creative arts

i never imagined the little suckling born a mere 17 months ago would turn into a fingerpainting godzilla, crushing mere mortals with a glance an a hiccough! and yet, here we are.

the plan was a cute one...get thomas and esther together to paint up some goods. sarah and i would then cleverly transform these artworks into precious chistmas cards for those family members who might fall for those things...(grannies?)

well, i think a carpet cleaner is in order, but the kids are clean and shiny again! and the christmas cards are the store-bought kind after all.

spring clean up

wow, spring is an ugly/beautiful time here in ottawa...daily, rubbish and poo (dog?) are weathered out of the snowbanks, leaving little moraines of ick. ick. but hot damn, the sun feels good, and any wee green sprout looks like a bit of heaven! i think catnip is pushing up in our back garden...miao. a little black and white cat has also chosen to live back there somewhere. he has been eking quite a tough life out in the cold. we leave him bits of kibble now and then, but have lost hope of capturing him and getting him healthy; he is a street cat for sure, very stubborn.

and the sheen of dust i felt was "cosy" just last month just doesn't seem as charming. so it begins, the middling time of season, the great putting -to-rights. if i weren't so energized, it would be darn tiresome.

esther is now three seasons old, funny and curious, and she enjoys the new frequency of outings in the sun. she has a very cute squinty smile outdoors.

i have had two great food making bees with pals...one a pasta making spree, another of jamaican patties (http://www.fooddownunder.com/ recipe#139515) and spinach pies. good for the souls' belly.

sudsy times

it seems as though relatives may think alike, even if they are not twins. my brother, richard, and myself, have independently both decided to make soap for interest and gifting sake, his seemingly more sucessful than mine...i ended up with a sludgy and (expensive) failure. faulty scales and boundless enthusiasm may ahve been my problem. richard and i now live provinces apart, and he is certainly very methodical in his approach to such things....me, i had to restrain a very excited co-soaper from adding the kitchen sink to our mix. very fun, my adventure with fat and lye, what with some red wine and many cooks added to the mix, but sadly, goopy and harsh was the product. talked with him at length about the problems....should be able to clamber over them on next attempt...