40 Days of Thankfulness: Day Nineteen

Today I'm thankful for my maternal grandmother.
I was thinking of her last night when we were watching an old episode of This Old House and they were remarking about how Boston used to be a lot of swamp land. I told DH that The Fens, (Fenway Park is on the outskirts), used to be a wetland for a long time and is now a beautiful park.

When I was growing up, my Nana used to live right on the outskirts of The Fens and in the summers I used to go there to play on the swings and run through the gardens.

So, I started thinking about my grandmother again and how brave she was. In the early part of the century she had been living in Scotland with her husband and they had a young son - my father. His husband was in the Black Watch during World War I, and he died in Peshawar, India.
For whatever reason, she and her sister (who she never spoke to!) decided to come to America, to Boston to live. So, when my dad was only 5 they sailed to the US. I have pictures of him coming off the boat wearing a little kilt.
Somewhere along the line Nana married again, to a hard-working man who helped provide for their little family.
Until my grandmother died, she was a waitress at a YMCA. But she managed to save a pile of money - under her mattress, in the closet, behind the sofa. It was amazing. Her American Dream, I guess.
I cannot imagine having her courage, leaving the US with a small child, and starting life anew in a completely new country.
I wish I had been able to tell Nana while she was still alive how much I admired her. I am thankful that she came here - or I wouldn't have been born.

Memorial Day

Thanks, Grandpa...  You weren't American, but you fought valiantly for the cause overseas.

I never met my grandfather.  He had died in Peshawar, India, fighting for the Black Watch during World War l.  Peshawar was on the northern frontier of British India, near the Khyber Pass. 

In 1947, Peshawar became part of the newly independent state of Pakistan after politicians approved merger into the state that had just been carved from British India.

We have a trunk of his belongings, though, and it’s very interesting to recreate his life.

My dad was born in Scotland in 1913. 

In 1914, my grandfather was involved in this:

On the outbreak of war there were seven Black Watch battalions - for in addition to the Regular 1st and 2nd Battalions and 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion there were a further four Territorial ones which had become part of the Regiment in 1908. They were the 4th Dundee [Mary O’Note: I’m pretty sure this was his, since that’s where my dad was born], 5th Angus, 6th Perthshire and the 7th Battalion from Fife. The 1st Battalion was in action at the very start of the war taking part in the Retreat from Mons before turning on the Germans at the River Marne and the subsequent advance to the Aisne. Trench warfare then set in and the 2nd Battalion arrived from India, both battalions taking part in the Battle of Givenchy. Meanwhile the Territorial battalions had been mobilised at the start of the war but only the 5th was in action in 1914.

From http://www.theblackwatch.co.uk/index/first-world-war

 

I guess this is why I love the Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch so much.

Thanks, Grandpa!

More Bagpipes Coming

I know I’m a little weird but I actually like bagpipes.  My dad was born in Scotland – he came over to the US when he was 5 wearing a little kilt.  His father was in the Black Watch during World War I, and he died in Peshawar, India  We have his trunk full of memorabilia, tartans, kilt pins, journals, and such.

In the days before butter and cholesterol were so bad for us, I used to make a wonderful shortbread that I’d give to everyone.  Four ingredients:  Butter, lots of butter (NO margarine, ever!),  confectioner’s sugar, flour and a bit of salt. 

I have special shortbread molds, the works. This is one of my molds:

Anyway, I have always loved bagpipe music, drums, the Royal Guards, the whole pomp and precision marching.  I even have my own chanter, although I haven’t done much with it.

Every time a group like this comes to town, I’m there!

So, on Sunday afternoon, I’ll be here:

Band of the Irish Guards with the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Regiment of Scotland

The Band of the Irish Guards and Royal Regiment of Scotland brings all of the pomp and grandeur of the British Empire to the Center’s stage. A gifted group of musicians was gathered by Queen Victoria in 1900 to commemorate the bravery of the Irish Regiments, and quickly gained a reputation for excellence. It was the band’s responsibility to inspire an esprit de corps among the troops, and it traveled extensively throughout both World Wars to give morale-boosting performances for those on active service. Now renowned across the globe, these regiments uplift spirits with rousing marches, sailor ballads, and of course, folk songs from their native Ireland. This incredible ensemble is a delight for the whole family!