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Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Down Memory Lane...



Greetings to you all.. 
Another week has rolled around and already we are almost in the middle of it ... 
Time seems to be flying and Christmas will soon be here, eh? 

I found this wonderful recipe for Pickled Pears in last month's issue of the UK Country Living.. 
As you know this is my favourite magazine and a wonderful book store hold it for me each month.. 

Do you buy it?.. 
I so love UK ones... 
Even the adverts are lovely and homey.. 
Anyway.. 


Stirlings had a great buy on pears last week and I doubled the recipe to make these.. 
They are made with fennel and coriander seeds.. 
Aren't they beautiful and so good.. 
You serve them with hard cheese and meat... 
If you are interested in the recipe just leave a comment and I will post it next time.. 

On with the story... smile.. 
We went to St. John on Sunday and made a little trip down Memory Lane, I guess you could say.. 

Terry and I have been married 45 years and although it was a long time ago in our minds it only seems like yesterday.. smile.. 

We were just a couple of kids.. 
I was 17 and he was 20.. Imagine !
He was working in St. John when we were married and so we moved to the city and over on the West Side.. 


I love that side of the city.. 
One used to have to cross the Reversing Falls bridge to get there but now they have a new bridge.. 

We were situated near the St. John River.. 

We had bought a wee second hand trailer and moved it down from  home into a little trailer park... 

So just for fun we drove around the park .. 
I think ours would have been about 4 trailers down on the left.. 
I think anyway.. 

I remember that first little home so well.. 
A wee living room and kitchen.. 
The most wonderful stove that I have ever owned.. 
It was propane which I still love to this day and it was yellow.. 
With a griddle on top in the centre... 
I have regretted losing that stove for 45 years.. lol.. 

Two wee bedrooms and a bath... 
We would open our windows and the wind would blow so lovely off of the river and the rain sounded so great on that metal roof.. 
You girls know me and my stormy weather love affair.. smile.. 

Shonda was born while we lived there and I would wash her little diapers in a my new spin dry washer and hang them out on the line.. 
I would look first up to the house above or one that was there and check to see if the lady had done her laundry.. 
Her husband or someone in the home must have been a chef as there would be white chef's coats and hats blowing in the breezes..
If they were then I would do our laundry.. smile

For a treat we would go and buy fish and chips at least once a week at the DeLuxe.. 
They tasted so good but in hindsight we should have stayed away from there... 
You know what I mean..   

Then we would go to the Mall.. 
It was one of the first malls in the province.. 
Imagine living that long that you remember when there were just stores.. grin... 

There was a Kmart there then, though.. 
Now, of course, it is Walmart.. 
Another sign of the times.. 

The Reversing Falls are famous.. 

And there is the new bridge there in the distance ... 
St. John is known as the Port City.. 

The cruise ships come here into the harbour and take bus tours out to St. Martins all summer and fall.. 

A few of my Mom's brothers worked in the port and the pulp mill is also here on the West Side.. 
I even learned to like the smell..

I have such wonderful memories of that wee home.. 
Our first grocery order,  the little china cupboard built in the kitchen beside my first wee pantry, the first meal that I cooked Terry....a potato scallop, sausages and canned peas.. 
And his favourite... A chocolate cake.. 
The only thing was that the oven didn't register the right temp and the scallop was not cooked and the cake fell.. lol.. 
The dear man ate it and said it was delicious.. 
  
We only lived there for a year before we bought a new trailer and moved to the North End...

So many years ago... 

So many changes in our lives but also in our world.. 
When we lived there we did not serve the Lord and it was several years before we acknowledged our need of God in our daily lives and came back to Him.. 

It was then that we experienced the best change of all.. 
A life with purpose and joy and the hope that serving Jesus brings..

Memories of many years ago but still fresh and lovely in our hearts.. 

Sometimes when I can't sleep I remember when we were back there in our little bedroom.. 
The curtains are blowing in the breeze and the rain is falling and I am hugging Terry and our whole life is ahead of us... 
Our baby is sleeping in the carriage beside our bed.. 
smile.. 

Time marches on though ... 

We headed back..

Home Sweet Home... 
So thankful for all the blessings of God that we have in our lives today.. 
A very busy and full life.. 
Dear sweet children and grandsons and a husband who is so dear.. 
He drives me nuts lots of days but basically one of the dearest men on earth.. 
God is good.. 

Please forgive me my trip down memory lane, dearies...
I seem to be a bit emotional today.. 

We lost a precious aunt this past week and one of my dearest friends and a cousin the week before.. 

I think it has made me a bit sentimental... 

God bless.. 


22 comments:

  1. Hello Faye, I so enjoyed your trip down memory lane tonight. I wish you could continue it. You and Terry are rich with blessings and memories!

    L...
    S....

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  2. Hello Faye,
    I always enjoy your posts. Your trip down memory lane is wonderful.
    Love and prayers,
    Carla

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  3. Dear Fay, I really enjoyed your memories of your first year of marriage. I didn't know that you lived in Saint John but I did know that you like rain, wind and stormy weather. :) Saint John has lots of that too! Your lives and marriage has been blessed indeed. Thanks for sharing your sweet memories. I'm very sorry for your losses this past couple weeks. Today is the first anniversary of my brother's passing so it's been a weepy day for me too. Hugs. Pam

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  4. I enjoyed your memories very much. My hubby and I have been married 51 years this month and your memory brought back our first year to me. Wow, we were so young. Thanks for the memories...

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  5. Hi Faye

    Country Living is one of my favourite magazines too. Pickled pears are meant for cold meat and possibly bubble n squeak and pickled onions especially after Christmas when it is the cook's turn for a rest. They are lovely made with peaches and star anise too. If you would like the recipe let me know and I will post it up for you. I will have to go and get me a copy of this one as it is a slightly different spicing to the one I am used to making. If I remember correctly the lady who does most of the recipes for Country Living also has a couple of lovely cookbooks out as well. I cannot locate the books to give you the titles and ISBN No but will sort that out for you.

    So sorry for your loss - its never easy losing people who have been a big part of our lives and then they are gone. Like a whisper in the wind leaving a faint imprint always in our hearts.

    Thank you for sharing your memories you bring a different time and a young couple very much to life for your readers. Never change. Hugs Pattypan x

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  6. Bless you both, I enjoyed your sharing!

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  7. What a Beautiful post...God Bless oxox

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  8. UK Country Living is my favorite magazine as well! Whenever I go to the UK or know some who does I'm sure to get a copy. The trouble is that I don't throw them out and the pile keeps growing and growing :-)
    Amalia
    xo

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  9. So very sorry to hear of your losses, my condolences to you. All good thoughts and hugs to you. xx

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  10. My deepest condolences for your losses...I so enjoyed your post Faye, thank you for taking us on your "memory trip". Have a Blessed day, friend.

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  11. I enjoyed the memory lane trip! (; Your space here is so sweet and cozy and permeates a thankfulness to our Lord that makes my (frequent) visits here all the more a lovely blessing. May God bless you during your time of loss with special memories of your loved ones; may you feel that He is near. Thank you sweet lady; have a wonderful day!

    Mitzi

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  12. What a wonderful post, it's like getting to know you!, I am in the UK and get country living delivered every month love it! thanks for sharing such a amazing post. Take carexx

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  13. Wonderful post and photos of your memory lane and your recipe looks YUMMY ! Loss is never easy , they are always in our hearts and memories . Thanks for sharing , have a good day !

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  14. We go back to our first apartment whenever we are in the area, it has been a few years since we have gone by though, we have only been married 32 years. It is always neat to remember where you came from and all that God has blessed your marriage and family over the years. You have been through a lot in the past weeks, being emotional comes with that, may God grant you peace

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  15. Thank you for sharing with us how a good marriage and life looks from the angle of looking back...
    so many miss all the love and memories that are being woven into a life. This was precious!
    Made me so blessed to know that we are still making good and happy memories!
    Hugs, Roxy

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  16. I loved your little narrative & trip down memory lane. I, too, find myself doing that a lot these days. My husband passed away unexpectedly 3 yrs. ago, so I also find that when I'm a bit emotional my thoughts go to the memories of the past. What a wonderful gift God gave us in our memories.....certainly some are better than others, but they all serve a purpose & have helped make us who we are today. I love your honesty as well. I still love my husband & miss him every day, but I also say that some days he drove me crazy & some days I returned the favor. ��

    A very lovely post, Faye!

    Anita ~ the cabin on the creek

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  17. Sweet memories, Faye. Thanks for sharing.

    This post has me thinking about my husband and my own sweet, simple and humble beginnings.
    Many years have passed, but these memories and experiences are still fresh and mean so much :)
    One thing I always thing about when I remember the past, is that the best is yet to be!! I look forward to making new and precious memories :)

    So sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you.
    Sending hugs and prayers your way.

    ~K.

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  18. Congrats on 45 years of marriage that is a blessing. Thanks for always sharing such wonderful pictures and beautiful memories!:))

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  19. I am sorry for the loss of friends and aunt.

    We are 37 years married and have such a similar story of a trailer home in Clearwater, Florida just blocks from Tampa Bay and being kids ourselves at 18 and 20. Our first child was born there and my hospital room was right on the Gulf of Mexico! Like being on vacation. I washed diapers and hung them out on the line Good times were had there in that little home and learning to cook and keep my own house. We have not been back there in decades. Someday.

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  20. What a great story - although I am not sure what a "trailer" is...I am gathering some sort of house on wheels?? I am form Australia so am not properly understanding the term - can you explain please?

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  21. It is so much fun to reminisce...to remember the memories that have made your marriage such an inspiration to so many :0) happy anniversary dear lady.

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  22. Just popping across from Codlinsandcream2 to say hello and thanks for becoming a follower there. What a lovely post - happy memories to offset your recent sad losses. I so enjoyed reading about your first home and how lovely it was (that little stove sounded a dear thing, when it worked properly!) Lovely photos too.

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