* Digging in the past

I've been digging through a box of old papers today. When I moved to Mexico, somehow I couldn't leave my writing and journals behind. I ripped them from their moorings and piled all the loose pages in a box. A couple of weeks ago, inspiration struck and I decided to rebind the journal I had from my trip to Australia in 2004/5. I'm still working on that, and many pages and photos are missing, much to my disappointment. Today, I dug some more, simply because I was curious. Most of my treasures, photographs and writing were destroyed in a flood. That was hard to take. Today I came upon a painting my husband had scanned into the computer for me. The year was 1990. I didn't value my art at that time and thought nothing of giving it all away with no record of what I had done. When we lived on Vancouver Island and had the small gallery, I actually sold quite a lot of paintings, and thought nothing of it. DUH! Going down memory lane - here's my painting style in 1990.

One of those old English bridges I love so much.

Here's an old poem I came across - I would say, written probably in the mid 60's.

"To feel the glow of the morning sun

To see a day that has just begun

To jump and dance and swing so high

I feel I can almost touch the sky.

To walk and see such wonderful things

To see a bird and long for wings

To wonder what the flowers say

And look for where the fairies play

To just be me - in every way

and not worry what the others say

For I have never seen the world

It's heartbreak tears and sorrow

I've never felt the loneliness

Or dreaded a tomorrow.

I've only seen the lovely things

The robins nest, the birds that sing

The kindest voice, the softest hand

The playing of a big brass band.

For I am only five - so young

So happy - isn't everyone?

And, just for fun, a paragraph from the news letter put out by Allsop & Co., my last employer in London, England.

..."Mrs. Naida Flower, formerly Personal Assistant to the President, has now left work to be closer to home, and has been replaced most ably by Miss Donna Parker, who originally hails from Canada, but is working in this country to gain, as she puts it, "experience in the English way of life"."  Ha! Ha! That was a fun place to work.  All the west end stars used Allsop for their housing needs.  It was never a surprise to see the likes of Diana Rigg pull up in her rolls and take Harold out for a spin.

 Enough of the past.  It's a new year.  Time to look forward and set my intentions.  I am, however,  considering gathering my writing together into a book.  For that, I need to look back.

Thanks for dropping by today.  Always lovely to see you here.  Hope you all had a wonderful creative day.  

Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

(I'm on it, Henry) :o)