ARTIST, BUT I KNOW WHAT I LIKE AND WHAT I DON'T LIKE AND I HATE/LOATHE (TOO STRONG?) I CAN'T STAND THE KIND OF ART THE EVOKES THE 'EMPORERS NEW COAT' REACTION. HUBBY WAS GIVEN THIS PIECE OF ART WORK, I THINK MY YEAR OLD NIECE COULD DO IT, IT MAY BE WORTH A FEW HUNDRED POUNDS, BUT IT'S WORTHLESS TO ME AS I DON'T LIKE IT.



3. Spirit – Have you ever meditated or found other ways to calm the soul? Is this something you might like to investigate further? Tell us about it and then we can all learn new methods that might work for us.
I'VE TRIED RELAXATION TAPES, USING THE ONES GIVEN OUT AT TRAINING COURSES, YOU KNOW THE TYPE ON TEAM BUILDING DAYS. IF IT'S SUGGESTED I RELAX, OR I'M FORCED TO RELAX, MY STRESS LEVELS GO THROUGH THE BLOODY ROOF...SO NO SUGGESTIONS, JUST EACH TO THEIR OWN.

4. Blogging – You are a woman and you will have women in your world, alive or dead, who matter to you. Why not write 90 words (or more or less) about her and link up to this charity blog hop for Breakthrough Breast Cancer? Cllick here to take part or to read stories of some rather wonderful women http://kateonthinice.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/i-am-looking-for-90-bloggers-to-support-breakthrough-breast-cancer/
THERE’S NOT AN EVENT OR OCCASSION THAT GOES BY WITHOUT ME THINKING OF MY GRAN. SHE WAS STRONG, HELD FORCEFUL OPINIONS, BUT SHE WAS PROUD OF ME AND SHE NEVER FAILED TO TELL ME THIS.
SHE DIED ON OCTOBER 14TH 2005 AGED 92 OF OLD AGE, HELPED ALONG WITH LUNG CANCER.
I WISH I COULD TELL HER ABOUT MY NEW LIFE IN SOUTH AFRICA, OF HOW WELL THE CHILDREN ARE DOING AND SEND HER ENDLESS PHOTOS AND LETTERS SHE COULD SHOW OFF TO HER FRIENDS.

I'm afraid I was very taken into hospital a few days after this picture was taken with viral meningitus, hence why I look so ill.
I WISH SHE WAS HERE.



5. Special Days – It is National Storytelling Week and you can find out more here http://sfs.org.uk/nswevents2012 Why not ring the changes and write up a short story on your blog?
YOU WANT A SHORT STORY FOR MY BLOG. I DON'T HAVE A SHORT STORY BUT I DO HAVE CHAPTER ONE OF A STORY I'VE BEEN WRITING YOU CAN READ HERE
http://www.chickenruby.com/2012/01/chapter-one-unedited.html


6. The Big Question – Who are you? Take this as you will. Blog about who you are or perhaps write an “About Me” page for your blog. Is it easy or challenging to say who you are? What can you learn from that?
UP AND RUNNING, INFACT BEEN ONTO IT TODAY CHECK OUT WHO'S THE CHICKEN HERE http://www.chickenruby.com/p/who-is-chicken.html