an icy holiday drive

Where were you this past Boxing Day? Did you have electricity like so many didn't? Were you braving the traffic and crowds for Boxing Day sales?

This year, we drove the highways and backroads of Nova Scotia to visit Wally's father in Truro.

 

We had no idea of what we were in for.

 

Although we did know that the roads were forecast to be clear,

 

though that doesn't necessarily mean it's true.

 

We headed down the highway, me with my little camera in hand,

 

heading south on Highway 101

 

delighted by all the photo "ops"

 

despite the one

 

to two seconds delay on my camera.

 

You can be sure I had a lot of lost photo "ops" (oops!)  as well

 

but out of the 263 photos I took,

 

a few turned out.

 

Many were blurry but romantically salvageable;

 

most were tossed.

 

You will find that I am not my best editor

 

so I hope you will forgive the amount of work I'm sharing with you today.

 

These are more familiar sights for me now

 

along the road to Windsor where we will turn

 

just past this abandoned Nova Scotia Textiles factory

 (that someone had to give up renovating into condos)

 

 

onto the road that will take us to Truro, past these gypsum cliffs,

 

for an hour of sideroad travelling

 

past the most remarkable scenery

 

and humble homes

 

like this one

 

and this one

 

small farms

 

like this one

 

and large ones

 

like this,

 

always with the quiet that only winter can bring.

 

It pleases me to share this sheltered part of the world with you,

 

so raw for the most part,

 

that sees a steady summer traffic

 

but a much more local one in winter.

 

Every now and then, one will see a grander home that knows how to do up Christmas

with garlands wrapping the house like giftwrap ribbon.

 

But by far

 

the outstanding feature of our drive

 

was the icy winter corridor we drove

with these guardians of the forest watching over us

 

It's been a long time since I've seen anything so otherworldly

 

So utterly of its own primal world

 

a tangled wilderness unto itself

 

one cannot underestimate the vastness

 

of these sprawling Canadian forests that so typify the north country

 

It is truly humbling

 

As we got closer to our destination

 

the fields began to open up.

 

The grass wrote messages in the snow.

 

 

In fact there were graphic messages written everywhere.

 

Everywhere

 

It doesn't take much to understand how close we are to a time when nothing was taken for granted.

 

 

and I think of Joni Mitchell's song:

I wish I had a river I could skate away on...

 

 

 

The next afternoon we would lose our electricity along with 4,000 others for 15 hours!  How beautiful the snow, and...how cold!

As you can see, we survived, which is probably why I'm content to do this photo essay today in the sanctuary of my warm home. My fondest hope is for all to have safe and secure sanctuary in a home that they love, and , as always,

 

peace on earth



 

 

a holiday greeting



 

What do you see in the magic of Christmas?

For me, there must always be the message of Peace.

This comes in many different packages. For some it's giving, for some it's family. Friends, fellowship, kindness, reaching out. Always there is a sense of communion, of connection with what matters. It can be a very quiet time, and yet there is a sense of magic in the air.

 

Our great joy this Christmas was in giving our kitten a home, a place of sanctuary.

A piece of gift wrap is enough to amuse this little fellow.

 

But, by far, his favourite toy was a box full of paper. Muji looks on.

  

Back in the Box!

  

Everything is more beautiful in the snow.  The hypnotic tangle of branches out our back window suddenly has depth for its white delineation.

 

There's no denying the ethereal beauty. 

 

 The gently falling snow over the hayfield was a bonus.

 

The subtle colour amidst the white is truly otherworldly,

turning the landscape to a dreamscape. 

 

The ice has reduced the Hydrangea to a graphic scribble punctuated with golden flower heads. 

 

 

 

While Prince Muji naps, on the Sea of Dreamland

 

 

Yes, it could be Christmas everyday, for it is only a state of mind that we carry with us.

Look around at the potential for peace, beauty and giving. It is everywhere.

 

 

A Way to Choose

Do you ever question the direction you are going in?
It comes up for most people. Rarely are we 100% sure that we are making the right choices.
There will always be consequences for our choices. This is something we would like to control, but can rarely be sure of the outcome.

For me, the course I am on seems clear only when I'm finally at a juncture and my heart tells me, "This is right. This feels right," or "This is wrong. Don't do this". And I listen to this heart voice, even when others might judge it wrong.
Now, when someone makes a judgement upon me, I say to myself, "For you" because my heart speaks louder. Only when a voice, including my own mind, resonates with the heart will I listen to it.

 



Trailer: To Spring from the Hand from TOTM Film on Vimeo
Choosing a way of life


Peace

.

twelfth of the twelfth

The 12th of December and only 3 days more on my stitched drawing were done when a turn in my attention finally took me away from it.

As many of you know, I am an animal lover and have missed having one in my life. The urgency to adopt had escalated through November, and finally, on Sunday the 8th, we went to the SPCA to adopt a little black kitten we had seen on the Friday before. Somehow, we were lucky enough to be able to foster a soulful "flame point" Siamese that was still on medication for the abuse he was recuperating from.



This is my first attempt at uploading a video I've made of them

 

Wishing you the love in your life that comes from non-judgement

just sheer trust and celebration of your unique essence

 

 

Peace

twelve days

Twelve days.
12 days ago I started this little project.

Two days ago I finally put a little rip at the bottom of the page

That surprised me. I thought it would happen much sooner.

 

With apologies for the blurriness,

 akin to how I feel at the end of a day of stitching.

 

I expect I will have to take a break soon, despite my diligence, my hope to not abandon this piece before it feels done, because of preparations over the next 12 days for the holidays.

 

Peace and Joy

Keeping the light in our hearts