You say – what? no seascape!? Well, not this morning. It is March 8th and International Women’s Day today. This is a photograph of my mother I took a couple of years ago. She is on holidays and we are having a picnic after going on a garden tour with “just the girls” which included her sister, my sister and my sister’s daughter. I love this photograph of my mother because it shows her natural beautiful self. She is about to shake her finger at me and say “don’t you dare!” But I was faster. Being a farmer in rural British Columbia Canada my mother has worked hard and lived close to the land not far from where she grew up. She reads with exuberance checking out armloads of books each week from the public library. She knows most of the Latin names for her plants and studied genetics to be able to improve her breeding stock of Hereford cattle. Her daily walks take her past bears, moose, elk, deer, geese, swans, grouse and the fox sleeps on her doorstep. Her cinnamon buns are still the best in the world and I love her. Her quiet and sometimes not so quiet belief in me is part of why I am who I am today.
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!
© 2012 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.
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From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com
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Creative Potager 
Lovely post honoring your mother!
Thanks Maureen and the best of International Women’s Day to you1
Celebrating this day with you Terrill and all women, everywhere.
I so enjoyed this wonderful story and sharing of your Mom. Much of what you describe reminds me of mine, right down to the family-famous cinnamon buns! Wishing you a lovely day.
You too Colleen and it is wonderful to have these kinds of connections in common 🙂
Terrill – It’s abundantly clear that the nut didn’t fall very far from the tree. You both exude the same effervescent spirit (and mischievous twinkle in your eyes)!
I burst into happy tears when I read, “Her quiet and sometimes not so quiet belief in me is part of why I am who I am today,” because that’s precisely what I would say about my mother.
What a wonderful post! Happy International Women’s Day!
Oh there is that twinkle of course Laurie. Somehow I never think of myself as being much like my mother. But as I get older I sometimes catch myself sounding like her. I can imagine you saying the same thing about your mom as well. Wishing you all the best on this special day!
What a wonderful tribute, Terrill. Happy international women’s day, everyone.
Thank you Leanne and all the best for International Women’s Day!
I would love to take a walk with your mom Terrill. . .and I can almost taste those cinnemon buns:). Your post is a beautiful acknowledgment of a heart-felt relationship with a woman you were blessed to call mom. Thank you for sharing her with us.
You are most welcome Alison. Walking with my mother is most often a quiet affair – because if you are making too much noise you won’t see anything. There is an exception of course and that is if she smells a bear near by. Then you talk loudly, maybe even singing a little and banging sticks. The belief is that the bear is more scared of you than you of it and the method to this practice is to let it know you are there so you don’t surprise it. Seems to work 🙂
What a lovely sharing – and Thank you
Wonderful Mum picture and what a joy to enjoy
Here in my town International Women’s Day is hardly brought to the fore…we are too busy fundraising for our health care which seems to be creating hate and anger within the political body.
“who should pay for women to have sex?” Hey buddy you missed the whole point, and besides I pay for lots of things I do not believe in such as war…..hmmm at least the weather was fabulous and oh such a divine walk today – off to yoga
Enjoy your yoga and walks Patricia. International Women’s Day seems to be something that is often only remembered by those who were active in the women’s movement throughout the 70, 80, and 90s. However I find it an important day in my life and one I rarely forget to acknowledge in some way or another.
Happy International Women’s Day to All.
What a lovely and loving evocation of your mother’s spirit and influence on your own life Terrill. She’s a woman of boundless energy (heck that armload of books anecdote speaks volume) and she’s had a lifelong kinship with the Earth. I continue to marvel at the closeness of your family and am always moved when you honor them here as well you should.
We are close Sam but tend not to see each other very often really. It is just the way of modern life and living sizable distances from each other. Glad you enjoy the sharing of my creative context as much as the paintings and photographs.
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