Inspired

Everything Will Be All Right In The End

watercolor with digital text

quote from the The Eagle and The Hawk by John Denver

...a page for my art journal

We’re back home and fully into catching up in the garden…lots of weeding,  pruning and planting going on here.  It makes us both very happy to nurture and cultivate our small plot of land.  There was lots of oohing and aaahing over what had come up while we were away.  We planted so many things in our new garden last year that honestly, we’d forgotten half of what was there.  It’s like Christmas in the spring!

Yesterday we saw The Best Exotic New Marigold Hotel and loved it!  It may be that I related to it because I'm at the age of retirement...so I’d be interested to hear how people younger than myself felt about it…but we LOVED it.  It was just so upbeat and positive.

It’s about a group of British retirees who decide to "outsource" their retirement to a less expensive and seemingly exotic India.  Running through it was the quote by the young hotel owner “Everything will be all right in the end, so if it’s not all right, then it’s not yet the end”…what beautiful wisdom! 

I haven't looked at the reviews at all but I would recommend this movie…it's not "great cinema" but it has wonderful talent (Judy Dench and Maggie Smith to name a few) and watching it felt like being in a lovely oasis of joy and happiness...not the usual gloom, doom and despair that the media normally feeds us.  The rest of the audience in the theatre must have agreed, because there was a round of applause at the end…not something that happens at many movies.  In fact, I think the last time that happened was at the end of The Kings Speach.

Sending hugs and blowing kisses to all of you around this big, beautiful and amazing world of ours,

Creative Spaces and Missed Connections

via Instagram

…my “temporary” (and definitely not tidied or staged for this photo) creative space

As many of you know, two years ago we downsized into a much smaller home…much, much smaller!

The plan was…and still is…to build a studio for me, separate but close to the house.  Seperate, only because we’re on a small lot and had already maxed out the allowable space within the footprint of the actual home (which we built).  My studio space at the moment is a corner of our den/TV room. 

It’s had a cascading effect in our lives in that Mr. I’s office which is currently in the mudroom (ack!), will be moved here.  Until the studio is built, our coats, shoes, boots, umbrella's etc. don’t have a permanent home and are crammed into other spaces.  In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a problem...just an inconvenience. The studio is scheduled to be built this summer…yes!!! 

Because my current studio space is temporary, it really looks and feels temporary.  The artwork on the wall is compliments of two of my artistically inclined grandchildren...and (she admit's sheepishly) a roll of masking tape.  There’s stuff jammed everywhere and no matter how much I try to organize it, it’s just not.  Ah well, perhaps “organized” and “creative” are the antithesis of each other and don’t belong in the same sentence!  That's what I'm telling myself anyway.

 

And speaking of creative, I love the whimsical, creative illustrations of Sophie Blackall.  If you’re not familiar with her work, I have some links here that are worth checking out.

In her book “Missed Connections”, she illustrates her favourite Craigslist ad’s for people trying to reconnect.  Her illustrations, together with the ads that inspired them, tell such sweet, funny and poignant story’s.  Sophie says on her blog, “every day hundreds of strangers reach out to other strangers on the strength of a glance, a smile or a blue hat. Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly. I'm trying to pin a few of them down.” 

 

Sophie Blackall, Robot Dance

you hooked me in with your sweet robot moves and cat shirt. none of that grinding stuff, just natural robotic talent. you said ‘‘hey, you’re cute.’’ and i said, ‘‘you, too’’ and then i elbowed you in the ribs because i’m not very smooth when it comes to romance. i thought this exchange meant we agreed on a sloppy bar makeout? whenever i busted out the robot arms, your robotic arms chopped mine in half. kept looking at your cat shirt thinking, ‘‘yesssss, i can see us marrying and having lots of cats.’’ went to dance on stage with friends and then lost you?!?myfriend said you got shy, which makes you and your cat shirt even more cute!!! spent a ridiculous amount of time searching for your pussy shirt, but alas, i lost both you and my heart on the dance floor. find me cat shirt guy, find me. p.s. i also put up ‘‘LOST: cat shirt guy’’ signs for you.
ana s., brookline

 

She was also commissioned to create a piece for the NY Metro subway system which is filled with “people and their stories”.

 

Enjoy,

Wrapping up April in 12 (words)

Saying farewell to April (and hello to the day) with a Lavender Latte (mmmm) at Medina Cafe in Vancouver.  Instagram by Mr. I

 

walking: still at it!  Not as fast or as often as I would like, as my knee is still a bit of an issue but like all of life, it’s about balance.  Right now I’m in Vancouver, walking the city streets with family.

 

determined:  to become healthier and “fitter”…is that a word? 

and…

addicted: to supporting a healthy lifestyle (last months addiction to caramel pudding seems to have disappeared…thank goodness!). More on healthy lifestyle changes to come.

 

loving:  that I was able to share time with my son and his girl friend in Vancouver.  I love living on a (slower and much quieter) island but occasionally the vibrancy of the city is enticing…and spending time with my son on his birthday is time that's treasured.

 

creating: “green” smoothies

 

noticing: how sunshine affects my outlook (going up!)

 

thankful:  for friends…both near and well known, and for those living much further away and known only through the internet…but known for their beautiful hearts. Interesting isn’t it, how that shines through. (y’all know who you are!)  

 

The last of my ranunculus…the beauty of this flower has left me a bit weak in the knees.

watching: the weather forecast for San Pancho, MX (muy calor!)

 

happy:  to finally be unpacking my spring/summer clothes (and wearing them!)...and for meeting so many lovely people on our walks...and to be walking along streets where the petals from the cherry trees fall like soft pink snowflakes.

 

working:  hmmm, I’m retired from work so my work is already most people’s idea of fun.  Creatively, I still seem to have more “stone stories” coming forth but I’m also seeing feathers fluttering and falling into my art journal.

 

marvelling: at how much our garden has “filled in” since last year.  It’s a new garden and most things were only planted last summer.

 

wondering:  what kind of tree we’ll replace the dead Arbutus in the front garden with…sadly it didn’t survive the disruption of construction.  A flowering cherry seems to be leading in the popularity polls at the moment. (it’s a poll of two)

 

changing: my blog design again…not sure that I like it or that it will stay like this for very long but I have a “thing” about needing to change things up every so often.

 

And on we go into May!  My wish for everyone is that this month will bring many peaceful sunny days that begin with warm smiles and end in great sighs of contentment.  Blowing kisses!

 

“It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”
-  Mark Twain

Ranunculus Heaven

They say that heaven is filled with all that you believe it is, all that your thoughts focus on.  If that's the case then I'm going to fill my heaven with beautiful Ranunculus (and yes, happy daffodils too).  There’s just something so perfectly sweet about Ranunculus.

 

 

Did you know that they're a part of the buttercup family?  Well neither did I until I began to read up on them.  Wikipedia says that Ranunculus is latin for “little frog” and they are likely named that because many species are found near water...like frogs.

It also says that the buttercup is called “coyote’s eyes” by the North American natives. In their folklore, Coyote was tossing his eyes up in the air and catching them again when Eagle snatched them. Unable to see, Coyote made eyes from the buttercup!

 

 

The Ranunculus that we grow and plant in our gardens are the cultured cousin of the buttercup.  They're derived from a species that originated in the The Middle East, hence their alternative name "Turban Buttercup".

The Victorians developed a “language of flowers" and every flower was given a meaning…ie..red Roses for love, Dalia’s for dignity and elegance and Hyacinth for jealousy.  Ranunculus meant "you are rich in attractions".

 

 

I bought these pretty pink and very rich-in-attraction, Ranunculus a few days ago and have been taking photographs as they open.  The graceful bend of their stems remind me of dancing ballerina’s...they bring me so much joy!

 

 

We’re having a lovely spring weekend here with a friend visiting, a happy birthday party, breakfast out, an antique English carshow (Mr. I's idea of heaven), and all of it mixed in with some serious relaxing...ahhhh, heaven indeed.

Sending hugs and blowing kisses, all around the world..

 

Persisting

 

There are so many symbols of rebirth in the spring…the eggs, the Christian story of rebirth and resurrection, the Passover celebration, not to mention the arrival of all the fuzzy little lambs, fluffy chicks, sweet ducklings and prolific bunnies.

My personal favourite icon of rebirth and renewal is the bright and sturdy daffodil.  They persist.  They shine.  Year after year they’re one of the first to poke their way through the still frosty earth, seemingly determined to be here.  They’re not fragile or delicate or even that tender. They’re bright and cheerful and we can count on them to show up…every year…without fail.

 

 

I admire that quality…of persisting and showing up; it’s getting up in the morning when we’re so tired we think we simply can’t do it all over again, it’s patience with a small child who’s afraid of the dark and can’t sleep, it’s the compassion to simply be there for a friend and it’s the love it takes to stand up for ourselves. It’s the determination to overcome life’s challenges. It’s many different things…it’s gentle yet fierce, it’s kind yet bold but it all comes down to persisting.

Persisting, to know our truth and shine.  Every day, every moment we have the opportunity to take a new breath, to birth ourselves anew, to show up.

Right now there are fields of daffodils around me everywhere I look.  The bulbs were planted almost a hundred years ago and still they show up, just as they have every spring.  It’s just what they do...and showing up is just what we do too in our everyday acts of bravery…we show up, live life and shine.

 

 

(The Saanich Peninsula, where I live, is home to the largest daffodil growing area in Canada and the second largest growing area in North America.  The first daffodils were planted here in 1915).

 

April Love

 

 

April seems to be it’s usual mixed-up self…sun, rain, hail and even dustings of snow at the higher elevations.  I’m alternating between bundling myself up tightly in my warm, fuzzy Cowichan sweater and then peeling the layers off when the sun peaks out again. It’s a month of transition.  (Fingers crossed, the weekend is forcast to be "springtime" warm at 16C/61F).

 

The photographs above are of a few red current branches that I “pruned” from our tree.  (I’m not really sure if it’s a tree or a shrub but it’s growing in the shape of a tree.)  At any rate, it’s always a happy thing when the red current gives us some early spring colour.

Last weekend was an interesting one here in the cove…there was a herring run on and the herring actually came all the way into the cove…as did the the sea lions which we normally never see this far in.  As I was getting ready for bed last Friday night, it was a surprise to hear sea lions barking and they barked (quite loudly, I might add) for most of the night.  All the excitement brought lots of people with their fishing rods and many just to watch the antics of the sea lions, seals and eagles…all angling for their share of the herring.

I know we're already a week into the month, but Happy April to everyone…and a huge thank you for stopping here to visit.  Have a beautiful weekend with family and friends.

If Kettles Could Speak…

 

This beautiful, if somewhat worn and dented, brass kettle sits on my fathers hearth and has been here for many years.  I’ve seen it sitting in the same place for so long that truthfully, I hardly see it anymore.  Most days, my eyes brush right past, barely noticing it.

 

 

I don’t know it’s exact origins but I do know that it came to our family in July, 1914…just as world war one arrived on the world stage.  It was a wedding gift to my grandparents Alex and Annie, who were wed in the Parish Church in St. Fergus, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  The wedding dinner and party was held in the barn of her parents home at Blackhills Rora and the kettle then sat for several years on the mantle of Alex and Annie’s own home at Thistley Hillock, next door to her parents farm. 

I was told many stories as a young girl about the fireplaces in these homes…they were very large and within them sat a big black cauldron where everything the family ate was cooked.  Cakes were baked inside the cauldron which became an oven and scones and griddle cakes were cooked on a heavy metal pan that was laid over the top.  The family’s life centered around that fireplace and the brass kettle, which was highly prized and never used for anything other than decoration, sat on the mantle, witnessing it all.

I like to imagine that in 1924, it was lifted gently from it’s place of honour and carefully wrapped and placed in a trunk which would have been hauled by horse and buggy to the nearby town of Peterhead.  Here, along with a few other treasures, it travelled with the family by train to Glasgow.  There, they boarded the SS Marloch, which was bound for Montreal, Canada.

 

 

There were a few years when the kettle was kept packed away while the family lived with relatives in this new and foreign country…one very brief year in Edmonton and then again for a short time in Vancouver.  It was finally unpacked and placed on their own hearth once again when the family…my grandparents, my mother and my uncle…found their own home in Vancouver, two years after arriving in Canada. 

It moved around that area somewhat over the years.  In 1979 Annie and Alex, who by then were in their mid-eighties, moved to the interior of BC to live with their daughter. The kettle found it’s latest resting place on my mother’s own hearth and it has sat here…in the same spot…for 33 years.

My mother has been gone for over seven years now and this burnished brass kettle has been in our family for close to a hundred years.  It’s come many miles and rested on many hearths, sitting on it's sweet little brass feet. It’s been rubbed, polished, banged and dented yet still has a lovely sheen as it catches the light. 

As I sit here looking at it from across the room, I wonder what stories it could tell and what journey's it has yet to take, in our family.

Only time will tell.

 

 

We'll be travelling on Sunday...driving over the familiar terrain of high mountain passes and sailing across the Salish Sea to home.  We're sad to leave here, yet looking forward to being home again.  The bittersweet moments of life are just so, well...bittersweet.  Sending huge hugs to you all dear friends on fresh spring breezes...(YES...it's actually warming up here, finally!)

The Promise of Spring

 

Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses
Rainpools in the woodland, water to my knees
Shivering, quivering, the warm breath of spring
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses

Gordon Lightfoot

 

Dear Spring,

I wonder if you’re aware that you’re late in arriving this year…at least in my little corner of the world here on the west coast of Canada.  You were greening up nicely when I left the island almost two weeks ago but then suddenly you just disappeared and I fear that perhaps you’ve lost your way? 

Just when I thought I’d waved goodbye and closed the door on winter, she came rushing back in, quite wildly really, like she’d forgotten her hat and mittens and then decided she might stay for just one more cup of tea and visit just a little longer…without even asking if she was actually welcome! 

Now I know that winter and I have made peace with each other…and thankfully so, after years of blustery foot stamping and many a cold shoulder, but really Spring, have you forgotten that this is a moderate and temperate climate?  This is the banana belt of Canada! BANANA!  For heavens sake, we grow palm trees on this island, albeit mostly scrubby little ones.  

We’ve normally shed our winter coats and scarves by now and can be found outside counting  blossoms in our gardens so we can… perhaps not so very subtely…send a press release out to the rest of country that lotus land has 85 gazillion more blooms this year than last.  And to make matters worse, the rest of Canada, which is usually still buried in umpteen meters of snow, is swanning around in tank tops and picnicking…yes, picnicking in March! 

Please come quickly dear Spring, I am so looking forward to seeing you, because although winter and I have "appreciated" each other this year, I have to confess that she’s really overstayed her welcome somewhat.  Well, a lot really.  This last snowstorm just did it. 

I’m so looking forward to greeting you on my doorstep soon.  It’s high time for us to stroll arm in arm together through the daffodil fields again, just like we do every year...every spring...you do remember?.

Missing you terribly,

Your very dearest friend

Kate

 

 

And so in my search for spring green this month, I’ve been making do with my father’s indoor potted geraniums that sit patiently by the diffused window light.  They’re pretty in their own way, and I’m reminded by Anais Nin that I must find my own light within.  And I am.

Hoping this finds you all today in just the perfect place and thank you so much for taking the time to stop by,

 

 

Gordon Lightfoot's song "Pussy Willows, Cattails"  transports me to another place, another time, another spring...sigh).

Curiosity

(the turquoise “heart” rock came from here and it sits on a green tray on my coffee table)

So much of life is unknown to us…a mystery and at times, thankfully so.  But still we ask the questions; how, why, where, when and who?  We put so much stress on our bodies and our psyches with the never ending and usually fearful, worrying wondering.

This has always been a big challenge in my life…wanting to know how it will all turn out and wanting to know right now! Patience?  No, I’ve never been known for that.  The ironic thing about always wanting to know the who-what-why-and-how of it all, is that it really stems from distrust...of both myself and a benevolent Universe.  The ironic thing is, that it's self fulfilling...mistrust breeds more to be mistrustful of.

So when I was advised last year by Eloheim to replace my fear of the unknown with curiosity, I took it to heart and put it into practice.  “I'm willing to be curious" became a mantra of mine.

Curiosity about the questions rather than needing answers, puts everything into a different perspective.

And these beautiful words by Rainer Maria Rilke have spoken to me for so long, yet I’m just now understanding what it means to “live the questions” rather than to always be looking for answers.  These words sit easily in my heart along with the encouragement to be curious rather than fearful. 

I created both of these quotes to hang where I can see them every day.

 

 

 

It sounds like many of you in the northern hemisphere are experiencing beautiful, early spring weather.  I’ve returned to the interior of the province again, to visit my father.  The weather is very wild and wooly here but it’s above freezing during the day, so I’ve been able to walk. (I may be getting slightly obsessive).

The day after we left our island home, they had incredibly high winds with very heavy rain.  The ferries were cancelled and the power was out on most of the island…we escaped just in time!

Wishing you all, a beautifully inspired weekend!

SHINING…just because…

art journal page…watercolour, paper, ink

 

Just popping in to say hello…I’m still here!  I can’t believe it’s been almost 2 weeks since I last posted.  I’ve not been that busy and yet my days have felt full.  There's a contententment and peaceful joy filling my days and I'm embracing it fully. 

Tomorrow is the first of March...March!  Nevermind that we've had hail, sleet and snow over the past three days...March is spring.  March isn't January and it isn't February...it's snowdrops and soft pussywillows and green leaves sprounting from bare branches.  It's primroses and joy and promises of new beginnings.  March isn't winter any longer and it's not quite full blown spring.  It's a bit of this and a bit of that but it's moving more toward that, than this.

And speaking of new beginnings, I'm taking an online course in web design using Wordpress and the Thesis theme and I'm loving it.  It will take some time to feel completely comfortable with it and who know's where I'll take it...or where it will take me...but I'm enjoying the challenge.

 

I hope this finds all of you with some sparkle and shine happening for you too….I’m sending some of mine your way!