bodhi tree swaying » family

Today on Lake Winnipesaukee

bodhipaksa — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 03:16:21 +0000

The kids and I spent the day up at Lake Winnipesaukee today, celebrating a neighbor’s birthday. The birthday girl is standing on the left, and front. We had a great time. We took a boat trip to Meredith. Malkias saw a train and got very excited. Maia went swimming in the lake in her party dress. So it goes.

Happy (Multi-Generational) Fathers’ Day

bodhipaksa — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:56:03 +0000

Above is my great grandfather, Lewis Stephen (1872-1962). He died when I was one year old, so I never knew him, but I’m told he was a lovely man.

This is my grandfather, Robert Drummond Stephen (1900-1942). He died in an accident when my dad was 9 years old.

This is my dad as a boy, with his sister, Roberta (Bertha).

This is me, with my kids, Maia and Malkias.

Yay for dads!

Marjory Tragham, 1911-1998

bodhipaksa — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:34:13 +0000

Today would have been the 98th birthday of my mother’s mother, Marjory Tragham, née Marjory Robertson Duncan. This picture is of her with my Grandad, Thomas Tragham (born Tragheim).

Veterans’ Day

bodhipaksa — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:38:10 +0000

These are all photographs of my grandfather, Robert Drummond Stephen (born My 10, 1900), who was a professional soldier in the The King’s Own Scottish Borderers. He was my dad’s father.

Unfortunately I never met him because he died in an accident on Aug 3, 1942, long before I was born.

The first two pictures were taken in Egypt in 1924 and 1925. I get the feeling that the young lady was not a strict adherent to Muslim morality.

There were many other military men in my family, but I’m hoping I’ll see plenty of other Veterans’ Days in which I can post other pictures.

Marjory Tragham

bodhipaksa — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:24:35 +0000

Today, in 1998 my grandmother, Marjory Tragham, née Duncan, passed away at the age of 87. She was born 1911, in Scoonie, Fife, Scotland. Died Sep 26, 1998, Dundee, Scotland. She was married twice, first to Alex Ritchie, who left her a widow with a young child, my Aunt Margaret. She then remarried my grandad, Thomas Tragham (né Tragheim). They were married for over 60 years, until she predeceased him.

My grandmother (always known as “Nana”) was an extraordinarily lovely woman. I never knew her to be anything but kind. She was canny with money as well. When she died, it transpired she salted away something in the order of $60,000 in a shoebox in a cupboard!

This photograph of my Nana and Grandad was taken in the 1930′s, I believe.

Thomas Waddell Tragheim/Tragham (1910 – 2005)

bodhipaksa — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:00:01 +0000

Today my grandfather would have been 99 years old.

This picture is marked as having been taken in 1928, when he was 18. He’s on the right, and ~~we don’t know who the other young man is~~ according to my parents the other young man is probably his friend, George Warden, who was also a painter and who had ran a shop on the Hilltown with his brother, Bert. His wife, Mae, is still alive. I ~~also~~ don’t know what the fancy occasion was or where the photograph was taken, although it was most likely in or around Dundee.

This is my grandfather, grandmother (my nana), and my uncle Alan. Alan was born in 1953, and he looks like he’s about four or five years old here, so I’m guessing this was taken about 1957 or 1958. (Claire, if you’re reading this, maybe you could ask him). ~~Judging by the apparent slope on the street I’d imagine this was taken when they were descending Dundee’s Hilltown.~~ According to my mum and dad, they’re walking down Dundee’s Murraygate. I’d thought it might be the Hilltown, but my mum and dad are Dundee experts, having been brought up there!

This picture’s marked as having been taken at Loch Tay. The car he’s standing beside is a Ford Popular 100E, which was in production from 1959 until 1962. it had three gears, cost £494 new, with taxes, and was the cheapest saloon car in production in the UK at the time. My dad actually bought this car from my grandad when he purchased a Ford Anglia. It was our family’s first vehicle.

This is a very characteristic view of my grandad. He loved the countryside and had a great love of wildlife, and of birds in particular. Quite late into his life he got into painting landscapes, although he took to this pursuit not long before it became impractical for him to attend art classes. It strikes me now that with his painting and his appreciation of birds, he had a well-developed aesthetic sense. I might have inherited that from him. My aunt Jean is very artistic, but while I’m not much of a creator of art she can knock off beautiful drawings and paintings with ease.

My great great great grandmother, Catherine Winton

bodhipaksa — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:20:22 +0000

My great great great grandmother, Catherine Winton. Born 1837, died 1914. Married to John (Samuel) Tragheim. Had five children. Later remarried George Wright.

Two faces of New Year

bodhipaksa — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:42:32 +0000

In the morning we went to the funky home of the ever-generous Danakamala, where we socialized and ate delicious food. There were a couple of other girls there, so Maia had a great time. So did I, for that matter. The smoky night club look is an artifact of the very snowy weather — there was light streaming in the windows.

In the afternoon I went to Aryaloka and led a guided meditation for about 20 people, towards the end of the Meditate for Peace Day. The morning apparently was busier, with 45 people in the shrine-room. This picture was actually taken in order to show someone how to use a scarf in order to take the weight off of the shoulders when meditating. I wasn’t really meditating at the time, hence the “pole up my ass” look.

Can I give you a lift somewhere, daddy?

bodhipaksa — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:11:34 +0000

Thomas Tragheim / Tragham

bodhipaksa — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:09:50 +0000

This is my grandfather, Thomas Waddell Tragheim (he started going by Tragham during the second world war). He died three years ago today. The girl is my mother, Eleanor, and since she was born in 1938 I’m guessing this was taken in 1940 (I’m assuming she’s about two years old here). My grandad was born in 1910 and worked as a house painter. He loved animals and used to breed and show cage birds. According to a note I have the picture was taken on the Law in Dundee, Scotland. The Law is a hill right in the middle of the city.