Alice in Paris loves Art and Tea

Snow Days

2012-01-30T10:07:00.002-04:00

Ha ha, the good old days when kids could have a bit of fun. This is Scheveningen,in the Netherlands. Below, Drifting ice near Urk. "Ok kids, I'll call you when lunch is ready"

Wheeeee! The 2012 wimp in me is impressed. Sleigh leaving ski-jump. Alexandra Palace, London, England, 1933.

Below, fashionable snow storm protection, 1939 in Montreal. Wonder if this particular style will return?

Happy Monday! These pictures are all courtesy of the National Archives of the Netherlands

Tee Iseminger

2012-01-27T12:08:00.001-04:00

This is the 7th in a series of artist interviews based on the colours of the rainbow! It has been a fun and interesting project. What impact did each colour have on the individual's life. What is the strongest memory or association with it. We all have our own unique attachments.

Today's colour interview is with creative soul Tee Iseminger, a quirky writer and photographer who lives in Reno, Nevada.

Tee has two children, a husband, two dogs and three cats. She runs, writes, dreams, and lives life LARGE. Tee is an adventure collector and inspires me to do more! Right now she is studying for her MA in Literature & the Environment.

A lot of stories occur to Tee in colors, she writes in "tones" that way. Colour shapes the way we feel and remember things. You can find more of Tee's work and thoughts on her Tumblr. Worth a visit! With no further ado, here are Tee's colours!

Red: Right away red reminds me of Clifford, from Clifford the Big, Red Dog, one of my favorite book series when I was a kid. It also reminds me of my first suitcase, bright red canvas with big yellow flowers on it. I was four when I used it to run away from home the first time. I packed it, climbed out my bedroom window, and went and sat on the curb at the end of the road until a neighbor saw me and went and got my mother. That was just the beginning of many travels we had together.

Orange: Orange reminds me of the sand dunes at sunset just outside Alamosa, Colorado, which provide a backdrop to another book I’ve been working on, The Upside-Down Orange Ocean. The nucleus of the novel, and the village it takes place in, is a young autistic girl whose unique way of seeing the world was the basis for the title. It also reminds me of orange rescue tape, which we have copious amounts of hanging around from my husband’s days as a search and rescue tech.

Yellow: Yellow makes me think of a photograph I took of my daughter when she was five or six, swinging at the playground in Albuquerque. The sun was dropping in the sky, and down there it’s just this enormous, magnificent, fiery thing. She was swinging between where I was standing and where the sun was setting, and I snapped a shot of her silhouetted perfectly, hair aflight, against all that blazing yellow.

Green: Just outside of Valdez, Alaska, we pulled over to the side of the road to take the dog for a walk, and instead ended up spending half the day hiking on the slopes above the road. The landscape was amazing, not just to look at but to be surrounded by, even to feel physically. I used to think of Alaska as this very hard, cold place, lots of edges, lots of jagged, icy, scary things, and it can be sometimes from a distance. But once you get up close, it’s actually very soft. Under our feet there was such an endless carpet of soft, cushy, comforting green. Coming from Nevada, that was a big change.

Blue: Lake Tahoe! Hands down. Nowhere else have I seen what must be just about every discernible shade of blue represented in the same field of vision. From turquoise near the shoreline to deep indigo way out there, with powdery blues and silvery blues and even some flat colonials and jewely royals depending on the light and wind on the surface. And then of course you’ve got the gray-blue and purple-blue mountains rising around it, and that deep, deep blue sky. Incredible.

Indigo/purple: Oooh, definitely my wedding night. My husband and I have a history with meteor showers; on our first real date we stayed up all night and watched the Leonids in November 2001, that was really the last good year. There were hundreds of them. A few months later we were out in mountains above Reno and saw a fireball break up in the atmosphere over our heads. Every year after that we’ve made it a trek out to watch the bigger meteor showers, so when we got married several years later, it seemed fitting to do it on the night of the Perseids. We held the wedding at a remote mountain campground in August, brought blankets to lay out for all of the guests, and we all laid by the fire to watch shooting stars. The first few Perseids started streaking across the horizon right about the time the sky was that rich, saturated purple. I’ll never forget it.

Violet/pink: This is a tough one. I’ve only come to appreciate pink in the last couple of years. Before that I would avoid it, shirk it, shun it, anything I could do to disassociate myself with it – I’m not even sure why, now – and so I don’t seem to have many strong memories associated with it. The one that comes to me, though, is the tiny, newborn “pinkie” mouse our dog brought in one afternoon. He found it in the driveway under our truck when we got home, and dropped it gently at my feet by the door. He was still alive, though just barely, as it had been snowing that afternoon and there was no sign of a nest or any other mice under there. We named him Harold, and did what we could, but he only lived a few days. I still have a picture of him on his towel in the shoebox.

Sweet Potato Lentil Mash

2012-01-25T07:57:00.000-04:00

Yum! Made this for supper the other night and loved it.Even better the next day. It comes from healthygirllskitchen but I switched it up a little bit. Just like a Shepherd's Pie but with lentils, peas and mushrooms. Fat free and loaded with fiber.

Sweet Potato Lentil Mash

Ingredients (serves 6)

Top layer

2 12.75 ounce cans sweet potatoes ( I used 2 large sweet potatoes)

1/4 cup almond milk

3 T maple syrup

Bottom layer

Frozen apple juice concentrate for sautéing ( I did not have any so used some red currant jelly!)

1 cup diced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced ( I didn't have any but I think it would be even better with them)

10 ounces peas, fresh or thawed

1 package Trader Joes pre-cooked vacuum sealed lentils (or about 2 ½ cups cooked lentils). If using canned lentils, drain and rinse before cooking ( I used canned)

½ cup red wine or broth if you don't have any

2.5 T low sodium tamari

½ tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

dash of hot sauce

8-10 ounces baby spinach, chopped ( I used kale becasue I had no spinach)

I drizzled maple syrup on top before baking instead of mixing it in with the potaotes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a hand mixer, blend sweet potatoes, almond milk and maple syrup until smooth.** I did not mix in the maple syrup, I drizzled a bit of it on top before baking* Set aside.

Sauté onion and carrot on medium heat in a little frozen apple juice concentrate until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic,and mushrooms and sauté another 5 minutes.

Add peas, lentils, wine, tamari, thyme and oregano. Mix well. Simmer about 8 minutes.( add dash of hot sauce if desired)

Add spinach in batches until it is wilted.

Spray the bottom of an 11 x 7 or 8 x 8 Pyrex dish. Pour lentil mixture into pan. Spread sweet potatoes on top of lentils. Bake 35 minutes. ( Iused a small square pyrex casserole dish) You could increase the ingredients by a third and put it in a 11 x 13 dish.

Hard to make a mushy dish look tasty but it was! It would be even better with mushrooms!

Treasure Hunting

2012-01-23T15:56:00.000-04:00

I love poking around antique places, curio shops and book stores. Anywhere there is chance I might find something rare and special. Even as a little girl I loved old places and curious things. On my way home from Lunenburg last week, I thought I would pop into a great little place called Mother Hubbard's Cupboard for a visit. The name is perfect because..... it is in Hubbards, Nova Scotia! Those green lamps are so cool.

Just about a half hour drive from the city, it is a wonderful place for a good treasure hunt. There are lots of little rooms to explore. Isn't this colour great?

I love that they kept the little kitchen and used it to display kitcheny things.

Chock a block with stuff!

Perfect way to escape the winter doldrums. Mannequins fascinate me:) This one is oddly dapper.

Some very impressive Christmas cactus plants dot the store and they are in bloom right now. Gorgeous!

I picked up an old small standing frame that is on hinges, so the picture can be angled. Needs someTLC. I could have purchased more but one must practice restraint. Right now there is a sale on, in some of the rooms everything is half price!

Ok, I've probably put way too mamy pics up but it is a fun shop and I couldn't help myself.In fact I have a lot more to share but will spare you:) Tea anyone?

Sunday View

2012-01-22T07:18:00.000-04:00

This was last Sunday's view from the market windows as I was packing up to go. That is George's Island with some old fortifications and beyond it Dartmouth. Plans are in the works to make it a historic park. You can see an oil rig in for refit to the left of the island. Living on a harbour is great, there is always something to see. Last week I saw a seal swimming near theisland! Off to the market this morning. Hope you have a great day:)

Young artists at work!

2012-01-19T19:06:00.003-04:00

I had the greatest morning yesterday! I spent it here in this grade four classroom. Dianne Levesque, their teacher, asked me if I would help the class with a painting they had to do. Every class in this school is creating a painting to sell at an auction.The funds raised are going to a new playground. Each student, in every class has to have input in the class painting! Dianne saw my work and thought it would be perfect for the class to try.

She showed them some of my art and then they all brainstormed. What would they like to put into their painting? Each student did a drawing to practice and they then did some small paintings.

Finally they decided on the elements they wanted in their painting and who would do them. They wanted their school, a playground, three hills, three houses, three trees, five boats and the Bluenose, a lighthouse, a dolphin and a mermaid and flowers!

I was so impressed with these children, they were polite and eager and interested and so excited to start work on their masterpiece!

I had to be careful taking pictures of the children so they are all taken from the back. Here the school is being drawn. I drew the horizon and sketched in the hills. Everything else was students!

The first thing to be painted was the sun! They each had an element to paint and took turns to do it. The ocean was done by several students:) I helped them with the sky, showed how to blend the colours and use long strokes.

It was very gratiflying to see the co-operation and listen to the conversations as they worked. This is a French school and they were allowed to speak English because I was a special guest.

They worked steadily for the entire morning. Taking turns and helping each other.

Tadah! The work is almost finished. The children will complete it during the week, putting in the grass strokes,sparkles on the water and other details. I think they did a FANTASTIC job! All of the children said that they hoped their parents would win the auction but I think that Dianne, the teacher has plans for it too:) She is retiring next year! Thanks so much for a wonderful morning:) I went home with lots of hugs and a lovely hand drawn card signed by all the students and some small drawings that were done that morning. Happiness.

Scooter

2012-01-18T08:54:00.000-04:00

Scooter in Paris. I would love to tootle around on a scooter:) Just headed out the door to work with some school children. Fun!

January 16, 2003.....and how I started blogging..

2012-01-16T15:57:00.005-04:00

Thanks to the jurors who have shortlisted me in two categories for the 2012 Canadian Weblog Awards! Very exciting. Click the link to see all the categories and visit the top 5 blogs in each. Lots of great blogs to visit.

Hard to believe I've been blogging for 9 years. I first started blogging on LiveJournal because of an old school friend I ran into one day on the boardwalk in Halifax. She was a photographer and we had a great time catching up on news etc. She gave me her card and said, "this is the address to my blog." Blog??? I had never heard of such a thing. It fascinated me and I remember thinking how brave of her to post things that "anyone" could read. I started reading and became hooked. I soon found other blogs of people in Halifax and then Nova Scotia and then all over the world!

January of 2003 I decided to dip my toes into the blogging pool. I've never looked back:)

Here is the entry I wrote nine years ago today on January 16th 2003.

" I took a break from jotting things down. Actually, I forgot I had this blog and then when I remembered, I got all self conscious, wondering what on earth am I doing with a blog? It is fun to browse other people's bits and pieces and see what sorts of things make them happy, upset and generally tick. We are all so similar really. I was starting to feel like a lurker/voyeur just reading blogs so voila, here is mine! I am bumbling along.

These journals I read belong to people I don't know. They are so far reaching you can read the thoughts of someone in Australia one minute, and then be off to Alaska and then Italy the next and yet, they are all here and now on our little screens in our own little worlds......magic really.

We are up to our necks in snow. It is -10 degrees outside.Woke up to -25 with the wind chill factored in! Needless to say, I am not venturing very far today. At least it is sunny outside. I do feel sorry for our dog, she really has not been getting much exercise these chilly days. We can grow fat together."

I was thrilled and excited by the world of blogging and still am. It helped promote my art to a wider audience, I got to indulge in writing which I love, and photography, and some of those strangers I read from far away have now become my friends! It really is an amazing phenomenon. I love that those of you who visit me comment sometimes, I love that I can share my world and thoughts here with everyone who happens by... How did you start blogging?

Sunday morning

2012-01-15T07:11:00.001-04:00

I've always LOVED this saying! NEW print available on etsy and if you are interested in the original, it is $100 on wood with 1.5"sides.

Brrrrrr, it is a really cold morning. I'm off to the market! This weather is like a pendulum, one day pouring rain, the next -20! Winter dawn, view from the market.

Daina Scarola

2012-01-10T11:01:00.002-04:00

This is the 6th of a series of artist interviews based on the colours of the rainbow! It has been a fun and interesting project. What impact did each colour have on the individual's life. What is the strongest memory or association with it. We all have our own unique attachments.

Today's colour interview is with Daina Scarola, a lovely artist who lives in Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia. She was born in northern Ontario, Canada and moved to Nova Scotia in 1994 to briefly pursue fine art studies at NSCAD University.

After a series of life's twists and turns in 2003, Daina decided painting was what she wanted to pursue. She bought a book on oil painting and began to teach herself. Daina is now a full time artist, with work in collections throughout Canada and the world. Her work is compelling and full of nature, retro, and surf based imagery. Lately she has started doing encaustic works.You can see more of her art in her Etsy shop and can visit her on Facebook.

Here are Daina's colours, enjoy....

Red: Reminds me of beautiful flowers- poppies, tulips, hibiscus. And candy! I remember a cherry flavoured old-fashined lolly pop I used to buy at the Circle Smoke Shop in Kapuskasing when I was a kid. It tasted so good. I wish I could find them again but I think they were home-made. Red was the colour of the sun back in 1995 when I tree-planted in northern Ontario. A heatwave made temperatures soar to nearly 47 degrees Celsius and forest fires were everywhere. The heat turned the sun red that summer.

Orange: My favorite winter treat is Maroc Star clementines, so juicy and sweet. A deep shade of orange is Burnt Umber, a golden shade of amber brown, the colour of my late dog Cozmo's eyes. They were so sparkly and bright and seemed to carry the miracle of life in them when he looked at me. Orange is wise and warm. The colour of the setting sun. The crackling comfort of a campfire in the summer, or sipping a glass of Port while sitting next to the fireplace on a cold winter's night.

Yellow: Bananas and pineapples and lemons, some of my favourite fruits. Homemade lemonade on a summer day is so thirst-quenching and refreshing. I think I could live off these 3 fruits! My mom's favourite flowers are daffodils, and I remember them growing in my Grandma Lehtisaari's garden. Sunflowers are one of my favourite flowers. Yellow also reminds me of the centers of Daisies, full of pollen for the bees to make delicious golden honey with. The Sun is yellow and the giver of life and happiness on Earth. The Moon is soft and calming, controlling our tides and cycles.

Green: I think of fresh earthy smells like moss and the sweet scent of Spring and fresh cut grass. Green makes me think of life. I remember my childhood where I spent summers in the forest around my home imagining little miniature villages of faeries and Smurfs living under leaves and mushrooms. Green is the first growth in Spring, and the colour of Spring Peepers (frogs). It's the colour of water as light shines through the crest of a peeling wave.

Blue: The smell of fresh salty-sweet ocean air fills my senses, and the calming sounds and images of gentle waves and crashing surf fill my mind. Together with green and yellow, water is also a life-giving element, the colour of our Earth, the "Blue Marble". Turquoise is my favourite colour. I look at it and it makes me happy. I love how it pops next to orange and red! It reminds me of vintage surf posters.

Indigo/Purple: Midnight is indigo, lit up by the stars and moon. It's the colour of amazing sunsets and sunrises, and spring Crocus flowers. I once met a woman with one eye indigo and one eye brown. It was beautiful and haunting at the same time. My old Japanese Fighter fish from when I was a little kid was indigo and purple. He was mean and ate all my goldfish.

Violet/Pink: Red Violet oil paint is one of my favourites to work with, especially when I mix it with yellow, or pair it with orange and turquoise. Pink is the uniform of choice for all my 4 nieces. An outfit without pink is one not worth wearing. Pink reminds me of Bubblicious bubble gum, rosy cheeks from a day playing in the snow, and rosy skin from a day in the sun. Pink is the colour of health.

You can read the other interviews HERE

January 10

2012-01-10T10:13:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes! I had a grand weekend. This is a typical side street in north end Halifax. Most of our houses are made of wood. Nothing like a splash of colour! I love that they are all different. Right now it is snowing softly outside. Looks so pretty. Best get to work! Oh, and the winners of my birthday draw were Moosegirl Maria, Debra She Who Seeks, and Tammi!

Birthday sharing...

2012-01-08T06:51:00.000-04:00

"Thank you, Thank you very much!" Another year older and wiser. Elvis would have been 77 today! And.....who knew? There's a Graceland Cam!!!
I wanted to share my blog space today with readers and friends on this birthday of mine and I asked people to send me links to their favourite posts! Here they are, sad, happy, beautiful, touching and silly!.......enjoy.

This is a wonderful HEARTWARMING story about a dog named Chip, big thanks to Karen for making it happen:) First read this. 2nd read this and the happy conclusion!

Cathy Oliffe-Webster is a writer and the Muskoka River Blog is her spot on the internet, this is her HAPPY story about Ralph Fournier and the home of the giant sugared doughnut!

Sara, a lovely artist friend who has had a few challenges last year shares a walk on the BEACH with us.

Susan is another artist friend who lives in an old brick house in a little village by the sea with the love of her life. Here are some STUNNING images of her world.

Sabrina is in Scotland to going to vetrinarian school. Here is the story about her love for Vermont she wanted me to post today.

Marian has asked that I post a link to Mark's POIGNANT blog about his wife's valiant battle with a rare brain tumour. Marian set up the blog so Mark could share with his family and friends.

My friend Alice is a writer who lives on a narrowboat in England! She writes a lovely post here describing a quiet morning in her LIFE on the water...

Sarah over at Yes and Yes has an absolutely WONDERFUL post to share today about How to Create an Amazing Group of Friends! Really, everybody should read this! Who couldn't use a few more really great friends?

Teresa shares a visit to the PRETTY Reynolda Gardens
My friend Aimee LOVES this YUMMY cake! In her own words,
" I've made this bundt cake countless times since and I think it's the best thing to come out of my kitchen - ever! I'm a sucker for the mixture of buttermilk, cardamom and cranberries, not to mention the amazing aroma it leaves in the house for days afterward. Aside from my niece and nephew, I didn't buy any presents for anyone this Christmas; I just made everyone their own bundt :)"
With no further adieu, I give you Aimee's Spiced Cranberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake!!!!!

Sandy writes a FUNNY essay about women's shapes and sizes...fruit salad anyone?

My artist friend Daina shares the story of her BEAUTIFUL mural for Lululemon

Suzie does battle with a Blueberry Pie from hell! Funny and DELICIOUS

Snap wanted to share pictures of her cats Cassie and Teddy!

Have you managed to find your way to the bottom of the page here? If you have, leave a comment about one of the blogs here and I will draw three names for a secret prize! There must be a way to contact you or I will have to draw another name:) Cheers!

25 Things....

2012-01-06T09:28:00.004-04:00

1. I am an eldest child, I have two younger brothers.

2. My first pet(s) were two Siamese cats named Topaz and Gigi. Topaz had kittens in my bedroom closet and when they were older, would carry them by the scruff of the neck, one by one, over to my bed and hop up, depositing them under the blankets. No matter how many times I picked them up and moved them, there they would be back again:)

3. Growing up, we lived on the edge of a small subdivision, surrounded by woods and all of us kids spent most of our time there, climbing trees, scaling cliffs ( Dead Man's Cliff in particular, which we used to call Dead Man's for short ie: "Meet you at Dead Mans") building forts, picking berries, spying on each other, playing hide and seek, tag, scouting for wildlife and causing trouble:) No computers. Nights were spent playing kick the can, red rover, british bulldog, sardines and other games until the street lights went on and you could hear mothers calling for their kids.

4. There was a brook nearby that dwindled to a trickle in the summer but the shallow banks were lush with moss. We once created a burial ground there for small animals. Easy to pick up a big clump of moss and deposit the wee corpse underneath. Hamsters, a dead robin, a squirrel, insects. We performed elaborate rites and made up special rituals and prayers, thoroughly enjoying ourselves and feeling very compassionate. Well one day shortly after our last burial, it rained, the brook swelled and there went our graveyard, floating clumps of moss and cardboard and and wee souls bobbing off to the sea.

5. We used to hold a small neighborhood fair every summer to raise money for Rainbow Haven, a local camp run by the local newspaper for under priviledged kids. It would be held in one of our backyards, kool-aid, hot dogs, fortune teller, fish pond (Stick, string and clothes peg), three legged races etc. We would call the paper to let them know and a photographer would arrive to take a picture of us and our fundraiser. I think we organized it more to get our pictures in the paper than for any philanthropic reasons.

6. Scariest book I read growing up was The Haunting of Hill House The movie terrified me too. The Haunting made in 1963. I remember watching it on TV in our rec room and I was too frightened to get up and turn off the TV let alone leave the room. So I sat scared stiff and watched the entire thing. They remade it in 1999 but it strayed from the story and wasn't as good.

7. Christopher Walken and I once looked over our shoulders at each other as we passed by on a deserted side street in London. I looked back because it was him, he looked back because I think he was frightened by the face I made when I realized it was him! lol. Prince Andrew shook my hand once and said" So glad you could come. "Really!

8.I backpacked through Europe for 8 months on my own. Wasn't alone much, you make a lot of friends when travelling like that. Hostels and train pass.

9. Started a blog because I bumped into an old friend of mine who had one. I had never heard of "blogging". I was fascinated by hers and enjoyed reading it. I like writing also and thought ,why not? Sadly she passed away far too young, a few years ago but some of her internet presence still remains and I find it comforting.

10. I was a "news" film editor in its dying days. My first job. Reporters had to have their stories finished by 2:30/3pm because the lab took an hour to develop the film and then it had to be brought back to the TV station to be edited before going on air at 6. There was a magnetic stripe on the side of the film that carried the sound. B reel was a second film reel that carried the "cutaways"( interesting visuals) so you wouldn't have to stare at a talking head too long, also to cover the reporters intros etc. We had to cut manually and then time everything, make up a cue sheet ,when B reel should start etc. so the projectionist would know when to start it. Two film reels for one story, sometimes three. Lots of work and done several times over with various reporters as the film came in. Sounds like the dark ages and it wasn't that long ago really. I'm not THAT old.

11.Lima beans are not a favourite food.

12.I was a taxi driver for 9 months. Interesting. I wish I had kept a journal.

13. I saw Halley's Comet when I was in New Zealand.

14.I would like to see a ghost but I know I would be scared s*%&*^#!! I did see ghostly stuff once that I cannot explain but it wasn't frightening because it did not take a form and I was more confused by it. It lasted about a minute. I thought it was white smoke at first.

15. I can speak Pig Latin. Esyay I ancay.

16. I took Theatre at University.

17. My daughter was born 5.5 weeks early and was tiny but fine.

18. I don't know how to type properly.

19. My answers are getting shorter:)

20.Grade ten English, I was in a special class and all we did was write poetry. I still have them all and some of them surprisingly are ok.

21. Reconnected with an old pal through Facebook. We were crazy about the Monkees:)

22. I love going to the movies.

23. I love being outside.

24. I prefer photography to painting.

25. Wiley Coyote over Bugs Bunny

Now your turn! Tell me something about you:)

Fragrant Sweet Curried Rice, Kale & Chickpeas

2012-01-05T16:29:00.000-04:00

Yum! Had this for supper last night with a salad and for lunch today! I got the original recipe from Healthy Girls' Kitchen but adapted it to my tastes. I like more flavour. You can double this for a potluck, delicious! Bonus....it is FAT FREE!

Fragrant Curried Sweet Rice with Kale & Chickpeas
Ingredients.....

1.5 cups brown rice (I used a mixture of wild, red and brown)

3 cups of veggie broth plus extra for sauteeing ( I used a box of Pacifico)

2.5 Tbsp of mild curry powder

1 T onion powder

1.5 tsp chili powder

1.5 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika ( use regular if that's what you have)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 large onion, diced

1 cup carrots, diced ( I think I used 4)

3/4 cup shredded,chopped kale (cut out the spine)

1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped finely (you could use raisins)

! 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas drained (I used Eden brand, no BPA)

Juice of 1/2 lemon ( I also used some orange juice too, but that is optional)

salt to taste

hot sauce to taste

Method...

1. Put the rice and all spices into a large pot with the broth and cook according to the directions for the rice.( Usually simmer for about 25-35 minutes)

2. Chop onion, carrot and kale and dates.

3. In a skillet, coat the bottom with veggie broth and heat. When starting to simmer, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, add the carrot and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add extra broth to keep from sticking. You can turn it down a bit and then add the dates and kale.

4. When the rice is cooked, stir in the drained chickpeas, onion/carrot/kale mixture and lemon (+orange) juice.

5. Taste and adjust seasoning. salt and pepper and hot sauce etc.

Really tasty! I'm sure you could use squash, or sweet potato or maybe toss in some green beans. This is one of those dishes that is easy to modify!

January Inspiration

2012-01-03T09:44:00.001-04:00

Does anyone else get the compulsion to clean and clear things out in January? For me it is all about fresh starts and new plans and goals and getting organized. I know it is really just an illusion, after all one day is as good as the next but ......there is just something about January! A lull in the year, the holidays are over and the weather is unfriendly, gives us time to ramp up for the Spring and Summer. I have plans for updating this bloggy spot, getting new paintings done, putting better organizational systems to work, continuing my new way of eating( plant based, no added oil),etc,etc... I even have a shiny new notebook to capture my brilliant ideas!
So let's get started !

Also... if you are interested in participating, on my birthday, I am going to post links to favourite blog posts you have written and want to share with my readers.Email me here: duffettfolkart AT yahoo.ca

New Year Curiosities

2011-12-30T10:30:00.000-04:00

Woody Guthie's New Year's Resolutions 1942

10 Fly Fishing Predictions for the new year!

2012 in the Western calendar, Chinese New Year 4710, is the Year of the Water Dragon!

It represents the fourth year in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.The Water Dragon is noted for its calm, visionary intelligence, and balance of right brain creativity with left brain logic. Sounds like a good combination for 2012.

No such thing as a hangover remedy except time.

Eastport, Maine heralds the New Year with the dropping of the maple leaf and giant sardine! People rush in to kiss the fish for a lucky start to the year! The 'Sardine' is lowered at midnight Eastern Time and the 'Maple Leaf' lowered an hour earlier at midnight Atlantic Time. Eastport is poised just west of the Atlantic time zone with the Canadian islands of Deer Island and Campobello located just off shore in Passamaqoddy Bay.

How about planning to spend next New Year's Eve here! Aldourie Castle situated on Loch Ness Scotland! Oh my! Spend some time looking through the pictures...

or maybe your tastes run to this, a shepherd's cottage on the Isle of Skye.

The top 10 Plant-Based food recipes of 2011 from Healthy Girl's Kitchen! You may not find them exciting but I do:)

Here are foods to bring you good luck in the New Year according to Epicurious! Eat them and good fortune will smile on you. I will be cooking lentils for sure.

The TOP astronomy events to watch for in 2012!

The transit of Venus is the year’s most anticipated astronomical event and it takes place on June 5^th & 6^th The Planet Venus will pass between the Earth and the Sun and you will see Venus (a small black circle) slowly move across, or “transit” the disc of the Sun.

Transits of Venus are very rare and only a few have been witnessed since the dawn of the telescope. The next one isn’t visible for over another 100 years.

The world is NOT going to end in 2012.

Now let's have a look at new hairstyles! 32 ideas for next year A lot of these I don't get. Whaat?

Get ORGANIZED this year! So many terrific ideas! I'm sure you will find something useful:)

Have a Happy and Healthy and Prosperous 2012!

Paris Memories, George Whitman

2011-12-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

A Parisian luminary passed away this month. George Whitman was 98 and he died in the apartment above his treasured bookstore, Shakespeare and Company. You can read more about him, here and here.( I encourage you to have a read about him) An eccentric man who LOVED books and writers, he was one of a kind!
The original Shakespeare and Company bookstore, was opened by Sylvia Beach in 1919 (She published Ulysees by James Joyce) It was a popular hangout for writers including Hemmingway. When the Nazis occupied Paris, she had to close it. George's original nbookstore was called Mistral but on Shakespeare's 400th anniversary he renamed it Shakespeare and Compny with Sylvia's blessing.

Throughout the store are beds that writers can use for a night or more as they pass through the city. The only requirement is to do a bit of work and read a book a day! Many now well known authors used to hangout here and talk literature with George and whoever else was about. Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, and the Beat Generation icons William Burroughs, Gregory Corso and Allen Ginsberg. There are signed first editions of many important novels hidden away here.

When I visited Paris a few years ago, I brought a copy of my cookbook which I really wanted to place in his store. It was a romantic notion of mine. George was quite intrigued and had a great chat with me about Nova Scotia! Turns out he had a friend who lived in Digby. His friend also had written a book so George gifted me with it! So extraordinary, I brought a book from Nova Scotia for him, and he gave me a book from Nova Scotia!:) I was then invited to one of his Sunday tea parties which sadly I had to miss. The story doesn't end here....

I wanted to buy a book from his shop before I left and settled in to find one. I found a cover that intrigued me, I then read the blurb, which grabbed me and I decided to purchase it. Once it was mine I had a deeper look and astonishingly, the story in that novel takes place in Halifax, Nova Scotia! It is called the Museum Guard. I enjoyed immensely. How strange life can be!

George's only child, a daughter who he fathered at age 69 now owns and runs the store. Her name is Sylvia Beach Whitman. That is her with the pink beads.It is a wonderful quirky place just across from Notre Dame Cathedral on Rue de Bucherie.

A reminder....I am sharing people's favourite blogposts on my birthday post coming up January 8, so if you have a link to a favourite blog post of yours that you would like to share here, drop me a line. duffettfolkart@yahoo.ca

Day after Christmas and a request...

2011-12-26T14:19:00.010-04:00

"Hippo, Tigger and Anni!" One lucky person found the large original of this painting under their tree yesterday! You can a print of it here for $20! If it says sold, don't worry, I will update as soon as see it has gone:)

I had a lovely Christmas yesterday. Still not 100% but my cold is on it's way out! Hooray. This is always busy time of year for me, New Year's Eve is next weekend and then the weekend after that is my birthday! Bad time for a birthday, everyone is broke, tired of parties and on a diet! ha ha. I usually do a give away on my birthday and will do it again this year. So much fun.

Also.....something different this year, if you want to join in my birthday celebration, send me a link and photo, via email (or I can use a photo from the post) to a favourite blog post you have written. Something inspiring or beautiful or heartwarming......I will share them here on my birthday with a link to your blog! My email address is on the right sidebar.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T08:43:00.001-04:00

Hope you have a happy holiday.... this is a little corner store near me:)

Oh Christmas Tree...

2011-12-23T09:20:00.005-04:00

I love this painting by Paige Bridges and there are more HERE! She paints vintage trailers and some of them are really fun. Gives me a few ideas for paintings of my own.....

I am home with my jammies on, a big box of tissues by my side, a cup of tea at all times and a determination to rid myself, as fast as I can, of a sneaky cold bug that found me. I was going to sell at the market tomorrow, but common sense says no. It is snowing outside and the world looks like a winter wonderland! I'm heading back to the couch, with a blanket and the tv remote. Might even manage some reading if my head clears up. Sniff, splutter, sneeze, drip, argh...

Paige Bridges

Winter Solstice

2011-12-21T08:10:00.003-04:00

So thankful that the days get longer from here on. First day of Winter. We've had a very mild Autumn, in fact so much so, here is a picture of a lone daffodil blooming this December! Tres scary to me. The weather is upside down and challenging everybody.
Busy week this, the last week before Christmas. I've got most of the things done I wanted to but there are always those wee things one suddenly thinks of! I'll be at the market on Friday and Christmas Eve until 1 pm. if you want to drop by and say hi!

The first picture is Peggy's Cove and the second is Halifax Harbour from the Seaport Market

Green socks!

2011-12-19T16:10:00.004-04:00

I am so lucky! I was surprised with this AMAZING gift of hand knitted green socks!

I love socks. I love hand knitted socks. I love the colour green! I love greens with drifts of blue.

Each one of those wee stiches was a click of the needle, a flick of a finger, the swish of a wrist.
My friend Lisa, is a magician with wool. THANK YOU!

She is also author of this fun blog, The Cookbook Hoarder. Going through all her cookbooks one by one, cooking three recipes and then deciding whether or not to keep or give away:)

Blogging the old fashioned way...

2011-12-16T14:19:00.007-04:00

Internet Café, after Jean Béraud.
These images are SUCH fun. I LOVE them. All created by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Women of WiFi, after Caillebotte

Room in New York with WiFi, after Edward Hopper

WiFi at Moulin de la Galette, after Ramón Casas i Carbó

Artist's Model Blogging, after Carl Larsson

Blogger, after Guy Orlando Rose

Somehow the charm is lost in this one, oh dear.:) Picnic at Champigné, after Henri Lebasque
Which is your favourite? I think I like the Artist's Model blogging and Blogger after Guy Orlando Rose.

Chocolate Cake and Frommer's

2011-12-14T13:09:00.005-04:00

Brr, she's nippy outside. Kind of nice actually. Filled up my bird feeder and put out a suet block and now I am making this chocolate orange cake. The house smells great! My mum's annual Christmas Cookie exchange is tomorrow and I wanted to have something yummy I could eat! no eggs, butter etc) This will go on the "refreshment" table:)
Oh yes, I 've got a picture in this month's Frommer Budget Travel magazine!

Always exciting to see one's self 'published" :) My pic is on the right.

Here's what they had to say about us!

Rusty Warren!

2011-12-13T09:24:00.007-04:00

I spotted this album in a small thrift store the other day. I was fascinated by the hairdo and snow or maybe glitter sprinkled on it. Had to take a picture to show you. Well, one thing led to another and when I got home, I looked up Rusty Warren.

Who knew? Taken directly from Wikipedia...

Known as the Knockers Up Gal, she has frequently been called the mother of the sexual revolution. Her career began in the early 1950s in Phoenix, Arizona. Later she moved her act to Las Vegas, Nevada. Her comedy routines exposed the subject of sex from a female perspective. Her most famous contribution to the sexual revolution was the song "Knockers Up" from the 1960 album of the same name. The women in the audience were encouraged to stand up and march through the room with "their knockers held high." This was followed by the song "Bounce Your Boobies" in which Warren encouraged women to relieve themselves of their bras.

Her material was considered very advanced for its day and considered extremely raunchy. Her albums were tucked away by many parents so their children could not listen to them. She was the first comedian to openly discuss sex at a time when sex was just not discussed publicly. She lost popularity as the sexual revolution of the late '60s started to take hold and the topic was no longer taboo.

I found "Knockers Up on Youtube, if you want to have a listen. So silly, but very racy for the times!

17 Tips for December Magic

2011-12-09T21:04:00.011-04:00

A bowl of wee twinkle lights and we have instant magic! There are lots of things you can do that don't cost a lot of money but can add a bit of holiday festiveness to your inner and outer space.

1. Write a letter to Santa! Doesn't matter how old you are. Write one and mail it:)

2. Pop some real popcorn and watch a special Christmas video. How about renting White Christmas or The Bishop's Wife starring Cary Grant and Loretta Young.

3. Treat yourself to a new pair of pj's. You will feel special. Lots to choose from this time of year.

4. Make some spiced apple cider. Your home will smell WONDERFUL!

4 cups cider or apple juice
1/2 an orange, sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or a whole stick or two
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Combine ingredients in medium saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil then reduce heat a little and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Strain before serving.

5.How about Cranberry Infused Vodka! Takes two weeks, best get on it:)

6.Put together some yummy simple homemade cocoa mix. Keep some for yourself and also give as gifts:)

7. Candles! Put them on your deck or baclony or front step or inside every where! Get some mason jars, half fill with epsom salt and nestle a candle inside! See them here. Love them.

8. Put your Christmas cards somewhere different this year. Hang them on a string or ribbon strung high across a doorway or mantle or along a staircase or down a hall or...

9. Make some tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, turn on the TV and veg for a bit:)

10. When was the last time you played a board game?Can you remember how much fun it was? Invite some friends over and have a lot of laughs. As much as people say they don't like them....they do! Here are the top 15 board games:)

11. Hang candy canes on your tree.

12. Bundle up after supper and go for a slow walk in your neighborhood one night. The sky is so bright this time of year and on a cloudy one, the world seems close and quiet.

13. Buy some birdfood and put out a tray of seed. The chickadees will keep you company.

14. This is an old one but, bake some cookies and deliver a plate of them to someone who doesn't expect it. You will MAKE their day. Unexpected treats can change the world!

15. Connect with a friend with whom you are long overdue connecting with. Pick up the phone. A simple gift for both of you.

16. Give something to a food bank near you.

17. Enjoy the Season, whatever it means to you. It is an opportunity to spread good cheer and reflect on what is important.The days are short and the nights are long.

Literary mugs...

2011-12-08T09:51:00.005-04:00

Wordies are here! Or rather, they are now available at Love Me Boutique! 1539 Birmingham Street, next to Woozles.

Passages from favourite books wrapped around a simple white mug. Jane Austen, Wizard of Oz, Anne of Green Gables, Julia Child, and Alice in Wonderland.

They each come with a wee bag of Earl Grey tea! There is also a jug and a plate available.

lunch break......

2011-12-07T11:56:00.011-04:00

This was a heavenly lunch! Some quiet "me" time away from home and work. Ipad, notebook, cup of tea and a delicious grilled veggie pannini! Yesterday I had to go to Mahone Bay to pick up a couple of paintings and on my way home, I stopped into the Kiwi Cafe in Chester. A bright cheery place, perfect for a relaxing lunch and a bit of time wasting. While I was there, quite a few locals popped in and had a chat whith each other. I get the feeling that a lot of regulars stop by.

Since I am now a vegan it is often hard to find something to eat when out. They were kind enough to add some extra veggies and take out the goat cheese. I would have LOVED to try the soup, tomato apple and celery but the veggies were sauteed in butter:( This vegan stuff is a bit awkward at times but I do feel great since jumping in. The cafe is also a bit of a wee shop too. Baked goods and lots of other interesting things to be had. In the summer you can sit outside on a wee deck. In fact...I watched Haven film their Christmas "special" episode from that deck one hot sunny day this summer!

I had to stop and take a picture of the water before I left. So serene. Chester is a place I could easily live. When I was a child I once found a quartz arrowhead on that little beach!

Chester's annual Gingerbread Festival is on right now so many of the places are decorated with Gingerbreadmen! These happy musicians are up above the Fo'c'scle. Listed as Nova Scotia's oldest rural pub! Must say, I've lifted a few in there:)

golden mornings

2011-12-06T08:49:00.007-04:00

My Sunday commute! One of the perks of getting up early. Although one does not have to get up too early this time of year to see this:) Starts the day off right! Speaking of all right....I was featured on Etsy yesterday! That was a really nice surprise. Look for the whale:)

Also since we are talking about sunrises, here is a rooster for you! Cock a doodle do! You can now purchase a print or the original.(SOLD!) Busy days these leading up to the holidays! Lots of activities and work to be done. Oh yes, and I saw Prince the other night! We partied like it was 1999 for sure:)

Last day of November

2011-11-30T15:15:00.007-04:00

A gloomy grey and dark day it is too. This picture was not taken today but I really like it and figured might as well post it:)

I'm REALLY excited for tonight. Decided to go to the Prince concert in town this evening. WhenI first heard he was coming I was chuffed and then sort of lost steam until yesterday when people were talking about it and then.... it was game over when I hit Youtube last night and started watching music videos of his. Great dancing songs and lots of great memories! I Luckily we picked up some secondhand tickets at a discount! We are on the floor.

I'm also REALLY discouraged because I just got a call from the car dealer and the exhaust pipe part I was hoping to have installed on my car tomorrow, so it can clear safety inspection, is back- ordered and they cannot find ANY and don't know when one might be coming in! This sucks because the "rejected but can drive" sticker on my car is only good until tomorrow and after that I should not be driving my car. The wait is indefinite:( I need my car:( My arms are tied because they don't have a part! I drive a 2008 Saturn Astra which I adore. Feeling very frustrated about this and not sure what to do. It is not rejected because of a safety issue but an environmental one:.

EDITED*** They sent it out to Speedy Muffler to be fixed. Cut off bad bit and replaced with a good bit rather than wait for an entire unit to be found. Hooray! No cost to me,Bigger Hooray!***

Night at the theatre!

2011-11-24T16:12:00.013-04:00

This was Halifax yesterday! Looks the same today. So much snow and all at once. Instant winter here. Really glad I got my snow tires on.
Last night, my mum and I had some fun. We went out to dinner and then saw Neptune Theatre's Christmas production of Jungle Book! The streets were sparkling,the lights were twinkling and downtown Halifax looked very festive.

My pictures are a bit blurry, I was snapping in a hurry and in low light, but you can see how pretty it looked. We had a bite to eat at The Argyle, which you can see on the lower left.

I am still on my new plant-based, no added oil eating style and eating out can be a challenge. Luckily they make fire cooked pizzas and I ordered a Greek one, substituting sauteed spinach for the cheese. YUM!

We then did a bit of window shopping before stopping in to the Middle Spoon for something sweet. Alas, there was nothing for me so I had a glass of red wine for dessert:)

Then it was on to NeptuneTheatre! This year's Christmas Musical Production is an adaptation of The Jungle Book and was written by Eric Hughes, directed by George Pothitos. Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale tells the story of Mowgli the man-cub. He was raised by wolves in the jungles of India, surrounded by a varied assortment of wild animals. Mowgli learns about friendship and the importance of loyalty as he tries to find his place in the world.

I loved the atmospheric set! The sounds of the jungle piped in as we sat, helped to really set the stage. Lots of song and dance in this play! My favourite characters were the "naughty dancing monkeys!" No really. What a great job they did with their fabulous moment in the spotlight.

Alison Somerville was really terrific as Bagheera the Panther, she had the lovely languid cat movements down perfect. Lucas Meeuse as Mowgli, was energetic and likeable. I think children will really enjoy this holiday production. It was great to have a night out at the theatre!

It's snowing!

2011-11-23T14:12:00.004-04:00

And that means.....Snow Cookies!!!

We make them every year on the first "real' snowfall. Easy to make and yummy. Little hands can mush them and mash them and they still turn out great! We write the date of the snowfall in the cookbook, and now have a record going back many years of the first snowfall each season!

Snow Cookies!
(really just sugar and spice cookies)

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
13/4 cups all purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspooon nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until smooth
3. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
4. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves,nutmeg,and salt.
5. Stir in dry ingredients into butter mixture in 2 additions.
6. Flatten dough into a disk shape. Wrap disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to three days
6. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough into 1/8 inch(3mm) thickness. Using 3 inch cookie cutters, or a small glass upturned cut out shapes and place on parchment lined, lightly greased sheets. You might have to half the doungh or keep putting it in the fridge to firm as you work, it is easier to roll out.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until edges are JUST browned. Immediately move to cooling rack. makes about 50.

Now, the icing! The best part.
Put some icing sugar in a bowl and add a bit of milk to it. Add a splash of almond extract. You hardly need any milk, just a tbsp or so. Keep stirring until it is a thick icing like consistancy. If too runny add more sugar. Glop the icing into a baggie and cut the tip and decorate cookies like snowflakes!

My wee brother

2011-11-21T09:11:00.006-04:00

Another fun picture, can't help myself! This is my brother!!!!!!! Taken some time in the early sixties. Kenneth was sooooo cute! There is just something about little boys in ties, and check out those freckles! He had a cowlick that he hated and it was carefully slicked down for this portrait.

I am always grateful for Monday. After a long weekend of work at the market it is so nice to work from home! I have a long list of "to dos" that never seems to diminish. Time to get cracking. Have a great week!

old snap

2011-11-17T14:26:00.004-04:00

My grandmother Isobel, Auntie Jessie and my mom! Niagara Falls. circa early 1960's. Love, love, love this picture. I've come across a treasure trove of old negatives and prints and film. This was scanned from a negative strip that had been printed, it was tiny and I enlarged it. Hope to find the real negative in that trove.

He's here!

2011-11-15T12:29:00.004-04:00

"So Much for Muffin's Bad Boy Personna", my first mini painting by Meaghan Smith!

I LOVE him. My morning was turning out to be one of those frustrating, "Gee whiz I can't seem to get ahead of myself days," when I heard the clunk of the mailbox and mailman leave. Ah respite! I popped down to see what sort of mail day it was going to be and I spied a wee white parcel from M. Smith. "M. Smith? Who in the world is that?" I had FORGOTTEN all about this little painting! Hooray, what a lift to my day. Isn't he an adorable fellow in a feisty, pissed-off sort of way? Place of honour on my mantle. Thanks Meaghan.

Monday!

2011-11-14T07:39:00.006-04:00

Ever wonder what your paintings might look like large and in a gallery? This is an old app but a fun one. Dumpr.net Poking around my photos, I found this one. Quite like it in that gallery:))

Today is one of those mild, damp, grey November days. Actually, the colours outside are grey, with rust and a few splashes of yellow. The leaves are now mostly on the ground but a few determined stragglers are still hanging on. We've got a few days of rain ahead of us and I am ok with that. I have a lot of work to get done and inclement weather is helpful. Easier to keep my nose to the grindstone. (Quite a horrible saying, when you think about it, and what does that mean? MEANING: it comes from the practice of knife grinders when sharpening blades to bend over the stone, or even to lie flat on their fronts, with their faces near the grindstone in order to hold the blades against the stone and keep a close eye on what they were doing!)

I enjoy Mondays. The week is a clean slate, ours to embrace and make the most of! Have a good one!

November 11

2011-11-11T09:26:00.004-04:00

Wilfred Owen was a young soldier during the first World War. He died aged 25, Nov 4th 1918, shot just seven days before the war was over. A fervent poet, he was incensed by the non-combatants who wrote sentimental poems glorifying the war.

Anthem for Doomed Youth ( 1917)

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells,
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Need some photography inspiration?

2011-11-10T08:56:00.002-04:00

Last day to register for the Sensational Snap Society! Starts tomorrow:)

who are you

2011-11-07T11:59:00.007-04:00

I have a fascination with this young lady.... every time I pass by the window of Lady Luck Boutique in the Hydrostone, I have to stop and take her picture. Weird huh. Really. I wonder how many people over the years have paused to admire her? I'm thinking she's about 75 years old. I wonder if mannequins were based on real people or just a creation of the designer's imagination.

Seaport Market Dawn

2011-11-04T11:55:00.012-03:00

Isn't this just the perfect gull in flight? I was taking a picture of the rosy dawn last Saturday at the Seaport Farmers Marke t and this wee gull posed absolutely perfectly as he sailed past the window! I snapped just as he flew into my frame. One of those happy accidents. This time of year I get to see all the sunrises across the harbour as I set up for the day. Each one is different and they are all lovely.... even the grey ones:)

Here are just a few of my market morning views:)

ALWAYS beautiful...........

Don't forget to turn back the clock tomorrow night.

This is Hangman's beach....see the tiny lighthouse at the end of the spit?

Golden hues

Just last week

Don't forget, my Photography e-Course starts on November 11th.
Still time to sign up:)

computer break

2011-11-03T12:49:00.003-03:00

I love finding paintings I don't remember doing. This is an old one from the archives. I must start some more of these bordered gardens. So many options! Love these colours.

I'm taking a quick break from cleaning. Moving mountains of clutter from one spot to another:) Things always look worse in the middle of sorting. Kind of discouraging but I must soldier on! Time to step away from the computer:)

Photography e-Course

2011-11-02T10:38:00.007-03:00

Yesterday I had to make a quick run to Truro. On my way back home I was compelled to stop and take some pictures. The last hurrahs of Autumn were calling to me. I took a little detour and then got lost in the pleasure of taking photographs.

Really, it is my passion. I lose track of time and all that exists is me and my subject. Sometimes I get so "focused" (excuse the pun) on what I am doing, I forget my surroundings and who might be around. Luckily nothing untoward has ever come of that.

Photography is probably one of the best de-stressers I can think of. At least for me:)A true escape. Of course it can be a bit of a pain for anyone with me, because I always have my camera and when a shot "presents" itself. I HAVE to snap. My family and friends are used to it now:) I am sure a lot of you feel the same way.

and....speaking of photography......( funny about that) .......

My next Sensational Snap Photography e-course starts on November 11th and runs for 6 weeks. It is a "no pressure" let's have fun with taking pictures and try some exercises to improve our photographic eye, sort of course. You can do it alone or participate.

Only $40!

PS If you are here via Suzie's, leave a comment letting me know!

Snap Scrapbook

2011-11-01T10:02:00.006-03:00

Now that I have your attention.....

I'd like to direct you to the Nova Scotia Archives Flickr Collection.

There are some really GREAT photographs to be seen!

Happy Hallowe'en

2011-10-31T10:39:00.005-03:00

Did you know, Hallowe'en is linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain. It was the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Irish calender, falling on the last day of Autumn. A time for reflection and preparation for the cold winter months ahead. This is when the physical and supernatural worlds are thought to be closest and magical things might happen. To ward off these spirits, the Irish built huge, symbolically regenerative bonfires and invoked the help of the gods through sacrifice! The name is derived from All Hallows Eve. November 1st was All Hallows Day ( All Saints Day).

Carved pumpkins were originally carved turnips! They switched to pumpkins here in North America bcause they were much easier to carve. They were fashioned into lanterns as a way of remembering the souls held in purgatory

Speaking of which..... I cannot believe I did not pick up a pumpkin this year!! I was surrounded by them at the farmers market and now when I realize I don't have one to carve, there are none to be had. I have called all the grocery stores and the market is closed today:( This will be the first year in our house without a Jack-o-Lantern. I will have to light some candles instead. BOO hoo!
EDITED: I FOUND one! Hooray.

The Virgin Cure

2011-10-27T09:40:00.004-03:00

Ami's book launch was a great success!! It was wonderful to hear her read from the story and bring "Moth" to life. Her prose is like poetry. There were lots of people to cheer her on including Meaghan Smith, much to Ami's delight. They are big fans of each other! Meaghan is a lovely singer and a fabulous artist too. I had a chat about painting:)

And LOOK at this!!! Ami's husband gave her this wonderful "moth" ring. What a gorgeous reminder of all things good. The silver bangle on her wirst belonged to Sadie, her great grandmother, the woman who inspired this tale! I am half way through the book and loving it:)

Still Autumn

2011-10-25T10:25:00.008-03:00

Well, Autumn is drawing to a close. We've had a great one. Thank goodness, because winter can sure drag on:) I always get excited for the first snowfall and do enjoy the white sparkling frostiness but I wish it was a much shorter season!

This chalk hopscotch was outside my friend Chara's shop. We had an amazing event here in the city a little while ago called Nocturne. Art everywhere, outside and inside all over the city. Chara had free chalk to give away and an invitation to create! This was just at the beginning of the evening.

The cruise ship season is over and I have time again! Time to create and catch up! Yay!

Oh, and congratulations to Jessica who won a free painting of mine! I sometimes run contests over on my Facebook page so feel free to "like"!

Tonight I am going to Chapters bookstore in Halifax to see my friend Ami McKay read from her new book "The Virgin Cure". She wrote "The Birth House" which was a really great read! Tonight is the launch of her new book. I KNOW it will be another great hit! Very excited to get my hands on it:) Won't be available in the USA until June 26th, 2012 published by HarperCollins

“I am Moth”

“…a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart."

Rainy Thursday

2011-10-20T08:31:00.005-03:00

Raining cats and dogs out there. Rainfall warning for today. It sure was hard to get out of bed this morning. I was warm and cozy and the sound of the rain pelting outside made me want to burrow deeper under the covers. Oh well, cup of tea makes everything all right. That is Barrington Street, Halifax in the picture.

My lovely wee impressionistic painting sold. That makes me happy. I really liked it and it was fun to do. Will definitely try my hand at more.

Today is an errandy, nose to the grindstone sort of day. Hope to be very productive.

Oh and this Sunday at the market we are having a PUMPKIN FESTIVAL! Come and carve a pumpkin and be elibible for some prizes.

This is a blog you will REALLY enjoy...Susan Branch ! In her latest post she talks about how to keep you wooden spoons and cutting board looking great. I've been a fan of hers for years ♥

Also I'm doing another e-Photo Course, starting November 11, you can learn more HERE.

Moroccan Chickpeas with Roasted Red Peppers & Mint

2011-10-17T09:50:00.008-03:00

This was delicious!!!! I have been having fun trying out recipes for my new healthy way of eating. This one is fat free and full of fiber, protein and flavour! I found this recipe at DinnerwithJulie and have adapted it to suit myself. Perfect for this Autumn weather.

Moroccan Chickpeas with Roasted Peppers, Parsley & Mint

1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small can tomato paste
3 Tbsp raisins
4 Tbsp chopped dried apricots (less if you don't like apricots)
4 cups cooked chickpeas ( I used 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
2 roasted red peppers, chopped ( I get a big jar at Costco, really inexpensive)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley
juice of a lemon
Sriracha sauce for a dash of heat if you want

1. In a large skillet, "dry saute" medium-high heat until soft. (add a teeny tiny splash of water when it sticks and stir until water boils off) Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg and cayenne and cook for a minute.

2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, raisins and apricots and a cup or two of veggie broth or tomato juice and bring to a simmer – it should be saucy. Add the chickpeas to the pan and stir to coat. Cook for a bit
3. Add the red pepper, mint and parsley and squeeze over the lemon. Toss to combine and serve warm or refrigerate until chilled – allowing the mixture to marinate for a few hours (or a day) will help the flavours improve. Makes lots.
4. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes
Makes a ton!

Pip Pip

2011-10-13T10:04:00.006-03:00

Ha,ha, the scarecrow festival in Mahone Bay is in full swing. Unfortunately I was just driving through and could not stop. However, this wedding tableau did get me out of the car! Hope you enjoy!
The happy couple.

Proud father and consort

The sexy siblings

The Royal grandparents. Phillip looking a bit rough.

The fashionable cousins ( my faves)

Don't forget to order your 2012 Cat calendar if you want one for this year. They are shipped worldwide. To see the images for each month, click on the preview button .If you are here in Halifax, pop by the market and pre-order one from me for pickup or drop me a line.

Also.......I am running my Sensational Snapshot Society online Photography course again. Starts November 11th and runs for 6 weeks. For beginners who want ideas or those who are looking for new inspiration.

And for those of you who have read this far... there's a giveaway on my FB page you have until midnight:)

Autumn Painting

2011-10-12T11:40:00.005-03:00

I finished this bright Autumnal scene yesterday at the market! It is a small 5 x 7 painting on a wooden canvas. I must say it was fun to do. I have not done many paintings in this style but will start having a go. Diffferent for me huh? Available for sale HERE / SOLD NOW

So NICE to have a day at home. I've got a big pot of cabbage tomato soup on the stove and plan to do something with a gigantic, perfect cauliflower in my fridge. I did some catch up on ordering supplies and then had a wonderful time sweeping. Sweeping! Yes, it was nice whooshing away all the dust and debris that gathers when I am too busy to pick up a broom. Shaking throw rugs outside and gulping in the fresh air and sunshine. Next on the list is writing a list:) I hope to get out for a walk too.

Don't forget to order your 2012 Cat calendar if you want one for this year. They are shipped worldwide. To see the images for each month, click on the preview button .If you are here in Halifax, pop by the market and pre-order one from me for pickup or drop me a line.

Also.......I am running my Sensational Snapshot Society online Photography course again. Starts November 11th and runs for 6 weeks. For beginners who want ideas or those who are looking for new inspiration.

And for those of you who have read this far... there's a giveaway on my FB page:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-10-09T07:01:00.003-03:00

Yes, it is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. We are having a GLORIOUS one. High summery temperatures and sunshine. I will be at the market today painting away. Grateful for all that is possible. Hope you are having a happy weekend.

Home

2011-10-03T19:23:00.002-03:00

This is Jorge and his daughter Alexa singing Home. Love this wee girl, I can't take my eyes off her. So cute when she says " One day I'll whistle". My own daughter introduced me to this song first and then showed me this video. Love it.

2012 Cat Calendar!

2011-10-02T20:03:00.004-03:00

Just finished it. Available to order on Lulu at $17.50 plus shipping & hst or pre-order from me if you are in Halifax and would like to pick it up at the market! Click on the arrows to see each month. Canadian, American and UK holidays are in it.

So far so good

2011-10-02T10:26:00.007-03:00

Seagull Cottage, original, 8 x 10 available on Etsy

So.....day 33 of my eating well program ( plant based, no added oil) and I am feeling great! Here's what has happened:

I have lost 12 pounds.
I have more energy.
It has not been difficult at all.
I eat a LOT.
I eat the same breakfast almost every day which keeps things easy. Ezekiel bread toasted with raspberry or currant jam and a sprinkling of PB2 powder( peanut flour without the fat) Just like PB&J on toast. I have tea with almond milk in it.
I have a green smoothie almost every day or at least as often as I can.
I saute without oil. Just add a tiny splash of water when things start to stick. You don't miss the oil.
I have no cravings for junk food. I have no desire to eat any cheese now which for me is a big thing. I was a cheese maniac. Now I am turned off by the fat in it.
I eat lots of lentils and rice and beans and soups and delicious stir fries and curries.
I carry Wasa or Ryecrisp crackers with me as a snack and some fruit.
So far so good, I will stay on this path as long as I can. Who knows I might trip over a cinnamon bun one day, but hopefully will pick myself up and keep on.
I still enjoy a glass of wine or two:)

This is a facebook site I enjoy, The Engine 2 Diet there is always lots of recipes and motivation over there. Actually there are TONS of delicious recipes out there with no added oil or processed stuff.

Here is a great fat free salad dressing I make all the time. Simple and yummy. Good on pasta with veggies too. You can alter the kinds of acid, savoury & sweet in this. Add garlic if you want too.
3 Tbsp Basalmic vinegar, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup

It is raining cats and dogs here. Hurricane Ophelia is thrashing her way up the coast far offshore.

My Big Day Downtown, year 2

2011-09-23T13:49:00.011-03:00

Warning, lots of pictures up ahead!
I finally found some time to do my Big Day Downtown! This year's task was to do something you've never done before, so armed with my $100 I decided to take a stroll along Barrington Street in Halifax and visit places I've not been to before.

My first stop was Attica and I am quite amazed that I have never crossed thier doorstep!

Attica is a very cool home furnishing store that was started 16 years ago by Susanne Saul and Chris Joyce. Their first location was on Gottingen Street. I loved the feel of this store.

Some of the light fixtures were stunning. Chris designs carpets and does custom furniture work too. I walked away with a really cool little case for credit cards and ID. Not exactly what you might expect I'd pick up here but they had a wee display near the cash full of interesting things.

I strolled further down the street and was pleased to see the construction work going on in some of the buildings. Barrington Street, once the busiest shopping street in the city is undergoing a rennaisance.

This is where I found myself next!

A new store. Oddjects. Chock-a-block with interesting things. They even have a few tables where you can sit outside and enjoy the air.

Lots of stuff to look at.

Art too. These prints are by a Quebec artist Michel Williate-Battet who now calls Cape Breton home.

Dustin made me an amazing coffee. A mocha something or other. They have a small bar where you can sit.

Did I mention how delicious that coffee was?? This is what he put in it!

I purchased some of these prickly cactus plate chargers. Sort of like round table mats. I loved them!
Oddjects has also started an online ordering service and they have just opened in a few other locations.

Love the dragonfly paperweights.

Out the door and onward ho!

Hilltribe was my last stop. Another place I cannot believe I have not been into before!! They have been in business for 17 years!

The clothing is designed by the owner Victoria Raine and made in Bali. I loved the exotic feel to the shop and of course the sculptures of hands and Buddhas.

I will be coming back to do some more shopping for clothing absolutely!

My purchase here was a gorgeous hand dyed silk scarf in shades of blue and green and aqua. Wish I had taken a picture the colours are beautiful!

And that my friends, concludes my fun adventure downtown. Many thanks to the Downtown Halifax Business Commission.

Saturday means market day

2011-09-17T05:43:00.004-03:00

This is where I will be today. Well, not on this balcony, but this place...the Halifax Seaport Market. I usually pop out onto the balcony when I pick up my coffee in the morning. It starts the day off in a lovely way! Saturdays begin reeeaaallly early and are hectic and busy, so this little quiet spot is a great boon. You can see a container ship far off to the right. There is always some vessel coming or going. I live in a busy port town. Anyway, just wanted to say hi! It is cruise ship season and I have been there a lot. Have a great day.

Savoury Oatmeal

2011-09-14T10:00:00.001-03:00

This is a picture of my "savoury oats". I LOVE it. So healthy and filling. It is a yummy breakfast or snack or even a quick meal if you want. I didn't have any sundried tomatoes to put into this so it it does not look like what the recipe indicates. You can add what you want really.....I like mine quite dry but again you can add more liquid to make it slurpier.

I learned all about the benefits of oatmeal from Debbie over at Happy Healthy Long Life, she is one of my bloggy gurus. There is also a recipe for pumpkin oatmeal that includes raisins and pumpkin pie spices over there too.

Here is the recipe for savoury....

Savoury oatmeal ala "Healthy Librarian"

Makes 4 servings. Cooking Time: maybe 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup of steel cut oats

2 cups of water (you could substitute 1 or 2 cups of vegetable broth for the water)

1 cup of non-dairy milk. She used Eden-brand enriched soy milk ( I used almond)

2 TBS. nutritional yeast (this is what gives it the "cheezy taste") It's high in B vitamins--click here

2 dashes of turmeric (this gets it nice & yellow)

1 1/2 tsp. of Bone Suckin' Sauce Seasoning & Rub (This has brown sugar, chili pepper, paprika, garlic, onion, & bell pepper) Could sub any Cajun or Southwest Seasoning you like) *I used steak seasoning, it's all I had:)

a few grinds of fresh black pepper

a pinch or two of chipotle powder (optional) You can get it at the Bulk Barn

1 oz. of julienned sun-dried tomatoes (She uses the brand called California Sun-Dried because they're already julienned, they're nice & soft & need no soaking.)

About a handful (5) dried shiitake mushrooms, broken into pieces & rinsed. Use any dried mushrooms you like.

2 1/2 ounces of fresh baby spinach, rinsed per serving of oatmeal!! I make enough oatmeal for 4 servings & each serving will need to be topped with 2.5 ounces of spinach.

1. Mix the oats, water, milk (or veggie broth), seasonings, tomatoes, & mushrooms into a pot.

2. Heat to boiling. Watch carefully, and turn it down to a simmer once it starts to boil. Stir occasionally, and check back in about 10 minutes. You'll want the water absorbed, and the oats nice & creamy.

3. When the oats are done, microwave one serving of spinach briefly, until it's soft, but not mushy. Depending upon your microwave this could take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

4. Top one serving of oatmeal with the softened spinach & mix. Enjoy!

5. Store the rest of the oatmeal (3 servings) in the fridge, and in the morning heat up 1 serving topped with the spinach in the microwave.

Check out this powerhouse of a breakfast! A double dose of nitric oxide boosting power from oats & spinach! Crazy how much nutrition is one breakfast bowl!

This and that

2011-09-13T08:06:00.004-03:00

For years I used to sell on eBay and slowly stopped as I got involved at the market, with galleries and Etsy. It was a great boon to me when my daughter was growing up, enabling me to stay at home. The interaction with people from all over was fun. I'm thinking of maybe starting selling there again but am dismayed to see all the pages flooded with mass originals from China. I feel out of the loop. I wonder if any of you are still selling there and how goes it? What is your favourite place to buy or sell?

Today is one of those quiet busy days. I'm in between market days. Will be back tomorrow and maybe Thursday. Home with tons to do. I've got a list and am checking it off as I go. ( I love lists) No matter how I try, there is always a task that appears unexpectedly and eats up precious time!!! Today it was a splinter from yesterday. I had forgotten about it and then realized my finger was really hurting. It had become a bit infected. So off I go on a splinter tweezer hunt, magnifying glass, etc..... ouch. It is wrapped in a bandaid now so onward ho with the chores!

Also.....REALLY looking forward to the launch of HeartWeed in January. Part magazine, blog, online community, resource center for makers, it is going to be a place for inspiration and helping people make their creative dreams flourish! We like that!

Say hello to Florence:)

2011-09-11T19:23:00.004-03:00

I'm doing a few of these fun paintings with fun painted frames. Can't remember the size right off. I think this is about 14 x 12? I'm selling them at the market for now.

I've been at the market a lot. Hence not so much posting on this wee blog. It is cruise ship season and busy. Tomorrow there will be three of them. Loads of people. Never know who will stop by. Lucky people this week, we've have had glorious weather! Perfect September days.

Today is day 11 of my new veggie eating plan. So far so good. I've lost some weight and am starting to feel different. As cliche as it sounds.... I feel "cleaner" so hard to put into words. It is a physical sensation of lightness and ease not related to any tiny weight loss but a deeper more internal feeling. Maybe psychological but it is interesting. I will keep trying as long as my willpower holds up and this works for me:)

Eating My Way to Health

2011-09-01T14:42:00.007-03:00

Inspired by my last post, here is a 4 minute clip really worth watching. CNN's Ali Vishi interviews Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, who spent a year researching the data for his latest documentary, The Last Heart Attack ( you can watch it here) (President Clinton is now a Vegan, he's interviewed in the doc)

You can also watch it on CNN Sept 3 at 8pm EST.

Can food cure heart disease?
Can you EAT your way to health?
( a 15 sec commercial comes first)

Click on the link to see the clip
http://www.cnn.com/video/standard.html?/video/health/2011/08/30/am.gupta.heart.health.cnn

I found this bit of info surprising.

CNN's Ali Velshi: OK, so the plant-based diet is good for your heart, but can you really get enough protein on this diet?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: The answer is yes! The protein argument is a fallacy.

It's simply not true that you can't get enough protein on a plant-based diet. If you do even a little research you find out that broccoli has more protein per gram than most meat. Spinach has the same amount. And of course there's tofu.

People who do this diet feel good & have a lot more energy.

I am going to try to follow this. I know I will fall off the wagon lots but will keep getting back on. Would love to see if I do feel better and have more energy. A lot of tri-athletes are starting to eat this way because their muscles recover faster. It is the cooking part that is daunting to me. I have to learn some new "go to" recipes. Will let you know how it goes.

Oh and remember the documentary I mentioned, Forks Over Knives? It is available through Netflix. Not sure if it is available here in Canada yet. Worth watching.

Here are some great blogs that have also inspired me to try to make some changes and try their recipes.
Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Happy Healthy Long Life

Healthy Girls Kitchen

Kirstens Kitchen

What A Healthy Family Eats

JL Goes Vegan

Here goes......

Forks over Knives

2011-08-29T07:36:00.004-03:00

A picture of the beginnings of one of my green smoothies.
I plop in all sorts of things. Usually whatever I have in the fridge. Main component being kale or spinach or parsley or something green. I put in tomato, carrot, banana, berries, cuke, even a bit of broccoli sometimes! Whatever I have. I load it up and then enjoy my thick pureed drink. Since I started making my veggie drinks, I now get cravings for them!
I saw the documentary Forks Over Knives and was really intrigued with all the data. I am now incorporating more green and less animal, eventually no animal. There was also a special show on CNN called "The Last Heart Attack" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta that also promoted the benefits of a plant based no added oil diet . President Clinton was on and he is now, after all his heart problems following exactly that and has never felt better.

Actually there is a ton more that I would like to tell you about but I have to dash off to the market. Do you make green smoothies?

Mystery Woman

2011-08-24T19:12:00.017-03:00

Did you miss me? My computer was struck down with a virus and had to visit the computer hospital. I still don't have my photo uploader software installed yet so this is picture of the Tangled Gardens gate from the archives.

Wolfville! That's where I was today. Mum and I drove up in the morning and we had a great day poking about and of course popped into our favourite antique haunt, The Red Barn in Port Williams. Four floors of fascinating stuff. I'll show you some pics in a day or so. I purchased a tiny daguerrotype picture of a young woman. I was transfixed by her hair.

Isn't it remarkable. Through the magic of scanning, I've reproduced her to a much much larger size and I can now see how young she is and pretty! Her eyes are lovely and she has a charming freckled face. We can even see a stray strand of hair on the left that has escaped her "do". The pink cheeks are added to the original picture which is only about 2 inches high, tiny really.. I was just thinking that maybe no one has seen her like this for maybe 100 years. I just happened to find her wee picture in a random pile. I would LOVE to know more about her but alas.....

In other news...my large whale painting in Mahone Bay Trilogy Gallery sold! Always exciting. Would love to know where it 's new home will be.

And....I've been asked to participate in Big Day Downtown again... a $100 VISA gift card was handed to me and a few other lucky bloggers at a lovely soiree held at The Middle Spoon last week. A place I will definitely visit again.This time the Big Day Downtown has to be something I've never done before so I am excited about exploring various possibilities and blogging about it. Maybe a tattoo???? Nah.
Here is what I did last time round. Halifax is such a great city! Read Part 1, 2 & 3

Oh and I just had a give away on my FACEBOOK ART page, so if you don't want to miss any future fun, pop over and "like" it:)

South Shore bound

2011-08-18T07:50:00.005-03:00

Headed to Lunenburg this morning. I feel like I have hardly been with you guys in blogland lately. So busy. Oh and in other news....Monty has fleas :(

Paint brushes.....

2011-08-12T15:18:00.004-03:00

Today is a smashingly beautiful day, complete with puffy clouds. The kind of day that makes me want to head the the shore, pack a picnic and road trip! Instead, I am getting ready for the market tomorrow:) This is a new 8 x 10 print I will have available there. $15.
Hope you have a fab weekend!

Siamese Sweetie

2011-08-10T11:13:00.002-03:00

This is my latest wee painting. 8 x 8 on stretched canvas with painted 3/4"sides. For sale by me. Framed ( in a black floater frame) and ready to hang. $150 + $12 shipping. If you are interested send me an email:)

Monday stuff...

2011-08-08T09:25:00.005-03:00

Gosh, I've not been very good about posting here as often as I used to. Busy days.
Also, everytime I go on a trip I take FAR too many pictures! It is a huge job to go through them and then share here so I tend to put it off for lack of time. The benefit of the old film cameras is that one was far more selective because of the cost. Now it is a free for all:) Fun on the snapping end for sure but a chore at the other. I like to crop and tidy my pics if they need it too.

Any minute now I'm off to the garage to get my rear brakes looked at. Terrible grating metal sound:( I had been planning on the market today but this plan has top priority. Bringing an umbrella for the rainy walk home. We've got a rainfall warning in effect. Good news for those with drying wells.

Speaking of walking home. I need it!! This last few weeks have been a bit of a food party. Too many summer goodies and market food. Oh that market food...................my friend Jenna had a lime extravaganza this weekend and I had altogether too many treats! Lime cupcakes infusd with lime curd, lime blueberry cheesecake cupcakes, lime pulled pork, sweet potato/ lime /chipotle salad, lime cream cheese cranberry squares....you get the picture.Smacking my lips just thinking about it.

Watched the finale of Masterchef Australia last night. What a fantastic show. Really the best cooking one out there. In Australia it is one of their most popular shows and is on 5 nights a week! Far more in depth and involved than the US one. Same premise though, start with 100 amateur cooks, winnow to 25 and then down to one winner! This year's winner deserved it. Awesome.
Best get on with it...have a great day.
P.S. Hi Sandy! Great to meet you finally!

Kingsbrae Gardens and Gallery

2011-08-03T14:08:00.008-03:00

Day two in Saint Andrews started with a wonderful breakfast at the Kingsbrae Arms and a beautiful sunny day! We strolled over to the gardens to have a look before popping into the gallery.

Kingsbrae Garden is listed as one of the top five to see in Canada!

It covers 27 acres and was donated by John and Lucinda Flemer. The public garden opened in 1998.

There are more than 2,500 varieties of trees, shrubs and plants. So gorgeous.

There is even a small area with alpacas and goats. Meet "Liberty", a wee alpaca that was born on July 4th.

There are also many smaller gardens within Kingsbrae one I loved is called Scents and Sensitivities, which was created for blind people. In it are beautifully scented flowers and herbs. You are invited to stroke and smell and gently crush for scent. There are interesting plants like Lamb's Ear and spikey succulents that are wonderfully tactile. The garden is waist high, built on a horseshoe shaped wall so one only has to walk along it and touch and smell. Brilliant!

Open spaces and tons of sculpture everywhere. This fountain caught my attention!

And look at this creature high in the trees!

There were formal rose gardens and wild beds of colour. Orchards and demonstration gardens.

I LOVED this moose!

And of course how could I not take a picture of this wee whimsical doggie plunked next to a water hydrant

Finally we found ourselves at the cafe/gift shop and gallery. The reason for this trip!

Ta dah!

This Folk Art show will run until October 8th.

The other artists are Brian Allen Adams, Jantje Blokhuis Mulder, Beatrice McFadden, Maureen McIlwain, Holly McKay, and Maureen Newman.

Love the saying on the hooked rug ~Never Let Yesterday Use Up Today~ true...

Can you pick out mine?

Saint Andrews, Part 1

A little taste of LUXURY.....in Saint Andrews

2011-07-29T15:46:00.009-03:00

Last week I had to go to Saint Andrews, New Brunswick to deliver some paintings to the Kingsbrae Gardens Gallery. It was a five hour drive so my mum and I decided to to spend a couple of nights.

This is where we stayed, the Kingsbrae Arms.

It was absolutely gorgeous and I felt pampered and special.

The house was originally built as a summer “cottage”in 1897, by a prominent Nova Scotia businessman. He and his wife had lived for many years in Shanghai where he owned a fleet of cargo boats loading and unloading trade from foreign ships. His daughter created a salon for artists, poets, writers, and statesmen during her years in residence and was herself, an expert on Chinese art and culture.
All throughout the house are interesting things to look at and books and out the many windows are vistas of their beautiful garden.

This is the dining room and at the far left ( which you can't see), the floor is raised like a stage and there is a grand piano in the corner. The original family liked to perform little plays and have music in the evenings after dinner.

The staircase leading up to our room.

Ours was on the left just beyond that arch.

Voila! So beautiful! There was even some soft jazz playing on a cd playerwhen we entered the room. I could feel the stress literally fall away.

But wait.....there's more..... a window seat!!!

With a view !!!!

And then we had dinner......just had to show you the menu for our first evening. A five course meal with a cleanser of lemon sorbet topped with iced vodka after the gazpacho and butter basted lobster for the main. Creme brulee topped with flambéed bananas and roasted cashews for dessert. Yum. Most of the veggies came from the kitchen garden. The second night we elected to eat on the main street.

It was heavenly....

More to come about the gallery,The Kingsbrae gardens, Saint Andrews and the historic Algonquin Hotel ( We even went on a ghost tour there)
Part 2

ahhh

2011-07-25T10:27:00.002-03:00

I've been tremendously busy and feel like haven't had any time to do things I want to do. It's all about getting what has to be done, done. Anyway, I AM getting things done and will be able to catch my breath soon:) Isn't this sky lovely? This picture was taken at about 7:30 am after I filled my gas tank, before we headed out to Saint Andrews. Looking towards Dartmouth over the Bedford Basin.

You never know...

2011-07-18T11:51:00.006-03:00

Yes, you never know where your day will take you!
Last week during a break between visitations at the funeral home, I decided to take a little walk around the neighborhood and this is where I found myself! As I was strolling along a quiet street, I noticed a wonderful doll house sitting in the windowed porch of a house. I went over for a closer look, delighting in all the detail. A woman was walking by and as she came closer, I remarked to her on how marvelous it was. "Would you like to have a closer look?" she asked.

How wonderful! It was the owner, Heather Mowry. Can you guess what I replied?

I was totally enchanted. This is the stuff my little girl dreams were made of. I am so grateful for her generosity and willingness to share these treasures with me.

Everything tiny, tiny and perfect

A miniature world to play with. Heather told me about a camp that occurs each summer here in Nova Scotia called Camp Minihaha where miniature fans can go to learn how to craft the things that fill these houses. It is a growing hobby that I don't know very much about.

Even the nursery was lovely. My pictures are a bit out of focus but it was quite dark and I did not want to take too much of her time.

Look at the black stockings on the bed! Ha!

We ventured inside her "real" house and she showed me a wee British pub she has been working on. So quaint and cozy.

Love this old couple!!! Heather is a member of Miniature Crafters Of Nova Scotia

Then she took me upstairs where another gorgeous house awaited!

There is so much to look at. I was enthralled. Even a basket of kittens on the kitchen floor!

Upstairs, an elegant bedroom

And even Queen Elisabeth!

Wow. What a nice surprise to happen across her porch at just the right time. Made my afternoon!

Tomorrow mmy mom and I are headed to Saint Andrews, New Brunswick! I am delivering some paintings for a group Folk Art Show at the Kingsbrae Gardens Gallery. We are going to stay here and I am very excited. It will be a LOVELY break. There will be pictures.....

today

2011-07-14T09:22:00.003-03:00

The road to Skye.... I took this in Scotland. It was one of those afternoons where the sun and clouds were dancing, creating amazing patterns and light. So beautiful.

Today I am at a funeral and then gravesite. That is the hard part. When I leave, I want to be cremated and my ashes scattered to the wind. Fluttering and billowing, chasing the four corners of the globe.

Contemplation

2011-07-11T09:11:00.002-03:00

There has been a death in my family so life is a bit surreal at the moment. Now caught up in a flurry of activity, details, arrangements, words written, calls, choices, decisions. Time to reflect will be later. We are here and then we are not. Simple as that. xo

July days....

2011-07-07T11:25:00.002-03:00

Gorgeous flowers, gorgeous weather. Finally, summer is here. Went to the Tattoo last night. A summer tradition. Love it. Especially the massed pipes. Makes my Scottish heart sing.

Look at these two! Canada's finest:)

Fluffy

2011-07-04T20:47:00.003-03:00

This wee fluffy cat is available as a print from my etsy shop. The 8 x 10 original is destined for the Witherstone Gallery in Lunenburg.

In other news, it's been a busy week at the market and I've been spending a lot of time at the hospital sitting with a very sick relative. Things don't look good but we are keeping spirits up, come what may. Makes me reflect on my own health and my role in keeping well.

Also, the Seaport Market has a new twitter account for those of you that might be interested.

Happy Canada Day!

2011-07-01T06:45:00.002-03:00

It's our birthday and the sun is shining! Hooray! Lots of things happening in Halifax today. Wish I could partake but I am at the Halifax Seaport Farmer's Market all day. Should be a fun day there with all the festivities and people out and about enjoying themselves. Good day for a picnic on the roof!

D'oh

2011-06-28T10:37:00.004-03:00

One reason why road trips are so much fun! You never know what you are going to see around the next corner. This is a house in Whycogomagh in Cape Breton.

Starlight, Starbright

2011-06-23T15:43:00.009-03:00

New painting. Starlight, Starbright.... 24 x 30 on beech wood with 1.5 inch sides.
For sale. This actually looks much better in real life. Can't really see details of the sleeping kitty in this size.

Could even be part of a story....."and so little Seraphina finally slept. Her tired legs could carry her no farther. She curled up into a wee ball of fluff and quickly sank into a deep and welcome place. Sometime, late in the night, a beam of starlight found the little kitten and kept her safe while she dreamed of home...."

Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort , Part 2

2011-06-21T10:24:00.009-03:00

Day 2 at Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort and it felt like we had been there for ages. This is the sort of place you can relax and let the stress flow away very quickly. We started the day with the breakfast bar although in the Bistro, cooked breakfasts are available. That's homemade granola:)

Paul's mother was an amazing artist and the entire place is full of art in all mediums. I loved it. Even the chalets are full of art!

Speaking of which.... the chalets!

I really enjoyed all the interesting books and treasures scattered around. So interesting, you could spend a lot of time just poking about. This is a vase of eagle feathers. There are lots of eagles around here and even moose hang out behind the lodge!

One night I was out taking some pictures early in the evening and got spooked. I was sure I heard some snorting and a stomp or two and did NOT want to take a chance at coming face to face with one of those large beasts all by myself! Made a very quick dash back to the lodge. Felt quite silly when told were quite harmless. Hmmm...

Can you picture me running through this old orchard to get back to the lodge! lol. This is the camp ground.

Tire swing is more my speed:) Needed some down time after the wild moose run.

This tipi is one of the places you can sleep. Did I mention there is a yurt available too? So cool.

Love this!! One of Paul's mom's tapestries. On July 8-10th, the Cabot Shores is hosting The Good Health Festival , a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Action N. S. Sounds like a wonderful weekend! Barbara runs the Gate of Life Healing Arts here year round. Accupuncture, massage, Qi Gong, meditation.... Next time I plan on enjoying some of those options.

Some quiet time before this particular evening's exciting activities.

Outside all is calm and peaceful. This is Tanner on the Yolo board. Serene green:)

Carl with our supper! Planked salmon and lobster!

Later......under the watchful eye of Carl the cook, Charley Boorman and crew did some last minute prep to the lobsters. Dr. Paul had organized a full day of lobster fishing for the Extreme Frontiers: Canada documentary crew and it started at 3am! The show is being filmed for Chanel 5 in the UK. They are traveling across the country on motorcycles and having adventures in each province. I could do that!

A bit of socialising before supper.

More socialising....The two women in the foreground who you can barely see are the MacInnes sisters. They come from a long line of lobster fishermen and continue on with the family business. Showed Charley and the boys a thing or two about hard work. I think they pulled 465 traps!

Our gracious and warm hosts, Dr. Paul and Barbara with the Extreme Frontiers crew. I think I can speak for everyone and say that we had a lovely time! So will you if you ever find yourself here!

Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort part 1

Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort : Part 1

2011-06-15T15:36:00.013-03:00

Our day really started once we arrived in Cape Breton. These horses entertained us while we waited for the tiny Englishtown ferry. We were all happy to have some sun! Five dollars gets you across the water and cuts several miles off the route to Indian Brook and Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort where my daughter and I were headed.

We weren't the only ones excited to be traveling that day! I like the colour of his truck, matches my car:)

It has been ages since I've been to Cape Breton and we were delighted to find ourselves here. The perfect spot for relaxing or being as active as you want to be. Barbara and Paul Tilson Weinberg purchased 55 acres after falling in love with Cape Breton while on holiday almost a dozen years ago.They have been happily pursuing their dream at Cabot Shores ever since.

Not only can you stay in the lodge, there are chalets, a farmhouse, tipi and yurt to choose from. If you want to camp, there is a lovely old apple orchard to pitch your tent in.

Right away we went out and about exploring. First Paul had to put away the yolo board which I was fascinated with. It is a cool sort of raft/board you stand on and use a pole to push yourself around. Like a surboard, skateboard rafty thing. Did not try it but will next time for sure. Lots of stuff to enjoy here.

Paul explaining how the 'ferry" works. You basically plop inside and pull yourself over the the beach. The beach runs for miles!

Here is Cosmo, the resident pooch doing it the easy way or hard way, depending on how you look at it:)

After a lot of exploring we ended back at the lodge for some lunch and then out and about again. They have just opened a "Bistro" here so anyone can drop in for a meal. Carl the cook, is an experienced chef and tells amazing stories of his adventures in the far north. Planked salmon and seafood are his speciality. Barbara is also a fabulous vegetarian cook who uses as many local ingredients as she can. Between the two of them you will never go hungry.

After some yummy vegetarian chili, we headed out for more r&r. We hiked and took it all in. Next time I want to go up to see Indian Falls as we did not have time to do it in this visit.

I have so much more to tell you but don't want to go on and on here so will write more in the next post:) Look at the bed! Like sleeping in a treehouse! Oh yes, and some exciting house guests arrived. Stay tuned....

Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort: part 2

Honey I'm home!

2011-06-14T17:34:00.005-03:00

Stay tuned..... some Cape Breton moments coming soon. Got back this afternoon. Not used to five hours in the car. Got to get my road trip mojo back!

Excited!

2011-06-09T19:59:00.006-03:00

Really excited!!!!! I'm headed to this place on Sunday for a couple of days! CabotShores Wilderness Resort. Click on the link to have a look and you will see why I am so chuffed! I will be writing all about it and taking LOTS of pictures. I adore Cape Breton.

What a wonderful place! Accomodations range from the lodge, a small farmhouse, a tipi, a yurt and some small chalets. So much to do, kayaking, hiking to Indian Brook falls, Chi Gong sessions, yoga, beach combing, masssage, biking, eating yummy food and of course.....just hanging out! My daughter is coming too:)

Also while we are there.....Charley Boorman will be there! Filming his new series Extreme Frontiers: Canada. I think they are to go lobster fishing, but I am told there will be a large bonfire in the evening to cook the catch and maybe story telling and music. Good times~ Fingers crossed for good weather!

Can hardly wait to share it all with you!
In the meantime, I'm at the market tomorrow and Saturday.

Ardmore Tea Room

2011-06-07T10:00:00.009-03:00

The Ardmore Tearoom has been around since 1952 when Cormier Tennyson and his wife Norma decided to open a small restaurant on Liverpool Street. They named it after Lord Ardmore who used to own the district. The name is a bit of a misnomer because it is what I would consider a diner but that is part of it's charm.

It was so successful, they opened another place on Gottingen Street. In 1958, a small drugstore on the corner of Elm Street and Quinpool Road came up for sale. Here they could live upstairs and run the restaurant below. The Tennyson's purchased it, closed the other two diners and the rest is history!

Open seven days a week, the Ardmore has been serving food to high school students, taxi drivers, senior citizens, local joes, just about anybody and everybody for 53 years! A Halifax institution for sure. It is a small cozy place with no frills. The service is friendly and the food is inexpensive and tasty! It is cash only, so be forewarned.

This item always makes me laugh!

You can order delicious old fashioned milkshakes, roast turkey dinners, burgers, (veggie ones too), all the great food you'd expect from a successful diner. Worth a visit for sure! Come early for brunch on weekends, it is always really busy.

I was there with a good friend and lucky us, we had $20 dollar coupons to use. It was hard to spend $20 per person at the Ardmore! We each ended up ordering fish and chips to take home for the next day as well as our meals! I had a club sandwich with sweet potato fries. Sooooo good.
.....and another view because the first one was so delectable:)

good morning

2011-06-05T06:34:00.003-03:00

This is what I woke up to yesterday! What a sunrise. I loved the way the light and shadow played against my curtains and window. Every day is different. I met two bloggers at the market yesterday! They introduced themselves to me which was lovely, so nice to meet YOU!

I'm at the market again today and hope to paint. I hurt my back yesterday....no idea how so I am a bit wonky and protective in the way I move today. Trying to glide and then lurching as it twangs with pain. Gee whiz, there's always something! Have a good one!.

Lisa's Quilt

2011-06-02T16:46:00.002-03:00

Hot off the easel and framed. "Lisa's Quilt." 16 x 20 For sale but not sure where yet. That is a real dollop of sun on the picture.

Thunder and lightening

2011-06-02T14:41:00.005-03:00

This is footage of the big storm we had last night . It was shot by Shawn Hirtle. Amazing. The storm lasted three hours non stop and the thunder was rolling on and on with the occasional BOOM and lightening was crackling. Everyone in Halifax is exhausted today, lol. I woke up with vertigo which was really strange and a bit scary. It has passed now. Wondered if it could have been from watching all the flashing?

melanoma

2011-05-31T21:27:00.002-03:00

Absolutely worth watching and sharing.....please pass it on.

Oh what a beautiful morning....

2011-05-31T09:28:00.003-03:00

Oh what a beautiful day! I've got a day off but not really. Just a day away from the market. Tons to do today but the sunshine and birdsong make it all easier. The birds are going crazy with all their chirping and trilling and general chattering. I think they are happy too!

Started the day with a cup of tea out on my deck! Outside!!!! You'd think we've not seen the sun for a month. lol. Anyway, I'd best get on with it. See you later...

The Seaport Farmers Market has a new blog! Pop over and check it out!

eye see you

2011-05-30T07:29:00.004-03:00

Isn't this wild and creative? A girl I met at the barbeque last week had the most extraordinary eye make up. She experiments daily with a new look. This one took about 25 minutes . I don't know if you can tell but her lower lashes have green mascara and uppers have blue! I HAD to take a picture and share it with you.

Great way to spend a day

2011-05-27T15:08:00.008-03:00

This Monday on Victoria Day, I took my daughter and Daina, to this place.

A trailhead near Prospect. With such amazing stunted and resilient trees

overlooking this

and this...

on our way to to these.....

and these...and planked salmon, pulled pork, hot dogs and hamburgers and salads galore. The traditional Victoria Day barbeque.

Hosted by chef extraordinaire Jenna and look what she made for Daina's birthday! A giant cupcake cake!
We proceeded to have much fun and laughter. There were a lot of people but you would never know from my pictures:)

And we ended the day down by the water. Ahhhh, first campfire of the season

Waiting for sunshine

2011-05-25T09:33:00.005-03:00

Spring is desperately trying. It will not be stopped. I was listening to the weather forecaster the other day and she was saying that the amount of rain we have had is typical for May (23 days or so). What has been atypical and what makes it seem like we've had much more is the lack of sun. Ususally 26 days of sun in May. We've had 7 or 6!! I've been taking extra vitamin D for my sunshine. Friday it is supposed to be sunny, keep your fingers crossed:)

Sailing, sailing...

2011-05-24T11:14:00.001-03:00

Sunset Sail... 8 x 10 available on eBay. PRINT available here.

More Mahone....

2011-05-23T09:08:00.003-03:00

Isn't this a great idea. Saw it in Mahone Bay. No reason for those of you with only balconies not to have fresh salad greens. So last time I left you, we were just about to have lunch. Well, here it is, we had avocado melts! So good.

We had popped in to Mahone Bay to check out Trilogy Gallery, another place I have a few paintings. I noticed that they had an American flag flying outside. How strange I thought, why no Canadian flag too?

I soon noticed other other odd things too. Different newspapers.

A new Dairy Bar sign

And then... some of Haven's finest. Yes, Mahone Bay had been transformed into the spooky and beautiful American town of Haven for the day. So cool to see:) ( you can watch it here)

We carried on our way and had a fun poke about the town. It is such a lovely place to walk around and lots of cool wee shops to visit. These are the three famous churches all side by side. You can just barely see the third one on the right.

So wonderful to see Spring busting out all over.

By the time we came back, look what greeted us! The crew had changed locations and cleared the side street of cars except for one. Can you guess whose car it was and how relieved they were to see us? lol.

PS. Hi Susan!!! Lovely to meet you:) Mlou you too.

Beautiful day

2011-05-20T11:17:00.006-03:00

Hooray! The sun was out yesterday and it was wonderful!Perfect day to drive to Lunenburg to drop off some work. Here are some of my paintings on the wall at Witherstone Gallery. Right next to Daina's lovely surf art.

There will be a meet and greet with the artists here next Saturday, May 28 from 1-5. I love the ecelectic mix of goodies in this shop.

And then we went to Mahone Bay for lunch! It was heaven. I'll post about that later:)

Summer Dreams...

2011-05-17T14:07:00.003-03:00

I love this new painting.... 11 x 14. Summer Dreams. Headed to the Witherstone Gallery in Lunenburg.

Catch up day

2011-05-17T09:57:00.004-03:00

Halifax Public Gardens in May.......at least things are getting green despite no sunlight. Hope to see some on Thursday for the day, fingers crossed:) and then rain again. Thankful we are not getting the flooding like some areas, wild fires raging out of control and tornadoes, so just rain rain is fine. Actually it looks soft and pretty out there with the fog just now.
Home today and facing a neglected house that needs a full frontal atttack and a lovely painting that needs finishing. I really like this painting. Will show you as soon as it is finished:)

Monday~

2011-05-16T06:46:00.003-03:00

Here's a real Maritimey scene! Finished this last week. Just a small one 8 x 10. Not sure where the original will sell yet. I'm selling prints of it at the market.

"Holy Soggy Toast Batman!" It is still raining. Remarkable really. I don't think I've ever lived through such a long string of grey and wet days. Feeling bad for the farmers. Grateful that we are not in danger of the terrible flooding some places are experiencing and in others, drought and raging fires. Tumultuous times.

I'm at the Market again today. Should be a really quiet one. The Market has to be open every time a cruise ship arrives as part of it's lease with the Halifax Seaport. I am lucky because I can work away with my paints, almost like a studio away from home. Last week I met some folk from Colorado and South Carolina. The ship docks at 8 and is off by 4 so the passengers only have a few hours to visit the city or go on tours. Most of them dawdle through the building on their way back, just before the boat leaves. Wish it was a nicer day for them, hope they brought their rubber boots.

PS. Happy Birthday to a lovely friend of mine!

cat nap

2011-05-13T14:21:00.002-03:00

Monty, sound asleep! Really!! He was lying in front of a heater and my daughter pulled him onto her lap and then slowly laid back. He stayed there. It was so funny! Here is another angle, you can see the contentment on his face. Silly cat!

17 Reasons Why Rain is a Good Thing:)

2011-05-10T08:30:00.007-03:00

Perfect day for hanging out in a cafe. Rain, rain, rain......we've had a lot of it lately:)

1. Cleans the dust and grime off your car, saving you a car wash
2. Makes the lawn green
3. Nice and soothing to listen to as you fall asleep
4. Keeps wells from going dry
5. Makes it easier to get things done inside, no lusting for outside time
6. Puts out forest fires
7. You can wear red rubber boots
8. Gives water to wildlife
9. Waters crops
10. Great day to see movies or hang in a cafe or bookstore
11. Cools the air if it is warm
12. Fun to stick out your tongue and catch some drops
13. You get to open your umbrella
14. Less risk of skin cancer
15. Give us puddles to jump in
16. "Singing in the Rain" would not exist.
17. Really makes you appreciate the sunshine when it arrives:)

Do you have any to add?

*Here is a funny addition from a reader:*

Lynda said: "It lets embarass my sons by wearing one of my collection of bright pink raincoats when I pick them up from school!"

Surprise visit

2011-05-09T08:04:00.007-03:00

On Friday, after my workshop at the school, the sun was out, the the wind was salty brisk and it was altogether much too gorgeous a day to head back home right away so I decided to pop in and visit Jenna!

Jenna is the mastermind (chef) behind Little Red Kitsch'n. She lives in a sweet 100 year old house that used to be her grandmother's, in a charming wee village called Prospect.

She was hard at work preparing goodies for the Saturday market and I happily had some fun snapping some pics of her kitchen while she worked and we chatted. Aren't these storage containers fun?

She was making gyoza, little Japanese potstickers. Part of a 'mix and match' take home meal she was putting together for the weekend market. I was mesmerized watching these little parcels get folded , over and over...

I'm a sucker for hand written recipes. This was pinned on a little corkboard.

And check THIS out. The dark blue? That is the ocean!!! Right out her kitchen window! What a spot.

I'm actually going to do a proper write up on Jenna soon (She's a Cordon Blue trained chef) and she will be sharing one of her recipes. Should be fun. She also has a facebook page.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T08:05:00.003-03:00

May all mothers today have a peaceful and love filled day and may all of you who are not mums, have a peaceful and love filled day too! We need them. This was what I saw leaving my house for the market yesterday morning! Golden skies.