Every time I spell Wednesday I have to almost spell it in my head as I write. It's the nes.:)
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. We are lucky to have such a wonderful gallery in a small city like ours. It is a place I really should visit more often., they have a remarkable array of work. There is a pretty cafe on site too:) I happened to look up and see the figure from the building across the street reflected in the window.
Today is a damp grey one, up and down our weather goes. Like a yo yo. It is the same everywhere. Mother nature adjusting her girdle.
Every now and then I watch one of my fave cooks on Youtube. Last night I had a mini festival to myself. I love the way they shoot her segments. Like a European film. Have a quick 3.5 minute break:)Does it make you want to rush off to the kitchen:?
This has got to be one of the most popular shots for winter photographers. Spy some red berries, snow and a bit of blue sky....click. These are actually tiny red crab apples on the tree in my backyard. The birds don't touch them.
I'm wanting to see Twilight, read the books on the urging of my daughter. Could not put them down even though part of me was saying... what?this is so bad! I also want to see Australia, poor reviews but my mum loved it. and I'm a epic kind of girl:) Saw Bond, love those:)
Painting today and Christmas cards. I think I mentioned that yesterday, well it's still on :)
One of my readers, Leslie, is affiliated with an organization called Friends of Jamaica, they help the island children. She is also donating a painting to be drawn:)
This is an image of my foyer...............just kidding:) It is another shot from Province House.
THANK YOU to the lovely person who gave such a generous donation to my wee 3 Cups of Tea fundraiser yesterday:) It was a super surprise and I feel very grateful that together we all will be helping to make a difference.....every little bit helps:))
All the rain we had yesterday turned into snow overnight. What a snarl. I am lucky because all around us, houses have lost their power. Wet and snow always makes for a messy storm. H has her final exam today. Schools have been closed but it is rare that the universities shut down. She sure did not feel like getting up early this morning, after a late night studying and then out into the cold and crunchy. Don't blame her:)
I am working on a scenic painting this morning, Nova Scotia summer. That will keep my mind off the wintery chill outside. Lots of lovely bright colours:)
Unfortunately I've run out of rigid mailers and I have several prints to send out. A trip to Staples is in order but brrr, I don't feel like leaving the house. I hope the sun will pop out later. The temperature is supposed to rise to 12 C on Wed!! Crazy, crazy weather.
Easy peasy Christmas decoration or for all year sparkle. Get a big glass bowl and fill it with tiny LED lights. I also tried white ones and it looks like a bowl of fireflies:)
Yesterday's pantomime was so much fun. Laughing is one of my favourite pastimes. :)
Today is a quiet grey one. Good for catch up.
My friend Tee is having a wonderful giveaway for some KEEN footware. They are opening a new website. Pop over and take a look:)
Holiday Spirit just listed on eBay Did this yesterday. I am so behind with my painting!
This morning started abruptly with daughter up ten minutes before she had to leave the house for a psychology exam! She'd slept through her alarm, a result of late night studying and her friend was coming to pick her up any minute. Cue funny music and fast forward action:)
Anyway, she's out now and the house is quiet. We are going to see a sold out Pantomime this afternoon produced by the oldest community theatre group in Canada, maybe even North America! A friend of mine is one of the dwarves. Hi C!!! My mum and daughter and I have been going since H was about 5 years old. It is one of our traditions. I love the Panto, everyone screams at the villains and helps the hero and heroines. There is always a female lead played by a man, lots of music and hilarity.
Here's my December View for today. A shot of the Bank of Nova Scotia on Granville Street down near the waterfront. We have a lot of lovely old buildings in this small city. I love the December light and shadows.
This is the Legislative Library at Province House. Isn't it gorgeous. I had to drop off some cookbooks to the protocol office and thought I would pop in with my camera. This room used to be the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.
It was in this room that Joseph Howe argued in front of a jury, for freedom of the press in 1835. He spoke for six hours and fifteen minutes! He won and we have a lot to be grateful for because of that victory. It is connected to our public library system and anyone can withdraw books with some advance notice. The oldest book in their collection is a book on astrology, from the 1400s!
The Right Honorable or something or other Mr Salter and his wife. The artist painted the bodies first and then had the husband and wife come in so he could paint their heads on! Mrs. Salter looks a bit off:)
December view, me!! Reading glasses, needing a dye job and no makeup:)
I never post pictures of myself but for some whacky reason decided to say hi today! I am in a conundrum with the hair colour thing. Everyone I know dyes their hair. No one knows what their real hair colour looks like anymore. I thought I would let the dye fade to see what's under there. Ouch. Grey and lots of it. So what is it about grey and why are we so conflicted about letting it show? I will probably open a bottle soon and do it again but it is such a stinky process and a big bother. I am also always nervous because the boxes are slathered with dire warnings about sudden allergic reactions causing death and chemical mishaps:(
Gosh, I am annoyed. For some reason, the DONATE button I had put on my post about 3 cups of tea was not working and people weren't being sent to where they were supposed to. Thanks Kathy for letting me know. It is now fixed and I have had donations since. I am sorry. If you wanted to participate before and couldn't , fill your boots:) I am posting it here for easy access. Remember, I am going to draw a name from those who have participated and give away a print or photograph of their choice as a way of saying thanks from me:) Probably around December 15 Thanks for helping the children of Asia this December:)
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Galleries Layfayette in Paris. Isn't it beautiful! I am not a shopper but shopping in a place as beautiful as this is easy. When you get weary, you just look up and around:) I have a bit to do yet for my gift shopping but I know what to get. Luckily, maybe unluckily, I just have a small family so it is not a huge endeavor. December 3rd already. Tick tock...it's flying.
I've signed on for December Views so will be taking my camera with me more often this month:)
Today will be a painting day for sure:) I have not done anything since last week, it was so busy. I have also neglected my walks, and nothing should get in the way of those. They help keep me sane:)
Thanks for your donations yesterday! I really appreciate it. Even $2. helps. It all adds up. These schools and programs are changing lives. It is not an area that is "popular" to help because of all the ruckus and that is exactly why it is so important. The schools are an alternative to the "madrassas" that are popping up everywhere. Thanks for bearing with me here, I don't normally push causes but this one struck a chord with me and I will promote it for a bit as my holiday gift to those kids and families in the remotest of places . Please feel free to link to yesterday's post as a gift to me:)
Azerha with her children in Korphe Village. Pakistan.
It all started with a book we read for our book club.... 3 Cups of Tea. I was very taken with the story and impressed with what Greg Mortenson has been doing on his own and now with the help of volunteers and donors. He is building schools in the remotest areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan with an emphasis on teaching girls. Breaking the cycle of ignorance & fear, promoting peace & hope and an end to terrorism with the simple tools of education and positive action. In these remotest of areas, The Central Asia Institute( Greg) with the help of local advisors, local volunteers and villagers has been helping the people who live there take another route to better lives. The villages have great pride in their new schools. The CAI also promotes rural health care and helping villagers start small initiatives. You should pop by their website and read all that they do, it is remarkable!!!
These are porters carrying roof beams for a new school. Many are in sometimes very inaccessible areas. Greg works with Muslim clerics to overcome barriers to getting the work done and even prays with them occasionally. He is sometimes the first Westerner the children have ever seen and is a positive example to them of what Westerners can be and do. It changes their attitudes. You can see how barren and remote the area is. This is Lalander school in Afghanistan. The picture below is it's inauguration. These wee girls look so excited :) Some Afghanistan facts... Life expectancy 43!!!, Average income per year $250, Literacy 36% Some Pakistan facts...Life expectancy 63 Average family income per year 410$, Literacy 48% (UNICEF) Greg Mortenson with Sitara "Star" Schoolchildren., Afghanistan. Star is the name of their school. These kids live in the harshest of conditions and these schools are also warm and safe places to be. Khanday Schoolgirls with new uniforms. Pakistan. Chunda School Inauguration. Pakistan.
Gosh if you are still reading, hooray! So what has this got to do with me you ask? Well, often we read about a cause and think wow, that's great, good for them to be taking action. I read this book and thought this work is so worthwhile and then I thought, I'm going to ask for a donation from each of the book club members and we can support this. Then I thought, hey, maybe I can post about it and others might be inspired to donate too! I am going to make it easy and put a link to a paypal account at the end of this post.
I would love it if any one interested could donate as little as $5.00 or what every you want. I am going to tally it all up and then make a donation of all the money raised. We have already started with my bookclub. If you donate, please leave a comment here on my blog and I will be drawing for a print or photograph of your choice from all of those who have donated, as a way to say thanks from me. It would be great if you could link to this post from your blogs. I think I think what he is doing is wonderful. Promoting peace and goodwill one brick at a time ! Make this your first Holiday gift. A gift of peace. $50,000 will build a school and support it for 5 years $5,000 will support a school for a year $600 is a teacher's annual salary $300 one advanced student's scholarship for a year. ( to continue beyond primary school, secondary school, at the nearest village that has more advanced school) $100 Maternal health care supplies for a year $50. one treadle sewing machine and supplies $20. supplies for a student for a year! Children of Bichik Khan, Buzzai Gumbad, Wakhan Corridor. Afghanistan. Here is an article from the New York Times in July 2008 written by Nicholas D. Kristoff . "It Takes a School, Not Missiles" He tells the story much better than I do..... "Mr. Mortenson has become a legend in the region, his picture sometimes dangling like a talisman from rearview mirrors, and his work has struck a chord in America as well" "To get a school, villagers must provide the land and the labor to assure a local “buy-in,” and so far the Taliban have not bothered his schools. One anti-American mob rampaged through Baharak, Afghanistan, attacking aid groups — but stopped at the school that local people had just built with Mr. Mortenson. “This is our school,” the mob leaders decided, and they left it intact. Mr. Mortenson has had setbacks, including being kidnapped for eight days in Pakistan’s wild Waziristan region. It would be naïve to think that a few dozen schools will turn the tide in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
Still, he notes that the Taliban recruits the poor and illiterate, and he also argues that when women are educated they are more likely to restrain their sons. Five of his teachers are former Taliban, and he says it was their mothers who persuaded them to leave the Taliban; that is one reason he is passionate about educating girls."
Thanks so much for supporting peace, education and hope . Kashmiri refugees
Monday, December 1, 2008
The bold Monty doing the proper thing on a dreary and very WET day like today! I wish I had a cozy basket I could curl up in right now. Lined with puffy feather duvets and colourful quilts:)
I am tired. Stayed up until 2am!!! helping my daughter with a big university paper due today. I sat on her bed reading my book and when she got stuck, we'd do some questions and answers sort of prompts. I am hoping that she has learned that it doesn't pay to leave things until the last minute. I was up helping her bounce ideas around as she wrote. I think she put it off exactly because she wasn't sure how she was going to do it. She was writing about how a handful of actors playing a multitude of characters in a certain play, affects your perception of those characters. Not easy stuff. First year University is a huge leap from high school. Anyway, that's the first and LAST time I am going to be doing that! I think she feels the same way:)
I've got a Burgess Vine Buttercup Winter squash in the oven roasting that is destined for some soup. I only know the name because I had to go search for it on the web. That's the fun of getting my organic veggies box each week, I am learning about new to me (old heirloom) varieties of vegetables. I am going to look for a good recipe when I finish this or maybe I'll have a nap. zzzzzzzzzzzzz Lots of work to catch up on tonight.
Edited: Going to make this!
Spiced Apple Squash Soup, to which I will make some additions and minor changes:) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1-2 garlic cloves, minced 1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth (or more) 2 cups filtered apple cider or apple juice 2 cups acorn or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced 1 large potato, peeled and diced (Yukon Golds are nice) 1 firm, tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced Freshly grated nutmeg and ginger Sea salt 1/2 cup light cream or evap skim milk (optional) Toppings (optional): chopped walnuts, minced fresh parsley, dollop of sour or whipped cream, grated nutmeg
1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add the minced garlic and chopped onion. Saute until golden, then add broth, apple cider or juice, squash, potato, and apple. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
2. Add nutmeg, ginger, and salt to taste.
3. Puree in batches in a blender, return to the pot, and gently reheat. Or use immersion blender. You may add light cream or more broth at this stage, thinning the soup to the desired consistency.
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