I knew how to enjoy myself when I was a child, as.you can see in this 1955 photo of me getting a groove on with my ukulele. But my exuberance was often problematic for my parents, e.g., my penchant for cutting off my hair.
Getting a Groove on with My Ukulele in 1955 Read More »
Peterson family Christmases from 1952 to 1965 were multi-faceted. My mother Jay Peterson (1920-1976) created unique Noel-inspired artwork. My brothers Stu and Chris (1954-2009) prepared Christmas cards at the Leith, Ontario print shop. I wrote an account of what London, Ontario’s Victoria Park Christmas displays were like in the mid-1960s.
Peterson Family Christmases, London, Ontario, Canada, 1952-1965 Read More »
My post discusses Peterson family home life from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. It includes a poem my brother Don wrote about what life was like in our unusual household, e.g, my father’s “save the trees” campaign, and how “rock music coming from our house” gave “a headache to the sexton’s spouse.”
The Ivey Family London Room 2017 “Winter in London” display contained 2015 and 2017 Christmas cards with artwork by my mother Jay Peterson (1920-1976). My post includes a photo of London Room Library Assistant Barb Scott and I standing next to the display which includes these cards.
From the 1950s to the 1960s, my mother was involved with many projects at First-St Andrew’s United Church in London, Ontario. For instance, she helped organize religious art and artifact exhibitions. The Very Reverend Angus J MacQueen (1912-2006) gave my mother’s 1976 eulogy at the church. He described her as “very special kind of person.”
My mother created a shoulder-bag carrier for infants. She also turned a banana box into a swing that small children could play in. She acknowledged she got her ideas for these devices from researching how women had carried their offspring throughout the ages.
This is the first of a four-part tribute to my mother on the 40th anniversary of her passing December 15, 1976. I discuss her 1950s paintings of children, her design of the “Moo Cow” marionette for James Reaney’s “Apple Butter” play, and her baby chair invention which was acquired by Museum London.