Celebrating Little Things

Author: Hughena MacDougall (Page 6 of 11)

Sports Tree

As I mentioned in the Traditional Tree blog, we ended up with quite a collection of sports ornaments. Mom and I are avid sports fans and particularly follow the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. We have been lucky, as all four teams have combined to win numerous championships in the past two decades, and many more prior to that.

Boston Red Sox – 2018, 2013, 2007, 2004 

Boston Bruins – 2011

Boston Celtics – 2008

New England Patriots – 2018, 2016, 2014, 2004, 2003, 2001

That’s 12 championships in 18 years. That’s a lot of parades for Boston. Not too shabby. 

Our tree is funky and quirky. It is an artificial tree, approximately 6′ tall, that I purchased at an after Christmas sale for less than $20. Is is a pre-lit tree, but the lights don’t seem to be evenly distributed, thus having some dark areas. I thought it had coloured lights and this year I was going to add a couple of extra sets but when I plugged it in to check it, I realized the lights are white. 

Funky Quirky Sports Tree

We purchased many of the ornaments on our yearly trips back to the U.S. Many others were given to me by my cousin Norma who was always looking out for unique ones to add to our collection. 

There are ornaments depicting championship. 

This one is made by an Indigenous lady from Waycobah First Nation. 

There are Celtics and Red Sox candy canes.

You will notice in the above picture that I have Red Sox Ribbon as garland. I also have Bruins shoelaces as garland too.

The Red Sox mascot, Wally, sits under the tree along, with an Erik Karlsson bobblehead, that we got when we went to an Ottawa Senators game four years ago and a hockey player nutcracker. 

There are two mascots from the 2004 Athens Olympics; Phevos and Athena.

Although our favourite four teams make up the majority of the ornaments, we do have some others.

I must not forget Mom’s curling rock, a sport she enjoys watching.

And Snoopy also makes an appearance. He is HAPPY just like we are as we enjoy our sports tree. 

This tree is always fun to put up. It is usually the first one to be decorated and the last one to come down. 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of our Sports Tree of Fame. 

All photos taken by me.

Traditional Tree

It’s Christmas Eve. Is there a better day to talk about Christmas trees? Yes, trees, plural, as we have several. 

When I was very young, I couldn’t wait to see the Christmas tree come inside and get placed in its stand. I loved hanging the prettiest ornaments on the tree each year. The prettiest ones seemed to change from one year to the next. We had the traditional ball ornaments, with gorgeous designs, in many colours. Multi coloured mini lights were strung on every bough. An angel was nestled on the tree top, to watch over everyone. And then there was tinsel, lots and lots of tinsel. I can only describe the trees of my youth as being tinsel laden. The tinsel was saved from one year to the next. We very carefully removed it from the tree, draping it ever so delicately around a piece of cardboard, and placing it in a box. Some years, even new tinsel was added, but none ever seemed to be thrown out. Mom was the tinsel queen, slowly and deliberately placing each silver strand just right. 

In this blog I will introduce you to our traditional tree. For many years we had a real tree, but it became more difficult to find one in the woods and get it home, and taking one from town in our small Corolla was difficult. I had to strategically place it in the car, leaving enough of an opening to see around the branches, as I drove home. We finally gave in and bought an artificial tree described as, a pre-lit Etna Pine 6′ 5”. It was indeed pre-lit for a few years, but gradually strands would stop working, but only after they were tested, worked fine, and the tree was decorated. How many times I had to un-decorate to try to find out what was wrong. After a few years of this frustration, I removed the lights and purchased new sets to put on the tree. We like the tree and although it is showing some age we don’t really want to get a new one just yet.

Several years ago, we noticed that we had many homemade ornaments that we had either made, purchased at community sales, or had been given to us. One year we decided to use only the homemade ornaments and not put any balls or tinsel on the tree. Twenty plus years later, we continue this tradition. For a few years, we were adding pewter ornaments as well, but we soon realized we had enough to do just a pewter tree. We had also collected many sports related ornaments, mostly the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins and New England Patriots, with a smattering of several other teams. A sports tree was then created. It is quirky and funky and we love it. There aren’t, and never will be, any Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or New York Yankees ornaments on our sports tree. I’ll introduce you to the pewter and sports trees in another blog.

Our traditional tree has white lights. It is topped with a gorgeous angel that Sandy (brother) gave us a long time ago. She is elegant and dressed in a Nova Scotian Tartan. We adore her. 

The bottom of the tree is finished in Mom’s beautiful tree skirt. She appliqued several patterns of holly leaves around the edge. Amongst the leaves are red holly berries, which are made of circles of red material stuffed and pulled tightly together to form a ball. She quilted the tree skirt in a grid and at the intersection of stitching she sewed a pearl looking bead. There are 150 beads and each one is sewn on individually. At the time we had two cats and she feared they may pull one of the beads off and then the whole string would come undone. It was a labour of love. She made a few of these and only very special people got them.  (The cats never touched the beads but as soon as the tree skirt was placed beneath the tree, they would crawl underneath and lie down. )

There are many homemade ornaments but we’ve added a few others that have special meaning to us. I picked up a couple when I was in Ireland two years ago. One is a Belleek shamrock and the other is a snowman from Donegal. I also have a lovely shamrock in the colours of the Irish flag made by my friend Gina of The White Turtle. 

We have several glass ornaments made by Philip Walsh of Island Crystal in Albert Bridge, Cape Breton. There are candy canes, a Cape Breton kiss and a colourful icicle. 

Some of our ornaments are items made by people in the community. One is a teddy bear made by the late Marney Urquhart. Two that were made by Ina Marshall are a Santa Claus and a mailbox. The mailbox came with two Hershey kisses in it when we first bought it. When we hang them we think of the people that made them.

We have a crocheted bell that was used as a pew marker at my friend Susan’s wedding. 

Mom has a ceramic map of Martha’s Vineyard, where she was born and brought up. 

We have a reindeer made of jigsaw puzzle pieces. We enjoy jigsaw puzzles, so this is quite fitting. 

There are plastic canvas and cross stitch ornaments that I made. 

And many bird feeders that Mom made. We love watching the birds outdoors, so it is appropriate for us to have bird feeders, as well as birds on the tree. 

Being avid knitters, no tree is complete without some knitting.

We also have lots of sea creatures too.

So many other ornaments as well. Here’s just a sampling:

As you can see, our tree is a trip down memory lane. It’s a chance for us to remember friends and family who made, or gifted, us many of the ornaments. Many are breakable and will be carefully wrapped and stowed away until next year. Every year we seem to add one or two new ornaments, but if that continues we’ll have to start another tree.

This is tree number one of four. I’ll try to do a blog on the others in the next week or two. I’ll likely combine two together, as they are smaller and basically self explanatory.

All pictures taken by me over the past couple of years.

The Disappearance of Kimberly McAndrew

Kimberly McAndrew’s Grad picture – submitted by Erin McAndrew

(Unfortunately “Celebrating Little Things” is the slogan I use for my blog site. This blog is not a celebration, nor it is a little thing. )

August 12, 1989 – a date forever etched in the memories of many people, none more so than the McAndrew family.  This date is the last known sighting of Kimberly McAndrew.  

The McAndrew Family moved to my community in the summer of 1976.  Audrey was a stay at home Mom, who’s smile would light up a room.  Cyril, originally from Ireland, was a respected member of the RCMP. He was the sergeant at the local detachment in Port Hawkesbury.  When we heard a new family was moving in, with 5 kids, our community was very excited.  There were five daughters; Heather, Erin, Carla, Kimberly and Megan.  A son, James, would arrive in July 1977.   They also had an Irish Setter named Seamus.  I was so happy to learn that Erin, the second oldest, was going into grade 6, and so was I.  We became friends while attending a two room school, South Mountain Elementary, before moving on for grades 7-12 at St. Peter’s District High.  Although life took over and we were not always in touch, we have remained friends, and thanks to Facebook we continue to be connected.  

Heather, Carla, Erin holding Kimberly - submitted by Erin McAndrew
Heather, Carla, Erin holding Kimberly – submitted by Erin McAndrew

I was home during the winter of 1984.  I enjoyed attending the high school hockey games and I would call Carla and Kimberly to see if they wanted to go to the games.  On a few occasions they came along.  They had a long driveway through an open field that they used during the winter.  The regular driveway banked in with so much snow, that it was difficult to keep open.  I would pick them up at the end of their driveway, and when we returned they would scamper through the field of snow, to their house.  I kept my headlights on the driveway until they were out of sight.  I remember being afraid they would fall, and get hurt, before getting home.

McAndrew’s home in Dundee
View from McAndrew’s house. The winter driveway was through this open field.

 In 1985 the McAndrew’s moved to Parrsboro. Audrey and the children went first, while Cyril stayed through the winter.  Cyril then transferred to Halifax, and commuted to Parrsboro to be with the family.  After a 33 year career, he retired in August 1989.  

n August 1989, Kimberly was a 19 year old Dalhousie University student.  She had a job at the Canadian Tire on Quinpool Road.  On August 12, she was working a shift at the Canadian Tire and looking forward to an evening out with her boyfriend, celebrating his birthday and attending the Buskers Festival.  Her boss let her leave at 4:20pm, instead of her usual time of 5pm.  She walked out the back door and has not been seen since.  Her boyfriend was to pick her up at work at 5pm but when he arrived, Kimberly was not there.  He would have driven the same route Kimberly would have taken on her walk home, but she was not seen.  She was also not at her apartment.  She had only the clothes she was wearing, and her blue bag that she used going back and forth to work, with her. 

Erin and Kimberly on Kimberly’s prom night – submitted by Erin McAndrew

Kimberly was born on January 17, 1970.  When she disappeared, she was 5’5” and 110lbs,  had very light brown/blonde hair and brown eyes.  She had braces on both her upper and lower teeth and she was very much looking forward to having them removed in a few days.  Her bank account has never been touched and she never returned to her apartment. 

Original cards given out after Kimberly’s disappearance – submitted by Erin McAndrew

I remember first hearing Kimberly disappeared while I was sipping a grapefruit pop at the local golf resort.  A friend asked me if I had heard the news.  I could not fathom that this had happened.  This beautiful family, that had been part of our community for several years, was now suffering an unimaginable situation.  How could this be?  I thought of the times I was afraid Carla and Kim would get hurt running through a field of snow, and now one of them was missing in Halifax.  How insignificant my worry had been.  I remember wanting to reach out to the family, but in those days there was no internet, or email.  I wasn’t even sure where they were.  In September, I was playing in a golf tournament in Parrsboro.  I had received their phone number from mutual friends, so I called, but I only reached a recording.  I don’t remember just what the recording said, but the end was something to the affect of ‘if this is you Kimberly, say something’.  I hung up.  I had no idea what to say.  I was nauseous .  And as disturbing as it was to me, what was the family going through.  

Early on there was a possible sighting in the hours after Kimberly had left work.  She was thought to have been seen at a flower shop in Penhorn Mall in Dartmouth.  This would have been totally out of character for Kimberly.  She was not the adventurous type and navigating from Quinpool Road to Penhorn Mall would have been quite an adventure for her to attempt on her own.  Besides, she had plans for the evening with her boyfriend, so she would likely not have gone to Dartmouth without telling him or some of her family.  

Remember, this was a time when surveillance cameras, cellphones, texting, and communicating were not as prevalent, or as easy, as today.  

There are two persons of interest.  One does not remember all the names of his victims and therefore doesn’t remember if he had anything to do with Kimberly’s disappearance.  An apartment was searched and pictures of Kimberly were displayed on the walls and a blue knapsack was found, but no charges were ever laid.  Over the years there have been searches carried out on various properties, some of which were Point Pleasant Park, Sir Sandford Fleming Lake, and Shad Bay but nothing ever turned up.  In 2002, remains were found along Highway 101, but it was determined they were not Kimberly’s. 

Tom Martin, a cold case expert and retired police detective, has been stumped by Kimberly’s disappearance. He is convinced whatever happened to her, happened in the parking lot of the Canadian Tire.  

A psychic was contacted, and spoken with, on several occasions, once with some of the family present.  Based on the psychic’s information, divers were used to search a lake, and grounds at Point Pleasant Park were searched, but unfortunately nothing was discovered.

Sadly Cyril McAndrew passed away in September 2004, never knowing what happened to his daughter.  He was obsessed with finding her, and pursued all possible tips.  Being a former RCMP officer, I can only assume it made it even more agonizing for him to not be able to solve this mystery.  He truly lived in hope and died in despair.  

In May 2019, I went to Ireland.  I contacted Erin to see where her father was from and told her where I was going on my trip.  She told me Cyril was from Glencastle, County Mayo. She said the closest town I’d probably see on a sign was Ballina.  I noticed a sign to Ballina while seated on the coach.  How I wished I could have asked our driver to stop for a second so I could take a picture.  But instead I focused my thoughts on Cyril and Kimberly.  Later that afternoon, after we had checked in to our hotel in Westport, I went for a walk around the town.  What do you suppose I found but a sign pointing to Ballina?  I took a picture and spent some time standing and looking at the sign and again thinking about Kimberly’s disappearance and how Cyril never knew what happened.

The street sign showing Ballina where I spent a few minutes thinking about Kimberly and Cyril McAndrew

Personally, whenever I hear that remains have been found, I secretly hope they are Kimberly’s, but then I feel a pang of guilt.  Of course I don’t wish Kimberly to be deceased.  I just wish something, or someone, would come forward to solve this missing person case.  Some people have said it would bring closure.  Seriously?  Closure?  I can’t imagine remains would bring closure.  It may start the process to finding out what happened, but I can’t imagine closure.  

Kimberly would be 51 now.  She’d be an aunt to her many nieces and nephews.  She would probably be a wife and a mom.  She’d likely be successful like her siblings.  She would be, and still is, a daughter and a sister, and an aunt, and a friend to many.  

In Dundee Kimberly has never been forgotten.  It is not unusual, whenever I see friends, that her name comes up in conversation.  Many of us still refer to the house they lived in as “McAndrew’s House”.  It will always be McAndrews House, as far as I’m concerned.  

McAndrew’s house in Dundee

You might ask what I hope this blog brings forth.  I don’t really know.  This past August there were no articles on Facebook about Kimberly’s disappearance.  There were no articles in the newspapers.  Missing people are missing.  They are not forgotten by family and friends.  They are very much in the present tense.  Their names and stories need to be talked about.  We need to keep their disappearance front and centre.  I’ll ask anyone who reads this to share it on Facebook, please.  Maybe someone, somewhere in this world, will read it and maybe it will trigger that all important clue to help bring Kimberly home.  No clue is insignificant, no matter how small you might think it might be.  Maybe the gutless, heartless person, or people, who played a role in Kimberly’s disappearance, will finally come forward with information.  This family has suffered long enough.  

This blog was written with permission from, and viewed by, the McAndrew Family prior to posting.  I would like to thank Audrey, Heather, Erin, Carla, Megan and James. 

My Passions – Knitting, Socks and Knitting Socks

Fleece Artist Cape Breton Tartan Yarn

I don’t remember learning to knit.  Like learning my ABC’s, 1 2 3’s and Do Re Mi’s, it was just something I learned, with no recollection of doing so.  What I have been told is that when I was about 4 years old, my Mom was knitting and I asked her to teach me.  She wasted no time and had knitting needles and yarn in my hand immediately.  I do remember my first project was a headband.  I also remember not liking to purl, but apparently that is normal for new knitters.  I’m over that now.

1969 – I was either 3 or 4, but thinking closer to 4. My first knitting project was a white headband.

I’ve now been knitting over 50 years.  I love it and rarely a day goes by that I haven’t knit.  My favourite time is between 6:30 and 7am, when I catch up on the overnight sports, while knitting before I go to work.  Over the years I’ve knit dozens of Lopi sweaters (remember them), Irish Fisherman knit sweaters, once making on for the late Liam Clancy on a challenge from him, afghans, blankets, baby outfits, mitts, hats, scarfs, neck-warmers, socks and more.  Occasionally I have knit as an extra source of income.  I remember receiving a frantic call on December 10 (my birthday, that’s how I remember) wondering if I could make a particular sweater for a gentleman, as a Christmas gift for his wife.  I accepted the order and did complete it which also included having to locate the yarn.  Dear lord, whatever was I thinking?  I was unemployed at that time, so I could dedicate many hours of daily knitting.  It was a pattern with a lot of intricate cables and some of which I’d never done before.  I finished it on December 23rd.  Never again would I do that.

Mom, Liam Clancy modelling the sweater I made him, Me.
Neckwarmers
Mermaid blanket
Aran baby outfit
Shawl

My obsession now is socks.  I love socks.  I have no idea where my love of socks began, but I believe it was when I had a newspaper route and I’d get so many pairs of socks for Christmas.  I like all kinds of socks from commercially made to homemade, from light weight to heavy weight, from long socks to shorties, from multi-coloured to one colour, from wool to cotton; I just love socks.  Knitting socks is my all-time favourite thing to knit.  There are so many patterns, so many types of yarn, so many colours of yarn, so many combinations of toes, heels and ribbing.  It’s fun to experiment with variegated yarns, to see how they pool when knit in a rib, or stockinette stitch or in a pattern.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it most definitely doesn’t work.  

Favourite sports team socks
Alligator socks
Who doesn’t like tie dye socks?
Standfield’s wool socks that are 37 years old. Can’t wear them out.
Hand made cable socks
Hand made self striping wool socks.
Hand made yoga socks.

I often have small amounts of yarn leftover after making a larger pair of socks. I use the leftovers to make a mini sock to hang on a tree. The tree remains up all year and whenever I look at it, I remember the people I made the socks for when I look at the matching mini sock.

Mini sock tree

I’m also working on a blanket using leftover sock yarn. Some of the yarn has been given to me by friends who knit socks and don’t use the leftovers. This is a work in progress and will take time to complete.

Leftover sock yarn blanket

There is nothing better than finding a nice yarn shop to visit.  When I travel, it is one thing I try to find and have found some dandies in Edgartown, Massachusetts, Freeport, Maine and  closer to home in Tatamagouche and Baddeck, Nova Scotia.  My favourite was Baadeck Yarns in Baddeck.  (No, that is not a spelling error.  It is a play on words.)  Baadeck Yarns was located in the home of the owner of the shop, Pat Fields.  Pat was wonderful.  She was always willing to help with a pattern, find the perfect yarn, suggest a new product or just let you browse.  Her shop was beautiful and even if I didn’t buy anything, I just felt a calmness being amongst all the gorgeous fibres, the colours, the displays, the large spinning wheel in the loft, and the peacefulness that came with a visit.  It was therapeutic.  Sadly Pat closed her shop last year.  I still miss it and I’ve not been to Baddeck since she closed.  

Spinning wheel in the loft of the former Baadeck Yarns.
Former Baadeck Yarns shop

On a happy note, there is now a mobile yarn shop called “Tracy’s Rolling Yarn Shop”, owned by Tracy Stubbard.  Tracy tells me she started knitting dishclothes when she worked at a call centre, but then got away from knitting.  In 2014 a co-worker taught her how to knit socks and she has just grown from there knitting many things, but she always has a pair of socks on the go.  In 2017 she was diagnosed with cancer. After her treatments finished she started working with Pat at Baadeck Yarns. When Pat said she wanted to retire, Tracy jokingly said she would buy a bus and take Baadeck Yarns on the road.  Then 2020 arrives, as does Covid, a second cancer diagnosis for Tracy, and Pat retires and sells her house where her shop was located.  In the meantime Tracy had already bought a trailer and was working to make it look like a yarn shop.  She purchases Pat’s inventory and it just grew from there.  Now Tracy takes the yarn shop on the road to places like Cheticamp, Baddeck, Antigonish, Arichat, Bouladerie, Port Hawkesbury, etc. and when not on the road she sets up in her own driveway in Dominion.  In Tracy’s words, “I’m grateful that I was able to follow through with this, as everyday I wake up is a blessing. And it’s the most rewarding job, because all the customers are happy and they are loving my concept!!”  I know I’m loving her concept and have visited her Rolling Shop three times already.  She has a lot packed into her trailer.  It reminds me of visiting Baadeck Yarns, as she has wonderful displays, she arranges her colours and types of yarn to make it so eye appealing, and her quality of yarn is second to none.  

Tracy’s Rolling Yarn Shop Trailer
Tracy Stubbard
Richard Devrieze yarns. Look at those colours.
More delicious yarn
Needles and notions
Fleece Artist – one of my favourites. Love the names like Lupine, Nova Scotia Tartan, Cape Breton Tartan, Lotus and Tracy’s Purples.
More inventory

If you are a knitter, do yourself a favour and visit Tracy’s Rolling Yarn Shop. Follow Tracy on Facebook by searching Tracy’s Rolling Yarn Shop for her travel schedule and/or check out her website www.tracysyarns.ca .

I hope you enjoyed this latest blog post. Leave a comment, ask a question, make suggestions for future blogs, or message me if you like. I hope to post more often in the future.

All photos taken by yours truly.

Celebrating Little Things – Part 4

Cedar Waxwing

I am finding it increasingly more difficult to remain positive through this third wave of Covid. Maybe because I had so much other crap going on that I was trying to work through, during the first and second waves, that I didn’t find it as hard.  Or maybe not realizing how long this was going to continue, even though we were warned about a second and third wave, made it easier.  Now I find myself wondering if we will ever see loved ones again, ever be able to hug people, ever say a proper goodbye to those who are no longer here, ever be able to go to a live music event, ever be able to travel to Ireland or anywhere again, ever have some kind of normalcy.  In the meantime, I will focus on the positives, the little things, that mean so much. 

  • When Mom received her first dose of Pfizer, friends checked in on her during the afternoon after I went back to work.  It’s comforting to have people in our lives that do these little things.  
  • Receiving my first dose of the vaccine, even if it was AstraZeneca.  I have not even second guessed my decision to get the first vaccine that was available, even though I have no idea what the second vaccine is going to be.  
  • I have had two Covid tests.  One was the more in depth (no pun intended) test, in Antigonish, in which the results arrived via email about 18 hours later.  Thankfully I was negative.  The second was a rapid test at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre.  Because I do not own a cellphone, I had to remain at the site to receive my test results.  After 15 minutes a lovely lady came out and asked the two people who were waiting what our names were.  I knew since I was the first to have my test done that she was likely looking for me.  When I said my name she very cautiously approached me, with a bit of a serious look on her face.  My heart started racing.  She leaned towards me and in a very hushed voice she said ‘you’re negative.  You may leave now’.  Phew.  Thank goodness.  
  • I recently suffered a sprained neck and was in great agony for several days.  I had to call a friend to take me to the hospital and then to town for a prescription.  She had also picked me up a neck brace prior to taking me to the hospital. Knowing I have special people in my life, that I can depend on in times of need, means so much.  Thank you Donna.  
Donna MacMaster
  • I bought an Amaryllis, on sale, in February.  It provided so much pleasure, as I watched it grow and bloom.  There is something about an Amaryllis blossom that just makes me so happy.  And the fact it was about 1/4 the original price.
Amaryllis
  •  I stored LilyAnna, my Canna Lily, last fall in hopes that I could plant a few offspring from it this spring.  It survived wonderfully and when I planted the tubers I had 10 plants, all with sprouts starting.  I very successfully now have 9 pots and although some are VERY slow to grow, others have taken off mightily. 
LilyAnna’s young’uns
  • As a knitter there is nothing that makes me happier than reaching into the centre of the ball and pulling out the inside thread end.  Oh happy day when that happens.  
  • Speaking of  yarn, I have a tree that I decorate with knitted mini socks.  It remains up year round and I light it when I need an extra boost of happiness.  The mini socks are made from leftover yarn of socks I’ve knit for myself or others.  At the top of the tree are two socks using the leftovers from socks I made for two special people; my cousin Norma and my friend Alayne.  Also at the top of the tree, is an angel my friend Judy made and gave me.  
Alayne’s sock on the left, Judy’s angel centre, Norma’s sock on the right.
My sock tree. Tree skirt made by Mom.
  • On Easter weekend, while I was eating my dinner, the phone rang.  I didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway.  Here is the conversation:

Me:  Hello

Them:  Hi.  How are you?

Me:  Fine.  How are you?

Them: Fine.  What are you doing?

Me:  Not much.  Just eating dinner.

Them: Oh.  I think I have the wrong number.

Me:  Oh, that’s okay.  

Them:  Well, Happy Easter.  Enjoy your day.

Me:  Happy Easter to you too. Nice chatting.

Such a nice conversation with someone I didn’t know.  Something about this made me feel so happy. 

  • I can always find joy when I go outside and connect with nature. Trees budding, flowers popping through the ground, apple blossoms, eagles calling early in the morning, but one of the most hauntingly beautiful sounds is the call of the loon.  I don’t hear it too often but when I do, I stop whatever I’m doing and just listen.  Incredible.  (Now to try and get a picture of a loon.)
Crabapple
Eagle
Daffodils
Budding tree
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
My Happy Place
  • I just finished an online writing course.  I was quite reluctant to sign up but because it was taught by a friend, and someone I’d taken in person courses from previously, I decided to give it a go.  What a surprise!  It was for 4 weeks, every Saturday from 1-3:30pm.  There were 12 participants and our teacher, leader, mentor, friend, Marjorie Simmins.  Everyone offered so much to the weekly sessions.  My rural internet didn’t let me down, so that was a bonus as well.  I discovered new authors and I’ve purchased way too many books, but I suppose there are worse things I could be spending my money on.  I’m so glad I came out of my comfort zone and took part in this workshop.  And the best part is, I’m writing.  I’m not writing anything that will likely ever be published, but that isn’t always the reason for writing.  I’m writing as a form of healing.  It’s difficult but it’s satisfying.  
  • I was recently cooking dinner and put on one of my favourite CD’s while doing the prep work.  I used the shuffle mode and the first two songs that came up were two of my all-time favourites.  Thank you Kevin Evans for writing Shine on Brighter and The Orchard.  It would have been a trifecta had The Highwaymaid been number three, but that’s on another CD.  I knew I’d have a good day after this occurrence.  
  • It’s never easy saying goodbye to longtime neighbours, so I had mixed emotions when I heard Annie had sold her house.  I was happy for her, knowing she was moving to a more accessible home, with less stairs, but sad to see her leave as she was the perfect neighbour.  Knowing she will be in St. Peter’s, and not that far away, makes it easier.  Once she is settled, and we are under less strict Covid concerns, we can visit.  We have been blessed to have been surrounded by wonderful neighbours for so long.  
  • With Annie’s departure we welcome new neighbours, Krista and Mike, and their two feline fir kids, Miella and Gus.  They have settled into their new home nicely, and although we can’t visit, we do have deck visits sometimes.  Krista makes wicked baked goods and I don’t mind being a taste tester.  Our luck of having wonderful neighbours continues. Welcome to Dundee. Welcome home.  
  • While mowing recently, some friends stopped for a drive by visit.  So nice to actually see people during these strange times.  And even better when it was one of my favourite school teacher’s, Marc Stone, (he paid me to say that) along with his wife Nancy and Nancy’s mom, Patsy.  Patsy asked if my Dad was Bert MacDougall.  When I said yes, she said ‘Oh I knew Bertie in Stirling’.  Well, this just made my day.  There likely aren’t a lot of people left that would remember my Dad from his Stirling days.  My heart was overjoyed. 

Sometimes it’s just the little things……

PS – All photos taken by yours truly.

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2024 Celtic Beamer

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑