Pip Pip!!!

Our new pup is named 'Pip'. OK, her covergirl days are over but what she lacks in orthodontics, she makes up for in positive attitude. She dances like a circus dog, cuffs Nigel in the head and eats worms...yup, just like a robin!!

New View

This was the view out of my office window at College on day one. It's been a long/short five months. The trees are now snow-covered, my desk is heaped with books and papers and my brain is constantly churning. I check my ears regularly to make sure nothing is falling out. Teaching is filled with amazing rewards and I'm here to say that each and every one is well deserved. Aside from bearing children, never have I been so consumed by one activity. If you ever have the opportunity to teach...anything....DO IT. My friend, Lynn, who teaches at the same college says I'll never feel smarter than this June. Waiting, hoping, filling the brain....

Light My Fire!

Our backyard is blessed with a most productive firepit, which we load up on a regular basis. One minute I suggest a bonfire, and the next minute I look out the window and see this. It's only recently that I caught the magic happening in the form of bar-b-q lighter fluid. Who'd have thunk that a man of such seniority on this planet would resort to such cheap and dangerous flashes of fancy? One man's woodsy wonderment is another man's fiery fulfillment.

"I Think I Left the Schnoodle Behind my Ear!"

When my son, Kyle, was small we used to read a book called, 'Where's Goldbug' - It was his favourite. Page after page we'd search for the elusive goldbug in a myriad of busy traffic and crowd scenes. Kyle would shriek with delight when he found the hidden bug illustration. Now, twenty five years later, he finds himself in a photo with our hidden schnoodle. Where's Nigel???

Lo Lo and Behold

Looking outside in, you never know what you might find. This night - I found my beautiful daughter, Laura. Happy New Year, Lo Lo!

Poppin' Festivus Breakfast!

The magical day arrived with a thud! Just prior to collapsing in a heap of shopping, cooking and baking fatigue, I took a few moments to throw together a most splendid Christmas morning repast. What's in it, you ask? A bag of mini-croissants, 12 beaten eggs and cream, whatever cheese and ham is left over from the night before - and voila - Crazy Woman's Christmas Breakfast. And to all - a good bite!

Record This!

T'was a week before Christmas, when all through Toronto, not a sound could be heard, except for commercials! It's this kind of marketing nonsense that sends voiceover talent back in the studio minutes before Festivus celebrations. While cramming for the last batch of Best Boxing Day Sale Ever ads, the orange cat that lives at the recording studio turned to me and said, "If I hear one more commercial, I'm going to bust into a million GO BUY THIS, DRASTICALLY REDUCED, SALE'S ON TILL THEY'RE GONE pieces of dead radio ads from Christmas Past, and hurl myself all over all of you!!"
I started to object to his inappropriate tirade...then I realized he had every right to be tired.

Dancing in the Moonlight

When they say 'dance like there's no one looking', I wonder if that applies to big, fat, inflatable snowmen. Oh, how I love him. I watch him slowly emerge at dusk every night and every window I look out - there he is! So friendly, so Christmassy, so nylon. When everyone else is hating the commercialization of Christmas, I'm afraid I find myself embracing it till it pops.

Reading, Writing and Ready for Christmas!!!

Never in my life have I been as busy as these past couple of months. Working in media is fun...teaching it is hard work AND FUN!! Since embarking on my newfound college career, I've not had time to take any pics or have any random thoughts...until today. Even without snow, I can feel the season tingling and that just about makes me crazy giddy with I don't know what...so the decorating has begun....I'll keep posting while jingling all the way.....

Row, Row, Row your Pedal Boat?

Sam and Laura unhitched the pedal boat for it's first and quite probably last ride this season. As Laura pushed her pedals to the plastic, Sam let his feet effortlessly spin on his moving pedals and every now and then he rowed for a bit. A lot is revealed by how one masters an unwieldy pedal boat.

I SPILLED THE CATS!

We bought a king-size bed for comfort and sprawling...clearly at the time of purchase we had no idea who would be doing the sprawling. And if there's any doubt who uses the bed most, the leaf stained paw marks of our slothful companions leave telltale signs on the new white (almost) duvet. Oy.

Indoor/Outdoor Reading Nook

It took most of the summer to finish, but I finally have a little corner of the world just for reading. It's fashioned into the corner of our screened in porch and started as a bench that hid our kitty litter boxes. We've since expanded said bench, had a mattress made to fit into it, covered it in indoor/outdoor fabric and a pile of pillows...and YES, it still houses our kitty litter boxes....but Shhhhh, no one knows...and they're very tidy cats!!!

Mirror, Mirror on the Water....

Perhaps the most beautiful time in our corner of the world is....right...now....from yellow to orange to red all in one magical week. Even when the leaves all blow away, we're left with a magnificent, picture perfect vista. Since I've started teaching at our local college, I've not had much time to catch my breath and see what Mother Nature's breath has been up to. Today I did....and I must say she outdoes herself every year. Let's all throw a roast in the oven, put some apple sauce on to boil and call it Fall, shall we?

The Art of Being Black and White

Cat or cow - then or now - nothing photographs better than black and white critters in a coloured corner of the world. Painters have been inspired by such for years, as have photographers....black and whites aren't so much the canvas for a creative project, but the muse. Our cat, Louie (shown here) has always fancied himself a muse. Nothing to do with being black and white -he's just a cat who's comfortable in his own skin. Fur is simply a mere accessory to such a bon vivant!

The Cat With No Shame

No pedigree anything followed this cat to our house. He's been a scrapper since he was a kitten. Our dog Lucy, a speckled hound, took to raising him and now he behaves much like she did - rather dog-like. He nips at the other cats to hurry out the door and sleeps spread eagle wherever he likes. Good thing he was born with a diaper cuz no one wants to be looking at his business all....the....time!!

Artist in Residence

Our friend, Ricarda, visited for the weekend, and when she's not smothered in bubbles and raising her little guy, Quinton, the woman paints, paints and then paints some more. Having just purchased one that I find myself looking at daily, I'm left wondering where this young woman will be in another twenty or thirty years. Amazing work, and she sells her work on facebook of all places - averaging one to two sales a week. Ricarda Forbes Loth - go see - go buy.

The Magic of Fire

They watch, they talk, they relax....young folk without technology - beautiful to see.

Young Love Warms Before the Fire

My son, Kyle, brought his new love, Judy home and there was much chatter and activity that followed....ripping open his birthday presents, chowing down on pulled pork sandwiches and finally, relaxing before the fire. It does a mom's heart good to catch her lovely boy in love. Little Laura and her Sam also quieted by the fire and I became suddenly aware that they are full (of pulled pork) adults...happy adults. sigh and a tear. OK, it's a bit paparazzi stalking-ish but the crime was worth the blurry shot!

Mastering the Raft!

Our friend, Zach - shown here - is bounding with joy after completing the raft attachment to our new dock! He and his dad, Joe, have accomplished quite a feat. Now we can make like Huck Finn and go rowing about the river, plucking weeds as we see them. This being August, we can see them EVERYWHERE!!! One woman's lily pad is another woman's weed, and as charming as our choir of frogs can be, a clear view is something I've waited for all summer. Full steam ahead....right after I have one more sasparilla.

I'm a Writer, I'm a Teacher, I'm a Writer, I'm a Teacher.....

Careful what you wish for. Years now, I've been harbouring a desire to teach at Loyalist College, our local school for would be media types as well as nurses, welders, business people, and social workers to name a few. After holding a few media

workshops last semester I was asked to teach my first course - YIKES - so in the classroom shown here - complete with mentor/friend Lisa trying to figure out all the bells and wires - I shall be teaching the ins and outs of Communications to a large sum of Animation students. Nervous, scared, excited. YES. First class is September 16th and I can hardly wait!!!