Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Nana



"Overcome the notion that you must be regular.
It robs you of the chance to be extraordinary."
                                                                                                                 -UTA Hagen

My grandmother walking down Granville Street
in downtown Vancouver with her best friend - 1945

Monday, March 30, 2015

The ROOT



My knitted root is finished and ready for the TREE exhibition
at our local gallery. It is 25 feet long!

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Octava



For 23 years I have joined this wonderful group of women as we explore creativity through the written word. We enjoy laughter, food and wine while expressing ourselves in various forms of poetry and prose. A simple word will prompt an amazing variety of stories. I am immensely grateful to share my life with these women.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Spring


Spring is visiting early this year


Ducks are looking for nesting spots...


...and turtles are soaking up the sun.


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Today is my sister's birthday!


Today is my sister's birthday.


She left us at the age of 53 years in 2005.
There will always be a hole in my heart 
that I attempt to repair each day
with memories of our times together.

In 2004 we paraded through the streets of Florence
in our handmade polka dotted dresses
until we found a riverside cafe 
to share glasses of Tuscan red wine.




Friday, March 13, 2015

since we returned


We have been home for two weeks now...two full weeks. The house has been listed for sale and there have been five showings...two more tomorrow morning. Each time we receive word about a showing we spend time cleaning & tidying...  ensuring that the house looks as "unlived in" as possible. Purging of the contents to various thrift store is an ongoing process.

The yard and garden areas demanded four days of backbreaking work when we returned. Twenty huge garden bags filled with leaves, needles and debris have been filled and are waiting for someone(anyone) to deliver them to the landfill. Our aging backs are aching. Hedge trimming, lawn maintenance and endless hours of gardening await.


The Jazz Club in Salmon Arm offers "world class" live jazz 

On the flip side of all this work we have been greeted, hugged and updated by friends on a daily basis after our six month absence. We have walked with friends, shared coffees and lunches, attended a Gallery opening with masterfully created puppets on display, viewed two Oscar nominated films, enjoyed a night of live jazz and a fun filled gathering of my writing group. John has rejoined the gym and become an active hospice volunteer again. I am continuing to work on pieces for an upcoming June exhibition at the Art Gallery and a 25 foot long knitted root for another exhibition in October.

How can we consider leaving this place that has been our home for the past 24 years?

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Gallery Opening



Stilt walkers weave through guests
under a canopy of fruits and veg
a large puppet holds a small man in his hand
the cycle of life on a fleece
piano notes float like motes
between animated greetings
drifting beyond the walls
to tempt passersby

Sunday, March 1, 2015

The holidays are over!



The holidays are over!
Now it's time for sweeping, raking, shovelling
filing tax returns and getting the house ready for sale.