General Chat

Good morning everyone:-))

Looks like being a lovely day here and my fellas are off to play golf so I have the house - and garden - to myself.

Lynda I'm glad you've gone home to get some rest. You have given me a smile and reminded me of when my dad was in hospital after having a stroke. I went in one day and one of the nurses told me how much he had enjoyed listening to dad talk about his airforce days in the war. He said that it was fascinating listening to him talk about flying the aircraft and how his memory for detail was so good. I laughed and told him that dad had never been in the airforce and that he had in fact been too young for the war and had been in the army in the Middle East for 3 years. My dad would also "play" a guitar and sing and expect everyone to applaud.

I stayed up quite late last night researching more London ancestors - it's fascinating. I've also sourced photos of churches they were married in. Now I can look up the girls in their married names on early census returns.

Allan your Mr Mortimer is a total mystery but I can see if I can help you with anyone else. I've got premium Ancestry so can look up a lot of info. I had the essentials but I upgraded as an birthday pressie - it's my birthday tomorrow. Please no presents just flowers:-)))

Sue xx

Linda, I'm so pleased that your Mum isn't having any pain. Without needing to use the drugs for the pain, she will be more coherent.....When I read about her, I think about my Dad. There was nothing specifically wrong with him - the doctors said that 'everything is wearing out'. He had two mild heart attacks within a few days and about a week later, another mild one and he just stopped breathing. The hospital can only make them comfortable until the body can't work any more.

I hope your Mum continues to be kept comfortable and who knows? might even be allowed to go home!

Good Evening Linda,
What a wise decision to come home, and hopefully get some proper rest.
It really is so wearing just sitting beside the bed isn't it? I think it's not just the worry, but the atmospere of a hospital ward is in itself stressful.

I too had some funny experiences with my father - sounds an awful thing to say, because he had alzheimers for the last three years of his life. My mother managed him at home, until the last six months.
She used to sleep with one open as it were. One night however, she went into a deep sleep, because she was exhausted. When she awoke, he was missing. On going to the kitchen there he was. He had tried to make porridge, using an entire packet of oats, in her biggest jam making saucepan. Porridge everywhere, all over the cooker, floor, worktops, even up the walls, and he was covered in it from head to toe. He had also made tea for all his visiting friends, of course there was nobody there, but he had used every cup or mug, and there were many.
Another day he ran out of the house stark naked and up the road. Oh dear.
Sometimes, in the saddest of circumstances things happen that we later smile about.

I hope you get some rest at home Linda - thinking of you.

Tec.

Oh happy birthday for tomorrow Sue, are you having a nice party with jelly and cakes?

I think going home is a tad optimistic Berona, I will settle for surviving at the moment. I am off to bed now to hopefully get some beauty sleep, or just sleep in my case!


The memories are good Tec, even though as you say in the cold light of day, they shouldn't be
Good night

Good morning/evening everyone,

Linda, what can I say taht hasn't already been said. I'm glad that your mum is not in pain and please remember to take care of yourself. If you have time, have a hairdo or a pedicure, but whatever you do, do it just for you:you deserve it.

Sue, Happy Birthday for tomorrow: there is a virtual bunch of flowers in this post (lol) Old Grandfather Mortimer probably used a second or third name. I have a few photo's of his, and a copy of his signature in one of the sketch pads. He looks a typical, distinguished, Edwardian gent.

Berona, the phosphorescent beanie sounds great, but I don't know about the halo and angelic effect. My OH would say that a pitchfork and a a pair of horns would ne more appropriate!

Carole, my ancestors are probably in thei respective areas, either upstairs, or I suspect, more likely downstairs having a good belly-laugh at my expense

Good evening Tec

Good Morning Sue,
Good morning Allan,

Both Mrs Tec and I are quite well thankyou Berona,
Sue.......Happy Birthday for tomorrow, and I shall say it again tomorrow, but you may be out doing the town. Hope you have a lovely day, if it's just relaxing in the garden.
Allan.... Some of my ancestors are hiding too, but like you, I know they existed, they must have. Just don't want to be found. Can't wait to see you in the new hat.

Tec.

Tec, I shall wear Berona's beanie over my yellow hat with pride!

Allan

Allan, That will frighten the cats, not to say the neighbours.
Berona is also knitting me a night-cap, with a bobble, but she hasn't said what colour, I just hope it matches my eyes.

Tec.

Tec and Allan - can't wait to see you both in your beanies. The colours sound glorious:-))

I'm happy to do look-ups for anyone on Ancestry. I can't guarantee success but I'll try. Linda helped me enormously with my OH's rellies and gave me the knowledge to look at things in a different way.

Sue xx

Sue.......
I only have GR, but have done reasonably well with that. However, I've spent a fortune buying credits to view Census's, and sending for BMD certs.
Now I am seriously considering going to Ancestry - it costs about £90 here - $180, but I would save on viewing Census details.
Do you think this is a worthwhile thing to do?
Would value your advice.

Tec.

Tec, Sue,

I do not subscribe to Ancestry, as I have access to it at the local Family History Society. They charge $1.00 per half hour session on the internet plus 10 cents for any printing.

However I am seriously thinking of subscribing from home.

Now I am no longer working full time I am letting subscriptions to some professional organisations lapse as I no longer need them. That will more than cover the costs of Ancestry

Allan

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Sue, with Berona's beanie i will feel a bit like this edward Lear character!!

When awful darkness and silence reign
Over the great Gromboolian plain,
Through the long, long wintry nights;--
When the angry breakers roar
As they beat on the rocky shore;--
When Storm-clouds brood on the towering heights
Of the Hills of the Chankly Bore:--

Then, through the vast and gloomy dark,
There moves what seems a fiery spark,
A lonely spark with silvery rays
Piercing the coal-black night,--
A Meteor strange and bright:--
Hither and thither the vision strays,
A single lurid light.

Slowly it wanders,--pauses,--creeeps,--
Anon it sparkles,--flashes and leaps;
And ever as onward it gleaming goes
A light on the Bong-tree stems it throws.
And those who watch at that midnight hour
From Hall or Terrace, or lofty Tower,
Cry, as the wild light passes along,--
'The Dong!--the Dong!
'The wandering Dong through the forest goes!
'The Dong! the Dong!
'The Dong with a luminous Nose!'

Long years ago
The Dong was happy and gay,
Till he fell in love with a Jumbly Girl
Who came to those shores one day,
For the Jumblies came in a sieve, they did,--
Landing at eve near the Zemmery Fidd
Where the Oblong Oysters grow,
And the rocks are smooth and gray.
And all the woods and the valleys rang
With the Chorus they daily and nightly sang,--
'Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue
And they went to sea in a sieve.'

Happily, happily passed those days!
While the cheerful Jumblies staid;
They danced in circlets all night long,
To the plaintive pipe of the lively Dong,
In moonlight, shine, or shade.
For day and night he was always there
By the side of the Jumbly Girl so fair,
With her sky-blue hands, and her sea-green hair.
Till the morning came of that hateful day
When the Jumblies sailed in their sieve away,
And the Dong was left on the cruel shore
Gazing--gazing for evermore,--
Ever keeping his weary eyes on
That pea-green sail on the far horizon,--
Singing the Jumbly Chorus still
As he sate all day on the grassy hill,--
'Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue
And they went to sea in a sieve.'

But when the sun was low in the West,
The Dong arose and said;--
--'What little sense I once possessed
'Has quite gone out of my head!'--
And since that day he wanders still
By lake or forest, marsh and hill,
Singing--'O somewhere, in valley or plain
'Might I find my Jumbly Girl again!
'For ever I'll seek by lake and shore
'Till I find my Jumbly Girl once more!'

Playing a pipe with silvery squeaks,
Since then his Jumbly Girl he seeks,
And because by night he could not see,
He gathered the bark of the Twangum Tree
On the flowery plain that grows.
And he wove him a wondrous Nose,--
A Nose as strange as a Nose could be!
Of vast proportions and painted red,
And tied with cords to the back of his head.
--In a hollow rounded space it ended
With a luminous Lamp within suspended,
All fenced about
With a bandage stout
To prevent the wind from blowing it out;--
And with holes all round to send the light,
In gleaming rays on the dismal night.

And now each night, and all night long,
Over those plains still roams the Dong;
And above the wall of the Chimp and Snipe
You may hear the sqeak of his plaintive pipe
While ever he seeks, but seeks in vain
To meet with his Jumbly Girl again;
Lonely and wild--all night he goes,--
The Dong with a luminous Nose!
And all who watch at the midnight hour,
From Hall or Terrace, or lofty Tower,
Cry, as they trace the Meteor bright,
Moving along through the dreary night,--
'This is the hour when forth he goes,
'The Dong with a luminous Nose!
'Yonder--over the plain he goes,
'He goes!
'He goes;
'The Dong with a luminous Nose!'

Dong with the luminous nose, aka Allan,

That is brilliant - never seen it before.

Yes, the hat will go beautifully

Tec

Tec, for me Ancestry has been invaluable and where I get most of my info. I have been able, over recent times, been able to access military records and now the London ancestors. That's been a very exciting development for a lot of people. It's even more exciting to see the images.

Sue xx

Edit - Allan I like your post. I also haven't seen that before but will now look it up.

Tec, in retrospect, I am beginning to wonder about Mr Lear...too many references to 'Bong' trees for my liking!

Allan

Sue, as you are in Oz, do you mind me asking what the cost of Ancestry is in dollars. I know Tec gave an approximate costing but I'm still curious

Thanks

Allan

Well here you go. I'll have a good look later.

http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/learwk.html

I'm getting quite an education on here:-))

Sue xx

Allan I think it's over $200. I'll have a look for you. I was on the essentials but upgraded to premium so I got a discount.

Sue xx

Sue,
Yes I've seen the excitement re the London records. I don't think I have actually got any London ancestors, unless very early on. My fathers family were all Essex people.
Allan mentioned using the Local Family History Society facility, but my nearest is 45 mile away, which doesn't make it so "local"
Anyway, I thinkI may subscribe to Ancestry.
To be honest I was actually thinking of letting my GR subs lapse, because I couldn't see that I was getting a lot further with it. Also I wasn't using the boards really, then along came this little band of playmates, that persuaded me to stay - so glad I did now.

Tec

Thanks Sue

I love Edward Lear's writings; I think that we may share a similar type of mind except that he has the ability to put things in writing.

Allan