quick post

 

I have stopped at the Cafe on my way home for an overnight visit. One more hour to go, and then back tomorrow. Don't tell anyone about the cream on the top of the coffee.

cold!

 

I sallied forth today with every intention of finding a geocache in the park on my way to the grocery store and taking a picture for the blog. But the wind was so bitter, that it began to seem like a daft idea. So I hurried to the store, picking up boring diet food and returned to make my lunch. So then I took a picture of it.

Being on my own in this town, I decided  not to be such  a recluse, and bought my ticket to see J.P. Cormier this evening. There were only four left. Good thing there is only one of me and that I will take a single seat.

snow

From no snow at all, I woke to this. This is the scene from the apartment window. And then the storm intensified, so I could not take a picture outside as it would have been white dots. Go figure.

But here is a time lapse video of a storm from someone's bedroom window. I wish that I could shovel as quickly as that.

exterior decor

 

I took this pictures this morning on my walk. I love walking around the back of buildings. My secret ambition is to be a graffiti artist.

Graffiti Instincts - Tilt

Silent.wpmc | MySpace Video

cloudless

This afternoon it was 6 C. I looked into the sky to find a pretty cloud in the blue sky, but there was none. So I looked down and took a picture of an old elm stump.

Here is a page from a Dutch department store. Don"t move your cursor to pick an item, just watch: http://producten.hema.nl/

no snow

The snow has all gone. It will come again, probably in a day or two, but today there is no snow.  I kind of like it. I left my boots in the apartment today and loved the lightness of my feet. I loved the warmth of the day, no hat, no muffler, but then I did need an umbrella earlier this morning. I can't have everything. Winter will return by the end of the week.

Burnses

On Robbie Burns night, Carman and Alice Burns celebrated their anniversary. They cut a cake, not the haggis, but Carman did recite by heart: "My love is like a red, red  rose" before they cut the heart shaped cake. Not withstanding the fact that Robbie was noted for his philandering.

O my luve's like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June;
O mu luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
O I will luve thee still, my dear
While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand miles.

O my luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June;
O my luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

 

 

between middle and upper

Somewhere between Middle and Upper Musquodobit there is this little church where I preached this evening. Fortunately someone knew the way and gave me a lift. Otherwise I never would have found it in the dark. I took this before the service. Soon after the church was filled. It was a Covenanting Service for their new minister.Actually it was great. It was a happy congregation. I love preaching in small churches where the congregation is close and respond to you, and the acoustics are terrific. Besides they put on a great spread following the service.

Pugwash

It was a sunny day with a bitter wind, and I needed a break. So I decided to go somewhere where I had never been before: Pugwash. Here the sea is frozen, and despite the flag, not very much was open. Maybe I missed it. This is where Windsor salt comes from with a large salt mine. And there was a very nice brick house on Black Street.

iced bush

I walked by this bush that was under water dripping off a roof. It was just outside the door of a funeral parlour. While it was supposed to be a day off, I had a funeral to conduct and sermons to write. There is still more to do tomorrow. There are guidelines about working a forty hour week. I haven't figured out how to do this yet.

to prorogue or not

Prorogue: to defer the sitting of Parliament. You may get the idea if you click the "Wanted" poster and read the text. It infuriates me that Parliament could simply be cancelled by the whim of the Prime Minister. But listen up sister!  My sister had suggestedyesterday that I go to a nearby demonstration this weekend to voice my rage. But as luck would have it, in this immense country of ours, I read in the paper this morning that the Prime Minister was coming to our town today to announce that his government would help to fund a proposed pool and rink. But where? Then on my way back from the garage I drove by this band of stalwart demonstrators. I turned, parked the car and joined them for a spell. The prime minister was in the building behind them. He had said that Canadians did not care if he prorogued parliament. So I stood waving a sign saying "I care". Cars honked, people waved, thumbs were up.  I am not politically neutral.

fashion statements

So we are now sporting matching blue Argyle collars. I was looking for rhinestones, but these nifty collars will snap off if they get snagged. Further, I couldn't get any with bells. The Czarina went wild when I tried a bell on her. She kept trying to run away from it. So here is Miss Johnston. The Czarina has that thick Russian Blue fur and the collar sinks into the plushness. But Miss Johnston, being the common cat she is, is happy to sit for a photo. The Czarina runs away when she sees a camera. She is, however, in this photo, hiding in the back. I have a matching key chain.

gutters

The gutters, or are they eaves troughs, are now up, and so bit by bit the house progresses. Whilst I was home I painted more walls, "mother of pearl" and doors, "coffee bean", but there are more coats to put on. And so it goes .. and now I have lost 21 inches, which is a wardrobe disaster.

23 pounds

I have lost 23 pounds and I have 21 more to go. So I am over halfway. I started at the beginning of November. It really shows in my face. I look dreadful. I think a lot about food.

This is my favourite grocery store. Just above the ginger, the shallots and the tomatoes, there is a pianist banging out mostly honky tonk. I was standing right under him when I took the picture. And then the savoy cabbages. I think that there is nothing, well hardly anything, on earth as beautiful as a savoy cabbage.

blue bay

In the distance you can see the blue of the bay that never freezes.This is my neighbour's wash line. I cannot imagine living in a repressive society that will not allow one to to hang out the laundry. Someone has done a study and written the book on Nova Scotian wash lines. Everyone has a different system. Personally, I work on rainbow sequences.

And a young man in blue jeans:

at the beach

We went to the beach today, thinking that we would walk along the shingle, but the wind was fierce, so we turned and went through the woods. As in life, there is always another way.

Cafe down the road

The bird feeder is outside. and I am sitting in the Just Us! fair trade cafe having a cup of coffee and using the Internet before I head down the Valley and over the North Mountain to the Black Hole of Internet oblivion.

foot treatment

I was given a "foot spa".Tit came out of the great apartment swap, which is another story. It was brand new and still in its wrapping. It didn't seem like such a bad idea so I tried it out. But it has bubbles; irresistible,  fascinating to watch. So I can't use the machine without some help from Miss Johnston.

another church

I had a meeting at this church this morning. It was cold and crisp and therefore sunny. Our milder days are usually overcast at this time of the year. So cold comes with the sun. This is a typical white clapboard Maritime church.

And now here is k.d. lang singing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, which we talked about at supper this evening.

Martin Luther King Day

In honour of the day I was reading an older book: An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire" by Arundhati Roy. She won the Booker Prize for "The God of Small Things" in 1997. One of the essays in the book is a transcript ot a BBC Boardcast, that I highly, highly recommend, particularly for today: http://www.countercurrents.org/us-roy020903.htm.

Holy Bible

And for those religiously inclined: the Bible in LOL translation: http://www.lolcatbible.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

cats in bed

This is Chessie who was the mascot of the C&O Railway. As children her picture hung on our bedroom wall, and we had Chessie flannel pyjamas: fashion statements! She was our constant companion. Our cat future was sealed. We are three sisters, and each of us has two cats .It was fated.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chessie_%28railroad_mascot%29

mirror image

I looked in the mirror. I didn't recognize the wrinkled old person who looked back at me. I was sent this cartoon. The cats have taken over,.

still under the weather

Still ailing. Cats are still taking full advantage of the situation.

feeling poorly

Feeling poorly and taken to bed. Cats are taking full advantage of the situation.

suburban geocaching

How I spent my winter vacation: My son and his youngest son, Tommy, went geocaching in the suburban sprawl. We searched under benches, in fences and large parking lot light fixtures: the great Canadian wilderness. And we returned triumphant having found four hidden caches. Tommy made us celebratory hot chocolate. There is nothing to beat sitting around in the warmth, in from the cold, telling each other how clever we all are.

Here is a follow up on the Climate Change campaign:





And I spent some time in Northern Ontario where ice fishing is the chief form of entertainment. This is from Debra's blog, thanks Debra, I just had to share it:

Oskar

This is Oskar. He lives with the son and family that I visited over New Year's. Funny how a blue eyed dog looks so fierce. It's an illusion. He's a big love lump. He and I went for walks. It was cold. We walked quickly. His favourite food, when bored, are cell phones and remote controls (zappers). One night when he was short of these nibbles he substituted bottles of nail polish. He is training everyone to put everything away. I am very careful with my belongings.
I once bred Siberian Huskies. With Oskar I fell in love with them all over again.

Sister

While in Montreal I shared a room with Sister, a Barbed Dragon. We had separate quarters, and Sister does not make any noise. She is over a foot long and comes out in the evening. She snuggles around necks; I think for the warmth. One evening six of us were playing Bananagram. Sister was there, too, perhaps contributing silent words.

And, thanks to John, here is Susan Boyle singing "Wings to Fly", which was only released in Japan.

storm

On the train through the storm - two hours late, but much better than the cars I saw off the road as I peered through the window, and much better than being stuck in an airport. And now back in the apartment unpacked and planning my new year.

Montreal - still here

Still here with no camera - well actually I am outside the big city doing things like walking, geocaching playing games and eating with the family - and this evening I catch the train back to the Maritimes. By the time I reach there I shall have finished the scarf I am knitting for .....