Today is ANZAC Day here in this part of the world (Australian and New Zealand) and of course it is not the sort of day you celebrate so much as commemorate. I am planning spending the rest of the morning playing in my art room and then this afternoon browsing at the State Library book discard sale which is occurring here this weekend. This visiting event occurs every couple of years and with 30,000 books available at excellent prices it is impossible for me not to attend. The last couple of times I have come home with whole piles of wonderful books but I don't have any book shelf space left and all the book baskets are full too, so some restraint will be needed!While I am playing in my art room I will be reflecting, I am sure, on the meaning behind today's holiday and thinking about all the family members who have been a part of the armed forces over the years. It is my paternal grandfather that I think of most when I think about ANZAC Day as his experience is the most real to me as a result of having his medals, his bible from when he was prisoner of war in France in WWI and the little Madonna medallion a French nurse gave him during that time. His eventual wife, my English Nanna, lost her fiancee in that war and I can only imagine how awful that would have been and how wonderful that she later found love again with my Australian grandfather when he was recuperating in England after the war.
And to make this post a little bit art-oriented as well, I have included some altered books pages I did quite a while back.
10 comments:
Hello Debbie. I too have been creative on ANZAC Day - busy doing dying which I will include on my blog. But also thinking of my father and was a WWII sailer but survived the war only to die young at 47 from war caused problems. He was also meant to be on the HMAS Sydney on the journey when it was sunk(except he got the measles and missed the trip). I wouldn't be here except for this illness. Makes you think.
Hello Debbie. I too have been creative on ANZAC Day - busy doing dying which I will include on my blog. But also thinking of my father and was a WWII sailer but survived the war only to die young at 47 from war caused problems. He was also meant to be on the HMAS Sydney on the journey when it was sunk(except he got the measles and missed the trip). I wouldn't be here except for this illness. Makes you think.
Beautiful pages and a wonderful page out of your own family history. Happy ANZAC day to you and all Aussies and NZers.
This looks beautiful Debbi!
This is one of those days that makes me very homesick - I used to go to the Anzac Day march and the memorials. I loved talking to the old diggers and hearing their stories, I feel it's really important to listen to what they have to say.
Hi Debbie, very nice article ao Anzac days, I'll have to contact my down under people on that one. Loved the pictures of Anzac Day and alterd books.Elaine Cooke
Hi Debbi
I'm a bit late on this post as when I posted a comment yesterday my computer timed out grrrr!
But I just wanted to say what a lovely tribute to ANZAC day your pages are, they are beautiful.
Wonderful work again!!
Hello Debbie,
I'm write from Türkiye.
ATATURK'S TRIBUTE
These words were said by President Attaturk, the founder of modern Turkey, who, in World War I, as Colonel Mustafa Kemal, led the Turkish forces facing the Australians.
Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives....
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours....
You, the mothers
Who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.
I've spent some lovely time browsing through older posts on your blog today when I came across this one. My Mum was in the Australian Women's Army Corps during the second world war. She met my Dad (who was a sailor in the Royal Navy) when she was stationed in New Zealand. I followed their lead, and spent twenty-three years in the Canadian Air Force. Even though we've been Canadians for most of our lives, Anzac Day was always commemorated at our house. Mum and Dad are lovely memories now, but I think of them every Anzac Day. It's always a good thing to reflect...
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