Tag Archives: time

26 years later #100DaysOfOldDays

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10

Day 5 #100DaysOfOldDays

As I was going through old photos on my memory stick, Google photos decided it would be a good time to indulge me with a collection of memories on my phone. As I looked through the past photos I noticed similarities between these that were taken twenty six years apart.

This is me with my eldest daughter in 1987. She was about 18 months old here.
This is me with my eldest daughter in 1987. She was eighteen months old here.

These two photos were taken 26 years later: one is of my eldest daughter again, on a beach with her own daughter, aged two and a half (and camera shy). And the other is of me with my youngest daughter, also aged two and a half. Now Little Miss Ten.

The photos are similar but the times were quite different. At 18 I was a teenage mother. At 43 I was considered a geriatric mother—I prefer mature mother, thank you!

Parenting styles were different. I parented like my mother for my first two children. With my third child I relaxed a lot more and did things my own way.

So, did I know it all when I was 43 having my fourth child? God no. It was like starting from the beginning, but because I was more mature I tackled it from a completely different angle.

Now, we all know there are things that never change when it comes to babies: they all cry, they all need feeding, clothing, they get sick, they fall, they poop, they get nappy rash, then they have tantrums when they get on a bit. And they all need love and attention. So no matter what year it is, parenting can be hard work!

I have to say though, my first child had so much more freedom growing up than Little Miss Ten has now.

Time by Lucy McBreen

Superstitious Doors #100DaysOfOldDays

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I’m killing two birds with the one stone today. Esme Salon’s Picture Prompt #7 and my first day of #The100DayProject. Read on!

Old doors intrigue me. A lot of questions whirl around my head when I see one—whether it be in a photo or in real life. I wonder what went on behind that door. I think about the woman who used to polish it. Was it her own or someone she worked for? If only I could step back in time just by opening the door.

But all I can do is wonder and imagine. Was she happy? Did she have a good life? Did she marry and have children? Maybe she married but wasn’t blessed with a family. Was her husband a hard working man who provided for them, or was he a man who earned little and drank that little in his local bar?

Maybe she had a large family, the older ones taking care of the younger ones while she went out to work. How long did she live? What challenges did she face in her life? Was she strong? Did she have support from family and friends? Did she even have any family and friends?

I look at the house that owns the door. It might be a well-built house with thick walls and solid windows owned by people who were well-off. Or a small shack; a home to paupers. Which family was the happiest? The rich or the poor. Their front door doesn’t tell us that.

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I had to do a lot of research when I was writing my novel, which spans over three decades beginning in 1958. Of course, I got carried away too many times and ended up reading much more than I needed. I do intend on making good use of my research though.

Little Miss Ten and I are taking part in #The100DayProject this year. I heard about it from one of my blogging friends Peabody Amelia and I thought it would be fun to do.

Our #100DayProject will be #100DaysofOldDays. I will write about something from the old days and my artist, Little Miss Ten, will draw a picture of my daily old thing/place/tale.

The main character in my novel is Flossie Lynch. She’s very superstitious, as were many people back in the 50’s/60’s. (Some people still are.) I learned a lot about superstitions when writing about Flossie.

One old belief is that if you hear three knocks on the front door, but there’s nobody there, it’s the sign of a death.

It’s considered bad luck to leave a house by the back door if you came in by the front door and vice versa.

Another old superstition is to never enter your new home by the back door on the day that you’re moving in. Yep…bad luck!

Old Door by Lucy McBreen

Are you superstitious? Do you know of any door superstitions? Please let me know.

And do let me know if you’re taking part in #The100DaysOfProject. Leave a link to your blog or social media so I can support you.