Heaven, I'm in heaven...

I just saw The Green Mile the other night. I really liked it, despite my disdain for so-called faith healers.

Where's Waldo?

The true meaning of Christmas

W and I helped out my sister's friends' family on Christmas Eve give out cookies to the homeless on the Vancouver East Side. She had decided to show her kids that there are always people worse off than yourself, and I think they saw that in no uncertain terms. The kids were so excited. They were running up to everyone (no matter how scary they looked!) and wishing them a Merry Christmas, and handing them a bag. The people seemed so genuinely touched and maybe felt just a little better for a brief moment. Vancouver is a city that has both the wealthiest, and the poorest postal codes in the country. We happened to grow up in the wealthiest (back before it was as wealthy as it is now!) and the poorest is situated on the downtown eastside, Main and Hastings being the worst area. It was pouring rain that day, but we managed to give out about 130 bags in 1/2 an hour. Without a doubt I'll do it again next year.

Camping days...

This was a camping trip we did last summer with my Dad up at the Randy Stoltman Wilderness area.

Christmas

I love Christmas. If I could only have one Christmasy thing in my life, I think it would have to be the lights. I'd really miss the food, but the lights fill me with joy and wonder like nothing else. It must twig some sort of childhood memory or something.

A bird in the hand...

I can't remember how that expression ends, but who cares???? This is a hummingbird that got trapped at W's parents house, and he saved the day by capturing and releasing it.

Puppy love...

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It's Sunday...

and Yul just won Survivor... yes... I still watch Survivor!I was kind of pulling for Ozzie, but Yul was just as deserving.

Summer dreaming

This was a couple of summer's ago at Brunswick Beach near Lions Bay. It was such a perfect day. Swimming in the ocean, an evening kayak, beautiful sunset... a girl can dream, right?

Wind storms...

We've just had another winter storm... and it's not even winter yet! There's another coming tonight, so we better batten down the hatches!

Snowy days

Here's what I missed when I was in Toronto. Yes, its cold, but its so beautiful! Unusual for Vancouver, we don't get a lot of snow in general.

Anonymous Art Show

This is a piece I did for the Anonymous Art Show at the North Van Arts Council. What happens is that artist's can submit up to 3 works on an 8x8x1.5 canvas. The pieces are hung in the gallery, but the artist's name is not shown until the buyer buys the piece. Each piece is $100.00, and the charity gets half, and the artist gets half. I did 2 pieces, this one sold-yay! The other one not yet.... or maybe ever... its kind of ugly, but it is interesting, so for that I am proud. I wonder who bought it?

Matchbox Advent

This is an advent calendar that I made a couple of years ago. It's made out of matchboxes, and I really love it! You open a box each day until the 25th, each one contains a little treasure.

Back from Toronto

Just spent 2 weeks in Toronto, where it's usually below zero and snowing at this time of the year. This time it was unusually warm, 15 degrees, total Vancouver weather. Ironically, Vancouver had the coldest November on record. It was -15, and snowed for about 3 days. The city shut down. I hate cold weather, but I'm kind of sad that I missed the big storm of 2006. It's been a bad season for storms, and this was just on top of having to boil our drinking water for 2 weeks, due to storm after storm, bringing heavy rainfall. Fun! This is Henry in the snow. He loves it, but his hair gets snowballs all over, as you can see from this photo.

Scary stuff kids!!!!!!!!

We were ambitious this year and carved 4 pumpkins... I was eating pumpkin seeds for a week... I did a Cajun spice on them this year, and they were really addictive!
Warren did the skull and the well endowed mud flap witch... and I did the cat and the broomstick witch. Oh so fun!

Magnum PI (or is it DI?)

Here is Henny Boy on Halloween. He was either a Lost castmate, or Magnum PI...we're not sure which...
He had a pretty rough few days. He is really scared of the fireworks, firecrackers etc. Trembling, quaking, shaking, so sad. We just had take out from the new Memphis Blues BBQ, so he's in his happy place again.

Camoflage

Warren took this picture of a Grouse at a house he was inspecting in the British Properties. They aren't the smartest birds in the world. Warren started making the noise they make (sort of a throaty Whoomp whoomp) and the dumb bird must have thought he was the weirdest looking Grouse making the mating call, and came close enough for Warren to take this photo.

FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Friday's. I love coming home and knowing I can stay up late and sleep in. I'm realising more and more how lucky I am to have this small luxury. My friends and sister with kids remind me of it quite often... in no uncertain terms...

I forgot how bloody cute he was!

Henry at 4 months old. Really... he's still just as cute, but there's just something about a puppy, isn't there?

Back to school...

I took an encasutic painting workshop today. It was a blast! Now I have ANOTHER hobby to pursue ...

Mushroom House

This is the coolest house in Whistler. My friend T used to live down the street from it. It looks like Hobbits would be perfectly at home there... you should see the inside! I only saw it on TV, mind you...

Henry in a tube top...

OK, I know I put a lot of pictures of my dog up here, but really... how cute is this? He was only 3 months old, and on his first camping trip. He was cold, and my my Dad had a bag of toques and dickies that he brings camping with him (don't ask!) so we put one on Henry to keep him warm!

Away...

I want to get on a plane and go somewhere...
I need a real vacation. I haven't sat on a beach for a long time, like 15 years. OK, I've sat on the beach here, and in Osoyoos, but a TROPICAL beach, it's been a bit too long...
I'm thinking Cuba would be nice. A little Salsa, maybe?

I'm ready for a long weekend.

Sharp Dressed Man

Yes, this is Henry in a lovely Calvin Klein button down shirt that I bought for my nephew at Century 21 in New York City a couple of years ago. I only dress him for special occasions... (tongue firmly in cheek!)He looked particularly fetching in the Hawaiian shirt for my sisters 30th birthday party last year... He got to wear it when said nephew went to bed... didn't get a picture of that though... Halloween is coming up though!

Another bird...

Lost starts tomorrow. I know its sad to be so excited for TV, but this is such a good show! I got sucked into the Bachelor last night. I'm so glad I'm not one of "those women"...
I think Warren enjoys watching it just to hear my scathing commentary to the screen.

Woody?

This is a Flicker (?) that we noticed around the area last fall when we moved in to our apartment. It disappeared in early spring, and recently made its return...
I've become the biggest bird nerd... We have feeders out, and get 5 or 6 different species of Finch, Sparrow, Chickadee and my personal favorite, the Bush Tit. No, not a typo...
We've also had a Hummingbird (just once!) and recently a Stellar's Jay.
See? Bird nerd.

2 Fishies...

I'm having a bad day. You know when you have about 3 or 4 things that just HAVE to be done, then all it takes is one more little thing to push you over the edge...
That was my day. I wallowed in some misery and felt sorry for myself, but feel much better now.
Plan for the night, sit on couch, eat chocolate.

My pad...

This is our dining room table and chairs. The table was a real find, as its a vintage 1960's teak piece from Denmark. The store had just put it in the window when I happened to walk by, and I just knew it would be perfect. The chairs are new, but reproductions of the classic Arne Jacobsen design called Seven. At first I wasn't sure about the white with the teak, but as soon as I saw them together I loved it.

At the beach

Here is a picture of me and Henry when he was only about 4 months old.
On another note, this is a sort of private beach that we'd go for picnics and swims. That year a body washed up on the shore... haven't swam there since!

Botanica...

This is a series of collage/mixed media paintings I've been doing. The background is old, yellowed book pages. I love sheet music, foreign writing, the yellower the better!
The image is from an antique botanical journal.
See more at www.botanicablocks.blogspot.com.

Family collages for my Mom's 60th birthday

These scans aren't the greatest, I'm still learning how to use the darned thing... but you get the idea anyways...
These are mixed media collages, using old family photos and transfer techniques. The small one is a photo of my Mom when she was small.

Artist Trading Cards

These cards are a new phenomenom that I find really interesting... they are small cards usually 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 ", and they are original art cards that you trade with other artists. There are internet Yahoo groups devoted to trading and swapping these things...

My boy...

This was Henry at about 4 months old. He was so black! For months people kept asking how old my "old timer" was, because he was going from black to grey. Hello? He's a puppy!
We did know that the colour change would happen though, he'll probably continue to get lighter as he gets older.

Pinnochio

This is a mask I bought in Florence a few years ago. It was this cool little shop where the artist was also the shopkeeper. He spoke almost no English, so that was interesting... He had a brochure of recent shows, and I was surprised to see he had a showing in Langley, B.C., of all places.