We've just had a LOVELY few days: my second cousin N and her husband T are over from Atlanta and came to stay with us. N and I hadn't met since I was in America in 1970. I was 20 and she was 13 and we were both rather shy so I don't think we made much impression on each other then. However, it was so nice to renew our acquaintance and also to meet Very-Nice-T.
We "did" Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace (from the outside only - we admired it from a seated posture, drinking coffee in the courtyard and then we climbed a bit of Arthur's Seat and admired it from above), South Queensferry with the Forth Bridge - and places in between. Luckily, N shares the family love of gardening (and T is very obliging) so we also enjoyed Dr Neil's Garden (above), climbed another bit of Arthur's Seat and wandered round the Botanics (below).
N was very tempted to take home several lumps of Scottish rock to adorn her garden but thought that it might take her over the baggage allowance. She is also very keen on trees. Here she is, admiring one.
She and I share a great-grandmother, which sounds quite distant, but in fact our grannies were sisters, which is really quite close. Her granny was the adventurous one, emigrating to America in her early twenties. This was after having pursued a man to New Zealand. (He got away.) My granny moved from Glasgow to Edinburgh and then Cheltenham, but I'm not sure that this is as impressive. No wonder I have no initiative.
Because I have no first cousins at all (sigh) I like to keep in touch with my more distant relatives, quite a few of whom are in America. However, I've lost touch - in fact I never was in touch with - various second cousins who might well still be only fifty miles away, around the Glasgow area. My dad had lots of cousins but because his mother was the second youngest of a large family, they were mainly much older than he was so they were never particularly close. I doubt if he ever had addresses for their children, though he left a detailed family tree with names. I wonder what they're like...?
I had great fun a few years ago, tacking down some far flung relations, but apart from discovering we all seem to share various arty attributes, the best bit was that one of them had done loads of research about my maternal grandparents, and could give me a whole heap of information, ready made!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to get together with your American cousins. I bet they had a great time!
ReplyDeleteWill you be going across the pond next year so they can return the favour??
Several years ago I met my third cousin's wife in New Zealand, my third cousin wasn't there as he had come to Australia for the Olympic Games - which we were escaping! But it was probably more interesting, as she is the family genealogist/historian. My maternal grandmother was born in NZ and came to Australia as a small child, so I have many more rels over there that I haven't met. Are you planning a trip to Atlanta?
ReplyDeleteHow happy you must have been to renew this connection. It's too easy for families to lose contact.
ReplyDeleteOk, I burst out laughing when I read "No wonder I have no initiative.". The way you rationalized that comment was just too funny! Somehow, I don't think all that you've done doesn't justify a no initiative comment!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy you had a wonderful time with your cousin. And I agree with Jennifer -- are you planning a trip to Atlanta??? Or better yet -- Chicago??? ;-D