Jeudi Journal - Don't be ridiculous

OK, so the quote used today comes from Cher, in Mermaids - "Don't be ridiculous, real women are never too old" and is the one chosen by Wendy for us to illustrate in our journals this week.  Despite it having a fishy story to fit in with Mia's theme at Art Journal Journey it is nothing at all to do with the story of the film.  Instead it centres around two friends, Doris and Elsie, both ladies resident at the Resthaven Nursing Home.

Doris fancied herself as a bit of a sleuth and often would lead Elsie into little scrapes that sometimes involved the law.  One time she accused the lady in charge of the home, Mrs Roosevelt, of "popping off the residents".  Totally got it wrong when it turned out Mrs Roosevelt was actually indulging one or two of the residents by giving them a tot of rum or whisky in their hot milk.  The police were not amused when they were called out by Elsie who had totally believed her friend!

It was a lovely Springtime and promised to be similar for the Summer with warm balmy nights which meant they could all have their windows thrown open; and fresh air was always welcome at Resthaven.  Nothing had been happening and so Doris was getting a little bored.  Chess, draughts, snakes and ladders were all well and good but even the Saturday night sing-a-long had become a bit of a bind and Doris wanted something exciting in her life.

"Tell you what" she said to Elsie one afternoon, "I think it's about time I got my beach body out and took myself off somewhere to swim with the dolphins."

"You can't do that" retorted Elsie, "Mrs Roosevelt would never allow it.  Imagine if you got swallowed by one of them, I've seen them on television and they are awfully big fish."

"You are thinking of sharks" said Doris.  "Sharks and some whales are dangerous but dolphins are lovely, friendly creatures and lots of people swim with them.  What is furthermore I want to do something exciting.  If only to show that Ernie Dodds what a real woman can do."

Ernie was a cantankerous resident octogenarian who grumbled and groused his way through every day.  Doris really did not like the man but Elsie was much more tolerable and was very kind to him, even when he was nasty and waved his stick at her friend Doris.

"Well, I am going to do it.  I will go to my room right away and find my swim costume, I know I have a bikini somewhere but not sure if it fits me these days.  Then I will be on the telephone and arrange it all. "

"You can't", said Elsie, "they won't let you, besides which you are much too old to do things like that.  Mrs Roosevelt would have a fit, and imagine what Ernie would have to say.  The whole sitting room would laugh at you."

"Don't be ridiculous."  said Doris, "real women are never too old" and with that she took off for the lift to the first floor determined to find her swimwear, even if it was a bikini!"

Well, for some reason I got the words a little wrong on the journal page but hey ho, it doesn't really matter.  I just hope you enjoyed my story and journal page explaining it this week.

To begin with I did a second generation reverse stencil background in shades of blue and green Distress Ink.  Then I used Miss Dee from Janet Klein (Aall & Create) in the thought bubble and surrounded her with two dolphins.  The furniture at the base of the page is all from Janet Klein's stamps.  Main figures, of course, are Dylusions.