Hi Everybody!
Have a great, new week. I have a lot planned for this week, with lots of appointments here and there and I also badly need to get some housew**k done again. Oh well, I will have to watch something on TV with breaks for the commercials so I can swing the broom and duster in between.
Today I have a journal page in memory of my mum's birthday on July 6th 1916.
She loved flowers, and lilac, summer flowers and pretty clocks, so I have them on this page.
She didn't have an easy life, which often made her very bitter and unhappy, and living with her was hard, so I spent as much time as possible staying with various friends and aunts. In spite of it all I still visited her in London as often as I could, but it was never an easy relationship. The last time I saw her, the year before she died, she cursed me and said I would never be happy again for the rest of my life. But she didn't succeed with her curse, I don't believe in things like that. I like being happy and doing things which make me happy. We can't change the past. We just have to make the best of the present.
I am linking to AJJ, Erika's 'when it's hot challenge, as my mum was born and died in summer.
And some photos from my daily walks, mostly taken early in the morning:
A Nile goose in a tree:
Who's hiding in the tree?
Sorry, the photos aren't very clear, I was waiting for the tram and the tree was on the other side of the tracks.
Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!
Gorgeous summer photos. Good luck with all your appointments. It is kind of you to celebrate your mom, it is hard that she cursed you the last time you saw her. Glad you rose above all that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine, life has to go one and we need to make the best out of it!
DeleteWow that is a very interesting story. Love that art that goes with it. I think the photos are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nicole! Have a good week.
DeleteI am sorry to hear your Mum had a hard life and was so bitter, I am glad you rose above what she said to you too. My Mum is not an easy person to get on with, her way of dealing with me is to ignore me. She is 94 now and you would think each day was a joy, but no. Your art piece is very special, and I love your walk photos. That climbing rose on the arch way is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard when Mums are like that, I'm sure there are so many like it. Have a great week!
DeleteBeautiful memory of your mum. My dad was born in 1914 and mum 1924 they too had a hard life in WWII in Poland/Germany but were always so happy and never bitter, think the move to Australia changed their lives completely. Your work of art and photos are always beautiful....hey forget the HW it will still be there next week.xx
ReplyDeleteGlad your parents were able to overcome their hardships, that's the right way. Have a great week!
DeleteSuch lovely photos, Valerie. Your area is so very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI love the piece you did and I hope it was healing. It's always unfortunate that a hard life can be passed on in how others are treated. I'm glad you became the joyful woman you are.
Thanks Jeanie, have a great week!
DeleteGood morning dear Valerie!
ReplyDeleteYour page is a great tribute for your mum. A very beautiful artwork!
I don’t believe in curses too! Magnificent captures from your morning walk!
Wonderful photos of the goose,the cute horses and how lucky you are seeing the Woodpecker!
Wishing you a happy day and a lovely new week! Take care! Hugs!
Dimi...
Thanks Dimi! We need to believe in things that are good and true, that helps us. It was fun seeing the woodpecker while waiting for the tram!
DeleteHi Val, good morning! Love the page you made for your mum. She certainly was a character, and not always a good one to put it mildly. And although you look like her, you re nothing like her, and that's good! Love the photos, as always. Have a good day in spite of it all, hugs, Sarah
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah! Today the weather is nice, sunny but not too warm, so am looking forward to a nice walk later. Have a great day, take care!
DeleteGood morning Valerie: Many people have troubled relationships with parents so you are not alone in this respect. The important thing is that you have come through it all as a well adjusted, intelligent, interesting person, and more than a tad quirky I will have you know! As for housework, how about we ban it - worldwide, or as an alternative to banning insist that our governments provide for us, the deserving few, housecleaning services as part of our civic due, so that we may concentrate on the higher things in life, like scrapbooking and watching birds, for the greater good of all society? I think that is only right! Recently, about a week ago in fact, in a fit of total madness, I cleaned my office from top to bottom, even took all the books off the shelves, and wiped down underneath them, removed the pictures and cleaned them, every carving and sculptures dusted and cleaned. Well, then I couldn't find a book I wanted. It was a volume on spiders I recently reviewed for Princeton University Press and needed it to ID a couple of species. I assumed I had replaced the book on the shelf in the wrong spot, but a thorough, and I mean thorough, search turned up nothing. Then it suddenly dawned on me that I had reviewed the book on line not from a physical copy. Little wonder I couldn't find it. I am looking forward to the day when all the presses are clattering away again, and the book always arrives in the mail. The review is so much easier, and for me getting a new reference work is akin to having another holy icon in my cathedral of learning! As they used to say when we had full service gas stations, "Have a nice day!"
ReplyDeleteHi David. I'm with you in banning housework! I think as adults we have to get over things like a hard childhood and get on with life, if you don't you ruin your whole life. I know what you mean about looking for lost books, this is one of the rare times when my bookshelves get dusted! I love my books, and cannot part with them, although I mostly read on my Kindle these days as I can adjust the print size so I can see better. But books still feel and look better than Kindles, a house with no books is not a home!
DeleteI had a really difficult time with my Mom as well, after high school I just had to move away or I would never have been able to live my own life. Now that she is gone I just remember the happy times.
ReplyDeleteYour art is a lovely tribute to her-we need to do that for ourselves I think. big hugs
Lovely views on your walk I did a huge cleaning last week nice when it's all done Hugs
Thanks Kathy. We need to live our own lives and build our own talents and happiness. And yes, cleaning is great - when it's finished!
DeleteHello dear Valerie!
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence ... it was also my mother-in-law's birthday today! This is her first birthday in heaven ... I really miss her! She was, opposed or your mother, very sweet and caring!
Beautiful summer photos! I wish you a nice and sunny week! Hugs!
Thanks Ella! It's good to have caring people to love! Enjoy your week!
DeleteToo bad your mother was so bitter, but your philosophy of life is a very good one.
ReplyDeleteThanks. We need to be in charge of our own lives and get away from bad influences. Have a great week!
DeleteValerie I am sorry that your mum was so hard on you and very bitter they miss out on so much joy in life when they are like that and I am glad that you turned out to be the opposite and that you are a beautiful happy person enjoying life to the fullest good on you,I admire you for that. I love your fun journal pages. Well done on your lovely work,take care my friend xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Sheryl! It's important to make life so that it's enjoyable, and as adults we are responsible for our selves. Have a great week!
DeleteThat's a gorgeous page Valerie. I had a tough time growing up with my mother also and she was always angry with me when I didn't behave as she wanted me too, but now that she is older I try to look past all that. As I am sure you do also. It is a wonderful page and a great tribute. I also want to say thanks for joining my challenge again at AJJ. This is the perfect page for that. And nice morning walk photos. Hope you have a nice week and find a little downtime and art time too. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteThanks Erika! A lot of us seem to have had problems with parents, but as you say, we have to look past it and get on with life. I hope I will get some downtime, too, and can sit in my arty kitchen and be happy! Have a great week!
DeleteThanks Laurie, the hug is much appreciated! I'm always impressed by your loving and functioning family, so different to what I experienced. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteIts a gorgeous page Valerie, I can sense the thoughts that you must have been thinking when you created this page. they say time heals, some things should be forgotten yet, some we will never forget. My mother was born in 1920, I lived with my grandparents,, parents worked, I hardly ever saw them as a child, housing was scarce they didn't get a flat until I was a teenager, by then home for me was with my gran and aunt.Lots of memories are best left forgotten and the positive ones remembered.
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking this page to Erika's AJJ theme. I hope you don't get to involved in the dreaded 'H' word have some time to enjoy yourself in the coming busy week.
Stay safe
Yvonne xx
p.s loved the photos today especially the horses and the woodpecker.
Thanks Yvonne. Some things can't be forgotten, but we have to move on. I spent lots of time with my great aunt and other relations as 'home' was no home. And still, as you say, we need to cherish the good things and memories, move on, and keep going. I think a lot of our parents had big problems back them. Have a good week!
DeleteLove the page you created, really beautiful. Given the background you created a truly lovely tribute. Have a wonderful day. x
ReplyDeleteThanks Anesha! Have a great day, take care!
DeleteNot all mother-daughter relationships are warm and cozy, and I'm glad you have peace with your past.
ReplyDeleteThat rose arch is gorgeous! The flowers you see on your walk and your animal photos make me smile. The woodpecker was a good catch :)
Yes, you can say that again! It's the first time I've seen a woodpecker while waiting for the tram!
DeleteLiebe Valerie, die Geburtsagkarte zur Erinnerung an deiner Mutter ist wunderschön geworden. Du hast das einizeg richtige gemacht dich selbst glücklich zu machen anstatt unter zu gehen.
ReplyDeleteIch bewundere dich deine Einstellung.
Schön deine Fotos dazu.
Ich wünsche dir eine schöne neue Woche!
Lieben Gruss Elke
Danke, liebe Elke! Man muss eben auf sich vertrauen und sich nicht vom Weg abbringen lassen. Dir eine gute Woche, bleib gesund!
Deleteso wonderful photos of nature:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy!
DeleteThis is a beautiful piece Valerie, and a great tribute to your mum. Bad relationships are hard aren't they, and parents and children are impossible to walk away from. At least you had your aunts then and your friends now. Take care, and keep taking the photo's xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. You're right, you can't just walk away from family relationships! Have a good week!
DeleteYour page is so very pretty. I think we all have times when we love our mothers, but don't always like them. You walk around the same areas and yet each time you post pictures they are so different. Take care and enjoy the house work! I usually put a show or movie on from Netlfix, that I've seen a million times and know all the dialogue so no worry or temptation that I'm missing something.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, mothers and daughters are like books with no beginnings and no endings! I usually put something on like Lewis or Midsomer murders, I know them all more or less by heart so don't miss anything!
DeleteA beautiful piece in remembrance of your Mother Valerie, even through those bad patches you still keep that fire burning, shows what a string willed lady you are and with kindness a beautiful feature. I wish I could do the same for my Father but some stones are best left unturned.
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely places to walk amongst, it always looks so peaceful, I hope you managed some Valerie time today inbetween swinging that duster around. I've been swinging it around myself today what a waste of creative time.
Hope alls well with the appointments, stay safe on your travels.. Hugs Tracey xx
Thanks Tracey, your kind words are much appreciated. We all seem to have somre kinds of family burdens. Have a good week, stay safe.
DeleteI am sorry your childhood wasn't easy … but this was a nice piece/post you've written.
ReplyDeleteAs always your mix of photographs is wonderful.
Wishing you a good week ahead.
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan! You have a great week, too!
DeleteWhat a nice piece in memory of your mother. I am glad you had other places to go so that you could be in more positive environments. You have a wonderful attitude and I am glad you have proved your mother wrong.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures from your walks. Love all the flowers and the horses. Stay safe!
~Jess
Thanks Jess! I love walking here, so much to see!
DeleteA beautiful page Valerie, sad to hear your mother had a hard life and was unable to rise above it, and a shame you didn't have a good relationship with her.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, especially that gorgeous woodpecker. I haven't seen our pair for a couple of weeks, I guess they're eating someone else's fat balls.
Alison xx
Thanks ! Relationships are not always easy. Perhaps your woodpecker was here waiting for the tram!?
DeleteEven though your relationship with your mother was tough you still have a lovely page to with elements to remember the positives! I realise that I was lucky to have my Mum, even if she didn't remember much in her later years. Lucky you to be able to people watch...I know...my time will come!!! Fabulous photos, lots of lovely flowers around! Hugs, Chrisx
ReplyDeleteYes, people watching is such fun, I like thinking up stories about them!
DeleteI loved seeing the woodpecker, I have only ever seen one once in real life. I so look forward to the walks with you, you have the most amazing interesting photos.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to read about your mum, that must have been hard to write but it shows how lovely and what a strong person you are to create such a beautiful page in her memory. I was adopted by my birth mother's aunt and I can honestly say I had the most wonderful parents I could have wished for. A very happy childhood and I miss her still.
Thanks for sharing.
Hugs, Neet xx
I love woodpeckers, I have one who often visits my balcony and eats the fat balls! Glad you were adopted into a good family, that's worth a lot.
DeleteI have NO idea how I missed this. It must have been while I was offline. This is a loving and lovely tribute to your mother, even though your relationship with her was more than strained. I was raised by my mother's parents and I was the luckiest person in the world. Had my mother raised me, I'd probably have been turned out on the street to make money through sex before I was 14. She SOLD my half brother to a couple who couldn't have children for a CAR. That's the truth. So glad to read you and I both are lucky to live our lives in the present. BTW, I hope your eye surgery went well. Thank you for sharing this lovely journal page with us at Art Journal Journey using Erika's theme. It's a beautiful page.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a woodpecker except in photos, but what took my interest today were all the flowers and the adorable horses. Hope all is well in your world now.
Yes, it's not always easy with family! Our lives are what we make of them.
DeleteLovely tribute to your mother, Valerie. You have the right attitude. My mother wa orphaned when she was 10. She was torn from her three brothers and put in an orphanage. I feel sorry for her and am grateful that I had an easier life.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Eileen
A hard life is not good, but we have to learn to live our lives. Glad you had an easier life.
DeleteHousework? WHat is that? LOL! I love your beuaituful tribute - what a sad story for her and it made my heart sink reading this but I am glad you have had a happy life! Big hugs! I love the lilacs and the wonderful colors - and of course your awesome walk about pictures! xo
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelly!
Delete