A Studio Picture A Day In May (The End)

May 30th:

Every woman should have

her own tools, preferably

newer than these ones!

May 31st:

And of course, no studio is

complete without its

resident teddy bears...

A Studio Picture A Day In May (Wk.4)

May 22nd:

You are invited to come in

and sit a while...

May 23rd:

My Wheeled tins.

May 24th:

There are better things to

store in canning jars than food.

.

May 25th:

Not surprisingly, cameras
are another thing
I collect!

May 26th:

Art is life...life is art.

May 27th:

A box of old photos sits in front of an art piece I did for my mother. The gentleman in the jaunty cap is my grandfather.

May 28th:

Anyone need a scarf? Wait..
it's May..time to send the
wool on vacation!

My 29th:

Old film reels, treasured
for their intrinsic
beauty...

A Studio Picture A Day In May (Wk.3)

May 15th:

Buttons, baskets, boxes and
tape...all essential to the

well-stocked studio!

May 16th:

Glass jars full of ribbon

and lace wait patiently

for me to get to them.

May 17th:

The only thing my
studio does not have
in abundance
is space.

May 18th:

I believe there is
a little magic to
be found in my
storybook tins...



May 19th:

Postcards, Bizarro and
my collection of crosses
gleaned from many
thrift store trips.




May 20th: Sometimes, simple is best...

.

May 21st:

Another typewriter, and
two chubby birds
nesting on old
school primers.

A Studio Picture a Day in May (Wk.2)

May 8th:

Pattern, design, texture

and colour...all inspire
me and infuse

creativity into my

life...

May 9th:

A place for everything and

everything in its place...

May 10th:

I have rightfully earned the title of 'stationery queen'!


May 11th:

My stash of cigar boxes,
complete with one made
into a purse, (store-bought),
and another filled to the brim with buttons as bright and brilliant as jewels.

May 12th:
My organized chaos

May 13th:

My favourite quote is written on the wall:

"Ask yourself two questions: what do you love to do...
and why aren't you doing it?"

May 14th:

I am happy to recycle other
peoples' discards and

make them my own.

A Studio Picture a Day in May (Wk.1)

May 1st

.

Old keys, old tins and

old patterns..just a few

of my many eclectic

collections.

May 2nd

I treasure old typewriters and

am always on the prowl for

ribbon so I can use them again.

May 3rd

My favourite picture,

complete with the old
Kwantlen Bookstore
mannequin.

May 4th

I love birds and birdcages,

but I would never put a
bird in a cage.

May 5th:
I don't like watching
flowers die in a
vase, but dried and
preserved, they

remain beautiful

forever.

May 6th

Apparently, I have

way too much

"stuff".

May 7th

.

Seriously..can one

ever have too

many books?

.

.

A Few Collectables

.

My favourite thing in the world is to browse

through thrift stores and flea markets. These

are just a few of the treasures I've brought

home to make my own...

Double-decker buses picked up in Ireland, England, and North America.

.

Vintage

flower

frogs.

Sand gathered from
Ireland, England,
Egypt, Africa and
North America...

.

Old
school

primers.

Teddy Bear Contest

For me, the highlight of

concert season has become

the "Last Night of The

Proms" concert,

performed in Vancouver

by the VSO and the Bach Choir.

Part of the evening involves

a teddy bear contest. Dozens of people compete, from small children to old men.

This year's theme was "Best Dressed As A

Performer Bear". I found the perfect

outfit for my favourite furry friend,

complete with pearls,

matching Mary Janes

and a tiny cello.

To our great surprise, Rosie Bell and I won first prize and were awarded a glorious CD of choral music performed by the Vancouver Bach Choir. Miss Belle tried to curtsy in gratitude but her chubby bear legs are not made for that!

I loved having a chance to inject some whimsy into the everyday. It's back to real life now, but I can't wait to see what Miss Belle will choose to dress up in next year...

.

Haiku No. 4

.

Ancient steps worn smooth.
A constant quest to touch the
Light of holy grace

.

Dreams of Africa

What do you want most in the world? What dream sustains you through the everyday, and promises so much joy and satisfaction that you quiver just at the notion of this possibility coming to pass?

As a child growing up in post-war Belfast, my dreams were of Africa. The drab, sparse streets of industrial Northern Ireland were so far removed from the endless sky and rolling grasslands of Kenya to be found in books that my soul was captivated from the start. Eventually, my family emigrated to the West Coast of Canada, putting even more space between me and my heart’s desire.
.

But the dream to see Africa stayed with me. When a chance came in 2006 to make the trip of nine thousand miles to Nairobi, I was warned by well-meaning friends that the reality of the continent could not possibly live up to my decades of anticipation. How wrong they were...

Africa was every bit as magnificent as I knew it would be. I embraced it eagerly...the boundless savannah...the spacious skies...and, of course, the beautiful, glowing children. The shy smiles of youngsters we met in a Masai village is something I call to mind often. It is a memory that never fails to fill me with joy and wonderment.

I have a new dream now...to return to Africa,

this time not to take

but to give back. The chasm between the 'haves' and

'have-nots' looms large in that continent ravaged by AIDS.

mismanagement and corruption. I have taken Africa to my heart,

now I must act on my heart's desire to help. It will not be

this year...it may not be next..but I will return one day to

the Africa of my dreams...

Hailu No. 3

.

Alone with the wind,

I hear whispered words of love

pass from tree to tree...

.

Book Review: Dawn of The Dreadfuls

Having come of age in the rebellious Sixties, I am predisposed to enjoy a book wherein women speak their mind, defy stereotypes and kick serious butt! Strong female characters are what drew me to Jane Austen, those independent souls who knew their own worth and refused to be stifled by the conventions of the day. It is that immutable sense of self that keeps me coming back to revisit their lives from time to time.
.
I must admit, however, to some trepidation when approaching Quirk Classics' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies last year. While it was clearly not going to be my traditional rereading of a favourite classic, I was surprised to find I enjoyed it. Elizabeth Bennet was the same vital woman I admired in the original Pride and Prejudice, only this time she was able to wield a katana sword as easily as she did a sewing needle.

.

I was, therefore, delighted to receive an Advance Reading Copy of Quirks Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Dawn of The Dreadfuls, a prequel to the above, written with tongue firmly in cheek by award-winning author and reporter, Steve Hockensmith. Set four years before P&P&Z, it takes us back to the root of the zombie plague. Elizabeth is a teenager leading a typical life in Regency England. All that changes when her father converts the greenhouse into a dojo and begins to train Elizabeth and her sisters to be warriors. Martial arts, nunchucks and muskets replace chatting, tatting and teatime.
.
At first awkward and unenthusiastic, the Bennet daughters soon embrace their newfound skills and use them in defense of the countryside, under attack by voracious hordes of zombies. Along the way, Elizabeth attracts no less than two suitors, though her youth and inexperience have equipped her with little ability to respond in kind. From naïve child to empowered slayer of the Undead, Elizabeth’s transformation is swift and entertaining to follow.
.
Unlike P&P&Z, there are no passages of Ms. Austen’s writing inserted into the text. This is all Steve Hockensmith and his wild imagination. Dawn of The Dreadfuls offers generous amounts of both action and romance, delivered with comedic accuracy and a good dose of irreverence. In the end, this is not a novel to take too seriously. Die-hard Austen fans may cringe at the notion, but for sheer escapist enjoyment, this book provides much humour and great entertainment, delivered with panache.

.

Poking fun at life occasionally helps us gain perspective and insight…and are those not the very qualities that endeared Jane Austen to us from the beginning? What she would have made of the Quirk series will never be known, but she would no doubt wish us to continue watching life unfold around us and to explore its intricacies with honesty and awareness as she did. Any book that challenges our judgment and makes us think anew is a good one as far as I’m concerned…so I end by thanking Mr. Hockensmith, for adding yet another layer to my appreciation of the ultimately inimitable

Jane Austen.

.

.

I am including a link to the Dawn of The Dreadfuls book page on Quirkclassics.com for those wanting more information.

http://quirkclassics.com/index.phg?q=dawnofthedreadfuls

.

There are also 50 Quirk Classics Prize Packs to be won!

http://www.quirkclassics.com/index.phg?q=QuirkClassicsContestDODReviews

.

Enjoy... and for an added treat, google Steve Hockensmith or check out his blog...

.

A Vancouver Valentine's Day

A flower cannot blossom

without sunshine,
and a man cannot live

without love.

Max Muller,
Philologist 1823 - 1900

Guo Nian Hao

Wishing my friends

and loved ones

much happiness

and prosperity

in the

coming days...

Happy New Year to All.

Pass the Chocolates

As I did with Christmas, I'm recycling an article written in 1986. I am chastened to realize that in the intervening twenty-four years since writing this, I have come no further in my resolve to resist temptation...

....................Pass the Chocolates....................

No..this is not another piece about New Years' resolutions. I have never seriously considered making a New Years resolution, let alone keeping one. Such an admission forces me to reveal that perfection is not in my near future. I am told it does not even loom as a faint possibility. Indeed, if family opinion is to be believed, there is indication that I am overweight, under-disciplined, and severly addicted to chocolate.

While it is clear that a number of changes might be in order, I have not yet been foolish enough to attempt them. Self-improvement may be a noble goal, but I hold firmly to the belief that a few bad habits are good for you. Certainly, they are integral to my lifestyle. I see no point to a diet if it is not followed by a binge. I draw up long lists of chores that I proceed to ignore; and wouldn't dream of getting my jazzy new exercise outfit stained with sweat.

You can see that I take my bad habits seriously, but it wasn't always so easy for me. I learned the hard way that though a little self-indulgence is good for the soul, too much will have guilt taking all the fun out of it. It comes down to a question of perspective. There is really no need to eat the whole pie when half will suffice; and experience has taught me that if all the clocks in the house are set at different times, one of them is bound to suit me when I'm having trouble staying on schedule. Guilt does breed a certain ingenuity.

Rather than trying to overcome my shortcomings, I have melded them into a fascinating part of my personality. It is necessary to admit that this is a viewpoint not entirely shared by my husband. He has even gone so far as to suggest I give up junk food and get into -ugh- menu planning! To my credit, I decline to point out that he is not without a few faults of his own.

This fact does not distress me; instead, it serves to reinforce my belief that our individual quirks are essential to our well-being. Clearly, discipline is not natural to human beings. It is only our bad habits, after all, that set us apart from the animals. The quest for greater creature comforts has been our driving force since life began. Why, if it were not for Irish Cream cheesecake, we might never have gotten beyond the stage of digging for roots.

Did our ancestors make these tremendous advances in technology only to have us spurn them for the spartan lifestyle they worked so hard to improve? Far be it for me to squander these achievements. Self-denial is plainly an insult to those individuals who toiled endlessly to invent ice cream and escapist movies. I, for one, do not intend to let their hard work go to waste.

Give me a hot-fudge sundae over yogurt any day. Let me guzzle caffeine, and leave jogging in the rain to fanatics who don't know the value of a scorching fire and an old film on television. I can accept the fact that I am flawed; and if Jane Fonda will leave the cookie munching to me, I am content to leave the workout videos to her.

The brand new year will have to make do with the same old me. Would someone pass the chocolates, please?