Sentimental Journey

Thanksgiving Greetings!

This was Saturday night's sunset :) Closing the blinds at the back of our house, I was struck by it's beauty and ran out immediately, camera in-hand. A short while later, I poured a hot bath, lit a candle and was lost in my latest Harry Potter book. The days are noticeably shorter and colder temperatures will soon follow, but if there's one thing we readers are able to appreciate, it's the fact that we can now curl up under a blanket (or in the tub :) with a good book for the next few months: guilt-free! That nagging feeling that we should be outside going for a walk, weeding, watering etc. is silenced for the time-being. I've had a number of very interesting discussions lately while waiting in line at the grocery store and in the local shops, regarding this very subject. It seems I am not alone in welcoming the opportunity to slow down after a busy summer. If only winter wasn't waiting in the wings, we'd all enjoy it that much more..!

Seeing as it's Thanksgiving, I thought I'd take a moment to consider 

the numerous ways my life has been blessed in the past year.
There are of course others, but these are the biggies.

- After 4 grueling years, our daughter graduated from University this spring 

and is now employed as a registered nurse in an intensive care unit.

- Our son made some hard choices and has done a complete 180 in life, 

something we are enormously thankful for.

-We got a dog! Despite all my complaints and reservations lol,

she has brought a lot of joy and laughter into our lives.

Here is Emma, trying on her Halloween costume!

-We both lost weight this past year, my husband 30 pounds and I, 15.
As we age, it sure gets harder to take it off once you've put it on...

-I started a blog October 19 of last year. 

This has had it's good points and bad... but mostly good :)

As a result, I have become much more mindful of the moments in life;
our days do indeed slip by like "sands through the hourglass"...

It's also given me a creative outlet and served to hone my writing skills.

  

Here's a bit of the quick trip we took this past week.
We set off to Nelson on Tuesday, making a pit stop in Nanton,
which is approximately 4 hours south of Edmonton.

If you are ever in the area, Sentimental Journey is one antique store definitely worth visiting.

It's situated in what's known as the Keeley Building, circa 1909.
The main floor originally served as a hardware store, the upstairs was later converted
into apartments which housed officers assigned to the nearby aircrew training base.
Interestingly, Nanton's town motto is "Where History Lives"

These pictures were all taken in the upstairs suites.

Each is unique and surprisingly spacious, yet cosy.

It's like walking back in time.

Love this cute little working kitchen,
but can you imagine no doors on any of your cupboards...!

Cola for two?

A very unique use for an old crib...!

Fantastic place, but seeing as there were many miles yet to travel,

we had to bid Sentimental Journey a fond farewell sooner than we may have liked...

The next day, these treasures were purchased in Creston, BC,
at separate antique (junk lol) establishments:

I now have a second amber seal,

one more makes a collection lol!  

This is Frankoma pottery which is no longer in production.
Each piece is numbered. I've been collecting Prairie Green for about ten years,
but rarely come across it. This creamer makes twelve pieces so far.
I realize I could very easily purchase it through various sources on the net,
but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun as finding the occasional piece in my travels.

I also picked up this book for .50
Alice Munro is a Canadian author of much acclaim,
having won the Governor General's Award, the Giller and Man Booker Prizes,
(to name a few) however, I don't recall having ever read anything by her.
When looking for books, I often refer to lists I carry with me detailing authors & book titles
I want to read... I have a good memory, but it's short!
One list I've been carrying around for years is the Top 100 Books
"you should read before you die" lol

Last week I discovered a fantastic tool via Stumble Upon, whereby you
enter the name of a book you really enjoyed (or an author you love) and a database
of books of similar style, as voted on by readers, is produced. I have plugged in a number
of books and authors and printed off the lists - hopefully I will stumble upon a
few good books in the process!

Here's the link if you want to give it a try:

"What Should I Read Next?"


Enjoy your day!

In case you're wondering, we did eventually get to Nelson,
and I will share that with you next post :)

How to Tie One On

The only reason we were able to keep going!

Harvesty Greetings everyone! We returned from our quick jaunt to Nelson, BC late last night, or early this morning - depending on how you look at it.  Our original plan was to stay in Calgary last night and visit the 'Curious Cat' antique mall this morning, (also a very promising looking one in Innisfail) but seeing as it was already nine o'clock, raining and we were still only approaching Calgary, we made the decision to keep on truckin'! I guess my curiosity will just have to wait.

The above was taken at Ellison's Market in Nelson. A very comfy, cozy place as you can see. I will share more about our trip over the next few days, but in the meantime I thought I'd pop up this fantastic video on 25 ways to tie a scarf. Last week I transferred my summer clothes to another closet and pulled out the ol' fall/winter wardrobe, including all my scarves. Like many of you, I have numerous scarves which (if I'm honest) don't seem to get worn year after year. Oftentimes it comes down to not knowing how to wear them. Many times I've tied and retied a scarf I really wanted to wear that day, only to give up when I couldn't get it just right. Maybe I'm too fussy. Fighting with one on Wednesday morning in Nelson, I sourced out this great video and was soon on my way; proudly displaying my creation :)

Cheers!

Today's Jewel:

"No one is more afraid of ghosts,

than those who don't believe in them."

~ Oct. 6/11 Old Farmer's Almanac ~

Amazing Little People

"Delicious autumn! 

My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth 

seeking the successive autumns." 

- George Eliot

I love the above quote as it so perfectly encapsulates my feelings this time of year. If only there were two seasons: summer and fall.... sigh. Seeing as it's October, I turned another page of my Inuit Art calendar, featuring artists from Cape Dorset, Baffin Island.

This was September - which I never did get around to showing you.

It's entitled Yellow Bear, Brown Bird (Kenojuak Ashevak)

For that matter, here is (was) August. Sheesh!
I took a bloggy break in August - so I do have a good excuse.
Swimming Bear by Sheojuk Etidlooie

And finally we reach October's Legend of the Little People by Kavavaow Mannomee 

Our son worked on Baffin Island at one point a few years ago and brought us home a number of pieces from local artists as gifts. Legend of the Little People immediately brought to mind this one:

 Known as an Ulu, this all-purpose Inuit knife was traditionally used by women

for skinning and cleaning animals, cutting food, trimming blocks of snow and

ice used in building igloos and cutting children's hair.

The edge is very sharp, the handle and rest are caribou bone.

Legend of the Little People reminded me of a darling picture I stumbled across a few weeks ago and have been meaning to share. Like a lot of you, I adore little people, be they forest folk, elves, hobbits, fairies, gnomes... have I missed anyone? However, I had never thought to include Smurfs in that list! (probably because they're imaginary... lol) Isn't he adorable? If you click, it will expand further.

"The Smurf is actually the result of a symbiotic relationship between two organisms. We believe that Smurfs put their 'embryos' in the button of a developing mushroom. From a distance, Smurfs seem like they are wearing a hat and pants but as you can see this is a fallacy. The fungus provides camouflage and protective epidermal layers for the creature, while the creature provides nutrients and mobility for the spreading of spores."

Mr. Smurf got me thinking about a book I found a couple of years ago while rummaging through a large antique mall in Brantford, Ontario. I was instantly enchanted, yet set it down after few minutes and moved on. A few weeks after returning home I regretted that decision, called my mom and requested she pick it up for me; unfortunately it had apparently been purchased. Approximately six months later, I returned to the same establishment and did another thorough search myself - still nothing. In the end, I ordered it through Amazon.

The wonderfully detailed drawings and accompanying stories are simply precious. It richly describes everything you've ever wanted to know about gnomes, but didn't know who to ask:

how do they make a living?

how is a gnome's home built?

their history, 

legends, 

clothing, 

courtship and marriage, 

physiology, 

gnome acupuncture, 

animal aid,

where do gnomes go on their honeymoon?

Burning questions, and thankfully no detail is too small or overlooked!

Ha ha, I'd crawl in the pages if I could!

That's all for today - I'm not quite sure how we got from George Eliot to Gnomes... but we did! Did you know that George Eliot was in fact Mary Anne (Mary Ann, Marian) Evans? George Eliot was her pen name, which she is said to have used to ensure her works be taken seriously. She also hoped to escape the stereotype of women only writing lighthearted romances. (Wiki)

Tomorrow morning we set off for a few days in Nelson, BC. My husband has business there and I am tagging along. If you've never visited Nelson, I highly recommend it. It's a very scenic location and the town itself is both quaint and quirky, it has sooo much character and fabulous shopping - a lot of it very earth muffiny and handmade. I'm taking along my camera - hope to bring back some pics which show the town at it's best. Have a great week - I'd really like to say have an amazing week, but after reading a few of my previous posts, I have only just realized how much I use that word: A LOT!

Cheers!

Time Flies, Time Lapse and Time to Take Out the Garbage?

Sunday Greetings :) 

I drove by this pumpkin patch last fall in Ontario

Hard to believe, but it's October already...! Where did this year go? It literally flew by and here we are again; quickly approaching Thanksgiving, Halloween and the holiday that must not be named (not until November anyways, lol!) I guess you can tell I've been reading Harry Potter, in fact I am now into the third installment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. These books are so much fun and the timing couldn't be better with Halloween spookiness being right around the corner. 

A pretty path at the Muttart

This past Wednesday, my daughter took me out for a lovely birthday lunch at Culina in the Muttart Conservatory. It was a gorgeous day - this time of year is amazing and I especially enjoyed the drive there; the city is so beautiful right now - if only it would last a wee bit longer... 

 Here's my birthday gift from Caroline - handmade and oh so soft :)

I will be wearing it a lot this fall and winter.

A few weeks ago I signed up with Stumble Upon. Many of you may already receive their weekly emails, but for those who don't, I highly recommend checking them out. This slideshow of shadow art was forwarded to me based on my pre-selected interests. Wow!

"Tim Noble and Sue Webster skilfully skirt the boundaries between beauty and the shadowier aspects of humanity, playing with our perceptions as well as our notions of taste. Many of their most notable pieces are made from piles of rubbish, with light projected against them to create a shadow image entirely different to that seen when looking directly at the deliberately disguised pile." Environmental Graffiti

Great detail in this one.

This video was also sent to me via Stumble Upon.

It's probably the most amazing piece of cinematography I've ever seen.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend :)

48 and holding...!

Yesterday I endured celebrated another birthday. Wouldn't it be fun to go back in time to the years when our birthdays were eagerly anticipated? I truly wonder what I'll be thinking two years from now after having passed the big 5-0... I have a number of friends already in their fifties and they seem to have survived the shock!

 Here's my little pity party!

Part of the afternoon was spent in my office drinking coffee, reading, contemplating life and eating chocolate (hehe - it was my birthday afterall). We've been enjoying gorgeous weather, although we are still in desperate need of rain. To answer those who are wondering: yes, rain or shine I wear my rubber boots when I am in the backyard - that way I don't have to worry about something crawling up my leg or biting an ankle lol! 

Last night we went to a Bachman-Turner/Paul Rodgers concert. These rockers are in their 60's - Randy and Fred are actually closer to 70 - so there's a bit of encouragement for us all. 

This pic was in the Edmonton Journal this morning -

they were fantastic - I don't see retirement in their near futures.

Are gifts important as we get older? They aren't to me, but they are appreciated :) Especially when they are the very thing you are drooling over. A dear friend surprised me with this trinket box from a local antique mall - she had been with me when I tore myself away from it a few weekends ago. 

 The fronts of each drawer are slate.

They're quite deep, wonder what I'll end up storing in them?

I'm currently reading through the Harry Potter series;

perhaps some Horehound, Lemon Balm & Hyssop...

one never knows when a spell might come in handy!

Some of my birthday money was spent on two of these, my tastes are simple: rustic and used lol! 

I plan to house seasonal displays in them. 

I don't know about you, but the outside of my place could use something

to help brighten it up during the long winter months.

Here's Emma eagerly inspecting ;)

I stumbled across this new release today in my travels.

Too funny! I happen to be one of the last people in North America who doesn't have a cell phone, so I am definitely not a "texting parent". Perhaps I should get one - how am I going to remain 'hip' as I get older? Realistically though, I recognize it's probably already too late! That's okay; different priorities are now in place. You know, getting older is actually a very liberating experience:

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE

With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick the flowers in other people’s gardens

And learn to spit

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickles for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Cheers!

'Goddess of the Dawn'

This amazing picture of the Northern Lights was taken by Yuichi Takasaka on September 12 at Hidden Lake Territorial Park in Canada's Northwest Territories. It was the NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day yesterday. We used to see the aurora borealis quite often when we lived in Peace River, which is five hours north of Edmonton; and being on an acreage, we were afforded the perfect setting to appreciate them in all their glory. Some nights they were truly dazzling. Tradition was to 'whistle them down' even closer as we sat around a crackling bonfire with friends during the late summer/fall months... and you know sometimes - it almost seemed to work! One of many things I miss about country living.

"She's flat like the pancake!"

There was a young lady named Bright,
Who traveled much faster than light;
She set out one day in a relative way,
And came back on the previous night.

Scientists in Shock After Breaking Speed of Light

This is amazing, if proven true: A fundamental pillar of physics – that nothing can go faster than the speed of light – appears to be smashed by an oddball subatomic particle that has apparently made a giant end run around Albert Einstein’s theories. The full article here.

A Furry-Foot-Tapping Good Time!

Hullo!

I was reminded first thing this morning by Debra, She Who Seeks, that today is the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. Don't know how I could have overlooked this very important day in history, but it's early - so there's still plenty of time to celebrate!

Love this compilation of moments from Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday bash 

(and Frodo's 33rd, although he gets kind of forgotten about in all the festivites!) 

I hope you enjoy it :)

Out of Spray Starch

Yesterday afternoon and again today, I did an early autumn clean-up. I'd purposely let my hanging baskets and flower boxes dry out over the last two weeks; the plants were spent and the risk of an early winter season always looms in the shadows - there's nothing worse than working with numb fingers in a bitterly cold wind - I expect you've also been there done that yourself! Cut down the shasta daisies, bellflowers and columbines as well. By no means done - but it's a start. I leave the vines which cover our deck up throughout the winter months; love their gnarled, brambly branches set against the snow. 

I rescued a few sprigs :)

Throughout the growing season I throw everything back into the beds as I deadhead and for the most part do the same during fall cleanup. Most of the leaves from our trees are raked onto the beds to blanket plants throughout the winter. Granted it's all a bit messy come spring, but leaves return most of the nutrients crucial to soil health.

A favorite little book of mine is In the Garden, by Canadian author Marjorie Harris. Inspiring musings which look at the role changing seasons play in the life of the gardener. In it she states "you need to think like a forest when you garden. No little elves rush about tidying the forest floor. Fallen leaves lie and slowly break down into the magnificent duff that feeds the trees" I think she makes perfect sense. The same should follow in our own gardens.

Don't you love the wind-swept look daisies have as they dry out? I've noticed the whole world takes on a sort of rumpled elegance in the fall; like the well-worn, yet still chic leather purse or boots you can't quite part with. Everything feels lived-in and comfortable.

Kind of like Meryl Street and Robert Redford in Out of Africa...