November 18, 1918 -- November 18, 2018

Today is the hundredth anniversary of my parents' wedding anniversary. Elizabeth Smith married Frederick Ryder on November 18, 1918, in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, UK. He was finally home from war, having survived the trenches and the battle of the Somme, but severely wounded.

They went on to have nine children and lose three. I, the youngest of the group, and older sister, Irene, whom you know as dogonart online, are the last living.

They left school at twelve and never stopped learning, both great readers, mom an opera fan and a gifted maker, of food, clothing, cake decorating. Both politically knowledgeable and involved. Very little money ever got into the house, hard times, and they left virtually nothing material.

All the family got as much education as they could, before war or work came on, and all had interesting careers all over the globe.

And here's the one item I have from them, the Gresham Comprehensive English Dictionary, which mom bought by installment payments, because education was a priority. She did not have household appliances, despite a large family, when she invested in this in the thirties.

I d say her priorities were right. She would put the occasional family photo in the pages.

And I kept a fern from my sister's wedding bouquet in it, and notes from a brother's self teaching of Russian.

It seemed the right place to keep Handsome Son's newborn footprints and proud father Handsome Partner, then husband's, note on the copy.

I read this book constantly during years of illness as a kid when reading was about all I could do.

So I'd say it's earned its place on the shelf. And my parents more than earned this little tribute today.