A New Beginning...

May your journey into January 2013 be filled 

with tranquility and delight...

Merry Christmas

Wishes

May your nest be filled with the joys of the season...

Tantalize

I could tantalize you with portraits of the rural landscape that reveal the beauty of the Autumn season...



Or share the muted shades of buffs and taupes that capture the tranquility of antique linens and quilts...



balancing the vibrance of the hardwood forest.

Nature is playing her final curtain before she paints the countryside in a blanket of white...

Transitions

The garden is awash with the shades of late Summer...

The pastel pinks and vibrant plums of the hydrangea have faded to the subtle tones of early Autumn.

The cascading clusters of a fairy rose...

share the same trellis of a wandering lumina pumpkin.

And the coolness of the mornings has inspired a new creative venture...

some antique linen and old lace will soon become a pinkeep.

I  certainly hope you are enjoying these last lingering days of August...

August

 August is often referred to as the dog days of Summer ... a month of heat and humidity, crickets  chirping, fireflies lighting up the hedgerow in the early evening, lemonade and putting up preserves.

Around here it is all of the above plus a lazy cat or two basking in the sunlight.

And I must admit with all the canning going on, a little squirrelly at times.

So I think I'll find a cool place to sit, put some of this delectable handspun yarn I recently purchased on the needles...

 
And indulge in the dog days of Summer too!

Summer

Amidst the unrelenting heat, near drought conditions, forest fires and floods it is easy to forget Nature's softer side and the beauty she shares...

The serenity of the mountain vistas take my breath away.



Hope you're enjoying your Summer...

Wishes

The blooming of the first sunflower in my cottage garden always provokes a smile...

From the bright yellow petals that face the sunshine luring the bees to partake of its pollen, to the dark seeds that will soon follow igniting a frenzy amongst the songbirds ... it is a sure sign of Summer's arrival.

I'd also like to wish my daughter Jackie a very special celebration tomorrow when she turns 30.

She'll be very busy as she is fostering a three week old kitten.
I remember those midnight feedings many years ago... somehow they seem like only yesterday...

Hoping you have a magnificent weekend too!

Contentment

'Tis just a whirlwind of activity here at the cottage...

Amidst the jam making, auction going and indulging in all that makes the latter part of Spring so special there is always the contentment of a little handsewing or paper cutting to fill the evenings...

As the season of beginnings takes her final bow making way for the bounty and delight of Summer...

may your days be filled with heavenly blue skies, soft billowing clouds and all you find pleasure in...

Reflection

 We as humans have the unique capacity to adore, cherish and love...

Though most of those affections are given to our people companions, it is our beloved pets we indulge in a different devotion...

Be it a dog who shadows our daily routine or a cat that finds a comforting lap at the end of a weary day... they are as much a part of our lives as others.

This post is in memory of my yellow lab Duchess who completed her journey here six years ago this week and to all the other pets... be they cat or dog, horse or frog that we have shared and continue to enjoy in our lives ...

Simply May

Change comes naturally throughout the seasons, but the metamorphosis that occurs in Spring is astounding...

Amidst the rich hues of green that erupts on the trees, in the meadows and along the hillsides the prisms of colour dancing throughout the flowerbeds and shrubbery covers every imaginable brushstroke from the artist of perfection... Mother Nature herself.

I hope you have time and the inclination to enjoy the beauty of the merry, merry month of May....

Candyfloss Confection

Here amongst the Great Lakes laden with rich soil once deposited by the receding Ice Age lies the Niagara Region...


Well known for its vineyards that produce award winning ice wines it is also home to endless orchards...


Long before the fruit is picked in Summer, this time of year it is awash in pink and white...

Blossoms coloured like candyfloss beckon the honeybees to work their magic flitting about pollinating the profusion of prettiness...

The heady fragrance is intoxicating.

I hope you too are enjoying the beauty of Spring...

Love of Little

I adore little things. Tiny kittens...


Lilliputian flowers...


And even miniature fairies...


I've been playing with paper and glue again... what have you been up to?

Enjoy the weekend!

Delightful

When such beauty transpires from this...


And this evolves soon...



to a tranquil garden like such...


Then it is safe to say that Spring has arrived.


So find your favourite spot to sit...


And enjoy these glorious days.

Connected

Life throws us many challenges along the way...

Aging parents, the loss of a partner or friend, even the passing of a beloved pet...

Nothing takes your breath away, if only for a moment as when your child is hurt or sick.

Just like a shared heartbeat while still in the womb, the connection with a child is steadfast, unwavering, forever...

Sending my love to my daughter Jackie who recently received some concerning health news...

' I'll love you forever.
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living,
my baby you'll be.'

Robert Munsch

Seasonal Pleasures

Though a carpet of fresh fallen snow sparkles throughout the woods, it is in the sheltered corner of the garden where the first signs of Spring have appeared...


Faithfully just like the passage of time the snowdrops have sprung forth with their delicate pearl-hued flowers eager to burst in the sunlight...


The snowgeese are landing in the naked cornfields along the way of their northerly migration...

Soon the confines of the cottage will be abandoned by the lure of the garden... a place for pleasure and a welcomed change to devote one's waking hours...

Have a wonderful week filled with the promise of Spring.