new year wishes

Season's Greetings dear viewers!
And here we find ourselves on the next precipice. If it isn't festive, please let it be peaceful, a time of eternal transcendent presence with what IS.

We've been lucky to have a pleasant holiday.  I hope, whatever it is you do or do not celebrate, that you are finding joy in the every day humble aspects of life. We have so much to be grateful for.

Here are a few of the things we've been up to over the last week.

Babu gives Muji a Christmas Morning Kiss

while Wally made me the most delicious Christmas omelet

Two nights earlier, Wally wanted to see the paper hat I'd made, hence the door ajar on a cold night where I went to fetch it from the recycle bag.

Then he wanted me to model it, hence the blurry shot as I hammed it up.

We spent Wally's 3 1/2 days off  - Making

Wally put a leaf in our living room oak table so that we could be near the Christmas tree,

the holiday music and snacks.

We have become quite enamoured over the past few months with simple book making

and as is our wont, we researched and gathered, planning to use Wally's holiday time

for this very purpose. Here Wally sizes up placement of these clear stamps on the distressed and collaged cover of his little travel notebook that is already sewn up.

While I contemplated whether or not to do a post today, Babu's cuddling

convinced me as I took these fun shots of him

So here is a shot of my work in progress, the centre of my sewn book showing the glued and sewn pockets I made from both ends of a brown paper bag, and the many tags I relished making -

stamping and distressing them like the one I hold here, as well as collage from various found papers

and decorative paper pads on others.

I wonder if you, who visit my blog, enjoy making too.  I hope that you find the pleasant mix of solace and stimulation that I do in creating something from your own two hands- remembering that creativity comes in all forms and that we would do well to take comfort from all forms of work, including the choice of conscious presence.

Please go into this new year with a solid sense of yourself, your worth and the courage to release attachment to pain, treating all relationships, most especially the one with ourselves, with compassion, acceptance and patience.

Peace on Earth

h a p p y h o l i d a y s

Well, howdy do- it's Thursday already! The wind up to Christmas is upon us, and how apt that it should fall on a Sunday this year- and that...

Santa should be riding in on a Saturday night!

We've had a pleasant time during the prelude

decorating the tree and listening to holiday music

I take so much pleasure in the magical aspects

stories and memories shared with friends

and the love

the love

the wisdom of joy

the synchronicity of like minds

and the mischief maker who likes to knock ornaments off the tree

(What's that I see behind the chair's back leg?)

H A P P Y  H O L I D A Y S

and whatever you do

find peace in your heart

winter solstice

It's already afternoon as I finish colour correcting, fine tuning and editing this latest batch of

pictures.

Muji during his morning nap beside me

Babu woke from his as I went to take his picture and wouldn't look at me in his, well, catness

Finally, he turned and talked to me as I talked to him and he rolled on his towel for a cuddle

Considering it started out raining this morning, then furiously snowing, this is what the day turned into within an hour of all that! I suppose I should be grateful that the burning that is going on for a second day, probably over at the Agricultural Centre, never blows our way but, boy, I hate to see the pollution.

Two evenings ago, Muji turned my large twist tie rolling session into a game as he sneaked up on my chair behind me as I stood at the kitchen counter.

Somewhat far-sighted, Muji has trouble focussing

But Babu doesn't

Not to be outdone, Muji takes a swipe

Babu wants a piece of the action

He's gotta have it!

From any which angle!

Muji has to put up with this stuff

As crazed little Babu goes for the kill

a cat on a mission

Finally Muji gets another shot.

Yes, you've probably noticed by now that Muji doesn't move too much.

Even on the floor he does a couple of surprisingly fierce bats at a dangly toy, then loses interest.

Even when he runs, he runs like a toy bunny. I marvel at what a poor predator he'd make out on his own. Oh, geez, now he's looking over my head as I write this. I look but there's nothing there. Or so I think.

 At least I don't get freaked out by this like I used to 😱 well, maybe just a little....

Taking advantage of his suddenly playful mood, I continued to tease him

holding his attention much longer than usual

Til he made one last lunge: Muji the Mighty Hunter

Seizing his Quarry from his armchair

Then he decided to turn around and try the game backwards

How I indulge my generally sober Muji

who rarely shows a sense of humour

Babu takes one last fling before I carry on making supper

Before bed I chanced on Jack Frost playing on the windows of our covered porch

his own game with the Christmas lights outside.

and now for lunch as the day quickly marches on

the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere!

a good time to reflect on what we have learned and

 set some positive intentions as the natural year winds down

holiday wind up

After a light snow last week

a sweet view out to the lightly icing-sugared trees beyond

We never took down the deer barrier with the little apple ladders so I must look past them

Blue jays caught my attention with their screechy chatter but try as I might I only got this vague shot.

I totally missed the cardinals that flitted through, a flash of scarlet.

The sun threw some lovely shadows across the hill behind the garage

The next morning we awoke to much more serious winter as the wind threw it

against our window screens

It seemed a light fine snow, as is typical when it is really cold

and it was really cold as our ash trees clung to each other as one.

This year Wally hung some ornaments from the lower branches, but one has already worked itself loose in the wind and fallen with a crack to the ground. 

I turned to our cheerful living room, the mantle revamped for Christmas

Wally brought in some birch logs for our electric fireplace. Oh well, we do like a bit of kitsch; and nature is never out of place. They are a sweet compliment  to the old Christmas stocking he found last year and our funky 1940's ('50's?) fireplace that we've grown quite attached to.

Here is a wonderful paper Christmas tree that a friend made for me many years ago as a Christmas card. It stands about a foot high.

Another display of cuties- the Santa on the reindeer is a Christmas lamp that we found with the wiring still good

on the tree a small mitten

an owl with glass ornaments, the yellow one a special vintage one

a vintage happy new year noisemaker with some modern "old style" unbreakables that I keep near the bottom of the tree in case the cats decide to knock something off- which they do, but not often.

One of my recent favourites, bought after moving out here so near to the sea.

Can you see the little fountain of "water" coming from the whale's blowhole?

This embroidered lion is several decades old, probably from India, given to me by one of my cousins

a dear felted snowman

One thing that is getting me off my duff these days is Babu hounding me to play.

Here he puts the beady eye on an elastic stringed toy, his eyes all the beadier because of my shaky photography as I dangle with one hand and shoot with the other.

He loves this interaction

and it gives him a good workout

Look how his little toes on his back feet splay with the pounce!

One of many times that he thinks he's got it

and starts to march off to some secluded corner only to be pulled back by bad old me.

We've already had one encounter with an elastic wrapped toe, so no playing with his toy alone.

So that's a bit of pre-Christmas cheer. It has since rained and melted most of the snow. Boo hoo. I so love a white Christmas. As miserably cold as it was, it became springlike warm on Saturday which brought the rain; very jarring. Which way is up?

So who knows what weather this week will bring?  At least it's sunny today and hanging around -5C (about 18F). The cats are sleeping and I must get back to domestic duty.

Kindness like love is better thought of a verb. They both come with attentiveness and a compassionate heart.  Giving them, so shall you receive

peace