I’ve been thinking back to what got me interested in Etiquette. I am certain it was my upbringing back in Northern Ireland and coming from a large family of seven boys and two girls. I was the youngest girl and eighth child to my amazing parents James and Susan Baxter. Everything was done in order. Laundry on Monday, baking on Tuesday and Thursday with ironing thrown in there somewhere. My mother sent me to elocution lessons after school and to Irish dance lessons. Of course church played a big part so I sang in the choir. At one point I was the only girl in the boys choir. The choir master heard me sing at my cousins wedding and so after a talk with my mother I reluctantly agreed to join as long as I could sit in the second row where no one could see me!

We were a big happy family and we learned so much from our parents – perhaps the most important being respectful and never talking back. The entire family always sat at the table for dinner — it might have been a bit crowded, but it was always so good and so much fun. My mother made the best soups and stews and her rice pudding was to die for. She could make a pocket of steak filed with sage and onion stuffing feed all of us for Sunday dinner and not a morsel was left.  My father was an equally good cook — he could mash a pot of potatoes with a fork and not a lump was to be found. He baked amazing apple pies and to this day I can still taste them. My brothers all learned a trade like my father so it was up to me and my oldest sister Anne to make up their lunch boxes every night. It was always sandwiches with homemade cakes and biscuits and I always remember waiting on Daddy coming home with something left in his for me even though I made it for him.  Those were such good time and great memories.

Over the coming weeks I’ll post details of how our family arrived in the US and how that launched my passion for etiquette.  If you like my blog please sign up for my newsletter on my website and follow my blog. Thank-you.