Jeudi Journal - How Old

 My handmade background for Mia's challenge at Art Journal Journey is a mixture of Distress Oxides Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio over my page in my small square journal.  Then Mermaid Lagoon DO was put through Dylusions' stencil DYS34230 which I think is called something like Diamonds in the Rough.   Next it was Cracked Pistachio again but with the pad used 'direct to paper' to obliterate some of the starkness of the diamonds.  Finally a few water splats to bring out the true nature of Distress Oxides.

To complete the page it was a few question marks, hand drawn, to emphasise the quote and then it was one of the Dinky Dolls from Dyan coloured with Promarkers and the quote itself.

"How Old Do I Have to be Before I Have Any Idea What's Going On" is Dyan's quote we are working with today.  Although my page does illustrate the quote with the question marks dotted around the background Wendy and I make up  stories that are are enjoyed by so many and although some times we have to really scratch at the old grey matter to come up with a story we do so for our readers.  Here is today's story from me, Wendy's is here -

"Polly was thirteen. That age that does not seem to fit in anywhere.  Too young to be with the bigger girls and too old for the childish things younger ones get up to.  That is why she tended to talk to her little Dalmatian more than anyone.  Spot had been her friend and confidant for two years  now and she did not know what it would be like without him by her side.

There had been a lot of whispering at home and the family, mum, dad and teenage sister, tended to go quiet whenever Polly came into the room.  She knew there was something wrong and it worried her.  Magda, a girl at school, had been through a tough time with the break up of her parents and so Polly began to worry about mum and dad, but why would Deena, her older sister, be party to it?  She had asked her older sister but got no real answer as to what was happening.  It was question question question as far as she was concerned.  And no answers!

"How old do I have to be before I have any idea what's going on?" she asked of Spot.  Of course he couldn't answer but he did look up at her with his soulful eyes and wagged his tail.  "Oh Spot, if only you could talk". She bent down and hugged Spot, she really did love him.  "Guess we had better go back home and see if they still have some secret."

And so the two of them made their way home.  On opening the door Polly  was surprised to see the three of them, mum, dad and Deena, all stood there waiting for her.

"Surprise, Surprise" they shouted in unison and mum came forward and waved a ticket in front of Polly.  "We are going to Disneyland, you are going to Disneyland.  It's your birthday in two days time and you, Deena and Me, we are off to Disneyland in Paris for three days.  Oh please say you love it, your present I mean."

Polly just stood there, "but why is dad not going too?" she asked.

"I have a lot of work to do at the office and besides who would be here to look after Spot for you?" dad replied.

"There's nothing wrong then?" queried Polly.  "I mean you and mum, you are ok." and it all came tumbling out, the worry she had had that mum and dad were going to split.  Tears spilled down her face and both mum and dad went over to their youngest daughter and put their arms around her.

"Of course not, why on earth would you think that?"

And so Polly began to tell them about Magda at school and how she had felt they were keeping a secret from her but now she realised what the secret had been.  She bent down and picked Spot up holding him close to her face and whispering to him "Guess there are some advantages to being too young to knowing what is going on."

And off she skipped, ticket in one hand and arms around Spot.  She really must bring Spot a lovely present back from Disneyland."