Wednesday 31 December 2014

Christmas Lights and New Year's message


Every Christmas Eve Wally and I make an excursion into the surrounding area to view the Christmas lights.  I imagine giving anonymous prizes. Wouldn't that be fun...

This little house on the way to Wolfville always delights me.
 
Over 2 years here and we still go to see the houses we once thought we'd buy.
The one on this street in Port Williams was lit up and they were having a party. This is not it, but the house at the corner whose massive tree I adore, absolutely adore.

A huge wreath on the house next door

This sweet little property down the road a ways, with a lit up tree on the porch.
 
Wally took a detour into farmland where we found this beauty.
 
By now it was quite dark with a fine mist falling.
These were jolly big trees.  Do you see the Santa on the roof?
 
There he is!
 
Here was a sweet little house on a short side road worth stopping for, full of pizzazz.
 
The house next door just as full of pizzazz.

And up the long driveway just beside them, a fabulous display, like stationary fireworks.
(Don't mind those spots of mist; I lost so many more photos totally wiped out by the mist.)
 
a pretty house simply embellished with a spotlight and a wreath
 
and home again to our humble display, still cheery on this misty Christmas Eve.
 
Christmas Day was magical in a new way for us. No Snow. Just hurricane force winds... and rain.
At one point the rain was blown sideways in huge white gusts over the back field, so that we thought our walk in the amazingly warm 17 degrees C. would have to be postponed. But, as luck would have it, the wind died down and we headed over to the Bird Sanctuary to walk the trails. We were tickled to have the whole place to ourselves except for the ducks and the cardinals and chickadees in the warm fine rain. The wild bright red rose hips hung in vast sprays, each one decorated with a hanging drop of crystal water like ice on holly, surprisingly Christmasy.  Alas, no pictures.
 
Boxing Day we headed out for round 2 of our Christmas Lights tour.
I quickly grabbed a shot of our neighbour's funky display.
I get the feeling this little tree next to our house is just for us.  So sweet.
 
Downtown Kentville under the moon.
 
A little house with a vast display.
 
A couple of...
 
favourites in Berwick.
 
So that wraps up 2014.
How pleased I am to be starting a new year. Of course, I know it's all arbitrary, this idea of starting.
We measure our lives in so many ways: by the calendar, the clock, birthdays, events, milestones.
I am happy for any excuse that wakens me up to the beauty of the moment and the opportunity to be excited about change, positive change. I've made a few promises to myself, recommitting to my self, my values; resolutions if you will. They aren't the rigid kind, so hopefully they'll "stick".
 
And this is my New Year's Eve wish for you, for us all:
  •  that we live in kindness to ourselves that we can truly understand compassion towards others
  •  that we honour our health that we may feel vital in terms of our value and our energy.
  • that we welcome joy into our lives like the true friend that it is
 
Happy New Times
 
 
peace on earth
 

Wednesday 24 December 2014

an eve of gratitude


 
A big thank you for visiting my blog and helping me to stay the course of my creative commitment.
 
Not much makes sense without the love and support of others.
We must start with the love and support of ourselves in order to be able to receive it.
Be kind and gentle toward that self as we make our way.
 
Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward all sentient creatures.
 
 
 


Thursday 18 December 2014

a short morning surprise


We're still hoping for a White Christmas. It's been rainy and dreary..

though I must say I appreciate this morning's bit of sun and a temperate 7 degrees C.

"and the dawn came up like thunder"
 
a little research, and I learn that, though I first heard this from the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz, he was, in fact, quoting it from Rudyard Kipling's poem, Mandalay.

my Hot Pop Queen of Hearts
in prismacolor pencil crayons
 
have a lovely advent to the holidays, snow or not, Christmas or not, holidays or not,
it's all the same really; it's life, precious life
 
be grateful and you will find what lays beneath the surface
 

Tuesday 16 December 2014

greetings from mid December


Hello again.  I see some of you have visited and found my December posts wanting. It's been an interesting month so far.
We seem to be over the hump as Wally's cold has subsided and we now have a new air source heat pump which will hopefully save on our oil bill as it is so well suited to this kind of cold that rarely goes below freezing. As well we have a new hot water tank to replace the sudden demise of our old oil heated tank, which Wally installed himself while he was ill. He worked so hard through his illness, dear man.

The snow of a few weeks back left fairly soon afterwards, and we've had none since.
In fact it's been almost springlike some days.  The cold out here is rather damp and makes for fog the day after a warm day.  One can barely see an outline of the trees on the other side of the field beyond Forget-Me-Not Cabin.

The cats and I amuse ourselves between episodes of life.
Here Muji is wanting some love.
 
He wonders why I'm so close but not patting him.

And here his inbred modus operandi: the reach for my attention

Meanwhile Babu is playing at my feet, chasing his tail or a crumpled paper I toss him hence the slightly demented look.  At a year and a half, he is still very much like a big kitten.
 
Finally some shots of him not moving where I can get some definition in his blackness.
 
And now he jumps for the camera strap. Isn't this the weirdest picture of him yet?
 
He's really a good little cat, really quite happy here, almost smiling.
 
Later I catch my boys napping. It's rare that Babu doesn't wake and move before I can capture the funny positions I find them in, very often doing a yin/yang.
 
Even with his eye "ajar" he is completely passed out from a busy day trying to provoke Muji to romp with him. He has been so good for Muji's damaged shoulder, getting lazy Muji to chase him and exercise it, so that now Muji doesn't hop, but limps, a big improvement.

How wicked my gentle loving Muji looks when he yawns.
 
I have many telephone doodles such as this that I'm planning to use in a collage, that new turn I was planning to take last month, diverted from my artwork by the work on the house and such.

Today I am gently easing back into creating.
 
These are the tricky days that precede the holidays.
Let us remember to be present in this intrinsically miraculous moment.
Gratitude is the key.