Thank you Dad. We miss you.
And thank you to all the men and women, past and present, who have served for our country.
Rivers, Manitoba Walk-About-Town Part II
Today I’m sharing a few more buildings as seen on my Rivers, Manitoba Walk-About Town, and first up is the loveliest Xanthe Berkeley wishing you all a Merry Christmas!
Xanthe is also participating in the #nablopomo challenge this month.
Oh, and I was not intending to be posing in any photos, but because I was wearing this beautiful yellow throw (taken from the sofa in The Studio) I had no choice …
But let’s quickly get back to the lovely Xanthe … she’s so darn sweet!
And say hello to the amazing and beautiful Diana Foster who is equally as sweet …
OK, it’s Saturday afternoon and I need to get dinner ready … where oh where does the time go?
Day 7 #nablopomo
Our Canadian Rockies Getaway Part I
The Canadian Rockies mountain range spans the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. With jagged, ice-capped peaks, including 3,954m Mt. Robson, it’s a region of dramatic wilderness, alpine lakes, diverse wildlife and many outdoor recreation sites. National parks include Yoho, home to Takakkaw waterfall, dropping a sheer 302m, Jasper, famed for its Athabasca Glacier, and Banff, site of glacier-fed Lake Louise.
My husband and I have lived most of our married life in Alberta, and every time we take a trip through the Canadian Rockies we are blown away by the beauty and majesty of it all.
This trip was a late 40th wedding anniversary celebration (we’re almost at 41 now), and it was pretty memorable.
We left early on September 4th, headed to Jasper National Park, where we stayed for two nights at Becker’s Roaring River Chalets, just off the Icefields Parkway and adjacent to the Athabasca River.

View from the dining room. Mount Kerkeslin in the background.
The chalets were warm, comfortable, and clean. The food in the dining room was pure deliciousness … and I know good food!

Canadian Rockies, Jasper National Park, Becker’s Chalets
We were in for a bit of a surprise when we discovered the Tour of Alberta was scheduled to go right past our chalets!
We waited …
… and waited …
… finally they appeared … and we were just mere metres from the riders!
It was quite the exhilarating sight … they were escorted by countless RCMP vehicles, event organizers, and marshals …
… 30 seconds later, they were gone!
what a blast!
OK … wait … don’t go! Check out the Tour of Alberta, Rocky Mountain (Bighorn) Sheep Style:
:)
See Maligne Canyon for Part II.
Serendipity Part II
In Serendipity Part I, I wrote about not only the ladder that got away, but also the luck of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for … those things which may not be obvious at first glance … perhaps it’s an item, or an idea, or simply a treasured moment.
Of course you already know I have a ladder … the PERFECT ladder. But how did that come to be? Even I don’t quite understand, since it’s almost a replica of the one that got away … but there it is, sitting on the deck, gracing my herb garden … perfectly imperfect … in a perfectly imperfect “behind the scenes photo” …
So now on to Part II.
It was almost a week later, and the kids and I were discussing when we should go back into town. I was aiming for Thursday, they were aiming for Wednesday. Wednesday won.
I suggested to the kids that we may as well stop at my fav store for a minute (I was on the lookout for vintage white enamelware), and they agreed. As I casually headed toward the back, something made me glance over to the spot where the original ladder had been standing … and … oh.my.gosh… I nearly fainted … there it was, and as far as I could tell it was the exact same ladder, in the exact same spot! Deja-Vu of the highest order.
This time I touched my granddaughters arm and said “Teagan, look! MY ladder!” As I rushed over to put my hand on it, she ran to get the owner, and I started to remove the items that were sitting on it.
As we headed toward the front of the store (and out the door), the owner assured me it was a completely different ladder just arrived that very morning. Then she casually remarked how strange it all was … someone had called the day before and asked if the store had any ladders, and at the time, they didn’t …
It’s quite inexplicable. What are the chances?
Thanks for stopping by!
Serendipity Part I
Today I’m sharing a story of serendipity … after you read it, let me know if serendipity is the right word … can you think of a better one to explain this event?
The New Oxford Dictionary of English defines serendipity as the occurrence and development of events by chance in a satisfactory or beneficial way, understanding the chance as any event that takes place in the absence of any obvious project (randomly or accidentally), which is not relevant to any present need, or in which the cause is unknown.
say wha? lets just go with this:
Serendipity = the luck of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for.
If you’re part of The Studio | Online I need not explain why I had to have a ladder … well, actually not just a ladder, but this ladder … this vintage, weathered ladder, covered in paint splats, splotches, and drips.
Oh, and just look at that hardware … that gorgeous grey hardware … love … .
If you’re not part of The Studio but you love the old, the weathered, and the worn … you’ll understand as well.

kk_SoftLightMoreRight
Several months ago, one of the prompts in The Studio | Online was “on ladders” but Kim shared some images on her Still Sunday on Ladders blog post (take a peek if you want some amazing inspiration).
Ever since then, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect specimen, so I now own one red ladder, one 11′ grey ladder, and now this wonderful paint splattered brown gem. Newsflash: when Kim suggests a prop, said props are scooped up across the country … heck no … the world! So here’s the puzzling and amazing story as to how I got my hands on this …

kk_Hazed

kk_Hazed
One lovely summer day whilst browsing my favourite junque store “One Man’s Treasure” I spied an amazing ladder. The PERFECT ladder. But after looking at it and swooning and exclaiming loudly about how wonderful it was, I walked away. Why did I walk away? Well, I’ve pondered that decision a lot.
On that fateful day, I had three of my grandchildren with me, and I guess I thought I was going to demonstrate self-control to the kids … aaacckk … is it possible I didn’t want to appear impulsive? I really don’t know. I remember telling them I was going to walk around and think about it … but I KNEW better. Well, it wasn’t 5 minutes later when my granddaughter touched my arm and said “grandma … look! that lady is taking YOUR ladder!”
Gah! I spun around and stared at the woman as she began removing the items that had been set on it. She clearly was on a mission … and I swear she shot me an evil look. It didn’t phase me. I took a few steps towards her, my mouth open, wondering how I was going to stop this. But all I could do was gawk helplessly as the shop owner appeared and began to help that woman take it to the front of the store and out the door … and, er … I may or may not have followed them … I can’t remember.
Within 10 minutes the whole event was over, the ladder was gone. I turned to my granddaughter, and with some weak bravado croaked “I guess it wasn’t meant to be mine.”
Suddenly I didn’t feel like junquing anymore, so I suggested we should come back another day … for now, let’s just go to Walmart (insert a chorus of hooray’s from my grandsons) and out the store we went.

kk_Hazed
In the car, my sweet grandchildren expressed their sadness for me, so I had to make a joke out of “the ladder that got away”.
We discussed the whole matter at length, until I was sure they had had enough, and I promised to never mention it again.
But of course I brought up several times that week how the ladder wasn’t meant to be mine, how I had enough stuff already, how it didn’t matter, and oh yes … I won’t mention it again. It always elicited a huge laugh. I was having a wonderful time teasing them, and they were enjoying it wholeheartedly … a valuable and agreeable memory … one we weren’t looking for.
If the story had ended here, it would have been fine. But it didn’t.
Continue reading Serendipity Part II
Sturgeon Lake
I accompanied the hubs on a business trip to Grande Prairie this week, and what a breath of fresh air it was! Although my favourite place to be is home, it felt great to be out and about.
On the way back I realized I had not taken one single photo, so when we took a detour to Sturgeon Lake I quickly remedied that!
No one was around and the gulls were owning this place … you can’t see them, but there were hundreds swirling around that little island, and there was quite a cacophony of screams and cries.
bokehlicious …
We were only there for a few minutes but it was enough for me to realize that I need to document our life a bit more.
We also stopped in Mayerthorpe to pay our respects to The Fallen Four.
Spring 2015
Fabulous Friday Finds
Good morning! Another week has flown by and I have some fabulous Friday Finds to tell you about.
What an amazing week! I’ll start with my second best find—a chippy little green door … to.die.for. but I think I say that about every treasure I drag home … look at that chippy goodness, the dirt, the scratches, the colour … swooning here … and it’s small and light, which makes it easy for me to pick up and carry around.
When I walked into One Man’s Treasure, there it was … the sun was hitting it, and I think I heard angels (just kidding). But those people that own that store can see me coming, and they set these treasures right at the front, in a very prominent position, and I’m a lost cause … .
It was just what I needed to set beside my new chippy potting bench from the Carvel General Store …
… so let the fun begin, it’s green door party time! Notice that little door knob … I wonder how many people get excited about door knobs … adore …
So, now, here’s my best Friday Find this week: Carolyn! When I first “met” Carolyn in The Studio, I knew right away she was a lovely, lively, sweet lady. She’d made some comments that made me laugh out loud, and I knew she was for real. Then, much to my surprise (because I am hopelessly reserved, and an introvert as well), Carolyn contacted me and asked if I would like to meet her for lunch. She only lives about an hour away … amazing … why hadn’t I thought of that! Um, because I am hopelessly reserved and … well you know.
Anyway, long story short—we met, we hugged, we laughed, we talked—we connected. A kindred soul who shares a passion for food, photography, and life, (hey … that’s part of my blog by-line!)
We met for lunch at 12:00 noon and didn’t leave the restaurant until 2:30, and that was only because we had some serious shopping to do.

shaky iPhone shot …
I could go on, gushing and gushing, but I’ll finish by saying how amazing it is to be a part of The Studio Online. So much goodness in there … and not just still life, but real life. On-line friends, and “irl” friends. What more could you ask for? I am already looking forward to seeing Carolyn again, she has the biggest heart (truly).
So, have a wonderful weekend everyone! We’re heading into our first long weekend of the year. The dock is in, the boat is (almost) in, and the s’mores supplies are ready.
Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com
My Word for 2015
My word for 2015 is “celebrate” and I’m already celebrating the fact that a word even came to me this year. Most of the time I struggle for a few weeks trying to think of something, and then give up because I’m simply not feeling it. Strangely, this year, I was out and about and it just popped into my head. Life has been good and I feel excited and hopeful about 2015. I feel like I should celebrate!
However, almost immediately the doubts crept in … my inner cynic … quite frankly there are some things about this world that just do not deserve to be celebrated. So how could I make this work?
I thought maybe a quote would help, so I started searching for something that I could relate to, something that would give me “permission” to celebrate, and I found this by Tom Peters:
celebrate what you want to see more of
Oh yes … that works for me! I can do that! I grabbed a pen and started writing: my life, good health, family, friends, a safe home, good food, peace … I’m going to celebrate my accomplishments (big and small), my passions (blogging, photography, scrapping), everyday moments … I do this anyway, so why not make it my word?
I’ll be reaching a pretty big milestone birthday this year, and rather than bemoan the fact that I’m getting older, I’m going to celebrate. I’m still here … I have interests and goals that wake me up in the morning … eager to start the day, and I have the time and the means to indulge in them. I’m looking forward to 2015, it promises to be an exciting and fulfilling year and I’m going to meet it with open arms!
Do you like the word art in the above image? I love to work with words and I’m in the process of creating a Photoshop brush for my fabulous newsletter subscribers. The download link will be in the next newsletter in January. Not on the subscriber list? Check out the form on the sidebar if you’d like to sign up! I’d love to have you!
So, what’s your word for 2015?
the more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate
~oprah~
Too Much Busyness?
I often think about how, over the past few years, I’ve created this “busy” life and today I’m mulling it over—out loud, right here.
The affliction of “busyness” has been documented and is quite real.
According to doctors at CPS Research, a Glasgow-based clinical trials company, the syndrome is caused by hectic lives bombarded with information overload from mobile phones, BlackBerrys, TV, radio and the internet. In this increasingly frenetic world, the more things we do and see, the more likely we are to forget things.
I know people are busy. They have jobs. Children to raise. Mortgages to pay. As I get older I wonder how people manage it all.
But today I’m talking about ME. I am well past those hurdles. Theoretically I could sit on my butt eating chips and watching soap operas from morning ’til night. Now of course I don’t want to do that—I’m just sayin’.
So what do I want? Well, I’d like to walk around my garden and not think about how I’m going to photograph a flower.
I’d like to watch a sunrise/sunset without my camera in hand (but then how would I have taken this gorgeous moon photo??) I’m hopelessly addicted …
I’d like to snip some herbs to add to a delicious pasta sauce for supper and not think about posting the recipe.
I’d like to not have to come up with tutorial ideas all the time.
That pretty much sums it up.

The view from our condo …
I’ve created so many things that I feel I have to do. Here’s a quick overview (in no particular order):
blog, write posts, take photos, edit photos, administration tasks, read and comment on other blogs, participate in memes, host a meme, comment in several forums, check email, write tutorials on a strict deadline, take ten different classes at once, organize passwords and login pages in Outlook and One Note, computer, iPhone, iPad, iPod, organize apps, constantly upgrade and update programs, talk with tech support because Photoshop CC is giving me grief, update to Photoshop 2014—no wait! I think I’m going to switch to a Mac before I do anything … I wonder what kind of Mac I should get … why aren’t my photos syncing, what did you just say?
I’ve created a job for myself and it’s a job I love doing. But it’s always in my head. As a result I sometimes feel overwhelmed and discombobulated. I forget things and I find I cannot multi-task like I used to. Classic busyness syndrome symptoms.
The bottom line is that I can’t help myself. I love it all!
I just hope I don’t wake up some day and regret all the time I spent on this stuff. Perhaps I will, but then again, perhaps I won’t. Maybe I’m writing my story for others to read when I’m gone. I don’t know … is it important?
I lead an interesting life with my husband, children, and grandchildren. I spend as much time as I can with them and when I’m with them, I’m with them. I hardly take any photos any more when we’re together because it just feels so intrusive.
I garden, read, walk, and visit friends. My house is clean and organized and there’s always good food in the house. And lastly, hubby and I travel quite a bit and plan to travel more when he retires. All these things tell me that I’m not missing out (am I?) what do you think?
I’m off to find something to photograph for tomorrows post …
Gather California: Why I Was Crying in the Shower
I’m home now, and coming down from a three-day adrenaline rush and I need to write about what happened at Gather California before I lose my nerve.
I’ll caution you right now, if you’re not into reading mushy posts you might want to move on … but I’m not going to apologize.
So here it is; an attempt to describe a bit about my personal experience at Gather California.
First there was a feeling of disbelief of actually meeting people that I’ve followed and admired for years. People that have inspired me with their stunning photography, heartfelt words, and amazing art.
Walking up to the front door of the house that first night and being greeted with screams and laughter, and being given the biggest bear hug from Kim (uh oh, I’m tearing up right now as I type) was, in a word, surreal. I’m sure I don’t have to tell anyone reading this post how amazing it was to meet her, and what a blessing it is to know her … and to learn from her…
It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.
Albert Einstein
And then, wonder of wonders, there was the beautiful, talented, and amazing Xanthe Berkeley freshly arrived from across the ocean walking up to me. Another hug, and sincere words of welcome. It was a lot to take in and quite honestly it was a bit of a blur after that.
I remember being introduced at one point to two more people that made this retreat possible; the beautiful Myriam Joseph whose very presence is mesmerizing and her way with poetry, spellbinding. The oh-so-young, and beautiful Alisha Herrick was a new face to me, but before the retreat was over, she had touched me deeply and I’ll never forget how she made me feel.
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou
The days were packed full as people shared their unique skills, talents and points of view. The energy in that house was insane. I don’t think I got more than 3 or 4 uninterrupted hours of sleep each night because my mind wouldn’t stop, and yet, rather than being tired and drained as I so often am, I felt energized and full. I allowed myself to do, be, and feel without fear. I didn’t want to miss a thing, so I soaked it all up and stored it inside, knowing that I could sleep and decompress when I got home.
So that’s why this morning I found myself crying in the shower. I had to let the wave of emotions flow through and out of me in order to start to process them. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it all, but I have this feeling that I’ve somehow been changed. I feel like I was seen, and heard and validated, and let me tell you that is powerful.
So thank you Kim, Xanthe, Myriam, Alisha, Laura, Lynne, Suzee, Danielle, Carolyn, Bev, Marilyn, Kristina, and Pam. It was so thrilling to meet you all, and such an honour to share those three sacred days with you. It was an experience of a lifetime.
If you get, give. If you learn, teach.
Maya Angelou
.
Images edited with the presets kk_within, and kk_dark day from the Start to Finish class at kimklassen.com
Mortar and Pestle
Another week has flown by and it was a busy one! Whew! Apart from the huge nap I had on Tuesday, it was go, go, go!
I make no apologies for that nap. In fact, if it was possible, I’d have a huge nap every day. I find that sometimes I even sleep better at night if I’ve had a nap during the day. I know, it makes no sense …
Anyway, yesterday, after I got my hair cut, I had to stop at HomeSense. I mean, it’s right next door to the salon. What’s a girl to do?
That’s where I found this granite mortar and pestle and thought it would make a nice friend for the white set I found ages ago at my junque shoppe.

Salt & Pepper
This image was inspired by a photo I found on Pinterest. It’s from Nicky&Max Food Photography. I know mine doesn’t even come close, but I’ve found that I learn by doing and I plan to try a few more versions of this. I am so loving the dark food photography … can’t get enough of it … so I figured I just need to practice, practice, practice.
I’m simply drooling over the amazing photography I found on that site. I don’t do martinis, but I could do rosemary crackers … yummm!
Thank you for stopping by, and here’s to a wonderful weekend everyone!
Thank You for Asking, WordPress
When I go into WordPress to start a post, the draft box says “What’s on your mind?”
I wish I could say. But I think I should just go to bed and have a good sleep.
Does that ever happen to you? At the end of the day everything seems 10 times worse than it really is? In fact it might not be bad at all … it’s just your state of mind?
Thank goodness I realize this about myself … just. go. to. bed.
Maybe that’s my Mom “talking” to me. If it is, thank you Mom …
… and thank you for asking, WordPress. I feel better now.
Interview With a Neighbor
I’d like you to meet Deb. She’s a neighbor and friend who fairly recently moved to our area.
Well, actually it’s been over a year and a half since Deb and her husband moved into their beautiful new home here on the lake but it’s only been about a year since we became friends. We met through her sister-in-law Diane whom I’ve known for many, many years. It was last June that they asked me to join them on their daily walk. I immediately accepted and my life has grown and been enriched because of it.
Deb is passionate about her baking and cooking which I find very intriguing. I love it when someone has a passion. I can feel her enthusiasm every day on our walks. One of her first questions will be “what are you having for dinner”? I’ll mumble something about throwing a pork chop on the BBQ and baking a potato … and then quickly ask her what she’s having (change the focus).
It’s usually something encrusted with crumbs and herbs accompanied by some incredible vegetable dish with seasonings I have never even tried. So inspiring!
She’s been baking bread since grade two, and growing up she was inspired by her mother and her grandmother and their love of the kitchen and garden. She also loves cooking with fire and using great appliances … .
When I asked her if I could interview her to learn a bit more about why she does what she does, she gracefully accepted. While we chatted she poured me a hot coffee and fed me bits of fresh breads and cakes.
After baking a loaf of bread you must let it cool for 2 hours before slicing it. Then you need to break it apart and taste the crust, much like testing a wine. Then you try the “crumb” which is the bread and don’t be putting any butter on it!
She also pulled out some tasty treats like this danish in the bottom right corner …
OK. Somebody stop me.
Deb tells me she has taken over 20 classes at different colleges, as well as one in Italy!
She just finished a 4 day “boot camp” bread-making class at NAIT where she was at the school at 7:00 am and didn’t leave until 7:00 pm. When I asked her for a recipe she handed me a chart with strange words like “poolish” and “starter” and “levain”. But scariest of all was that they don’t use measurements, they use percentages. Of course! it all makes sense; if you combine 70% ARW flour, and 30% rye flour as well as 100% water, 0.1% yeast and 0.2% salt, you will end up with a lovely Rye Poolish …
Alrighty then! so this is her stove … how amazing is that? It’s La Cornue from France no less and it’s a real beauty. I could have spent an hour photographing it.
I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting Deb. She may turn up in another post some day since she has a Forno oven and I’d love to see that one in action!
Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!
Simple Things Sunday
Since Earth Day was April 22nd, the theme at Focusing on Life for the month of April is “The Earth”.
That brought to mind the wonderful frog hunt I went on with my grandsons a few years ago. They were filled with excitement and awe at the prospect of seeing a frog, forget even getting to hold one!
It was a very special experience for me too. You know the ones. The ones that stick in your head for years. The stuff that great scrapbook pages are made of?!
Anyway, whenever I see a frog I think about what my oldest daughter told me; that the health of frogs are an indicator of how healthy the environment is.
“Most frogs require suitable habitat in both the terrestrial and aquatic environments, and have permeable skin that can easily absorb toxic chemicals.
These traits make frogs especially susceptible to environmental disturbances, and thus frogs are considered accurate indicators of environmental stress: the health of frogs is thought to be indicative of the health of the biosphere as a whole.”
I can only hope that my grandchildren are able to hunt for frogs with their grandchildren.
And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lonely cry of a whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a pond at night?
Chief Seattle, 1854
Friday Finds
There are a couple “finds” in this photo, the most recent being these yummy little Mandarins. I found them in a little store as I made my way to my country home this past week. It was the bright colour that caught my eye and at the time I wasn’t even thinking of photographing them. I picked up a bunch of daffodils too, which will soon be making an appearance here.
An older “find” is the four white Medalta bowls … swoon … . As I’ve mentioned before, I love to collect Medalta pottery. The cup I used in my “Heart Chocolate” is Medalta. I didn’t realize how much I love the white pottery … .
I find that I don’t have much to say these days. Yikes, I need an infusion of inspiration. This is where I say I’m not going to complain about the weather. I’m not going to complain about the weather. I’m not going to complain about the weather.
OK. I’m not going to complain about the weather.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
10 Things I Love about Arizona
Since this is the month of love, I thought I’d make a list of 10 things I love about Arizona.
- Of course the warm temperatures would be at the top of the list.
- How clean the roads are, and how at night the lane reflectors create a beautiful pattern which is almost mesmerizing.
- Cactus.
- The fact that we’re on holidays when we’re here.
- The colours; rich golds, and rusts, and burgundies. The blue skies, the red sunsets.
- Attractions like the Desert Botanical Gardens, Butterfly Wonderland, and the zoo.
- The Grand Canyon, Sedona, Tortilla Flats. Next on my list: Antelope Canyon.
- That hubby can golf whenever he wants.
- Shopping.
- Eating out. We’ve eaten at so many fabulous places! Sassi, White Chocolate Grill, Blue Adobe, The Cove Trattoria, Davanti Enoteca, Lons, oh my, it’s almost embarrassing!
- Meeting wonderful blogging friends in real life. Oh, that’s eleven, oops!
So there you have it! I could list many more, but this will do for today.
But in case I sound ungrateful, when I get home, I’ll make a list of what I love about home. Because I do love my home.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Meeting Blogging Friends in Real Life
The long awaited day had finally arrived – the day I was going to meet some blogging friends in real life. The plan was to meet at the Botanical Gardens at 9:30.
When I woke up yesterday at 5:00 a.m. I was so restless. I slipped out of bed, crept downstairs, started the coffee, and picked up my camera, checking for the 10th time to make sure that the battery was charged and that I did indeed remember to put the memory card back into it.
All of this because I was meeting up with Deanna of Snippets from Springdale, Terri Porter of Photographically Speaking, and Barbara Hurst of Barbara Hurst Photography. Deanna and Terri also write for the collaborative blog Focusing on Life.
I don’t know why I was so nervous. As soon as I met each one of them, I felt like I already knew them. The talking started, and didn’t end until we straggled out of the Gardens at about 2:30.
What an incredible experience!
These are women who share two of my passions; blogging and photography and they “get” me, and I “get” them! I can’t think of a single person at home that I can say the same thing of (except for my daughter of course, who also blogs, as well as my other daughter who introduced me to digital photography and of course my hubby who supports everything I do).
The Chihuly in the Gardens Exhibit is on right now and this fabulous creation was the first thing we saw.
Then this …
and this …
It’s truly a stunning collection to behold. Magical.
And of course the plants and wildlife are beyond fascinating …
So now I can’t wait until Tuesday when we are all getting together again to meet at the Butterfly Wonderland. And then again on Wednesday in Tucson!
I’m feeling pretty grateful to have these ladies who inspire me not only here in Arizona, but every day on their blogs where they share their stunning photos and interesting tidbits of their lives.
Feather Light Find and 14 in 2014
We’ve been having some crazy snowy weather (again) and it’s a bit difficult to get around our country roads. A couple of days ago we were on our way home from “town” and we witnessed a car slide into the ditch. It happened close to an approach so thankfully the driver was able to navigate safely back onto the road *whew*!
So I’m sticking close to home. Trouble is, its even hard to walk around our back yard and when I went out I wasn’t feeling too inspired. But then I spied this little cluster of feathers sitting lightly on the snow. How delicate! The tips are white and a bit hard to see here, but this cluster almost fills the whole frame.
Things are looking up, I finally wrote my list of 14 in 2014. As I was writing it, I became more aware, and more thankful that I already have so much; which is why it was hard to come up with 14 things!
- A lot less pressure and angst when it comes to writing Photoshop tutorials for Digital Scrapper. This is THE biggest thing for me this year. I don’t have a complete plan on how I’m going to accomplish this, but I think it has to do with the WORD that keeps popping into my head … .
- Write tutorials and share them here (completely separate from DS, and not always Photoshop either).
- Take the photographers tour of Antelope Canyon in AZ. The canyon is beyond breathtaking … .
- Make something artsy with real paper. Just one thing (to start).
- Sponsored posts.
- Improve my photography. Take a class in a real live classroom.
- Get a @!#+*&%* handle on Lightroom (I’ll have a whole post on that one).
- Print some of my photos/art and display it.
- Evenings with no TV and no internet.
- Reading. Good books.
- Meet an on-line friend IRL. You know, one of those people who “get me”?
- Improve my writing skills.
- A storage room that I can walk into.
- Growth of my blog.
Here’s to another lovely winter day and countless photo opportunities. It’s so strange, I didn’t notice the flag until I posted this photo. It’s cool how the fence drew my eye right to it.
Using Coconut Oil as a Moisturizer
It’s winter in my part of the world, which means central heating… which means dry, dry, dry… super dry…
Yes, we do have a humidifier and it does help (a lot) but I need to moisturize daily and for that I use Aveeno products. However, I’ve found that two moisturizers are better than one – especially when that moisturizer is coconut oil. It goes on a bit oily at first, but after a few minutes the oiliness vanishes and it leaves my arms and legs feeling silky soft. Believe it or not, I even put a bit of it in my hair.
I have a gigantic jar of it (from Costco) and every day I was going to the pantry, scooping out a little bit with a spoon and heading back to the bathroom. I finally got the bright idea to put a little bit in a container to keep handy by the bathtub (duh).
I found a tin that used to hold some scrapbooking supplies, peeled off the top sticker, gave the tin a good washing with soap and water, then glued a piece of new, pretty paper to the lid.
Because the oil is in a semi-hardened state, I gently heated some and then poured it into the tin and let it re-set (I like things to look pretty).
Pretty, simple, and effective. It may even make a nice little gift!
Good Morning Friday!
We are up to our eyeballs in snow, and it’s still coming down, so that has me in quite the festive mood!
Yes, I do love getting ready for Christmas! I’m a bit conflicted though, because as I look around blogland, people are still posting autumn leaves… I can’t get my head around that…
Isn’t is amazing how our environment dictates our very thoughts?
I didn’t take many photos this week, so I rummaged around in my files and found these sweet snowpeople from last Christmas.
But today is about Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com. I love this meme – simple, no rules, fun! So I thought I would list 5 things I found this week:
- First up, my new D7100 is broken (boo) and has gone to the hospital for at least 4 weeks, probably more… so the best find I made was my old camera and the battery, which was not an easy feat. Whew! Take note, people – if you get a new camera, hang on to your old one.
- I found out that Adobe’s Photoshop Photography Program, which includes Photoshop CC, and Lightroom 5 is now only available until December 2nd. Initially, I had heard it was until the end of the year and was flabbergasted to see that the deadline had changed. I bit the bullet, and joined the Cloud.
- I found out about the power of a helping hand in blogland. Last Friday, I posted my Antique Grater to the Party Junk linky at Funky Junk Interiors. Tuesday morning when I checked my fb page, I had gained over 500 likes! I panicked, and thought I was being spammed. After I got hold of myself, I checked my mail and found this sweet note from Donna “Barb, your photography is just OUT of this world. I’m sorry it took me so long to clue in. :) I know who you are… I know your wreaths a mile away. Girl, it’s time you get featured. And this sifter flower vase did it for me. I Love That Junk and various other places around the land will be catching a glimpse of this beauty! Thanks for linking up!” She encouraged her readers to visit me, and I’ve gone from 31 followers to over 900. How does one repay that? Thank you, Donna!
- I found some beautiful, ginormous Poinsettias at Superstore (very affordable).
- I found an email in my inbox from a company that wants me to do a sponsored post – I am beyond excited – it’s a great company and a great opportunity!
A pretty lengthy post here – hope you are still with me. I’m heading over to the Cafe to see what everyone else has been up to this week.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you, Dad
And thank you to all the men and women, past and present, who have served for our country.
Friday Finds with Kim Klassen
… and a little sneak preview of my autumn tablescape.
Last Friday I went to the market garden with a friend, where we found all kinds of fabulous veggies, and pumpkins, and squash. As the owner was taking us for a ride in his little ‘gator, and we were tearing around in his fields, I spied a patch with some white “things” way off in the distance. When I asked what they were, he told me that they were some kind of weird squash, just an experiment, and he was going to plow them under.
OK, wait a minute… take me over there…
As soon as I saw them, my heart did a little leap! How pretty, and how fun are these?! They were just what I was envisioning for my autumn decor. They sparked an idea that led to my autumn tablescape. Warm whites, pinks, greys, and greens. Love!
I do have some amazing light in my dining room…
Later today I’m going to post my complete tablescape. I’m so thankful that I was able to finish up the photo shoot given the fact that for most of the week I could hardly move. My back has much improved and I am so, so thankful!
Have a wonderful Friday!!
Linking up to Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com.
Early Morning Sights and Sounds
OK, before I regale you with my “flying-by-the seat-of-my-pants” backup and upgrade of my blog, please take a moment and check out this video! You have to click on the title underneath it and it should open up a .mov file with Quicktime.
I had walked down to the dock (as I do quite often), and was presented with this stunning scene. I pulled out my phone and snapped away. Then I decided to take a video, and if you will suspend your disbelief when I tell you an eagle flew into the scene as I was recording, I will be eternally grateful… you will also hear crows and loons, yes that northern icon, the loon, was gracing the morning with it’s beautiful call. Gave me shivers.
Anyhow, back to my adventures with WordPress and HostGator.
I have been avoiding any and all updates because of some of the horror stories I’ve heard of blogs crashing and being down for hours, even days. But all you have to do is back up first, and at least you will have something to go back to.
Oh, that’s all well and good but what the heck do I back up? I was searching around my website and reading all sorts of instructions “back up this”, “no, back up that” “no, back this up” … and what is a PHPAdmin? what’s an SQL? I do know what a database is, so I backed up every single thing I could. Some of it downloaded, some of it went (who knows where?). Then I hit the dreaded upgrade button… arghhh, the heart pounding, headache-causing moment was upon me.
Literally 5 seconds later, it was over. WordPress was upgraded, and I was back to business. That’s when I noticed that the new version supports video! It seems somewhat awkward, having to click a link, but it’s a start I guess.
So let me know if it worked for you, and if you liked it… I’m going to go get an aspirin.
Getting Ready for Blissdom, and Eating Spinach
In October, my daughter (www.aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com) and I are going to a blog conference in Mississauga together! How amazing is that?
Tickets and flights are purchased, and a room at the hotel is booked.
So now I’ve been following Blissdom Canada 2013 on Facebook and Twitter, and am getting a teeny bit nervous.
I know the majority of attendees will be my daughter’s age. That could be a bit intimidating. So what to do?
Be prepared, I think.
First up, I wanted to get my “business” card ready, and that meant I had to narrow down what my blog is about. I put a ton of thought into it and this is what I came up with…
So simple, so plain, so white. My blog in a nutshell. I think it makes the right statement for me. What do you think?
I didn’t run the design by anyone else, but because they cost less than $30.00, I ordered them through Costco this morning. May as well strike one thing off my list of to-do’s.
Now, how to look 20 years younger in 60 days…
No, actually, I’m going to go forth as a proud grandma. I think I’ll keep this jingle in my head while I’m there though…
Oh, I’m Popeye the Sailor Man
I’m Popeye the Sailor Man
I yam what’s I yam and that’s all what’s I am
I’m Popeye the Sailor Man
OK, I’m off to stock up on spinach!
Trying Something New
My morning routine has really been shaken up. But just look at what happened because of it…
… sunrise through the clover. This is my Phone Photography Project entry for today. It’s all about the colours of the rainbow (Roy G. Biv) and this I suppose, is violet. I do not know how that violet halo was produced, it just happened.
But, about my routine. Two weeks ago a friend asked me if I wanted to join her and her sister-in-law on their morning walks. When I accepted, I knew that it was going to bite into my most creative time of day. That’s when blog posts get written, assignments get done, and ideas flow like the Fraser River (British Columbia, Canada). But I accepted anyway and I knew it was the right thing to do. I needed to try something new.
The first week, I was hard pressed to keep the commitment. Leave the house at 7:30? before I have my 4 cups of coffee? leave the computer? nope, not working for me… plus my shins were hurting like h***.
Fast forward another week, a bottle of Ibuprofen, and the realization that I’m actually getting more work done after I get home. As well, I’m rediscovering summer mornings; the pure pale light, the sweet smell of clover, and the sparkling dew on the grass. I really don’t know if I can handle all this inspiration (I need to bookmark this post so I can look at it in March, the most uninspiring month ever).
I’m loving the social contact with two people whom I really like, and partaking in lovely conversations “how was your weekend” “how are your shins” “we need to go for lunch some day, but don’t worry if you can’t“.
Polite, caring, authentic company.
OK, the day is progressing quickly and I have to get to work! Oh, that would be after I get that photo of that flower I saw …
Friday Finds, and Gratitude
We had another rainy week which gave me lots of opportunities to get my house in order, but after a while, I simply had to get outside for a bit.
I threw on the old yellow raincoat and hat, slipped on my rubber boots, and grabbed an umbrella. Yes, it was raining that much.
As I was standing at the edge of the garden, I spied the poppy I had been waiting for… it had decided to bloom in the rain. I guess it just couldn’t help itself.
I thought it would be a shame to leave it in the garden where I couldn’t appreciate it, so I snipped it off and popped it into this old blue bottle. I can’t remember where I found this bottle … but it’s a real treasure; old, blue, scratchy and filmy.
A real “find”!
This crazy poppy is so big I had trouble photographing it. I must have taken 75 shots and deleted 70…
It makes me think of a giant butterfly with its feathery petals and the wild way it opens them.
… gorgeous details…
… amazing details..
… it looks like velvet.
Speaking of rain. The southern part of our beautiful province of Alberta was hit by some of the most torrential rains it’s ever seen. Rivers went wild, spilling their banks and causing serious, widespread, and devastating floods. One whole town (population of over 12,000) is under water. Many more towns and villages are suffering the same fate.
The City of Calgary was hit hard too, and is still under a State of Emergency (as are all the hard-hit areas). The whole downtown core of this city of over a million people was evacuated, as well as thousands of others in various communities. The zoo was flooded. Giraffes were standing in water up to their chests. It’s being called a disaster. It’s going to cost billions of dollars, and at least ten years, to rebuild.
Four lives were lost (so far). There’s no rebuilding that.
One week later, news of more and more devastation continues to surface. As I write this, I feel tears welling up and I am fighting to control them. I hurt for the people of our province.
Our area was not affected (physically), and right now I look outside and see the sun shining, green grass, and pots and pots of cheerful flowers. I feel a lot of things, and one of them is gratitude. Gratitude for my family, my clean home, my beautiful yard, and even my life.
This word art is a brush in .abr format, which can be used in both Photoshop Elements, and Photoshop. Simply click on the graphic above to download.
Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com
kk_3003
Summer Classes and Challenges
I’m taking part in several classes and photography challenges this summer. I can’t believe that July is only a few days away… where did May and June go?
I wanted to get everything straight in my head, so I thought I would share my schedule with you (in order of appearance)…
The Phone Photography Project at Big Picture Classes starts on July 1st and runs until August 1st. It looks like a ton of fun! Lots of yummy new apps to try!
Nurture Photography, Summer 2013 is a Photography Challenge from Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud, and Rebecca from Bumbles and Light. It starts July 5th and runs until August 2nd. I find this one a bit challenging, so I’m hoping I can keep up.
From Start to Finish at Kim Klassen dot com. It starts on July 9th, and runs for 8 weeks. I don’t have to say anything to you about Kim… we all know how talented, creative, and generous she is.
The Art of Blending at Digital Scrapper, taught by Linda Sattgast starts July 10th and runs for 10 weeks.
Linda Sattgast has the most straightforward, precise, and friendly teaching style I’ve ever come across, and you always get good value for your money at Digital Scrapper:
All class materials (videos, manuals, textures, etc.) are downloadable. View the videos on any computer, tablet, or cell phone that has internet. You have “Forever Access” to the classroom materials, so no need to worry about a computer crash or accidentally losing something. You’ll have personal access to Linda Sattgast, Adobe’s Scrapbooking Expert, in the class Gallery and Forum for the 10 weeks of class, so go ahead—ask her any questions you want about blending! The class Forum and Gallery will be available for posting during the 10 weeks of class, and available for viewing (but not posting) after the class ends.
Whew! So there you have it!
I wonder if I’m going to be able to keep up… the lake beckons…
Flea Market Find
Early Saturday morning, this is where I found myself…
… at our town-wide flea market (at least a half hour before it was officially open).
I made my first score within 5 minutes.
Chairs were not on my radar, but when I saw these, I found myself handing over the money in a daze. I mean, you can’t walk by a chair that costs $5.00… can you? And the nice gentleman who sold them to me helped carry them to my vehicle. Small town perks. My day was off to a great start.
I feel a chalk paint project coming on…
I did buy a few other things, but because one is so outlandish and rusty, I’m too embarrassed to reveal it. But I do have a plan.
So for now, I ‘m showing you this glorious clematis. Every year I have to replace this plant… it never makes it through our winter.
And here’s my lovely herb garden. It’s coming along splendidly, wouldn’t you say? I picked up some basil which I now need to transplant into some rusty tool box, or pail, or something…
I have some work to do inside this morning, and after that, it’s out to the garden, my little piece of heaven on earth.
I have planting, and weeding, and feeding to do. The plants will benefit from all the attention, but not as much, I think, as I will.
A Sunny Day Gone Bad, Then Good
Well, yesterday we had a bit of a wild day (weather-wise). It started out cool and cloudy, then warmed up a bit and the sun came out.
I was working on some of my projects, and tidying up the house a bit. The only sound I could hear was our little wren, chirping and singing just outside my kitchen window. It appears that he and his partner have decided to make our wren house their home. Very cool.
It was around 2:00 when hubby called and asked if I was listening to the news…. nope… as usual, I did not have the TV or radio on. Well, he said, you better take a look because there’s a tornado warning for our area.
Say wha? I had been aware of a distant rumbling but thought it was no more than the usual garden variety thunderstorm brewing. I went out and looked to the southeast where it was coming from, and could see a pretty black cloud, rumbling, (ominously now). A warning means there’s a tornado, it’s on the ground… omg… images of the F4 monster that devastated our area years ago, popped into my head… please… no…
I went over my safety plan… made sure the storage area under the stairs was clear enough for me to get in, I had my phone with me, and a flashlight. It was broad daylight but if you’re in a storage room with no lights…
I have to say that the best tool I had was my phone. I followed tweets from our weather channel, our local meteorologist, and some of the radio stations. I knew what was going on every single minute.
Long story short, it passed over our region without incident. Whew. Thank goodness.
These are a couple of images I took off the internet. Not good.
Here’s hoping for a calmer day today.
You Shouldn’t Eat Tacos for Lunch
Tomato, Bocconcini, and Basil Salad
That’s what my inner voice tells me every time I do it. It says “don’t be so lazy, go and stock up on some fresh fruits and vegetables, and be thankful that you can.”
So, I listened, and this is what I had for lunch yesterday. I used fresh basil from my herb pot, isn’t it cute? I’ve never seen such tiny basil leaves, but let me tell you they are packed with flavour!
I feel quite inspired and vow to eat healthier this summer. It doesn’t have to be complicated, just thought out.
Why my Lettuce is on the Deck
Have a wonderful weekend!