Back to School

by Annette Arndt

My kids are back to school now and it’s been one heck of an emotional roller coaster. The anxiety of going back kept them awake well past their bedtimes the week before. Trying to distract them from it, only worked during the day, but night time was another story. Which teacher or teachers would they have? Who would be in their class? Would they be all alone away from their friends? The questions kept coming.

Once school started, the stress became more intense. The excitement of new things juxtaposed with conforming to new routines. Excited to see their friends, but frustrated with classmates that they don’t get along with. Going on this ride with my kids brings flashbacks from my own childhood. Good and bad. Getting through this first week is a big accomplishment for the entire family.

photo copyright Annette Arndt 2015
photo credit Michele Fogal

Because the weather is still quite warm and beautiful we decided to take a walk in our local park to let of some steam and really enjoy the last little bits of summer. I had heard from a friend that the salmon were back in Lynn Creek, so off we went to take a look.

We headed over to Lynn Canyon Park, meeting up with friends and dogs, ready to see what nature had in store for us. Heading down the trail to Lynn Creek was a little difficult. Most of the way there are stairs, but the last little bit to the water is quite a steep. Climbing down tree roots on packed or loose dirt we made our way past the small falls to the shallow pools with the salmon.

photo copyright Annette Arndt 2015

photo copyright Annette Arndt 2015

These two were a pair. I'm not sure which was the male or female. 
We watched them hangout together and then every few 
minutes the lower one would shake their tail into the dirt.

photo copyright Annette Arndt 2015

They were so close we could almost touch them, swimming between us, jumping out of the water. Seeing it in person was breathtaking. Before we knew it, two hours were gone like that. The exercise, fresh air did the trick. Nerves were calmed, sleep came easily that night.

Another thing that I love to do when my nerves are frazzled is draw in my sketch book. I have been trying to draw, paint or colour as much as I possibly can lately. In doing so I’ve created a few adult colouring pages. As promised in a previous post, I have a free adult colouring page available today. It is available to my readers for personal use only. Download the pdf, print it out on your printer and start colouring, it’s that simple. I would love to see what you have created with it. When you’re finished, please take a picture and post it to my Facebook page. I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

The Good Old Days

by Annette Arndt

I’m paraphrasing my grandmother there. When were those “good old days”, exactly? It’s not like her life was terrible, it was just difficult. Both my mother’s and my father’s side of the family came from war torn countries that were assimilated into the USSR at the end of the second World War.

It was a dangerous time of flux. My grandfather was executed when my mom was only a few months old, leaving my young grandmother a single mom. As a result, my Oma’s choices were limited and she did what she had to do—escaping East Germany to find a better life, while leaving my mom behind, in the care of family. 

A few years later, after having found work and a place to live, my Oma was ready to care for my mother again, and made arrangements to smuggle her little girl from East to West Germany. Late one night, Oma traveled to the border of East Germany and waited by the edge of a field. A family member who looked most like my Oma—a sister travelling with Oma’s passport so that hopefully no one would question her—was picked to bring my mom to the meeting place.

The first night they tried to cross the field, my mother began to cry. Oma’s sister grew more and more nervous that they’d be caught—in those days the policy was to shoot first, ask questions later.

The next night Oma’s sister tried again, promising the toddler that she was going to see her mother. That everything would be ok. That her mother would be there on the other side. Only, when they got there, my mom didn’t know who this woman was, crying again and making it more difficult to hide. Oma and her sister quickly went their separate ways, undetected.

My Oma with my mom, before she left for West Germany, 1946

photo copyright Annette Arndt 2015

My father was born into similar circumstances as my mother. His parents were the most unassuming people. If you had met them, you’d never have suspected some of the things they experienced in their earlier life together.

My calm, quiet, humble grandfather worked hard to keep his family together and safe as they fled from their home, in what is now Ukraine, to reach safety. What makes it more remarkable is that his one leg was practically useless due to a childhood illness. 

They left in the winter of January 1941. Opa sent his mother, his wife (who was 8 months pregnant with my father at the time), and his two daughters ahead west, to the larger, safer cities. Meanwhile, he packed whatever they still owned on a wagon and came after them.

He went from one city to the next, from camp to camp, trying to find them. When he finally did, they had to keep moving because the Russians were getting closer. Conditions in the camps were terrible. Lice, disease. Most of the camps were work farms, and no one was exempt from the labour.

Ten years later, they immigrated to the United States. 

Ten years.

The Buerger Family right before leaving for the United States, 1951

photo copyright Annette Arndt 2015

Everyday I am grateful to be living here in Canada. I know where I came from. I know the sacrifices that were made so that I could have a better life.

When I saw this picture of a little Syrian boy (warning: disturbing), lying lifeless in the water, I cried. It broke my heart.

If you are like me, and don’t know much about what’s been happening in Syria, then this link can help explain the history of the crisis. Illustrated like this made it much easier for me to understand.

I hadn’t planned on writing on this subject today, but when my friend posted this picture on instagram yesterday, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

Why would these people risk their lives? Because they consider themselves dead already. 

Here is your call to action now. At the bottom of Ann Voskamp’s blog post are many, many ways you can get involved. I encourage you to do so now.

Happy New Year

by Annette Arndt

It's that time of year again! Well…not really. September is here and I’ve always thought how much it really seems like a new year is starting. Of course, this has a lot to do with the school year and the end of a distinct season of laziness, but really, who ever thought January 1st was a good time to start the year?

Anyhow, the weather has turned much cooler here in the Pacific Northwest and I dug out all of our wool socks (which, ahem, I’ve been sleeping in as well) and sweaters. After an uncharacteristically hot and dry summer, we now have torrential downpours. There is never a dull moment. We're ready to exchange the non-busyness of summer for the busyness of fall.

Photo copyright Wil Arndt 2015

Photo copyright Annette Arndt 2015

I'll be hosting more drawing classes in my home again this fall, mostly on Monday afternoons. There will also be more workshops coming as well: Half day drawing workshops for adults, watercolour workshops for teens and adults, and maybe a few christmas workshops (back by popular demand). Please check my website (www.annette.co) regularly for new classes.

But that’s not all folks! I'll also be offering some new goodies and ramping up my creative output this year. I’m working on a new product line of bedding and wallpaper, along with other small household items and prints of my work. (Just in time for Christmas, hint-hint.) I would so appreciate it if you could pass this information on to your friends, co-workers, family, random people, etc. I would be eternally grateful or, you know… just really happy and thankful!

Lastly, but certainly not the least, there will be some intricate colouring page downloads here on the site. Please check in as often as possible to collect them all. because right now they are—wait for it—FREE! This might not always be the case, but until then feel free to download as many as you like, and create your own stuff! I'd love it if you share what you make (and show off a little) by uploading them onto my Facebook page.

So raise a glass of fresh pressed apple cider to new beginnings, new projects and a new year!

Photo copyright Annette Arndt 2015