I only knew my maternal grandmother, never met my other grandmother and both grandfathers had died. My maternal grandmother died when I was 11but she was a very important and happy part of my childhood, I loved her to bits, still do although it's many years since she passed. I don't have any memorabilia of her but I have many happy memories, and I'll always have them

Wow..!  It sure is, Katty

Lori   Make sure to tie the ribbon real tight 

Today, well yesterday was Mr Cinds Fathers funeral, and he was given a medal off one of his Uncles that was won by his fathers grandfather from WWII.  The inscription is my husbands name, so I know it means a lot to him.  But for everything else, I know, Mr Cinds wearing his Dads favourite tie today meant more than anything.

That's exactly how I feel too, Yellow Rose.

Something to cherish that nobody can take from you

Ah well it's all context..etc.So good on the Americans etc..

Cinds

Cinds. 

Mr. Lori wears a ring that belonged to his dad. He just got possession of it from his older brother (who wasn't wearing it). He loves it, and every time his mother sees it on him, she is tickled pink. 

Thanks Cosmo, it's just shit seeing the person you love in so much pain.

Anyway, Mr Cinds 'mates' thought it would be a good idea to buy him whiskey after whiskey. (In all the years I have known him, he has never drank whiskey)

I'll help him through that pain tomorrow.

That's families for you Lori!

Thanks Lori.  I am just gutted for him. 

That's lovely that Mr Lori has his fathers ring. It must mean so much to him.

I'm still lucky enough to still have both of my parents, Mother turned 70 last November, and Dad will be 70 at the end of May.

Me, too. My parents are 73 this year (pretty sure   and in fairly good health. As a matter of fact, they leave on Tuesday for two weeks at their little place in Arizona. Now, if they could just get rid of that damn sheep farm...

I've had scares with my dad, but he always pulls through. I know it's just a matter of time, though, and I've watched Mr Lori and my best friend go through the loss of a parent. It's hard to watch someone you love go through that. 

My late dad hated all the fuss etc  as regards  to what he did etc,hr was a young guy called upn and had to do whatever,,,Heee Heeew I still have pics of him over 50 yuears old.

It's my parents 50th wedding anniversary this year.  I'm doing the ancestry thing, and it's been very interesting.. 

Cinds, there's no harm in looking for a bit of numbness when things are so unbearably raw.

Lori, Cinds - we seem to have parents around the same age; Mr Cosi and I are blessed with the full compliment of 'Saga Louts'  

Yes, a few health scares along the way, but all still bright as buttons.  We're taking all 4 of them off to Spain in the Spring.  It's definitely a pleasure rather than a chore and besides, they're as mad as a box of frogs and funny to watch 

Obviously I reserve the right to change my opinion after the 2nd week in May....

Katty, admit it - you're as proud as punch about him (and rightly so ).

I'm doing Ancestry too, Cinds!  Don't start me off (I'm addicted and a complete bore on the subject ).  Interesting is an understatement....

Katty, that's funny.  Mr Cinds Dad was a right cantankerous old git...he really was, but when he did it, he al;ways smiled.  And thats what was hard seeing him after his death, the smile wasn't there, and when we were stood with him this morning, I tried to say that to Mr Cinds 'You know as argumentative as he was, he always had a smile on his face' but lying in his coffin he just looked like the pope.  Solemn and dressed in white? 

I too am addicted to it.  It's amazing.

Thanks for the hug Cosmo   through losing so many family and friends I've realised the absolute value of memories, whether in our minds or through photos, letters etc. Memories can be bittersweet sometimes but collecting memories in however it's done is very special and something we all need to reflect on at some point in our lives

Cinds, I had to give myself a good talking to after my nan died.  I know what you mean regarding the pope reference.  That image will fade with time; the personality will come back to the forefront of your memory and all its glorious animation.

I'm sorry if I've not explained the above as well as I'd have liked.

Yellow Rose is right; holding on to memories and reflecting even when poignant can be such a comfort.  We're lucky when we get to that point.

Goodnight in here

Do you know my late dad hated  all the fuss and he hated the medals etc. He was a medical "ordinary".He and more did what they had to do etc,...

Our dads were  ordinary blokes ,,that's it!Cinds...hugs,

We had SUCH a fabulous time planning the 50th anniversary do for my folks. Both of my parents had a lovely time, but my dad, especially, walked on air for the next 6 months. I got a whole bunch of photos and made a slide show that we ran continuously for a couple of hours--it was quite the conversation piece.

I too was lucky enough to know all four of my grandparents for varying amounts of time.

Strangely, I feel as if I knew my maternal grandfather quite well, yet he died when I was three - on my third birthday actually - and when I see photographs of him I don't recognize him. He was a sniper during WWI, but wasn't allowed to 'join-up' for WWII.

My paternal grandmother was the next grandparent to die- when I was about 7 or 8.She was, (so I was told) a master butcher, but they were all retired before I was born.

She was the eldest of nine siblings. The youngest of which was the same age as my dad.

All the siblings eventually emigrated to America, (except my gran) Even my grandad went, but he came back a few months later to marry my gran.

We have shipping records that show my grandad and my gran's eldest brother actually travelled to America together - we haven't got to the bottom of why he returned, yet.

(He was a joiner and cabinet maker. Maybe they had too many joiners in America at that time! )

(Did I mention that I've been researching family history too? and through my maternal grandfather's side of the family, we appear to be related to most of the East of Fife, Scotland.)

My other two grandparents lived on for a good few more years, 'til I was in my late teens and early twenties, so I knew them a lot better, but my paternal grandfather never spoke about the American episode, and my maternal grandmother never really spoke about her life much except for a few anecdotes of when she was a governess in Canada.