...and the livin' is easy

Through the Years . . . Post Valentine

2012-02-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

During the 1962-63 school year Sherwin made a book cover for his Chemistry 20 class. He wrote popular song names around and around, ending in the middle with a song named "Shirley". . .

which I have hanging in my office. And then a close-up. . .

So, on Tuesday it was a delightful surprise to receive this lovely Valentine card.

Good lyrics for us.

Have a great weekend and be well.

Springtime on Mayne

2012-02-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush."

-Doug Larson

"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring."
-George Santyana

"Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment!"
-Ellis Peters

Grateful today for the first tangible signs of spring in my backyard. How is it in your country?

One More Time . . . Through Paris. . . With Feeling

2012-02-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

On April 9 of 2011 my sister Marilyn and I boarded a plane in Calgary and within hours we landed in Paris, France. To get into the spirit of this posting play this music while you look at the photos below.

Now with the mood set, come along for a sneak peek of 17 glorious days...

Room with a bit of a view...

Above you see Marilyn getting ready to enter the compound around the Louvre. Love the Louvre.

An open-air-double-decker bus gave us a grand view of grand subjects.

Next time I go back I will make sure I take a river cruise.

The Opera House...we went back 3 times before we could get inside to see the ceiling. Opéra National de Paris Garnier. There is another Opera House on the east side of the city but this is the one with The Ceiling!

Since Marc Chagall is an art hero for us it was so awesome to see the ceiling.

Bicycle rentals are available all over town if you are into mob cycling.

Back end view of Notre-Dame Cathedral. We were there a few days before Easter so the line-ups to get into some attractions were too overwhelming and we just kept walking. Another next-time view.

Loved the art deco signs for the metro...

At the end of the day it was hard for me to say good-night and put my camera away.

And, of course, The Tower! I probably have a hundred photos of just this tower but we never did go up. The line-ups were very long and we just didn't feel we had enough time or patience for that.

Before I left for Paris I had read about this bridge with padlocks. We walked across it often to go between the north and south sides of the Seine where we lived. Notice all the padlocks attached to the fence along the sides of the bridge?

Well, you come to the bridge with your lover and a padlock. You put your padlock onto the fence, lock it and then throw your key into the Seine. That seals your love forever!

Versailles in all her glory! My friend, Lorne, said, ...'and that wasn't over the top?'

Looking out the back side of the Chateau the gardens were so awesome.

We rented a golf cart for the tour of the gardens and the Petit Trianon and the Grand Trianon. Marie Antoinette and her husband each had a little Chateau out on the back 40 to get away from it all.

This is the courtyard at Marie Antoinette's Petit home.

Don't you just love those darling little cherubs? When we drove out through the gardens the fountains were not working, coming back they showed off for us very nicely.

As the day ended we turned to look out behind us and said goodbye to the Grand Canal which is the view from the back side of Versailles.

So Marilyn left exactly one week after we had arrived and Gail came from Spain where she had been touring and joined me for the last 9 days.

A trip to Paris is not complete without a little shopping...Au Printemps was my favourite department store with spectacular merchandising.

And because I am a sucker for open-air-double-decker bus rides, Gail and I did the same tour that I had just done the week before with Marilyn. That tower has a charm that pulls you back again and again.

The artists at work along the way up to Sacré Coeur.

Sacré Coeur was the only place we toured where they asked me to shut off my camera and put it away. Lovely cathedral.

Viewed the movie "Moulin Rouge" before I left home...this was somewhat disappointing in size.

St. Eustache is a great church we found where the lines of people were non-existant but it was still a very beautiful place of worship.

The windows are magnificent.

Outside in the courtyard in front of the church is a large sculpture done by Henri Miller.

You can see by the wear and colour that people crawl all over it and perch there for photos or fun.

We took the Metro out to Père Lachaise to see the graves of famous people. Chopin is buried there; Marcel Proust, Edith Piaf and of course, Jim Morrison have all come to rest in this spot. My favourite graves were for Heloise and Abelard, the greatest lovers of all time. If you do not know about these two, Google it up!

Napoleon is buried under that golden dome. That man definitely left his mark on Paris.

This small church was just footsteps from our hotel so every night Gail and I would buy our supper in a bag and bring it here to eat outside to people-watch and enjoy the evening.

Our last day there we enjoyed the Luxembourg Gardens better known as The Shelby Gardens. When he and I talked on Skype he asked, have you been to my gardens yet?

Aha, so this is why Shelby owns the gardens! There is a section set aside for tables of chess players.

Gail tried to get some reading done while I wandered and snapped photos.

But then it was time to say goodbye to Paris. It truly is a magical town that pulls at your heart.

Oh yes, before I leave you I must tell you about the Sheraton hotel we stayed in the last night right at the airport. This hotel is part of the airport. It is so sound proof that you hear nothing once you are in the bedroom area of the hotel. It is so cool! We had early morning flights so appreciated the closeness to our airlines.

Hope I have either reminded you of your trips there or whetted your appetite to go. It was pure joy; just going through these photos again makes me want to make reservations. And a very special thank you to Marilyn and Gail.

Tell me your favourite memory of Paris or any other trip that brings back fond memories.

(just want you all to know I only showed you 100th of the photos I actually took...now you have something more to be grateful about... )

Love Expressed . . .

2012-02-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

i carry your heart with me
e.e. cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you.

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

The language of love
was never the worse
for some overstatement.
-Antonio Machado

Early in the morning

my hand reaches out

to find you gone, or

sometimes purring still,

all warm and cozy,

having slept the sleep

of angels.

But then at night

we know,

we cannot sleep so well

without the other

curled up beside;

long-married-love

does see us through.

-Shirley Ann

Simply Sabbath

2012-02-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

Sabbath came and Sabbath went . . . way too quickly. But I was most thankful for quiet peaceful rest today. This past week I packed up and moved a lot of 'stuff' into boxes to be eventually used upstairs in our new studio. So I was ready for the rest.

Sabbath means different things to different people but for me today I thought of that old hymn:

O, day of rest and gladness,
O, day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful and bright. . .

If you continue in the song you will come upon the words:

A day of sweet reflection
Thou art, a day of love,
A day to raise affection
From earth to things above. . .

In times past I remember how hard we worked some Sabbaths. There was little time for quiet reflection or rest or gladness. Now I am so thankful I have time for all of that.

How did your Sabbath go? Tell me, what does this day mean to you?

Wishing you all a beautiful new week, wherever you are.

What Makes My World Go Round . . .

2012-02-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

Love does make my world go round but there are other minor items that help when the love feels a little thin...ha, ha...nothing thin around here these days.

So here is a cross-section of what works for me, now, today:

1. Outside my window... right now we are between rain showers and the sun is making it's thin showing on a cloudy day. I hear someone working with a chainsaw below us and I see squirrels scampering about on the rocks leading to my garden. Sometime later... I just had to come back into my post and tell you about the eagle that just flew past my new office window. I know, I am a lucky girl. Most fortunate.

2. I am thinking... I am ready for spring. The kind of spring when I can kneel down and tend the earth without getting completely wet.

3. I am thankful... so thankful for my new pantry. It is small but concise and to-the-point, just like I like it!

4. In the kitchen... the ingredients are sitting waiting for me to make some more cookies.

5. I am wearing... a purple LuLuLemon hoodie with a chartreuse vest and the two colours are wonderful. Should do a room with those two colours.

6. I am creating... a pillow cover in needlepoint. Actually I started it a long time ago and have promised myself it will not get set aside again in favour of some new, hotter hand work. No, I will finish this pillow. It is going to be beautiful but it has just been here too long.

7. I am going... to get my hair trimmed on Monday so I feel ready for our month long sojourn in the south in the month of March.

8. I am wondering... where should I begin on my afternoon to-do list. I always have such high expectations of what all I can do in a day. I wake full of the dickens but by 4 or 5 in the day I have started to get the fades. What's with that?

9. I am reading... I have started a new book called, Unbroken, that my sister gave me for Christmas. It promises to be a rewarding read...about a man who survived against all odds.

10. I am looking forward to... March 2 when we fly to New Orleans!! Tah, dah!!!

11. I am learning... to run this new Abdoer machine we bought to keep me limber and flexible! Now there is a challenge...Old Rusty here needs a lot of help! But it does feel good to have done it first thing in the morning. Check back with me in a few months.

12. A favourite quote for today...

"Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others." -Jacob M. Braude

13. One of my favourite things... unusual outdoor sculptures.

So now that you know all these bits about me I would say that turn-about is fair play... tell me about you. Use the same list if you would like or make up a new one. Tell me about your day, your life.

God bless and be well.

Remembering In the Middle of the Week...

2012-02-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

Somehow, for a dyed-in-the-wool prairie girl, the ocean and beaches hold a marvellous charm. They lure me and when those two are combined with warm weather, well I am a gonner'.

This photo was taken two years ago now, on my poor/little/old camera but still gives the heavy-sky sub-tropical look of Cabo. That sky is very typical of the Mexico we lived in for some time too. But the warm air is everything you wish it to be.

Maggie and Milly and Molly and May

2012-02-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which faced sideways while blowing bubbles; and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

for whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea.

e.e. cummings

Monochromatic Monday . . .Lesson in Black & White

2012-02-06T11:49:00.000-08:00

This morning as I was helping Sherwin install a video onto his blog I found these lessons on black and white photography. They are within easy reach right on YouTube.

Is that not a clever thing? And now that I have photoshop installed on my computer I am set to experiment even more with my project...looking for the best black and white subjects in my files.

Tell me. . .How do you see the world? Are there days when it looks pretty black and white with shades of grey or are you a constant colour person?

How do you dream? Do you see colour in your dreams or just remember impressions of shapes and feelings?

May your new week be full of colour and texture and effects. Look closely about you and you will see shades of colour you didn't think were there at first glance. Look closely.

But before I leave you today I will send you a before/after set of photos . . .

or maybe this. . .

"My soul is full of longing

For the secret of the sea,

And the heart of the great ocean

Sends a thrilling pulse through me."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

And do tell me if you find the tutorial to be of value to you?

Canadian Humour

2012-02-05T21:13:00.000-08:00

In all the cleaning and moving about in this house, the bookshelves are coming under scrutiny. Too many books . . . too little space. But there are plans for many bookshelves upstairs so since it is time to clean I will sort through them and box them up for a new spot in the house.

While going through my books I have come across two antiques. "Sunshine Sketches" and "Laugh With Leacock", both written by Stephen Leacock, a Canadian writer, who in the early 20th century was the best known humorist in the English speaking world.

(isn't he a pleasant looking fellow?)

As a teenager at school I always enjoyed a good Leacock story read aloud and enjoyed by the entire class. Thinking back I can see how amazingly the world of literature has changed in just the past 50 years. What we thought humorous then would most likely be looked upon as quaint and very out of date now.

"Advertising: the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money out of it."

"Many a man in love with a dimple makes the mistake of marrying the whole girl."

"He flung himself from the room, flung himself upon his horse and rode off madly in all directions."

As you can see it was a gentle humour.

"The Lord said, let there be wheat, and Saskatchewan was born."

"Professor Leacock (Leacock was a professor of political science at McGill University) has made more people laugh with the written word than any other living author. One may say he is one of the greatest jesters, the greatest humorist of the age." - A. P. Herbert

Have a lovely new week. As time permits read good books that will make you smile.

God bless and be well.

Practical Application of a Childhood Lesson

2012-02-04T22:43:00.000-08:00

Some time ago I got my mother's attention when I told her that I was making a list of things she taught me over the years. We had a good laugh when I assured her I was only writing down the good stuff.

This past week that conversation came back to me as we worked around here trading offices. Why? Well, one of the most important characteristics that Mother passed on to her girls is the value of order and tidiness. Now, of course, some of the sisters have 'drank the kool-aid' more avidly than others but if you knew my mother you knew she liked things in place and in good working order.

When I made the suggestion to Sherwin that he may like my office because it could give him the space that he desperately needed, I didn't think it would be this chaotic. I didn't think that I would feel as displaced as I did or that it would be this much work. Just another suggestion in my long list of ideas.

This room has been my nest since we moved here nearly 10 years ago. I originally wanted the little room at the west end of the house because of the view and the coziness but I had worked with the larger east office and made it Mine.

I started by emptying out my office, bit by bit, placing the boxes and furniture in the living or dining room. The floors were scrubbed, the walls dusted and the book shelves cleaned. Sherwin was going to get a clean office.

Then I walked on over to his office and oh my!!!

But slowly it has all evolved and tonight we are sitting at opposite ends of the house working on our computers in our new offices. When we are more settled I will take the 'after' photos that will show us in our new environments.

This is the beginning of my new office. . .

And Sherwin is having fun settling into his new digs.

We still are walking through a small aisle from one end of the house to the other, trying to sort through the 'stuff' we don't think we want back in our offices.

Our art supplies are being put away for a new day upstairs in the new studio which gives us both a lot more space to do the day-to-day work we want to do at our desks now.

"Order and simplification are the first steps towards the mastery of a subject."
-Thomas Mann

Hope your week was more orderly than mine and wishing you great new days ahead.
Be well.

2012-01-31T12:16:00.000-08:00

"It is by knowing where you stand

that you grow able to judge where you are."

- Eudora Welty

Monochromatic Monday

2012-01-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I tried to email this photo to my Walla Walla children but they were not able to open the photo so I thought I would try to make this photo my black and white (Mono Monday). Let's see how it comes out.

Hmmm . . . not sure I would like the second photo best. But this way I am getting the photo off to my kids.

You all have a day full of colour, even if you have to make the colour yourself.

Be well.

In Remembrance . . .

2012-01-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 100th birthday of Barbara Tuchman, a writer of history. Her love for history and her ability to write a good story went together so naturally and gave her the success with her books that she found.

Mrs. Tuchman wrote about a dozen books over the years starting out when her two oldest daughters were young and she still felt the need to be home with them. When she passed away at the age of 77 her latest book was on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Of her dozen books, I have only read four. But I am always on the lookout for another. If you love history, well told, pick one up and enjoy. Of the four I have read I cannot recommend one over another... they were all great books.

Barbara Tuchman is high on my list of 'people of influence' in my life.

Have a great day and be well.

2012-01-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

"I have always loved the beach. The smell of the salty water, the wind in my face, the gentle roar of the waves all combine to create a sense of peace and calm." - Author Unknown

First Sign of Spring . . .

2012-01-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

Clean - up has started around here already, for which I am most thankful. When it is warm enough for me to stay out and rake I know that spring is really coming. The tractor and my rakes are my constant companions.

Book Review . . ."God's Secretaries"

2012-01-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

Bible translation discussions or debates have never interested me. It seemed to me that people were very committed to their position about the value of certain translations, but I figured that until I understand the origins of the different translations I don't have anything to say in any translation argument.

Over the years I have read the Bible through, using a different version each time. I have read it in The King James, The New King James, The New American Standard Bible and then a paraphrase, The Clear Word Bible. Each time was a delight though I did take the paraphrase with a grain of salt. After all, I have paraphrased a good portion of the Bible myself and I know who I am so that version did not hold much weight with me.

And then I was introduced to Adam Nicolson. He wrote the book, "God's Secretaries" that I mentioned last night in my gratefulness post about the wonderful books at my disposal. Well, today I finished the book and when I clicked on my Kindle and saw that I was starting the last page of the last chapter I cried. I did not want this story to end.

Mr. Nicolson leads the reader through the culture of the early 17th century when the Translators worked to put together a Bible at the behest of King James soon after his ascension to the throne in England. There were 60-some men who met in different places in groups of about 10 tackling their assigned sections of the Bible. These men were very educated, knew their Hebrew and their Greek, with interesting stories to tell.

It is a wonderful story. If you love the English language you will truly delight in the way Mr. Nicolson handles his subject. If you love The Bible you will be so pleased to understand better all the twists and turns that have kept that book alive through this crazy world's history. If you love Shakespeare and his use of the English language you will appreciate this book.

And then...

Tonight I found the following You Tube video/documentary of Mr. Nicolson talking about the making of his book.

I realize that this documentary is not short but it was a great thrill for me to find it. Sherwin has it figured that if he watches the doc he won't have to read the book.

This is the first full book I have completed on my Kindle. I have come to the conclusion that there are books to buy as an e-book and there are books to buy hard copy. This is definitely one that needs the real thing if you tend to want to underline, go back and easily get quotes, etc. etc. etc.

This book comes to you from me with a High recommendation.

Happy end to the week and be well.

Simply Sabbath

2012-01-28T12:32:00.000-08:00

Winter is the Best Time

by David Budbill

Winter is the best time

to find out who you are.

Quiet, contemplation time,

away from the rushing world,

cold time, dark time,

holed-up pulled-in time and space

to see that inner landscape,

that place hidden and within.

Tell me, what is it that you like about winter? What is your method of coping with the dark time of the year? How do you make the time move forward when it feels otherwise?

Gratitude

2012-01-27T22:06:00.000-08:00

What is it about a good book that draws you and warms or even chills you but compels you to keep turning the pages, making you downright sad when the last page is read?

Since I was a young girl I have loved to read and have been known to take a flashlight to bed with me back then. Books still hold an attraction, whether it is my Kindle or a bona fide hard copy of the book of the moment.

I am coming to the end of "God's Secretaries", which is a brief encounter with the men who translated the Bible in the time of King James of England. Adam Nicolson, a fine researcher and storyteller, keeps you returning every chance you get to read about this motley crew that gave us a most brilliant sample of the English language.

At the beginning of the year I said I would read one book at a time and the first month is not behind us and I have also started "The Hobbitt". Have to get ready for the movie coming out at the end of the year.

And then I purchased the hard copy of "The Princess and The Goblin" by George MacDonald. MacDonald was an inspiration to CS Lewis.

Which all leads me to the point of thankfulness this week. I love books, words, the English language well used, and the ability to read. When my eyes were not well during the past couple years, I read less and less so am happy to get my new eyes and most grateful for the wonderful books that have come my way already this month.

"Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love." - Rumi

"A book is made from a tree. It is an assemblage of flat, flexible parts (still called 'leaves') imprinted with dark pigmented squiggles. One glance at it and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, the author is speaking, clearly and silently, inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people. citizens of distant epochs, who never knew one another. Books break the shackles of time, proof that humans can work magic." - Carl Sagan

Tell me, what are you reading right now? And do you recommend it?

Go curl up with a good read and be well.

Pre-breakfast sky today on Mayne Island

Mid-Week Mystery

2012-01-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

Who, What, Where and How?

I think I need to start offering prizes for my mysteries...

Have a great day! Be well.

Lesson Learned

2012-01-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

Due to personal taste, I guess, I have never been terribly fond of African Violets. I like the flowers (only if they are the right shade of blue/purple) and I am fussy about the leaf colour too . . . I know, fussy, fussy, fussy.

But last June when we visited Sherwin's sister she had a violet that is said to have been handed down from my mother-in-law, Charlotte, to her granddaughter Stephanie, passed on to Rose, the mother of Stephanie and now I was being offered this plant.

Violets sometimes have the look of having gone on a long journey without packing the proper clothes, you know, sort of ragged and rough. That is how my violet was starting to look and I determined to figure out how one is REALLY supposed to care for them.

Google is a wonderful tool and so I set my mind to learning all I could about the tender love and care necessary to having a happy violet.

The first thing I learned was that the violet needs to be transplanted once a year.

The violet also does not like too big a pot. Measure your plant and if it is 9" from tip to tip of the petals then your pot should be a 3" pot. That seemed pretty small to me but that is what the experts say and they know more than I do.

I also read that the stem that shows above the soil should be scraped down and buried under the soil so new roots can shoot off of it and give you lovely new growth.

One thing I did know from previous experience with transplanting other small house plants was to put the finished plant into a mini-greenhouse atmosphere. I happen to have an old fruit ripener from 20 years ago that works very well. Once my violet has started giving up new leaves I can take it out of that environment and let it just be.

One more care-tip that was not on Google, but I know helps, is the singing and talking-to that a plant requires to flourish. Soft lullabies are good, anything with a sweet comforting sound.

So now, when you come to visit, I do hope to have a lovely violet for you to admire. If you do not see a violet in my sitting room you will know that it met the compost heap out back.

Now that looks like a grannie blog, for sure!

Have a lovely day, rain or shine, and be well.

Monochromatic Monday

2012-01-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

Something about these palm trees turned into Black & White reminds me of Southern California in the old photos from the 40's and 50's. It seems to me that not all nature shots look great in B&W but the texture of these tree photos taken in November and December of 2005 in Mexico, give the contrast needed.

This next one, in particular, has the old time look. Notice the moon still keeping watch? Gotta get me a book on B&W so I can make that moon pop out, if possible. Or maybe just download my Photoshop program.

Wishing you all a colourful week.

Be well.

(These photos were altered into B&W, sharpness was added and one level of 'boost' on my Mac computer.)

At The End of The Day

2012-01-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

"No one but Night, with tears on her face,

Watches beside me in this windy place."

-Edna St.Vincent Millay

Listography . . .Your Life in List Form

2012-01-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

After a great rest yesterday I am ready for a new week, well, at least in my mind.

But I need a list, or do I? I promise not to bore you with the list of all I think I need to do in a new week, in fact I am beginning to wonder at the value of lists.

What is the purpose of a list? Does it make my mind lazy so that I don't have to think but just look at a piece of paper? Does a list remove the spontaneity of life?

Now on the other hand have I been accomplishing less lately because I am getting used to the chaos that has been surrounding me in this building project?

How is it that some folks can run with the wind, do as they wish, when they wish and sail through life in a rather breezy manner and then there are others who labour under the notion that life should be organized, tidy, taken with care, moved with prudence?

I did say, recently, that you can teach old dogs new tricks and I am proof of that but do I really want to give up the order of a previous life for the chaos and 'freedom' of a disordered life?

Hmmm . . .

Back to the lists. There is comfort in a good list. So much happens in a week with a good list. To me there is a strong correlation between a good list and good use of time. And you know me . . . I love the good use of time.

Ignore all that ramble up at the beginning of my blog. It feels good just to think of the beauty of time and remember the love of a good list well done!

"The common man is not concerned about the passage of time, the man of talent is driven by it."
- Schroppenaur

"It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?"
- Henry David Thoreau

"You're writing the story of your life, one moment at a time." - Doc Childre and Howard Martin

Simply Sabbath

2012-01-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful week . . . it was crazy fast but full of blessings. What I consider a blessing may be looked on by others as a pothole in the road of life. But there is always a sunny side to look at things. Just look at this weather we had . . .

We could whine and whinge and carry on about the weather (of course, we didn't, ha, ha) but when we woke this morning and all the snow was gone and the thermometer was well above freezing we doubly appreciated the change!

So now we are back to normal winter weather for our little island and happy for it.

This morning when I was asked if there was anything 'fun' for breakfast I figured I better shift gears and do something about that . . .

Why is it that I am so surprised that my scones turn out so heavenly? I don't make them often but am always surprised when they turn out so well. This is what is left of the eleven that came out of the oven.

Today, being Sabbath and all, I wish you a peaceful day. May your hearts rest easy in the great Maker of the Sabbath.

Lately I have been thinking of the Sermon on the Mount and what has been my response to those words so I am reading that again.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

"That man is perfect in faith who can come to God in the utter dearth of his feelings and desires, without a glow or an inspiration, with the weight of low thoughts, failures, neglects, and wandering forgetfulness, and say to Him, 'Thou art my Refuge'. - George MacDonald

Something Musical to Wind Down Your Week . . .

2012-01-20T14:44:00.000-08:00

"Music is the soul of language." - Max Heindel

"Music is the shorthand of emotion." - Leo Tolstoy

Whatever music means to you, it is a very personal thing. My children have appreciated music all through their lives and I see the enjoyment they derive from it.

I always thought I didn't have enough time to experiment and listen to various types of music but it seems with the media and technology we have at our fingertips today there is no excuse not to take a more serious look at the subject.

The following videos are not at all serious but three I found this week just snooping about online and all three appealed to me. All three are vastly different but they make me smile.

This first one speaks to my childhood and youth. CFCN in Calgary played this music and I can remember coming home from school, cleaning house and Marilyn would be in the living room dancing to the music. Good memories.

Times change and our horizons expand, don't they? Came across this next one and was amazed at the other talents of Hugh Laurie.

And finally, do enjoy this next one...one of my favourite singers and of course, what's not to love about watching the actors of a past era dance to his music.

Tell me which is your favourite? Why? And share with me your favourite singers, type of music and composers. I am proof positive that you can teach an old dog a new trick or two!

Mid-week Memory

2012-01-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

To give you all a smile on this wintery, blustery, cold day...when looking through some photos for a memory I saw this and thought of sunshine. Instant summertime! This is me and sister Roberta.

Winter Tuesday

2012-01-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

Snowflake

by William Baer

Timing's everything. The vapour rises

high in the sky, tossing to and fro,

then freezes, suddenly and crystalizes

into a perfect flake of miraculous snow.

For countless miles, drifting east above

the world, whirling about in a swirling free-

for-all, appearing aimless, just like love,

but sensing, seeking out, its destiny.

Falling to where the two young skaters stand,

hand in hand, then flips and dips and whips

itself about to ever-so-gently land,

a miracle, across her unkissed lips;

as he blocks the wind raging from the south,

leaning forward to kiss her lovely mouth.

Further to Mono Monday...

2012-01-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

a small improvement, I think...

Monochromatic Monday...

2012-01-17T10:27:00.000-08:00

Black and White photography has always intrigued me so in this new year I will be taking some of my old photos and playing with them, turning them into b&w.

Some subjects work better than others and this is a learning process.

Once a week I will put out another photo as I work towards a b&w portfolio. Hang in there with me, folks, for you are my first critics.

This photo was taken in Alamos, Mexico on December 12, 2004.

So far I am only using what is available for photo processing on my computer. It is good to enlarge it here as I can already see changes I should make to it.

Please feel free to add your comments and criticisms.

Wishing you just the right amount of colour to your week that you require.
Be well.

Quotes from Mr. King

2012-01-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been 83 years old today, had he lived. He had a vigorous, highly controversial life and died young.

Dr. King left behind some words of wisdom:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

"The true neighbour will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others."

"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."

"Are you able to accept blows without retaliation?"

"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamour of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."

Many people followed him in his mission of civil rights and today I have been remembering the work he did for all of us. When I read some of his writings I am embarrassed and ashamed to see inside my own heart and find it wanting.

This last quote says it best:

"If physical death is the price that I must pay to free my white brothers and sisters from a permanent death of the spirit, then nothing can be more redemptive."

Simply Sabbath . . .

2012-01-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

"Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord,

and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,

and uphold me."

Psalm 51

"Anybody can observe the Sabbath,

but making it holy surely takes the rest of the week."

- Alice Walker

Hope you have had a restful day.

Be well.

Gratefulness...

2012-01-13T23:41:00.000-08:00

There is no end to gratefulness. . . it runs through my life like a constant stream, some days maybe a trickle but most days a steady stream with even a surge once in a while! It seems I am surrounded with little things that mean a lot to me.

You may think this just another photo of another ferry. . .

If you look closely at the front of the ferry you will see a large white truck . . . those are our windows in that truck. The window boys had to take a ferry that took them to Saturna first but I caught them just as they are about to turn the corner towards Village Bay. We are so grateful for our lovely new windows for the reno/addition.

While I was out there getting that snap I looked at the lilac tree by Sherwin's office and there were buds! I am so grateful for the promise of spring.

And of course I am very grateful for my new pantry. The shelves are mostly up and the very first box that found a home there was the goodie box. So now you all know where to find the candy when you come.

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude."
- D. Waitley

I wish for you a grateful heart.
Be well.

Oops!

2012-01-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

very day that I learn something new re: my computer is a great day.

Today I figured out 2 new things. Now, please do not think me too ignorant, but I am still learning things that those of you born 10 years later than me seem to know by instinct. I think it is just because you are fearless and I am too timid.

No. 1. . . last night Sherwin told me that the comments that show up for each blog are not a good font size and maybe I could do something about that. So first thing this morning I worked on that and before I went off to attack the day I had that puzzle solved.

Now when you wish to comment on my blog just click on the 'comment' word at the end of that posting and it will open up to a clean white page where you can add your comment and be able to read it easily once posted. Very simple.

I do love to hear from my friends and followers and am happy to provide this spot for you to give me your feedback.

That was easy . . .

No. 2 . . . When possible I like to fit in a few minutes once in a while transferring information from my old Toshiba to my new Mac. That is not as easy as it sounds and requires focus and attention to detail. Tonight I wanted to start adding contacts to my new computer but I don't want to just transfer my whole address book from the old to the new.

So I opened the address book and figured that out. If your name is either Albrecht or Appudoray you are in my new address book, all clean and tidy and up-to-date.

Now I can go to bed and rest easy.

Remember, I love to hear from you whenever you have a question, a comment, a quote or a piece of advice for me.

Be well.

Making Memories in the Middle of the Week...

2012-01-11T19:58:00.000-08:00

In 2012 I am making a journal out of my blog. You get to travel through my year with me hearing the thoughts I am thinking (well, at least the printable ones), the photos I am taking that may add some interest to the story and sometimes a rundown of the day's activities.

'The Pantry' is the big subject of this week. We are both determined to get moved into that room soon. And it is coming along very nicely. We have done our best to get on the right side of the wood finishing lessons and Sherwin is also working on the tile for the floor.

Please don't let Sherwin tell you I never make him cookies...

Today we were both excited to see the first hook placed on the end gable of the new shelves...just for my aprons.

This afternoon we hauled out more 16'+ boards from the cabin to make room for the windows that will be delivered tomorrow. We will have to put a sealer on the stained window linings before installation. And a plumber came by to take a look and make up a quote for us too.

So, you can see we are making memories as we plow ahead on this project.

Have a lovely week in your part of the world.
Be well.

Whatever the Weather, Whether We Like it or Not...

2012-01-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

"Bad weather always looks worse through a window." - Tom Lehrer

When I know I should be outdoors doing something noble on the land and the weather looks particularly dull and dreary, I remind myself of this thought. It helps to get me out the door.

Just a Moment on Monday...

2012-01-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

"I'd like to be a lighthouse

All scrubbed and painted white.

I'd like to be a lighthouse

And stay awake all night.

To keep my eye on everything

That sails my patch of sea;

I'd like to be a lighthouse

With the ships all watching me."

-Rachel Lyman Field

A Good Day For Music...

2012-01-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

Elvis Aaron Presley

January 8, 1935

In honour of Elvis and mostly teenage memories...

Happy Birthday, Elvis...and Good Night.

(If the video does not play directly, please click Watch on YouTube.)

Simply Sabbath...

2012-01-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

There is a story in the book of Mark (5:25-35) of a woman who was looking to Jesus for healing. She had it in her mind that all she had to do was touch Him, His coat, any part of Him and she would be well.

This may sound somewhat superstitious but her heart was in it and she made her way through the crowd surrounding Jesus, touched His coat and immediately she knew she was healed. Quietly and quickly she tried to get away. She didn't want any fuss made over her and she knew Jesus was a busy man but no, He turned and found her. And then she falls on her knees before Him at His feet and confesses her need of His power.

Beautiful story . . . possibly more beautiful to women than men. And yet, whomever you are, the story has something for all of us. I found that until I was ready to fall on my face at the feet of Jesus and cry out my need to Him it was all hard work. Something changes in your heart when you can humble yourself at His feet and admit you don't have what it takes to make yourself whole.

There is a very old song that I heard a lot when I was a young girl that I thought of immediately when I was reminded of this story this week.

"She only touched the hem of His garment

As to His side she stole

Amid the crowd that gathered around Him;

And straightway she was whole.

Oh, touch the hem of His garment!

And, thou too shalt be free!

His saving power, this very hour

Shall give new life to thee!"

- George F. Root

Wishing you all a beautiful Sabbath.

Be well.

Thankful for Pleasant Surprises...

2012-01-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

Imagine my delight and surprise when I was cleaning my office this week and found this picture in one of the newsprint pads I keep on my art table.

Granddaughter Maizy left this for me and I had to share it with you all.

Wishing you only pleasant surprises in your life.

Be well.

Further To The Word of The Year...

2012-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

"Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control; the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not waiting passively until someone else does something.
Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are.
When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else. Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand." - Henri Nouwen

Mid-Week Memory...

2012-01-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

River Seine...April, 2011

Something You May Not Know About Me...

2012-01-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

The Goose

by Muriel Spark

Do you want to know why I am alive today?

I will tell you.

Early on, during the food-shortage,

Some of us were miraculously presented

Each with a goose that laid a golden egg.

Myself, I killed the cackling thing and ate it.

Alas, many and many of the other recipients

Died of gold-dust poisoning.

Further to New Year's Day . . .

2012-01-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

Something to make you smile . . .

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that these jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.

But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to?

The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage; but He is building a palace.

He intends to come and live in it Himself." - C. S. Lewis

Wishing you a lovely beginning to a great new week.

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

ucket Lists...have you looked at yours lately? Do you have a list of things you want to see accomplished in your lifetime? What does your list look like? Long or short? Grand or simple?

In times past I wrote lists that were very grand with lots of ideas and great expectations but this past year and during this new one, Sherwin and I will see one thing taken off my list through sheer persistence. It has surprised me how consuming this job has become and made me think twice about adding such ambitious ideas to my list another time.

I have always thought it would be so cool to renovate a house, take an older home and make it mine! Ha, ha, ha...when I awoke this morning and wandered over to my office I had to pass piles of goods that have been removed from rooms that are affected by our current renovation. Then after breakfast my darling husband started sanding boards in my kitchen. I became somewhat hysterical and just giggled because it was so amazing to see the dust float around.

Now maybe you don't know this about me but I do like an orderly home. I can stand debris, chaos and clutter only so long and then I flip.

Not a good way to start the year, I can assure you. But out of all this chaos will rise beauty...I do know it will get better, maybe not right away, but it will get better and then it will be absolutely smashing!

My word for 2012 has to be Patience!

"We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world."
- Helen Keller
"Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears."
- B. Johnson

Anyway, I do want to wish the whole world a wonderful year. I wish for you peace and harmony and above all, Patience!

Do remember...
"Everything will turn out all right in the end. If it isn't all right then it isn't the end."

Happy, happy New Year.

Simply Sabbath

2011-12-31T18:37:00.000-08:00

"In Christianity God is not a static thing...but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama. Almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance." - C. S. Lewis

Looking Over My Shoulder at 2011...

2011-12-31T12:19:00.000-08:00

t went by so quickly...2011, that is. Just 'yesterday' we were sharing ideas and lists for what we wanted to do in 2011 and now we are about to say good-night to the months, days, hours and minutes that roared by.

So, for a brief moment in time, come with me for a view of my year that is almost past. Looking back at my photo files for the year it is easy to see where 2011 went.

January found us at home weathering an island winter and from the photos it appears that it was rather mild and pleasant.

We knew that this was the year of the House Re-do so already Sherwin was working on plans and processes.

In February Shelby and family arrived for a weekend together. It is always so good to have children come home.

Don't you think Beatrice suits our house?

March found us heading south to visit friends and family in California. Sherwin's sister, Dolores, had her 80th birthday which we wanted to celebrate with her and husband, Merritt.

We also went past Angwin where we spent some time during Sherwin's college years. We enjoyed our time with Duane and Mary Cronk ...

and lunch with Myron Widmer was a real treat...

And we paid a quick visit to 'Elmshaven', a wonderful old house. It has great potential (as seen through the eyes of an interior decorator) but is open to the public as a heritage home.

California is a great place to visit.

Right after that short jaunt Sherwin and I went on separate vacations, something we had never done before. He headed to Arizona to spend time with Lorne, his golf buddy, and I headed east to Paris.

For the first seven days Marilyn and I packed every day full with the sights, smells and wonderful tastes of this city. Then my friend Gail came and the two of us had a great time together, exploring as much of the city as we could grasp in nine more days. It was all over way too soon. I love to look at the photos taken but I will only share two photos here. I do have over 3500 pictures of my time there but I won't bore you. You do have to be there to understand.

But how do I just show you two photos...

I could tell you stories and show you photos for hours. On my way home I tried to analyze the greatest treasure of the trip and decided it definitely was the pictures I took and the stories of our lives there. If anyone wants a companion for a trip to Paris, just give me a call.

In May Sherwin started to dig a hole for the foundation for the first pillar in the garage. This pillar is one of the supports for the portico and studio stretching across the drive from house to garage.

From then on, through the rest of this year, something has been done towards our goal most every day. If you will go to Sherwin's blog you will see the photos he shows of the progress through the year. His most recent post is a synopsis of the year from his perspective but you can scroll back and see all the work done to date.

At the end of the month all our children came home for Memorial Day. Every time we get together I declare that we must get a photo of the 9 of us together and we have yet to do that. Hmmm...

June and July went by quickly with all the prep work for the building project. And in August Sherwin and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary. The only photo I can find that has that date on it is this sunset. Is that an omen or harbinger of the future?

From the middle of July through the end of September and even through most of October we were blessed with great weather for our outdoor work building and gardening. Idyllic, actually.

In November we gathered with all our children in Oregon to celebrate the whole year. Kim became an American citizen; Sherilee, Sherwin and I all had recent birthdays; Sherilee and Alan celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary on Thanksgiving Day and then because of conflicting schedules and commitments we celebrated Christmas while we were all together there in November.

In December we flew to Kelowna to spend a few days with Mother and Bobbi, celebrating Christmas.

And now we want to wish you a great new year with good health and happiness.

"You don't need a new plan for next year. You need a commitment."
- Seth Godin

2011-12-30T20:33:00.000-08:00

December 30

To Honour my Sister, Marilyn Joy

On Her Birthday

"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost." - Marion Garretty

"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they will still be there." - Amy Li

"Bless you, my darling, and know you are always in the heart - oh tucked so close there is no chance of escape - of your sister." - Katherine Mansfield

Mid-Week Mystery...What Could This Be?

2011-12-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

View From 4-F

2011-12-23T08:22:00.000-08:00

Winging our way out of Victoria yesterday, I thought I would snap a photo of the ocean and islands below, though at first I was somewhat miffed that there was this huge propeller in my line of vision...

Amazed at the results with the propeller blade showing up in slow motion, I had to keep on clicking...it is a short trip between Victoria and Vancouver and soon I was snapping Mt. Baker too.

Thought you may enjoy this...we are happy to be settled into Christmas in Kelowna.

God Bless you all and be well.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas...

2011-12-21T11:09:00.000-08:00

Before I leave home for our Christmas get-away I want to take a moment and wish you all a lovely holiday together. At our house we like to think of this time of the year as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

It is a grand time to draw together,

To remember and give thanks for the grace

that has been shown to each of us.

"O Holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin, and enter in;

Be born in us today.

We hear the heavenly angels

The great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Immanuel."

What a Girl!

2011-12-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

December 18

The Birth Date of Lucy Ann Goerlitz

"She is my joy and heart's delight." - Robert Wever (and me)

What a treasure to us all...

An observant and curious soul...

Lover of her family pets...

Dear, dear sister...

Dear Lucy,

Grandpa and I would like to wish you the best birthday ever and a very happy new year. We are so proud of you and love your happy ways. We love the sparkle you bring to the world around you.

God bless and keep you.
Love and hugs from Grandma and Grandpa

Simply Sabbath

2011-12-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

Every day when we rise out of bed it is so dark and probably every day I say, oh I wish we could just lay here and watch the sky take shape in our new skylights.

Well today was the day.

This is only the view out of one which we think is wonderful...there are two and that makes it all doubly wonderful. I like to start my day looking up!

"The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 27: 1

Getting Ready For Christmas...

2011-12-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

Isn't this just the most delightful cake?

It just invites you to smile.

This morning when I did some research on the song that inspired this cake I found that I had been singing it wrong all these many years.

When you come to no. 4 in the series I always thought that it was "...four calling birds" but it isn't. It is correctly sang as "...four collie birds". So then, of course, I had to find out what collie birds are.

It is spelt either collie or colley birds and they are European Black Birds. Now we all know.

Oh, you say I am the last to know? That's possible.

Love to all.

Quote to Help Wind Up the Week...

2011-12-15T21:23:00.000-08:00

"it takes courage to grow up

and become who you truly are."

-e.e. cummings

Two Proverb Tuesday...

2011-12-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

It has come to my attention over and over that there is a message being played out 'there', you know, in the media, more strongly than ever, where the answer to all your woes and troubles would be over if you would just:

follow your heart
whatever makes you happy
do what you want, when you want
do what makes you feel good

...and phrases of similar value. This I find troubling. Somewhere in my past I learned that my heart was not always the best barometer, especially in moments of intense stress. In fact I find that so much sorrow and major hurt has transpired because somebody thought they needed 'to follow their bliss'.

You know I am not talking about little issues here but choices that are earth shattering to you or the people around you.

"He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But whoever walks wisely will be delivered."

Proverbs 28:26

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths."

Proverbs 3:5,6

Just sayin'...

Miracles on Monday

2011-12-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

"Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see." CS Lewis

Wouldn't you call that a miracle?

Within a short span of 3 days we have watched the miracle of this birth...from a bud to a 'just-about' flower.

What more could one desire than to see a small wonder transpire right before your eyes? It seems these little joys are set about to keep us going, to keep us looking forward.

Tell me, what miracle is happening right now around you?

"The shadow proves the sunshine." - Switchfoot

Simply Sabbath

2011-12-10T08:46:00.001-08:00

Psalm 23

1. The Lord is my Friend, that is all I desire.

2. I feel His presence with me, beneath me, over me and within me. He alone gives the peace and quiet that I long for.

3. Walking together we talk and He brings sanity back to my soul. He will often walk ahead of me, facing me, urging me along.

4. Through the darkest of days He has promised to be there so I have nothing to fear. I can see that He is equipped to get rid of my enemies and He will do that all in good time.

5. Every day I dine well with my Friend and Lord. His words are like wonderful bread to me; satisfying to my body and soul.

6. I have been so blessed. All about me is evidence that He is my Friend. There is nothing I want more than to live with God forever.

The Lord's my Shepherd; I'll not want.

He makes me down to lie

In pastures green; He leadeth me

The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again,

And me to walk doth make

Within the paths of righteousness,

E'en for His own name's sake.

Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,

Yet will I fear no ill;

For Thou art with me, and Thy rod

And staff me comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnished

In presence of my foes,

My head Thou dost with oil annoint,

And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life

Shall surely follow me,

And in God's house forever more

My dwelling place shall be.

Wishing you all a lovely ending to a week filled with "Life" for each of us. I do not know what all you have carried on your back on in your heart but I do understand that we all need a Friend of the heavenly kind. God bless and keep you and be well.

Today's Sunrise...

2011-12-09T08:06:00.001-08:00

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else." -CS Lewis

This is not the best quality photo but it was such a spectacular sky I wanted to share it with you and wish you well as you start your day. The lights on Plumper Sound are the freighters sitting out there waiting for their number to be called over at the port.

Song For Your Week...

2011-12-05T19:02:00.001-08:00

May I wish you a very Blessed Christmas...from Canada. Notice the young man's mitts! They are the red and white maple leaf mitts you can buy at The Bay! And he is not an unusual fellow to be wearing shorts in the middle of winter.

Do have a lovely December getting ready to celebrate The Birth.

A Beautiful Thing . . .

2011-11-27T19:34:00.001-08:00

"Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing." -Toni Morrison

Sisters . . .

2011-11-26T21:38:00.001-08:00

"A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double." - Toni Morrison

Still Stuck on Sherwin...

2011-11-20T11:42:00.001-08:00

"More than just a pretty face..."

2011-11-19T18:26:00.001-08:00

herwin had a birthday today, for which I am thankful. The very fact that we have travelled together down the road for over 45 years officially, is quite astounding. I am grateful that we both have good health and the enjoyment of each other. We feel most abundantly blessed.

Today when I realized there was snow on the ground outside I had to run out to take some photos...we do not get that much snow here for which I am thankful, but it was pretty this morning.

I am very thankful for my new little apple trees that I planted some time ago. I talk to them. I rub their leaves. I sing to them and am expecting them to have a 'fruitful' season next year.

But when I see them covered in snow I am thankful for the promise of Spring.

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." -Anne Bradstreet

"Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Tell me, what is it that you are most thankful for tonight? Tell me, what promise do you hope for, knowing it is sure? For you I am wishing something to be thankful for and some promise that you know is a sure thing.

Happy Birthday, dear Sherwin...

2011-11-19T15:25:00.001-08:00

With someone like you, a pal so good and true,

I'd like to leave it all behind and go and find

Some place that's known to God, alone,

Just a spot we call our own

We will find perfect peace, where joys never cease

Out there beneath a kindly sky

We'll build a sweet little nest somewhere in the west

And let the rest of the world go by.

May your new year be all you wish it to be, dear Sherwin...with all my love.

Question to Jump-Start Your Week...

2011-11-14T10:05:00.001-08:00

Ask yourself:

"When is the last time you did something for the first time?"

My Favourite Things

2011-11-11T12:46:00.001-08:00

It has come to my attention that we all have serious things on our minds and the hard things of life are tending to wear us down. Set a spell with me and read my frivolous lists (see original source of idea) and then, please, I invite you to share with me what this list would say about you. It helps to take our minds off the hard stuff. And it makes it so fun to share these inconsequential tid-bits with each other.

So here goes...

13 places I have visited:
Paris, France
Quebec City, Canada
Halifax, NS
Orlando, FL
San Antonio, TX
New York City
The Panama Canal
Walla Walla, WA
Bainbridge Island, WA
Four of the Hawaiian Islands
Saipan
Majuro
Navojoa, Sonora, MX
etc., etc., etc.

12 items on my bucket list:
Machu Picchu
Great Britain
St. Petersburg
Florence, Italy
Panama Canal (again)
Istanbul and all the cities of Asia Minor as written about in Revelation
Piedmont Valley, home of the Waldensian people
One-woman Black & White photo show
Play the cello with some confidence
Paint watercolours and be able to sell them
Quilts for all children and grandchildren
Have my garden in apple-pie perfect order ...don't want Butchart ...want it less formal but still a delight to all.

11 things I like to eat:
shortcake and berries and cream
coconut flan
baguette sandwiches in Paris
soy latte at Starbucks
figs
large navel oranges
honeycrisp apples
carrots
custard...anywhere, anytime on any good pastry
curry and rice
naan

10 items currently on my desk:
Photoshop Elements to install
Music Cd's to install in my computer
Printer/scanner, handy so I can scan my old favourite photos
Photos to scan
Light meter to learn how to take photos manually
Moleskin books of every colour for my famous lists
Magnifier with pretty handle
Pewter pot for what-nots
A Macro lens
iPod to refill with fine music

9 flowers I would fill my house with:
Roses, though I am very fussy about the colour
Dahlias, warm tones
Lilies
Iris
Peonies
Zinnias
Sweet Peas
Lilac
Sunflowers

8 favourite songs/composers/singers:
Beethoven...I love the flow of his music
Bach...the contrary motion in his music
Kris Kristoffersen
Leonard Cohen
Luciano Pavarotti
Misha Maisky playing Shubert on the cello
Musicals: Camelot, Sound of Music, The King and I
Alan Jackson singing hymns

7 things I cannot get through the day without:
Time with God
Time at my art table
Connecting with a friend or two off island
Hugs and good words with my husband
Water...I am still a water nut
Looking out on the view side of the house
Good food

6 favourite authors:
Barbara Tuchman
CS Lewis
Willa Cather
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Jane Austen
The Bronte Sisters
etc., etc., etc. (You can tell I watched The King and I more than once this week while I painted boards in the cabin...didn't watch so much as sang along, you know what I mean.)

5 animals I would have as a pet:
a burro
an elephant
dogs (plural)
geese
fish in an aquarium

4 words to describe me:
way, way too practical

3 models of vehicles I have owned:
190D Mercedes
318i BMW
Q4 Infiniti

2 physical traits that attract me to someone:
eyes
hands

1 favourite season:
I have to say, Spring!

Tell me, what will your 13 lists tell me about you...I would love to know.

For Those Who Follow...

2011-11-11T10:11:00.001-08:00

"Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from falling hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields."

-John McCrae M.D.

These last lines of the famous "In Flanders Fields" speak to me of more than wars and battles between nations but of the larger battle that touches all of us.

Today I am remembering not only men and women who fought in the name of Freedom but those who have come before us teaching and leading.

Mid-week Memory

2011-11-10T07:59:00.001-08:00

This was our first purchased home. Circa 1969. Shelby was 2 years old and Sherilee was 8 months when we moved here. Our mortgage payment was $65. +/- a few cents. Those were the days.

Quote for the Week...

2011-11-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." - Mark Twain

The Joke is on Me!

2011-11-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Probably no one out there who will read this has not heard about the pinhole problem in my computer...I have fussed and fretted about it for weeks and not known what to do with it. These little pinholes had rainbow colours shining through. ???

Last week I phoned the Apple rep at Future Shop and left a message on his phone. Two days later I sent him an email and finally on Saturday night I heard from him

Rob says, "It sounds to me like you have a warranty issue and here are the people for you to talk to at Apple..."

Sherwin uses my computer once in a while to remove photos for his blog and he said, "When are you going to do something about these pinholes?"

So this morning while I was skyping with Seth I thought he may be able to tell me what the problem was so we did some computer gymnastics and he said, "Looks to me like you have a great screen."

But then while he and I were still online I looked closely at my screen and told Seth that the pinholes were gone. What did I do? How did they disappear? How could they have been here for weeks and then all of a sudden be gone???

All day I have batted this thing around in my head wondering what on earth I will tell Rob over at Future Shop about the disappearance of my little pinholes.

I just came in from a day outdoors, sat down at my computer and it dawned on me...

I washed my screen this morning with special computer cleaner. Teach me for spitting at my computer, I guess.

Please do not fall off your chairs laughing at me...isn't that a hoot?

Questions to Start Your Week

2011-11-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

For some time now I have been receiving Seth Godin's daily blog where he gives well thought-out advice to professional people in business and/or marketing. It has been some years since I have had to rub shoulders with other people in business on a daily basis but some of his blogs, in fact a lot of his blogs can be applied to daily life no matter where you are.

This past week he gave a list of questions appropriate for the interviewer to ask the interviewee. Excellent stuff.

So today I am going to ask you:

"How long are you willing to keep on pushing on a good project until you give up?"

"How hard is it to get you to change your mind when you are wrong?"

"How much do you learn from failing?"

"How long does it take you to learn something new?"

"How hard is it for you to let someone else take the lead?"

"How much do you care?"

No matter where you are, at what stage in your life you are, no matter who you are, these are good questions for you to ask yourself about your life.

Do these questions bring up other questions in your mind? What life experiences come to mind when you read these? Good food for thought.

Have a great week! Thinking of you.

Happy Birthday, Sherilee

2011-10-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

"Heredity determines the colour of her eyes, but environment lights them up."

"A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer."

"Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31: 29 and 30

Happy, happy birthday to a very dear girl... Much love from your Pa and me.

Preamble to Tomorrow

2011-10-28T15:49:00.001-07:00

Time for a Book Review - Travels With Herodotus

2011-10-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

"We stand in darkness, surrounded by light..." is the title of the last chapter and it captures the essence of the book.

Some time ago I bought the book, Herodotus, the Histories after having read, The English Patient. To date I have not read the Herodotus book but having read this book I am ready.

The author starts out in his homeland of Poland and takes you around the world as he matures as a reporter/writer/traveler. If you are interested in travel and/or history this will be a short journey into the time of Herodotus as seen through the eyes of modern man on his journey looking at the development of civilization.

Having read some history of Cyrus and Darius I was very interested to see another version of their lives.

Ryszard leads the reader through comparisons and shows the similarities of ancient times and now. He invites you to watch as he personally evolves in his thinking as he leaves, for the first time ever, a communist country in the 60's to more recent times after he has absorbed Herodotus' tales and the changes in the world we live in.

I found this book winsome, captivating and totally absorbing. It is yet another tale that I was sorry to see end.

"You must always know the past, for there is no real Was, there is only Is."
-Wm. Faulkner

And on the back of the book, a quote by The Washington Post, Book World. "A work of art: so eloquent, so simple, that you find yourself marveling at its prose...a travel book that all students of writing and of literature ought to read."

Big Scare

2011-10-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, did I have a jolt today...thought I had lost my blog setup but here I am again. Hope none of you got discouraged when looking for me and finding some odd looking blog...it wasn't me.

Now I am back...I think.

2011-10-24T14:22:00.001-07:00

Birthdays Come and Birthdays Go...

2011-10-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

"Life is the sum of all your choices." -Albert Camus

Last night Mother told me that October 23 was her father's birthday. I had never heard that little factoid before, probably because he was a bit of a rascal in his day so he was seldom talked about.

Now, I wish I would have known him some. I do remember sitting in the front row of the Rosebud church for his funeral and when I was back some time ago to that same church I took a photo of his grave.

I stood by the side of the road where his farm once was, now covered in a beautiful crop. It came to me that the beauty of the land alone should have been something to the man.

But there has to be more than that for a child to know about their grandparent. So, I think we must do some sleuthing, more properly known as research on the man and find out who he was, what made him what he was, where he went and how he lived.

"Our life is a faint tracing on the surface of mystery, like the idle curved tunnels of leaf miners on the surface of a leaf. We must somehow take a wider view, look at the whole landscape, really see it, and describe what's going on here. Then we can at least wail the right question into the swaddling band of darkness, or, if it comes to that, choir the proper praise."
-Annie Dillard

A Nod to a Queen

2011-10-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

Oh little ferry, Mayne Queen, your faithfulness amazes me...

You carry us to and fro, through sunshine or storm...

The steady chugging of your engines,

Make us feel secure out on the water...

Even on your open decks, I see beauty...

Your strength enables us to make our voyage count...

Our feathered friends greet us every time...

And for those non-feathered friends we thank you too...

Through fog or rain or sun or sleet you bear

Us here and there...

No matter which Queen, Mayne or Cumberland, carries us along

We are grateful for you...

Merci, beaucoup to you!

Gratitude as the Week Winds Down...

2011-10-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

We are loving the weather people lately...they predict rain and we get mostly sun...they predict days and days of mostly cloud and we get mostly sun...so I have to say I am very Grateful for that.

Gratitude runs through me every time I look at what is happening at our place between the house and the garage,

"It just shows what can be done by taking a little trouble," said Eyeore. "Do you see, Pooh? Do you see Piglet? Brains first and then Hard Work." -from The House at Pooh Corner

I am thankful for bodies that heal...I went for a flying leap on Sunday night just before serving dinner to our neighbours, Richard and Noreen and bashed myself up some...cuts, bruises and sore spirits resulted but now by the end of the week I am quite normal except for a renewed friendship with the dentist!

"They're funny things, Accidents. You never have them till you're having them." Winnie-the-Pooh

Today I am thankful for Brenden who helps Sherwin every day and in turn that means he is a great help to me. Sherwin only calls me to help upstairs when a third set of hands are necessary. Oh, those heavy walls...but they are so beautiful I forget the weight when I am able to help.

There is something very encouraging to see projects complete and goals met. Every day I discover something new about my computer. For technology, I am very thankful.

There are many rather ordinary, everyday things that slip by that leave me grateful like:

Grateful I can still have conversations with Mother and we can share a laugh or two. I love to hear her laugh.

Grateful for all of you who listen to me and talk to me...grateful for those Skyping sessions or the phone calls that warm the day. It would be very difficult to live where we do if it weren't for our lovely little communication tools!

"A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside."
- Winnie-the-Pooh

Grateful for the colours still in my gardens and the tomatoes that continue to ripen in the greenhouse.

Grateful for what one can easily take for granted like my dear husband and children and their children. So thankful for their lives and health and joy they spread around. I am truly blessed.

It is a good thing to set a spell and think of what we can be thankful for and tell me, what brings thankfulness bubbling up in you?

Twenty-five Year Memory...

2011-10-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Time has wings that sweep past and leave me speechless...

Long-Time-Married Love

2011-10-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Just a week ago we had dinner with a group of people ranging in ages from wee babe to folks in their early 90's.

As we visited in the afternoon, the wife of the oldest couple, told us this story of her past week.

She said, "It was about 2 or 2:30 in the middle of the night and I lay in bed beside my husband of these many years worrying about this and that, trying to give it all over to the Lord, when all of a sudden I heard from the other side of the bed,

Lead me gently home, Father, lead me gently home...

It was quiet for a few moments and again I heard this soft singing,

Lead me gently home, Father, lead me gently home...

I felt a moment of panic and thought, Maybe he is dying?..."

That story has stayed with me all week and I think it the loveliest testimony to long-time-married love...two people laying side by side, both with thoughts of the Lord running through the threads of their night thoughts.

How sweet is that?

"Lead me gently home, Father, Lead me gently home,

When life's toils are ended, and parting days have come;

Sin no more shall tempt me, Ne'er from Thee I'll roam,

If Thoul't only lead me, Father, Lead me gently home.

Lead me gently home, Father, Lead me gently home.

In life's darkest hours, Father, when life's troubles come,

Keep my feet from wandering, Lest from Thee I roam,

Lest I fall upon the wayside, Lead me gently home."

-Will L. Thompson

As the Week Ends...

2011-10-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, late in the afternoon, I was able to stand on the floor above the studio that will eventually be the loft/storage area and look out beyond...

And then as we were winding up outdoors I looked back over my shoulder to see the sun getting ready to fall behind the hills of the Big Island.

It matters not what day it is, what the weather is, what we are doing, if we will pause a moment and look south we are always blessed...and for that I am thankful.

Jesus, tender Shepherd, hear me,

Bless Thy little lamb tonight;

Through the darkness be Thou near me;

Watch my sleep till morning light.

All the day Thy hand has led me,

And I thank Thee for Thy care;

Thou hast clothed me, warmed and fed me;

Listen to my evening prayer.

-Mary Duncan

Tell me, what are you most thankful for tonight?

Have a blessed Thanksgiving weekend.

Another Memory in the Middle of the Week

2011-10-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Now, isn't this a treasure? Son and his first car with Grandpa...

Mid-Week Remembering

2011-10-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

and then...

Those were the days, my friend, we truly thought they would never end.

What have you been finding in your cupboards lately that warms your heart?

For Grandson, SBRC

2011-10-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

Before the sun sets on this day, October 1, 2011, I want to pay tribute to our grandson. When I think of him I do want to say, "Our beautiful Grandson." I speak not only of his handsomeness or his winning smile but I speak of his heart...of gold.

Please come with me down a little lane of memories...

(in Kelowna at a wedding where I was taking the informal shots for the family)

(making cupcakes with Grandma at Pebble Beach)

(scientifically assessing the maximum potential output of the hose/helping clean up the pots)

(we had great chats while doing the ordinary things of life on Mayne)

And then all of a sudden...

(last year's school photo)

Time tends to fly by.
Grab each moment, Seth and make it yours.

from the poem "Atlantis" by W. H. Auden

...and may the Ancient of Days
Provide for all you must do
His invisible guidance,
Lifting up, dear, upon you
the light of His countenance.

With love and good wishes, Seth. From Grandma and Grandpa

2011-09-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

"Autumn is a season followed immediately by looking forward to spring." Doug Larsen

While I was out in the woods yesterday raking up the leaves from this tree, I thought of you all, my friends and family.

The beauty that was all around me in the blue sky, the gorgeous Arbutus tree and the mess of leaves was too much. I had to have a photo.

And then to add a little Canadian humour and lighten up everybody's week, I came in, sat down at my desk and typed "Rick Mercer" into YouTube. Now for those of you not born in Canada or not living in Canada for the past 15+ years, Rick Mercer is yet another Canadian funny man (we specialize in funny).

Warning: Once you get started on his YouTube spots it is hard to stop. Oh, I forgot, maybe you have to come with a sick Canadian sense of funny!

Photo of the Week

2011-09-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Took my heart in my hands, climbed the ladder and sat on the large beam... turned around, sat down and click...

This is the view from the floor of the new studio but since there is no sheeting down for the floor yet, I clicked and descended. There is a view up there.

Quote for the Week

2011-09-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

"Anything worth doing will require you to act in the face of less than perfect information."

-Jonathan Fields

Quote for the Week

2011-09-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

-Alfred Lord Tennyson

A Blessing for the Week...

2011-09-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while we were working outdoors, Sherwin called to me to come see and out on the bare patch of dirt behind the greenhouse, with nothing anywhere near it, stood this sunflower. All by itself.

How it got there, we do not know but I am just sending it to you all with love and cheer. You just don't know what blessing is waiting around the corner for you. Breath deeply and smile.

A Poem for Your Week

2011-09-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

God's World

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!

Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!

Thy mists, that roll and rise!

Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag

And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag

To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!

World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!

Long have I known a glory in it all,

But never knew I this;

Here such a passion is

As stretcheth me apart, Lord, I do fear

Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year,

My soul is all but out of me, let fall

No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call

The Week As I Saw It...

2011-09-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

This past week I have had numerous opportunities to tell the story of the figs to Sherilee, who as you all know, loves (with a capital L) figs. But I keep forgetting.

On Friday last I was in town on a gravel run and while I waited for the ferry to bring me home I rang up a lady in town to invite her and her husband for a picnic the next day at a park.

She said yes. The next day the four of us decided that weather and timing being what they were we would just go to their house for lunch...we had a delightful picnic at their dining room table and before the meal was over they brought out plates (yes, in the plural) of figs all ready for eating and what a delight!!!

They gave us this plate to bring home and we had a marvellous feed for a couple days. Good start to a productive week.

Yes, they were huge and as good as they look...

Sunday morning started bright and early with Sherwin drilling the first hole into the existing house; it was so thrilling to watch.

From the outside he made the hole a little bigger and waved assurance that all was well...

With my camera still in the 'shop' for repairs I suppose I did not take as many photos as usual with the iphone, though the phone was easy to use and gave good snaps.

Even though the week entailed lots of concrete work I did have to turn my head once in a while to admire the colours around me...my sunken garden has taken off this year and is now the sunken jungle.

The days this past week just melted into each other. I know we accomplished a lot but it is hard to even remember which day we did what. Tyler, the boy helper, came on Sunday but after that he was off to 10th grade.

To fill the columns Sherwin had to stand on a ladder, scoop from the bucket of the tractor and patiently fill, one shovel at a time. He has worked extraordinarily hard and is thankful the week eventually ends when he can just rest.

It feels good to have some tasks totally behind us. Below is hole no. 7 ready for framing now. We cleaned out the hole yesterday, even vacuumed it and Sherwin brought in nice, clean gravel to fill the edge where there is no bedrock.

Now let me invite you into my new closet. Doesn't it look grand? It is huge. I am one happy girl.

In this photo no. 4 is formed up and ready to pour. Then we waited a day and stripped the forms.

No. 2 will be covered in stone facing from about 5" up from the ground up to the beam. That will happen later.

No. 1 in the garage was very tricky filling and I was helping out so much with the process that there was no way to take a photo of it actually happening. There is only a small space at the top of the form to get the concrete in but it got full...

...and here you see Sherwin putting on a topcoat, parjet, that will clean it up and make it pretty. This column gets no stone as the other three all do.

Here you can see the difference between the-before on the right and the-after on the left. He does a great job.

My job was to provide Sherwin with fine sand for the parjet. We have a stash of coarse masonry sand and it required a screening to come up with a lovely fine quality suitable for a smooth finish. You can see I got somewhat carried away making designs in my sand.

Sherwin worked into the night to get a good finish on the floor around the column in the garage.

And then it was Friday...Sherwin wants to tell you about Friday (it was that good). Give him a minute and he will have it posted at 'Shower Wisdom'.

"Each morning sees some task begin,

Each evening sees it close;

Something attempted, something done,

Has earned a night's repose."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Idea of the Week

2011-09-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

On the mornings when I know I have to catch the early ferry I tend to wake early and watch CNBC for a while. Not always do I get a 'take-away' from my viewing experience but this morning was different. This idea captured me and will be with me a long time, I hope.

Loosely paraphrased idea:

"...live in such a way that you could put your initials on your day just as ancient artisans put their initials on their work. Make your day a work of art." -Thomas Friedman

I do have to laugh because I had a number of incidents in town today where I could easily have made the day one I would not want to claim my own, but now I am on the ferry heading home with ocean breezes clearing my addled brain.

Those Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer...

2011-08-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to an end...at least those really warm, rather lazy and sorta' crazy days of summer that require children in the house to make authentic...

This past week in town I noticed a number of signs of the end of that good thing we call summer around here:

-there were boys with their fishing gear waiting for a light to change so they could make their way down to the ocean...at least they were headed in that direction

-the numbers of boats on the water has increased as the month of August has flown by...like people are trying to squeeze out of the last days more time on the ocean

-the bees/wasps/hornets are making a final push...they just sit on you, I have found some crawling up my sleeve or pant leg but they are very friendly this year, nevertheless, I have put out my catchers because everyone around here isn't as comfortable around the bees and there are masses of them...

-the mornings are cooler and the sky is darker at 6 am than I would like...

-the skies are more colourful and brilliant during the day and in the evening (caught this sky while we waited for the ferry)...

-the grass on the hillsides is golden and dry...

-the big treat of the week was this siting I had of this remarkable car...the fellow had the top down but he was wearing his fleecy...

Wishing you all a lovely beginning to September and may your days ahead be balmy and bright. For those of you 'of a certain age' you may really enjoy this song and for those younger, well ...

Thankful, I am...

2011-08-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

"If you cannot be content with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped."

The following reasons for thankfulness come to mind quickly...
1. Physical work...good for the soul...

(my personal job site first thing on Monday morning...day off painting!)

"No great thing is created suddenly." -Epictetus

2. Sweet marriages...from my view...Happy new year of marriage, Shelby and Kim.

"If all gambling were illegal, we would all have to stop driving cars and getting married."

3. Good time with God...prayers answered...thoughts that stay with me all day...

A sketchbook on your table helps keep the chapter for the day in your mind. Recently I started reading Desire of Ages again and find that sketching the chapter keeps it with me from one day to another.

4. Small sitings of delight...my 'pets' watching over the construction site...

...I do love the rebar/wire mix

5. Good memories...sometimes we spent our Sabbath afternoons in Mexico driving around the countryside observing life as they live it...

6. A sweet daughter-in-law who is celebrating her birthday today. We are so happy to have her as part of our family. All the strengths she brings have been a blessing to us all. Happy, happy birthday, dear Kim.

7. This past week I enjoyed taking photos of our construction site...the best part was catching Sherwin doing what he does best...smiling...

Now you all have a great week and remember...
"There's one thing for which you should be thankful - only you and God have all the facts about yourself."

Pouring Concrete At Last...

2011-08-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Shirley asked me to add the commentary to her construction photos on this post.

On Tuesday this week James Robertson, chief building inspector for the Capital Regional District came for his first inspection so we could pour concrete. His first words when he got out of his car were, "Who is responsible for the wonderful driveway?" I told him it was mostly me, as I had brought over 55 loads of gravel from Victoria on my truck and my wife and I shovelled them off by hand. I told him it was the nicest compliment he could have given me. He was also very favourably impressed with the foundation preparations and the rebar columns. He was surprised to learn that we had done all the rebar stirrups ourselves and thought it all looked very professional. I told him we learned how to do rebar in Mexico when we built an orphanage there.

Within five minutes after the building inspector left we had the cement mixer running. Shirley and I worked for two hours straight and did the footing concrete in Foundation #3 and then #1... averaging one wheelbarrow of concrete every five minutes. Notice the size of the pile of gravel. Before we had supper that whole pile was turned into concrete.

This is foundation #1. It was the first one I did and hence it was smaller than all the others. It was not until we went to place the rebar column cage into the hole that I realized I could not centre it properly in the 28" wide opening, so I had to cut another 8" of concrete slab away. This gave me an opportunity to widen the excavation and I added another four foundation rebars. This brings this foundation now up to an equal standard with the other three foundations for columns.

There was another problem to deal with that didn't show up until I took the plywood off the wall and found there was not enough space between the two overhead door tracks. It would not be a problem if we were doing a wooden or steel post... but with concrete posts that are designed for seismic stress it takes more space. So at the top of the post it meant we would have to bend the 5/8" bars and do a little custom work so we could keep both overhead garage doors working as before. We built this cage on the workshop table and then just slid it directly into the hole... it worked out really well.

First we poured the 12" deep footing and I let it set for a little while. Shirley went and did the painting on the deck and when she came back said how much easier it was to do painting than mixing concrete. I used a mix of concrete with half the powder and threw in all the blocks of concrete slab that originally we cut out of the floor... so it filled up pretty quickly. Once this is set I will drill several holes around the perimeter of the opening and place rebars going both ways before finishing the slab.

That little cement mixer ran non-stop all afternoon.

This most definitely is not 'women's work'... but Shirley helped run the mixer most of the afternoon... taking a break to go and do some painting on the decks!

That afternoon I called down to Home Hardware and inquired if they knew anyone who could help me with mixing concrete on site here. So the next day with the help of Tyler we filled six feet of concrete 18" x 18".

From this point up the form will be 13" square... leaving about 2-1/2" rock ledge for facing the column to the top.

This was Tyler's first time working with a cement mixer... and for 15 years old, he did really good. I had another stock pile of navy jack (gravel), which was about the same size as we used up the day before. In two days we used up 7.5 yards of gravel. (5 pickup loads.)

Today we used the tractor instead of a wheelbarrow... it was easier to get the concrete into the column forms if you don't have to lift it.

We also placed the concrete into Foundation #7... the pantry addition.

This concrete pour worked out really well and we had just enough gravel to finish it all.

I made anchor bolts out of left over ready rod... giving them a little bend.

I then put the anchor bolts at approx. 32" spacing. Again this foundation has a 3" rock ledge on the outside.

At the last minute I remembered I needed a special post bracket to tie down the support post for one end of the major beam. Fortunately I had one left over in the workshop... so I welded an extra rebar across the bottom bolt which I then tucked under the foundation wall lateral rebar. It was a perfect fit.

Check out the join of the foundation to the paved driveway. When we pulled off the forms we were very pleased.

We took a day off to go to Victoria to get some more gravel. Then on Friday Tyler came back again for the afternoon and we mixed up some "real mud" which we used to backfill Foundation #3. I was concerned about getting the hole backfilled so every nook and cranny was full... and just dumping dirt and gravel in didn't seem to me that it would be tight enough. So we mixed our backfill dirt and gravel with half strength cement powder.

We made it extra wet so that it flowed easily into the outside corners.

Having grown up on a farm, this reminded me a lot of the cow manure I had to clean out of the dairy barn. But having made so many adobe blocks, I knew that with the cement added it would dry and harden. We also threw in a lot of larger rocks with helped to tighten it all up.

The next day when the concrete had set I knew we had done the right thing for backfilling this foundation. We used three bags of cement in the mud for this cavity.

Footing #2 was another big one... 5-1/2 foot square and 12" deep. It took 18 wheelbarrows of concrete to fill up the footing. The white 2x2's on each side told us when the concrete was 12 inches deep.

Foundation #4 was four foot square... and as we were running out of gravel we threw in a few smaller stones to help bring us up to the full 12 inch depth. Again I had a guide stick on the side to tell us when we had enough concrete in the footing.

Shirley here:
This is getting very exciting, it is very thrilling to see it evolve day by day.

"A great building must begin with the unmeasurable, must go through measurable means when it is being designed and in the end must be unmeasurable." - Louis Kahn

Sweet Memory

2011-08-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

We are hoping to go to Butchart tomorrow and I just happened to find this great photo while cleaning out my old Toshiba...Hmmmm...

A Word to Ponder for the Week

2011-08-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Self-esteem: that which happens when I do what I say I know I should do...when what I say and what I do line up with what I believe to be right. Self-esteem is a positive force in our hearts and minds that encourages us to move forward. It seems to be the opposite of living up to other's ill-conceived expectations of us. In other words, live in such a way as to respect yourself.

"That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunity of gaining our own esteem."

- Samuel Johnson

"It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him."

- Abraham Lincoln

Photo of the Week

2011-08-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

Laying on my side, admiring one small aspect of our work this week.

Wishing you all a great day, hoping your past week has been a source of joy to you.