5 in 5 - February 2017 - Getting to the root of it.....

Welcome to '5 in 5' where on the 5th of

each month I post 5 photos that I have

taken in 5 minutes.

The other day I received a unexpected email. It was from a lady in Shropshire who has just started to trace her family history and she wanted to know if we were related. I was excited to tell her that we are, and so a flurry of emails and photos has ensued over the past few days. We share the same great grand parents, so I guess this makes us second cousins.

Ten years ago I had another family member, Maureen, contact me. She gave me a wedding photo and wrote names next to some of the people

but I never sat down and really worked out how these people are connected. Until now. Caroline had asked questions which made me realise I have information but no understanding of how things fit together, and so it was time to get to the root of my family tree.

This is something I have been working on for many years, on and off.

I realised it is important to talk to relatives while I have the chance, and am sorry that I didn't ask my grandparents more

questions, because I know now that their stories are a loss. But I have written down memories told by my parents and family members and each family branch has a file, or two, with notes and records.  

I also have a collection of old family photos for each of the family branches. I am blessed that I knew all of my grandparents and had a close connection with them. Framed photos hang in the hall.

Great grandparents are more of a mystery. And since they had large families I get confused trying to work out which siblings belong to which family. Stories mingle and intertwine, so this week I started to organise the photos. I knew this album would come in useful! It has good strong pages and a cover that will be transformed.

I also have a collection of certificates. The information they hold is fascinating, and often raise new questions. Researchers often say that witnesses hold interesting information.  I do not know who William or Mary Ann Alice Brown are.  Friends of the married couple, maybe? I need to do more investigating, but I do know that William was unable to write and left a X as his mark.

However, it seems my grandfather was a 'very good' scholar, and that 'he should do useful work for an employer'!  He was nearly 14 years old when this was written and I expect this would soon be his calling.  

I have been lucky as Maureen gave me a pile of paperwork and records, copied from her extensive research over the years. Before the internet she spent many hours visiting record offices and libraries. I am very grateful for her sharing all this, I just need to slowly work my way through and make sense of it all.  These past few days I have been able to unravel a family mystery, and fill in a huge gap for a family I didn't know I had. How exciting!

Some months my photos are more spontaneous for 5in5 and I did plan to take photos when I go on a walk this morning. But I decided to organise my paperwork and use my family tree as a prompt instead. Initially I was going to take the photos in black and white or sepia. 'Adventures in Seeing' this week invite you to take photos in a different way, and I thought this would be fitting. But instead I will take black and white photos when I go out. I might be back to share these photos another time, but meanwhile if you fancy picking up your camera why not join in with 5in5? It could be lovely to have

your company!   

Here's what you do and there are more details here. 

1.  Choose a location.

2.  Have your camera ready.

3.  Set a timer for 5 minutes (I use my mobile phone).

4.  Take as many photos you can (or wish to) until the time is up.

5.  Choose 5 photos to download and share by using the link tool below.

                              You have until the 25th of the month to add your photos.

Thank you to those who took part in last months challenge: Melanie, Paula, Mary-Lou, Melissa, Karen, Susan and Borqna. It was lovely to see some new contributors, a big Welcome! If you don't have a blog you could take Susan's example and share on FaceBook instead. What a great idea! Either way, please add a link to this page so that others can come and see other 5in5 photos if they wish. I appreciate not everyone wants to join in with a photo challenge and that's okay because visitors are very welcome too! So thank you for popping by and feel welcome to leave a comment or your blog link. I will see you back here next month with another 5in5!

Adventures in Seeing - Open

Hi! And welcome to what might be a regular or occasional post in the year ahead. I received a new photography book from my son for Christmas, called Adventures in Seeing, by Kim Manley Ort. The chapters take you on a journey and invite you to slow down and connect with what you see before you take a photo. This appeals to me. As a keen photographer I have always taken my camera everywhere and been open to what inspires or draws me but recently, caught up in other things, my passion has got lost. I got lost. So I am trying to find my way back.

I like projects and focus and for a number of years I did Project 365. But when I got too busy with other things the photos just piled up as computer downloads and eventually I gave up. I did complete a year of Tree Following, and posted a monthly blog about the changes I saw. I enjoyed this but decided not to continue for a second year and so last year I took a break from both these projects.   

And now, with a new camera and an intention to reconnect, I am excited to discover this book and the closed Facebook group where members will work together.  There are 45 weekly themes and as I want to enjoy the course and not feel pressured I do not plan to post regularly. But I will share from time to time and thought I would start with some of the photos I have taken this week.

The theme is OPEN. It connects with me, because I am practicing ways to be more present, such as meditating and taking time to pause or go more slowly. Open is a good place to start, and it invites all kinds of ideas. Here are a couple of examples:

These reeds drew my attention, the different textures and the way they gently waved in the breeze. However, it was my husband who pointed out the sound of the stems as they gently touched. I realised my eyes might be open but not my other senses.
A good lesson learnt.

On our way we noticed part of a building that interested us. Usually hidden by trees it now stood out clearly so we left the river edge and ventured down a path that led towards a row of houses. We paused to admire their location and unusual architecture then retraced our steps.  It is good sometimes to explore and be open to what the day brings.  To follow the path unknown.

I hadn't intended to take a photo, I simply opened the front door and noticed frost on the car windscreen. I immediately had the urge to pick up my camera. I am getting used to the new settings and features and after a couple of shots I noticed that the frost was quickly melting. A few more minutes and their crispness would be lost. I learnt that sometimes you have to grab the opportunity while it lasts, as some are fleeting.

On my walk this morning this gate and hedge make me think of the word OPEN. I like taking photos of gates, doors, windows, and what look like openings - they invite investigation and mystery. A portal into the unknown. So I walked closer for a different perspective.

And sometimes what first appears open, isn't.

An opening suggests a way of entry, a coming and going. There are cattle in this field so the padlock might delay or deter rustlers. But it might have another purpose too. Last year someone abandoned a pony into the field, leaving the farmer with responsibility for it's welfare. Who'd have expected this?

Sometimes being open invites surprises and unwanted outcomes, but wouldn't life be dull if it was safe and predictable? So, take the unknown paths and didn't forget to pause to look more closely as you go about your day!  I'll be back sometime with more Adventures in Seeing.