201211 Stars and Lamps (& beauty)

dec. 11 Here is the morning sky before the sunrise. Last night’s dinner was all prepared in the microwave. Veggie burger chopped up with red pepper, red onion, garlic and seasoning was prepared by first cooking the vegetables and then adding the burger and some HP, pepper, salt, and a bit of Frank’s hot sauce….

201210 Arrival at the vineyard

 dec 8  We have arrived safely at the vineyard. We both remembered the hill up to the house being much steeper than it really is! Our brave Forester had no trouble getting us to the door. It had snowed here perhaps five inches and the road up to the house and the driveway were snow-covered….

201207 Quebec Mosaic Jupiter and Saturn

K and I have rented this house in the Eastern Townships for the next few months.  Rain sent me this picture on Sunday: the view from the house, now! The building in the photo is an underground building that was, I think, for wine-making. There is a vineyard on the property.  *****  Four years ago this…

201206 Dollhouse Christmas

 I’m sure I am not alone in my fascination with tiny things. Miniature candlesticks, dolls, china dogs: you can find a tiny replica of anything you can think of. For many the enchantment of a doll house is an extension of this, the little details that bring it to life. I longed for a “proper”…

201204 Peace Comfort Joy

I dedicate this post to a dear friend who has just welcomed a new (rescued) dog into his home. A dog is forever an optimist, and even as he ducks a sudden gesture, he will believe in a new life and cleave to a new human with absolute trust, in a very short time. I…

201125 Lockdown Peanut Butter Sushi

my sushi.    Not much changed for our family when the new lockdown began in Toronto. I did notice that the 401 and the 427 were unusually quiet at six pm., when it should have been busy. But we continued to observe such strict protocols through the summer and fall that Monday seemed no different….

201123 Weather Anniversary Egg Foo Yung

  On Friday, it was 17 degrees and in the field I discovered violet leaves and dandelions waking up! Yesterday, snow, a proper 5 inches of perfect snowman snow; the children scrambled to find boots and mitts and by nightfall there were snowmen and forts all along the street. Tamar and Indre went for an…

201118 “Not try to hold on”*

Quebec, September. “Changes in lifestyle, aims and dreams, and those stemming from covid-19, have shaken up who I am: so much is new. But I feel more myself, not less: grounded; the earth has stopped shaking for a little while.” That was two weeks ago (blog post 201105); then three days ago (201115) I said, “I am…

201115 Who am I? asks Mumma Yaga

     Nov. 14 I took Fig down the street for a little walk after supper, and the corner neighbours have put their christmas lights up, the same arrangement they had last year – my favorite: strands of many-coloured lights, wrapped round the branches of their several trees. Last December Robin loved going to see…