always something to do

How much quicker time flies when one is being productive. I don't know; is that a good thing?
You won't find me enjoying the run to stay in place. As I corrected these pictures I'm about to show you, my critical eye saw a dirty floor mat and windows that need cleaning, a hedge, bushes and a lawn that need trimming and artwork that could use  a few tweaks.

In the meantime, Muji needs cuddles. Like, really! He needs them.

Some animals are much needier than others. Just like people. They suffer for not getting their daily requirement.

Babu loves his cuddles too, but he's very squirmy, the weight of his body pressing down on his little paws, so I put him on his back. Then he reaches up gently to my cheek like a baby, purring and grooving with the attention. Here he's doing his baby mewing, wanting some affection.

It's rather hot today. Too hot to open the windows. On the way to check the mail, I caught this vignette of an aluminum squirrel nutcracker, some seashells and pebbles plus a beautiful vase carved into stone by Nova Scotia artist John Hannah.

From the front ramp, the yard is looking that late summer scruffy. It needs a tune up.

I've been steadily exploring what those cheap Crayola coloured pencils can do. They are showing great promise, certainly equal to that of the much acclaimed new Jane Davenport "Magic Wands".

Disappointed with the eyes, I whited them out with Sharpie white paint pen and drew them again with extra fine black Pitt pen and a little brown pencil crayon.

It's funny what you see when you take a picture of your work. This squirrel turned out ok, done from memory, years of drawing them on pottery, but now I see that I forgot to colour in the nose and he could have used some shading where his feet touch the branch. Other tweaks would enhance this picture, but I'm done. I get like that.

"Life is just a dream, sweetheart"

done in Crayola coloured pencils and my new Uni-ball Signo broad white pen.

Then I was scribbling, filling the page with Crayola coloured pencil layering, enjoying the mix of colours I might not normally put together. Some washi tape by Tim Holtz made a nice muted border for one of his cardstock cut outs that I got in a pack earlier this summer.

It has a bit of that "going back to school" vibe.

It's been so nice having Wally home, even though he's pre-occupied with his plumbing right now. He's ordered the fabulous dramatic tile we decided on after such a long while, but we won't have it for another week and a half. That's ok. There's so much else to do. Now I must make lunch.

sweet September energy to you dear viewers

with peace in our hearts

spring weekend

 Monday in May. And what a beautiful day it is, considering this rainy weekend past.

It gave us an opportunity to work indoors

Friday evening started off with such good intentions

as Wally and I unloaded the bookcases to rearrange the living room

Muji suddenly decided it was time to help us out.

The little bit of rain brought us a lovely rainbow

Always a treat, we each make sure to call the other to witness this wonderful phenomenon

Saturday night, however, was dreadful as hurricane force winds beat about the house and robbed us of sleep making us somewhat useless on Sunday.

The raven has been a daily visitor

morning and night

He\she browses through the old hay 

searching for grubs that hide out of the midday sun

a magnificent bird

Our little corner of the world is not too much worse for wear on Sunday morning,

though our composter was blown apart

Wally moves his tomato seedlings out from behind the old window

His perennials seem to be doing fine

and then, what do you know! A double rainbow! after another shower

Last night, as always, Babu jumped into my lap for his evening cuddle

He's such a sweet boy

But, Boy! How he hates posing for his picture

You'd think something awful was about to happen

I shouldn't find this so funny...

I had hoped to have something artsy to show you. Instead I have a whack of pictures from my tour around the garden this morning. I will save them for later as my posts can be overly long.

Perhaps by then I'll have done a little something in the studio...

sweet times to you

springing into spring

Good Saturday Morning.

Upon asking, " Why Easter and not Wester?" Wally researched some interesting facts for me.

The only written reference is from the 7th to 8th-century English monk, the Venerable Bede, who wrote that the Old English 'Month of Ēostre' (translated in Bede's time as Paschal month) was an English month, corresponding to April, which he says "was once called after a goddess of theirs named Ēostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month." (Might as well ask how  Ēostre got her name, but I found nothing.)

Interesting fact #2: The word Paschal originally denoted the Jewish festival known today as Pesach (Passover), commemorating the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. In most of the non-English speaking world, the feast is known by names derived from Greek and Latin Pascha.

Interesting fact #3: The Last Supper, was in fact, the Passover meal, known as Seder (meaning "order" pertaining to the order in which courses of the meal, full of symbolism of the Jewish exile in Egypt, is served.) According to the New Testament, Jesus gave the Passover meal a new meaning, as he prepared himself and his disciples for his death.  He identified the matzah (unleavened bread) and  the cup of wine as his body soon to be sacrificed and his blood to be shed. 

Interesting fact #4: Within 50 years of the 1st century A.D., Paul, writing from Ephesus to the Christians in Corinth, applied the term Pascha to Christ.  Pascha is also a name by which Jesus is remembered in the Orthodox Church, especially in connection with his resurrection and with the season of its celebration.

Was Ēostre the goddess of Spring seeing that her name was given to April?

And if her name was then changed to Paschal month, why change it to the Roman name, April, when the Romans had been in England so many centuries earlier?

Language is clearly linked to history, but I think I'll stop here.

This cardinal was calling his version of April last Sunday.

Later in the week he visited again, here with our pseudo Greek bench. 

He is very shy and usually only shows up in the early morning light

so it's been hard to take a picture of him

but it hasn't stopped me from trying.

Muji waited patiently with me while I was pre-occupied.

Babu wasn't nearly as patient the next day as he circled about me

A funny shot of him elongated til I finally got the message that he wanted to

PLAY!! here with his Santa Bear

He's become quite lazy about it and doesn't jump much these days

so I doctor my shots to look as if he's flying

The "Well?" look

calmer now after a good round of play

Yesterday Wally got up onto the roof of Forget-Me-Not Cabin to take shovel off the old shingles

He hates the height, so he squatted for more security

Babu enjoyed watching Wally take out the old roofing nails with a prybar

A clean job, though Wally is debating whether to take down the chimney and put in a cupola

After lunch, the first layer of water barrier goes on

Wally still wanted to do a little planting so he left the job for the next day (today)

I took this shot to commemorate what may be the last day for our old tool shed as Wally has lined someone up to take it away.

I've always been curious about where these houses are beyond the roofline of the cabin

and across the ravine, but we've yet to find them.

Wally washes up after a good day's work. In our household, Wally has learned my father's expression, "arbeit macht leben zees"

work makes life sweet

drying up, we talk about which kinds of work do that.

I would have to say the Meaningful kind, where one feels or senses the fruits of one's labour.

a pleasant start to spring

wishing you one as well

peace

snow and more snow

Good Monday to you. A second week of January, always a favoured month for me.

We finally got some snow on Friday that left this picturesque world for us on Saturday

as we headed out once again for the health food store in Greenwood

the highway drive worth it for the savings- some things 1/5 of the cost!

This highway sign is the 2nd exit into Kentville that must go through Coldbrook

Suddenly a huge flock of crows flew overhead- about 100 of them!

Not nearly the size of  some gatherings of thousands!!

I'm astonished that there isn't more reportage of this phenomenon that seems to happen in the fall.

I didn't know it continued in some places this late into the winter.

As the road leans further into the Annapolis Valley we see a sign for Berwick, Middleton and Bridgewater. We're headed for the Kingston exit to get to its sister town of Greenwood.

a lovely crest of pines

a slice of forest beyond the farmfield

The north mountain rises from this fertile valley, all asleep now

many of the same farmsteads I showed you last time

a bit clearer without the driving snow to interfere

the charming red buildings that house equipment, grain and/or animals

some operations substantially bigger than others

an old part of the world by North American standards

a better shot of that sweet house in Kingston that I showed you in the last post

and a few others

to show you how very quaint it can be out here

We come to the junction where we turn into Greenwood.

CFB stands for Canadian Forces Base. This one in Greenwood is Canada's largest air force base.

There is a young sophisticated energy here, especially the young wives.

And here we are, back once again at out little health food store to pick up a new batch of supplies.

I asked Wally to slow down so that I might capture this beauty spa in the low light, sorry that their Christmas lights hadn't come on yet (most folks use a timer) as it was spectacular last week.

At 6pm, the snow started. This is around 11:30 that night.

I enjoyed seeing our Christmas baubles backlit by the streetlight.

We still have some old yellow streetlights further up the road but they, strangely enough,

don't show the falling snow the way the new white light LED ones do.

Babu is waiting in the kitchen for me.

Dishes done, it's time for bed.

The next morning Babu is on the scene checking out all the excitement outside.

I didn't notice until this shot that he had some kitty litter on his nose which he often does, rooting around in his litter like a little piggy. I have to be quick to nab him so I can brush it off.

and there's Daddy, making a big arc with the snowblower,

watching the trajectory while

while Babu watches him

It isn't long before pretty Babu baby is making love eyes at me,

a piece of Muji hair stuck to his nose now

He starts to roll about

trying to engage me in some vigorous massage which he loves

We hear Wally getting closer, channelling his way through about 30cm (15 inches)

Everything is more beautiful in the snow including my neighbour's backyard (whisper) the one on the other side that I never show you as it is filled with garbage (sigh)

Life's funny that way. We enter into things thinking that they will turn out one way

and they proceed in a direction we never would have chosen.

We find ourselves resistant at first. "No, no, this isn't how I wanted it."

And then, in time, we relax, we adjust, we

change our trajectory.

That choice could be a very small action, making room for another way of looking at things, an emotional bridge between being stuck and loosening our rigidity.

Anyway, this embroidery project started as a way to express my feelings about friends. The true blue, the patchwork, the joy and the comforting, not to mention the little flowers,

they all are choices I made intuitively, realizing now their symbolism. 

We have to trust that everything will turn out all right.