Where have I been???

I can hardly believe my last entry was in January. Each day is so filled with things to do, I never seemed to have time to make an entry. But Frank asked this morning if I had stopped doing the blog, so I decided to make an effort.

World events have been appalling, so best not to say anything about them. There's more than enough on the news.

The family is fine, as is Muffy. Amongst all the things I do, family history takes up a lot of time, and is very rewarding. I've been particularly interested in my paternal grandmother's siblings, and have managed to track down four lots of descendants, (including me and my sister) all 2nd cousins. We recently had a get-together here in Sydney, with the sisters in the pic coming from US, (as did the husband of one, standing at the back). That's me on the left, in case you've forgotten what I look like.

Three others live not far from me, and my sister came up from Canberra. I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable times of my entire life! Just fabulous. We talked for hours and hours.

On my grandmother's line there were 12 siblings, three of whom died as babies or toddlers. Half were born in London, the rest in Brisbane, after the family emigrated in 1887. This is where they lived.

The eldest, Florence, was born in 1870 (we met at her 90-year-old grandson's place); next came Minnie, born in 1876, (I went to her granddaughter's 90th birthday party on Sunday); then Annie Louise (my grandmother), born in 1880; and last of all the youngest, Jessie (grandmother of the women in the top photo), born in1893. She must have been very adventurous, as she sailed to US in her early 20s, married there, had a son, Jerry (aged 90, who spoke to us via Skype while his daughters were here) and never came back.