Sylvia's Simple Shots

My niece was visiting for a couple of days.  

She it the ReUse Center before she arrived at my house.

We grabbed a bit of lunch then hit the thrift stores.

On the second day we took a walk at the St. Albert Botanic Park. I was expecting the paths to be cleared but they were not. It was very icy and not much fun. We took the street to come back to the car.

Then headed to Goodwill.

I decided that I wanted new mats for the front door.  This time maybe grey instead of navy considering the new grey floors.

I headed to IKEA and found some that would work.  I bought 3 which put 2 at the door and 1 cut in half for the shoes across next to the small bench.  Always great value.

We headed for my favorite Vietnamese restaurant Dang Good and we enjoyed our meal while we combed through some of our thrift haul.

Headed home to check out the rest of our goodies.

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley was the book I finished this week.  

Nicola Marter has a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes sees images, glimpses of those who have owned it before. She works for London dealer in Russian Art. 

Margaret Ross, the owner of a small wooden carving of a bird called the Firebird comes to have it appraised. It has been in her family for 300 years and claims that it was given to her ancestor by Empress Catherine of Russia.  She cannot prove it but Nicola sees its past.

Nicola meets up with Rob McMorran in Scotland who she has known for a while and loves. He has a similar gift so they decide to collaborate on the search for origin of this small wooden bird carving. They travel to Russia and by touching many things including walls they trace the object. Will it work out?

Another great read from this author.

We do love our Asian food.

We met my other sister in Sherwood Park to have Korean food for supper before my niece headed south.

We sorted out Tupperware orders and had a great visit.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

One of my aunts celebrated a birthday so a few of us got together for Chinese food which was delicious.  Then she invited us over to her house for blueberry cheesecake. 

It was a raffle prize at reunion and she froze it till her birthday. My sister had made it in a dish which went along with a casserole carrier.

It was delicious.

I started the week early in the morning by meeting road blocks in just about every way to get out of my neighborhood.   People were frustrated and going the wrong way down one ways. I managed to get myself out of the grid lock and headed into the river valley.  I missed the signage warning about the marathon route.

I am so glad I can start having folks over again, now that the floor project is done.

I prepared a bit of a snack for my visit with a friend of mine on Monday.

A few veggies and dip and some ginger cookies

Of course, some Chamomile tea and great conversation.

At one point I thought maybe she should head out before rush hour traffic but it was already an hour later than that.

I guess were having a good time.

N is for Noose by Sue Graton.  I finished this book in the last couple of days.

Another great time spent with Kinsey Millhone as she dug down to investigate the final couple months of a fellow's life.  His wife was concerned about his troubles and hired Kinsey to investigate.

It's early spring and the weather is not the best but she heads north to meet with Selma Newquist whose husband passed away a couple of months ago.  

She started asking questions about Tom and his life and the locals in Nota Lake were having none of it because he was a good guy.  Well there may be other reasons.

There was a big reveal in the last chapter as to who killed those 2 guys.

It's Concord Grape time!  

We always had these as a treat when we were kids. I buy a basket of them every year.

My sister and brother-in-law dropped by on Tuesday to see the place put back together, pick up a couple things headed to their house then we went for supper at the Bul-go-gi House a Korean restaurant which as been in business since 1973.

It was delicious as always and good company.

Headed to the St. Albert Botanic Park to photograph the dahlias.  It is that time of year again where the bed of these flowers are in full bloom.

I did walk the whole garden but here are 4 of the great dahlias in their full glory.

I found out on Sunday that there would be no BC peaches this year as there was a killing frost when the flowers in bloom.

I guess that means Ontario peaches if we can get any.

I stopped at Superstore and they had cases of 25 lbs for $35.00 which is $1.50 a pound. Yes, please.

I took one home.  They are pretty much ready to eat and process so that will be on the agenda right away.

I will share with family, friends and neighbors.

I had a neighbour over for a visit and a tour of the new floor and laundry closet.

We had a great catch up.

My sister dropped by Saturday afternoon for tea and a visit.

It's been a while since she's been here so it was nice to host for a change.  She has been generous with her invites.

I sent her home with several peaches.

It's been a busy week.  It was so nice to have people over.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I headed to the St. Albert Botanic Park early in the week.

Here's one of the last peonys in bloom.  Beautiful blush pink! 

The roses were in fully bloom.

The sunflowers are headed to great heights.

Not much on the river now that the babies have matured.

The heat wave continued this week.

With the fan running pretty much 24/7, soaking my head and shirt several times a day, managing the fan in windows at night to bring the cooler air in, and just hunkering down for the most part.

It was lucky that we were not laying floor this week because it was a cooker.

The Blue Noon by Robert Ryan based on a true story.

This is a WWII story set in Europe between 1938 and 1945. Harry Cole is a  rogue. Over this time he has had a few personas, worked for several different military organizations, and collaborated with many different regimes.

He has been hurt, shot, beaten and still has managed to fit in, hide in plain sight and serve his own purposed within the opportunities which came his way.

He has known love, settled down for a little bit and tried to become a better person.  

I found that at times I like him and other times did not.  The story was compelling and I read a good part of the book in front of the fan in the heat wave we are experiencing.

I washed my Keens this week.  With the very hot weather they were needing a refreshing.  

They suggest they can be washed in the washing machine but I was not prepared to do that in my new machine so I used Simple Green on them with a old toothbrush and then put them out on the balcony to dry.

They look and smell better.

The walk around Beaumaris Lake this week was wonderful.

The morning was cool comparatively to the rest of the week.  There was heavy cloud which threatens to rain down but it did not.

The sun came out at 10 am and the heat began.

I headed home.

I headed over the Muttart Conversatory this  week as well to see the new display in the feature pavilion.  Where Pyramids Collide.

Being the middle of summer there were many programs going on.  Several sets of small children all in the same colored shirt so adults could keep track of them, running around the narrow paths was no much fun.

Of course, none of the pavilions were cool as in temperature.

I always enjoy the flowers, plants and fish.

The process continues.  I have headed to the flooring store for more information.

Received feedback waiting for more information.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I met a friend at the St. Albert Botanic Park for a walk through nature and the blooming flowers. 

I love the peachy blushy rose and the shot came out nice.

After the walk, we headed to Timmy's for a tea and a visit.

It was a great afternoon after my dental cleaning in the morning.

The Detective's Secret by Lesley Thomson

The second book in a series.  I have not read the first one but I don't think it impacted the story much.  We get some history of some of the characters in the late 1980 when they were teenagers.  Then we move on to 2013 in the present day.

Jack Harmon drives trains for the metro, does detective work and sometimes pitches in at Stella's cleaning business.  Stella Darnell is a detective's daughter and her father has passed away.  Stella has a few employees in her business and all is going very well.

Palmyra Tower is almost a character in this story as well.  Formerly known as Chiswick Tower it is a water tower used for trains in the old days. It has history in relation the main characters. 

The past comes back to the fore when a man dies at an underground station on the metro.  The connections are not clear as names have changed over the years but grudges are still being held.  This was a great read.

I had an opportunity to try out a Sony RX10 camera for a couple of weeks.  I thought with this great zoom it should be wonderful!

It turned out not the be the easy peasy camera I thought it would be.  

It often did it's own thing when focusing, my photo editing software could not read it's RAW files so I had to delete 300 files an start over. I was met with the "function is not available" quite a few times and could not figure out what was preventing my changing the setting I wanted.

I am glad I did not invest in this camera as it was complicated for me to use.

One of the challenges this week was utility knives and blades.  The blue knife on the right lives in my sewing center and I use it disassembled second hand fabric.  It was on it's last point on the blade. No problem I have some in the cupboard which I use in the orange knife and it lives in the craft corner. No way the blades don't fit!

I headed to a big box store to buy a replacement and while there I invested in blades as well.  I tried the Olfa blades in the blue one and they fit so I will put the Olfa in the tools cupboard and I will have blades for a long time.  

Later, I was a ReStore and I could have saved myself some $ if I bought a utility knife there.  Ah well!

The prepping process is starting to move the furniture from the dining room and eventually the living room so that new vinyl floor can be installed.

I have made a selection so I will be ordering the flooring in the next few days and getting it delivered.

It will be a challenge to find hidey holes in the rest of the place for all that has to be moved.

On top of that most of it has to be emptied, moved then refilled.  Went the floor is done then the reverse process will take place.

I have put the IVAR cupboard ontop of the TROFAST in the front hall. I am filling the storage room where the STEN was taken away last week to be sold.  Thanks sister!

The sewing machine as been put away.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

A visit to the St. Albert Botanic Park yielded some great shot. The is Jacob's Ladder and it will likely make the calendar at the end of the year.

Gorgeous color and wonderful delicate flower.

There were a few roses open, the peonies were on the verge of opening.

With a few more days of sun the gardens will be looking really good!

Attic Treasures by four authors who have written romances into each story.

This book was 4 short stories about Lydia Dunmore, a grandmother getting ready to sell her large home to move to a seniors residence.

She has invited her 4 granddaughters to visit her attic and pick the one item which was their favorite.

Sheila is looking for her grandmother's doll but it has been sold.  With the help of a local antique store owner she searches for the doll.  

Kimber chooses an old fishing tackle box and through the help of a local fisherman discovers that some of the lures therein are quite valuable.

Lauren cherishes a christening gown her great grandmother wore.  She has chosen career over motherhood.  Her husband buys a farm and they leave the city. She did survive the transition and the gown came in handy.

Jessica takes an antique dress from Grandma's attic. Inside she finds old papers and photographs.  There was an adoption and the identity of her father is in question. Lydia shares what she knows. It is all very mysterious and there's a photojournalist chasing a story. It all turns out well in the end.

There was a large stash of fabric yardage which appeared at one of the thrift stores. 

The price was unbelievable.

Did I need another piece of fabric? No but I could not help myself.  Will I have a chance to sew this summer with the renovations planned.  Unlikely. Still I brought home 5 pieces for less than $10.  Averaging about .75 of a meter. Some less some more.

Beautiful blue purple watercolor, a denim blue vintage geometric, rainbow with gold dots, a yellow blender and a turquoise batik.

Just the right size for a book cover, a placemat, or a wine bag.   We shall see.

I had lunch with a dear friend.  Vietnamese noodle bowl is always delicious and this was no exception.

Meeting at 1:00pm after the lunch time rush we had great conversation and caught up on our lives and what we have been up to.

She is headed on a big vacation.

I was invited to celebrate a birthday this week.

The birthday girl hosted lunch at her house.

It was very delicious and I was able to catch up with extended family.

Dessert was an upside down cake with blueberries with whipped cream on top.  A good cup of tea and good company.  It was a lovely afternoon.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

The Siberian Squill are in bloom in the neighborhood.

Several front yards have these tiny beauties.

Beautiful blue color hanging on this delicate stem very close to the ground.

I have not see the white ones this year. 

I squeezed getting my taxes down to the last day.  It really did not take as long as I anticipated.  

Now, that I have retired there a very few pieces to collect and plug into the calculations.

I did manage to get to the bank to pay the bit I owed.

It's been a good week for photography.  I have visited several of my regular water spaces to see what I could find for birds and flowers.

Here's are a few shots from Beaumaris Lake.

The Ruddy Duck with it's bright blue bill.

The Golden Eye which in the sun shimmered its green head.

The Red Wing Blackbird which is a staple of many wet places.

The Common Grackle was showing off its blue head and yellow eye.

The St. Albert Botanic Park was starting show color.  The Pasque flowers are always early bloomers.  The pink flowers are apple blossoms and the small purple flower was very close to the ground.

It's that time of year.  The waterfowl have arrived and trying to sort out a place for a nest and raising the next generation.  

The American Avocet is always a treat to see. We are on the northern edge of their breeding area.

The Beaver was very curious to see what I was up to and then went on it's happy way.

The Canada Geese were defending territories and there was much posturing, chasing and honking going on.

The Lesser Yellowlegs were scoping the area for food.

The Northern Shoveler duck was there showing off his bright head.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I made a visit to the Lois Hole Provincial Park this week.  The waterfowl was quite absent. For most, the babies are grown and the adults have moved on. 

The Cedar Waxwing was a nice one.  The Barn Swallows were flitting around as usual and there were quite a few.

Still some blackbirds also making their iconic calls. A very peaceful day.

 A Garden to Keepp by Jamie Langston Turner was a good read. 

Elizabeth Landis has recently moved and is finding herself at loose ends. Her son has gone to college and she misses him terribly. Her marriage is on the rocks as she forges new relationships. Her husband leaves the house and is carrying on an affair with someone from the college where is works in the music department.

The book was quite slow at the beginning and I did consider just giving up on it but that is hard for me to do. The poetry references were pretty much lost on me so I just moved on.

Grace, forgiveness, mercy, patience, and Christian values are sprinkled throughout.

I am glad I hung it and the book did redeem its self but it was a bit of a slug.

It's that time of year.  The gardens and fruit trees are producing more than some can manage.

My niece gave me some nice green apples from one of the 2 trees in her yard.  My aunt gave me tomatoes and a garden cucumber. Yummy!  Some zuchinni as well.

I appreciate the fresh produce.  

I had grilled cheese and tomatoe sandwiches a couple of times.  There was zuchinni fried in a pan with parmesan cheese.  

The apples will be in a apple rhubarb crisp.

Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah was another book I finished. Another broken marriage story.  Elizabeth and Jackson Shore live in the north west in a small town.  He works the sports beat in a small market and Elizabeth works on the house.

Jackson is always working on getting back to the big time sports job he lost when he fell from grace after his NFL career.  The time comes that the story that will bring him back to the spot light appears and he pursues it at the cost of all else.  

They are moving to the East Coast for this new job that Jackson has been offered.  Once again, Elizabeth packs up the house and the van arrives to take it all away.  She insisted that they not sell the Echo Bay house and just rent it out.  When she is to take the plane for the east she changes her mind and returns to the west. Putting what she wants ahead of what Jackson wants, which has been the past pattern.

There is a decent ending after each learns a few lessons about setting their marriage as a priority.

The dahlias were headed into their peak condition when I visited early this week.

Gorgeous flowers everywhere in these gardens.

I did have my ankles bitten a lot as I had worn capris.

I had a visit with my aunt after my photo trip.  It was good to connect with family.

Exchange Cards - Purple Flowers

My cards for my exchange group are ready.

This month I chose purple/blue flowers for the cards.

The first card is a photo of a blue iris.

I trimmed the photo to make it skinnier and  mounted it onto a piece of Lovely Lilac textured card stock. 

I added a length of yellow striped SU designer Washi Tape below the photo.

This layer was adhered to the front of a SU Handsome Hunter A2 card base in the portrait orientation.

A white quarter sheet insert was added to the inside of the card.

The second card features a photo of Jacob's Ladder taken at the Botanic Park.

The 4x4 photo was trimmed at the top to fit the Lovely Lilac layer.  The lilac layer is textured card stock from Stampin Up and was embossed with a border folder.

I chose a yellow SU Washi Tape with a plaid pattern to place below the flower.  I had to trim it in half so it would not interfere with the flower.

White quarter sheet insert.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I visited the St. Albert Botanic Park with my aunt this week to see the peonies in full bloom.

Gorgeous big flowers in so many colors.

This is the third book in the Angelic Letters Series by Henry K. Ripplinger.  The Angel of Thanksgiving.

Henry and Julean are happy with their new daughter, a new home and Henry's new job.  He still cannot forget Jenny his first love.  Julean hears Henry talk to Jenny in his dreams at night and is troubled about it. 

Father Englemann has returned from the seminary and is as popular as he was as the grocery store owner.  He is now the parish priest still dispensing his lessons of love, forgiveness and thankfulness for all things.

Jenny accepts James' marriage proposal but puts the date far in the future hoping that Henry will be in touch.  Jenny and James eventually marry and Jenny has a son. She now lives on an estate with beautiful grounds and the flowers and nature and the gazebo are her solace. 

The angel her father commissioned before he passed eventually makes it's way to Jenny and is placed near the gazebo which brings her much comfort.

My aunt are just a few years apart in age and both celebrate our birthdays in June so we decided to treat ourselves to Delux Burgers - mushroom and sweet potato fries for lunch.  They were super delicious!

She had a pecan tart for dessert while I had a slice of tiramisu.  I saved the Nanaimo bar for supper.

The insects were a buzzing and flitting at the Botanic Park.  On the left is an Ashy Mining Bee - I had not seen a black and white bee before, the Ferris Ruddy Copper Butterfly just perched itself on the edge of the leaf for just a bit - I managed one shot, a Hoverfly on a pale purple Aster. 

It was a good week!

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I took a trip south to visit my niece and her family before summer plans take over our lives.  My sister and brother in law would be there too!

This was late June.  I took a leisure drive down and arranged to meet at her house for supper.  Several of them were headed to the Nanton Parade of Garage Sales that day.

I arrived at about 3:00 pm and connected with her husband who was home getting things ready.  I decided to head off for a walk with the camera as I had been sitting in the car for about 4 hours.  I did stop halfway for a bathroom break and a bit of a walkabout.

They live very near a large green space which I have walked before so off I went.

I found this new flower for me - Shrubby Cinquefoil.

I found Squills as well which were plentiful in the meadow.

Supper was great and it was wonderful to spend them with family.  As we headed to my nephew's condo late in the evening I saw the mountains in  the distance.  They are so big!

The next morning my sister and I took a bit of a walk so I could get some mountain photos.  I managed a few without getting too much of the city stuff in the way.

I would like to take a trip to the mountains sometime.   It's been 8 years since I was there.

My aunt invited me to sit down and watch the new Downton Abbey movie - A New Era.

I did not watch the series when it was originally broadcast but have caught reruns over the years.  I have a basic understanding of the main characters both upstairs and down.  Also, the relationships involved - the Grantham family and the relatives of the extended family.

We watched on the TV at her place which suited me just fine rather than going to a movie theatre.

We got some delicious burgers and fries to round out the evening.  She picked up burgers from Delux Burger Bar which were absolutely delicious!  Sweet Potato fries were excellent.   It was a splurge but worth it.

I was disappointed that Henry Talbot - Mary's husband did not appear in this movie.   It was a great night out for me.  Thanks so much.

I have visited the St. Albert Botanic Park again now that new flowers are blooming.  

Roses, dahlias, lilies, Johnny Jump Ups were blooming as well as many more not included in the mosaic to the left.

I love going early in the morning when not too many others are about.

I did stop by the river but there was not too much wildlife about.

It is taking a nature bath when I can be quiet, calm and enjoy taking pictures.

I have started taking video with my camera and it is a learning curve.  I took this video of the pond and water feature at the park.  Hand help recording takes a lot of practice.  The flowering Ninebark in the background, the bulrushes, the running water, the curving stream of water and the stones all make for an oasis.

I took a walk with a friend around Beaumaris Lake recently as well. It was her first time and she was amazed at having this quite large lake in the city.  We saw White Pelicans, a Cormorant, Mallard Ducks, RedWinged Blackbirds, Grackles, a Painted Turtle, Coutts, and much more.

I am always up for a Christmas story any time of the year.

This is a story of the typical life on an English green during the Christmas season.

The season comes with the Christmas play of course, presents to buy, those coming to visit, church services, meals to prepare, those in need of time, love, caring and sharing.

In this case an older woman of the village is losing her sight, has a fall and is in need of temporary care of the holidays.  A friend who now is married invites her to stay with them.  The last of her Christmas shopping is done, she helps with the meals, and they attend church services.

It is a heart warming story of friendship and neighborliness.  I enjoyed the book.