Tell Me Over Tea Podcast Episode 14 - The Early Years of Married Life and The Creation of Home
Tell Me Over TeaShow Notes
Show Notes Episode 14: Letters from Nan – The Early Years of Married Life and the Creation of Home In this episode of Tell Me Over Tea, I share another heartfelt letter from my Dear Nan series, reflecting on the early years of her marriage and the home she and Grandpa raised their family in. From the joys of newlywed life, to the challenges of family dynamics and work, this episode is a journey through love, resilience, and creating a home. You’ll hear stories about: * Their wedding day on 4th August 1951 at Saint Matthew’s Church, Manly * Their honeymoon in Yowie Bay (and how Felix came along for the ride!) * The Narrabeen House where they raised five children * Grandpa’s early work experiences, from “dunny man” to butcher * How they managed independence, first mortgages, and family challenges * The lessons, love, and legacy woven through everyday life I also share my reflections on listening to my Nan’s stories, discovering new details from Grandpa, and how the memories of home and family have shaped my own life and love of storytelling. Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle in, and join me in gently gathering the stories that matter—one memory at a time. Kim x
Resources & Links: * Grab my free guide The Memory Cupboard: a 39-page companion to help you start writing your life stories, organised into four themed shelves to get you unstuck and inspired. Connect with me: Instagram DMs: @bettymaewroteEmail: [email protected]
✨ Extras * If you’d like to start writing your own stories but feel a little overwhelmed, I’ve created a free guide to help you begin: Grab The Memory Cupboard guide here. * Join our Little Life Stories community newsletter for weekly prompts, gentle encouragement, and a space to start gathering your stories. You’ll also keep up to date with when the doors will open again to my Little Life Stories membership: Subscribe here. * I write, on Substack, a weekly newsletter, you can subscribe to that here: Betty Mae Wrote newsletter. It’s the space where I share stories (both mine and other people’s) and it’s also a way of keeping up to date with all things Betty Mae Wrote, Little Life Stories and the podcast. Oh, and of course, the Wild Wood folk too;) * If you’d like to get back into the gorgeous slow soothe of letter writing, please know you are always welcome to join my snail mail exchange for women all over the world: The Lovely Letters Project * Or if you simply need a good old sticky beak around the place, please head on over here to the website: www.bettymaewrote.com * Oh and if you’re an Instagram type, be sure to follow me on Instagram: @bettymaewrote
Music: Kim on the uke;) Rattling teacups – also KimProduction and Editing: Surprise, surprise, guess who? Yep! Kim again! Art by Lewis Dillon
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bettymaewrote.substack.com
More from Tell Me Over Tea
Perseverance Lane, the road my grandparents lived on just outside of Gulgong. The name of their Lane says so much about them:)
Show Notes Shelley, age 2 in 1972, and Nanna age 72, with Nanna’s precious doggie
Show Notes ***Content note: this episode includes a letter that discusses suicide. Please take care as you listen. This week’s podcast episode is a Kitchen Table Letters one. It is based on a beautiful, heart-led prompt: If you could sit at a park bench and talk to anyone for an hour, who would it be? What would you say to them? What do they mean to you? The letters that came in response to this one are some of the most tender I’ve had the privilege of reading — each written to a loved one who is no longer here, imagining just one more hour together. Penny writes to her father, picturing an ordinary, wandering day together — pelicans, sea lions, old jokes about Coca-Cola and cameras without film, and a shared sunset by the sea. It’s a sweet, funny, beautiful tribute to a dad she clearly adored. Denise writes to her brother, Stewart, who she lost in 2023. This letter touches on suicide, so please take care of yourself while listening, and know it’s completely okay to skip this one if today isn’t the day for it. Denise’s letter is raw and honest, full of childhood memories, unanswered questions, and so much love. Janine writes to her dad, twenty years after losing him — golf games, tennis against the garden wall, scraped knees, and all the small everyday moments that added up to a lifetime of being loved by him. This episode is a reminder that grief and love are so often the same thing, just wearing different clothes — and that writing to the people we’ve lost can be a precious way to keep carrying them with us as well as process our loss. If you’d like to take part in the Kitchen Table Letters, I’d love to hear from you. Simply email me at [email protected] and I’ll send you all the details and the next prompt. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you would follow Tell Me Over Tea wherever you listen, and if you feel inclined, a little review always helps more story-lovers find their way here:) Kim x Please email me at: [email protected] if you’d like to take part in The Kitchen Table Letters.