Grandma

This is a photo of the very grandmother whose album I’ve been posting pages from, found between those very pages. She looks a bit fuzzy (it’s genetic) but the leaves behind are in focus. It was probably taken by my grandfather, who was an aerial photographer in the Royal Flying Corps during the 1st World War and spent a lot of time hanging over the side of biplanes – I hope his reconnaissance photos were in focus. Written on the back of the photo is the date 1921, nine years after the last entry in the book, and three years before my dad was born. She appears to have a flower pinned to her blouse. Whether she was trying to blend into her garden surroundings or needed somewhere to hide her iPod I don’t know, but it must have got in the way when she was doing the washing up. The hairstyle remained the same for the rest of her life.

To finish off here’s an entry from the very end of the album:

So here hath been dawning
Another blue day;
Think wilt thou let it
Slip useless away?

Out of Eternity
This new day is born;
Into Eternity
At night will return.

Behold it aforetime
No eye ever did;
So soon it forever
From all eyes is hid.

[Thomas Carlysle]

Yours sincerely, A.G. Garrett.