Stepping Out Challenge - Day 29 - Memories of Home 2

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Welcome to day 29 of the blog challenge.  It is funny how talking about the challenge again has brought up so many memories for me.  As I walk down memory lane some of the posts I had written in the original challenge feel as if they are only yesterday. 

Today is the second part of the Memories from Home reflections, and I am really glad that you could join me.

We grew up in a 3 bedroom apartment.  My sister had her own bedroom, my brother and I had to share until my sister left home to go to University. We had moved into the house when I was 7 years old and grew up and eventually left home when we felt that we were grown.  

It was our family home for over 33 years and we would have family dinners on the weekends, and continued the practice when we had children of our own.  When mum became ill with Dementia we needed to consider an adapted flat that would cater to a wheelchair, and her increasing needs. 

The Memories from Home posts came at the right time for me, I had lost my best friend 2 years previously and then my Brother passed and it was like a big hole had been left and there was nothing that could quite ease the feeling.  

As I wrote the posts and looked back to what we used to do as children, and the adventures that we had I realised that when you stir up the memories that you shared it helped heal some of the wounds left by your loved ones departing.   

I smiled at the things that we did as children, all the near scrapes, the laughter and adventure we shared.  I also smile at the way we began to sound like our parents – all those things that you swore you would never say suddenly start to roll off your tongue when trying to discipline your child, and you hear yourself say the words and your mind is saying  'really'.

Going down memory lane every now and again is an important activity, and if you can write about those times you help preserve your own piece of history that your children and your children’s children can treasure.

What things about your childhood, traditions and memories  can you think about? Take time to journal, or create an art journal page.

I look forward to having you join me for tomorrows post where I will be sharing about the Gratitude’s and Celebration Challenge.   I hope you have been able to you find some time to challenge, be creative and stretch yourself.

Why not join on the blog and sign up to the Mailing list as we dive into to some exciting challenges and look at ways in which they can impact on your own life. 

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, it is never too late to start! The main thing is to take one step at a time and do something that you find interesting.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

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Amazon Store - 

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BBC - Wanted in Paradise - Trip to Barbados

Wanted in Paradise - Me, Alan and Sekani as we visit one of 3 properties on the island

Wanted in Paradise - Our accomodation

Last year we had the opportunity to take a trip to Barbados with the BBC to see what it would be like to live there. You can see the post I wrote HERE 

The Wanted in Paradise series follows 8 families around to see what goes into the decision to relocating to another country, and we went to sunny Barbados.  We explored the heartache and soul searching that goes into making a decision in a search for a better quality of life.

You can see our program HERE

Wanted in Paradise

We met lots of people and found out lots of information to help us inform our decision. For those of you that are familiar with my blog and my story as a carer you will know that I look after my mother who is suffering from dementia, so thoughts of relocation will have to be thought through with great care.

I have always thought my ideal will be the ability to stay in both places when the weather is at its' best - 6 months in the UK and 6 months in Barbados, obviously my work - art and creativity have to be able to be flexible and in an ideal world I will have an gorgeous studio like the artist I met - Janice Silvia Brock

The program aired on Thursday and there were lots that we filmed that wasn't included, people we had talked to and family members who had given their point of view.  I guess that there is a limit in an hour to what can be included and you would probably need a whole new show to fit every thing in!

Overall I felt that it gave a flavor of the decisions that we had to make the difficulty of the very thought of leaving family and friends behind to embark on a new place to call home.  Take a look and see how difficult the decision was and what we eventually decide.

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Moving Home....Adapting to needs

One of mums many ornaments!

This weekend finds me packing boxes, not of my own home but that of my mums.  Her needs have increased and we needed to find a place that had a lift or easy access for a wheel chair.  I was thinking with my practical head, and I got the boxes and tap and other packing materials ready.  As I have been making my way around the rooms I see that this job is far bigger than I expected it to be. I didn't realize that with every item that I pick up I would be confronted with memories, and times from my childhood, some sadness with the losses, knowing that change has to come.

Moving unearths many things....

As a child I as many do thought my parents would live for ever, never get old, and we would always come back and have dinners on. This was my family home from the age of 7 and quite a number of years have passed.  I understand now why I had to do the 'Memories of Home' posts, for a time like this.  When I first started the posts moving wasn't even a thought, I knew that I needed at some time to do something as mums needs had increased and carrying a wheelchair up the stairs has been impacting on my own health, but thought I had more time.  Anyway each room holds it's own memories that I have been savoring.

Hands off! Some of dads prized glasses

When we were little, my dad brought a drinks cabinet that held a large array of glasses that we were never allowed to use, so many tumblers, wine, liqueur and champagne glasses - it wasn't as if he was a drinker.  They were for best in case we had visitors, the glasses sit all uniform side by side, we kept up the tradition when my dad died of periodically dusting and not allowing our kids to use them.  Mum would say that one day a section of the cabinet and the contents would be passed each of the children, how do you sound grateful and turn down the offer,  we have no room in our own homes.  Now Robert has gone, mums new place has no space, it has to find a new home.

Jugs and glasses fill the cabinet

There are so many things that we have collected that recapture the memories and that connection that was once thought forgotten, I have been showing some of them to mum to see if it sparks some memories for her. We all reminiscence at some point whether it is talking about something we did 20 years ago or last month.

Egg cups we used as children

Looking around my mums home I am reminded of many things of my past that as children we used, the egg cups above had a lid to keep them warm, mum would make us egg and soldiers that we would dunk.

Soda Stream, one of the earlier kinds!

Soda stream – this is one of the older versions that my dad would use and we would have sparkling drinks, we used it quite a lot in favor of the fizzy drinks you could buy in the shops.

This statue is one that my dad got and has been in the family for years, not sure where he got it from, it is funny that the things that were so precious for one person might not be so for another and when you are gone you can't take it with you.  I am going to make up a memory box out of things that would trigger a memory that could be a talking point to spark my mums memory, for some of them it will just have to be the photograph!  

We turn a corner and I busy myself again with wrapping up glasses and plates and seeing what can find a new home, this week will definitely be a busy one and every now and again an emotional roller-coaster, but also provide comfort as we remember and take stock of our lives. 

What will this week hold for you?

Memories of Home - Reflections

 
Last week saw the last of my series 'Memories of Home'  I had made a series of houses, some made from card and others created on wood.  It was a great way to look back at childhood memories and share some of them.  My son also got to see another side of the child I used to be.  

Each week I took a word which would be the starting point to launch from and I shared a memory, some of them had been long forgotten.  

I enjoyed sharing the memories, some of which were of times me and my brother had spent on our adventures as children, thinking about him and the good times though still difficult at times seem to lessen the sting of his passing.  Speaking about him some how keeps his memory alive and feels right, I can't believe at times that he is gone.

When my dad died mum would speak of how they met and how she secretly liked him all along, I found that even after 20 years of him not being with us I still felt the emotional pain.  
The more she talked about him the more I remembered and it didn't hurt so much.  I still wish he could have seen his grand children and that they could have had more time together.

Now I have finished the series I have been thinking what to do with the houses and want to turn the into some form of book, along with the memories shared and can be passed down to grandchildren and be the stories that are shared and not forgotten -  I will let you know how I get on.

I encourage you to take the time to reflect back on your own memories, you might find that they might hold the key to moving forward. 

Wooden house collage

One of the wooden houses that I made inspired by a class on Soul food opened up a whole new set of possibilities, I didn't realized how much I liked working with wood and hope to do more pieces.

As I made the houses I found I related to them more, and each began to mean more to me and became more a part of me and my stories.

I have found Memories of home has been a way to capture some of my stories, the ones that had been forgotten, and as we get older and family get together's fall to the wayside it has also been extremely important to me as my mothers memory diminishes.  What experiences and memories have you been capturing and what special ways have you been able to share them?

Laughter - Memories of Home

Memories of Home...

Welcome to Memories of Home, if you would like to find out more information about the series, Click here

Being in a supportive environment is important to our growth as individuals, not everyone has had that opportunity and as adults we try and create an environment that will nurture and bless our children and indeed ourselves.

Laughter

Laughter is an important part of life, and being able to see the funny side and find humor in aspects of life is crucial, otherwise you would just want to curl up in a ball and cry all the time. They say that you use more muscles to frown - nearly 150, than if you where to smile - it uses under 10 facial muscles, (I heard the figure was 2), so imagine next time you walk down the street, all those who who have a smile on their faces will develop less wrinkles than those you see with frowns. Laughter has also been likened to an internal massage, so you can give yourself some a little bit of TLC on the outside and on the inside as well!

My dad had a good sense of humor and loved a good laugh - the type that would get you clutching your belly and bring tears to your eyes. Cartoons would be something that set him off, Tom and Jerry to be exact! He would find the cat and mouse antics hilarious - his laughter roaring through the house.

Charlie, our pet was a Minah bird. Dad was the only one that could handle him to get him out of the cage to clean it and then catch him as he flew around the house to put him back in. Minah birds mimic sounds, and somehow Charlie learnt to mimic my dads laughter, along with a few words. You would hear Charlie all hours of the day until it was time for bed. Dad would be watching something funny on the TV and then set Charlie off with laughter, it was definitely a sound to hear! 

Dads laughter showed me that it was important to look for the joy that we all have in our lives - and I think I have developed his loud laughter, much to my sons embarrassment! We can all find out what makes us laugh - seeing the lighter side of things especially in our complicated lives.  We have to sure we take time out on a daily basis, for we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

What role does laughter play for you and what one thing can you do today to encourage yourself to look at the humor in your own life? I hope you continue to join me on my journey over the weeks, as I share my mixed media houses and look back to the memories of home. I look forward to hearing about some some of your own memories. Blessings and peace to you!

Studio - Memories of Home

Welcome to Memories of Home, if you would like to find out more information about the series, Click here

Being in a supportive environment is important to our growth as individuals, not everyone has had that opportunity and as adults we try and create an environment that will nurture and bless our children and indeed ourselves.

Studio

I shared in my memories of home post on PEACE how working in my studio is a space that I can unwind, reflect and get lost in my creativity. It is important to have a space that you can collect your thoughts, and make some sense of the world, your life, and all that comes with it. You might not have access to a studio, you might just have the end of a kitchen table which is what I had to work with for many years.

When I was younger I was able to have my own room when my sister left home, having previously shared with my brother. Our room was never tidy enough for me and I would complain to my mum that he would always be in my 'stuff'.  It wasn't that I minded him looking at my things but he never asked if he could touch. I moaned, he flashed a cheeky smile, and mum told us to sort it out, which we did.

Since having my studio space and being able to spread my wings, it has taken a while but I am beginning to growing out of my space. There are many different mediums and materials that I enjoy working with, so many things still to try and experiment with, and in the same way that I out grew working at the end of the kitchen table, it is time to spread my wings even further. But it is deeper than having more space to put another shelf up, it is about continued mental and emotional growth.

I feel that it is important that we continue to grow and embrace what comes with change, whilst not getting too comfortable with things the way they are. It is very easy to take things for granted, and when they are gone you don't know what to do with yourself. I know I can be resistant to change as I like to have some sort of plan and with change can come some uncertainty, but I have learnt to see the changes as a new opportunity to learn something new. 

What are you doing with the space that you have, have you begun to take it for granted or are you seeing the potential that is right in front of you?

Think about an area of your home that you could utilize for a different purpose, and make some changes. I hope you continue to join me on my journey over the weeks, as I share my mixed media houses and look back to the memories of home. I look forward to hearing about some some of your own memories. Blessings and peace to you!