Peaches!

Peaches are my favorite summer fruit - followed by cherries...

I wish I could enjoy locally grown peaches all year long!

Now that fresh local peaches are in season, I often cut them up to eat with yogurt.

Sometimes I sprinkle this with granola.

If I don't have any granola on hand, I top it with a few teaspoons full of my homemade mix of equal parts wheat germ, soy flour and psyllium.

On top of this, I sprinkle cocoa nibs, a new discovery...

Delicious!

Perfect in summer as a light meal, dessert or snack!

"Knitting School"

I'm not a perfectionist... and occasionally I wish I were... No more so than when I'm knitting garments for myself... I really wish that - after all these years of knitting - I could knit a perfect-looking garment that fit perfectly. I'd love to be a "master knitter"... but I'm simply not!

I've recently purchased books on knitting - to help me with the finishing touches... Like this one, The Knowledgeable Knitter...

I've referred to it while putting my latest project together...

I'm trying new techniques - I hope I'll improve...

But really, I think the main problem is that I hate to unravel knitting, to try to perfect it.

If it works as is, that's usually good enough for me!

Family Computer Games

I enjoy playing a few games on my computer... Solitaire and Free Cell are two perennial favorites.

But recently I started playing a two-person board game online - because Terry refuses to play with me. The game is called "Patchwork." I played against the computer...

One of my sons and I used to play board games together. On his last visit home, he learned how to play "Patchwork," too.

Unfortunately, we don't see each other all that often - so we have started playing against each other online.

We have to play daily - or the game will delete itself! So he moves his pieces, when he has free time. And sometime during the day, not necessarily at the same time, I make my moves, too.

Strange as it sounds, just playing this game against him - when he's not even there - gives me a sense that I'm with him - a sense of family togetherness!

Flowers in Bloom

I'm happy to see that my yard is still colorful with flowers.

When we first moved to our home, by mid-July all the perennials had bloomed.

But the regular return of those perennials - most of which are still growing - made me a fan of perennials. In those early years, I'd plant annuals, as well - but for years now, my garden has contained only perennials.

I wasn't able to do any gardening for six weeks after my surgery, so I neglected the flower beds...

But they kept on blooming!

I know, however, that they're soon coming to an end.

Putting Another Sweater Together

Another summer knitting project is nearing completion.

I don't remember if I started this sweater last winter or the winter before... (Or before that?!! Time flies!)

But I've finally finished knitting it and am sewing the pieces together.

Looking at the way the pieces roll up, I understand why Elizabeth Zimmermann, one of my "knitting heroes," liked to knit using the garter stitch. It always lays flat.

My mother sometimes used three or four garter stitches as the first and last stitches in a row, to prevent this.

It doesn't affect the looks of the final project, but it does make sewing the pieces together more difficult.

Sharing Our Favorite Local Places

Terry and I often take day trips around our region.

Last Sunday we headed out for a drive - to show our son where we sometimes go...

We started out in Arnprior - at Wes's French fry stand...

Later we headed over to the two river parks... First the narrow strip of parkland next to the Madawaska River...

Then the large family-friendly park on the hill overlooking the Ottawa River.

Then we went to Almonte for lunch...

Except that the burger stand that Terry was looking for wasn't open, so after walking around a bit, to show him the town...

...and the river walk...











 

...we drove to Carleton Place - to a restaurant that's been around for years - and that always has cars in the parking lot.

We'd never eaten there, but often when we'd drive pass, we comment that we should try it sometime.

So we finally did!

Memories of New Orleans

Going through boxes of photos recently, I came across an envelope of art prints:

Pen and ink sketches depicting the old quarter of New Orleans...

I remember buying them from the friendly woman who sketched and sold them.

I remember regretting that I couldn't afford one of her framed originals.

I wonder if she's famous...

I googled her name.

For many years, she had been an "institution" in the old city of New Orleans - it appears. She was fondly remembered by many - but has since died.

I wonder if the memory of my purchasing them is what led one of my sons, years later, to buy this pen and ink print of the Bridge of Sorrows in Venice, Italy.

Local art - as well as photos: interesting ways of capturing the flavor of passing scenes.

Reflections on Neighborhood Seagulls

I don't know why our neighborhood has seagulls - but we do, though there is no sea - or river - nearby. They live in the college parking lot.

They were here when my children were young. We'd often take walks through this area. Sometimes I'd suggest the children run after them and watch them fly away...

I think about that whenever I see the gulls, strutting around, or sleeping.

How many generations have lived in this parking lot since that time? I also wonder: Where are their nests? (On the top of light standards?)


 One of the beautiful mysteries of nature, to me, is the fact that - although birds live in nature for a certain number of years... (not sure how many...) Then they die - yet we never see dead birds lying around (unless they have been killed by cars...)

Unlike humans, nature is very tidy...

(Did you notice the Tim Horton's coffee cup lying on the ground...?!!)

Roses - For No Reason!

One of my sons from time to time brings me roses... (I'm not complaining!)

The habit may have started when he delivered newspapers as a boy. One of his customers was the neighborhood flower shop.

Bring these roses to your mother, the owner one day suggested to him. We have too many...

So he did.

My surprise and delight at getting a bouquet of roses - for no special reason - may continue to motivate this loving gesture.

Sorting... and Tossing!

A few weeks ago, I was challenged to give away 90 items...

That's a lot of stuff! one of my friends commented.

I'm still working on it!

But it's interesting to see how one thing leads to another...

Looking through cupboards, I came across old sunscreen... Lots of bottles and tubes!

(Did I buy more when I couldn't find the previous year's supply?!)

I don't know - but I ended up throwing out a lot - another way of decluttering.

Appreciating... Children's Playgrounds

I remember once taking our children to the Toronto Zoo, when they were young. After we had paid the admission fee to see the animals, they didn't want to leave the zoo's playground!

This year, we re-discovered the joy of playgrounds as we accompanied our two-year-old granddaughter to various ones...

This neighborhood playground near our house was enjoyable...

I remember bringing my own children here to play!

There is a large playground near her home in Toronto.

We were there several times this year, too.

Every time we go, she confidently tries new things.
 

Brockville has lovely playground - at Hardy Park.

She enjoyed it, too.

Unlike the others I've mentioned, this one is built on a rubber base instead of sand. That's a nice feature, too!

Gardening Reminder: Cover Up!

I don't usually wear shorts when gardening. But I do cover my arms with a long-sleeved shirt - mainly to protect myself from insect bites. (I don't always wear gloves...)

Terry and I were reminded of the necessity of covering ourselves up recently after he crossed over into a neighbor's yard to cut down some tall weeds. Ill health had prevented her from gardening for several years, and her children were kept busy caring for her needs. Her garden was completely neglected.

Terry was wearing shorts and a T-shirt when he went over. Not long afterwards, he showed me itchy red spots on his right leg and arm.

I wonder if this is a rash... he said...

An online search confirmed that his skin sores resembled rashes caused toxic plants like poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac.

They could take one to three weeks to disappear...

It was an itchy reminder that gardeners need to cover themselves completely - to protect from possible contact with biting insects and poison plants.

Inspiration Through Windows

I love rooms with large, bright windows! Every time Terry and I hunted for a place to live - even an apartment - windows and light were our first considerations.

Nowadays I really appreciate the two windows in my "no-TV" sitting room, where I often sit to read or work on my laptop.

My eyes often stray to the scenes framed by the windows...

I'm not the only one who derives inspiration by looking through windows. In her book, Transitions, Julia Cameron writes: The window of my writing room looks north to Taos Mountain. At one moment it looms dark purple against the horizon. Moments later, it is lit by gold...

"Everything changes, is always changing," the mountain reminds me. And yet, it reminds me, too, "There is a bedrock, a level of spiritual reality, that remains always the same."

Reading this, I can identify - though I see a different view through my windows... My reality goes a little like this: The window of my writing room looks west towards the sunset. One day the clouds may be pink and blue. Another day, they may be dark and threatening...


Sometimes the sky is red.

The beauty of the constantly changing sky reminds me that God's creative ability seen in nature is so much greater than mine! My attempts at painting nature never grasp the beauty I see before me. And the colors always fit so well together!

It also reminds me that no two days - in our world or in the sky - are exactly the same. Life around us is always changing. 

I find comfort viewing these changes from my little room overlooking trees and  flowers in summer - and trees and snow in winter. 

Not only am I thankful that I have a view unimpeded by tall buildings or trees - but also that much of my life remains the same - in spite of the changing skies. 

Brockville Rib Fest

A week ago, we drove to Brockville for their annual Rib Fest - a community fund raiser.

It's a popular event - so the place was bustling!

A lot of vendors were selling their wares...

The local police even had a doughnut stand!

There were vendors of ribs, corn on the cob and "blooming onions" - to mention a few of our personal favorites.












There were also tents providing shade when eating outdoors on sunny days, together with live music - making it a fun-filled event for all!

Brockville... on the St. Lawrence River

Terry and I often visit Brockville in summer. Ir's an hour's drive from Ottawa.

Sometimes we stop for coffee or lunch on route to or from Toronto.

At other times, we head down to the St. Lawrence River...

It looks more like a lake than a river - it's so wide here.

Whenever we go, Terry talks about retiring to a condo here...

But I'm not ready to leave our home.

I do enjoy a stroll by the river... and suggest that we could come here for a week or two in fall, just for a change... The river is lovely.

When I suggest this, it's Terry who doesn't want to leave home!

Tornado?!

Ontario sometimes gets tornadoes. In past years, they have wrecked havoc in areas around us.

This year, Ottawa is experimenting with a new tornado warning system: a shrill siren on our cell phones alerts us...

When it went off recently, it surprised Terry and me...

What was that?! One of our smoke alarms?

A few minutes later, our son phoned to ask if we had heard a shrill sound on our cell phone. He explained what it was...

Fortunately, no tornado touched down in our neighborhood at that time.

But I do keep my eyes on the sky!