mary kate

MOC9 Day 11 Tell Me a Story Summer Magic

MOC9 Day 11 Tell Me a Story Summer Magic
mary kate, Jan 15, 2021
Description:
M3 June 2019: Little Butterfly Wings, Li Li Wee, Paula Kesselring and Rachel Jefferies
https://the-lilypad.com/store/Mixed-Media-Monthly-Ocean-Energize-Therapeutic.html

Life is: an adventure: Little Butterfly Wings and Studio Basic (girl sticker; suitcase sticker; postage stamp)
https://the-lilypad.com/store/Life-is-an-adventure-bundle.html

Bon Voyage elements: Pink Reptile Designs (airplane)
https://the-lilypad.com/store/Bon-Voyage-Elements.html

Nantucket page kit: ForeverJoy Designs (seahorse; ephemera ticket; twine flower)
https://the-lilypad.com/store/NANTUCKET-Page-Kit.html

Take the Plunge kit: Lynn Grieveson Designs (labels; ‘Just Magic’ wordart)
https://the-lilypad.com/store/Take-the-Plunge-Kit.html

Fonts: Boatbuilder; Summer Journal

Journaling (735 words):

When I was eight years old, in the summer of 1973, a series of magical things happened to me.

The magic began with a trip. My 7-year old sister P. and I went to Prince Edward Island with our aunt and uncle and their four children, who were my favourite cousins. The trip had been planned almost a year earlier; and originally the plan had also included my parents and my youngest sister C., who would have been about 22 months old at travel time. However, my mother then fell pregnant, with the new baby due to arrive in late June. Travelling from Ottawa to PEI while nine months pregnant was obviously out of the question for my mum, of course, and it looked like the much-anticipated holiday would be completely cancelled for all of us. But my dad had a work colleague who was flying to Fredericton, New Brunswick (where my aunt and uncle and cousins then lived) in June, and she agreed to serve as chaperone to me and my sister. We would fly to Fredericton with the kind-hearted and incredibly generous Mrs W.; my aunt and uncle would pick us up at the airport; and we would then proceed to Stanhope, P.E.I. for a 3-week seaside holiday.: my aunt and uncle, with their four children and their two nieces in tow.

I’ll never forget the sense of excitement surrounding that flight from Ottawa to Fredericton. In those days (and you know you’re getting old when you start using phrases like ‘in those days’ to refer to your own childhood!), taking a plane wasn’t like taking a Greyhound bus in the sky. Air travel was a big deal: it was special; it was fancy; and you dressed accordingly. You got dressed up for it, I mean. So P. and I wore matching blue floral dresses (which my mother had ironed and starched to crisp perfection, even though she was nine months pregnant), with matching blue floral drawstring purses, and matching white patent leather Mary Jane Oxford shoes. And then my dad bought each of us a new book to keep us occupied during the flight. And then the airline (was it Air Canada? I think it must have been…) gave us each a little travel kit: a round travel bag, emblazoned with the company logo, and filled with goodies (chewing gum; candy; crayons and colouring book; etc.).

But the real magic came when we got to P.E.I.

I had recently read Anne of Green Gables, and when my aunt and uncle us to Green Gables at Cavendish, I was utterly enchanted. The actual green gables! And ‘Anne’s room’! with floral wallpaper, and an iron bed, and a washstand with bowl and pitcher. I was in heaven. And then, seeing how much I loved Anne, my uncle did something really special: he decided to take me, my sister, and my youngest cousin to Charlottetown to see Anne of Green Gables The Musical. Oh, the sheer sense of delight! We laughed; we cried; we sobbed inconsolably at the death of Matthew; and we left the theatre happily singing the chorus to ‘Humble Pie.”

Most days were spent at the beach, which was a 10-minute walk (through a forest! just like something out of Anne) from the cottage my uncle had rented. In the evenings we played board games, and told stories, and put on shows (we called ourselves The Happy Cousins) for our aunt and uncle. And because I was with my favourite cousins, I mostly didn’t feel homesick at all. But I did have a few moments when I felt lonesome for my parents.

On one such occasion, we were walking home from the beach when a plane flew overhead. And someone (I cannot remember who) said something like, “Imagine if your parents were on that plane, coming to see us.” Oh, if only! I thought wistfully. But of course not. My parents were in Ottawa, with my no-longer-the-youngest sister and a new baby. Back at the cottage, we had supper, played games, and then later had a snack. And at some point while we were in the kitchen enjoying peanut butter toast and hot cocoa, my uncle came in and announced that we had visitors. And then in walked my mother and father, with my sister C. and my new baby sister! It was a complete surprise, and a moment of pure magic.
    • Amson
      What a truly magical summer. I love your writing and adornment of the page.
      mary kate likes this.
    • Saar
      Oh wow, this is gorgeous! I love everything about your layout.
      mary kate likes this.
    • bestcee
      I want to visit PEI because I love Anne too. I adore the magic of having your family come surprise you! I love all the elements on the outside of the page framing the story! Thanks for playing in my challenge!
      mary kate likes this.
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  • Category:
    Month of Challenges 9
    Uploaded By:
    mary kate
    Date:
    Jan 15, 2021
    View Count:
    211
    Comment Count:
    3

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