When my mother was born my grandparents named her Iris Elizabeth Bles.
When she was young there was a popular model in Britain at the time by the name of Zoe Newton who everyone thought my mother looked like.
From that time on everyone except my grandparents and her childhood friend knew my mother as Zoe.
She adopted it as her name and even signed things with the name Zoe.
In fact, for many years I didn't even know that my mother was not really Zoe, but Iris.
I had just assumed that was her given name.
Anyone that you speak to that knew mom will tell you that Zoe was her name.
When she married my father she became Zoe Scammell which was her name until she married my stepfather and became Zoe Porter about 40 years later.
Unfortunately my stepfather passed away from cancer a short time after they were married.
Then mom passed away a few years after that.
Basically mom was Zoe Scammell for most of her life and almost all of the years that I knew her.
I have something called a Google Alert set up that sends me a notification whenever "Scammell" pops up anywhere on the Internet.
In fact, the reason I tag almost every one of my blog entries with "Tim Scammell" is so that my Google Alert will see it and grab it for me.
Just for fun.
A few minutes ago I received a new Google Scammell Alert.
As I was reading down it one entry caught my eye.
When she was young there was a popular model in Britain at the time by the name of Zoe Newton who everyone thought my mother looked like.
From that time on everyone except my grandparents and her childhood friend knew my mother as Zoe.
She adopted it as her name and even signed things with the name Zoe.
In fact, for many years I didn't even know that my mother was not really Zoe, but Iris.
I had just assumed that was her given name.
Anyone that you speak to that knew mom will tell you that Zoe was her name.
When she married my father she became Zoe Scammell which was her name until she married my stepfather and became Zoe Porter about 40 years later.
Unfortunately my stepfather passed away from cancer a short time after they were married.
Then mom passed away a few years after that.
Basically mom was Zoe Scammell for most of her life and almost all of the years that I knew her.
I have something called a Google Alert set up that sends me a notification whenever "Scammell" pops up anywhere on the Internet.
In fact, the reason I tag almost every one of my blog entries with "Tim Scammell" is so that my Google Alert will see it and grab it for me.
Just for fun.
A few minutes ago I received a new Google Scammell Alert.
As I was reading down it one entry caught my eye.
This one:
Zoe Scammell. art & illustration ... All work copyright Zoe Scammell. Website design by Mark Pembrey. Email This BlogThis! ...
www.zoescammell.com/
Let me ask you something else.
How many times have you seen the name Zoe?
I'm guessing you said zero or perhaps once if you knew my mother.
Imagine the incredible odds of finding Zoe and Scammell together and not being my mom!
It turns out this Zoe Scammell is a young illustrator in Britain.
Go have a look at her site. She's quite good.
If young Zoe is like me she may have a traffic tracker on her site and she'll be wondering what this traffic from the Americas is all about.
If she asks tell her that I sent you but don't tell her about my mom in case it freaks her out.
I'll mention it if she ever comes by.
The coincidence is a little freaky to me.
Stay well,
Tim
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