Thursday 13 May 2010

The Wrong Kind Of Grass

When I was looking for that umbrella photograph the other day, I found another couple of pictures. They were taken about a year later, so I'm nearly six and you can see that we've been joined by a new baby brother.


It looks like another glorious summers evening - and it was, I remember it well. But not because we'd made a happy, unscheduled stop to play (we never seemed to do much unscheduled in our family); I remember it because, when I came home, I had the worst combined hayfever-asthma attack of my entire childhood. That grass was bad grass, man.

In the days before inhalers, our last ditch treatment came in a bottle. It was so vile that I had to be seriously suffering before I could be persuaded to swallow a spoonful of "Yellow" as it was dubbed by my mother in a transparent attempt to emphasize its cheerier qualities. And I won't deny it, it had its good points. The weird sense of euphoria it induced, for instance. Seems pretty obvious why they took it off the market, now, when I think about it. It was pretty trippy stuff. And it was the seventies


But I'm wandering off my point, which is this: when you pull out a photo and start to think of the story, make sure you are telling the right story. And any interesting sidenotes: if you look in the top photo you can see the very edge of our car. A sea green Ford Anglia. It's almost exactly the same as the one Harry and Ron fly in the film of Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets. Not identical, but close enough to be fun. I can feel a postscript page coming on..


26 comments:

Cheri said...

Love this layout Sian - the orange and yellow are so bright and happy - even better is the story behind it - hope you captured the more intimate details in some hidden journaling. And I can't wait to see the follow-up layout on the Harry Potter car!

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

Great photos, layout and story, Sian. :o) And good advice for telling the story that comes to mind when you come across old photos.

And, Dude, I wonder what "yellow" really was...

Sandra said...

Sian, I would so love to have a look through your childhood album - you have just the most amazing photos. And yes each layout I see of yours reminds me of blissfully hot summers in the 70's. For some reason I don't remember rain LOL

Only the other day in Boots a woman was asking for some medicines for her child, and the woman behind the counter looked so shocked, and was telling her that the medicine had been removed from sales for such a long time. To which the mother replied, shame, I used to have it as a child, and I know it would help him sleep LOL

humel said...

So at the age of not-quite 6 you tripped out because of some grass? I love getting to know my blog friends better.... ;-)

Unknown said...

Sian, you CRACK ME UP! "Seriously trippy". Gotta love the 70's, man... ya just gotta. Love the layout and the 70's flavor to it. Cute story... time for me to look up some old photos and try and find the story behind them.

Lizzie said...

Wow, Cool Layout Sian Man! The colours are quite trippy and psychedelic... Poor you - what an awful end to a lovely playtime!
We had a friend with bad asthma when we were kids. She had a blue inhaler, which was probably Ventolin. Then there was some kind of syrup to take - I should think it was the same as yours!
There was no real "preventative" medicine for asthma then - unlike now. I have a "preventer" inhaler, which generally keeps everything nicely under control. I've only had 2 asthma attacks since I was diagnosed about 4-5 years ago and have only used my emergency inhaler a dozen times, for threatening attacks... mostly it's just the brown one and I'm fine.
I hope you outgrew the worst of it and are now well under control (well, as far as the asthma goes anyway lol!).
Great layout, interesting story. And you're right - it's important to think about the story that should be told when scrapping any photo.

Scrappi Sandi said...

Just playing catch up on the last two posts...Gorgeous LO's & I love a good story to accompany a photo...journalling it is so important for future generations!!

Our Alex is an asthma sufferer & we have both brown & blue inhalers close at hand all the time, but as his Diabetes & ADHD/AS/ODD take priority, his asthma symptoms sometimes go unnoticed & it's all hands to the pump to administer first aid!!! Thank goodness he grew out of the epilepsy is all I can say!!!!!

Carmen said...

Wow that medicine sounds powerful stuff! I love all the journalling you do with your pages Sian and I LOVE that car. How funky! They def don't make them like that anymore ;)

Anonymous said...

It may be a painful memory, but the page you created is absolutely cheerful. I, too, wonder what was in that stuff! Although last year I was given a cough medicine that had a similar effect on me. I took it only once. The cough seemed less scary.

Anna said...

We had exactly the same car!!! Same colour and everything .... (I've come over all peculiar) I wonder what the yellow was? (and whether it was quite as revolting as cod liver oil with malt!?)
love the LO :)

debs14 said...

So it's true then, if you can remember the 70s you weren't really there! Wonder how many of us were under the influence of 'yellow' in our childhood? It would explain some things ...

scrappyjacky said...

And do you remember gripe water....they've taken that off the market as well now....and that was really good stuff!!!!
No wonder there was no ADHD back then...we were all already doped up!!
Love the layout...and how your stories always bring back little memories.

Becky said...

Love the layout - looks really 70's!

Denise said...

Ahhh,I so remember the Ford Anglia as a child and your story has brought memories flooding back of a disgusting 'vanilla' medicine I used to have to take for tonsillitis - and I got that a LOT !Great story and lovely layouot Sian x

Tinkertaylor said...

Great layout and fab story as always,didn't you just love the 70s
All flares,TOTPS, velvet jackets, Black Sabbath, David Cassidy or Donny Osmond depending which camp you were in.First job. Oh I did love the 70s

Gillian said...

Another great LO, Sian - sorry you had such bad hayfever, but I must say the photo made me smile - the 70s styles and especially the way you appear to be perched on your mum's shoulder!

Carrie said...

Aw - lovely picture but boo on the hayfever. I remember being so miserable with hay & horses. Ug. Beautiful layout -love the colors!

Amy said...

Yes, getting the right story is often tricky - that's why I use the same photo several times in some cases .... there is often more than one story!

Maria Ontiveros said...

Awesome story and great page Sian! I love the colors and the struggle.
Rinda

Kirsti said...

Blimey Sian... that was a very quick comment on my post - I managed to get the stamps that I wanted from The Stamp Attic, thanks....

I am so loving your photos and the LO you have made - brilliant summer sunshine colours!!!

Anonymous said...

Love the 70's feel to your lo and such good advice about scrapping old photos.

Susanne said...

Great chipboard accents and layering on this layout. Nicely done, Sian.

laurie said...

Sian, you and i are about the same age and both have a younger sister and brother. i, however, was raised in little towns up and down the rocky mountain state of the u.s. even so, i totally identify with your pictures and so enjoy seeing / reading about them. thanks for the trips down memory lane. :-)

Ruth said...

Thank you for articulating so beautifully what I often fail to do when explaining to non-scrappers how I feel about the "behind the LO" process. Am I articulating myself now?? Am I even gramatically correct??

Unknown said...

How great is that you actually remember the stories behind the pictures. I am only few years younger than you (born in 1971) but I don't remember much. :) Beautiful layout of course, love the colors!

sharyncarlson said...

LOVE your layout Sian!

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