Noooo Bag number 2!

Ok bag number 2...from the sleeves of that Denim Jacket!

New Bag!

 

Today I thought it was about time I made a start on some bags for the forthcoming spring fairs.  The first, The By Hand Festival in Wawa, is just 4 weeks away!  Whilst browsing around our local stores I came across a denim jacket with this beautiful embroidery on.  As a jacket I guess it wasn't that appealing to anyone as it sat on the bargain rail, or maybe nobody noticed it tucked between the tee shirts and jog pants.  Anyway I spotted it and fell in love even tho it was far too small for me!  Not to be one who turns down a bargain I whisked it off to the checkout and this morning hid myself away in the studio for a few hours.  I found the perfect fabric in my stash to line the bag, white silky fabric with pretty pink and purple dots!  Hey presto, one tote finished!  So now I have 8 bags for the fair so far!  This one will be on sale for $35 CAD and is a 'one of a kind'!

Wk 12 - The 52 week project

You remember our friends took us to camp?  Well they sent me some photo's this week.  So here is me on the back of a snow mobile!  Poor Kurtis got stuck with the nervous passenger... and what a gent!  He took it real easy and slowed down for bumps so I didn't bounce all over the place.  Ooh dear I hope he didn't take me seriously when I mentioned the rather large supper I'd just scoffed down my neck!!  poor lad!  Now I've had time to reflect I'm sorta getting around to the idea that I might like to drive one....you know...just to see!  At least there's not too much traffic on the lake ha ha!  I had a motorcycle once, but I only went out at certain times...like when it wasn't rush hour, wasn't a Saturday when the world and his wife was out doing their shopping, wasn't raining, wasn't too windy.... you get the picture?!

Week 11 - 52 week project

How cool eh?  Knee deep in snow on a frozen lake...boys and their toys!  We had a fab weekend at camp with our friends Jackie, Ron and Kurtis.  A proper camp on a lake in the bush...miles from anywhere.  Jackie is a fabulous cook and we just ate so well.  In the evenings we were treated to a sauna after supper followed by a game or two of Farkle and a wee drop of Panama Jacks...just to warm us up after a hard day on a snowmobile!

Waking In A Place Of Safety

Most mornings follow the same pattern with me, I get up, make tea and then spend just half an hour or so checking e-mails and catching up with Facebook friends and blogs.  This morning was no different in that respect.  What I read, however, was.  I stumbled upon a blog post by Tammy Vitale, mainly to catch her interview with Effy, of Wild Precious Studios but it was here that I also found yet more evidence of the resilience and dignity of the people of Japan in the face of the devastation caused by the recent Tsunami.  Tammy provided two links to other web posts, A Letter From Sundai and Human Spirit Rises to Meet Japan's Tsunami.  These posts made me really think.  I thought how sad it is that whilst these people react with calm, with love and resilience people in other parts of the world continue to fight, kill and run amok in the name of religion, or for a piece of land, or because they don't like their government.  It made me think how much we take for granted simple things like flicking a switch for instant light or heat; like turning a tap for a hot shower or to get a cool drink; like jumping in our car to pop to the shop for a loaf of bread.  It made me think about how much we moan when we have to go without these for even just one day.  It made me think quite a lot this morning which isn't something I normally do so early!
Tammy also mentioned that her daughter, a teacher, had started a fab project with her kids to raise money for Japan.  An ancient Japanese legend says that if someone folds a 1,000 origami cranes they will be granted one wish by a crane, such as a recovery from a long illness.  The children are making origami cranes and selling them for just $1 each, all the money going to the Japanese Tsunami relief fund.  I, for one, am printing off a PDF file of instructions and forwarding it with a print of Tammy's post to my local High School.  We are a very tiny community and may not make a thousand cranes alone but I figure by posting this if we all did something similar, no matter how small a scale, we could indeed make 1,000 collectively and make a united wish for the recovery of Japan.
Today I feel especially mindful, and grateful too.  On a personal level, I am thankful for the support of all our friends and people in our community who collectively flicked a switch that shone a light at the end of our personal dark tunnel.  I am thankful for the place where we live and the life we have and mindful that perhaps, even for just one day, we should try 100% to not waste anything nor take anything for granted.

Week 9 - The 52 Week Project

Little things in life, little gestures, can make such a difference. I cannot lie, this has been a tough week.  Having succumbed to some bug or another it feels like I have had a permanent headache for almost a week, been totally off my food and felt generally under par.  Add to this the continued stress caused by the College of Nurses of Ontario who after over nine months still sit upon Lovely Man's nursing registration and will give no indication of when they will actually deal with it.   Without this he cannot nurse in this country.  Having moved to a tiny northern Ontario town where they need nurses but have no other work available that he is qualified for, it seems our future here, in this lovely place, now hangs in the balance with our life savings almost gone.  Despite the College being informed of the urgency and the fact that the original time scale for the process being 15 weeks, which is long overdue, they have little sympathy and refuse to do anything about it.  To say I have been stressed would be an understatement, despite having wonderful friends here cheering us on there have been a number of moments where I have dearly wanted to go home to the safety of my family and all things familiar, so yes add severe homesickness to the list of symptoms too!  However, upon collecting the mail yesterday I found a parcel from the online art store I use over here.  I had recently e-mailed them to say how impressed I was with their quick turnaround and general good service.  I also gave them a shout out on Willowing   for the benefit of my Canadian arty colleagues.  For this they sent to me these lovely brushes by way of a thank you.  So thanks again to the lovely folk at Wallacks in Ottawa!