"The most wonderful time of the year"

I have been hard at work designing some new gift tags for my Muddy Boot Dreams card line. If you were to look on the side bar you might have seen the three different collections flash by.

There is the blue collection, with the very popular blue tea cup and snail. The amber collection is proving to be a great seller. So is the assorted tags collection, featuring the antique watering cans that my Mom used to use. These are fun, small little cards that are perfect to attach to gift bags, or tuck into a flowering plant. They are available with or without strings. All of them are hand crafted using my original photos.

So if you don't notice me commenting on your blogs as much lately, or find that your comments are not appearing right away, know that I will catch up very soon. I am in the middle of working on a Christmas card line. Retailers are asking for the line earlier this year, and I am singing "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow," trying to get into the spirit of Christmas. After all, "it's the most wonderful time, of the year."

I'm in the garden - Archives

A very simple Sunday, and "I'm in the Garden - Archives today." But everyone can use some yellow in their lives.

Have a peaceful Sunday.

Living life large in the city.

It's summer time, and everyone, and their dog, has their windows open sharing what they normally do in the privacy of their own home, with the rest of the neighborhood.

We who are cooped up all winter, have stretched our boundaries beyond four walls, some beyond propriety. The sneezes shared, the coughing fits, the arguments with the spouse. Carried far past the open windows, into the street where they swirl in a angry dance with other summer noises, and then echo up and down the condo walls, gradually sneaking in and exploding in starlit bursts. This is living life large, in the city. Now at daybreak well before 5 am, and for hours at dusk the seagulls warn of imminent danger, every night relentless, without fail. Wailing constantly, a cacophony of screaming in a sandstorm. Not to be outdone, but barely heard over the gulls, the old guy across the street yells out at passersby to "shut the heck up." Mistaking the screaming seagulls for a cranked up TV. Motorcycles roar, as pipes bend to bursting, jarring, vibrating, and deafening. After they leave the sound hangs in the still air, while our ears readjust to normalcy. This is living life large, in the city.

When it all gets to much I escape. Where there is a stillness, a quietude, the beach calls me. Repeating waves rush foaming over rocks, and cover seaweed with a quieting insulation. A whisper is all that is heard over the tide. The gulls are soundless here, their calls stolen from their beaks before it reaches my ears. This is living life large, in the city.

A note about the beach photos, they are from last September/October, and taken very early in the morning. These are unedited photos, the sky was really that beautiful deep color. I had posted some last year, but I love these so much, and I like seeing them again.

Garden Joy

When a former coworker agreed to let me photograph her garden I jumped for garden joy. Imagine photographing something other than my flowers, and this garden is spectacular. "Seed starter" is a amazing gardener, everything is immaculate, well planned and fulfills the whole concept of having a garden. There is both plants for pleasure, and plants for food. She has started a good portion of the plants from seed herself. And she does it in minimum amount of space inside her garage. After the seeds sprout, they are transplanted into nursery trays, and eventually find their way outdoors. A streamlined process that has inspired me to do a lot more of my own seeding next spring. When I visited in the early morning, the crows were happily guarding the roof line, and dipping chunks of bread in the bird bath. Morning dew sparkled on the grass, and the lilies were in perfect form. Her pumpkins grown in a layered garden bed out back were just green blobs, but by now they should be a brilliant orange. She has a wide variety of plants, and keeps superb records of everything planted, and her vast array of plant knowledge never fails to amaze me. A dedicated plants woman, she is always willing to share information. I am going to have to schedule another visit, just to see the witch hazel turn shades of russet, and burnt oranges, in the late autumn, and I am looking forward to seeing what else is showing color at that time of year. This is a garden of all seasons, and one that gives garden joy to all who see it.

Wednesday Words.

The green grass and the happy skies court the fluttering butterflies. ~Astrid Alauda

I was so happy to follow this little beauty around last summer. I think that she is a painted lady? She finally settled down, and I grabbed my camera. Check the side bar for links to other bloggers who are participating in Wednesday Words.

From a swallow, to a pelican

We live in a youth adoring culture, one that definitely basks in the glow of a life not barely lived, rather than the shimmer of a older age. And for those of us experiencing middle age with it's resulting frown lines, and wrinkles, the fleeting feeling of youth has much appeal. With alternative lifestyle choices going mainstream it seems almost everyone has one, two, or maybe even many more tattoos. I understand the urge to look different than everyone else in a stream of bland normalcy, but I have not yet given way to the urge "to get some ink". I love tattoos, but on other people. I am wondering if my entire generation of ink lovin' mama's are going to be regretting their middle aged decisions sooner than they expected. I am also wondering how the heavily tattooed are going to fare. The ones that have less square inches of untattooed areas than a matchbox. What's going to happen when gravity hits my generation? When the perky little swallow with the cute swirls on the chest resembles something more like a pelican. Complete with drooping beak. When the sun star on the shoulder, becomes a oval shaped egg, with vague squiggly lines emanating from it? What happens when Mom, becomes MMMMMMMoooooooooooommmmmm? Maybe that's when I will realize that for me, I made the right decision.

I'm in the Garden - Archives

Some of the best most colorful plants for the late summer garden are Hydrangeas. Crayola dots in chalky blues, deep marine, and summery whites, fading to a soft pink.

My absolute favorite are the soft blues that fade to a chartreuse green with touches of turquoise/blue when they start to dry on the bush.

Then I know that summer is in it's prime, it is time to capture the blooms both with the pruners for indoor drying. And with my camera, to bloom in the darkest winter days on my computer screen. Have a Happy Sunday.

Timing is everything

There is good timing, and then there is bad timing. Like sneaking off the floor and running into your boss who just came back from lunch. Or having to wait for a 200 car long train, when you are late for a appointment.

It seems that lately my card suppliers have not been working on synchronizing their timing with me. After waiting much too long for my supplier to bring in more card stock and envelopes that I desperately needed, I placed my order with different supplier. Then merely minutes after I confirm the order, my first supplier calls, and guess what just showed up. I am now the proud owner of 1000 envelopes, and another set of 500 envelopes and card stock. Ain't life grand? Maybe I am being given a not so subtle push to get out there and sell some more cards. Or maybe I am being given the opportunity to create something and inspire myself to greater heights. When I look at that box of envelopes there is so much potential streaming out, swirling in the air, drifting with possibilities, it is inspiration unfurling. I can't wait to begin, and all this because of a tardy supplier.

Meeting Summer

I was shopping at the grocery store the other day when I heard some one calling for Summer.

What piqued my interest was her reply that she was coming, I was looking for Summer also, after the cool, wet week of decidedly un-summer like weather we had just gone through. I looked up the aisle expecting to see sunshine, and shimmering heat coming towards me, but all I saw was a tiny little ballerina bowling down the cookie aisle. I've met Summer, and she is quite the going concern. Petite, her hair with it's golden brown highlights bouncing as she jumped up and down. Asking her Grandma give her the best cookies, the brown and white ones. Giggling as she helped to unload the grocery basket. Each task eliciting more giggles from her, she is definitely in the "helpful stage" of her life. Her parents choose well, when they picked her name. She is the personification of the season. Joy, love, giggles, and golden highlights.

Summer, glad to meet you.

Wednesday Words

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change."

Kind of makes you think doesn't it?

Summer you are fading away slowly

Summer, you are fading away slowly, a life well lived now in its golden era. Only a gentle warmth in the mornings, your grasp weakening as you comb through the flowers in the garden. Creeping along with stealth where before you strode boldly. The birds no longer sing in the darkening shadows that play in the leaves of the trees. Your sunlight filters lazily to the ground. Summer you are fading from our grasp, we still need the golden evenings where you sparkled, joy contained like a bubble floating on the breeze. There are now flowers in the garden bending towards your light, shivering in anticipation of a winter to come. A winter that we have forgotten, seduced by your warmth. These are your golden days summer, we will make the most of them now, before you are gone.

I'm at the beach - archives

After yesterdays post, which felt so tranquil to write, I thought it would be nice to have some beach photos from last August. I remember rushing down to the beach in the early, early, morning. I had just bought a new telephoto lens, and the camera was still such a new toy. I could hardly sleep the night before, I was so anxious to try it out.

So here are some more beach photos from last year, I hope that you enjoy looking at them, as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Beach Bliss

Living just minutes from a very beautiful, and popular beach, you would assume we would be spending most of our time living life large in the summer. We don't do the "tourist months". May to August, this city is prey to it's own popularity. Between the loud angry honking of people fighting over the last parking spot, crowds, and the illegal dogs running free, we have learned to leave it to the visitors. We realized what bliss a less crowed beach can bring during a late evening summer visit. Sun staining the faraway islands with a glorious amber tones. Tide lapping at the sand, discarded seaweed lining the breakwater revealing occasional beach glass. It surely is a moment when time stands still. Twilight as you crunch between the logs, colors the end of the beach. There are less people, it is your own private world, and it has stood still in a muted moment of bliss. A occasional seagull swoops by, hoping for handouts, the daily snack of fish and chips devoured earlier. Treasures dot the logs, left behind after a blissful day in the sun. Shoes, sunglasses, and clothing. Sometimes a broken bottle, remnant of last night's party. It is cooler, moister, and quieter. In the gloaming kayaks are loaded up by silhouettes haloed in the fading light. We sit together on the beached, sea smoothed logs, sharing a moment, a sliver of life captured by the camera. Our brains tracing this time into a memory, one to draw out and share years from now. Beach bliss.

Life happens.......moments come, and go.

Life is a balancing act for most of us, life, work, family, and passions teetering on the palm of our hands. Counting out moments to pay bills, give and get hugs, relax, and just enjoy being. Life happens, whether we want it to or not. It seems to be a seesaw, some days there is more work, less joy. Some days the joy bubbles over, but the bank account drains. Finding a balance, a way to enjoy the moments when everything seems to rush by in a state of perpetual blur is difficult. Great for photography, not good for life. There are moments that stand out, finely detailed, remembered not only for their clarity, but for the emotions they evoke. We all have them, personal, cherished, and joyous. There never seems to be enough time to make more, and then suddenly we are awarded another one. That is the thing about life, moments come, and then they go. The trick is to live inside the moment for as long as the bubble lets you, before it floats away into the sky. And becomes nothing more than a memory.

Wednesday Words

"It pleases me to take amateur photographs of my garden, and it pleases my garden to make my photographs look professional." Robert Brault, I will be updating the "Wednesday Words Bloggers" box in the next few weeks, if you are joining in please leave me a comment, so I can link to your name, now that the links are back up again. Thanks, Jen

For you!

I am inspired by sunflowers, and being inspired, I thought that I would share this lovely bunch with you.

Anyone have any idea why my links don't work? At first I thought it was just Blogger, but it has been over a month. If you have a solution, could you please tell me in non computer language.....LOL.

Have a sunny day. Jen

Westham Island Herb Farm

Do you ever do this? Drive by a interesting looking place of business, because you have another destination in mind, and limited time. Thinking to yourself, I must remember to drop in there sometime. Well, last week we did finally drop by and visit Westham Island Farms, and am I ever glad that my BIL turned down that road. And next to fall harvest time, I don't think that we could have picked a better time to make a first visit.

Sunflowers lining the long narrow country road, hulking antique vehicles, and farm equipment ghostlike in the far distance, and patchwork fields of brilliantly blooming flowers greeting you as you step out.

Acres and acres of multi generational farm land, first farmed in 1916. Organic veggies, organic flowers, cats, bunnies, donkeys, cows, and flowers, flowers, flowers. Did I mention cats? Of course a farm must have cats.

Producing farm grown products from early spring to late fall, they host haunted houses, pumpkin patches, and school tours. In the summer they sell honey, fresh farm grown veggies, herbs, and a wide variety of fruit. I am looking forward to the squash harvest, and was told that they grow 7 different types of sweet potatoes, I am so in! Those are my favorites. A highlight of our tour was the working antique Orange Crush soda cooler, that I posted a photo of a few days ago. I have not seen one of those since our long ago family camping weekends, it brought back many good memories.

So if by chance you are out driving around Ladner, and just happen to be near Westham Island, drop by Westham Island Herb Farm, at 4690 Kirkland Road, in Delta. The farm owners are friendly, the cats love people, the produce is amazing, and the flowers are spectacular. A great day to go visit would be September 12th, "A Day At the Farm." Please google Westham Island Farms for more info, since my links still are not working.

I'm in the garden - Archives.

It is supposed to rain today, and a good thing, we certainly can use it. So I found some photos from almost - a year to the date - ago. And they had water in most of them. At least I think it is rainwater, maybe they are taken just after watering the garden. Happy Sunday.

Motorized Menace.

Our aged condo neighbor across the hall is a wonderful guy, with a interesting character. He's a great neighbor with only one problem, he is now a motorized menace. We forgave him when he left the tap running all night into the kitchen sink, which resulted in our condo, and all the storage lockers below him, being flooded with water. We even forgave him, the second time he did it. He left a candle burning down all night, in a plastic candle holder. The black acrid smoke filling his apartment, and the hallways. After much banging on the door he finally woke up enough to open the door, stark naked. I am still traumatized. And I don't which one of us gave the highest pitched girlie scream at the sight of him standing there naked, black smoke swirling around his skinny legs, his hands belatedly hiding the embarrassing parts. He laughed that one off, saying I did not need to call the fire department, but he so easily could have died of smoke inhalation. Now he has a motorized scooter, the kind that the sidewalks, streets, and malls are teeming with. Those dangerous whirling tornadoes that whiz by pedestrians on the sidewalks. He only knows one speed, MAXIMUM. We were surprised to hear a loud repeated banging on our adjoining hallway wall the other day, it was him. He was stuck in the hallway and revving back and forth hitting alternatively the wall, and his doorway. Leaving large holes in the wall, and black marks on the doors, the scooter speed was a high as it could go. Unfortunately this was not the end of the motorized menace. A few days ago, there was a large crash, and the sound of glass breaking. He rammed the glass front doors, and broke one. He approached the front doors with the scooter set on it's highest speed. We spent the night with only a flimsy plywood door for protection. We love him, but it is really obvious that he is no longer capable of driving any motorized vehicle, and he does not understand how this scooter works. We are very concerned that he will topple the scooter over a sidewalk, or dart in front of a car. It comes with lots of safety features, but none of those replace capability. While we don't wish to limit his transportation, this cannot continue. I am curious as to how you would deal with someone that you respect, who no longer is the same person they were years ago. His family is aware of what is going on, but we have not yet spoken to them. It is a difficult subject to broach. Meanwhile, we are reinforcing all the doorways.

Family time

We are having a great visit with my family this week, so if you noticed that I have not stopped by to say hello, now you know the reason.

I wanted to share some photos of Steveston that I took, a bird bath, a chocolate cosmo, and a really cute row of window boxes.

Things will be back to normal in a few days, and then I will show you the rest of the photos that I took. Meanwhile, have a great week.