Devotion

As women we spend most of our adult lives in devotion…

Be it devoted to a spouse or partner, children and in later life parents. We find time for work, keeping a home, creativity, spirituality, friends and all facets of daily living…

Ironically when I ended up in my doctor’s office earlier this week with a reoccurring mild health issue she inquired about all these tests that at my age she would like me to pursue…

I quickly responded I had little time for such being busy with my Mom, work, etc. she said simply it is time in your life to strongly consider “me time”. For without taking care of oneself all the other obligations and functions will not happen if one is not healthy first.

So as we move forward and begin a new year we women should take that advice regardless of our age and be sure to take some “me time” first…

Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from my house to yours…

And a special hello from Tao and Indigo who are about to come to live with me soon… Isn’t life wonderful!

The Hamster Wheel

Do you ever feel like life is a hamster wheel from which you can’t get off…

A Mom whose dementia is so advanced my Father must tell her which of her children are standing before her. In need of constant care she can no longer distinguish between day and night or what she said two minutes earlier.

My doggie who is 15+ years now that is being pricked and prodded by the vet trying to find the cause for relentless scratching and chewing. With an owner that loves her hoping for a solution but knowing that the tests and the bill that follows is more for the vet’s bottom line than the dog…

The emotional struggles are inevitable and as selfish as it sounds Dear God if you can hear me please take them swiftly and without pain… Then perhaps the hamster wheel will slow down...

October Morn

‘ I am rich today with Autumn’s gold,

All that my covetous hands can hold…

Oh, who could find a dearth of bliss

With autumn glory such as this!

Gladys Harp

Life of a Sunflower

In Memory of Rose

August 24, 2015

The Final Journey

We as humans are gifted with life. We live, we love, we cry, laugh, wish, feel pain, heartache and endure…

Some of us live for decades to a ripe old age, others leave us in their youth.

What is inevitable is that someday we shall embark on a final journey. It is to that end I write this post…

I want to thank a very sweet soul whose path has crossed with mine. Whose love of life, tranquility and acceptance of death is both moving and heartbreaking. As your final journey nears please know you have touched many of us and that your presence will forever hold a place in my heart…

The Humble Bumble

Flitting hither and fro from tempting blossom to seductive flower the humble bumblebee seems always on a mission…

Guided by some internal instinct which we can not comprehend she makes the rounds tirelessly gathering nectar from all that will give…

So ravenous is her appetite for the golden dew she can tunnel into the base of the flower bypassing the pistols and stamens to quench her desire. Harmless in nature although they can sting their captivating yellow and black hairy bodies have given them the honour of  appearing in Beatrix Potter’s ‘The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse’ as Bubbity Bumble in 1910 and a reference in Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’…
They are indeed enjoyable to watch and amazing on their endless quest for sweet nectar.

Enjoy the weekend…

*pictures by my daughter Jackie, Calgary, AB

Magical Moments

The fleeting moments between first light and dawn are magical and most enjoyed…  From my favourite chair set out on the back veranda I can observe the happenings in the garden.

The mother robin is busy scurrying about touching the ground ever so lightly waiting for  worm movement beneath the soil. The arrival of a quick cloudburst last evening has made the tedious task more productive…

The squirrels are already finding tidbits to eat, this one nibbling on a peanut I have tossed.

The flowering crabapple  is beginning to reflect the early rays of sunshine putting forth its delicate blossoms to indulge in the glow…
There is much going on in my little piece of paradise, it is hard to return inside to the duties that await…

Enjoy this glorious Spring day and all those yet to follow…

* Painting by Charlotte Bird

The Threads That Bind

We are all connected to things out there in the world that are of little consequence to most but offer solace and a feeling of belonging to others…

I am a vintage and antique textile appraiser located in the Niagara Peninsula rich in history  and bountiful for antique textiles. There are quilts, rugs, coverlets, show towels to name just a few wrought by the hands from the past, cared for, preserved and handed down from one generation to the next…

Sometimes I have the unique opportunity of reuniting  lost treasures with descendants of their makers.

 

Such was the case this weekend… the local weaver from the 1800’s that lived in Humberstone, Ontario Edward Graf’s woven coverlet was purchased at auction by his great great great grand daughter. Though the bed linen was not made for a family member but once owned by the Swayze family early settlers to the area,  the fibers were carded, the threads touched and threaded onto a huge, jacquard loom on which Edward worked. Applying his trade and providing the area’s families with much needed warmth.

Edward Graf’s works are held at the Royal Ontario Museum, the Port Colbourne Museum and several private collections throughout Canada and the US…

Finally this one is in the arms of his great great great grandfather, not only connected by blood but by the threads that bind…

It certainly made my day with tears all around...

Photos courtesy of Jill, Jackie and Plato Auctions.

Oh The Possibilities

Working for an auctioneer has its perks, there is no doubt…

Last week we had a horse farm auction at which I procured two antique wrought iron hay racks. Once set up on the barn stall wall full of hay for the horses to eat at their pleasure I have found a new life for them…

Being at least 3/4 of a metre wide (more than 2 feet) filled with coconut palm, moss and soil they are perfect for a  hanging garden. One I shall plant with lush vines and foliage…

the other with strawberries. The vines shall soothe my green thumb, the other my desire for fresh strawberry preserves.

I also added to my collection of crystal salt shakers, some that no longer have lids or mates… They are perfect vessels for tiny blooms such as lily of the valley, snowdrops, bleeding heart and lavender… itty bitty in size they are large on fulfilling contentment.

The garden is filled with birdsong, at last Spring has blossomed…

* Some pics via Pinterest, the others from my personal collection.

Welcome Spring

With the dawning of a new day comes the beginning of a long awaited season…
Spring has arrived on the calendar and though wet snow is predicted for the weekend the promise of warmer sunlight, the blooming of the endless orchards of blossoms and the return of the mischievous birdsong in the garden makes one  giddy with anticipation…

Even the pocket on a new pinny under construction reflects the beauty of the gardens yet to behold.

But while Nature decides when the season will be in full swing a little indoor garden therapy helps to soothe the soul…

I’m Wishing, I’m Wishing…

No I’m not Snow White with her head over the well wishing for the one I love. But it certainly is white with plenty of snow here. This is Niagara Falls a few miles from where I live. This year it has been so cold that Mother Nature has provided us with some very spectacular ice formations. An ice bridge covers the US side and it is fantastic!

The critters are all still nestled in their respective warm places waiting for some sign of Spring…

I’ve been busy playing with mice. Mice for pinkeeps and bunnies too. I will be offering a workshop in mouse pinkeeps just it time for Mother’s Day. Props and vintage snippets will be included. For more information please contact me or stay tuned for more information to follow. In the mean time stay warm and keep wishing for Spring!

* A special thank you to Valda for braving the elements to take the pic of the Falls.

Winter Weary or Bad Hair Day

The horizon is an endless sea of white. The flakes keep falling and the temps keep dropping, but if I sit to ponder the thought the days seem to blur from one to the next.
So I concluded I would think of something else a little on the lighter, silly side…

Does a bunny ever have a bad hair day? Take for example my daughter’s rabbit Max. A cute, cuddly little fellow when he was just young.

As the months have passed and the snow keeps falling Max has gotten hairier…

And hairier!!
So when the snow stops falling will Max’s hair stop growing. Of course not. Gratefully my daughter is harvesting it for me and when she has an envelope full she’ll send it this way. I have a friend who’s a spinner and angora yarn is beautiful. Soft, fluffy and mottled in colour… just like Max.

Keep warm.

* A special thank you to Max for posing for the pictures and my daughter for taking them.

Hey Baby Its Cold Outside

We are locked in a pattern of bitterly cold Winter weather.

My advice …