A Weekend in Enderby

The stunned bird seamed to pose for the camera.

I stepped out onto the back porch, Steve was not were I thought he would be, he carefully walked from the other side of the house, with his arms in front of him, a small bird sat cupped in his hands. In that moment we all looked stunned. The bird had flown into the kitchen window, it took about 10 minuets for the bird to fly away into the cedars and beyond.  

Steve nursing the stunned bird.

I cleaned up the grape vine bed. The sweet peas were dragging the grape vine down, it was mostly vine, few flowers. The treasure was the pods that had popped their seeds and twisted up with small grape vine tendrils wrapped around the tips. 

Another surprise, the plum is blossoming again.

Bouquet of the sweet peas and a bit of grape vine. 

Trina March playing "Snifty Snakes". Trina came by with her Mom, sister and grand daughter on Saturday afternoon. We pulled out the game "Snifty Snakes" and we played the game for the first time. Steve has had this game kicking around for years, he just thought it was funny. The game box had a Burnaby BC address on it, Trina's mom was raised in Burnaby and had a games manufacture in the neighborhood, the one that made "Snifty Snakes". Fun was had by all. 

You Took A Photo of What?

Enderby had a party downtown on August 28th. Cliff Avenue was lined with classic cars and what did I take a picture of, the bottle depot with an orange sky above it. It was still smoky on Friday, which gave the rich colors in the sky.We enjoyed our evening with friends from afar and close by. 

If I have no friend to walk with, I take pictures of things in the yard, mostly flowers, shadows on fences can be pretty interesting, to this artistic mind.

Latest Creations

My latest creations are ready for the Arts Festival! They are made with three layers of laminated wood, some are plan, some are macrame with stones and some I painted. Now to finish packing for tomorrow. The festival starts at 9:00 am Saturday July 25th 2015. The rain we have been asking for is upon us, I will embrace the challenge of "vending in the rain". Hope you can make it!

Reasons to Celebrate!

Today's bouquet 

I was on a roll, heading into my 119th day of no seizures, every day was a celebration. The last two years from January to June I have had 8 seizures in those time periods, each. This year 2015 from January to June I've had three seizures, less than half, more reason to celebrate. Friday the 10th of July my friend Angie and I were heading to the Farmers Market, I didn't make it, a tonic-clonic seizure overcame me in front of the church on Mill Ave. My friend Karina just happened to be there and a woman named Kathy came along with water and drove Angie and I to my place, all two blocks that I could not manage with a twisted up ankle, short circuit of the brain and the platform sandals that added to the twisted ankle. Today is Monday and I am still a bit sore, when I have a seizure like that my whole body is tense like a cramp and it can be sore for days. Flailing around on the sidewalk I  scraped up my ankle and elbow, even tho a blanket  and coat were placed under me, with great difficulty I can only imagine.

As I go into a seizure I always have a profound awareness  of something we all strive to understand about life. In those brief moments I can only watch and wonder as I slip away falling in and out of reality. When it is over and I wake from the exhaustion of it all, it's gone, lost to my confused brain waiting for the memories of the last hour to slowly return.

At 41 Celsius for days, my body was stressed and the neighbors love whatever it is that spews forth chemical perfumes which seam to expand in the heat  and permeate my house, meaning I can not leave my windows open at night or I am inundated with chemical perfumes that make me ill. The smell sticks in my nose and it won't go away. The neighbors singing doesn't bother me but most of the time he is cursing what ever is in front of him, yelling for his wife or his son, yelling at the many dogs just being dogs,  he doesn't seam to be able to do anything with out cursing , long streams of potty mouth. Stressful.

The bracelets getting a coat of Varathane.

I have been getting ready for the Art's Festival, working on some wooden bracelets, sometimes my ideas feel like a train wreck spewing out of my brain, with so many ideas I will have many projects I will be working on in a day. The race is now on, what will I finish in time for the Art's Festival? I lost the last three days. Lucky I have a lot of art to fill up my booth not just the bracelets.

http://enderbyartscouncil.ca/arts.html

July 25th downtown Enderby hope to see you there!

A "Victoria Day" in the Garden, 2015

Relaxing in the shade by the plum tree, with the cliffs being a spectacular view.

Steve and I spent Victoria Day working and playing in the garden, we were very sore by the end of that beautiful day.

Mattie camouflaged in the sun.

Hosta of brilliance with dying tulips.

Bells hang from the porch.

Just stopped to chit chat and chit chat, chit chat and chit chat.

Steve concentrating on taking off the curled leaves that have a fungus on them, common to peach trees.

Cool place to sit and read beside the plum tree.

Karen taking a brake from planting.

Strawberries, patiently waiting for the first bit.

Peony.

A Few of the Artist's at the Quaaout Lodge Art Festival

Riley Charters setting up her paintings, cards and jewelry. watch your step as you step into the bridge. Dave McKeown is in a booth behind Riley with his dream catchers, drums, beading and more.

Nelson Leon, I made the mistake of telling him he looked so cute, I had to take it back and say how manly he was, loved the colors,  he was the MC and singer, drummer.

Alisa Nielsen sparkled as much as her lovely glass work. Spirit Wolf Design.

Maynard McRae sits proud among the colorful bead work produced by Maynard and Janie. Sun Eagle Bead work & Designs.

Shirley Babcock, loving what she does.

It was difficult getting close to Melissa Nasby's booth, her felting was extraordinary. Soul Fiber Studio.

Dewey Smith, with his carving tools laid out on the table, he carves away at a mask.  The totem smiles and smirks for the camera.

Rikki Kooy modeling her designer vest. Spirit Elk Design Consulting.

Meagan Louis, such a beauty, I hope one day I see her wearing her beautiful bead work, I can imagine the amazement.

Lisa C. Dunphy with her painted landscapes of bright, bold colors.

Cam, Bear Skin Art & Design, native prints and apparel.

I was thankful to Bill Lowe for taking the time to call and tell me about this show, I would have enjoyed staying if we could have, the lodge was beautiful. Visiting with Riley and Bill was a inspiring. The lunch was good and sitting across from us was Hilary and her husband, Hilary and I sing in a Bulgarian folk choir together. The Quaaout Lodge was a wonderful setting for this art festival, now I know where it is next time they have an event I may be interested in. Just not the Golf.

Frustration!

I spent most of yesterday morning working on a post, about the art event at Quaaout Lodge, that Steve and  I attended on April 18, 2015, the post went wrong and disappeared. I will try again another day. It was wonderful to see Bill and Riley!

Riley Charters and Karen Durant, the women in the painting is in my hair, looking for dragonfly's.

The Five of Us

Steve Fultz on guitar, Karen Durant, Jackie Rudsvick, Mimi Kim, Joyce Taguchi, at Mimi's Tearoom March 26, 2015.

April 10th "River Talk" www.enderbyrivertalk.com finally came out and this is the picture on page 13 that Jette Russell took. Thank you Jette what a great picture of the  five of us!

International Purple Day for Epilepsy

I would like to thank Cassidy Megan, founder of Purple day, for bringing us together. Without Purple day I might not have had the courage to put together the “Dessert and Entertainment” at Mimi’s Tearoom, in Enderby BC. We had four women vocalists, one a piano player, and my husband Steve on guitar. I emceed the event weaving information about Epilepsy between music interludes. We sang jazz tunes, spirituals, show tunes and opera. The tearoom has seating for fifty people and we were sold out; we could have sold another 20 tickets, but that would exceed the fire regulations. Next year we will be in a bigger venue.

Jackie sang and bravely told us about her mother who had epilepsy and how hard it was growing up with the bulling of her mom, being called a drunkard and more. She was so pleased to hear what we were doing to bring about awareness. They had nothing like this in the 80’s. We touch so many lives.

The event gave me strength. The audience was glowing with smiles; they enjoyed the music and the information. Some of the feedback was “What an amazing evening, all that talent in little Enderby.”  “You did well.” “What a fun night.”

I shared a bit of my story.

I have been living with Epilepsy for approximately 20 years and didn’t know it, until 2013 when I started having Tonic Clonic or Grand Mal seizures. The first  few seizures in the mid 90’s were more like visions, the most interesting was the night I went to bed and suddenly I was in outer space. My thoughts were “I’m not asleep how can I be dreaming, what is this and where am I?” It was amazing. Floating in space with me was a circle of hands; I could float down to the circle and feel secure and safe inside the circle or float away and watch it spinning around.

 It left such an impression I had to draw it. With Scottish-Irish as part of my ancestry I drew the circle of hands with Celtic knots. I silkscreened it to garments, put it on our wedding stationary. The circle of hands has become a symbol of the support system of family, friends and community that help me through my days.  Recently I had the circle of hands printed onto greeting cards, I have them for sale $4 each or three for $10.

For me Purple Day is not just about bringing awareness for Epilepsy, it is also about saying thank you to family, friends and community for their support, this difficult journey called epilepsy would be much harder without them. Your support and understanding helps me and others with epilepsy get through our days, thank you.

Mimi finished with Phantom of the Opera’s “Think of Me”; what a voice she has. Thank you to Mimi for your songs and piano work, her husband Jong and Mimi for the venue, the tea and yummy dessert’s, young Christian for donating cookies, Joyce for song, Steve for guitar, Jackie for song and the story of her mom, Donlea and Tom for greeting and taking the tickets at the doors.

If you think someone is having a seizure; stay calm, let the seizure take its course, speak calmly and protect them from dangers.

For more information check out www.epilepsymatters.com

Comments are welcome

Taking 2014 into 2015

Where has the year gone...it's already January 11th! My daughter Yolanda, her husband Chris, their dog Scout, and my sister Jessica all came to Enderby on Christmas day from Vancouver and Abbotsford. What a wonderful time we had laughing, cooking, eating, playing cards, and walking the dogs. Jessica was very curious about the fact that Sir Anthony Hopkins had recently been in Enderby starring in the movie "Go With Me". The last day of the visit we all headed down to the D&E Diner for a delicious lunch. Jessica's first question to Heather (one of the D&E's owners), was where did Anthony Hopkins sit? She stood in that space and absorbed his energy. 

Chris, Yolanda, Jessica and Steve; a booth for six at the D&E Diner.

We had a big snowfall while they were here, or so we thought, the BIG snow was the weekend after they left, with no way to get out of our driveway for two days, no work, no school, many hours of shoveling and early mornings with a constant be-hp, be-hp, be-hp, of heavy equipment moving snow around. We had so much snow we didn't know where to put it. Getting beyond the volume of snow, the world of snow and ice fascinated my creative nature and the pristine beauty was everywhere.

Having fun with the settings on my new camera. 

This is a frozen puddle made by a car tire, I have never seen ice freezing in the shape of a snow flake.

Before we read the rules, we were ending up with too many cards in our hands.

The big snow, over a two day period we had 50 cm of snow. This is our side gate.

The back of our house, with Mattie sitting on the porch. Steve knocked the many snow piles off the plum tree. A lot of trees lost branches and some communities lost power.

The Enderby Cliffs, behind a snow cone piled on a sunflower.

Dried Echinacea flower and ice.

A dogs eye view, Mattie patiently waiting for us to finish shoveling the snow, so we can go for a walk, if we can.

Pear Pie, paper, Brandy Beans and holiday cards, what piles up on your table?

This pear pie I made for the gathering of the Balkan choir, wonderful time eating, socializing and singing!

Me and my camera. 

January 11, 2015 Shuswap River a misty Enderby Cliffs and the bridge.