Summertime Drive Through Eastern Canada

We relaxed on the ferry....

to cross a fogbound Bay of Fundy

We shared the ferry trip with Judy and Ned

Judy and I stitched and debriefed

on our Cloth of Time show

and planned our next.

Precious time with a dear friend who lives way too far away!

Then we parted ways until the next time.

Everywhere you go in this part
of the country....

....you know there are lakes at every turn.

Even travelling on forest edged road

you know a lake is out of sight hiding behind the trees.

Once you hit the flat St Laurence valley

you pass farm after farm

and clusters of silos waiting for this year's harvest.

I Stitched

We shared the road 

with trucks and trucks and more trucks

With bikes and campers

With boats and kayaks

 With canoes and paddle boards

Driving through Algonquin

a tall imposing

totem pole

appeared on our right.

Summertime in Canada

means plenty of this.

We drove under bridges and under rivers.

And I stitched.

 Finally after two days of driving

we reached our destination.

 Aaaaaah!

Day of Memory

The tide recedes but leaves behind

Bright seashells in the sand

The sun goes down but gentle warmth

Still lingers on the land

The music stops and yet lingers on

In sweet refrain.

For every joy that passes

Something beautiful remains.

Something Beautiful Remains

by Martha Vashti Pearson

So, my dearest boy

On this 23rd day of memory

we are surprisingly close to Camp Huronda

where you created many a memory in your childhood.

We are with your brothers and nieces

remembering

and

holding you close in our hearts.

Cloth of Time Opening

Cloth of Time Opening

Judy looks beautiful

I am shocked at how I look like my mother!

We each talked....

....about our work and how we approach it.

Oh, boy did we have fun picking a stone and trying to find it.

Thank you to everyone who came out.

A Penny talking to a Penny!

Margi and Jamie

And then the gallery started emptying out

We could walk through and under
Not to Know But To Carry On

So many thanks to Diane and to Valerie too
who took many photographs of the evening for us.

And now onto new work for new shows!
I hope Summer hangs around now that I can relax.

Cloth of Time Before the Opening

Judy's Ned and the gallery's Nick had oh, so much fun

climbing up ladders and stretching up to ceilings!

Handy Hubby made an easy job of hanging my work

and then drove the 2 1/2 hours back to the Rusty Pups.

Me, I stayed in Halifax to spend time with

Judy

Diane

Valerie

Margi

All such dear friends.

I know there is not much to see in this picture

I just like the drama of it!

It took 12 strong bags to bring the rocks here.

I have to say Handy Hubby did not approve!

He thought I was crazy!

but me....I think it was worth it.

I did enjoy having the opportunity again to really

look at Daily Scratchings

Once the show was hung Judy and I

had the opportunity to spend some time alone

in the gallery.

A special time for us to celebrate and enjoy

bringing our journals together.

Criss Cross had to be arranged differently this time.

Not To Know But To Go On

Hangs in wonderful loops

through the centre of the Mary E Black gallery

I did enjoy looking through those loops....

.....and seeing the rest of our beautiful show!

Congratulations Judy!

Circling The Mind

This piece is in my hands again after a long break.

An important break.

In the beginning it was simply a big circle of a rock

resting at sunrise or sunset

but

if life is a circle

perhaps it is more.

Perhaps it is a life

split into the person we are in public

and the one we keep for when we are home alone in familiar surroundings.

There again if a story is a circle

Perhaps it is a life circle

filling up with a thousand small stories....

....Small stories that make up all our lives.

Stories that rest on the foundation of our life experiences.

I have been told several times in my life

that my fascination with rocks

is from a need for a solid foundation

which I picture could be both physical and mental and emotional.

And then a circle, or a rock, or a life, or a stitching

always has a hidden side

a side that to me is less perfect

more spontaneous

and therefore more beautiful.

Talking of life circles

I do hope we have filled the Rusty Pup lives with rich stories.

Rusty Pup Shandy still jumps into the car

but Rusty Pup Kayla waits patiently for a helping hand.

Just after taking this photo I stumbled

trying to lift her into the car and we both nearly ended up

head over tail in the dust.

Made me realize how trusting she is.

I hope your life is full of many stories.

When One Thing Leads To Another

Daily Scratchings 2012-2015

Community Conversations 2017


It was a while back now that I heard from an old friend

Fay Wilkinson.

Fay is a Registered Expressive Arts Consultant/Educator

and

a marvellous storyteller and artist.

She wanted me to know that my 'Daily Scratchings' had inspired a community project hosted by Visible Voices Open Arts Studio in Halliburton, Ontario

and

called Community Conversations.

Participants learnt various techniques

even weaving.

With their new skills at hand everyone was invited to create a small piece of fibre art based the following conversation openers:

My 5 word life story ....

My grandmother used to say ....

When I was 7 I wanted to ....

My best friends would describe me as ....

The three most challenging parts of growing older are ....

The one thing I've learned is ....

What is important to me now is ....

The finished pieces were assembled into long panels

that now hang in a beautiful wooden display unit.

How amazing is that!