A picture that Jeni found

I have lots of pictures of my darling wife, but most of them showed her in the company of others and there existed comparatively few face pictures.  Picture resolution normally prevented me from cutting-and-pasting face images from the group pics, but our youngest daughter, Jeni, contacted me with a cut-and-paste the she had made from a professional photo-shoot by Robert Pockley Studios in Geelong, on the occasion of Pam's and my engagement back in 1969.  She had found the original picture in a book that Pam had once written (and we had it professionally bound) called "Rambling Reminiscences of my Early Years".  In fact, here is what Pam wrote in its introduction.

Introduction.

Over the years, various people have suggested to me that I should “write a book.” This was undoubtedly due to the very long letters that I used to hand-write and later type (when I could no longer hand-write), on a regular basis to family and friends.  I didn’t take this suggestion seriously, as it seemed to me that I had nothing interesting to write about.

However, when a friend (Pat Dudley) mentioned to me that her daughters had given her a lovely journal in which to write what it was like growing up in her day, it got me thinking that perhaps I should do something similar for my girls.

After a little deliberation, I commenced writing this on the 16^th August, 2002.  I really thought that I would have “my story” completely finished within a few weeks.  I didn’t expect to be able to remember so much, and I have also discovered that one thought can lead on to another, and so it goes.

So for my two caring, wonderful daughters Sharon and Jeni and their families, I have tried to recall items, places and events etc. the best I can, and hope that the following pages give an insight into what it was like for me growing up in the 1950’s, 1960’s and until the mid 1970’s.  As with Eric’s story, I will stop mine with the arrival of Jeni. 

After many breaks over the years, I have finally completed this on 2^nd April, 2006.  In the future, if you wish to do so, you may have the opportunity to add your own stories.

That's what she wrote in her introduction.

Pam had written 233 pages by the time it was professionally bound.  My book, that she referred to above, is called "A Past of Quaint Validity" which I started on 12th October 2002 (because of Pam's good book-writing idea) and it was finished and bound with just 201 pages at sometime in 2005 (I didn't record the month or day).

Here is that particular picture from Pammy's book...

 

 

And after Jeni's clever cutting-and-pasting, together with her and my hue-tweeking we then had...

 

 

 

...and for me, this is one of the best pictures EVER of the love of my life.

 

I had read Pam's book several times soon after she wrote it and finishing it, but given that this engagement photo was in there and it had been many years since I had last read her book, I read it yet again.  The effect of Jeni's cut-and-paste having been well and truly imbedded in my brain, together with the strong emotions and memories that it invoked, I cried like a baby as I re-read the book.  I'm not ashamed to admit that crying fact either - as I have told many, I will never stop loving my sweet Pammy and I miss and will keep missing her terribly.  I'll even admit this, although some sceptic mates have already decided I'm mad, I STILL get immense pleasure out of visiting and tending to her grave-site, each and EVERY day.  Her cremated remains exude oodles of Pammyness for me and I consider myself still to be her Carer. When my time is up, I have arranged for my cremated ashes to be thoroughly mixed with hers and to be stored and buried in a larger container.  (I thought that this was a very original idea of mine, but Ashley Whitehouse of Northwest Funerals assured me that is, in fact, a very common practise these days.)

 

I am hoping that this addition to the blog was worth the writing thereof.  I am afraid that if I don't keep the updates happening, it may all get deleted, for its non-use.

 

If any readers have comments to make about any of this, please contact me by email at efiesley@gmail.com

 

Well that was where I was going to end this post, but later last night, I had a great idea.  You might already be aware, particularly if you have read the post on this blog entitled "Images, images...", that I am the proud owner of crystal cube containing a 3D image of my lovely Pammy, gifted to me by my daughter Jeni.  Well, I thought, wouldn't it be nice to have a second similar crystal cube with THIS cropped photo in it - in 3D?  So I commenced communicating with Vision 3D about the possibly of my acquiring one.  I also sent the original so that they could see the shape of her cropped hair, which was done so as to keep my ear (mostly) out of the picture.  When I eventually get the new crystal cube, I will include images of it in this post.  I am so looking forward to its acquisition.

 

Well, here it is Monday 29th August and I have just received the crystal from Vision3D.  It didn't take long for me to unpack and assemble and it is simply PERFECT.  I was so pleased, I rang Daniel from Vision3D and thanked him sincerely.  Check out these pictures...

 

 

 

I think it's incredible how they do this from a 2D photograph and I am so grateful to now have it here at home.