Not as it seems...

Sometimes the world is not as black and white as we'd like it to be...

Even in the clearest moments, I wonder...

"is it black with white stripes or white with black stripes?"

That's where the grey comes in.

Fuzzing things up and creating questions.

A friend commissioned me to make a zebra for her husbands birthday.

At first I thought...sure! No problem!

After I made the initial sculpture I began in on the stripes.

In this case it was white with black stripes.

But as I do with any animal I'm making, I began to research.

Then it became more than just applying the stripes...

No two zebras have the same stripes.

They are like fingerprints.

Similar until you look very close to see that each animal is unique.

Even the pattern on each side of the zebra can be slightly different.

Did you know there are 3 different kinds of Zebras?

Each with a different pattern to their already unique stripes.
There are many theories to why zebras have stripes.
To confuse prey, to confuse flies, to hide in the tall grass.

When my friend came to pick up her gift, she told me the significance of why 

her and her husband like zebras so much...

They met later in life, each with a big suitcase from other lives.

Their melding of lives was not easy at first.

They realized that so much of one persons 'black' was the others 'white'.

Instead of fighting it they saw that together

they were as beautiful as a zebra.

I like that.
Black and white can bring forth the most vibrant of colours , not just grey.

Song for Friday...once upon a time

A long time ago, this song was # 1 the week of January 11th.

I was brand new.

For now I'm 49.95...

Soon to be 50.

Let's see what the next half century brings.

Maybe I'll do a little 'Slow Twist'...

Have a great weekend all!

Book review...

Books, books, books....

I was telling an 8 year old girl the other day about the fact that 

when I was a kid, we didn't have a library in our neighbourhood.

Instead, every 2 weeks my sister and brother and I would ride our

bikes to the parking lot of Loblaws grocery store to find

The Bookmobile.

A rolling library of a truck filled with escape and wonder.

I read voraciously as a child but found it too

much of a chore as a teenager.

It was too much like doing homework.

Not until I became a young adult and lived in places 

without electricity or television, did I rediscover the joys

of reading again.

I find it fascinating that I can go from the 

tombs of Egypt, to the coast of Devon, to the wild west or even

into the future through the words of a book.

Speaking of the wild west...

I've just finished this book...

A very strange and quiet Western about 2 brothers, Eli and Charlie Sisters.

Assassins during the mid 1800's in the days of violence and debauchery.

The tender relationship between the two brothers, the unbreakable bond of blood

and their adventures through California / Oregon to do one last

'job' which changes their lives.

I never thought I would like a Western.

I spent months in a cabin with about 20 Louis L'Amour novels

and I thought that was the last of my cowboy book reading days.

Anyway, excellent story telling by a Vancouver Island boy.

 In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.
- Mortimer J. Adler

Song for Friday...for the New Year

Well, another year has gone by with highs and lows all 'round.

I don't do resolutions.

I always thought it was all a lot of hype for things you

could do or don't do all year.

I think we are all a process to be evolving time after time.

I do wish you all the best for the coming year

and hope for your health and happiness.

A new day dawns every 24 hours.

And with it comes the chance to start afresh.

Have a great weekend all...see you next year!

 

The gift...

It's been there since last spring.

I've probably walked by it at least 52 times.

Not once did I see the busy work of tiny beaks 

constructing such a small feat of engineering...

Or peeked inside to gaze down at  the tic-tac sized eggs...

Never heard a peep from baby hummingbirds.

Cuddled in this perfect cup of moss and lichen.

And then one morning last week, 

the light just right,  I glanced up at the exact spot to see it.

 Just a little bump on a branch.

The supporting twig so brittle that it snapped off with no effort at all.

To think that the next day, the wind was so fierce that when I 

walked by the same spot, a large limb had come down 

on the main branch and took with it any trace of where the nest was.

Such a gift, first thing in the morning.

I gingerly brought it home, tucked in the palm of my hand

and nestled it in some Alder twigs anchored in epsom salts, imitating snow.

My elf keeping watch...

 Myself marvelling at such a thing, and he, as if to say

"I've sat many times beside such a nest, chattering with the wee ones."

A birds-eye view indeed.

It seems like magic doesn't it?

To find such a minuscule miracle in such a busy, crowded world...

A precious gift.

 

Rediscovering...

I was struggling to find the joy in the season.

I always love this time of year,

but it's different with my sister missing from the picture.

It was another 'first' without her here.

But you know, if you're missing Joy in your life,

you only have to look into the eyes of a child.

Norene and I took my nieces and nephews into the city to see what we could find.

First stop was dinner in Chinatown...

 There's nothing like the lights here on a cold, dark night.

Always a magical place...

Next we strolled down Government Street.

Famous for it's old storefronts and big wide sidewalks...

 Imagine, a shop JUST for Christmas things!

And who wouldn't dream of having one of these Christmas candy apples?!

Or getting a hug from this big old bear?

A trip downtown wouldn't be complete without a visit to my favorite bookstore...

As we approached the harbour, the kids eyes really lit up...

The legislature buildings in all of their holiday glory...

Boats are even dressed up for the season...

Then it was into the Grand Dame herself for a look at all of the decorated trees...

Every year local businesses decorate trees and donate money to local charities...

We ended up at the biggest one in the lobby...

...where Hannah and I put our faces on one of the big silver balls...

On the way back to the van, we stopped at the sweetest shop around...

Rogers Chocolates have been giving kids a sugar rush for over 100 years

and today was no exception.

The beautiful Czech glass lights are my favorite thing in the shop...

After strolling through the Bay Centre and spotting some owls, 

it was time to go home...

Joy rediscovered.

Mission accomplished!

Song for Friday...good wishes to all...

This season is a most difficult one for my family and I but

we are reminded to have gratitude for all that came to pass.

So many of my fondest memories are those of my childhood with

my brothers and sister and I truly appreciate the warmth they bring to my heart.

I want to thank all of you who have left so many kind comments

on my blog in good and bad times and although I only 

know you through these so called 'pages', 

I can honestly say that you are near to my heart as friends from afar.

May you laugh and sing with your cherished loved ones

and hold them dear to you.

A most Happy Holiday to you all.

P.S

of all the Christmas songs covered by various people throughout 

the years, this is definitely my favorite.

(not mentioned is the lovely Sarah MacLaughlan singing harmony with the lads)