Darker days d10, #100WorkingDays

As mentioned in day 7, I had a another sister, who was stillborn. Mum and dad knew the girl they named Mary had died in the womb at around 6 months, and mum had to deliver her at full term. It was a traumatic time that had echoes down the years. That said, once he was retired my dad made an effort to find the grave where she’d been buried as that happened in those days without family involvement. With the help of cemetery staff the communal site was located and after dad died we were able to leave his ashes in the same place with a suitable marker for them both. That more is done to support families who go through still births is helpful now. There wasn’t that kind of help available then. 

Beyond in the wider world around that time there were concerns that nuclear war was only hours away. The Cuban missile crisis of 1962 left everyone on edge. It is difficult to imagine what is was like for adults at the time. I think my parents didn’t share their anxieties. I did grow to hear more about the Cold War and finally of course the fall of the Berlin Wall. That echoes now as we watch the events of the war in the Ukraine and wonder how it will play out. Nuclear weapons still exist and mutually assured destruction (the MAD paradox) is a possibility.

Big Brother, d7, #100WorkingDays

 As often happens a sibling arrived. In fact I had two siblings, both girls. The first was born nearly 3 years after me, and sadly was stillborn. I’ll say more about her another day. Then my still here little sister arrived. I have no recollection of a pregnancy, I do recall being at the neighbours up the road awaiting the arrival of the taxi bringing mum, a baby, and my dad who was clutching a brown paper parcel. That was intriguing and I soon discovered it was for me. The contents were a train set, a simple oval of track with one point and a siding. There was one engine and 3 or 4 wagons. All in OO  gauge Tri-ang Hornby if you want the details. Set up on the living room floor on the brown paper with the mains controller. It is reported I was completely hooked and could only be pursuaded to eat chips over the next 3 days. If you’re keeping up with the blog you’ll catch a theme here. So now we were four, and in time little sis became a playmate.