Thursday, November 4, 2010

Work in progress

A great workshop at Wabi Sabi over 2 evenings.  This is a work in progress with still a solid couple of hours of felting left to do.  My back is sore just thinking about it.
Learned lots of great new techniques. Can't wait to finish this project and start another.


Saturday, October 30, 2010

Saturday, October 9, 2010



 So....you might think from looking at this photo that I don't actually like celebrating my birthday.  At the ripe old age of ?5? boy do I look bored with the whole affair.  Yeah -so it's a cake and it has suckers in it. Whatever!  Truth be told I do love birthdays.  This year I had a great celebration with friends at the Pearl of India (http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/250/1156134/restaurant/Orleans/Pearl-of-India-Ottawa )
 The food was fantastic and the service was sooo great. I can't wait to go back



Spent Sunday afternoon with friends in Gatineau Park.  A perfect weekend.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Craft space

I have carved out a niche for myself in the basement. For the most part I seem to be keeping it fairly organized and can actually work on something and leave it there..coming back to it at my leisure without having to clear everything away and put everything back.  Most of my time here is spent felting though I have craft supplies for many other projects. Maybe someday I will actually learn how to use some of them.  I think I should take a page from my friend Jeni's plan: stop buying more craft supplies and actually use what I have.  Can never have too much wool though!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Geek Girls Book Club

Geek Girls Book Club September 2010




I love my book club !  It is something I look forward each month.  I had a great book club a few years ago when I was living in NB and have really missed it these last couple of years. I was very happy when my friend Pam had the idea of starting one here in Ottawa. We had the same idea: great books, great food, great wine and great company. And...well... hey if you didn't get around to actually reading the whole book - oh well...pass the wine!  While you're at it I'll have a piece of that yummy looking cake too.
We are 8 women..some who have been friends for awhile and others who are enjoying getting to know each other better.
Our first book was Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen 
( http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/water_for_elephants1.asp) which was a unanimous hit. I do love books about the circus set during they heyday of the big top. Water for Elephants is by no means a romantic version of running away with the circus.  Life in the circus was gritty and hard. The details of the inner workings, the pecking order and the culture of the circus during the Depression, along with great storytelling, made it hard to put down.
  Another great circus book is Steve Galloway's Ascension. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1074247.Ascension    It's been a few years since I read it but also gives that fascinating window into circus life from the same era. Galloway is a great storyteller and I think this is a book I will revisit soon.  Strangely enough it begins and ends with a wire walk  between the twin towers. Strange because our most recent Book Club read was Let the Great World Spin http://www.litlovers.com/guide_let_great_world_spin.html  ) by Colum McCann which begins with the same scene based on the true wire walk of Philip Petit. Though we all liked the book (not a dissenter among us) it left some feeling a bit cold. Not exactly a feel good story but so beautifully written you couldn't help but like it.  There were many times when I just stopped  to re-read a passage. SometimesI think I care less about an actual story than about how it is written.  There is no denying that Colum McCann writes well.  The book originally appealed to me because it opens with the scene of Philip Petit's high wire walk between the twin towers in the 70's.  I had seen a documentary a few years ago about this called Man on Wire. http://www.manonwire.com/ I remember wondering, while watching this film, what people down on the street must have been thinking as they looked up and saw this. McCann provided a fictional response to my question and then some. Each of the complex characters, and how their own story connected to this wire walk, could have filled their own book
All in all a great start to a new book club!

And of course we had lots of great snacks - Pizza , salad, cheesecake ( sadly Nat's beautiful cheesecake met with an unfortunate accident..- I do take responsibility for distracting Pam during the cheesecake hand off resulting in its plummet to the floor....it still tasted great though)

Next book is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I can taste the Caramel Cake already! Yummmmm!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Happy Birthday Mum



Today is my Mother's birthday.  This is photo (altered of course) of my mother and I.  If my memory were better I could actually tell you when and where it was taken.  I think I am about 5 years old.
I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Love you!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

September 18, 2010


A beautiful day in Ottawa.  This is definetely my favorite time of year.  The market is colorful and overflowing with good things to eat.  Visited some of my favorite shops.  A nice mother/daughter day.