Wednesday, 23 July 2014

This and that about this and that

Hi everybody!

Today was a really hot day again, my apartment is almost hot and steamy enough for a sauna. But never mind, to make up for it, it is always cold and drafty in winter,  which means that on average, everything is normal!

Yesterday  I looked again at the old documents to see if I could find out what happened to Mr Kohlberg,  who was stranded in Spain for 2 years. (See previous post)  I found a bill from a hotel in Amsterdam, dated September 26th 1916, so he had evidently managed to get that far by then, and  I am sure he made it back to his family. His sons were soldiers at the time, so it can only refer to him.
The hotel is still there, but I think the prices  may have increased a little in the past 98 years!


I made a collage of my SOC pieces, it was a fun six weeks, so big thanks to Kristin and all who joined in!


This week I managed to make a journal page again, with paint, sprays, glitter, stencils and lots of doodling. My thumb is still sore, so I have to take it easy, and take lots of breaks in between. The sentiment is a line from a hymn we used to sing at school when I was a kid.
I am linking to PPF, hosted, as always, by Eva and Kristin, and to Art Journal Journey, Flower Power, hosted by our sweet Susi.






This morning I went out for a ride on my bike, and was in love with the beautiful sky over the Rhine.


The horses were, as usual, busy grazing and keeping in the shade.


I chose shady paths:


I love to see the sun sparkling on the water:



Here's wishing you all a great day, take care, have fun, 
and thanks a lot for coming by!

52 comments:

  1. Your journal page is absolutely superb and magical and there's a unicorn in the corner to prove it.
    I enjoyed seeing your SOC pieces all together, there is pretty good art there and it was a good six-week challenge.
    Is this the first time you've mentioned your bicycle? And your two last photographs with the water are magnificent and sparkling.

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    1. Thanks, I love it when the water sparkles! And yes, the journal page was supposed to be a bit magical!

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  2. Good to see you painting again, and I'm glad Mr Kohlberg made it to Amsterdam. Nice pictures, as always, and please look after your thumb! Hus, Sarah

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  3. A beautiful journal page Valerie and I really love your SOC art. Great to hear a bit more about Mr Kohlberg, imagine even keeping a hotel bill all these years, a fascinating story. Is it relatively flat where you live, I haven't been on a bike in donkey's years! Xx

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    1. Yes it is very flat round here, biking is easy.

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  4. Was für ein wundeschöner Blogpost. Zum einen gefällt mir deine digitale Collage super gut, die Zeichnungen sind so was von toll. Und dann deine Journalseite - der Hit. Deine Fotos laden zum Träumen ein. Die Wolken, der glitzerige Rhein, der Pfad und die Pferde .... :)

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  5. very good sleuthing and a satisying ending Valerie. I like you idea of a collage for SOC, I may do the same! Lovely page for PPF too. Thanks for today's photos, stay cool!

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  6. Love the bubbles around your floating shadow folk. Glad you found out some more of your fella in the letters....xox

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  7. Your collage is fabulous but then what else can I say with your work and photos but MAGNIFICENT
    Beautiful card including the awesome colours and papers used....xx
    ♥aNNie The Journey is the Start

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  8. Ein absolut bezaubernder post ist das wieder! Herrlich die journal Seite,wie schön, dass Du wieder besser werkeln kannst! Toll Deine Soc Werke in einer Collage zu sehen! Fein zu hören dass Hr.Kohlber offenbar Glück in dieser erbärmlichen ,unbarmherzigen Zeit hatte. Die Fotos sind heute wieder besonders ansprechend..wäre gern mal mit Dir in Deiner schönen Heimatumgebung unterwegs! Du bist sicher ein toller REISELEITER!
    Schönen Tag un pass auf mit dem Fahrrad! Hörst Du?!
    Xoxoxo Susi

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  9. Love the collage-such a wonderful way to display all these wonders. The new piece is very Flower Power :) and beautifully uplifting.

    How lovely to be able to go for a bike ride. I am useless on a bike though Vic cycles for miles on his bike. Great scenes you captured with you camera on the way.

    Love Chrissie x

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  10. Deine Journalseite ist großartig! So märchenhaft und verträumt! Schön, dass du wieder etwas malen kannst! Deine Kollage finde ich auch klasse ... könnte man wirklich als großes Poster drucken lassen!
    Schöne, stimmungsvolle Fotos, liebe Valerie!
    Liebe Grüße, LonettA

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  11. Hi Valerie, what a fantastic post with so much to see and read, I also checked out your previous post, how interesting having the old letters and sad that the family was killed. People had hard lives. Your apartment maybe stuffy or cold at times, but you sure have beautiful views and live in a wonderful area for walking. Love your artwork and photos ! It's been cooler/wetter than normal over here, but we have days of extreme heat as well. The heat is exhausting. Take care, Shirleyx ps.. I will be taking a blog break very soon, it's extremely busy here, will explain soon at my blog :)

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  12. Lovely work Valerie.... I enjoyed seeing your SOC pieces all together.

    Got to keep to the shady paths when it is this hot..... I wake up exhausted its so hot! Tired before I start the day.

    Karen x

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  13. I am so absolutely fascinated by your historical research! The journal page is exceptional in every way, and enjoyed the walk so very much this morning. (Well, I guess I was running along beside you while you were riding your bike)! No wonder I feel a little winded. :o) Have a good day and have some fun. hugs, Donna

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  14. I too was fascinated by your find with the hotel receipt from Amsterdam. As always your journal page is exceptional and what a great way to feature your SOC art pieces. Be careful on your bike as you have had enough injuries for one person. It has been hot here too but I love the summer months.

    Hugs,
    C

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  15. Beautiful journal page and collage too. The sky does look magnificent in your photos too! Big hugs, ~Diane

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  16. Wonderful art work, Valerie! It has been very hot here, but not with the humidity. The photos look so lovely. Hugs.

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  17. Your page is absolutely gorgeous, and I love the silhouettes in the air you created. Your digital SOC collage is fantastic and a great idea. I also appreciate your amazing photos, I adore those wonderful skies. Take care of your thumb.
    Hugs, Mar

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  18. Your SOC pieces look great in the mosaic! I'm glad you found the follow up to that interesting story from yesterday....I am happy he seems to have made it back to his family.

    Your flying shadows are just stunning!

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  19. Magical pages with the images seem to float by. Another interesting piece on the history, its like reading a family saga. Be careful on your bicycle,in this heat.
    Yvonne xx

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    1. We had a great breeze along the Rhine today, so it pleasant to cycle along, and I do take it slowly!

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  20. Hi Valerie, so nice to know some more of the story in the recent papers you found. Your creations are gorgeous. Beautiful sky pics!!
    Hugs

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  21. You have such interesting works in this post! Hopefully your thumb is getting better and soon!
    I try to manage with the inflammation in my forefinger -too much crocheting- and luckily the heat wave also stays here in Helsinki, a good reason to be outdoors doing nothing!

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    1. Nothing better than being outside enjoying the summer!

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  22. Oohh valerie,dien seiten sind echt traumschööööön,ich libe die schattenfiguren und das glitter,das sich sehr klasse aus.

    tolle bilder hast du wider für uns,einfach klasse.
    schön das es deiner hand schon besser geht,und pass bitte mit dem radel auf,hörst du ??
    schönen tag für dich :-)

    GLG Jeannette

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  23. A great page I love the effect you have achieved with the bubbles. Happy PPF! #27

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  24. Valerie, the words of the hymn sound familiar. They fit perfectly with your beautiful painting. I enjoyed reading about the poor guy trying to travel through France. I couldn't read the letters since most of them were in German cursive. I hope your thumb continues to get better. I have arthritis in my thumb base joint and a lot of computer time makes it very sore.

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  25. That's a wonderful collage of SOC pieces. I'm sad to say I didn't finish the challenge this year but I had fun visiting everyone none the less. :)

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  26. Dear Valerie, what an interesting story about Mr. Kohlberg and what a beautiful journal page and sky photos. Pleasure to visit your blog. big hugs and have a lovely, sunny and happy week.

    http://agagasiniak.blogspot.co.uk/

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  27. Oh my, wonderfull place, and i love the collage, your blog is veruy cery optymistic and colorfull. love jshia

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  28. OK- first of all-great letters. Went back and read the story and I can't wait to hear more about Mr. Kohlberg in future posts. Secondly, I love your journal page. It made me really think about it. To me they are our shadows who vanish with darkness. Nice to know they go someplace...ha-ha.And lastly, hope your thumb is better soon but it always feels so good to get some cleaning done! Yes?

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  29. Oh so Lovely post ! Love your style !-Kat-

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  30. Your paintings and drawings are so unique. They fill my eyes--which is the greatest compliment I can give.

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  31. WOW was für schöne Seiten wie aus einem Traum und Deine Fotos sind auch mal wieder zum Träumen!

    Ich wünsche Dir ein schönes WE und warte weiter ob ich heute endlich mein Stempelpäckchen bekommen, das seit 3 Tage spazierengefahren wird weil angeblich die Adresse nicht zu finden ist!!
    LG Anja

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    1. Oh jeh, hoffentlich kommt das Paeckchen bald!

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  32. Love your SOC collage-they look so good together! Your journal page has such a beautiful uplifting quality. I too love looking at the water especially when there are boats too. Happy PPF!

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  33. Oh Valerie I love the amalgamation of your soc prints...wow they are gorgeous!! Such a nice series you did! Great new pages too! Sure hope you finger heals soon!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  34. That old hotel bill is great - the picture on top is wonderful. Love the shadows of the evening - you've done very well even with a sore thumb!

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  35. This is a very enjoyable blog. The hotel bill (umm, yep, think maybe the prices may have gone up a bit) is something I, as an Historian, am so totally into. I research a lot of issues over the years and love every minute of it, including genealogy. The collage is magnificent. The Journal page is awesome. . . and the photography is ~ well, I wish I was there. I had a huge 'angel wings' cloud this week too on July 17 my girlfriends 94th birthday. http://jkwgalleries.blogspot.com Blessings, Janet, PPF

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  36. Oh Valerie, what a wonderful post! I absolutely love your collage! I really enjoyed your photos of your beautiful country. Some day, I would love to visit Germany. It is an artist's paradise. Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs, Terri

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  37. Beautiful Journal page Valerie...and I love the collage!
    The photos of your place are awesome!!! Just look at the clouds...so Beautiful!
    Love the shady path, would love to tread a path just like that :)
    Have a Great Weekend!
    Deepa
    http://www.deepazworld.blogspot.in/

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  38. Love the journal page and all it's magic ♥ Your pictures are always so lovely and make me want to hop on a plane and visit the Rhine.

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  39. Love you journal page and art work! I love your photos too, what colors! Happy PPF, Valerie!

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  40. So viele schöne Werke! Ich habe schon wieder den SOC verpasst... ;-)
    Die Fotos von deinen Spaziergängen sind immer wieder schön!
    Und deine Nachforschungen hören sich ja spannend an! Sehr interessante Idee!
    Liebe Grüsse
    Ilona

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  41. Wow!! so magical. Love the journal page. And as always wonderful photos. Hope you get a break from the heat.

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  42. Those terrific figures and quote make such a great page! Love the photos and your SOC collage. :)

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  43. Very nice journal page. The background and then the figures are excellent. Have a great weekend
    Nicole/Beadwright

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  44. I'm in love with the colors in your journal page! Happy PPF! And what a nice bicycle ride. Happy PPF!

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  45. All are lovely creations! Happy PPF!

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  46. Fab journal pages Valerie, I remember this hymn too from primary school. It's great to see your colourful collage all together. It's been really hot here too, nice in the day, but too hot to sleep :-) xx

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  47. What a lovely sentiment, I've never heard that hymn before.
    Hope you're not suffering with the heat too much!

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