Still Waiting - You Too?

"Spring has returned. The earth is like a child that knows poems. " -- Rainer Maria Rilke 

"Spring is when life's alive in everything." -- Christina Rossetti 

"If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall." -- Nadine Stair

Nothing seems to help today - my longing to see the end of the snow is so intense. The farmer has just cleared our long driveway of drifts so we can drive out to the road tomorrow so that should help.  I'm so ready for the sights, sounds and smells of spring! 

These next six, seven or eight weeks until spring arrives will seem longer than all the winter months combined.  Its time to do something constructive! 

Shall I open that box of chocolate turtles from Christmas?  Yes - I think they might help.... 

And I'll look through my photos of Paris in the Springtime - once upon a time... it was chilly but wonderful to be there!

I'll link to Mary's Mosaic Monday - a great place to visit... Thank you for visiting me here.
Click to enlarge photos or my Springtime Mosaic.

One Year Already?

When I think back a year, I wonder how I actually discovered that it would be possible for me to create my own blog.  The only blog I'd happened upon linked me to my hometown of Victoria BC.
Each day I  checked Victoria Daily Photo and it's still a  favorite place to visit.

One day I stumbled upon Mary's Little Red House and seeing the beautiful mosaics on her blog made me want to make my own.  I followed her tutorial and slowly but surely learned about making mosaics and gradually about blogging.  It took a while but I was amazed that I could figure out things for the most part, by myself.  It was such a learning process - but a fascinating one at the same time.

Do you remember what it was like as a child to drive by houses at night?  I loved looking through the lit windows and seeing what the homes looked like inside.  I've always enjoyed the people I've met on airplanes and trains.  Everyone has a story and I really enjoy reading the blogs that tell a short story  whether in words or pictures. It's been a fascinating journey this past year meeting fellow bloggers from different corners of the world.

Thanks to all of you who have visited my blog over the past year! I really do appreciate all your comments and have enjoyed reading your stories and seeing your lovely photos and mosaics.    I promise to try to keep in touch and look forward to seeing and hearing about the people, things and experiences that matter most to you.  Thanks for your inspiring posts, your very kind comments and for your friendship.
 
Today I would like to suggest a link to quality, free online music to listen to as you spend time blogging. In 1927  CKUA became Canada's first public radio broadcast.  Since then it has offered quality music to the people of Alberta and in 1996 it's became globally available online."Over the past 8 decades, CKUA has had the privilege of offering music ranging from classical, jazz, and folk, to blues and world beat." Click here to listen to CKUA and then just click on "Listen Live" and minimize.

Sunshine Always - Sheila

The Day Before...

Today is the first day of Spring as it is everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere.  Yesterday I was visiting my daughter so I wasn't here to see the beautiful hoar frost.  My son decided to take some pictures to show me the morning I missed.  I've combined his pictures in a mosaic to share with you here. Today on the first day of spring it's gray, windy and still white but the frost has melted off the trees. I hope that you have a lovely first day of spring wherever you are.


I'm joining others who will no doubt celebrate the first day of Spring at Mary's Mosaic Monday
I'll look forward to seeing their spring flowers. With any luck a month from now we might be seeing a more colorful world...Last year I really felt like Spring was here on June 2nd!

Irish Blessings

 
These are the things that decorate my buffet hutch today.
Best wishes to you today for a day filled with sunshine and music,
good conversation and a bit of "the Irish"  whether it be in spirit or spirits.
I'm listening to "Lord of the Dance" now and the sun is shining through my windows.
I'm going to get a cup of coffee and reread my journal of a week in Ireland.
'Twas lovely indeed!

 "May your days be as bright as the lakes of Killarney.

Your spirits be high as the Blue Irish sky, 

May you walk in the path 

Where the shamrocks are growin'

And blessings to you 

For a wonderful day!"

"Irish Blessings book,
published by Greenwich House, New York, 1983"

Irish Roots

My great great grandparents came to America in the 1800's.  His family left County Tyrone when he was a young child.  They stopped for a year in Philadelphia then settled in Iowa.  As a young man of twenty, Francis made his way across the continent and arrived in San Francisco during the height of the gold rush.  Margaret left her home in County Caven, Ireland in 1848, as a young woman of 18.  She sailed around Cape Horn on a journey of many months and she brought with her an Irish sea chest which contained her handwoven paisley coverlet and her pocket watch.

After meeting and marrying in San Francisco, Francis and Margaret made their way up the West Coast and settled on Orcas Island.   The Pig War on San Juan Island was an international boundary dispute between British North America and the United States. In 1859,  Frank Campbell decided he would rather live under British rule so he rowed his wife and infant daughter across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  They spent the night outside Fort Victoria before being allowed in at morning's light.  It wasn't long before he established a cigar shop in the corner of a saloon in downtown Victoria.  Men gathered to hear the latest news at Campbell's Corner and Frank kept them posted by writing the news of which ships were docking and birth and death notices on his board.

Click collages to enlarge

 "Genial Frank Campbell' was known for his generosity and friendliness and his shop remained a gathering place for a quarter of a century in early Victoria.

I feel extremely privileged to have been given these family treasures. My great great grandmother's chest is filled with old photographs and memories.  The top drawer folds down and serves as a writing desk.  Once opened, a wooden divider is removed and reveals a drawer and cubbyholes for letters.  The drawers are hand dovetailed and 5 different types of wood were used to construct the chest.  It's made in two sections and the top 3 drawers are placed on the bottom two which rest on sturdy ball shaped feet.  I'm not sure of the exact age of the sea chest - it may be close to 200 years old now but I know that it was used by my grandmother, my great grandmother and by my great great grandmother and it's been in my possession for almost twenty years.  It's only part of my Irish heritage.

Best wishes for a Happy St Patrick's Day!

I've just discovered Cuisine Kathleen's Annual St Patrick's Day Blog Hop.  For some great Irish recipes be sure to visit there.

I'm linking this post to Mary's Mosaic Monday - it's a great place to meet new friends!

Buena Sera

 
Last summer our good friends had their daughter's at their lakefront home. The sunset was so beautiful that night on June 19th.  My time in Italy has been wonderful and I've enjoyed the beauty of the countryside, the vistas, the flowers and vegetation.  Every day there's something new to see or experience.  Just thought I'd pop by to say hello.  I'm looking forward to sharing glimpses of our experiences here with all of you when I return to Canada.  Sunshine Always! Sheila

Birthday Flowers

I've been thinking of my Grandmothers and my Mother lately.  

Yesterday my Dutch grandmother would have been 125 years old.  

I was born three minutes after her birthday and when my mother told the nurses that they said they'd wished they'd known as they would have turned the clock back.  

My mother's birthday was just 4 days ago and she would have been 90 this year.  

My Canadian grandmother would have been celebrating her 120th birthday just 6 days before that.  

So I decided to pick some flowers from my virtual garden to celebrate all four birthdays.  

We were never  all together to celebrate our birthdays but if we had been 

there would have been flowers.