I was playing around, and came up with a bunch of decor images below, that you can use for personal use, to make Mother’s Day crafts etc.
The flowers , bird eggs and chickens are all from our Aussie garden. The photos of them were taken by Acerules and myself. You could frame them in photo frames, stick them on boxes and jars, on a hook board, on a shoe shine cabinet, make a clock back, print to fabric to make a tote bag for shopping, a cushion cover, or a lavender pillow, check out Google for ideas. If sticking the paper prints on things, I recommend mod podge, and varnish to protect. The mod podge stops the ink running.
A set of cardboard boxes covered with wrapping paper or painted cream, and these prints added, would be a pretty and low cost storage solution.
As far as the jars go, I gave you a link to home made beauty products , in my last post. These images would be nice on those products with toning ribbons, or jute string.
For personal use only. These are French theme, if you want Italy, or New York, let me know.
The other day, I escorted Acerules to the state capital again, to attend the orthodentist. Here are a couple of photos from that day. Southern Cross Station:
Acerules in a shopping center (mall) where we had a Junior Burger and fries:
Yes, if you’re new to my blog, I’m a Mum.
I’ve been reading an article about the preponderance of men in China and India, because of families choosing to have boys, over girls. There are millions more males than females, in each of those countries. Makes me think we should stop messing with nature, when it comes to babies’ gender. Anyway, it turns out that many of these men when grown up, are left living with their mother or grandmother, as they can’t get a wife. The mothers are sad, because they want their sons married, with children, that is the culture there.
Other sons have moved to big cities, as no girl will marry them unless they earn enough money to build a house and drive a car. So the mothers are left behind. A trend to fix this problem, is the importing of brides from nearby countries. Depending on which country they come from, a price in the hundreds, or up to tens of thousands, is paid to the bride’s family, if their daughter is moving to China. The mothers in Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, or Russia, then have to farewell their daughters.
Both of my mother’s children moved away as adults. I went interstate to Sydney in my thirties, and my sibling went overseas . In our current town, most children do move away after high school. It was told to us after we moved here. The higher education, and jobs, are mostly elsewhere. As we live near the coast, many do come back for vacations.
Sunrise Sunset- sing along to the great pianist in this karaoke:
On the same day, I listened to a piece on BBC radio, about Muslim mothers in Chechnya, whose sons went off to fight with ISIS, or their daughters’ husbands did. Naturally, they have very mixed feelings about that, especially if their sons were imprisoned or killed, or their daughters and grandchildren gone missing. Some of the women turned out to be imprisoned by the Kurds, but until then, the mothers were left at home to wait, and search for their child.
U2 – Mothers of the Disappeared. This song was written about the mothers of political prisoners taken and incarcerated who knows where, in Argentina, El Salvador and Chile. The video has black at the beginning, but it does get going.
During the last year, I covered tragedies on the blog. In these, school and church children were killed by gunmen, or by a car smashing its way into the school. In the morning, the mothers said goodbye to their children, expecting to see them again after school. It was not to be. In the accident, the car that killed the two boys in their classroom, was driven by a mother, who was devastated too.
One of my children was diagnosed with a behavioural disability, that was difficult to live with. Difficult to come to terms with, too, as at that time I was left a widow. Now as an adult, he lives away and has his own life. (There are, however, ways to get your own back on an errant teenager, hehe. I used to sing “My Way” loudly and deliberately off key in the kitchen. )
A friend lost her grandchild in devastating circumstances, and her child was hooked on drugs. Another friend’s son has just moved a long way away. I know how she feels, but we have to let them go:
Pink Floyd - Mother. (Caution, not suitable for children: semi nudity, an obscenity, drug use, mental illness, death image. Still an insightful song though. )
Most of us think our children’s lives will turn out in a way we would be happy with, but that is often not the way of nature, which causes death or disability, or indeed, of modern life, that can cause the former, but also ambition, addiction, restlessness, mental illness, war, and fractured families.
Those who know me intimately, know that I get useless premonitions sometimes. When my son was a couple of days old, in the hospital, I had a very strong feeling that during his upbringing something really bad would go wrong. I cried in the bed that day, (and can still remember the scene, a shelf opposite with flower arrangements on it, printed balloons, teddy bears, and from my mother, a colourful painted wooden cross from South America. ) I put the feeling, hopefully, down to “baby blues” but never forgot it. As things turned out, a couple of years later his father was diagnosed with a fatal illness, my mother died when I was pregnant with Acerules, and other bad things happened later. I worked very hard to try to mitigate our circumstances. That’s all you can do, ultimately, play the hand you are dealt.
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I don’t warn new mothers or prospective parents , that their child may not turn out the way they hope, or even be in regular contact. Sometimes I feel like it , but yesterday, during a discussion on the unsustainable high levels of immigration in our Australian major cities, an interviewee said people should have less kids. They pointed out that robots and AI will take a lot of the jobs their kids will need. I have to agree.
We can’t predict the future, or can we? Meanwhile, those of us in contact with our children right now, can enjoy Mothers Day. As they say we can’t live in yesterday or tomorrow, only in today.
I dedicate this post to grieving mothers of all kinds, and the women who for whatever reason could not have children. I could tell the latter that giving birth is not a guarantee. There are no easy answers, except that I believe God knows all. Despite all the hard times I’ve been though in my life, I still trust in Him. I’ve also learned to be thankful for the little, good things, to go for a walk, and look for the flowers, the majestic mountains on the horizon, and other gifts. I taught my children that skill. It’s part of resilience.
If your mother is living, visit or call her up and send her something for Mother’s Day. If not, maybe put flowers on her grave, if possible. At the end of this post is a fellow blogger’s link for styling trays, for those who’s mother likes a rest in bed, or anyone who likes to decorate.
Sit back and order Mothers Day gifts from Nancy at Avon:
I once snuck whole bags of supermarket food into the cinema, well it was dinner time! Acerules and her friend took it in their stride, unlike this kid below. Caution, ads not suitable for children.
I was very frustrated this Easter because I couldn’t find a chocolate Easter Bilby, that I get every year for my hubby. They are available from some retailers, but not as many, and not around here. Early on in our relationship he told me he prefers Easter Bilbies to raise money to help save them in the wild, as they are very endangered.
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I also couldn’t see Fair Trade chocolate. However, I did find this Nestlé stuff:
Back of the pack:
I think all agricultural products should be ethically sourced. The farmers should be paid above their true costs of production. That includes the dairy farmers, the ones around my district have been suffering from low prices for a couple of years now. It affects our locals, from the other businesses, down to the job market. Banks close, and other services. Big companies should not just put their shareholders’ dividends first, but consider all stakeholders.
The Margaret River Chocolate Company makes a cute Chokka the Quokka chocolate treat, and makes donations towards supporting quokkas in the wild.
I don’t eat regular chocolate myself, as the cocoa disagrees with my tummy, especially in Easter chocolate. (My friend said that’s because of the palm oil in it. If you look at my blog post last Sunday, I talked about how we as consumers need to cut down on palm oil to save the tropical forests and their creatures.) I have a small amount of white chocolate because it’s very sweet. In the past I have had carob, though nowadays I forget to seek it out.
I also read on Better Homes and Gardens newsletter that you can recycle Easter egg foil, by squashing it all into a ball as large as possible, and popping it into your recycle bin.
I’m not getting recompensed from any companies mentioned in this article.
The subject of Fair Trade cocoa is a complex, changing one, and may vary in your country. Here is an overview:
Today Christians celebrate the Sunday when Jesus rose from his grave.
Australians celebrate Easter in a variety of ways. Christians go to church , usually. There might be a special meal, the contents depend on what culture families come from, as we are a multicultural society. Lamb is traditional for many, to signify the lamb of God (Jesus. ) In the morning, many children rise from bed to find chocolate treats in the form of eggs or bunnies, traditionally, signifying new life. People also gift them to each other. My hubby likes chocolate bilbies, which look a bit like rabbits, but are a native Australian marsupial, and very endangered. The chocolate versions raise money for that cause.
The following are some photos of our backyard today, our Easter celebration, and an excursion for breakfast. After that hubby took Acerules to the Anglican Church. I was pleased to hear they had a morning tea afterward, and the people were very welcoming, that’s the spirit!
(Photo filters by Photolab. All photos below copyright Runningonempty. I was not recompensed to feature items in my photos. )
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I love my embroidered Easter tablecloth, so cheerful:
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We grew three different types of tomatoes this year:
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Our ducks:
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Garden photos taken this morning:
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Antique English jug belongs to Acerules, one of a pair. Makers marks says Rubiyam art pottery Oxford. Eggs by Lindt and Kinder. The yellow flowers are banksias:
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Some pruning needed here:
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Detail of tablecloth:
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Banksias are native to Australia:
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Tablecloth and doiley were very cheap on eBay:
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Red Cross fundraiser, Easter Pancakes in the Park, where we had breakfast (delicious. ) They also serve bacon and eggs:
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After church, a roast lamb lunch was at home:
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Flowers from Yarram Fresh Flowers. Vase I’ve had for years:
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Handmade glasses were a wedding present. Vegetable dish by Nova of Italy, purchased about three years ago new:
