Let Them Be Little— Then and Now

Please play while viewing pictures……

 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day to all the children and parents–Childhood means simplicity. Look at the world with a child’s eye – it is very beautiful.

 

“Jeanne Patry Dorianne Patry Bruno Patry enfants de Louis Patry
St Placide.”- Charles Dobie Photo Collection

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
Felt so good in it, no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me, you’re changing with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms they grow up all too soon

 

 

My granddaughters Sophia and Tenley–Photo by Stephanie Seccaspina

 

So let them be little, cause they’re only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love, every day.
Let em cry, let em giggle, let them sleep in the middle.
Oh, just let them be little

 

Lyle Keith Bulloch, 3-1/2 months old.-Lyle Keith Bulloch was the youngest child of Edith (Edythe) McCulloch and William Bulloch. He was born March 10, 1920.

I’ve never felt so much in one little tender touch.
I live for those kisses, prayers and your wishes.
Now that you’re teaching me things only a child can see.
Every night while we’re on our knees all I ask is please

My granddaughter Tenley–Photo from Lynn Hastie Card’s Facebook page

Let them be little, cause they’re only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love, everyday.
Let em cry, let em giggle, let them sleep in the middle.
Oh just let them be little.

 

Lanark Village, Ontario: Public School, Grade One, 1946-Ruth Duncan Photo-Charles Dobie Photo Collection–Charles Dobie Photo Collection- Ruth Duncan photo

Teacher was Miss Shillington (not shown).
Back Row, L to R: Mary Graham, Margie Somerville, Patsy Campbell, Ruth Somerville, Ruthie Drysdale, Evie Gibson, Margaret Matthie, Sandra Bouchette.
Middle Row, L to R: Donna Christie, Victor Greer, Bev Liddle, John Storie, Lewis Blackburn, Marie Brady.
Front Row, L to R: Billy Ballentyne, Ron Jones, Bill Darou, Harold Reid.

 

So innocent, a precious soul, you turn around.
Its time to let them go.

My granddaughter Sophia –Photo by Stephanie Seccaspina

 

 

Izatt Family Photographs — unknown Charles Dobie Collection

So let them be little, cause they’re only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love, every day.
Let em cry, let em giggle, let them sleep in the middle.
Oh, just let them be little

 

Let them be little–Photo by Stephanie Seccaspina

 

My late sister Robin Knight Nutbrown–Me (Linda Knight Seccaspina) in the centre– and best friend Judy Clough circa 1959 Valentine’s Day–

 

 

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in Hometown News and now in The Townships Sun

 

Only Got My Love to Send On Valentine’s Day—Readers Comments

I asked for some Valentine’s Day Memories and while I didn’t get a ton– we got enough for me to publish them. Thank you to all who commented.

Photo by Karen Hirst

Happy Valentine’s Day to My Beloved Ken and his companion Miss Abigail. About 9 years ago I brought Abby home from my work at 11 P.M. at night, wrapped in a pink blanket and surprised Ken with his little Valentine—love at first sight and constant companions. Walking Abigail many times a day has kept them both healthy and happy.– Karen Hirst

Photo by Brenda Mattey

This valentines will be the best! Our miracle granddaughter, Cambria will be with us for her first Valentine’s Day. She has stolen my heart.–Brenda (and Steve Mattey)

Sherry mentioned that Steve Earle has some nice lyrics for his song about forgetting “Valentine’s Day”–– Thank you Sherry Gail

So if you’ll take my IOU
I could make it up to you
Until then I hope my heart will do
For Valentine’s Day

Margaret Edwards and Shane Wm Edwards

Elizabeth Edwards said: “Someone I may or may not be related to, built a special certain person (who I also may or may not be related to) an igloo on Valentine’s Day. She was surprised when she arrived in Carleton Place to spend the day with him. He set up a KFC picnic for her inside the igloo with a heart shaped cake he made. He dyed the cake red with grenadine. They’ve now been married for 32 years. My friends heard this story when we were teenagers and we all made it our goal that we too wanted an “igloo of love” as we thought it was the most romantic gesture”.

Author’s Note- This made me cry, and I am still whimpering as I type it- however, like Elisabeth said–it may or may not be related to the Steve Earle song above suggested by Sherry Gail:)

                                                          Wendy and Frank LeBlanc

This is not a Valentine story but it pretty well sums up my husband’s ( now of 50 years!) romanticism. It was our 10th anniversary and he was away from home – not unusual for his military career. A lovely bouquet arrived with the totally unromantic card that read : To Wendy LeBlanc from Frank LeBlanc. Often regret chucking out that memorable note!

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in Hometown News and now in The Townships Sun

Filed under Uncategorized and tagged Lanark-County, love, love notes, Ottawa, steve earle, Valentine's-day, valentines | Leave a comment

And They Called it Puppy Love

The first story I had published in the San Francisco Chronicle.

 

My father used to have a large lumbering Irish setter named Thora. Sad to say she was equipped with a brain the size of one lonely canned pea. Thora would spend the lazy hazy days of summer lying out in the middle of the country dirt road just snoozing her life away. No one could get that dog to move, and it’s a wonder she never got run over. On car rally Sundays drivers were advised on their maps they had to maneuver around one big red dog lying in the middle of the road.

Thora had a serious admiring suitor named Frankie, and he was the tiniest farm dog I ever saw. He just loved Thora, and each day he would literally spring up the road to come visit his love. He would lick her face continuously and then proceed to bark at her for hours. Thora never moved, just closed her eyes, and one might say they simply were having a silent love affair.

As the months progressed, Frankie’s love for Thora turned to lust. Try as he may, consummating this relationship was quite difficult for one so small. Occasionally she would stand up and come to the house for water and there was Frankie, barely twenty inches from her tail. Jumping and barking like the dickens, the more he couldn’t do the deed, the more smoke seemed to be coming out of his ears. Thora in her own dazed world couldn’t have cared less.

Word got around the neighborhood and it became the talk of the county how this little dog would do anything to make Thora his. My father, always the comedian, continued to tell the “dog in lust” tale to anyone who would listen. He never really had an ending to this doggie tale until one fall morning when he came back from his walk grinning from ear to ear. That very morning he said, he had seen Frankie trot up the road dragging something behind him. Trying to keep a serious face my father said that Frankie was last seen toting a step ladder. Everyone laughed knowing a dog dragging something like that up a dirt road would be quite the sight, let alone impossible.

Well, maybe one fateful morning Frankie did indeed bring along a step ladder. Small as Frankie was, we all knew he was the most talented cattle dog in the valley, and obviously he pulled off a magic act that day. A few months later, on Valentine’s Day Thora gave birth to six puppies and there was never doubt in anyone’s mind to who the father was. My father, delighting in more fodder for his volume of stories added more to his tale of wonder. It was said that Frankie had been last seen passing out cigars as he dragged his step ladder back down the road. After all, waiting is a sign of true love and patience. Anyone can say I love you, but not everyone can wait and prove it’s true. Like Frankie and his everlasting love for Thora.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Unforgettable — Waterside Retirement Community –Valentine’s Day

So what makes a good love story? I think all memorable love stories have an element of tragedy. That certainly holds true for Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet. But neither of these books is famous necessarily because of the love story… that’s just a plot line, after all. It’s the writing that makes both books really great, and that’s harder to dissect.

Today I had the honour of  listening to love stories written by  some great writers from Carleton Place at  Waterside – A V!VA Retirement Community in Carleton Place. It was hard to hold back the tears as I heard word after word of undying love. Still with tears in my eyes I also told a humourous story that involved the family dog, but it had the same motto:

“Never give up on each other “

That’s the perfect recipe of a great love story 🙂

Here are some photos that made the day unforgettable for me. Thanks Patti Guimond, I was honoured to be part of your celebration.  I was truly honoured to be among friends and be able to share my writing. It was unforgettable.

 

Remember, it’s not the  years in your life that counts, it’s the life. Go tell someone you love them.

 

If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love.

Maya Angelou

Tara Grigg Gesner (contest judge), Debbie and Jerry Flynn (contest judge), Steve Yaver, Elsie Robertson, Elsie Robertson, Sandy Schappert and Carol Dryburgh (contest judge)

One of the winners Sandy Schappert with judge Carol Dryburgh

Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another.
Thomas Merton

The Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love.
Margaret Atwood

They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything.
Bil Keane

 

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
Charles M. Schulz

 

Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you.
Loretta Young

Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

 

There’s a long life ahead of you and it’s going to be beautiful, as long as you keep loving and hugging each other.
Yoko Ono

Love You Forever Contest– I Know You Have it in You!

Daylight had broken, and the dining room was now silent and glowing. Whatever had possessed the night air that filled the pink hued room, was now gone. Why was it was there to begin with? Was it desperation for the loss of love?

A long time has passed since the death of the old couple, that lived at Springside Hall for fifty years.

Mrs. Rayburn would play tango music daily on the old phonograph, and her husband would sit silently in the dining room bay window and smile. He could not dance, but some days he would come and take her hand and swirl her around the room.

Money was not in abundance, but they simply had each other.  Each summer day he used to pick her one single pink rose as she so dearly loved those rose bushes that grew wild near her guardian angel within the trees.

Years passed by too quickly for them, and he ended up dying in his beloved bay window. Old, fragile, and now alone, Mrs. Rayburn was sent to the Almonte Senior Centre, and the home they had so lovingly shared was sold.

Excerpt from The Lover’s of Springside Hall

 

This was a true love story from Carleton Place that I wrote, and you just have to click on the link above to read the rest. I have many love stories written, some you might see, some you may never.

Patricia Guimond has all your story entries so come on down on on Feb 12 from 2-4 pm in their Paddles Pub at Waterside. On Feb 12th during 2-4 they will be letting everyone know who the winner is, and the winning story will be read outloud.

I will be there enjoying musical entertainment, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. Did someone say chocolate?

 

 

 

 

The Tale of the Valentine Love Spud

 

Photo of Appleton  by Linda Seccaspina

Valentine’s Day was fast approaching, and John had no idea what to give his lovely wife Lily as a gift. He thought how handy a dust buster might be and figured that maybe he should read up on what Brad Pitt was giving Angelina Jolie and buy a cheaper version. Last year he had bought a $19.99 perfume special at Shoppers Drugmart called Desperate Housewives and that hadn’t gone over too well.

Photo by Linda Seccaspina

Watching Daniel Alfredsson play the hockey God that he is on television he continued to wrack his brain and ruled out a new ironing board cover or AA batteries for her power tools. What about a new set of snow tires he thought quietly to himself? That could be practical, and much better than the box of chocolates he had found in the street that afternoon. The box still had a ribbon attached to it and was unopened. Sad to say it looked like it had been driven over a few times and John figured it had probably been run over by a woman who received a pair of snow tires as a gift.

When they first began dating he had found a stone shaped like a heart near Mississippi Lake. He had cleaned it carefully, dated it on the back, and had written “I Love You”. That particular gift had gone over well and suddenly he had an idea. The next night before Lily came home John set the table and placed a huge bucket of KFC on the table to share. He came out of the kitchen with a plate in his hand and lovingly told her to sit down. He looked at her with tears in his eyes and said in a hushed voice,

“Lily I love you, and I just want to give you a piece of my heart for Valentine’s Day.”

Photo by Linda Seccaspina

Lily looked down and gazed at the plate and knew that John would always be her sweetheart. There lay on the dish a baked sweet potatoe shaped like a heart. He would always be her first, her last, her everything.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Dedicated to Steve

actula picture of our love spud…

The Tale of the Valentine Love Spud – Zoomers

The Tale of the Valentine Love Spud – Zoomers.

 

 

“Valentine’s Day was fast approaching and John had no idea what to give his lovely wife Lily as a gift. He thought how handy a dustbuster might be and figured that maybe he should read up on what Brad Pitt was giving Angelina Jolie and buy a cheaper version. Last year he had bought a $19.99 perfume special at Shoppers Drugmart called Desperate Housewives and that hadn’t gone over too well…….”