Archive for the ‘Memories’ Category
The Influencers
Posted on: March 12, 2026
- In: Dreams | guest posts | Memories | People
- 58 Comments
Sally Cronin at Smorgasbord Blog Magazine is running a wonderful series about people who have influenced our lives. She has invited us to describe someone who has made an impact and helped make us the person we are. Several people came to mind, family members, employers and special friends. But the person who made the most difference at an early age was my Grade Three teacher, Miss Roll. For those who have not read Sally’s post (and I know many of you have), please check it out. There may be someone special you would like to share.
Darlene & Miss Roll
Who has influenced you and your life?
Remembering Mom on Mother’s Day
Posted on: May 11, 2025
- In: Family | Memories | special occassions
- 108 Comments
Today is Mother’s Day in North America and other parts of the world. A day set aside to commemorate our mothers. I’ve been thinking about my dear mother a lot lately as I’ve been reading her Five-Year Diary, written between 1943 and 1948. From ages 14 to 19, before she became a mother herself. She was the oldest child and helped look after her, at the time, four younger siblings, which gave her plenty of practice in being a mother. Although they probably annoyed her at age fourteen, she had a good relationship with her siblings all her life.
Mom at age 21 with her parents and siblings. She is standing on the right, back row.
Many of her entries were about school, girlfriends, and boys (of course), but here are a few about her home life in 1943, where she talks about her mom, her little sisters Cecilia and Peggy and her brand-new baby brother Eldon. Note: These are exactly as written. I have not changed the spelling or grammar.
1943
January 27 Mom is 33 now
February 9 Cecilia’s 11 months old now. She can walk pretty good.
March 7 I’m sure now that there’ll be an increase in our family.
March 9 Had ice cream and cake for Cecilia (it was her first birthday)
April 10 Peg and Cecilia really have whooping cough.
Like most fourteen-year-olds, she had disagreements with her mother.
May 23 Mom kicked up a fuss because she has to shorten and press my slacks. If she weren’t with child she wouldn’t always be so irritating either.
She worked hard for a 14-year-old; washing, ironing, cleaning, gardening, and looking after little sisters, while still going to school and getting excellent marks. But her mom was about to have another child, so she did what she could to help out.
June 7 Still trying for a chance to bath in privacy. Don’t seem to be a chance.
July 6 Dog tired
Then another sibling, finally a boy. She usually chooses a name for the new baby.
July 14 We have a boy now… Don’t know what to call the boy.
July 19 Aunt Beth doesn’t like Eldon for a name.
July 21 Mom wants to name the baby Kenneth Gordon
July 25 Celia sure loves Eldon Gordon. (Looks like a name was decided upon.)
Younger siblings can be trying for a 14-year-old.
August 18 Those kids sure get me angry. They never listen to me.
I’m pretty sure I heard her say the same thing about the four of us some days!
Mom and I, just days old.
“Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face.” – George Eliot
At Mom’s 90th birthday.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful Moms, including those who stood in for a Mom.
Copyright ©2025 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
Mom’s Diary
Posted on: February 10, 2025
- In: Dreams | Family | Memories | Writing
- 154 Comments
One of my goals for this year is to read my mom’s five-year diary, written between 1943 and 1948. I discovered my mom’s diary when I was about nine years old. I wanted to read it, but it was locked. I asked her to open it and she refused. She said I could read it when she was dead. Mom passed away four years ago at the age of 92. The diary was in the things she had saved and is now in my possession.
It has been fun and enlightening, to read the thoughts of my fourteen-year-old mother. I thought I would share some interesting bits, which reflect her personality and the times she was living in.
She was given the diary as a gift from her parents and started writing in it on January 1, 1943. These are the inside pages.
Here is her first entry:
New Year’s Day wasn’t so eventful as it was cold out and no one came. Last night Ed, Elsie, Paul, Alice and the kids were here.
I thought her second entry was amusing:
Broke my New Year’s Resolution. Wrote a letter to Aunt Beth and Otto. Answered my Sunday School lesson. Listened to Abbie’s Irish Rose and Barn Dances.
Mom as a teenager.
Mom lived on a farm with her parents and three younger sisters. At this time, writing letters and getting mail were important, as it was the connection to the rest of the world. (Like email and social media is today) Sunday School lessons came in the mail, and she probably listened to the music on the radio. She mentions visitors often as that was important to her all her life. All the names listed in these two entries are Aunts, Uncles and cousins. She had a large extended family who lived close by. She notes the weather a lot, which was important to farmers especially.
Mom on the farm as a teenager.
Mom was very competitive and often noted her test scores at school. She loved her sisters, but there was definitely sibling rivalry between her and the sister 18 months younger than her. For example, on January 23 she wrote: Scrubbed the kitchen and my half of the bedroom
Mom and her sister, Ella as pre-teens on the farm
She also didn’t mince words and wrote on January 28, Got a letter from Mary G. Is she ever dopey
But the most profound statement, that made me tear up, was written on January 25, I think if I want my dreams to come true I’ll have to be bold
I hope her dreams did come true.
I plan to share more gems from Mom’s diary throughout the year.
Have you been privy to the thoughts of a loved one no longer here?
The Four Bears
Posted on: December 8, 2024
- In: Christmas | Memories | short stories
- 99 Comments
Christmas is a great time to recall toys from our childhood. Here is a story about my favourite toys.
The Four Bears by Darlene Foster
Once upon a time, there were four bears, Elvis, Ted, Tootsie and Spot. They lived on a farm with a little girl who loved them very much. She played with them every day and made up adventure stories for them. She even married them to her best friend’s dolls. The little girl grew up, as little girls do, and moved to the city. She put them in a box and seldom took them out or told them stories.
She had children of her own who had their own special teddy bears. She moved to a bigger city and then to an even bigger city by the ocean. The box with the four bears always went with her. But the box was never opened and the bears had not seen the light of day for many, many years.
Then one day, the girl, who was now a grandmother, was cleaning out a storage locker when she opened a dusty old box. “My teddies!” she shouted. She hugged each one, cleaned them up and aired them out. “You are coming with me,” she said. They didn´t argue. They always went with her.
Elvis, Ted, Tootsie and Spot were put back in a box and travelled across the ocean on a huge ship. A few months later, when the box was opened, they were greeted with brilliant sunshine and heard a familiar voice say, “Welcome to Spain!”
And they all lived happily ever after.
The End
Do you have favourite toys from your childhood? Do you still have them?
Dot and Lia are all ready for Christmas. Are you?
- In: Doors | libraries | Memories | Travel
- 82 Comments
I found Liverpool to be a fascinating city with many interesting buildings to photograph
Liverpool was bombed heavily during World War II. St. Luke’s Church was badly damaged in May 1941 when it was struck by an incendiary bomb. Instead of rebuilding it has been left as it is, a burnt-out shell, a memorial to those who died in the war.
It is now used as a place to sit and contemplate. It can also be hired as a venue for exhibitions and events
It was sobering to view the old photos of the destruction and to see the burnt remains of the sideposts
The Liverpool Cathedral is the largest religious building in Britain and the 5th largest cathedral in the world. It was built between 1904 and 1978 in the Gothic Revival style. It is impressive inside and out.
The interesting front door of the Liverpool Cathedral
A side view of the Liverpool Cathedral featuring a blue door.
The entrance to the Walker Art Gallery leads to an excellent collection of paintings and sculptures.
Isn’t this the best entrance to a library ever! The pathway lists many timeless classics. The inside is amazing as well.
Liverpool has so many excellent museums. The Maritime Museum is part of the Albert Docks.
Another cool building at the Albert Docks
I love the blue doors.
The Bluecoat, Liverpool’s Centre for Contemporary Art was built in 1716–17 as a charity school. It is the oldest surviving building in central Liverpool and is now used for exhibitions, events, education programmes and concerts. It also contains 22 artists’ studios.
We entered the doors of this double-decker bus and had lunch at the top. So much fun.
Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge created by Dan Antion for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments on Dan’s blog post. Check out all the other door posts too.
Copyright ©2024 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
Bard on the Beach Memories
Posted on: September 24, 2024
- In: Events | friends | Memories
- 64 Comments
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players;
from As You Like It Act II Scene VII
William Shakespeare wrote approximately 39 plays and I have been fortunate to see 31 of them over the years, some more than once. I love them all, comedies, tragedies, and histories. Although I have seen the Bard’s plays in various venues, most have been enjoyed at Bard on the Beach in Vancouver’s Vanier Park. Every year since 1990, the tents are set up in June and taken down in September. The plays are performed by world-class actors in a simple setting with English Bay as the background. I have been attending performances since 1995 with my Bard buddies and have wonderful memories
Pre-performance picnic 2014
We usually meet early for a picnic to catch up and then attend an afternoon performance. Since moving to Spain, this is a tradition I miss. This year I happened to be in town during the season and met up with some of my Bard buddies for a lively performance of Twelfth Night. What fun.
The stage is ready for Twelfth Night.
After the play, we met the actor Evelyn Chew who did an excellent job of playing the part of Maria.
Bard Buddies 2024.
Going through old pictures I found some wonderful Bard on the Beach memories to share.
Pre-performance picnic 2017
A lot of Bard Buddies in 2017
Much Ado About Nothing 2017
Bard Buddies 2014
Bard Buddies 2012 and Andy the Armadillo
Bard Buddies 2009
Bard Buddies 2006
Original Bard Buddies early days
If you are ever in Vancouver between June and September, take in Bard on the Beach, even if you’re not a big Shakespeare fan. It’s such a fun experience.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
William Shakespeare
From The Tempest, Act 4 Scene 1
Copyright ©2024 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
The Family Tree
Posted on: August 7, 2024
- In: Events | Family | Memories
- 25 Comments
A blogging friend and writer, Karen Mossman, wrote The Family Tree, a wonderful poem. It struck me as a perfect poem to read at our recent family reunion. One of my dear cousins videoed me reading it and Karen posted it on her blog. Check it out, you’ll see why it is perfect for a family get-together.
Check out Karen’s books here.
Thanks, Karen for writing this perfect poem!
Family Reunion 2024
Posted on: August 5, 2024
- In: Events | Family | Memories
- 96 Comments
In 1910 my Great-Grandparents, Henry and Katherina Hoffman, arrived at their homestead in Southern Alberta to start a new life in a new country. They came with four small children and went on to have seven more, of which nine survived infancy. The descendants hold a reunion every five years to honour these brave folks. This year was one of them, and I’m so glad I was able to attend.
Henry and Katherina Hoffman and their nine children in 1942. My grandmother is third from the right, directly above her father.
Attendees of the Hoffman Reunion 2024. Just some of the descendants of those nine children.
Not everyone made it, of course, but those of us there had a great time. And those that were not there, were there in spirit. It was wonderful to see many of my cousins, some I had not seen for a long time. We enjoyed reminiscing and sharing stories about our current lives.
These are a fraction of the descendants of my grandmother.
Chatting with cousins, and my aunt on the right.
With my aunt, uncle, and brother
My son with cousins
Even my grandpup, Soda, was there making friends with a cousin from Pennsylvania!
Cousins came from all over, Quesnel, BC, Pennsylvania, USA, Vancouver Island, and me from Spain.
The organizers did a super job and there were many activities planned.
Fun for all ages!
I created a short video of the event. If you view it in full screen, it’s better.
There was much conversation, laughs, food and so much love!
Copyright ©2024 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
A Visit With Mad Mudslinger
Posted on: July 27, 2024
- In: Family | Memories | Travel
- 86 Comments
After visiting my son and his entire family in Alberta, I flew to the West Coast of BC to spend time with my daughter, Madmudslinger. It was a wonderful few days relaxing on her island and catching up.
I took her little doggie for a walk every morning and enjoyed the incredible scenery. She lives in a picture postcard.
We spent an enjoyable day at the beach making pottery.
The clay was mixed and formed into a flat disc, then pressed onto a rock eroded by the salt water.
Before it dried too much, it was carefully peeled off creating an interesting design.
Then it was folded over a smooth rock to form a shallow dish shape and let to try in the sun.
The end result will be dried, glazed and put in the kiln for the next firing. She uses nature for much of her creative endeavours.
We returned to the house to enjoy a fabulous dinner of stuffed onions, pan-fried cod and rice. It was so good and all homemade. She is not only an awesome potter, she’s a great cook and fed her mom well.
On another day we went for a boat ride to try out the new motor.
We found a little cove by Hole in The Wall, a space between two islands, and had a picnic on the water. It was heaven. OK, we forgot the forks, but the pasta salad tasted just as good eaten with our hands.
Her property has many great places to sit, relax and contemplate life. I tried to sit on every seat including this one overlooking the garden.
I love wandering around her property. It’s so natural and peaceful.
I came across a visitor who didn’t mind me at all.
I popped into her pottery studio to see what she was working on. I’ve written about her pottery here and here. Her website is https://madmudslinger.com/
We ended the visit by meeting up with our cousins in Nanaimo for lunch. We had a great catch-up before they drove me to the ferry that took me to the Vancouver mainland.
I guess you could say this is my Happy Place!
There is nothing quite like spending time with my daughter in such a fabulous setting.
Copyright ©2024 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
An Awesome Review by Robbie Cheadle
Posted on: May 21, 2024
- In: Books | Memories | reviews
- 55 Comments
Robbie Cheadle has posted an awesome review of You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie, along with another great book of memories. Robbie is a prolific writer herself. The author of short stories, children’s books, poetry and adult novels. She is also an accomplished baker and cake decorator, painter, mother of two teenage boys and a respected financial accountant. (I’m sure I missed something) No matter how busy she is, she is always willing to help out other writers. Robbie is an avid reader and I am honoured to have my book reviewed by her. Check out her blog for samples of her work.
Copyright ©2024 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
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