art and healing
detail of a tie-dyed table runner I created a long time ago – not related to subject below
Many question the purpose of art. Here’s one answer in this wonderful story about art and healing*.
(*link expired, sorry)
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by Marja-Leena by Marja-Leena yesterday and today
Sandwiched between some cold and rainy days, yesterday was a brilliant sunny one, such a pleasure when it’s now more rare and cannot be taken for granted. Above is an iconic Vancouver scene that I enjoyed in the morning – note the snow on the mountain tops. Back home in the afternoon, I I went out into my garden with a camera, wondering how much colour I could still find. Here and there are little spots still so I could make the collage below – enjoy!
Today it is raining cold tears, so appropriately for our Remembrance Day. I wear a white poppy in spirit. Can we ever hope for better tomorrows?
by Marja-Leena this is November
Looking southeast on a sunny and mild Sunday morning, 7th November
Looking northeast two days later (today) after a fierce rain and windstorm blew through around noon, after which some clouds lifted just enough to reveal a heavy dusting of snow on the mountains. It was decidedly chilly out this afternoon. Tonight’s temperature is forecast to drop near freezing. There are still some unprotected plants outdoors. The days are suddenly too short. Winter seems too close. Does time seem to move faster when we’re on the last pages on the calendar?
by Marja-Leena a full day
first short-lived snow on the mountains, October 27th
In the printmaking studio this morning, I’m thrilled with the first large proof of my new print!
Over town this afternoon for an appointment, then joined by husband. We met his sister who is here from the Island for the weekend. Joined by Erika, we all went to a Lebanese restaurant for a fabulous meal. (Our first ever Lebanese meal was in Montreal this past June!) Home this evening for more tea and conversation, then early to bed, tired from our respective full days! This is all I can manage… good night, all!
by Marja-Leena colours of autumn
Suddenly, it is November and for many writers also NaNoWriMo** month. As I’m not writing a novel or poetry, I thought I’d try for the first time to post something every day. It’s a busy month for me so we’ll see if I’m able to meet the challenge.
Here are some of Vancouver’s fall colours, captured when out and about with appointments last Friday.
**Added Nov. 3rd: It seems that I might instead fit into this category of daily blogging for November: NaBloPoMo
by Marja-Leena family days
Yesterday late afternoon we returned from several days away traveling and spending time with our three daughters and two granddaughters at our eldest daughter’s place in the Thompson River Valley region east of Kamloops, BC.
A neighbour raises a few goats and llamas for fun and they are allowed to graze in the lands behind this small rural community. So we all enjoyed visiting them close up with some treats of alfalfa cubes and raw carrots. It’s amazing how the young animals were attracted by the young humans, so much so that youngest granddaughter was just a bit fearful when their attentions became too forward for her.
On our last evening one of my nephews and his wife joined us to share in a feast of fresh-caught salmon just brought home by daughter’s partner from a fishing trip with several buddies off Prince Rupert on our north coast. Besides lots of salmon, their catch included rock cod (or was it rock fish?), crab, red snapper and a 42 pound halibut! Their freezers are now well-stocked for another winter.
It’s a hot dry region and I had dreaded the heat but it did cool down on our second day, even rained a tiny bit now and then. Our drive home yesterday was accompanied by lots of rain. Back home, sister-in-law had been taking good care of my garden and plants and our home and was also helped by some rain. She just left a couple of hours ago. Soon eldest daughter will be arriving to spend a few more days with her sisters and nieces. Busy days!
by Marja-Leena scent of rain
While doing some photography, I’m suddenly captivated by a scent in the air, forgotten for a while but oh so familiar. The scent of rain awakens a flood of memories of cooling summer showers. Only some time later do I see a few drops on the skylights.
The discovery of a new word for this phenomena, petrichor, delights me. I’m not sure though that this really applies to just a few sprinkles. Perhaps there’s been more rain not too far away from whence the scent drifted here.
More please, for the sun is out again and the scent is gone. The sky has a dirty whitish cast to it, probably caused by smoke from distant forest fires. We need lots of rain here in BC for we have numerous forest fires, mostly caused by lightning in tinder dry forests. And I’m getting tired of watering the garden.
by Marja-Leena evening skies
July 12th, about 8:00 pm
July 19th, at 7:20 pm
We’ve had a month of gorgeous summer weather, including an incredibly hot week which I didn’t enjoy but it’s been quite pleasant since. A month or so without rain with weeks of summer still ahead has me wondering if we are going into a drought? At least we have plenty of water in the mountains from all the heavy snow pack that came after the Winter Games.
Some amazing skies too, like on the two evenings pictured above viewed from our back deck. This evening’s unusually long feather-shaped cloud went right overhead and did not fit into the camera frame. We’re so fortunate to usually have cool evenings when a light fresh breeze comes wafting down the hill after dark, drifting inside through open windows and doors. We leave them wide open in our bedroom as we sleep, something I could not tolerate in the damper times of the year.
UPDATE July 26th: The long feather cloud is a CHEMTRAIL! Please read Natalie’s comments below and check out the links she’s generously provided, especially the last one. You will be shocked and disturbed. How do we stop this??
by Marja-Leena heat
I know I shouldn’t complain after our cool spring but I am much too hot! It was 30C (86F) here yesterday and today will be hotter, and it’s humid too. I know those in eastern Canada and US are experiencing even higher temperatures. I’m only half joking when I say that it’s my northern blood that makes me so intolerant of the heat, for I get headachy, bloated and downright cranky in hot weather.
A couple of evenings ago just before it got this hot, we managed to process a lot of strawberries for the freezer and then early yesterday morning I made some no-sugar freezer jam which finished me for the day. Hope it turns out!
Between watering the garden and trying to keep cool downstairs, far away from computer and studio, I’m not going to get much done except for some interesting reading which I hope to write about later – on a cool day.
by Marja-Leena Canadian Red
It’s Canada Day today. Our Queen is in Ottawa this year to celebrate our country’s 143rd birthday and give us the gift of a special rock.
Below are a couple of other articles Canadians and non-Canadians might enjoy. We Canadians are rather noted for being modest while being quietly proud of our country, so I don’t really like this bragging tone nor a “branding” of Canada, even if said a little tongue-in-cheek. What do you think?
– A new national angst: Getting used to bragging rights* (link expired and removed)
– What is Canada’s brand?