The "Bearister" Bookcase

WOYWW

2012-02-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

Found this tiny needle felted mousie (and the panda head too; he wonders.. can he have a nose please? ) during the whirlwind week of desk tidying. Sort of 'forgot' where I put her too in the wildness of it all. Oh, man....somehow I must get more organized. And then...must give away some of the stuff I just never get around to using. We know we won't be able to ever do the many and varied crafty things we want to try...but, we keep on trying ...don't we? ..

But, this week, I am definitely looking in all the bags and boxes and containers to make sure exactly what I do have. ...and there she was. Half finished. .... well, more than half actually...but, I do wonder what I was using for that dainty pink of her toesies.... hmmm.... maybe I'll come across some of whatever it was if I continue to tidy. I know it was not wool...I have never had any pink wool. I'm sure of that. Nobody will want a mousie with only one or 2 toes...must find it....

She doesn't look much different from my little felted bears... although, if turned sideways...she does have a bit of a longer and point-ier snout.... and those are just test eyes and a test nose.... on pins. To check for size and placement. She is just all pinned together and her little flower pinned on too...

And, they are not even on my workdesk. They are hanging out on the dining room table...so I don't forget about them. They want action. And, they want it now. Good for them. So tiny and yet so insistent...ahhahha.... kind of remind me of me.
Karen stopped by and asked if they were felted.... and I thought I should just pop back to say...yes..they are. See that little bit of purplish fluff at the front of the foam block they are sitting on?... that is how she began. Needle felting is bits of wool that have been stabbed ...many hundreds and thousands of times with a barbed needle...til you get them into the shapes you want. Then I join the limbs and head to the body with upholstery thread. The eyes are black onyx beads and the noses will be embroidered with Perle cotton. The pink bits...I'm not sure...hahha...but, I think they were tufts of rayon pulled from some pieces of fluffy rayon fabric... and then needled in. I have discovered that all sorts of things felt up alright..

Aha. She found him a nose. Too tiny. Makes him look more like a racoon....but, it'll keep them happy for now.

I have no idea how it can possibly be Wednesday again...already. This is craziness. Another week shot. Warp speed. Sigh...

Check out all the other ladies and their workdesks at Janet's on a Wednesday...

Commenting...

2012-01-30T08:29:00.000-08:00

I hear every so often that some folks are having problems leaving comments on other blogs ... apparently this might help. Found it through another blogger....

http://downourcountryroad.blogspot.com/2012/01/cant-leave-comment-not-getting-comments.html

it is as simple as changing some settings... for those NOT using Safari or Firefox...

just popped on to say...... and I'm afraid that's it for today.... off to physio now....

catch ya later...

Huh ???

2012-01-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, I guess I obsessed. More than just a bit. I had to figure out where I had put poor little Rumpel. It totally freaked me out that I had absolutely no recollection of having put him anywhere at all... am I losing those last three marbles?... is it happening already? ...

So... back in there again I went. He had to be there...somewhere... in that room!! No place else he could be.

I looked in ever drawer and cabinet..once again...after already having looking several times. This time I even climbed onto a chair to make sure I hadn't missed him ... perhaps on a higher shelf.
It was kind dim up there with no lights..but.... just a minute!

What's that? ?

Are those two trying to conceal something?
Is that a tiny foot ? ... a spindly leg?....

What the ????

Oh, sure ..just pretend nothing happened. Nothing at all. Weirdoes ! ...

.... oh, alright .... it wasn't all their fault. I have to 'fess up. Suddenly, I did remember. During the week, I did a reeeellly good tidy in my craft room because we were having neighbours over. I placed him in an inconspicuous spot... safe til I wanted to work on him again. Yeh...safe... til about 2020 if I hadn't spied the poor little guy....

You know how we like to make sure there is not a lot of 'stuff' hanging around making things look messy if somebody other than us peeks into a room... ...even if it IS my craft room. Well, I do anyway. And..I guess I figured I would make him disappear for the night. Just like poor Harry Potter ...pretending he didn't exist.. and then... after a week of excitement and busy-ness....totally forgot what I did with him.

Whew! I did actually have the awful thought ..for just a moment... that I had perhaps done away with him for some reason.... ...

Missing.

2012-01-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

Last seen in my untidy craft room.
Then,....I cleaned and tidied.

Uh, oh.....

Now...I can't for the life of me find him.

Rumpelstiltskin.

Gone.

Remember him? He still needs proper booties....and I was sort of thinking maybe I could do something with those to get me going on crafty stuff once again. But, I can't find the little guy.

I've opened and shut every darn drawer in the room... looked under and in every single box, package and basket.

Where the heck did I put him?

Oh, man...I bet I won't find him for a decade or two........... and he'll still need boots.

WOYWW

2012-01-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hahahha...if you haven't heard it or seen it before it could throw you for a loop, eh? What's on Your Workdesk. Wednesday...

I see it on Twig's blog every Wednesday...and she, and her sister, are always sooooo busy... it boggles my poor little mind.

This is my workdesk today and has been for months now.....my kitchen counter. Yep. That's about it.

Seems to me all I've been doing is baking and cooking. Which I do enjoy...but.... I must try to get back to some sort of crafting and fun stuff.... and soon. When one bakes...and eats; one must spend an inordinate amount of time working out to get rid of excess calories!

After golf season (which was waaaay back in early October!) and my extremely painful elbow...I could not do any small things with finger and thumb at all! And... now... just seem to have grown away from it all.... no motivation or inclination to do much of anything...and my elbow still is pretty painful if I try to use my hand. Last time at physio they froze my elbow and my neck and upper scapular muscles...supposedly to try to break the pain loop, damage the muscles a bit and try to initiate more of a healing response. So far...all it did is produce a huge lump on my upper back...and a painful lump on the lateral epicondyle of my elbow area... fingers crossed. Oh, yeh...hahhah.... and the young sports medicine doctor jabbed her own finger, had to retire to her office for a brief time out and to get a new needle ... I had a laugh at her expense.

This is my workdesk today.... all tidy and waiting for somebody to play in there. Can you tell an ex dental assistant lives here? hahahhah.... All the tools of the bear and doll making trade...neatly aligned, organized and just waiting to be used. Look...I even splurged and bought a pair of Ginghers, (yikes! the $$$$$ ) Those pretty patterned ones.... blue and yellows, see 'em? Can hardly wait to try using them. But...on what?

Today ...it will be Banana Chocolate chip muffins. Check out my other blog for more recipes some time. Mr. BV likes to take a muffin in his lunches and I try to make sure he has a few choices in the freezer. Who wants to take the same muffin 8 days in a row? Right now the only ones in there are strawberry ... so today's will be a nice addition.

There are lots of interesting blogs to see on WOYWW. Check them out here. All of a sudden...you are hopping here there and everywhere from those as well...ooohhhhhh it boggles ..... but, I have found two neat tutorials already, what fun! I definitely want to try the pincushion/box I hopped to from one other blog ... maybe that could be my jump starter....

another little cutie..

2012-01-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

Not that long ago, I had him on my Etsy page as one of my favs.... because he was so sweet looking... and then...he went on sale ...and then... well...it's just one of those little faces who have to come live at my house because by then.... erm..., who could refuse him a home? Not me!

Same as the saying about "beauty being in the eye"..blah, blah...I'm sure cute is also probably only in the eye of the beholder and how each beholder perceives cute...... and my perception of cute is Ogi...

He came all the way from Poland... and his little toque and scarf are hand knit... worth the price just for those. I must ask her if she would knit a few more little things for some of my tiny bears. I don't know how to knit. She obviously has it down pat.
Agnieska (check out her Flickr site to see her felting) is a needle felter I met via my Flickr site.... she stopped by to see my needle felted bears one day and we struck up some conversation. Check out her Etsy site to see her little bears, dogs and other critters.. her prices are very affordable if you would like to get a little fellow of your own...

It doesn't have to be Christmas for me to appreciate a snowman...this is Canada after all. Lots of us have "after Christmas" wreaths for our doors...or huge pots of twigs, greenery, pinecones, berries etc... usually no glitter or ribbons .... just lovely-to-look-at winter decor. And, why not? Winter is going to be hanging around these parts for many months yet. We like to put some colour and fun out there to complement the snowy or dull surroundings. Right now... we do have some snow and it is pretty...but, some weeks... it is just dull, brown, and dead really.... except for some doorway and porch decor.

My little snowman will be an indoor guy. Sitting on my dining room table... with plants. He won't melt. And he has an occasional bear to keep him company...

I love brown paper packages!

2012-01-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

Especially from 'Royal Mail' .... ooooh .... always sounds so posh doesn't it? ......Tied with string or taped...I don't even care about that. And, why can't I get my print over to the left side now that I have changed out a photo? arrghhhhn.......

I'm going to show you each month and its photo as we go through the year... January is Oscar, the blue elephant. Last year I missed out on a calendar from Gretel.... not this year! I was at the ready the second I knew there were some in her shop.

Each month has a lovely photo of one of her amazing creations...my photo is not amazing in this case... I'm a blur myself today. Trying to get some clearing out and sorting done. And... taking every single teeeeeensy bear out of my curio and washing all the glass, inside and out.. plus the shelves and mirrored backing..... a very loooong procedure if you are me. Plus...the glass shelves are a bit tricky to get out with this wrecked wing. I may have to wait for help if they defy me....

Have you seen her Mrs. Mouse's Cupcakes? They look yummy enough to eat. I'll have one with berries on top please!

Mmmmmmm... yes !....thanks.........

Contrary to popular belief...

2012-01-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

I am still alive and kicking. Haven't been kicking very forcefully though, because my Christmas gift was .... a cold. Yup. That's what I got. And other than two sort of sniffly days last year the first real honest to goodness cold I've had since 1995. It was a doozy. I hope my body has now renewed its vows with some wicked cold antibodies and that together we are good for another wonderful 15 years of cold free bliss...

After a full 13 days of varying stages of feeling crappy....I declare this...the 13th....to be the end of it.... although, I still don't think I sound like me when I speak. Maybe one more day. The usual 10 to 14 days plus lingering symptoms for 3 weeks is definitely at work here.

Yesterday... when I was still at the giantpuffballforahead stage, I tried to get some appointments organized...ohhhhhh....I wish I had waited one more day. I had to actually drive to two separate doctor's offices because I couldn't get past hanging on this end of the phone waiting to speak to a real person. Nobody seemed to be answering phones when I walked in either...hmmmm.... and then the confusion that ensued between me not asking the right questions or the receptionists not getting my drift or them not being very helpful. I felt totally confused, small and very weary by the time I pulled the van into the driveway.

I do now have an appointment with a specialist for my ongoing elbow problem and am organized with more physio. I can't believe how quick the doctors are to assume a person just wants more or stronger painkillers. Without even looking at you really. Just walk into the room and ask what you are taking and if it is covering the pain. I don't want painkillers doc....I want this darn arm fixed. Shocked silence. Not my regular doctor, but still.... I have been suffering ...without pain killers .. just taking an occasional Ibuprofen more for the anti inflammatory part of it... since August ...with October being the very worst and when I could hardly move the arm..... which I told her. More silence. We finally got on the same page, as they say.... and she referred me to a guy I have seen before.. for other injuries, but, he is backed up 4 months... and, I'm definitely not waiting that long as it has already been far too long. So... his 'second'... and in the same office ... good enough.

Nobody knew where she worked at the onset though, so it was a confusing thing to take my referral note to the first guy's office only to have the receptionist say she would put it on the desk after saying he couldn't see me for months. Huh? Whose desk?...why the second doctor of course. Oh, silly me...of course...sheeesh.... I had no idea she worked in the same office. ..and nobody actually said... oh, well...loong story shorter...I'm organized. I wrote it all down. They can't fool me forever. But, needless to say I felt like an idiot after the conversation went around in circles long enough for the actual doctor to come out of her office to try to clear up the conversation...only to be sucked into it totally and from there ... it got even worse..hahahhahahha.... oh, brother.

Enough of that.

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I had some cranberries left ...fresh ones. So, I found some relish/chutney recipes and made some. I have no idea what the difference is really, although some references point to chutney being more about fruit than vegetables..as is relish. Jury still out I think.

As usual, it's my own concoction anyway...and does have some onion in it... along with some orange peel and other goodies. Mmmmm... it is yummy. And, seeing as the days after Christmas are pretty much a blue blur...I will be using it soon. Because now I have some energy, and am planning to make Tortiere...which is usually a French Canadian Christmas Eve tradition. I didn't get around to making one, and now...I want one. With a big dollop of my new chutney beside it. Which I managed to do just fine even with my puffball head. Maybe making it up as I went along was better than trying to actually read directions ..hahha.... but, honest...I did read some of it.... really I did. I just improvised a bit...... to make my life easier. And..it would seem.... pretty tasty at the same time.

here's what I'm doing today...

2011-12-21T10:20:00.000-08:00

baking some of these. Double Chocolate Chunk cookies...with cherries.... mmm... and with the link....reprising an old post from 2009 on my other blog.. Tea and Scones .... and.... figuring out how to make some photos smaller so that I can continue loading them ..even though I am nearly at 98% as far as blogger is concerned ( and, thank you to Catherine for helping me figure that one out)! I guess other people probably figured all of this out long before I did. I AM a bit slow.
And...perhaps my way is still a bit convoluted... I am now exporting them to my documents..in smaller size and then uploading them from there to blogger... but, it does make them much smaller files to upload so perhaps I will have to go back through many postings.......and reload the pics.... smaller.....oh, dear...... I see a lot of work ahead of me......sigh...... or...I could just pay a few bucks and add more space to my blog....
Anybody have a better solution? If so, please let me know.....

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can't upload pics today

2011-12-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

blogger is telling me my account size has been exceeded and I can pay for more storage etc... ...hmmm... when did they start to charge? Hence ...no header pic...let's see if I can upload one here... maybe it's just a glitch...

hmmm.... seems okay here.... what is happening I wonder?
more cards in my tree.... recycled because I just can't toss them... I love the look of the cards in there.

Here is a cute one I got this year from Bob....the bear...

The Three Wise Bears.... they'll be sitting in my tree next year...

He made it himself....it's a lino cut.

......and decorations on the tree...

2011-12-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

I particularly love this little birdie house.. it is made of metal and painted a soft sage green... has rugged old bits of twine holding on some rusty bells...there is a bit of greenery and berries. Always find a special place for it.

The pile of ornaments grows each year... only by a few though as who needs to buy any more? But, you know how it goes..sometimes you just see one that wants to go home with you... or a pair perhaps. Actually I don't have a pear.. maybe some day a partridge in a pear tree might have to come home....

Love this plump Santa...with his teddy. When I bought a few of these..all slightly different...I thought maybe I could make some of my own out of one of the clays..but, so far...nope. Haven't given one a try. Maybe after Christmas... for next year...he really is a sweetie.

Our tree is pretty eclectic ... bits of everything, but still tastefully done, I think. I saved this tag from years ago... still love it. Reminds me of the years when I used to have cats...and they would definitely be hanging from our tree or hiding in it ..... kinda miss that....hahahah...and all you cat owners know exactly what I'm talking about!

More of my favourite ornies to make... wish I had some lovely dark green foil ...but, none around this year....

..... or, even more of this paler green.... green seems tough to come by...

And...still my fav of all.... a card sent to me by my sis years ago. I love the depiction of a Victorian Christmas.

We have snow ... and mistletoe.. and,,, la la la...

2011-12-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

.................oh....it's not mistletoe? .... alright then....it's Hawthorn berries..... but we do have snow!

... and blue skies and brilliant sunshine..... what a glorious day....

looking out the kitchen window yesterday...

my arm is still not up to shoveling...so I just took pics..... hey....this is not so bad.....it's usually me on the end of that shovel. I may be able to get used to this.....NOT !!.... I love shoveling!

Pink Ribbon Grass.. in winter turns a soft golden shade. I never cut it back til spring because I think gardens can still be pretty to see in the snowy yard.

The neighbour's Mountain Ash. The birds seem to save these berries til last... well, I think they do anyway.

AND....for a day that is snowy and cold....what better thing to do than.... make soup. Oh, of course and all the Christmas baking etc...but, what really matters is something tasty for supper, right? Check my other blog for this soup...

having fun making more of these....

2011-12-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

Sadly.... only a few at a time...my hand still can't grasp needles or do much precise folding ...before the elbow gives me grief.

Save your pretty foil-y type papers.....even some chocolate wrappers work beautifully.

I can point you in the right direction for folding instructions.... or send you some more detailed pics if I can't find the site... or...we just ask fellow bloggers to help us. That's how I found a site again last year.

Then, it's just a matter of sticking some points into some other points...ahhahahha...and voila.... a cute little origami type tree ornament. Attach a gold or silver thread... or ...well, any colour you like, really ...why not? Make them your own. Sometimes I like to add a little tiny gold or silver bell....or some beautiful beads .... my tree is full of these things. Folks will be able to choose one or a couple to take home with them from the tree.
Photos in the camera... will upload them tomorrow.... off to physio now...... still at it. How I wish there was more good stuff happening with this poor old arm. It is taking sooooo long to notice any appreciable difference...

My donkey sanctuary....

2011-11-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

... has a new baby.

Well, of course, it is not actually 'my' sanctuary....but, I love to call it mine because I like to support Sheila and the Primrose Sanctuary (and its many inhabitants). It is thousands of miles away in eastern Canada.... and we are way out west.... too damn far to offer volunteer help in person, or I'd be there, petting, feeding and cleaning. Instead, I do what I can from my end.

Sheila just sent me a photo of her new little guy Oliver, who is now two months old already! .... ...He who was sort of a surprise (but not really) because of Sally Ann's size...they had suspicions .. and hence part of the reason to rescue her from terrible conditions at an auction a little earlier....

Sancho Panza..... another resident.... fat and sassy now she says .... always a time for celebration to know one is doing well.

Check out Sheila's blog to see the other animals and to keep up to date on their rescues and how they try to cope with man's inhumanity to animals.... no, it isn't always pretty and as Sheila says...there is always good news and bad.... ....but, thanks to her... some of the suffering is minimized when she gets them to her place.
She has amazing friends, volunteers, vets and farriers who give so much of their time and energy to get the word out and to try to make a difference in the lives of abused and mistreated animals...not just donkeys either as you'll see..

I hope you will take some minutes to go to her blog and to Primrose Donkey Sanctuary page to see what it is all about.

I found Sheila and her small Sanctuary through another little donkey... Sheaffer...who has also become a friend and such a fun read..... he is such a terrific writer! Of course, along with his fun posts, he also tells us how it really is.. as he likes to keep us apprised of the situation of donkeys in this real, often unfriendly, and sometimes downright ugly world....but, lots of his postings are so hilarious I just laugh out loud when I go there to have a read. Mr. B.V. makes me read them out loud to him.. and we both crack up. Been a bit quiet over there lately..but, hopefully more fun is on the way soon. You can see a photo of Sheaffer on my sidebar.

He lets old Jack have a say on his blog too....as Jack used to live with him before going to the Sanctuary last fall... he needed a warmer place for the winter and loves it at Sheila's. He has his own temperature controlled bubble if you please! What an amazing thing for an older donkey... to keep from shivering and losing weight over a vicious winter. And... as he says on his last chat to Sheaffer ...i got a lot ta tell ya, i bin so busy i hardly had time fer mi three naps a day. they couldint run this outfit with out me actin as boss donkey an its a good thing i got forty four years of experiunce cos i need all of it mos days.

If you have decided not to waste hard earned dollars on overdoing at the festive season this year....or have decided not to continue with charities that use more than 45% of their donations for "administrative costs" as they put it (cuz we all know what that really means), may I encourage you, instead, to support a sanctuary near you? Or, send a donation to Sheila at Primrose Sanctuary, in Canada. Even small amounts go a long way to help with feeding, vet care and electricity ... especially if more of us take the initiative and time to send some. Every penny sent to Sheila goes toward maintaining her little sanctuary and giving special loving care and even a forever home to older, abused or neglected donkeys as well as several other animals that have since been dumped at, or rescued by, the Sanctuary and its volunteers. What a special bunch of people they must be. How I wish I could meet them in person... but, it is more costly to fly to eastern Canada than it is to fly to Europe! Plus.... it is more beneficial to send loot than it is for me to go there just to hang out. Although, if they were closer...believe me...I'd be hanging out too. They need all the help they can get.

okay that's it for me and my little soapbox today..... suffice to say...I love animals and hate that they can't speak for themselves. Even if I don't have any of my own...I work towards better care for them all.

If you want to see more posts regarding Primrose Donkey Sanctuary...check out that label on my sidebar and click on it.... I have done several....

It was wild around here yesterday!

2011-11-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

The morning was beautiful... it was already +13C by 10:00 a.m.... sipping second coffee and considering going for a nice walk. Then.... it got breezy... then it got really windy... and in less than half an hour..it was wild outside! Gusting to 130kph by afternoon....and creating total havoc in the city.
Luckily our immediate area .. at least what I can see from my windows ... was spared, but, believe me, I was worried that at any moment some of the huge fir or spruce or even the gargantuan old poplar across the street would come down.

I thought about baking..but only for about an hour...then the power went out. I had already given up using the computer... it blew off earlier.... the surge protector puts it off even with a spike in power. The tv was next to go and then the whole house electricity. It came and went for hours.... my poor old chest freezer...I wondered if this might be the straw that would finish 'him' off. But, no.... after lots of chugging and lugging... later in the evening... back to normal.

When I checked the computer before going to bed....wow! The damage was unbelievable. Air traffic must have been totally backed up too... I knew no planes would chance it...well, actually one Lufthansa guy did and there is a video of him..... sideways just before landing... somehow the pilot pulled it off. Always somebody with a camera out and about ...even in gale force winds! Idiots really.... as there were trucks and cars flipping over on the roads, huge trees and power poles falling and trailing 'hot' wires .....
Not safe to be driving or walking.. and for sure not flying! In spite of the amount of time and speed of the winds...and the damage especially to the downtown area and huge building and large windows being shattered...there were only reports of a couple of injuries! Wow.... again.....

People waiting for extra buses this morning...no regular transit service... looks like hundreds if not thousands were late for work....

a lot of flying debris from buildings under construction....

windows blew out and also debris from building under construction blew off and smashed some office and apartment block windows out....

tree fell on this house

just outside the city....

I've got a loverly bunch of coconuts...

2011-11-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

... along with various and sundry other bits and pieces ....
The one with the blue wig is definitely a keeper. It is from a class by Judy Skeel...and I am very happy with it. I still do want to do something with that one. It had some amazing techniques that I think I managed to accomplish very well. Just didn't feel impelled to complete the rest of the doll as it is in her pattern and so I quit. Seems to be my MO some days. The others...? well, if you are doll maker, you will see the problems... although, some of them can be overcome with proper hair or banding or hats or something I suppose.... Most of them were trying to get a grip on how to put a second skin over the original stitched heads in order to hide the centre seam. And..they did work.. sort of..... but, man, it's tough to get rid of wrinkles ..... as we know!

The tiny head is a bead.... haven't a clue what to do with that...although I did see some bead head angels on a Flickr site the other day.... perhaps a possibility.....

Doll Street is having a Boneyard challenge. I have plenty of discarded or unused body parts and yet.... looking at them does nothing to tweak my imagination. Who needs a head...an arm...a leg? ...to complete their doll. Let me know the general dimensions or a size you are interested in....I may be able to help.

One leg has the beginnings of a shoe on it....hahahha.... from when I was making my ...erm... which doll was that now? ...... I think it was this one.... maybe .....

or , perhaps this gal..... who knows now. Years go by.........

Stuff accumulates........ my poor, poor crafting room.....yes....a whole room ....with a huge table and a large enough desk.... and I still have no room to work...and wouldn't know where to find anything to begin with...............

ohhhhhh...... look, poor little Rumpel....still unfinished .... .... I am pretty annoyed with myself now....

Hey.... there's even a little mouse in there. Obviously it's time to dig a hole. No, not to throw myself into...but to make some room to play with some fun stuff in there.........

Break out those flannelette 'jammies!

2011-11-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

Brrrr...... I hope you have them if you have weather like ours in your winter! I love mine. My 'jammies that is ...not my bitter cold weather.

After having such a lovely long and unusually warm fall, the thermometer has plummeted like a stone .. and, this morning...it is -16C... but, the weather channel says it feels more like -24 C because of the breeze. It is snowing lightly....just a few dainty flakes swirling around and up and down...like a flurry of tiny, light feathers..... not much on the ground really. .. just enough to make it miserable on some of the roads. A good time to stay home. Which I seem to be doing a lot of the past month, with the exception of my physio and massage visits. Still working on my wonky elbow. It is still preventing me from doing much with my hands too..... so.... I've been trying to do some tidying, cleaning ...(mostly using my left hand it seems) ...and... baking...with the help of my trusty stand mixer.

Eggnog has been in stores for weeks already if you can believe it. Eggnog loaf....mmmm.....

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Apparently, the pronator muscle in particular is so tight it is tearing away from the bony knob (called an epicondyle) on the inner part of my elbow area. My physio is using several 'modalities' as they like to call them... to work on it. Everything from "dry needling" to magnetic massage, to ultra sound and interferential current.... and some heat packing and manipulation along with some neck and shoulder realignment ..... There has been some slight relief and the pronator is somewhat softer now...but, honestly.... I am shocked that it is taking so long to show any sign of improvement. I was hoping that just not whacking any golf balls would help...but, after almost a month of not hitting anything it was not better at all....so I had to break down and start some treatment. As slowly as anything seems to be healing, I am more than disappointed to say the least. And..it has taken its toll on my sense of humour. My motivation just seemed to disappear right along with my sense of humour, as well as my hope for immediate relief from the pain, and my feeling of usefulness. I'm sure all my baking and cooking is just to prove to myself that I am not just a total slob sitting around... that I am actually worth something to someone, even if only to me.

This week, I am beginning to think about cleaning my crafting room...as it has become a repository for just about everything I didn't know what to do with or couldn't be bothered with during golf season and nice weather......... and now...acckkk!! Where to begin!?

I think I need to purge. Big.Time! Perhaps it's time I even decided on what I am NOT going to bother with over the next 300 years and toss all of the stuff associated with those hobbies, crafts and endeavours. Yep. It's time.

Maybe I will have a give-away of various packets of "stuff" ... and somebody who will actually get some use from it can leave comments and I will happily send it to them. That's the ticket. I will get busy and package up 'things'... .tidy my room and get back to dolls and bears.... which in reality, will probably be the only two things I ever actually do in the hobby department......

My Christmas cactus is blooming...it loves this time of year. Usually it blooms about American Thanksgiving time....that must be coming up soon.... and my other one may bloom for Christmas...I have no idea why, but somebody told me one time that there are different cacti and some do bloom for this time of year. Here he is.... with a new little ornie that I found in my travels lately....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AND:: As much as I want to win this little guy for myself.....I would like to send you to Cat's blog to have a chance to win one of her little sweeties. Maybe a bit of karma will work in my favour if I share?.... heh heh.....

... and, my other little gift to me....

2011-11-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

.... during the same week... Sylvester. She named him ...but, I think I will keep it. Ta da...

isn't he cute? Made by one of the girls that also belongs to the same cloth and clay doll site I joined a few years ago. Her name is Veronika Lozovaya and she knits these little guys! I am constantly amazed by knitters. They make some darned amazing things. I can't knit... have never tried it... maybe some day. But, honestly, I already have so much 'stuff' to do.... I better not get caught up in another hobby/pastime....

Who could resist this sweet little face?

She also makes some creepy cute things...but, as you probably know from my 'stuff'... this is more my style. I love cute. It almost reminds me of some of my own faces...maybe that's why I couldn't resist. It's almost like cooking....I do love my own..... is that unhumble or what?

He has a wire armature inside and so is somewhat pose-able......

Mailbox fun....

2011-11-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

I want to show you what arrived a couple days before my sister ... from a British artist and needle felter....and also now... published author ..and.... best of all... blog buddy and friend. I've been checking out her Etsy site off and on but seemed to miss when there were some available...but, this time... aha...there they were! Ordered them on the spot!

Lovely little cards with such wonderful renditions of favourite animals... so sweet! Top drawer quality.... and so professionally done. The bunny in the corner is my favourite.... I could just weep right along with him...

And in this group....I especially love the little tin mice....

Gretel also sent postcards of some of her needle felted creations... the hours she puts into her felting ... amazing! Look at the detail ... and it's all needle felted. Being a needle felter gives one an even greater appreciation of her works.
Look....that's the mouse in her book, Mrs. Mouse's Cupcakes....

Honestly...she spoiled me. I also got a little cupcake pin and some of her pink elephant stickers .. oh...and... even a little hare looking at the moon ... a print of a lino cut.... good luck for my crafting room. It's not framed ..just placed strategically on some cream and black background so you get the idea behind my thought for doing....

How I love it when "stuff" like this arrives in my mail box.... thanks so much Gretel.... love it all!

Baking, dusting, laundry,vacuuming, more baking.... ooooh....

2011-10-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've already gained back two of those eleven pounds I lost...hahahha... doesn't take much does it? Just your usual... eating more and moving less.... the only two things that can help with losing or gaining weight.....
My neighbour gave me some freshly frozen raspberries straight off her bushes in the back yard...and I'm hoarding them like gold. For muffins and scones.....ohhhh....YUM!

The other day I baked some Barm Brack. If you've never heard of it... check it out on the food blog if you want to see what it is... or give a loaf a try. There are a couple of slices left if you hurry over for tea.... but only a couple.

The weather continues to be beautiful... +16C yesterday. Brilliant, sunny, and with perfect clear blue skies..... sigh.... sometimes our fall is better than our summer. A few golf courses are still open... albeit with mounds of leaves off the main fairways. I can't take a chance... I can hardly get a glass to my mouth with that elbow now, so I'd better not even think about it.

Had x-rays yesterday to make sure there is no bony involvement...and next week... should begin some physio and massage. But.. and, BIG but here.... am absolutely not booking any appointments for next week! Has to be the following week, because......my sister is coming to visit !!...whheeee..... first time since '05 !.... so hopefully the weather cooperates and stays beautiful.... and we can have an enjoyable few days together.

I know she'll miss her menagerie ... so I'll have to find some pets for her to talk to.... we don't have one. But, I do know where there are some donkeys, and I should be able to find a cat or a dog...actually I know a dog walker...I'll call Joanne and see if she will drop by one day with a few of her 'day walker' guys.

Another amazing fall day here.... 7C and going up to 15C again. Maybe I'll try to pull out some of the dead things in my plant pots outside.... and ...well, that's about all this silly arm will be able to manage I guess. Going for a walk later too....

accckkkkk!! .... it's fall !!

2011-10-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

The cone flowers have had it. Leaves on trees are a strange mixture of still-almost-fresh-looking-green, or lime greens, .. some brilliant golden, some deep burgundy and lots of in-between reds.... ...or already blown off in the strong gusty winds we had last week. Wheeling up and down the streets.... stopping in gutters and little dips here and there...piling up...

Our little Hawthorn has the biggest fattest berries I've ever seen on it....

Sometimes don't'cha just feel like we're on a merry-go-round? Spinning in circles and all of a sudden we get off and...whoa..... dizzy.........

I feel almost light headed thinking summer has flown... and the robins will be flying tomorrow. Yes, they do leave exactly on the day.... the 15th of October. Oh, alright... not all of them, but the smart ones leave the second they finish all the berries on our Mayday tree. Tomorrow.

And.... even though we usually have great weather long into October, it is now heading for the other season.... which at this point I don't really want to think about (except for the decorating and the fun stuff... I'm ready to put up my tree any day now) .. . However, not one to be left waiting in a long queue of last minute tire changers...I did already get the winter tires put on the car. I'm ready!

Summer..... gone......wow......... I lost two whole months of it with my wrecked ribs and I absolutely don't even remember that part of it. Really. What the heck did I do? Sleep through it? Don't even know. Must look back to see if I blogged a bit or what ..... it seems to have just disappeared.

Then.... I got back to golfing too soon, because I was fed up at missing out ... and practiced (probably a bit incorrectly as well) ... too much. I wrecked my elbow.... but, I was determined to get in some ball whacking before the end of the good weather and so....I did. I overdid and now..I'm paying. Can hardly get my hand to my mouth to drink a cup of tea...or to brush and floss...it hurts so much when I straighten it out ...ouch..... so... off to physio I guess. Must get it back in action before next season, and I know this type of thing can take a while to rectify. My own fault. Ice, Ibuprofen, physio and whatever else it takes. I need to be ready to take some winter golf swing classes just after Christmas ..... yeh..I know...I'm a nut job. Can't deny it.

I'm trying to get back into my 'other' life routine now. Actually, seeing as the arm is not good enough to golf...I'm actually enjoying doing other things. There is plenty that has gone undone for the past few months. Lots to catch up on. How do things get so dusty in such a short time span? hahahhaha..... oh, I guess it was longer than I thought. It's a wonder any of my houseplants are still alive...I've even ignored them. Gee...and poor Mr. BV.... guess what? He's still around too! Just kidding...I would never ignore him. He's pretty special. I did still manage to make some meals for him and if I wasn't around...left things for him to heat up for suppers..or great salads...he didn't lose one single pound ...but, I on the other hand, have lost 11 pounds over the summer! Who says golf is not exercise? Liars. Or... they don't walk the 18 holes.... they must take ride'em carts.

He particularly enjoyed this Chicken Kiev I made one night ....

I don't know how long it will be before I feel like stabbing wool. It is small motor movements that seem to be the most painful. Day at a time I guess. Time will tell.

One of my new golfing buddies wants to make a little bear....hope I feel up to doing something soon so we can get at it long before the festive season.

She's on the plane....

2011-09-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

For the giveaway, Krista had a choice of two of the little guys ....and she wanted a "smooth" one as I call them. The others are "fluffy" in my books.

And, so.... little Fleur as she was known to me... has gone to live in the Yukon Territories of Canada.... hope she loves it there as much as Krista does. Check out her blog sometime to see the amazing scenery Krista photographs.
Krista may change her name, I don't know; but the little gal said she was open to any nice name ..... and looking forward to new adventures too.... she's got a bit of spunk that little one. At first she was a tiny bit apprehensive about leaving her CC buddies (curio cabinet bears)...but, after a while....she decided it might be fun to go out on her own...to have a big adventure. She decided she could always send a postcard to her friends.
So.... she climbed into her travelling pouch.... felt her nice purple-y and pink sheets and declared them comfy..... and before I knew it...she was sound asleep and I decided she was ready to go.

that crazy bunny says it's time....

2011-09-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

.....time to get on with making the draw for the winner of the little giveaway.... before he has to dash away or he'll be late for another very important date....

remember the interesting and wonderfully coloured "thing" at the bottom of the last post? .... Well, it was indeed a pot with the imprint of macaroni on the bottom. It wasn't as if I had burned it on either..... it happens ever time I cook some pasta now. I did burn spuds in that pot big time ....once.. and then, tried to scour it and clean it and even used vinegar on the bottom to soak things off. I wonder if the vinegar caused some reaction even back then? Who knows... but, whenever I do cook some pasta now...this is what I see after washing the pot as well as I can. Hmmm... I don't know... perhaps I should toss the pot, but it is one of my good ones with a lovely copper core in the bottom, and it heats so readily and holds heat easily...that I hate to toss it.

Scratty Eddy made the draw for me... from several of the correct answers...tossed into his favourite cup. I suspect he really likes that little cup because it is all his favourite colours....

Congratulations Krista! You knew exactly what it was...hahha..... been there done that eh? yeh, yeh....I know.... you weren't actually admitting to it...but, I think maybe............ you know....it happened .... once?

Anyway.... let's talk about what you won. Or...maybe who.....

The thing about my little bears and creatures, is....they love to travel. I even have a tiny hippo as far away as Malaysia. Either of these little guys say they would love to come to live in the Yukon with you and Jimmy and Oreo... although, I would hide it from either of those two, as lots of cats and dogs just love to play with these little creatures... probably because they are made from wool...... sooooo....... let me know if you want a fuzzy one or a smooth one....

Thanks everybody for playing along..... and on another front.......

Mr. BV's office golf tournament yesterday... and our foursome did well enough to tie for first...but, in a count back of holes...we lost out by one stroke! AAACCCKKK .... that close! What a coup that would have been .... the guy who won was pretty confident that his team would win by a good margin because the other guy who usually wins was not there.... I don't think anybody thought we would be giving them a reeeellly good run for the money. And... we had some lousy chip shots ...which if we had been just that bit more "on" our game....man....we could have won by several strokes! hahah...that would have been something.... maybe next year.......

Gwendolyn, girl of many hats....

2011-09-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

Gwendolyn took all the suggestions to heart.... well, she must have, mustn't she? She's managed to find other hats, and, therefore...other duties. It's not only golfing notes she holds now..... look at this...today she is holding a recipe...Energy Bars if you please. And, ....the other day it was just hats......who knows how she found them. The bears must have helped. They are always up to no good it seems.

so...I got right on it...and made the bars.

YUM!! Very tasty! But.... they are still not the perfect recipe I am searching for... ooorr.. 'for which I am searching' if you must see it correctly. I am looking for a truly tasty bar, but one which stays totally intact upon being sliced. This one still crumbles a bit at the edges.... and still seems a bit softer than I want. If you have a great recipe.... please let me know.....

I will post this one on my food blog eventually...and place a link to it so you can try it as well.

AND.....now...for a fun thing.

What is this? Send along your guess in the comments....and if there is more than one who gets it correct...I will have one of the boys make a random drawing from a pot of names.... for a little prize. Let me see..... perhaps I will give it til Friday so that a few more of my now long lost "regulars" might have a chance to drop by ......

Poor Gwendolyn..

2011-09-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

she's been relegated. To propping up notes. Notes about golfing. Golf lessons... golf swings....golf course holes and how to manage things...... I think she is doing a great job.

She is not impressed.

Two days in a row...

2011-08-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hey!! ...this could get to be a habit! You know what they say...do something for 21 days running and there you have it... a new habit is totally ingrained. I'll be back into this by end of October.

Today.... more pelting rain. Temperature has gone down to only +8C.... it is totally soggy now as well as darn cold. Well, of course, that is comparatively. As in compared to two days ago when it was a blistering +30C. But, not nearly as cold as it will be in, ooooh, say... maybe December or January...when it could be a freezing -35C.... acckk! NOT even thinking on that just now...nope....absolutely not!

It is a perfect day for baking. Turning on the oven instead of the furnace....making things smell nice and homey. Bread...first on the list....then, muffins.... and then.... well, if I still feel perky.... who knows what else. Maybe some biscotti. The day is half gone though... and not much accomplished.... so maybe not more than that.

But.... it will be a good day if I get that accomplished along with some laundry and other odds and sods...

photos later.....
oh, alright...one for now... hen and chicks are changing colour.... and also being eaten by the bunny.... for the moisture I guess. No rain for the past few weeks... we do need it today.

just stopping in to say hullo..

2011-08-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Been trying to get out there and hit some balls as often as possible... maybe overdid it a bit...my elbow is killing me the past few days.

Almost played Ladies Day today... but, after a whopping +30C yesterday...... today?....the temperature has plummeted to only +10C and the rain has begun.... driving rain as the winds are now gusting up to almost 30kph......sigh...... I feel like Goldilocks trying to choose a good day to be out there. Too darn hot...too cold, rainy and miserable. Boy...there are not many perfect golfing days around this area. Now I'm all discombobulated and don't feel like doing anything but having a nap...so...that's next.

I got supper ready earlier in anticipation of perhaps still getting out there.... it's so dark in the house I have to put on the lights and I can hear the rain on the roof...perfect napping weather.

Oh, just a minute....the dishwasher is finished...I could unload that...and...the washer and dryer need loads of laundry emptying too.... I guess there is always folding and ironing too...... yeh...... okay...I could manage that I guess.

But, I don't wanna....... I just wanna be out there whacking balls. There are only about 3 full weeks of golf left at my course.... and then....day by day at the city courses...... then, it will be months til we are able to get out again.... almost May usually..... and sometimes later, depending on the weather...not nearly a long enough golfing season.

What can I leave you with for a photo? ... can't just leave it with only words on here...that will never do.... uhm...let's see.....

here's about how I feel. My whiskers are just a teensy bit shorter than this...

hiya bloggy buddies.....

2011-08-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief...I am still alive and well. I've just been totally lax in the blogging department and certainly haven't been crafting or making anything of interest....unless you count the great muffins and scones that come steaming hot out of the oven...on a hot and steamy day! This morning it is cooler, cloudy and a bit drizzly. A perfect bread baking day!

After being down and out for so long with the rib injury.... I have been overdoing it since they got better enough to swing my golf club. Now... this week...my ankle is a bit of a nuisance. I'm just not as strong and healthy as I think I am I guess. What else is new?

My garden suffered while the ribs were bad...and I am trying to dig out some anemones that have totally taken over in every corner of every garden area. I think that is part of how the ankle got bad in the first place.... well, that and stomping around the golf course. I used to think that golf was supposed to be relaxing...but, it seems to me that we always have to hurry and it makes me irritated. Especially my ankle. They never tell the men in front of us to hurry up.... it is only if women are in a group that any of the marshals ride over to give you the hurry up sign..... hmmmm.... still the old boy's club ain't it?

We've also been chopping down the hedge between us and the neighbours, It has been plagued with aphids and some other blight for the past few years...time for a fence and just some nice limestone rock along it. It will widen the yard by a few feet and look much tidier. So...that also means bundling and tying up all the cuttings... trying to get them to about 4 feet lengths..so the garbage guys will take them. And..putting out only 4 bundles per garbage day...which is running into a month now.... maybe I'll try 6 bundles next time...but, eh....maybe not..he has been taking them... and that's a good thing. The minimum charge at the city dump has become a lot more since I used to take things.... plus the charge for the weight of the load..... it gets silly....... so I'll resort to even sillier and follow their ever more stringent rules for garbage pickup. If our black bins are not full...they don't take anything else sitting out there now. So...we have to fill it up with bags of grass or other stuff... so they take any of the bundles of hedge sticks.... sigh...... they even left a chunk of carpet behind one day because my black bin was not full enough. good grief.

While I golfed on ladies night...Mr. BumbleVee cut down more of the hedge..til he got stung by a wasp from a nest down in the dirt under it..... but, before that...he found a tiny nest with this little egg still in it and saved it because he knew I would want to photo it. Don't know what type of bird it is... and hope the little hole in the egg is one made by the little bird himself and he made it to safety.... I don't want to know if it isn't large enough for him to have gotten out of...... I'm pretending it is.

I've been to the fat farm...

2011-08-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

...... and I gained 4 pounds. Oh, just a minute...I guess I better elaborate. I jokingly began to refer to my sister's little acreage as the fat farm because I figured I would lose some weight when I went there..... doing chores..picking weeds...scooping poo...turning compost piles..digging in the garden...more poo....feeding horses..more weeds and dragging 100 foot hoses around... and chasing around after cats...and visiting and going for our evening walks after all day busy....whew...see what I mean?..... But.... I always come away heavier than when I went there. I have no idea how it is possible... it's just reeellly weird....because we are never still a minute... and are very busy. However, I do bake and we do eat very well and ....oh, alright I see what happened.

So... now I'm home and better get busy and lose that 4 pounds.... a few days of walking 9's and 18's on the golf course, and doing a lot of practice swinging ought to do it.

There is still snow on some mountains...and it was misty and raining at the higher altitudes all along the way....

Stopped at Finn's Creek for our lunch....

... and fairly flew along for several more hours.... lots of traffic and lots of stops for construction holdups....... summertime travel in this area...... arrrgghhhh...not a lot of fun.

Shadow....once a feral. Still only seen by a very small "inner circle", which doesn't include any kids. I feel quite honoured that he let me touch him and pick him up right from square one. I think he thinks I am an extension of my sister somehow.... we look and sound alike...and somehow...he knows I am "safe". He can be quite lovey with us.

...still keeping a wary eye on us....

Cleo.....keeping a wary eye on us too because she knows we will shoo her off the soft stuff. She loves our clothes...the laundry...the comforters...the pillows if we are not careful.... and..of course... anybody who will give her a "crunchie"... but, she only likes to be petted and brushed...not picked up....

Hey..... enough with the camera already!

Mister Thompson like to lounge on the bed...which is really high...and he is ah ...uhm... how to put it delicately...he is sensitive.... don't want to hurt his feelings... somewhat overweight.... but, somehow still manages to get up there. Vikki has dieted him a bit...and he has become more mobile and healthier over the years she has had him...his coat is now glossy and soft..it used to be awful ...stiff and dull.... but, still he maintains his husky stature. He can't seem to shake it.

When I looked up and saw this on the way home I was all of a sudden transported right back to Portugal.... look!..... a castle!!

Oh, alright....it's a mountain. Had me going for a tick of a second there.....

This little guy was the centre of attention at the rest stop on the way back. He has his own little box behind the older dude riding the 'bike. He wears his safety harness and is clipped to a large steel ring on a very short strap..in case he should somehow get dislodged.... he loved his ride. The guy was all the way from Montana so they had put on some miles... this was in the Rockies just outside of Golden B. C.

very dark, rainy and windy...

2011-07-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

.... so, no golfing today. Hahahha.... whew, finally a day off to do some housecleaning, laundry and stuff around here. As you know, I lost two whole months to those damn injured ribs and now... well, around these parts, there are only two months left of golfing season. Arrrgghhhhh!!! What a royal ripoff this year... missed most of it. Next year I must. be. more. careful. I want a whole season out there to see if I can improve my game and get more confident. At the moment (for you golfers) ...my driver is working pretty good... but, my short game has let me down a bit. Usually I am a pretty darn great putter and my chipping is good too..but, the long rough near the greens has taken its toll with chipping...and for some reason...I am having trouble reading the speed of the greens. Oh, well...we know the answer.....practice, practice, practice.......

No time to bother with much blogging... it'll hafta wait til October at this rate. Then, I'll have months to do that and other things that have been neglected. Golf season is so short.. ... and must be utilized if at all possible.

In between golfing and yard work...I've managed to find a buyer for my motorcycle.... through a burly Harley guy that helped me unload the bike from the van when I had to take it to the dealership to have a throttle cable replace. Sold our bike ramp too... to the guy that helped unload the bike. He admired it and we said...it's for sale. Sold! ....and now ...we have helmets and other gear to sell and we will have finished with that chapter in our lives. It was a fun ride....and Greg had fun racing.... til his accident.... but, moving on now that I know I have full blown osteoporosis and could break everything if I get hit or fall off...... my sister is happy that I will be safer on the golf course, I know..... although, with balls flying over trees from some of the long hitters...not always.....as a matter of fact..I might save my helmet and wear it while I'm out whacking balls.

Found this one morning while out watering before I left for a game....

Glistening like so many diamonds in the early morning sun......

I also found this......

..... I don't know exactly what happened here. I knew the mommy robin was building a great nest...but, really I thought it was too close to the outside edge of the lilac bush. Then, I didn't see her around for a few days and put my camera up at arms length to take picture inside the nest. Only one lonely egg..... and now...nothing. She hasn't come back. I don't know if they just abandoned it after a particularly bad windstorm...or what.... nature is pretty cruel......

Buttercup arrived..

2011-07-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

... and, it took almost no time at all. She is Canadian.... didn't have too far to come... and Shelly sent her Express... wow!.... it's always such fun to see things so soon after admiring them on a site. Check out Gingermelon ....for a bunch of cute little bears, dolls and elephants too.

I used to have an elephant when I was just a tiny kid..... but, haven't had one since.... it's time.
And I promise I won't carry her around in such an unladylike position!

Here is my new little bear buddy, Buttercup.
She is softest pale yellow with yellow and pink tiny flowered fabric ears and body. She has a little pink felty rose in her "hair" ..

Her little feet are velvety soft and one sports a miniature heart of the same fabric as her ears. Around her neck... a silver charm... a heart in an envelope. Every part of her is carefully thought out and I love her.

The TBs (table bears) engaged her in conversation the moment they saw her. Scooter rode past regularly waving and trying to get her attention....

Oh, hai.....I'm over here...yooohoooo... on the scooter?.... maybe I should try my no feet manoeuvre to get some attention.. but, then again...maybe not....

She's got a few inches on this bunch at 5 inches seated ...but, they said they will introduce her to the CBs (that would be the 'curio bears') tomorrow..... just for the heck of it....

Thanks so much for little Buttercup Shelly!

Born to be wild....

2011-06-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

.... and to ride.....

no, not me... this guy...

He's been months in the making. Just bits and pieces lying about.

For me? ....ooooh.... thanks Maggi......

Hope I can figure it out.

Oh, this is easier than I thought.

Wheeeee ..... ...

Hey..... look Mom ....no hands....!! .. steering with my feet! ...

Stop it...you'll hurt yourself!

Ow............

Beverly in the morning light..

2011-06-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

I love how the different light conditions affect colours.............. click to biggify and see her close up.......

A few other plants and flowers have appeared now as well.... even though I seem to have almost ignored the garden during all the wet days...and weeks.....

love the drooping bleeding hearts.....

lilacs are 16 feet tall and tower above the patio wall ... beautiful against the blue morning sky....

The diva ...

2011-06-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Finally, ... she makes her appearance. All the others have bloomed and gone... she's been waiting them out I'm sure. I thought the buds looked a bit strange and almost thought they were going to rot on the stem... so much rain here and not enough sun. Nothing was happening ...and the outer covering just seemed to be getting brown... but, out they burst today... well, only one so far, ... there are 3 other buds .... and, ohhhh...man... was she worth the wait!

Please meet Beverly Sills... named for the famous coloratura soprano. She really is an amazon next to any of the other iris in my garden. She's beautiful, pink, and frilly...... I had seen and heard about this iris, but hadn't seen one in person. It took me two years to find one. It was late in the year...she had no flowers when I planted her... ... I was just going by the little picture on the identification tag and hoping for the best. She is just as lovely as depicted and very near the colour even though I know one should never rely on an artist rendition...but, I was hoping... .... and it didn't disappoint.

....... on the golf course..

2011-06-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

Finally! I'm able to get a full swing and went out on Ladies Night to play 18 holes. Here is the "island" hole. It was beautiful, green and the water was so still..... but, the mosquitoes! YIKES !

This display is right beside the tee box on the 16th hole.... it's from last year.... didn't get to take a photo yesterday...

Me hurt today. ow.... but,...a good hurt really, because it is just muscles being used. Even my butt hurts from sprinting around dragging and pushing the cart full of "tools". Those night time ladies like to have plenty of time to hang out in the clubhouse with a cold one and some grub. That's a good thing. Especially this time of year. OMG!! the mosquitoes! It was 'orrible!

If you got off the fairway they were so bad it was a rush to get the ball out of the long grass...so usually my ball striking was not the best. But..also..I haven't been able to hit a ball for 5 weeks...so that has a lot to do with it. I hardly got to practice before I did myself in and then...just been waiting it out for the ribs to heal.

I do feel them a bit more today....but, Ibuprofen and in about 20 minutes...I will be better. I hope.

Today ..no whacking golf balls. Two days in a row right now is enough. I'll do some more tomorrow.

I have other chores to get through today... like ordering a new throttle cable for my motorcycle. Somehow a split appeared during the winter.... how it got there I have no idea. This bike is in pristine condition..is stored inside all the time...and there is nothing that can touch it in that spot. Look...pristine. So it seems weird to me.

I love this bike..but, I need to get it on the market...I'm selling it. It would be foolish to ride when I know I have full blown osteoporosis. If I get knocked off ... well, it would be more than just a few ribs that would be broken, and ohhh...man....that would not be a good thing. So... best sell it. Before I jump on and ride it and change my mind.

I'll be safer on the golf course, or in the kitchen..or making bears or something....
...

or ....we could go back to Portugal and do some fishing.....

See more amazing history and architecture ...

Eat more of that amazing food! Look at the size of those skewers! Swords. That's more like it.... with waaaay more meat skewered than we could eat.... oohhhh but it was tasty....

..oh, boy......now......where was I?.....

2011-06-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, yeh...... I remember. I was right in the middle of holidaying in Portugal. Well, not literally...we were home, but, I was reliving it through my photos..... for me and for you..... but real life got in the way. I wrecked myself. Injured my ribs leaning into a woodbox and that was it. That will be 4 weeks ago on Saturday. Lost a month of summer already and we only have 5 months of summer around here. Haven't been able to do much .... and time just slid past.

Finally, yesterday, it didn't hurt anymore to sneeze and cough.... woohooo ...so.... things are looking up. Meanwhile, no golf of course, and my summer is dwindling already, so I'm still a bit grumpy. Hope poor Mister BV doesn't think I'm a "lot" grumpy... which I probably am. Okay. I am.

We drove to the Okanagan over the weekend...which was not all that comfortable in a small sporty car. I was wishing I had a corset or at the very least a towel to wrap and tie around me. But... we got there and I enjoyed petting horses and cats...and spent time outside at least. The weather was great....

My sister and I always joke about it being "Vikki's Fat Farm" ... We don't diet, but we usually work hard enough that we can lose a few pounds. Not this time...she is still recuperating from a broken wrist...and my ribs are wrecked...so we didn't do as much physical stuff.... (well, she did... she always does and is pretty darn tough in spite of a poorly healing wrist.)

It was still busy enough with a lot of non farm related stuff... almost too busy. But... I did manage to get in my fun times with the furry guys.

oh..hahha..... sorry...couldn't resist. This definitely lets you know farm cats live around here. Didn't see many with hats on this visit though....

Mr. Thompson says hi... howarya? c'mon in....my food dish is right over here.

Okay..if you're not gonna find those scrumblies for me ...then I'll just have a little lie down while I wait...

Aaaaa, yes... a chance to rest my weary toesies..... seeing as I am a pretty big dude...and they get tired and the pebbles hurt them when I walk on the driveway....

Oh, boy....says Cleo........ guys. Come in and pet me instead... I can wait for my grub til later....

I better stay out here says Kira.....I'm not allowed in the house because I do the same thing to the furniture..... scraaaaatch! But... come back outside as soon as you drop your suitcase and visit me too.....

Aaaah.....sun and scratching and petting ...nothing better is there? Nope...not for me. Not even food. I'll just eat something later. Oh, and ...say, come over here and see my horses.

Remember Mickey? looks as good as ever doesn't he? 'Specially for a guy diagnosed with emphysema some years back and given no chance. Vikki washes his hay so he gets no dust in his food. He is pretty coddled.... and doing fine as are all her pets. And.... that Suzi..... the cheeky little 34 year old Arab....just look at her!

Some neighbours up the road had goats.... they charged right over to the fence to see us.....not the neighbours...their goats. I bet they thought we had some goodies for them too. That fencing probably was not the best for goats. They stuck theirs heads straight through the spaces....

Nubians

a dreary day with a fun parcel!!

2011-05-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

Today it's rainy, blustery and only +9C.... plus, I'm damn cranky because I wrecked myself on Saturday night and am suffering. Reached into a woodbox for a few sticks of wood to toss onto the fire we were sitting around at the neighbour's and ouch!! wrecked my ribs somehow. A searing jolt of pain on the right side. Not to be put off..I repositioned my body and leaned in again on the other side ...ouch! ...what an idiot! Now..both sides are in pain. The doctor doesn't think I'm fractured or broken and didn't think we needed to bother with x-rays and unnecessary radiation ... but, with osteoporosis... one does wonder.... and, so, we just wait... all you can do with ribs. But...the waiting is not fun, nor is it painfree. She did give me some anti-inflammatories..with some pain killer in them ...but... it hardly touches the pain..especially if I have to cough, sneeze or hiccup. Oh, man...last night I choked a bit on a pepper flake...and yiked and youched all around the kitchen while coughing really hard. So, today it's worse then it was ... *&^%$#!

So.... I'm just hanging out with my ice packs...my cuppa tea and I did manage to get some bars granola together..but, finally just gave up on anything else..when all of a sudden the doorbell was dinging and it was the postman.
Couldn't figure it out...because I wasn't expecting anything.....but, don'tcha love snail mail?? ...or even better...snail parcels? They still haven't figured out a way to send those via the cyberwaves. And thank goodness. Because I love parcels. And, I especially loved getting THIS parcel!

A needle felted bear from a new needle felting friend in Poland. Isn't he great? What a sweet little worried expression he has on his face.

Frikkles was the first to get over to the chair and welcome him.....Frikkles is the largest guy I have felted and still looks a bit small compared to the new guy ...who is only 4 inches (3 seated) ... .....

Posie may be small, but she is very brave and pretty cheeky too....she went straight over to say hi.... she thinks he's pretty cute, I can tell, because that's her "coy" look she is giving him.........

"He-who-has-no-name-yet" was also on the welcome committee .... and they all tried to reassure the new guy. But...he still looks a tad worried.
I'm sure he'll be fine once he settles into the curio cabinet and gets used to all of the regulars who hang out in there.

Thank you agaFil.... my new needle felting buddy... I wish you lived closer so we could visit and do some wool stabbing together......

Check out her Flickr site to see her other little creations.....

oh, look..... I checked back an hour later to see how my new little man was settling and lo and behold...there he was telling them all the story of how he flew here from so many miles away.... awww..... perfect...and from this angle he doesn't look too worried anymore...

Batalha, Portugal

2011-05-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

Stepped inside and ...WOW...more amazement!
The colour....and the light..... so much light in such a huge area from such small windows....well.... small in the scope of the size of the whole structure. And...tall...well....they were sooooo tall...... I just gawked around in every single direction and kept snapping shots of all of it..... don't get dizzy.....
In the first shot you can see a few people...for perspective....but, any of the rest of the photos... if anybody was around...they were way down below the bottom of the photos. This place is gargantuan...

Wiki says some of the oldest of the windows date back as far as the 1400... and done by German artisans... much of the other is from 1500's..and done by Portuguese craftsmen. They talk about Batalha being the first work shop for stained glass windows...

Entry to the Founder's Chapel.... built between 1426 and 1434
on orders of King Joao... he and his wife are buried there... and this is the first sighting of his tomb. The statues of Joao and his wife Philippa of Lancaster are on the top of the tomb holding hands. Very elaborate and intricately carved headresses above their heads.... which are on pillows.

The dome directly over their heads...

The play of light through the stained glass....so beautiful....

The reflections from the sunlight through the glass was so lovely....

I'm really glad it was a brilliantly sunny day so that we got to see such beauty inside. The walls were perfect for picking up the colours...

Batalha, Portugal

2011-05-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it.. I was working away on my post... with many photos downloaded...and poof..... lost the whole shebang. Sigh.....

I was saying that I knew that some people were waiting patiently for big cathedrals and the like...and today.... here they are. Batalha, Mosteiro Santa Maria da Vitória...or ...just the Monastery at Batalha. HUGE!!
There is so much to learn about it ...so please click on the link to Wiki at least.... you will enjoy reading about this amazing place.

It's difficult to believe the masons of the 1300's, with rudimentary tools and who knows what experience or knowledge.. could manage to erect such a structure. What a feat. One of those things difficult to explain in mere words. Truly worthy of the overused 'awesome' ...one I rarely use... but, like Fatima....just so huge in scope and so amazing in construction and significance...that it is mind boggling.

What an ecclectic mixture of architectural styles.. even to the untrained eye.

I love the intricacies of the filigree looking work....

You know of my penchant for windows....

.... and......doors...... ... aaahhhhhh......but, this shot gives a more realistic view as to size! This was a really big door...

.... with such detailed carvings all around it ...

C'mon....let's continue on around the corner....

What? waaay over there? okay then......oh, just a minute...take my picture from there to show the size! Move where? Can't hear you......

Maria...taking my photo... and Mr. BV taking hers. Biggify and look again... see that tiny turquoise spec at the base of the building? That's me. See what I mean by BIG...

A statue of a great and much revered Portuguese general.... Nuno Álvares Pereira

His epitaph on his tomb...which was lost in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, read.... "Here lies that famous Nuno, the Constable, founder of the House of Bragança, excellent general, blessed monk, who during his life on earth so ardently desired the Kingdom of Heaven that after his death, he merited the eternal company of the Saints. His worldly honors were countless, but he turned his back on them. He was a great Prince, but he made himself a humble monk. He founded, built and endowed this church in which his body rests."

Onward from there... still rounding the corner of the structure...

more lovely intricately designed windows...

just a minute...is that another door hidden behind those columns? .. yes...yes it is. Bigger yet....

Wow.

I stole this photo from Wiki.... I would have had to sprint backwards at least a full city block to get the whole thing into a frame... look at the sheer size of it!!! Three exclamations ...honestly...it is just so big. Sorry for going on about it..but, as you can tell, it seriously wowed me.

Some body.....for perspective...

carvings of little statues all around the door...even up to the top of the archways.... rows upon rows of them. Angels, prophets and saints....

The amount of love and care and attention to the tiniest detail put into each and every little figure ...

Next day....we go inside........

Baking bread...

2011-05-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

...working on peevish Mr. Rumpel... his "trunk hose" will be that colour...and are pretty much done except for some "panes" that I want to try to add...we'll see how that goes. The coat...not that fabric after all. He is supposed to be done for the Cloth and Clay Doll site...this weekend...and this is turning out to be a verrrry busy week. And...it's getting old that he glares at me like that all the time when I am trying to work on him........

Ladies day golfing begins tomorrow...and I have only hit balls once since last October....yi9kes! Oh, please let me able to hit the ball sort of okay and not totally embarrass myself. Yes it is a bit stressful, but, once I get past that part...I love it.

I'm already signed up for more lessons...and... wonder of wonders..this year the club is starting a mentorship program. Alright! I signed up for that as soon as I saw them advertise it. From that I hope to be able to learn more about the actual game..proper etiquette, rules, and ... manage to find some regular playing partners so that I don't have to jump in with total strangers every time I try to get out there. That is the really tough part for me it seems. This should mean more regular golfing and therefore.... better game. Oh, I sure hope so! I'm determined to golf well.

adding a flower to little Fleur....or whatever her real name will be when done....actually....maybe that will be it. Sounds pretty cute....

plus...wash my hair, get some groceries..make some supper..and in between all of that...punch down some bread and get it baked in time for supper. Portuguese Kale soup.... Caldo Verde...and cornbread. Oooooohh... and hopefully this time the loaf will be more tasty than the last one I tried. I have found dozens of recipes..but so far...not the taste we remember from the best loaf we tasted while in Portugal. When I find the right one?....definitely will post it. Until then>> .... try the migas at least?....or perhaps look for a soup recipe? .. I'm sure you will enjoy both.

Marvao

2011-05-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's only day 5, but, can you believe how much we have done and seen already? And, it's not like we are racing around all over the place. We get up fairly late... enjoy our breakfast and decide where to go for the day and then head out.
Today, a castle at Marvao. A few hours drive from Entroncamento. However, it is pretty picturesque driving; not just racing along on a freeway, so it takes time to get anywhere. Narrow roads... lots to see... passing through towns where the house doorways are right up against the traffic again. Even the main roads and secondary highways are lined with trees.

This group had wide white stripes painted on them... unsure why.....but, perhaps it's fluorescent... maybe night time advisement of them being that close to the road? ...

..and we need to stop here and there of course... like every time we see something different or interesting. And...just because we can.

...A water fountain. Safe for drinking.... it said so right on it.......

...and just below and behind.... an old, huge, clothes washing facility. Yep.... a bit different than our fancy washers. Those poor little old Portuguese ladies..... and it looks like this one is still in use. I'm sure glad I'm me.

Fortress ....high on a hillside...

You can drive right inside the castle walls at Marvao ..into the little town and parking.... but, ... only one car at a time so somebody has to yield, or.... back up...

whoa...... that's a lot of steps!! ..and, no railing ...hahhaha...I will be leaning on the wall all the way up and back down again... oh, whew....we didn't go up that way.....

All the little buildings whitewashed ....tile roofs everywhere ..... some were sparkling as though they had just been done..others ..in various areas were being worked on... a lot of upkeep and it's ongoing.

Barely wide enough for a vehicle... you actually had to dodge into a doorway or flatten yourself against the buildings if one drove past.

See... plenty of room to duck into... wide doorsills.... although, not very high..so watch your noggin!

Some fruit tees were in bloom...

Walkways, parapets and battlements all around the castle.... we walked all around the whole place..up and down steps ... in and out of walls and pill boxes .... it was great.

You could see for miles in every direction. Those dudes were pretty clever when it came to building a fortress....nobody was sneaking up on these guys...

hey look....a golf course, ... waaaaay down there. I'm sure of it.

I don't know if they would have kept a little well manicured garden area..but, who knows? "Milady" may have enjoyed some sun out here...

We walked around the whole perimeter of the castle and grounds....

Okay...we laughed our heads off at this. The cannon was pointed directly at a tiny door at the base of the wall. We couldn't decide if it was to blast the enemy if he got that close, which would definitely have done damage to the castle ..or to give any deserters a thwack..which still would have done damage. Maybe somebody just had a warped sense of humour...

Aimed directly at this cute little door. Maybe we weren't supposed to wonder why they chose to put it in that spot...the cannon...not the door, although, come to think of it...what was that little door for anyway?

after plenty of wandering around in and out of every nook and cranny, we headed back downhill.... in need of sustenance.....
Oh, look....more tiny doors. I'm 5 foot 2..... and this door is arched.... I still come to the top!

Come on! Look at his one. Almost as wide as it is high!

Hey...Padaria. I'm sure that means bakery. Where are some of those great buns? ......don't smell anything baking..... darn it...

more doors and doorways...

okay.. even I'm starting to laugh at myself... ... ...I have a thing about doors....
.

A wonderful little restaurant...right in the town centre... a great meal...exceptional service... yummy pork and veal.. and my introduction to migas. A side dish made with cornbread crumbs and kale. Maria seemed surprised that I liked it. And..now..I'm obsessed with making some of my own.

You know how I love little donkeys.... and look, they had a special place to park one.... not far from the restaurant... near the carpark.

time to go.... that narrow road ... out this time. Can almost touch the houses ... I had to sprint to catch up..

Fatima

2011-05-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

On our fourth day we headed out to the famous basilica in the small but well known town of Fatima. The town itself is pretty tiny and has a population of only about 8,000.....but, many thousands go there year round...and especially on pilgrimage days. I didn't know this until I had read more about it online after being there. It is a HUGE space ... amazing to round the corner and see such a massive area where people gather for special occasions. On the 12 and 13 of the months of May through October in particular.

For some reason I don't have Maria's photos of this day ...yet.... so I will show mine.... and add some of hers later if she has some that I didn't take. Fortunately, we were there on a day that was not a special pilgrimage day so were not hindered at all by crowds. It seemed almost deserted really and it was wonderful to have it all to ourselves...

I must have been totally awestruck by the sheer size of it all .... because when it comes right down to it...I don't have many pictures at all.

The crown on which the cross is situated looks like pure gold to me.. especially with the sun shining directly onto it from behind...

Even from here ..look at the size of everything! Rookie travellers is part of it I suppose.... yes..I've been to England..and seen a few fairly big churches... but, didn't visit any of the huge cathedrals and the like.

Proof we were actually there. Have to have one of us standing in front of such a world renowned and special place ... ....

The beautiful art works painted on the tiles ...

Looking out at the gathering area from just below the huge spire.

We walked out across the square towards the huge cross you can see way in the distance.... and you can also see the little pathway... where we saw several people walking on their knees. It is a marble pathway, apparently over 800 feet long, and then around the Chapel of Apparitions...where people walk the whole distance on their knees as part of their pilgrimage to Fatima. This site also has an aerial view of the square ....

A very modern version as you can see .... and again.... gigantic. And..looking back in the direction from where we had come...... you can hardly even see the steps and if anybody was speaking from there ...or standing there.. well, you would only see or hear them if there were huge screen and sound systems. On special days...it must be an amazing situation to be in the thousands of pilgrims who would be there. I don't particularly like crowds...so it wouldn't be for me...but, it must be special for many. I read that the square was built to hold 250,000 people.

Outside the square ..on the way back to where we parked... dozens of tiny shops selling religious artifacts of every possible description. Some of them were beautiful... some were less so...even to the point of tacky..but, I chose to take some photos of the beauty.

I really like this one.... such a serene and beautiful face. Lovely colours...

Of course, ....wandering towards somewhere to find coffee and some Portuguese cakes and desserts.... me and doors and windows yet again ....

And...driving away.... just across the road and down the block. I loved the outline against the evening sky with the sun in the background.... maybe Greek Orthodox?

Good grief!

2011-05-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Where does the darn time go? It can't be Saturday since I last posted can it?

Guess so...... and not much accomplished either. Seems I've been doing a lot of running around though.... which means I am out and about instead of here at home "doing". That does it. Today I'm not going out of this house. I'm staying home enjoying myself. Got some fabrics yesterday so I can try to get some work done on poor little neglected Rumpel...remember him?? He's getting ticked waiting..............

However, I still have hundreds of photos left from Portugal. Don't worry...I won't be posting all of them. I'm just trying to pick out the most interesting ones for you ........there will still be toooo many I'm sure.

We decided to stay at 'home' on the third day... a town called Entroncamento. We put a lot of miles on our walking shoes. And, may I just mention...when you walk on cobbled streets and sidewalks.... you spend a fair bit of time looking where you are putting your feet. You'd better! Uneven surfaces can be hazardous to your health..... and may I say, no wonder there were lots of shoe shops around. I bet they wear out plenty of pairs of shoes on the sharp edges of those chunks of marble. Tires too come to think of it...and hey...I did see lots of tire shops too...

But, today...I also want to show you some construction. Solid construction. How I wish our homes were built this solidly. Of course, it would cost a fortune here because we don't have easy access to bricks, tiles, marble and granite...nor do we have tradespeople who have the same skills and knowledge. But... I bet we could save on heat...and we probably would never need A/C.... and.... they would last for a much longer time than wood structures.

Your hubbies might appreciate this more than some of the ladies will...but if, like me, you have been involved in a lot of renovation projects, you will be able to appreciate the techniques and labour involved...and can see the amazing finished product.

The slabs of concrete....the brickwork....the forming and attention to detail....

Each of the houses and complexes had their own cranes for heaven's sake.... pretty darn amazing to us.

Of course, the cranes were a necessity to hoist such heavy weights of materials into position....

Here are a couple finished..... sort of a modern retro look to me....

And....just down the road..... the more traditional.... although, this one was a bit more colourful than most...but, still.... very nice...... and, how beautiful against the sky!

more new construction around another corner.....

I would have loved to get a look inside some of these homes... wonder what is in that little rounded area?

Some had palms....

Some had their very own orange trees...

Even small homes had marbles and granites .... see how close some are to the roads and traffic? I was wondering how it works with kids...... these Moms must have kids that actually listen when they say watch for traffic. Certainly wouldn't work for any of the kids I've seen around here lately.....

This guy had quite the collection of marble...and granite....and a lot of other stuff.

Actually.... there were a couple of his slabs that I would have liked to bring home for my bathroom reno...

Here's a cute one.... although, saying that.... they are not really little at all when you consider two levels...and they usually go further back then they do from side to side ...

Of course, this tree caught our eye .... been like that a while I think....

....cobbled marble chunks everywhere.... definitely a way to use up leftover bits from the quarries .... which I am supposing is the idea.... why let good marble go to waste? It was everywhere...even for building up little chunky fences and borders around large natural acreages, garden areas and unfinished properties...

We walked for miles....just enjoying the architecture of houses and small property this time... churches and cathedrals were a whole other ballgame....

...although...there was still some pretty elaborate tile and iron work on modest homes... well, sort of modest...

again...the doors just opened straight out onto roads.... ..... so surprising to me. Single file please.

The guys were pooped....hahahha.... should we go for coffee now ladies? ....

Yes please..... make mine meia de leite... that would be half milk for uninitiated ...

A lovely little reflecting pool in the downtown area... right beside a very modern coffee shop.

a fun day wandering all over the town and snapping many, many photos.....
Hey.....another great little told doorway!
Like I mentioned before.... always some modern juxtaposed with the seemingly ancient..... loved it.

A few four legged friends wanted to say hello ......

Now...come on. There had to be a table or a ladder somewhere behind this wall..... or maybe a trampoline. How did this guy get up on that wall? He was up there almost every time we walked by over the weeks we were there.

back to Portugal...... Peniche and Obidos ..

2011-04-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

... after spending plenty of time at the beach at Peniche ..wandering all over and taking lots of pics and enjoying all the views... the day was still young enough to hop into the car and drive on...

But, everywhere I looked there was more to see; ... more to photograph. Turn your head to the side while waiting for a green light...and hey! look at that beautiful window! stop ... look at that neat door! ..wow.... look at that.... whoa... just a minute........ I was worse than a little kid.

All of a sudden ... we were at Obidos.... a medieval town with castle...

And.... there just happened to be ....a chocolate festival going on!

All along the cobbled street, vendors and the tiny regular shops had chocolate goodies to delight vistors. I can't believe we didn't take a picture of the tiny chocolate cups containing our strong sweet alcoholic beverage! Maria.... what was it called again ?? UPDATE:: it is called Ginja or Ginjinha... and is made from cherries... thanks Maria.

Like I said...keep looking ...sideways... behind..UP..... definitely up... and see it all...... or miss plenty! How would you like this for your little morning coffee balcony. People lived in these quaint places.

It was becoming afternoon....and the light from the sun.....wow.....

I think this is Wisteria (although I first thought Laburnum, but have only seen that in yellow) from having seen some on Lines from Linderhof ... and also on Sylvia's blog Cosiness.

Just heading into the castle itself after wandering through the cobbled streets of the little medieval town..

.... hurry....sun going down soon........

... ahhhhh....this little guy has the right idea. Last rays of the day's warm sunshine..... his own private bench. Cats have it all figured out.

Hahahhaha...how incongruous. All part of the candy and chocolate theme of the festival... but, still..... made you laugh out loud really.

Looking out from the parapet .... those serfs are a long way dowwwwnnn.........

... out the other side and back into the little town within the castle walls.... such steep pathways and roads.

Yes.... the cars were driving up from somewhere and popping out of these little things! One guy totally burned out a clutch...we could smell it for quite a while after walking past his car.

Goodbye Obidos.... whoooooo...and goodbye plenty of chocolate goodies. By then we were wired and could have gone on all night I think....But... it was time to head for home. M & J's place in Portugal that is..... our beautiful home away from home.

interrupting regular programming......

2011-04-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

..... got this in the email box yesterday. My sister's cat..... okay, well, only one of them....she has 5 ..or so.. What a cheeky little minx.... I wonder if she meant the cats I took photos of in Portugal? I don't have any others on the sidebar...except my blog buddy Daisy.... hmmmmmmm
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Dear Aunty,

Just a note about the blog…uh, as I was browsing through your blog the other day, I noticed there were no pictures of me on there. Now, I thought it would be fair for me to have a little showing of my own, just to let your followers know that I really do exist. They have seen all the other cats, but for some reason I was missed when the photo shoots took place. I was probably out helping my Mom with the horse feeding because that is what I do each morning. At first my little nose was out of joint, and I felt a bit dejected, but then I realized it was an oversight, so I told William I was going over to the big house to rectify the situation. I posed nicely on top of the car and they couldn’t resist me. I hope this completes your cat album at our house. Oh, I don’t know if you want to know about Mr. Fluffy Bum (a Manx) who thinks he lives here, or the other guy Mom calls Jane (plain Jane?) who cruises our yard sometimes looking for an extra crunchy or two. They don’t live here really. If you need any other photos, let me know and I’ll come over to the house for another session.

Hugs,

Little Kira

Peniche

2011-04-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

.... after spending a great time feeling the spray and the sea breezes.... just thoroughly enjoying the sights and sounds of being so close to wild and pounding surf..... we walked back to the car. It was so quiet .. and not far from the edge of the cliffs at all.... that it almost felt like there was no water behind us. Weird that....

Down the road...around a few more corners and voila.....we were at a lovely sand beach...with good sized breakers.... well known by surfers.....

It was barely a week or two early in the "real" beach season...and amazingly, we had the beach to ourselves.... well, with the exception of a few surfers and two girls who were either trying to get somebody's attention, or ..maybe they had a shot of something alcoholic prior to donning teeeensy "bathing costumes" and racing jumping and shrieking into the frigid Atlantic waters..... oh, man...it was so cold your foot couldn't feel a thing after about 30 seconds.... ..... brave or foolish I guess. The surfers were clever...wetsuits.... of course.

Ohhh, boy....this is the time to go to any beach I'm sure...so beautiful...so peaceful....and it's mine, all mine!! Wheeeeeeeeeee.... That's how I felt anyway....

We had all our clothes on.... with the exception of brave Maria (who had her shoes off toute suite).... and we kept them on.

Looked to our right and saw this ...

Walked to our left all the way to the end and saw this...... didn't see one "for sale" sign on the beachhouses.....

Fresh mussels anyone?..

Looked back and saw this....

Looked down....

No matter which way I looked....more wonder.....

.....and the sheer power and beauty of ocean......

When I'm standing on a beach..... I never want to leave.........
but, it was time to go and so we walked back towards the car....

Past amazing little mounds of vegetation that somehow survives in spite of sand piled on top of it by wind and wave......

Goodbye for now beautiful beaches........

Peniche, Portugal

2011-04-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

Our second day in Portugal .... hahahhaha..... this posting of pics of our trip even at the rate of quite a few each time, could take a year! I better speed it up somehow...and yet....I don't want to just speed through it.... same as I hate speeding through anything really..... so... maybe not quite yet.

If I get busy doing anything really exciting around here or feel like I am getting tired of reliving our adventures.... maybe then.....

I need to finish off at least two little bears and hurry up about it. Sheaffer's Auction/Birthday Bash ... in aid of Sheila's Sanctuary, is quickly approaching. I just haven't been able to get my head around doing anything "crafty". House stuff... even shovelling snow from the shaded side to the sunny side of the grass..and baking... and... tidying... seems to have taken over my life. Must be spring.

Second day in Portugal....on the road to Peniche, a seaside town. Actually when I looked for that link...it says it is a small city. A busy fishing and surfing area.

Olive groves along the highway ... ...

...towns and villages dotting the hillsides ... whitewashed houses with lovely red tiled roofs.... exactly like the post cards suggested it would be....

... it certainly was never "are we there yet"? with us... .. we loved every minute of the drive as well.... so much new and exciting to see at every turn in the road...hahahha...and there are plenty of those. Talk about winding roads.......

Loved the pastels alongside the whitewashed ... some hotels ...some business ....and some homes...

Within seconds of being seated.... appetizers arrived on the table! Almost as if by magic. Wouldn't happen around here. I found service to be second to none. Can't say it happens at every single place in Portugal...but, it happened in every one that we went to during our stay ...and we did a lot of sampling and eating, believe me!

Bread, olives and cheeses... and in this case... little sample sizes of some type of fish eggs... er...sorry Maria...just couldn't bring myself to sample it....
and some baby octopus or squid... can't remember for sure now....

YIKES!! lobster, giant prawns and mussels...for 4 !! And...we could have had at least another couple or 3 join us and still had plenty!

It was a working fishing port and marina .... big nets drying in the sun...

That Maria ....she must have long arms....and a great aim..... she took lots of pics of the four of us...and somehow...got us in all the shots....
You can see I had no faith in the distance.... hahahha.....

Wandered around the area for a bit and then hopped back in the car and drove to some nearby cliffs for a different look at the ocean... it was a bit breezy ...but definitely pleasant at +19C...

sandy little trails between the vegetation...

Little masses of succulents of some sort...with beautiful yellows and pinks for flowers. They looked much like "straw flowers" to me ...

We hung out just enjoying the many rock formations and trying for big wave spray pics.... there was a lot of crashing action for sure.... just beautiful to see....

....we were pretty insignificant looking in relation to the area..... if you squint ...you can make out the guys down below..........

... still in Constancia, Portugal

2011-04-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying reliving our holiday myself.... who wanted to come home? ...not me.... well, actually, in all fairness nobody did...but, we did have to get back to reality eventually.

Today here at home it was at least lovely and sunny and some of the snow on the shady sides of the house are even melting. I tried to break down the 3 foot pile of it on the front lawn...most of it shaded by a huge spruce. If I don't move it...I bet it won't melt for weeks. I shovelled and tossed lots of it onto the warmth of the sidewalk, the road, and even onto the now bare grass nearby that is in sun for more hours of the day. Tomorrow is supposed to get up to a whopping +15C..... oh, I hope so. That'll get more melting happening. I'll try to break up more of the pile. The south and west facing yard is bare and dry now. Woohoooooo..

Of course, in Portugal it is at least this lovely and even warmer I'm betting .....sigh....................

Open windows... plants in pots... definitely somebody home....

Washing hanging outside ...a common sight.... not many people have dryers...I'm not sure about washers..but, probably not in tiny places like these. Life is simpler... slower... and easier in some respects. In others... maybe not so much.....

You already know I'm partial to old worn doors and windows.... but, look at this beautiful old keyhole and is that a tiny doorknocker? ...

And, this place was very special. We saw the light sticking way out there.......the intriguing wrought iron gate ..... and went straight up the steps for a better look.
Not sure if the door out front belongs to the same house..or what..... it seemed strange to also have a huge gate and pathway leading around to the backside of things...or maybe the real front is actually behind ...

Looks like Tuscany through there..... cypress trees?... a winding path....

a hidden balcony back there...this guy defiitely had the right idea. Imagine a tiny table for two set up on the balcony...overlooking an orchard of some sort....ahhhhhh.... bliss.

No...I wasn't brave enough to jump the fence...just put my camera through the fence and took a shot..... no for sale sign on this one..... I guess not! Wish I could have seen the balcony side of it though ....

Oh, dear...then there was this poor thing..... better days are long gone. No roof left... totally crumbled...

...and through the door's criss cross metal strips... ahhhhh.... what a shame..... not much left of all of it now.

Down to the bottom and a cup of coffee was in order.... at a little riverside shop.....

Oh, and...we had a brief chat with Luís de Camões ... ... a great poet.... and considered to be Portugal's Shakespeare.

more sunshine and exercise...in Constancia....

2011-04-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

...still going up... hahhahah...... but, honestly, in hindsight, it was a very good thing that we put on as many walking miles as we did. We enjoyed waaaay too much great food and way too many custard tarts and other yummy desserts later on ...... poor Joe fared the worst, but luckily I only gained 4 pounds. Lost it and then... am gaining it back as I am not out walking in the snow and cold. Roll on, warmer days.

A little chapel nearer the top.... church in background... and behind that a lovely little perfectly kept cemetery with some very old stones and crypts.

Little houses right close to the cemetery and church....I decided the caretakers might live here. I love to make up my own little stories as I go along.... not only while on holiday...but, pretty much everywhere.

As usual.... one or two not quite up to snuff. Somebody needs to show up with a brush and some whitewash. Still sturdy for sure...just needs a bit of cosmetic care....

some old.......some new........ all so clean and lovingly cared for even though blackened from time and weathering. Coarsely crushed light sand between the stones for walking on..... ..... some real and some artificial flowers.... and even two new bumps of pale sandy earth where someone was recently laid to rest.

We quietly took some photos and definitely appreciated the workmanship of the stones and little vaults..... and then began to head downhill.

Turned around to look back.... a beautiful palm .... turned around again and this..... I'm not sure exactly what it is...but, reminds me of what we call Tulip Trees around here......

Little planters along the walkways and the streets... ... flowers in all of them.....

Prickly pear cactus..

Hard to tell the size without some perspective....yikes...

This little place looks like only half a house... how strange.....

And, this lovely little fella (I decided it was a "he") was behind bars. The cats roamed freely...but, this did seem to be the fate of most dogs. Small, tiled areas to hang out in. Only saw one or two with bigger yards and some grass to play on. Hardly saw anybody actually walking a dog. This little guy was just a puppy...and only wanted somebody to talk to him and pet him. He had the softest fur...like velvet.... Several others we saw were pretty loud and probably wanted a taste of Canadian back(side) bacon. Probably they were just frustrated.

..still heading uphill... Constancia, Portugal...

2011-04-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

....in and out of little pathways we went ..and up and down steps....we peeked into all the cute little areas and found all the hidden doorways. Well, not all by a long shot...but, lots. Hope we weren't trespassing..but, it seemed to be just a labyrinth of steps and cobble and rockery paths that led up or down. I think some were shortcuts so the people who lived at the top of the hill could get there quicker. That was my take anyway.

sometimes just a look up was enough to warrant another photo.

This door was a bit newer than some ....and I wonder if those newer bricks inserted under the lintel were to allow for more height when placing the new door? .... he got a few extra inches out of it...

There were several places for sale..... where was the agent when we wanted to look inside? ...

Maybe number 3 was the better option...it did have a newer door...

Aha.... some of those road signs I missed whilst walking up... I just had to look back to notice them. It's definitely got to be organized... because some of the little streets are too tiny to allow two cars to pass each other. You can see this one is a bit wider...two can pass.... or...even park in front of a house.

Look at the little sailboats designed into the cobblestones on this street.

loved the blue tile works we saw in so many areas...

more cats.... some even had collars...but, all seemed to have the run of the streets... not too many cars to worry about...and I bet they are all pretty savvy...living outdoors most of the time..or perhaps all of it. I don't know for sure...although, come to think of it... I did see one or two looking out of windows.....

A little public courtyard where people gather to visit and catch up with goings on. The houses are so tiny, I think that is why folks spend a lot of time just walking or visiting in the outdoors.

Some places were just not as kept up as others.....

But, most of it was lovingly cared for..

A few nearer the top had larger areas for yards and gardens... there is probably a story behind it all...but, I'm afraid I don't know it.
This guy had a big yard with orange and lemon trees...some grapes and even an olive tree or two below that... and a good view of the river in the distance.

No for sale sign on this one.... drat. Click on the photos to biggify and see more......

Here's a cute one with an odd shape... and his own palm tree. That was strange to me. Palm trees, orange trees...and in the next yard...a pine tree. It just seemed odd somehow that they all did well in the same environment.

Huh? .... hahahhah.... I was used to seeing cats and even dogs everywhere... but then, up pops a chicken to say hello... on top of a very high stone wall.

..not even talking about the weather.....

2011-04-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

but, this will be a bit of a longer post to outline my little plan. It's taken me a few days to try to decide what to do.
I want all of you to be able to enjoy a little of our holiday in Portugal... and yet... my friend Maria and I took so many photos that it is tough to decide which ones and how many to post. If I do too many in each post..it will take forever to download for those not on high speed....and I know some of you have trouble with that....

I think I'll just begin at the beginning... and post several photos a day for ..oh,... for a verrrry long time. Maybe even til next year and perhaps we go again. Hahahha... perfect. I don't even have to think about what I'm going to post. But, since we both took lots on each day and they are still in separate albums..(because Mr. BV still has some fiddling to do with something that he is trying to accomplish).... I just have to figure out which ones I did post from each set and therefore...which not to post a second time. Still haven't figured that one out..... it'll be a bit of "backing and forthing" I guess.

After 10 hours to Frankfurt and a few hours wait in their deluxe airport... then another 2 1/2 hour flight to Lisbon.. our friends picked us up and drove us around a bit to get a little first look at Portugal. Had a wonderful meal at our hosts ...(it was a very late meal for them as the big meal is usually earlier in the day) and then, some wine, and even some port, because we wanted to get a good sleep and actually still felt pretty wide awake even after such a long trip. I never sleep on planes... next time..I'm taking some good drugs or using a damn big rubber hammer.

Anyway...we wanted to get on Portugal time right away...jet lag be damned! We only had 3 weeks to be tourists; we weren't wasting any of it. The first day...we awoke at 11:00 am.!! Acckkk..what the?? ...day half over... after the best sleep of my life! I couldn't believe it. But... onward....

We drove (okay, Joe did the driving) to a nearby small town called Constancia....( Check the link to see more info regarding this little town.) It was our first up-close glimpse of the tiny streets in most of the little towns we would see during our stay. So tiny, only tiny cars can drive through them... and definitely only one car at a time........there is backing up if somebody comes from the opposite direction...I still haven't quite figured out who decides to back up...but, on looking back at some photos...I do see signs indicating no entry on some of them.

So...without further ado.... please enjoy a walk with us around this lovely little hillside town of Constancia... from the parking area so you can get the idea of the terrain.

All the streets ..walking and driving areas... are cobbled in chunks of marble and in some places granite. The whole country seems situated on marble .. it's everywhere. There are lots of quarries in Portugal, so I suppose seeing as it is pretty cheap and easy to come by...they use it freely, plus why not use up the leftover smaller chunks for something worthwhile. I'm betting asphalt would be more expensive and not easy to use in most places... so.. chunks of marble it is. Plus...it's lovely to see, of course.

A lot of the buildings were restored, freshly painted and really kept up... others, of course, were not kept up quite as well. There seem to be several little porthole windows in various building in this town..

I thought these anchors looked neat... designed right into the cobbles...

You can see the hilly terrain....

These little streets are for driving as well as walking believe it or not. People on foot and in cars coming and going, some carrying baskets of groceries... although it certainly wasn't busy. A sleepy little place actually... and lovely. This would be a great place to live in which to keep fit. Walk down for bread each day. Oooh... and the breads....yes, indeed.... I would definitely not mind walking to get the breads ...every single day!! As a matter of fact... I would need to keep walking a lot. I loved the breads in Portugal. I'm still trying to find the perfect cornbread recipe since coming home. So far..no luck. Do you have a cornbread recipe...and I'm not talking southwest stuff either...this is a yeast based loaf I want. Dark thick crust... lovely tight crumb...and sweet tasting...oh...man...it was yummy. With olives..meats and cheeses.....sigh...............................................................

I'm thinking a lot of clutch changes if you drive in these towns ..hahahha... and actually in one steep place ..later on..we did smell a totally burned out clutch on a car. Some poor guy not used to standard shifting or hilly terrain I guess ...who finally managed to navigate his way to the top of a particularly steep street. Some of them might just be slippery in wet weather too... and,...they better hope it never snows. Of course, unlike here...they don't have to worry about that scenario. Oh.. I forgot...I wasn't going to moan about the weather. Sorry. I must have looked out the window. Still two feet of the white stuff in my front yard.

Back to sun and holidaying...... Up and up... looking into eveery nook and cranny... snapping photos all the way.... we loved it. So quaint compared to what we are used to here in Canada. Not much history ... or even the look of it here.

Cute little doorways....some tucked back in out of the way. Some of the doors opened almost directly onto the roadway.... not only in tiny villages...but, along the main highways! don't stagger out in some places after one too many glasses of port or in a hurry to get somewhere. I'll post a couple of those later ....most taken whilst enroute....

Maria and were both taken with the tile work we saw everywhere during the 3 weeks of doing touristy things at cathedrals, towns and castles.... .......and.....the doors...and doorways.... so loved those!! My idea of European towns and cities... the beautiful photos of windows and doorways...

The doors were so tiny. I'm only five foot two and my head was mere inches from the top of the door frames in many of the towns. All I could think of was hobbits.... yes, most of the little older folks are definitely not tall...but in days gone by must have been much shorter yet. Some doors we saw were so low we would have had to bend over to get through. I really wanted to have a look inside some of the sweet looking little homes. Maybe next time.......

Some of them were so clean and white washed ...and with little plants...or kitties hanging around outside.... love it all.......

This one's for you Krista. Isn't it a beauty? Not afraid of people at all either. There seemed to be quite a few cats everywhere we went during our stay. However, I can't say they appeared feral.... they all looked so soft and clean and well kept. And...it appeared that even though they were allowed to wander they were well fed.. probably by more than one person. I spied little bowls beside some steps...and did see one lady putting out a few bowls...near several steps. Maybe they just make sure all cats are fed...I don't know...

I don't know whether to laugh or cry....

2011-04-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

... but, seeing as we Canadians are supposed to be a tough lot....I better yank on the ol' boot straps.. hike up my britches and get one foot in front of the other...... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh....I don't wanna!!

Of course, this happens every year about this time.... last year it was April 10....the year before I think it was June 5.... so.... this isn't too bad...........I guess. *pout*.......

It was raining last night so we knew darn well it would look like this when we got up. It is barely 0C so this new 6 inches will melt quickly...but, the underlying 2 feet or so in most areas...won't be melting along with it.....not yet. It's all frozen and crusty and icy under this new soggy stuff....

That Elmo...always so ready to help me measure snow. You'd think as often as I've plopped his bum into freezing white stuff... it'd wipe that stupid smile off his face.

Before I even grabbed a shovel, I grabbed a broom and went out to rescue my poor juniper... knocking off the huge amounts of snow as it was bent straight over from the weight of the heavy wet stuff.

One of the lower branches was already in trouble from an earlier snow fall...it was on the ground nearest the wall. With the snow off...you can see how far over and down it was pressed with all that weight. Hope it stands up all the way once again some day. A couple of the branches are probably going to have to be trimmed off.

I decided to take a walk around the block and see what else got crushed....and...sadly.... plenty.

OMGosh.... this...... well, this was the biggest Mugo Pine bush we have ever seen....and usually the branches are totally upright like raised hands and arms..... oh, dear..... squashed totally.... hope it recovers....

All of them were bent under the terrible weight of the snow....

This guy had the right idea.... shovelling would be a killer today.

Oh, oh........

I couldn't believe my eyes when I rounded the corner to our place..... my sidewalks were clean!! Oh, thank you, thank you, Dan!!! He was just crossing the road to the older lady that lives opposite us. He hollered that he didn't want anybody having heart attacks and decided after doing his own ....he would just do the rest of us. What a guy! He's been shovelling our walks pretty regularly all the weeks we were away...and now... he's doing it again. Says this winter he has used his snow blower more than any winter so far. So much for global warming..... I still maintain that we are heading back into another ice age.

Even if it is a pain.... I do have to say....it does look beautiful.....

I especially love the look of the drooping or weeping type trees and shrubs....

A poor little robin..... wondering why he came back from Arizona or Mexico or wherever he went for the winter. They always come home about 2 or 3 weeks too soon. Just like us. And...no worms out of the frozen ground yet. I see them hopping around behind the sparrows and chickadees. Probably trying to get the lowdown on what to eat before their own food source shows up.... much later now than ever I would guess. They probably lose a bit of weight before it gets nice enough to forage for the good stuff. All this, after having to fly hundreds if not thousands of miles just to get here. Not right. Not right at all.

Well....now...I'm off to bake Dan some strawberry muffins. He deserves them! Maybe it's time to invest in a snowblower....even though I usually am happy to do it for the exercise..... or..... save the money to make a downpayment on a tiny house somewhere warm.... so I can follow those robins when they leave in October......