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Bí go maith leis an ngarlach agus tiocfaidh sé amárach.
Be good to the child and he will come to you tomorrow.
Irish Proverb
Teach your children well!
Stories and things we have learned from those before us to pass along to future generations
We all have some special memories we have kept within us as we have grown older in this life. If you have any special stories, remembrances, or traditons that were important to you and would like to share it with us all now, and have it saved and recorded for future generations, please send it to me through the "contact" portion of the site. I am sure we all have may things to contribute to this site to make it the best it can be! Think of your children and grandchildren and future generations, and what we can leave them so they can learn a little about those who came before them. There are several little ones who never met Grampa or Aunt Rose. There are some older ones who never met Grandma Lambert or great-grampa Sinnott. Help me share some of the thoughts and a photo we can all remember so we can help our kids and grandkids maybe get to "know them" just a little more.
First Disney Trip: May 2013
Anita and I have been to Disneyworld (Florida), Disneyland (California) and Disneyland Paris (France) well over forty times, (that is NOT a misprint) obviously we enjoy it. However, the May 2013 trip to me was better than all the other trips combined. I have been there with my kids when they were younger, again when they were married and Emma was the only grandchild. In 2013, I reached the age of 60, and Emma was now 10. I told her when both are birthdays ended in"0" we were going to Disney. This time however, it was my kids, their spouses, and now four grandchildren! Truly one of the best weeks of my life! I had the greatest time watching them enjoy the park like kids should. In December of 2015, we are going back again, with a fifth grandchild, as well as a nephew and his wife. There truly IS something magical about this place! Take your kids and grand- kids SOMEWHERE, it doesn't have to be expensive. Just do things with them, things they will hopefully remember all of their lives, and they too, will grow up and do many of those same things themselves. This is how traditions are born.
Matthew MacDonald's 2nd Birthday
In September 2013, my daughter's first child was going to be two. Karen knows I am always remodeling my 200 year old home, and I have built several things for the home. I always knew I wanted to build something with my own hands to pass on to the kids, I just couldn't decide on what. One day she called and said "I think every child should have a rocking horse." Well, I guess that decided on what to build! He was a bit hesitant at first, that first ride at his 2nd birthday party, but I think he did like it. Now, as his brother is approaching two, Christopher has become it's second rider, not counting the short ride I took on it to originally test it out! I hope someday they too, may pass this down to their children, and who knows, many generations to follow. On the bottom slats, I inscribed the following; Made by Grampa David W. Sinnott for Matthew John MacDonald's 2nd birthday, November 19, 2013
Teach them EVERYTHING!
Teach the little ones all you can. Teach them please and thank you, right from wrong, teach them how to share, especially with siblings, teach them respect, teach them manners, teach them all you can. The more who become involved in their lives, the better people they will grow up to be. They are a reflection of all of us. Here, Grampa is teaching Christopher how to watch television on Saturday night. It's all important!
John James Sinnott letter to his children
Very little is known about the early life of my grandfather,John James Sinnott. When my father, aunts and uncle would ask him about growing up in Newfoundland as a child, he would always say; "it was miserable, I hated it and I don't want to talk about it." John lost his father, who worked in the copper mine, at 8 or 9 years old, results of complications in a mining accident. As a result, John and his mother and siblings were evicted from their mine owned home; the home was needed for the next worker. Just a few years later, John himself was working the mines to help support the family. Shortly before his death, John wrote this letter telling of just two events in his life, both which took place in the small mining town where he was born; Tilt Cove Newfoundland. The rest of his story he took to the grave.
Here is a photo of Francis Williams home after being hit by the avalanche March 11,1912. It is this very spot Grampa writes of in the above letter. For more information about this tragic event, click below:
http://archivalmoments.ca/2017/03/killer-avalanche-hits-tilt-cove/
Here is where Grampa and family lived the first 25+ years of his life. His letter mentions them living on the "east" side of town, later moving after the eviction "across the pond." I hope to visit soon.
Here is a photo of the Cape Copper Mine in Tilt Cove Newfoundland, where my grandfather John James Sinnott and his father, David John Sinnott worked. David died here in 1899 or 1900.
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