Thursday, 10 August 2023

Friday Post - FFO and more

Hi Everybody!

I can't believe how quickly time is flying by. I was really knocked out when I got home yesterday, it was a busy day. I had an early appointment at my doctor's, which meant getting up at 6 a.m. - not my chosen time! I had lots of tests for blood-work etc, an ECG, and more.... I have had a very painful attack of sciatica for more than a week, and every movement hurts! And then my home-help came and we got my apartment ship-shape and then went shopping at Aldi. After that I had to go into Düsseldorf, which is always loud and crowded. I had an appointment by the the acoustic specialist for the last checks on my new hearing aids. All went well there, and I am very happy with them. It's great to hear well again, what a blessing.  Then I travelled home by tram , which was very crowded, but a nice girl gave me her seat. It's wonderful that some people are friendly and helpful. By the time I walked home along our street and climbed the stairs I was just totally finished. So I had a coffee, chocolate cookies and some pain killers and went to bed. 

Today I have a piece for Chris' 'where in the world' challenge at AJJ. I used an old canvas which I 'stripped' some time back , and added postcards which relate to various places - I am sure you will know where in the world they belong:




Have you guessed the four countries?

And I have some faces for Nicole's FFO and Gillena's AFFF:

This is a face I posted on my blog this week:


Shelter:


Gilly Cow:




A baby peacock:


Hello, I'm smiling at you:


Looking after the family:



Back to the 1960's when I was acting in a play at the town theatre in Scunthorpe - can you find me?


The family 2 years before I was born:


Great grandmother Rachel:


Back to the 70's, taken in a photo-booth:

This was in the 80's, another photo-booth picture. I was making a face because it took such a long time and I thought it wasn't working:


My husband back in the 60's:


And my lovely great  aunt Fanny:


That was a trip down memory lane for me!

Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!

75 comments:

  1. Wonderful artwork Valerie, and lovely photos of you and your family!

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  2. Jak zawsze podziwiam twoje prace są niezwykłe. Uwielbiam stare fotografie czas sìę na nich się zatrzymał. Wspaniałe, że znowu dobrze słyszysz. Zyczę dużo zdrowia i uśmiechu.:)

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    1. Thanks Lucyna. Old photos take us back into the past, and bring lots of memories.

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  3. Loved this post. You had me giggling from start to finish. You looked great, and your hubby looked healthy back then, too. Sad he passed away.

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  4. Hi Val, good evening! Ha, usually it's good morning! Loved this post from start to finish, an great to see the pics of you, back in the day when I lived in D'dorf, too. We had some fun back then! Nice pic from the Theatre in Scunthorpe, too. Have a great evening, hugs from us all, Sarah

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    1. Hi Sarah, life was different back then! So much has happened, some good, some bad, but we's still here, alive and kicking! Hugs!

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  5. Love the postcards and all your photos-I was 18 when your pic was in the paper and hope you are feeling better today.I was at the Dr today but 9am not as early as you,I have scoliosis and just got scan results from last Oct to find I am riddled osteoarthritis and in constant pain so not good-getting old sucks!!!!!
    Carol x

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    1. So sorry about your scoliosis and the constant pain, I know how awful that is! And yes, getting old sucks! I was 22 when that photo was taken! A long time ago, it was a different life in another land. Have a great day, hugs, Valerie

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  6. Liebe Valerie,
    es tut mir so leid, dass dir dein Ischiasnerv solche Probleme bereitet - ich weiß, wie unangenehm das ist. Hoffentlich wird es bald besser! Bewundernswert, dass du dennoch so kunstvolle Bilder malst (das schöne Gesicht) bzw. für die AJJ-Challenge gestaltest. Über die vielen tollen Gesichter bzw. Tierbilder habe ich mich auch sehr gefreut - auf den Baby-Pfau wäre ich beinahe hereingefallen, aber das muss eine sehr geschickte Fotomontage sein, denn junge Pfauen sind ja leider in Wirklichkeit gar nicht so hübsch und so bunt ;-)
    Besonders spannend finde ich dein Kramen in alten Fotos (das mache ich auch gerne).
    Alles Liebe
    Traude
    🌼🪴🍀🌻❤️🌼🪴🍀🌻
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2023/08/ruckblick-auf-den-rostrosen-sommer-2023.html

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    1. Danke, liebe Traude, diese Schmerzen sind leider weit verbreitet and sehr schlimm. Schade dass du das baby Pfau ekannt hast! Ich liebe es auch in alten Fotos zu kramen und alte Erinnerungen hervor zu zaubern. Sorry, kurze Kommentar wieder. Schreiben ist schwer für mich weil ich oft stark zittere! Dir Alles Liebe!

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  7. Everything about this post was wonderful (apart from the fact that reading about your day had ME exhausted! That's a huge day and I hope all the tests go well. I feel your pain (and I mean it literally) with the sciatica. It's just horrid.

    Loved the photos, all of them. I think it the play photo you are top row, second from left. I thought that before I saw the other photos but that sort of sealed it for me. Was I right?! And your husband was a very handsome fellow! Marvelous photos, every single one.

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    1. Thanks so much, Jeanie. In the play I am top right in the photo. Sometimes it's good to look back and remember! Hugs!

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  8. Goodness, you did have a busy day yesterday. Sorry to read about your sciatica, that can be so painful.
    I do hope you feel better soon.

    So nice to see your photographs, what a lovely trip down memory lane.

    Happy Friday and weekend wishes.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Ja, der Tag war sehr voll! Memory Lane is sometimes a good place to be!

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  9. Ok Japan and England, the other 2 have me stumped and curious

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    1. The first one is in Rome - Romulus and Remus being suckled by the wolf, and the last one is the Synagoge El Transito in Toledo, Spain. Hugs!

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    2. Thanks Valerie, Romulus and Remus of course!

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  10. That does sound like a real crazy day Valerie. But hearing is very important, so hearing aids are a good thing. A very good thing. I can't tell exactly where the Arabic postcard is from, but it is a fun page. Have you visited all these places? And it's fun to see those old photos. Hope you have a more relaxing Friday. hugs-Erika

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    1. It was crazy, Erika! The Arabic Postcard is the Synagogue El Transito in Toledo, Spain. I haven't been to Japan - I know you have ! - but the other places, yes

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  11. Coffee, cookies, pain killers and bed were much deserved after your day.
    Fun post. Very much enjoyed it. You are in the very top row, correct?
    Hugs, Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com

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    1. Oh yes - well deserved and necessary! Yessss! Hugs!

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  12. I like the name Rachel.
    Coffee is on, and stay safe.

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  13. Nice page for AJJ, Valerie. You were a lovely young woman and had a handsome hubby. I always enjoy the old photos. Sciatica is no joke, it drains my energy to walk soooooo much with every step and even sitting is agony. Pain is exhausting, really. Mine comes and goes so I do get a bit of a break but not for long! XOX

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    1. Time changes everything, including lovely young women! Oh yes, we get our fair share of aches and pains, and sciatica is really no joke. Soon I will going to see a friend for an hour or so, she lives just round the c orner, so it's not too far! Have a lovely day, hugs!

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  14. Oh, you poor thing. Early morning starts and I do not get on well to begin with. If people want to come and see me or make appointments, I do my best to set them up after midday. I cannot rush these days. As for your sciatica, you have my full empathy. I am just coming out the other end of a many months long. bout of that horrible painful condition. Hugs Deb

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    1. Hi Deb, same here. I need time to get mself sorted each morning. Days like that are really very stressful. My sciaticais bad, I hope it soon gets better I opened the door to the postman and yowled because i had somehow moved the wrong way - the poor man looked most alarmed! Stay as well as possible, Deb! Hugs!

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  15. I ischianerv ist furchtbar leibe Valerie ich fühle mit dir und hoffe dass er bald mal ruhig wird und du wieder aufatmen kannst. Schön dass du eine Hilfe hast.
    Gute Besserung wünsche ich dir und dein Posting ist toll gerade auch mit dem Journalseite oder dein fantastisches Gesichtbild und auch deine eigene Fotos und deinem verstorbenen Ehemann. Ja das waren noch Zeiten!
    Gutes ausruhen am Wochenende!
    Lieben Gruss Elke

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    1. Ja, das waren Zeiten! Ich hoffe dass es dir etwas besser geht. Ganz liebe Grüße!

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  16. Beautiful designs and love this trip down memory lane,, You are so creative as always! ♥

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  17. ...Valerie, this post full of wonderful things. Do you still stick your tongue out! I love your colorful lady, have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Yes, I do - when I'm thinking, and sometimes when I'm reading! Hugs!

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  18. I am guessing Israel, Japan, Italy and England. Was I right? Do I win a prize? The pictures of you in the photo booth are pretty amusing, Valerie. I am see that even then you were ready to stick out your tongue to the world, and I suspect that figuratively at least you have not changed. Glad to hear that your hearing aids are working well. Years ago I got them to help me hear the high frequency range of bird song that was no longer audible, but I never used them much. Much of the time the sound of the wind roaring in my ears is magnified and I don’t hear much else. So many doctor’s appointments! I get exhausted reading about it, so I can imagine how you feel after a day like that. Sciatica sounds quite awful, but you would never open the door to the postman here. Door to door service is but a memory. We have community mailboxes and have to walk down the street to collect our mail. The weekend is almost here. Time to relax perhaps and maybe enjoy a sausage or two with Heike. Hugs and kisses - David

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    1. Well, you got three out of four right. the El Transito Synagogue is in Toledo, Spain. I was trying to confuse you all with that one...Well, I don't thnk I've changed much, I'm still childish and impulsive and stick my tongue out! Some of us never grow up, and that's good. I can't do without hearing aids, and they are really good these days, much better than the first ones I had.
      How strange that the postman doesn't come to the door - all letters and parcels are still delivered, but I supose that will change soone or later, too!
      Have a great day, take care, BIG hugs xxxxx

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  19. Really luv your post today
    Enjoyed the oldies and the thinkies.
    Thank you for linking to AFFF

    Much💖love

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  20. I love the photo of you in the article about the play. I have been in several play but only one (years ago) did I get a photo in the paper. I see you there top right -it is the only lady young enough at that time to be you.

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    1. Exactly! I had my photo in several newspaper pics back when, but this is the only one I still have Hugs!

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  21. That's a very long day, but you definitely got a lot done. I love the old photo booth pictures!

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  22. Sounds like you got it all done in one day. No wonder you were exhausted!

    I love those family photos. Your dashing hubby and that great car :)

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    1. I was really exhausted! That car would be a treasure today. Those were the days!

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  23. I enjoyed every image in this post! And wow, photo booths, I remember those -- four poses for a dollar . . . in the 70s, I had that same pair of sunglasses, LOL!

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    1. Oh yes, the wild 70s, we had fun, and the same sunglasses 😎🕶️😎!

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  24. Not a clue which one is you in the newspaper, sorry, I am hopeless at this kind of thing.
    I got three out of the four places in your fab ;journal page - what a great idea and to get us guessing too.
    Love all the funnies you posted, especially the two old men (can't remember their names) and the baby peacock is so cute.
    Everything is good about your post except your day. What a busy day you had, no wonder you took to your bed at the end of it all. Hope you felt much better for a good sleep.
    Hugs, Neet xx
    just back from the caravan so can play catch up on comments, internet was terrible up there - more miss than hit.

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    1. I am (was) the young lady in the top row, right. I am happy that we have good internet here! Glad you liked the funnies, I did, too. I am so tired today, I think another early night is necessary! Have a good weekend, take care! Hugs, Valerie

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  25. Quite the series of wonderful art work and delightful photos and funnies ~ sweet photos of you and love the doggie 'taking care of the family.' ~ Lots of healing energy hugs to you,

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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    1. Thanks Carol, have a great weekend, hugs, Valerie

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  26. Lovely old photos. I'm glad you've got your hearing aids sorted.

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  27. What a delight to see your family photos, Valerie! I love looking at the faded and/or sepia faces and imagining the lives behind them. Is that you in the back row with the men in the newspaper clipping? Great funnies!

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  28. That was a huge day for you. Hope you are rested now. Glad you got new ears. LOL I love the world art and of course the beautiful lady for FFO. Mr. M. and I cracked up with the two old pupet men and the elephant with baby is just too cute. The best though are the old photos of you and your family. Thanks for joining in FFO and have a nice weekend.

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    1. Thanks Nicole, old photos have a magic all of their own.

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  29. That little elephant is just too sweet. Hope you have a restful weekend.
    Hugs, Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com

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  30. Hi Valerie, so much in your post-loved your art, loved the animals and great funnies too. Hoping you will feel more rested tomorrow-hugs Kathy

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    1. Thanks Kathy, I'm planning on a lazy weekend! Hugs

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  31. Love your art piece and the photos are so interesting. Very nice post! Love the elephants! Please rest. Thinking of you!

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    1. Thanks Debra, those elephants are really gorgeous! I slept for over 8 hours, that did me really good! Hugs!

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  32. Sorry I'm late visiting. Hoping to be more punctual now the clean up is over. I immediately knew it was you in the newspaper photo, and others have confirmed it. Love these old photos and the baby elephant and the dog with the kitties.

    However, I was stumped on the four countries you shared with us at AJJ using Chris's theme. I am sure of two, but two I would only be guessing. This is a real beauty, but a definite puzzler for me.

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    1. TOP row was Rome and Japan, bottom row England and Spain!

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    2. I got Japan and England, but not Rome and Spain. Thanks for letting me know.

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  33. Forgot to mention that the description of how you feel and felt yesterday sounds a lot like how I felt after the clean up yesterday. I was wiped out and sure could have used some home help. The garage may be clean now, but my house is in shambles from letting everything else go.

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    1. I feel like this most of the time, not good, but I will have to get used to it!

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  34. I love your solution to "being finished" ... coffee, chocolate cookies and pain killers. That sounds perfect to me :) Lots of lovely photos today, Valerie, especially of you at various ages and your husband, of course. I couldn't guess which one was you in the newspaper clipping ... are you going to tell us next week? As for the four countries ... England, Japan and Egypt and then I don't know the forth. Am I right on my three choices at least? Your lady with the blue hair is gorgeous as are all of your lady paintings and I love your funnies especially the baby elephant :) Hope your pain killers are working for you and hooray for the new hearing aids. It has to be frustrating not to be able to pick up on the conversations around you, so now you're good :) I, at my age, still hear pretty well, but I have awful word retrieval issues. Makes it hard to have a conversation except for with my husband who, after 58 years of living together, can fill in the spaces for me. Have a wonderful and hopefully pain free week, Valerie ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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    1. Thanks Andrea. I think my standard first aid treatment is very effective! I m in the top row on the right. Yes, three were right, the fourth is a synagogue in Cordoba, Spain. I am very happy with my hearing aids, it's awful having to keep asking people to repeat things. Have a great week, hugs!

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  35. Excellent collection of fun stuff to look at. That little critter looking up and the cow, were my two faves. Huggs, Ivy.

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  36. Excellent collection of photos. Also, I love the little mooooocow!

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