Medals

Victory Medal, both faces.

A Cousin has been doing research into our family history, & has sent me photos of several historical items he has in his possession. I have never seen these items before & was very interested to recieve these photos.

Our Grandmother's youngest brother, Frank, went to war for the British army, in the 1914-1915 War. He was crushed in an accident involving a truck, whilst in Egypt, & as a result, he suffered broken ribs which resulted in his getting pneumonia & dying.

I know our Grandmother was heartbroken at the loss of her youngest, & perhaps favourite little brother. She named her first born son after her brother, & the Cousin who has the medals, is his son.

This is the back of one medal, & I see it has NZER on it.

The front of the medal.

This next medal is a British War medal. I am a little unclear whether these were given to all soldiers who served.

The 'front' of the same medal.

This next picture is what is called a Blood Penny. These were given to families of men who'fell'- died, in fact.

This is Frank's Blood Penny, given to his parents, after his death. A terrible thing, it seems to me.

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Today we went out to the hard slog at the Coalface of Christmas shopping!

At least the weather was cooler, & though sullen looking & grey, it did keep the temperature down.

As it happened we had a rather successful day, & have just about knocked it all on the head.

We parted ways for various seaches, & I siezed every opportunity for people watching, & resting, seeing I am off all anti inflammatories.

Some prizes for ludicrousness should be awarded. One man, standing in a booth type affair. I could not take my eyes off his twattish hat! I felt like asking him if he was perfectly happy, & did they pay him enough, to stand there looking like some giant TWIT, all day! The wretched thing had some huge goat-like ears hanging off the sides of it! What the hell it represented, I have no idea, but it made him look like some lecherous large lunatic Elf, or Saytr!!

The saddest sight of the day, for me, was a very elderly looking man, who looked as if he very seldom ventures out these days. He had got out his little old grey wig, & carefully positioned it, combed it, & wore it selfconsciously perched atop his small head. Giving it little pats, now & then. It was almost too much for me. I almost offered to straighten it up. I bit my tongue & resisted. I had tears in my eyes, I swear.

I sat & watched the many men & women who appeared to be smuggling watermelons & pumpkins about their persons. The had them stuffed under T Shirts, bulging out from chests, & armpits! They literally staggered under the weight of them. Some of them rested them on their shopping trollies. I carefully avoided any glass or mirror areas, where I might catch sight of my own smuggling crimes!!

The prize for the grossest crime of the day went to a young mother. She had a small child in a stroller, & she was transferring him from the stroller, into a shopping trolley so she could gather items, & keep her eye on the little chap. As she bent to lift the child, her skirt, & pink knickers, rode down, & her top rode up.

There for all the world to see, in full horror was a very ugly 2 & a half inches of bum crack!! Two very portly cheeks bulging above the skirt! The Horror!

I was not the only person to reel at the sight!

Translations might be in order for some of the above mentioned items. I believe some countries call shopping trollies, Carts.

As to 'Strollers' - we in the North Island of N Z called them 'Pushchairs'. When I went to live in the South Island I was surprised to find they were known as 'Sulkies', as in the sulky that is driven in horse racing! Then, on moving to Australia we learnt they call them Strollers. I have also heard them referred to as a 'Buggy'.

So I wonder what they are called in your particular part of the world?

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How are the House Decorators in your neighbourhood?

We have a longterm neighbour who goes for the huge show every year. Now his next door neighbour seems to be competing, & another next to him, has joined in.

Of course all this show of lights, & various other decorator items all over the houses & yards, results in a huge increase in traffic flow. We happen to live on a corner, which is ideal to turn around on.

I can tell our dogs will be insane from all the traffic & foot traffic by the end of the 'Festery Season' in our little corner of the Coast!

Janis Ian, Bigger Than Real.