#mysundaysnap

My Sunday Photo 3rd March 2019

A trip down memory lane.

black and white photo of a woman and a little girl paddling in the sea. — Me and Mum

As you get older you tend to hold on to your memories more. You think about your childhood and the fun things you did. It’s lovely to take a trip down memory lane and that’s what I’m doing today.

A lot of my young childhood memories are just a blur. I really don’t remember standing in the water with my Mum for this photo. I’ve tried really hard but I can’t. At least I have this captured memory, so I know that it did happen.

I know my mum loved to paddle, she didn’t like swimming, she didn’t even like boats, but whenever we went to the beach she’d take her shoes off and feel the water splash on her feet. I have memories of later years at the beach to keep me happy.

The Only Girl

A Robin Reliant car in a caravan park. A man is behind the wheel and three young men standing by the car with a young girl sitting on the bonnet. The photo is black and white. — My Dad, brothers, me and my cousin

My Dad loved his Robin Reliant so much that when my older brother (standing with his arm around me as a little girl) crashed it, my Dad brought another. The second one had windows in the back and that’s the car I remember most.

This is another memory I’ve lost. I wish I could remember sitting on that car. My brothers where older than me, already teenagers when I was born and married not long after this photo was taken.

I was just eight years old when my Dad passed away and my memories are few but special. I remember he would take me out every Sunday, to a park or a pub with a garden. And in the spring he would take me to the bluebell woods. Bluebells always remind me of my Dad.

The other teen in this photo is my cousin who lived with us. He was younger than my brothers so I have more memories of him being at home when I was little.

I take so many photos these days, it’s so easy to do, I don’t even need a camera I can just use my phone. All memories are captured and preserved. The best ones preserved in many places so they won’t be lost. I struggle to remember my young childhood, but photos like the ones I’ve shared with you today are proof that we had some fun times too.

My Sunday Photo December 23rd 2018

by Anne Sweet 10 Comments

Christmas 1983

In loving memory of my Mum who passed away ten years ago on December 25th 2008.

One particular icy day, a week before Christmas 1983, my mum fell and fractured her arm. It didn’t stop her getting everything done for Christmas though. It was her favourite time of year. Together with my Nan they would cook up a gorgeous Christmas dinner and we would have loads of treats. Nan’s mince pies where to die for.

We didn’t have a dining room and the kitchen was small, but we did have a big round table that Mum used to put in the middle of the living room on Christmas day for us all to sit together for Christmas dinner. I would help lay the table while watching Top of the Pops on the Television. The after the Queen’s speech we would all pull a cracker and settle down to eat.

There would be various other family members visit throughout the day with extra presents for us all. It was always fun, even the washing up wasn’t so bad with us all chipping in. Everyone was in good spirits, and even though my Nan has a bottle in her hand here, I didn’t see her or Mum drink more than one glass of wine with dinner.

Boxing day all the family would visit for a party. Mum and I would move the furniture around to make more room, and we’d blow up balloons and give everyone party poppers. We’d play music on our Stereo gram, usually albums that I’d had as Christmas presents, and after a few drinks there would be some dancing in the middle of the room.

Then we’d rest for a while until it was time to get ready for New Years Eve. For this the whole family would save a little money each week in a Post Office account and it was all pooled together. We’d hire a hall, a dj and all my aunties would chip in preparing a huge buffet. We would have a huge table of drinks for the adults to help themselves. There would be loads of decorations, Mum and her sisters would work all day making it look totally amazing. Then we would party all night.

Thank you Mum for giving me these happy memories. They keep me going through the sad ones, like sitting with you in the hospice back in 2008 watching you slip away from me forever.

For anyone missing someone this Christmas, I know how difficult it is, but eventually the happy memories are what you grab in those sad moments. It’s okay to be happy without them, even though it’s hard.

Merry Christmas to all My Readers, Peace and love to all,
Anne xx

My Sunday Photo – 23rd September 2018

by Anne Sweet 13 Comments

First Guitar Lesson

A dad and his daughter sitting on the settee, both with a guitar in their hands.

Graham has been playing the guitar since he was five years old. He was taught by his Dad and it has always been his dream to teach one of his kids. He bought this pink guitar, in the photograph, for Star when she was about 7 years old, but she didn’t really show much interest.

Last week Boo decided that she would like to learn how to play and Graham was thrilled. He pulled out Star’s old guitar which was in need of a polish and some new strings and Boo helped him to get it ready. Then she listened to him tune it up. Finally her first lesson began and she loved it. I do hope she continues to learn. When she is not playing, her Dad is asking what note each string is so that she remembers the order.

Music has always been a big part of our family on both sides. My Mum could play the piano and sing. She taught herself and could never read music, but played by ear. My eldest brother is also a guitar player and likes to play keyboard. I learnt how to play oboe at school but it’s been a while since I picked one up. I can read music though and have a Diploma in Music theory.

My eldest daughter learnt how to play the violin, but it’s been a while since she played. I bought her a purple violin for her 16th birthday. Star loves to play the keyboard and has a lovely singing voice. (I think that skipped a generation, because unlike my Mum, I have never been much of a singer.)

Graham was taught guitar by his Dad, but his uncle was also a singer/songwriter. If Boo continues with her lessons then I guess she’ll be getting a new guitar of her own. I do hope so.

Can you play an instrument?

My Sunday Photo 2nd September 2018

by Anne Sweet 15 Comments

Holiday

I wanted to share a photo that summed up our holiday, but I have way too many to choose from. I do love this one though. I haven’t changed it, but I’m not sure why the beach is so dark. Nothing sums up a holiday like a beach photo. And despite it being quite a busy beach it only has my three children captured.

We stayed in a caravan and when we first arrived, Star went and took photos of everything, including the loos and inside the fridge. I think caravans mostly look the same, but this one was really nice and cosy and lovely to call home for the week.

Apart from the beach we also went swimming a few times. The kids all had a go on the big slide which I thought was very brave of them. They are not so good in the pool and we really must get them some proper swimming lessons. The school doesn’t do them. In fact I was very surprised that when they built the new school just over a year ago, that they didn’t have a pool put in the sports centre. They have room for one.

I posted my deer pictures last week, which was a great highlight of our holiday. Also we had a few meals out which were great fun. This restaurant was right next to the beach, and the views were lovely.

Having a meal out at the Beachside restaurant

We had fun evenings at the club or the arcades. We even got to watch an Abba Tribute show. Sadly, we had to miss the Michael Jackson tribute because we were all too tired that night. The kids love arcades and winning tickets to collect for prizes. We had thousands of them by the end of the week. Sadly, you needed tens of thousands to win anything of value, but the kids had fun. They also liked the two pence machines where you roll your coin in and hope it pushes the others off so you can win more two pences and keep playing.

The Little Man, however, preferred to spend his allowance on the VR machine. He loved it! Boo had a couple of turns, but poor Star had to miss out because of having spinal surgery. So, my last photo this week is my my Little Man enjoying a little Raving Rabids in Virtual Reality.

VR Machine, you’d better hold on, it gets bumpy!

My Sunday Photo – 12th August 2018

by Anne Sweet 9 Comments

Group Hug

Not a brilliant photo, but if a picture could paint a thousand words this one would be one of yelling, screaming, fighting and running around like lunatics. But, at the end of the day when it’s time to leave each other, it’s time for a big group hug.

Friends since they were tiddlers, these three boys got together to celebrate my Little Man’s 8th Birthday.

Parties

This year, the deal was NO birthday parties and I’m not sure it sunk in with anyone. Boo agreed but asked if her friend could come around for tea, so I agreed and when Graham went to pick her up another little friend who lived in the same street asked to come as well. He couldn’t refuse, so we had two friends for tea. I made pizzas and sausage rolls, crisps, biscuits and birthday cake.

Ditto the Little Man, no party just a friend around for tea, but he wanted two friends, and one of his friends brought his two sisters (who were friends of my two girls.) Never has a ‘not having a party’ looked more like a party before. I did forget to make the jelly though, and we didn’t have party games or activities, I just let them run wild. Really wild.

Minecraft Cake

I also said that I was not going to be making cakes this year. So Boo said ‘Ok, I’ll make my own.’ And she did. She also helped me make a cake for the Little Man. He chose a Minecraft cake and wanted me to do a picture of a villager. It was nowhere near as good as his previous Minecraft cakes, but that didn’t matter.

Birthday Month

From 27th July to 24th August it’s Birthday month in our house. All three of my Little ones have birthdays within 4 weeks of each other.

Next up it’s Star’s birthday. She doesn’t do parties anyway, so no worries there. Instead we’ll be singing Happy Birthday in car on the motorway on the way home from our holiday. A little error on my behalf, but she doesn’t mind. She’s made me promise to stop off at Burger King on the way home. How can I refuse. That sounds like a party I can handle.

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