Memories - why? From cakes to fathers to ships to.....

Day 3. I have just been reading Annie's 31 day post where she asks and answers the question, "Why courage?" Her choice of subject is Courage. (She is one amazing young lady, and if you don't know her, please pop over and say hi!)

And because, people, it is Day 3 and I can't for the life of me dredge up anything worthy to write today, I am asking myself the same question. Why did I choose Memories?

Well, I thought about all sorts of topics. I scanned the list - I am 208, and there are 707 of us at the moment (did you see that - SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVEN!!!) and there are so many brilliant ideas. I looked through the list and thought - oh, I can do that, oh I remember that, oh, I love that, oh, I used to do that...

And so I thought I would search through the memories and cover bits of everything, from sewing, crafting, babies, fashion, celebrations, technology, seasons, travel, education,  faith, music, people, parenting, books, food, decorating, learning, customs, traditions...... you see? I am a complicated woman.

I am interested in so many things. I try stuff. I love, love, love learning new things. I have been a Mum for over 34 years now, and that provides plenty of fodder experience of life, believe me! I leap into new things, and sometimes they work out well and other times, they are total disasters. But I tend to try and find something to laugh about when disaster strikes. Just ask my friend Linds in NZ about the cake I hurled at the wall at midnight, when the wings of the aeroplane birthday cake I was making refused to stay in place. It hit the wall, and slid in slow motion down behind the huge chest freezer. And I walked to the phone and called her after midnight and screeched that I had thrown the cake at the wall. And she said - " I know just how you feel".

The cake had to stay there for a month or two. Geoff was at sea and he was the only one who could move the giant (full) freezer. I was not about to confess to all and sundry back then. My son got a football field cake instead. Flat and green and simple.

I tell you, when Geoff came home on leave, he had barely walked in the door when he had a list of catastrophes to sort IMMEDIATELY slapped into his hands. Being away for months on end meant that they mounted up. Especially when the children were tiny. In those days, there was no email. For heaven's sake - there was no internet. Computers were still in sci-fi movies, and snail mail was the only option. So he never knew quite what was waiting for him. He survived it all, though. I think it rather amused him.

He was away for so many birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries. If I think about it, he was home for 3 months of every year, and we were married 30 years when he died. He was at sea for 27 of those years. 27x3=81. 81/12=6 years and 9 months. Not ideal, is it?

BUT

My children and I got to travel with him at sea when schooling permitted. That was wonderful. They grew up knowing what their Dad did, seeing him at work, and knowing the country he came from (he was British). And back at home, their lives - my life too - were full. School, sports, friends, fun. Our house was kiddy central when the older two were young. My neighbours thought I was running a creche because there were children around most days. And I learned to really value my friends and family. I could not have managed without them.

I got a little side-tracked here. Oops. But side-tracked ON topic! Memories do that, don't they? The wander off down forgotten paths.......