Friday, June 26, 2015

The Lansdowne House Letters: What's Going On?


My sister Barb serendipitously solved
a problem that has been eating away at me:
what to do with my northern posts
while I am knocking off a Bucket List item.



Barb and I on the Bay of Fundy, 
Westport, Brier Island, Nova Scotia, 2014
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



Now if I were more disciplined and orderly,
I'd have the next fifteen posts written in advance
in anticipation of being cutoff from the internet.  
I am not so together.

Barb suggested that I repost Shacks Filled with Babies,
after I published Cruel Realities ten days ago.

Duh!!!  
It occurred to me that in addition to reposting Shacks...
I could revisit my earliest Lansdowne House Letters posts.

That solution might be readily apparent
to most people, but not to me.
Sometimes I have to be hit between the eyes
with a 2 x 4 to see the obvious.
Sisters are the best at doing that!


Before We Were Four
Donnie 3, Me 7, and Barb 1
Alymer, Ontario, December 1957
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



I started the Northern posts almost three years ago,
and they spilled out so slowly.
I was slogging through the trauma
of my early years and had no clue
how to handle all the upwelling emotions,
let alone write about them.

You can safely bury lots of things deep in the muskeg,
but once you start digging around in the bog
you can't avoid what comes bubbling up.



Muskeg


Add to the mix an unexpected email
from Somebody-That-I-Used-To-Know a lifetime ago,
and I plunged into a psychological tailspin.

It took me more than a year to be able to bottom dive 
in the muck and handle all that was buried there,
northern and otherwise.




Muskeg Creek


But I floundered through and suddenly
the Lansdowne Letter posts became regular,
and I could address my past and my memoir.

So for the next while I'm going to repost
the earliest Lansdowne Letters 
from when I had very few blogging contacts.

And typical me, I'm setting them up now
less than twenty-four hours before we leave,
and I still have to pack.  LOL

But what can I say?
I've been busy!



My Niece Heather and I Last Week
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


You'd think by now I'd have life figured out.
But just like I've forgiven my younger self,
I'm being kinder and gentler with my present me.

Instead of railing against the nonlinear, herky jerky Louise,
I'm embracing her and reminding her
that things have always worked out in the end,
and they will continue to do so.

So my apologies for a most irregular Northern post,
but I wanted you to know what is going on.

If I should catch an onramp to the Internet highway,
I'll visit your blogs as much as I can.

Perfect music for floundering around in the muskeg:


You Tube ~ goytemusic






Till next time ~
Fundy Blue


12 comments:

  1. Perfect music for floundering around indeed...great song. Do enjoy your trip and best wishes always!

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  2. Catchy tune. Have fun.

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  3. Life always throws some curve balls, will never figure it all out, but can have fun trying

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  4. I'm sure this time round we will all read again and again, and enjoy your words so much more, now we have known you for a while. Enjoy your time off, hope fine weather heralds you every day with sunshine and warmth.

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  5. Oh yay, I really want to read from the start!!!x

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  6. Looking forward to reading past posts. Have fun while your away.

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  7. Hi Everyone! MacDonalds has wifi. We just crossed from Idaho into Oregon and are at a MacDonalds in Ontario, Oregon. Miles and miles to go before we stop tonight. Thanks for your visit and kind comments. Happy Friday, Everyone! Take care!

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  8. Very catchy tune! Lovely photos, and I can see the resemblance in you and your sister. Enjoy your time! :)

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  9. Oh Louise, you are so funny and yes, sisters will REMIND you of many things, am I right?
    You know that girl singer in the video? I heard her first on a blog called...I think it was meet me at mike's...she did a video in the alleyway behind the lady's business or home, can't remember. You find the most interesting things on blogs....just like yours! Take care, my friend!

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  10. A very catchy tune! Have a great time, Louise. I love that last photo of you. You have such an amazing smile.

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  11. Brilliant idea, especially as I didn't see those earlier letters. I'm late getting here, so I hope you made time to pack. Safe travels!
    And that picture of you and your niece is awesome.

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  12. nice main photo!
    Dear, would you like to follow each other? let me know and I follow you back)
    http://www.blueberriesblog.com/

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