Irish Mammie

Run Faster, Jump Higher

DSC00739.JPG, originally uploaded by mammiet.

We went to Skowhegan today to the annual New Balance shoe sale. It is always held in August and is very crowded. This year it was not bad though. I have always bought my cross trainers at this sale but didn't need any this year so bought some  NB Achieves which I like because you can slip them on.

It was fun watching all the people trying to get the best deals and watching the stock boys & girls trying to get down the aisles with the shoes and still answer the many questions from customers.

Tut managed to get two pair of walking shoes which made him happy. It is always fun to go to the "sneaker sale."

My Grandmother

scrapbook page, originally uploaded by mammiet.

Ellen J. Murphy was born on August 9, 1890 in Curraghboy,Youghal, County Cork. Ireland. Her mother was Hannah Greehy and her father was James Murphy. He was a farmer and came to America in his early twenties. He returned to Youghal and worked as a bricklayer. He and Hannah had twelve children. Maurice and Daniel stayed in Ireland and the others came to America and settled in Massachusetts. I do not know how Mammie ended up in Gardiner, Maine. She was called Mammie because that is an older mother or grandmother in Ireland.

Mammie was a typical Irish woman who lost her husband when her youngest,of five, was nine years old and then she took in washing to support her family. A Mr. Hodgkins brought his clothes on Monday to be washed. I can remember the white shirts but there must have been other things. I don't know if anyone else brought clothes to be washed but this was wash day and out came the wringer washer along with the rinse tubs. The clothes were put through the washer and then into the rinse tubs. The water was so hot she had to use a paddle to swish the clothes around. The rinse tubs had some blue stuff in them--maybe starch  or bluing ? I was warned not to get my hands near the wringer because my fingers would get caught. Then the  clothes were hung on the line, in winter as well as summer, she froze her hands every winter. How they must have hurt. There was also a pole of some sort to hold the line up when It got heavy.
When the clothes were dry or at the end of the day they were brought in,the shirts were stiff as a board,and put on racks to get the frost out. The clothes were sprinkled using an old bottle with a sprinkling cork in it, rolled up and put in a clothes basket ,covered with a damp cloth ready to be ironed the next morning.

On Tuesday she ironed everything. The clothes were ironed and folded and put away or hung for Mr. Hodgkins to pick up.I loved staying there on those days because she ironed my underwear and socks.I felt real special.

There were rules about hanging clothes such as : You had to wash the clothes line by running a damp cloth along the line, clothes had to be hung in a certain order, such as whites with whites, towels with towels, and shirts by their tails.

I remember many things about my grandmother such as her rocking me and singing Irish lullabies, doing the Irish jig and just loving me. I am sure she was a strong woman who did some things that were not the greatest but not to me. I am proud of her because she had the will to come to a new land,never to go to Ireland again,face hardships,and still be my Mammie. I loved her.

She died on December 8, l967 at age 77.

This poem reminds me of days with her.

”CLOTHESLINES”

A clothesline was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link
For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the fancy sheets
And towels upon the line;
You'd see the company tablecloths
With intricate design.

The line announced a baby's birth
To folks who lived inside
As brand new infant clothes were hung
So carefully with pride.

The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed
You'd know how much they'd grown.

It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,
Haphazardly were strung.

It said, "Gone on vacation now"
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy gray,
As neighbors raised their brows,
And looked disgustedly away.

But clotheslines now are of the past
For dryers make work less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess.

I really miss that way of life.
It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best
By what hung on the line!

Author Unknown

Vacation at Cutler

Signpost at Hike, originally uploaded by mammiet.

We arrived in Cutler on Saturday in the fog.  We walked down to the village which was about one half mile. It was interesting because of the lobster traps and the little coffee shop which Mike has shown in  his blog. The fog had lifted and now we had good weather until Mike and Mira Su came. Greg and carol came up Sunday and brought lasagna which was great. On Monday we went on a hike to the Western Head Preserve which was tougher than I expected. Lots of roots, hills and not as near the ocean as I like but it was an enjoyable hike

While we were on this hike we came across some trees that had been chewed by porcupines .

In the afternoon we went to Eastport which none of us had ever been before. I saw a couple of teachers from Augusta there.  It was an interesting town but you know the saying  ".....but I wouldn't want to live there ".

The Barbours left Tuesday am an Tut and I went to Quoddy Head and the ocean was right along the trail which is the way I like it. I must admit I cannot travel on the rocks like I used to but neither can Tut and the dog is a sissy so it works out fine.

On Wednesday Mike, MS and Burt arrived

and the weather was foggy but we had a good time. We visited Campobello and Lubec.  Mike cooked salmon on the grill, potatoes, and peas for our July meal .He must get his cooking skills from Grammie Thurston. We also had smoked fish which he has talked about.

Tut had been there for six nights, which is his limit, so was ready to come home and the weather was bad so we left on Saturday. A great time and it was fun to be there with some fine people.

Amsterdam

dirty00634.JPG, originally uploaded by mammiet.

Amsterdam was the last leg of our trip. It seemed to be dirty but beautiful at the same time. There were bikes everywhere and between the narrow streets, the cars and the bikes you were in danger at all times. I love this picture of a woman riding a bike with groceries and a dog on a leash running beside her.

We visited the Van Gogh museum as well as the Ann Frank House.

Both were worth every minute of the visit.  I saw all the most important paintings of Van Gogh that were in this museum and in the Ann Frank house I got the same feeling as in the Holocaust Museum,a quiet sadness almost like feeling something that was impossible to feel. That doesn't make much sense but I guess it has to do.

Again we ate foods that were different like pancakes and waffles that are huge. I drank coffee at all times and ate some fish that was raw but I have no idea what it was.

It was also fun to watch the paddle boats driven by ordinary people try to maneuver them by the huge boats driven by Captains.

I had a great time in all the places visited. THANKS JIM!!!

 

Antwerp in the Rain

We started the day at Miguel's house in  Kapellen which is a small town outside of Antwerp. From there we went to Antwerp and did some sightseeing. We saw the train station which is being renovated and is always amazes me how old things are.

We were going to go to the diamond museum but found it closed. We went to the Onae Lieve Vrouwe Kathedraal which is the largest Gothic style cathedral in Belgium. We were lucky enough to get a guided tour in English with two others. The guide was young but very knowledgeable. The paintings were magnificent and he explained what each part meant.

From there we went to Grote Market which has interesting houses and markets. The groenplaats which is a sort of park and people on this day were trying to get out of the rain. Then we found a Jesuit church called Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk which was as simple as the other was ornate. They were both beautiful in their own way. Reubens also had paintings in this church.

Then we shopped for Jim's ring

Then we had a great supper at the Het Pomphuis which used to be a pump house.

Travels with Mammie

I am finally here in Brussels with my suitcase too. I am sure everyone has heard by now of the trials and tribulations of my trip here but all is solved. I arrived Friday and that night had dinner with Jim and Rob a co-worker or boss of Jim's. He was very nice and easy to talk with. Saturday Jim and I shopped for clothes to replace some of those I lost with the $75 the airline gave me. Also I had put the pill bottles in my bag except for a few and those had to be replaced. A doctor had to come to the hotel and write a prescription for me. There are lots of sales in Europe in July and December so we took advantage of those. I have no idea what the exchange rate is so it is all "funny money" to me.
Sunday we went to Mass at St Madeleines here and it was in French so I didn't understand one word but the  communion was the same. Then we went to Bruges on the train and walked around all day. The city has retained its medieval buildings. It also escaped being destroyed during the war. We also ate in a very nice place right on the canal.

Today, Monday, Jim worked and I just waited for my luggage. Tonite we went out with Rob again and had Greek food outside. Did I mention the fact that it is cold and rainy one minute and hot and sunny the next?

That's it for now--no pics as I am too tired to try and figure out how. See Jim's!!!

Another Day at the Ocean

Four Roses on the Rocks, originally uploaded by mammiet.

Early this morning my pals,Tut and Murphy, and I left on another excursion to the ocean. We had never been to Harpswell so there we went. The ride was very pretty with lots of nice houses. The roses were beautiful as wild roses at the ocean usually are.

WE then went to Bailey's Island and Lands End, which was crowded today, and walked around the rocks. On the way back we stopped at at deli and ate outside. The food was good and anytime I am near the ocean is great. We also we able to watch a lobster man pull in his traps while we ate. You can't beat that.

On the way home we stopped at Tut's favorite bakery which is a hole in the wall operation and he got a loaf of bread. We also got something sweet. This bakery is in Litchfield and sells to a lot of stores. As you can see it doesn't look like much but it must have something.

You can see more of our day here.  My next post will be from Brussels or somewhere.

Trip To Popham

Fort Popham, originally uploaded by mammiet.

We went for another adventure, this time our destination was to Fort Popham.   The fort is the first thing you see and it is real old and has grass growing out of the cracks. From the parking lot you cannot see it all but it is quite large. We had a great time walking on the sand  and I tried to get Murph in the water but my spaniel doesn't like water. There were quite a few people fishing from the beach and a few were huddled under blankets because it was really cold. Some were bringing in picnics but the weather was not" picnic on the beach weather" I didn't think. Anyway Murph made some friends and then we left and rode home a different route and came across a building that used to be a school in Parkerheads,named for Capt. Parker. It was a nice ride and fun to be on the beach as I have always loved the ocean.

Then we stopped at FatBoy Drive-In for a real old-fashioned, fat filled meal. Tut didn't even count the fat grams. We each had a BLT, I had onion rings and Tut had fries and we shared a mocha frappe. It was almost like going to Ernie's when I was in high school.

Then we headed home and I had another first--I mowed the back lawn.  I have never mowed a lawn in my life. I am trying all kinds of things in my old age.

Some other pictures can be seen here. All in all it was another good day.

Maine State Music Theater

Today we went to the Maine State Music Theater held at the Pickard Theater in Brunswick on the Bowdoin campus to see the show West Side Story. We have been going for years, at least fifteen. The first show I saw there was Annie with a friend and then I took Erin to see it also. We were lucky enough to get tickets for a Christmas present for years and then we started buying them. We went at night until last year and sat in the same seats. These were in the front row which I love because I don't have to sit behind anyone with a big hat or is real tall. Last year we started going in the afternoon and still got seats in the front row.

I have liked all the shows but my favorites have been Annie, Fiddler on the Roof and Evita. Today the show had great singing and dancing and the ending brought tears to my eyes. The cast was great and believable.

Another fun day!!

BEAUTIFUL GARDEN WALK

Rose, originally uploaded by mammiet.

Yesterday Tut & I went on another beautiful walk in the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. The dog was not invited. This is a relatively new place but even on Monday it was very busy. It is a place  that you would want to visit at different times of year to see the flowers in different seasons. Tut was amazed by the rocks walls and stone sculptures. I liked the rose and rhododendron areas as well as the meditation garden which had a piece of art that reminded me of Toyko. To see more pictures  you can find them here.