My Aunts fast visit from England

I got home from work on wednesday to a msg left on my machine from my Aunt Joyce. She is my mums older sister. She was in slc for two days only, she was doing a tour of some different places in the USA. I called her hotel and it was downtown and Ralph and I drove down there and brought her back here for the evening. It was really wonderful spending the evening with her and she told me alot of history of my mum and there family in the early years during the war. My mum had always told me that her dad had left when she was five years old and married someone else and started a new family and didnt want anything to do with them anymore. I never met my grandad. I dont even know what his name was. My mum always was a little upset with him and said how her mum was left with five kids to rasie during the war. Well! It seems that that is what my mum was told, my mum was very young and had in fact spent the years beween 14 months and 5 years away from the family as thats when they sent all the children in london out of london for there safety. It seems that my poor stay at home Nan was suddenly forced into a whole new way of life when the war started. All five of her kids (one did pass away around that time) was sent to different places, none were together. The oldest a boy call Peter was sent to a farm, he was around 13 and all the farmers had to go to war and the boys had to live in barns and do the farm work (and get mistreated very badly). The girls all went to different homes, in fact Joyce said she went to 17 different homes in four years. My mum being 14 months old was sent to a big home that was set up for babies, they just had girls in there teens taking care of them and all they did was play all day, they didnt have any attention, love or even a hug. Each girl had about five toddlers to take care of and there wasnt time to show them love or anything. My mums dad of course was sent to war like my fathers dad and my uncles. The women now childless were sent to work as the men were all at war. My Nan was put in a factory of hard labour. She had a weak heart and couldnt do the work. One of the bosses took pity on her and got her in the office with him as his helper. Remember back in 1940 women didnt work until then pretty much. He was an older man and seems he kinda took advantage of her and they started a relationship. She pretty much did what he told her. When the war was over and my grandad came back, his house was pretty much opened to this guy and he was told to clear off. Joyce said it took my grandad years to get over it and was awhile before he did get married again. I just find it all so terribly sad. I guess my mum never knew, she was the baby and no one wanted to tell her the truth, so she died never knowing that her dad had not walked out on her. I think they should have told her. But how terribly sad for my grandad comming back from war and not being able to return to his family? I cant imgine. My mum has never mentioned another man so im guessing he never stayed around after the war also. Joyce said my mum was very in secure when she came back from the home, she had never know love and it took a long while for her to feel settled with them. Its hard to believe thats how her life started as she certainly never acted like that during my childhood. She showered me with love and was a very cuddle me mother. One thing ive noticed looking back at all the pictures of my childhood is one thing, in all of them, my mum is not looking at the camera, shes looking at me and you can just see the love in her eyes when she lookes at me. So its hard to believe life was so hard for her at first. It just goes to show that you can make life what you want to be. My mum told everyone before she passed away that she had had a wonderful life and had no regrets, and she did, she loved life and no one loved more then she did. So anyway thats some of the things that Joyce talked about on wednesday. It was a nice evening. Kinda sad at times hearing about my mum and Joyce although older does look a lot like my mum, my mum was the glam one of them both, lol, but you can see they did look alike. But the way Joyce talks and moves reminded me so much of mum that i had to fight the tears back a few times. The following evening (last night) Joyce insited on taking us out to dinner to Olive Garden, my mum and dad just love that place and they dont have it yet in england. So we went there and we both ordered my mums fave meal, which was mine too and the meal mum and i would always order together, so last night, Joyce and i ordered it. (dad and i ordered it together also on his visit here in june this year). Its funny cause like i said Joyce reminds me of my mum so much and last night she told me that i reminded her of her, lol. She said the way i talked and laughted etc etc, she said it was nice as it reminded her of her sister so much. I didnt know i did that but im glad i do. Joyce only lives seven mins away (walking) from my mum and dad and still sees my dad alot but she misses my mum so much as they used to get together around four or five times a week.
Joyce is a pretty amazing lady. She is starting to go blind and is classed as blind although she can see a little but does have to walk with a white stick. But she is traveling the USA all by herself for a month, she flew into canada a few weeks ago and spend time there and then went to seattle and then to slc to see us and then she was going onto kansas and then back east. All by grayhound. Can you beleive that, she can hardly see, she has trouble walking, shes 77 and yets shes all over the place. Shes also visited New Zealand, Australia a few times, singaport and africia. And pretty much every coutry in europe. I was thinking what a spunky lady she was and what a go getter and then of course i remember my mum!!! She was the very spunky and would try everything once also. I guess it must be in there genes. lol. But anyway it was really lovely seeing my Aunt Joyce again, i hadnt seen her since the funeral. (my dad is taking care of her cats right now, lol). It was sad saying goodbye to her. She made us promise to go visit early next year and kids by the way she said to tell you that you are always welcome to go and visit and stay with her anytime you want. I must admit im worried about her traveling around by herself, ive be happy when shes safely home in nove. lol.