Glimpses of Past Lives

I was fortunate to be given a small metal trunk recently. 

It contained generations of photos, personal letters and other keepsakes. The letters spanned sixty years and were written not just to one person but between several family members located in Australia, New Zealand and England.

I carefully sorted through all the items putting the letters and photos in neat piles. I glanced at the assorted items of memorabilia and pondered, what does one do with a 75 year old plait of hair and 85 year old baby teeth in little bottles?

I turned back to the letters and photos and conscientiously sorted them into date order then selected the photos that had notes on the back telling me who the people were or where they were.

I carried the pile of letters and selected photos tenderly into the lounge room, placed them on the table and made myself a cup of tea.  For the next few hours as I read the letters, and put the photos in perspective, I was immersed in the past.

The letters were handwritten, many in pencil that were faded, but my interest in the story they told made compelling reading as I was transported back in time.

My trunk of memorabilia provided valuable information for research I am currently undertaking for my next book but the people and stories have also inspired a future book.

I thought how sad it was we don’t write letters to family and friends today that will tell generations to come how we lived and loved. Today, communication with loved ones far away is by email, Internet social media and texting; formats that won’t survive and stories that will be forgotten.

We should learn from the past not condemn it

In my book reviews blog you may have noticed at times I have been critical of other reviewers when their comments condemn a historical genre book based on the stories it relates and its descriptions of attitudes and lifestyles. The reviews can contain anything from criticism to the total abhorrence of events in the story that actually took place.

Whether they are fiction or non-fiction books, providing the author has stuck to the truth, this reaction, I believe, is unjustifiable and unfair. Sorry, but if you can’t handle the truth don’t read books set in eras where attitudes are very different to today.

If you feel comment of cruelty, hardship and extreme sadness must be included to convey the storyline to readers then why not consider statement like “the author clearly depict the hardships of the time” or “this book serves as a reminder that xyz people where harsh in their treatment of ……”

I believe that we must read history in its context. We must take into account the views, attitudes and knowledge of that time. This does not mean we should condone the actions of our forebears. It means we need to understand history so we can learn and be better people today.

I have noticed that this also happens in social media where a post depicts a negative event from history and condemns that event. That is fine, but don’t expect to change what happened – just do all you can to contribute to the world to ensure it doesn’t and won’t happen again.

Please keep your cat inside

I don’t hate cats, I have been owned by several in my life, but I do hate what they do when allowed to roam free, especially at night.

First some small scale peeves against cats. I hate to have to sweep the mulch back onto the garden every morning because someone’s cat is allowed to roam at night. I hate it especially because the cat has piddled in my garden, killing the third lot of plants and it stinks each morning I walk out the door.

Further up the scale, I got so angry if I had caught the cat I may have throttled it; this time the cat killed the three baby blackbirds in my camellia bush. Now I know in Australia blackbirds are not native but we had been enjoying the parents’ songs and became very attached to them. We were overjoyed that they nested in our bush at eye level where we could check on their progress every day. That is until the blasted cat came along.

Now for the off the scale doings of cats, and this is what I really want cat owners to think long and hard about. Domestic cats that are not controlled can go feral. I found the graphic below on Facebook. It clearly shows the harm cats do to our wildlife – and that is just lizards and insects. Feral cats catch and kill birds, fish, and even small native mammals.

Please, train your cat to use a litter box so it doesn’t have to go outside into your garden, or the neighbour’s, to do its business.

If you feel your cat needs some fresh air and exercise, buy it a lead and collar and go for a walk with it. I did it with my Burmese cat, Sultan. We had wonderful walks together and made many new friends who didn’t know a cat would walk on a lead.

The other alternative is to build a cattery. There are some excellent ones that link to an opening in a window and your cat can come and go as it pleases.

Why did you buy the cat in the first place? Because it was a cute and cuddly kitten and the kids nagged you?

Now the kids are bored and no one wants to look after the cat so you let it roam and find food elsewhere. If you are not committed to a fully mature cat that will live for 15 years you should not have one.

Is your cat desexed? Did you know that one cat and her mate together, and through their offspring, can produce over 11 million offspring? This is based on each female giving birth to 2.8 kittens twice a year. Scary isn’t it?

When you are next tempted to buy that cute kitten because the kids are crying for it, please consider the responsibilities not just to the cat but to local wildlife and neighbours’ gardens.

Please share if you agree with me.

A chuckle to warm

It is winter here in Australia. The wind is blowing and the temperature is dropping. A good laugh always helps to cheer so I thought I would share some of my favourite funny posts from Facebook to warm us up.