silver and ice

Freezing freezing freezing....and more snow; just as promised. I cacoon on days like these. I love nothing more than settling-in, cozy clothes, chocolate of course and some handiwork. Oh and a good flick.

I made some earrings today and feel like I really accomplished something. Sterling silver and crystals. They were diddley work but I like them!

meditate

the pioneer of "techno-geek" (Christine) Thea Partridge

Time has zipped by. First time I've been to my blog in 3 months. I've not been idle though....never idle....."won't be idle with dispair" (Jewel).

Let's see in one big long rambling sentence let me sum up the year.....many visits from my best pal, Leslie......Sarah McL concert, Tap Dogs, Dalhai Lama, Film Festival, Ryan off to school, Adam working with Bryan....ok too many things to be grateful for to list here.

I bought a sewing maching! Yup, finally did it. It is a small, light but powerful little Bernina machine. So far I'm loving it. Now, will this machine inspire me to get back at sewing, design? I sure hope so. My right brain is never quiet though. Beading has taken a lot of my focus this year, knitting again, painting and my favourite new craft last summer - mosaic. I'm impressed I didn't mosaic everything in sight.

I can't figure this blog out lately......I can't seem to add a picture, colour or link anymore. Hmphfff.

Namaste

L.

packed up for schol

I called this picture "Trickle Down" .....the beautiful autumn colours have started from the top down.
Trickle Down

It has been a very very long time...hasn't it? I'm drinking Bryan's red wine, feeling just fine, and wondering. I'm wondering about all sorts of things. Do you want the list? Well here it is anyway.

Things I am wondering about......by Leslie

• I'm wondering how all these nifty techno things came upon this site. Again. It has been a long time.
• I'm thinking how my friend Thea would just love these changes...not that she didn't know how to do all these things by herself...but she would be happy that simpletons, like myself, can make a page interesting.
• The purple was for Thea....Christine Thea Partridge who loved colour.
• I'm wondering what I am going to do now that my miracle drug Vioxx has been pulled? How will be I ever walk again without excruciating pain? Fuck! A heart attack they say....ok...I will not have a heart attack, and I will never be able to walk again pain-free....or I do walk pain-free (find the drug on the black market) and have half the number of years I would normally have....whatever that number be, before the BIG one gets me? Hmmmm which would you choose? The BIG one has to be better than a long suffering cancer death. Doesn't it?
• Perhaps too much wine you think? Nah.
• I just tried a link but I don't think it worked.http://www.jannarden.com. We'll see how this works out but man alive this is fun!
• Going to publish now and see if all these kwell things worked.

Namaste

It's May, the grasses are emerald green, the earth is moist and new shoots are coming up everywhere. Flowers are coming out one by one. The furniture is outside now; I'm still working on the lawn and a few changes around the garden.

Can't do too much because of my nasty knee(s).

Last weekend my best bud Leslie came for a visit. We went to see H.H. The Dalai Lama. What an absolutely wonderful event that was....just to be in the same room as him. He is "special". His message would save the world if all would listen. A wonderful childlike sense of humour he has.

I need to get back at sewing. I have a top to make that will go with my skirt. I want to bead.

My mosaic birdbath is almost ready to go outside. Just have to wait for the grout sealer to set...in 3 hours and it's ready for a test run!

It's spring.....absolutely beautiful.

Today I fertilized the lawn; the next chore is to top-dress and reseed to fill in all the "polka dots" left from Dunny Dog!

I love to see the new growth. Crocuses in fresh colours of purple, lavender, bright sunny yellow and cream. The snowdrops are wonderful little things - so fragile looking but they flower in March..sometimes under the snow! How wonderful is that?

Tomorrow is my birthday. *Ahem*.

I made a skirt...a skirt that will actually fit! I'm so happy. Tonight I was going to cut out a top, but alas its now 8:30 and I'm not in the mood to make a mess of something new. So I will surf the net for inspiration.

Tomorrow is my birthday. *Ahem*.

My sister-in-law survived her ordeal - brain surgery. Amazing and wonderful and I'm so very happy.

Namaste,

Spring continues to tease us with her presence.....snow, sunny, warm, rain, cold, windy and more snow.

But the trees are budding......a friend once said to me many, many, Marches ago (30 to be exact)..."look at the buds...in a few weeks they will be gone".

I'm in the process of trying to set up a better blog where I can add pictures and interesting things and change the way my home page looks. I do spend a lot of time reading the journals of other women and I want mine to look creative too!!!

I haven't any tech help for this task, so it may take sometime.

Namaste,

Leslie

Hand is healed. February has gone. Valentine's Day has gone and we're all breathlessly awaiting spring.

Spring is coming.....little tiny pointy green shoots are emerging in my garden - crocuses and daffodils I think. The tiny snowdrops are ready to flower. God I love those delicate little brave souls.

On Friday the temperatures were 14C and by Sunday we had more snow. Such is the teasing that spring gives us.

My craft surge came to a halt with the surgery. But I did take in a lot of other fun stuff -- two Jann Arden concerts...yes that's right - two. I do like Jann as well as her music. B and I saw "The Hallow Crown"...very interesting, Vanessa Redgrave was the drawing card for us. I have tickets to see the Dalai Lama in April. That will be wonderful.

I'm just too tired right now to write anything profound...I want to bead again and may just go and attempt that now.

Namaste,

Leslie

Tomorrow is my surgery for carpal tunnel. The right hand this time, which will be tricky for a few weeks. I'm all set for 3 days of absolute total R & R afterwards. I'm taking Friday to Sunday and staying in my new flannel jammies, reading and watching movies.

My craft surge will have to be put on ice (along with my right hand) for a bit. I did manage to finish up some beaded bracelets and earrings before the surgery. And, I finished my fuzzy colourful scarf that I was knitting. I love it.

Most of my "real" work is caught up, except for journal entries..but I'll have to concentrate on those after the recuperation time.

We have had more snow this year than most years the entire season. There is a foot of fresh snow capping my bird bath.

Must remember to plant another globe cedar. The little birds love it. They appear to be snug and tight in there when the world gets stormy. Some days the little cedar looks like a tree decorated with birds...then some sort of danger is in the air...and about a dozen little chickadees pop themselves back inside the tree.

Next Thursday and Friday is my back-to-back Jann Arden concerts. I'm really looking forward to her positive reinforcement...oh yes...and her beautiful songs too.

Namaste,

Sunny and very cold today. No more snow, at least. I really need to get my butt in gear to get some YPC work done. But, I'm pulled in artistic directions instead. I want to work on my beaded jewelry, I want to stamp and play with paper. I have to work first!

Having said all that...... I'm off to work now.

I have just discovered a great site. I would like to be sharing this site with Thea. She would have loved this one. http://another.girlatplay.com

I'm still working on beading and I love it. I have a huge supply of beads, thanks to "Michaels" sale but I wasn't sure what else I needed. Once I got into the project I know now what all those other little bits of things that they sell are for. I must get some loops, crimp beads, filler beads, etc. There are some very good visuals of beaded necklaces on the above site. I initially was going to start with earrings but who would have thought they were the most difficult? I need to perfect manipulating the wires...practice!

Baby it's cold outside. -20C or less. Sunny though but very cold.

I need to work now - yes I do have a real job that takes up some of my time. But all I want to do is craft. Later today, once my work is done, I will bead some more.

Namaste

I've been quiet. Contemplating. Taking stock of my life. Perhaps losing someone is a message to do just that. T lived each day, full and colourful, kind and compassionate. How good is that? Wonderful I'd say.

Sometimes I pity us who are left with a memory...a good memory though. Who will nag me to write in this blog site? Who will urge me on to craft more, even if the work isn't good? Who will encourage me to take chances?

The memory of a good friend will. It's difficult because if I had not once again searched for T, I would not be experiencing the heartbreak that I am now. But...I would much rather have had the last year together and be heartbroken than not to have spent what little time we did together.

I miss the daily MSN "good mornings". I miss the blogger news. I miss everything. But that is life. We are born to die and what matters is what you did while you were here.

My friend did it all and I once told her how happy I was for her life now. She deserved it. She made it happen. She was positive and ever moving forward.

Quite admirable.

So now I am going to craft and I am going to journal. I've been saying that for a few weeks now but I will begin. Tonight I "organized" all my projects so everything is right and ready when the urge or time presents itself. That's half the fun, organizing everything in nifty little labeled Ikea boxes.

Winter - a time to create.

I've not written for such a long time.

Today my heart was broken.

I received news that T had died. It can't be?

My God I am so very thankful for the last 11 months when we got back in touch.

Goodbye my dear childhood friend.

I had the most wonderful dream last night, or early this morning. It was truly lovely.

My grandfather Jackson came to visit! Yes, there he was on my little flag stone path just about to step up on the porch. I couldn't believe my eyes. I laughed and cried and hugged him so tight and laughed some more. I kept saying is it really you grandpa and he laughed in that friendly cheerful laugh I still remember and said "yes Leslie Ann it is me dear".

I felt so good, I can't tell you how good I felt. I wonder what it means, this dream. It is not the first dream I've had when I see Grandpa Jackson but it is the first dream that we actually spoke and I touched him and hugged him.

After that....he went for a nap! What a kind and loving soul he was....still is.

READING .....

I spent last night reading all my friend T's blogger entries and it has inspired me to write more in my 'journal'. Hmmm it would be nice to add pictures too, but I'm best to keep this simple at first. I like the idea of "doing your craft/art first"....I think I'll adopt that rule as mine too.

I finally have the new 'pute up and running and online .... well except for the mail - I'm very tired of trying everything to get that going...need help. Now I have a new accounting program to learn; just tried the trial disc and it looks like it will be perfect for our small business.

It's a dull rainy day today, a good day to stay here in the office to work and learn something new. A good day to do my craft/art later on as well. I'm currently working on a "Memory Book". At first I shunned this very popular new craft. But then my very first girlfriend, T, sent me pictures of us from a long time ago. I wanted to preserve them in someway; so I've started a book. I feel this first attempt is a bit juvenile but hopefully it will improve as I learn more and let my creative side loose. Already I'm thinking of more books...a vacation book, a book for each of my boys, more girlfriend books, etc.

I have a lovely long weekend to look forward to so now I must get the work and chores done first...yes - the craft will come later on.

Namaste

I'm back....after a crash, I've found my blogger site. You'd think I would have something exciting to post...I will, I will. Give me time.

L