merry christmas!

This little angel graced the Christmas trees of my youth. My mother passed it on to me shortly after Stephen and I were married (almost 25 years ago) and she has been on the top of our tree ever since. She always reminds me of those wonderful Christmas mornings where my sister and I would race into the living room to see what Santa had left for us. Those gifts were always placed with loving care at the front and centre under the tree; ready for us to pick up and play with immediately. Two particularly memorable years were the one where I received my Baby Tenderlove doll and then the year I received my little green portable radio/record player (which I still have).

Experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a child...especially your own, is wonderful in a completely different way. Setting up the Fisher Price Castle or the Criss Cross Crash set late on Christmas Eve...special times. Seeing my wee one with his wide eyes of surpise and delight...I will cherish those memories forever.

I hope you all enjoy this special time with family and friends.

Wishing you and your's the best of the season. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

more fibre food

Wait until you see what Carla has added to the salad plate. Check it out here.

fibre feast

The last plate in our fibre feast round robin arrived in the mail today...Laurie's appetizer plate.

How about Suanne's crab claws? Just awesome. Suanne also included her fabio milk carton which will become part of the TV dinner. The inside of the carton is lined with cow print. Too cute.

I have to admit, when the idea of this was first proposed at ArtFiberFest, I wasn't sure what to expect. Now, as we near the conclusion of this wonderful art adventure, I can honesty say I will be sorry to see it end.

Guess that means we will have to come up with a plan for Fibre Food II, eh?

six weird things

I was tagged by Shari this morning to mention six weird things about myself, so here it goes...

1. I wear three earrings in my right ear and only two in my left...decided to get one extra hole put in my right ear many moons ago. I was going through an asymetrical phase (my hair was also asymetric at the time).

2. I was kissed by a killer whale on a stormy night at Seaworld, Ohio when I was ten.

3. Got to drive a stockcar (which was WAY COOL!)

4. Along with my team mate Rob, we became grand champions on a local game show "Talk About" back in October '89. We won $12,700 in cash and prizes (which was pretty good for a Canadian game show at the time).

5. I am a confessed Starbucks addict, but I never, EVER drink coffee...can't stand the stuff.

6. When I was a child, had a real chicken as a pet that I used to dress up and push around in a pram.

So, now that I have professed my weirdness to all...I tag Heather B and my fabulous fibre feast pals Lori S-C, Laurie G, Suanne, Carla, and Jen. You're it!

goodbye, november

What a crazy month of weather...rain storms, wind storms, snow storms...oh my!

I wonder what December holds in store? Guess we won't have to wait long to find out.

more snow...

This picture was taken early this AM. The light was poor, but I kind of like the blue hues.

The snow that started on Saturday continued through Sunday and was still coming down this morning. To those of you who have snow most of the winter, you probably think, "What's the big deal about a few inches of snow?" But trust me...this isn't the norm around these parts. We might get one or two dumps of snow over the course of the winter, but it doesn't usually snow non-stop for over 24 hours. And when it does fall, it's usually washed away by rain within a couple of days. Might not be the case this time...more snow is expected later this week. Guess we will just have to wait and see.

I do love how quiet everything is when snow is on the ground. Very peaceful...and beautiful.

Kind of ironic that the old Bing Crosby movie White Christmas just happened to be on TV yesterday afternoon as well.

Enough babbling...

...and then winter arrived

This was the view out of our bedroom window this morning. The snow had started falling earlier in the evening. We were on our way back from a daytrip to Bellingham (thought we would take advantage of some of those Thanksgiving weekend deals). We didn't have any trouble getting home, but we did pass two car accidents after crossing the border. Hope everyone was alright.

I don't mind snow, as long as we don't have to drive in it. I would much sooner stay home where it is warm and dry. Glad it snowed on the weekend. That way everyone can prepare for alternate ways to get to work tomorrow, if necessary. Doesn't take much snow around here before driving becomes quite treacherous. People driving on improper tires, driving too fast, etc. They are calling for an additional 10-30cm (4-12in) today, depending on the area. I might just take the skytrain into work instead.

So, I think today would be a good day to make some art, maybe watch a movie and have a hot chocolate. Guess I better go and shovel the driveway first...

time for a change...

Decided I should switch over to blogger beta and check out the new and improved functionality. I do like the new editing and 'drag and drop' features. While I was at it, I thought it might be a good time for a wee overhaul to the blog. A friend recently mentioned that she has a hard time reading blogs with black backgrounds, so hopefully this helps.

latest from the fibre feast

I was so jazzed when I found out that the veggie portion of the TV dinner was available. Once again, the felting needle came out and voila...garden fresh peas and carrots. What frozen dinner would be complete without them.

I have to confess, there is a little of me in a few of those peas...those little suckers are hard to hold on to and I managed to poke my fingers more than a few times during the process. Oh the things we do in the name of art [picture the "woe-is-me" back of the hand on the forehead, head raised, looking to the sky]. Don't mind me...silly moment.

Hard to believe there is only one more plate to pass through in this wonderful swap. It has really been a blast.

weekend adventure

We had a wild rain/wind storm last week. Because of the high turbidity in the water, we have had to boil water or use bottled water for the past several days. Luckily, we have a water cooler and a good supply of water on hand, so it hasn't been too bad. The stores were all out of water within a day of the boil water notice. It's quite scary to think how bad it could be if we ever have the "big one" (earthquake). I think we can all benefit from Mother Nature's subtle and not so subtle nudges to help us become more aware and to be prepared for the time she decides to really let us have it.

My mom came over from Vancouver Island for the weekend. On Saturday we headed out to 'Be Creative', a fabulous little family-owned rubber stamp business run out of their home in Pitt Meadows (about a half hour east of our place). Haroldine, hubby Bob, kids Kari and Kyle and, last but not least, Iris (they are all wonderful) were busy demo'ing the new Adirondack Dabbers. I thought, I don't need those, as I have lots of acrylic paints already. Well...let me tell you, they are some kinda fun! I picked up a couple and Mom bought a bunch of stuff, but didn't pick up any of the Dabbers. We got back to our house and started to play with all the new goodies. Within about an hour, Mom decided she should have picked up some of the Dabbers and would I mind... Yep, in the car and back out to Haroldine's we went.

samples of Adirondack Dabbers and a new Stampers Anonymous 'Tim' stamp

We were greeted with a "Wow, it's been a while!" from Bob. Mom got her Dabbers and some paper and some more of this and that. Well, heck if I'm going to go home empty handed. I picked up a few more Dabbers and Mom bought me Tim Holtz's new book, "Distressables 2".

Most who know me, know how much I love Tim's art (I spent a weekend at a local scrapbook store in the summer of '05 taking a bunch of his classes...he is a doll!!). My fabulous art friends have been giving me a hard time about it ever since (okay, maybe I was a tad enthusiastic when I discussed how much fun I had and how much I liked him...okay...I admit it...I gushed...and gushed...but I had such a GREAT TIME!) Heck, we had practically the same hair style at the time!
Sunday, Stephen made his scrumpy pancakes with bacon for breakfast and then we played and watched our BC Lions win the Grey Cup, hooray! (Cdn equivalent to the Super Bowl for all my American friends) And it didn't end there. Next we got to watch my beloved Vancouver Canucks beat Chicago. It was a great weekend for my teams (Canucks also won on Friday night). Mom even made her famous pork chow mein for dinner. We had a lovely visit.

this fibre food keeps getting better and better

You must check out Laurie's pasta salad and romaine lettuce on the salad plate and Lori's pancakes for my breakfast plate. You gals rock!

I am currently working on my contribution for the TV dinner. I'll post a picture as soon as I am done.

lest we forget

summer's end

All the gulls become crows
And the trails become roads

The time you have to play each day
Goes with the sun to far away.
For half a year it there will stay
And reappear just after May

There are far fewer rays of sunlight which we must evade
We have less opportunity to sit in the cool shade

The solar orb which almost used to be as white as bleach
Has darkened to the colour of an over-ripened peach

The people we were free from as we ran across the beach
Return again and now we have to listen to them teach
It's time once more to work our way through yet another grade

The end of summer leaves us with a lack of lemonade

And the green becomes gold
And the warm becomes cold.

- Wesley May 2006

Wesley presented this poem to me as part of my birthday present. What a special gift.

yet more fibre food delights...

Here's a peek at Lori's quiche and Jen's chocolate dipped strawberries that have been added to Laurie's appetizer plate.

more fibre food

Take a look at Carla's addition to the dessert plate. Mmm!

rifs, haunts, birthdays, books and dolls

The title of this post sums up the events of the last several days. Last week started with notification that our company was going to be going through another RIF (reduction in force). Sound better than "downsizing" or "rightsizing"? You be the judge. I understand it is necessary to sustain the business, but that doesn't make it any easier. Thursday came and went and I made it, but it is always hard to say goodbye to friends you have made over the years.

On Friday, we headed out with a group of friends to go see the Halloween Haunt held at one of the local movie studios. A bit hokey, but fun nonetheless. After that, we headed out for dinner and I was surprised with some birthday presents from my guys (my birthday was Saturday). My Wesley got me a table top vice, to assist with my soldering projects, and Stephen gave me a Nikon S6 digital camera. I have been wanting one for a while...love the large screen on the back. And to top it all off, we made it home in time to see my beloved Vancouver Canucks beat the Washington Capitals in an overtime shootout! What a way to start off my birthday weekend.

On Saturday it was off to the first of two fun-filled days of book-making classes. Janice came by and we carpooled over. The fabulous Nancy and April hosted the event. April was our chef for the two days, keeping our tummies full with all sorts of nummy delights. Suzanne Cannon of Quiet Fire Design taught us 'Over and Under the Covers' and 'Mini Mica Memories' on day one and 'Unfolding Adventures' on day two. Suzanne is a wonderful teacher and a lovely person. I always enjoy her classes. I was surprised with a birthday cake and some lovely treats. Thanks everyone! I got to meet Mary, who will be one of my room mates at Artfest! What a pleasure. Mary travelled over from Victoria to attend the classes. I got to catch up with Nadine, another one of my original art friends (as are Pat and Janice) who is just back from a wonderful trip to Italy. I can't wait to hear more and see some pictures. On Saturday, after our book classes, Nancy held another class for a portion of the group and we made lovely beaded dolls. With us all seated around a table it was a nice couple of hours to sit and chat while we worked away.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend and a great way to turn 29 for the 15th time. :u)

copper book pics

I finally decided to do as Heather told me and start putting my pictures in flickr. So, if you would like to take a look at my copper book, here you go.

copper book

It's been awhile...lots of stuff has been going on of late, so my apologies to those of you who are kind enough to drop by for a visit now and again.

I finished my copper book and am quite pleased with how it turned out; unfortunately, blogger doesn't seem to be cooperating this evening, so I will post pictures as soon as I can.

I'll be back soon with my recent adventures in art and life.

Cheers.

sushi anyone?

It was so exciting to open up the big envelope that arrived a while back. In it was Jen's bento box (the third dish of our fibre food swap to arrive).

Here are pictures of Suanne's tempura (naked and with batter). Great job!



I opened up the wonderful box of fabrics that were given to me by my friend Janice and found just the right material to create my additions to the bento box. Included are Ikura (salmon roe) and Tamago (egg) nigiri along with Gari (pickled ginger), a little felted Wasabi and last but not least, a Shiso* leaf. You should have seen the look on the woman's face when I walked up to the mall sushi stand to ask for one plastic shiso leaf (to use as a pattern). I'm sure she thought I was nuts.



*A little factoid...called "shisho" in Japan, this herb was traditionally served with sushi to alleviate seafood poisoning. Today it is rarely served, but it is represented by a green, plastic leaf in pre-packaged sushi.

sitting

I decided that my copper book is going to contain Wesley's poetry. This is the first page I finished for inside the book. The poem is titled "Sitting".

Sitting

Let's just wait outside. I hope nobody died
Today. They sent us all away so now I stay
Out here. Quite a cheer
There was when they let us go. A flow
Of students running out. Nobody pouts
For missing school, and if the day was just a bit more cool
It would've been nice. Instead, like mice
We scurry from shade to shade. It made
For an interesting time as we talked about the crime
And what it could be. I guess we'll see
Tomorrow if there's any sign of sorrow.

But for now I just watch ants,
And at different plants I glance.

I can't get in, you see. My key
Is stuck at school and I have no tool
To gain entry.

I'll be a sentry for the dandelions a while.

(2006)

This was written this past June on the day they evaculated the school due to a "police incident" (we found out later that it was a bomb threat). The students all stood around the parking lot and were eventually told to go home (hence the cheers). Wesley's key was in his backpack, which was in his locker, so he wrote this poem while sitting outside our house waiting for one of us to get home.

copper book class

This weekend I am taking a two-day copper book class. The instructor is Suzanne Cannon. Her website is Quietfire Design. She is an amazing calligrapher and if you read Sommerset Studio you may have seen some of her work. I have taken several bookmaking workshops with Suzanne and this one is quite unique. Today, we etched images into the covers by simply stamping with StazOn and soaking the copper in ferric chloride. Once that process was finished, I dipped my covers in a liver of sulfur solution. Watching the colours change and deciding just the right time to rinse it off was a fun exercise. Everyone had different results, all wonderful. I tried to scan them, but it didn't show all the detail, so I took a couple of pictures (hard while trying to get enough light, but not so much that I got glare and reflection off the copper), so here they are...not the best, but good enough to give you an idea. The face will be the front and the text will be tipped and used for the back.




Tomorrow we get to etch more copper and also make the signatures for the book. I am going to make mine into a book of Wesley's poems. I will post more once it is finished.

another fibre food update

After receiving Carla's email about the addition to my breakfast plate, I thought hmmm...there must be a post from the first plate she received. So I checked her blog and sure enough there it was... Take a look at her lemongrass caviar...wow!

artfest here I come!

I was so excited to finally receive my confirmation in the mail yesterday. I got all of my first choices; Lynne Perrella, Linda & Opie O'Brien and Thomas & Romona Ashman (my absolute first choice). Thank you to Teesha for putting together such a wonderful registration package, from the mini journal and amazing collages all the way to the cool Batman stamps. So much attention to details. Now it's time to start collecting treasures to use in my classes. I think I will have quite the list of tools to ask Santa for this year.

(thanks, Teesha, for letting me post one of your collages from the Artfest package)

fibre food update

Wow...Carla has done an incredible job with her addition to my breakfast plate. Check out the pics here.

...and I think it's gonna be a long, long time...

...until I have another week like this past one! Have I mentioned what an important part music plays in my life? Next to my sense of smell, music brings back the most powerful memories for me. I can remember sitting in my room as a child listening to my first Beatles 45 (dating myself). Supertramp's Crime of the Century always reminds me of when Stephen and I first started dating. Then there's the time I actually had a fever of 103 while listening to Foreigner's "Hot Blooded".



While I haven't had much time to make art lately, I have had a chance to experience a lot...in the form of live music that is. Since last Thursday, I have had the privilege of seeing Huey Lewis and the News, Paul Simon and Elton John!

I had only planned on seeing Elton (bought tickets for his show the moment they went on sale!)...but as luck would have it, I was able to enjoy all three of these fabulous artists and their bands. A Huey ticket became available via my good friend Karen (who was already going) and she asked if I wanted to purchase it. Hmmm...second row in a new casino theatre (intimate venue)? How could I resist. THEN...this Wednesday at work, Karen called me late in the afternoon and asked if I was busy that night. I said I didn't have any plans so she invited me to see Paul Simon, as she had just been gifted with two tickets. Yup, I'm in! While at the show, Linda, the same wonderful person who gave Karen tickets to PS, gifted me two tickets to Elton John (row 21 on the floor, no less) for the next night (last night)! Of course Karen was getting one of the tickets and seeing as I already had tickets, we invited our friend Dave to join us. I had previously checked with Stephen, and he didn't mind me taking a floor seat with Karen while he sat in our seats with Dave. It worked out really well, as Stephen doesn't care much for dancing and was able to sit back (in his front row balcony seat) while Karen and I danced our butts off (near, but out of range of, the really, really drunk woman who was very entertaining to watch)!

All of the shows were amazing, but Elton was my absolute fav! He played for almost three hours straight (no pun intended)!

[sorry, couldn't resist...my warped sense of humour coming through]

His piano solos in "Benny and the Jets" and "Rocket Man" were to die for! I just love, love, LOVE his music.

So, while I haven't been creating art, my spirit has been filled by these amazing musicians.

Do you have a particular song or album that brings back special memories? Do share.

fibre food update

Laurie has posted a picture of the wonderful fudge cake she added to Suanne's dessert plate. Click here to take a look.

hair cuts and a chance encounter

Most people make an appointment and a haircut takes a couple hours out of their day, end of story, right?

For our family it isn't a "haircut" but a "haircut weekend"...what that entails is a trip over to Vancouver Island, Nanaimo to be exact. Why Nanaimo you ask? Well, that is where we are from...where I was born. Stephen was born on the mainland, but has lived all across Canada...me, I'm an island girl. Since we moved 18 years ago next month, we have always gone back for our haircuts.

While on the ferry, I happened to notice a woman facing me sitting at the next table. She pulled out a journal and started to sketch. We were busy playing cards, but every once in a while I would look up, wondering what she was drawing. I noticed that as she drew she seemed to be looking our way and directly at us at times. She was sitting with a man who also had a small journal out and was using some watercolour paints. Two boys happened by and the man handed one of the boys his paint brush and invited him to add to his journal. That reminded me of something Teesha (Moore) had mentioned one evening at ArtFiberFest. I asked her if they received a lot of attention when they were out at , say, a coffee shop journalling. She said that if someone asked what they were doing, there have been times that her hubby Tracy would invite them to draw in his journal. It made me smile.

My curiosity was really getting the better of me and so I walked over and asked if I could see what she was drawing. It was a sketch of everything that was right there in front of her...including us. It was lovely. I asked her if she would mind if I took a picture of her sketch. She obliged me. I thought it would be great if I could share it with you, so I asked and she said, "Yes, and what is the name of your blog?" I offered to write it on a scrap of paper, but she said she would write it in her journal so she wouldn't lose it. I asked her name. It is Qi (pronounced "chee").


Here it is. Wes and I are on the left and Stephen is on the far right.



And here's Qi.



Thank you for sharing a bit of your art with me, Qi. Good luck with your sculpting. It was a pleasure to meet you!


...and now for something completely different...

Our hair stylist, Bryan is our friend and has been for over 20 years. Wow...I can't believe it has been that long! He is an absolute nut and we love him to bits. Here's a pic...he is such a ham! "Well, if you're gonna take my picture [for your blog], wait 'til I take my shirt off." Strike the pose, baby.

Haircuts get us to the island every seven weeks where we try, and usually succeed, in seeing our families. Leaves little time for old friends whom we see all too infrequently, but are always in our thoughts. This particular trip was a quick one...caught the ferry over last night, got our hair cut (Bryan was kind enough to change our appointment from today to last night due to Wes's work schedule), spent the night at my Mom's and caught an early ferry back this morning to get Wes to work early this afternoon.

An eventful 24 hours.

high tea

For anyone who has experienced high tea, isn't it just so royal? Something about all those petite sandwiches and a steeping cup of tea...especially on a rainy afternoon like the one we had today.


My nana (grandmother) is in town from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and we (that meaning the whole family, if possible) always spend a day together when she is in town. We went to The Secret Garden, located in the Kerrisdale area of Vancouver, for our high tea. I would highly recommend it. We had a lovely day.

progressive dinner swap update

wow...I was just at Lori's blog and I see she has been adding to Carla's TV dinner. Check out her amazing fried chicken! Awesome!

the salad course, part ii

Wow...did I get on a roll this evening. I finished my portion of the salad plate. Added were cherry tomatoes, butter lettuce, carrots and beet slices. I had so much fun putting them all together. Can't wait for the bento box!!

the salad course

Yeah...got to make a little art today.

It is my turn to add to Lori's salad plate. The first picture is how it arrived from Suanne. She added romaine and boston lettuces along with a broccoli stem and hard boiled egg. It was such a thrill to open up the box and see all of her wonderful work. Next are my felted cherry tomatoes that will join her wonderful creations. I have a couple other items started, but will keep them a secret for the time being. I will take another picture of how it will look as it heads off to Laurie's for stop #3.

vegas...all you need is 'love' and a couple lucky pennies!

(Nothing art-related, just some highlights from our trip...if you are interested. Warning: I do tend to babble)

Man, did that time go fast! Stephen and I got back from Vegas last night after four wonderful nights in Sin City. We stayed at New York New York. As a treat, we upgraded our room to one with a jacuzzi tub right in the room...sweet.
It isn't a trip to Vegas without indulging in a tasty beverage from Fat Tuesday! Gotta love that "extra shot" for getting a little Vegas buzz goin'!


One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the new Cirque show Love, which is performed to remixed Beatles music. The only Cirque show where the music isn't performed live. It was absolutely wonderful!

The music and sound was amazing and the performances were very different from the other Cirque shows (very little make up, toned down costumes). The acrobatics had a very urban feel. In-line skaters in half-pipes, break dancers, etc. In the theatre, you feel as if you are part of the show, and everyone actually is at one point (won't spoil it). It was a very intimate setting. Very unique, but still very Cirque.

After six trips to Vegas, we finally made our way down to the Stratosphere. What an incredible view from up top! We hung out for a couple hours, taking in the view and watching the people brave enough (or maybe crazy enough) to go on the rides 109 stories in the air! The X Scream is one ride I don't think I could ever manage to convince myself to go on. A teeter totter style ramp that tips and slides you down off the side of the building and leaves you hanging there only to tip you back and repeat the process. Eek!

While we were there, we also got to enjoy a lightning storm off in the distance. Quite the show. Because of the lightning, they had to shut down the rides and the outer observation deck, so we watched from inside.

We didn't have too much luck on the gambling front until our last full day, Thursday (the day we saw Love). Up until that point, we would win enough to give us some play time, but by the end, we would give it all back. I did have a bit of luck at craps, but ended up losing it on roulette. The turning point seemed to be when Stephen found a 2 cent cash voucher next to a slot machine in the Mirage and as we just happened to be right beside a redemption machine, he cashed it in and said, "These could be our lucky pennies." Turned out they were! We has a great run of luck at the slot machines after that! Stephen started things off by turning $20 into $248 playing Lobstermania! I love the B52's Rock Lobster song in the background. A little after that, I turned $20 into $148 playing on a Price is Right slot machine (one of my favorites..."Come on down!").

Late in the evening, back at NYNY, Stephen played Deal or No Deal slots and got to the Cash Box Bonus (just like the game on TV) and ended up picking the highest value case (10,000)! ...pennies that is! Another $100...not bad for us small $$ gamblers.

Seemed every machine we touched gave us a little something back. This continued on through yesterday. We decided to check out our the points on our players card and were surprised to find out that we had earned enough that we were comp'ed two nights of our upgrade (about $80 value) plus we were given a money voucher for $14. We took that money and dropped it into a Risque Business slot machine (another one of my favs...gotta love that stripper bonus). Well, by the time we cashed out on that machine we were up $100+ again.
So much more fun when you win a little!
Our flight home was good (even after getting stuck out on the runway for an additional 20 mins, due to shifting winds). Alaska Airlines is one of our favs.

Wes managed just fine on his own for the first time. Of course, mom called home every day to make sure he was doing alright. It was great to get away, but feels good to be back home. Must go catch up on everyone's blogs and read all the emails that have been flying around regarding Artfest!

vegas bound!

Well, we are off to Vegas for a few nights, so I will catch up with everyone when I get back! Have a terrific week and I will share some of our exploits (or not...cuz what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas) when we return. :u)

Shari, I will be thinking of you as I take the first sip of my mudslide from Fat Tuesday!

jeremy fisher

Here are pics of Jeremy's CDs. I tried to post them yesterday but blogger wasn't cooperating (I know I have to start using Flickr, Heather...I will contact you soon for a tutorial) :u)

girl's night out with great big sea

My friend Karen (who also works at my company) and I have had a tradition over the summers of taking advantage of our company's "summer hours". Summer hours means you put in extra hours during the week and then (work permitting) you can leave as early as 1:00pm on the Friday. We would go into downtown Vancouver, wander, shop, stop at a watering hole for a thirst-quenching beverage and perhaps a bite to eat.

Unfortunately, over the last couple of summers, our Friday adventures have become very limited, due to work and life in general.

Yesterday, we had our first "Friday Outing" of the year...and it was a good one!

We started with a pedicure, followed by a fabulous Indian dinner. Next it was off to Malkin Bowl, an outdoor amphitheatre inside Stanley Park. Great Big Sea was the headline band. They are a group out of Newfoundland (a province on the east coast of Canada, for my international friends). They play a lot of traditional Newfoundland folk songs, which are heavily influenced by the celtic history of the area. Their concerts are more like traditional newfie kitchen parties...lots of singing along and dancing...a really fun time. Their latest album, 'The Hard & The Easy' is all traditional newfie songs. Check them out and have a listen.

- cover art for The Hard & The Easy

The bonus of the evening was the opening act. His name is Jeremy Fisher, from Vancouver. He was on stage when we arrived and we instantly were drawn in by his wonderful stage presence. He was alone on stage with his guitar and harmonica. His voice sounds a lot like Paul Simon with a splash of Bob Dylan. Add the Arlo Guthrie-style chatting with the audience and great folky-type songs and we were hooked. After his set, we headed up to the merchandise table and each picked up one of his CDs (Back Porch Spirituals and Let It Shine). Jeremy was there and we got him to autograph our copies.

It was a wonderful night out with a terrific friend!

monday morning man

The following is a poem my son Wesley wrote earlier this year. I think it is a beautiful piece and wanted to share it with you.


Monday Morning Man

The man next door might seem to be a very standard person,
Someone, if whom he disappeared, the world no more would worsen,
But if you get to know him and you listen all you can,
You'll learn the hidden knowledge of the Monday Morning Man.

I asked him once why Mondays should be held in high regard,
And he answered with poetic skill, like that of any bard,
"As the cycle of the universe comes to a close on Sunday,
It's only right that all should resurrect itself on Monday.
A day of new beginnings and of things about to start,
What ended on a Sunday then on Monday shall depart."
Enigmatically he talks of what will stop and what's began,
But to most he's just a simple, normal, mundane morning man.

He likes to tend his garden, and one day I saw him there
Walking through the rows of herbs and trimming them with care.
I looked up at the sky which seemed to be one massive cloud.
"It looks as though the rain'll come," I said to him aloud.
And then he smiled a vulpine smile, the mark of someone clever,
And said, "My lad, it never rains on Monday mornings, ever.
At least as long as I'm around, for after that, who knows?"
At that he turned back to his plants and realigned a rose.

A Monday was, in fact, the day on which the man was born,
And as it happened Monday would be, too, a day to mourn.
But just before he went away, he used his final breath:
"Hello again to Monday, even if it means my death:
The journey which for nobody can ever be ignored."
And when his eyes were closed for good, the organ played a chord,
The sound of which resounded out while all the while it poured
As though the clouds had suddenly been fractured by a sword.

As well I know he had no formal training at a college,
Yet everything he did spoke of some great clandestine knowledge.
It may be he had insight into some great cosmic plan,
But all we know for sure is he's our Monday Morning Man.

cards

Here are a couple cards I whipped up tonight. My son commissioned me to do them (whether I actually receive payment is another story...but hey, he's working and if I didn't make them he would have to buy Hallmark...is that wrong?). On the Mona card, I used some of my Traci Bautista technique paper I made a while back.

just desserts...take two

Through the magic of photoshop we now have a pic with the whole gang. Thanks to Bette for providing me with another shot to work with.

just desserts

We felt that a treat was deserved after our walk (can anyone say "defeats the purpose"?). Thanks to Dave for sending me this pic of the Sunday Morning Walking Gang (sans Dave, behind the lens). Nice cheesy smile, Deb.

stanley park seawall

Today the 'Sunday Morning Walking Gang' (a small group of good friends that try and get out for a walk of some sort each Sunday morning) walked the Seawall in Stanley Park.


The entire circut was just over nine kilometers (almost six miles) and the temperature was about 30 degrees celsius (81 F). Beautiful day.







Here are a few pics from the walk. Brockton Point Lighthouse; Lions Gate Bridge crossing over the entrance to Burrard Inlet, looking over to the North Shore Mountains; Siwash Rock; and these fabulous balanced rocks (the fellow was literally using only balance to stack up the rocks...pretty cool); and a funky art piece in English Bay.