VISITING THE ANCESTORS

 Florence and Bat went on a little trip to Genova, Italy, to visit Florence's family at Cimitero di Staglieno: one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. 

When I was little, my aunt Virgina brought me to a beautiful garden. I remember the air being hot, dry, and infused with the smell of pine. We wandered through a maze of mysterious sculptured figures and monuments so elaborate in intricate detail, so life-like, I was sure the people were alive under the dusty marble facades. We were visiting our ancestors. The garden was a cemetery, and it was gorgeous. Ghosts of the past are here in their final resting place. And what a beautiful place to be in death. Cimitero Monumental di Staglieno; haunting and so beautiful. I was never to forget it. 

Below is an excerpt of what the American writer Mark Twain said after visiting Staglieno :

 “Our last sight was the cemetery (a burial place intended to accommodate 60,000 bodies), and we shall continue to remember it after we shall have forgotten the palaces. It is a vast marble colonnaded corridor extending around a great unoccupied square of ground; its broad floor is marble, and on every slab is an inscription - for every slab covers a corpse. On either side, as one walks down the middle of the passage, are monuments, tombs, and sculptured figures that are exquisitely wrought and are full of grace and beauty. They are new and snowy; every outline is perfect, every feature guiltless of mutilation, flaw, or blemish; and therefore, to us these far-reaching ranks of bewitching forms are a hundred fold more lovely than the damaged and dingy statuary they have saved from the wreck of ancient art and set up in the galleries of Paris for the worship of the world." 

"Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see." 

GENOA: Stunning sculptures 🏛️, Monumental Cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno)

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DO NOT STAND BY MY GRAVE , AND WEEP

Florence Blume - A Ghost Story {Merrickville} Annabelle&M © 2023

Do not stand

By my grave, and weep.

I am not there,

I do not sleep—

I am a thousand winds that blow

I am the diamond glints in snow

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,

I am the gentle, autumn rain.

As you awake with morning’s hush,

I am the swift, up-flinging rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight,

I am the day transcending night.

Do not stand

By my grave, and cry—

I am not there,

I did not die.

-Clare Harner 1934 

When words and music touch my soul...listen

Mariage d'amour - Paul de Senneville

@batandmaggie @hauntedwalk @rideau_walkingtours @painteral613 @writerswarmth 

#painting #blackandwhite #catart #spooky #halloween #storypainting #bookstagram #instagood #beauty#beautiful#merrickville #haunted #afterlife #supernatural #cemetery #graveyard #Annabelle&m #love #moon#moonlight#florenceblume #trees #ghostadventures #spookyseason #blackcat #picoftheday #instadaily #art #poem#donotstandatmygraveandweep 

Remembrance Day 2020 Poppy Day Lest We Forget.♥️

Remembrance Day 2020

Lest We Forget.♥️

They gave their lives so that we could enjoy our freedom. On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, we will remember you."

These hearts were woven of human joys and cares,
Washed marvelously with sorrow, swift to mirth.
The years had given them kindness. Dawn was theirs,
And sunset, and the colors of the earth.
These had seen movement, and heard music; known
Slumber and waking; loved; gone proudly friended;
Felt the quick stir of wonder; sat alone;
Touched flowers and furs and cheeks. All this is ended …


~ The Dead by Rupert Brooke

AND ON MY WAY HOME THIS EVENING ♥️

Well, sometimes something brilliantly beautiful stops you in your tracks.
On my way home this evening, I came upon this beautiful display of Remembrance Day at the Old Clock in Kemptville.
Even though Remembrance Day was different this year, this blanket of vibrant red poppies, each one handcrafted by someone who didn't forget, will forever remain with me. 
Thank you to Leeds Grenville Fibre Extravaganza.
We will remember them.

In Flanders Fields 

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

NO WHITE PEAKS  BY PETER KAYNE 

READ BY PETER CUSHING

Happy World Art Day 🖼🎨🖌🐱 Nine Lives

"A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays"

A painting of mine from a while back and sharing it today for World Art Day ~ Nine Lives 

Bat wasn't put there he placed himself there, honest. Something about art and cats, they just get along so well. 

Il tempo se ne va ~ Time Passes 

Behind the painting is a photograph of my nono and nona in Italy. They brought me up until I left for Canada when I turned 7. They were the best!

Color or black and white? I think I like the b&w, I suppose the reason why I do is I love the color black. 

Happy World Art Day 🖼🎨🖌🐱

NINE LIVES 😽😽😽😽😽😽😽😽😽 DONE 🧹

I believe this time it's done! I took a poll and asked people if they preferred the black and white version of 'Nine Lives' or the color. So I decided to add more color to the original; something I tend to shy away from.

I find each new painting I work on is a learning lesson and although the vision of what I perceived of the landscape to do not always materializes most often I'm happy with the end results. Of course, in the end, there is always that option to have one in black and white if I wish. 

'Nine Lives' with more color

 I  changed the vines and light on the tree. I think it's more effective in reflecting light. I also added color to the bird trees to the right of the tree and the moon has a small crescent moon inside its time tunnel. I also did more detail work on the moonflowers adding gold leaf to their center and star. Basically, I added color where it was needed. I like this one much better than the original.

'Nine Lives' ~ Original

If you are interested in my artwork or my daughter M's artwork and photography...

Three Cats, a Dog, and a Camera

I have just reopened my Fine Art America Shop and will be adding more artwork soon.

A SUMMER NIGHT IN OCTOBER WITH KNIGHT RIDER

A summer night in October arrived last Tuesday night, unexpected and without the bugs.
It was like summer had never left with a temperature of 27.3 degrees on October 9thand as the day passed slowly into evening the balmy air wooed us to go for an evening ride on the Triumph.
I think summer was teasing or maybe October was just playing a game of masquerade but no matter who was creating the night magic we weren't about to miss it.

There was no plan, we just escaped into the night.

Riding along the Rideau River up to Merrickville was like life had passed into a dream and I joked with Stan how the night ride made me think for a moment I was riding with Micheal Knight, The Knight Rider. Earlier in the day Stan had gotten another needle in the eye so I didn't think he was up for a ride but I was wrong and we took a shot in the dark ride with one headlight and one good eye : ) Without question the ride turned out to be the best ever taken on the Triumph, for both of us! The night was filled with magic, mystery and haunting intrigue.

But all good things eventually come to an end and when I thought the ride was over when Stan turned off hwy 43 and was heading back home he completely and unexpectedly caught me off guard, slowed down, veered off the darkened Burritts Rapids' road and turned up Cemetery Hill.

He turned the engine off and in the quiet and still cemetery he asked me to pick three tombstones.The shadowy granite, almost lost in the total darkness of the quiet grounds enclosed around me making it hard to distinguish the cold stone from the dark black veil of the evening. I found myself a little scared but so elevated in my curiosity in continuing to seek and find some lovely tombs hoping they would reveal some hidden secret. The game was on, the two old folks were having fun.

Stan followed me around the graveyard ,the breeze among the branches of the encircling wood sighed but I heard nothin more but the snapping of a few pics and then he spoke: “Ok, I think this should do it. Let's go home and see what we got”
But what I discovered I noticed even before I got home , actually it was the only stone of the four I picked that I was able to read the words.

On the tall spire shaped monument the inscription read “An Officer and a Gentleman” , very strange and spooky I thought because what I read was related to the night's events. Us playing a game like two juveniles with no restraints, young again. We were the perfect age tonight to enjoy a summer's night in October hopefully will never forget. The perfect age like Richard Gere had said in a quote I read on Instagram . Oh and by the way if you don't get the connection, Richard Gere was the officer in An Officer and a Gentleman” : ) and below is his quote........

“I am old but I am forever young at heart.We are always the same age inside. Know that you are the perfect age. Each year is special and precious, you can only live it once. Do not regret growing older, it's a privilege denied to many!”

I know this story really sounds made up but I never set foot in that cemetery before October,9th/2018.
Wow, should I dare say someone from beyond reached out and left this for me to ponder on?

“The lovers have grown old and grey” forever young at heart remain❤️
Well, taking that ride with Knight Rider on an October summer night was a thrill; I forgot just how old I was!


Happy to be here with you Stan!