Mae B.

Blue Streak

I heard about Andy Blau and how he helped Blueberry the bunny on CBC Radio's "Vinyl Cafe"  this past Sunday. People are out there doing wonderful stuff! Since I can't seem to embed the video, please do click on the LINK and have a look at it won't you?

The Fast Long Weekend

There is a new shiny toy residing in our garage. Yup, Paul and I bit the bullet and bought the vehicle that we have wanted for oh-so-long! With the Canadian dollar faring so well, it was time to cross the border and make the purchase. Honestly? We saved at least $5000. Likely, when we have a moment to sit down and figure it all out, it will might actually be closer to $6000.

Beyond all of that, we had a lovely weekend in Duluth, MN although it rained almost perpetually. This was the first time we were all together since Ben left home. I found a lovely house to rent for the weekend so that we could just hang out when we wanted. And hang out we did! We had supper "in" both nights and relaxed in the hot tub and just spent time together. It was great.

And yes, we did do some other shopping. Grace managed to spend all of the money she had saved lately on cool new clothes. Ben also splurged here. (I personally can barely get past the larger-than-life guy whose pic is plastered on wall at the entrance. Sometimes I feel old but, "Oh please, do up your pants for heaven's sake!") We sort of all wandered about with our own little agendas in mind.

Have you ever been here? I remember going in the "natural" food stores when I lived in Toronto and they were nothing like this place! We go to stock up on gluten-free items for Ben but I always pick up a few things as well. This time, I bought a some products made by this company. Can't wait to give them a try!

I had a few things on my craft list but wasn't successful in that area at all. No worries! It was a great weekend!

Pastilles and Needles

There are many challenges in writing a daily blog. My challenge today is putting aside this rotten mood I'm in and finding something to write about.

If there is one thing that can be said about me, it is that I don't hide my feelings. When I am in a "mood", it is generally right there - front and center. I generally retreat as much as possible when I am in this space until I see the light on the other side. Of course, I do temper myself to some extent in certain situations, but I can only go so far in that regard. Being honest with my feelings in this way is both a gift and a curse depending on the situation.

I berate for myself for not being able to "put on my blog face" and just write about something light and cheerful. I mean come on! No one out there in blogland can see me! They can't see that pinched, shadowed look on my face! Just go in - do your thing - and get out! No one needs to know.

But I just can't do it.

And so today, because I am in a crappy non-creative mood, I decided that it was time to begin documenting some of the weird and wonderful "stuff" that is part of my creative space. I think I will do this every so often when I am at ends for a topic or yes, maybe when I'm in my next mood!

Paul's grandma, who was a big part of his growing up years, was a sewer. Over fifteen years ago, when she needed to move into a retirement home, I ended up on the receiving end of a lot of her doodads. They've lived with me since then and, I don't think it was until I connected with this creative blogging circle that I really began really noticing it all.

This little pastille tin has been part of my sewing stuff since that time. It contains - as you can probably read Grandma has written on a bit of fabric tape of some kind - "needles". These are the needles I use. There are probably about 100 of them in there. Unless there is some great advance of some type made, I will likely never need to buy a regular needle in my life. Come to think of it, Grace probably won't either.

I think of Paul's grandma every time I reach for this tin. I feel blessed to be connected with her and to honour her memory in this simple way.