Tag Archives: brothers

Family Friday. Grandchildren are the Crown and Glory of the Aged.

Posted in Canada, Family Friday, Holiday, Ireland, Motherhood, My thoughts, Restoration, Travel by

Last Saturday I attended a family event.  About one hundred and fifty people gathered together to celebrate being children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of my mother and father.  My parents are both dead, but we met to honor their memory and their sacrifice to rear us, their ten children.
It was because of their example I had endurance to have fourteen children of my own.  My father was a farmer.  The land produced crops and fed animals.  I remember my father walking across a field scattering corn seed with a fiddle.  He did not have the modern machinery that ploughs up the ground, prepares it for the seed and then sows the seed all in a few days.
He arose early every morning to milk cows, “twenty four seven”.  My mother and father imageshared the work.  Mummy supplemented the income by rearing hens and selling the eggs.  As we their children grew up we helped with the work.  My parents educated all their ten children.
The event last week was a focus for some of my own children to return from far away to join the celebrations.  My son David called me two weeks before to tell me he was thinking of coming over from Canada to be there.  It would be an occasion when he and Jacquelyn could introduce their baby daughter Ava, now eight months to his brothers and sisters and extended family.  I was delighted and encouraged him to come.
God blessed his plans.  He was able to book flights that were affordable even at short notice and within the time frame of days he could get off work.  I met them at Dublin airport.  One year ago exactly Brendan and I stood in Dublin airport and waved goodbye to David and Jacquelyn as they left Ireland to settle in Canada.  They returned to these shores of Ireland last Thursday!  It was a day of joy!  They were with us for five full days.

Baby Ava met and played with her cousins, got nursed and shared around to willing arms to hold her.  David hung out with his brothers and sisters.  Jacquelyn met up with friends.

David and Jacquelyn are adjusting well to being young parents.  They lovingly care for Ava.  .  Last evening I found one of Ava’s bottles.  I shed a few tears.  I was missing David and his family.  I miss Jacquelyn up early in the kitchen preparing bottles of milk for Ava.  I miss my grandchild playing around on the floor.  I miss my son David.
But I have joy in knowing he is starting out in life to look after his own family.
Like my father and my husband he will be an excellent provider and protector for Jacquelyn and Ava.  Brendan and I got to see our grandchild Ava.
Grandchildren are the crown and glory of the aged.  Proverbs 17 v 6
We will see her again.

Family Friday. My Six Boys Get Their Hair Cut.

Posted in My thoughts, Provision by

I was reading an article today in a magazine.  It’s title was “Self reliance tips that will save you money.”  Number 11 on the list was the following.
“Cut your family members’ hair yourself.  A quality set of clippers costs less than 50 dollars.”

This article jogged my memory.  Twenty years ago I had six young boys ranging from the age of ten to three.  I would take them to the barbers to get their hair cut.  I would usually go on a Saturday morning.  They were off school. The barbers waiting room would be filled with other mothers with their boys or workmen who only had Saturday off.

It didn’t take long for each child’s hair to be cut but I had to get six children seen to.  That would take about forty five minutes all together.  I had to keep the others quiet in a confined space for that time. They got impatient by the time the last one was finished.  They would take turns climbing on my knee.  One asked “Mummy when can we go home?”  “Mummy I’m hungry.”  “Mummy, I’ve to go to the toilet.”  ” Mummy he hit me.”  “Mummy I don’t  want my hair cut. I want to leave it the way it is.” By the time everyone had their hair cut, I was frazzled.

I let their hair grow as long as was reasonable till I would visit the barber again.  I thought of a way to avoid the stress of having to go to the barber again.  It wasn’t because of what it cost but it was to avoid the long wait.

I knew a lady who worked in a training centre, teaching young students hairdressing.  I took my boys there.  I watched closely how she did her job.  She used an electric hair cutter with graded combs.  Number one was for the sides and number three was for the top.  Then she trimmed the fringe with a pair of scissors.

I thought to myself “I will try cutting my children’s hair myself.”  I bought a set of hair clippers and a pair of hairdresser’s scissors.   I learned quickly to use the machine.  The boys didn’t mind me cutting their hair.  I think I did a good job.  They looked well with their neatly trimmed hair styles.  I said to my husband,  “Think of the money I am saving us by cutting our children’s hair.”

When it was time to return to school in September all my children looked fresh in their uniforms and their neatly trimmed hair.  I was proud of them.  They looked healthy with their tanned or fleckled skin after the outdoor life they enjoyed all summer.

I even trimmed my daughters’ hair.  They had long hair so it was a matter of cutting the hair when it was wet, in a straight line across the back. As the boys got older they helped cut each other’s hair with the clippers.  The girls wanted to try different styles so they went to the hairdressers.  I am thankful they didn’t change their hair colour by bleaching it!

I got confident enough in my hairdressing skills to offer to cut my husband’s hair.  He agreed.  Brendan was sitting down and I was about to start when a friend arrived.  He was as bald as a coot.  He said to my husband “If I had a head of hair like you I wouldn’t let anyone do an amateur job!”  Any idea of cutting my husband’s hair evaporated.