Sunday 16 December 2007

Janine and Colette's Take

Here is Janine's journaling:


journaling says:
there is something magical about seeing the lighthouse in wollongong harbour..it just instantly makes me feel safe , brings a smile to my face and i get a warm feeling of "home" from this white structure jutting out on the rocks. i am by no means a nautical person..i don't even really like going to the beach, but this white building reminds me that there are lots of people watching over me, protecting me and guiding me in the right direction. Lots of symbolism for my life right now i suppose..all i ned to do is shine, have faith and follow the light. Things are going well for me lately. i need to focus on that and stop expecting the worst, have faith in "me" and my internal light and trust in the knowledge that i am totally safe and loved.





Colette's take:


You See A Sofa by Colette Bate

I cut some strips of the sofa fabric from a manufacturer's sample to create hinges on my page. The photo portion lifts up to reveal the journaling. I also included a few of the sofa feathers to embellish the flower.

Journaling reads:

It's a Drexel Heritage down filled sofa. It's not contemporary like all my other sofa have been. It's my 'grandma' sofa. Grandma's have traditional furniture. I love the pumpkin chenille fabric and the bun feet ... but, I don't like the way the tips of the feathers work their way through the fabric to stick and poke you when you don't expect it.

One Sunday afternoon, after splashing and playing in the pool, the girls and I curled up on the sofa to watch a movie while dinner cooked. Later that evening, after everyone went home, I noticed a small pile of feathers on the floor in front of the couch. I smiled inside.

Tori must have been pulling the feathers out of the large cushion and dropping them onto the carpet. I smiled because I used to do exactly the same thing at Ma's hous when iI was in 2nd grade, too.

This is the sofa that I slept on for severa months after Craig died. I just couldn't sleep in our bed ... where I found him that morning. It's the comfortable sofa that Helen sits on when she's here ... curled up under a soft banket with her slippered feet resting on the coffee table edge. It's the place where my Mom sits to drink her morning decaf coffee and do the daily puzzles in the newspaper. RaKell and I occupy our place on each end of it for an hour, wearing our jammies and with pillows under our arms, to watch Jack Bauer save the world. It's the place where RheAnna lays for her afternoon nap on Mammy Days.

Funny how the things in your home can evoke old memories and be a part of the new ones, too. The sofa won't last forever. That's why I'm scrapping about it. To help the girls remember those cuddle moments, to help me remember the quiet times with my mom, to remind me of how I made the transition from mom to grandma ... wife to widow.






7 comments:

tonya said...

I love both sets of journaling! Janine, I felt that way when I was a military wife, living on base. Like I was protected. Very comforting when you need it. ANd COllette, wow, your journaling almost made me cry! So true - the things we have in our homes have such stories to tell. Love that you documented it!

Stella said...

ACK! It would help if I put Janine's LO!

QueenTracy said...

Collette! What powerful journaling. Thank you for sharing that with us.

Janine-love the layout and the object you chose to journal about. I know just what you mean.

Stefanie said...

Ooooh! Both layouts are so different, but wonderful in their own ways. Thanks for insights into your lives ladies.

Anonymous said...

Wowzers, what wonderful layouts! I love how J journaled directly on her photo, and C's flipper is such a practical treatment for her journaling. Love 'em! :)

Nicole Drewniak said...

I love reading the emotions in these journal entries. Amazing, wonderful, insightful---thank you for sharing!

Beverley Todd said...

Such powerful journaling! There aren't any real landmarks where I live but I got what you meant Janine - the journaling really did it for me. And Collette - my sofa's kinda special too: DS4 was born there! Maybe I'll document that one day.