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Friday, July 23, 2010

Sepia Family

I am the baby in my mothers arms and this photo was taken after the war in the late 1940's.
At this time we lived in a housing commission (government) home in Canley Vale NSW.
My father was a return soldier from the second world war and it had taken a toll, something he never got over. He'd served in the Middle East and on the Kokoda Trial in Papua New Guinea. He never lost his English accent and I can still hear the way he asked if a "pot o tea" was ready. He'd laugh and say, everything good in life was Buckshee (free).  

When I was five the family purchased and moved to a small acreage at Horsley Park.
My father built on to the four roomed house adding two extra rooms.
My mother cooked on a fuel stove which also served to heat the home (poorly).


Me.
Mum sewed all our clothes on her treadle sewing machine.
That's another good memory.
It hummed along and she sang...Toora Loora loora...or some other song.
She was always singing in those years. Later she played the church organ until her finger became too stiff. Now it's the harmonica.


Mum is 92yrs old now.
Pictured here with my granddaughter Shiarn.

Luke 12:22

Then Jesus said to his disciples:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.
Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them."

Yes we made it! and the best heritage my mother imparted was a love and desire to follow Jesus,

26 comments:

  1. How wonderful you still have your mother with you. My mother would be 88 if she were alive. I was the youngest of six and I have very good memories of growing up, always knew I was loved.
    .........:-) Hugs

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  2. What a lovely girl you are. Nice old pictures!

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  3. Thank you ladies.
    How amazing is God!! I just noticed the scripture numbers on the verse I chose above...
    It's Luke 12:22.
    I was born on December 22nd.
    And I have always Trusted in Him!!!

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  4. Great photos wrapped in a lovely story. My mum is 94 and I owe the same debt to her.

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  5. I loved this post! It brought back many memories to me. My mother used to sing Toora Loora loora also (not well actually but I loved to hear her sing it). I remember when my sister was a baby my mom sang to her at night and it put me to sleep also. I laugh now because when I was a child I was convinced that we were rich. For one thing, we had encyclopedias and no one else did! Funny what constitutes wealth! But when I think back I knew were were anything but rich. What we did have was stability and a strong sense of security and I'll always be grateful for that.

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  6. Thank you so much Crystal for sharing your beautiful family photos with us and telling that story.
    I lost my Mother a year ago at 93....
    Big Hugs
    June xx

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  7. You have a lovely family - God bless you all.

    Thank you so much for your comments on my Blog. I have responded there - as best I can.

    I wish a priest or a Catholic "in the know" would write in and enlighten us.

    God bless you Crystal Mary.

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  8. what beautiful memories....and your love for you mom shines. I hope my girls feel that way about me one day....

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  9. Oh you are so lucky to still have your mother here - and what a good one she was. I miss mine so much. Wish I could just see her one more time and I will someday.
    sandie

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  10. A little bit of yesteryear and a dash of today, with a whole lot of love stirred in - a recipe for another wonderful post. Please keep them coming.

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  11. Wonderful pictures. The last one is the best; it's so heartwarming. And your granddaughter looks so much like you did.

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  12. A heartwarming post, full of love and faith in the family.

    We had tough times when I was growing up, which is probably why I now know that we only need enough. Your dad was right. The best things in life are buckshee.

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  13. these are beautiful family photos and nice stories to go along. i love how you ended it with your mum and her great-granddaughter.

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  14. Wonderful photos, Crystal Mary! I love that image of your mom working away at the sewing machine, singing "Toora Loora Loora". Did her family come from Ireland?
    That is the sweetest pic of you in your lovely dress, but the bottom photo is my favourite - especially the hen!
    Your Gospel words have brightened my day!

    Kat

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  15. Shiarn does have the Look of You!& Your Mum looks a Grand Lass!

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  16. My, Shiarn looks like you! What beautiful little girls you both are.

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  17. My grandmother was Irish and say that song. Oh Mary I loved this post. How similar our upbringing has been. Different cultures and different geography but so much alike in Jesus. I got the book Depression the Way Out. I take no vitamins at age 72 and that is what I am interested in learning about.Blessings
    QMM

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  18. I enjoyed this post. In the first somber photo, your parents look so very serious. I can imagine the difficulty of life for those who served in the war and for their families. And then there's that sweet picture of you. And then - then! - there's that beautiful, color photo of your mom. I love the transition from black, white, and grey to the bright light of your mom's and granddaughter's faces. (And I love the little chicken.) Thanks for sharing.

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  19. Charming pictures and stories. BTW not hand colored wedding picture, just old and faded.

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  20. beautiful pictures... how wonderful you still have your mom around...!! the pic with your granddaughter is great!!
    Underneath His Wrapping

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  21. oh, this was not only a wonderful story from your upbringing but i just loved the photos!! the first one with the whole family seems so sad, either that, or a very sad/heavy time in your lives. to think that your mother has gone through so much in her lifetime! it's good to see that she's still smiling...is she where you get your spunkiness??? lots of love, crystal mary :)

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  22. Nice pictures, and warm memories. I wish more of us held your fathers wise words closer to heart, "everything good in life is free".

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  23. thanks for sharing about your mother. my mother like your mother did what she had to for family. your mother looks God Bless

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  24. My father too didn't get over the war. He thrashed it around in his mind until he died. He was in the battle of the bulge. I like reading of all it took for your family to do to get through life. Building on your house and mom sewing clothes. It sounds like my childhood also.

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  25. What a delightful post. I was very struck by the similarity between the photograph of you as a child and the one of your granddaughter.

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