Gertrude Lorimer's Commonplace Book

On a day of overwhelming stress and lack of care for myself, I was given this poem as a gift to see that my own work had been published. This was a monumental moment for me and when I first received it, I stared at my name and had felt accomplished. This poem was given to me by a dear friend, Frank Jermyn. Frank is important in my life as he was our first friend after starting a photography business. He has always been supportive of our work and has been a calming presence during times of uncertainty and unease. On one side of the poem was an engraving of what appeared to be my sisters,…

I especially love this painting because it depicts a new chapter in my life. As I was out walking last week, I decided to stop at an art shop. It was there that I found this lovely painting of a man and woman and it reminded me of Lord Watergate and I. Love has been a journey in my life and did not come easily. I watched as men chased after my beautiful sisters. There were times when I would’ve wished men saw me as beautiful, but I was always happy for my sisters. I never sought a husband and instead focused on the business or my writing. Deep down I think I always wanted to experience…

As I was heading back to the shop from one of my daily strolls outside, I picked up a Punch magazine. Once I went upstairs, I sat in the chair by the window and began to flip through the pages. I came across one political cartoon that I especially liked. It was an image of two women, one dressed in a man’s hat and coat, and the other in traditional women’s clothing. I noticed at the bottom of the picture the conversation between the two women and one of their names was Gerty. Since this is my nickname among my sisters and others, I drew a connection. I evaluated the picture further and…