Against that background, two recent online postings have caught my eye. We often write about our childhood memories, but what are are we doing to note down our life today to leave a record for our descendants?
- On my Reading List was an entry from Lisa of My Trails into the Past. She refered to Randy Seaver of Genea-Musing who has started a meme asking bloggers to record what they have been doing in the past seven days.
- Jessica Benjamin on We Are Genealogy Bloggers sparked a discussion, seeking advice on encouraging bloggers to contribute their journal entries.
I decided to take up Randy's challenge.
MY LIFE - NOVEMBER 6th TO 13th 2017
BACKGROUND
I live with my husband in the village of Earlston in the Scottish Borders, a rural area of small towns, rolling hills and flowing rivers. I am retired, but quite involved in my community and with my daughter and family who live close by.
Monday 6th November 2017
Back home to find N. had a homemade vegetable soup on the go - just the ticket for lunch.
Tuesday 7th November 2017
Our friendly Fire and Rescue team made an impressive arrival on their fire engine (after all they were on call) and they quickly fitted a new smoke alarm. A day of computer hassles, writing a post for the Auld Earlson blog featuring WW1 memorabilia from the group's archive collection. Spent far too long on it, so I am also going to feature it my own family history blog as well, where I always choose the theme of War and Remembrance for November postings and have exhausted my own family stories.
Lunch - more of the soup. Tea - mushroom pasta and roast peach halves, filled with biscuit crumble.
Auld Earlston Committee Meeting in the evening where we reviewed our recent very successful exhibition and slide show. Home in time to catch on TV the second half of Masterchef the Professionals.
Wednesday 8th November 2017
Domestics in the morning and a visit to the hairdressers to get my hair trimmed where I had a good chat with M. about local history. . Wednesday Club meeting in the afternoon more good chats with friends and as usual a lovely afternoon tea of goodies. Posted my WW1 post on my own blog - have various other titles in my draft folder to work on, after a lean month in October.
Tea - fish and fruit salad.
TV - for once a good evening for me - Pointless, ITT Strictly, Masterchef the Professionals where we were routing for the chef from the Lake District - we always go for participnts from the north of England or from Scotland - would that now be termed racism in these political correct times! Then The Apprentice - it is compulsive viewing, particularly the final part in the board room, but it is so false! The contestants were on a cruise ship and had to plan, sell and present a walking tour of Bruges. My 22 years in tourism hackles rose! How could they lead a tour when they had never visited the place to do a recce, work out timings and practice their commentary? The cruise passengers were conned into paying nearly £100 each - stupid them - but I have a strong belief the TV production company would pay that.
Thursday 9th November 2017
Lovely sunny morning and not as cold - joined the Walking Group when we took cars up to Lauder and walked along the old Lauder Light Railway line. Easy walking with clear blue skies and beautiful open countryside - very invigorating. Back to Rhymers Cafe for coffee and scones, plus friendly chat.
Afternoon spent on (hopefully) finishing off Anne’s Famiy History narrative which I began some time ago and I must finish before Christmas.
ASDA groceries delivery - this is such a boon, especially as we no longer have a car, 20 min. ordering on the IPad, no 18 mile round trip to Galashiels, loading trolley, unloading trolley, filling bags, etc. Tea mini pizzas (home made) and fresh fruit salad.
Usual TV - ITT Strictly good and not as silly as it can get - I always like the spot on costumes and a good interview with Susan and Kevin, one of my favourite couples. Plus an absorbing BBC4 programme on the four Romanov daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra - I have always been fascinated by this period of Russian history and remember a complex spider's web chart I drew at university for revising the causes of the Russian Revolution.
Friday 10th November 2017
Woke up early so read in bed and finished my library book. Lazy morning with a quick visit from G and Nh. - In Service Training Day so no school and they were going to see the new Paddington Bear film.
Short bus journey down to Milestone Garden Centre for lunch. We enjoyed the visit - lovely first impression as we entered with the colourful Christmas displays - needless to say we did buy some additions for the tree.; plus some cyclamen and heathers for the tubs in the front garden which I planted this afternoon. Another sunny day with clear blue skies, but still very cold - definitely hat, scarf and gloves weather - 5C/41F.
TV - Pointless, News, Mastermid and Only Connect quizzes. On my I-pad writing book reviews on Good Reads.com. I am dreadful at remembering titles and authors of books I read, so this web site is ideal. I do it for myself, not to get comments and enjoy reading what others think of the books.
Saturday 11th November 2017.
Domestics and on the computer drafting blog posts and cleAring my e-maIils build up. I have had a great week on my blog.
Tea - usual Saturday winter comfort meal - eg, poached egg, bacon, hash browns, mushrooms - plus pears for afters.
TV's Strictly Come Dancing brilliant - even N. is following it, rather than escaping onto the computer. Followed by the Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall - very moving - Britain and BBC at their very best.
Sunday 12th November 2017
Sunshine streamed through the house for much of the day. Watched the Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph - again very stirring and moving. Britain does this ceremonial so well. Walked up to the Square afterwards and took photographs of Earlston War Memorial with the poppy wreaths.
Tea - casserole, roast potatoes, ice-cream and fruit salad, TV - Songs of Praise, Strictly Dance Off and new serial of E.M Fosters "Howards End".
We were woken in the early hours of the morning i.e. 1am by the continuing bleeping of our smoke alarm - a sign that the batteries are running down, aggravated by cold weather. I switched the heating on, hoping it would cease and tried to bury my head in the downie to drown out the irritating sound. First phone call of the day must be to the Fire and Rescue Service to come and sort it. Woke up to a bitterly cold morning with heavy frost (the end of my nasturtiums and geraniums in the garden) plus signs of sun - but at least the house was nice and warm.
Took the bus for the quick 3 mile journey into Melrose to meet a former work colleague for coffee and scones. As ever we never stopped talking! I never tire of the journey to and from Melrose with the view of the Eildon Hills and the Leaderfoot Viaduct over the Tweed - the Borders at its best.
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| Leaderfoot Viaduct |
Back home to find N. had a homemade vegetable soup on the go - just the ticket for lunch.
Spent the afternoon on the computer, preparing items for an Auld Earlston meeting and then finishing some crochet squares for the KAS (Knit a Square) Project, photographed the squares and posted the images on the KAS Square Circle Forum page for November.
Tea - salad (because I needed to use up items in the fridge) with home made oven chips, followed by a hot dessert - Eve’s Pudding.
On TV watched It Takes Two - Strictly Come Dancing and the quizzes Pointless and University Challenge whre I enjoy testing myself against the questions. Then read my library book - realised that I am into "comfort reading" and that a psychological thriller with lots of strange,suspicious happenings, is not conducive to sleep.
On TV watched It Takes Two - Strictly Come Dancing and the quizzes Pointless and University Challenge whre I enjoy testing myself against the questions. Then read my library book - realised that I am into "comfort reading" and that a psychological thriller with lots of strange,suspicious happenings, is not conducive to sleep.
Tuesday 7th November 2017
Our friendly Fire and Rescue team made an impressive arrival on their fire engine (after all they were on call) and they quickly fitted a new smoke alarm. A day of computer hassles, writing a post for the Auld Earlson blog featuring WW1 memorabilia from the group's archive collection. Spent far too long on it, so I am also going to feature it my own family history blog as well, where I always choose the theme of War and Remembrance for November postings and have exhausted my own family stories.
Lunch - more of the soup. Tea - mushroom pasta and roast peach halves, filled with biscuit crumble.
Auld Earlston Committee Meeting in the evening where we reviewed our recent very successful exhibition and slide show. Home in time to catch on TV the second half of Masterchef the Professionals.
Wednesday 8th November 2017
Domestics in the morning and a visit to the hairdressers to get my hair trimmed where I had a good chat with M. about local history. . Wednesday Club meeting in the afternoon more good chats with friends and as usual a lovely afternoon tea of goodies. Posted my WW1 post on my own blog - have various other titles in my draft folder to work on, after a lean month in October.
Tea - fish and fruit salad.
TV - for once a good evening for me - Pointless, ITT Strictly, Masterchef the Professionals where we were routing for the chef from the Lake District - we always go for participnts from the north of England or from Scotland - would that now be termed racism in these political correct times! Then The Apprentice - it is compulsive viewing, particularly the final part in the board room, but it is so false! The contestants were on a cruise ship and had to plan, sell and present a walking tour of Bruges. My 22 years in tourism hackles rose! How could they lead a tour when they had never visited the place to do a recce, work out timings and practice their commentary? The cruise passengers were conned into paying nearly £100 each - stupid them - but I have a strong belief the TV production company would pay that.
Thursday 9th November 2017
Lovely sunny morning and not as cold - joined the Walking Group when we took cars up to Lauder and walked along the old Lauder Light Railway line. Easy walking with clear blue skies and beautiful open countryside - very invigorating. Back to Rhymers Cafe for coffee and scones, plus friendly chat.
Afternoon spent on (hopefully) finishing off Anne’s Famiy History narrative which I began some time ago and I must finish before Christmas.
ASDA groceries delivery - this is such a boon, especially as we no longer have a car, 20 min. ordering on the IPad, no 18 mile round trip to Galashiels, loading trolley, unloading trolley, filling bags, etc. Tea mini pizzas (home made) and fresh fruit salad.
Usual TV - ITT Strictly good and not as silly as it can get - I always like the spot on costumes and a good interview with Susan and Kevin, one of my favourite couples. Plus an absorbing BBC4 programme on the four Romanov daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra - I have always been fascinated by this period of Russian history and remember a complex spider's web chart I drew at university for revising the causes of the Russian Revolution.
Friday 10th November 2017
Woke up early so read in bed and finished my library book. Lazy morning with a quick visit from G and Nh. - In Service Training Day so no school and they were going to see the new Paddington Bear film.
Short bus journey down to Milestone Garden Centre for lunch. We enjoyed the visit - lovely first impression as we entered with the colourful Christmas displays - needless to say we did buy some additions for the tree.; plus some cyclamen and heathers for the tubs in the front garden which I planted this afternoon. Another sunny day with clear blue skies, but still very cold - definitely hat, scarf and gloves weather - 5C/41F.
TV - Pointless, News, Mastermid and Only Connect quizzes. On my I-pad writing book reviews on Good Reads.com. I am dreadful at remembering titles and authors of books I read, so this web site is ideal. I do it for myself, not to get comments and enjoy reading what others think of the books.
Saturday 11th November 2017.
Domestics and on the computer drafting blog posts and cleAring my e-maIils build up. I have had a great week on my blog.
Tea - usual Saturday winter comfort meal - eg, poached egg, bacon, hash browns, mushrooms - plus pears for afters.
TV's Strictly Come Dancing brilliant - even N. is following it, rather than escaping onto the computer. Followed by the Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall - very moving - Britain and BBC at their very best.
Sunday 12th November 2017
Sunshine streamed through the house for much of the day. Watched the Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph - again very stirring and moving. Britain does this ceremonial so well. Walked up to the Square afterwards and took photographs of Earlston War Memorial with the poppy wreaths.Tea - casserole, roast potatoes, ice-cream and fruit salad, TV - Songs of Praise, Strictly Dance Off and new serial of E.M Fosters "Howards End".
THE VERDICT
I have enjoyed writing this over the last seven days, which are pretty typical of my lifestyle (more TV than usual and fewer grandparent duties). I might continue to do something similar on a sporadic basis. The questions is - would others find it interesting? Will it convey an insight into my life for future generations. What do you think?
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