2017 Apr 29 Remembering Old trees in the park

2017 Apr 29  Remembering Old Trees in the Park
Who said Spring is here?  I needed to get out for some fresh air so I walked through Canatara Park in Sarnia, Ont.  We now live in the apartment building just across the road.

Was I expecting a lovely walk in the park.  Heavens no......I put on heavy sweater, winter coat, grabbed my Ipad and out I went into the wiles of spring on the shores of Lake Huron.

I couldn't resist taking some photos of the old gnarled tree that I took several photos of back in 2014 when Lou and I went for a lovely walk.  Back then I came home and wrote all about it.  Yesterday I found the same tree now lying broken on the ground.  It has become a resting place for people and birds that populate the shores of the lake.

In a way it signified to me the cycle of living, dying and passing on to others.  This tree probably though that its use on earth was finished the day it fell to the ground.  Did a strong winter wind end the little bit of living it still had. Branches then still growing from the crown?  Did lightening strike it during a hot summer storm.  We will never know.....but still it has a purpose even today.  For myself I again took more photos of the new status it had.  King of tree trunks lying to give shelted and rest.

Ahhhhhh but my story does not end here.

I kept walking forward, listening to the Canada Geese all around me as they called to each other while working on their nests waiting for the eggs to be laid and another generation of Geese to grow up in this park and fly away.

There I saw it........could this be a generation from the old gnarly tree I just passed.  Could this have come somehow from roots spread far underground?  A new generation and a new story of living for years to come.  What will this new generation be able to share with the visitors that come to this park every day?  I hope strength, growth and of course shade on those hot summer days.  Of course, I want to see the Glory of Coming Fall when the leaves are painted in the colours of red, gold and orange.  

   

Temari Sparkle. April 23 2017

So here I am again several years later and a new pathway in front of me.

In 2006 I was recouperating from a nasty surgery.  What could I do from bed day in and day out.  A friend in Saskatchewan sent me the answer in the form of a Japanese hand work book....TEMARI work!  So beautiful and doable while healing.  So off I went on s new crafty pathway.

My first 2 attempts at temari work leave much to be desired......they both are beautiful in my eyes, but to the world in general they are lumpy, bumpy, uneven, and the stitches leave much to be desired.....but still forward I went.

2017 Apr 23            TEMARI SPARKLE

Fast forward to 2015 when I joined an online group and I began in ernest to add to my collection of 2 previous temari.  I found on line a group so I joined started a beginner tutorial to make 2 Temari.  Part 1 described the way to make the base balls from scratch, then onward to adding the guidelines for each section, and of course the eauator around the middke section,  Next the pinning of the remari guide lines (I found this very hard) which I later learned that theyvwill work out better if your ball base is a completely round shape........good luck with this one.  However, the tip or trick here is to constantly round the ball with your hands while forming. Part 2 we added to our knowledge by making it a little more detailed.  The above photo shows the book I used, and my firest two Temari finished.

Talking about shaping as you work....well, I plan on shaping my Temar work into a new blog.  So I just set up temaritogrowwith@blogger.com.  So if you care to follow me there, please jump right in.  Meanwhile, I hope to update this sote agaij, and bring a little recent history into my aharing.

BTW we have sold our previous home and now renting an apartment in the city,  Changes all around again,  Moving forward into ur new future....stay tuned please.

2017 Apr 23
 Temari Sparkle

2015 February 23 A very Frozen Niagara Falls

What an adventure. What a dream realized.  I have had my winter trip to Niagara Falls. This year has been fantastic because there is so much ice and snow and so desperately cold.  It truly looks like a winter wonderland as one drives by the white world of winter at the falls.  Here are some of the better photos I took....I hope you enjoy the tour.  The day was so bright and sunny, the air clear, and the crowds down to a minimum...we were even able to park on the roadway while I popped over to the bridge and snapped away to my hearts content.  The Canada Goose and ducks were being fed at one of the local parks. They look so cold and hungry.  I was lucky to snap so many photos of them as they ate, although I will only include one at this time to conserve space.

 Welcome to the main tourist attraction area.

 Freshly fallen snow on the many trees

Ducks and Canada Goose enjoying the food

This is the water before going over the falls, not sure if you can see those dark blue rapids, but it sure looked cold from where I stood.

 These shrubs were laden with ice formed from the spray clouds. In the sun, they really sparkled like diamonds.

Remember Niagara River and Gorge area.....well, it was totally frozen except this small patch of blue water....strange why that we still open.  And what is missing here?..........no Maid of the Mist is to be seen.

 These frozen piles of ice in the summer is part of the American Falls area.....notice the cracks and crevices that are all across the top of the river.  Brrrrrr it is some cold here to do this to the fast flowing water.

 And this is the spray cloud that is covering everywhere, truly turning this to a winter wonderland.

I am sure you all remember these guard walls.....but have you ever seen them frozen over and shiny.......they almost dare you to look over the wall and see the frozen sight below.

Ahhh, The American Falls, or at least, what would be so in the rest of the year.  Simply awe inspiring.

 I think a clearer view looking down the river...do you see that bit of open water remaining?

 Looking from the falls back up to Lundy's Lane and the tourist attractions hidden there.

 Back to the American Falls.....further from the first photos.....we are almost at the Rainbow Bridge.....the building are actually in Buffalo, NY, USA

These waterfalls coming from between the rock wall really look like frozen icicles...but guess what? They aren't.

 Ohhhhh, the glory of it all.  The falling water on the right side of photo is again The Bridal Veil Falls, but the contrast between flowing falls and frozen ice has to be seen in person to really be appreciated.

 But I think this will help a bit more.  I wish I could have captured this on video....but the sun was so bright, I couldn't see the controls on my camera.  There you have it a close up of Canada's Bridal Veil Falls. And I was far, far, far away. Thank goodness for the close up setting.

 Rising up from the spray, was this huge covering of a "glob" of spray ice.  It was so huge, hard to describe for sure. Again Buffalo, NY is in the background

Back looking at the spray encrusted branches. I wondered as we drove away, how can thos branches and limbs ever stand the load of ice that covers them at this time of the year.

What a true Canadian adventure for Lou and I that day as we took in the sights.  I was so filled with awe and the beauty nature shares with us...no wonder I love winter as I do...and this is way.

And this is how it was, Feb 23, 2015 at Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Denise Collins

March 7, 2015 Heather's Heart Cuddle Quilt

The Quest of making a love cuddle quilt from Mum’s PJs for my only Niece, Heather Started 2013 finished 2015

              With the saddest of hearts after Mum passed on Jun 6 2013, my teary eyed niece Heather requested me to make her a quilt from the pajamas that Mum would no longer use.

So during December 2013, I thought I would start this gift of love. Oh boy, the tears flowed as I proceeded to take apart pj tops and bottoms. How many times over the last few years have I seen her in them. With each piece of the warm, cuddly flannelette I could feel a deep, and great sense of tears just below the surface. I had to put the pieces away and leave them for a little while. I just couldn't work on this project without feeling such an overpowering feeling of loss.....but I tried hard to remember what my niece was going through as well. I knew she would understand.

              Moving forward to June 2014, I again held these pajamas and proceeded to take them from the pattern pieces and cut them into various sized blocks. I have a great quilting friend who lives nearby and she spent an afternoon helping me put the 6” blocks into some sort of order. We decided to make rows of the lighter pastel colours. These rows went on an angle from the top left corner to the bottom right....row after row of squares on an downward angle......Then we pinned the rows together and home I came to my quilt wall. Where I pinned the total pattern and prepared to sew them together row by row. Yes, handling them was a bit easier now....I finally had a purpose instead of a project. 

             By the end of October I had all the blocks sewn into rows, and started to sew the rows into a quilt top. I spent many hours down in my sewing room making 4 patch blocks grow into 2 rows.....and this continued until I had all the rows sewn together into the quilt top. What a feeling of finally getting somewhere.

              Then came Christmas,,,,,,and a nasty cold which stole weeks of my feeling other than under the weather (pun intended) of course this year snow came in January and here in March as I write this blog....it is still with us....any way to continue.

              Having gained this new benchmark, my friend and I took this now sewn quilt top and we made it into a quilt sandwich (which is to say that we layered the back, the batting and the quilt top. There it was, a cuddle quilt in the making. So home I came and now it is January....I stared quilting the quilt, but what should I pattern it....I know, I’ll quilt hearts all over the top using my walking foot. (for those who don’t quilt, this is a very handy foot for the Brother sewing machine which walks over the top of the quilt and hold all 3 layers snug together and then I can sew to my “hearts” content...yes, I know another pun.

              February is here now, and on Valentines Day I finished sewing all the hearts in this quilt. I typed a note to Heather to let her know after all her patience, her quilt was well on the way to being completed. She replied to me that she was crying, but this time these were tears of joy. Yes, I was also. I think this cuddle quilt was a huge help to me to get through some of my feelings from the loss of my Mother whom I loved beyond words.

              Now I have to tell you a little bit about the backing of the quilt. Mum had given me over the years enough flannelette to be able to join two different patterns together. One was dark blue, and the other was a bright green with yellow stars.....this was very prophetic because in the center of the back I quilted right into the design a cut apart t-shirt which I believe that Heather had given Mum....it was very much part of this quilt with the little title “Grandmas are Guardian Angels) or to that effect. Who lives in the stars, but Guardian Angels.......and who are we talking about here ....Grandma are also known as Nana!

              So now we have a quilted t-shirt on the back of the quilt, but oh dear what to do with the edges of the quilt.....talk to Mum about this, and into my mind popped a thought..............go find that little ribbon that has hearts woven into it. Strangely (for me) I knew exactly where to find that little item.....so it has all be hand sewn around the edge of the t-shirt and I am ready to move forward again........Can you tell, I am getting divine inspiration as I move forward with this quilt? I truly believe Mum was right beside me all the way, and she gave me the feeling of love that I have quilted into this cuddle quilt.

              Look at us.......we are moving forward now at a great, peaceful, and excited pace. Onward to the binding. What should I used here. Well, wouldn't you know it, in my stash was this beautiful material with little hearts and white flowers all through it.....this is exactly what I want. So out it came, and on it went. I finally finished this quilt February 26, 2015. Next step is to show my friend those quilted hearts (she has never seen shapes being quilted using a walking foot..inspired wasn’t I?

              And here it is, ready to mail........Heather’s Heart Quilt..............no wait....there is a label that needs to be designed and sewn in place. A quilt that brings the final peace to my heart, and will to Heather’s also I hope. The most important saying that Heather and Mum (Nana) shared was simply this phrase......................I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK....and can you believe I searched and found the exact photo that says this more beautifully than I could.......

              But our story isn't finished just yet. This part is a little surprise for one very loved little Yorkshire Terrier, and the actual inspiration for the pattern I chose for Heather’s Quilt. This little mini quilt just about says it all for me. Little Bailey was with Mum every minute of ever day. When Mum passed away, Bailey went into the closet and there she stayed, where she could smell Mum’s everywhere around her. This loyal little dog deserved a cuddle quilt of her own, and here it is.......

Hopefully both these cuddle quilts will be mailed to Heather by the middle of March 2015. This brings to an end the story written from my heart, and the quilt that I made with love and a very special way for me to say good bye to my Mother (Marie Boyle)

Written by Denise Collins, Daughter of Marie Boyle, and Aunt to Heather Marie Barrett

March 7, 2015

Snow Art and For the Birds Nov 15, 2014

TAKE A STITCH TODAY

Oh today it was cold. Today we had a few snowflurries in the area. I even saw one or two while I was outside. Last week, when the last warm temperatures made their last stand I went out side and placed the Christmas lights in the trees around our home. Lou came out later in the afternoon and hung the icicle lights across our garage entry door, and the garage door. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

When I came in later on to warm fingers and toes I found some of Mum's older quilting and Ladies Magazines. With coffee in hand I started to look through the several copies I had in front of me.

On one particular page I found two really cut, and interesting pieces of information......now I would like to share these with you.

When I was a little girl, how many times can I remember that Mum bundled Driscilla (my sister) and myself into our winter snowsuits. How many times as she got us totally dressed did we remember we had to make a stop before going out. If you have children in your past, I know you will relate to that removal of all coats, boots, hats, mittens and scarves. The deed done, it was time to bundle us up again.....off we went to be joined by our Mum once she was completely suited up to join us.

Let the fun begin......remember that art of Snow Angels? What little child, who lives in the vicinity of snow, hasn't gone out into the world of white make believe and made her very own Angel? Once the fun was over, and we were freezing cold, and totally wet through to the skin, in we came again with bright, pink, rosy cheeks.

Oh those were the days. Wonder now if I got down into the white stuff, would I ever be able to get up again? Time might tell.

Coming back into this moment and remembering that as I was stringing up the lights I heard and saw the oh, so familial sight and sounds of the Canadian Geese flying overhead in the famous “V” formation.....yes,,,,our feather friends are beginning the long trek southward to warmer climate. But, this also gave me pause for questioning.......what happened to the little feather friends who rough it out in this cold weather with us human souls? Ask a question, get an answer......wouldn't you know it, right there beside the Snow Art feature I saw and read: FOR THE BIRDS.

I think this is a really neat treat for the birds, and I believe that this winter will find several hanging from the branches of our Japanese Red Maple by the front steps. Imagine the fun I will have this winter watching the little birds getting some good food to sustain them over the months.......hummmm I'm also wondering about the neighbourhood squirrels. They seem to feel they own everything edible in this area. I'll keep my camera handy and maybe have some updates to share with you.

Enjoy the winter friends, that is exactly what I hope to do myself.

Nov 15, 2014

Friends who have been following my BLOG here on TAKE A STITCH TODAY

How humbled I am to have finally figured out how to see if anyone has been part of my Blogging life and I didn't know.  What a huge surprise.  LOLA, you are here. I have made a new friend SHIRLEY.  KALIA, my blog inspiration. Another new friend in Washington.  I can't believe all the wonderful, kind and loving words you have all shared with me.  I thank you from my heart. I have started printing out the pages as I figured I'd be the only one reading them.

Of course, there have been a few people that I actually send emails to tell them I'd added something new....how is that for "tooting" one's own horn.  I just have such fun letting my thoughts come out on the screen, instead of constantly bobbing around in my head.  I'm sure you have all heard of that famous "COMMITTEE OF ONE" that tends to stay in our own heads....talking, encouraging, complaining, back-talk constantly.

I have heard of other people who have written blogs appreciating so much the feedback....now thanks to every one of you, I can actually say the same.......what a huge boost it is to have my friends, and meet new people along the way. Please feel at home here, and a special thanks to each of you who has taken the time to send me a little note.

Do you have any idea how you have raised my spirit today?  If not, just wish you could see the smile on my face.

Thanks you again and again....please come and visit again. I love the company!

Denise

Published November 15, 2014

Accepting a 7 Day Challenge

Here in Canada we have just celebrated Thanksgiving Day.  Recently my niece invited me to write on my face-book account 7 days worth of people, events, or what I have been thankful for in my life.

So, if you have the time, and the inclination, I'd really like to share with everyone here the 7 days of feeling of blessings.

Thank you.

DAY 1  Thankful Challenge. I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather 
Challenge for 3 things to be grateful for.

1) Life,  the roller coaster ride we signed up for. Through our lives we are given special gifts of love, family, personal disappointments and growth.  I am very blessed to have been given life by two wonderful parents.

2) In turn was able to have two children myself. Whom I love and pass the flame on to.  I am also very grateful for my Niece. I always held her in my heart as my first heart-love child. I held her as a newborn then was privildged to watch her  grow and become a wonderful woman. One who stayed close to my Mother and brought her much love, laughter, and care in her later years.

3) I am thankful that I met and married Lou who has given me a quiet strength to face the challenges  in our lives. To watch with me as my children grew into adulthood. To bring into my life his four children  (Janet, Jeffrey, Scott and Mark) into my life and enriching me with these special people.

***********sent to FB Aug 7**********

DAY 2 Thankful Challenge --  I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather 

1)  I am very thankful for the friendship extended to me from Jim during our married years, and since then, he has always been there to help when advice is needed, and to share thoughts and means to help our two children.

2)  My son, Derek, who has made great changes and strides forward to become the great man I knew he would be. Derek came home to Ontario this summer and I could not have been prouder of the way he shares all he has with other people, his way of laughing at life, and yet knows where he wants to be and his plans for making challenges in life work for him.

3) My daughter Emily. her love for family and friends. Her ability to help others, to teach many people she knows. Her, gentle ways and love for family, including her Sista-Cousin Heather. The ways she opens herself to help others, to share good and not so good times with me,,,,,it is great to be a Mother-Friend with her.

***********Sent Aug 8*********

DAY 3  -- Thankful Challenge I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather 

1) My love of handcrafts......a gift given to me throughout my life time started by my most loved Grandmother.  Many hours she would entertain me teaching me to do embroidery from a very early age during summer holidays spent on her farm.

2) My Mum who taught me the skills of knitting, sewing, ceramics, taking rug hooking lessons with me, listening to my beginning notes on my guitar to the later years where she and I would sit quietly as I entertained her with the music she and Dad put in my heart.  The way she and I worked together on her last quilt made for Jim.  How we had wished I learned to quilt may years earlier so that we could have made more than one together.

3) My Sister Driscilla who taught me to crochet and for the two sweater sets we made for our sons when they were born. Then later she helped me make a set for my little daughter and her first trip into the world. Up until that time, crocheting was a foreign language which she helped me learn.. When she passed away in 1999 I was left with a huge void in my life.On that morning and for the months previous as cancer claimed her at theirs not mine any longer. That morning I went from a dark, black night, into the dawn of a new morning and life without her.  Although she is gone now, she has and will remain always in my heart and memories.

*************Sent Aug 9*********

DAY 4 Thankful Challenge  -- I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather 

1) My grandchildren.  In this life we are given special gifts......Amber-Lynne and Andrew.  The road of life brings us together for a time, then that same road splits bringing loss and missed family times.....then suddenly and happily that road reconnects.

2) I am grateful that this past June, my family came together again because my youngest grandchild Andrew graduated from High School. Thanks to this young man and his dedication to himself accomplishing his best, we were all brought together to help him celebrate.

3) I am very grateful for the ability to  write and share my personal thoughts or ideas with others through my Blogs.  it is a good feeling to know my thoughts may have  given them strength, helped them see life in a different way, and just shared a bit of myself with them.  It makes me happy to know that something I have written will bring them a smile or two.

***********sent Aug 10**********

Day 5 of my Thankful challenge from my Niece Heather

1) I am very thankful for my quilting.  When I married and moved away  from my family, friends, and familiar haunts to a new world along the shores of Lake Huron for a few years I felt lonely for all left behind. Thanks to the encouragement of my then new hubby I became involved it the new and challenging world of quilts, embellishing and having to step of of my home comfort zone.I broke the space of lonely and stepped into a new world of friends and fun.

2). I am thankful for Friends In my life over the years
MAKE  NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD, ONE IS SILVER, THE  OTHER GOLD. When I think of my lifetime from youngest days to now. I think of all the friends I have known. A reason, a season or a lifetime.  Many have remained in my life for a long time. The longest two would be Paula and Tom. They have both been there with me since childhood through many changes that life held and I know always will be nearby in friendship.

3)  Another special long-time friend I am thankful for is Sue. My long and patient teacher and friend who  opened my world to music, singing and guitar. We didnt go anywhere without our guitars and music books. Sue helped me come out of my home  with my voice singing loudly and a happy heart full of music. These three people are my Gold.

To this day they are all three still in my life.

Today I challenge anyone who will sit quietly each day for 7 days and bring out thankful
Thoughts to share. At first I thought this to be an easy task, and then I thought if it were not for my dear Niece I would not be sharing such inner thoughts. Then I connected with something inside myself and was thankful to have the opportunity to share with others, but more so, to touch something inside yourself.
***********Sent Aug 11*********

DAY 6 Thankful Challenge from my Niece Heather

1) Quilting Groups
A world opened to me in new experiences and friends.
I am bringing together a wonderful group of Ladies who have all filled a need in my life. Some to make me laugh until my cheeks ached. Others have helped me limp along while learning what I can in my quilting fun....and FRUSTRATION.  These wonderful ladies have no idea how much I value their friendships.

2) Thankful for all my quilting friends and groups I belong to either in my living area or on line. 

I  know you are there to teach and share with all of us.
I am also part of two smaller groups I found these friends always there for me.
 I am grateful and want to say thank you to all those "quilters that have gone from being a group in my area, or on my internet to" groups I have learned to laugh, teach and return home with aching cheek bones. Thankful to those who offer shop-shops, group projects, teaching sessions, sharing patterns and revising The Quilters Bucket List for future challenges and surprises.

3) is also extended to my friend Val as we get together once a month. Val has become a very special teacher to me. We both live in the country and travel about half hour to spend the day together. Val is my best source for mojo and enthusiasm of quilting goal completion.  She keeps my excitement in finishing the many UFO project I have set aside, but not forgotten.

**********sent Aug 13

DAY 7 of my Thankful challenge from my Niece Heather

Once more my challenge is met in being thankful for these three thoughts
1) Health....I am thankful that in  learning I have Stage 2 diabetes has opened the door to me for exercise. I find I am thankful for bike rides with my husband Lou, walks with him though neighborhoods, along paths on the shore of Lake Huron and. Just for the total well being of my life and body. Thankful for the weight loss for many years of not caring, now having feelings of gratefulness.for my new lifestyle.

2) Love of Nature
Camping canoeing, trips all through northern Ontario with my friend Phil.
Fourteen years of family camping memories at Killbear Park, through weeks of rain, sun or cold, even once winter camping there.

3) I am thankful for Canada. Our people and the life of freedom Canadians enjoy.  To live in a country that cares for our children, the environment and endangered species.  A place where we can live and grow.  Enjoy freedom of Religion and know that we can join together  in groups for fun, learning, and even for the freedom of sharing our thoughts in this  Thankful  Challenge that I am seeing from so many family and friends.   Mostly for the freedom of speach and sharing and being able to share my belief in God.  We do not walk alone. The best way I can describe my feelings is to recommend the poem FOOTPRINTS. I have been carried many times, and yet I know I am not alone even when I can walk again on my own.

Thank you Heather, you have really opened my mind and thoughts to the many times in life I need to stop and be THANKFUL for the life I life and have. God Bless you.

Sent Aug 13, 2014

I am now still months later thinking of all I have to be thankful for. And now I can add to this list I'm thankful for the people who read my Blogs and send me notes to let me know they enjoy, or have read certain items.  Thank you also.

2014, Oct 19.......................................................................................................................................

A full moon, A raging brook fed by nature's bucket of rain, and a beautiful memory

Hope this works!

Thank you Janet from the cyber group LEARNING FABRIC ARTS for guiding me this far.  :)

What do you see in this photo, something vague, something moving, something that lives in the quiet of the night.

This was a most amazing look I had at diamond reflections of a full spring moon as it danced and waved on the top of a flooded field.  In the day a couple days earlier this same area was a thin, ribbon fine, curve of almost dry brook bottom.  Nothing stirred, not even the loosely growing, fanned out green algae that some would mistake for mermaids hair in deeper water. 

Tonight, however, listen quietly you can hear the brooklet as it floods it's sides, expanding ever into the whole area around. Drowning weeds that have spent weeks growing and feeling comfortable in the dry ground along side this brooklet. Flooding the homes of little field mice which have been built to open up near the banks for this almost always drinking place. Raccoon are squawking loudly trying to figure out why they are stuck way up here in the tree tops when there is hunting to be accomplished.

A bit of history here I think is required. Spring, rain, quick, severe, and seems to overtake that lazy, meandering, stream which is lying all through the surrounding farmlands.  Here carved out in its own niche is a brook, which only a few days ago fish struggled to swim up the current and recreate their fantasy and  bring to life new little spawn.  You can see a bit about this several pages back. I was amazed at the size of the fish fighting to gain higher land.

I regress, thank you for staying here a little longer.  I think you are seeing what I have been studying.  The rain came. A few hours, a lot of wetness.  Suddenly all the streams, brooks, ponds in this area overflowed and rushed here to our brook to play with the other raindrops and rush on their way to Lake Huron and all the fun that was happening there.

Lou and I were out for a walk. It was dark saving the moon peeking between clouds.  The noise was getting louder. The closer we got we could hear rushing water. Could this be so?  Our tired little brook had suddenly "sprung" to life taking with it a memory of the moon dancing in the water.

Wonder of wonders I had my new camera, what fun to record this special vision of loveliness to share with my friends here on my blog.

That I will always remember as the night that the water danced.

And that is how it was one late, spring night during our walk in the dark.

:)

Written Sept 10, 2014

Tree of life as I see it 2014.08.10 (August)

Can you imaging the feeling of greatness and smallness as I walked out of the nature path and came to find this Grandfather Time tree growing there in the clearing just waiting to be discovered.

How old are you? I wanted to ask, but knew in it's own kind of wisdom it would leave me standing there just wondering. 

Does each bump and growth found on what was once a smooth bark covering stand for every scar on our earth's crust? 

Or perhaps for every season you have seen come and go in your tree life?

As I got closer to this old gnarly remains of what was once a new and fresh tree life I just had to stand there and share thanks for having been here today and for the opportunity to view and experience the life and markings on this old tree.......as I stood there in amazement I glanced up to the very top growth.  

Up there, do you see it yourself. Life is still growing from withing the heart of this tree.  Still giving oxygen to our world, still providing shelter for our birds that might come to rest in these lofty branches.

Even when we are old and wrinkled and wondering what our future holds, we can think of the wonders in our forests when we just happen to turn a corner and see the works of nature just waiting there for us and wonder through our own lives' scars what will the beauty be when we are finished?

.......Aug 10, 2014 

July 2 2014 Falling through the Cracks in Life

 2014 Jul 2                        Falling Through The Cracks in Life
Life in today's busy world

 Do you ever feel like....

You have fallen into a crack?  Well, take strength from this photo. On July 1, yes, Canada Day Lou and I went for a walk about town. To celebrate Canada and where we live. I stopped along the way and took many photos, but this one truly stayed in my vision, long after the camera did its job. 

Falling through the cracks can be very upsetting at times. But if we just wait, and give life a chance we all may be surprised at the beauty we will find after the wait. Imagine this flower. I know that it was a seed from last year's town flower decorations growing in those half wine caskets that are usually placed along the sidewalk near the road.  Last years was filled with pink petunias. I know this because this year we have bright reds and whites. Smart little detective that I am.

So......this little seed found its way there last fall, and waited patiently through the winter storms, the spring cold and rain, dark nights, and long days. Waiting patiently until that magic moment when suddenly something inside this little seed says......it's time to make my move.

From the little seed grew this beautiful flower, albeit, small, it is beautiful and strength of character is just blooming there for anyone who chooses to notice.  What amazes me most, no one has picked, stepped upon, or in other ways destroyed this determined little bloom.  

So let this be a life lesson for all of us. Be strong, grow where you are planted, and let your own colours shine for all the world to see.

:) July 2 2014