Last day of the year

Oh my, it is here again. New Year's Eve.
Always a big day in my book. I love the changing of the years. December into January, a new cycle, new opportunties, fresh new calendar to pin up and fill with dates and events! January is my birthday month too:) Next week in fact:)
Tonight there will be a blue moon!
I've been thinking about 2010 and was trying to come up with a list of what I would like to do. Of course it got out of hand, more of a beyondo mondo list but I thought I would post it anyway...... just because....

Spend a week in New York City
Finally get the clutter under control
Spend more time with friends
See more of Nova Scotia
Paint large
Reach a weight and fitness level that I am happy with
Walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela
Downsize my possessions
Spend less time on the computer
Visit Paris again
Do more charity work....give more
Go camping
Have a gallery show
Sleep under the stars
Go to an art retreat
Meet more online people in person:)
Learn how to really use my camera
Return to Scotland
Start doing portrait sessions
Do more hiking
Organize my business
Get more fresh air
Have dinner parties
Move more
Meditate
Learn
Love

Of course the list is always changing and constantly growing:) Fun to think about what might be.
Hope you have a lovely evening tonight and that 2010 brings you lots of happiness :)

midweek excitement

Scottish shortbread:) You are looking at the end of my current affair with naughty food. Now onto veggies and soup and fibre and protein:)

There's a show here in Canada called XWeighted. Sort of like Biggest Loser but not anywhere near the scale. (pun that I didn't get until rereading:) Actually it is not like Biggest Loser at all now that I think of it. It is a show about losing weight. In January they are starting six month "at home challenge" (for some reason it says page not found, click on the wee blue "home")I think I will sign up on January 9th :) Sound like a plan?

Today is the Big Draw. I am headed to the QE11 Foundation office later to get the winning ticket drawn. Exciting! Thanks to all who donated and to everyone else, thanks for bearing with all my fund raising beseeching.

But first I have to get my hair cut:)

quiet afternoon

You never know what you will find here:) From me begging you to donate to worthy causes to what I'm reading. This afternoon, I finally have settled in to read Tales from a Travelling Mum: Navigating Europe with a Babe-in-Arms by my pal, AliceGriffin. I've been following Alice's adventures for a while now through her blog. It is a delightful read written by a delightful person. Great for armchair travelers, families with a dream and those actually starting their planning:)

Also, remember that amaryllis I saved? Look how it has grown and not only that, a twin shoot grew from the same bulb alongside it and now is ready to burst into bloom also!

Monty approves....... I'm learning how to use my new lens:)


December Views

Busy Sunday

Boxing Day sales start. I'm not much of a shopper but I have a Lululemon certificate that I am hoping to stretch to twice it's size today:) I also want to pick up an armband for my new nano.
I am also hoping to try out a new lens I got for my camera:)) Better get out there!

Only 3 days until this is drawn!!Only 58 tickets sold!!
Dec 30th. The BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW , hoping that you might be interested in donating $10 to help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Thanks to all of you who have done so already:)) Winner gets it all. Great odds at this point!

December Views

Boxing Day

Well, here we are on the other side! Another Christmas dusted off and filed on the memory shelves. One of my presents was an iPod nano!!! Yay! I'm late coming into the mp3 business. This one is great because I can also listen to my beloved CBC radio if I want, something I enjoy doing as I walk. Walking is what I plan on doing more of as Jan 30th looms closer. Cross training:) I have to take off all those extra chocolate, cheese, wine, dip, crackers,trifle, gravy pounds I put on over the last week. Yikes, really, I am not kidding, but they sure were tasty:)

December Views

Merry Days to You!

My brother's house last night. A winter wonderland! We were there for his father in law's 80th birthday party. As beautiful as it was outside, the drive home was very slow and took every ounce of concentration. Snow falling steadily, road covered with fresh snow and in that area they don't salt because of people's wells. It was the kind of falling snow that hypnotizes you as it drive through it, creating constant 3D effect as if you are driving through a vortex. Wierd and wonderful.

Nevertheless, it was still absolutely magical out there.

Hope you have a contented and peaceful few days ahead of you:) Happy Christmas!

December 23 already:)

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve! How did it get here so quickly?
Lots to do still as always. Heading off to the gym shortly.
37 days until we BustaMove. Yikes! Did I mention that my daughter has signed on?
The prize list is growing:) Yay. Wooden Monkey has donated a gift certificate:) Thanks. $10 donation gets you in on a draw for all this! Only 57 tickets sold to date.

Monday bits and bobs

Waiting for our Holiday Special at Swiss Chalet. It's a tradition with us now, every year after the Christmas Pantomime, we head here for our quarter chicken meal and Lindor chocolate truffle dessert treat! Simple pleasures.

* I got my Food For Boobs cookbook today in the mail! I love it. Great job Melanie! Lovely wee gift and the money goes towards BustaMove too. Bonus! Chockfull of yummy recipes. I am looking forward to trying Mexican tabouli, Fried feta & marinated pear salad, Chicken with Thai noodles and Peanut sauce, Tognetti's Bolognese, Maple curry pasta, English toffee.....nom, nom, nom, I think I had better stop now. You can order it from the sidebar on the right if you are interested.

* Here's a fun thing to do. My friend Mary, decided to collect pennies last year. She made a decision last December and kept a lookout for pennies all year. She rolled $129 dollars worth this month! She did it in half hour increments while watching Coronation Street! I'm thinking it might be fun to do the same thing. I'm going to keep a big pot and write today's date on it and start from right now. See how much I can collect by Dec 21, 2010. Mad money!!

* I got a Christmas card in the mail last week from a pal whom I've only met once. We met in Greece at a place called Claire's House where everybody sits together for breakfast. I was a young thing on my way to the Islands and he was on his way back to the US or it might have been the other way round can't remember now. We had a really great chat and exchanged addresses as travellers do. Well, over 25 years later, we are STILL exchanging Christmas cards! That's all, just a card and hello each December but it is another tradition I look forward too:) He is a poet named George Ellenbogen. I have yet to get my cards out this year (I know, I know) but I will manage a few.

* Just made a loan this morning via Kiva to the Pure Joy Group in Ghana. Don't you love their name?? 62 other Kiva lenders and I made the $1,775.00 loan and it will be used to buy goods in bulk to expand business. This is my 11th loan and I must say it is an easy way to make a difference and learn about the world. It is interesting choosing who to help. I tend to pick women to help. You can do it in $25. increments which is great. It gives me a lot of joy.

* Hooray! Daylight will start to reclaim it's territory starting tomorrow. Winter has officially started. Longest night of the year tonight. Light a candle and enjoy.


I am keeping this here on my blog until Dec 30th. The BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW , hoping that you might be interested in donating $10 to help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Thanks to all of you who have done so already:)) Prizes are continuing to be added:) Latest is a CD by Shannon Quinn! Winner takes all. Great odds!

December Views

Painting with light!

Don't adjust your computer. This ia a picture of my Christmas tree! I had a happy accident with the camera and was really chuffed when I saw what it looked like so of course I fooled around a bit more. Basically I moved the camera around as the shutter was going off. Not rocket science but fun to do.The room was too dark for anything but the lights to register.

This one is a picture of our tree topping. I snapped and quickly tilted the camera down as I was taking the pic:)

We have a gigantic storm bearing down on us. I was looking at the radar and it appears as if we are going to get a LOT of snow. Click on the wee arrow above the radar picture to see it animate.
I've been to the store and stocked up on goodies, filled up the car and now am firmly ensconced awaiting the big blow:)

I am keeping this here on my blog until Dec 30th. The BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW , hoping that you might be interested in donating $10 to help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Thanks to all of you who have done so already:)) Prizes are continuing to be added:) Latest is a CD by Shannon Quinn! Winner takes all. Great odds!

December Views

let it snow

Love this picture! It is a print in my shop called Winter Bunnies. Notice the snowman:)

I am weary right now, late night, early morning and lots of good stuff in between! Our pancake breakfast was another success:) I just wanted to log on and thank everybody who came! It is always a fun event but..... smiling, talking, cooking, tidying and enjoying everybody makes one sleepy by the time 3pm rolls around. Dare I take a nap? After all it is Saturday. I am not a napper by nature but I might just pop into bed with The Scarpetta Factor, P. Cornwell's latest book and a cup of Tazo Chai. mmmm.

Finally got our tree up and it looks warm and festive with it's twinkly lights and decoration. Now if I could only get to my Christmas cards! Maybe I'll do them tomorrow as the snow falls.

Now that the Pancake Breakfast is over, I am focusing on this wee draw. Please think about donating:) I will keep this here on my blog until Dec 30th. BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW For $10 you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:) Latest is a CD by Shannon Quinn! Winner takes all. Great odds! Thanks to those who have purchased:)

December Views

Ok, so we won't have a view of cattle, and we won't be serving in a log cookhouse, and there might not be cowboys but.........we will have delicious pancakes and coffee and it will be all you can eat for $5 and your money will be used to purchase a digital mammogram machine by the BustaMove charity! Served up by the #Halifaxchicks team:)

8:30-12 noon
Sat 19th December
Clayton Park Sobeys, Halifax

See you there!

Prize Draw! I will keep this wee announcement here on my blog until Dec 30th. BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW For a mere $10 you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:) Winner takes all. Great odds! Thanks to those who have purchased:)

December Views

Brrr.

Ha, not a wintery picture today, but fighting back at the weather. Our first really cold day has arrived. -27 outside. Thought I would post something escapist. Sweet dreams. Taken in September. My brother built the wee pool house this summer. They have a lovely home not too far from here and visiting is like going to a resort!!

Last night I went to a Christmas Concert of the Rankin Sisters! It was wonderful!! A few times, the man sitting next to me wiped tears from his eyes. It was that moving. Goosebumps, tears, laughter, fiddling, step dancing and the Halifax Boy's honor choir. It was a marvelous down home night.

Prize Draw! I will keep this wee announcement here on my blog until Dec 30th. BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW For a mere $10 you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:) Winner takes all. Great odds! Thanks to those who have purchased:)

December Views

midweek

I'm having fun with this! Picked up an old wooden chair at the flea market for $15 and am slowly transforming it into something wonderful:) Every now and then I pick up a brush and dabble.

Still have to do Christmas cards and get a tree!!!! Such a busy time of year:)

If you are in the neighborhood....the HalifaxChicks BustaMove team are having another Pancake Breakfast this Saturday, December 19th at the Clayton Park Sobeys from 8:30 until noon. Quick go write it on your calendar before you forget:) Hope you can come!

Prize Draw! I will keep this wee announcement here on my blog until Dec 30th. BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW For a mere $10 you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:) Winner takes all. Great odds! Thanks to those who have purchased:)

December Views

soft grey

Sigh, not Halifax......... can you guess? Mais oui. C'est Paris!

Every now and then I have a poke through my photos, enjoying the memories and I get inspired to post one occasionally. After all, this blog does have Paris in it's title, I should oblige the odd person passing through looking for things related to the city of lights.

We are having a soft grey day here too. The snow is gone and the temps are up again. It is a bit foggy and drippy out there. Not a good day for hair if you are affected by that sort of thing.

I have a lot to do today as do most people this time of year:) Best get at it!

If you are from Nova Scotia.... how about checking out the big draw below:) Lots of great goodies in the prize pack:)

Prize Draw! I will keep this wee announcement here on my blog until Dec 30th. BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW For a mere $10 you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:) Winner takes all. Only 25 tickets sold to date!!! Great odds!

December Views

it is that time of year....

Spring Garden Road is a lovely street with shops and coffee places and interesting side streets to explore. This is the window of Mills Brothers, an old family business that has been around for years and years. Recently it was sold and the new owners have done a bit of modernizing.The light is odd because it is actually sunlight reflecting off the buildings behind me spilling across the street and illuminating this scene. Quite cool really. On the far right just out of sight is a window with a charming display that has captivated the people in Halifax every December for 40 plus years!



Yes, it is Snow White. If you look at her closely, you can see her wee bosom rise and fall softly so you can tell she is just sleeping:) The dwarves have diamond tears.



Prize Draw! I will keep this wee announcement here on my blog until Dec 30th. BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW For a mere $10 you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:) Latest is tickets to a taping of This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Winner takes all. Only 20 tickets sold to date!!! Great odds!

December Views

great gift

Yesterday I bought myself an early Christmas present! A wonderful copy of From Land and Sea, It is a collection of work from over 65 of Nova Scotia's contemporary landscape painters and it is gorgeous. I am tucking it away and won't look at it until Dec. 25th. Promise! There was a book signing at Argyle Fine Art Gallery and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to purchase it. Now I just have to track down all the other artists!

Here are Mark Brennan (my pal:), Gordon MacDonald, Dee Appleby( the author), Steven Rhude and Shelley Mitchell. A true powerhouse of talent assembled here!

I will keep this wee announcement here on my blog until Dec 30th. BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW For a mere $10 you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:) Latest is tickets to a taping of This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Winner takes all. Only 20 tickets sold to date!!! Great odds!

December Views

December 12th

"So this is Christmas,"Can you hear John Lennon singing?

This wee advent calendar has seen a lot of action. Every year since my daughter was born, it comes out of hibernation and sits proudly on the wall. Above the pockets is a green velcro Christmas tree and each day, one of the cloth ornaments gets to decorate it:) December 25th gets a small dove.

Happy Chanukah to all of you who celebrate it:)

I am on the home stretch now. I still have cards to do, tree to get, decorations to put up. Not too much, just enough to keep me preoccupied. As if I wasn't preoccupied enough with my BustaMove activities and fund raising!

We now have 18 prizes in our BIG DRAW and the winner takes it all! From massage, golf, food, coffee, flowers, new resume, movies,books,wine....... pretty good odds. The draw is on Dec. 30th and we've only sold about 30 tickets.

Don't forget to donate here! For $10 you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine for the holidays and be entered in a big prize draw to help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:)

December Views

I can haz cheezeburger?

I am not one to eat burgers and but fries but........yesterday a friend and I decided to check out the Westcliffe Diner! I was looking through the Coast (a local paper) at restaurant reviews and this wee place had raves! I thought we MUST go. The old adage appearances can be deceptive runs true here. This is a place I have driven past a bazillion times and never once thought to go inside.

Inside it is dark and cluttered but the energy is great and it is clean and always full of people. Most of them regular customers.The couple seated here come every time they drive into the city! Thursday is Special Day and on this day it was a boiled corn beef dinner, sometimes it is roast beef, chicken, ham and scalloped potatoes, all for the inexpensive price of $6.00. Including dessert and coffee! Grilled cheese $1.75 and the milkshakes are renowned!

See! The sign says it all. When you arrive, you figure out what you want and go to the counter and write down your order on a little piece of paper and leave it on the counter by the grill. They call it out when ready and you pick it up. You then pop down to the cooler and pick out your drink. When you are finished you take your dishes down to the end. Very mom and pop and really terrific value and great food!

This is what I had with some onion rings and fries. It was AMAZING. Melted in my mouth. Really one of the best cheeseburgers I have ever had. The woman seated next to me recommended it and I am so glad she did.

Here they are, the ones that make the magic happen......Bev and Tyler:)

Don't forget to visit the BIG prize draw for BustaMove here! For $10 donation you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine for the holidays and be entered in a big prize draw to help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:)

December Views

smile:)

Just a midweek smile! It's contagious:)

Mr and Mrs Andrew Lyman, Polish tobacco farmers near Windsor Locks, Connecticut
1940 Sept. Taken by Jack Delano... Delano explains that he made the couple laugh by telling Mr. Lyman that his pants were falling down. "The thought of such a catastrophe," Delano writes, "apparently made them break up."

Don't forget to pop in here! For $10 donation you can help purchase a digital mammogram machine for the holidays and be entered in a big prize draw to help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Prizes are continuing to be added:)

December Views

Flower Whisperer

I rescued this amaryllis the other day along with a few others. It was hard not to buy the entire floor display. You see they had all started to grow and most were straining at the lids of the boxes trying to burst free. All white and pale and desperate. Reaching for a bit of light and trying to escape.
They are favourites of mine and I always buy one or two each winter because they have such gorgeous blooms and grow so astoundingly quickly! If you sit quietly and watch I swear you can see them lengthen. Like Christmas cactus which also blooms this time of year, it is wonderful to have flowers in December and January.
I might go rescue some more!

Oh and don't forget to pop in HERE! For $10 you can purchase part of a digital mammogram machine for the holidays and be entered in a draw worth $several $100 and help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry!

December Views

brought to you by HalifaxChicks

Last night we had a fund raising event for our HalifaxChicks BustaMove team. It was a great success! Our first December mixer! Once a month a group of women whose only commonality is that they live in Halifax, are"chicks" and Twitter, get together for a meal or drink. I have met some great gals through this and in fact these gatherings is the reason our small BustaMove team was created.
Last night we had an event where the "dudes" were allowed to come for a fee of $10 and a chance to win a bounty of international beer. We also had a "Cool Off" a competition via questions asked by judges, to determine who was coolest, @MrWordsworth(Mark Campbell) or @TheCoolestCool(Ross Simmonds). The two contenders are seen above battling it out for the title.
I think the question here was what was the greatest remake ever made and answers are "The Land That Time Forgot 2" and "Gremlins 2, The New Batch"' These guys are reeaallly cool:)
At the end of the evening......a tie was declared and everyone went home happy.

I think Mark Archibald was the happiest....he won the beer :)


Also... over on the right hand side you will see a cookbook that was put together by one of our team members as another venue for raising money for healthy breasts! Full of our combined recipes. $20 plus shipping.

One more thing! The BIG Draw is now full of prizes and ready for a happy $10 dollar donation to possibly take it all home. You must be able to come to Halifax to pick it up.

December Views

Start of another week:)

Don't you just love reflections! Makes for interesting pictures. A mingling of subjects that often creates something quite different from what you see at first glance.

Monday! Back again. Cold outside today, finally. I'll have to scrape off the car. Not done that since last winter:)

Our prize list for the BustaMove Big Draw is slowly growing:) Make a donation and be entered:) We have not really publicized it yet. Waiting until this week. Be the first to enter:)

December Views

les livres

One of my favourite haunts! Libraries and bookstores fill me with intense calm and excitement at the same time. When I was a little girl we would make the trip to the library once a week and I would load up on Dr. Seuss, Curious George and Babar books. My brothers and I would plonk ourselves on the floor and get lost in the possibilities of choice. So hard to decide which books to bring home. I still tend to get carried away and bring home too many books.
This is the Keshen Goodman Library. I've never thought to bring my camera there before.

and.......as I write this it is snowing! Sideways backwards and upside down. The wind is blowing it everywhere. My daughter has to go to work at 1pm. I think it will terrible out there by then:( I am thinking the bus would be a better choice than driving. Those first few winter drives are always nerve wracking. No salt on the roads yet, lots of slippy sliding.
The wee reindeer in this picture is a fellow I fell in love with. Covered in birch bark and sparkly salt crystals, I spied him in a window display.

Ooh and my latest discovery this weekend was born out of a desperate desire to recreate this! I had bought a box as a splurge and loved it! So, when it was finished I decided to try my own version. It worked! 2 bags of any decaffe tea, 2 bags of Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice tea which I adore and always have), 5 green cardamon pods about 4 cups of water and simmer till dark and inky. House smells wonderful. Add honey and serve half milk and half chai mixture. Yum.
Also... today is the 92 Anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. You can see some rare film footage here.

December Views

hill with a view

The famous view from Citadel Hill of the Old Town Clock. Built in 1803 it has been keeping time for 206 years! Off in the distance is Georges Island and behind that a glimpse of McNab's island sitting at the mouth of the harbour.

Soon that green hill will be covered with snow. We are expecting a storm tonight! Rain then snow ending at noon. Winter arrives with a bang when it does come:) I've got some books and chai tea at the ready to keep me cozy.

Here's a sneak peek of a draw we are having on December 30th. Really only applicable to locals but you can pop over and have a look. HalifaxChicks Prize Draw for BustaMove

December Views

December 4

I can't believe it is December 4th already. I think it is because of the weird warm weather. It feels like September. There are even flowers still blooming in people's gardens. This is the season of snow and cold, not mild and wet. In some ways I am relieved because the winters can be long and harsh and towards the end, I go a bit nutty but.....still.....it makes me uneasy that the seasons are becoming so unpredictable.

Oh and remember, those wee baby animal and parent paintings I did? I have them available as prints in my Etsy shop now.

Ending on a silly note, "Yep , I'll have another martini please" TGIF


December Views

Splash of colour

Fuller Terrace, a pretty wee street in the North end. Love all the different hues. When I was in Alberta last year I was struck at the lack of colour in the new subdivisions, all the houses seemed to be taupe, beige, grey, white. I think with the harsh winters in Canada we need to see colour to brighten up the day:)

Here is a quote I read recently that resonates with me.
"The easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want"
Don't you think that is true? Something to think about today:)

December Views

Zumbaa!

After yesterday's gloomy picture I thought I would post some colour! I had to use up some of my veggies on the weekend and found a soup recipe that used leeks, red cabbage and tomato. It was quite good. I love the internet for that sort of thing. Type in ingredients and voila!

Last night's Zumba class was REALLY fun. I was surprised at how quickly the hour sped by. I think what really made it for me was the sheer number of participants. About 200! The music is Latin, Bollywood, Arabic, and pumping good! You cannot help wanting to move:) It is held in the field house at Dalplex and there is plenty of room. A bit disconcerting at times to feel the floor moving up and down, but I'm sure it is safe. There was a great mix of people and all ages:) Zumbaa!

Got a lot of calendars mailed out yesterday. More to do today. If you want one, last chance to email me and let me know. Another busy day here. Hope yours is great.



December Views

December 1st!

A view over the Halifax Commons. Looks like these folk are walking along the edge of the world.......... I'm participating in December Views this month, hosted by Darlene at HippyUrbanGirl and you can too if you want :)

My calendars have arrived and I will be packaging and shipping out today! They are not the perfect quality I had hoped for but this was a last minute project and I am pleased that I have them to offer to you! Duffett cats to brighten your wall all year:)

December is here! We had an amazingly sunny and mild November, just some rain these last few days. I read somewhere yesterday that Toronto had the first snow free month in 162 years!

Hope you have a great day. I am going to a Zumba class at Dal with my daughter tonight:) It is the last night that her fave instructor is teaching before heading off to New Zealand . She has been trying to get me to attend for awhile and tonight is it! Rhumba zumba!

Victorian Christmas

Father Christmas leading the parade at the end of the day:)
VictorianChristmas is also on today, Sunday at the Halifax Citadel from 12-4pm. Crafts, caroling, cider, history, lots to see and do:) These pics are from yesterday. My daughter is having fun as a volunteer:)