Kia ora!
Last week I asked you if you had any parts of your memoirs that you’d like to share, and you really did!
We’ll start with a snippet of Cathy Monnington’s book The Days that Used to Be (working title), about her feisty grandmother:
‘Suddenly Granny leapt from her chair, grabbed the fire poker and an old toasting fork from beside the fireplace, (why we still had them when the fire was now a gas one, I have no idea) placed them on the carpet to form a cross, pulled up her skirt, revealing her stocking tops and suspenders, and began what can best be described as, energetic Highland Dancing; a confusion of the traditional Scottish Sword Dance and the Scottish Highland Fling.
My father cranked up the volume on his record player to almost deafening, and the sound of bagpipes filled the lounge room. He beamed with delight as Granny danced across, and around the make-believe swords; shoes discarded, toes pointed, arms raised or alternately tucked into her waist.
Nannie Phillips popped into the lounge room from the kitchen, “Well I never!” she said, then catching the smirk on Grandad’s face, “George!” she admonished. Grandad wiped the smirk from his face. As the sound of the bagpipes stopped, Granny, red in the face, hair askew, stocking tops and suspenders still on display, collapsed into one of the lounge room chairs.
My father handed Granny another “wee dram,” held his own refilled glass up to his mother’s and said “Slainte Mhath!” (pronounced Slanj- a-va which is Scots Gaelic for Cheers.’
Thanks Cathy! This made me laugh out loud. I like the detail and I feel like I was there in the room witnessing this wild dance.
Cathy’s now in the draw to win a free place on my course Write Your Memoir at the end of autumn. I have more stories to share from other readers, each of them share a short snapshot of someone’s world.
If you’d like to send in a snippet from your story and go in the draw to win a place on my memoir course, just reply to this email.
Remember – if you like to write, you’re a writer, and your story matters.
Charlotte
PS to join our supportive community of folk writing their memoirs, sign up to my full Write Your Memoir course here.
Charlotte Squire 