Renewal quest

A few of my favourite things

2010-01-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of 'from the heart' creations and our comfy dry room with backyard view. Someday I'll have the seating I'd like to have yet for now, we really enjoy this space for reading and sitting quietly observing the wildlife and weather.

Paintings represent: Father, Mother, Older sister and younger sister
Created by Sarah
Fern Stand :The aloe plant will be replaced by my large fern soon,
Created by Bruce
Djembe' Ebony earrings: fond passion of the mother
Created by Jannah (photo coming soon)

I am blessed...and thankful.

Looking forward, glancing back

2010-01-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

Tiny snowflakes are slowly falling again on this 1st day of 2010. Calling for snowsqualls and I'm ok with that.. I'm laying low.. heading out with some woman-folk tonight for a chick-flick...'It's complicated'... to laugh and eat some popcorn.

The Ozzie daughter is in Alice Springs where it's 38C and has been spending the past few weeks discovering a different part of Oz...and the TO daughter celebrated the new year in her home with friends after having both sides of families for a Christmas visit. We are truly blessed..

Mike, Sarah and their 'boys' ..Jitters and Donkey

Time marches onward

2009-11-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

Here is my front garden as it springs to life in 09.... I will hibernate and then enjoy this splendor again in 2010. Some hidden new bulbs await hatching and it's all part of the fun...of what will be.

Leaving Townsville heading north in search of rainforests

2009-10-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

Travelling onwards to Cairns QLD

2009-09-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

Heading up from Townsville to Hidden Valley Cabins near Paluma range.

Went from Dry tropical environment, to Lush tropical and finally to Wet Tropical rainforests...as we moved towards Port Douglas QLD.

David's trusty off road vehicle (Mitsub) was a fun ride and yes, we drove through small rivers, over rocks, through dirt paths in the forests...and it an amazing old vehicle with great extra cushioned impact seating!!

Went over this riverbed...

New South Wales visit and flights

2009-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

We drove from Paluma Range area in Queensland to New South Wales with an overnighter in my cousin's home...long rides... beautiful discoveries... like these fruit bats who had settled in the trees in NSW near D's parents place... they indeed...eat the local fruits from everyones backyards...people cover their ripest fruit...to save it for themselves to eat!!

video of squawking bats

D's folks....Alan and Mona, kindly put us up for the night...served us a fabulous vegetarian meal..of nutmeal casserole, sweetpotatoe (ozzie style), root crops, home made bread, icecream, macadamia nuts, fresh honey and an equally filling breakfast the next morning...before we headed back up to Brisbane for my flight home... Lovely folks who have and maintain a complete backyard garden of Mango, Papaya,root crops vegetables and other fruits!

Last days in OZ ..July 09

2009-08-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

The opportunist...orchid...

As J was completing her school work...and D was completing his kids camps at his school.... they managed to have 2 weeks "off"...to commit to lots of driving and showing me sites that were very special to them in Queensland...and now to me.

Toured the north of QLD with J and D guiding me .... kayaking at Paluma Lake Dam (up in the range), exploring the range winding roads, stopping to view the old stone bridges, and waterways.... and stayed at Hidden Valley cabins ...eco friendly environment with solar powered everything...Ist "resort" in OZ to be so...
see their info at : www:hiddenvalleycabins.com.au
Climbed down into a gorge not too many folks see (thanks to D's camp life) and generally was introduced to plantations of bananas, sugar cane, mangoes, old open pit "tin" mines, ...etc etc.
I learned much and experienced the same

Lake Paluma in search of platypus... bubbles only seen...

D prepared "tea"...snacks and tea prior to our paddle... I applied bug spray++

J with baby..Gomez sleeping in her sling..... ahhhh!! I believe this was the Crystal Creek Bridge.... and waterfalls.... many waterfalls small and large along the Range drive...

Beautiful handmade bridge..over a rugged river bed.

This is Gomez the Brushtail possum that was in J's keep ...she has been trained by the wildlife group to be a "carer" for snakes, possums and other marsupials... when they have been abandoned for numerous reasons...they are nutured , cared for and eventually released into the wild again ...when ready. She's fostered a snake, and 3 possums over the past year and does a fab job of all involved...and it is INVOLVED.

J had a great idea, while we drove thousands of kilometers... to hang Gomez's pouch from the car's "hook" in the backseat..and he loved it...as it swayed with the movement of the car...and he slept...(being nocturnal...he sleeps in the day)... at night as we slept in our cabin or hotel room, he was nestled down in his carrier...for the night.. too cute...

Hidden Valley Cabins: a sustainable experience.. off of Herveys range road, close to Paluma Winner of awards in excellence in sustainable tourism. A huge number of solar panels are located on a hill behind the cabins.
Our cabin is next the the most visible one here... very quiet and private. Clean, and nature literally visits your door...

Climbed down a path with D's help...to come apon this outstanding gorge...at "Puzzle creek"... remember it was their WINTER... and the water levels are low... it goes up by many meters in the WET season.. Temperatures were 28C in the day and 10-15C at night..in June/July..MY KIND OF WINTER!!

D climbed down into the gorge and stripped down to go for a plunge off the side of the gorge..but first he had to swim over to it and then climb up it to a good height...then jumped...after counting..so I'd get the "shot"... That's him on the little outcropping below... J and I stayed uptop and enjoyed the calm view...no one was there...but us.

D starts his ascent ..up the cliff face...you can just see him..

Yes, there he goes... off the cliff face...into the greenish water... (close up below)

Trip to D's parents in New South Wales... stopped off at the most easterly tip of Australia...and saw this fabulous lighthouse and calm water of the bay and wild water of the ocean..unprotected by the Great Barrier Reef. Very different without the reef's influence... Whales and Dolphins visit this area close to shore...and many folks were searching to see one! This area is big for surfing.

Unprotected side...

Garden splendor May 09

2009-05-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

Delicate blooms, variety of textures, sublty of hues, all very welcome around my spaces.

We are so fortunate to have enough rain to grow these plants yet not too much that they are washed away.
I am thankful for our ability to treasure our small plot on this great earth.

Spring has spring

2009-05-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

The squirrels have figured out my neighbours bird feeding system... sit in one feeder and graze from the other!

The swinging squirrel is quite comfy waving back and forth on the clothes line...and gets a bit of exercise leaning over to the meal...and steadying itself... I like watching them...Gwynda doesn't appreciate them nibbling the bird feed... I say fair game...

Wish I was gifted with such balance..... this clothesline is about 12' high...

Earth Hour in TO

2009-03-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Quick visit to TO yesterday to spend some time with Sarah and Mike.
So after having a delicious East Indian mid afternoon meal and visiting LUSH for my fill-up...we spent the evening in the dark..playing 'Quizzler' by candlelight...watching all the Mississauga condo's switching off floors of lights ...for the hour of less electricity use.
People were switching off the lights...one condo at a time...until only a couple of units remained.
We could make out flashlights glowing here and there throughout the blackened night.
It became a quiet communication of sorts, shared with many anonymous souls...towards 1 quiet cause.
Don't get me wrong there were still lots of lights on...yet enough were off to make a statement of solidarity.

Sarah said it best though, that going without...(power) created other stronger links between humans sharing the quiet space......as there were no diversions nor attention seekers... only the folks you were with.
A pause to consider.. many things.

ie: is learning a new card game while unable to interpret the written instructions clearly, best played in the dark??? hmmm

Doesn't this just say Canada West??

2009-03-22T17:48:00.001-07:00

Me feeling freedom
Originally uploaded by Bandal

Truly an outstanding photo...and it makes me a little queezy....how about you?

2009-02-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

This is my first try at loading a video clip.

Here's the actual Falls on a cold winter's day..

Our winter wonderland...Inglis Falls

2009-02-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

After our quick overnight trip to Toronto to visit family.... we popped in to see how the thaw...freeze affected our local waterfalls.... it creates a visual thrill ...each year...yet this year was the best of many!!

Clear, Clean water... Pure white trees!! Sharp contrasting cedars and rock.... all my favourite things in Nature...!! Aren't we so lucky to be able to witness such beauty? ..............

We have vowed to start hiking this next season...... it's time... !!!

Slippers of one's own.... finally

2009-02-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, during this past stressful couple of weeks...

I was fidgety.. and decided to felt a pair of the clogs for moi.

They are mostly a deep burgundy colour...with heather green soles and edges ...so it's interesting that each photo looks very different from the one previous... as the flash bounced off the dark walls of the evening...against the various other colours surrounding the clogs..

Here they are freshly agitated and soapy..

Next, rinsed off with clean water then gently blotted, dry on a towel

Next, stuffed with bags and slow dried... over 2 days..

Almost cooked...and much lighter to lift..

Fin'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are Bruce's clogs...completed in January...

BEFORE

DURING

RINSINGDRYING

FUN... and FUZZY ..... and WARM....

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Willow's many moods...alway's a sun beam found.

2009-02-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

~Willow has left the building...~

He's left our home

as a friend said... He's reached Cat nirvana now...perhaps he's chasing arthritic mice /moles around... and nibbling on fresh dew touched grass blades, always his favourite treat. That helps me gain some levity..

I will miss his presence...his poses, cuddles, chatting and the ever ready purr .....it always was calming.

Here with our family almost 18 years...he was the king of the house and patiently watched all the other critters that were residents in our home at one time or other...over the years... never harming ...very tolerant.

Maddie as a baby with her big bro'

He was Sarah's dear buddy

Lots of snuggles always...

Willow was Maddie's pal...she often freshened him up a bit as he forgot to do himself... He stood patiently while she groomed his face and neck... he often had a crusty bit...here and there...in his older years...

They often cuddled together on any surface warm, and used by humans!

I'm watching to see if her behaviour changes at all ...as he was her comfort also... Sadie our other tabby..didn't like how Willow smelled and certainly won't be cuddling up to Maddie... the dominant female.

Willow Yoga Pose

Position oneself on back, with paws up in the air...

Roll side to side to capture all activities with one smooth move

: Namaste :

Although this next photo is a few years old...yes,

I must admit now...to being somewhat of a cat woman...very relaxing,

and blood pressure reducing...as the evidence says!

Where there were 3.... now there are 2, and my heart is still heavy.

I will think of you often old chum.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Long Pause , Many things

2009-02-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas , came and went.. seems so long ago..

Each year I make up a wee winter village and it changes every year...Sarah created a town a few years ago...so this one is my version of winter wonderland.....

It was lovely to have S and M with us for the family meal...and Christmas day...we did miss JKB, and hung a big "J" on the tree....so she was with us in spirit... altho we did know she was having a great time on her journey in south OZ...with 30 degree highs!!

This is our Christmas Eve feast...a little of this and a little of that..
This year I vowed not to overspend and to try to get back to handmade items if I could get them done in time...

My big endevour was to knit a pair of slippers for each of my family... these were felted clog slippers. I took a lesson at our local wool store and off I went...

Here are SWB's slippers...freshly knit...and I almost forgot to snap a "before" shot before popping it in the washer!! you can see part of it is wet already, as I yanked it out out the washer. They are deliberately made 3 sizes to big...to accomodate all the shrinking that happens in the felting process..

Here they are after 3 agitation cycles in the washer... still soapy
After a couple of more agitations and sizings...here they are in the rinsing stage , in the sink.
Next is the 'stuff them full of plastic bags' stage and s l o w dry them... oh, that's a felted hat I finished as a Christmas gift to my pal L...

Once they are all totally dry...the bags come out of them and a gentle brushing occurs...it's so amazingly that you can't see any stitches!

Sarah's earthen green clog slippers all done...

and JKB's tourquoise clog slippers all done...

The backyard light display...which greets us each evening when we come home from work...very whimsical....and cheery...

Memories of Newfoundland in October

2008-12-26T19:10:00.000-08:00

Trying to upload a video to this site...and meeting with resistance.

I just watched "Random Passage" and pulled out my photo's to take a walk down memories lane... Will need to persue the video angle more.

Oh, it's going to be a l o n g winter.....

2008-12-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

Looked out the back
Can still see the wrought iron "sol" smiling at me in the garden
Snow has climbed all the way up to it's chin...
I won't fret though
Gazing at the pure sparkling white
It will someday nourish my plants...and for now they are protected.
And it is their cycle... their time to rest...
I'm working on other projects now to keep flexible...
Yet I do miss the freedom of the coming and the going and fresh air.
It's more work just to 'get' outside..covering, bundling...digging, piling...scraping...
This has not been the Fall promised in the "farmers almanac"....
Maybe the piled snow will insulate us and the heating bill will fall...??... nah...

I went outside for an hour or so...and dug out a clear path....watered my neighbours inside plants...cuz she's basking in Thailand....right now... lucky duck..
When I came out from my plant visit...there was 4 more inches on the ground and it's not stopping!!

Corkscrew Hazel nestled in for the winter....

Visibility... nil.... whiteouts on our street!...
One way is no better than the other way...

So, I'm doing inside projects..... and eating..way too much..!

Singing in the rain

2008-11-29T13:14:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkEvy-9yVyQ

Gene Kelly "singing in the rain" .... such a joyous dance...

Then there's the VW updated version.... check it out... very creative..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4LzG3XZMUA

A little snow...is enough for Maddie...Nov 08

2008-11-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

This is a sign of a cat who hates the cat box....and who hates winter!!!
Yes, prints all around the deck...then hmm...a scratched pile of snow.... she's tidy...if nothing else...

November Harvest "Field to Fork" Feast in Owen Sound

2008-11-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

We are fortunate in our community to have dedicated people with "causes"
who help educate all of us along the way.
This cause...was all about supporting local agriculture/culinary projects in Grey Bruce.

Today's event was a 'pay what you can' meal that was prepared by chefs from around the counties, using as much produce from a 100 mile radius as possible... it started at 11:30 am with all the dignataries...congratulating each other...then the meal was opened at 1245 ish... the second sitting was to happen at 130...then a third at 330...etc...until 8pm tonight...or as long as the food lasted.... The organizers had a huge task to roll-out and monitor and they did a great job of directing traffic and assisting with keeping everyone moving....

As you can see by my hand held photo's...it was very well attended...and since it was in a curling club..I thought it would be 'coolish'...in the room... NOT.... everyone was overheating from the combination of the food and number of bodies in the room....
You'd think I'd learn...layers... is usually my style...but I thought hmm... a light sweater would be good..as I had walked from home to /fro... to pretend I'd use up some calories!! ha ha..

There was a 'silent auction' of goods, and treasures donated... and people submitted their bid..and filed them in boxes numbered for the calculations later in the day. I bid on 3 objects...so we'll see if I win or not...

Homemade Pumpkin ice cream, Local pie creators, Sushi with avocado or cucumber or egg yolk trimmings, coffee roasted locally...etc
Lots of meat dishes...elk, pig, veal... and 4 vegetarian dishes ...with root veggie, barley,cilantro soup, veggie rice, oregano leaves sweet potatoe dumplings, basil mushroom stir fry, and I had a glass of red wine to boot....!!

Gwynda and her pal Lisa....didn't know I was sneaking a photo of them chowing down... so I've chosen the second shot to publish here, as the food lumps in their cheeks are gone!!

It was a lovely breakfast for many of us as we decided the food at this meal would undoubtably be enough for the day..... and indeed it WAS...

There is now a 'Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary Map' available to guide the shopper who'd like to purchase locally sourced food...from field to fork.... that embraces the slogan 'buy local, buy fresh'...

if interested check out the website at:

www.foodlinkgreybruce.com

Halloween fun....yes, we got into it...

2008-11-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

We decided to "do" halloween this year and participate in the neighbourhood...shell out, shell out...the witches are out... with all the little creatures..some barely able to walk on their own...and others looking like grown ups... 17 yr olds!... hard to be a teen with the thrill of loot awaiting.... they were all very polite...

Bruce created a spider dangling....pumpkin, and we placed it out by the walkway...

Me... I got into the ghost...motif... the smell of cooking pumpkin was sweet... (the lids cooking!)

It was a lovely warm evening and the front door opening was pleasant ..without a chill.... and no rain..
yeah, obama....

Multi colour silken yarn

2008-10-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well I've embarked on another learning...
A very short pattern...repeated many times...yet I have managed to use the wrong gauge of needle size, missed the pattern as described by missing the right number of repeats and blended rows...

Yet I've managed after 10 full tear downs...to actually master the pattern!! I do struggle and then seem to eventually "get-it"... ah, the joy is in the learning...

It feels lovely... and is so beautifully coloured. Would "go" with everything, wouldn't it?

Fall splendor

2008-10-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

Exploding seed pods... from protected packing... The exotic Datura... love to see them grow and bloom...
They love deep root systems...a sunny locale and are tolerant of hot sun and overcast days...

Mother nature rules...

My spring/summer project was knitting a sleeveless top in brilliant green... I struggled with the new steps, screwed up the pattern from front to back ...several times... yet I learned a whack of techniques ... I'll be wearing this one in the privacy of my back yard. I do love the colour.

We own 3 cats... Small, Medium and Large. We also semi-own an 'outside only' visitor cat..we've fondly called "Whitey" for obvious reasons....

He is fed daily, wormed, defleaed...comes for a brief cuddle...while chatting the whole time..and has a lovely gentle disposition. Unfortunately he also still has his "male parts"...someday I may spring for the fix, as well. We love him. The 3 cats basically think he's part of the family too...

Well the bowl is empty...see ya later...

Blurry phone photo's at TIFF

2008-09-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

My new Nokia phone is quite foreign to me... I actually didn't even know how to shut it off until I asked a fellow ticket holder in line how he used his....
Blurry shots of Colin Firth...while we passed by to go into the theatre...the rain had just stopped!

You get the idea....
I'll be better at it next year...now I've played a bit...

Once apon a Toronto International Film Festival time.....

2008-09-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

My best bud and I head off each year in September to star gaze, and spend a few days together in TO watching foreign films…..

As these films are being shown to audiences for the first time…the director /cinematographer/actors are usually in the audience beside the other viewers…(ie US!) and they are listening to the reactions of the crowd. After the movie is done…they all go up on stage and answer audience questions.. and give further info on the film’s life. It’s all very exhilarating..

I’ve swiped the movie reviews (below) that are on-line as they do a much better job than I could!! I find value in each of these films…and in this bunch...there's only one I would not recommend.

Enjoy, ~Leslie

MY TIFF Film review: 2008
We saw 6 films in total…shopped, people watched, walked and ate!!

#1 film seen: The Paranoids
Los Paranoicos
Gabriel Medina
Country: Argentina Year: 2008 Language: Spanish Runtime: 105 minutes Format: Colour/35mm
Production Company: Aeroplano S.A./Mondo Cine Producer: Sebastian Aloi Screenplay: Gabriel Medina Production Designer: Sebastian Roses Cinematographer: Lucio Bonelli Editor: Nicolas Goldbart Sound: Fernando Soldevila Music: Guillermo Guareschi Principal Cast: Daniel Hendler, Jazmín Stuart, Walter Jakob, Martín Feldman, Miguel Dedovich

TIFF Tags: Spain/Spanish Language Comedy Romance Mental Health

The Paranoids, Gabriel Medina's first feature film, follows the hilarious antics of weirdo Luciano Gauna, wittily played by Daniel Hendler. An aspiring screenwriter from Buenos Aires, he lives in fear of success, STDs and – especially – his doorman. We meet Luciano during one of his typically awkward days: he has a narcoleptic attack on the job (he's a children's entertainer, to boot), obsessively calls an HIV helpline after a random sexual encounter and accidentally sends his best friend to the hospital after slamming a door in his face.
Things become even more uncomfortable when Luciano's childhood friend Manuel returns to Buenos Aires from Madrid, where he is the producer of a successful television show called The Paranoids. Manuel is in town to make an Argentine version of the hit, and Luciano becomes especially perturbed when he discovers that he provided the inspiration for the show's main character, who even shares his name.
When Manuel leaves on a business trip to Chile, his beautiful new girlfriend Sofiá (Jazmín Stuart) decides to stay with Luciano, a turn of events that amounts to a nightmare for her fearful host. At first, Sofiá sees Luciano superficially; to her, he is just the paranoid freak her boyfriend has described. After spending time with him, however, she begins to see Luciano for what he is – a misunderstood, honest and genuine person. In sum, he is the complete opposite of Manuel.
Medina's debut is an offbeat comedy that demonstrates a fresh, new facet of the cinema emerging from Argentina. The humour is due in large part to the film's visually innovative approach and its choreographic stylization of daily life, which includes a hilarious, rather passionate scene of dance-floor coitus. Finding its laughs not in clichés but in these wonderfully human characters, The Paranoids offers valuable advice about the muddy moral boundaries artists face when putting the people they know into their work.
Diana Sanchez

Gabriel Medina was born in Buenos Aires and studied film at the Universidad del Cine. He has directed several short films and the television documentary series Urban Mysteries. The Paranoids (08), for which he also wrote the screenplay, is his feature-directing debut.

· # 2 Film seen: My Mother, My Bride and I
Die Zweite Frau
· Hans Steinbichler
Country: Germany Year: 2008 Language: German Runtime: 95 minutes Format: Colour/35mm Rating: PG
Production Company: sperl+schott film gmbh/EOS Entertainment Producer: Gabriela Sperl Screenplay: Robert Seethaler Production Designer: Andrea Douglas Cinematographer: Christian Rein Editor: Christian Lonk Sound: Marc Parisotto Music: Antek Lazarkiewicz Principal Cast: Monica Bleibtreu, Matthias Brandt, Maria Popistasu
International Sales Agent: Beta Cinema

If you crave a good love story, get thee to Bavaria. In My Mother, My Bride and I, director Hans Steinbichler spins a tale so simple and so rooted in Bavarian culture that it seems to have sprung straight from that region's soil. And yet its recipe of desire, conflict and sweet surprise is entirely universal.
The story begins with the plain fact that forty-one-year-old Erwin (Matthias Brandt) still lives with his mother (Monica Bleibtreu). Well into his adulthood, he and Mama have fallen into classic co-dependence. She feeds him and tolerates his quirks, while he gives her a reason to live; together they run a small gas station in the middle of nowhere. Erwin has his mother and his passion for fish, but clearly there is something missing.
And so off to Romania he goes. As for much of Western Europe, Bucharest can offer what Bavaria needs – in Erwin's case, a wife. The sequence in which he interviews prospects in a sterile hotel restaurant is both heartbreaking and hilarious. It is a godsend when he finds Irina. Played by Maria Popistasu, she can be forthright, sexy and mischievous; in a word, irresistible. Erwin suggests a trial engagement, and brings Irina back home to Mother. Mother is not impressed.
This set-up is the stuff of both grand tragedy and low sitcom, but Steinbichler knows how to strike new notes with familiar material. The two women begin, as expected, in opposite corners, but the story throws surprising curves, always with a wry sense of humour and a sharp understanding of human nature.
Although it springs from deepest Bavaria, My Mother, My Bride and I carries the hallmarks of the best American independent films: engaging storytelling that features unusual characters sketched in vibrant detail. When this tale takes one or two surprising turns on the way to its conclusion, they are all the more satisfying thanks to the care it has taken to craft such rich, lovely characters.
Cameron Bailey

Hans Steinbichler learned photography from his father before pursuing a law degree and subsequently studying at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF). He has directed several short films and his features include Hierankl (03), Winter Journey (06) and My Mother, My Bride and I (08).
· #3 Film Seen: Firaaq
· Nandita Das
Country: India Year: 2008 Language: Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, English Runtime: 101 minutes Format: Colour/35mm Rating: 14A
Production Company: Percept Picture Company Producer: Harindra M. Singh, Shailendra M. Singh Screenplay: Shuchi Kothari, Nandita Das Production Designer: Gautam Sen Cinematographer: Ravi K. Chandran Editor: Sreekar Prasad Sound: Manas Choudhury Music: Rajat Dholakia, Piyush Kanojia Principal Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Deepti Naval, Sanjay Suri, Nowaz

Onscreen, Nandita Das has proven herself the most soulful of actors, capable of combining emotional expressiveness with unshakable integrity. Off screen, she has maintained an ongoing commitment to social justice in India. Das brings these two worlds together in her feature debut, telling the story of one of India's great wounds with both sincerity and passion.
Conflict between Hindus and Muslims continues to flare into violence in India, and is often stoked by political interests. Firaaq begins in 2002 in the state of Gujarat, where three thousand Muslims died in communal riots. In an early scene of almost Shakespearean gravity, two Muslim men dig a mass grave for the victims. From there, the story jumps forward one month, away from the direct physical effects of the conflict to the more amorphous – but increasingly persistent – inner discord.
When Hanif and Muneera return to the modest home they had fled during the violence, they find it ransacked. With their lives shattered not simply by vandalism but by betrayal from their neighbours, Hanif seeks revenge. Elsewhere, middle-class Hindus Sanjay and Arati were untouched by the hostilities, but are met with new moral challenges. Serene older musician Khan Saheb (Naseeruddin Shah) has tried to transcend religious differences, but as a Muslim living in a Hindu neighbourhood, he now finds this stance more complicated. At the same time, Anu and Sameer, an intermarried Hindu-Muslim couple, finally face the tensions they have long suppressed.
Das interweaves these stories over one twenty-four-hour period, as characters of both faiths and from many levels of society grapple with the new, post-violence reality. Through it all, a young boy named Mohsin embarks on an urban odyssey from his refugee camp towards a better future, wherever he might find it.
Firaaq is an Urdu word that means both separation and quest. Like this courageous and essential debut film, the word acknowledges divisions while pointing a way forward to hope.
Cameron Bailey

Nandita Das was born Mumbai, India, and holds a B.A. in geography from the University of Delhi's Miranda House and an M.A. in social work from the University of Delhi's School of Social Work. She is a prominent actor who has appeared in such films as Deepa Mehta's Fire (96) and Earth (98). Firaaq (08) is her feature writing and directing debut.

#4 Movie Seen: Cooper's Camera (and wished I hadn’t!!)
Warren P. Sonoda
Country: Canada Year: 2008 Language: English Runtime: 93 minutes Format: Colour/HDCAM Rating: PG
Production Company: Buck Productions/Darius Films Inc. Executive Producer: John Kozman Producer: Sean Buckley, Nicholas Tabarrok Screenplay: Jason Jones, Mike Beaver Production Designer: Diana Abbatangelo Cinematographer: Samy Inayeh Editor: Warren P. Sonoda, Aden Bahadori Sound: Rob DeBoer, Tony Grace Music: Rob DeBoer, Tony Grace Principal Cast: Jason Jones, Samantha Bee, Dylan Everett, Nick McKinlay, Mike Beaver, Peter Keleghan, Jayne Eastwood, Dave Foley
Canadian Distributor: Boutique Films

Preceded by: funny little flick….. this was worth seeing… L
The Catsitter

Tim Hamilton Canada, 2008/English 10 minutes/Colour/HDCAM

TIFF Tags: Canada Short Film Comedy
BAD FILM>>>>> L
This has got to be one of the most caustic comedies ever made. It's Christmas Day, 1985. Gord Cooper (Jason Jones) is thrilled with the brand-new video camera he gave his wife and elated at the thought of recording every little detail of the holiday fun. His wife, Nancy (Samantha Bee), is more excited – suspiciously excited – at the thought of the pending visit by her husband's brother Tim (Peter Keleghan). She is also several months pregnant with the couple's third child, a fact Coopers' Camera plays for all its unseemly glory.
Director Warren P. Sonoda has crafted a film as hilarious as it is excruciating. Jones and Bee – a real-life married couple who regularly mine the comedy of discomfort on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show – are at the top of their form, leading an unbeatable ensemble cast. Each actor contributes to the film's scathing, cringe-laden charm: Keleghan exudes a perfect small-time sleaze, while Mike Beaver, as Uncle Nick, plays the Christmas dinner guest from hell. Then there's Jayne Eastwood as the anti-social live-in grandmother, who insists on retiring to bed early, requesting that they simply slip the turkey under her door. And in what is undoubtedly one of the strangest recurring cameo appearances of the year, Dave Foley helps the film feel like a who's who of Canadian comedy.
Shot in the style of an old VHS home movie and blessed with a brilliant cast, Coopers' Camera taps into proud, zany Canadian comic traditions, recalling such favourites as SCTV and Kids in the Hall. It's one of those rare comedies that keeps getting better as its characters dig themselves into deeper and deeper holes, yet it also achieves an almost surreal poignancy in its penultimate scene. Films that capture the holiday season accurately are rare; Coopers' Camera is one of them – a feature that perfectly depicts the agonizing torment of yuletide festivities.
Matthew Hays

Warren P. Sonoda was born in Hamilton. He studied filmmaking at Ryerson University before moving on to direct more than one hundred music videos. He has written several screenplays and edited a number of features, including Phil the Alien (04). His feature films as director are Ham and Cheese(04), 5ive Girls (06) and Coopers' Camera (08).
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BATHROOM HUMOUR FILM>>> LESLIE

· 5th Film seen: Heaven on Earth (Next in the Trilogy..)
· Deepa Mehta
Country: Canada Year: 2008 Language: Punjabi, English Runtime: 106 minutes Format: Colour/Black and White / 35mm Rating: PG
Production Company: Hamilton-Mehta Productions Inc./National Film Board of Canada Executive Producer: Ravi Chopra, David Hamilton, Silva Basmajian, Deepa Mehta, Sanjay Bhuttiani Producer: David Hamilton Screenplay: Deepa Mehta Production Designer: Dilip Mehta Cinematographer: Giles Nuttgens Editor: Colin Monie Sound: Sylvain Arseneault Music: Mychael Danna Principal Cast: Preity Zinta, Vansh Bhardwaj, Gick Grewal, Geetika Sharma, Yanna McIntosh
Canadian Distributor: Mongrel Media

Opening with an ecstatic, vibrantly coloured celebration marking the impending nuptials of Chand (Bollywood star Preity Zinta, who delivers one of the year's finest and most courageous performances), Deepa Mehta's powerful and visceral Heaven on Earth quickly shifts gears. The minute its heroine gets off a plane in Toronto to meet her new husband, Rocky (Vansh Bhardwaj, who's impossibly good in his first film role), the colour scheme greys, and virtually all scenes (even outdoor ones) appear to be lit by fluorescent lights. This twilight world is fitting, because there's something off-putting about Rocky's family.
Deepa Mehta has always had a particular gift for portraying unique families and their subtle power dynamics. Still, Heaven on Earth may be her strongest work to date because of her insistence on the collective liability for the acts of a lone individual. Rocky's coldness and horrific temper may be the primary causes of Chand's unhappiness, but he has numerous – albeit often passive – accomplices, most importantly his domineering mother.
Desperate and unable to contact her family, Chand turns to a fellow factory worker, Rosa, who gives her a magical potion that will make whomever drinks it fall in love with Chand immediately. With this elixir, Mehta injects an element of magic realism, and the film morphs into a portrait of Chand's deeply divided mental state. It is an inspired and audacious strategy. Mehta and her collaborators further exacerbate the sense of unease by invoking the elements of domestic comedy: the precocious kids, the ineffectual, aging patron, and the nosy, pushy mother. But while the recipe for conventional, chaotic marital happiness is present, everything is off-kilter. Pranks aren't funny, they're malicious, and ineffectiveness turns into tacit approval.
Simply put, this is a brilliant work by one of our most daring filmmakers, humanist and empathetic even toward its villains, yet at the same time a universal indictment, refusing to let any of us off the hook.
Deepa Mehta presents her 1991 film Sam and Me in the Festival's Dialogues: Talking with Pictures series this year.
Cameron Bailey

Deepa Mehta was born in Amritsar, India, and studied philosophy at the University of New Delhi before immigrating to Canada. Her feature debut, Sam and Me (91), received a special mention in the Caméra d'Or competition at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. After directing Camilla (94), she started on her elemental trilogy about India. She completed Fire (96) and Earth (98) before returning to Canada to make Bollywood/Hollywood (02) and The Republic of Love (03) while production on Water (05) was suspended due to protests. Heaven on Earth (08) is her most recent film.
~Yes , this is about abuse in the family and all the trappings.. not a story in isolation as it could happen to each of us…. Or to someone we know… we are responsible to do something.

· 6th and Final screening: Easy Virtue
· This was our GLAM film…
· Stephan Elliott
Country: UK Year: 2008 Language: English Runtime: 93 minutes Format: Colour/35mm Rating: PG
Production Company: Ealing Studios/ Joe Abrams Productions/ Odyssey Entertainment/ Endgame Entertainment/BBC Films/Prescience/Fragile Films Executive Producer: James Spring, Douglas E. Hanson, Cindy W. Kirven, George McGhee, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill, Paul Brett, Peter Nichols, Tim Smith Producer: Barnaby Thompson, Joe Abrams, James D. Stern Screenplay: Stephan Elliott, Sheridan Jobbins, based on the play by Noel Coward Production Designer: John Beard Cinematographer: Martin Kenzie Editor: Sue Blainey Sound: Simon Gershon, Matt Skelding Music: Marius De Vries
Principal Cast: Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Barnes, Kimberly Nixon, Katherine Parkinson
International Sales Agent: Odyssey Entertainment

The pedigree is to be envied: based on the play by Noel Coward, which was first adapted by Alfred Hitchcock during the silent era, Easy Virtue is the epitome of British wit. Combine those names with a cast led by Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas and – as the American interloper – Jessica Biel, and the result offers all the delights of wicked, high-toned comedy. Bringing it all together is Stephan Elliott, a director with a sure hand for such giddy, savage fare, best known for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Larita (Biel), the American, is a Jazz Age race-car driver. After impulsively tying the knot in Monte Carlo with young Englishman John Whittaker (Ben Barnes), she travels to England to meet her groom's privileged and batty family. Naturally, they hate her. John's mother, Mrs. Whittaker (Scott Thomas), and his sisters Hilda and Marion (Kimberly Nixon and Katherine Parkinson) do their best to sabotage the newlyweds and banish their brother's shocking new wife. Only in the family's patriarch, Mr. Whittaker (Firth), does the young bride find acceptance, and the two develop a bond founded on their mutual appreciation for motorbikes and flouting social etiquette.
Elliott directs the ensemble cast with verve bordering on glee, bringing his own wit and style to this sparkling Noel Coward confection. Scott Thomas delivers her barbed dialogue with delicious timing, while Firth counters her pinched sophistication with droll one-liners. Biel, who shows a new talent for this material, more than keeps pace, supplying some of the film's most entertaining zingers and sight gags. The look of the Whittaker estate is gorgeous, the visual style quotes and plays with the conventions of the era, and the music is positively radical. Period pop mingles with flapper reworkings of more recent tunes, including infectious versions of Carwash and When the Going Gets Tough.
Crafty direction, snappy dialogue and a delightful cast take this comedy of manners far beyond the confines of the typical romantic comedy. What results is a film that is as clever and hilarious as it is artfully crafted.
Cameron Bailey

Stephan Elliott was born in Sydney, Australia. He began his career as an assistant director before turning to screenwriting and directing. His filmography includes Frauds (93), The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (94), Welcome to Woop Woop (97), Eye of the Beholder (99) and Easy Virtue (08).

Note: This was an easy to watch movie…. Star watch: We got to be beside Colin Firth as we entered the Wintergarden Theatre…..on Yonge… he’s very nice looking…in person…and a wee bit shy. I tried to snap a phone shot…no luck…
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The TIFF had a new feature this year at The Square on Yonge…as there are no freebies anymore like there were available in other years…(like a free TIFF bag or poster or pin etc…boo) They provided a photo booth for folks to get a quick photo memory done and it was $2 for a strip of photo’s for each person in the booth…. So here are ours…on different days.. goofy…yet fun…

That’s it…for this year…
It’s over far too soon…

Ah, the long weekend.....in September

2008-09-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

Well... Lake Huron was visited and we all went paddling.. The water was a wee bit choppy...so no photo's. I did like the gentle back and forth..up and down though... Carolyn and Brian were generous hosts and we had delicious Salmon and a fabulous veggie dip...afterwards. The beach was clean, and the water warm enough that I actually went swimming!! And enjoyed it.
The Rose of Sharon bushes by the driveway are healthy and full....
Sydenham River...in our town... somewhat sluggey water not like the bay.....yet the view of the homes along it made for good gawking...and easy paddling...
I didn't get out in my kayak much this summer...somehow it didn't get co ordinated between ..weather, other projects and thinking I had more time!!

I do love the freedom to move along..floating...or faster... if the mood hits..

As Bruce Hi-tails it out of the river...he's had enough.... I like the image.

Family.... so important..

2008-08-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

This is Jannah's wee animal Boo. He was her foster child... She cared for him after an injury when he was a tiny newborn possum...and as part of a group of trained folk who volunteer to do this for injured, abandoned Australian beasties... She had him for roughly 2 months before he was weaned from her care and set free.... a truly intimate caring. This is his carry pouch...being a marsupeal .....she carried him in it....even during a long northland hiking trip... sweet isn't he?
Truly, he was fed well, loved well, and exercised well....

I hope he remains well. (we think of you often JKB.. smooch)

Toronto visit: August 23

Here we are in Streetsville...toasting a family meal..at a local mexican restaurant. Mike tried to convince us to try the mexican dark beer (real one not corona..) that has tabasco, lime juice ..chili chunks...in it ... but we weren't convinced thanks... I had a lime Margaretta... yum
Sarah and Mike drive to Oakville occasionally to sit by the lake wall...on Lake Ontario...so we drove over for a peek after out delicious meal.. ...unfortunately there were too many wedding photo's happening to feel free to roam the park...so we snapped a few photo's and hightailed it out of their for a Laura Secord Ice cream treat...

Sarah and Mike..lookin a wee bit tired...

Great weather and who doesn't like being by the water...even if it's only Lake Ontario!!! I know I'm privileged to have Georgian Bay and Lake Huron near by... Sarah was very thrilled with the new clothes cupboard free standing shelf her dad built for her B-Day....she's put it to good use already!!

Time for sweet Sarah goodbyes...until the next time...

August splendor...

2008-08-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

This is my Kalwar Sameeze...I think that's correct?? Indian outfit I was going to wear to my nephew's (Mathew's) wedding....but I chickened out... ..luckily my neighbour rescued me with a few loans of clothing...merci G...

I do like the brilliant colours of the rayon wear or cotton wear...from Gerrard Street... just don't like the stiff fabric...so I took a chance to soften it up a bit...and washed it..in cold water... and hang it out in the warm breezy weather today... It's instructions said "dry clean only"...so we'll see how it fares... It's made up of 3 pieces...tunic top (on the far left) pants, and the scarf... natch..

Here's the sisters... lovely surroundings and perfect weather for the outdoor ceremony. Everyone behaved and all were convivial... Joanne was very relaxed about the whole 'son getting married' thing... right??!!

Here's the 'almost' anniversary couple... (next week is our 29th...yipes... ).. notice our Summerfolk weekend bands?? (red) ... we went to the evening concerts after the wedding dinner.... 3 days of music and some treats taken home.. Here's the bride, Lindsay and her dad approaching the

group of onlookers.....

Newly Married.... Lindsay & Mathew Aug 16/08

Inside the newly built workshop and car port.

The head table all lit up... home style food and dessert ... good company and smooth sailing.. Lovely day.

Morning greeting..overnight work

2008-07-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

This morning at 8am, the car went in for it's maintenance service...I've got decisions to make about the Matrix...it's leased and I can either go for a brand new model 09, or buy my current Model 05, next May. I think I know what I will be doing...yet will be going to test drive the new model...just to be sure... It lacks some of the great features I have now....so I guess I've really already decided.....

When I went to get the mail I was greeted by this lovely irridescent design that was created overnight.
Such precision...and beauty...the energy used to build it...put this spider to sleep....waiting...patiently for the meal to arrive... I couldn't get focused on the spider itself as the sun was so bright...yet the web came out ok.

Simple pleasures....

A Bloom......just now...

2008-07-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

This week the front yard is blooming the capuccino lilies...I bought from the OS market last year.... and they came back! It's such a thrill to find a new bloom here and there....

I've been s l o w l y working through the back 40... chiselling out the clumps of clay...reinforcing with topsoil...bonemeal..mulch... dividing up some mature plants to hopefully spread over the barren parts...ripping out old brush, chopping down renigade bushes with spikes!

Would like to remove a couple of larger trees as well to gain some light... but they don't belong to me...

It's beginning to look like there may be hope for a garden completion this year....... and man, am I sore!! Chair massage tonight!!

Yesterday: Datura bud awaits blooming

Tonight: A bloom...
Many more to come

The hydranga is covered with huge puff ball blooms ...very white and fresh looking. This bush variety is a solid annual event...I just put in a different variety that is more like a tree shape and blooms "cones" of white-ish pink edged flowers on a red stalk. I think it will look great, if it's happy in it's new home..

This is a photo of the grapes hanging on the arbour...these are strictly for the birds...too sour for human...yet they look regal... fyi...they're green grapes... and the vines are full of them.

Cranesbill.... seem to love the back garden...yet they do get very leggy....so...I chopped yesterday....

delicate and colourful.

I'm grateful for the ability to work in the soil, improve my space and replenish the earth...even if it's only in the area's surrounding my home. Simple joys.. and colour...

TO visit in July...

2008-07-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

The DRAKE

Did something different
* Visited Sarah, for our B-
days
* Stayed overnight on Queen
West at the "DRAKE"
* Attended our 2nd poetry
SLAM
* Hottest day in TO... 32C
Smog alert extreme
* Saw what "night life" is
all about..in this TO
neighbourhood.
* Had a great breakfast/
brunch...at the Beavertail
cafe.. yummy real food..
great prices

Sarah & Mike joined us for the SLAM..and snack afterwards
They said they had a good time..
(they were suffering a bit from their day before trip to Wonderland ie Bohemith?..with all the adreneline rushes...and after hour partying...hey it was your B-day) They were still good sports to hang with the rents...

Colour at midnight...
along Queen Street

BoJangles and friend (Hope he got more food...??)

Thanks so much SWB for my Ipod Shuffle...I've been using my Sony minidisk Walkman for years...and it's a bit big to stick in my pocket...and I'm not a fanny pack person...(too much fanny already!!).. so this Shuffle in my favourite green shade...will be my buddy while gardening, walking and chillin.... Smooch... Bruce provided me with my much wanted "hedge-trimmer"..battery operated.. I love it... and JKB has been revisiting the "lathe"...and has made me a wooden candle holder...using wood from PNG.

What fun... and am I spoiled...or what?

In our own backyard...so to speak..Eugenia Falls

2008-07-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

We escaped the digging, planting and watering of the back 40... to take a wee road trip ....to Eugenia.. roughly 50K away... to visit the Falls.... Eugenia Falls.
What I hadn't expected to see was a lovely ancient river valley/Gorge...and of course no photo could do it justice....

We took off at 1630hrs...and arrived around... 1745hrs ...so there's plenty of deep shadowing happening.
I imagine the spring run off would be quite spectacular...even the low water created a nice spray over the 30 metres drop...

Great way to end the day... if you're interested...check out:
www.greysauble.on.ca/ca-eugeniafalls.html

Datura have grown

2008-07-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Datura 'babies' or Angel's trumpet (Datura innoxia) have grown and grown.... I expect another 10 inches...and then the buds will start. What a July this is...

YouTube - Ian Wright visits Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2008-07-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

YouTube - Ian Wright visits Angkor Wat, Cambodia: "Ian Wright visits Angkor Wat, Cambodia"

Take a look at this one...

July warmth and rain

2008-07-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

I'm truly thankful that the perennials have worked their magic!
It's taken years to actually have my garden bloom on it's own, in the rhythm of the season...although I'm not sure about fall yet...and I'm not rushing it. I've done minimal upkeep aside from the Spring weed-fest...and planting 2 annuals for extra colour....it's so packed full now that the gout weed has been thwarted~ !!

The view has changed: beautiful white astilbe is blooming...the pinkish lilies have popped out, the large yellow daisy-like plant is just starting...and the purple nine bark has put on 4 inches in height.

So far, so good...

Pond evolution and more plants

2008-07-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

Bruce tried to hook up the water through this old pump...he loves.
Too much wood...it doesn't pour nicely...so it's back to the drawing board...

Front garden.... soon another photo with the astilbe in bloom...lovely....

Some things must go.... the sand cherry is now gone, as of today...... I chopped off all the branches and have begun to remove the root.....unfortunately the winters have been very hard on this little garden...it's where all the snow gets piled...

The sand cherry was held together with rope/wood bandages...and still managed to bloom this spring and have leaves...you can see that it's not that healthy...yet I love the red amongst the green... so will need to work on this spot again. This is my second mature sand cherry to be replaced...

Ah, it's beautiful July .....great place to read..relax and think...

2008-07-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

A favourite reading spot....and eating breakfast spot...

This is my Datura nursery.... yep... I found my old seeds locked safely away...and imagine...they germinated after 5 years!! I've now divided them up into various spots around the place...to hopefully grow into the fun plants they are... (also..poisonous...if eaten... we don't...)

Something new for me...a hanging tomato plant.. Elyse left this device with me last year before China...and so I've tried it out. Must remember to fertilize it regularly...as the peat doesn't house the nutrients... I've got 1 tomato on it already!! Hope it grows further...

After the old pond liner sprung a few holes...and finally bit the dust...Bruce had tried placing this formed pond back in the place of the old "pond hole" ...never quite worked and it was WAY at the BACK of the yard...and we didn't visit it much.. (mosquito's not nice either..) So it seemed far more pleasing to maybe have the pond in the middle of the yard..so we can enjoy a wee bit of water works...while relaxing on the deck.... So this is the first fill....after the high school kids dug out the dirt... it's pretty level!
More photo's later...

Peonie's showcase this year~

2008-06-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

Definitely a full bloom year for these plants. I've never seen such a abundant bloomage...ever. All my "dormant" struggling plants have fabulous buds and I'm sure more blooms...and they have a wonderful perfume...

The Honeysuckle vine is also very happy...growing and twisting over the small archway along the fence line. I've yet to see the hummingbirds while having a visit...but I'm sure I'll catch a view soon.

Ye ole, standby..Petunia's and friends...adorn a barrel or two and I basically ignore them...and just enjoy them... How about you?

Garden Walk...Home from work

2008-06-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

Each day brings new combinations of colour.
I stroll the gardens and appreciate all the variety springing forth.
I've added layers to create a visual flow, that teases the eye to look deeper. The chunk of Blue Hosta adds that certain dimension that I was searching for. This is a youngster of the small chunk I was given by L many years ago.... The purple ninebark adds a wee bit of zest to the greenery...as does the Heuchera..and Astilbe.

Weekend adventure in OS

2008-06-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

This was our "Doors OPEN" event this past weekend.
It means local historic buildings..including homes are open to the public for a look-see...for free.
I wanted to check out a few century plus bed and breakfast places to get a feel for what's available... they are very Victorian in nature and HUGE...buildings...with a few stories attached to them. One was the old Butchart estate that has an inground pool inside the atrium...Rooms with bathrooms...no less...and truly a step back in time.. This family started the BC. "Butchart Gardens" in Victoria....long ago, and is still run by a family member! Take a peek...

http://butchartestate.com

The other B&B is the Highland Manor which was welcoming ,and located on top of the West Hill . This one has a luggage elevator!..
http://www.highlandmanor.ca/

B and I went to the Greenwood Mausoleum that houses some 150+ OS family names, dating back to the 1800's. The names are still current to the next generations!

I was taken with the two large stained glass windows..at either end of the marble structure.
(It's all marble, floor to ceiling...)
Fun to explore your own village...as a visitor!!

Lushness of enough water

2008-06-09T07:35:00.001-07:00

Eric Clapton ,quick trip to TO for a connection

2008-05-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

Large crowd... stage view from my seat... we had last row seats... '400' section...very cozy sitting side by side...Temp 11C...then went lower as the sun disappeared....and the wind..... burr..this is May 27??

Somewhere in this photo around the '100' seat level...are Leslie and Bryan~~ and somehow..eagle eye Leslie gazed into the crowd (in our block) and found me and my red coat...she said!!! She apparently hightailed up the stairs , to appear in front of my eyes!! Too funny... how that was possible I have no idea...as this crowd was HUGE...
I watched Leslie walk back down the steps without her characteristic rocking-stiff gait that's been present for so many years ,from bad knees.. Now they've been dealt with and in the past now... Nice to see straight legged smooth strides!! (are you in this photo??)

The camera was able to gather an image of the guitarist himself...which I thought was impressive ...taking into account the distance and lack of light factor!! Gwynda and I peered through our bino's...at Eric and group.. and his rockish melodies got all the folks up on their feet, tapping and swaying!! Such connection with strangers. I particularly enjoyed the acoustic guitar songs...best.

Here we are learning to perch on our seats...my arm wasn't long enough for a better photo...you get the idea.. I had mitts, hat, winter coat, with hood..and velux blanket to cuddle in....and I coped...yet it was a tad breezy!!

Say goodnight...to Eric... the quiet entertainer who barely said 4 words...to the throngs of fans... shy?...or was it just a job?... nevertheless they played for 2+ hours non stop...and a good time was had by this writer... Thanks to the navigator who guided me along the long highways home, effectively...!! Merci G.

Shambhalalujah: The Rapture Of Tibetan Singing Bowls Video

2008-05-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Shambhalalujah: The Rapture Of Tibetan Singing Bowls Video

I love my singing bowl...I see that I now need a couple more bowls ...to get a rhythm going... Jack's open spirit guides me to try ... I hope this post works..

Jack is Jannah's kindred spirit and friend. We all spent some time together out west.

Exploring

2008-05-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

OK, today I joined 'CityLine' and took the "Karma" Benjie Moore colour test just for fun... here's where they pegged me....do you think it fits?
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"EARTH PERSONALITY

There’s something to be said for stability and comfort! Your reliability, thoughtfulness and empathy make you a valued friend. At times, though, be sure not to let everyone’s worries become your own or else it’ll weigh you down and destroy your balance.

For you, the ideal place is a cozy home, fit with thick rugs, stuffed furniture and fancy décor. Create the warmth and security you deserve with organic colours from Benjamin Moore’s Historical Colour Palette. Explore earthy shades such as Stuart Gold HC-10 or Hasbrouck Brown HC-71 and achieve a homey feel that complements your character.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
btw...our Living room is a mocha brown...and bedroom is a sage green....too funny
----------------------------------------------------------------
I'm hoping to get tickets to CityLine with Marilyn Denis...in September...my friend has put in her request as well... so I thought I would too...cuz they look at phone exchanges for the "outta town" folks...and often we get tickets before the "in town" folks... So we will see.... A couple of friends at work got tickets..lickety quick...! So here's hoping...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OUR HOME over time: retrospective

1984 HOME Purchase: my sketches... and my dreams...on paper..

IN 2006 Green pole, old door...

IN 2007: Yellow wall on porch, slate grey on pole and peak. White door.
Most of the projects are done on our side, of the building, except for the windows. Always more to do!

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The Nature Conservancy of Canada: Protecting Canada's Priority Landscapes

2008-05-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

The Nature Conservancy of Canada: Protecting Canada's Priority Landscapes

As a member of this very worthwhile group I'm always encouraged by the amount of effort that's put forth by people engaged in.... saving Canada's landscapes.. Whether it's the Fen on the Peninsula, the green spaces of Saskatchewan... Please check out the stories and photo's...and maybe even donate...

This is one of my favourite reading spots...

2008-05-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

Sit...rest..read...sip tea...gaze, enjoy...

Yep, I'm back...must show my weeding...

2008-05-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Glorious greens, fresh, varied, growing and filling in the gaps... back is tre' sore...gluts too...bend, pull, dig dig.... ahhhhh... a space...no weeds... onward.

Colour, peeking through, awakening from the slumber, old leaves ..make way for new leaves.. the sun has been here.. it's gone for today...yet I know it will be back. Nature truly is amazing..

I removed some old growth and now must fill the gap.... Rododendrons...eventually withered away..winter in my front yard is just too much for them.. lasted 3 years... This is mostly a shade garden...as Gwynda gets all the sun..!!! boo... for us..

Walkway ready for a visit.....

Around the Garden...before the weeding begins...Procrastination...rules

2008-05-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a wonderful musical event at our local 'KNOX Acoustic Cafe'. This monthly event introduces us to more talented musicians than we've had since our 'hippy-ish' days in TO.. when we attended the coffee houses, and met some fresh new talent...the likes of Stan Rogers, Brent Titcomb, Willie P. Bennett, Mose Scarlet, The Slothband, Katlin Handford, Whitely Brothers, Ken and Chris...etc etc...

Tonight we listened to DALA, fabulous accapella...harmonies, and sounds. Check them out here: www.DALAGIRLS.com

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My silver Gazing ball has been broken... :( by a black walnut being dropped from a squirrel climbing the spruce tree.... above. I have taken this photo to remember it...(avoiding the large hole in the top!!)....

I've had a hard time finding another ball... This one my friend got me ..long ago... I do love it.....
.

I didn't do any yard work last October...surgery interupted my plans....so all the new growth is pushing through the remnents of last years bloom... Eventually I'll get to them all... somehow it doesn't seem to matter to the plants...they have continued the evolution....

Contrasting bold colours and muted greens...how can one not love nature?? ...and the spring!!
My Iris's are coming up in the barrel..planted in the ground..and everything has grown so quickly this week.. I don't want to miss all the colours...so I'll be taking a few more shots tomorrow...

This is one of the rock gardens...mostly shaded varieties..and they all seem to be waking up nicely from the long cold winter...not too much damage. I weeded one of my gardens...the side one..and it took the whole afternoon to do!!! I'm going to over plant everything this year to choke out the "Gout-weed"! Unfortunately it's the only way to overwhelm it.... dig out as much as I can...then plant other fast growers..

Spring has Sprung... ahhh...

2008-04-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

Glorious budding...everywhere... the renewal...has begun...in many ways...

I tried a crocus cluster 2 years year ago, in the lawn... it's a bouquet... that awaits me...as I drive back down our driveway... and this year they actually multiplied... how jolly is that?

We're not too desperate to say GOOD RIDDONS.. to winter... Bruce had the summer furniture out on the front porch...at the first warmish day!! .. and for early April...me in sleeveless??? yep... that warm out...
I feel much more alive...in Spring. Our trip to Mexico..helped immensely as well... I'd truly love to go away 4 months of the year.... Guess which 4???
ENJOY EACH DAY.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April melts...the bay is blue

2008-04-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

Headed over to Meaford to do some teaching ...and visit Georgian Bay... the blue is always a thrill... Lake Huron last week was churned up and murky...with all the water heading to the lake from all the inland pondettes...

This 'Irish Mountain' lookout..is actually quite high , near the Meaford Tank range, on Range road...I went to have a peek as there's a B&B at the end of this dead end road...and the folks running it offer music all summer on Saturday night..I think. You pay $10 bring an appetizer and your own beverage...then they hire an entertainer and you go up to the loft...look out at GB and listen to tunes... How blissful is that!! We must try this out this year... We do have some creative folks...around here!!

April 2 Spring is coming....Lion's Head

2008-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, I went to the bay where I paddle in the summer... the ice is leaving in chunks...floating here and there.. hard to believe it's the same spot that welcomes me with warm water and no fear of falling in it!! This is still bloody cold water... yet it's melting...the ice is in the inner bay and along the
shore yet it's MELTING................

Such vibrant blues....in contrast to the whites.........

Yes, mating has begun...these 2 nibbled the ice and the male chased off 3 other suitors...while I was there...no doubt about this female being his partner.... I bet their feet are ice cold....brrrr....

The sheets of ice have shifted like plates...

Here the boats wait for the ice to go... each propped up and stored on the warf.....

Yum... Dinner... Bruce's creation..... I'm spoiled... :)

Planning and then getting there

2008-03-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

I put together the 7 day itinerary to Mexico...so all the details were in one spot...
It's difficult to get a 10 day airflight...unless you are in an all inclusive plan.. we don't relate to the all inclusive deals...but would like the cheaper flight rate!

The details of flight, water taxi, accomodation in TO and Yelapa, insurance info, local info...important phone numbers and a few details of money/language..

Our first Mexican meal...Guacamole, Quesadilla's & Corona...

Los Muertos...beach...

Arrival in Puerto Vallarta at Los Muertos to catch boat

2008-03-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

We each had a large backpack.. medium sized backpack
...and a smaller day pack... and our walking sticks!

We needed to escape the airport in PV...locate a yellow taxi, which is only available after we walked over the walking bridge to the other side of the road.....negotiate the price to the Los Muertos...beach... 200 peso's was to be top price... $20 CD and head off

Our taxi driver...said it would be 180 peso's...and then drove us for roughly 25 minutes...through the crazy busy streets...of PV.. (Mar 20...is the beginning of the Mexican school week off!!) Lots of folks from Guadalahara, Ajijic...Mexico city...etc...come to PV... beaches... We needed to get out of this place...ASAP...not our cuppa tea.

This taxi ride takes 25min usually...but this was a very slow day...and to top if off...our taxi driver became ill..and stopped the taxi..midway...and asked that we get out... so we grabbed all our stuff... and hoofed it 3 blocks until we located another taxi...to finish the job.

(so we ended up only paying $140 for the journey in total)

We noticed the increase in the resort numbers...from our last visit in 01...

Bruce is starting to relax...

Boat ride from PV to Yelapa

2008-03-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

Leaving PV.....

As crowded as Puerto Vallarta was...we hopped onto our boat at the correct time...and said adios to the crowds!

Always a thrill... the ocean was a tad wavey...at 4pm...when we headed off to go down the coast to Yelapa.. Hence my white knuckle ride...
Also we forgot how chilly it got out there...and our warm jackets were in the front of the boat where all the luggage was stowed.

The wind-blown look....

After about 40 minutes...we rounded the point into

the bay... and the town of Yelapa...

We were glad to see that it hasn't changed too much...

and our vacation truly began...

The town...unfolds...before us..and the new to us...pier awaits our jumping onto it... as that is how it's done...you stand on the gunnel and jump onto the pier.. then the boatmen.. toss your luggage...knapsacks onto the pier...for your retrieval..

Yelapa
Look up...way up... to the pinkish arches at the top of the hill.

That's Casa Milagros... our home for the week

-182 steps up from the path below it....-

I'm really going to wish I did more prep work...in the quad section!!!

Palm Trees... and ocean

Casa Milagros room

2008-03-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

Our room was quiet, at the rear of the building, had 2 windows, nice breeze and was in close proximity to the outdoor bathroom... we shared with 1 other traveller.

Storage in our room for our stuff.

Inside stairs to the main floor...kitchen etc...just outside of our room.

Our bathroom was outside ..first door on right.

Bathroom was open at top of walls..typical of Mexican dwellings.

Simple yet...efficient..

We had our own hot water heater...

Forest Food in the Palapa..Vegetarian...no less!!!

2008-03-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

On the way back from the BIG waterfall walk...about 1 hour from town...this Palapa, run by an old hippy type spirit.. we ate by the river...sat on palm tree seats.. and had a lovely falafel, hummus...and virgin bloody mary drink... it was delicious...and carob no egg brownies...with pecans!! yummy...

One highlight was this bathroom...in the tree... you needed to walk up a stone stairway to the loo...complete with flush toilet and running water...!!

Walk inland to the Water

2008-03-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Longest hike to the waterfalls ...lovely swim in fresh water...
This banyon tree...coiled it's branches around all palm trees...and extended it's roots outward ...compelling me to take a photo. .. or two...

Glorious waterfall...that massaged our aching muscles...and refreshed..

Landforms similar to the Bruce...yet different. This is the dry season and the
waterline would be considerably higher during July August rainy season!!

Bruce refreshes under the pummeling waterfall... hmmmmm ... Me too

After the refreshing time...we then needed to walk back out....
and eventually up the Casa's stairs...too... we slept well...

Yes, lots of walking...

2008-03-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

Through the town....

To our Villa...

To the BIG waterfall...

Along the burro trails...
We each drank a litre and a half of water...on the 5 hr hike...

Random photo's of creatures and enjoyments

2008-03-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

Hermit crab trying to sneak by.

Over the crumbling wall...a beautiful flower

Bruce cooling off

Yummy...Casadilla...Guacamole...and cilantro topping...

Parasailing... in the bay

Down the hill from the Casa...

2008-03-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

The Casa Milagros as seen via telephoto lens...from town..

Pelican's are everywhere...as are green Parrots...

A Palapa...by the ocean...this one was equipped with solar panels...as well

A view from the rocks looking into town. We attempted kayaking once...poorly outfitted double kayak...that was bent underneath... very unstable and felt unsafe...once we were out in the water...so we aborted. They only have sit-on-top kayaks available and they aren't a fav with me...at all...to begin with.

Through the town to the BEACH

2008-03-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

One thing about Yelapa...there's no flat surface. Stairs, ramps, slopes, rock levels etc all over the place. Built on the incline of a Mountain ...many cobblestone roads intersect and head off to little cambrio's... for shopping...veggies, hardware, clothing, fish stores.

The beach is located on the opposite side of the bay...from where we stayed.
We walked there once to see it...and once was enough.

Here is the comparison to Puerto Vallarta.... beach... few folks...and lots of beach...
In the distance you can see the Palapa's of the only "resort" ... Corona is very big...everywhere...

Flowers, me and the Moon...

2008-03-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

Stars abound at night... the full moon greeted us the second night in Yelapa....I tried to capture it's alure..somewhat successfully... tripod would have helped!!

Thanks to G...for the loan of her 'Tankinee'...really nice to use...
I took less clothing than any other trip and used each piece ... good to make a list...and then stick to it...
We used walking sticks this time as well...and they really made a difference in feeling secure with the hills!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moonstruck.... what a phenomenal site!!...
I tried to capture the ambience of the villa...it's use of arches and the rocking
chair.... and glow of the Yelapa....lights.

Looking around Casa Milagros

2008-03-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Lovely colours,textures and vista's

We've arrived!!!

2008-03-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, we made it... and I was out on the terrace...immediately... after looking around a tad...

Can you tell I'm enjoying myself??? This is my favourite spot....

Yes, Bruce... we are free to strip off the winter wear and enjoy the view...

And oh, what a view... everyday this weather greets us...
and it's quiet... ahhhh....

Bruce decided to journal the whole trip...I read my books, and worked with my earring
making supplies... our vacation...has begun....

Leaving Yelapa for TO

2008-03-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, it was now the day to depart Yelapa... and say 'Adios' to new friends.
We are refreshed, renewed, and in better shape... than when we came!
The Canadian winter deprives us of the freedom to walk and explore... Yelapa gave us new awareness and we are appreciative of being guests of their space.

We met our fellow Villa mate, Eric (Brown) who ventured out on many solo journey's...and convinced us to try the walk to the larger falls... (not like Ontario falls!)...we shared many good talks and star gazed together!...
Oh, the stars.... no resident light to interfere with this nightly presence.

Hugo and Antonia were very patient with our fledgling Spanish attempts...
and generous with sharing their home with us...

Ricardo came for a visit with his mom, (from Ajijic!)
and she was very pleased to see him...(and his family)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The pier awaits our departure.....to PV

We then...await our plane to Canada.. in PV.

All boat, taxi, plane connections were smooth and no hold ups...occured...
The stars were aligned... and the flight home uneventful....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again we have explored the village we have come to love, in Mexico.
Once again we have bid it a fond farewell...
until next time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After arriving in TO we visited Sarah and viewed all our photo's of both trips... theirs in Cuba and ours in Yelapa... and shared a meal... muchas gracias...!!

Some blue in those sky's, oh, next to those 4' icicles!!

2008-02-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

Out the window shots...

Soon Bruce won't have a spot to blow the snow into.....

I've had enough of the white stuff.... have you?

Drum beat....just for fun

2008-02-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

It was time to get together and eat, drink and drum... so we did.
Quick learners !! and we had some good rhythms...happening.

Great way to forget about February...

We'll see if this works...

2008-02-18T08:41:00.000-08:00

Trying again with this pattern... seems simple enough...yet proves to be a challenge to me. I'm going to keep going this time and see how it turns out...
The colour was an inspiration from another top I purchased last summer...it suits my colouring and makes me feel fresh..

Ah, yes it's February again..

2008-02-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

We've experienced severe white outs ....IN TOWN. I have driven several times to work...in weather that looks manageable ..then high winds happen and NO VISIBILITY. A horrid feeling. At work people were trying to find the parking lot...and ended up on the lawn!! It was very disorienting.

Each day is different than the one previous.. one day of rest...and no snow storms...then fierce storms with lots of snow.. Bruce loses work as the highways have been closed more times this winter than last.

So glad we got our new snowblower when we did.. it hasn't been dormant much.

It's pretty when you don't need to travel... Travelling takes extra effort and planning. So far the Matrix has been fabulous. Think Spring..Think Spring. Think Mexico... hmmm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope Blooms eternal...

2008-02-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'll even take the ' forced plant' blooms to help get me through this winter.
This Amaryllis was a gift from my work group post surgery...and it bloomed for 2 weeks +...... nice against the white back drop...

These 2 love-birds...often snuggle like this...and of course place their gift of hair...on my blanket..that I use on those chilly evenings .... Willow has taken to sitting cross legged now...

Enjoyed a lovely TIFF weekend in my own home town....this weekend!
It's called the "Owen Sound Reel Festival" and we saw... 5 fine films, were able to also attend after receptions, and had a lovely breakfast this morning before the 1st film at East side Mario's. (all included in the pass)

Thanks Gwynda for thinking of us...and sharing your "pass" tickets!!!

Films we saw were:
- Lars and the Real Girl... excellent non judgemental transitional story
- Shake hands with the Devil.. Rwandan genocide and Romeo Dallaire's account, very well done
- Caramel... Excellent portrayl..Beirut angle of women surviving..and how they use the
caramel for beauty
- The Great Debaters..1935 perspective based on true story...Texas college students learn to defend their heritage and succeed through much adversity.
- The Bodybuilder and I... I wasn't going to see this one...then thought why not..and was very pleased that I went. A journey of a son trying to figure out his father who he really only just met at age 26... it was a forgiveness movie and the son's insight is far beyond his fathers.

Saturday night at the movies producer, Risa Shuman was the guest speaker and I did learn some interesting things from her..somewhat L O N G...explanations... it could have be a shorter "chat" time...for me.

Went on a tour of the projection room of the Galaxy theatres and that was very interesting. They use 20mm film that come to town in a 14" roll...then the projectionist needs to move them to platter like discs that are roughly 3' across... then strings the film through a series of guides ..much like the sewing machine route!... I was surprised to see that so much manual prep was still needed... they've even rigged up a ceiling guide that will permit...1 viewing of the film at 2pm...say..in one theatre...then in the next theatre over...at 215pm..the same film...runs across the ceiling and into the next projector for this theatre...and that way 1 film...is only needed.. (for big crowds) quite inventive.
One guy runs all the 9 theatres!

My weekend ...

Black Rabbit

2008-01-19T20:15:00.001-08:00

This is a fabulous acoustic guitarist Sarah shared with me...have a listen... Name: Peter Mulvey

My do has relaxed a bit...and feels like ME more....

2008-01-19T15:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a few days hair relax... I'm getting used to it..
Not too exciting ...yet fun.!

New do..

2008-01-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

Well I took the plunge and located a new hairdresser... total stranger..yet her work has been seen around town.
She removed all the dangling bits at the back and asked if I'd like a Victoria Beckham style...!!! ah, no thanks....just the same... I'm more the "lets trim it up" type...and it must be EASY to manage.. We'll see...

Fresh cuts always look...fresh... need to feel at home in it....in a week..
Tomorrow... the colonoscopy doc visit... !!!

Around my Office...

2008-01-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

These are the 2 prints that Jannah brought back from Thailand for my office.
I finally got them there!!!

The Christmas dust has settled and I'm now looking forward to spring.... and more light.
We have a new knitting store in town which is delightful... they offer how-to classes... and I may have found a project to attempt. We'll see. I have pangs of missing my children... always happens having a visit...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of my most favourite gifts

2007-12-22T15:10:00.000-08:00

Lucky me for having 2 wonderful children.
It's been great to be with the family..all under one roof again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The house has suddenly gone quiet.. The tree is gone... I'm left with memories to remind me that moments spent together are precious. It's in the realm of sharing space ...time... thoughts...and it's brief, and rich.

Sarah has helped us capture this Christmas, by presenting us with a photo of the sisters...on a winter's day.

It is now hanging by the kitchen table... so we can have you close to us while we eat, drink a coffee.. or read the paper.

The house is empty yet the heart is full.
!!!!!!!!

Christmas came and went....

2007-12-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

December 13th : J&D arrived in TO from Van... they stayed there a couple of days.. S managed to get Sat and Sun off work... so Sat and Sunday was to be our 2007 Christmas... The major snowstorm that fell on Sunday with it's 2 feet of snow, helped it feel like the real Christmas morn! Unfortunately Mike couldn't make it this year..so we sent his Christmas stocking etc...home with Sarah on Monday.

Opening the Christmas stockings... are we all too old for this tradition??~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sarah wanted to sleep in!!

Jannah was up and kept us moving along...

Bruce 'loved' his lottery tickets

David wasn't sure about this, yet couldn't put them down...

Willow was happy to see his mistress... as she was to see him!!

Our family time together helped us re-connect. These moments are few and far between now...

Sarah produced a lovely sister photo for the rents. This was a very wonderful gift... it was a group effort completed on a cold windy day in Mississauga... Thanks to Jannah and David... as well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now Maddie was a little annoyed to be out in the snow... can you tell?

My Christmas arrives early this year...

2007-12-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

I wasn't doing Christmas this year as the family is in different parts of the world.... one in TO...working++, and one in Australia...working++

Now I'm in a rush to get the important things completed...for our family Christmas....early. Yes, our family will be together again...and I'm most excited. We only have a small time together and we'll make the most of it.

It's good.... it's so very good...
The tree is coming into the house tomorrow... and then the Spruce will make it smell like Christmas...

I am most blessed and very thankful for:...... family, friends, challenging profession, warm home, good food, soothing music, cuddley cats, a supportive partner, and hope for the future health of our world.

Now if the snow would all melt by Jan 10th...... hmmm...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

33 years ago...a wedding took place in TO

2007-12-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

It's great to look back now and then..

My friend's wedding anniversary occurred recently...number 33!! and I happened to locate an old photo of us heading off to the church... many moons ago.

I thought this apartment was very cool...

The temperature was nippy...yet it's TO....in November....and no snow...hence the footwear.

Ah, youth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ah, a real tree this year...

2007-11-25T10:01:00.000-08:00

We went to our local fish and chips feast on Sat, after market...and the little shop next store had some lovely spruce trees...at a reasonable price... so Bruce picked one up this Sunday am.

This tree will need a trimming to fit in the spot chosen... it smells wonderful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trying to simplify Christmas this year.... we'll see.
Bought a card game for this year's get-together... it's called: "Quiddler".. and it's a word game, as we all enjoy words!... B & I are going to try it out today.. to see how it works...

Going to get the outside lights up..now ...that all the lawn furniture is gone from the front porch...it looks naked outside!!

Ah, we've escaped it until now

2007-11-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

Jannah's b-day is today...in Canada that is...it was yesterday in OZ. She said she prefers the Canadian date...thank you very much.. sure cuz, she gets to be a day younger!!

It didn't snow until we needed to drive to the hospital..so many years ago... It seems like only a few years ago really. Then the snow came down in a vengence ... it was 6' deep when we actually got to take you home to the farm.

Now Miss Sadie has the right idea.
Sitting on the heat...in her favourite bed.

Not a lot of the white stuff, yet Bruce used our new snowblower to practice using all it's levers...and controls etc.

I thought I'd just take a photo of the first snow.

I can see all the missed paint spots in the photo's...the parts that were too high to reach... hmm , put that on the next year list...

Hoping to get a new garage door sometime as this one is on it's last legs..

Below zero....in my garden

2007-11-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

It was always nice to look at the thermometer and say...ah, 26C... how lovely...with a gentle breeze.

Now... this is what I saw, this am.

A few photo's of the hardy plants, the back building and our fall garden.

Frozen in time

2007-11-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, today was a true frost....

at 8 am I thought I'd snap a few crispy photo's of my garden in it's final burst of colour.... with a defined outlining in frost.

Market day... Bruce did the majority of the set-up, and selling...as I recover.
Pashmina's are the hottest item... already made back 10% of my total outlay....not bad .

(Too get the full effect...click on the photo to enlarge it..)

Kitchen painting is on hold for now...theme pumpkin/green and black and wood

2007-10-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, someday I will get back to the painting...for now I'm content that I got the 1st coat on the kitchen pre-appie.. big job this room.

We've plunged in from "off-white" to orange... we think it's liked...
IKEA shelves (black) over desk with lights will be added in future.. and Jannah's painting or framed photo's with black frames will be mounted on the table wall.

The sunroom will need a major overhaul...dry-wall etc...once we know the roof doesn't leak anymore....so for now it's being ignored.

My pals creation for my neck...

2007-10-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Lovely arrival in the mail.. Seasilk scarf... merci...

Artist was inspired by the colours of my youngest daughter's...chameleon

Bo-Jangles.. as he has an amazing array of colours and some show up as variations of green.

Me...I'm a green person. Always drawn to it...
(I must apologize for the lovely PINK shirt!! ha ha... didn't notice this contrast until I downloaded the photo's!! )

Artist: L Project: underway.....

2 weeks since my surgery..tonight at midnight..

2007-10-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

I've returned to the land of the living.. my body is doing well with it's healing...

I still get fatigued over the day...yet it is better than I thought at 2 weeks (post surg).

It's quite amazing how I recover from an physicial assault to my being...

I've observed a few distinct stages I seem to have gone through.

Oblivion: when in the fray of the appendicitis... pre-occupied with pain, nausea, a vagueness etc Actually took Bruce's prompt of ..."lets go to emerg..please" ...

Blind acceptance: when the plan for intervention is struct, usually by a physician to deal with the event..meds, further tests, surgery etc.

Fogginess: immediately after surgery....use of meds to help with the pain and assist with the creation of the 'fog' .. no untoward oops's happened...phew!

Gentle repair/Care: time to test out the system and find the best and worst positions... time to embrace family/friends kind words, gestures... care

Lagtime/convolesence : mind wants to do more..body says..nix.. body says lets do more and mind says nix.... not in cinq

I need more time to get better co-ordinated b/t mind/body, so I return to work tomorrow, Thursday...for a few hours and see how I do.

(surgeon said 2 weeks off work post-op is now the 'norm'...used to be 4-6 weeks for an open appendectomy...hmmm ..the procedure is the same...as it was 10 years ago... why the difference?)

Potential problem: me doing too much ...too soon.

My new learning: not to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Entertainment:

Went to the Tom Thomson gallery night at the movies on Sunday and really enjoyed a quirky...family type (dysfunctional albeit) movie

"Introducing the Dwights"with Brenda Blethyn... as a chatty, outrageous, driven woman, single mom...with a wonderfully insightful CP son, and hardworking caring older son...and all their drama's...

I shed a few tears at one point in this movie...because it was about a mother loosing her grown children to the world...and how she will need to get on with HER life now....without the " on- duty" responsibilities she had always had for 22 years.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Corkscrew Hazel

2007-10-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

This is a favourite photo of a Corkscrew Hazel...(clarification: this is a photo from England not on my property!) and my friend L has one in her yard that is well on it's way to being a tree...
G has one out in front of our place that is slowly morphing into a tree as well... I have a sad one in my backyard from last year's garden centre cast off...that needs more sunlight exposure..

I do like them as a tree...not a bush. Very " Hanzel and Gretal-ish" or Big Fish-ish.

Tired day for moi...
Lovely Butter Chicken dinner and salad... with homemade banana loaf and whipped creme... to end the day. Nightie night.

Suddenly Monday wasn't so nice

2007-10-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here's me just back from hospital, it's Friday morn.
Monday night I became very ill.. abdo pain extraodinaire.. Stayed home from work Tues...went to hospital Tues night, stayed for 6 hours, came home.
Went back to hospital Wednesday for more tests..and CT scan. CT scan only test that truly confirmed 'Appendicitis'. As it was hidden behind...
Surgery at 11 pm Wednesday
Stayed 12 hours in post op anaesthetic room as there were no in patient beds available, then went to my own nursing unit for the next 12 hr.... then home., Thursday at 1030pm.

I was cared for by nurses/doctors I had either worked with or trained... and I was very proud of their professionalism and caring!!

I was very quiet for most of Tuesday and crabby...and that's unusual...many folks said I must be very ill... and I guess I was. After pain control was given I began to talk again. The recovery from surgery is uncomfortable, yet tolerable... Monday night was truly hell...for me... and I've had 2 babies 'au natural', and a miscarriage at 14 weeks with hemorrhage, and lymph node removal between my lungs...to compare it too.

I took myself off all the heavy narcotics/anti-inflammatory drugs Thurs am..as they were making me very loopy and horridly dizzy/pukie... by 3pm I was feeling back to myself...only Tylenol plain and ibuprofen...on the menu now. And REST.

Sounds like I'm off work now for a few weeks and lifting will be restricted. I'm looking forward to not having the gnawing ache I had lived with for years.... We humans cope with many things without question...don't we?

New designs and new veggies to try

2007-10-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Very low key weekend... we are both still recovering from the post nasal drips...etc... yet went to the market and had a good sale day...

Hard to get up in the dark though !!

I've moved into a whole new design burst... and it's about time...as I was starting to feel repetitive... Here's one example of a pair I became fond of.

Bruce ventured out to buy our veggies at the market and got to talking to some friends who were selling their organic...jams, beans...purple spinach...and these..
Jerusalem Artichokes.. rooty crop...

Bruce cooked them up for dinner tonight and they definitely need an acquired appreciation... I love Artichokes...and these have a "hint" of the flavour...yet ...they tasted waxy...ish.. not a fav of mine, yet I'm glad I tasted them.

Colourful..

We received a bit of an alert...
Jannah needed to get out of PNG on an emerg evac and although she left us a voice message this aft...that she is ok... we are awaiting connection to actually speak with her... it doesn't sound good.... for any future expeditions though.

News from J update:
Nothing happend to J...she was only taken off the trek this time to assist a participant in getting back to Port Moresby for treatment. (She had already walked the 96 K over 9 days..and this was a second group which followed the first trek!)
A blind gentleman on the Kokoda trek who was in great physical shape..blew his right knee while on day 2 of the hike. J volunteered to be his companion on the transport out.... Now, she loved the helicopter experience and ...yes... wants to persue this further sometime...
She is back in Queensland and a bit lonely...

TGIF

2007-10-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Long week, many meetings to attend, prepare for and plan... Covered lots of territory within the hospital.... Teaching Neonatal resuscitation update is the main goal this fall.... my scribblings are on flipcharts everywhere it seems.

I'm off to Wiarton hospital on Tuesday... Lovely spot.
I transport lots of training gear here and there...and now have my own "cart"...

This little intubation head and I...have seen many kilometers!!

I've decided to photo-journal each class taught this summer/fall...to record our progress visually..as it takes great effort to setup and run a 4 hour session and we have some brand new instructors on board now, who bring life back into the program. They have risen to the challenge and have done amazingly well.

Next the physicians will be taught....that's on for December.
Off to the Market tomorrow...then some well deserved DOWN time... :)

A Tuesday Morning in October

2007-10-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

Not great photo's of our new visitors...yet they are a welcome sight.

Since Jane removed all of the cedars along the fence line...and left only one damaged one... we lost the cardinals visits....

They love Gwynda's feeder...

Waiting...
for a turn...at the feeder... bird thinks: "hmm there's a feeder below...yet it's empty??? what's with that?"

Maybe it's time to fill ours....as the temperature will soon plummit and the feathered friends will need some fuel.

Teaching in Wiarton

2007-09-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today I had a chance to have a lunch break before teaching and I decided to go to the Spirit Rock spot we hiked on Sunday.
It was very, very humid yet the steady off shore breeze was wonderful.

I'd planned on doing some kayaking here this weekend...as there are several launches to get me into the water. The Sunday water was calm , no wind...looked very reasonable ...today the wind was large, and was pushing out to the larger Georgian Bay.... would not be a nice kayak trip... Once again Georgian Bay is a reckon to deal with...very unpredictable...and large... with big winds..

These folks were struggling to keep the dingy on path...and they had a motor.. doesn't look too wavey...yet it was.

I listened to Chuck Bakers music and had a relaxing rest....
what a nice start to the afternoon teaching!

Wiarton Hospital is very clean... so nice to see.

Here we are...heading along

2007-09-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

How can you not take a lovely photo!! they are just waiting to be captured..

Joanne and Doug came for dinner Sat night (actually brought it too! yummy) and after the meal & my fav martini... we walked to the local "Knox Acoustic Cafe" for a terrific performance of Chuck Baker and Pete Arbour... guitarists/vocalists. We all had a great time listening to a new talent. Great voice..and guitar riffs... Enjoyed a hot cuppa of coffee... natch..
Sunday we had breakfast and headed off to walk a small piece of the Bruce Trail... HEY you need to start small... right?

We decided to see Spirit Rock trail...along the water of course...
It ended up being about a 5k walk in total...over boulders, rocks...up cliffs..on a conveniently built...spiral staircase...and into forests of maple, birch, poplar and pine.

Sudden driftwood appears... gently moving sailboat in full sail...sparkling sunlight water...tourquoise.. and poof a photo.

Bruce relaxing ....

Joanne was convinced to sit a while...for a view....

Here's the trail... feet needed to become secure walking first..the moving bolders teased our ankles...so with sturdy walking stick in hand...all was well.

Jo is now convinced of the benefits of using the walking sticks!

These large rock chunks...must have broken off from the upper ledge at some point a millenium prior...and are resting next to the water now....with trees growing out of them at jaunty angles.

I'm always humbled by the area that surrounds us.... clean..free...available to all.~ Hope to discover more of this fine land...next weekend!

Bruce Trail : Spirit Rock, North of Wiarton

2007-09-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

Continuing on.......

This rock outcropping edged slowly into Georgian Bay, Such beauty.

Stone stairs come out of no where and guide us up..the mossy path. Joanne and Doug seemed to enjoy the view.

Then, the spiral staircase up the rock cliff appears...

So we climb up... Bruce, Doug, Jo...me last. Some stairs are repaired...yet it seems quite sturdy...

Close up of my foot and stair

Next, we arrive at the skeleton.

This empty shell of a palatial home was known as the 'Corran' ... (Gaelic: for point of land running into the sea) built in 1882, from local stone, wood..that housed 17 rooms.. view of the bay and numerous rose bushes (500 varieties!) ,and fruit trees that surrounded the property of 121 hectares of land ...now the surrounding trees have grown too tall...so no view of bay.....the lady of the house died in 1906 before it was completely finished. The Corran suffered a fire a one point. Local conservationists made the remains safer...with reno's...yet kept the shell intact for us to see. Must have been quite the extravagant structure.

I really enjoyed the contrasting grays..... and played with it..

This would be a grand music area...or theatre venue...if it had a concrete pad poured and stairs to sit on... They did this on Manitoulin Island at Wiki...and it truly was an inspiring experience....

Sept Farmers Market

2007-09-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Well Saturday ...Bruce was up and gone at 0630 to set up all my stuff at the market... I was struggling to get going... and eventually met up at 0730..

I've been adopted by the 10 year old grand-daughter of the women I sell next to. Erica is keenly interested in jewellry and since I bought child sized East Indian decorative bracelets...she has become my 'model'.. and when I need to travel to the bathroom occasionally and leave my stall...she covers my spot and loves to help the customers!... (with close observation from Grandma!)

It's very nice to see/listen to this young girls understanding of the market. She or her older sis, help Grandma each Saturday with unloading, setting up and taking down...while assisting in selling. Of course small treats are shared with them...such as freshly made chicken pie...for lunch.. or a hot chocolate from a vendor, and of course, the lady with the bracelets..gives them a cut in the price.. It's the vendor's code...

I periodically snap a photo or two of my ever evolving display...so I can see it at a distance...for improvement strategies.

I bought a bunch of Pashmina's at my supplier in TO they have been selling like hotcakes...!! (Pashmina: cashmere wool and silk large shawl/scarf) I'll be needing to order more...for Christmas gifts I'm sure.

Might need to drive to TO...one weekend b/f SNOW.

I also bought the table cover from my Pashmina supplier...and it's really a sarong that extends...14'!.. so I just double it up for this display... perhaps I'll need it on a large table one day! It's a wonderful rich colour and adds a bit of pizzazz... to the display. A friend mentioned he would like a shirt made from it. Hmm.. I'll need to watch him...

Bruce would love the vegetarian lunch Leslie and I had when we were at when we visited the Toronto International Film Festival...recently... It was at the 'Sidhartha..pure vegetarian cuisine' ... on Gerrard...Lunch Buffet $8.99!
OMG....too delicious.

DJ Kids Scratching!

2007-09-21T09:25:00.001-07:00

agile hands, keen freedom and fun...

A Hoya!!... has entered my realm

2007-09-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

A friend has left Canada with her partner...to live/work in China and she left me this plant to sit. I love plants

I knew nothing about Hoya's....
Strange large tropical leaves, on long stiff vines, and then little clumps of bud-like appendages... about every 8 inches.

While on the computer chatting with our offspring one night.. after having the plant in the house for a week, I smelled a most intriguing odour. Subtle at first...then I felt nauseated!! ... Sort of a lilac scent...only heavily accented!

I believe this plant bloomed about 12 clumps of flowers, all at once in a matter of minutes, from tightly closed waxy pods... to these...(as described on Google).. as porcelain in appearance and so perfect they look fake...flowers.... It is so true. They are amazing little bouquets!

The google site also recommended clipping off the blooms if they permeate your life, as some folks dislike the scent.

I liked the scent...didn't like the feeling of being overtaken..

I did clip off the bouquets...... and placed them in a lovely bowl on the porch outside...to see...but not smell.

This is how the plant looks... in general prior to
bloom-ectomy....

I have recovered from my TIFF adventure in TO... Lovely 5 day vacation for me. Saw 7 excellent films with great variety from many continents.

My tour guide Leslie deftly manuevered through the maze of films available to us on the 4 days... while keeping the distances b/t each theatre in the forefront...for walking ease....

Some paparazzi... anyone?... line up fun.. Notice all the Pashmina's!!! I look tired.... hmmmm

~~~~

I was moved, appalled, heartwarmed, and exposed to many elements displayed in each film. Small children speaking lines from their actual lives, stories of need, abandonment and saddness with a sprinkling of hope, promise and joy.

I always feel filled and empty at the same time while taking in the new flavours of the films.

I got to also visit most of my favourite haunts to shop...gaze and bring home...always such fun.

Also got to spend some time with my youngest daughter...for a meal, earring exchange, health check-in (I'm still concerned) and hugs.

Luv...You.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I came home with a scratchy throat...that progressed to a chill making... headstuffing, chest coughing...reminder...of overdoing..it. Long drives etc.

Hard work in the garden

2007-09-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Some Monday garden shots... focused on the back garden today... weeded, and applied topsoil.
Next mulch... I've decided to try this tactic in hopes of smothering the weeds sprouts...then the cold will come..and snow... (boo)... then the spring and I won't have weeds... :) Hey I can dream...

New to this garden... Rubeccia... large, yellow multi-shaded daisy.....ish..
perennial...

A start at the new garden by the new shed.

Always way more to do , then I can get to. Yet, I'm content with the work done today... and I need my massage chair now... and a hot shower.. Bruce is making chocolate chip oatmeal cookies... that I may need to sample....

Kitchen make-over

2007-09-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well I decided to finally redo the kitchen... well remove old green wallpaper and paint anyway.

Soon the beige;buff; mocha light...colour will be gone for a sort of pumpkin-ish...colour. We're not sure if we like it yet... hey , it's only paint.

Before:

During: wallpaper tear off.. TSP wall cleaning...and rinsing.

First side of room, first coat.... lots of nooks and crannies!!! I'd forgotten that... :( and the flash camera..makes the colour look very yellow...

Ok, so this view shows how the various lights change the same colour... interesting... the ceiling will be a warmer hue...eventually ,as I hate doing ceilings!! Still haven't done my bedroom ceiling yet!

This colour certainly makes the wood look richer.

That's it for now.. I'm in the garden pulling old plants...de-weeding, top-soiling and mulching.. Great day outside today... and I'm thankful for our shade trees today...

A cheap date Aug 18

2007-08-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

Bruce and I took our sleeping bags, mats, tea and cookies...drove out to the country, found a suitable (away from city lights) place...and laid down on the grass...and awaited the show!!. Counted numerous satellites, planes and other unidentifiable stuff??

The Perseids was the active part tonight and it was encouraging to see the clear ski at 10 pm... We saw a few zoomers...meteorites streaking across here and ..oh,...over there.. and it was truly relaxing. I was very close to snoozing...as I do in the planetarium...too... :) I think we counted around 20 at the end...and packed everything up just after midnight.

The next day I heard on the CBC that the meteorite show, really picked up towards 5 am... to offer 40-60 an hour!! It is very humbling to gaze into the beyond and see how wee .....we are.