Often the names of our ancestors recorded on census returns or other papers never seem to line up with their given names. I’ve been struggling to find the ‘real’ name of an ancestor recorded on documents as Minnie. Is she Mary or Martha? There were oodles of females named as Mary and also Martha in this family. And to complicate matters I can’t find documents with either name for the time period I’m looking at so I can pinpoint which name she was given.
In another line I’ve got a Kathleen known as Kitty and a Mary known as May. John was Jack and Charles was Chuck, oh and James was Jim
Nicknames- the bane of a genealogist’s life
If you’ve ever wondered how they came about you might be interested in these (safe) links. They are all similar but fun to read and could supply the answer As to why your Aunt Margaret was often called Daisy
Often when toilet blocks get renovated they sometimes get fancy murals painted on the outside in lieu of just a quick coat of paint. We came across these on a drive through the Pioneer Valley in a place called Marian about 25kms from MacKay. Fun to look at sadly no name to say who painted them.
Lloyd Park Marian Qld August 2009
The Ladies section was empty ….or so I thought….and being the city girl that I am gave a little squeal of surprise (to put it mildly) when I saw these in the bowl.
During cooler and drier months, the green tree frog can often be found hiding in toilet bowls across Australia, source Checked the other stalls – same again – and as there was no way I could have lasted until the next place up the road learnt that where there’s a will there’s certainly a way. I now know I can pee almost standing up…..with trepidation and difficulty 🙂
Do you know you can find a toilet block online? I was trying to place where these were in relation to Dame Nelly Melba’s house…..there in Marian not here in Coldstream…and discovered a site called ‘The National Public Toilet Map ‘- A project of the national continence program – and each block has a number. So if you’re travelling in Australia and ‘need to go’ that’s where you can find the nearest one to where you are.
But look what else I also found on the site. The mural is no more – it’s reverted to plain paint . Don’t laugh but I felt a little disappointed…and sad that it had gone.
I’m beginning to think that as I get older I’m becoming more intolerant of change. At one time I’d have just shrugged my shoulders and not thought anymore about it. The weather up there decides a lot of things and it was probably due for a repaint anyway.
I’m not slow to accept change if it’s needed but it’s what seems to be the change for change sake or to benefit others I’m starting to get crook at…..those doing the change will probably ague their case (oh no it’s not money/profit related) but it’s things like rearranging supermarket layouts….knocking houses down to build units….resizing products. This week three of our utility plans have been scrapped – ‘new plans suited for us’ will give us more…..but if you actually read the fine print will cost a little extra in some way or another.
So that’s what I’m thinking about and trying to get my head around this Monday morning – are there ways to accept that which you have no control over….apart from taking a deep breath and sighing each time you think about it (or moving to new providers). Am I mourning a loss, is this just the result of months of ‘you know what’, the slow change of our season…..proper constantly warm spring seems to be a long time coming …..or am I just becoming a miserable moaning old woman!
On the bright side, there’s one thing I do know about the new look at the supermarket…..I’ll be able to add a few more steps to my daily total walking the aisles trying to find where they moved things to 😊
How about you? Is it just me or does anyone else feel like this?
The warm Spring weather has been playing hard to get so the garden has been coming to life really really slowly. It was so cold and miserable over Winter I’m only just (very slowly) warming up myself so at the moment it’s‘ chaos reigns’ out there I’m managing to do a bit of weeding and general tidying around and about but …strangely I’m noticing things that are emerging from places I didn’t think they were planted. I certainly don’t remember planting those Iris in that spot.
That little piece of white flowered snow in summer (Cerastium) next to the bluey mauve Brachyschome wasn’t there last year but I’m pleased to see it. It reminds me of my Dad, he used it a lot in odd spots. Set and forget he’d say!
The lavender under the washing line has been good this year – shame it’s nearly time to cut it back….The Golfer cut the grass the other day so it looks green and tidy from this angle …it certainly won’t look so green come later in the summer when it gets hot and dry. It’s hard to plan a time to cut when we’ve had rainy days because he likes it to dry out a bit but like in all things nature doesn’t play fair!
And of course there is the early flush of Spring roses to admire. The little ‘blue bed near the line’ as I jokingly call it has been mulched so it’s right to go but there’s still a lot of work to be done on the bed at the bottom of the garden. A Bad Back limits me at times and it didn’t play fair last year so even though it doesn’t look too bad from a distance it’s when I realised what I thought were some long leaves of Iris was actually invasive couch grass that has grown tall I knew I’d be trying for half hour time spots. Rain has stopped play at the moment 😢
The little blue bed near the line 😊
And a few from the bottom bed – names unknown. (everything opens with a tap or a click)
You’ll discover things will change right in front of your eyes!
October is birthday month for both of us so more often than not we have ‘lunch at the golf club to celebrate ‘. (sadly not this year though)
Lunch at The Golfers favourite home away from home in Healesville (a short 30 min drive up the road) is always special The food is good – the views from the terrace even better. A table at the window a must.
October 2016 ……at 12.43pm we saw blue skies along with some cloud build up over Mt Riddell and the nearby ranges (which are part of The Great Dividing Range)
Eating, drinking and enjoying ourselves we didn’t notice what was happening outside This was the scene at 1.16 pm – just half an hour later Big black storm clouds overhead changing the look, the mood and the outside temperature
And here we are one hour later (2.26 pm) misty grey skies. very wet underfoot but much calmer. (don’t you love being able to know exactly…to the minute….when photos are taken)
I’ll tell you what though….I was really glad parking was under cover when we finally left for home it was pouring again
Talk about greedy – he wants 40% plus another 10%. Who would you report this scam to because I bet someone will be taken in
SENIOR CITIZEN REPRESENTATIVE
Dear Friend, I am a financial consultant in the UK I am contacting you in respect of my late client fund £12.7M British Pounds Sterling deposited with a bank here in London which is about to be confiscated by the Government after many years unclaimed I decided to contact you because you bear’s the same last name with him. Kindly indicate your interest by sending me your: Full name: Age: Marital status: Postal address: Job: phone number: You will be entitled to 50 % , 40 % for me and 10 % to defray all cost Yours Sincerely BRIAN COLE. Email:briancole724@gmail.com
Thanks to case numbers dropping substantially here in Victoria the overnight curfew was lifted last week but we were eager to hear what other changes were going to be made……what else from our stage 4 restrictions was to be eased.
We anticipated ‘going an extra mile for a lot longer’ was going to be one of them and last Sunday discovered we weren’t wrong!
One of the changes was that we (in metropolitan Melbourne) now have an extra 20km to move about in …..the previous 5km from home radius has been extended and is now out to 25km…an awful lot further than before We’re are also allowed out for as long as we like…..no two hour limit for shopping or exercise.
Much to the annoyance of some members of the community mask wearing and social distancing guidelines have not changed.
Anyway amongst the list of changes these….selfishly….are our favourites:-
The Golfer is happy because….yes, he discovered golf is now off the restricted list.
My back and my feet are happy because my podiatrist and chiropractor (allied health providers) can resume ‘routine face to face’ care and not be restricted to treating on a ‘needs/pain’ basis.
And ‘oh happy day’ they have allowed hairdressers (and barbers) to reopen😊
Unfortunately we still can’t sit down inside a cafe to drink a cup of coffee…..but, hey, we can’t win ‘em all. More discoveries aka changes are coming on November 1st…..fingers crossed that one will turn up then
Last week was a week of discoveries. Some really good ones. Some cool rainy days gave me an excuse to head back to the family tree where finally… after what seems like forever…..became aware of my GtGt Grandfather’s death registration. Seems he’d been dead a lot longer than we thought. A little mystery solved.
Earlier in the year (after much searching) I ‘found’ another sister of one of my maternal gt grandmothers…..one I had a feeling was there but couldn’t document. (People born in Ireland before 1864 when civil registration of BDM began can…at times…be difficult to locate.)
I became interested in her when a name appeared as a witness on several marriage certificates, a shortened version of one that turned up on children from those marriages She was referred to as Bella…..the children were all named Isabella. Her surname was the same as the bride’s. I knew she wasn’t the bride‘s mother (different given name). So was she an Aunt (the father’s sister) or another sister?
It was only after an Irish records site (https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/) released more documents I made headway. Then a further site I belong to connected her name to another which allowed me to find more records in a married name. Lots of little bits of information pointed the way, the witnesses at her wedding had the same names as my gt grandparents, the bride’s father had the same name and occupation, her children born were registered by the same person. Each time I looked, the story unfolded so at the end of the week I knew she was who I thought she was. Big smiles all round 😊
Census records have oodles of information- some surprises too. Looking at one I see her name, her husband’s and children….then there’s another two whose surnames are the same as her maiden name. Under relationship to head of household I see…..brother in law and sister in law.
So that would make him Bella’s younger brother! One I have no record of…..
Monday is when I sit and think and wonder. today I’m wondering where this brother came from why there was no mention of him previously I certainly hope it doesn’t take me as long to discover his past as it did for his sister 😊 So how’s your week gone? Did you make any discoveries or have any surprises?
I’ve had great fun discovering all these old photos….these are from 2010 (Taken for an online ‘photo challenge’ – things beginning with E)
On one of those (now rare days) when I had to go up to the city – with lots of time to spare before my train home – I was able to have a look at (and photograph) some of the landmarks in the city known in the late 1800s as Marvellous Melbourne
Flinders Street Station One of our most easily recognised ‘Entrances and Exits’ right on the intersection of Flinders Street, Swanston Street and St Kilda Road.
For many years this was the place to meet ‘Meet you on the steps under the clocks’ was the saying. The clocks are those above the entrance and related to each of the train lines giving the time of the next one on that line as well as the platform it would leave from ‘In the name of progress’ they have been replaced by an electronic board inside the forecourt
Diagonally across the road on one of the corners of Swanston Street is St Paul’s Cathedral
Now just inside in the lobby was this banks of doors – are they entrances or exits?? Of course they are for the Lifts ( Elevators in other parts of the world)
Imagine waiting there and being able to admire the handiwork of the doors as well as the mosaic mural of the shield and motto of the company.
Then it was back across the road to Collins Street I wanted to see the heritage listed Regent Theatre with its glamorous wide stepped entrance foyer
We’ve been to many shows/performances here and it is a grand feeling walking up those stairs admiring the chandeliers and the striking set of windows going through the big double doors then making your way into one of nicest theatres in town
Time to make our way home and for some its time for a drink. Well not for me – but right acoss from the station is the heritage listed pub. Young and Jacksons
Nicely situated, ready to quench the thirst of many a worker on a hot day Home to Chloe
I could see the reflection of the station across the way In the door windows and wondered how many had walked in ‘Just for a quick one’ before crossing the road to catch their train home
I’m also wondering just how long it will take for our beautiful city to once again be known as Marvellous Melbourne !
Going back a long way this morning. This is The Golfer and me in 1960 – just after we were engaged. Living and serving in Cyprus He was a young airman – Me, the 18yr old daughter of a not so young airman.
Kyrenia Beach Cyprus October 1960
The Golfer had spoken to Dad, Dad had said yes. We were like Love’s Young Dream Always smiling, always looking in each other’s eyes. As far as we were concerned neither could do any wrong. Mum, who also approved, took me to one side and said “he has led a different life to you. He will say and do things differently. Just remember – none of us are perfect (you included), he’ll try your patience at times…so will you him” Coming from her I thought that a bit much, then she followed up with… keep this little saying in mind.
It’s not right – It’s not wrong – it’s just different
Let me tell you, it wasn’t an easy task to bite my tongue when I young and thought I was right all the time . There was an awful lot of accepting done along the way…on both sides 😊
He comes up with the strangest ideas at times. I just shake my head and think about my mother’s words. Not right, not wrong, just different
Take our morning coffee at home for example. For years (since retirement) as well as instant Moccona this has been our other coffee preference. Made in the plunger with beans from Queensland that we both enjoy the taste of.. Coffee grounds in plunger, pour on water, insert plunger in top, wait a certain time then push down carefully. Even I could do that!
Morning coffee as it was for years.
Then one year for Father’s Day he was gifted a small machine… from Aldi… certainly not à la posh…complete with pods and a small milk frother. He found it easy to use, I was not impressed. With the taste more than the fiddling around to make it.
So once the pods had all been used (byThe Golfer) the novelty wore off and it sat quietly in the corner until earlier this year when lockdown 1 came into force and a certain person seemed to become bored with all things familiar and wanted some different – didn’t know what, just different. So off he goes to the supermarket. First box of pods aren’t right (too small) so it’s into Aldi for the ones that ‘will’ fit. I’m still not keen on the taste but have to steer him away from buying more, I can live without a home made ‘proper coffee’ and I don’t want to be trying boxes and boxes of different ones until I do find a blend I enjoy.
Try that, he says one morning. Oh dear…what’s he up to now He’s discovered that by dropping one of the small Lavazza pods inside an empty used Aldi one, then securing with a bit of sticky tape they can be used in the machine. Another day I thought he’d used the plunger then added frothy milk…..but no he’d actually refilled one of the larger pods with some of the grounds from Qld, replaced the little cap, then wrapped it in cling wrap. It worked – refill and reuse!
My goodness these weeks are flying by…..it’s Monday morning and once again I’m sitting here thinking out loud with my early cup of tea
I know my experiences are different from others but oh dear, sometimes it’s been hard living with someone who thinks outside the box. Most times, like with the coffee, I’ve just shook my head and gone with the flow. Other times I’ve certainly ‘made my views known’ Do any of you know what I mean? How have you coped with similar situations
What with one thing or another I’ve been feeling moody all week It’s been continually raining and we still can’t go far….5km ruling to do or even look at anything different So what better thing Is there to do when you’re moody and can’t go anywhere. What else but look at …..
Clouds A collection of tiny drops of water or ice crystals so light they can float in the air!
These clouds were seen in Far North Queensland – in Glacier Bay Alaska – and close to home in Victoria Fascinating to look at – hard to capture – do you look at the land or the sky? ~ ~ ~ ~
This was what we saw two years earlier (2009) on a trip further north to Charters Towers Qld The whole of the town spread out below us….under a cloudy sky
2010 saw us cruising Glacier Bay Alaska under a heavy grey sky. Very quiet & eerie!
Close to home later the same year (2010) I was driving past and saw this big build up of fluffy clouds over the The Dandenongs
So what have I made this month past……..a bit like the month before, not a lot!
I seem to have spent an awful lot of time trying to solve this ‘problem’ of not being able to read let alone comment on some Blogspot/Blogger blogs. Safari….which is default for iPads lets me in but those blogs didn’t seem to ’recognise’ me….any comments just went off into outer space. So …following the recommendation of another blogger….I downloaded Opera and all seemed well. Well blow me down if Blogger has now come out and told me it doesn’t support Opera! So… I’ve downloaded Firefox in the hope that will do the job……but if you haven’t seen or heard from me in a little while and it continues that way…there’s your answer. Fngers crossed that’s the end of it….though I’m wondering if the New Blogger people are talking about is possibly part of the problem
Anyway, after having brought it out of hiding I actually tackled some more of The Golfer’s sampler but did very little knitting- well little compared to what I’ve done in previous months. These newborn hats and bootees were finished and I was all prepared to pack up….
Then after checking Marianna’s babbbity pattern decided I had enough of both colours to do some mix and match. Decision made, I set to and came up with a couple of very easy to knit newborn jackets in different colour ways to put together with the hat and bootees. On reflection they do look a bit dark so I’ll leave it up to the charity to decide what will go with what….they may have some things in paler colours to team with them and soften the look.
I’m getting towards the end of my reading challenge, polishing off 5 during September, (obviously that’s the reason for less knitting last month) and now have these two waiting in line. A very old 1946 copy of Kipps (H.G.Wells) found on the book table at Probus in February…….lol someone was obviously having a clear out 😊
The other one is Quicksilver (Neal Stephenson, an unknown to me author) chosen by title only…..letter Q titles are few and far between so it was ‘ ooh that’ll do’ when I saw it on a Goodreads list. Very historical, historical fiction. My face sort of dropped when it arrived In the box from the library….it’s huge – over 900 pages (with tiny print). Then I realised it was all three volumes of the trilogy! Phew!
I’m not sure which I’ll tackle read first. Maybe read them in tandem- one century here….one century there.😊
It’s the first Wednesday of the month which means it’s ‘Show and Tell’ time better known as Yarn Along over at Ginny’s. Do pop over to small things to see what others have worked on this past month.
It was only February this year but seems a long long time since we stopped on our way home from Mildura to have a quick look at a recently painted silo in Nullawil. Very different to others we’ve seen….yes a rural scene but not a native animal in sight. https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/nullawil A man and his dog – Darren the farmer and Jimmie the kelpie. by Smug (aka Sam Bates)
We were late getting on the road so The Golfer said it was to be a one photo stop 😢
I found this video online which means I can visit as many times as I like now 😊
Sami hosts Monday Murals – why don’t you pop over and be astounded by all the street art others have found
Just as an aside….In the next month or two after that visit when ‘you know what’ became more noticeable and people were either laid off work or had to work from home because of lockdowns, the animal shelters had a run of adoption requests. It was as if everybody needed a new canine friend to share their ‘new’ life with. They wanted something to take their mind off the uncertainty – to add a little love to their lives – also a running mate to help with their new found obesity😊.
I’m sitting here with a very early cup of tea and wondering if everything turned out the way these new pet owners hoped. For their new ‘canine friends’ as well as themselves. Silly things like did the dogs settle into their new surroundings (hopefully well secured so they didn’t escape into strange territory) did they get fed up with being walked each day…..maybe even several times a day. Were they fed a healthy diet….not just table scraps as used to be the way.
But what I’m really wondering about is whether some of them….any of them….will be returned….handed back…..when restrictions are lifted…..businesses are reopened….people go back to work. Will the new owners still have the time……be willing and able…. to exercise the dogs. How will the dogs cope with being alone all day especially after being the centre of attention for weeks on end? I’ve been told lonely anxious dogs get up to all sorts of mischief.
I know it sounds daft for a cat lover to wonder about such things what are your thoughts?
Some more photos from the archives plus a little story to go with them. Joining in with Elephant’s Child and others for Sunday Selections
Years ago bloggers had loads of fun organising ‘virtual’ events. A bit like pandemic events these days – just like in real life except online😊
One of these was to be an Afternoon Tea. So when I was talking about this to a friend she laughed and said ‘that sounds lovely…fabulous fun! then followed up with ‘ but wouldn’t an actual tea party be lovelier? We could have cake and little tiny sandwiches with no crusts and cups of tea and all that! And you know what, we could have it outside in the garden 😊
So I let her run with the idea just to see what she’d come up with First of all she fancied ‘Low Tea’ Served on a low table on the deck http://www.wikihow.com/Serve-Low-Tea
Then it was to set a little table up down near the garden – Champagne Tea she called it. No cakes and pastries- just strawberries and cream and drinkies!
But not everything went to plan. It was supposed to be a nice day but somehow the weather didn’t turn out to be that good. Just as I had everything set up a very fine rain started to come down Strawberries ready to go – the roses were looking good
Strawberries and whipped cream!
Then my dear friend (yes the very same one I’ve been talking about recently) walked in the door not feeling too well No food had been prepared so she’d made a quick change of plan
And had popped into the local bakery – hey presto Cream Tea – casual home style
A cream tea (also known as a Devonshire tea, Devon cream tea or Cornish cream tea)is tea taken with a combination of scones, clotted cream, and jam
We ended up on the deck having scones, whipped cream and jam (with butter for me). Plus a few chocolate bits I had in the cupboard Fabulous Fun!
Still Waters 