…thanks to Traveling at Wits End for this week’s photo challenge Under Cloudy Skies
It almost looked like the city was burning but the dark cloud over the waterfront just left a dusting of snow.
Weekly Photo Challenge – Under Cloudy Skies
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Category Archives: Challenge
A Photo a Week Challenge – The Great Outdoors
…thanks to Nancy Merrill for hosting A Photo a Week Challenge
Nancy’s photo of a broken down wall in the middle of nature reminded my of the lighthouse keeper’s old home on Christian Island. The lighthouse has been automated for years and the home is a pile of rubble where nature has take over. Trees are literally growing out of the centre of the stone cottage.
Sunday Trees – 374
….thanks to Becca Givens for hosting Sunday Trees
I love how some plants embrace the trunks of trees for support.
Friendly Friday Photo Challenge: Inspiration
….a new photo challenge
Going through my emails this morning I discovered that two blogging friends have started a new photo challenge and are inviting bloggers from around the world to join in. One of the bloggers is Snow from The Snow Melts Somewhere and the other is Amanda from Something to Ponder About.
This week’s theme is inspiration. What inspires me? There are so many things; my husband inspires me with his daily drawings, other artists inspire me, photos from around the world inspire me to travel, my friends inspire me to be a better person, reading books inspire me, music inspires me, etc., etc..
I saw these two sculptures at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto last week. They inspire me to get my hands on some clay and mold an image from my imagination. The only thing holding me back is not having access to a kiln.
What Constitutes a Failure?
….is producing 177 pieces of art in one year a failure?
Last year I had decided to produce one piece of art a day or at least work on an art piece every day for 365 days. I created my own personal challenge of 365 Days of Art. In the middle of November I stopped drawing and painting. Was I discouraged by the fact that I was very much behind my goal or was it something else?
I think that being so far behind was part of it but life just seemed to get in the way, especially in November and December. There were things that I hadn’t planned on like getting ill, my father going into the hospital, the plumbing breaking down and my sister coming for a visit. Then there were the things that just happen, like Christmas parties, concerts and trying to get ready for Christmas.
I recognize that all of these things are just excuses because I see people out there who manage to create a piece of art every day but I’ve decided that I should rejoice in the 177 pieces that I did create. Here are some of my favourites from 2018:
So what is my art goal for this year? I will definitely continue making art but the question is how much and should I even put a number on it. What do you think I should do? I have some ideas that I will share later today.
Cheers!
A Photo a Week – On the Horizon
….thanks to Nancy Merrill for hosting A Photo a Week
The Third Day of Christmas Celebrations Amidst a Plumbing Disaster
…..on Boxing Day the sewer started backing up into the basement
Soon after doing the laundry we noticed that water was coming up through the sewer drain in the basement. Luckily it was only a large puddle around the drain and it was easily soaked up with rags but soon after when someone showered it happened again. We decided to carefully ration the water until we could get a plumber to the house. We called the next morning but because it wasn’t an immediate emergency we had to wait one more day before the plumber could get to our house.
On the 28th a camera and a plumbing snake were lowered into the drain. At 41 feet the camera came across the problem. The clay pipe at the Y junction had collapsed and only a small area was letting water get through. That meant that paper and some ‘matter’ was building up at the break and water was having a hard time passing through. Plumber Joe was able to clear the blockage but it was only a temporary fix. The pipe had to be removed and replaced. There was only one problem; the broken pipe was in the middle of my neighbour’s driveway and her car was sitting on top of it.
Now that might not seem like a huge problem but the car hadn’t been moved in almost two years and no amount of pushing would move it back the three feet we needed to get to the problem. We tried calling CAA but they didn’t show up and when I called they said that our coverage didn’t cover moving the neighbour’s car. Now what?
The next morning we figured out why we couldn’t put the car into neutral. Newer cars are all controlled by the electrical system and since the battery was completely dead we needed to give the car a boost. Eureka! We got the car started and backed it up the three feet that we needed. Unfortunately by the time we called our plumber back he was already on another job and couldn’t come till Monday, Dec. 31.
Our third day of Christmas was suppose to happen on the 28th but due to a miscommunication my sister’s family was planning on arriving on the 29th. At the time I thought the plumbing was going to be fixed on that day so I wasn’t too anxious about having eight adults and a baby in the house. When they arrived I explained the situation and asked them to use the bathroom sparingly. In the end we decided to go out for dinner instead of eating at home. Before we left we opened more gifts and phoned the restaurant to make sure that they could accommodate our large group.
In the end it turned out that the restaurant was a good option all around. There were no dishes for me to wash (couldn’t run the dishwasher), everyone was able to order according to their dietary needs and likes, we arrived after the rush, the service was great and we were able to spend time talking to one another without worrying about our plumbing problem. My sister and her family all live out of town and my nephew had flown in from California. If we hadn’t gotten together that day it probably wouldn’t have happened. Thanks for small blessings.
