Eating together ...

I don't think I've ever made as many pizza's or loaves of bread as I have in these past few months!

Once I was able to find large bags of flour and yeast again there was no stopping me :-) 

Thankfully, walks with Archer in the morning &  6 mile bike rides in the evening  are part of my day too! 

We added an extra "zoom family cooking show" last week and  met  again on Sunday morning at 11 am to make vanilla cupcakes with buttercream icing to celebrate a family birthday. 

Because I was going to have the oven on anyway

I decided to make a loaf of  raisin/orange bread. 

(I almost added banana bread to the mix, and then thought … too much) 

So now, on the kitchen counter you will find...

a whole wheat and molasses loaf (just enough left for a couple of sandwiches)

a loaf of raisin/orange bread (a few slices have been cut for toast & marmalade)

ten vanilla cupcakes

small square of cornbread (just perfect for this afternoons pick me up with a cup of tea)

The temps have been rising here and in order to keep the house cool this weekends pizza was made on the bbq… 

It was the best one yet! Tasted just like it had been baked in a pizza oven with a fabulous dark crust.

Sitting on the garden swing as the pizza baked, I put a few peanuts out along the deck railing and spent that time watching the birds enjoy their treat. 

Sweet dining companions.

***

We don't need to explain our love.

We only need to show it. 

Onions, tomatoes, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, green olives

Oh yum!

"Food for the body

is not enough

there must be

food for the soul"

~Dorothy Day~ 

strands of a web... holding us

"The day will come 

when you will review your life

 and be thankful for every minute of it.

Every hurt, every sorrow, every joy, every celebration,

 every moment of your life will be a treasure to you

for you will see the utter perfection of the design.

You will stand back from the weaving and see the tapestry,

and you will weep at the beauty of it"

~Neale Donald Walsch~ 

***

I love reading about traditions , folklore, mythology and culture .

 I once read about weavers leaving little gaps in their weavings to let the soul out.

Gaps found in  their woven blankets were not 'flaws' but tiny little soul spaces … Oh how I love this! 

I  think of this when creating my *wild weavings* 

Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

for my ears

***

the power of music!

I love my ukulele & carve out a little bit of time daily to practice.

Every time I hear a new song on the radio I think "hum... I wonder if I could play that on Moonlei (my uke's name)?" 

And that's exactly what happened when I heard "I'm Ready" by the fabulous Sam Smith & Demi Lovato 

"You can't play music

and be mad at anybody.

It'll show in your heart"

~Dickey Betts~ 

for my eyes

***

this sweet cherry tomato plant that sits in the sun on the deck

a gift from my precious grandson... every time I sit outside with my tea and look at this plant I think of him xo

for my mouth

***

I normally bake a whole wheat or a rye bread

but this week it was French white with a gorgeous crust.

Last Friday's "family zoom movie night" was Paddington Bear and I had such a craving for 

marmalade afterwards :-)

This bread was so yummy toasted with marmalade.

Tomorrow's family movie is Wallace & Gromit

ahh … salad :-)

for my soul

***

put the kettle on … 

morning * noon * night

every day

because

a cup of tea is always good for the soul 

for my hands

***

lino cutting

I've had some sheets of lino sitting in my craft cupboard for a while now.

Not as lovely to carve as my usual lino (which was like cutting through butter).

I started off with tiny little Olive Oyl arms which I think will look more like Popeyes when I'm finished :-) 

And since I haven't purchased any art related supplies in months & will soon need to … a little humour … because a sense of humour & seeing the bright/light side of things  is always a good thing!!! 

for my feet

***

grounding/earthing 

walking on the grass, barefoot, in the rain

((bliss))

reflecting on the week

***

Come Let's Speak

of our souls

let's even hide from

our ears and eyes

like a rose garden

always keep a smile

like imagination

talk without a sound

like the spirit

reigniting the world

telling the secrets

uttering no word

let's get away from

all the clever humans

who put words in our mouth

let's only say what our hearts desire

even our hands and feet

sense every inner move

let's keep silence

but make our hearts move

the mystery of destiny

knows the life of

speck after speck of dust

let's tell our story as a particle of dust

~Rumi~ 

whatever is good for the soul ... do that.

Sunday drive sweeties

***

Driving along a beautiful serene stretch of land yesterday, reading Turtle Crossing signs so looking out for them :-) when we spotted these sweet little heads.

Pulled the car over and I got out (thankfully, I had my camera … I had left it at home the week before and came across so many lovely country scenes that I would have loved to have taken pics of).

Oh, seeing this family of Geese and 5 little goslings was good for the soul.

Life goes on … 

***

"I would rather be amongst forest animals

and the sounds of nature,

than amongst city traffic

and the noise of man"

~A.D. Williams~

to please my eye ~ to please my soul ...

after a few days of heavy rain and wind

some of the peony became water logged and heavy...

once the sun came out, most of the stems straightened up

but a few were still lying on the grass

I snipped these off

(giving them a good shake as they are usually covered in ants)

made a little bouquet for the kitchen table

peonies & picket fences

((bliss))

 lovely  crumbled garden lady

was a gift from friends & next door neighbours

who passed her over the fence when they were moving to B.C.

she is treasured

"I grow plants for many reasons.

To please my eye

or to please my soul,

to challenge the elements

or to challenge my patience,

for novelty

or for nostalgia,

but mostly

for the joy in seeing

them grow"

~David Hobson~

~happy Saturday~

d xo

Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

for my ears

***

sitting beside my garden pond listening to the gentle flow of water

"listen to silence

it has so much to say"

~Rumi~

for my eyes

***

hummers in the garden

they are pure magic with feathers

"we should meet in another life,

we should meet in air,

me and you"

~Sylvia Plath~

for my mouth

***

tiny jam tarts (two bite)

to have with afternoon tea

sitting by the pond

watching the hummers ;-)

***

"Would you like an adventure now,

or shall we have our tea first?"

~Alice in Wonderland~

for my soul

***

finding and collecting feathers.

Coming home from a walk with Archer, a black feather was laying on my lawn.

A black feather is a wonderful sign ~ black absorbs light and traps negative energy and is considered a symbol of protection, spiritual wisdom and magic!

for my hands

***

this is where I'm at with the 20" x 40" canvas I started a few days ago … 

I've been taking photos along the way (I don't always remember to do this, and it's a lot of fun to look back at a picture and see all the phases, changes and layers it goes through).  Once I add the eyes the painting seems to come to life & keep me company as I paint.

Archer hasn't been feeling his best these past few months, I think the huge change in our "normal" routine has troubled him. He has always had long walks & off leash time in the woods and our walks now are shorter and more structured. I know he is picking up on my energy as we walk too.

 I hadn't planned on adding a black lab, but this morning , that's what I felt compelled to paint … Lots and lots of layers and details will go into just painting Archer :-D   

for my feet

***

biking

it's something I absolutely love!

CYCOPATH

noun: a person suffering from chronic bike riding disorder with abnormal urges to ride and feel free

(saw this online and it made me smile)… so true!!

I miss long bike rides along the lake,

picnic packed and tucked into my bike basket 

 but trying to get in a few miles every day just pedaling around the neighbourhood. 

reflecting on the week

***

"Tea, I drink that.

Sage, I burn that.

Mantra, I speak that.

Intention, I set that.

Universe,

I trust that.

Love, I am that"

~Ivry soul~ 

to be a peony ...

thank you little ants

thank you rain

***

... this was the garden at 7:30 am

Archer and I had just returned home from our morning walk

and everything looked so fresh after a heavy rain.

 I grabbed my Nikon and took some photos

knowing once the sun came out that they wouldn't look like this much longer.

And this was the garden at 11 am

big fluffy pom poms 

***

To be is a blessing

To live is holy

~Santana~ 

A new canvas & moon water ...

The full Strawberry moon on the 5th and 6th was a beauty!

It's light streaming through the windows of my little Sparrow Studio.

As always, I had my jar(s) of fresh water set out along window sills ready to absorb it's magic.

I'm fascinated when I look at the crystal clear water once the moon has taken over it's properties & it has a very different quality when you paint with it.

I've had this very large stretched canvas tucked between my art cupboard and bookshelf for a while now just waiting for the muse to set it free.

And then … just like that … I stumbled across a word

*Aparigraha* 

a - non

pari - from all sides

graha - to accept 

Combining the 3 - aparigraha : not taking more than you need.

It didn't take long for  thoughts of release  &  being in the present moment * appreciation for what we have * going with the ebb and flow of life

Even though it's 20" x 40" , I approached it the same as I would a smaller canvas or piece of paper...

writing down the "story" … some poetry … a few quotes … 

"not all storms 

come to disrupt your life,

some come

to clear your path"

The words will of course be covered by layers and layers of paint (and maybe even some paper)

but they will be forever a part of the painting

It's so beautiful outside today, that I think my morning will be spent out in the garden

 with my canvas , paints & moon water *  

listening to the birds (I have some very happy Robin's singing and splashing about in the bird baths) 

~happy Monday~

xo d

Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

for my ears

***

I could hear the beautiful song of the Robin getting louder the closer I got this afternoon as I walked around the garden ...

almost hidden, there she was sitting in the trumpet vine 

(can you spot her?)

for my eyes

***

changes in the garden daily

this will be the first Summer that I haven't visited a garden nursery.

this year, it will be enjoying what is already planted.

How ironic that my 2020 "guiding word" was *be*  … just let things be! 

for my mouth

***

I love making soups

and my vegetarian version of a traditional French onion soup is super quick, easy and delicious

& if you light a candle while slicing onions you won't even cry (much) ;-D

for my soul

***

watching Archer enjoying the garden...

he has been slowing down on our walks and having a hard time doing stairs of an evening

my lovely 'old boy' 

to see him act like a puppy on a warm afternoon is good 

for both our souls

for my feet

***

foot on the gas petal 

country drive

just what my feet needed

a nice walk along a country lane

and meeting these sweethearts along the way

for my hands

***

sewing some cute bohemian hair wraps

***

"to succeed in life,

we must stay within our strength zone

but continually move

outside our comfort zone"

~John Maxwell~