Quote of The Day

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Remembering


Quirky Angels!
After my dad died, many moons ago, my mom felt her
relationship with his sister was a bit off!! She felt
it just wasn't the same. They'd been so close
over the long years of their marriage! Spending
  long weekends and holidays together playing
cards and visiting until the wee hours of the
morning!
Happy gals
I loved when my aunt and uncle would visit. I enjoyed taking
 the two hour ferry ride to visit them too! My aunt Betty often 
rescued me from having  to do dishes for every meal
of their visit! She never came empty handed, usually a large
candy bar in hand for us kids! She  bought me some
 of my favorite Christmas and Birthday gifts too!
Watching the show!
 In many ways I felt closer to her than I did my moms sister!
In retrospect I realize I really did take after that aunt more
than my moms sister, who at times was too naive
 and judgemental for my liking.
No doubt aunt Betty was devastated with the passing of my dad.
However being the older sister with mobility issues she was 
winding down too! I can see now she probably lacked
the energy to entertain the way she had in the past!
Ladies in hats!
Mom being vulnerable was more sensitive than 
normal! Being much younger it might have  been
difficult to comprehend the aging changes Betty
was experiencing! She probably, was different.
 I understand full well, since I am notably different 
too than I was a decade ago! Betty was winding
 down  and her priorities had changed!
One of the artsy outdoor pianos situated in Downtown Vancouver!
photo credit pepperpf
Even though she lived almost twenty years longer
than dad, they weren't exactly quality years!! 
She had many struggles she  never spoke of!
Street piano in Vancouver photo credit pepperpf
   My namesake, moms younger best friend 
has outlived her by over twenty five years now.
 Suffering dementia, her younger self would 
be mortified to see how her clothing and
 hair is kept now! It's absolutely
 heartbreaking to see! 

Outdoor Piano Vancouver Photo Credit Pepperpf
There really is no semblance of the intelligent,
 attractive, adorable, meticulous, stylish
 small woman, of yesteryear. 
 I grieve the beautiful personable woman she was!
Outdoor Vancouver piano Photo credit Pepperpf
Sometimes our memories of how people 
were are the best to hang onto! All the 
laughs, the good advice they gave you!
The fun you had together! 
Instead of who they've  become!
Outdoor public piano photo credit Pepperpf
That's what I try to do, I hope one day
people give me that same respect!
Photo credit Pepperpf
Who in your life have you seen drastically
change over the years, and how did
it affect you?

26 comments:

sirkkis said...

Thank you for the interesting story of your relatives and fab paintings. Yes, I've seen and it's so sad.
Happy PPF ❤
,

Valerie-Jael said...

Yes, we need to hang on to the good memories, and let the bad ones go. Love those pianos. Happy PPF, hugs, Valerie

Ayala Art said...

Fun portraits! Angels and hat ladies, love them all! Ant the crazy colors too :oD
Sadly, every time one of the elder in a family passes away, the whole equilibrium changes.

POINTYPIX said...

your cartoon portraits are really fun - love the new banner. Those pianos are fantastic! I've really noticed the chance in my parents - not mentally - they're both still really sharp for their age although my mum is deaf as a post and refuses to admit it (everyone mumbles, me, the people on TV, everyone!) But I've seen how they've slowed down physically now that they're in their 80s and I know my dad finds it frustrating that instead of being able to get up on the roof to clean the slates, for example, he'd have to get someone in to do it for him, things like that. But I guess it happens to us all (if we're lucky enough to stay alive long enough).

Silke Powers said...

What a beautiful post! And such fun art (as always!)!! This topic is so poignant as I just got back from Germany where I visited my family. The older generation (my dad, aunts and uncles, family friends) are all over 70 now. And while they are all healthy physically and mentally, of course I think about what the future will bring. It really made me enjoy my time with them even more intensely! xoxo Silke

Gillena Cox said...

Interesting story interludes between art and photos. Luv the total post. And the happy girls are my favourite this week

Happy PPF

much love...

Carol said...

Great art today!!! Love all of those faces ♥♥ Now those pianos are spectacular!!!!! Would love to see them up close and in person !!! Dementia is such a horrible disease and it run rampant in my family. I have watched so many precious people disappear before out eyes...so sad.

SLScheibe said...

I love all of the faces! So fun to see and the pianos too.

I agree that it's best to hold on the memories. My grandmother had Alzheimer's and those years were far too sad. I remember her as a vibrant, truly awesome woman. :)

kat said...

Oh I love all these wonderful pianos and your funky colorful ladies! I'm thinking of the folk I know and can't really find any I have seen dramatically change, they have surely in small ways but nothing so dramatic. It must be sad when you care for someone and you see such drastic changes in them.
Best wishes your way
Kat xx

Christine said...

Lovely colourful people art as only you can do! Beautiful street art pianos. My mom has changed in her dementia. She was so smart.

sheila 77 said...

Your group pictures are tremendous, the way you have a theme for the group but each person is so individual.
These are certainly interesting angels, unlike any other angels I have seen (pictures of angels that is!) and they all look quite bossy.
Love the Happy gals, each with a different hair-style and personality, they are obviously having a good day out.
Those who are watching the show - I don't know how you manage to find so many different ways of painting the eyes and mouths and even the noses but it looks as if it was fun to do.
I suppose people are changing all the time, and maybe we notice it one day suddenly that they are different.

Alicia C said...

great post as usual, though it is sad to think about ppl changing for the worse, especially when in at least some cases it is avoidable. I know ppl my age who i know will not be doing well if they continue the unhealthy lifestyle they are continuing

I really love the drawings of the crowds! they all look so delightfully different from each other, yet happy

Studio Kaufmann said...

Your hat ladies are so much fun!!
Loving the hats
Happy PPF

My name is Erika. said...

Nice groups of people Giggles. I enjoyed your post too. I find it sad to have aunts, uncles, parents getting old and losing their abilities. I'm at that point now. My mom has dementia. I've lost an aunt earlier this year, an uncle 2 years ago. I think it is a slap of our own mortality. Makes me afraid to get old to see what happens to everyone. And reminds me to live right now in the moment and love everyone now. Have a great weekend. Hugs-Erika

Tracy said...

Lots of lovely faces! Yes, it is so sad when we lose people to dementia. We need to hold on to the best of our memories of them.

Indira said...

Love those pianos and the funky ladies. Age and illness can change people but how they are taken care of makes a difference.

froebelsternchen said...

I love all the characters ... fantastic!
I lost many relatives but nobody of them had alzheimer or demenz excepting my first mother in law .
I remember how sad this was for us - specially my first husband and his father- as she changed completely to the stage of a little child - so sad.
Life is a hard thing - we know!
Happy PPF!!!

Granny Annie said...

Love everything you say and do:-)

Arnoldo L. Romero, MLA said...

This was a very sad post for me, because it made me think of my Mother. She is an extrovert, so she was the perfect host for my Father's plethora of professional visitors during his lifetime. She always made everyone feel right at home with her delicious meals and joyful demeanor. However, after my Dad's passing, she's never been quite the same. Peace, my friend.

Unknown said...

Just love your playful caricatures! I can relate to your post. My mother is dealing with dementia.I've started the process of taking over her finances. It's such over whelming and stressful time for both of us. So grateful for our time together.

Mona Pendleton said...

Fantastic artwork Giggles! Thanks for sharing your story and the photos! The colorful, artistic pianos remind me of the traveling art show called "Painted pigs on display" and "Painted cows on display". :) Thanks for sharing you with us :) Happy PPF!

DVArtist said...

Truly a lovely post. From 2009 to 2014 I have had the honor of doing hospice with my brother, sister, Nan and mom. The changes are devastating and some of the images I just can't get out of my head. So I keep photos of them when they were all healthy and happy.

genie said...

Your pictures are just wonderful. Your style is on I really like. To me your aides in their fun outfits and hats are a bit whimsical which is in all of my work , somewhere. I am rally drawn to the eyes. Yes, I have the dearest friend of 50+ years who has had strokes, heart attacks, and now dementia. She can feed herself but the rest is going. She is the sister I never had, We reared our 7 children together. We live across the street from one another, I lived in the home where she lived as a child and then. It is killing me. She was the good one and I was always the spunky...march to her own drummer one. She never did anything wrong. I was always into something. It seems like I should be the one in the extended care facility ...not her. So much of my artwork centers around her. Anytime you see two girls together that represents a make belief life together as little girls. I loved your post. I will still be thinking about it when I go to bed. Thank you for sharing. It was a wonderful story. Am adding you to my sidebar so I do not miss any of your wonderful ladies and other artwork, genie

carol l mckenna said...

Oh love your art and other art you posted ~ All very lovely and yes your post too ~ very insightful addressing universal life issues ~

Wishing you a Happy Week ~ ^_^

artbyjune said...

Beautiful blog post! Love the colourful characters and the reminiscences.

Lisabella Russo said...

What a thoughtful post and what sweet art! I too think it's good to think of people at their best.

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