During the winter - the most tantalizing visitors on the other side of the window were wind-blown leaves and large fluffy snowflakes...
But NOW my daughter's cats are excited to see REAL wildlife visitors ... flying BIRDS!
The napping basket holds no interest when this action is around!
I wonder if most teachers start their lives as big sisters (or big brothers).
First they model the task... Then they teach.
I see it as a natural progression.
"Do you want to try to stand on your head?"
"Let me help you..."
"There, you did it...!"
Helping a younger sibling builds confidence - both for the "teacher" AND the "student"!
Last Monday was a big day here in Ottawa: a total eclipse of the sun was expected, clear skies permitting.
Interestingly, Dallas, Texas - where my brother lives - also expected a clear view of the solar eclipse.
Should we even try to look at it? Terry and I wondered... We didn't want to risk damaging our vision by staring at the sun. We decided to watch the coverage on TV instead.
Local schools cancelled classes - so our grandchildren were home for the day. Terry and I volunteered to drive there - 35 km away in the country - but still within the city limits.
So we went and watched them play.
Our neighbor Earl took this pictures of the sun at 2:30 in the afternoon.
But, 35 km west, where Terry and I were waiting for darkness to occur, NOTHING happened. It was just another sunny spring day!
How small and specific the area experiencing total eclipse is!
My neighbour Mary has been busy quilting - and she shared her latest with me. The colours remind me of sunrise and sunset...
Another really beautiful quilt! Here's what she said:
In my last pottery session (January to March) - a hand building studio - I tried to make larger pots - ones that would hold some of my indoor potted plants.
I was only partially successful. Only three of the four are wide enough.
And even the large blue one has the plant pot sitting on top of the rim. The opening would need to be wider for the whole pot to fit in.
One of the potters, an 88-year old neighbour named Dina, showed me how to make "eyes" on my clay using a little ball of white clay topped with a dab of black clay, then rolling them in... (Yes, with a rolling pin!)
The result - the brown vase with the eyes in the top picture - could hold cut flowers (or knitting needles!) but not a round pot.
More practice needed!
Occasionally I inherit a plant from my daughter simply because her cats like to chew on its leaves.
That's how I came to inherit the rattle snake plant (above) that does well in indirect sunlight.
A few days ago my daughter bought another house plant that one of her cats (Flynn) apparently found delicious. She asked me if I wanted to adopt it - so I naturally said YES.
Before and after pictures of the plant might make an interesting blogpost, I thought - but ALAS! It wasn't meant to be:
Here's what I messaged to my daughter, together with her reply...
Haha! 🐈 Protective cat mom!!
