nj)v. changed, chang·ing, chang·es
v.tr.
1.
a. To cause to be different:
b. To give a completely different form or appearance to; transform:
2. To give and receive reciprocally; interchange: change places.
3. To exchange for or replace with another, usually of the same kind or category: change one's name; a light that changes colors.
4. To lay aside, abandon, or leave for another; switch: change methods; change sides.
5. To transfer from (one conveyance) to another:
6. To become different or undergo alteration
7. To undergo transformation or transition
8. To go from one phase to another, as the moon or the seasons.
9. To make an exchange
10. To transfer from one conveyance to another
11. The act, process, or result of altering or modifying
12. The replacing of one thing for another; substitution
13. A transformation or transition from one state, condition, or phase to another.
14. Something different
Change is scary..
"Out with the old, in with the new.." they say.. well changes are afoot in my life once more.. some good and some bad, as is usual for me and some will be harder to swallow than others I expect.
To begin with, the biggest change to befall me so far this year is that we sold the family home.. and by family home I mean my Grans/Dads house. I have mixed feelings about this.. on the one hand I know it had to come, of the 3 of us children left now neither one of us could have used it.. our families are too big these days lol.. and there is also the fact that somethings are better moved away from.. but still, that house has seen a lot of lil Smith's grow and fly away and 1 or 2 return also.
Many many moons ago as I'm sure I've probably shared before, my Great Great Grandpa Fred (they're all called Fred, Sam, John-George or Mary remember?? or Napoleon lol) owned a mill in my home town. Well mill owners then had a lot of workers and owned houses to put them in too. There is a lil street that stood near to where the mill was that was once occupied by pretty much all of my family.. and when my grandparents got married they were given number 11.
That was in 70 years ago (eek!) in 1941, in the years that followed my Grandparents Jack (John George) and Mary (pattern...much?) raised their children there.. my Dad (Peter) and his elder sister (Sandra).. my Dad was actually born on the kitchen floor I believe..lol and as we all know by now he died 57 years later in the bathroom of the same house. My Grandad died in the house too.. so lots of sad memories but also many happy ones.. my Mum lived there a while with my Dad's family when her own parents moved away and my younger brother Phil lived there in later years when Dad and he moved in after downsizing from our childhood home.
As children when we visited we played in the street outside.. on the grassy verge opposite where another row of houses had once stood.. family members passed away or moved on and soon there was only my Grandma left at number 11 but she knew all the neighbours and they all knew us, when Brenda, the lady at the end of the street got a brand new VHS player in 1981 we all went around to watch E.T. and sat in amazement at being able to watch big screen movies on the little tv in the corner instead of trailing to the cinema and having to pay!!! LOL
It was a magical place for me.. comforting, home from home.. warm, loving and a very happy place full of the memories of 3 generations and if I think about letting it go my heart aches..but I know those people are gone now and there stands the house, empty and run down.. unloved..no.. not unloved because it is loved, very very much... unhappy maybe?.. yes, unhappy is a better word.. an empty nest of sorts..and empty nests are always sad..
That house gave shelter and warmth to a very happy and loving family and now that there are just a handful of us left maybe its time to move forward. I hope that it is restored to its former glory and could maybe once again be a happy home to a new young family.. if those walls could talk I'm sure it could tell some happy tales and I like to think it would be as sad to lose us as we are to leave her behind..
I doubt any of us will forget number 11 and the huge part it played in our lives.. I hope she's treated well.
"Out with the old, in with the new.." they say.. well changes are afoot in my life once more.. some good and some bad, as is usual for me and some will be harder to swallow than others I expect.
To begin with, the biggest change to befall me so far this year is that we sold the family home.. and by family home I mean my Grans/Dads house. I have mixed feelings about this.. on the one hand I know it had to come, of the 3 of us children left now neither one of us could have used it.. our families are too big these days lol.. and there is also the fact that somethings are better moved away from.. but still, that house has seen a lot of lil Smith's grow and fly away and 1 or 2 return also.
Many many moons ago as I'm sure I've probably shared before, my Great Great Grandpa Fred (they're all called Fred, Sam, John-George or Mary remember?? or Napoleon lol) owned a mill in my home town. Well mill owners then had a lot of workers and owned houses to put them in too. There is a lil street that stood near to where the mill was that was once occupied by pretty much all of my family.. and when my grandparents got married they were given number 11.
That was in 70 years ago (eek!) in 1941, in the years that followed my Grandparents Jack (John George) and Mary (pattern...much?) raised their children there.. my Dad (Peter) and his elder sister (Sandra).. my Dad was actually born on the kitchen floor I believe..lol and as we all know by now he died 57 years later in the bathroom of the same house. My Grandad died in the house too.. so lots of sad memories but also many happy ones.. my Mum lived there a while with my Dad's family when her own parents moved away and my younger brother Phil lived there in later years when Dad and he moved in after downsizing from our childhood home.
As children when we visited we played in the street outside.. on the grassy verge opposite where another row of houses had once stood.. family members passed away or moved on and soon there was only my Grandma left at number 11 but she knew all the neighbours and they all knew us, when Brenda, the lady at the end of the street got a brand new VHS player in 1981 we all went around to watch E.T. and sat in amazement at being able to watch big screen movies on the little tv in the corner instead of trailing to the cinema and having to pay!!! LOL
It was a magical place for me.. comforting, home from home.. warm, loving and a very happy place full of the memories of 3 generations and if I think about letting it go my heart aches..but I know those people are gone now and there stands the house, empty and run down.. unloved..no.. not unloved because it is loved, very very much... unhappy maybe?.. yes, unhappy is a better word.. an empty nest of sorts..and empty nests are always sad..
That house gave shelter and warmth to a very happy and loving family and now that there are just a handful of us left maybe its time to move forward. I hope that it is restored to its former glory and could maybe once again be a happy home to a new young family.. if those walls could talk I'm sure it could tell some happy tales and I like to think it would be as sad to lose us as we are to leave her behind..
I doubt any of us will forget number 11 and the huge part it played in our lives.. I hope she's treated well.
