Nurturing - Memories of Home

Memories of Home

Welcome to the first day of the Memories of Home Series.  

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.  

I will be sharing a selection of mixed media houses that I created alongside words that I want to foster in my environment or that bring back memories of home life.  Along the way creativity will be at the heart of it.

Nurturing

Looking back our early days were spent being nurtured, by our parents (in their own way) making the mistakes, picking yourself up and dusting yourself off.  Knowing that while you were at home you would feel secure as you take the time to spread your wings.

I tell my son that our home is his training ground.  I want him to feel free enough to make his mistakes - we all make them, but to also feel that he won’t be judged by his mistakes, he will have his foundation and have the space to learn and grow and be himself.  Being in a nurturing environment is key for the growth to happen and I want him to be able to look back on his childhood and teenage years seeing with fondness knowing that he was in a supportive environment that inspired, guided, and gave him the necessary tools to become the man he will no doubt be one day.  When you have had a challenging day it is important to feel the love and nurture within your home and that everyone understands the part they play in keeping it so.

I would love to hear what you have put in place in your own home environment that allows nurturing to take place, please share in the comments below.

I hope you continue to join me on my journey over the weeks, as I share my mixed media houses and some art journaling and look back to the memories of home.  I look forward to hearing about some some of your own memories.

Water - Creating in Faith

Water is something that none of us can do without.  Our bodies are made up of around 75% and as well as hydrating internally, we need to hydrate externally as well.  It can be comforting to soak in after a hard days work and also refreshing drink.  Living in the UK we often take it for granted that it will always be at the end of a tap having access around the clock.  There are countries whose population still do not have access to clean running water for the very essentials in life, and the thought of having to give water to drink that you got from the lake, the same lake where the cattle tread, where you bath and wash clothes and every other imaginable use, to your child to drink is unthinkable, but the reality they face, check out these facts about water in the developing world.  If you alsowant to find out ways in which you can take more care with the earths resources check out reduce the footprints a blog about making a positive impact to our environment and has some great tips.

Memories of Home

I shared in Memories of Home series my experience between the age of around 4 – 6 years where the house we lived in two rooms with my family.  The house didn't have access to a bath or inside toilet.  We used to have a portable tin bath in the room and containers where the water had to be stored and was boiled as needed.  Many houses in the UK in those days didn't have bathrooms and had to use what was known as a public baths, buildings specifically designed to meet then needs of local people, you would also take your laundry there as well. The baths would have separate first and second class areas for use.  

Holiday surprises

We also found when me, my brother and sister visited our Grandma in Jamaica in 1982 just what it would be like without the modern conveniences that we were used to. As teenagers at the time we rolled up our sleeves and got on with it, and we handled it quite well seeing it as an adventure. With no running water each morning we would have to go down to the well - which was down a hill - to fetch the water that would be used for bathing and drinking and washing up the dishes.  It was a humbling experience and really put things into perspective.

Calling the Repair man

We can often take what we do have for granted.  Recently my mothers bathroom cold water tap stopped working and when I called for the repairs they told me that it would take them a week before they could come and look at it.  I was surprised that it wasn't seen as an emergency, especially for the elderly to have cold running water at home.  What we were having to do to set the bath for her was to run the hot water tap, let it go cold and then add the hot water after and make the best of the situation.  I waited in for the repair man to come, glad that the week had passed and we would soon be able to carry on as normal. Just before he came I decided for some reason to turn the tap on, I knew that it wouldn't work because I had been trying every day from the time I called them out.  To my surprise 10 minutes before he came the water began to flow out of the tap as if there had never been a problem. 

I was stunned, why on the very day that it was supposed to be fixed would it start working, all week there had been nothing and then all of a sudden the tap started to flow.   The door knocked and in the repair man came.  I explained, (slightly embarrassed), what had been happening and said funnily enough the tap started working that morning.  I wasn't sure if the look that he gave me was one that questioned whether there was a fault in the first place.  Anyway, after much fiddling and banging he eventually said that it was fixed, and confirmed what I thought it was - the washer.  I was at last able to get on with my day.

New Insights

When we look for the revelations and insights that can come from different situations in life, it can often show us interesting and important things.  It reminded me that you never know how things are going to turn out.  You can be dissuaded by how things look in the moment and sometimes you need to find temporary solutions making the best of it before a way is made.  You also have to slow down.  There are so many things that we find ourselves trying to do all at the same time we begin to miss the life that is passing right before our eyes and we forget to enjoy the simple things.  Take time to think about the events that happen in your life, what interesting revelation could they contain that you can apply to your life in a positive way?

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it's fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither whatever they do 

prospers Psalm 1:3

The Lord will guide you always;  he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail Isaiah 58:11

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal - Week 13 - Recharge

 

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal - Week 13

It is time to recharge your batteries - let the renewal begin

 

Recharge and Renew

There are times where we find that the things that we used to be able to do quite easily ever so slowly become harder, and I am not including the ageing process which we all naturally face, but the times where we have been running our bodies down and the stresses that can come with that alongside poor nutrition impact on our life until we eventually hit empty.  We then find ourselves wondering why we feel so tired and in pain, and if your not careful your body turns around and forces you to stop. 

Every now and then we need to sit back and allow our bodies to get the rest and nourishment it needs along with the exercise and care.  Don't wait until January when you make your New Years resolution to promise yourself to take time out and get fit, do something about it today, this week!  You also need to seek out activities that allow the mind to rest from the constant information overload. 

I am grateful that I can have access to information and resources that show me how to care for my body and give it the rest it needs to face another day.  Working in a journal and being creative allows my mind to process ideas and information and acts as a pressure guage.  I also celebrate that despite being October, here in London we are having wet but mild weather and there are some pretty changes that can be observed happening to the landscape this time of the year. 

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal - week 13 - It is time - are you ready?

As this week draws to a close can you think of the areas where you need to allow your body to rest? Take some time out, and give yourself permission to take stock and see what parts of your life that you need to recharge and renew. Do let me know what you plan to do.    Have a blessed weekend!

Memories of Home - Mixed Media House Series

Memories of Home - 5 x 7 in mixed media painting

Memories of home, is a weekly series of art and reflections of home.  I will be sharing a selection of mixed media 4x7 houses that I have been making, that capture different elements of home either that I currently enjoy or that I remember as a child.  I had originally started making these as one of the monthly challenges on Motley Soul, but the challenges of life got in the way!    I have decided to continue to make and share the houses, which are made from a selection of materials.  As I continue to make the mixed media houses they take me back to times past and in contrast how very different things are now.  I chose a selection of words that all bring back memories of home life, or how I wanted my environment to be ie 'nurturing, relaxing, a sanctuary' things that I want to experience at home and I am sure that others too want to have that place where they can be themselves.  I will share a memory or thought whether from growing up as a child or where I currently live with my family.  Along with the mixed media house, every now and then I will add a journal page or a piece of art around the word for that week.

Earliest Memories

Parliament Hill Fields - age 4

 

My earliest memory of home was when I was around 4 years old.  We lived in 2 rooms on the 2^nd floor of a house.  My mum, dad, me and my brother who was a baby occupied one room and my sister who was 10 years old occupied the other.  A large fireplace dominated the room and at bath times we had a large tin bath which mum used to fill with jugs of water.  I never thought about how it would be emptied, but I guess there are a lot of things that you don’t question as a child you just know that one minute it is full and we are playing, splashing and laughing and the next minute you are being wrapped up in an oversized towel looking forward to the night time snack.

The house that mum currently lives is where I grew up in from the age of 7 until I left home.  As a family we faced the normal ups and downs, the challenges and triumphs and came out the other end.  My sister was the one who started our quest for adventure, if you were bored and wanted something to do when we were kids you went outside and played.  My sister would take me and my brother all over London going to museums and galleries and exploring the sights that people come from around the world to see but many who live here take for granted. When my sister went off to University it was just me and my brother Robert.  We didn’t have the technology they have now and our entertainment was playing outside with a football, or making it up a game as you went along.  The storyline for our adventure games always involved a space ship, aliens, saving the world and low food supplies!

Gardens on our doorstep

 

View from Parliament Hill

We had to make use of our environment, we had Parliament Hill Fields and Hampstead Health on our doorstep.  From a very young age it was one of the places my dad would take us on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and we relished being out in the wide open space.  

Me and Robert continued to use it as our back garden and when we weren’t saving the world we would frequent the adventure play ground with its climbing frames and tyre swings.  We had loads of great memories of our adventures during our 6 week holidays, riding out on our blue scooters and facing the world of ‘aliens’ –  the sweets in our pockets acting as our cloaking devices and energy packs.

Traditions handed down

Back at home, finished your homework, cooked dinners and all of us around the table, the chatter of our voices excited to share what we had done.  Mums cooking could rival any chef and she could put her hand to an amazing array of dishes - the tastes, the aromas, the combinations, she was an amazing cook.  She passed on those skills to us as we developed our own specialities.  Robert mastered making deserts, pies, - mums famous fruit spiced cakes and his custard with a dash of mixed spice and vanilla which he would make from scratch - he made it an art, he made it just right with the balance of texture and flavours, it was on his 'to do list' at every family dinner. My sister mastered fine dining and I was always a ‘lets see what we can make out of this’ type of person.  I love the challenge of learning a recipe and making it my own, altering and creating and entirely new dish.  I like the spontaneous and it depends how I feel what I will cook.

I think back to those days with fondness with the family - no elbows on the table mind you!  but you spent time sharing about your day and more time was spent, listening, laughing and relaxing....

I hope you join me each Wednesday on my journey over the weeks, as I share my mixed media houses and some art journaling and look back to the memories of home, and look forward to you sharing some of your own memories.