Christmas Wishes

Whether it's rabbits wearing hats, vines wrapped around trees, clouds drifting across the sky, sunbeams bouncing off the sea, paintings on window glass, berries sprouting from bare branches or birds roaming free, decorations abound. The world would be empty without nature's gifts mixed on Christmas with a bit of human creativity when lights are strung and memories unpacked, inspiring my poem at bottom of this post.

Years ago I took a picture (above) of my late sister's collection of shops and houses in the miniature idyllic town she created and displayed at her home. She had so loved the celebratory, renewal aspects of the Christmas season and was not a fan of hopeless despair. It's a quality I admired in her and I suspect one that others also share.

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United, Face Off Friday SKYWATCH and Saturday's Critters. 

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT

View From The Sixteenth Floor

A gloom sometimes hangs over Vancouver City, a happy place for many despite clouds.

The mugginess and drizzles that come this time of year suit my innermost self perfectly. This type of weather wraps around me like a cozy blanket.

Through the window of an office building downtown, I enjoyed the view from the sixteenth floor. North Shore Mountains (top photo) peeked behind a curtain of gray. I saw roofs of homes alongside ships afloat at False Creek, a narrow inlet in the city. 

Boats unmoored as well as technical issues with my computer and more had me reflecting that sometimes we don't know which direction to take so we stay put even when things feel a little wobbly ...  somewhat like Vancouver House appeared to be but was not. With its twisted design, the creative building stood out among other highrises.

I pondered which apartments bought by investors in this prime area sat empty at a time when affordable housing is hard to find. The B.C. government instigated a slight vacancy tax penalty to discourage such practices. The windows stared back at me blankly from buildings tall as trees cemented at the horizon.

From my window back home, clouds less grim appeared as the day came to a close. The picture below is of our pet who added joy to the holidays and has since passed away. Wishing all those who celebrate a Merry Christmas from our home to yours.

Explore more at SKYWATCH, My Corner of The World and Saturday's Critters. 

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

HOPE YOUR DAY SPARKLES

Letting Go & Flying Solo

Poof! The "magic" of daily life went splat when I fell, broke a few bones, including my wrist which ended up in a cast. The awkward painful days that followed made it clear that two hands functioning in tandem together is a beautiful ballet. With one hand doing the job of two, simple tasks became monumental chores, inspiring a poem.

Peeling a banana (no, I didn't slip on one, the culprit was sea kelp) or opening packaging single-handed is ridiculously tricky and requires significant creativity. Immobility left holiday decorations mostly unpacked. One tiny tree filled the gap by being extra glitzy. When the cast was removed, I learned that the sleepy bones and tendons beneath resisted waking, aching at each new call to action. Thankfully, the body wants to heal but it is a slow process of exercising that restores movement. 

Streams of lovely light seeped in to grace the room like a soothing balm when I was housebound. With one hand to take pictures I captured sights outside my windows.

These chubby birds visit my holly tree each winter. Sometimes the hungry pluck of a berry looked more like the donning of Rudolph's red nose.

Lucky for them they arrived one day ahead of a massive overnight snowfall.

It was time for planes to get grounded, cars to stay parked ...

and for sledders to slide down the hilly slippery streets.

After creating fun but mostly havoc for travelers, flakes melted in the rain. The new year with its aura of freshness had me thinking that the foolish destructive acts of the past also could wash away and that life might progress in wiser directions. We have all seen how sometimes out of adversity wonderful things emerge in miraculous ways. 

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United, SKYWATCH, Saturday's Critters and Mosaic Monday. 

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT

Season Of Enchantments & A Christmas Wish

 
When he was a boy, my nephew carved several wooden reindeer to give as Christmas gifts to the family. Mine is a particularly delightful fellow. His stone nose, twig antlers and red ribbon held up beautifully over the years. The creativity and kind thoughts behind the handmade present still leaves me feeling a little enchanted as do many seasonal marvels that, this year, appear wrapped in the finery of fluctuating weather.  

We've had buckets of rain. It's caused a lot of pain in some areas but for me it's been about capturing the luscious and large bouncy waves in agitated puddles. 

 

At night the light from a street lamp casts its golden glow making the rain sparkle.

On some mornings, frost covers the roofs of houses making it all the more cozy inside. 

Cloudy cosmic ice patterns form on abandoned patios. 

Seasonal lights, float like musical notes in the air, bringing colour to the night. 

Benches catch the drops, and bouquets, where someone once enjoyed the view.

Sea splatter sprays on wind-tossed days as if to refresh the spirit of the season.   

Since my last post, everything from slushy snow to needle-sharp hail fell but no tornadoes. The vast devastation caused by extreme weather in Mayfield, Kentucky recently is difficult to grasp. Poignantly, a factory making Christmas candles was one of the hardest hit. As we now light candles to honour the lost let's also honour life by illuminating leaders on how seriously we wish they would address climate change. 

Explore more at OUR WORLD.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

Rosy Creations At The Crescent Beach Artisan Fair

The urge to create is vast ... people are busily gluing, nailing, moulding, shaping or painting physically and/or virtually, diving deeply into their imaginations that often stay hidden from public view until a fair comes along. Crescent Beach businesses, in conjunction with Bayview Arts, said good-bye to Halloween and hello to the Christmas season by hosting an outdoor artisan event. It was a chilly Saturday but spring was in the air with my rosy umbrella and particularly the floral prints and wearable art (pictured below) by Caroline Baasch with whom I shared a spot along Beecher Street. 

A few remnants of the Halloween spirit could still be seen in the community.  

Autumn leaves cushioned the cold ground. 

 My umbrella was a calling card. 

Although it didn’t rain during the event, there were some large puddles and, in other areas of British Columbia, major flooding due to an atmospheric river weather system.

I showcased prints of some of my favorite photographs. The children's book, handcrafted greeting cards as well as prints of Penelope paintings were also on hand. 

Caroline's work (below) made beautiful bouquets at her table. 

Her floral depictions were a breath of fresh air amid the creeping wintry chill.

Each scarf, covering and tea towel was a retreat into a warm welcoming spring garden.

Explore more at Mosaic Monday and OUR WORLD.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C. to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.