When I moved to Calgary in the mid-1990's I had a chance to spend time with Arta and several of her daughters. We would spend time talking and sharing stories while staring at the two racks of earrings on top of a tall dresser in the large basement bedroom. The racks were full of the most large, magnificent, shiny, metallic, glistening earrings I had ever seen. I thought I had worn large earrings. I thought I had amassed an amazing collection myself. No. Mine was insignificant.
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| An example of the type of earrings, but not an actual pair. |
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| Another example of the type of earrings, but not actual earrings. |
She began a family trend wherein a family members began wearing larger and larger earrings, necklaces, and rings. So may beautiful rings that took up a knuckle or more.
Here is an email from my mother in 2015, when she was on one of her travel adventures, about jewelry and Arta:
"Tonia, I saw the biggest, nicest, outrageous lapis ring. I want to buy it but you will have to pay me back. It is a huge oval with twisted rope around the outside to finish it off. Only tomorrow left to go get it for you. It was less than half the price I paid for Arta's ring and my ring. It will fit the ring finger. Tell me to go buy it for you."
Of course she bought if for me and it is on my finger in this picture. This picture was taken at the Highwood Diner Buffet at SAIT, one of the Bates' favourite places to dine on Thursday at lunch. The most stunning buffet created by all the students in the culinary program. A lunch event that Arta's co-workers at the University of Calgary introduced her to many years before. Love these lunches and the amazing company!
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| Notice the beautiful and large jewelry we are both wearing. My right hand is covering the lapis lazuli ring my mother mentioned in the email. |
Then my parents moved to London, UK from 2006 - 2010 and my mother discovered Portobello Road, London, UK. She discovered a shop on the road (we will insert this information soon) where she goes to purchase stones, pearls, and beautiful accoutrements to make large jewelry. Arta and her daughters, and Wyona and her daughters all have a great time making purchases after Wyona's finishing her hard creation work.
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| Stunning Moon Stone rings. |
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| It is too much?!? |
One of the hard things about COVID is that washing hands means washing rings a lot often. I find myself checking for stones coming loose from the claws of rings.
ReplyDeleteI too take rings off when I wash my hands. It is a good way to lose rings also. Arta was the first to practice wearing big earrings. They are so beautiful!
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