Childhood Memories (Traces - 06/2023)

First shelf of a giant mahogany wardrobe in my grandmother's house. Oh surprise! There were, in a rectangular twenty per eight box, what I liked the most.

Thousands of colored stones of different shapes and sizes. They were not rough stones, they were shiny as if they were royal ornaments, it could be from a king's cape or a princess's veil.

How I liked to play with them! I formed rows, circles, figures. I still remember them.

I also remember the desk phone, so different from our current cell phone. The persistent perfume of the magnolias that were in the yard. The smell of the quince jelly that my grandmother prepared so lovingly. The easel that went up and down. And the stool where I sat to listen to the stories told by my aunt, who she later drew and painted very absorbed. Distracted from the real world, I entered to play in my much-desired territory. What happiness! And what a satisfaction to play with those gems again after so many years!

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Chilhood Memories

First shelf of a giant mahogany wardrobe in my grandmother's house. Oh surprise! There were, in a rectangular twenty per eight box, what I liked the most.

Thousands of colored stones of different shapes and sizes. They were not rough stones, they were shiny as if they were royal ornaments, it could be from a king's cape or a princess's veil.

How I liked to play with them! I formed rows, circles, figures. I still remember them.

I also remember the desk phone, so different from our current cell phone. The persistent perfume of the magnolias that were in the yard. The smell of the quince jelly that my grandmother prepared so lovingly. The easel that went up and down. And the stool where I sat to listen to the stories told by my aunt, who she later drew and painted very absorbed. Distracted from the real world, I entered to play in my much-desired territory. What happiness! And what a satisfaction to play with those gems again after so many years!

Souvenirs d’enfance (French translation)

Premier étagère d’une armoire enorme en acajou chez ma grande-mère. Oh surprise! La dans une caisse rectangulaire de vingt par huit centimètres était ce que j’aimais le plus.

Des milliers de pierres colorées et de différentes formes et tailles. Elles n´étaient pas des pierres brutes, elles brillaient comme des ornaments royaux, pourraient être le manteau d’un roi ou le voile d’une duchesse.

J´adorais jouer avec elles! Je les alignais, formais des cercles, des figures. Je me souviens encore d’elles.

Je me souviens aussi du téléphone de bureau si différent du portable actuel. Le parfum persistant et enivrant des magnolias qui étaient dans la cour. L’arôme de la confiture de coing que ma mamie préparait si affectueusement. Le chevalet qui montait et descendait.

Et le tabouret où je m´ asseyais pour écouter les histoires racontées par ma tante, qu’après je dessinais et peignais enfermée en moi même. Abstraite du monde réel, je suis entrée pour jouer dans mon territoire tellement désiré. Quel bonheur!! Et quelle satisfaction rejouer avec ces pierres après tant d’années!!