Women of the world in the camera eye

We celebrated together as the camera clicked and children played; next day came the shocking news about Benazir Bhutto. Let us all be strong in these times...let us love and support each other...let us always remember those whose lives have in some way touched our own. I'll say goodbye to this year with all its joys and sorrows, and hold my family close. A new year awaits! Best to all reading this post...Take good care.

Happy Holidays!

Forty-two and woo hoo hoo!

Had a great 42nd-birthday, pre-Christmas weekend: Carmen made me a surprise roast beef dinner (and chocolate cake!) at their place on Friday, Dad came over for lunch on Saturday, and Steve and Mom took me out to Blue Eyed Marys bistro that evening (where Mom took this photo). Sunday afternoon was a Christmas party at the home of our friend Penny and family...and tonight we're off to Cheryl's for a Christmas Eve gathering. Today I'm walking to the village to pick up a few last stocking stuffers--and then we'll prep the dessert to take to Christmas with the Cousins tomorrow... Merry Christmas to all!




And I don't look a day over... 41.5 !?!

Honoured Guest at Raven's Nest

Our Xmas party invitations promised mulled wine (forgot to make it), festive music (no idea where we thought that was going to come from--we were far too soused to play our guitars, let alone sing), and sweet and savory taste treats (many of which I found in the fridge later--neglected to put them out during the evening)...

Nonetheless, with some 40 souls aboard (so to speak), our first (annual?) Island Yule soiree was, thanks to the excellent company--and I do admit to doing an excellent job with the decor (Miranda and I started on November 24th)--surely a success. Cousin Catherine got the prize for being from the farthest away: Ottawa. Distanced from her native time zone, she retired for a wee nap towards the end of the proceedings, and Miranda suddenly noticed the absence of our honoured guest--and this is definitely the quote of the week from our little cynic:

Miranda: But WHERE is COUSIN CATHERINE?!

Me: Oh, she went upstairs for a little rest.

Miranda: She's probably dead.

She wasn't, of course. And on that happy note, I'll sign off for now. Coming up this week, our friend Cathy's 40th b-day bash here on the Island (Sat.), Miranda's Christmas party at her Montessori school (Thurs.), and my 42nd birthday (Fri.)...Oh, and somewhere in there I need to finish marking all my term papers and final exams. By the time it's all over, I'll probably be dead. Tired, that is.

Our House

Although it scarcely resembles the prototype in the Joy of Cooking, this charming abode has the distinction of being Miranda's (and my) first-ever gingerbread house, made from (how could you guess?) scratch! When our neighbour Claire invited us for dinner this weekend, we offered to bring dessert, so we intended to make a model of her house, replete with outdoor staircase leading down to the waterfall, trees, grass, etc. You see the result: yet another one of those projects that seems simple until you actually try to do it! And it takes all day! Yet still looks cobbled together in the most haphazard fashion! (Although Miranda pronounced our handiwork to be "bootiful"!) Thank goodness we made some gingerbread men, too, so Claire can enjoy the decorative effect of this gingerbread "castle," such as it is, for days to come (perhaps indefinitely!)...as for me, I'll be happy never to see the blessed thing again! Ah well, 'tis the season!





And here she is...

The sweetest cookie ever!

Wild Weekend

...weather-wise, for sure!

We wended our way through the snow to our Isle's festival of lights (Saturday night) and Christmas craft fair (today). Will it all melt away before Frosty comes to life? Only time will tell--there's magic in the air...

Hello! I just noticed this post number--as Bilbo Baggins the Hobbit would say--eleventy-one!

Home Fire's Burnin'

Carmen, Peter, and Wilson came over to see our new woodstove; Miranda spent the evening cuddled up with Nanny on the couch. This photo's a little blurry because I opted not to use the flash. It's all about atmosphere, baby!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Merlyn!

Steve and I brought our guitars to Merlyn's surprise 70th birthday party and launched into our own version of Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere, Man" (old-tyme country fans will recall the Hank Snow rendition) ...We managed to come up with no fewer than 88 place names from his impressive life experience! He was surprised, all right! Good thing we had a private room at JJ's Restaurant... And now we'll turn our talents (such as they are) to learning a few Yuletide numbers in the next few weeks. Hoho!

Lest We Forget

Here is Miranda on Remembrance Day, solemnly pondering (no doubt) her great-grandfather Alfred's service to his country in WWII. The service at the cenotaph on Bowen was attended by hundreds, and Miranda's Montessori school was one of several community groups to lay a wreath. The day was stormy, and we headed home to enjoy the warmth of our newly-installed woodstove (which really came in handy in the ensuing two-day power outage--but why didn't we buy that generator? that's next on the wish list!)...We had a wonderful visit with Carmen, Peter and Wilson, then our neighbour Claire came over to see the new stove, and Cheryl and Raia joined us for a candlelit dinner later. On Monday, both my parents were here (Dad is recovering from post-operative complications from eye surgery). Did I mention we've put up the Christmas lights? (never too early...) Life is very full these days, so it's good to step back and feel thankful to those who (directly and otherwise) have made it all possible.

Whooooooo?

All Hallow's Eve, the Feast of All Souls, Hallowe'en...by any name, it's a unique Bowen tradition as celebrated here. People book time off work to set up very elaborate displays with lights, ghosts, fog, skeletons, graveyards, and other spooky effects, and children come from all over the Island to our Deep Bay neighbourhood (parents bring candy to residents here!)... All trick-or-treating ends at 7:30 so young and old can attend a fireworks party at the Lagoon. Boo-tiful!

Natty!

No, your eyes do not deceive you! These are, in fact, our Hallowe'en outfits. Steve & I are going to a party tomorrow as, you guessed it, giant playing cards. One of those ideas that seems simple, but when you actually try to do it, turns out to be a royal pain in the deck. More evidence we're not playing with a full one...Flush that!

Batty!

Nana and Grandad came over to help Miranda decorate the house for Hallowe'en! The best part is, we can enjoy all the naturally-occurring spiders and webs for the next couple of weeks with impunity, and have happily re-christened our Huckleberry Hill home as (believe me, a much more apt name at this time of year) Graveyard of the Sow-Bugs! Spooky!

Big!

This was definitely our biggest gathering since moving to Bowen! We hosted a party in honour of our neighbour Sue (bottom right in the photo on the right), past president of the Family Place Board of Directors (I'm currently the Secretary). With most of our board--and their families--we totalled 25 people for a potluck dinner! Miranda was astounded (and initially dismayed--but she adjusted eventually) to see 10 other kids playing with her toys, and my Betty Crocker chocolate cake (garnished with blueberries!--what was I thinking?) was a real hit with young and old(er). OK, so I'm not Martha Stewart, as evidenced by my "seasonal" green-and-orange themed decorations (featured in unadulterated form in the first photo, which was taken just before the guests started to arrive), but I definitely get an E for effort! As in EEEEEEEK! Actually, it was a lot of fun!

And...

A happy Thanksgiving was had by all! Vancouver cousins (Auntie Jane, Uncle Mernie, Dan, Jenny, Aidan, and Lach) as well as Nana and Grandad joined us for turkey and all the trimmings; princess Miranda (pictured here with her new book from Janie, "Wee Smoot" [?!]) led the eleven of us in all eleven (or was it more?) verses of "Found a Peanut" during dinner. Many hands make light work--and I bought blueberry and pumpkin pies from Savary Island this year--so I was still smiling when I snapped this self-portrait at the end of the day...and generally feeling there's a lot to be thankful for--including one last glass of Merlyn's wine before bedtime. Cheers to all, & good night!

Bouncy!

Here are our little jumping beans, lovely Lenya (visiting from next door for a lunch date to brighten a rainy day) and melodious Miranda. Steve's honky-tonk stylings inspired them to move and groove to the music; Miranda needed a nap afterwards to rest up for an evening ahead with Wilson and family!

B&B chez M, S, D

John and Pip joked that staying at Huckleberry Hill was like being at a B&B! We sure had a great time with our Saltspring buddies, and the weather co-operated sufficiently for us to give them a little tour of "our" Island. Memorable moments included Miranda singing umpteen verses of "My Darling Clementine" at dinner--at the top of her wee (?!) lungs!

Happy Birthday, Dear Sheila!

Sheila had a big bash to celebrate her 50th! Steve and I had a great evening in town at the party, as evidenced by this siamese-twin-like photo of me and Sheila (I'm the myopic one on the right). We left M at home with Nana; they'd been to Raia's 4th birthday here in our Deep Bay neighbourhood earlier, so were willing to spare us for our night out with "adults"!!!!

Slugfest

More beautiful photos from Steve's garden...

Friends

Miranda (who started daycare last week!) and Wilson (who started kindergarten last week!) had a great evening, as they always do when they get together, while we (amused and just pleasantly inebriated) moms (and dads, not shown!) observed their antics...Steve, amazingly energetic after all his hard work in the woodshop and garden, made mouth-watering BBQ ribs for dinner, served with corn on the cob, new potatoes, farm fresh green beans and carrots; you wouldn't think we'd have room for the rich, delicious chocolate cake Carmen picked up from Cocoa West (at Artisan Square here on the Island), but, perhaps not too surprisingly, we did!!!!

Under the Big Top

Undeterred by the pouring rain, residents of our Deep Bay neighbourhood gathered under a tented canopy for the annual Labour Day Weekend block party on Lenora Road. Miranda munched her way through several muffins, as Steve and I connected with new friends and old, having also had a great visit with Auntie Jane and Uncle Merlyn earlier in the day (including a somewhat soggy "garden tour" of our property). We'll hope for better weather next time!

Maritime Memories

Looking in the rearview mirror (the little guy in the first photo is Auntie Patsy's dog Oisin, who immigrated all the way from Ireland to Halifax and never looked back), Miranda and I had a great time on "the other coast" with family and friends...even if she did sleep through some of it! Scroll down for some highlights of our Atlantic adventure...

Fond Farewell

Cousin Elle gave Miranda a lovely edition of Winnie the Pooh as a parting gift--both Elle and M were sad to say goodbye after a wonderful week together...