Linda’s Countdown to the Royal Wedding–Day 2-May 13th Mother’s Day

Linda’s Hat Room Photos

May 13, 2018.

A long time ago when our beloved Princess Diana was going to get married she had to take etiquette lessons from the late Queen Mum. Now that “Mum” has passed who is going to steer “Markle & Spencer” in the right royal direction? Is Prince Harry’s stag and do going to be televised nationally?  That would be a great pay-per-view event!

I figure as a fellow commoner like Meghan I might be the one to take over the job. Yesterday I immediately sent my resume to the Royal Palace asking them for the position. Is it too late?

 

 

Dear Elizabeth and Phillip,

I understand that your grandson Harry is about to be married and you might need a bit of help. I believe I am quite qualified to take over the job of the late Queen Mum.

I know that for you to even consider me for this job I must have some experience with the Royal Court.  I present to you the above photo for admission of proof. This figurine was given to me by my late grandmother Mary Louise Deller Knight from Cowansville, Quebec. It was originally passed on by my great great grandmother Louisa Knight from England. She worked in your very same court as a lady in waiting for Queen Victoria. What a small world! This was given to her by Vicky herself.

Sad to say Louisa was banished from court because she had what they called “loose skirts”. I wish to tell you just in case you are concerned that she ended up marrying quite well. Louisa married the Duke of Essex and her descendants down the line owned the trucking company that hauled the milk for the Nestle Company. How wonderful that the whole family ended up in the pudding business. (For anyone reading this, this is an absolutely true story, I kid you not).

In closing I would like to thank you for your consideration of my offer and in signing off – I salute you with the royal wave.

Happy Mother’s Day!! ( oh that’s right, you Brits don’t celebrate Mother’s Day, Mothering Sunday is long gone)

Very truly yours,

Linda Knight Seccaspina

P.S. It’s difficult to say ‘Harry to marry Meghan Markle’ without either sounding drunk. Honestly, try saying that a few times quickly.

 

                          Lanark County

 

Not invited to the royal wedding? Well- “Pinky Up” and get your finery and fascinator ready!–You can still celebrate– as you are cordially invited to a High Tea – Royal Wedding style! Saturday, May 19th 3 pm! CrossroadsTea Room from Perth will be serving the best in dainties and Champagne is Included!

Prizes for Best Fascinator & Outfit–

Where? Best Western Plus Perth Parkside Inn & Spa
Get your tickets fast at The Crossroads Tearoom– You know they will be sold out quickly!

40 Gore Street East, Perth, ON, Canada

613-267-2152
crossroadstearoom@gmail.com

 

 

 

Join the Hub for the Royal Wedding on May 19 click here

 

You are invited to the Live Screening of the Wedding of
His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales to Ms. Meghan Markle at the Almonte Civitan Hall.
6 AM for light refreshments
7 AM Ceremony start time
Followed by an English Breakfast and a very special Wedding Cake

MORNING WEDDING ATTIRE ENCOURAGED!

Join us for what is expected to be one of the most watched world wide events. A big screen will be set up to watch the Wedding unfold, followed by a delicious breakfast and wedding cake!
We have 20 Golden Tickets for those interested in the baking challenge and are first come first serve. Golden Cake ticket holders are asked to bake and decorate a wedding cake or dessert ( to serve 8 people).
Cakes will be on display and all attendees will have 1 vote for their favorite cake. Bragging rights and prize for the winner!

We invite you to extend your best wishes to the happy couple by bringing a card, which will be passed on to them. In lieu of gifts for the Royal Couple, and to honour their extensive charitable work, we invite you to donate to The Hub Building Fund.

Tickets are $25.00
For more info and to purchase your tickets, please call Julia Thomas at 613-256-2116, or email info@thehubalmonte.com.

OR

Tickets can be bought at Blackbirds and Gilligalou Birds in Almonte.

Proudly sponsored by THE HUB and Prior Engagements, Party & Event Rentals

 

Get ready for the Royal Wedding and make your own Fascinator! Two workshops coming up – April 25th and May 2nd. You too could look amazing with this addition to your wardrobe! Info under a separate event for The Hub! Book your spot today!

 

 

Dressed in their finery and enjoying their tea and cupcakes, from left: Carleton Place residents Linda Seccaspina, Laurie Graham and Jennifer Irwin. – Tara Gesner/METROLAND

Queen Elizabeth II honoured with tea party (2015) click here.

 

 

Linda’s Countdown to the Royal Wedding–May 12th

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place and The Tales of Almonte

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun  Screamin’ Mamas (USA)  and The Sherbrooke Record

1970s Lanark County Beauty Queens

Here She Comes Miss Eastern Ontario –Photos

 

Miss Civitan Club 1976? Who Are These Women?

Have Hat Will Travel — Carleton Place Royal Tea — September 9th (2015)

Electrical Plugs — Hats– and Impressive Men – Putting on the Ritz in Almonte

Tales of the Queen’s Underwear and all those “Accidents”

My Journey to Become the Future Queen Mum of England

A Photo Birthday Message for the Queen-April 21 2016

The Not So Secret Society of Ladies Who Lunch — It’s Always a Good Time

Royal Canadian Mint unveils royal wedding coin created by Westport artist

Doo Wah Diddy Diddy —The 1964 Royalty? Straight Outta Carleton Place High School

FACT – The Queen is Not Affiliated with Freddie Mercury

Taking Sexy Back with Brothel Bertie aka Edward the VII

The Dolls of Queen Victoria 1899

Should we Change the Name of Victoria Day? Another Assault on Dead People?

It Was 100 Years ago Today- Facts that will Astound You!

Z95.3 Vancouver posted a list last week and I thought I would share. However, there are discrepancies here and there, so I added my own notes- so please feel free to add yours.

The Year is 1915– Just One Hundred Years Ago

The average life expectancy in men was 47 years (I looked up life expectancy for Canada and Statistics Canada and it only starts in 1920 to 1922.  Life expectancy was 59 in Canada because of the high infant mortality rate.. people have always lived as long a life as they do now..it is graded on a curve.)

Fuel for cars was only sold in drugstores
Only 14% of homes had a bathtub
Only 8% of homes had a telephone

The maximum speed limit in town was 10mph
The average wage was 22 cents an hour for a 40 hour week and the average yearly salary was 200 to 400 a year (My understanding is that very few worked only 40 hours/week, it was more like 50 hours. My Grandfather paid my father 10 cents an our to work at his firm in the 30s- so I guess it depended on where you worked.)

An accountant could expect to earn $2000 a year
A dentist could make $2500
More than 95% of births took place at home

Ninety percent of all doctors had no college education. Instead they attended so-call medical schools, many of which were condemner in the press and the government called them substandard.(The medical schools that were condemned in the press, were condemned by Carnegie and Morgan, to shut them down so they could mold doctors to their way of thinking … prescribing drugs that don’t heal, and keep patients as customers for the rest of their lives.)

Sugar costs 4 cents a pound
Eggs were fourteen cents a pound

Women washed their hair only once a month and use Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. “Should the hair become heavy with grease during the intervening weeks much of it can be removed by sprinkling the locks thickly with fine corn meal”

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering their country for any reason. (It actually began in 1879. What I found concerning was head tax on Chinese immigrants)

The five leading causes of death were: Pneumonia and influenza, Tuberculosis, diarrhea, heart disease and stroke ( Pneumonia and influenza cannot be grouped as one cause of death. They are two different afflictions. Therefore, the SIX leadings causes of death were listed.)

The population of Las Vegas was only 30–(Las Vegas was founded when 600 parcels of land were auctioned off, with 600 parcels sold that implies more than 30 people. The county had 2200 people for instance, and it unlikely most were outside Las Vegas)

 

Crossword puzzles, canned beer and iced tea had not been invented yet. (Inaccurate– the first known published crossword was in December 1913 (in he New York World), the oldest printed recipes for iced tea date back to the 1870s etc.)

There was neither a Mother’s Day nor a Father’s Day ( In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers. Although Anna Jarvis was successful in founding Mother’s Day, she soon became resentful of the commercialization and was angry that companies would profit from the holiday. First modern American Mothers Day was celebrated in 1908 in West Virginia. Fathers Day was 1910 in Spokane, Washington.)

Two out of every 10 adults could not read or write and only 6% graduated from High School.  In 1910 7.7% and in 1920 6% of the total population was unable to read or write in any language. In 2015, three out of every 10 adults on Facebook cannot read nor write:)

Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at local drugstores. Back then pharmacists said: “Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach, bowels and is in fact, a perfect guardian of health. (By 1914 you needed a prescription for heroin purchases. Not exactly a total roadblock, but it wasn’t OTC in 1915. Coco Cola had cocaine in it, and they advertised to drink it for a pick me up)

Photo courtesy of the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum from their Forever Young display now on.

 

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full -time servant or domestic help. (Now 90%+ of households have domestic help from appliances like refrigerators, toasters, washing machines, dishwashers, etc)

For the year of 1915 there were only 230 reported murders in the entire United States. (Just about everyone had a gun!!! Don’t recall hearing about mass shootings in 1915–but just a thought here but perhaps you didn’t hear about mass murders because the press was so slow and television and radio were so far off.)

 

What is a Great Mother’s Day Present?

Today I wrote about Kitchen Table Mothers. Those are the ones that took kids into their homes without questioning anything.

But to all Mother’s– have the best day and looking for a great present?  Buy her a ticket to Ladies Who Lunch in Carleton Place June 6th at the old Town Hall.

Click here.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day to All the Kitchen-Table Mothers

Picture taken in 1990–Agnes and me

Originally written 4 years ago but completely re-done for today.

Picture taken in 1990–Agnes and me

 

It is not fun to be motherless any day of the year, but sometimes you have no choice in the matter. Is one ever ready to lose a mother? Mine died of cancer when I was barely 12. Some days I feel I missed out on so much, but because of a kind neighbour named Agnes Rychard in Cowansville, Quebec–a little of my mother was returned to me.

We all have issues to deal with. I think this is part of life’s journey back to our true pure selves, but without a real feeling of love early on, it’s challenging. How do motherless children get through Mother’s Day? I personally would like to think that some of us have had people like Agnes in our lives. Adoptive mothers, or those that chose to be by our side, were born with the ability to change someone’s life. They gave us places to feel safe, loved, and shed a few tears.

Agnes has remembered each and every birthday with a greeting card, and we still sometimes swap photos, stories and treasured mementos through the mail. She has allowed me to know my mother in a new way. Thanks to her, when I look at these mementos I discover new pieces of my mother all the time.

 

The late Bernice Crittenden Knight who died at the age of 34 with my late sister Robin who died at age 40. I can’t remember how much time I spent with my mother– that is how little I saw her through no fault of her own. I hate cancer

 

This woman took the time to rescue snippets of my mother’s plants while a construction crew tore my childhood home down. With my horticultural talents, I successfully ended up killing every plant she gave me, but I still got to enjoy them for a short time. I always knew in my heart she had a dream, but there was never an ounce of anger shown when my late sister and I chose others over her sons for partners.

To all these women who took the time to befriend a young girl or boy in their time of need I am sending you my heart. If your doors had not been open we would have never become part of your “kitchen table family”. Mine was a table that was filled with comfort food, conversation, accompanied by the songs of Hank Snow and Jim Reeves playing in the background.

I used to hate Mother’s Day, but thanks to Agnes, my mother still lives somewhere within me in a very real way. Each of those moments and days she spent with me worked to create a world in which my sons will carry me within themselves as they move forward in their lives, no matter what lies ahead. These women were always busy with their own families and their hands were always full, but so were their hearts.

 

Me and Agnes Rychard in Cowansville 2016

Agnes Rhycard 2016

 

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun and Screamin’ Mamas (USA)

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.

Happy Mother’s Day to All the Kitchen-Table Mothers – Zoomer

 

Happy Mother’s Day to All the Kitchen-Table Mothers – Zoomer.

Mother’s Day Tales Seen Through A Chicken McNugget Peephole – Zoomers

 

“I had a blog already done for today with lots of pictures and sad words. I looked at it and after all the hours of work I put into it I deleted it.  Linda had literally once again talked herself into believing that her mother’s absence was the cause for her past unhappy life.”

Mother’s Day Tales Seen Through A Chicken McNugget Peephole – Zoomers.

Mother’s Day — Proof to Show We Have Come a Long Way Baby! – Zoomers

 

Mother’s Day — Proof to Show We Have Come a Long Way Baby! – Zoomers.

My Friend Naomi de Plume – I Still Call Her Kate – Zoomers

 

My Friend Naomi de Plume – I Still Call Her Kate – Zoomers.

 

 

“A few years ago I met a young gal by the name of of Kristen Thomas Easley who also writes under the pen name of Naomi de Plume. Years younger than I, and political views separated by the size of the Pacific Ocean I consider her a sister and nicknamed her Kate for some ungodly reason.”