Spring has Sprung...apparently!

First day of spring today, not that you would know it from the weather! Bit of everything today, rain, hail, wind and chilly. It will be so good to get out in the garden (hopefully at the weekend), will settle for watching the birds on the feeders on the deck for now. We have some crazy Woodpeckers in the garden (Northern Flicker, above) and the Piliated (below)who likes nothing better than to peck holy crap out of the trees and stumps.



The birds are kind of crazy. We have a loopy bunch of Blue Jays who raid the seed tray regularly (they are really noisy)and I noticed the Robin this evening trying his luck for a few worms where the old raised beds have been dug out.

I suppose we should count our blessing we don't have the snow. Looks like lots of Canada is still under the white stuff, as is poor old England. Going back to sit by the fire...lovely!

Slap Therapy

For a long time I have suggested that some people are beyond therapy and require a good slap. Today I launched my Slap Therapy manual on the folks at work. They all agreed that it is a very practical solution to some of the dense and deranged nonsense that we are exposed to on (it seems like somedays)a daily basis. My little art project provided lots of laughter in the workplace today, which is not a bad thing. Job well done I say!~

Early...

Taking advantage of being up really early to write another post.Didn't mention in yesterdays post that I have had more success with my artful efforts! I had another piece published in Cloth Paper Scissors in the Jan/Feb edition. It is mixed media piece with the silhouette as a theme. The piece is called "It came from the deep" with the silhouette being a large octopus trying to sink a boat. Everyone was really complimentary about the piece, which is really nice. I spend a lot of time doing art projects and it is kinda nice to get some feedback (good or bed). I suppose I want to get a reaction from people. I always do the challenges in CPS and last week had another piece accepted to be considered for publication, this time a tunnel book. I have also started to go to an art journalling class, once a month here in Campbell River. My friend Sue raved about the class after Christmas and invited me to attend. It's a great group of ladies and we get to hang out for a couple of hours and try out new techniques. What's not to like?

Catching you up....

Happy New Year? Haven't been on my blog for almost a year. Didn't really get into it! Hoping I will this time around. Better post a catch up. Went back to England in June 2012, planned for three weeks, had enough after two and wanted to come home. I regard Campbell River as home now. Great to see the motherland again and catch up with some family and friends. It just seems strange to be a visitor in a country where you lived for 40 odd years! Had a great summer. The weather was lovely and we spent lots of time outside in the garden. We visited Cortes Island in the summer for the first time. Really Beautiful. In the fall we tackled the very ambitious task of building a new carport, with what I can say very proudly lots of sucess. Mark was so motivated he then went on to complete a new wood shed too! Then in November went for our annual getaway to Hornby, another beautiful island. Christmas came and went. Mark was not in the best of moods. The highlight of the holiday was Skyping (I am so tech savvy...NOT!)with my older brother in Perth Australia (visiting my Niece and her partner who moved there in September. 2013 arrived in a very quiet way then off we went to Sooke for Marks birthday. We stayed at a resort called "Point No Point", which is well worth a Google. Beautiful 40 acre property overlooking the Juan de Fuca straight. Well worth a visit. Hiking, good food, Scrabble and a hot tub....excellent. Had a week off in February and tackled building a new garden. I used the planks from the old car port to build raised beds at the bottom of the garden. Much better position as it gets lots of sun. The yard is coming along but we have had to do quite a lot of landscaping, which takes time! Now approaching Easter again and we are looking forward to a return trip to Vegas. Caught up now. Must do this more regularly. Simon

Published!

I love my art & craft projects and read Cloth Paper Scissors magazine every edition. I started to do the readers challenges, which are different every time and test my abilities. I was so proud of my luggage tag (made from an old map and complete with a metal airplane) but like some things in the world it wasn't up to scratch! Huh, have to say I was disappointed! Getting over that I started the next challenge (the theme being breast cancer awareness). Had to include a bra !~@?$% (No expert there, I can assure you). Last week the new edition of CPS arrived and there in the challenge gallery the post card I had created back in the winter! I swelled with pride and am still basking in the glory. At my age you have to celebrate as and when! LOL

Back to relative normality

Home again after a five night jolly to Vegas. Wow! what a place! We went to Vegas primarily to surprise my brother and his wife who were there to meet up with my niece and her partner, who was celebrating his 40th birthday. Arrived last Sunday only to find neither cell phone would work in the states! Wandered down into the hotel lobby only to bump into them. My brothers face was priceless! He was speechless for some minutes, trying to get his head around the situation. We had both spoken to my sister in law on Facebook in the previous days, asking benial holiday questions which did feel a bit deceitful.

Vegas was great fun for the few days we were there. Met up every evening for supper which was great (really appreciate family in a way I didn't before). Took a trip to the Hoover Dam on Wednesday and flew back to Victoria on Thursday. Caught up with friends in Victoria on Thursday evening and took a scenic and leisurely drive back yesterday. Nice to get away just for a few days, enjoy the company and the sunshine. Time to buckle down in the garden. Realised it is only 7 weeks until we go back to England for a visit which should be fun (I am having my doubts as I haven't set foot in the motherland for almost three years!!!). Must dash...the sun is shining and an unfinished fence is calling. Laters!

Monday

Monday morning and I am on the last day of my long weeked (I am lucky enough to work a four day week, with a four day weekend every other week...love it!). Suffered a creative funk over the weekend. Had intended to spend time doing something creative, but until Sunday morning the creative juices were definately in a drought! Got out in the yard on Sunday, in the sunshine to put in fence posts and tidy up a bit. Today, the weather is not kind with relentless wind and rain. Home alone so tackled some chores and some creative stuff. Have numerous projects on the go. Was lured by the internet to trawl Flickr as I do every so often. There are some truely talented folks out there. Came upon this piece of work which made me laugh out loud. It would be rude not to post it. Have a great day!