They grow......they like me, the really like me.

...and the latest update is 4 healthy sprouting lotus ( loti? ) readying for transplant soon to the pond. Perhaps after the freezing nights get warmer though...Brrrrrrr......

The next group of 8 seeds to be happening asap.
Need a Lotus? Doesn't everyone? Talk to me.

Day 10- a pic of your most treasured item

I must admit, at first it was difficult to pinpoint one item in particular.
I  mean I treasure many things, both abstract and tangible:
-Daiv
- our planet, ( especially through the lens of my camera )
-friends and family
-the sunshine falling through cedars
-the vibrations of the past through the touch of old stones in far away places
-the sound of purring kitty on my shoulder
-a muddy dog with tongue hanging out after a really good run at the lake

I could go on and on but this is asking for one specific item so I will oblige.

There is one thing in my possession now, that I have cherished as long as I remember and it is that 1 thing I treasure above all else. It is what I would take out of a burning house, once Daiv and furries were safe...

It is a tiny Tea House.

 It first made its home in my grandparents house.

Visiting, I would sit on the floor in front of the coffee table and be oh... so... careful.... the joy of all those moving mini shoji screens and removable parts, playing with it for hours.
It is a puzzlebox house - every single teeny piece comes apart...nary a nail.

I would imagine the people living inside, the worlds they came from. I think it was truly my first directing gig...the set, the scene, the players.
I was 4.

It is a piece of history that is tangible and shelters the remembrances of special times visiting Nan and Gramps, of being treated as a grown up with my lime cordial and peak freans, and being trusted to play with the  Tea House. A time of wishes sent to the wishing well in back of their home, of playtimes "doing" Nan's hair while avoiding Ming, the cat.....the mean hissy cat.

After Nan and Grams were gone, I was asked what I wanted to remember them by......that question was easy. The teeny Tea House.

It is a truly treasured item that I am happy to now have in my home, on the mantel.
I still play with it and imagine the people who live there and remember being 4.....and in awe....of the Tea House

Day 9- a pic of the person who has got you through the most

This is easy.....Mumzie .. In a word....she is the best Mumzie ever.

Houston we have lift off...

I woke and wandered sleepy faced to the container holding my lotus seeds to change the water and hope for a miracle and what do my eyes behold?




A SPROUT.

I did not kill them.......
So excited. One green sprout, and at least one other with a green tip poking through promising to sprout soon.

6 days after scarifying them and placing them in water we have sprout lift off.

Things don't look good in lotus town

Please send some love to my little lotus flower seeds.

There is a fuzzy layer around the outside of the pod, that I hear can spell death to seeds.
I will be changing water frequently and leaving under the light....but eeeekkkkk.
All paws are crossed.
The largest white tipped seed does have a sprout showing......so hopeful come on little dudes.

Day 8- Pic of my night...

They did not request a specific night so I am going to add  a picture I took atop Mt. Tolmie during the "super moon" event recently.

A gorgeous and clear night , albeit  F-F-Freezing cold,  high over the city.
David, Niko and I tromp around Victoria with my tripod and camera gear to capture the moon event.

I like this pic of the streets of Victoria, and the headlights of the cars buzzing past.

The Angry Birds..they come........

Ha ha ha ha ha ...so good. I had to share with all of you.
 I still can not make it past level 12 dammit.

http://www.wsbt.com/sns-rooster-teeth-angry-birds-trailer-20110330,0,1208483.htmlstory

Day 7- pic of the person I do the most f*cked up things with...

Hmmmmm I have had several days to think about this and it has different faces for different parts of my life,  as I am sure it is for you as you reflect on some of the more ummmmm wacky antics in your pasts.

The one constant who, without fail, I find myself in the strangest situations with time and time again is my partner, David.

We can't leave the house together without something happening.
Perhaps a lost dog jumps in the open window of the car at a stop light, or  a woman runs from a dangerous situation straight into Daiv,  or we find a rodeo/carnival in the middle of Navajo Nation where such a thing really does not belong and bang, in comes a tornado ( see above pic ).

Whatever strangeness it involves, you can be sure, Daiv and I are in the thick of it.
I assure you we do not go looking for it, but somehow it finds us anyway *giggle*.

Do you have a good memory of the two of us I have not mentioned?
 Write me and tell me all about it in the comments.

Everyone has someone in their lives like this...who is yours?

The Lotus.....step one- germination

Can I grow my own water lotus and water lilies from seed?
Good freakin question. I know that the cost of these already potted at the nursery is astronomical, so I am endeavoring to try.

I researched and ordered some seeds through a reputable seller on ebay.

My seeds came with a handful of instructions that seem.......well......straight forward enough?

I am going to blog about these growing adventure in the hopes it could help others, that others can comment and help me, and that perhaps we can stick it to the man a bit over the cost of pond plants :)

The water lotus seeds came in these packages...

I am choosing two of each colour to start for a total of 12 plants. These seeds have a very long shelf life, so am hopeful for more in the future.

First it says  you must  scarify or cut into the hard outer shell of the pod.

Hmmm I tried a couple of things....

-exacto knife is recommended to nick the top, ummmm cut the seed in half  'oooops, sorry little lotus' 

( notice the little white bit in front of the knife in pic )....

- a pair of small needle nose pliers and my fairy cheese grater ( so named as it was part of a teeny set of teeny baking utensils given to us by Bruno and Bruce for our Faery Wedding ) finally did the job.

Important to note that I needed to put the seed pod in the round wire cutter part, the needle nosed end simply worked as a great slingshot for the pod *rolls eyes*..

Once each little pod showed a sliver of white, like the inside of a coconut, I placed them in a see through container cleaned with just water ( no soap ) and added warm water to it.

Hmmmm a few are sinking, a few are floating...I have no idea what that means....

I need to change the water twice a day, or as it gets cloudy and keep it about 21 degrees celcius ( 70 for you American peeps )

I hope in 1-4 days, I will see the sprout of a little green stem...

meanwhile the red night flowering water lily tubers simply required being placed in a container of warm water....

Okay everyone.....GROW!!!!!

Day 6- pic of someone/thing who makes you laugh

This question asked..."who/what makes you laugh?"  makes one go tromping through memory lane.
Oh man...the memories....

I am blessed with a lot of wonderful people in my life. I know this and appreciate everyone so much for all the gifts they possess.

It is not hard however to pick the one person above all others who consistently makes me laugh messy giggles, hysterical guffaws, tears down face have to pee, kind of laughter that hurts your face, and that person is Kirstie.

She is simply one of the most shameless gigglers of all time with an infectious, mischevious spirit and the fun we have together is unlike any other. 'Trouble', is one way we have been described together.

Sadly, we can only get together every couple of years, from our far off worlds, and release some of the giggle steam that has been building. I would love to have a little of that every day.

This pic is Kirstie and I, moments after she convinced me to look in the fountain in Gijon and look for the invisible fish..
umm *SPLASH* is what I got instead.

In our current state of turmoil in the world...laugher could well prove to be our best ally.

Love you Kirstie...

DAy 5 - pic of something you love...

I love crows.

 From the classroom crow named Toby who hung out on a  window ledge beside me in grade 6 begging lunch scraps, to the crow we rescued as a baby and hand fed with an eye dropper for three months
( every 90 minutes -yeesh) and who became our ' Indigo'  staying with us for 8 years, to the mystical and magical stories of crows through the ages.

I love crows.

Day 4- pic of something you'd like to do again

Again please?
Put me on a train anywhere in Europe and I am happy, happy, happy.
 This pic was taken on a nightrain from Cologne to Prague.
I whiled away the hours catching up on postcards, listening to music and plotting my next adventure.

Earlier I had met some wonderful peeps who I shared a picnic with at the train station while waiting for our train as it was late - story about that  in "Cueing Up" from 2009 http://sweetgrass-sweetgrass.blogspot.com/2009/11/cueing-up-orwill-this-line-ever-end.html
Every moment made a little sweeter by the smells, sounds, people, etc that you meet at train stations.

There is  Simply no better way to travel, in my humble opinion, than on a train in Europe.

Again Please!

Day 3- pic of cast of favourite tv show

Well this one is easy.
'Tiga Talk' of course.
I am including the cast and crew photo and yes it does include me :)
Not sure if this is breaking the rules of this 30 day thingy, but well...don't care. * giggle*

I have never been much of a rule follower :)
Click on pic to make bigger.

Curious about this television show? Check them out at http://tigatalk.com/

Day 2, pic of myself and Someone I have been closest to the longest

Cindy and I have been BFF since Grade 4 at Willows Elementary.
Many funny, dramatic and hand holding times through the years.

 This pic is from a New Years Eve Party sometime in the early 90s at Daiv and my's old house.
I can hear her saying, as she looks upon this pic." Oh man, it hurts"

Love ya Miss Cindy Loo Hoo.

Day 1- 30 days

15 facts about me..hmmmmmm....in no particular order

1-  I like to sing really loudly and badly when I am alone
2-  rain is not my friend and I do not wear gray well at all.
3-  Diana Gabaldon is my guilty reading pleasure
4-  I was walking at 7 months old, to the chagrin of my poor Mumzie
5-  neither of my hyphened last names are my original last name
6-  I am a gypsy that craves an anchor. A challenging contradiction
7-  I do not fear death or dying, but bats????? Yup, I fear them
8-  I have had to dress up in a bear costume over 30 times in my life and not all for the same job
9-  Lemurs are my favourite animal in the world
10-This is me..I was Russian in a past life, painted by Daiv

11-I do not sing in the shower, but I hum when I brush my teeth
12-I am really very shy. I am just noisy to cover it up
13-wanted to be a vet and would 'borrow' neighborhood animals to practice bandage wraps in my room when I was little. I returned them :)
14-the first song I remember memorizing all the lyrics to was 'Hotel California' I think I was 6.
15-I often want to drop everything and simply travel the world taking photographs

30 days

I am going to attempt to do this everyday for thirty days :) I encourage you to try it as well. A lovely way to capture memories through images.

day one . A picture of yourself with fifteen facts
day two . A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
day three. A picture of the cast from your favorite show
day four. A picture of something you'd like to do again
day five. A picture of something you love
day six . A picture that makes you laugh
day seven . A picture of the person you do the most fucked up things with
day eight . A picture of your night
day nine . A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
day ten . A picture of your most treasured item
day eleven . A picture of something you hate
day twelve . A picture of your favorite memory
day thirteen . A picture of your favorite band or artist
day fourteen. A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
day fifteen . A picture of something you want to do before you die
day sixteen . A picture of someone who inspires you
day seventeen . A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
day eighteen . A picture of your biggest insecurity
day nineteen . A picture and a letter
day twenty . A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
day twenty one . A picture of something you wish you could forget
day twenty two . A picture of something you wish you were better at
day twenty three . A picture of your favorite book
day twenty four . A picture of something you wish you could change
day twenty five . A picture of your day
day twenty six . A picture of something that means a lot to you
day twenty seven . A picture of yourself and a family member
day twenty eight . A picture of something you're afraid of
day twenty nine . A picture that can always make you smile
day thirty . A picture of someone you miss

OHM?

Kim attempts to meditate!

Chetna Tracy Boyd of Dancing Lotus Yoga http://www.dancinglotusyoga.com/ was giving a yoga workshop for Tumbleweeds Theatre last week and demystified what meditation is for me a little bit.

'Start with the breath, bring awareness back to the breath'  she told us.

 I could do that. I am a vocal coach for heavens sake, I teach people how to connect with their breath all the time, I can do that.

During this class I found that I was able to  really achieve a place of stillness. The whole group aged 6-20 achieved this stillness. It was magic. Chetna is magic.
 I wanted to bring it home really badly. I wanted to give meditation a shot.

I made my first real attempt to meditate this evening.
With all the upheaval in the wake of the quake in Japan and the Tsunami, the worries about the impact on each person's life there and its far reaching effects, and now the reactors...... I needed to find a way to still my energy,   to get some sleep and some balance.

I made a conscience decision to sit and meditate.

I gathered up a couple of  big comfy pillows and sat, fingers in the "ok" position on my knees and started to concentrate on my breath.

It went a little something like this;

Breathe in, Breathe out
Okay that is good, I am breathing

......my nose itches

*scratch*

ooops, breathe in, breath out

Breathe in, Breathe.....
why am I am holding my jaw so tight?
*Relax jaw...relax.....*

Breathe in, Breathe out
Breathe in, Breathe out.....

there is a hair on my eyelashes.....
* remove cat hair , scratch nose, shift sitting position*

Oh yeah  breathing, wow it is easy to forget to concentrate on breathing. I wonder if everyone gets distracted like this when they meditate? Is this something that should simply happen? Am I doing it right, my foot is going to sleep....

holy crap....oops again

Breathe in, Breathe out.
Breathe in, Breathe out.
Breathe in, Breathe out. Cool I have rhythm....
Breathe....

What was that? Is the cat  on the counter?
* listen*
'Nessa get down'

Okay, back to breathing- how long have I been at this anyway?

*exhale*
Breathe in, Breathe out.

I like this, it is a very peaceful feeling.

Breathing.....just breathing.

Who knew, so is this meditating?

I feel relaxed....
Daiv should try this, maybe mumzie would like this.
Is this what dogs do when they are sleeping with their eyes open and then they have those doggy dreams where they woof and snort and wiggle their paws like they are running in a field?.....

Crap, right....
Breathe in, Breathe out.

Why is it so hard to simply concentrate on breathing? This is ridiculous. Okay Kim, get with this, it is BREATHING for chritsake......
BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT DAMMIT!

Holding my jaw again...ugh...
* relax the jaw...
make a conscience choice to breathe a little deeper and try to send relaxing energy through my limbs.....
through my fingers....*

my hands are dry, I should put more moisturizer on them, maybe the creamsicle lotion, no smells too sweet for bedtime, keri lotion better...

OMG there I go again. This is crazy. I just want 30 seconds of nothing but breathing.

Brea....
Okay now I am just irritated.....not peaceful at all......
 ugh.....
*open eyes and see big wet dog nose looking at me on the floor*

'What? You've never seen someone meditating Niko?'

He pokes me with his nose...
Sigh...seems a belly rub takes precedence over my meditation time for the moment.

Social Media, is it simply old fashioned correspondence?

I recently began a wonderful book " The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society".
It has me musing over the past.

We often hear talk about the onslaught of social media- the texting, the private messages on FB , our status updates, group invites et al, as if this is somehow new and bad.
The degeneration of human to human contact, the faceless intimacies. " He broke up with me in a text"

The book I am currently reading....
 (  I still can NOT get on the reading books online, bandwagon. I like  to smell  the paper and feel the book in my hands. Books are friends to be revisited over and over not transiently fleeting across a screen to disappear into the air - but I digress ... :) )

The book I am currently reading has rekindled a nostalgia in me.
It occurs to me  we have been here before.

I shift my thoughts back in time to elegant monogrammed calling cards being delivered to its intended by black and white clad butlers with white linens hanging off one arm.

Daily notes exchanged between BFF in stark white envelopes atop silver plates and crisp folds holding  little snippets of a life.

 Gentlemen  declaring their undying love for their betrothed with delicately structured prose dancing across parchment.

Appointment cards marking the social status of a life, dance cards filled with potential partners.

A time when we spoke  through the written word more eloquently and with more candor than society allowed face to face.

I think on these things and I wonder if we have come a sort of full circle.

Is texting the new calling card?

Do our status updates compare to those  letters between friends we find so fascinating from Jane Austen's world?

Will the telephone be replaced by the texted/twittered/FB word and if so, what does that mean for our language in the future?

Will smilies take over from 'cordially yours' ?

Will texting become the new dance of the prose of intimacy?

I do not profess to understand all this and I can not even begin to imagine what comes next.
I do however think I will start paying closer attention to my texts and, iphone spelling allowing, re adopt the 'cordially yours' of yesteryear.

Cordially Yours;
Kimmee

Smell that? Me neither.

When I find something I love I do have a tendency to shout about it from the rafters. I just get so damned excited.

Some of you will remember my discovery of fridge smarts by Tupperware and my demos of 3 week old, 'snap fresh' celery....lol
Today I am shouting out about the cleaning products from Norwex.

My samples were delivered to me by my friend Angela who also represents these products and that night
I cleaned my enormous bathroom  mirror with a an antibacterial cloth, dampened with just water.
I was skeptical, really  seriously skeptical, but in about 7 big swipes and  a quick wipe over with the polishing cloth, no streaks, and crystal clear- sparkling.
Where was the struggle, the sweat?
Where was the endless futile wipes to clean this surface of lint and the overpowering smell of windex or vinegar?
Seriously, if cleaning could be this easy, I could become a convert and spend more time doing this....lollolol
My partner is also becoming a huge fan. The mop system is winning the battle of dust and hair with our furries. This is a REALLY  big deal in our house.
I have not see a fur tumbleweed for a week. There is simply less dust. I am sold.

So I am sharing......cause..well.....these are worth it.
here are some reviews of the products...
http://www.healthiergreeneryou.com/news

and here is my friend's website
http://www.angelasellsnorwex.com/

I am having a gathering for demos etc, but if you are not a joiner type, try this on your own.
Fewer chemicals in our world, while maintaining clean environments is a good thing.

A great shopping site in Morrocco

Okay, so you may know I really like  traveling the world, and yet ..sigh... here I am stuck on my island perch.
Therefore I scan markets on the internet for groovy fair trade things and bring the world to me. Occasionally I find something I want to share.

http://www.frommoroccowithlove.com/

Is a place I have found and want to tell the world about. It is helping children receive an education, dental health, school supplies etc

Check out the site, read 'our story' and do a little scoping through their items.
I like this and the woman that started it.

Elevensies

So this staying at home thing is wearing thin, and even though I have no energy to speak of, I can follow the cats about  once in a while and catch their goofiness.
Nothing fancy, just a little moment in time when Harlo thinks it is time for elevensies and Nessa wonders why she was woken up from her nap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGNUWx6-T1A

Home sick but entertained

I hate being sick.  I always feel so defeated by my body.
However, once in awhile something comes along to make me laugh, even when feeling like a dark mud puddle....

I thought I would share it with you.
'Booba's New Shoes'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDxrfEeRYAk&feature=player_embedded

this 'cat vs printer' is also right up there....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSK1D3bZhRs&NR=1

Chugs?????

Okay....I just don't get it.
 Once upon a time, there were purebreds and mutts.

The mutts were, and are, awesome dogs. The purebreds with their papers, and strict breeding requirements, could be pricey, but that is the way it was.

Now???????
Shorkey ( yorkie and schnauser X)
Chugs ( pug and chihuahua X )
labradoodle ( Okay I get this ....they have become a breed )
malti-poms ( pomeranian and maltese )
Shnoodles?
and one place offering....Cockapoo’s, Shih-tzu-poo’s, Yorkie-poo’s, Peke-a-poo’s. Pom-poo’s
ummmmmmm SAY IT WITH ME PEOPLE- mutts!

These are all going for serious dollars and it seems every 'Dog, Digger and Harry' are selling mutts for upwards of $500.00

Now don't get me wrong, you should be able to afford a dog, and paying for a puppy is part of that....but Come Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Mutts are mutts.
I for one, would like to re-establish the importance of the word 'mutt' in our vocabulary and stop home breeders from procreating their pets as  their own golden cash cow.

Rescue a dog from your local rescue...they do good work, you save a mutt, the money goes back to help them do more good things for animal kind.

It's a new year.

Welcome 2011.

I am thinking back on the past year, and realizing that while  happy and successful, there was not much breathing time. Therefore, 2011 will be the year of balance.

More time for friends and family, more time to spend on photography and music.....more balance.
I am saying this now so there is evidence and when show season hits, remind me I said this please :)

Now back to chasing frost on berries with my macro lens.

damn spammers

Due to the inordinate amount of spammers leaving comments for nude pictures....I am limiting the ability to leave comments for a time...apologies, but it is getting ridiculous. Some of you may be able to leave comments....but anonymous posters will be unable to.

Thanks for understanding. I really do like hearing from you all, near and far.

quick fly by

To wish you all a very Happy New Year.

I hope your holidays have been peaceful and full of friends and families.
Ours has been  full of good friends and family, good food and great nog :)

I am excited to see what 2011 brings.

Can someone explain to me how this is okay?

I am so frustrated and angry about this. I have written the following letter to local news hoping they will investigate further and encourage you to do so as well.

I mean...am I missing something here?

'Each Christmas, Thrifty Foods generously shares a bonus with their employees. Something that has been done for years.

Thrifty foods is also known for hiring adult workers with special needs, many of whom survive on disability pensions.

As I understand, a worker on a disability pension is encouraged to work and allowed to make up to $500.00 per month, above the amount they recieve on their pension cheque, without consequence.

Thrifty's is very good about ensuring hours are kept within this so as not to have people lose pension monies by working for them.

I have however discovered the bonus that Thrifty Foods gives to all of its employees - approximately $350.00- will be taken OFF the pension cheques of those workers who also receive a disability pension. These workers will not be allowed to have their bonus.

The workers with disabilities are being penalized because they have 'ostensibly' made more than $500.00 in a month even though it is a bonus and given as a gesture of goodwill.
A bonus like this says thank you.
It offers an opportunity to feel good about oneself, to feel connected to their larger community and it helps out people at a time of year when we all need a little extra.

I am outraged that the gov't is bound by such tight guidelines that a bonus may not be enjoyed by a person with disabilites, the same way an able bodied person could, and it screams of discrimination to me.'

The Cutest Rein-dog on the planet

Niko loves to dress up and will smize and give me many poses when I pull out the camera..

Seriously cute dog!

After a hard day of chapeau modeling and herding cats..Niko takes a nap with his Ginger bread Teddy.

Dear Grinchy Feet

I know you may find some humour in the timing of my foot disasters at holiday time, but I personally find them to be extremely troublesome and disruptive.

It is the holiday season once more.

Let's take a look at our history.

I know the time you made me trip over that crack in the cement right before a show went up, 2 weeks before Christmas and broke my foot, you thought you had me beat.

But I was too resilient.. A cane and a David and I got better fast.

You did not win. Christmas still came....you could not stop it or me.

And let's talk about that time you saw fit to send me hurling down a flight of stairs Christmas morning only to crack a tailbone and smash the presents I had worked so hard to make when I landed ( decoupage plant pots I was carrying )......

and yet, Christmas still came.

Then there was the time you tripped me over a small child's toy during rehearsals for Thomasina Sawyer, 2 weeks til opening.......sprained my ankle......but ...ha.....I kept going and got better.

and now? Now....you have plagued me with this achilles tendonitis thing.

Acute at first 2 years ago, just a tease for what was to come. You even had to throw the extra irony of delivering me this blow in Greece...."Achilles Tendonitis" ...in Greece...ha ha ha very funny!

...but.... the laugh was on you.....physiotherapy and a little rest and some Santa magic and once more Christmas could not be held up by your evil green ways Grinchy feet.

So today....you wave that gnarled toe at me and cause yet another flare up of your stupid tendonitis.

That is just mean oh heartless one.

You can huff and you can puff and you can turn yourself green....but Christmas WILL come once more...because you see...... I have something you will never understand......I've got the Who's down in Who ville cheering and singing! Music soothe the savage beast.

So there Green Grinchy Feet...you get one day, that is all.......rest from the bustle for one day...and then you are banished once more.

I WILL see Christmas on two feet..the bells, the singing, the joy.

The hot cocoa and fireside chats.

I am betting it will even come with snow!

So take that, I have some snow boots now and I am kicking your green ass to the curb!

Haul out the Holly....

It's the most wonderful time of the year..bedeck the halls and watch the magic the lights, the sleeping furries, and the fairies all bring to home and hearth for the holidays.

Sigh..... I heart the tree.

Breaking out with photography at craft fairs...come on down

I am about to start selling some of my photographic images as art cards at local craft fairs thanks to the generosity of a couple of great cheerleaders of mine Issy and Bruno.

I wanted to mention if you are in town perhaps go and treat yourself and others this season and take in a couple of terrific fairs, with gift ideas for everyone and support handmade locally :)

Mosaic Learning Centre is at the Esquimalt Legion from 10:00-4:00 Saturday December 4th with monies going to help programs for children and youth with Autism, including theatre, art an music...

Bruno is seling some of his beautiful paintings and will share his table with my art cards.

and Royal Oak Middle School's craft fair is the same day, from 10:00am-3:00

Gothic Glass Studio ( Issy) is hosting the table and selling her beautiful stained glass and OOAK jewelry as well as some of my cards.

Have a look at her store on Etsy ( click on quoted title )

"Gothic Glass Studio"

The Perfect Picture of a Snowy Day

Snow......sigh....I love Snow.

Niko and I set off to find a little snow paradise amongst the frost tipped trees and the ice surfing ducks at Beacon Hill park.

To TV in the living room or not to tv in the living room...

Yes, this is the question du jour.

I hate the big black box in the main room of the house and so after some half a dozen years......we are trying out the box in the bedroom for a month ( and also to make room for the large Christmas tree in the main room..tee hee hee)

But I wonder as I write this.....

When did the art of conversation get replaced by by talking heads in a box?

When did family time, reading, music, crafts, kitting et al need to be replaced by this medium?

If the medium truly is the message....the message sucks and we are in trouble.

Well I for one, have had enough. Out, out I say damn box....fie fie my lord doth protest, but.....I have come out victorious.....for the moment.

SNOW

I know I write about this every year, and here I am talking about the snow falling once more, but I can not help myself. It is all so exciting and beautiful. There is nothing as magical as the quiet of the world when the snow is falling.

My dog Niko could stand to learn that he is a snow dog however. Currently he is being shown up by two snow loving cats chasing snowballs on the deck, and the big Alsakan Husky? He is sleeping in his bed, suspicious of the white stuff.

He does not like his paws to be cold in the snow so we bought him some snow boots....lolol..a little videop for you all to enjoy..click on the title below.

The Snow Boots

A new frontier

Well helloooooo.

I am back.

I know I have been away for awhile and I have missed you but want you to know I am back and more determined than ever to bring my conversations to you all here on this blog. I hope to hear from you, comments are always welcome and exchange of subscribers is a great way to find out what's cool in blogworld.

I have been a little busy, classes are in motion, plays in production and the house needs its usual attention.

We said goodbye to a wonderful friend in our 16 yr old dog "Sage" in October, and that saw me needing to recharge a bit before becoming wordy once more.

I will devote a post to Sage, so more on that to come.

Currently I am simply mad about my new macro extenders. I have a kenko macro extender tube that I purchased at Kerrisdale Cameras ( props to those guys...they rock ) and have been entranced with the teeny, curious and buglike ever since.

This is my latest, and if you know me even a little...you will know I really detest bees/wasps and spiders, yet I find myself, nose to wing with them these days as I oberve the beauty in their furry little legs and the formation of their wings.

It is not just bugs though....these roses take on a new beauty through this perspective and Niko's nose and eye have detail like I can't believe.

It is a whole new world in the teeny places we do not normally turn our gaze and I am loving it.

What teeny things do you all enjoy, and do you have any thoughts about what to turn the lens on?