Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Painted from memory

When I was a kid I was always stumbling upon images of girls reading under a leafy tree, dozing or staring at life. It's been some time since I saw one, but I still keep some in my memory.

When I was a kid, the only family Easter tradition were choclate eggs. We spent some days in the summer house: my parents, brother, sister, cousins, uncles, aunts and my gramma. I don't recall the cold or the atrocius dampness of this time of year. I can just recall my gramma hiding chocolate eggs in the garden for us to look for, if it didn't rain. Neither I can recall an indigestion. That's memory: it only takes out for a walk the sweet, the color and the fun. The tummy ache has been totally erased from memory.

So Easter has come. Rainy, noisy. It calls for some chocolate eggs hide and seek at home. Tempting my memory and building up my daughters'.



Cuando era niña siempre me topaba con imágenes de chicas leyendo bajo un árbol, dormitando o contemplando la vida. Hace tiempo que no veo ninguna, pero mantengo algunas en la memoria.

Cuando era niña, la única tradición propia de Semana Santa en mi familia era la de los huevos de chocolate. Ibamos a pasar unos días a la casa de veraneo, mis padres, hermanos, primos, tíos y mi amama. No recuerdo el frío ni la atroz humedad típica de esta época del año. Tan sólo recuerdo que mi amama escondía huevos de chocolate por el jardín si no llovía y nosotros teníamos que encontrarlos. Tampoco recuerdo ningun empacho. La memoria es así, saca a pasear lo dulce, colorido y divertido. El dolor de tripas se ha borrado completamente.

Así que ha llegado la Semana Santa. Lluviosa, ruidosa. Tan sólo queda esconder unos cuantos huevos de chocolate por la casa. Tentando mi memoria y construyendo la de mis hijas.

17 comments:

mansuetude said...

i love your tree.
My easter is this coming Sunday.

i have been thinking about memory a lot, too. it opens for me sometimes with just the sweet or part of the memory like you say--but also, i can be daydreaming and I am suddenly in a certain place, vividly--all of the details seem available, smells, feelings, too much sometimes, but its in us, all of it.

Maybe you as a child didn't experience anything but the joy as much because children are still flowing with joy, they live where we try to get back to! Watch them. you're lucky to have two daughters. :)

/// said...

You are so FASCINATING, Esti! Always so much to see here. :)

Anonymous said...

i like your new banner!
it's funny, i think when you're a child you really don't notice temperatures as much. and i don't think you get indigestion as much either! i remember soda was such a treat and never left my belly feeling grossed out as it does now.
a nice post.

Lucía said...

Qué recuerdos tan bonitos, en cambio, mis vacaciones eran de lo más aburridas, no íbamos a ningún sitio ¡y de chocolate nada!.
Besos.

Lotte said...

This is very nice...and a great eastermemory...:)
Also super idea with the cross-stichted "illustration*

Ciara Brehony said...

Such a beautiful drawing.
Continuing old and creating new family traditions is one of the most magical parts of being a parent.

Jill said...

I love those black and white easter eggs under the tree...what a lovely sketch...and fun memories of easters past. I look forward to seeing how you celebrate easter in Bilbao with your family this year! What are some traditional easter foods you eat in Spain?

Gratistotal said...

qué bonita tradición, no la conocía! Cuando tenga hijos la incorporaré!

Anonymous said...

Sitting under a tree to read... can there be anything better?
Happy Easter!

jimena said...

hola!
muy bonito tu blog!
el dibujo que me preguntas es de nuria marques,artista, catalana si haces un click sobre su nombre en mi blog hay imagenes de una galeria donde hay obra suya en menorca.
gracias por pasar por mi blog!
un abrazo

Anonymous said...

so very beautiful. thank you esti, and thank you again :-)

hannna said...

these words: "Continuing old and creating new family traditions is one of the most magical parts of being a parent." and your post - so true and wonderful.

karin said...

This is wonderful written. Like from a novel.

marie-louise said...

In my own family i always found the easter egg in the oven and now I am the mother who is hide the egg( in the oven...)
Thanks for nice comments on my blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like the tree illustration!

mushroommeadows said...

I like the tree decorations!!

Esti said...

Just yesterday we had lunch with one of my cousins and his family; we talked about Easter memories, and he had the same ones, and even more. It was great to put all this recalling together!

Thanks for participating in this blog; you make it a lot better.

And as for the tree decoration, I was inspired by many decorated trees in blogs such as fine little day and others. Thank you.

Unknown said...

love this illo, esti! your posts inspire me so much.
i'm celebrating the equinox and wish you a lovely new year, dear!
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