Merry Christmas to all

This year has been interesting, with selling our house, and moving to a new neighbourhood.

Changes can be challenging, but as long as we are together we keep on truckin'. The tree is up and we managed to make it fit into our little living room. The cats are interested and have been digging into the parcels under it...

The girl has been playing lovely Carols on the piano - filling the house with its magical sounds... And we managed to squeeze this big beastie into our little living room too.

I managed to borrow a few more hours lately to paint a picture or two as well. Always seem to want to add a kitty to the paintings. Love me my cats....

Wishing you a magical, merry Christmas...see you in 2015.

 

 Read the post before this one first, somehow they are mixed up!

 

Hornby Island and on to Sointula......

 

 

There was this amazing market amidst tall tall trees that had a lot of very inspired arts and crafts and victuals! Love these sedums.... givvin' me ideas.

 

 

Hubby appreciated this talented lass and her accordion.

 

Back to Vancouver Island and on northward to Port McNeil and across another ferry to Malcolm Island to Sointula.  Some Finnish folk came to the island in the 1800's to start their own type of Utopian Society and left behind many ancestors that are still there, and a few more who love the quiet simple life there.

We stayed in Sointula Hostel and loooooved it!

 

 

Organic garden where we could pick fresh food for dinner!

 

 

This simple diagram is stapled into my mind now. It seems to have unleashed creative confidence in me. Make art - even "bad" art is good good good.

 

 

and for some reason....

 

 

simple things like this seemed to really tickle me.

 

 

A lot of the old-growth trees were logged and the second-growth trees are now quite big themselves - but look at this massive old fellow secreted away in a quietly-marked path. Absolutely majestic he is. (so is me husband gesturing to the side.)

 

 

eye candy everywhere...

 

 

brightly coloured houses....

 

 

 

and whimsical bicycles here and there....

 

all these inspirations have caused me to begin to paint my socks off.

I am having so much fun. Thanks Sointula. xxoo

 



Long - time - no -blog......

 

 

First of all - We are settled in our new home. We are renting until we find a wee hoose to buy. The space here is limited. I have sorted, turfed, donated and re-organized to make things flow here. This did not stop me from falling in love with this FREE - gold velvet chair that was unwanted and sad at the end of driveway at a garage sale. The newly shorn Henry is posing sporting his Lion Cut. He feels he looks sleek and sultry reclining on gold chair.

 

This summer we took a week and went up-island, to take a ferry or two to reach Hornby Island.

This is a magical spot that is known for amazing beaches and is a hippie-hideaway.

 

 

 

Our campsite was right next to the funky little shopping area full of cool art, clothing, books, yummy food and restaurants.

 

The beach is white sand and surrounded by very unusual rock formations.

 

 

This little house was full of Waldorf - toys and beeswax candles. Situated on a magical fairy-like piece of land with tall trees and a hushed atmoshphere.

 

 

Many housse such as this one that some creative souls pulled out of there imaginations to our realm.

 

 

First shock and then a pall came over us when we heard of Robin Williams passing. Here reading in our paper with photos of him when he visited Vancouver Island while making a movie.

 

The times they are a' changin'.........

It has been a time of lots of changes. We have sold our house and moved. This is not our new place. This is Royal Roads  - a beautiful castle, and garden that we visited on Mothers Day!
 

 

 



We must be willing to get rid of the life we had planned, so as to have the life that is waiting. - Joseph Campbell

We haven't found a house to buy so we are renting - and waiting - and trying to stop and smell the flowers..... 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. - Psalm 3:5-6

Still keeping our dreams alive...

God send us a little home to come back to, when we roam...
red firelight and deep chairs,
small white beds upstairs -
Great talks in little nooks,
dim colors, rows of books,
One picture on each wall,
not many things at all.
God send us a little ground,
Tall trees stand, round homely flowers in brown sod,
overhead, thy stars, O God.
God Bless thee, when winds blow,
our home,
and all we know.
- Florence Bone

Bob Dylan - It Must Be Santa

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night - and a good year! :)

Saltspring 2013!

 Back to Saltspring Island this year for camping. A place where you can let your freak flag fly. hee hee!

 Lots of interesting little shops with interesting, magical, inspirational thinga-ma-bobs.

 This fellow repairs pianos and they are placed here and there around the island for anyone to play!

 Charming little places like this abound.

 A challenging hike (for me anyway) up a mountain revealed the abode of fairies.

A visit to a place like this helps bring back a little magic into your own life. A bit of inspiration to make things beautiful, and to realize the value in that. Planting a garden, adorning your home, creating some art, or cooking some real and good food is an honorable thing to do.

This 'n that

Just a few pics of what is going on around here:
Lovely radishes just seemed to be glowing pinky-red.

 The three amigos - Max has grown into a mighty boy - he is bigger than both Ozzy and Henry now and isn't done yet! He is very sweet tempered and purrs grandly.

 These two set themselves up like this - a couple of posers.

 I am tickled with my wheel barrow - it is a tapestry of sedum.