Birthday Party Age 6
I am in the middle front.
Its hard to believe that over sixty years have passed since this photograph was taken. I don't think I had a lot of hopes and dreams at that age. I perhaps wanted a Barbie Doll, or a Tressy, a Chatty Cathy . . . maybe a bicycle. Most of my life stretched in front of me. I lived in a little cocoon of safety. With a mom and a dad who loved me and took care of me, a sister, a brother and we had a cat named Minune. Mom worked really hard at keeping the house clean and tidy, and making sure the three of us were also clean and tidy. Dad worked really hard at providing a living for his family. I don't think either of them had a lot of time for play during the week.
My sister and I were in the car driving the other day and talking about how things were when we were bringing up our children. About how a lot of young women these days, bringing up families, etc. are able to document it all on Facebook or Instagram or TikToc or whatever. I'm not sure I would have had the time to document everything on social media back then, and I am darn sure my mother didn't. Or maybe we just had different priorities??
I don't know.
As a young mum, I was busier than busy. When I had my fourth child, I had three children in diapers. My husband didn't make a lot of money in those days so disposable diapers were a luxury we could not afford. I had two diaper pails and they were working overtime! Most days I didn't know if I was coming or going, but I was doing what I had wanted to do my whole life, being a mum and a wife. I had no other aspirations, or if I did, they had been swallowed up in the minutia of everyday life! And that didn't change when I had my fifth child.
When I did have spare time I loved to do crochet and embroidery, notably crewel embroidery. I wish I still had some examples of the needlework that I had done back then. I also loved sewing for my children, especially my little girls. I used to sew them matching outfits, but different colors. And I made clothes for their dolls. I loved to bake cookies and cakes and I loved making meals for my family. I tried to always make them interesting. Simple food, but interesting food. Always tasty. I have always been a good and competent cook I dare say.
I can remember every payday we would bundle all the children up and take them out for supper to a McDonalds or a Burger King. I was proud of the fact that we could do that. Back then McDonalds used to advertise that you could feed a family of four for under a fiver. Afterwards we would go and get groceries. I would have one child sitting in the seat at the front of the grocery cart and the others would be hanging on to the sides. They never made a fuss or whined or had temper tantrums. I think they knew there would be a treat at the end of it.
I marvel at how I got everything done back then. I don't know how I did it really, but somehow I did. I was younger and had a lot more energy I think!
Any crafting I did was done at night, after the children had all been bathed and put to bed. Not many men were hands on in those days, not like now, but then not a lot of women worked outside the home. I was a military wife. There was not a lot of opportunity for a military wife back then to have a career of her own as such. We moved around an awful lot. I used to feel like a turtle at times, carrying my home on my back.
I used to do a few extra jobs from time to time, if we needed extra cash, mostly child minding and cleaning. Things I could fit around my own children's needs. It was pretty much the same for anyone I knew. We were all Military wives and had pretty much the same lives. And often we did it all on our own because our husbands would often be away from home for weeks and months at a time. We never thought anything of it. It was just the way our lives were.
I remember I made felt embroidered, and highly sequined Christmas decorations and stockings for each of the children. I think my oldest son still has some of those now. Christmas was really important to me and I always tried to make my children's Christmas's the best that I could. With lots of home baked goodies and gifts from Santa Claus. I made decorated gingerbread houses each year and my tree was covered in handmade ornaments, etc. We would string together popcorn and cranberry garlands to hang on the tree. One year I baked a bunch of gingerbread men and decorated them with cinnamon hearts and royal icing and they hung all over the tree as well. Some would be missing toes and hands by the time Christmas rolled around.
I never had the latest fashions to wear. Going to the hairdressers was a rare treat. If I had a manicure at all I gave it to myself. I never ever felt deprived or lacking anything. Life was good. I was happy. I was where I wanted to be and I was doing what I wanted to do. Life was pretty simple back then, as busy as it was.
I live a completely different life now. It is still busy but in different ways. I am content. If anything, my days seem to pass even quicker than they did when the children were growing up. I fill them with all sorts. I try to stay as busy as I can, to keep my mind as active as I can. I fill my hours with things I enjoy. My small house doesn't require a lot of care really. There is no one here but myself and my cats, and so I have plenty of leisure time to fill with the things I enjoy doing.
Of course I do work still. Thankfully I am able to do it from home. The food blog is my main form of income at the moment and that scares me sometimes because I think about what would happen if I became sick or . . . well, it doesn't bear thinking about. But then I remember God is good and He never closes a door but what he opens a window.
I try to store up what I can for an unknown future. But do any of us really know what the future holds? If there is anything life has taught me it is that it can surprise us at the best of times. There are very few certainties in life. Each day is a gift, a treasure . . . I try not to waste any of them if I can help it. And I try to find the joy in each one of them. The light as it were.
My days are filled with light, an abundance of light. I have surrounded myself with joy. Or maybe it is just I have become more cognizant of the joy in life than I ever was before. That is a very good thing I think, to look for the light in each day.
I am sitting here right now and the only sounds I can hear are the ticking of my clock, the tapping of my fingers on the keyboard, and the purrs and chirps of two furry bodies who are sitting next to me. I have filled my home with color and with love and yes . . . light. What more does anyone need. Not a lot I hazard to say. Not a lot.
A thought to carry with you . . .
° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
* Taking joy in living
is a woman's best cosmetic.
~Rosalyn Russell•。★★ 。* 。
Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . . Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas. So tasty. No fuss no muss.
I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday! Whatever you get up to I hope it brings you joy and light. Don't forget!
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