Think of me enjoying a two week January holiday in the village of Punta Mujeres in Lanzarote when I was 62. Waking up every morning deciding what to do by clouds, sun, wind or the strength of the tides.

Looking out from the apartment, I was reminded of the times I spent holidaying in Al Fujaira, the only east coast city in Abu Dhabi which looks out on the Gulf of Oman, when I worked in the capital—the horizon of sea expanding before my eyes. Here, there were no tankers dispelling their oily goo... no fear of being covered in oily spots while swimming that needed special sprays to dissolve the oil to get clean afterwards. Here, only the occasional sailing boat cruised passed with fresh, clear sea to swim in, snorkeling through seaweed and fish, all to enjoy.

Each day we watched the dawn—each an amazing sunrise, though rough in places, we walked and walked along the volcanic shoreline looking for hidden bays, explored rock pools, sunbathed, swam in deep sea and saw the fantastic array of fish life... angel sharks, garpike fish, electric blue damsel fish, and more besides.

In the evening, we didn't watch the pennies (or cents!) as we dined out every night enjoying delicious, fresh food in the local restaurants.

I was determined to try and stop the sense of panic or guilt that I should be doing something more productive but only to rest easy no matter what because rest is good for the soul, mind and body.

When you get to my age, I hope you won't be haunted by guilt, grief, fear, regret or any such negative emotion. Life is difficult and the past is not worth a thought... enjoy today because that's all each one of us has got.

On Thursday 15 June, my daughter heard she was awarded Fellowship of Higher Education (HE), an internationally recognized qualification.

What does it mean? It demonstrates that her practise is aligned with UK professional standards and shows her commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning in HE. 

On Thursday 15 June, I weighed in at 9 stone 4, the weight I last was when I was 33.

What does it mean? Using intermittent fasting, I’ve lost a stone and a half. It has forced my body to burn the excess fat stores during each fast, and, if research is to be believed, reduce the reoccurrence of cancer.

Difference between the two achievements… each of us have different priorities at our stage of life. My daughters’ achievement should definitively help her in her career path whereas mine is more probable, it may give me longevity. But both of us are as pleased as punch.

My conclusion: achievements, that bring more satisfaction in our lives, come in many different forms.

YouTube video...

Is There More To Life Than This… an opening talk by the humble, unassuming, frank Charlie Mackesy

As I review my life and realise my desire was to be someone, to make a difference, to make it all worthwhile... but, as I am at the last part of my life, I look forward and say to my Lord "Remember me...".

What triggered my thinking was the story about the criminal on the cross beside Jesus. I was listening to Charlie Mackesy (author of 'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse') as he recalls my most favourite story of Jesus.

It's a lovely piece written by Bob Dylan in the late 1960s after he became a father, relating his hopes that his child will remain strong and happy.

Beautifully sung by Brian Houston: https://youtu.be/PhZkacVEGwY.

The words are available online.

I'm due to hear Brian play at the Forestside on 5th December... Forestside is a shopping mall... and it's small, definitely to Abu Dhabi standards. But here's how it'll be set up (taken from a previous event). The acoustics will be interesting!

This information has been gleaned from newspaper cuttings, family documents and letters and online sources.

Louise Fearon was born in Tandragee, County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1890. She was the second eldest of 8 children born to John and Lavinia (nee Gracey). They lived in 3 Portadown Road. They also owned the properties on either side that contained a small farm with cattle and a Blacksmiths.

Her father worked as a law clerk in a local law firm. One night he came home by carriage suffering from pneumonia and died on the doorstep. This left Lavinia with her 8 children. Louise was nearly 18 at the time.

By all accounts Louise was a home bird, but was encouraged to move to Canada in 1911 when she was 20 by her Uncle James to join the teaching staff. James was the second principal of the Halifax School for the Deaf in situ from 1891-1918 and friend of Alexander G Bell and Helen Keller, often consulting with them in reference to his students.

Louise was appointed as full time teacher of weaving and handicrafts, working with deaf children from Halifax and Ontario. She was responsible for the establishment of a number of handicraft programs and was recognised in the field of weaving. Many years later in one of her letters she wrote home saying she wished she could have thanked “Uncle Jem” as she realised then it was for the best.

She communicated with her younger sisters, Mary and Norah. Norah was keen on handicrafts too and in numerous letters they exchange hand-written drawings of patterns, of what appears to be weave. In 1966, Louise bought a 20" inch table loom for Norah to encourage her to weave (which was donated to Ulster Folk Museum in 2021).

Below are extracts from newspaper articles from 1952 when she was honoured by the school in recognition of her service and outstanding work.

A lifetime of service to the handicapped -- a devotion and patience that are almost past describing -- love and kindness that even the most bewildered child can feel -- these were the qualities of Louise Fearon.

Hundreds of children have gone through her classes and been enriched immeasurably by their experience. Deprived at birth or by disease of the normal means of communication with their fellowmen, they have learned not only to speak their thoughts and learn the thoughts of others but to experience the richness and wonder of the world, with the senses left to them.

After working 40 years with the deaf, she concentrated completely on teaching those who were both deaf and blind until her retirement in 1961. A number of news articles mention a few of these students: Jean Watts, Roberta Wadman and Marjorie Golinsky.

In particular, Marjorie: Two years ago, Marjorie was living in Alberta and the authorities had come to the unfortunate decision to place her in an institution for mental health care for life! Because psychologists had declared that an intelligence without human contact could not develop. It was then that her parents, Mr and Mrs Albert Golinsky of Glenevis near Edmonton, heard of the exceptional work accomplished by Miss Louise Fearon. She has been teaching deaf and blind children with remarkable success for 10 years in a school in the Maritime provinces. She has 40 years of experience teaching those who suffer from deafness. When Marjorie arrived, two older girls, who have now graduated, were attending her classes. But now the little girl has her teacher to herself. Each day, the smiling and patient teacher sits at a narrow table opposite her student, in a small, sunny room filled with Marjorie's favourite toys that she has never seen. And slowly some form of language is emerging in the mind of the little girl with the black curls. She now knows the alphabet...

She became recognised as a pioneer in the field of education for her work with the deaf-blind students. It was because of her service that the deaf-blind unit at Atlantic Provinces Resource Centre for the Hearing Handicapped (APRCHH) was officially named Fearon unit in 1976. In 1979 received special recognition from the province of Nova Scotia for her contributions to education. Along with her sister, Margaret, who had also worked at the School.

Louise was attentive as ever, often bringing her students back to their parents across Canada after the school year was over. She kept in touch with some of them and kept the memories in photo albums (alas not too many have names on them).

Louise passed away on Monday, November 2 1981 aged 91 in Camp Hill Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia, following a lengthy illness.

Note: I only met Aunt Louise twice, when I was 3, too young to remember (all I remember is the enchanting musical box that was in my bedroom) and 16 (when my sister and I went to visit the Aunts). I only wished I had known what my Aunt had achieved in her life to have asked questions, but alas!

Yesterday I read Matthew 27:24 "When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”"

I have been struggling whether to stand up for something or like Pilate wash my hands off the whole thing. The commentary that came with this verse challenged me. I decided I wouldn't do as Pilate but stand up for what I believed was right, along with other women.

As if as confirmation, the passage I read today talked about how other women spoke up (Numbers 27:1-11). If they hadn't, they would not have anything. They were listened to and affirmed.

I open the office door and there's a musty smell in the air... after at least 150 years the old photos emit more than just memories of a bygone age.

There's a package wrapped in a cardboard with the words "Art Treasures of the World" on it and that has the address of where my Great Aunt Louise worked—Institute of the Deaf and Dumb:
Miss Louise Fearon
637 Gottingen
Halifax N S
Inside is a treasure trove of photographs that would appear not to have been opened since the late-1950s. Although I recognise some people, for the older photographs, I don't and, sadly, there's no names on them.

However, some bare the photographer names and studios they were produced by. In the early years of photography, the studios specialised in portraits and highly fashionable ‘cartes’, small visiting card sized landscape and portrait photographs. Some look really grand so I am hoping this will help date who these people are when we match names with our family tree. Here's some of the studios that were printed on the photo postcards:

• MaGill, Belfast—research shows that a James Magill opened a studio in Belfast in 1861
  • My Dad seemed to always be the first to get things... like we were the first in our street to get a colour television, a phone, a computer (though he never got the hang of using it) so maybe that desire was inherited that they were the first to get James MaGill to photograph them
• Moffett's Art Studio, 53 Bridge Street, Portadown (active during 1901-39) also 53 Donegall Place (active from 1909-22), Belfast
  • Great Aunt Mary and the love of her life, Captain James Dick lounging on deck on one of the ships he captained
• Howard's Studios, 53 Donegall Place, Belfast (active during 1925-8)
  • Captain Dick stands proud on the deck of probably the same ship
• An Australian one... Talma and Company (1893-1932) 119 Swanston Street, Melbourne who was the first commercial photographer in Australia to use electric light
• L. C. Bellsmith of 72 & 74 Union St, Lurgan (1902-6) and and 35 High St, Belfast (1906)
• A. G. Massey of 35 High St, Belfast (1884)
• James Good Tunny & Co., 13 Maitland Street (active in that address, 1875-87)
• Frederick Karoly, Leamington Spa
• Benoit Bloch, 179 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (1883-1889)
• Charles Howell, 44 North Street, Belfast (active from 1937-39)
• Herbert Allison & Son, active from 1905-39 in Scotch St, Armagh; Dundalk, Newry and Warrenpoint
• The Albert Studio operating since 1921-3 at address 305 Pender Street West, Vancouver

Of course, I could try and date the cards through Dating Wizard but I'll leave that for now :-)

Just found a photo of Miss Minnie Palmer who was a celebrated American theatre actress and playwright (1860-1936), one of the first to be accepted on the British stage. Random that it's amongst all these family photos. Somebody must have like to go to the theatre. They are selling the exact same card of her (and similar) for a couple of quid on the internet.

We weren't there when you breathed your last such was the dilemma we faced from the Covid pandemic.

We were assured that you had stopped fighting to recover (that was your norm) and went peacefully. We were glad. You were not happy. It was your time. We hoped that to be the truth. We didn’t want you to suffer.

So now we have the arduous task of clearing your house. Papers galore, and despite of your lecturing “put like with like” as we grew up, you’ve been unable to sort much out over the years.

Personal letters to you mixed with reports, photos tucked in to folders that had no association with their content, old birth certificates with receipts of foreign holidays, though all telephone bills in chronological order from the early 80s and dividend counterfoils bundled together. Why, the volume, why didn’t you clear out periodically?

We go through the piles of paper meticulously ... bags separated for rubbish, shredder and those items that are special and for review later.

Dad, it wouldn’t have been so bad if you’d have let us do it when you were alive. Then I could have asked you about the 20-odd year old reports on engineering, refrigeration and heat pumps. The ones that you didn’t, not only keep the definitive report, but the written draft copy and the numerous print outs that you printed and kept towards the final report. All too much, but you didn’t trust us over the years, even towards the end. Why now?!

I know that technology moves on fast, so does every field. No need to keep so much, though my heart longs for one report that shows the studious, thorough, articulate, clever man you were.

But, alas, time rests for no person so we make a snap judgement and move on.

It’s early days. Maybe I'll find that one report yet.

To Forward IT... you know who you are (12 August 2020):

Thank you for my leaving present of beautiful earrings and for the thoughtful comments some of you were able to add in the card. I will cherish them always.

This week I have contemplated on my time now at home and sense there were two areas I concentrated on while I was with you (though not realising I was doing it) and that is of “connection” and “belonging”. The quotes below are taken from Brene Brown’s book, “Daring Greatly”:

“Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can give and recieve without judgement.”

Although some of you know I did judge but I hope you realised I did it to instruct, urging you to see how you could improve and become a better for it.

“And, belonging... it is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us.”

At times, I felt out of my depth such was the enormity of our task. But showed up and applied myself, no matter how I felt and you did too and we achieved what some thought as impossible. We did it together as a team.

You will continue to shine like stars wherever you are.

I am so grateful I was part of it for a short while. I will be forever proud of you all.