A Glimpse of Italy

I always enjoy visiting Vee for her Note Card Party. I started making them years ago, after an early morning spring visit to an inspiring garden.  Those photos were so lovely that I wanted to share the beauty with others.  For a number of years I ordered a variety of prints from Costco, glued them on blank notecards purchased in sets of 50, stamped and signed each card and slipped each notecard into a plastic envelope.  I offered my note cards here and there in our little town and was pleased when they sold.  For the past 5 years I have used them exclusively for birthdays, weddings, and other occasions.  I've bundled them in packages of 5 or 6 and given them as gifts to family and friends.  It's wonderful to have a card store at home with a collection of cards.  Do you make and send your own cards?  If not, I encourage you to do so.  These choices were picked randomly but I hope to make a collection of Italian notecards since my stock is getting low.  Sunshine Always - Sheila

Painting With My Camera

 The days are longer here and the sun is sometimes glorious.  Over the Easter weekend it was warm enough to open the windows and let some fresh air in.  The snow has been settling into the fields and the driveway is bare and muddy. The wide paths that the farmer made with his old John Deere tractor across the grass to the front of the house have melted down to the grass. Our shovelled path to the cement pad in front of our garage is still icy and banked by a waist high tunnel of snow.  And the snow banks along the driveway are still icy mountains.  Today Environment Canada tells us there is a warning for freezing rain and snow overnight with a prediction of 5 to 20 cm of snow by Saturday.  That's not much really but on top of the six and a half months of accumulated snow it really seems a lot.  All we can do is wait for green grass and flowers but this year's weather is testing our patience.

Today I found some of the pictures I have edited in the past and thought I'd share them with you today.

 

Let me just say I'd rather be sitting beside my sister and brother in law as they fly to Maui today.

ALOHA!

P.S.  Lorrie from Fabric Paper Thread sent this quotation to me yesterday and I just laughed out loud.  Thanks Lorrie!  Sometimes one just has to put things in perspective...
""It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.

"And freezing."

"However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."

Hope Springs Etearnal...

Today is officially the first day of Spring but with six months of snow surrounding our home and covering our fields, one can only dream of how it will be in a couple of months. I had my neighbour over for tea yesterday and she was depressed after a recent trip to BC and a taste of what's to come.  The hard thing for us to face after a winter like this is that at this rate we dream of spring, summer and autumn days that will share just 6 months unless we are really lucky, but that can never be counted on.  Here in Northern Alberta the reality is that our spring is weeks and weeks away....hopefully we will see spring flowers popping up in May but they have been known to wait til June to make their appearance. I think these might make nice notecards to share with Vee and her friends.  Thanks for hosting your note card party once again Vee!  Its definitely a place to visit while I'm waiting for Spring to appear in all her finery!

Memories of Ireland

When I think of St Patrick's Day I remember hearing Irish music after landing at Shannon, Ireland while we were travelling by bus from Limerick to the small village of Adare. It was an ideal place to spend our first 3 nights in Ireland.  Adare's main street has a row of thatched cottages and the people there are hospitable and very friendly.
We made bus trips to Bunratty Castle where we explored the reconstructed historic village and enjoyed a medieval banquet. There we were entertained by classically trained singers and musicians.  Other memories include a jaunting horse car ride to Ross Castle in Killarney National Park.  I remember listening to the waitresses speak Gaelic in a tiny restaurant, and listening to teenagers tease each other as they rode home to Adare after a day of shopping in Limerick.
In Dublin we watched Irish dancing while enjoying Guiness and a pub meal in the Knightsbridge,  visiting Trinity and the National Gallery and shopping in Cleary's on O'Connell Street,and on Grafton Street.  We visited Malahide Castle, and were lucky enough to buy the last two tickets at The Gate Theatre to see "Dancing At Lughnasa". I'd like to remember more so will read my journal again before March 17th.  I'm dreaming of another trip to Ireland one of these years.  Happy St Patrick's Day to you and don't forget to wear a bit of green.
"Wherever you go and whatever you do 
may the luck of the Irish be there with you!"