HappyThanksgiving To All My America followers and friends

Kith and Kin Remembered #RemembranceDay #lestweforget

Lest We Forget  

Kith and Kin Remembered 

       My dad was a born storyteller. Some of his stories I took with a grain of salt, except those that were also confirmed by my grandmother. My grandmother confirmed this story, so I feel safe confiding in you. My dad was always fascinated by war and the strategies of war. This began at early age when my dad met relatives at the Timothy Eaton estate in Owen Sound when a young child. 

     What relatives did my dad meet you ask? The two flying aces of World War 1, Billy Bishop and Henry John Burden who he met at the family party. You see Billy Bishop is related to me sort of; let me explain, he was married to my dad’s cousin (you figure out how many removed) Margaret Eaton Burden. Therefore so is her brother, Henry John Burden. Their grandfather was Timothy Eaton,( yes, those well known Eaton's in Canada, related to Timothy Eaton the department head king) . My great-great-great grandfather was Timothy’s brother. Have I confused you yet? 

       When young, my dad went to picnics and summer retreats at the Eaton’s estate in Owen Sound, This particular summer he met the two flying aces. Billy Bishop's home was in England at the time, but he had come home to Canada and met with relatives at this party. 
       Now to a young boy so interested in military history, just being introduced to them made him think he was in seventh heaven, but when they found the boy so knowledgeable about military history they were happy to talk to him of their service as flying aces. My dad thought the two men intelligent articulate and was thrilled that he was related to the pair( if only one distantly and one by marriage).  They were kind to the young boy and his older brother who craved male attention since their parent’s divorce. Dad and his older brother Gordon spent that day just enjoying the stories and soaking in all the information they imparted. This time they spent with him had an impact on my Dad, he wanted to join the air force when he got older or at least some part of the military.  It made his interest in military history come alive even more so and you’d often find the boy with his nose in his book, when he wasn’t hunting and fishing. It may have also made his older brother, Gordon join the war effort as a soldier as soon as the Second World War began. Uncle Gordon became a leader and worked behind the lines in special forces efforts in the Second World War. It didn't hurt that my Uncle Gordon had a genetic ability that assisted him. He had an eidetic memory meaning that he saw something and he could remember it all in vivid images.I'm sure that was difficult for him after the war and part of the reason he never spoke of what he did during the war. As I told you reader once before Uncle Gordon was believed killed at one point and his family grieved for him for months only to have a miracle happen finding out he was severally injured but alive. While my father tried to sneak off to war at thirteen years old but my grandmother retrieved him in Halifax before he boarded a troop ship that later was torpedoed. (see http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2011/11/three-word-wednesday-second-world-war.html)

     So on this Remembrance Day one hundred years after the start of World War 1, I remember the men who give their lives for their countries,and also the flying aces, Billy Bishop and Henry John Burden and my Uncle Gordon who served in Special Forces, and who were lucky enough to survive the war. Thank you all for you service.

My Uncle Gordon and some friends

      

     And thank you to my father who told me about all the military battles and made me see the sacrifices that these men had made for our country. He made me see that period of time through his eyes, those living through those turbulent times and how hard it truly it was.

NB: Billy Bishop officially credited with 72 victories thus making him Canada’s First World War flying ace the top Canadian ace of the war.  Billy Bishop was a touted as a Canadian hero and used as a morale booster to the Canadian people. Ordered to return to England and organize our flyers by June nineteenth, nineteen seventeen he couldn’t resist one last chance to take out more enemy planes flying behind enemy lines he took down five planes in fifteen minutes.   On August 5th, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and was given the post of "Officer Commanding-designate of the Canadian Air Force Section of the General Staff, Headquarters Overseas Military Forces of Canada." During the Second World War, Billy Bishop became instrumental in instructing and setting up pilot training for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Billy Bishop received the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order with Bar, Military Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, 1914–1915 Star, and British War Medal 1914–1920. Margaret’s brother and Billy’s brother-in-law also a flying ace had 16 victories and received a Distinguished Service Order award and a Distinguished Flying Cross award. (source wikipedia)

To read more of Billy Bishop got to http://www.billybishop.net

    

                                    

 We remember and we honour our beloved soldiers. Thank you

Remembering them

Soldiers in full dress

Some frail,

With canes, walker and wheelchairs

Still they come in tribute 

For fallen comrades

New and old

The heavens cry 

With rain and wind

Still they stand tall

People old and young

Marvel at their inner strength

The symbol a red flower

Proudly worn on their breasts 

To remember so we can never forget

The sacrifices given

Though some think long ago

To these brave men and women

It’s yesterday again

Pain in their eyes

They remember and thank

Fallen comrades

Again and again
How can we do less?

Remembering them

Two stories of Halloween-Happy Halloween

Hallowe’en House

It was Hallowe’en night and the weather reminded of that night forty years ago when Bobby Winters had invited me to a secret Hallowe’en dance. Sixteen and beyond excited that my crush had asked me. I had dressed carefully as a wraith, a silk white floor length dress covered by a white torn sheet and a silk white scarf covering my head. I remembered how Bobby had looked in his pirate suit. 

I stepped across the threshold of the old house and in my mind I shivered. It was older and more decrepit then I remembered. I heard the front floorboards creak, waiting as I had every Hallowe’en night for Bobby to come and join me. Tonight Bobby answered my invitation. 

Bobby came closer wielding a flashlight, I heard him gasp. I pulled my silk scarf closer to my head.

 “You said you deserve to be paid and then you and your friends lured me, raped me and killed me,” I uttered as I reached in and grabbed Bobby’s still beating heart.

Bobby’s body was found by some children a few days later. The town talked about pulling the old house down but nothing has been done… yet. There have been mysteriously deaths in the old house, a rash of heart attacks the coroner claims. People are afraid of the house, but they need not be; there’s only one person left that need fear the Hallowe’en house, all the rest of my murderers are dead.  

Happy Hallowe’en!!

©Sheilagh Lee October 21, 2016

Co-existence

    We were all gathered in the great hall ready for the meeting. Night had fallen hours ago and shadows now filled the corners of the room. The house  we loved and lived in was to be shown at the end of the week. It would be sold and we'd have to leave. We were united something must be done but days had passed since we heard and nothing had been done yet.

      The real estate agent came in with the first prospect and we hid in the shadows. It would do to be seen. Jack skillfully made the curtains blow as if in a breeze then the floorboards.

    “It worked Nita,” Jack said to me.

     The person made excuses and left. More people came in and we all did our part frightening them. Then one day the sign changed to SOLD.

    A month went by and then Paul and his two children, Susie and Erin moved in and we thought we’d have to move; but it turned out the children liked us. Apparently a ghostly maid, Annie a butler, Harrison and a couple of ghostly gentry,  Jack and me, Juanita, that was until he met her. 

    We saw Karen from a distance as we hid in the shadows. Karen was lithe and walked like a ballet dancer should. She seemed genuinely nice and we rejoiced that Paul and his children would have a wife and mother. Paul seemed to think she'd be terrified of us and refused to let us meet her. We didn't want to hurt his feelings so we pretended to let it go; but when he said he would marry her and she’d yet to meet us we demanded to be seen.  Paul said we had to go where ever ghosts went and we pretended that we would; but the truth is we had found family something we had never found alive. Susie and Erin had become the grandchildren Jack and I never had and Paul like our own son. We discussed it with our servants, Annie and Harrison and they too felt they couldn't leave them to their own devices. They needed us. After all who would clean the house? Make the meals? Stroke the fires and draw the baths? Help the children with their manners and homework? Who would Paul trust to watch the children when he worked and they didn't go to school? Karen traveled with the ballet company. She couldn't always be here.

     We hid until Karen moved in and then we reappeared. Karen almost fainted she was so frightened but showing the pluck that made Paul love her she straightened her back and asked,"Who are you?"

     We answered all her questions along with Susie and Erin who had entered the room at the correct time as we had practiced. Karen decided it might be nice to have ghostly family in the mansion as Erin and Susie told her all we did. Paul got over his anger at us pouncing on Karen and now  we all coexist happily in our big manor house in the country.  

©Sheilagh Lee October 27, 2016

Happy Hallow'een!!!

Like these stories? Checkout my Hallowe'en book 
Day of the Dead ~ Have you ever heard a sound in the night? Saw something out of the corner of your peripheral vision?  Listen to family folklore or read a fairy tale? Enjoyed a ghost story? Like stories of banshees or death himself?Then these 40 stories are for you.

http://amzn.to/1BZHad4

Happy Labour / Happy Labor Day

The Tragically Hip~ Gordon Downie poetry in motion

       Last Monday the 8th of August I was fortunate to attend the Tragically Hip concert in London, Ontario. It was incredible and filled with all of Gordon's joy in his music that he shared with us the fans. Last night the 20th of August all of Canada was able to see their last concert in Kingston,Ontario on CBC or YouTube Live. For those of you not familiar with The Hip as they are lovingly called, the lead singer and poetic writer of all their songs ,Gordon Downie was diagnosed in December 2015 with a brain tumour specifically a glioblastomabrain tumour ( atype of brain cancer) which is incurable. Gordon recently announced that and chose to undergo some medical treatment and then tour one short last time to sellout crowds swelling tee shirts to research a cure. This is my tribute to Gordon Downie for his courage and love shown to the fans. if you are able to please donate to The Gordon Downie fund for BrainCancer https://donate.sunnybrook.ca/braincancerresearch

Gord Downie thoughtful, kind

Bringing us great music

Poetry in motion

Lyrics with meaning         

Making people think

Bringing people together

For more than thirty three years

And now tonight

For all Canadians and YouTube viewers

One nation under Gord♡

Closed down for over three hours

Most of all we thank him

We love you Gord ♡

You are the best of Canada

Grace in motion.

For Gord’s joy/joie

Merci beaucoup

Thank you from the bottom

Of all Canadian hearts

  Ahead by a century

Never disappointing your fans

You have us in the palm

Of your hands

Forever more

©Sheilagh Lee August 20, 2016

Happy 4th of July

To my American followers on the occasion of the 240th Birthday of Independence Day

Happy birthday America and have a great holiday and enjoy the fireworks and fun.

and enjoy..

Ray Charles singing America The Beautiful

and Mariah Carey singing The Star Spangled Bannner