Torn from the Headlines

Seen in this week's edition of The Glengarry News. (Click to enlarge.)
We're all ready for Art Fayre to be held on Saturday and Sunday at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan. I'm looking forward to it.

Birthday Sweets

A gang of us worked at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan yesterday to hang the Art Fayre show which will be held this weekend. Two surprise goodies were in store for me. Jennifer, the curator of the Museum pulled out a tin of oatmeal-chocolate cookies baked especially for the occasion.


Barb baked this fabulous cake and I shared it with Flip and Fran who were also hanging the show.


What fun! Great birthday.

Happy Birthday to Me!

June 10th is my favourite day of the year...always fun.


But is it really cool to make my own cake?

The Way We Were

Over the weekend, I had a 25th reunion with the wonderful folks I used to work with in the art room at Karn & Garber Printers and Lithographers, Toronto. Many of us hadn't seen each other for twenty five years. It was a fantastic evening. And we haven't changed a bit!

Art Fayre 2009

Next Saturday and Sunday (June 13 & 14) is the third annual Art Fayre, to be held at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan. I am showing my painted ceramics along with sixteen other local artists including fellow bloggers Fran Bailey, Marlana Carnett,and Natalie Rowe. It's open both days from 1-5 p.m. If you need directions, let me know.

Pine Siskin

This little guy let me get fairly close to him to take his photo...and then flew away. Lucky my cats are all indoor critters!

Beth Mueller Ceramics

It seems the only place I can put cut flowers these days is in the bathroom. The cats, especially Oreo, love to eat them and knock over the vase when I have it on the kitchen table. They seem to pretty much ignore the flowers if they're in the bathroom.
My nephew bought me these funky ceramics by Beth Mueller from the gift shop at the Gardiner Ceramics Museum in Toronto last year. We went to the museum together and I admired these pieces in the shop. He went back later and surprised me with them in December. What a nephew, eh?
To see more of Beth Mueller's work, click here.

Chilly Eggs

It's been a very cold spring here. I've heard it referred to as "May-vember" and now "June-uary." Mother robin better sit tight on these eggs so they stay warm.

Poutine Chronicles 2009 (Part 1)

You know that summer is approaching when you stop at a local chip stand for lunch. I had an urge for a poutine and if you've never had one, you have to try this drippy, messy dish. Fries topped with cheese curds and gravy.


Richard and I lunched in St. Eugene at the Restaurant Au Coin and ordered a medium to share.


It was too cold and windy to eat outside at the picnic tables so we indulged in the car. Not exactly health food, I know, but man-oh-man, was it ever yummy!
Rating on the poutine scale: Four curds (out of 5).

Metallic ATCs

Our wonderful artist trading card group met last Saturday for our monthly trade in Dunvegan. I got some really creative cards in return for this set that I made called "Metallics." I cut some shapes out of fun foam using scissors (that cut a pattern on the edge) and glued those shapes to an ATC-sized card. Then I covered the whole card with metallic paint. I let it dry and rubberstamped the card with a swirl stamp and glued a metal letter to it.
I found the technique in Bernie Berlin's Artist Trading Card Workshop, a book full of interesting techniques. Bernie also runs a shelter called A Place to Bark and Meow. She saves hundreds of animals every year. To see more, click here.

Bleeding Hearts & Forget-Me-Nots

It's pretty thrilling when the perennials, which have braved a cold, hard winter, start to bloom in the garden. Here are some English violets my friend Peggi gave me years ago.


My Solomon's Seal, which prefers a shady spot, has really taken off this year.


A small bush of choke cherries decided to burst into bloom a few days ago. I hope I can get my hands on the fruit before the birds but I doubt it.


My forget-me-nots are just adorable and look so happy.


I think they're pretty happy too as they are starting to pop out of the garden and spread onto my lawn.


And here is a string of bleeding hearts. Violets, Forget-me-nots, and Bleeding hearts are reminiscent of Victorian times. Break out the white gloves. Tea and crumpets anyone?

It's Finally Sunny!

Click to enlarge.
It's been raining for the past few days but the sun has finally decided to peek out. I guess the gardens really do need the rain and it's still spring so what can I expect? Here's the fabulous centre spread in the summer issue of ATC Quarterly. It's one of my favourites...

Walk on the Glengarry Trails

The other day my friend Peggi and I went for a walk on the Glengarry Trails, about 10 minutes from my house.


There are a series of trails and boardwalks that go around the Garry Fen, a small body of water surrounded moslty by peat moss and water plants.


On the other side of the boardwalk, there are inlets of water where muskrats and ducks can travel.


There are also pitcher plants, this one getting ready to bloom. This plant is a carnivore and it waits for an unsuspecting insect to get trapped in the liquid contained in the "pitcher." Lunch!


Lovely marsh marigolds which as their name implies only grow in wetlands.


There are all kinds of blooming sedge grasses growing in little clumps around the boardwalk.


Wild ginger was in bloom but the these burgundy flowers are difficult to see as they bloom very low on the plant, practically touching the ground.


My favourite! Wintergreen berries. One crunch and you know why Mr. Wrigley made gum out of these.

Fusion Food?

The other night we fired up the barbecue and threw on a few hot dogs. Richard also grilled up some Greek cheese which has to be cooked just right -- not too hot or it melts through the grills. Meanwhile inside I was frying up the last batch of morel mushrooms.


Richard decided to create the ultimate shiskabob: wiener, morel, hot pepper ring, grilled cheese.