Thursday, February 14

The Other Side

Today is Valentine's Day. We don't really observe it, in spite of the best efforts of Hallmark & Florists, & Chocolate makers, to convince us we are cold fish if we don't pour lavish goodies, of the abovementioned variety, on our 'loved ones'.

My English born Grandmother had some Valentine cards she had been given. I think my brother has them still. I was always fascinated with how pretty they were. Cards were the only tokens, she told us, & they were given in secret, so the reciever was left to guess who had sent them.

No doubt we will just spend a quiet evening together, as usual. February is usually an extremely hot month is Australia, & airconditioned surroundings are the best place be. It is also a month, for us, of birthdays of family members. Our youngest son has his birthday this month, a week & a day after mine. His ex-longterm partner's birthday is tomorrow, & we would always get together, & have a dinner out, & celebrate, somewhere in the region of all 3 dates.

This year, it has been an unseasonal February, with many rainfilled days, & dull overcast skies. It is cooler by about 10 degrees from the 'normal' temeratures. I don't mind the cool, I can take as much as we get!

This is my concession to Valentine's Day. A little heart I worked on with no particular project in mind. I have the idea I will do several more, & work them into a quilt for my Granddaughter.
We have had her staying with us for a couple of nights, & she has been such a delight to have. We don't get to see as much of her as we used to, now she is an adult & working. I miss her. We get along very well, now that she is past the 'uglies' of hormone wracked teenagehood.

She was always very close to me, when she was little. Her mother worked, & I was her daytime carer, so she spent a lot of time in my company. She has come out the other side of her torment riddled middle-teen years, the lovely girl she has always been.

Such a 'history repeating itself' effect there. I was such a tormented rebellious hate filled teenager. I thought about that when I wrote my 'I am from'. There are always 2 sides to everything, & the 'darker side' is often glossed over in memory, or memoirs, or recollections. I didn't gloss over that side. I simply omitted it. I recall it vividly. I was the teenager from hell. Both sides of the story are 'true', just different sides of the same story.

I was so lucky, my daughter was nothing like I was. Sure she had her hormone riddled moments, but I recalled how I had felt, & I think I tried to work with my daughter, with that understanding, & those memories at the front of my mind. The terrible uncertainty of being a teenager, the wild mood swings, the angst of it all.

With our Granddaughter it was harder. Luckily, I think the solid grounding of love we gave her, has stood her in good stead, & she has come out the other side, a compassionate, & loving girl, with an understanding beyond her years.

I grieve for her, over her father's refusal to meet with her, but she told me yesterday, that she doesn't, & she is not grieving over the way her 'other grandparents' have treated her so badly. Their actions are louder than their words, & she feels they are not worth knowing.

*******************
Yesterday, we had SG here for a time before school. He had made his mind up the day before, that he was going to catch the school bus to school, & insisted his father let him go, alone. An older girl from the school promised to keep an eye on him. He was so proud of himself, & said he loved going on the bus. He was rather disappointed yesterday, when Nanna had to take him, as the bus doesn't come past our place. He went happily off, though after a kiss & quick hug. I can hardly believe he is at school already, & feeling so confident, independant & happy.

Here he is sitting in our lounge, wating to get off to school. He was happy his sister was here, & he ran into her room to kiss her. He misses her when she is not at home, & she is so good with him.

Here is the finished top, of the little throw I have made for the lounge. I rather wish I hadn't put the border on it, but my daughter says leave it. It is small, 37 1/2" x 40 1/2"
I will try to get it sandwiched, & quilted today. I have been putting it off, it is the least favourite part of making the quilt, tacking it all. So hard on my back.
It is raining again, & dull as ditchwater, as my Mum used to say, so it is a good day to sew.


Yesterday, when I rushed home from school, I sat, with tears in my eyes, to listen to, & watch on Television, our Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd's Speech of Apology to the Aboringal peoples.

Lee, of A Curate's Egg, has published the full text of the Apology. Please read it.



Kevin Rudd recieved a standing ovation for his moving speech. The people out on the lawns stood as one to applaud. His colleagues & the Aborigine people present in Paliament House stood as one to applaud his words. There were many tears, & much acceptance from the Aborigines I watched & listened to, when they were interviewed.


I truly hope the healing will begin, as the Aborigines say it will. A positive step forward for this great country. My heart swelled with pride for it, & hope for the future.



Janis Ian, Beyond the Other Side of the Sun.


17 comments:

Linds said...

I don't tack any more, Meggie, I use safetypins, and it works brilliantly for me.
What a treat to have your grandchildren with you, and I love that heart! I really must start work on my quilts in waiting....

The Sagittarian said...

Hi Meggie,
My husbands family live in Australia so we are also hoping for even greater things for all Australians now. It is certainly time to grow up and move on. We wish our Aussie "cousins" all the best for their shared future.

Leslie: said...

I can't relate to the quilting but I sure can to having grandchildren. SG looks so cute waiting to head off to school and proud of his new independence.

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I am so happy to see some quilting content on your blog. I love the hand embroidered heart square I love hand embroidery and used to do so much of it.
Have you tried the fusible cotton batting? I use it on small projects and then you don't have to baste. I use Hobbs brand and don't know if you have it over there.

ancient one said...

I skipped over to read the full speech. It was very moving. So many injustices in this world. At least one government is willing to say I'm sorry!

I glad your grandson is loving school so much. The very first time I finally gave in and let my oldest son ride the school bus, he got to school ok but was not on the bus to come home. (So happened that day a substitute bus picked them up that morning and the regular bus brought them home.) My son knew the number of the bus he got on that morning and he got on the same bus that afternoon. He said he was way out in the country and he asked if that bus would be going back to town. Someone told the bus driver and he asked where he had got on that morning... He got home before I had a complete heart attack!! LOL

I like your quilt and the border looks just fine to me!

Happy Valentines Day!!

Anonymous said...

It's a lovely heart and embroidery!

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Another rambling post but enjoyable at every turn. Funny, I don't remember emerging on the otherside of the hormone tormented years. Hmmmm.

Congrats to Australia for that very positive move of your Premier to apologise for past misdeeds to the Aboriginals. An important first step for healing.

Mike said...

It's sad that governments have to have anything to apologize for. Our government (America) and the British government owe a huge apology to the Native American population here. What's even sadder is the way we still treat Native Americans.

Peggy said...

Love the heart! We don't do anything special but sure it will be a good day.

Digitalgran said...

I love heart shapes, but have never made a fuss over St Valentines Day. We have our own day in Wales called Gwyl Santes Dwynwen, but I don't anything then either.
I also have a beautiful GD and as she's now 17 I don't see her much at all these days and I do miss her so much. My son and his wife are separated and I always feel so sorry for DG, but I think she is going to turn out OK after all that turmoil.

Linda G. said...

As usual, I enjoyed reading every word of this post, Meggie. I'm so glad to hear about your Granddaughter making it through the terrible teens and remaining close to you. My girls are just going into those years and I feel them slipping away..
The quilt is soooo pretty, and I like the border..
Love the heart embroidery with the little morning glories around the edge:)

Thimbleanna said...

Oh Meggie -- you never cease to amaze me with your interesting posts! I love your little heart and the quilt you've made. I would have had to put a border on it too. I think part of the reason we fuss over Valentine's Day is that it's a light in the middle of our long dark winter tunnel -- you, in the southern hemisphere, don't have that problem! You have such wise words about kids -- I wish all parents about to enter TeenageHell could read them. My sister was a hellian and I once had an older friend who told me "I always knew she'd turn out just fine because of the way she was raised." Those words pulled me through the years we had with our own little teenage hellian and now we're just beginning to see the light at the end of his tunnel. I'm not sure I would have made it if I hadn't had my friend's comments to cling to during those years -- that and all the friends and family who said he'll be fine when I was so sure he wouln't! Thanks for another great post -- AND project pictures!!!

Bruce, a work in progress said...

Meggie I have three daughters, 19, 16, and 12 so I know about those raging hormones. Honestly compared to most our girls have been pretty easy except for the occasional moodiness and Jekyll & Hyde behavior from minute to minute.

I echo Mike's comments about our government's treatment of Native Americans. Shameful.

Happy Valentine's day (even if you don't celebrate it :-).

Marja said...

Bits of that speach went all over the world. It was very impressive and touching.

The weather here has turned around completely as well. NZ had one of the hottest summers ever. Hope we get a few more nice days though.

My daughter turned out a lot better than I was too. I keep my fingers crossed. At her age i was 10 times as rebellious and went my own way.
What a cute picture of SG and the quilt is stunning

Rosie said...

I too was a dreadful teenager and I go to great lengths to avoid the same pain and heartache with mine. It seems to be enough to remember how I felt then and then I have no problem empathising- or maybe they are just lovely people!
Your grandson looks lovely.
I envy you the joy of grandchildren. It has taken me so long to grow up and be mature enough to have my children that it is not so sure that I will see any of theirs...

Stomper Girl said...

I like the quilt on the border!

And I am too sooky to let my kid catch the school-bus alone. They're not allowed to grow up too fast!

Tanya Brown said...

I like the heart you've made. The colors and design are quite pleasant.

Teenage years. Is there anybody who gets through them easily? All those unfamiliar hormones raging around, the urgency and strangeness of it all. I used to say that everything that happens before the age of five is null and void, nothing a person needs to be ashamed of. Now I'm wondering if the same promise needs to be extended to the teenage years. People get angry or depressed or maybe do dumb things. Maybe it's good that it happens when they're young and at home, so the parents can try to catch them when they fall.

SG is such a congenial-looking young man. I'm glad school is going well for him.