You may recall I started the search for a long lost family member more than a year ago. With a little bit of help from a genealogist in Scotland I managed to find an address for my mom's cousin and wrote to him. To my surprise, the address that was from a document 14 years ago was still his address and he wrote back!
We have been writing lots of letters working out the details of his family's estrangement from my great-grandparents and it seems we will probably never know the real reason.
I told him I would be in Scotland and made plans to meet. He came with one of his sons to my uncle's house and we got to sit down for a few hours to talk and learn about each other. We shared photos and stories and parted new family members and friends. He is a very lovely man and his son and I got along really well. In fact, his son lived in Canada with his wife for a while before their daughter was born!
I got home to find a letter from him and we all plan to keep in touch. His son added me on facebook and listed me under 'family'. Isn't that nice?!
So there you have it...the rest of the story.
If you can, please leave your comment here instead of on Twitter. Thanks!
Have a fabulous day!
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Scotland in photos!
So, I pulled the trigger and booked my ticket to Scotland. I was quite nervous as I hadn't been away from the Little Prince since he was born and always in the back of my mind was, 'What if something happens to me?'. Let's be honest, something could happen anytime, anywhere but flying makes me nervous so I was a little ball of stress leading up to my trip! I did the responsible thing and saw my lawyer to do my will and get all of my documents, bank accounts and passwords in order. I felt much better but still am not a fan of flying! I sobbed in the airport while saying goodbye to my sweet, precious little boy and got on the plane with tears streaming down my face. Sounds glamourous doesn't it!?
My point? I used to be a jetsetter...I flew all around the world and never gave it a second thought. I would fly to London for the weekend, Florida on a whim, Montreal for bagels...and it never once bothered me. Having a child has made me very, very aware of my own mortality. Fortunately the guy next to me on the plane was drunk and Scottish and didn't shut up the entire time so he took my mind off things. We had a good chuckle at the Canadian guy wearing a kilt on the plane *rolling eyes* the only time that's acceptable is when a man has been at a wedding, woke up still in his kilt and has had to race to the airport to get his flight home.
Our flight left the gate on time and all was looking good until we got out to the runway and we waited and waiting...finally the pilot came on and told us we need to go back to the gate because there was a technical problem and he needed to do some paperwork. Charming. Oh and the fuel we burnt off going to the runway and back had to be topped up so we left Toronto an hour late...and I had no way of telling my uncle at the other end because it was 2:30am for him!
You know in every group of strangers, on every flight, every bus, in every restaurant...there's that one guy who can't just go with the flow and has to make a spectacle of himself? Yeah, he made himself known quite early in the flight by marching to the back of the plane where the flight attendants were busy working on drinks to calm down irritated passengers. I had prebooked my seat so I had the very last spot at the back of the plane (right next to the washrooms and emergency exit) so I was able to watch this guy make his way from the front of the plane to the galley and I'm going to be honest...he spent wayyyy to much time back there. I was going to ask if he is an air marshal but I heard him asking the flight attendants if they were going to tell him why we were delayed. They told him they know nothing and to go back to his seat but he refused to budge. I even had to tell him to move so I could get to the washroom and he wasn't happy about it! This went on for most of the flight and just before we landed I heard the head flight attendant speaking to a couple of people a few rows ahead of me about him, letting them know they could file a complaint with the airline. Hm. Well this is interesting!
The flight landed and of course everyone jumps up the second the seatbelt light goes off (except for me, I wait until everyone is off the plane then disembark. My luggage will be waiting for me) and they end up standing there for about 10 minutes before the pilot comes on and says everyone needs to sit back down. Hm, this is new! Next thing the annoying guy marches to the back of the plane followed by 3 big bad Strathclyde police officers! Oh yeah, someone wasn't happy! It seems the head flight attendant had decided being verbally assaulted, sworn at, called names and being subjected to sexually demeaning comments from a passenger just wasn't a part of her job description. From what other passengers said, a good amount of this went on at the front of the plane (I should've been an investigative reporter) so I didn't witness it but I did see how much time this guy was spending at the galley annoying the flight attendants and I told the police I felt it was bordering on harassment. Oh...I told the 5th police officer that...seems three wasn't enough so two more got on the plane. Finally they let us off the plane to get through immigration, which took forever (I should look into getting a UK passport), and get on our way. My poor uncle was standing in the airport for almost 2 hours waiting for me!
Now, I don't know if my Scottish experience is the most accurate for anyone travelling there as I tend to be kept in a little ball of cotton wool and never have to deal with reality while I'm there as I am fortunate to have great family in Scotland who never let me out of their sight or pay for anything. I do have lots of photos to share of my adventures so today I am starting with my random photos....
I've got lots of photos of Stirling Castle in my next post about my trip!
If you can, please leave your comment here instead of on Twitter. Thanks!
Have a fabulous day!
My point? I used to be a jetsetter...I flew all around the world and never gave it a second thought. I would fly to London for the weekend, Florida on a whim, Montreal for bagels...and it never once bothered me. Having a child has made me very, very aware of my own mortality. Fortunately the guy next to me on the plane was drunk and Scottish and didn't shut up the entire time so he took my mind off things. We had a good chuckle at the Canadian guy wearing a kilt on the plane *rolling eyes* the only time that's acceptable is when a man has been at a wedding, woke up still in his kilt and has had to race to the airport to get his flight home.
Our flight left the gate on time and all was looking good until we got out to the runway and we waited and waiting...finally the pilot came on and told us we need to go back to the gate because there was a technical problem and he needed to do some paperwork. Charming. Oh and the fuel we burnt off going to the runway and back had to be topped up so we left Toronto an hour late...and I had no way of telling my uncle at the other end because it was 2:30am for him!
You know in every group of strangers, on every flight, every bus, in every restaurant...there's that one guy who can't just go with the flow and has to make a spectacle of himself? Yeah, he made himself known quite early in the flight by marching to the back of the plane where the flight attendants were busy working on drinks to calm down irritated passengers. I had prebooked my seat so I had the very last spot at the back of the plane (right next to the washrooms and emergency exit) so I was able to watch this guy make his way from the front of the plane to the galley and I'm going to be honest...he spent wayyyy to much time back there. I was going to ask if he is an air marshal but I heard him asking the flight attendants if they were going to tell him why we were delayed. They told him they know nothing and to go back to his seat but he refused to budge. I even had to tell him to move so I could get to the washroom and he wasn't happy about it! This went on for most of the flight and just before we landed I heard the head flight attendant speaking to a couple of people a few rows ahead of me about him, letting them know they could file a complaint with the airline. Hm. Well this is interesting!
The flight landed and of course everyone jumps up the second the seatbelt light goes off (except for me, I wait until everyone is off the plane then disembark. My luggage will be waiting for me) and they end up standing there for about 10 minutes before the pilot comes on and says everyone needs to sit back down. Hm, this is new! Next thing the annoying guy marches to the back of the plane followed by 3 big bad Strathclyde police officers! Oh yeah, someone wasn't happy! It seems the head flight attendant had decided being verbally assaulted, sworn at, called names and being subjected to sexually demeaning comments from a passenger just wasn't a part of her job description. From what other passengers said, a good amount of this went on at the front of the plane (I should've been an investigative reporter) so I didn't witness it but I did see how much time this guy was spending at the galley annoying the flight attendants and I told the police I felt it was bordering on harassment. Oh...I told the 5th police officer that...seems three wasn't enough so two more got on the plane. Finally they let us off the plane to get through immigration, which took forever (I should look into getting a UK passport), and get on our way. My poor uncle was standing in the airport for almost 2 hours waiting for me!
Now, I don't know if my Scottish experience is the most accurate for anyone travelling there as I tend to be kept in a little ball of cotton wool and never have to deal with reality while I'm there as I am fortunate to have great family in Scotland who never let me out of their sight or pay for anything. I do have lots of photos to share of my adventures so today I am starting with my random photos....
I have no idea how to drive in Scotland but I enjoy the highway signs!
One of the streets we walk down to get 'doon the toon'!
My uncle has a crunchy Downtonesque driveway!
No words needed.
The view from the gate - the house across the street was once owned by an old woman who employed my great-uncle. Legend is it was a bit of a Lady Chatterley situation and I remember her as being so very nice and I played in that house as a child. There are secret doors and staircases! It's now owned by one of the directors of Glasgow Celtic who is pals with my uncle but I didn't meet him when I was there.
The guard dog slash big softie. We were watching Britain's Got Talent when I was there and every time Pudsy came on to do his dance the guard dog got in a huff and left the room! I'm shocked the opera singers didn't win!
A Scottish sunset.
I love this fuzzy photo taken in the pub in Cambusbarron! Everyone drinks Irn Bru - young, old and everyone in between! This same evening I got my photo taken with Kevin Drinkel who used to play for Glasgow Rangers (that's more like it!).
Why yes I do understand every Scottish granny I've ever met!
Something I love about traveling is trying new foods or new combinations of foods. I made my uncle sit and wait while I took photos of his lunch. This is bacon, brie and cranberry! The Suburban Prince will be having this for lunch soon enough.
I didn't have haggis when I was in Scotland but I've certainly eaten it enough times in my life. Before you turn your nose up at it you should find the ingredient list on a package of sausages. I actually prefer the tinned haggis tho and always have it in the pantry.
Cousin Willie's wife ordered me one of these. Somewhere under all the cream and marshmallows there was a splash of hot chocolate! Note the Flake stuck in the top! YUM!
I had a snowball for lunch. I skipped the savory portion of the midday repast and went right to dessert. Snowballs are a bit hard to describe...the middle is marshmallowy but not like a north American marshmallow. They are sweet and taste like my childhood...the next time you are in a British shop try one!
Cousin Willie and his wife picked me up and took me to see the Falkirk Wheel. It's an amazing piece of engineering and it's very cool to watch. It's used to get boats from the bottom part to the top part just like a lift lock. You can watch a video of it here.
While out with Cousin Willie and his wife we went for a drive to the Forth bridge. The wind and rain were out of control and we got out of the car to take a few photos...at one point I thought Cousin Willie's wife was going to be blown away!
The same spot, different direction. I raced back to the car!
Hamish the Heilan' Coo!
I've got lots of photos of Stirling Castle in my next post about my trip!
If you can, please leave your comment here instead of on Twitter. Thanks!
Have a fabulous day!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
My Scottish Itinerary...and useful information!
Here is my insane schedule while I was in Scotland...lots of photos and recaps coming! I get a bit tired just reading about it all again!
May 9 -Arrive Glasgow and make our way to Stirling. Spend the day getting a few groceries, cell phone SIM card**, go to dinner, take more calls in one evening than uncle is used to getting all week (I'm quite popular in Scotland!), watch Britain's Got Talent then collapse in bed. Wake up to Skype with the Suburban and Little Prince.
May 10 - Wake up just before noon. Scramble to get ready in time for Long Lost Cousin coming over with his son. Spend the afternoon with them, take photos, learn about each other and grow our family. Introduce a string of visitors to Long Lost Cousin and his son, they both probably wonder if I am related to everyone in Stirling - most likely, yes. Uncle made dinner so we stayed in and chatted then under the cloak of darkness went to auntie's DIL's house to decorate the front gate for her 40th birthday.
May 11 - Manage to wake up by 11am. Scramble to get ready and out the door to make it to the local Rotary lunch meeting on time. Mingle with Scottish Rotarians, have lunch, exchange flags with them, get photo taken for the local paper then get a lift back to uncle's house. Change into more casual clothes (hello, I'm meant to be on holiday) and get on the road to Edinburgh. Take Granda's 80 year old cousin to dinner, give her chocolates, take some photos and get back to Stirling in time to go to the pub for the birthday celebrations. Drink lots of Irn Bru and have photo taken with Kevin Drinkel (former Rangers player and former next door neighbour of uncle). Marvel and the way dogs in pubs are accepted without anyone batting an eye.
May 12 - Manage to wake up within the 'breakfast' time frame. Auntie thinks I'm the best house guest ever as I make my own breakfast and tea every morning. Go to nursing home to visit great-uncle's wife who doesn't remember me but is fine with watching an episode from season 1 of Real Housewives of New York. Go to Stirling castle for the afternoon as it has been a long time since I was there. Take lots of photos, guess which country each tourist is from, watch uncle fall down the stairs (spend the next three days succumbing to a fit of the giggles anytime anyone mentions anything related to stairs), watch German tourists pick uncle up and ask if he is ok while glaring and auntie and me. Get back to the house, auntie went to work for a few hours, uncle played on the interweb. Walked guard dog to the old village and the post office then come back to make dinner for everyone. Watch Britian's Got Talent finale...go Pudsy!
May 13 - Up by 10am, breakfast and visit from auntie's son and his family. Visit garden centre for lunch and shopping. Quite a fun place! Auntie went to work and cousin Willie and his wife came to pick me up to to go the Falkirk Wheel and dinner. After dinner go on a little pub crawl and cousin Willie played the drums at the open mic night.
May 14 - Wake up at 9am (getting the hang of GMT in time to go home!), go to Callandar for lunch and a wee bit of tourist shopping. Pop into M&S for a few things then home to visit with auntie's other son and his family before going to dinner at the Portcullis, which was amazing! Then home to chat, skype, pack and figure out how I will get everything in one suitcase. Best game of Tetris ever!
May 15 - Wake at 6am, finish packing and get dressed. Make sure I have everything, eat some tablet ice cream (blech, it can't compare with my Gran's tablet), get on the road to Glasgow. Catch flight, settle in for 7 hours, try to read, watch movie, doze. Arrive at Toronto to be greeted by the Little Prince running up to me with flowers. Home sweet home.
**If you are traveling somewhere you will have roaming charges, here is a tip...have your cellphone 'unlocked' before you go. For help with that let me know. When you arrive in the other country go to the local mobile shop and get a SIM card, load it with some data/text/call dollars and put it in your phone. This is what I did the moment I got to Scotland and it meant I could use my own phone, with my own contacts, email etc and gave me a Scottish phone number I could give out. It cost me 15 GBP and saved me probably hundreds in roaming fees. When the plane landed in Toronto I just switched the SIM cards and got back on the system I use here**
If you can, please leave your comment here instead of on Twitter. Thanks!
Have a fabulous day!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
My birthday (2 months later!)
The problem with being so intensely busy at certain times of the year is the backlog of photos and posts I don't have time to think about let alone publish! Now that life is quieter (read: saner) I am able to go through my camera (over 3000 photos! Yikes!) and get posts organized, prepped and ready for you!
My birthday was a quiet affair - the Suburban Prince and Little Prince took me into the city for lunch at my favourite restaurant in Yorkville. The food there is ok, consistent, but the people watching is awesome! I always call ahead and book my favourite table so I have the best seat in the house!
First off tho...
You may recall I did a giveaway for the Luna company a while ago and they were so much fun to work with! They sent me a big box of their bars to try out and review and they gave away boxes of bars to my readers! As if that wasn't enough....look what they sent me for my birthday! How sweet! I love their bars for a treat in the afternoon - so much healthier than a chocolate bar and just as, if not more yummy! Thank you Luna!!
Cousin Willie and his wife sent me these pretty flowers! I was out having my toes done and came home to this big bouquet! Such a lovely surprise! Thank you Cousin Willie!
I ordered a few things for myself from The Preppy Princess and she was soooooo kind and sent me a little present all wrapped up and tied with a bow! Lilly Pulitzer croakies were inside! I love them! Thank you Preppy Princess!
We made a quick stop at Hermes for my perfume (let's not even talk about how it was half the price at duty free in Scotland) then made our way to lunch. Important things first...bubbly and a beer.
We saw a wedding go by! A few Goyard bags, lots of spendy cars and more than one famous person. Lunch was yummy - I am a creature of habit and always order the same thing at every restaurant I go to...at Remy's it's the penne pollo.
William Ashley had their windows all done up for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic and tied it in with a Downton Abbey promo! Serious eye candy!
The 'skins' on the front windows were very impressive!
I think this is meant to be the downstairs kitchen/dining area.
Upstairs dining....I love the candelabra! I went inside to enter the contest but I didn't win. Too bad!
On our way to the gourmet grocery store we passed Kevin O'Leary. I'm still kicking myself for not giving him my elevator pitch but the Suburban Prince wasn't paying attention and couldn't confirm it was him. Anyhoo, I'm 99% sure it was him and will be sure to shove ribbon at him the next time I pass him in the street.
I'm not a desserty person. I love chocolate and feel if it isn't chocolate, it isn't dessert so usually I pass and my waistline thanks me. I do make two exceptions tho...key lime meringue pie and Swedish princess cake. I did a little searching and found a Swedish bakery in Toronto that makes them so after a little bit of twitter tag I got my rincess cake ordered! Since they are not open on Sundays (the only day I would be in the city) they made arrangements with the butcher across the street that is open on Sundays so I could still get my cake! Now that's customer service! Thank you Beaches Bake Shop!
I think a pink and green cake is just perfect! That's not fondant...it's almond paste and tastes so perfect with the other elements of the cake! On our way home from lunch and shopping we stopped to pick up my cake and made our way home. We relaxed on the couch together all with a slice of cake. Ahhhhh.
Sponge, jam, pastry cream, whipped cream...oh my! Yum! I was very impressed at the size and price of this cake and it even managed to last long enough to share with a couple of people!
In case you are wondering what the Suburban Prince gave me....my Hermes perfume, a Lilly laptop sleeve, a KJP bracelet, eyelash serum, and a bee garden ornament.
Adrienne at The Rich Life sent me this KJP bracelet...I love it! I've had sooo many compliments on it! Thank you Adrienne!
Wendy at Madras & Pearls made this pearl bracelet for me and sent it up! I love it and wear it all the time! Thank you Wendy! It's perfect for summer!
I think that's everything...if I forgot someone or something please let me know so I can make the addition!
If you can, please leave your comment here instead of on Twitter. Thanks!
Have a fabulous day!
My birthday was a quiet affair - the Suburban Prince and Little Prince took me into the city for lunch at my favourite restaurant in Yorkville. The food there is ok, consistent, but the people watching is awesome! I always call ahead and book my favourite table so I have the best seat in the house!
First off tho...
You may recall I did a giveaway for the Luna company a while ago and they were so much fun to work with! They sent me a big box of their bars to try out and review and they gave away boxes of bars to my readers! As if that wasn't enough....look what they sent me for my birthday! How sweet! I love their bars for a treat in the afternoon - so much healthier than a chocolate bar and just as, if not more yummy! Thank you Luna!!
Cousin Willie and his wife sent me these pretty flowers! I was out having my toes done and came home to this big bouquet! Such a lovely surprise! Thank you Cousin Willie!
I ordered a few things for myself from The Preppy Princess and she was soooooo kind and sent me a little present all wrapped up and tied with a bow! Lilly Pulitzer croakies were inside! I love them! Thank you Preppy Princess!
We made a quick stop at Hermes for my perfume (let's not even talk about how it was half the price at duty free in Scotland) then made our way to lunch. Important things first...bubbly and a beer.
We saw a wedding go by! A few Goyard bags, lots of spendy cars and more than one famous person. Lunch was yummy - I am a creature of habit and always order the same thing at every restaurant I go to...at Remy's it's the penne pollo.
What's this? Downton Abbey across the street?
William Ashley had their windows all done up for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic and tied it in with a Downton Abbey promo! Serious eye candy!
The 'skins' on the front windows were very impressive!
I think this is meant to be the downstairs kitchen/dining area.
Upstairs dining....I love the candelabra! I went inside to enter the contest but I didn't win. Too bad!
On our way to the gourmet grocery store we passed Kevin O'Leary. I'm still kicking myself for not giving him my elevator pitch but the Suburban Prince wasn't paying attention and couldn't confirm it was him. Anyhoo, I'm 99% sure it was him and will be sure to shove ribbon at him the next time I pass him in the street.
I'm not a desserty person. I love chocolate and feel if it isn't chocolate, it isn't dessert so usually I pass and my waistline thanks me. I do make two exceptions tho...key lime meringue pie and Swedish princess cake. I did a little searching and found a Swedish bakery in Toronto that makes them so after a little bit of twitter tag I got my rincess cake ordered! Since they are not open on Sundays (the only day I would be in the city) they made arrangements with the butcher across the street that is open on Sundays so I could still get my cake! Now that's customer service! Thank you Beaches Bake Shop!
I think a pink and green cake is just perfect! That's not fondant...it's almond paste and tastes so perfect with the other elements of the cake! On our way home from lunch and shopping we stopped to pick up my cake and made our way home. We relaxed on the couch together all with a slice of cake. Ahhhhh.
Sponge, jam, pastry cream, whipped cream...oh my! Yum! I was very impressed at the size and price of this cake and it even managed to last long enough to share with a couple of people!
In case you are wondering what the Suburban Prince gave me....my Hermes perfume, a Lilly laptop sleeve, a KJP bracelet, eyelash serum, and a bee garden ornament.
Adrienne at The Rich Life sent me this KJP bracelet...I love it! I've had sooo many compliments on it! Thank you Adrienne!
Wendy at Madras & Pearls made this pearl bracelet for me and sent it up! I love it and wear it all the time! Thank you Wendy! It's perfect for summer!
I think that's everything...if I forgot someone or something please let me know so I can make the addition!
If you can, please leave your comment here instead of on Twitter. Thanks!
Have a fabulous day!
Friday, March 2, 2012
...and now, the rest of the story!
Isn't this a neat idea! Copy and blow up an an old envelope!
A week ago I wrote this post, including the story of how I finally located a long lost cousin. I mailed a letter to him on February 12th and on February 28th there was a letter in my mailbox....from Scotland...in handwriting I didn't recognize.
I sat in my kitchen staring at it for a few minutes knowing this was potentially the end of the story. A year of searching and work culminating in an envelope on my kitchen table. At this point, even before opening the envelope I knew someone got my letter, read it and decided to reply.
Inside I found a lovely letter from my second cousin...the one I have been searching for all this time. He confirmed I have found the right person, was surprised and pleased I wrote to him. He is looking forward to meeting me when I am in Scotland this year. I am looking forward to meeting him and finding out what the heck happened to make the family so angry with his father!
So there you have it! Thanks to the internet and the help of an awesome genealogist in Scotland I have solved one mystery and can now move on to the next one. There really ought to be a show about this sort of thing...I bet it would be fascinating!
Have a fabulous day!
PS...if you can, please leave your comments here instead of twitter. Thanks!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
My own little Downton Abbey
While going through stacks of old photographs I found quite a few of my Granda from childhood right up to the end of his life. He was born in 1916 and lived in Scotland at the same time Downton Abbey is set. Since season 2 started last night I thought I would share some of his photos.
Have a fabulous day!
As a little boy with his mom (on the left) and her sister.
I am guessing this was taken in 1918, with his parents, my great-grandparents.
Again, 1918. I can only assume there was a certain affluence as they had a camera.
Possibly 1918 again. The sailor suit got a lot of use!
As a grown man with his grandparents, my great-great-grandparents.
My grandparents - It's hard to tell when this was taken...the clothes didn't change an awful lot through the years. They would've worn the same clothes until they fell apart. Very preppy indeed.
My Granda with his father. Both were Cameron Highlanders.
Army buddies. The one in the front must've been a good friend as he appears in quite a few photos.
With military buddies. I suspect the one in the middle was very popular with the ladies.
Being sent home from WWII - their packs are dirty and they are holding discharge papers.
Here is our handsome soldier on the left...doesn't he look like....
...Doctor Clarkson
Two of my great-grandfathers were train engineers.
My great-grandfather.
I love this photo! 2 inch cuffs!
My Granda as a grown man.
My great-great-grandparents and great-grandparents.
Have a fabulous day!
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