yes

Don't you just immediately feel like sinking into this chair. Aaah....
Yes, relax! One of those things that is of such vital importance to our health and well being, yet so hard to accomplish at times.
I have just been asked to speak for an hour at the Contemporary Art Society's first meeting of this season. Yikes. It is this Thursday night! I am nervous and wondering what on earth I have to say that might be of interest to a room full of artists. I will probably talk about blogging and selling art on the internet. It is only an hour.......right........
In other news, an artist friend of mine, Jen Worden attempted the Louisville Ironman Race yesterday (her son ran too). She wanted to really challenge herself and do something to mark 50 years of age. Wow, what an amazing and strong woman. I have been following her training progress since she started and have been inspired and awed by her! She injured herself prior to the race, a torn meniscus, ouch, serious but she decided look after it carefully and then race as best she could.
Swim 3.8k/2.4miles, Bike 180K/112miles, Run 42K/26.2miles!!!!! Last thing I heard yesterday Jen was halfway through the run but I did not see her name amongst the finishers. I know that will be a hard blow for her after all her hard work and I hope all is well. I just want to say how proud I am of her, she is definitely one of my heroines!!! Jen you rock!!! You really do!

And again...vote for Rap Ditty Nova Scotia if you can:) Thanks for the votes so far:) We are in 4th place (hooray) but need about 35,00 votes to win......It is all about numbers unfortunately, not the videos.

random

I was looking through my pictures from Paris and stopped at this one. I don't know why I love it so much. It is just a snapshot of a subway station. Train departed, platform cleared, no one waiting for the next. Maybe that's why I like it, the moment between moments. That little red chair calls out to me . I wonder who sat in it before this picture was snapped and after and who is sitting in it right now, as sit here thousands of miles away, writing this.

I can hear the strange echo sounds of the subway and feel those odd sudden blasts of air. The sense of anticipation and peculiar boredom that travel together in waiting places everywhere. Destinations, people to see, things to do. Paris, mon amour.

PS Just for fun, imagine you are in Paris at the Mabillion stop right now, and describe the person you see sitting in the red chair :)


Oh and if you are inclined...please stop by and vote for my RAP DITTY NOVA SCOTIA video...thanks...I appreciate it:)

Late August

This is the Tangled Garden in Wolfville. A small magical place I visit every time we go there. I love this wee arbor. Very inviting, just one of a few artfully placed about the place. The building you see at the end is the potting shed.

We really are in those golden days of late summer. The nights are beautifully crisp and make for grand sleeping. The days are warm and lazy. Gardens are wrapping up their summer party. I've got the window open and there is a fine fresh breeze wafting through.

How about this?....watermelon and tomato salad! It was really good. Odd combination but it works. I saw it mentioned somewhere and thought, I must try it. So....I did :)


RAP DITTY, scroll down to find it and vote if it pleases you. It will please me:)

Minnie's Bouquet

This is just the sort of thing Mickey might buy for his sweetheart:)
Available on eBay, 8 x 16", stretched canvas.

Thanks for the comments on the surf pictures! It was fantastic to see:) Gorgeous day today here in Nova Scotia. Perfect late August afternoon. I am fretting about the end of summer......as much as I ADORE autumn, winter is so long. I have yet to take a summer vacation. Just one night away doesn't count. Ah well, I still have some time left.

As always lately, Rap Ditty available for your voting pleasure. Scroll down to find it. I watched it again the other day and it made me smile. It was fun to make:) Nova Scotia Tourism has a facebook page and I saw that I am not the only one a bit disgruntled by the disparity in votes.
27,000+ votes for one video in particular VS less than 100 votes for most people. I have received quite a few and I am grateful but I have been promoting it here and on facebook and etc. etc. I feel badly for the people that have no outlet to promote their videos and don't have the computer skills to get the votes. What was very exciting at first has become a bit of a disappointment. I think if there were some judges involved, everyone would get a fair shot. Not just those of us with a bit of internet sway. Ok, I'm off the soapbox.

After Bill.....

The storm was not as bad as it might have been which was a very good thing! Later in the day, after the warnings were called off and the sun started to shine a bit, my daughter and I ventured off toward the shore.

The surf was wonderful! The road to Peggy's Cove village was closed but there were many places safely away from the water to gain a magnificent vantage point.

Many, many people came out to see the ocean. Some were not as careful as others. I have a bit of a telephoto so my shots look closer than we are.


It was breathtaking. The air was filled with salt mist! The noise was roaring.

Daughter enjoying the spectacle.


I am so glad we made the drive out there:))

This is today's reminder to vote for RAP DITTY! Scroll down to find it:) Thanks SO MUCH for all the votes so far. I really appreciate it.

Hurricane Bill

Monty, blissfully unaware of the rain outside:)

Bill is here, just brushing the southern tip of Nova Scotia before moving up the coast. We've got another 4 hours before it reaches it's peak here in Halifax. Still a hurricane but turning into a tropical storm. Big storm sea surge expected, 4 meters ( 12ft) greater than usual because Bill hits at high tide. Lawrencetown beach is closed because of the dangerous surf and rip tides, also because some surfers are crazy and are trying to get out there and ride those waves!

Here is the Peggy's Cove live webcam. Wow, those waves are something. You can see people driving by ocasionally taking a look. I'm going to go tomorrow I think. The surf will still be high. Hard to believe this is the same sunny cove I posted a couple of days ago.
The rain comes in waves and the wind as well. Trees are bopping crazily. There is something exciting about a big blow like this!
Here is today's reminder to vote for RAP DITTY! Thanks SO MUCH for all the votes so far. I really appreciate it.

peaches and paradise

Headed to "the Valley" today. Wolfville in particular, a charming University town. Lots of great fruit and veggie stands. Farms all around. We are staying in a Victorian B&B for the night. I can hardly wait. First time out of the city, really all summer. Looking forward to puttering and relaxing. My daughter has a friend there so they will hang out, which will be nice. I think my mom wants to see a play and I plan to do nothing!

Thanks so much for all the votes!!! Keep em coming.. here is today's reminder to vote for Rap Ditty Nova Scotia I think it is about the 4th one down.

Oh....and look who's coming to visit on Sunday!!!!!

It's all about the light....

This is St. Matthews's Church on Barrington Street. I was walking past on my way to meet some folk and the shadows caught my eye. So pretty, like lace. I was drawn inside.....

Oh and this guy is performing in the church on Sept 24th! So cool, a mix of Blues Jazz and Indian groove.

Across the street is the Old Burying Grounds. Opened in 1749, the same year Halifax was founded. Over 12,00 people are interred here but most don't have headstones. The earlier ones have been lost or there were none used. It is a quiet interesting place to poke about.

I finally made it here! A tweetup of #Halifaxchicks. It was fun to meet new people and see familiar faces:) The church is on the left and across the street is the cemetery.

Thanks SO MUCH for all of you who have voted for Rap Ditty! You can vote every day so I will be keeping this at the end of my posts:) Vote then, scroll down to submit it:)

I Love Nova Scotia!

Hooray!
My video, Rap Ditty Nova Scotia, is up and awaiting your vote:) I must first say that it is a bit primitive. Poor audio and picture quality and on my computer it bucks and jumps and the pics lag behind the sound:( I hope that's just on my computer because the finished video was absolutely fine in terms of pics and sound synching up. What it lacks in quality it makes up for in SPIRIT! Yay! Nova Scotia!

Maybe let the video load a bit before pressing start? Send the link to your friends and family, vote once a day! Help this gal win a big Nova Scotia party to which, of course, you will all be invited! Really! I have no idea how to get over 20,000 legitimate votes but I can just do the best I can. Any ideas? Any creative marketing folk out there? Also, let me know if it runs smoothly on your machine!
There is a cast of 58 in this wee video:) Thanks to all who participated:)
Here is the link!! Vote then to scroll down to lock in your vote:) Thanks!
Rap Ditty Nova Scotia

Pip, pip and all that.....

Now that I have your attention....:)
I've been away from this blog spending time with these English Gents and many others like them. The Halifax Buskers Festival is on at the moment and it has been a wonderful ten days of hot sunny weather and a lively waterfront.!
This is how they started off...

As the show progressed, great hilarity ensued



And extraordinary feats of strength and skill.


Stay tuned..... tomorrow I think my iLOVENova Scotia video goes live. I uploaded it today and the site said within 24 business hours it would be up:) It was torture to edit because my computer crashed after EVERY cut! But as primitive and unpolished as it is, it makes me smile each time I see it. Fun to do. I will link to it here of course! And will do it every day until the voting is over. Somehow, I have to get over 20,000 votes!!!!!!! Yikes. Can we do it? Yes we can:) We can certainly try:)

Tuesday

Mini Sunflower on eBay now!
4"x4" $25.00

So....I'm deep in the throes of my "fly by the seat of my pants", "get it done as fast as I can" "doesn't matter if it's not perfect".... two minute production! 2 minutes is a long time. I still have a lot of shots I need to get. It is fun though. I do feel disheartened by the two entries with 18,000+ votes! I see that NS Tourism site has now put up a barrier to prevent hack voting which I am sure has transpired. What would be grand is if on Aug. 31st, the counters are rolled back to 0 and everyone starts on an even playing field:) Fair is fair.

Foggy day today, sunshine rest of the week! Good day to get the inside things done...like getting rid of gigantic dust bunnies which have been growing for a while now.

I love N.S.

This is a very typical sight along the back roads and countryside of Nova Scotia. Charming old houses with banks of day lilies.
Speaking of Nova Scotia..... I am busy trying to shoot a video with my newly won FlipCam! Nova Scotia Tourism is running a contest in which you can win a $15,000 dream vacation. All you need is a 2 minute video describing why you love this place. The money can be used towards anything you want. I might like to rent a big lodge and have a party, flying in friends and family from around the globe:)
Because there weren't a lot of video entries, NS tourism ran another contest giving away 2 FlipVid cameras a day so you could have the equipment to get started. All one had to do was tweet about what they would do with the $. I did and I won one:)
Now I am rushing to shoot my wee video so I can get it up and get some votes:) There are two there with 18,000+ votes and the rest are about 200-4000, I am thinking thewre might be some hanky panky going on. Anyway......I will try my best and once it's up I'll let you know:)

results....5 min cake

Ok, I tried it and it was good! Not gourmet, but tasty and considering it just takes 3 minutes in the microwave one cannot complain. It puffed dangerously above the rim while cooking but collapsed upon removal. The chocolate chips sank to the bottom but when I tipped it out they made a sort of chocolately topping. (It uses no baking soda/powder for those who asked)Use a BIG mug:) Would be REALLY good warm with ice cream.

57 MGA and Chocolate Cake

Isn't she lovely? Belongs to a friend of mine:)

Now, for the important part.... my mum sent me this handy little recipe. I have yet to try it but I will. Let me know if you do:)

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Dangerous Cake
4 T flour
4 T sugar
2 T cocoa
1 egg
3 T milk
3 T oil
3 T chocolate chips (optional)
Small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (Microwave Safe)

1. Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
2. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
3. Pour in the milk and oil and mix.
4. Add the chocolate chips (if using) & vanilla extract, mix again.
5. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
6. Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous!)
And why is this a dangerous cake recipe??
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!


P.S. I now have a "Fan" page on Facebook

sand, surf and sun

One hour from the city of Halifax. Clam Harbour Beach. 3KM long, lovely and virtually empty. I took a picture looking up the beach and then turned and took the opposite direction. This is one of those beaches where you walk out forever to get to water deep enough to swim.
It is also the site of a large sandcastle building competition each year. August 16th this year. I have never gone but might try to :) I forget how beautiful Nova Scotia is until I head out and visit these places. Must spend more time away from the city!!

I like Mondays

Twilight Cove, available on eBay

Just popping by to list this. Enjoy the first week of August:) We are going out to see Diva tonight on a friend's brand new big flat screen TV. I have never watched that film. Really looking forward to it:)

Summer.......

and the living is easy.......


Lazy days moving slowly, enjoying the colours of August.....


Cool drinks and shady corners........
Hope you are having a great weekend:)