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| Yep, there were chocolates involved as well (top right hand corner) |
The first day of my holiday was spent reading letters. A lot of letters. Since I have actually kept every single letter I have ever received (since 1983), had several pen pals from all over the world and apparently was quite a writer myself, there were lots to work through. It was good fun though and all in the name of genealogy!
One of my pen pals was a paternal cousin who is two years younger. And we wrote a lot. A lot of nonsense in the first few years, but after that she (at least, don't know about me) started writing a bit more serious about her life, growing up, boyfriends, school. We kept it going until about 1994 when her life (with work, home, boyfriend and pets) became busy, while my life was probably as busy but in different ways.
However, her letters give a great insight about things that I think should be in the book. She talks about her nursing education and that fits beautifully with the education chapter I am planning. She even provided me with a photo of her when she's nearly finished. Perfect!
Other than that, I found several letters my sister wrote me from Wales, where she was living for a short period during her studies. However, there is one letter I never managed to decipher. Mind you, I didn't really bother either...
I also found an Italian love letter and a Dutch (very bad) love poem and a fair amount of letters from completely unknown people. I probably did know at some point who they were, but it's lost in time! So, all in all a good day.
Seems like you have some good material for your book.
ReplyDeleteHahaha...wingdings? En...ik zie dat jij, net als ik, afgedanst hebt voor Goud-ster. Tsja. Ik breng daar nu niet zo veel meer van terecht...
ReplyDeleteAardig van haar hè? Ik zou het denk ik nog wel kunnen lezen, maar daar moet ik iets te veel moeite voor doen denk ik.
DeleteJa, en dat dansen. Mijn hele leven ligt daar op de grond eigenlijk. Van geboortekaartje tot inentingsboekje tot schoolrapporten en diploma's! Wie wat bewaart die heeft wat...
U bent een genealogisch wonder (en schatkamer) in uzelf!
DeleteIs that letter in a funky font or is it written the letters of Wales?
ReplyDeleteHugs Madi and mom
So now that you are reading the letters will you still continue to keep them?
ReplyDeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteLike Madi, I think you would have to retype the letter using 'wingdings' font to rediscover the message! I used to hoard all my letters... the only handful I keep now are the ones from grandparents (very few) and a couple from parents (also few) and a scrapbook of card my sister and I sent to each other over a period of some ten years before The Maestro came along. They are wonderful snapshots of personal history! YAM xx
Or I could sit down on a rainy Sunday afternoon and try to figure it out. I already know two words, so it ought to be possible.
DeleteI am hoarding still, but I did take out all the letters I got from my parents and siblings and my grandparents. Plus some of the letters of my cousins, the ones that weren't filled with just a lot of nonsense!
Crikey ...... that's a LOT OF CHOCOLATE reading, aye?? AND lots of cups of tea if it were my Mum. I don't know anything about wingding but lots of people speak DOUBLE Dutch here. Maybe that letter is in double Dutch.
ReplyDeleteIt might be. I will have to ask my sister.
DeleteCHOCOLATE... Everythingy is BETTER with CHOCOLATE.
ReplyDeleteOMD you have kept EVERY letter from that far back?? That must be a HUGE collection.
We have the stuff from both sides of the family going back a few generations. No names on most of the photos. Sad to have those folks lost in time.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it just? And the letters I have bring back those things. I found things that I didn't even know or never remembered and that the person in question didn't remember either. It's just a shame my parents didn't keep my letters, but I did get copies of the letters I sent to a German friend, which was great.
DeleteWe have my husband's parents love letters. They lived in two different states and wrote to each other. Have not brought myself to read them. Privacy encroachment is sort of the best I can explain.
DeleteI think I would be too tempted to not read them. My parents sent letters as well, but my mother threw them out when she found me and my brother playing post-office with them. Instead of just keeping them in a safe place...
DeleteMe too I loved to write letters and have a bunch of copies of letters here I should read and found recently all letters I wrote to my mother in law in Italian !! I admired myself, had forgotten that I was able to do that !
ReplyDeleteSo fun looking through those memories!
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
It is. And I am so glad I kept it all. Lugging it with me wherever I move to, but still.
Delete