Thread: How often to you think of them? Your parents and their ancestors?

Originally Posted by Bogon

You have been very lucky to reach such an age and not lost any friends.

But Mandolepy said he lost 7. That is a lot imo. I remember another one now. I knew one of the Western Canadian soldiers killed in the Afghanistan war in 2007

How often? Every day. They were good parents and gave us a good childhood.

Originally Posted by S Landreth

I have a framed 5.00 dollar bill on the wall in the loft that was a bet between my father and grandfather (dated Nov 6^th 1961) on the first deer of the season. The tail of the deer is also attached to the frame.

Sounds just charming.

Originally Posted by thailazer

Never knew any of my grandparents but I am proud of my heritage. The past is gone as Buddhists like to say so not much to be gained by dwelling on it. I do treasure memories of friends lost though, especially this week with the passing of one of my close CM mountain biking buddies. We had some grand times drinking corn moonshine with hill tribe villagers on mountain bike rides way out, checking out bamboo bars on the ring roads, and cooking and eating at our place in Mae Taeng. Humbling to think of all the great experiences in life as the whole journey seems to be slowing down for the final destination which hopefully is still a ways out.

Nice little place Mae Taeng.

I think of my mum and dad all the time dad died about 8 years ago and I was able to see him one last time. It was painful. I didn't get to see mum.she died about 4 hours before I got back to Australia,my bro called with the news while we were in the airport. That's it now..I've got a brother in the same city. A sister in London. My family immigrated from.scotland to Oz, and a lot of my Scots relatives have sadly passed on to. Strangely enough I seem to have more family in Laos than I do hear. The wife's family are quite interesting , It took.a while to be accepted by these awesome folks at first I think they thought I would just bang her up ( which I did. Twice) and then do a runner. Noo. 15 years later I'm accepted. Married into a nice family,luck was on my side.

Originally Posted by Norton

All much like this tune.

That is a good tune. But were the good ole days really that good, or is it just being sentimental? BTW, thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by bsnub

were the good ole days really that good, or is it just being sentimental?

That would make a good thread OP.

Of course not. Depends on individual family members behavior. Had one uncle who came home from ww2 a mess. Turned to heavy drinking and often beating his wife. Not good.
Another uncle uncle who was a tail gunner on a Halifax bomber who didn't return. His wife (my auntie) went mental years later and died in a mental institution.
A brother who became a druggie and ended up living in a homeless shelter.

Some bad stuff but by far mostly good stuff family wise.

On the other hand as it relates to "brothers in arms" more really bad stuff but generally good stuff although as I age more and more of them have passed.

I pass on good and bad to my granddaughter so she is properly informed.

Originally Posted by bsnub

Do you have pictures, mementos, tchotchkes or heirlooms?

My Mother died nearly 20 years ago now, I have photos in several albums but none on show. The only real momento I have is her Royal Albert tea set, which is on show but no-one uses. Her love of cooking lives on though and I still cook her recipes in the same way she does.

I don't like photos reminding me of people I have lost, when they die, I take them down.

My old man went 20 years ago - not so much pics around etc - but sometimes I find myself doing things like he used to (mannerisms) or I see him in my brother.
Today I'm listening to the aussie rules footy on the (internet) radio - holidaying in phuket. That really reminded me of him - doing work around the house, mowing the lawn etc carrying around his transistor radio listening to the footy (when it was always only on at 2.20 pm on Saturday afternoons). Sometimes I forget stuff about him but I can remember the smell of cut lawn and hearing the mighty tigers (claremont) winning - not too many games - and my old man glued to the radio.
(geez, its actually brought a little happy tear to my eyes)

JohnBKK: Got your private message and tried to reply but your Inbox is full so it was rejected.

Originally Posted by thailazer

Never knew any of my grandparents but I am proud of my heritage. The past is gone as Buddhists like to say so not much to be gained by dwelling on it. I do treasure memories of friends lost though, especially this week with the passing of one of my close CM mountain biking buddies. We had some grand times drinking corn moonshine with hill tribe villagers on mountain bike rides way out, checking out bamboo bars on the ring roads, and cooking and eating at our place in Mae Taeng. Humbling to think of all the great experiences in life as the whole journey seems to be slowing down for the final destination which hopefully is still a ways out.

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

Most of my pals from school are long gone, starting from school days.

First one was a motorcycle, then a fire, scooter, safari accident, heroin, run over by a bus in Chile, cancer, allergic reaction to ecstasy, heroin, heroin, choked on vomit, scooter accident on holiday, scooter accident on way to work, hill climbing, dirt bike accident, unknown causes, car crash, heroin/mauled by neglected pitbull, heart attack, cancer, slip in hospital after a successful heart operation, motorcycle accident in Udon, hip operation fuck up, slip in the shower.

2 cousins, 1 to meningitis another 1 to suicide.

I lost one Grandfather to Cancer.

Most recently, lost my Father to septicemia as a result of radiation therapy 2 years ago.

Facebook reminds me of the anniversaries of most of these deaths, and I raise a glass to almost all of them.

There are still a few of us left, and 3 of us are bookies favourites to go next. One because he's a full blown junkie, another because he's a musician and lives as such then me because I am the only one that has survived Thailand up until now.

I just turned 40 last week.

Cheery thread this.

Jesus Christ Dirk, sorry mate

Originally Posted by bsnub

Do you have pictures, mementos, tchotchkes or heirlooms?

Almost none.

Our family was broken when my mother died suddenly when I was 6-years old in 1954. We struggled through my dad's attempts at being a single father which was made immeasurably more difficult because he was an an immigrant who never adjusted to America. Our aunts on both sides provided some loving support when we were young but they are all gone now so it is just 'us kids' (I email them occasionally - just yesterday as a matter of fact).

I have quite a few photos of our youth (my dad was amateur photographer - I can still smell the fixer when he was developing film). I also have photos of my dad and his sister from their youth Germany more than 100-years ago on my aunt's cedar chest she brought with her when she emigrated in 1925.

We all left our Long Island, New York hometown and never looked back - my older sister to Portland and myself to the SF Bay Area - my middle sister to upsate. Beyond one cousin in town I have no connections there any longer having left fifty-years ago. At seventy-four I no longer am surprised by my contemporaries dying - I am mostly over the shock of 'youngsters' in their sixties dying 'before their time.

We each reconciled with my Dad before his death (again suddenly - this time when he was in his seventies and we were each in our mid-thirties). He made marathon trips to visit his far flung children almost every year - one year with his only grandson, one year with a detour up to Mount McKinley). His last trip was cut short with his heart attack on a walk to the store near my sister's home in Oregon - he died happy with a speeding ticket from Ohio is his car's glove box.

...
I can still smell the fixer when he was developing film
...

Your comment brought that same smell back to me from when my dad used to develop his films at home