I may have mentioned to you before, I am one of seven children. I do think that 95% of siblings must at some point squabble. Surely it was not only our family who had occasional squabbles.
My younger sister Mandy and I used to squabble. I can’t remember what all of our squabbles were about…it us such a long time ago.
Mandy and I have have three school years between us but really only just over two birth years between us. I was born in the late summer and she was born at the start of the autumn. She grew taller than me quite early on (everyone thinks it is because she used to drink a whole pint of milk every day!)
It seems strange now that we squabbled as children. Now we have so many similarities. We like the same clothes, the same music and food. There is not really anything to argue about. She likes that I clean her house from top-to-bottom when I stay and deplete her ironing pile.
Mandy used to throw tantrums though as a little girl. I found them incomprehensible. She went through a few years where I used to feel so distressed I was in tears almost every day because I did not know what she would do next. Mandy grew out of them. I learnt to help her calm down. We both learnt to appreciate each other and realized how much we had in common. Life is so much better when you can get on with each other!
I do remember one squabble. I was so upset with Mandy. My Granny had bought me a gift. I thought it was truly wonderful. A rainbow umbrella! I was overjoyed with it. I don’t remember ever having chance to use it in the rain. But I did twirl around with it. I used to reenact the famous scene from the musical “Singin’ In The Rain” with it.
Mandy did not like that I had one and she did not. I still remember to this day the temper tantrum she threw during which she grabbed my umbrella, opened it up and then stamped all over it thus breaking all of the stretchers and rods of the umbrella. My rainbow brolly was destroyed in one fit of envy.
That led to an almighty squabble. I could not understand how she could have been so cruel. I asked her why she had done it and demanded she go and buy me a new one (she was about 4 years of age…she was not going to be able to buy me a new umbrella). She just laughed in my face and told me if I was given another umbrella she would break that one too.
I called her a “pig”.
She pushed me over.
Next minute Mandy and I were both locked into a brawl. Mum tried to separate us. But we were both determined in our outrage towards each other. Mum could not prise the two of us apart. Mum fetched Dad.
Dad told us to stop fighting. He raised his voice and warned us he would count to three. (We all knew what that meant.) But the moment Dad intervened with the squabble was when he saw me pull Mandy’s hair. Dad swiftly picked me up and I found myself standing on a bench looking my father in the eyes.
Dad stared at me, he opened his mouth and said slowly and emphatically:
“NEVER EVER PULL YOUR SISTER’S HAIR!”
I argued of course, crying my eyes out about what Mandy had done to my rainbow umbrella and how she had pushed me over. Mandy started crying about how I had called her a “pig”.
Dad just shook his head and put his hands on my shoulders and repeated even more sternly:
“NEVER EVER PULL YOUR SISTER’S HAIR! SHE MIGHT BECOME BALD BECAUSE OF YOU.”
My father had a real thing about hair. Two of his brothers were bald. Dad has always looked after his own golden locks. He has made sure he wears a hat while at work to protect his hair. He combs his hair very carefully and he won’t let anyone else touch his hair. It see
ms to have been his pride and joy…he is more protective over his hair than Samson. He still has a lovely head of hair at the age of seventy, which is mostly dark blonde with a handful of grey hairs that you only notice if you are sitting next to him.
Dad could tolerate a little squabbling amongst us children. It happens. Within a family you should have plenty of opportunities to learn how to get on with other people, how to respect each other, you learn all about forgiveness and sharing. My parents did have to help us along on many occasions reasoning with us until they were able to make inroads into our little hearts.
However, I remember on so many occasions, before it ever got to the point where Dad would sit down and reason with us, he would swoop down and grab one of us when we were squabbling. The trigger for him intervening in a squabble was almost always that one of us had grabbed our opponent’s hair. My father would not tolerate it. He would make it very clear that we had gone too far. No hair-pulling was allowed within the Finch household AT ALL!
via Squabble — Word of the Day Challenge
However this Supermum probably did too much…and not necessarily wisely. It is a risk. He and his brother were wearing pretty much identical clothing well into their twenties. Always smart and pristine. Why? Because their super-mum would shop for them. She was incredible at cleaning and washing and ironing and cooking. She kept both her home and family looking immaculate. Not saying there is anything wrong with that. But it may have caused some challenges for my sister. When Mandy was first married it seemed her husband expected her to be just like his mum…just like his Supermum!
Anyway….back to my brother-in-law. I remember the days when he was courting our Mandy. There he was with his brother, both of them looking like catalogue models wearing smart jeans, polo-necks, cashmere sweaters, smart loafers – and we were all off to the beach. They knew we were going to the beach. My sisters and our friends and I were all wearing shorts and T-shirts and flip-flops. The beach meant fun! We were all running through the waves and sand and screaming and singing. Naturally, more than a little water was splashed around…and those boys were freaking out because we splashed their beautiful clothes. Well, I did feel sorry for their super-mum having more work to do. But in all honesty, we wondered why on earth they would wear those clothes for a day out at the beach.
… choco… rocko… sugar plum… raisin rum… fruity gel… 
ction! I liked the brown chocolate mice as well. But as a little one, the reward of white chocolate mice after being a good girl for mum when we went on an errand with her was epic! I would do a little celebratory dance to show my gladness. 
the age of twenty-one when she had a little bedsit and had just left her nurse training course. (That is another story I will tell you about one day.) Most of my family stil
Also my singing teacher told me to avoid hot drinks so for at least fifteen years I didn’t have coffee or tea.
When I lived with Italians, they had a great coffee machine and they were very good at making sure everyone was well caffeinated early in the morning. I also worked with lots of Italians. They took responsibility for making the coffee at break-time as they were less than impressed at the dishwater the rest of us called coffee!
When I think of inventions I think of things than have been designed to make life easier, or speed tasks up or even accomplish things we may never have imagined were possible. Although I am a bit of a technophobe and I am very wary of those who use it for sinister intentions…I think the internet and electronic messaging services are remarkable.
Do you realize that when my Goldfinch moves back to Australia in November…I will be able to send him an e-mail from the opposite side of the planet and it will arrive within seconds?!!
If only all the amazing tools that have been invented were only entrusted to good people who would use them to promote good things…and those who had harmful intentions were not allowed access to those tools…I don’t know, I guess it is not as simple as my mum confiscating their phone or tablet or computer until they have learnt their lesson and changed their heart.
I am surprised it has become such a debate. It is of interest to me that some believe and some doubt that human activity is causing a detrimental effect to our global climate on a scale never yet seen in the course of human history. I have heard people’s views and read articles quoting various scientists. Some very persuasively argue that temperatures are rising and this is effecting weather patterns and increasing the frequency and force of extreme weather conditions. I do take the warnings about global warming seriously.
What registered in my mind some years ago was a verse I have read many times that says the Creator will bring to ruin those who are ruining the earth. He will not allow it to be ruined completely. And as far as I can see it is only in recent times that due to the scale of industrialisation, the burning of fossil fuels and the pollution of our air and water, we have reached a stage where humankind have the ability to “ruin” the earth.
I am currently separated from my real home which is on the other side of London. So, I kind of feel as if I am camping out here in my current accommodation (very pretty though it is). I have always loved travel. But I long for my real home…it’s been over three years since I was there and I ache to return.
I saw this dress and thought I would love to wear it myself…but it is only available in munchkin sizes. So I bought one in 18-24 months for my gorgeous niece.
It is pouring down…so we are having indoor fun. Which is fine…lots of very nice things to do indoors. All we want to do is chatter anyway!
Caramel 