Category: My Old House
-
Winter Light
Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee, Whether the summer clothe the general earth With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall Heard only in the trances of the blast,… Read more
-
Guerrilla Art for Curious People
It took 18 years of rural living for Guerrilla Art for Curious People to appear. The idea popped into my brain because I love nothing more than discovering public art in unexpected places. Every time I’m surprised by an installation – turning a corner or driving through a neighborhood – my body vibrates, my head alights and I am consumed by… Read more
-
Unexpected Things You Find in Your Garden
I stand in my robe in the front yard at 7:15am staring at my newly-installed siding, admiring, critiquing, dreaming of spring plantings. The sky is a grim, Vancouver-grey, and every deciduous thing is naked and brown. We inhabit the season of ugliness which refuses to yield to the energetic vibrancy of indigo and goldenrod, my house colours. I don’t… Read more
-
Pocket Loot
If you’re planning on poppin’ some tags at your local thrift shop anytime soon you might want to consider this: A few years ago I was shopping for coats at the Coquitlam Value Village. On I tried one, then another, and another until I finally stuck my hands in the pockets. Out came a fiver, followed by a tenner which practically paid… Read more
-
Perennial Splendour
This is it. The day Bella and I cut the first bouquet is my hands-down, best-of-the-best, favourite day of the calendar year. Peonies. Catmint. Lilac. Chives. Lemon balm. Siberian Iris. Roses. False Blue Indigo. Spirea. So many perennials to choose from that decisions centre around what to leave out, rather than what to add in. There… Read more
-
But I Digress
Digress: To deviate. Go off on a tangent. Get off the subject. Get sidetracked. Stray. Wander. That’s me. Last week I caught myself apologizing for repeated digressions in a vivid conversation with some fascinating friends. Mid-sentence I stopped myself, realizing how ridiculous it is to apologize for an impulse that radiates from my heart and soul. I… Read more
-
I Want What I Want
I want what I want. This will be my epitaph when they lay me to rest. This is both a boon and the bane of my existence. I argue it’s not about stubbornness or pride, it’s about a never-ending curiosity that expands daily, tugging in all directions. The more I look, the more I see.… Read more
-
A Luddite Wife, Her Techie Husband and the Nest
Being the loving, thoughtful, sensitive, unselfish, supportive – not to mention smart and beautiful – wife that I am, I bought Husband a Nest programmable thermostat last Father’s Day. High on his list of wants, but non-existent on mine, I caved to the (arguably gratuitous) technology purchase because gift-giving is about the other person and… Read more
-
What the Cat Saw
The cat didn’t see the dust particles in the air or the untrimmed doorways. The cat didn’t see the laundry to be folded or last night’s dishes. The cat saw the intensely low winter sun streaming through the windows, strewing deep velvet shadows in its wake. She saw it slowly radiate across her favourite tables… Read more
-
A Reasonable Expectation of Undisturbed Rest
[pullquote]I am awake, but ’tis not time to rise, neither have I slept enough…I am awake, yet not in paine, anguish or feare, as thousands are. ~ 17th Century religious meditation for the dead of night[/pullquote] With winter darkness falling at 5:00pm, I’m lucky to remain vertically upright until nine. After a hard day’s labour,… Read more