Sylvia's Simple Shots

I am so enjoying the sunrises from this new place.  I want to take pictures nearly every morning.

There were some very sunless days last week when the snow came that I am appreciating the sun.

There's been a lot of stuff to deal with this week. Problem solving 101.

The black shelf in the craft room was stacked to the ceiling with envelope boxes filled with craft supplies which is not great for air circulation. The iris cases at 15 inches in the closet were difficult to remove with the door open.

Solution: Move the iris cases to the black shelf in the room which provides air circulation. 

Move the envelope boxes to the black shelf in the closet as they are 11 inches deep.  

It is easy to remove the envelope boxes from the closet shelf with the space available with the door open.  I took the time to label all the boxes as well so that things are easier to find. 

I also looked at the contents and emptied 2 of the envelope boxes in hopes that they would all fit in the closet.   As you can see there is still one on the shelf with the iris cases.  Purging is a difficult process and I am grateful I have accepted the limited space in this new place.

That works so much better.

There was room on top of the die cut station to expand so I added a plastic shelf.  Too bad I don't have another wooden shoe shelf. I will work on that. 

The shelf was barely tall enough to have the red baskets under it.  They hold thin dies so they are quite heavy. I needed to extend the height of the shelf a bit.  I immediately thought bottle caps but a trip to the parkade where we collect returnables found all the bins empty!  Plan B.  

I chose Gutterman sewing thread spools that come apart.  I was able to put the one piece from the bottom of the leg and put the small piece in the leg from the top.  I used the dowel to reconnect the pieces inside the leg.

It is good that I did not have to cut the spools so when another shelf comes I can just take this solution apart and return the spools to the sewing desk.

Problem solving every day of the week it seems.

I finished this book this week. Always Dakota by Debbie Macomber.

It takes place in Buffalo Valley, North Dakota. The place is growing, businesses are opening, and people are moving in.  It is becoming a good place to live. 

Stalled lives are moving forward. 

Rancher Margaret Clemens loses her father and marries the man of her dreams, Matt Eilers.  Town folks are not so sure.  Two unplanned pregnancies with Matt in the middle. What to do?

There was a lot of stress in this story which did not help with my super busy week. 

I see that this is the last in a trilogy.  I may look for the first 2 books.

My home phone was out from the 06 to the 10th. It took 75 minutes of my 100 monthly minutes to go through the hoops to diagnose the problem with my provider.  Once customer service did all they could they transferred me to technical support and indicated the wait was 45 minutes but not to hang up.  Luckily it was about 30 minutes when the person answered.  Then there was more checks to take place, more time on hold while that was done.  Then we will try some else and please hold. 

Finally, it was determined that a service call would be necessary.  It was booked for Monday, Nov 10th. I would be getting a text. I received at least 1 text a day for the following 4 days.  I am sure they see  it as customer service but it seemed excessive to me.  I wonder how many appts are cancelled.

Another Patrick Taylor books read this week.  An Irish Country Family by Patrick Taylor.  There are just a few I have not read.  It's like meeting up with family. 

We are back with Doctors Fingal O'Reilly and Barry Laverty in Ballybucklebo in County Down, Ireland. It's was focused on Barry and his years in medical school and internship at the hospital and then his time at medical practice on Main Street. 

He and Sue are frustrated when conceiving a child has proved more difficult than anticipated.  Tests and schedules take over the fun of procreating.   Donal, Julie and the kiddies finally return to their cottage which had a fire a while back.

A story about neighbours helping neighbours. Finlay steps in when a man proves aggressive with Alice a local shop keeper.

Many folks pitched in at the rebuild of the cottage. 

Support comes for Doctor Emer who is temporarily working in the practice. Fingal and Kitty are happily married and looking to slow down.

I found a new to me YouTube channel. Laura Kampf is a DIYer all the way.  She is handy with all the tools - wood and metal.  Her passion is to prevent items hitting the landfill and making something useful with them. She makes useful scultpures - suitcases, lamps, furniture and much more.

I worked on a project this week to solve an issue that has been bothering me.

When I moved in there was a 2x4 piece of wood in the slide of the patio door.   It serves the purpose of making sure that the door can not be opened from the outside.  Great.

It is heavy, stamped with numbers, scuffed up and not pretty at all.

After considering just replacing it I decided that I should use what I have.  I chose to trim it down a bit but with only a hand saw the work was cut out for me.

It took 1.5 hours with 3 breaks to get it cut through.  Again, those clamps proved invaluable.  Once cut let us make it pretty.  I was going to paint it but did not really have too many choices.

In the end I chose Tung Oil was chosen. It fits in with the pine in the room and is good looking.

I had a trip out of town this week where I was away for 2 days to visit my sister, have lunch with her kids and grandkids as we celebrated a grandson's birthday.

I took the opportunity to sort through the rest of the boxes I had stored at her house since 2022.

This was my photo studio stuff mostly which of course needs to be scaled down significantly. I put aside everything that was really easy to decide and we took a large box to the second hand store on Saturday/

I do have boxes in the car that need to come in and the harder decisions will have to be made.  At least, it all here and I can move on.

A zuchinni chocolate cake using the recipe my other sister used for the cake at my house warming.

His cousin decorated the cake and there were candles which were lit and blown out all at once.

He is becoming a tall and a very good teenager.

Lunch was pizza on their new expandable table set up in their dining room.

Busy Busy Busy!

Sylvia' s Simple Shots

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss was read this week. My brother-in-law lent me this book as he thought I would enjoy it. 

This is the second book in the The Kingkiller Chronicle Trilogy.

The story is set in a fictional continent Temerant. The hero is the renowned Kvothe: an unequaled sword fighter, magician, and musician, rumored to have killed a king—earning the title Kingkiller. We learn about his early childhood where is loved, nurtured and educated by his parents and wise ones. When he is eleven he returns from the woods to find his parents and the full troupe killed by the evil Chandrian.  He survives on the streets. He is inspired to join the University to gain access to historical texts which may lead him to the Chandrian. He hones his magical skills, explores the subterranean areas below, makes friends and enemies.

During his time at the University he earns money playing his lute at the inn the town. He earns financial support based on his achievements. Denna, a musician, attracts his attention but she moves around a lot so a pursuit commences.  An excellent read.

I am so glad to be home! I have been away for 8 weeks while the asbestos was abated, the kitchen cupboards were rebuilt, the bathroom vanity was replaced and a bunch of painting and floor laying has been accomplished.

Things regular use and maintenance to operate properly. 

I got home to find the shower spewing water where it should not be.   I had to have a bath the first day, not my favorite.

I headed to the Home Depot where the fellows have gotten to know me pretty well.  This time I found the right washer and some Teflon tape to seal the connection.

Added the washer, wrapped tape on the threads and screwed the shower head back on to supply pipe.

Ah! The shower is back in operation.

I take showers all the time.  

A bath for me is when I have sore muscles and they need a soak to feel better.  I likely have 1-3 baths a year.

After making puzzles in my temporary accommodations I asked my self where I would have space to keep an unfinished puzzle.

My sister suggested a puzzle board on the dining room table.  A good idea.

I headed back to my favorite DIY - Home Depot and bought a piece of hard board cut at the store to be the exact size of the table top.

Generally, I keep a table cloth on the table so the board and puzzle can hide under there with no problem.

We had a party!

One of my sister's celebrate a big 0 birthday and invited family and friends to celebrate with her.

It was a great time to visit with extended family.

The food was great and company wonderful.  I was fortunate that one sister brought me and another sister brought me home.

I am grateful for the supper as I face getting my place back to a place where I can live again.

Things which were hastily packed will need to be unpacked and reorganized.

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

I found this scene interesting on my walk the other day.  The sleek glass window is part of an addition to the back of the old historic building.

The brick wall of the old building was reflected in the full glass wall next to it.  This was just fine.

The on second glance I would see the white chairs in the office on the second floor in the brick wall. 

It was an interesting view of new and old and unusual all at once.

This the third book in the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton.  C is for Corpse. 

Kinsey is a wonderful character which I enjoy spending time with.  This is earlier in the series compared to books I have read which were written with her and her career having been fleshed out a bit more.

This was a small hardcover book so I think shorter in length that of the others I've read.  I have V sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.

Bobby Callahan feels he is in danger. But since his accident and head injury there are pieces of his past that gone. Meeting Kinsey at the gym he decides to hire her to get to the bottom of the mystery of who is trying to kill him.  There is a small red book that may hold a clue but Bobby do not remember who he gave it to for safe keeping. His part time job required him to spend time at an old building on the outskirts of town. It was where archived medical records were kept and a back up for the morgue so it was a bit of a creepy place.  Very shortly after Bobby hires Kinsey he dies in a car accident.  Most folks assume that all interest in the suspicions would be dropped but Kinsey means to see her job done.  

There are twists and turns but eventually the truth comes out and the reason Bobby was killed becomes clear.

My sister and my niece both have great gardens so I came home with a couple of containers of beautiful veggies and fruit.

I'm so glad that my niece's new house has yielded a much better gardening experience for her.  Things are blooming, growing and producing so she is thrilled.

The little tomatoes were delicious.  The new potatoes were enjoyed with onions, mushrooms and sour cream.

Apples were picked by my sister's friend.  She makes canned fruit compote for her breakfasts.

Love garden cucumbers.

The birthday celebration was short but wonderful with seeing people I have not seen in a while. She did not have a great variety of numbers in her stash so her Dad converted her age into Binary.  

That picture will likely raise questions when her grandchildren wonder was grandmas ever 1000 years old.

The black and white Tuxedo cake was delicious and just the right size.

I went to use my sewing machine other day and it looked like it did not work because I turned the switch and no light came on.   It took a minute to figure out it was just the light bulb. I completed the small project without the light.

Off the Fabricland to find a replacement and thank goodness I brought the old one with me because I would have assumed that it was the screw type but it was not.

Now there was the option to buy an LED version of the twist in type for twice the price of the incandescent bulb but likely will last 10 years or so.  I bought the new technology.

I finished this book this morning.  I was feeling exhausted with the driving last week, the trip out of town on Sunday and discouraging news about my place on a couple of fronts.

I just wanted to escape for a bit.

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks was a good book.  I don't like how the relationships in his books seem to whirlwind romances.   But that aside, this was a very good story.

Travis Parker and Gabby Holland are neighbours.  She is new to the town and misses her friends.  Travis steps into the gap and the rest is predictable set of events until the accident.

The question is "How far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?"  Travis make the right choice as difficult as it was for him and his children.

I would recommend the book as it raises questions which need to be pondered.

I am loving the sunflowers everywhere.  It seems to be a good year for them.

My nieces flowers in the front flower bed are 10 feet tall but with very small seed heads.  They may have been competing with the cherry tree for light

This one was taken at the community garden where they are significantly tall as well.

The honey bees were having a good time gathering food.

I expect this head will yield much food for birds later in the season.

Have a good week.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I was up early after the rain the day before and captured these bright chrysanthemums.  I loved the beautiful rain drops on these yellow petals.

They are bunched together in a pot and I managed to find a good angle on this particular one.

Chrysanthemums are wonderful fall flowers.

We really needed the two days of rain and the roads had puddles.

I found robins having fun splish and splashing in the puddles.

McSweeney's began in 1998 as a literary journal, edited by Dave Eggers, that published only works rejected from other magazines. But after the first issue, the journal began to publish pieces written with McSweeney's in mind. Soon after, McSweeney's attracted works from some of the finest writers in the country, including David Foster Wallace, Ann Cummins, William T. Vollmann, and many new talents.

Today, McSweeney's has grown to be one of the country's best and largest-circulation literary journals. The journal is committed to finding new voices, publishing work of gifted but underappreciated writers, and pushing the literary form forward at all times.

McSweeney's publishes on a roughly quarterly schedule, and each issue is markedly different from its predecessors in terms of design and editorial focus.

Issue 15 is also known as the "Icelandic Issue." Printed in Iceland, half of the stories are written by actual Icelandic writers.

I found many of the stories out there.  Love the book art.

I placed in second place in the photography category in the Allied Arts Council Open Art Competition. Check on line shows here.

This shot was taken for the Flickr Weekly Theme Challenge of "centered".

I stacked my vintage White Regency by Myott Meakin dinnerware.  They were placed on a black granite 12x12 inch tile and lit from directly above.

I had to take the shot from direct above as well so placing my tripod and camera was challenging.

I just love the swirls in these plates, saucers and tea cup.

Very happy with this shot and the win.

Today, was the last day of advanced polls. I took advantage of the advanced polls and got my walk in at the same time in the middle of the afternoon.

There was hand sanitizer, plexiglass barriers between me and the check in persons, and there was no one in line.  It took about 3 minutes.  Love it!

It's good to live in a democratic country where I can exercise my right to vote for the leaders of our country.

I found this fox tail on my early morning walk this week.  

I love how the seed head is highlighted against the out of focus background.

The sun was offering wonderful light for this great shot.

This was my nieces birthday cake made by my sister. 

She had a jelly roll cake with oat flour which makes it gluten free.  

The frosting was spectacular.  It is a whipped cream cheese and cream icing topped with coconut.

It draped so beautifully over the layered cake.  The jelly roll layers had vanilla pudding between the layers.  

It is a very versatile dessert because the flavor between the layers could be fruit, chocolate, jam, or jelly.   The coconut could be sprinkles, silver balls, or chocolate curls. 

I made gluten free pancakes for breakfast Sunday morning.  First, Evans cherries, second fresh peaches and the last good old Canadian Maple Syrup.

They were yummy!

The Flickr Macro Monday challenge this week was "smell".  Food, perfume, and nature provide so many options for this challenge.  You can check out my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics) for the shot I submitted.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #147

and

Mersad who hosts Through my Lens #304

Recent Photos

I went to see Mom & Dad this week to celebrate Dad's 90th birthday. 

There was 7 of us for lunch then we headed to their place of chocolate cake.  My sister made the cake which was healthy with zuchinni and bran.  We had fresh fruit and some whipped cream to top off the cake. 

It was great to see them and Dad will have had 3 celebrations before the week is done.

Champagne was had with their friends on Friday. 

The large nativity is up with the new to me Avon Nativity figures my sister found at a thrift shop.  I connected with her at Dad's birthday. 

I got the stable last year when my niece spotted at a thrift shop.  It needed a lot of cleaning but it looks great.

I added some gold fabric to represent straw, put stars in the sky, the fused glass star I bought at the Art Gallery Christmas Store last year.  Perfect size.  Mercury glass trees in the background.

I think I could use a couple of the animals (donkey and or oxen) from the Avon set.  I will keep my eye out during the year. 

The round Silent Night ornament was purchased at the craft sale I was part of 2 weeks ago.  Works well here!

I cleared the telephone table from the clutter and it is sitting where I can see if often.

I bought a soapstone card holder at the reception at the Art Gallery on Saturday night.  I like support other artist as I would like their support for my products.

I love the cool green outside against the warm colors on the inside of the stone.

I plan on using it in my photography to add words easily.

Love the quote from Wayne Dyer that was included with the holder.

Sharing with Angie at Letting Go the Bay Leaf who hosts Mosaic Monday #57

This Week in photos!

I had an Easter Bunny at my place at the breakfast table Sunday morning.

Milk chocolate my favorite and in such a cute shape.

The bell around his neck actually jingles. Way too cool.

I shared it around the table and had  the left overs with my supper last night.

I always bring flowers to Mom for Easter so those are the pink tulips.  They will open later this week. There was a basket of mums on the table and see the blue bunny hiding amongst the blooms.

There was a little boy celebrating his 2nd birthday on Saturday.

His Mom had made this beautiful cake.  The train actually ran around the cake on the track.  Very cool!

The fondant decorations was very well done.  Hills, mountains, gulls, flowers, a big sun were all around the cake.  Chocolate cake was great.

I stopped to take a photo of these stands of trees along the highway.  They soon will lose their silhouettes and but leaf covered.  It was early evening and the sky was starting to be multicolored.


The theme for Macro Monday this week was "bottle cap". We could photograph anything which would seal a bottle.

This is a glass stopper for a glass perfume bottle.

I added some bokeh in the background.  You can check Flickr here.  My photos here.

Sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday and Mersad who hosts Through my Lens.