Splash of the Chitons!

They actually do not make a splash...nor would they even cause a wave. But they are some crazy cool mollusks that live on the floor of our deep blue seas. And, I have been fortunate and lucky and blessed to have found a couple of their shells...the remnants that the Seagull or Oyster Catcher who feasted on their 'delicious I'm sure', insides. Strolling down the beach on Monday with Clint & Maggie, enjoying the sights and smells of the ocean...finding and stowing away new found treasures of beautiful beach glass...something different catches my eyes. "What the heck is that?!" I had never seen these turquoise coloured, wood bug looking creatures before. Clint said it looked like a tail of a lobster...yet it was clearly not torn off of a body...one full piece. Wow is all I could think. I felt it was something special and I relished in the fact that I had found such a magnificent part of the underwater world. Three steps further I found a second one. What are the chances and what incredible luck! Yippeeee!

I got home, and what did I do...power on computer. Take photo of cool little shell creature dudes...post photos on Facebook page and ask what the heck are they??? Chiton...pronounced "Ky-tin". Of course all of my West Coast buddies knew what it was. How am I supposed to know? I am a Prairie girl!..I can tell you what a June Bug or Fishfly looks like. ha ha ha!! But a Chiton I have never in my life seen...or so I thought. I have seen their bodies attached to a low tide rock. But they look different when they are suctioned on to the side of a rock then when they are dead and on their backs displaying their beautiful turquoise insides. Like this dude has sucked himself onto a rock or perhaps sunken boat piece. (I just grabbed this Googled image from the Internet...bio class at Berkley) When it looks like that you can't see how precious it really is. I guess that keeps them safe in a way...predators are generally attracted to colour...as are beachcombers like me! ;op (Even though I know what they are now...I would never rip one from it's life grip to take home...that would be wrong.)

 The super special part of being a Chiton is that they have evolved from what were known as Trilobites. We now only have fossils to remind us of the creatures that lived on earth back then...trilobites date back 526 million years ago...CRAZY! I basically have some dinosaurs now...in my possession! Does that give me superpowers? Can I fly? ;o)

These are my very own special Chiton. The blue reminds me of the Caribbean Sea...even some spots on Gabriola when tide is low and the white shell sand is visible...oooo pretty!! I love the colouring of the outside of the upper Chiton. There is black, blue, orange and brown...like an abstract painting.

I am a lucky girl!

Solstice was so last week...

But this video makes me laugh so hard I have to post it! hee hee hee hee. I was taping a little tide pool that was full of what I like to think are baby ling cods, cause I watch them grow through the summer... (but supposedly they are guppies??) I was enjoying watching them swim around so full of life. Then of course noticing the baby dungeness crabs milling about between the rocks and snails and sea weed and just reeling in the life that is on the first beautiful day of summer. Just as I am about to speak my mind and discuss the teeming life in the pool, Clint walks up behind me with something to say...errr sing...ha ha ha!

I hope everyone enjoys a summer full of life and love and happiness. Rock on party people in da world!

ceramic fun!

Just can't stop talking about...ceramics hooray!! I just got to sing it from the mountain tops...or in this case from my wooden desk chair staring out into my yard and deck where all of my pretty flowers are. So I am singing to my flowers I suppose! And they like it. They are growing quite nicely. hee hee! Anyways...ceramic=good time for all! I feel the constant need to thank Mariko for bringing the art of ceramics into my life. Seriously. Monday and Wednesday nights are my favourite! If I can, I head directly to Feedlot Studios, I do not pass GO...I just GO and get my clay on! It's pretty much "Ladies night" with the occasional male drop in to play dans le clay too. I like getting together with the ladies. It's great to have some time set aside where you do get together with a group of friends...some close and some acquaintances...but you are in a creative and friendly and encouraging atmosphere. It is really quite lovely. Who knew ceramics could bring people close! :o) I am thankful for open ceramics night!

Last Sunday was Father's Day. I really never know what to get for my dad. Not like he needs or wants for anything but love from us kids...I just like to send a little something each year. (Last year...I didn't send anything but a card...at least I remembered that!) Generally I will buy him something to do with trains or wolves. ha ha ha ha ha! Yup. The wolf is his favourite animal. He is mesmerized by them. They are a pretty amazing creature...and incredibly beautiful. Their eyes are like soul quenching pools of white/blue Caribbean water...giving you a peaceful warm feeling. (but they'll still bite yer head off if they feel like it!) So, I have bought him things like t-shirts and little vignette knicky knacky wolf things. And trains...well they are an obsession of his since his childhood. He loves trains...like he REALLY LOVES TRAINS! I wish I had a photograph of his office at the Greenhouse. I remember the office being quite roomy...like maybe 11'X11'...and all four walls were covered in framed photographs. His photographs of trains that he chased all over North America. (with the exception of four photographs on the wall behind his desk...for when he turns around his family is in those frames closest to where he spends a lot of time.) Some of these "chases" he would drive on his own to get the best photos he could in the coolest and most magnificent places. And other times he would chase these trains on our family vacations...some times I think the vacations started as an idea in his mind of a location he had been dreaming of for an awesome train shoot.  And that's okay. We would get a theme park or some other kind of fun out of it too. I am pretty sure we have been to every Six Flags of America! I would say 8 times out of ten, we drove to our final destination in order that daddy got his wishes too. I have traveled a ton of the inter-state highways in the U.S...but I have traveled just as many of the side and farm highways too. These are highways that brought us to some gorgeous canyons, with train bridges passing over them...and the engineers on my dad's scanner with their crackling voices calling out co-ordinates into our vehicle would lead our way. As much as we complained and asked "How much longer til we get there dad?!?"...we were pretty happy to have some amazing adventures along the way. I have a million train spotting stories! Thanks dad for the fabulous memories of things I've seen...I will cherish those moments forever. (Love you)

In honour of my dad for Father's Day this year I spent a few open ceramics nights creating the perfect gift...the perfect gift for him. He is going to freakin' love it!

I have combined his love of train and wolf in this piece. :o) Oh how I love to play in da clay!

those are grey wolves...I am not a good drawer! ;op

twelve...douze...zwölf!

I love the number twelve...J'aime le numero douze...Ich liebe die Nummer zwölf! It is not my favourite number...that would be 66. (why #66?? that is a whole other story.) I was born on the twelfth day of the twelfth month. 12-12!! Almost on a daily basis I see 12:12 on the clock...so does Clint. He thinks it is special and another tiny thing that connects us. ;o) I almost always see 11:11 and 1:11, sick and mini-stick time daily too...oh yeah...and 12:34. All fun times to notice! ha ha...if you get a kick out of the incredibly simple things in life. I get a kick out of it. I like the numbers. I like license plates too. Sometimes you can play with the numbers and make something up in your own head cause it's fun to do...especially when you are really bored of driving around. And it doesn't even have to make sense really. as long as you find it amusing in your own world and it brings a smile to your face. Smiles are always good, no matter what caused them. Years ago our truck license plate was 714 AJR. 71 was Clint's year of birth...74 mine...714. AJR...A Junior. It was like the numbers were aligned and we would have a kid! ha ha ha! Oh so cute! At least we thought it was.

I am also really good at remembering numbers. It never helped me with math, as that was my very worst subject ever...although I have always been an excellent cashier in my life. I can tell you in seconds what your change will be back no matter what $$ you pass me. (another thing I was good at besides being a  hostess with the mostess...I was cashier supremo!) I still remember some of my best friends phone numbers from elementary...Laura Watts was 257-7057...Sandra Beauchamp was 257-3526. Our Greenhouse business numbers were 255-8866 and 253-1866. I even remember the number for McDermot Ave Baptist Church...775-8096!! Too funny. I wonder whose numbers they are now. My obsession even goes as far as to me being precise with the number of minutes something takes. This drives Clint nuts! But my girlfriends thought it was funny the other day. It was Solstice and we were on Mudge Island. The lovely Veronica took us for a quick walk to visit her parents and see the home she grew up in...(nicest property ever!!! Paradise!)she said it was a 4 minute walk from Chad's place where we were enjoying a lovely evening with a cob oven and homemade pizza! When we got to the property I said..."Veronica, this was not a 4 minute walk"...she turned around to look at me wondering what I could possibly say...I said "It is more like 7 minutes!" ha ha ha! Not that the 3 minute difference even made a difference. I am just precise. ;o)

Last night, Clint commented on a daisy painting I did years ago. He was thinking that it was pretty cool how I did everything in 12's..."Was it on purpose?" What? I didn't even know. 12 petals, 12 dashes and 12 squares. I guess my brain just functions in a dozen at a time! ;op (whatever that means?!?) That got me thinking about all of the other 12's that have passed through my life. Growing up one of my very best friends was Kendra Sass. We were tight! When we were younger, her address was 1212 Kildonan Dr. Is that a kawinky dink? I think not. We were destined to be friends. ;o) On my champagne birthday...turning 12 on the 12th day of the 12th month...I decided to have a slumber party. A blizzard started that day. Only one friend showed up...bummer I thought. But, Tara was recently moved from NWT. So when the heavy snow stopped, we went into the backyard and built our very own igloo! It was awesome! I wouldn't have learned to do it without her showing up to our special blizzard slumber party! Thanks Tara wherever you are!!! ;o) That birthday got me thinking about my NEXT champagne birthday. I'm sure a lot of people get to have two in their lives. But not all. So I feel that it is special. Next year I will have my December 12th birthday in 2012!! (9days before the end of the world...LOL) and I feel it will be incredibly special. For this time I CAN drink champagne...even if it's not my favourite...I am a big girl now! Just something new for me to look forward to. Yippeeee!!!

It truly is the simple things in life that we can enjoy! ;o)

Peace!!

Soulstice...

Today is officially summer! It's 10 am and it's +17...I really hope it gets a heck of a lot warmer during the day. I feel today is the day I must jump into the ocean...in order to do so, I need to feel hot. So please, please, please Ms. Sunshine...heat us up! She is shining pretty hard already...our front yard is sparkling! I love the magical feeling that the summer brings. Waking up in the mornings...slipping on a little sun dress...watering the pretty flowers and herbs and strawberries and tomatoes on my deck...taking Maggie on a sunny beach or sparkly forest walk...summer is an endless time of fun and soul rejuvenation. And I can say with all sincerity that I am entirely in love with summer!

this is first opened

Soooo...what about my pretty flowers. Well, one of my roses opened up yesterday! Yippeee! The very first rose always is a different colour...at least on my two plants. So, when she opened yesterday she was almost orange in colour...a pale orange/ yellow. And of course the sweetest fragrance you ever took in. Better than any perfume EVER made! Today she is yellow. :o)

this is her this morning

I have a California Lilac bush just on the outside of our deck. (deers do not eat them...phew!) What a beautiful flower and fragrance it has. And the bees...well they are also quite fond of them. You can hear the electricity from the bees the second you walk outside our front door...soooo exciting! ;o)

Eat up little bees!

Look at the huge amount of pollen on his leg! Mmmmm. Have you ever tasted bee pollen? So tasty and immensely amazing for your health!

In the spring when I was doing some mega yard cleanup...I found a little peony trying to grow through the mass amount of stinging nettle choking out all the grows in the bed. I think I may have saved it's life...for if I hadn't uncovered her this year...she would be choked out by the nettle. Which is also so good for you...but it just is so invasive. Anyhow, one single beautiful flower budded and opened for me. Thanking me for renewing her life and giving her a second chance to grow big and strong! :o)

And these birds...they hang out inside my dining room window...they make sure the birds that are full of life do not fly through! I just loved the way the sun was sparkling through the beautiful Tammy star that hangs out with the birdies. :o)

Yay! Summer. I love thee! I wish everyone an amazing, magical summer. Have fun!! xoxoxox

Sex, Drugs & Rock and Rooooooll!!!!

How many times have I heard that saying...and always in a high pitched, screaming voice  with the devil rock fingers up high in the air. Can you hear it? Yeah, yeah...sex is good. But REAL sex is awesome when it is with the person you love and are sharing your life with. That's what Isaac Hayes referred to as "Makin' Love"...anything less is just plain old sex. Still might be fun but it's worthless...and can leave you feeling worthless too. Same with drugs. Sure, you can have some fun time on some "recreational" drugs. I've been there in my life time...I'll admit to using some drugs that I probably shouldn't have. Shouldn't have, mostly, because these drugs that are manufactured in somebodies home made "lab" could kill you the first time you take it. But when you're young you take silly risks...and half of the time you don't even see it as a risk...everyone else is doing it! So just like my momma used to say..."If everyone else jumped off a bridge would you?" And, of course as a smart assed teen I would say "Well, yeah...if it looked like it might be a fun thing to do!" Oh, my poor parents! ;op But that IS exactly the way peer pressure goes. Your friends and/or acquaintances are going out and taking some pills or snorting some substance up their noses and then seemingly they are having the time of their life...so you think what harm can it possibly do? Well...news stories over the years have informed us of teenage deaths at parties. They were teens and their young and strong hearts gave out after taking some drugs that were perhaps mixed wrong or whatever. How do you have a heart attack at the tender age of 15??? Bad drugs. It's that simple. You never know where stuff comes from when you are purchasing these evil little pills and bags of powder. And yeah, I know that sometimes the drugs that kids and adults are taking are over the counter headache pills crushed up and snorted. Doesn't make them safe...these too can have serious affects on our organs. I am not wanting to stand on my soap box and preach to everyone to not do drugs. I mean...in a perfect world it would be great if no one used bad drugs...but our world is less than that. And there are people in this world who enjoy doing bad things like producing bad drugs...just cause they can. 

In a way I find the drug culture amusing...not like funny ha ha ha...but funny like...what the heck?? Ecstasy, or MDMA was first made to help stop abnormal bleeding way back in the beginning of the Twentieth century. In the 1950's it was given to couples to aid them in their love making...or at least allow them to feel sexually charged about one another. In the 1970's psychologist's used MDMA in their sessions with patients as it helped them relax and talk more openly about their problems. But, I can tell you that it was produced in a lab by real scientists...just like any other prescription drug. (I wonder what drugs made by Pfizer may have traces of MDMA in it...anti-depressants possibly??) These days MDMA and MDA are made by Internet scientists...people who have read online how to make it and then produce it in their backyard dirty shed. Wow...that seems like a safe and clean environment to produce something for consumption. Not! The more I think about drugs at all...even prescription drugs, I see the harm they cause all over the place. "Respectable" men like Rush Limbaugh (just so you know...I have 0 respect for the guy) even get addicted to the feeling they get from drugs like Oxycontin...it is a derivative of heroin. A highly addictive substance made from what used to be a beautiful poppy...but yet it is manufactured in a lab. So it is NOT natural as some people may and will always argue. (Marijuana IS natural...it is a weed that grows in soil...it buds...you smoke the buds that never had anything added to them. That is a natural drug.) My Dr. prescribed me Oxycontin and Dilaudid (hydromorphone), (heroin and morphine), to help with my pain. Neither took away my pain...just made my head feel big and detached. A feeling I did not like, and shortly after starting to take the meds...I promptly went off of them. Who wants to feel like that? Plus I would feel pukey all of the time. Yuck!

Anyways, like I said earlier, I am not here to preach because that would be the pot calling the kettle black...and I don't want to do that. I just want my friends and others out there to be careful what you are putting into your body. My friend overdosed almost two years ago. That was from overdoing the "social" drugs that he felt helped him get along with others I guess. It was heartbreaking. It sobered up a lot of people in our community. Me included. I don't think I have been really drunk since it happened...I am now a two glass of wine cheap date! Remember alcohol too is a drug...as is coffee. We just need to be smart. It doesn't help to tell kids not to do drugs...they will just take more. It's called rebellion...been there...done that. Talk to your kids like they have a mind. Explain to them why it is unsafe to party all of the time on drugs. As adults, encourage your friend to get off the drugs and come back to reality. I've just seen far too much of it in my life and I keep losing friends and acquaintances either by death or complete stupidity. Everything in moderation at least. Even if you are a pot head...tek it easy on the weed mon. It's natural and not harmful except for maybe to your lungs if you smoke it. But you want to remember life too...no? Treat your body like it is an expensive rich Corinthian leather suitcase...maybe even a Louis Vitton, cuz that would be waaaaaaay crazy over the top extravagant. And would you carry that beautiful suitcase through the mud, that you worked for 9 labourious months to save for til you finally brought it home? No, you wouldn't. It's incredibly special. Our bodies are special. And we are given only one. Take care of it. Please. (even all of you rock 'n rollers...settle down!!!)

It's summer now...well tomorrow officially...so it's the social overload time of year again. Have fun...be safe...and Rock 'n Roll!!! 
Cheers...and...
PEACE! :o)

Oh my word!!

I just can't believe...I mean, I guess I can believe that it actually happened. I have seen rampant idiocy in actual real life, in front of my face, but so much more in the news always. And last night I had to watch it on TV, in the beautiful city of Vancouver that I called home for 8 years...I had to watch the chaos ensue over the loss of the Stanley Cup, with downtown Vancouver getting pulverized by hoards of drunk, foolish and foot stomping like an angry child, kids. They were kids. The ones that have been caught by still shots and those that were videotaped by news crews and tons of onlookers...the majority of them seemed to be in the age range of 15-25. For real...is this what a drunk temper tantrum looks like? There were even some stupid drunk older men getting in to some of the earlier action of the evening. There is a photo of this dude, probably 45, running out of a tuxedo shop with two new suits in hand. Loser. Another photo is of a girl...maybe 20, passing out Coach bags from inside a broken store front window. Photos of newspaper boxes getting thrown through store front windows and the bank. Photos of boys flipping cars over and starting them on fire. (I can't even imagine the millions of $$ of personal insurance claims for cars alone.) Who does this stuff?? Well, the people whose faces are spread all over Facebook and Twitter and You Tube...these are the morons who do these kinds of horrible acts. And what are they acting out on? There is no political crisis (besides the fact that we have a conservative majority...boo!), no dictator taking away any freedom that we have, no other Country is trying to push ours down...nothing is happening to warrant a riot in the streets. I don't really believe a riot is ever good...but they can happen when people's passion heats up because of massive turmoil. But a riot because of losing a game? There is some deep rooted something in all the kids doing the destroying...I hope their parents see that and get them some help. Or even try talking to them their self. We all need guidance sometimes...and that's okay. But, I guess this all has happened before. I vaguely remember...it was 1994 and the Canucks lost in game 7 of the finals. I lived in Winnipeg...we were losing our Jets...that is all I remember about hockey that year. There was a riot Downtown Vancouver that year. It made the city weary about ever allowing such a big public event again. Then we were given the chance to prove to the world that we can play games and have fun no matter what. The Olympics were hosted in February 2010 in Vancouver & Whistler. There was a minor riot that a group of anarchists started to oppose the games and the $$$ that go in to them...windows were smashed in downtown and it was ridiculous to watch. That got sorted quickly. After that, Vancouver did an amazing job as Host to the world. It was an exciting time. We even went to Vancouver to stay with friends to watch the gold medal hockey game. It was thrilling...the excitement and fervor...the feeling of pride for being Canadian and living in such a beautiful province that tourists are in awe over. It was great. Go Vancouver!

Boston shuts out the Canucks in Game 7 with a score of 4-0 in the final game to win the prestige of Lord Stanley's Cup. Boston is happy. And they should be...their team played a most spectacular game. It was a great game to watch actually. Two amazing teams battling it out til the bitter end. The Bruins just played a more solid game and therefore took home the Cup...good for them. And I bet even the Boys...the Canucks feel this way too. They did their best, but it just wasn't enough...and that's okay. A new season starts in September...all is NOT lost. Cheers to you Canucks for making it to the Finals! And three cheers to the Bruins for winning the Stanley Cup! ;o) I know it is sad. I also know AND understand that every single Canuck and Canuck fan is feeling sad today. I feel sad and I don't even care about hockey...but I fully expected to watch the Canucks beat the Bruins. I believed! ;o) So, it makes me feel sad for the team because I know they wanted it bad...as did their millions of fans. And almost all of those millions are sad but okay...and still proud of the team they love for doing such a good job. It's that teeny, tiny little group of fans and then just plain dumb troublemakers who just went to cause destruction...they ruin it for all. So to all of you children...boys and girls...learn from your mistakes and NEVER repeat. You are not pack dogs...it doesn't have to be monkey see monkey do when it comes to immature and irresponsible and criminal acts. So get the heck out there today and help the city get cleaned up. And then do some more for your city some how. Clean up the litter in your neighbourhood. Learn some respect for the beautiful place you call home. Grow up.

Peace out Canucks and loyal fans! The sun is out...the air is sweet...the birds are singing...it IS a good day! :o)

Don'cha wish pics could be scratch and sniff? Nothing like a good huff of Wysteria...mmmmmmmmm!!

Wasser...Agua...Eau...Water

It's my favourite drink. I love a heavy hot summer rain that you can dance in and watch it flood the streets in minutes. I love swimming in a fresh lake. I am always a yes when asked if I want to go to the pool or water park...fun times!! Water is awesome and fun and good for you. And recently I have found out how valuable water REALLY is. Our source of water in this place is a cistern...fed by rain from the roof. It holds 1550 gallons of water. That sounds like a lot of water...it isn't. People have 2000 gallon cisterns primarily for watering their garden. We have 1550 to cook with, shower with (I can no longer have baths...how sad is that?), do laundry with, water my plants indoor and out with, do dishes with, flush the toilet with. ;op I recently heard a funny island saying..."On this isle of fun & sun...you never flush for number one!" ha ha ha!! We are super water conscious. I shower when necessary...if I don't smell or am not greasy, I simply won't shower. We have been talking about being more European and doing the whole sponge bath routine. It's just that when you realize how much water gets wasted doing things that you have always taken for granted...ie: showering...it's quite effective on your brain to make a change. Even a quick shower will probably use 20 gallons of water...maybe...I don't know actually. I should probably figure out our water GPM...that'll help ease some anxiety! I am now showering with my mop bucket. It catches some of the water...and it's annoying. But I will do what I can. ha ha ha! The first time I did it I brought all of the water receptacles in with me. As you can see...it did not leave me a whole lot of room. An obstacle course in my very own shower. ;op Now with just me and big blue...it is slightly less irritating. But not as irritating as I am finding it to be wishing for rain. I love summer. I love the sun and heat and seeing daily growth of all of my flowers and veggies and stuff. I would love to have summer 2009 back...all sun all the time. That was rad! But, I would like each night to pour rain down for a few hours to feed my cistern and water all of the plants who don't get watered regularly. Everyone will be happy then. And then I can take a bath! ;o)

I have just been imaging what it would be like if the world did start running empty on water. Isn't that what Mad Max was all about? I don't want to live there...unless I could get me some Tina legs! But imagine it...you had to hunt for water so that you could stay alive. It's quite extreme. Yet in just one century of time a lot can happen. And our water systems are depleting all over the world. BC sells California water because they don't have enough. It's already happening. Even in the city I think people should be conscious of the water they are using. We are so wasteful with stuff like that...water, electricity. So easy to make sure the tap is tight and not dripping after your shower...it doesn't take much to push a button to turn the TV off when you are done watching. There is so much that we can do to conserve the earth and what she gives us, most of it is just making super simple little changes in your home and to your lifestyle. If we all cared...we could save the world. Wouldn't it be awesome if our grand children's grandchildren could enjoy looking out at the beautiful ocean and canoe a mountain fed lake? I think so. Let's do some real thinking and changing. What can I do today??

The Big Game...

Well, one of the big games is on tonight. It's 5:19 as I write this...and most people in BC are probably watching or listening to the Canucks game tonight. I guess they had better win. There will be a whole lot of disappointment if they do not. I haven't even watched one game of the playoffs. And not because I don't care...I mean it would be a really nice thing if the Canucks won. They have gotten pretty close in the last few years. So perhaps it is their time to bring the cup home. All right, sure...Go Canucks Go!! ;o) I am obviously not a fan of the sport...not really a fan of any sport I suppose. I like watching a live game of any kind...my friends playing softball in the 4:20's, CFL game (it's been many, many years since I seen one of those. Go Bombers!!!), my friends playing softball in the 4:20's, even high school games like volley ball...I used to play. ;o) I just don't see it as something I want to take my time to do. And Clint is also not a sports fan...one of the MANY reasons I love him. Like, right now he is listening to The Stranglers and painting. I am not even sure that he knows there is a game on. (I just asked him...I think he said..."yeeeah" in an unsure tone of voice) I am glad he would rather be creative and produce something so amazing than waste a few hours of his night in front of the TV. We waste enough hours on the boob tube. Not so much now that it is summer...thank goodness! Anyways...I might take a gander at the game and check it out. Playoff game hockey is actually very exciting. The only hockey that IS worth watching actually. So, I have to at least watch one or two games. I have heard these games have had a lot of fights in them. I an NOT a fan of that. I like the Olympics hockey...no fighting and it is always a good game. And, they are not even being paid $6-10 million to do it. It's for the love of the game...I think at least. I have no idea if they are nowadays paid for playing in the Olympics.

That's about all I have to say about that. I'm not a fan. I apologize to the many, many hockey fans out there. I am by no means saying that hockey is not a good sport. It is. And games are fun. I went to Canucks game once...we were 14 row s up from ice so it was pretty exciting. I enjoyed it. I am glad to have had the experience. I can also say that I am really happy that Winnipeg is getting an NHL team back. I think the long string of losses by the Jets made the Winnipegers lose hope and stop caring about why they are really there...for the love of the sport...the game. You go to enjoy watching people play their best and do incredible things. And it really doesn't matter who wins...it is all about being outside, enjoying some fresh air, getting some exercise or enjoy watching others get the exercise while you cheer them on. ;o) It`s fun. That`s why it is called a game. So...to you that enjoy watching the game...I say just that...Enjoy the game! Wicked if the Canucks win...it really would be sweet. ;o)

Goooooo Canucks Goooooo!!!

Ceramics Flog

I just got home from open ceramics night at Feedlot Studios...and my oh my what fun I had today! ;o) I didn't get into the clay...I worked on something new on Monday that is still drying before it's initial firing. But...I am so super stoked because my platter I made is finally finished. And it makes me feel so amazingly happy and excited.I can't wait til we have our first guests over since I brought it home, and serve some delicious cheese and crackers on it. I think my platter will make EVERYTHING taste divine!!

 It's Magic Mushroom Land!!! Magic because I imagine myself all little like a fairy and jumping around from mushroom to mushroom. I am not a huge fairy fan...I do like them though. But it is more the aspect of imagination...Alice in Wonderland sort of thing. Can I eat a mushroom and become tiny like a bug so that I can enjoy the world from a different view? (I have always had a fondness for ants...I could befriend them and they could "pump me up!"...you know, cuz they are way strong.) I would love it! But with my new platter I can dream...I can ALWAYS dream.

I love how the daisy wraps around the edge of the plate. Ceramics is so much fun. You can make whatever you want. I mean...it's for you anyways. Just open your mind and your imagination and allow the creativity to flow. So much fun. 



Thank you, thank you Mariko and Bryan for moving here...bringing the Feedlot Studios over here and injecting some passion back into our lives here on Paradise Island. You guys rock hard in my books!!!

Time to go to bed and dream about my new playground. I will imagine it without cheese and crackers on it...that would just get messy!

Rat a tat tat tattoo!!

I like tattoos. I am by no means am covered in them...I have only 4. I just think it's cool that you can love an image and then have it inked into your skin so that you can always see and enjoy it. It's also always a great story...the reason you chose that image, or how it came to be. My cousin and her sister-in law...who would be my cousin through marriage...are wanting to get their first tattoos. Not that I ever talk to them...I just creep on their Facebook pages like I do to everyone else! ha ha ha!! (Isn't that what FB is all about? I know I get creeped on...who doesn't?) Anyways...I saw them chatting about it so I emailed them both to suggest a specific guy to get their first tat from.  Art Godoy at Funhouse Tattoo on Cambie St in Vancouver. He is so amazing. He inks it like no other man. I got a daisy on my shoulder by him back in 2001. It is a cute little Gerbera...but it's done perfectly. Exactly how I wanted it to look. 2 years ago I got Clint a gift certificate at Funhouse for Christmas. He got some super amazing, realistic sparrows done on his arm by Art. That is his first tattoo...I hope he gets more. ;o) The sparrows, who mate for life, signify him and I...plus, his dad also had sparrows flying around a mailbox that said Lil (Clint's mom who died in 1973), so it is a tribute to his parents too. (his dad died in 2002) Tattoos are just cool. You don't need to have any if you aren't into it. My parents think I am nuts for the wee little tats that I have. But I think they are great! I do what I want! ha ha ha ha!

I want to share my little tat stories...

No...it is not a blurry photo. That, is my first tat...18 years ago it was inked on my left butt cheek! ;o) When I was 18, my girlfriend Mel and I went to Minneapolis for a couple of nights. Mel already had a tattoo...a vine around her ankle. I wanted something so bad. We found a little parlour and went inside to inquire. They could fit us both in right there and then...yikes! Mel knew already that she wanted a treble clef below her navel. I didn't know what I wanted so started looking at the wall tattoos. (I would not suggest this process...I was young) I found this pretty little red rose...and it was only $35...perfect! Mel got called in first. Her guy was young and cute. I couldn't wait to get called in..."Pam?" It' was a big...like probably 400 lb older dude (maybe 40...but seemed so ancient to me), and he brings me back into his room. "What do you want...where do you want it?" He told me to undo my pants and pull them down enough so that he could get to my cheek. I laid down on my belly...4 feet in front of my face there was a small B&W tv that was playing Hamburger Hill ...super bloody war movie. Then he offered me a lifesaver lollipop! ha ha ha! MY butt was getting tattoed by a large man while watching a bloody and horrible movie but enjoying a sweet lolli! Awesome! And...it did not hurt one iota! Too much fat on yer bum! ;o)

This is not the greatest pic of my snake tat...but I love this photo. Taken about 5 years ago by my good friend Syx Langemann of BlackFrame Studios . It is just a little black snake...another choice from the wall tattoos...it was only $40! What a deal. This one was done in Winnipeg when I was 19 years old at Winnipeg's Finest Tattoo's in Osborne Village. I just really wanted another tattoo that day and walked right into the parlour and got it done. I was in and out of there in 30 minutes! It was a little more hurty than my butt because he kept going over and over the same spots to make the black stick. Well, it stuck. I like my little snakey! ;o)

(I love this photo...me and my Omi on her 80th birthday.) Again, not the greatest photo of my daisy tat...but I like it because I am holding a big ol' daisy and my Omi is holding me. She HATES my tattoos...even though she can admit that they are pretty...she still says they are ugly. ha ha ha...I love you Omi! I was 27 years old when I got this tattoo. And I actually put a lot of thought into it. I wanted it to mean something to me this time. Oh...but it's just a simple little daisy. Well, there is much about it that is significant to me. Daisy; my favourite flower, symbol of peace (daisy in the barrel of a gun), symbol of happiness (who doesn't smile and feel happy when they pass a field of daisies), strong flower (it can grow in the worst of conditions and thrive). I drew it, but Art re-drew it, cause my drawing was incredibly childlike...it was just a proto-type anyways! ;o) I asked him to colour it purple, my favourite. It has only one pretty leaf...the left! It's perfect in every sense of the word. I love it so much. Simple yet so very meaningful...to me. And, for the record...this one did not hurt at all. Art is so gentle. ;o)

Last, but certainly not least is my foot daisy. I got this one done in September 2009 by Russ at Black and Blue Tattoo in Nanaimo. Yep, another daisy. I love them..it's true. I will probably get more, just so you know! ;o) I have wanted a foot tattoo forever. Clint and I happened to walk over on the ferry to Nanaimo this one particular September day. Black & Blue is pretty much right there when you walk off the ferry. I was like..."let's just go in and look at their books." Dude, Russ, was in and we talked about a foot tattoo for me...and what I would like. He said he could do it right there and then. I wasn't exactly ready, but I WAS ready. He drew it up. I loved it. I said..."Go at it, my brother!" It took just over an hour. I will not lie and say it didn't hurt. There was some hurty spots...like right on the freakin' toe tendons...OUCH! But I acted all calm like it was no big deal. hee hee. But, you know, it really ain't that bad. It's not as painful as people imagine it to be. It is a sort of pleasurable pain...soothing almost. It can put you in a trance like state. The buzzing of the needles...brings you somewhere else. I like the pain. ;o) (this photo was taken by Nausher Banaji last summer when Vancouver Photo Workshops was on Gabriola doing a Nude in the environment workshop taught by Syx Langemann.)

So...those are my tattoo stories. Do you remember yours...or maybe you need to start making them! ;o)

Sunny Sandy Sandwell

+24 degrees Celsius...now that is more like it! Today is absolutely beautiful outside. Even with the wind...the wind that is so windy every year for the first two weeks of June. This being our 4th summer on the island, I now have distinct seasonal memory. Or at least I think so...I feel like a seasoned Gabriolan weather veteran. "Oh yeah...it's the beginning of June...yep...the windy season." (in the Fargo accent of course) I am glad that the wind this time of year is warm...that is a wonderful thing. Anyways...the weather is finally starting to feel like it may just keep on keeping on with these sunny, warm days. Yay!

This weather is also perfect for me when I am feeling achy all over. When my muscles are overworked, the warm weather outside allows me to actually sit back, relax and indulge myself with rest. Even though I have a million and one things that I want to get done...just chill out for a day. I did far too much yesterday. Helping prune and cut back the maple trees in our backyard was not a wise idea. I just feel the need to help out with everything. Probably more likely that I need to help because I feel I know best! lol Well...today I need to rest. I did a wee bit of creative stuff this morning, but stopped so that I could actually recuperate. So, I suggested we take Maggie to Sandwell so that we all can have fun and relax and blow some stress...flee from the house of pain (Clint's back is buggered too...ugh.) and into the arms of Mother Nature. I will admit, that in the winter I do not like to go to Sandwell Beach. It is shady and windy and too cold. But spring and summer...oh baby. It's sunny and warm and best of all, for Maggie's sake, it's sandy! A couple years we took Maggie and Wensday to Tofino with us for a few days. When in Tofino you HAVE to go to Long Beach, of course. And when you are with a 17 year old dog who has feet troubles when walking on rocky beaches...you will be even happier that you went. We ran and ran and ran, in the pouring rain for two hours up and down Long Beach because Maggie was in heaven. :o) That is pretty much what Sandwell is like for her. Sandwell is just waaaaaaay shorter than Long Beach. But Maggie loves to run at Sandwell. We were all running and laughing and throwing our cares and pain into the wind! It was awesome. 

I am so glad summer is just around the corner. I am so ready for it!!

 

I found this pile of pebbles...amazing what the gentle ocean waves can form. Precision! ;op 

It felt so good to have my feet and toes in the sand again...when the sun is beating down. Maggie had to havea quiet lay down before the walk home. To see the cutest thing ever...watch the video below. Maggie running...like a teeter totter! Oh, I love you Maggie May!

red light...green light.

I did not read Dr Seuss...I did not drink some fruity juice...

I am talking about a glowing light...that haunts me each and every night.

Ha ha ha!

In 1978 I took my first year of swimming lessons at the YMCA on Fermor Ave in beautiful St. Vital in Winnipeg. I was turning 4 that winter...so I was a young and eager sweet little girl wishing to swim like a dolphin. Part of this memory is super foggy, like I can't remember for the life of me if this one particular lesson day was some kind of competition or what. But, one day after we were out of the water and done changing back into our street clothes we were lead to a wall cabinet that held a plethora of prizes. There were all sorts of goodies in there...I remember feeling a little overwhelmed about the choices I had. I also remember that I was super excited at the time about my new bedroom suite because it made me feel like a princess. I got a canopy bed with a matching tall boy dresser and nightstand. I must have been completely all about my very own bedroom because what I chose, I can't imagine another child picking it out of all the other cool things that were there. (Like what I chose, maybe an adult or older teen would pick out as it would be useful to them...not much use to an almost 4 year old.) In amongst the prizes I saw a clock/radio...and I wanted it more than anything. I recall my mom asking me if I was sure. "Of course I am sure...look at it...it is so pretty"...I said something like that. 32 year is a long time ago! ;op So, that is what I chose. A Realistic clock/radio. The digital numbers glowed red...how cool is that? I held my boxed up radio all the way home til we arrived in my bedroom and we plugged it into the wall and placed beside my bed on my nightstand. Yay! Now I always know what time it is. I always did like to know the time...maybe that is when my OCD started! ha ha ha!

The radio was AM only...so I couldn't get any rock stations. AM seemed to only have the stations that my grandparents listened to. But, I finally found 1290 AM...at that time it was called 13CFRW and it played everything that I liked. Madonna, Wham, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Joel...you know, good 80's music! ;o) I used to set my alarm when I was in elementary. I always set it for 7:47. I thought it was a cool time...just like the jet plane. The funny thing about that time was that for Halloween, each year for about 4 years that I can remember, they played the Monster Mash at 7:47...I woke up pretending I that am at the party and doing the Monster Mash!
"For you, the living, this mash was meant too
When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you

Then you can mash
Then you can monster mash
The monster mash
And do my graveyard smash
Then you can mash
You'll catch on in a flash
Then you can mash
Then you can monster mash"

Awesome. Anyways...the dazzling red digital numbers. They don't give you that high intensity brightish ceiling and wall glow like the greeny coloured digital numbers do. The soft red glow just shines through the numbers and never sends out any disturbing light sources in your bedroom. I really miss my red numbers. I had that clock up until last November. We had a power outage one day and when the power came back on, my radio started playing as always, but there was only the blinking : on the screen. WHAT??? I was pretty distressed about this situation. In fact, I immediately unplugged the clock and brought it to the kitchen table, found my little screwdrivers and went to work on taking it apart and checking out the innards. There was a piece that came apart when I opened it...I crazy glued that back together instantly. All of the wires looked fine, no rust or wear, no nothing out of the ordinary. But I have no clue what I would be looking for. I played with some switch like doodads...they didn't make any difference...it's done glowing.  I put it back together and then wrapped it up and put it in a cupboard. I will eventually meet someone who knows about the mechanics of a digital clock/radio and can fix it for me...I just know it! ha ha. I know I am crazy, but whatevs! I now use Clint's clock/radio...it glows green. Last night, while I laid there trying to fall asleep I realized that I really do NOT like the green glow. It's disturbing...not soothing. I need to make it my mission to 1. find a new clock/radio that glows red, or 2. find someone who can make mine work again. It's in a box, carefully wrapped up with other special items of mine, in my crawlspace waiting to live again. I need Dr. Frankenstein!!! ba ha ha ha haaaaa!!!

Red light means good night! :o)

GRRRRRRRRRRRRROWLS!

Here, on Gabriola we are lucky and blessed to have a wonderful, helpful and amazing society that is there 100% for the animals on our lovely island...GROWLS...Gabriola Rescue of Wildlife Society. They have established themselves to help those animals that have been inured, take ill or are somehow disabled and in need of a helping human hand...to thereafter be placed back into the wild where they belong and are happiest. You find a seal pup that has obviously been abandoned by it's mother...do not touch it...keep your distance and call GROWLS so that a trained volunteer and animal lover can come out, assess the situation and handle it as it should be. Sometimes they can be helped where they are...other times they need to be taken in and either brought to a vet on Vancouver Island or to a wildlife recovery facility on the Main Island or Salt Spring Island. If I had the physical capability to help...you bet your sweet patootie I would be out there. Gabriola is home to many beautiful animals of all shapes and sizes...deer, raccoon, a gazillion types of birds, seal, otters, beavers, sea lions, whales, livestock (which I guess the farm would handle anything wrong with them...but maybe sometimes GROWLS helps out...I actually don't know... hee hee) and of course the Wild Turkeys and Peacocks. (they could be combined with the other birds but they have their own special unique attitude, I must name them individually!)

Anyhow, next weekend...on June 11 there will be an opening night reception at Feedlot Studios for the Animal Magnetism Show. I believe there are 40 artists from Gabriola submitting pieces for this show where proceeds from each piece sold will go directly towards GROWLS. Yay!!! (I don't think I would call myself an artist...more of an imaginative, creative being...but I made a piece for the show...I freakin' LOVE all the animals!) GROWLS always needs donations to help with the amazing work that they do...and everyone knows that the government ain't always there financially for the things that matter most...sooooo...Mariko & Bryan of Feedlot Studios and Sylvie Milman of Jupiter Ranch got together and decided that a show about animals with $$ for the animals would be a grrrrreat idea. And it is soon approaching. If you live on Gabriola, I hope to see you there. If you are coming to Gabriola anytime between June 11 and 30th, I hope you pop in to Feedlot Studios at 800 Valli Place and check out the art and support our sweet, furry, feathery and slippery friends. ;o)

Go GROWLS!!

Collectors Collecting Collections: Part Deux.

Clearly, I am fascinated with the art of collecting "precious" items...errr...at least the one who is doing the collecting finds that their treasures of all sorts are extremely precious. But it seems to me, that the population of people who witness the mass amount of "stuff" that is building up...they think it's crazy. I guess there are extremes, and those people would be considered hoarders. There is even a reality TV show about many people who suffer from a serious case of collecting. Sometimes I am afraid that I could become that...but then I remember that I have Clint, and there is NO WAY he would ever let me get out of control. Thank goodness for a supportive husband! ;o) Hoarding is just so incredibly out of control and I think at that point it is a mental condition and needs real help. Psychiatrist maybe...for sure lots of therapy. I have a strong desire to hang on to things...but I also have learned that it is okay to let go too. And it is still okay to have stuff to collect or stuff that I hang onto. I love knowing that I have items that were next to me in my crib or in my bedroom as a small child...it gives me comfort. Those kinds of things are impossible to get rid of for me. It would have to be rotten and stinky and ruining other things for me to let them go. My found objects of desire I AM able to get rid of...with some Clint coaxing of course! ha ha!

Why a Part Two to a journal about collecting? Because, Igor Savitsky will not leave my mind. The first 25 minutes of the documentary of collecting was on him. And we missed the first 10 minutes of it. Boo. But what we did watch was an interview with Igor's successor, Marinika Babanazarova. She was the daughter of a friend of his who worked closely with him in his Museum in Nukus. This is no ordinary museum. It is the Nukus Museum of Art and it contains thousands upon thousands of paintings that Igor collected in his life. And it is no ordinary art. Some of these paintings were Russian avant-garde and post avant-garde and had been banned by the KGB and Stalin's government for refuting the Socialist Realism school. That's exciting stuff! They were amazing paintings...and he collected all of them. Plus paintings from other amazing Russian and central Asian artists. He collected them all and brought them all back to Nukus Uzbekistan to his museum where some are on the walls for display and the other thousands...maybe even hundreds of thousands of paintings are stacked side by side in the mass huge storage of the museum. Igor Savitsky dies in 1984, but Marinika keeps the paintings and other art safe and intact. That is how Igor wanted it. He told her that it was his collection and must remain together as is. And she has done that. Even in the 1990's when word got out to the mass public about the museum in the desert, and art collectors with tons of dollars from all over the world came to view and choose which pieces they were going to purchase...Marinika didn't sell a thing. She was offered millions of dollars. The museum was Igor Savitsky's dream, his life's work...his life's collection. And what an amazing collection to share with the rest of the world. Thank you Igor, and double thank you and bless you Marinika for being true lovers and respecters of art and honouring an artists right to personal expression. And keeping a collection a collection.

Travelling to Nukus Uzbekistan is my new "I NEED to go there" destination. I want to see these paintings...I want to enjoy and admire Igor's Collection. I want to meet Marinika and express my gratitude to her for continuing to pursue a dream that began in the 1960's by a man who had such love and appreciation for art and the feelings and thoughts that it allows us to have. What a cool guy. I think it's beautiful. I wish I would have looked at what the title of that documentary was...okay...I think I just found it...maybe..."The Desert of Forbidden Art" . It is definitely about Igor's life...but it may be a different doc than I watched. I'll have to find it and rent it! ;o) Yay!!!

All right...enough obsessing...for now. Art rules! Peace.

What about the addiction of collecting??

the set on the left is my first set. ;o)

Everyone collects one thing or another. Trinkets, cars, jewelery, art, ladies, men, boats, dishes, pillows, plants, animals, dolls, jeans, antiques...you name it someone has it and/or is collecting it...right now! ;o) When you find something that you love so much, you may find that you need another of the same...or another similar but different. For instance, my first decanter set I bought. So lovely. I found it at Virgin Mary's on the Drive in Vancouver. Comes from the 1960's. I find it incredibly awesome and beautiful and it actually makes me a little happy for having it. Like an art piece would make some people happy...my decanter set makes me smile when I look at it. That smile is part of that addictive thing. It comes from so many places. I am so proud of myself for scoring such a pretty item that comes from around 50 years ago and is still in pristine condition. It makes me feel cool, like the way I thought my parents were cool for having a couple pretty decanters...they were always filled with sherry or port or something. (I would take swigs from them on occasion. Sherry drunks are not so good...especially when you are 15 and drank too much of it then walk up the middle of 80 km/hr Bishop Grandin Blvd to the boy's house that just broke up with you to cry and ask why but then you get there and his older brother answers the door and tells you that he is not home so you have to walk all of the way back home again to find your 10 year old sister and German exchange student all worried about where you took off too over an hour earlier. whoops, sorry to everyone involved...very embarrassing  to look back on it...but funny ha ha ha at the same time! anyways...) I smile because when I look at my pretty decanter sets...all of them sitting on top of the pretty "teak" wood cabinet, I just think it's neat. They are cool pieces of art that are made by the fine technique of blowing glass, all for the sole purpose of pouring your yummy liqueur or liquor into a vessel that looks sharp. Party time! hee hee. Anyhow...I like decanters and I will always buy them when I find them in good condition. And if it is the right price. ;o)

Part of my glass collection.

"Col-lect [kuh-lekt]...to accumulate; make a collection of: to collect stamps." By why is it considered an addiction? Well...there is a "high" associated with the search, find and own aspect of the whole process. You had something in mind...you are always on the hunt for it...you find it...you purchase or take it (by take it, I mean the found objects of desire on the beach and nature and stuff)...you now own it and it is in YOUR possession. Oh yeah baby. That feels good! Now you need that rush again. What do I want now? Start hunting! And it goes on and on. Last night we watched a documentary about different people's obsessive collections. Some of them I found so super unreal. An older man who started a collection of 'Axes' (from as old as the 1920's) when he was in his 20's in the 1960's. He had over 1000 of them...plus a whole bunch of different types of saws and logging equipment stuff. Another man who opened a museum for radios and old electrical equipment because he had so many of them and realized that it's a great educational tool. These days some kids don't even know what a discman is...never mind a walkman! This music producer guy had a collection of bobble heads...I'm sure around the 1000 mark he was saying. He said he was pretty much 100% sure he had every non-plastic bobble head ever made. He had ones from as old as the 1950's! They were quite amazing. There was a gay couple on the doc who said that their collection of tin toys was part of their "nesting" ritual. It gave them comfort...a childhood safeness kind of a feeling. Because they unfortunately have to deal with homo phobics on a pretty much daily basis. So they love being in their home...their place to feel 100% safe from anything negative. And their collection of tin toys helps make it a refuge of peace happiness and solace...I think it's sweet. Clint does not share my love for any of my collections. He is a purger. And that is okay. He puts up extremely with my collecting. (Love you Clint.) I feel like that couple. And that is another reason I love all of the things that I collect and why they make me feel the way I do. I don't have one large collection of any one thing in particular...but I have many various modest collections.Dishes, glassware, driftwood, beach glass, vases, antique furniture and dishware, lamps, cool little objects that I found on the beaches or forests...I see a bit of beauty in so many different things.

I have knick knacks galore. This is a small portion, like 1/4 of what I actually have. (much to Clint's chagrin) There are a few boxes in the crawl space labeled "knick knacks/Fragile". Each and every little thing I have has some sort of significance to me. It either gives me a meaningful nostalgic feeling, or it actually came from my childhood, from a grandparent or parent, and from a new or old time friend. I also am in love with elephants. I always buy them...even if it's in a 25 cent machine! hee hee This is about 1/3 of the amount of elephant stuff I have. And I still want more!

 Candles and pretty things to hold them in. I wish I had room in my home for all of my candle holders. I have been collecting candle holders and been obsessed with candles since I was 14. (burning a candle while you are trying to sneak a cigarette through your bedroom window hides the smell...or so I believed. sorry mom. love you.) I think that I have 4 boxes labeled "candles/fragile" in the crawl space also. I know that I have too much stuff. And I can't figure out my attachment to it. I should be able to let things go. But I think that I am afraid that I will lose the memory of it and a time in my life that was happy. I don't want to lose my memory...I guess. And the fact that one day I may possibly be living in a larger place with room for all of my stuff...I just need to keep it...ALL! :o) (I am not a hoarder...I am what you would call a pack rat. there is a BIG difference! lol)

Collectitis...or like the guy on the documentary that had over 100 tractors on his property called it...moreitis! ha ha ha! You always want more! It's true. And it's okay to be a collector of whatever you choose. Just don't let it take over your life...because that is a definite sign that you may be going crazy. The 65ish year old lady that collected barbie dolls and their clothes, who still took them all out and changed their clothes and played with them...she seemed a little off. I still have most of my childhood stuffed animals...they are boxed away in the event I have one or two little ones that could love them like I did. I do not play with them anymore...but I remember loving each and every one of them. :o) hee hee.