A safe Halloween. Trick or treating at home

Happy Halloween everyone. Not what we all wanted but about what we all were expecting, huh? What a year. What a time to be alive.

The world goes round around us. Seasons turning, summer progressing to autumn, to winter.

And in the meantime, there is one in my family who has reached the age of understanding trick or treating for candy. Not our little Zephyr. He's still blissfully happy just to be cuddled by his cousin Isla.

But that one! Do you see him? The little hedgehog in the back. Nate, my little 2 yr old.

My children and I were wondering how to make this first Halloween, the Halloween of his understanding, special to him...to all of them; who we will not risk out in the hood, (no matter how safe our hood may be). And we came up with a Halloween at home treasure hunt. All my grandchildren were dressed in their costumes and they rang the doorbell. "Trick or Treat!!!" Then they came in and ran around the house finding groups of 5 treats which they could each pick one of.

There were candy treats of course, but also Halloween pencils, creepy crawlies, gamepads, glow sticks and necklaces, squishy balls shaped like sheep, hedgehogs and teddies. Basically a ton of $1 store fluff for fun.

And then! And then they could sit down, spill their treasures on the livingroom floor, and eat their fill. Until there was a pile of wrappers! I swear the look in out Nate's eyes was like, "What? Candy? All I want? What?"That's right. One day of sugar hell children, and then back to substantially fewer treats per day.

And after they couldn't eat any more candy if they tried, and after it was waaaay past bedtime for some... we lit sparklers in a spare pumpkin and had our own little light show. It was a magical Halloween to remember.

Happy Lunar New Year

Hi everybody,The new lunar year has begun. The year of the pig; which, incidently, is my year!Here in Vancouver, it arrived with a spring like feeling......but don't be fooled, February is an unpredictable month here.I went to the local asian market to stock up on the kinds of things I needed to make the most of the festivities.While I was walking around, I spied a sweet little paper pig hanging from the ceiling. I tried to find the decoration, but it seemed that that was the last one in the store.So I picked up a bright and cheery lantern and asked a market person if I could buy the piggie hanging from the ceiling. He said yes, but would have to wait while he fetched the bar code for the checkout. So I agreed and waited.While I was waiting, an older Chinese lady was choosing candies and I asked her what I needed for my festive eve.She told me I needed lotus blossom candies...although chocolates were fine.Her friend beside her said I also needed dumplings...and door stickers...and orchids......and a money plant...and fish.I already have several jade plants and my orchids are blooming beautifully right now, so I picked up the lotus blossom candy, some chocolates, the dor stickers, some paper fish, and my little piggie, and headed home. The whole trip was so much fun, as was decorating the house with my red and gold treasures. I understand that they will now stay up until the 16th.I've been feeding the birds in the garden...much to Morgan's delight. But don't worry, she wouldn't know what to do with a bird if it flew into her mouth.But while feeding the birds I'm feeding the squirrels by default, and those squirrels and getting so fat that they took down one of the bird feeders!OK, maybe it wasn't the squirrel, maybe it was the frozen air that broke the rope, but the squirrels do have a habit of sitting in the feeder and noshing down on the bird seed.I don't mind, everyone has to make their way. It's an equal opportunity feeder.I hope some of you had fun celebrating the lunar new year, and I hope that the year of the pig brings you much prosperity, happiness and health.

Art in the Garden weekend the recap.

Hello everybody.What a weekend it's been and what a work up to the Art in the Garden show!It's been a fantastic few days, mixed with hard work and exhaustion, and a couple sushi suppers. Come, I'll show you how it all went.As late as Friday afternoon, the day before the expected 300-400 people came for a visit, I was still picking up weeds and leaves and bits of stuff, cleaning and filling up the waterfall, putting things away and bringing things out into place.As I complained to my friends on FB, I took the glass from my tea caddy trays and into the kitchen to wash them, and, as everything was all soapy, the bottom glass slipped out of my hands and crashed into my stone sink, upsetting four vintage and heavy ceramic ink bottles on the window ledge, which crashed on top of and around the tray.Well, my hearts stopped, but, miraculously, nothing broke! Not even a chip! Can you believe it?By the way, are you my friend on FB? If not then friend me. :)So, after a few deep breaths, I opened the garage-studio, parked my sports car against the doors, moved tables and chairs around and put my big oil paintings on the easels because I thought it might be nice to have people wander into the studio.And then I did what every artist/gardener would do the day before a major outdoor art/garden show, I cleaned up the entire inside of the house!I know you can relate. ;)And then I painted well into the evening till I felt a bit calmer, and went to bed.Saturday morning dawned sunny and warm and some more flowers started to open. It's been such a late spring that most of my late May flowers are still in very tight buds, but some are making up for lost time, so I'm happy about that.I put my paintings on the big studio table,hung some more paintings around the garden, and opened my sketchbooks on some stands and shelves so people could have a mooch thru them.I brought out my vintage tea service and some old tea pots. I love serving tea in real tea cups and saucers, and ages ago bought these for use when there are big crowds. I also bought some crispy coconut cookies. Just the thing for a little pick-me-up in the heat.And then it was noon, and, with Chloe's help, we opened the garden!Morgan took up a favourite position. She was funny. All weekend she made the rounds to people she liked. Everyone loved seeing her.And loads of people came. About 200 each day.And my little birds flew out with their new owners.People enjoyed the garden. Some walked thru and sat for a bit, some sat in the cool studio, some came to see the rescued 100yr old grape vine or the rescued peonies, others came to see the art or listen to the concert.The concert was amazing. This beautiful girl, Feona Lim, played and sang on both days.Feona was accompanied by this beautiful girl, Jill Russell.I loved it so much.Everyone stopped and painted a little something on our interactive canvas.Young and old, everyone really loved sharing a little of their art and left a mark.Here are some close-ups. I love the pink baby squiggles. There were a couple little guys here who could barely reach!Here is the full canvas. Amazing, right?Well, the weekend just flew past! Before we knew it, it was 5:30 pm Sunday night, the art in the garden weekend was finished, and some friends stopped by for a visit.So we sat for an hour and chatted and cleaned up and moved things and watered, and then we went out for late sushi......while the garden bloomed on.

Art Challenge: on this Earth Day

I may not have spent a most Earth friendly and economical Earth Day.You see, the day dawned bright and shiny, the first sunny Vancouver day in weeks, and I brought three garbage bags worth of pack rat dirty cabin sheets, blankets, sweaters and coats to wash.And with the day so sunny, I managed to wash 7 loads and dry them all outside.Morgan helped, of course.There were also cabin toys to wash. I couldn't be sure that the pack rat didn't crawl all over them and couldn't see our little ones holding them without a good wash. Some of these are over 25 years old and original to my children.The rest of this glorious day I spent working.Painting in the studio. I'll post the progress soon.And while the rest of the cabin gear was drying on the line and over dining room chairs...And while my neighbours were outside getting as much sunshine as they can (before tomorrow's rain sets in for the next week)...I went up to the attic studio and painted my house sparrow.Again.I do like painting the house sparrow for Earth day.He's the most common bird in the world.Like we are. Common people. All of us.Everywhere.I painted him in acrylics and inks in my re-purposed Bartholomew's Atlas of the world homemade sketchbook. This page is a mix of inks and acrylics and collage and chalks.A great big THANK YOU to Melodye for bringing this art challenge to us.Come celebrate Earth Day with us. Think about joining us in our art challenges. You can do it.We believe in you. :D

Hooray, sun! An afternoon for much needed gardening.

Oh hello sun!I remember you.One of the very few times I saw you lately was St Patrick's day.Yup, March 17th. That's the day I start my annual sweet peas and garden peas.Actually, I usually soak the pea seeds a few days earlier so I can plant them on St Patrick's day.So I got out my vintage clay pots and bought some seedling soil and started all my seeds, in the sunshine, in the garage/studio/potting shed.Started: peas, squash, lettuce, beets, baby's breath, straw flower, shade garden mix, pollinators, and snapdragons.The radishes went straight into the cold garden soil.And then it rained and rained and rained.And my little seeds began to sprout.While I felt like Milo.Who wants to go out in the rain? Not us.But I kept thinking that I've got to get out there because in a few short weeks the garden will be on public display for the Art in the Garden show! Yikes!Suddenly today, SUN!So I got my morning appointments out of the way and hit the garden for three hours.I put away our little girl's toys and got my seedlings out of the garage and out of the cold frame.Morgan was the usual help.I planted out the peas and beets, and also some previously bought Swiss chard, kale, and lettuce seedlings.Then I did a bit of weeding and planted two new climbing roses.Then, the really big chore. I felt like I wanted to thin the ornamental plum to let more sunlight into the garden. It shoots up suckers like no other tree I know.There. Now all I have to do is tie these branches together and put them into the green recycling bin to be picked up on Monday.Unfortunately tomorrow it's back to rain. But for today at least I got my vitamin D and feel good sunshine and a start on the garden.Oh, and one last thing I did on this sunny day is brought in armloads of my camellia; the most beautiful camellia in the world.The blossoms only last a day or two and fall off, but how glorious while it lasts.Source: https://pgflandscaping.com/tips-on-selecting-the-right-grass-for-your-lawn/

A painting day...with dragons

Well, that was an unexpected treat!After last night's gut wrenching return to the city in blizzard conditions, Kerstin decided to stay in town a full day and night and let everyone relax and recover.I got my daughter and our little girls for a couple more days: a time when I could finally stoke their predilection towards diamond painting.Only thing is that today was a scheduled painting day for me, so Kers and I hit the studio for some paint fun.And we painted away happily while two of our girls we being chased around the garden by......a Zoe dragon.But soon the dragon got tired of the game and they all decided to come paint in the studio too.In the garden, violets are in full bloom.Violets are Kerstin's favourite flowers and Isla's second name.Kers and I had so much fun painting. We toned and painted a bunch of backgrounds for some ocean paintings I want to paint.And these little daffodils are from last year's forced potted things bought in the grocery store for late winter cheer. I love planting my grocery store bulbs in the garden. They always come back.We painted and then took off the paint and layered and layered the canvases into a deep ocean look.This one's getting close.Tomorrow Kerstie and the girls have to drive back home, but the roads are all melted so she should be fine. Tomorrow is another scheduled painting day for me and I'm looking forward to some oil action on top of the acrylics. I hope to paint in the feeling of depth and of the sunlight filtering thru kelp, and maybe some silvery, sparkly fish I think.

A three mile walk sideways across the 'hood

So this happened last week.Chloe asked for my car to drive to Whistler for an sunset snowmobiling tour, and I said sure. Then delays and changed dates, end result was I had a farewell supper to attend and no car!No Problem. As the day was fair and the recent snow melted, I relished the chance to walk the three miles.I walked down my block, past the little park where families were having some fun on the putting green,past our neighbourhood coffee shop, and past the local, little book exchange.Don't you love the little book exchanges? Do you have one in the hood?It seems that spring has sprung here on the West Coast and thru Victoria Park the evidence was overwhelming. You know, I so love winter flowers.Out of the year's blooms, I have to say that winter blooms are the most important to me because they give me so much hope. I'm not a good "bleak days of winter" person.Thru Victoria Park and past a historic (but completely restored) school. Lovely to see so many families out and about.Just to make sure people know where the sidewalk is! At the end of block that the school is on, there is a little communal garden still all tucked up for the winter. My hood has lots of public art in strange little places.Look at this small, wet area bounded by a rocky shelf.Here's a closer look into the sculpture in the centre. Isn't it amazing?That was the sideways part, and now down the hill I have to go, down to the ocean.Across a bridge to get onto the other side of the railway tracks...And finally I'm at the shore.Look at that Harbour seal grabbing the last rays of the sun.Today there seemed to be a parking lot for barges right in front of Spirit Trail park.So I had to walk around the barges to get a good view of Downtown.The evening crow migration began. Each evening, thousands of crows fly to Burnaby for their nightly roost.I stayed at the park as long as I could looking at the little boats, at downtown......and at the people playing with their dogs in the dog park......and then the sun set and I had a supper to attend, so I walked on.My friend Carol gave me a ride home. :D

Recovery week! And exciting news!

Hi everyone,Whew, it's been a roller coaster week for me of fulfilling pushed off appointments and teaching the therapy journal on the back of my wonderful Art Crawl experience, and I took today to catch up on paperwork, clean the upstairs studio, and generally have a breather.Believe it or not, I came up to the studio and discovered that my cymbidium orchid is blooming!Last I remember it just had five little shoots starting to come up. What a lovely surprise. I'm always amazed at this little big orchid after everything it's been thru.And, while I'm still enjoying my tropicals in this space, I'm also looking forward to having them outside...especially for the Art in the Garden tour. Yes, that's right! I've applied the garden and now must work on applying my songbirds.Inspiration is all around me here. And I need it, because I just put two songbirds into an exciting on-line auction curated by ArtBomb, one songbird, the King Sparrow, will be featured next week.I've got merlins on a 1950s map of Austria on the go right now.And I must get to varnishing this oil painting called The Wild from Howe Sound because it will be included in a group show "Clouds" from March 24th to April 22nd at The CityScape Community Art Space. I'm so excited to be one of 50 artists showing. I love group shows. You can bet I'll be taking tons of photos. I will post some at the Official OnQFinancial blog to show the ways of decorating your house.Now all I need...how did someone put it on FB the other day?...4 days of sleep, 5 pounds gone, and $10,000 by tomorrow. Actually, I just really need the 4 days sleep. :D

Hello from Sunday night

Hello from Sunday night everybody and from a very quiet house. :(Yesterday, our little girls came back with balloons; much to Morgan's annoyance, who followed the string around the house without being able to actually get the darn, floaty thing.Zoe, Isla and Ever were tired out of their little brains and so the rare occasion came where they got to sit in front of a screen and watch My Little Pony videos at snack time.Which then turned into Paw Patrol at supper time.But an early night and a good sleep meant lovely Sunday energy for all of us and lovely Sunday morning play time.My mom came over for lunch and we had left-over glazed ham and potato pancakes made from last night's mashed potatoes. Don't you love leftover lunches? I do.Anyway, mom came over and got to see her great granddaughters.Morgan decided to be part of the menagerie.And then, because there was snow on the roads in the mountain passes and because there is school and appointments to keep tomorrow, we reluctantly said good bye to Kerstie and our girls and off they went in the warmth of the day.And now, the house is awfully quiet.Much to Morgan's relief!!! She's more mellow in her old age, but so much energy in the house gets to her.But before Kerstie left, she emailed me some photos she took with her cell phone.Nice memory of a lovely weekend.Hope you've all had a grand weekend and are looking forward to a brilliant week.This week is my last few days to get ready for my open studio tour. It's going to be art, art, art all week. Stay tuned :D

Channelling my inner garden designer

Today I took a little jaunt to my favourite nursery Southlands for some inspiration.(sigh)I so want my garden to look like this:But the reality is that my garden looks like this:Oh yes, loads of work.I worked on the garden for about four hours yesterday and today.I turned over the soil in the vegetable bed, pruned the roses, and trimmed back some winter damage on an old rosemary. There's never been so much winter damage on my rosemary before.It's been a pretty unusually cold winter for the West Coast, but signs of spring are here.The peppermint has lovely new shoots.I'm not sure what's under the cloche. Looks like weeds to me...lol. But actually there is a dahlia deep in the ground. Hope it's ok.Here come some wayward tulips in the raspberry patch. Oh well, the raspberries don't mind and neither do I.I borrowed one of those saws on an extension pole from my mom so I can cut off some of these suckers from the ornamental plum. Plums shoot up suckers like no other tree!The snow drops are in their glory now and I keep forgetting to bring some into the house. (That's it, I'm postponing this post and grabbing a flashlight and getting some for my bedside table...brb.)The winter aconites have also just come up in the last couple of days. I don't know about you guys, but I love winter blooming flowers. I'm not much of a "bleak days of winter" person and winter blooming flowers bring so much hope and joy to me.There's a ton of work here in my garden, especially if I want to show it this year again in the Art in the Garden weekend.But the good news is that, with the new fences, there's an extra foot of my land on the west side that I never knew was mine!!!Space for more plants, oh yes.So while everything is greening and growing......I'm going to be poking around my favourite nurseries and studying my favourite books and channelling my inner garden designer.Morgan will help of course.And soon the garden will be a thing of beauty.