Sorting through the many photo albums of my mom and step dads... His paintings and newspaper clippings...

I came across one mom took of a mirror with a piece of his art work above, and looks like she roped dad in for a reflection shot... Although of course it could have been me or Brian, his friend who took many of his photographs for him...

And on seeing I thought

'Hello Dad...

How very much more I could have learned from you; if I had just stopped and listened...

TTFN
Marian

Just come across some writing I did in a book when I was a kid... I wrote in the book my name, and that the book is lucky and will give you money! Wow!! Well, maybe not as much if I hadn't written in it! A publication called The Children's Friend from 1896... possibly worth nothing with my scribbling inside it! Just glad I had enough respect not to fold the corners over or lay it down on its spine I guess!

Some of my step dads artwork from after his stroke.... it took us a while to get him to pick up his pencils again... the stroke took so much of his life, he thought he had none left....

So many interesting books I have now of my moms, and my ancestors, books dating back to the early 1700's, one aunt from way back then was in the church army, I know there is a family bible somewhere which seems to be allusive at the moment, with names and dates of my grand dad family in Crouch Hill London...

TTFN
Marian

Dennis C Randall

Today some shots I took whilst going through some of my mom's things today... These are all to do with my step Dad, above a newspaper clipping of something found... in a pigsty apparently!

Above and below Dad restoring old paintings... wish I had leaned even a little of his trade...

Below when he had just one short stint as a model!

More newspapers clippings beneath...

Below copies of the photos the interviewer took...

Below in the days of Dads archaeology days on a dig...

TTFN
Marian

My step dads palette above and below with his brushes, there is such an enormous amount of paint on the palette not sure if there is even a palette beneath it now!!

On the table too some of his oil pastels, he used these after his stroke, he couldn't use his right arm/hand anymore, and it took a lot of persuasion by us and his occupational therapist, but at last we got him to draw again, and he did, and he could, just goes to show that whatever our talents they can and will continue because they are one with us...

This morning everything, so far, has been assimilated into the house, looking a little crowded in places, and a little like just moved in all over again type of feeling about it all, will take a bit of time, some things will go, some will stay... I have left out all the photos and letters and papers, and will go through them all over again soon, lots of photos to scan, safest place for them, I guess and easier to publish, like the invitation for Wednesday 9th July 1851 on the occasion of Her Majesty Queen Victoria honouring the corporation with her presence at a ball, given to celebrate the opening of the Great Exhibition...

Wonderful drawings by my mom... oh dear, the hoarder next door just previewed on TV, I better watch myself, keep getting rid of things, the more I get rid of the more comes back to me... that law of attraction eh, give and receive!

And there are still another nine boxes still to collect from my sons...  I think they could be the boxes full of miniatures and books, and of course have a case full of Tony's things to take back to him that I bought by mistake!! lol only me eh!

TTFN
Marian