Last Sunset of 2012

Carrying on our tradition of photographing the last sunset of the year,  we stayed close to home this year, not wanting to venture out on icy walks with an arm in a sling.  I'm sure the sunset we drew is the way it actually looks beyond all those wintry clouds.  It has been a year filled with many blessings, and we send out good wishes and prayers for the new year to all our family and friends, near and far!!

a morning walk in the snow

About 8:15, we admire the fresh snow in the backyard before striking out on our walk up to Tim Horton's to meet Peetra for breakfast.

We never made it up to Timmy's!  I tripped and fell on the way and spent the next seven hours at the hospital, finally being sent home with a non displaced fractured arm in a sling and some pain pills.  The good news is, it's my left arm!

The bad news, Martin has to shovel all that snow alone, and do all the cooking, etc.  He truly is my right hand man!!

the old mantel clock

Martin was hoping the clock, from his parent's wedding in 1939, did not have a broken spring.  Does anyone know a good clock maker?

In Full Bloom

I bought a mature Christmas Cactus at our church's fall bazaar earlier this month, fully loaded with buds.  This week it has burst forth into glorious bloom!  I recall my Grandma Anderson's large Christmas Cactus on a plant stand in front of her dining room window fascinating me as a child.  Perhaps that's why I was drawn to this lovely specimen.

Fall Garden Cleanup

We have quite a different view in the back yard in late fall.  Once again we can see the church and the homes on Victoria St. All the lovely morning glories that covered the fence in summer, having died back, must be removed. I enjoy the quiet contemplative task an hour or so each afternoon.

The New Look

Here's a look at Martin's newly refurbished den.  Kathryn was the inspiration and help for getting this done.  So, at last, all the old carpet has been removed from the bedroom, dining room, living room, and den.  Each room has been painted.  I really like the way the woodwork looks.  We almost went with all white for the rooms, based on the notion that white makes small spaces appear larger.  But in the end, we went for the deeper tones of colour that appealed to us, and can't say that it shrunk our sense of space one iota.

Fall Activities

Kathryn came over for a few days to help us redo Martin's den.  She's an energetic worker and did a great job painting the ceiling, walls, and woodwork.  Then she tackled the removal of the old carpet and pad.  She saved us many hours of knee crunching, and shoulder pulling work.  It looks so nice.  Mart chose the colour.  Today, we all went on a stroll through Paxton Bush to take in the lovely fall leaves; they are falling fast.  The leaves are brilliant in colour, as you can see.  I pressed and mailed some leaves to the little girls in California, but the colour does fade a bit.

Dress Up Time for the Girls

Trying on the sun dresses made by Nanna Pennie.

The Grand Tour

Another great time together with family.  We all converged at Audrey's new summer digs at Leisure Lake for wine and dessert and lively conversation.  Her kind neighbour loaned us her golf cart so we could have a tour of this lovely area.  All nine of us couldn't fit on the cart, so this was the first group.  Peetra was driving, while Audrey narrated.  Joanne and I waved at all the friendly neighbours.  On the way home, eight of us stopped off at "The Car Barn" to enjoy their famous chicken dinners.

Little Visitor

We had a surprise visit from a little furry creature recently.  He's hopped into  our backyard sanctuary several times.  We've never seen him with any companions.  It was a challenge to photograph him because he's a bit shy.

Clover Crowns

I thought every little girl learned how to braid clover crowns when they were growing up.  Not so, but girls of ALL ages are still fascinated by this ancient art.  Braiding as fast as I could, these little girls kept me supplied with the all the clover flowers I needed until everyone had a crown.  Molly even tried her hand at it, and with some practice, she can join the guild some day.

Busy Hands. . .

     Busy hands are happy hands, as the saying goes.  If your hands would like something busy and happy to do, I could put you in touch with Sr. Patricia who spoke to our last Catholic Woman's League meeting about knitting bandages for the lepers in Nigeria.  At first it seemed like a time warp, something out of a WW I documentary.  But she was serious and had brought a supply of soft cotton yarn from Holland and small guage knitting needles for anyone that wanted to sign up for this labour of love.  Our CWL group has been donating money to Sr. Pat for her yarn for a number of years, but until she came and showed us the project and told us more about it, none of us really felt a connection.  I thought it was like polio or small pox, pretty much over and done with.  Not so.
     I googled and read and was amazed, as well as saddened. But, I also learned the hand knit cotton bandages are greatly appreciated. They breathe better and can be washed and reused for over a year. I've enjoyed working with the soft yarn and the fine stitch. I think about the person that will be using it and I pray for their comfort and healing. And I pray they will know God loves them through the bandages that are stitched in love for them by friends far away. I'm almost finished with my first bandage and will soon take it over to Sr. Pat and pick up another skein of yarn. It's a portable project that can be done on a trip, at home, or while visiting friends.

Inside, Outside

While in Petrolia, "Canada's Victorian Oil Heritage City", we stopped by the public library.  Martin & Peetra enjoyed going to the library while growing up in this town.  The library is housed in the old train station, which gives it an extra bit of charm.  Peetra is pictured outside the turreted corner of the building as well as in the small reading room created inside it's curving walls.

A Special Birthday

Every birthday is special, but it seems extra special for this father and daughter that lived far apart for many years to be able to enjoy a special lunch and spend an afternoon together, not just on her birthday, but throughout the year.  Martin is very proud of Kathryn's independence and diligence in her life and work.  Her job in Heidi's Bakery is going well, and she recently got her union card.  Her godmother Peetra joined us for the birthday celebration in Petrolia as well.

Human Easel

Gooch retrospective, continued. . .  After propping up Linda's lovely "Wisteria Cottage, Lompoc" in various locations around my still dew fresh garden this morning, I finally found the prop I needed.  His name is Martin.  Thanks, love!  I'll remember that next time.
      This beautiful giclee print is a reminder to me of all the delightful friends and places we experienced during our ten years in this special town.  Thank you, Linda, for capturing this incredible garden by the side of the tracks.  The occupant, Barbara Freer, was a regular at our tearoom as well as a friend from La Purisima Conception Church.  My mother and step-dad Johney gave me the frame for my 60th birthday during our sojourn in Oklahoma.

Two Views

Two views of our garden.  One from July, 2011 and one from July, 2012.  One from the church parking lot, one from the patio.  We enjoyed it then and we enjoy it now.  But now we've done a little digging and planting.  That's what gardens are for.

Beach Day

It's been very hot lately, so we decided to put on our swimsuits, pack a picnic lunch, our folding chairs, and drive over to Lake Huron.  We took the scenic route along the St. Clair River and enjoyed looking at the pretty beach cottages, boats, and docks.  We found a nice spot to settle in for a couple of hours in Canatera Park in Sarnia.  We enjoyed watching the young families, older people with dogs, and the many sailboats off shore.  We had to do the "subway fold" while reading our newspapers because of the brisk breeze.  Young Poplar trees are migrating onto the beach from the nearby woods and provide a bit of a wind break and some shade.  Last time we were at Huron, it was a calm day.  The waves and currents were too strong for us to navigate on this day, but the big kids and young adults seemed okay with it.

Family From Afar

Huge sigh of relief!  I worry about the stupidest things sometimes.  My dear brother & his wife Maria from Oklahoma and Maria's niece Julie & husband Orama from Puerto Rico were coming for a visit.  Great news, indeed!!  So why did I worry about the fact that our little retirement cottage only has one bathroom!  Well, guess what!  No problemo!  We had a great time together every minute of their visit.  So I won't worry about that issue again.  I think we are all a bit spoiled when we know our ancestors would have thought indoor plumbing was a luxury.

     It was great to see my bro and Maria and to show them a bit of our new life in Canada.  It was great to get to know Julie & Orama better.  They are all welcome back here any time!

Granddaughters

Aren't they beautiful!  Claire, age 6, and Emily, age (almost) 4, were looking like little angels with their golden curls and baskets of yellow rose petals for a  wedding in California.  We can't wait to see them when they fly out, with their mommy & daddy, for a visit in August!

Canada Day

This is our first Canada Day in our little home.  We were in Canada at this time last year, but were still quite dazed from the big move.  One year later, we feel very at home here in Canada, and gratefully so.  Thanks be to God for all our family here, and for all our new friends and neighbours.

     We got the idea to put out our American flag and Dutch flag along with our Canadian flag from the neighbours across the street.  The wife of one couple was born in Germany, so she and her husband hung a German flag and a Canadian flag on their porch.  Next door to them, the husband is British and his wife Canadian, so they hung a Union Jack and the Maple Leaf.  Martin was born in Holland, me in the U.S.A, and now this is our home.  It's nice to share our heritage with one another and also appreciate what we have in common as citizens of the world.

Gooch Retrospective Continued. . .

Photographing art was harder than I realized.  Lighting is key.  Without professional equipment, I had to figure out a way to capture the true beauty of Linda's paintings.  I had a lightbulb (pun!) moment one day and decided to take the paintings outdoors.  Very fun, indeed.  This opens up all kinds of possibilities!  I'm including an outdoor photo of "Cherry Tea" as well as an indoor shot--just to show where it hangs in our home.  You can see which one gives a better view of Linda's skillfully rendered water colour.  I love this painting, a going away gift from Linda when we left California.  And it is cherry season now, so time for a cherry tea.

Poang Potato

We've all heard of "couch potatoes", but, since we don't have a couch in our T.V. room, we had to come up with our own term for comfortably watching a bit of telly.  For those of you that don't recognize the chairs in the photo, they are made by IKEA and are dubbed their Poang (two dots above the letter A) series.  We bought our Poang chairs for $79 each and the matching footstools for &39 each.  They are very well made and very comfortable,  lightweight and easy to assemble.  Because, as you know, the IKEA furniture comes in pieces in a box.  I call their stuff "affordable chic."  Martin is watching the Rick Mercer report, which comes on at 4:00 every afternoon. We often have afternoon tea with Rick.  

Picking Peas with Poppa

We came upon this sign just outside of town.  Peas are at their peak this month, so we were eager to try our hand at pea pickin'.  The green pods really blend into all the green leaves and are hard to spot at first.  Poppa Martin is hard to spot in the bottom picture.  Can you find him, Claire & Emily?   We enjoy that Chatham is surrounded  by farms.  Since we arrived in our new home in Canada one year ago, we have been able to visit farms and pick blueberries, apples, strawberries, and now peas.  Fruit and vegetable stands are a  great source for purchasing seasonal produce, as well.

Library book sale

We struck gold when we browsed the book sale tables at the library one morning this week.  We placed our stack of books, many of them chosen for the August visit of the Hudson girls, on the patio table, and settled in for some good reads.  It was so nice and we were so comfortable that we brought a tray out for an alfresco lunch and read.  Poppa Martin is reading "The Wind in the Willows."

A Lofty Experience

Soaring the heights in an open cockpit airplane was my first lofty experience last weekend.  We drove out to the boonies to meet up with old friends that we hadn't seen in about ten years.  Brian and Hope had flown their Pietenpol (Similar to Mart's last plane) to a fly in with about a dozen other small planes on a friends farm.  I took this photo on takeoff.  That's Mart, right, waving.

My second lofty experience was of a spiritual nature.  After spending the night at a historic B&B in Dundas, we went to morning Mass at Christ the King Cathedral in Hamilton.  Being surrounded by sacred art, sacred music, and partaking of Holy Communion, is quite an uplifting experience.

Poppa Martin's Birthday

Martin and I enjoyed a fun outing for his 69th birthday on Friday.  We took an hour long drive to the southern most point of mainland Canada, called Point Pelee National Park.  We are standing on this point in the picture.  The waves from Lake Erie come from two directions.  Then we went to another part of the park where there is a boardwalk that goes through a marshy area.  Many people from all over the world come to see the many species of birds there.  We were thrilled to see a Wood Duck while we were there.  I told Martin that was his birthday present.  We had a good look at it with our binoculars.

Eternal Perspective

Each morning this year, I'm taking a little extra time in my morning prayers and scripture reading to become acquainted with some Christians from the past. I found an old (1959) edition of Butler's Lives of the Saints while living in Lompoc, California. At a Thrift Store--that was having a sale! Five books for $1. I got these because I had some book shelves that needed filling, and these looked good. This was in my tearoom days, and I was way to busy to read these old-fashioned books. There is a time for everything. Now, I have time. And I have more of an awareness of how quickly time passes. How do I fill my time. I listen to the concerns of others and I think about my own concerns, and sometimes I feel we overlook the big picture, maybe the most important part. This morning I ran across this advice from St. Augustine:

"Not only think of the road through which thou art travelling, but take care never to lose sight of the blessed country in which thou art shortly to arrive. Thou meetest here with passing sufferings, but will soon enjoy everlasting rest. In order to labour with constancy and cheerfulness, consider the reward."

I might say something like, don't sweat the small stuff, the best is yet to come. But I like the way St. Augustine said it, back in the A.D. 400's. He had a way with words.

Never forgotten

Just two years ago, many of our large extended family gathered in Oklahoma to savour the final days of my mother Phyllis with us. Sometimes I like to reflect back to another time to gain perspective on the present. Our whole world revolved around the crisis of mom's brain tumour in 2010. Each of us had to grapple with how we would deal with the loss of our mother, sister, aunt, wife, grandmother. She left a big emptiness in our lives when she left this earth. But, thanks be to God, He is big enough to fill any gap, and we can carry on until our time comes to join Him and our loved ones in heaven. I thank God for the heritage of faith that my family has nurtured in us. My aunt Lois has left us now too. What comfort we shared with our aunt and uncles who remain and share that faith, our most precious gift, as we gathered in Arkansas this time to bid farewell to Aunt Lois.

Cousins Then & Now

We six were great chums growing up on Park Point in Duluth, MN. Butch (Ruben Jr.) was the oldest, then me, the twins, Howard & Harry, then Nancy, and then Rod. Our moms, Phyllis & Lois, made sure we had lots of beach time, birthdays, and holidays together. Fast forward nearly 60 years as we gathered at a picturesque cemetery in Heber Springs, AR to lay Butch, Nan, & Rod's mom and our Aunt Lois to rest. Just two years after our mom, Phyllis went to heaven. We've all lived full lives and haven't seen each other much over the years, but it was good to be together for a brief time and reconnect before going our separate ways again.

Happy Homecoming

This is a picture of my mother, Phyllis, and her sister, Lois, as young girls and best pals growing up in Duluth, Minnesota. My mother died nearly two years ago. Aunt Lois passed away just yesterday. I imagine after a warm embrace from our Lord, Aunt Lo would squeal with delight to see "Phyl"! Please click on the picture to make it bigger to better see the cute expressions on their faces. Thank you Lord Jesus for giving me this happy picture of two sisters who are now with You! Aunt Lo was 84, mom was 80 when she passed. They both had lived full lives and taught us much. They are both missed, but we look forward to a GREAT reunion some day.

"Lawn Boy"

Two days ago. It was so warm and lovely, Martin couldn't wait to fire up the old Lawn Boy. Just in the nick of time, too. Because a couple of hours later the clouds rolled in and the temperature plummeted. Spring can be fickle. Martin restrung my clothesline and I hung out my first load of laundry for the season earlier that day. Today it's raining cats and dogs and we are staying warm and cozy indoors.

Yellow Spring

This cute little house is across the street and a few doors down from us. When the yellow daffodils bloomed the other day, we finally realized these folks really like the colour yellow! Notice the heart on the front door that says, "Welcome." this cheerful house always makes me smile! Notice the yellow forsythia on the right also. It's in shadow in this picture so it doesn't look as bright as usual. I wonder if there will be other yellow flowers coming up later. We'll be watching for them.

Maple Syrup

One Saturday in early March, Martin & I set out to the little town of Alvinston for their annual Maple Syrup Festival. We enjoyed a pancake breakfast, served by the local firemen in the community hall, with lots of good Canadian maple syrup. Canada produces 70% of the world's maple syrup! (Maybe that's why there's a Maple leaf on the flag!) After breakfast we drove to the nearby conservation area where we learned a bit of Maple sugar history. We were shown different ways to tap out the trees, and different ways to cook it down. A very "sweet experience"!

Blank Canvas

Our living room, dining room, and den were all a very light neutral colour. The drapes are white, and the carpet was white. After living with all the light neutral for a few months, we were ready to add our own palate of colours and tones. First up was getting the old carpet up and exposing the lovely old oak floors. Last week we began painting the living room. The colour is dubbed "Painted Turtle" by Behr. Martin chose this one, and we both love this deep green with the "Pot of Cream" white trim and the white ceiling. Next we'll be doing the dining room, but are keeping the colour a secret until we see if we like it. When the dining room is finished and the art work rehung, we will resume the Gooch retrospective. Linda's art looks good on it's own merit, but will shine even more on newly painted walls.