Today ~ I became a M.I.L. !!!

After 10 years of practice being a MIL-to-be, I think I've got it down pat now!! Congrats to my son and the lovely Clare! xxoo

Edwardian Farm & Orca Bay

Another late night working away on the 2nd set of  part 6 - Orca Bay. I think I have enough black cut out - fingers crossed.

While sewing tonight, I had Edwardian Farm playing in the background. Youtube has the whole series for viewing and I really enjoy watching each program. Pays to have eyes in the back of your head ;-)

Edwardian Farm at Morwellham Quay
Following on from the hugely successful Victorian Farm, archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn and domestic historian Ruth Goodman return to BBC Two as they experience life on an Edwardian farm.
With an epic 12 episodes following life on the farm over a whole calendar year, Edwardian Farm goes deep into a lost rural world where life was tough and working together was the only means of achieving anything.
Setting up home at Morwellham Quay, in Devon, the intrepid trio have to get to grips with the trials and tribulations of life at the turn of the 20th century. This was a time of great social change and tumult – a time when farming was becoming increasingly mechanised at home and abroad the world was moving gradually towards war.

Some late night sewing.....Orca Bay

LOL....Went to pull out my Lady of the Lake pieces & do a little sewing ~ Ocra Bay was on top of the plastic containers...sooooo...away we go! Just hitting the 28 mark for these blocks.

And...my favorite tulips in the backyard. Early bloomers ~ sweet!!

Barnardo Home Children

I should be sewing the wedding napkins ~ but I'm totally engrossed with my reading at the moment. As I continue to research  my family's roots - mostly my 3 British grandparents of whom 2 where Barnardo Home Children, I keep finding new library books to read.

Uprooted - The Shipment of Poor Children to Canada, 1867-1917 by Roy Parker

We have a total of 4 British Home Children in our family. My maternal grandfather and his brother, my paternal grandmother, and my great aunt's husband.  Interesting to note - my great aunt thumbed her nose down at my paternal grandmother because she was a British home child.....ha ha ha....my great aunt's husband was also a home child, but was born in France to British parents. Good Grief!!

So far today, we have missed the snow that has hit many areas around us. But it's cold outside and no thoughts of gardening has crossed my mind. I filled the bird feeders up this morning, so the poor birds will have lots of food to see them through this cold spell.

Eatonia Treadle ~ Missed it by one day!

I have the exact table and machine in the attic. My grandmothers treadle, the one I learnt how to sew on. BUT....for some strange reason, I'm always on the lookout for another one. This was listed in an on line sale and I missed it by one freakin' day. I had saved the picture and the ad, and was just holding off until I spoke to my `Driving Miss Daisy` partner that very night. Come morning, the ad was gone. Boooo....that`s what I get for not jumping in with both feet.

No sewing, as I`ve been researching my family tree in England - again!

Here is a tiny picture of the house my great grandfather lived in during the 1890`s in Gloucester England.  The downstairs portion are shops and upstairs are apartments ( I`m guessing) I have been checking out all the addresses of where my grandfather and grandmother and various other Brit family members lived before they came to Canada. Thank you Google!

Family History - for years I have been researching and compiling everything I can on my grandparents. Today, it dawned on me just how different their lives where at the exact same time.
The years 1905 & 1906 where very good for my grandmother and her family. They headed over to Ontario Canada with money (city  house bought, businesses started, 100 acres farm land bought - all within 4 years)

In the same years, my grandfather lost his father, was placed in the Barnardo Home Child system along with his other brother and were shipped to Canada at the tender ages of 7 & 9 to different farms, hundreds of miles apart. They had to earn every cent they got - the hard way.
I am thankful my grandparents met - I miss them.