Like her mother before her, my mamma pinned all her hopes and dreams on her children.. She hoped they would have happy lives and dreamt they would find love, adventure and their own creative spirit. And like all good mothers, she nurtured our imagination and taught us we could do anything we put our minds too..
I always imagined my mamma came from a wealthy family.. The faded snapshots documenting her youth spoke of finely dressed youth from rambling homes with backyard tennis courts and suburb size parcels of lands as summer hideaways. But those were the homes of her school friends and buddies. Her own beginnings were much more humble. She grew up in the modest quarters above the local Fire Station which my grandfather commanded. A modest life with simple needs, scant of wealth, but rich with honour, respect and tradition.. And as such my mamma lived in two worlds.. her own simple life and the life of luxury belonging to her friends.
As fate would have it she married a working class man of working class dreams.. and the riches and luxuries would be stored in the cupboard with inherited treasures from my grandmothers home. As a child this was my favourite playtime.. As my mother pottered in the kitchen rustling up the family meal.. I would play in the world of make believe.. rummaging through the heavy old sideboard to unearth imagined treasures of a life of luxury... The sideboard was choked with all manner of mysteries.. and although I had done this a thousand times before, each find would seem new and thrilling and bespoke of a glamourous life of worldly riches and adventure. Whereas in fact it was just the old tarnished silver and dusty damask tablecloths crammed in tight behind the other bits and bobs of a busy family.
The silver treasures were always my favourites .. Old tarnished flatware and vessels of little importance became new and shiny with a little applied industry. A symbolic ritual becoming an adventure to a child's imagination. Flatware and vases would speak of glamour and luxury... the opulence of the forties and the privileged lives of the stars of the silver screen. Luxurious sitting rooms with velvet ottomans would play in front of my mind.. and women with satin gowns and perfectly applied finger-waves would arrange soft scented roses on silver trays and serve afternoon tea from beautifully engraved vessels.. Yes this was where my child's imagination would roam whilst my mother quietly cooked the humble meal for an everyday family.
My favourite treasure of all was the large silver teapot.. Such a curious shape and prettily applied markings spoke of mysterious lands with turreted rooftops. Too many pirate movies had me convinced it was a magical lantern.. and vigorous polishing would reveal a frightening genie.. his loud and thunderous voice belying his gentle intentions to grant my wishes. I would be transported to exotic lands and luxurious destinations and the silverware would glimmer a little brighter reflecting the light from a child's happy eyes. All too soon playtime would be over and my world would return to the wallpaper walls of the family dining room.. The treasures would be jammed haphazardly back into the cupboard sitting in waiting for the next adventure. My mother would smile as she set the table, knowing her humble dining room was really an opulent salon filled with silver treasures from faraway places.
... Dedicated to my Mum ...
& Katherine who requested a silver post...
[Texture Tuesday]
All images except #5&7 use a combination of Kim Klassen;s texutres 'Love' & 'Luminous'
Pop over and view other Texture Tuesday's Entries at Kim's blog ... 'Kim Klassen Cafe'
[Silver Sunday]
I'm also linking up with the generous Beth from Gypsy Fish Journal.. for Silver Sunday
Thanks ladies for hosting!!
Giveaway Update
I've had a bit of a crazy week and very little internet access so completely forgot about my giveaway. So think I'll leave it open until midnight Tuesday [May 10th: Sydney Time]. Hopefully that'll give me time to figure out how to put the comment count back in my format..
Wishing You All A Beautiful Week
Image Source & Credits
Vintage photo from my family library & restored by [BeingRuby©]
All other Photgraphy, Text & Artwork [BeingRuby©]
