Commentary & Contemplation

The Wonders of Fall

2011-11-13T22:26:00.008-04:00

Coloured leaves on the trees
Slightly stir in gentle breeze
Some are floating to the ground

Rain droplets on the wood
Collect where planters once stood
Making little puddles now

Squirrels run along the fence
Going quickly hence to thence
Little chucks puffed out with food

Chickadees and sparrows come
To eat at their feeder home
Soon to migrate far away

Sombre skies give way to blue
And night skies are clearer too
Wonderful, mystical fall!

©Beverly Nippard, October 16, 2011

Photo Credit

2011-08-19T22:43:00.000-03:00

I would like to thank my talented son-in-law for my new banner. The picture is a view of Grand Lake from Sunday Hill in North West River, Labrador.

Also thanks to Nadine for finding this treasure and bringing him to join our family. It was beautiful to have them visit us for a few weeks in July. Of course, the highlight of the visit was Becca's 3rd birthday. We had a family supper at the Jungle.

Clockwise around the table:

Trevor, Geoff, Nattie, beautiful birhtday Becca, Nadine, Grammy & Popper

Robin

2011-07-26T12:23:00.001-03:00

This robin sits patiently on the fence waiting for my strawberries to ripen!

Which season is it anyway?

2011-03-26T10:35:00.006-03:00

A look out the window suggests it could be winter, a look at the calendar says it is spring, but a look at my bloomin' Christmas catcus suggests....well Christmas! The signs of the times? One time we could tell the seasons by nature - the sky, the position and strength of the sun, the weather, plant life...well...good thing we have calendars to keep us on track!

The Happy Couple

2010-12-19T23:18:00.002-04:00

Nadine & Trevor Harris

August 28, 2010

Weekly Cleaning List

2010-08-17T22:36:00.002-03:00

For all you computer addicts out there:

The Family Grows...

2010-07-20T12:29:00.002-03:00

In less than six weeks, Trevor Oliver Harris will become our son-in-law. He and Nadine will be joined in holy matrimony on August 28, 2010. We are all so very happy!

First Color of Spring!

2010-06-02T22:08:00.003-03:00

The first color of spring in my garden is my sunshine yellow daffodils. Aren't they beautiful:

Children's Day

2010-06-01T11:53:00.004-03:00

Did you know that today, June 1st is celebrated as children's day around the world? While it is not an official holiday, it is a reminder that we should set aside special times with our children daily. I'm so thankful for my children and the joy they have brought into my life. Not only have they enriched my life themselves, but they have brought friends, husband and especially my grandchild into our lives. Natalie and Nadine, I love you both dearly. You are both my pride and joy - priceless treasures :)

Trust

2010-05-30T08:49:00.005-03:00

I like this poem. So many times we try to figure out where we should be or what we should be doing next. We simply need to trust in His leadership, listen to His voice and follow where He leads.

"It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of God's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

with these clumsy hands of mine."

"The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so esily,

But in my hands they die."

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of God's design,

Then how can I have the wisdom

To unfold this life of min?"

"So I'll trust in Good for leading

Each moment of my day.

I will look to God for guidance

In each step of the way."

"The path that lies before me,

Only my Lord knows.

I'll trust God to unfold the moments,

just as He unfolds the rose."

~ Charlie Gilchrist

Mother's Day Trivia

2010-05-04T10:18:00.004-03:00

Do you know what flower symbolizes Mother's Day? It's the carnation!

Carnations have been associated with Mother's Day for a very long time. According to Christian legend, a carnation sprang up when Jesus Christ's mother, Mary, shed tears of distress seeing her son enduring sufferings on the cross. Then in 1907, Anna Jarvis used carnations at the first Mother's Day celebration because they were her mother's favourite flowers. Anna Jarvis handed out 500 carnations at her mother's church, St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia - one for each mother in the congregation.

White carnations are used to honour a mother who is deceased, while red or pink carnations symbolize the feelings of affection for a mother who is living.

Just as I have for decades, I will pin my rose to my bosom as I go off to church this Sunday. Since 1997, I have been wearing a white rose.

Family Photo Update

2010-01-12T11:33:00.007-04:00

Trevor, Nadine, Beverly, Geoff, Natalie

Rebecca, Wallace

See how we've grown?!

Family Photo

2008-07-29T14:23:00.002-03:00

With the newest addition to our family, I thought I'd update our family photo!

Beverly, Nadine, Wally

Natalie, Geoff

Rebecca

Our visit to Oxen Pond Botanical Gardens

2008-07-26T15:28:00.022-03:00

When we were in St. John's, Nadine and I took a few hours one afternoon to visit Memorial University of Newfoundland's Botanical Gardens, a.k.a. Oxen Pond Botanical Gardens by locals. After a shorter browse than I would have liked (grin) around the gift shop, and a quick glance around the indoor gallery, we ventured outside and walked some of the trails.

The gardens, on the edge of a dense boreal forrest, with poor, rocky soil, surrounded by peat bogs and fens are a delightful surprise in the midst of the city. The first garden we visited was a collection of plants used for medicinal purposes.

We continued on, snapping pictures of Newfoundland wildflowers that peppered the bogs and fens.

There were three trails of increasing intensity. The second trail took us to the duck pond where we fed the ducks with feed we had bought at the gift shop. There were only two ducks in sight when we opened the feed, but right away we heard the honks approach from the surrounding reeds and within minutes there were over twenty ducks at pond's edge waiting to be fed.

The third trail took us to a lookout with an incredible view of St. John's.

Of course, by that time, with the temperatures in the high 20'sC, I was poofed!

Thankfully, the trail was mostly downhill from there. We continued on to browse the greenhouse and more gardens.

These random pictures from the many we took that day, cannot begin to capture how beautiful, lush, colourful and breathtaking the garden was. As I stood there in the garden, I imagined myself in the Garden of Eden and pondered aloud to Nadine what it must have been like. We were amongst the finest collection of plants and trees in the Atlantic Provinces all growing in a natural setting. There were many different species of trees. I thought about the tree of life.

It made me homesick for heaven!

First Pictures of Rebecca

2008-07-24T16:08:00.005-03:00

Some of you have been asking to see more pictures of Rebecca. This is Rebecca and I having a cuddle while she was still in the hospital. Isn't she gorgeous?!

Of course, once she was home she was still getting 'snapped up' in more ways than one. She had her own paparazzi following her around. Here she's resting in her cradle.

On my last visit before I came home, I just couldn't put her down. Her and I were having some quality time.

Ahhh laahhh....she fell asleep again before we could get the burps out. I miss her so much!

I'm a Grandma!

2008-07-17T10:02:00.004-03:00

Please let me introduce our new granddaughter, Rebecca Emily Constantine, born Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 9:40 a.m., weighing in at 7 lbs. 13 oz. and stretching a whopping 19.25 in. Isn't she gorgeous!

I'm going to be a Grandma!

2008-06-28T23:06:00.002-03:00

Guess what....I'm going to be a Grandma really soon! Can't wait!

The Walking Trail

2007-09-03T10:07:00.001-03:00

Just a few minutes from where I live is The Landing Place Walking Trail. It takes me about 20 minutes at a brisk pace to walk the 1.8 km. I walk it about four or five times a week. Come for a virtual walk with me and see the sites I see along the way:

Nattie's Wedding

2007-09-02T17:16:00.000-03:00

They say the sun always shines on a happy bride! Well, the sun was shining in Mount Pearl on August 4th when Natalie and Geoff said their wedding vows. It was a perfect day in every way. We now have a new member in our family. Welcome to the family Geoff!

Wally, Geoff, Beverly, Natalie & Nadine

There are lots of Nattie & Geoff's wedding pictures on Facebook, if you'd like to see more.

Nadine's Grad

2007-06-10T09:20:00.000-03:00

In the last week of May we went to St. John's for Nadine's grad. Nadine graduated from the Bachelor of Nursing Collaborative Program at Memorial University Centre for Nursing Studies.

Nadine Nippard, B.N.

The celebrations started off with a gala dinner served at the Delta Hotel on Monday, May 23, 2007. The menu included an appetizer, salad with imported greens, entree of The Ultimate Roast Turkey Dinner followed by a New York Style Cheesecake with Wild Berry Sauce dessert. Grace for the meal was offered by Nadine. The agenda for the evening included a violinist, several vocalists and addresses to the faculty and to the students, followed by an address from guest speaker Debbie Forward, President of the Newfoundland and Labrdor Nurses Union and a music collection by Drumline. The evening concluded with the cutting of the cake and a dance.

On Wednesday morning, May 25th there was a formal convocation ceremony at the Arts & Culture Centre for Memorial University where Nadine received her hood and diploma. Then on Wednesday afternoon, there was another formal ceremony at the Donald F. Cook Recital Hall, School of Music for the Centre for Nursing Studies where Nadine received her Proffessional Pin.

Congratulations Nadine. We're so proud of you!

Nattie's Engagement

2007-06-10T09:07:00.000-03:00

Weeeelllll...I finally got the 'engagement picture'! Natalie, our eldest daughter became engaged to Geoff Constantine on Christmas Day 2006. When we went to St. John's for Nadine's grad in May, I snapped this picture of Geoff & Natalie at the restaurant where we went out for supper. They plan to be married on August 4th, 2007 in Mount Pearl. Don't they make a lovely couple!

Congratulations Natalie & Geoff!

Spring

2007-04-11T20:02:00.000-03:00

We're already almost three weeks into spring, but we've had 40-50 cm of snow in the last few days and our patio is still totally out of sight. That don't stop me from daydreaming of the smell of earth and the buzz of mosquitoes as I poke at the first few emerging tulips and daffodils though.

Since April is poetry month, I thought I would share this poem which I had published in The Auxiliary News called The Process of Spring:

Like a shy child behind mother’s skirts
The sun hides behind gray clouds.
In company of fully dressed spruce,
Bare birches stand unashamed.
Like a pacing, expectant father
March winds sway the stand of trees.
In the absence of sparrows and crows
Traffic hums the only sound.

As Mother Nature lifts her skirts of gray
Suns powerful rays appear.
Alders, willows and birches bud now
Watered by the melting snow.
Short, snowy, cold days become longer,
Show’ry, sunshiny, warm days.
And then from under a blanket of snow
Emerges a mulched garden.

© Beverly Nippard, August 21, 2005

...ahhhhh (deep breath!)

Cats Enjoy Christmas Too

2007-01-21T17:03:00.000-04:00

Our cats love Christmas! They are intrigued by all the 'new' things around the house and are by nature very nosey creatures. They love to play under the Christmas tree so I've hung some of their decorations on the bottom so they can play with them. Patches poses for a snap under the tree:

Then the three of them went to bed early, hoping for Santa to fill their stocking....and he sure did!

They played with the wrapping paper and each other - as well as their toys...

checked out all the decorations...

had special treats for Christmas dinner...

cleaned themselves up...

and then it was time to relax...

Ahhhh....'tis a cat's life!

Catch up!

2007-01-21T16:20:00.000-04:00

Hi there! It's been a while since I've blogged. So much has happened in between. In fact, it's been so long...I feel so much older. I've celebrated another birthday. Well, it's probably the first birthday that I've actually celebrated. In fact 'twas the first birthday party I ever had in my entire life! Since my sister and I share the same birthday (she's 2 years older...ha) and we hadn't been together for a birthday in decades (won't say how many!), I thought I'd just go down to St. John's and thow a little party. That's exactly what I did! I did up wonderful powerpoint invitations and sent to my sister, daughters, sister-in-laws, neices....and we had a girl's night which (after a trip to the mall) started out with a feed of Chinese food.

It's probably too small to see, but I painted winter scenes on fungus for table favors, had presents for everyone and even loot bags. It was a surprise to them all. They wondered why I went into the restaurant pulling a large suitcase with me!

Our party continued with food & fun, followed by a sleepover at my sister's house. We had a ball! Even though there was no alcohol, we were laughing and carrying on so much that in the pictures we looked like we were three sheets to the wind. Here we were trying to stop laughing enough to blow out the candles:

The other pictures aren't very complimentary so I won't post them, but suffice it to say, we had a very happy birthday.

Then before we knew it, 'twas Christmas. We were very fortunate to have my youngest daughter Nadine and her boyfriend, Chris, share part of the Christmas season with us.

It's always a joy to have them home, whatever the season. Nadine & Chris, 'twas so good to have you! Nattie & Geoff, we missed you very much!

Busy Times!

2006-11-24T16:58:00.000-04:00

Where does the time go? I've been quite busy over the past few weeks.

First we went to Corner Brook to attend the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Hospital Auxiliaries Convention. The Labrador Health Centre Auxiliary newsletter that I edit, The Auxiliary News, won first place in the national CAHA contest for the "100 bed and under" category. Here's the award that was presented at the convention:

The next weekend, I attended an art show. It was good exposure for me. I'm known locally as a writer and craft producer (among other things!), but not that well-known as an artist yet. Here is my first art show:

The weekend following that I went to St. John's to attend a union convention. The best asset, by far, of The Battery Hotel, is the view from the dining room window. It has a fantastic panoramic view of St. John's Harbour. Even though the weather was rainy (can you believe it?), the view was breathtaking. I was lucky to have my daughter, Nadine, join me for breakfast the next morning when the weather was starting to clear. Can you see that small patch of blue sky?

After breakfast we went to visit The Rooms where the view is just as spectacular. This view from The Rooms looks back towards The Battery Hotel. Can you see Cabot Tower sitting atop Signal Hill on the horizon?

A Walk in the Woods

2006-10-11T22:00:00.000-03:00

It was just too nice to stay indoors this weekend, so after doing our chores we headed off for a walk in the woods. It's one of my favorite things to do. Here are some of the scenes we saw along the way:

Here's an interesting tree we found. My buddy thought it was a nice spot to build a cabin.

Farther on we found a place to have a rest and a drink. We also found some fungus for my collection.

This was the highlight of my Thanksgiving weekend!

Beautiful Fall Colors

2006-09-28T15:05:00.000-03:00

Wow! What beautiful fall weather we are having! This is the first morning I had to scrape the frost off my car before I went to work - and if I didn't have it parked in the shade, the sun would have melted it by then. When I went to work at 8 a.m. the melted frost was dripping off the building. We have a beautiful sunny day - not a cloud in the clear blue sky. It's now 20 degrees and a great day on clothes. Amazing for this time of year.

Yesterday I was out and about and took some picures of the beautiful fall colors. It was partly cloudy yesterday, which means the colors are not as vivid, but beautiful just the same.

It's just beautiful all around town!

Congratulations Nadine!

2006-09-27T15:10:00.000-03:00

Congratulations to our beautiful daughter, Nadine a fourth year university nursing student, who has been named to the Director's List for 2005-06. We're so proud of you. You go girl! We love you very much!

Fall

2006-09-25T08:06:00.000-03:00

Something happened over the weekend - Fall arrived! Yep, it's officially fall, but we've been having beautiful fall weather for a while now. Actually, a week ago we had our first frost and on September 16th I started bringing in my plants. I wasn't quick enough though because I left a few on the patio and Jack Frost nipped a couple of them. A few months outside really gave my plants a boost though. Because my yard and my house have a lot of shaded areas, I use plants that thrive well in those areas, like impatients and begonias. Here's the first begonia that I brought in:

It had been sitting in this corner of my patio:

While the days seem much shorter now ( it's dark when I get up at 6:30 a.m.), day and night are about equal length. This morning the sun rose at 6:52 a.m. and will set at 6:53 this evening. Yep, no more puttering around the garden after supper. Pretty soon my garden bench will be hidden with snow. Believe it or not snowflakes are in the forecast already. Each season brings its own joys. The week after next we'll celebrate Thanksgiving. We must enjoy each season and each day as it comes. Hope you enjoy your day!

What did you do on the Labour Day Weekend?

2006-09-05T21:19:00.000-03:00

The first thing people usually ask when you go back to work after a long weekend is, "So what did you do this weekend?" Usually we give very little detail. "Oh I went to a wedding," or "I went to the cabin." We usually just tell the highlights.

You wanna know what I did this weekend? Now I bet you're curious. You think I did something extra-ordinary, don't you? Actually, I had a very nice weekend, nothing special - just life!

First, my partner and I took a hike through the woods looking for fungus for me to paint. We walked about a half hour into the woods before we found the first one, and in about an hour we had more than 50. By that time we had stirred up enough mosquitoes so we trekked back to the truck with our bags full. Then we ordered pizza for supper. Yum!

Besides cleaning some fungus, during the weekend I also made bread, filled my clotheslines with laundry a few times, tidied and cleaned the house somewhat. I like to keep my abode clean enough to the healthy, but dirty enough to be happy. I attended the funeral of a friend and several church services - one of which was at the Paddon Seniors Home where I stayed and socialized with the residents for a while.

Since we had beautiful weather, bright sunny skies with temperatures reaching 27 degrees Celsius, I did some puttering in my garden, painted a couple of doorsteps and my 'park bench'

where I sometimes sip mugs of tea or chat over the fence with my neighbour, Judy. I also found time to read, check email, play computer games, chat on the phone, play with my cats in the grass and paint a few pictures.

You know what was so special about the weekend for me? I did what I wanted, when I wanted to do it. I didn't have to watch the clock. Just another weekend. Nothing special - just life! So what did you do this weekend?

Nadine & Chris's Visit

2006-09-02T19:02:00.000-03:00

The second highlight of my summer - my other daughter and her boyfriend came for a weekend visit before they go back to school again. The young lovers were only here for a flying visit - literally!

Since Chris is allergic to cats and we have three of them, we didn't spend much time hanging around the house. We went for a visit to Sheshatshiu and North West River. The view of Grand Lake from Sunday Hill is spectacular.

We saw this tree on Sunday Hill and dubbed it "the love tree."

We also had time for a helicopter ride...

a good look at Muskrat Falls...

and at home base we check the email while waiting for the pot to boil...

In that pot on the stove is salt beef, cabbage and pease pudding along with fresh turnip greens, turnip, carrots and blue potatoes from Joe Battcock's garden. Of course there's a roaster full of chicken in the oven...mmm...

And of course the visit was much too short. Miss you Nadine!

Latest Acrylic Paintings

2006-07-29T13:42:00.000-03:00

The inspiration for painting is everywhere. Wanna see some pics of my recent work?

These are framed canvas panels - similar to previous works, but different. Popular favourites!

This is my interpretation of a sunset:

These are some rock paintings. I'm in awe of God's creation and try to capture some of it's beauty in paint.

When Nattie was here, we found this rock that had a pointed face and indents where the eyes should go. It was an eagle face waiting to be exposed.

Doesn't everybody want to lie in a shaded hammock next to the ocean?

I've also painted a few more fungus......winter...

and summer...

Some of my work can be viewed at the Drumdancer Arts & Crafts Shop and at the Labrador Handicraft Store.

Nattie & Geoff's Visit

2006-07-28T22:04:00.000-03:00

It's been so long since I've blogged! We've had a busy summer highlighted by our daughter's visit. The couple of weeks flew by so fast, but here are a couple of the many pictures we took while we made memories.

There was some work... a long weekend fishing...

...time for a hike...even a helicopter ride...

And before we knew it, time to say goodbye again.

Miss you Nattie!

Cherry Blossom Time!

2006-06-03T20:34:00.000-03:00

It's Cherry Blossom Time! The cherry trees around the yard are in full bloom.

...as are the Forget-Me-Nots, Bleeding Hearts & Columbine...

but would you believe it? We had a hail storm today, with ice pellets the size of green peas! Can you see them on the patio? On the grass?

Thirsty Anyone?

2006-05-26T16:01:00.000-03:00

Spring Blooms

2006-05-21T21:33:00.000-03:00

Spring blossoms are blooming both inside and outside the house.
Check them out!

More Art

2006-05-21T09:25:00.000-03:00

Life is busy, but I have found some time to be creative. Check out my web page at http://www.geocities.com/bnwrite/personalpage.html .
I've added a new page of art at http://www.geocities.com/bnwrite/moreart.html . I've also collected and painted a whole slew of rocks. Unfortunately I've finished them with a gloss varnish instead of the matte I used on the canvas paintnings, which makes them look great on the shelf but difficult to photograph because the flash creates a sheen/blur on the photos. Since I enjoy painting flowers, I've painted these violas from my garden on some of the rocks.

Fungus

2006-04-17T22:38:00.000-03:00

Have you ever seen fungus art? Fungus grows on trees and are usually harvested in spring when they are easier to find. My friend gave me this fungus so I took it to art class and painted a picture on it. The fungus had a bump which is right where I painted the rim of the flowerpot so that it almost has a 3D effect.

The Price of Gas

2006-04-16T09:03:00.000-03:00

Did you know the price of gas has gone up again this weekend. In Happy Valley-Goose Bay we now pay just over $1.26 a litre!! Somebody sent me this link that I thought was appropriate for the day: http://toccionline.kizash.com/films/1001/178/index.php or at least good for a laugh! We might as well laugh because we obviously can't change it and frowning too much might give us a headache, wrinkles ....or worse :)

Talking Sticks & Wildflowers

2006-04-10T22:46:00.000-03:00

After a two week hiatus, painting classes resumed tonight. Our art teacher, renown artist Barb Wood, brought in some ‘talking sticks’ that she had painted and some unfinished pieces. Apparently ‘talking sticks’ are legendary among native circles where the speaker held a stick in front of him as he spoke as a sign for everybody to listen. The stick was then passed to the next speaker. These sticks can be cut in the spring of the year when they are easier to peel and can be alders, birch, etc. They need to be seasoned for a while before they can be painted.

Some of the fine detail is amazing!

Even though I was given a stick to paint, my project for tonight was to paint a picture on a 5" x 7" canvas using only the primary colors squeezed from tubes, as opposed to the variety of paints I had been using from small bottles. Here is the result of my efforts. I’m calling it Wildflowers.

Spring?

2006-04-03T13:50:00.000-03:00

With lengthening days - more hours of sunlight - my houseplants are heralding spring. New blossoms are appearing all over the place.

I brought this miniature rose bush in from my garden last fall. It all but died, so I cut it back and placed it on my kitchen window sill. Now it's blooming nicely.

But the prettiest houseplant right now is my Impatience. Just have a look at those flowers!

Yes, I was really getting into the spring mode. Bare pavement was showing, we were stepping out in shoes, and I was ready to open the windows, houseclean and hang clothes out on the clothesline! Then along comes this storm. It's too late to be called Sheila's Brush, but have you heard the old expression about March - in like a lamb, out like a lion? Well March came in very meekly so I guess it went out with a roar. Yesterday we broke all rainfall AND snowfall records for that date. Whoever heard of 24 cm of snow on April 2nd? Only in Labrador you say?

Still Life Art

2006-03-20T22:27:00.000-04:00

Ok, maybe I won't make my living as an artist, but it's fun trying. Tonight we practiced painting still life. Our instructor, Barb, draped a sheet of navy broadcloth over a chair placed stragetically on a desk and set two smaller pieces of pottery in front of a jar containing dried grass - very similar to what you see below. It took a bit more concentration and even though I was left to turn out the lights, this is what I brought home.

Spring!

2006-03-20T22:12:00.000-04:00

Spring has sprung, the grass is riz,

I wonder where de birdies is.

People say they're on the wing but

that's absurd 'cause the wing is on the bird!

I'm not sure where this little poem came from, but I think I read it in one of my elementary school books many moons ago. If anyone knows the source of the poem, maybe they can let me know.

Anyway, welcome to the first day of Spring! We had temperatures above zero and it rained most of the day but I don't think the crocus or daffodills will be poking through just yet. There's still a few feet of snow on my flowerbeds as you can see in this photo I snapped this afternoon.

Rock Painting

2006-03-13T22:41:00.000-04:00

Tonight was our third art class. Some of us decided to try painting on different surfaces. Barb, our wonderful, talented, and creative art teacher, brought along some clean, bare rocks and samples of her painting done on rocks. She had woderful little brooches painted on small smooth beach rocks, a medium sized paperweight creatively decorated and a larger painted rock that could be used as a door stop. Great inspiration! This class was a lot of fun and I laughed 'til I cried. After some experimenting, starting over, and help from Barb, these are the results I brought home with me tonight.

Acrylic Painting, Lesson 2

2006-03-06T22:00:00.000-04:00

This is my second attempt at Beginner's Art with acrylic paint. Ok, I have a very patient art teacher! Just in case you don't recognize the setting, it's a view of Salt Pond from Gosling Park - or reasonable fascimile :)

Beginner's Art

2006-02-27T22:36:00.000-04:00

I’ve been working so much lately, I thought I would like to do something different for a change. One of the perks of working at the college is accessibility to evening courses. The only night I had free was Monday night and the course being offered that night was Acrylic Painting. Hmmm… I had never tried my hand at it before, so I thought, why not? Tonight was my debut, et voila!

Even a closer look - well, not bad for an amateur! Whaddya think?

.

Attitude

2006-02-26T20:44:00.000-04:00

I came across some really good quotes about attitude. Thought you might enjoy them too!

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude in life. Attitude is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people, think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break an organization ... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... Life is 10% what happens, and 90% how we react to it. And so it is with you ... you are in charge of your attitude."

- Charles Swindoll

The only disability in life is a bad attitude. ~ Scott Hamilton

And a "Good Monday Morning to You, too!"

A paradox

2006-02-24T15:31:00.000-04:00

Quite unexpectedly I've found a paradox of my life in Vern McLellan's book Shredded Wit. It goes like this:

Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.

Plan more than you can do, then do it.

Point your arrow at a star, take your aim, and there you are.

Arrange more time than you can spare, then spare it.

Take on more than you can bear, then bear it.

Plan your castle in the air, then build a ship to take you there.

A paradox - absurd, unbelievable, but true.

Clutz!

2006-02-22T18:43:00.000-04:00

What a clutz I am! As I was getting ready to leave for work on Monday morning, I tripped in the handle of my bag - on carpet, wearing slippers! Of course I sat and cried. I cried not so much for the pain (and it did hurt!), but because I just don't have the luxury of time to rest. I didn't realize how many steps I walk in the run of a day and just how fast I need to go. You can just call me peg-legged sue or hop-along cassidy :)

Valentine's Day Poem

2006-02-13T22:49:00.000-04:00

A couple of years ago, I wrote this poem for a Valentine's Day contest. It was aired on CBC Radio and I won tickets to a show by the same name. I thought seeing it's Valentine's Day again I would share it with you.

I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE
I love you, you’re perfect, now change
Now don’t ya think that’s rather strange
Do you think this ol’ earthly me
Can a gorgeous butterfly be?
Once I get my feet off the ground
I might never again be found.
This metamorphosis you ask
Is quite an impossible task
So dear, it’s take me as I am
You love me, I’m perfect, no change!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Web Page Design

2006-02-12T09:15:00.000-04:00

This past week I taught an introductory course in Web Page Design over on base. I did a search to see if I could find some of them. Here are some of my student's pages that I found:
http://www.geocities.com/hollymooressnook/jonahhughlettsnook
http://www.geocities.com/allheart_73/index.html
http://www3.nf.sympatico.ca/robiaman/

On the last day of the course I had my students create blog spots. Here are a couple of them:
http://crazymomoffour.blogspot.com/
http://hollymooressnook.blogspot.com/

Keeping in mind that blogs are updated regularly and web sites are perpetually under construction, why not give a raincheck.

Since we were on the topic, I was inspired to revamp my own page as well. Why not check it out? http://www.geocities.com/bnwrite/personalpage.html

On the soapbox!

2006-01-27T21:25:00.000-04:00

My, it’s looks like I may be only a weekend writer! To say I’m busy would be an understatement.

Tonight I feel like I need a soapbox because there are a few things I’d like to get off my chest.

First, I’d like to talk about voting in the federal election – or lack thereof. What really bothers me is conditional voting: “I would vote this way if…” Hogwash! I hear people say, “Well I really like the NDP policies but I know they have no chance of getting in, so I voted for the Conservatives/Liberals.” If every person who I heard say that, had voted for the NDP, the NDP may very well be the official opposition!” Then there are the people who say, “I don’t like the Liberals or the Conservatives. I would vote for the NDP but they’ll never get in so I didn’t vote at all.” Such apathy! Come on people! To me it seems clear – and I’m no political major! You look at the policies of the party, what stand they take on issues that are important to you, and vote for the party. Why would you vote for a party you don’t agree with because you feel they are going to get in anyway? It’s ludicrous! While you may have had a winning vote, you are surely not winning!

The second thing I’d like to talk about is “blue air.” Why is it that some people use profane, blasphemous, sacrilegious, vulgar language in everyday, casual conversation so naturally? Not only do I hear it when somebody is surprised, shocked, or upset. I hear it in jest, in mixed company and in the presence of children. The most commonly used adjective seems to be the word “fuck”. I have been amazed to work in offices with “professional” people who use this expletive as a noun, a verb and an adjective all in one sentence. In fact it seems like they see how many times they can use the word in one sentence. For some of these “professional” people I would like to turn their microphones and tape recorders around to let them hear themselves as others hear them for a while. Not only is it crude and improper, it makes me cringe. One day when I worked in one of these offices, a person said to me “that’s ok Bev; you can say the word “fuck” because it’s in the dictionary now.” Whoopee do! So are a couple of hundred thousand other tasteful, suitable, choice utterances that can be used to express thoughts with elegance and class. When I hear a person speak in such a profane manner, it speaks to me of ignorance. It is uncouth, impolite, crude, ill-mannered and rude.

Whew! I’m glad I got that off my chest!

Mountains of Snow

2006-01-22T14:45:00.000-04:00

We haven't had snow for a few days now and the banks have settle down nicely and frozen in place. We're having a large Labrador day today. Since I usually go to work before daylight and come home after dark, it was nice to get out in the beautiful sunshine. I donned my long fur coat and trotted out to get a few photos. I had to do it quickly though. The temperature was -18C with a windchill of -29C. It felt like my eyebrows were freezing and I was getting an ice cream headache without eating the ice cream. When you're all bundled up and hurring along, it's hard to keep your mouth closed - it sure wakens those sensitive teeth! It's a good thing I remembered where my house was because it's not in full view anymore from the road. If you peep around those snowbanks you'll find it.

Right after the storm the banks on either side of the road were as high as or higher than the car. It felt clostrophobic driving the narrow streets with high banks - like going through a maze. Now that the snowblower has gone by and widened out the streets it's easier to see around the corners. Here's what I see when I look up and down my street:

Mega Snow

2006-01-16T09:01:00.000-04:00

Wow! Since Saturday we've had over 100 cm of snow and it's still falling! And it doesn't end there. We're supposed to have 20-30cm more today. Here's the Environment Canada forcast for today and tomorrow:
Today
Snow at times heavy and blowing snow. Amount 20 to 30 cm. Wind north 30 km/h gusting to 50. Temperature steady near minus 5.
Tonight
Periods of snow and blowing snow. Amount 10 cm. Wind north 40 km/h gusting to 60. Low minus 16. Cold wind chill minus 29.
Tuesday
A few flurries ending in the morning then clearing. Local blowing snow in the morning. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50. Temperature steady near minus 16. Cold wind chill minus 29

The whole town is basically shut down. Business and schools are closed. It seems the only people working today are CBC and The Town. CBC Radio employees were in bright and early to give us all the weather updates and closures. The Town crews are busy trying to keep the roads open in case of an emergency. When I look out my windows, this is what I see:

I got up the usual time (6:15 a.m.) and had breakfast with my husband. Once I realized I didn't have to go out, and since it was still dark as midnight out, I went back to bed and listened to the radio over the hum of snowploughs and snowblowers until it got daylight. Now let me see, what will I do today?

What's your major?

2006-01-15T19:47:00.001-04:00

What's your major? In layman's terms "What are you good at?" I came across a little quiz that may help you determine just what it is that you love to do. It can be found at:

http://quizfarm.com/results.php

Here are the results of my quiz:

You scored as English.

You should be an English major! Your passion lies in writing and expressing yourself creatively, and you hate it when you are inhibited from doing so. Pursue that interest of yours!

English 100%
Journalism 100%
Linguistics 92%
Theater 83%
Philosophy 75%
Art 67%
Psychology 67%
Anthropology 67%
Engineering 67%
Mathematics 58%
Sociology 58%
Chemistry 33%
Biology 33%
Dance 33%

Why not check it out?

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2006-01-08T07:51:00.000-04:00

During Christmas we had a cold snap with temperatures in the -20's (celcius) range and a windchill in the -30's, but one day it got a bit milder, bringing the frost out of the trees to create a silver thaw. Isn't it beautiful?!

This picture of Nadine was taken at Welbourne Bay. I like to call it "Walking in a Winter Wonderland."

Taking down the Christmas Tree

2006-01-07T08:11:00.000-04:00

Traditionally we have observed the 12 days of Christmas somewhere between Christmas Eve on December 24th and Old Christmas Day on January 6th. We didn’t usually put up our Christmas tree until the 22nd or 23rd of December, depending on where it fell in the week and we didn’t take down our tree until Old Christmas Day, or after the children went back to school after the holidays. Of course, in those days we had real, live Christmas trees and despite the fact that they were standing in water, by the time the 12 days were up, the spruce had created its own tree skirt of needles.

With the arrival of artificial Christmas trees, the 12 days of Christmas have become longer and longer, expanding to almost double in length. Realizing that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, we begin our decorating much earlier now. Depending on my work schedule, I usually have my tree up by mid-December.

I have noticed, however, that the earlier people put up their Christmas trees, the earlier they are likely to take them down. As soon as New Year’s celebrations are over, people begin to dismantle their decorations to return to a form of normalcy. As soon as my daughters leave after Christmas, I feel that Christmas is over – at least for me it is. Nadine left on New Year’s Eve this year. As I started to tidy up, I started to put away some of the decorations and realized, oh it’s not time yet!

Patches, the lady of the house, had the feeling much earlier than I, however. She began taking decorations and even a string of lights off the tree about a week ago when all her treats were gone and her new toys were integrated with her old ones.

Well, I’ve beaten my own record this year. Old Christmas Day has come and gone but my tree is still up. This may be the day that it comes down though. Since it’s the only day I have off, the chances are very good that it will.

Have you met my cats?

2006-01-03T08:06:00.000-04:00

When my girls were in kindergarten, animals such as hamsters and budgie birds were kept in their classroom. By the time they were in elementary grades, they were asking for a pet of their own.

I had grown up with a dog as a family pet, but was never allowed to keep a kitten because my dad was afraid of them. I think he had had a bad experience when he was younger. However, my Aunt Hazel, whom I stayed with on and off since I was 7 years old, had always kept a budgie bird. So, after some discussion we were off to the pet store to get a budgie. I rationalized that we could confine the bird to a cage most of the time and it would be cheap to feed.

First we had Pretty Bird, then Good Luck and Polly who each lasted a couple of years. The bird we had the longest was Jack, my favorite. He shared our home for over seven years. Jack had an extended vocabulary, was trained to perch only on top of his cage or on us – not the drapes and picture frames! He even traveled with us in the motor home on trips to Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and Welbourne Bay.

After Jack died, my daughter’s friend was going away to college and needed someone to adopt Buster, a 10 or 11 years old budgie, who only lived long enough to give me the longing for another bird. Last Christmas my daughters brought me Joni in a cardboard box on the plane from St. John’s. Joni turned out to be female and a little more of a challenge to train, but great company just the same. A house without a budgie is just too silent.

Even though we had budgies for pets, my daughters continued to pester for a hamster, cat or dog – a pet they could cuddle. My oldest daughter Natalie came home several times asking if she could have a kitten. I researched and weighed the pros and cons. Anything from the rat family – or that remotely looked like a rat – was out of the question. Finally, we decided a cat would fit with our lifestyle and be less work than a dog – and I was right!

In the spring of 1996 we began to shop for a kitten. On Saturday, March 2nd we adopted Smokey from the pet store in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Smokey was born December 20, 1995 and he had a grey regal coat. He’s a real he-man cat who controls his territory, yet is very affectionate.

A few months later, Nattie came home saying that one of her friend’s cats had kittens and they needed a home. Their dad was out of town at the time and I was so confident that he would say ‘no’ that I told them to call and ask dad. If he said ‘yes’ then it was ok with me. Much to my surprise (chagrin) he did say ‘yes’, so off we went to the friend’s house to adopt Patches on Saturday, July 20, 1996. Named for her calico coat, Patches was born June 7, 1996.

We were totally enamored with our cats by this time. Whenever we saw a cat with rusty-coloured fur, I used to say that he would fit in great with our family because all of us had hair in various shades of strawberry blond at the time. Lo and behold, on December 23, 1996 I came into the house to find Goldie in a basket under the Christmas tree. I didn’t even notice him until he hopped out of the basket and ran across the floor in front of me. Goldie, orange as a pumpkin, was born on October 31, 1996. He has become Bev’s ol’ baby. He’s my shadow when I’m home. Whenever I sit at the table or work on the computer, he sits by my chair and waits for me. Whenever I sit on the chesterfield, he sits beside me. He also likes to share my bed.

Our three cats are house cats. Don’t get me wrong though. They are not confined to the house – they are just not permitted to roam free. They also have had trips in the camper, nights at the cabin, rides in the car and barbeques on the patio – supervised, of course!

After the third cat, we learned to say ‘no’ to more cats, but we did have a dog for about a year and a half. We adopted, Freddie, a beagle pup on November 18, 1997. He loved to chew on anything he could reach but he had his redeeming qualities. He especially won over the girls, but he was Wally’s dog! In the summer of 1999 Freddie got sick with leukemia and after a lengthy (and expensive) stay in the clinic, he passed away one hot day in July. Freddie rests in peace by our cabin on Mud Lake Road. Loosing Freddie was such a traumatic experience that we never did get another dog.

Our three cats permit us to share their house, do the housekeeping and serve them food. We are rewarded with lots of love. Let me introduce them:

Smokey a.k.a. Fat

Patches a.k.a. Lady of the House

Goldie a.k.a. Bev's ol' baby

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T20:38:00.000-04:00

Like many other families, we keep a calendar on the kitchen wall where we make a note of special dates, appointments, in town/out of town, jury duty, interviews, etc. It’s only a regular monthly calendar, but each page is covered with notations.

This morning I took down my marked up 2005 calendar to replace it with a brand new, clean 2006 calendar and sat down to review the year gone by. It went rather quickly! The days my daughters were home seemed so few but I am grateful for the times that they could come home. The doctor’s appointments were few and far between and for that I’m so thankful! The working days were busy, interviews done, contracts completed with no sick days and for that I’m very pleased. It means that we had the health and strength to work and make a living.

What will the new year bring? We have a clean slate before us. We don’t know how many days or months of this calendar we will complete, if we will have work, or be in good health. The future is not for us to know. I’m so glad that I don’t have to worry about it. All I have to do is hold on to the One who holds tomorrow.

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

I don’t know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day;
I don’t borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray;
I don’t worry o’er the future, for I know what Jesus said,
And today, I’ll walk beside Him, for he knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow, And I know who holds my hand.

Ev’ry step is getting brighter as the golden stairs I climb;
Ev’ry burden’s getting lighter; Ev’ry cloud is silver lined;
There the sun is always shining; there no tear will dim the eye;
At the ending of the rainbow, where the mountains touch the sky.

I don’t know about tomorrow, It may bring me poverty;
But the One who feeds the sparrow, Is the One who stands by me;
And the path that be my portion, May be gthru the flame or flood,
But His presence goes before me, And I’m covered with His blood.

- Ira Stanphill © Copyright 1950 by Singspiration, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Happy New Year!

Someone to Care

2005-12-15T08:52:00.001-04:00

We can do no great things; only small things with great love.

We realize that what we are accomplishing is a drop in the ocean. But if this drop were not in the ocean, it would be missed.

Let no one come to you without leaving better and happier.

Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people.

- Mother Theresa

These quotes by Mother Theresa indicate the way I feel this morning as I reflect back on the last few weeks.

As a freelancer I have to accept contracts when they become available and sometimes it’s feast or famine – contracts are either not available or coincide and overlap. Such has been my experience in the past few weeks. I have been teaching at the college in North West River during the day and running some evening classes at the college in Happy Valley-Goose Bay at the same time. Prolonged, it would be a surefire recipe for burnout!

But I have much to be thankful for. I’m thankful that despite my physical ailments, I rushed to the finish line with gusto. I’m thankful that I found somebody to car pool with so I only had to drive the 89 km return trip over icy roads half the time. And I’m thankful for the wonderful people I’ve had to work with.

What strikes me the most is the many people I meet – rich or poor, married or single, native or non-native, young or old – who just need to know that somebody cares. We all have to deal with life, the ups and downs, the trails and tribulations that come our way. Sometimes life is just not fair. But a burden shared is a burden halved. Sometimes there is nothing we can do to help the situation but to accept the person, listen to their concerns and love them anyway. People just need to know somebody cares.

A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it. ~Frank A. Clark

Driving home one day I found myself singing the chorus:

“Love through me, Holy Spirit, love through me.
Let my hands reach out to others, love through me.
There’s a needy soul somewhere, needing just one friend to care.
Love through me, Holy Spirit, love through me.”

Having finished my contracts last night and a few weeks of burning the candle at both ends, I promised myself I would sleep until daylight this morning, but the house was still dark when I got up at 7:30 a.m. It’s snowing a lot and before I went to bed last night the weather channel said we were to have 25-35 cm of snow in the next 24 hours with winds gusting to 90 km/h this afternoon and blizzard conditions. To me this sounds like the perfect time to put on a Christmas CD and clean and decorate the house in preparation for my daughter’s return home for Christmas on Tuesday.

Having my gift for a child ready for the Community Christmas Hamper and donations to several charities is certainly only a drop in the bucket of what needs to be done, but if it were not there it would surely be missed. Now I’ll concentrate on Christmas preparations for my family.

Merry Christmas!

It's Winter

2005-11-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

Wow...have I ever been busy! Freelancing can get hectic at times. Then there's the volunteer stuff. Sometimes it all comes at once.

Winter's finally here. Since I last wrote we had a nice snowfall - about 15 cm on one day and flurries here and there. This is how it look when it started on Remembrance Day, November 11th:

Since then we had a mild spell with temperatures hovering just above and below zero. yuk! This is more like St. John's weather. We're not used to it being so mild this time of year. Today we have a temperature of 11 C with winds of SSE 54 km/h with gusts to 76 km/h. Very unusual!! Since I took this snap about 30 minutes ago the sun has come out but it does look rather bleak ( like winter!?):

With winter comes the wardrobe change. I've shifted around my closet and packed away my 'summer' clothes. Wouldn't you know that I've added a few extra pounds, so I'm faced with the dilemma of either buying new clothes or shedding a few pounds. Now I'm not a dieter and have never been able to stick with the new fads, but I like to eat healthy. Since I'm supposed to be on a fat free, no caffeine diet anyway, it's not a major adjustment except for one thing - Chocolate!! I'm a professed chocolaolic! Believe it or not, I haven't had any chocolate since September and a lot of my meals look like this these days:

It looks like a summer meal, doesn't it? When I think of fall and winter, I think of rabbit stews, caribou soup, moose roast, fish and brewis, and all the wonderful breads, doughboys, drawn butter and pastries that go with it.

Now we're entering the chocolate season. First there's my birthday, then Christmas, Valentine's, Easter, Friday, the weekend, tired....and all the excuses to have a nice creamy milk chocolate bar....maybe something very sweet like a 'S'mores' bar...(drool)!

Sorry, I'm not posting any chocolate pics today but I'm sure you can visualize them! Now to stop my chocoloate craving I think I'll go have a bananna :)

First Snow!

2005-10-07T08:08:00.000-03:00

Yep! We've been expecting it any day now - the first snow. But we've had beautiful fall weather. Yesterday I wandered about my garden drinking in the beauty of my few fading flowers and admiring the colorful leaves as they begin to fall from the trees. Petunias and nasturtiums seem to be the most hardy. This is what I saw yesterday:

Petunias...

and...

Nasturtiums...

the dying embers...

of summer...

Green leaves...

turning brown...

and red...

to golden...

...now covered with snow!

Fall Colors

2005-10-01T21:17:00.000-03:00

I'm absolutely amazed with the colors of fall! Aren't they beautiful?! This morning while I hung out my clothes I had this over-the-fence view:
Then on the other side I had this view:

When I backed out on the road I had this view:

As I drove up the road, it looked like this:

The leaves are just beginning to turn now. In another few days it will be even more beautiful.

This afternoon my friend and I went partridgeberry picking (known as redberry picking in Labrador). It was a beautiful sunny day, little breeze, no flies and lots of berries. This is what they looked like:

I love Fall!

Fall Plant Rescue

2005-09-17T16:14:00.000-03:00

I have finally brought all my house plants in for the winter. Last night the weather was clear and we had (almost) a full moon - actually it will be full by tomorrow night. This morning at 7 o'clock it was 1 degree celcius and a white sparkling frost covered everything outside. Now in mid-afternoon it is 22 degrees celcius with only scattered clouds in a clear blue sky. What wonderful weather we've been having! Here are the last two beauties I rescued from Jack Frost:

On The Line

2005-09-17T15:38:00.000-03:00

We have just completed how many weeks on the picket line? CBC management has locked out its Canadian Media Guild employees for 35 days now!! Walking the picket line is harder than a days work because it's frustrating and futile. We've been pounding the pavement in front of the building waiting for management to open the doors and let us go to work. The weather is getting colder each day and this week we acquired a large drum in which we light a fire to keep warm. Our union rep visited us on the picket line this week and he says "the goal posts are in sight." Well the main issues have yet to be discussed. Despite the smiles, we're disgusted!

God's Faithfulness!

2005-09-11T08:09:00.000-03:00

"They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:23 KJV

I've been picking these little beauties in my back yard for about a month now. I pick them all one day and when I go back a day or two later, there's a fresh supply of raspberries - just like the fresh manna God supplied to the Israelites every morning.

When I opened my patio blinds this morning I was surprised to find everything covered with a layer of sparkling white frost. It was 1 degree C. There is not a cloud to be seen in the clear blue sky and the sun is gradually melting the frost to a heavy dew.

Of course this means that the redberries (a.k.a. partridgeberries) will now be ready for picking. They are best after a good frost. It kills the worm in them and makes them sweeter. Another example of God's provision.

Gas Prices

2005-09-04T16:46:00.000-03:00

I was at a meeting on Thursday evening when somebody mentioned the price of gas going up again. It usually goes up a couple of cents a litre at a time. I made a mental note to get gas on the way home. As it turned out, I brought somebody else home so I didn't think of it. After I came home and got ready for bed, I decided to check my email to unwind after a busy day. There was an email from a friend reminding me of the gas price jump. I jumped in my car, pj's and all, and went to fill it up. There were four line-ups at the pumps and people were filling up gas cans in the pans of their pickups. Wow! I got inspired so I went home and got my husband's pickup truck and went and filled that up as well. He was pleasantly surprised when I told him the next morning (brownie points!!). The gas went up 19 cents a litre the first night - then low and behold it went up another 13 cents the very next day!! The reason: there's a gas shortage on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland! Go figure! Why make the people in Labrador pay for that? We pay the highest prices in all of Canada as it is!! I heard somebody say the other day the government should be called the Government of St. John's instead of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Maybe they have a point. Separation sounds better all the time. The good news is the gas price may go down 12 cents a litre...and we're supposed to be happy with that?...up .32 and down .12? And oh yes...the price of groceries and utilities, etc. will be going up as well. What does the bible say about a loaf of bread for a days wages in the last days?
Amazing!

The Weekend - Hurray!!

2005-09-03T08:37:00.000-03:00

It's the first day of Labour Day Weekend - considered the last weekend of camping for the year, especially tent or RV camping. In Labrador lots people head off to their cabins just as they would any other weekend throughout the year. It's also harvest time. Already we have picked blueberries and raspberries and had some new potatoes, carrots, turnip greens and fresh cabbage leaves, but in September most people dig their potatoes and bring in any vegetables that would be damaged by frost. I usually pick the last of my rhubarb and bring in my houseplants. The lawn will probably get its last grooming for the season and the yard will get tidied away before that huge blanket of snow hides everything for the long winter. It's not that it needs to be done right now, but it's the last holiday from work until November 11. By then it's plenty chilly.

Summer is still here though. We have a beautiful sunny day with 20 degrees celcius at 8:45 am. A gentle breeze blows the aspen and birch leaves with just a few spots of yellow amidst the green. My empty clotheslines lurk outside my patio waiting to be filled, my barbecue and picnic table wait invitingly on the patio and my shasta daisies beckon me to the garden for one more look. It promises to be another beautiful day.

2005-08-26T21:02:00.000-03:00

Company's Coming....again!
Well I shouldn't say company. Let me rephrase that. We're having house guests this weekend. Company is when somebody is coming to spend time with you. House guests is when somebody uses your house instead of a hotel! Either way, schedule is out the window for a couple of days.

I've had a real busy week with work and volunteer stuff. Tomorrow I'll be Cindrella for a while. (You know the story of Cindrella! She was left home to do the housework, while everybody else went out to enjoy themselves.) I'd just as soon be left alone to putter.

We're promised the sun and temperatures in the 20's again tomorrow. What a beautiful week we've had. "Shine on me sunshine, walk with me world, it's a ....zip da doo de day.....I'm the haaap-p-iest girl in the whole USA." Well it's a fine thing you can't really hear that - but you get the drift!

Have a good weekend everybody!

2005-08-23T20:07:00.000-03:00

Company for Supper

While we ate supper this evening, this perky little bird and some friends kept us company just outside the window. This was the only one brave enough to face the camera:

2005-08-23T08:09:00.000-03:00

The Sun

I listened to CBC radio as I got ready for work this morning. They played the Beatles song “Here Comes the Sun….it’ll be alright!” Most times when we think about the sun it gives us warm, positive feelings. The images that come to mind may be a day at the beach laying in the sand, cruising down the highway with the air-conditioning on, puttering in solitude of your garden, reading a book while lying in your chair on the patio, a family barbecue….. Not often do we hear people say, “OnNo! It’s going to be sunny today!!”

Sometimes we say, “It’s your day in the sun!” In other words, “the spotlight is on you,” or “it’s your special day.” It’s a day when the outlook is bright, things are going your way, you’re warmed by what’s going on around you (the atmosphere), and you have great opportunity for growth.

Look up. Here comes the sun…it’ll be alright! May this be your Day in the Sun!

2005-08-22T22:07:00.000-03:00

The Weather Again!
What wind and rain we've been having! I don't think we've had so much rain since the flood! Of course there's a benefit to that too. I don't have to water my garden these days, the berries will blossom nicely again when the sun comes out, and it gives me time to get things done in the house.

I love sleeping when it's stormy outside - or curled up in a comfortable spot reading a good book - or spending time on my computers. It's a wonderful time to catch up on all the projects I've saved for a rainy day.

When we say "saving for a rainy day" we think of saving money, don't we? And that's good too. But there are other things that need our management besides money. One of them is time. These days aren't we just sooo busy. I know I am. However, I'm learning to say "no" more now to things that are going to overtax me. I'm setting a priority with what I want to do and what needs to be done. For instance, housework has moved far to the bottom of the list. It will be there long after I'm gone - nobody seems to notice when it's done anyway. When I'm no longer here, what will people remember about me...a clean house?....a story I wrote?....my smile? ...how friendly I was or wasn't? or the time I spent with them? The days go by so fast and once they are gone, they are gone. Tomorrow for us may never come. We have only today to work with. What can we do to make a difference in the lives of those we love today?

2005-08-21T23:40:00.000-03:00

Often when people are not sure what to talk about, they talk about the weather and stay away from subjects like politics and religion (that’ll come later!). So to begin my blog I will do just that – talk about the weather.

God has blessed us with a wonderful summer. In May, long before the first official day of summer in June, we had temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius. The hot dry days have balanced out the warm wet days enough to keep the forest fires in check and the berries growing. However, just as summer was early, so comes the fall. This week we had a good shower of hailstones. The sun comes up later and the evenings are closing in fast. A walk around my garden after supper confirms this when I feel the cool damp air, smell the earth in the evening dew and the hint of wood smoke in the air.

A few days ago before I went to work I took another walk around my garden to admire its fast fading beauty. Too soon the frost will stiffen and wilt the remaining stems and they will be covered in a blanket of snow. I caught a few of the images in megapixels to help me remember and prolong their beauty.

I think there may be an old wives tale or folklore that talks about when the squirrels gather food and hoard it away during the summer; it will be a hard long winter. Well this little fellow that I found eating from my bird feeder on the back patio wasn’t hoarding any food away – he was living for the moment! When he heard me, he turned around and posed for the camera.

You may have noticed that I mentioned God, yet planned to stay away from politics and religion today. Well, I kept my promise. God is part of everything. We cannot go anywhere that he is not. Religion on the other hand… ok...ok. Maybe another time!