….this week’s WP photo challenge is to find beauty in the blur
Weekly Photo Challenge: Blur
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Category Archives: Photography
New Flower (April 5, 2015) – Spring Bouquet
…..just in time for Easter….not your traditional Easter arrangement
New Flower (April 4, 2015) – Mini Daffodils
…..Happy Easter everyone
Share Your World 2015 – Week 13
…..four more great questions from Cee
What was your favorite subject in school?
I want to say art but I didn’t take one art class in high school. Not because I didn’t want to. If I could have chosen any subjects I wanted I would have taken music, art and Family Studies but I was restricted to Latin and one other elective. I ended up taking Family Studies because I knew from the time I was twelve that I wanted to be a Family Studies teacher. So I guess I’d have to say that my favourite subject included cooking and sewing.
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away” (George Carlin). When have you had such a moment?
I guess I’d have to say at the births of my children.
What’s your choice: jigsaw, crossword, or numeric puzzles?
I like all three. I did a lot of jigsaw puzzles as a child. Now I do the occasional crossword but my favourite puzzles are Sudoku.
If you found an obviously abandoned car with $50,000 in the back seat, what would you do?
I think I would hand it into the police and hope that no one claims it and that the money can’t be traced. Eventually the money would be mine.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last week I took a trip to Oshawa with my husband and daughter, G to visit my Dad. He recently sold his house and it was the first time G and my husband saw the new apartment. It was also the first time that I saw it furnished. Dad and Gu did a great job arranging their furniture in this new space and finding a place for all their belongings. I’m grateful that the move went without a hitch and that my 88 year father withstood the stress of moving. 
This week I’m looking forward to Easter and having the whole family (minus my son and his fiance in England) over for dinner on Saturday. I’m also looking forward to some warmer temperatures, even if they are suppose to be short lived.
Sticks and Stones
…..make wonderful art
Last week I was assigned a project that involved gathering up bits of nature to create a temporary work of art. After we finished creating we could photograph our masterpieces and then return the bits back to the environment or leave our creations somewhere outside where others could enjoy what we made. This idea came from Lynn Whipple who is one of the artists from Year of the Spark. This is a year long on-line art class brought to us by Carla Sonheim and Lynn. Every month they take turns coming up with wonderful and innovative assignments that bring out our inner spark. Every two weeks we get a new assignment.
I was really inspired by this project and came up with my own ‘Learning Stick’ and a composition of stones and dried foliage and grasses that I turned into a card. 
I’m hoping to make more but in the meantime I offered this assignment to my kindergarten class and they ate it up.
Before I arrived for our regular weekly art class, the children took a walk around the school yard and gathered up as many bits of nature that they could find. Between me and the ECE teacher and what the children gathered we had a very nice collection of materials to work with.
I told the children that we weren’t gluing anything down and when their picture was done I would come around and photograph it and then we would take it apart and if they wanted they could make another picture. When we finished with the materials we would return them to nature.
I printed the photographs on my printer at home onto regular sized photocopy paper and then I made one 4 x 6 glossy print to mount onto a card. Here’s what mine looked like.
After we mounted all the photographs onto a black background they were put up outside the kindergarten class for all to enjoy. Today they were moved to a more central part of the school so that more people would see them. The cards that I made will be given to the parents as a special gift on Earth Day.
Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge – 2015 – Week 12
Sunday Trees – 176
….thanks to Becca Givens for Sunday Trees
I’m still looking for signs of spring for this challenge. The closest that I came to that was this pussy willow but the wind was so strong that it was hard to focus.
Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge – Bathrooms and Outhouses
Share Your World 2015 – Week 12
….some unusual questions this week
When was the last time you sat on a park or garden bench for more than ten minutes? Describe the occasion.
The last time I sat on a garden bench was two summers ago. My cottage neighbour had built a bench on the beach for anyone to use. I used to love going down to the beach early in the day to have my morning coffee. Unfortunately the powers that be decided that all things left on this ‘public’ beach had to be removed. When we returned last summer the bench was gone.
Would you ever be interested in observing a surgery or do you turn away when the nurse brings out the needle?
When I attended university I had thought about being a doctor but teaching became my chosen profession. I actually contemplated about taking a gross human anatomy class where I would dissect a human body. A 400 level floral design class won out. I used to watch live surgeries on TV but I do turn away when the needle to draw blood comes out.
Where’s your favorite place to take out-of-town guests?
If people are coming from another country I like to take them to Niagara Falls.
For my Canadian out-of-town quests I like to take them to the AGO (art gallery) and treat them to any special exhibitions that are featured during their visit. Luckily most of my friends like art.
If my guest come in the summer and they like a rustic setting I might suggest that we go to the cottage for a few days.
If you had an unlimited shopping spree at only one store, which one would you choose? Why?
It might seem strange that I would choose a discount store but Marshall’s has it all for me. Beautiful designer clothes that fit me and suit me, shoes, purses, kitchenware, gourmet food, dishes, and children’s and men’s wear. What could be better?
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last week I was grateful for being treated to a trip to the new Aga Khan Museum, here in Toronto. My friend, D, is a member and we spent the morning walking through the galleries. I really enjoyed looking at the old Persian vessels, art and tapestries. When so many artefacts are being destroyed in the Middle East because of war and acts of terrorism I was grateful that these treasures have been preserved for all to enjoy.
After exploring the entire museum and checking out the gift shop we had a very nice lunch at the restaurant located in the museum. The space was decorated with beautifully carved wall panels and mirrors and the food was attractively presented and very tasty.
I’m also grateful for slightly warmer weather and sunny days. On Sunday we had the family over Sunday lunch and game day. My husband made an incredible Irish meal in honour of St. Patrick’s Day (only a week late) and A and J brought Zeppole for dessert in honour of St Joseph’s Day.
This week I’m looking forward to doing more art, not only my own personal art but also art with my students. I’ve already started some interesting projects with the kids and today my kindergarten class made wonderful art with objects from nature (last 4 photos). The first six photos are mine. The owls are samples I created for my older students. They are designing their own owls and then transferring the design onto a foam plate and then colouring it and pressing it onto paper. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the kids can do.
Sure Signs of Spring
……March 20th marked the first day of Spring
The snow has melted in this part of the world but the east coast of Canada has been hit with more snow storms and we’re talking about a lot of snow.
I’m thrilled that Spring has finally arrived even though the signs aren’t always obvious to the naked eye or to exposed skin. This morning when I woke up I could see that it had snowed last night. Nothing significant but enough to know that winter isn’t done with us yet and if that tiny bit of snow didn’t convince you, the cold wind certainly did.
Later in the day the sun did warm things up a bit but walking into the wind did make the trek a little uncomfortable. I, however, was on a mission to find signs of spring that I could record with my camera.
Much of the plant life still harbours the brown tones of decay but the sun added a certain warmth and brought out a richness to some colourful naked branches.
One of the signs of spring was the hidden treasure that lay inside the snow all winter and now appeared everywhere. Hardly photo worthy though. On our way home we looked up and I saw my first robin of the season. I have noticed that the birds are singing more brightly in the morning when I wake up and the squirrels are more active in the backyard.
I was hoping to see signs of new growth coming up through the ground but It wasn’t immediately obvious. When I returned home I walked up to the front garden and pushed aside a few leaves and lo and behold I found my crocus starting to push up through the ground. Spring is definitely here despite the cold and gloomy forecast for April.
Well at least it’s warm inside and my husband has brought Spring indoors with his gift of fresh tulips. I’m a lucky girl.
Cheers!
