Penniedarling

Tuesday, August 06, 2024

#4 - My brother Tim tells me I don't put enough photos of him up on my Blog... he may regret saying this :-)

Ripley, Audrey, Pam, Tim and Pennie.

Labels: Pennie, Ripley, Tim Rodd

# posted by Pennie @ August 06, 2024 0 comments

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Photo a Day Challenge - 21.3.2024 - Order

My dad Ripley... Lt Colonel Ripley Rodd... has his men in order here, in the front circled.

Labels: PAD/3-2024, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ March 21, 2024 0 comments

Monday, September 11, 2023

Photo a Day Challenge - 11.9.2023 - In the Middle.

My father Ripley Clements squatting in the middle of the front row, these chaps are off to Hobart for a Fencing Competition way back ... the mid 1930's.

Labels: PAD/9/2023, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ September 11, 2023 0 comments

Thursday, June 23, 2022

PAD June is 'Grateful Month' 23.6.2022 - So Grateful that our Mum Rosie saved lots of love letters from our Dad Rip.

These were written by Rip to Rosie when he was at El Alamein during WW2 in 1943 before they were married, so lovely and sweet and beautiful.

We are fascinated by the stamp, it's Australian and cost 1d (One Penny) with the Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon on it, the Queen Mother lived to be 101 and a half years old when she passed.

Labels: 6/2022PAD, Letters, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ June 23, 2022 0 comments

Monday, February 28, 2022

I know this sounds weird but there again you've always known I'm a bit of a Weirdo!!

Yesterday I was working on my 'Memories of Wollogorang' when I came to the bit about meeting David and I tried to remember what he said in his Speech at my 50th Birthday Party, it was funny and he didn't write it down so of course I had to watch the old Video which we both enjoyed enormously, I got what I needed but what I loved and remembered with so much love was the Speech my Dad Rip gave, he wrote it down for me thankfully so I thought I'd share it... It was a fantasmorgorigal Party that's for sure. Enjoy!

Our Garage came up trumps for the Cabaret that's for sure.

Tomos, Genevieve D and David H.

How proud am I of my Dad!

Labels: Pennie's50th, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ February 28, 2022 2 comments

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Photo a Day Challenge - 27.2.2022 - Dinner.

A photo of my dinners would be very boring, my lunches are much more interesting but... I decided to keep Dinner in the photo and here we have lots of our family Gentlemen wearing Dinner Suits.

A very handsome David but a seriously creepy Pennie celebrating our 1st Wedding Anniversary in 1969 in the UK, I look at this photo and always wonder... 'What the Heck Penelope!!'

My father Ripley Clements with his old school mate Alan Murray.

David's Uncle Keith. (Keith and David look quite alike don't they!)

My lovely Uncle David who married my beautiful Aunt Audrey, youngest sister of my Dad's.

What a handsome couple, Emma and Tomos at their wedding on North Head.

Our beautiful Nerys dressed up for??? I wonder if she can remember?

Tomos all dressed up to playing 'The Phantom!'

David and Pennie dressed up for a very special Dinner that Jackson cooked back in 2015, and yes that is the same Dinner Suit that David wore back in 1969.

Labels: 1/2022 PAD, David and Pennie, Keith, Nerys, Ripley, Tomos

# posted by Pennie @ January 27, 2022 0 comments

Sunday, January 02, 2022

Photo a Day Challenge - 2.1.2022 - This is Me.

1955 - Can you tell which one is Penniedarling?

Labels: 1/2022 PAD, Audrey, David Dixon, Ripley, Rodd Family

# posted by Pennie @ January 02, 2022 0 comments

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Today would have been my fathers 105th Birthday!

I've been thinking of my Dad a lot lately, especially a couple of days ago on 'Remembrance Day' and today on what was his birthday.

Ripley Clements lived a wonderful long life (almost 94 years) with so many different experiences to be had and mostly enjoyed ♡ Just recently I have been told by my Dr that I must eat more salt! Yes you read correctly, eat more salt! My blood shows I am very low in salt which is making me a tad dizzy and exhausted at times... anyway... this had me thinking of all the things that my father and I share.

#1 - Low salt - Rip had to take salt tablets and it looks like I may have to as well.

#2 - Lack of veins - both of us made it very difficult for a Phlebotomist to find a vein when needing to get some blood for testing.

#3 - Dislike of deep fried food - I remember going up to Kincumber for visits and asking what I could pick up for lunch, they had a favourite Fish and Chips shop not far away so Fish and Chips was often the answer. Rosie liked her's in batter but Rip preferred Grilled Fish... Rosie would eat her batter first and a little of the actual fish, Rip would enjoy his grilled fish and also enjoy some of Rosie's left over fish. I cannot eat deep fried food because it doesn't get on well with my stomach, they just clash!

#4 - Writing - Just check out the photos of our writings below!

#5 - Singing - Rip was in his Church Choir for several years and David keeps telling me I have a wonderful singing voice, I do love to sing while pottering around.

#6 - Humour - I was told only yesterday while enjoying a morning tea with Nick, an old friend from Newport that he remembers Rip had a great sense of Humour and so do I! How honoured I feel 😇

Rip's Books.

Dad used to write some interesting story about Family, Army experience and after leaving the Army each week and post them off to each of us kids, just wonderful.

Below the four books I've put together this year and I am now onto my 5th, there are many more I've written over many years but I don't like to show off 🤣

All this 'thinking' has made me go to what my father and I didn't share...

#1 - Sailing - Rip loved his sailing and enjoyed for most of his life but me... nooooo way, I get too motion sick. I remember the last time Dad took me out in his boat on Pittwater, I was just about to throw up and he said... no not on that side I have to tack... no no no...

#2 - Sport - Gosh Rip played and watched a lot of different sports, he represented NSW in a Hockey team before WW2 - below is a photo of him on the top of his Gymnastics Team in Martin Place, he was a great 'Sea Eagles' supporter as well. I have played Tennis for many years but that's all and I don't watch sport on the telly but I do enjoy watching my children and my Grandchildren playing sport though.

#3 - Cooking - Okay this is a little mean but the only foods I remember Rip cooking were when Rosie was having my brother Nick, I was 13 and never forgotten! Not good but I on the other hand am an Excellent Cook! Oh yes I am 😇🍪

#4 - Knitting and Sewing - Nah... Rip never did any of this sort of thing where as Penniedarling, oh yes indeedy she does and has done a lot starting from when I was 5 and my Great Aunt Carol taught me to knit!'

#5 - Choir - although I enjoy singing around the home I have never joined a choir.

#6 - Piano - Rip really enjoyed playing the piano and we loved hearing him - Me? no way never been interested in playing any sort of musical instrument.

#7 - Army - Dad was in the Army for 25 years, he joined the Army before WW2 - but I've never been interested.

I think that's all 😇 if I think of anything else I will be back.

Ripley is the smallest man seated 😊 below with his Hockey team.

Labels: Pennie, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ November 13, 2021 0 comments

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Photo a Day Challenge - 13.7.2021 - Button.

One of my Dad's Army buttons in this ANZAC Poppy I knitted and wear every ANZAC Day, no matter where I am.

Labels: 7/2021PAD, Poppies, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ July 13, 2021 0 comments

Monday, June 07, 2021

Photo a Day Challenge - 7.6.2021 - Close-Up

My father Ripley's Army dress hat.

Labels: 6/2021, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ June 07, 2021 0 comments

Sunday, April 25, 2021

ANZAC Day - thinking about my Dad and his 25 years of service in the Army - Lieutenant Colonel Ripley Clements Rodd.

Dad called his sailing boat UBIQUE, I always knew it was something to do with his Army Service but never what it actually meant till I found the above this morning. Wonderful!

During WW11 Ripley Clements Rodd served in the 2/3rd Anti Tank Battalion in Egypt.

Labels: Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ April 25, 2021 0 comments

Thursday, March 04, 2021

Photo a Day Challenge - 4.3.2021 - D.

Here I am in 1955, a Flower Girl, on the far right of this photo for my Uncle David Dixon's marriage to my favourite Aunt Audrey, Rip's youngest sister.

David Palmer Dixon - born 4.4.1926 - now almost 95!

Married Heather Audrey Rodd (known as Audrey) 22.10.1995 - born 1929 - died 12.3.1971 (only 42)

A wonderful man who I do manage to get to see now and then, always a delight!

My dad Ripley is behind me.

Labels: David Dixon, Pennie, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ March 04, 2021 0 comments

Thursday, November 05, 2020

Photo a Day Challenge - 5.11.2020 - In the Middle.

I typed 'Middle' in my iPhotos and these are three of the photos that came up...here is our father Ripley Clements in the middle of every photo.

Labels: 11/2020, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ November 05, 2020 0 comments

Tuesday, October 06, 2020

I find these two photos very heartwarming. Jackson is so proud that he 'inherited' his Great Grandfather Rip's shirt, I know our Dad would have been very proud to have seen this photo.

2006 Ripley's 90th Birthday and below Jackson with Jess at his 18th Birthday Party with family.

Labels: Jackson, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ October 06, 2020 0 comments

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Photo a Day Challenge - 25.8.2020 - Life is...

My father Rip in Gaza 1941 during WW2, when not being involved in the combat he was a Life Saver on the beach.

Labels: 8/2020, Ripley

# posted by Pennie @ August 25, 2020 0 comments

Monday, July 20, 2020

10 Years ago today our Dad Ripley Clements Rodd passed away, never forgotten and always remembered with love.

Rip was in the Army for 25 years, he fought at El Alamein during WW2, he loved his sailing, he loved a joke and a trick or two, he later became a prolific writer for our family, printing off copies of his memories as a kid, his War years then the years after the Army, plus the history of his Rodd Ancestors, we all have a big pile of books plus his weekly letters to us about all sorts of stories that came into his head.

Rip and Rosie were married for almost 66 years and he died just before his 94th Birthday.

Wonderful Memories we have.