Old photos. How I love looking back at photos taken long ago. My mum's memory is deteriorating rapidly, she's been diagnosed with dementia and both long and short term memory is affected. I've pulled out all my boxes of old photos and I've been taking an album with me as I visit each day and though she often doesn't remember who's who in the photos, she's been enjoying looking at them, and so have my dad and I. We may live in the digital age but I still print off favourite photos and store them in albums, I don't think you get the same feel for a photo when you're looking at it on a computer as you do when turning the pages of an album.
Days at the beach. We had the first of our summer holidays at the beginning of the month, though we only managed to get on the beach once because of the weather. We had a lovely day at Whitby and Sandsend in the middle of the month whilst Mick was still off work though. There's nothing more restorative than sitting on the sand listening to the waves crash on the shore.
Third Vault Yarns. I bought this skein from Spring Into Wool back in April, it's the Dragon Scales colourway in 100% Superwash Merino. It's such a beautiful colour, you can't really see it here in the photo, but there's green and greys, blues and purples. It's iridescent too so the colours seem to change when you look at the knitting from different angles. I'm thoroughly enjoying using this yarn, it's beautiful to knit with and it's got a great stitch definition.
Homegrown tomatoes. I started my seeds off quite late this year and the plants have never really caught up. They're not very good at all actually, but I'm still managing to harvest some fruit which I'm very pleased about as shop bought tomatoes just don't compare with homegrown. I've only grown one tomato variety this year, Maskotka, which is a cherry tomato with a beautiful, sweet flavour.
Ebay. It's a while since I've used Ebay to sell anything but there was an offer on last week where you only paid a maximum £1 final value fee whatever amount the item sells for, the usual charge is 10%. I had a couple of things to list and they sold for a total price of £60, I paid just £2 in fees instead of the usual £6. That's an extra £60 to add to the savings.
What favourites do you have this month? How about joining me and writing a post about them?
I love the shades of the colours in the old photo's, I agree photo's on screen are not the same, but these days we have so many photo's. I print each year of my blog post into a book, which I love looking back on, as yet I have not finished last years.
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy these days to take lots of photos and just delete the ones which are not so good, it's not like when we used to have to pay for films developing. I only have the best ones printed out but I do like to make up albums. I think having books made of blog posts is a lovely thing to do.
DeleteSuch a lovely post, I love photos too and have many albums that as a family we love to look at and reflect. I also make some of the photos into scrapbooks which is a lovely way to record special moments. I am missing have homegrown tomoto's, we will hopefully have some form of garden next year.
ReplyDeleteI made a scrapbook for my mum and dad when it was their golden wedding anniversary and I loved doing it. I keep saying that I'll make more scrapbooks but I haven't got round to it yet, it's something which is on the list though. I haven't grown many veggies this year but I do love homegrown tomatoes.
DeleteThat's sad about your Mom, aging is so difficult without the added bonus of dementia. Our cherry tomatoes are the only ones that even gave us tomatoes this year, just too much rain.
ReplyDeleteDementia runs through my dad's family so I wouldn't have been surprised for him to suffer from it but apart from being a bit forgetful, he's fine so far and he's eighty four. It's been a blow that my mum's been diagnosed with it. We've had a lot of rain here this year too, it hasn't been the best of growing years.
DeleteI love old photos too. I think it's really wonderful that you're taking them to your mother. It will be so good for her, and for you, to spend time looking at them and talking about the people and places in them.
ReplyDeleteI've been so lucky to have been given some very old photos from people I've come into contact with through researching my family tree. They've passed on photos of my great great grandparents, something I never thought I'd have, so that's been wonderful. I'm enjoying looking through albums with my parents, they enjoy seeing photos from over the years.
DeleteWhat a wonderful post Jo....I may do a 'favourite things' post....I love your 'Sound of Music' reference!!
ReplyDeleteI have favourite things coming out of my ear holes...but mostly they involve my home, family, pets and friends....Without them those things wouldn't seem anywhere near as sparkly!!
I'd love to read a Favourite Things post from you. I agree, certainly family, pets and friends are very important and it goes without saying that they're at the top of my list every month.
DeleteDays at the beach are a definite favourite here Jo.
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely how you are going through old photographs with your mum. Happy memories for you. X
It was a shame that we didn't get to spend much time on the beach when we went on holiday but we're going on another holiday very soon so I'm hoping for better weather. I love going through old photos, they bring back so many happy memories as you say.
DeleteFantastic eBay earnings. Sorry to hear about your mum. I have a couple of those sticky paged photo albums in the loft. Love the yarn Jo.
ReplyDeleteI've got another auction due to finish on Ebay tomorrow and that's already bid to double the amount I wanted so that's more money to add to the coffers. The sticky paged photo albums are in different states of usefulness, some have well and truly lost their sticky after all these years.
DeleteI love looking at photos, whether they're mine or someone else's. I've always been that one person who's never bored of someone else's holiday photos.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same. I know a lot of people find other people's holiday photos boring but I love looking at them.
DeleteLovely favourite things this month, Jo. I love looking at old photos but it's usually the backgrounds I look at. "Remember that (horrible) wallpaper? Oh look at what the kitchen looked like!" etc. etc.
ReplyDeleteI do that too. It's amazing how the fashions and fads have changed over the years, always fun to look back on.
DeleteDH's late mum had a vast collection of albums which we still have. She used to love looking through them all the time.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those old things that I miss when a friend goes on holidays to an interesting place, not the same seeing them on their phone if you are not on social media (I don't do facebook etc).
Nice knitting.
My mum and dad have never put their photos in albums, they've got lots of photos but they're all still in the folders that they used to come back from the developers in. I agree, I don't do social media either so it's a quick look on people's phones when they come home from holiday and it's never the same.
DeleteYou're so right about the photo's. digital pics just don't have the same feel. I have a bag full to bursting with photos of all the kids through the years, I'm sure if they had been digital a lot of them would have disappeared by now.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
I think you're right. I do have digital photos stored but always print off the best of them to go in to albums, I much prefer looking at photos in this way.
DeleteOur tomatoes are ripening fast now which is good.
ReplyDeleteI wish mine would. There's still a lot of fruit on the scratty plants but they're not ripening very fast.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your mum, the photo albums are an excellent idea, I love looking through old pictures. Wow, great eBay sales xx
ReplyDeleteIt's awful seeing my mum at this stage in her life, dementia is a terrible thing but she's got other health problems too so she's in a pretty bad way all told. I'm hoping that she's enjoying looking through the albums and perhaps it does help jog her memory in some way, who knows. I'm pleased with my Ebay sales, it's always good making a bit of money on things you don't want anymore and if someone else can get some use out of them, all the better.
DeleteYour tomatoes look fantastic, I wish ours had some flavour, they're heavy cropping but tasteless.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame as homegrown tomatoes are usually very tasty. I'm a big fan of Maskotka, they're only little cherry sized tomatoes but they're packed with flavour.
DeletePhotos are a boon for people with dementia. I made my Mum a book of photos of her house when she went to hospital as she couldn't remember where she lived which jogged her memory and made her feel so much better.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a good idea. Dementia is a terrible thing, it robs people of their memories which, afterall, are the things which make us happy.
DeleteHello Jo. I'm glad to be back blogging and catching up with your news. It looks as if you've had a productive time doing your knitting, nurturing your tomatoes, selling some items on Ebay. The yarn sounds as if it's satisfying to knit up and your tomatoes look good. I remember you recommended Maskotka and I'm glad you got a crop this year and you've been enjoying them. Trips to the coast, especially Whitby - I would enjoy that too. I hope you continue to enjoy looking at your photo albums with your Mum and Dad when you go to visit each day. I'm so sorry to hear that your Mum's memory is deteriorating, but I'm sure your parents appreciate your company. All the best Jo.
ReplyDeleteI'm certainly keeping busy with all my activities. I haven't grown many things this year but I do enjoy my homegrown tomatoes so I made sure I had those, though they haven't done so well as in previous years, my own fault really as I set the seeds off too late. I'm glad to be still getting some fruit though. My dad, despite being ill himself, is still fiercely independent so I help them out as much as he'll allow, usually popping in most days. Even if they don't need anything doing they do enjoy me going to see them.
DeleteSo sorry to read about your mum Jo, re-living memories through photo albums is a lovely idea. I keep saying i'm going to print more photos but somehow don't get round to it, although I did get a couple printed off my phone in Boots the other week and was very impressed with them so there is really no excuse.
ReplyDeleteWell done on the ebay sales, always good to add to the savings pot :-)
I think my mum's enjoying looking back at old photos, although often she can't place where they've been taken or put names to faces. I'd like to put more photos in to scrapbooks, I enjoyed making one when it was mum and dad's golden wedding anniversary so it would be nice to make more for special occasions. I've got lots more things to sell on Ebay, it's just getting round to listing them.
DeleteYour tomatoes are looking good & I'm just trying to work out what I'm going to plant for this summer. That is such pretty wool & I keep thinking about sorting some photos, but haven't as yet done much. One day! Have a lovely week & take care.
ReplyDeleteI'm really pleased with the wool, it's such a luxury having beautiful yarn to knit with. I have lots of photos stored in albums, I'm quite organised about getting them printed off so that I have all the ones I want to keep.
DeleteA nice post. I think that keeping photos as you do is a such a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThe tomatoes look good, that really is a excellent variety. xx
I make a point of putting photos straight into albums, it's a good way to keep them. Maskotka is my favourite tomato variety, you really can't beat homegrown.
DeleteI used to enjoy seeing my old photos which give me many sweet old memories.
ReplyDeleteWhat s perfect red tomatoes!
Old photos bring back lots of happy memories, I'm so pleased that I've taken plenty over the years.
DeleteSo very sorry to read about your Mum. I think photo albums are a great idea and music too can often help those with dementia.
ReplyDeleteThis was a lovely post filled with lots of good things, and didn't you do well with your ebay sales!
All the best Jan
I didn't know that about music. My mum and dad listen to the radio every day and my mum often asks me who's singing a particular song. The Ebay sales have been very good this month, it's always nice to make a bit of money on unwanted items.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your mum, dementia is a terrible thing, good to know the photos are helping. Goodness, your savings will be fantastic this year! Good for you.xxx
ReplyDeleteI think my mum's getting some enjoyment out of the photos if nothing else. I used to sell quite a bit on Ebay, not quite so much now, but it's great when things sell and there's more money to add to the savings.
DeleteThat's a real result on the Ebay front.
ReplyDeleteI used to put my photos in those albums. Now I place a couple of pieces of rolled up sellotape on the back of my photos and stick them to a sheet of A4 paper which then gets slotted in a one of those flimsy plastic wallets where the pages are made up from clear plastic sheets. So much easier!
Lisa x
I think we all used to have those photo albums which were sticky. They were fine at first but the sticky wears off. Most of my older photos are in them but I started using albums where you just slot the photos in from about the time when Daniel was born and they work really well.
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