White Christmas…a musical greeting card...

Last year our daughter was in Vancouver working on a live production of White Christmas for the second year in a row.  She and two of her friends were hired to lead a group of families who were celebrating at their annual Christmas party because the company wanted to create a video Christmas card.  So the filming was done at the outdoor Christmas Market and the result was delightful.  Listen to the group singing "White Christmas" by clicking here.  I love seeing all the ages participating together and it sure puts me in the mood for writing Christmas Cards. May your December days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be white!

If you would like to see some lovely collages stop by to see the mosaics that are at Mary's Little Red House.

 Have a great week!

Note Cards

Today it's time to visit Vee's Note Card Party.
Since I have started wrapping Christmas presents already I thought it would be a good idea to try making some Christmas note cards. Every year my sister's lovely Christmas "stitcheries" are the first things I hang to bring the spirit of Christmas into our home.
I've chosen my sister's handiwork to decorate the note card box that Vee suggested we make.

And inside the box are four notecards I might use to be included in the Christmas boxes I will be mailing to my family this year.

 A big thank you to Vee for the lovely notecards and autumn leaves she sent to me.  They arrived a couple of weeks ago and I will look forward to using them.  Thank you John, for drawing my name in Vee's unannounced surprise giveaway!  Thank you so much Vee.  I will enjoy using your cards.

Come for a walk...

Perhaps you'd enjoy a walk with me...

 A short walk along a trail from a dirt road leads to this pristine little lake close to our farm.

These pictures were taken a few years ago and bring back memories of how wonderful autumn is early in the season.  We have only leaves to rake now, although there are a few stragglers on the empty branches.

Geese and ducks love Canoe Lake at this time of year.  It's a magical place where not a single home or cabin is built.  If framed and mounted on card stock these prints might become note cards...do stop by Vee's to view the other choices for October's Note Card Party.  See you there...

Autumn Days

Hello again.  This is the time the summer's harvest is picked and carefully stored by home gardeners.  Our garden is always productive in one way or another and because I was minding our neighbour's garden while they travelled in the British Isles, I was lucky enough to be picking from two country gardens in September.  Ripe tomatoes, lettuce and green beans abounded just a mile or more down our road.  In contrast our tomatoes were still green here but have been picked and are safely stored in the cool room, to be eaten after they have ripened in the dark.

By far, our biggest success this year was the squash we grew; summer, spaghetti, hubbard and zucchini of course.  We didn't leave for summer visits to friends without one or two zucchini to tuck under their arms and once we took a boxful to be placed by the door for the other barbecue guests to take home with them.  Our local library had a table filled with zucchini for library patrons and even the grocery store had carts full with the sign " Free - help yourself" written above the giant zucchini.   Cucumbers, raspberries and carrots came home with us when we visited friends.
This summer's vegetable exchanges reminded me of our summers in BC's Okanagan Valley.  When our children visited friends they almost always returned home with a box of peaches or plums just as I was finished canning our peaches.  The summer our daughter was born, neighbours helped pick cherries, grapes and apples and our next door neighbour even made pickles and bottled grape juice for us while I was busy with the children.

We worked with neighbours to get the cherries picked and sent to market and celebrated holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter together. Do you find that gardening brings you closer to your neighbours ?  Isn't it a great experience?  We are lucky here on the farm to be able to experience gardening together with our family and neighbours.  Thanksgiving dinner is always such a great day - hope you enjoy the tasty turkey and traditions whether you celebrate it this month or next.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!