Rare Family Photos: Gordon for good and old reasons

I didn't like my first name as a child and, while playing on the front porch of our house in Burgessville, Ontario as a five- or six-year old, I asked my mother to give me a new one.

[My mother tried "to explain the importance of 'Gordon.'"]

Instead of immediately doing as I asked - I likely preferred Mighty Mouse - she attempted to explain the importance of 'Gordon.' I can't remember much about the discussion that followed but I do know mother's reasoning won the day and I still carry the name I was given at birth - and like it a lot better now.

Besides the name linking me to a great-grandmother, on my mother's side, who lived to the age of 104 or 105, it connects me to my father, Gordon Douglas (Doug) Harrison. I now wouldn't trade it for any other name.

["Until she died in the mid-1950s, Lydia Jane Gordon lived

with her daughter, Ida Belle Gordon in Norwich"]

 
If Lydia's longevity and my dad's tenacity are combined within me I should live to 120.

Where will you be in 58 years?!

[Photos of photo by G.Harrison]

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It Strikes Me Funny: Email about my grandkids' visit

I don’t often share ‘reader email’ after one of my columns hits the street because comments are usually short and sweet.

“Brilliant.”

“Nebulous.”

“You get paid?”

Today I share three of a kind in response to my most recent column entitled ‘My grandchildren know how to turn weekends upside down’, and then a fourth, separately, that breaks the mold because of its unexpected nature and departure from the tone of the piece.

I provide the column’s opening three sentences in order to set the aforementioned tone:

Because regular readers deserve to know certain things about me (even irregular readers, though irregularly), I’m going to begin this week’s column with an admission and a related, follow-up question.

I admit, I submitted no column last week because my grandchildren, on frequent occasions, rule the world.

And, when do parents of twins, triplets, quads, quints, etc., ever find time to go to the bathroom, let alone make a sandwich?

[Please click here to read the rest, as published in The Londoner]

Email 1 -

Subject: Grandchildren
Date: January 19, 2012 11:30:35 AM GMT-05:00

Really enjoyed your article on grandchildrens visit can relate totally with your story. The only difference between your story and my experience is that my wife and I usually snooze the day away after they leave.
 
Dick/Mary K.

Reply -

Hi Dick and Mary,

Thank you for your email concerning my recent column. Though we didn't snooze (such a great idea!) the day after our son and family left, my wife and I commented several times about how quiet the house was. Lovely.

Gord H.
@ The Londoner

Email 2 -

From: nanasmith
Subject: Article in Londoner
Date: January 19, 2012 2:14:29 PM GMT-05:00

Hi Gord and Pat enjoyed your story about the grandchildren, I can remember your guys as little ones at Wortley. We have 12 grandchildren and spent a lot of time with them when they were little, now the oldest is 26 and down to 15 yrs old. You are great parents and now grandparents, and it is all worth the upset as they visit. Best wishes to you and yours in the new year, blessings. Marilou and Wayne S.

Reply -

Hi Marilou and Wayne,

Thank you for your email concerning my recent column.

Twelve grandchildren!! Such great news. ('nanasmith' is such an appropriate email tag.) However, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't survive a full reunion if we had 12 rather than the four. Because of the writing and other isolated pursuits (e.g., building birdhouses in a small workshop), I am growing very used to peace, quiet, and an easy pace for most of the day. Fortunately, the noisiness is for short intervals and the kids are so genuinely happy that - as you say - the visits are well worth it.

Please keep well,

Gord H.

Email 3 -

Subject: Grandchildren article
Date: January 19, 2012 3:13:36 PM GMT-05:00

I just read your grandchildren article and can sympathize. It was a great article and as usual I can identify.

Our three grandchildren, who are eight years old and younger, and their parents came from Australia and stayed with us. As you can imagine, they don't come for a weekend. They were at our house for almost six weeks.  

Think about that...your busy weekend lasting 6 weeks. 

I am also a retired school teacher and I love children. They left a week ago and I am still recovering but I can hardly wait until they come again. Janice

Reply -

Hi Janice,

Thank you for your interesting email.

Six weeks!! I don't want to think about it.

I must hang my head in shame, my son and family were only here for four days and I was almost kaput. However, it wasn't too many years ago that my wife and I agreed to invite our younger son and his wife to stay with us while they looked for a house in London, and their long visit worked out really well. They now live two blocks away and we babysit their five-year old. I guess I do better with smaller crowds.

That being said, here's to the next visit!

Gord H.

Now, think about 12 grandkids staying for 6 weeks!

Stay tuned for the unusual change of tone.

***

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Grand-daughters are growing by leaps and pounds

We didn’t see our twin grand-daughters in February and both my wife and I really missed our usual monthly visit.


["Anna and Ella - healthy and happy": photos by GAH]

It felt like such a long time between visits, and when we arrived in Fenelon Falls Friday afternoon I half expected the wee girls to greet us at the door.

One of them did, but in her mother’s arms.

["Anna flirted with me and the camera all weekend"]

Our 11-year old grandson arrived right behind us and I enjoyed the full house for three days.


["Hi Gramps!" said Jack]

***


["Ella is a little shy around me, but at 5.5 months, loves her bath"]

Ella looks like her dad did when he was a baby, so one saying about grand-children is true: You get your children back.

.

The Twins: Sleep tight, good night, don’t fight

The good news is:

The twins are healthy at 9-weeks old, like to eat and perform certain bodily functions at regular intervals, enjoy their walks out of doors and allow their mom, dad and grand-parents to catch a nap time on occasion.


["Back from a stroller ride": photo GAH]

The bad news:

The grand-parents don’t adjust to sleep-deprivation easily and by the time they get back to their hometown (London) after a week end of helping care for the twins they barely have enough energy to heat up soup before they crash on the couch.

Hopefully, my strength will return in time for my hockey game on Wednesday.

Excuse me, time for my morning nap.

.