It’s 9:45am and we’re 15 minutes early for the morning tea with Aunty Betty and Uncle Max. Walking through the front door we arrive in the kitchen area to see the table laden with biscuits, slices, cheese and crackers and dainty floral teacups. The setting reminds me of my Grandma and also makes me think of a time when people often sat down to morning or afternoon tea. It’s something I wish existed a little more in today’s world.
Before sitting down we investigated the garden outside and literally smelt the roses (which I must say had a beautiful perfume!). Back inside the eight of us shuffled around the small table and made room for everyone. Aunty Betty began serving us tea and coffee in the teacups and ended with a flourish by plopping a big basket of freshly baked scones in the centre.
Everyone earnestly began chatting and I listened intently to the words of my Grandpa, Aunty Betty and Uncle Max whilst at the same time helping myself to a scone. We didn’t discuss much family history this time but that didn’t matter. Their words and opinions often reflect a different time and from what they say you know they’ve lived a lot of years and experienced many things in their lifetime.
I ate many scones (too many?) thickly spread with jam and cream and washed them down with several cups of tea. As the end of our time drew near it was of course inevitable that we would briefly touch upon the subject of family history. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before but if you are curious about your family tree, chatting to your elderly relatives (or any relatives for that matter) really is the best place to start. They have so many stories and so much knowledge and these things may just lead you to your next clue. If you’re lucky enough to receive morning tea along with your chat, well, that is simply a bonus.
Finding Family 