Saturday, June 29, 2013

Three by Me for Under the Sea

I was unstoppable this morning and made three new ACEOs for the ACEO Challenge! They are also for sale on Etsy, from $5-10 plus shipping. They can also be made as prints upon request.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Alberta and Calgary Floods

I just wanted to pop in and say that we have not been affected at all by the flooding in Alberta. My husband and I feel so, so fortunate and grateful, and have made a contribution to the Red Cross and are hoping we can volunteer through YYC Helps when we are able. It is so Normal compared to the Not Normal that others are experiencing, and I feel a little guilty about this. On the upside, the roofers did a good job on the new roof back in February and we didn't have any leaks.

The creek near our house is very high though - this is Nose Creek, which meanders through the northwest today. Usually there's a couple feet of clearance on either side:



A couple of days of hard rain turned into major flooding throughout Southern Alberta - the official explanation is that a trapped weather system caused a "firehose of moisture" that didn't quit. It happened very fast - one day it was Banff and Canmore, the next Calgary, High River and the Siksika Nation, and then the day after that, the water was on its way to Medicine Hat. The Bow is a big river and it goes where it wants!

The cloudless, blue skies on the weekend contrasted with the oppressive grey cloud cover that hung over the city all last week. Weather in this area can change quickly, astonishingly quickly, so it was surprising to have days of poor weather beforehand.

But Calgarians tend to be natural optimists and most people have been able to return to their homes and many services are already back on their feet as I write this - the CBC studio, the C-train will run downtown tomorrow, and even the Stampede will go on. We didn't let the weather stop us from going to the Greek Festival either on Saturday. Since downtown was closed, we had to take the most roundabout way possible. There were a lot of empty roads. Calgary is a busy, energetic city, and to see such stillness is unusual! The festival turned into admission by donation and we enjoyed the chance to eat good food and think about something else for a brief time.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Sketch Art Supplies - A Calgary Gem!

As the deadline to register for the Stampede arts and crafts show looms (and I have one entry not yet finished) I was really feeling the pressure to get one of the entries framed. I buckled down and finished it up - yup - the tapestry I started on just less than a year ago. When my fibre teacher, Jane Kidd said that it was not uncommon for a person to make a tapestry a year, she was not kidding!

I can't wait to show it off, all framed. For now, though, I'll show you the place where it's being framed. When you spend a whole year on something, you just don't take it to Michaels (well, that and my new year's resolution!!). I washed it up and toted it over to Sketch Art Supplies, owned by my friend Ljubica, who graduated from ACAD in 2006. Ljubica is immensely knowledgeable and really takes the time to build one on one relationships. I trust her and her opinion absolutely!



Choosing the framing, especially when framing can make all the difference in winning, is no easy task. We spent an hour comparing different frames and suede mats, mostly because I couldn't decide between purple and two kinds of brown! There are so many colours in the tapestry that I had to try all the colours she had too. I splurged on museum glass and a suede mat. Not only do I want it to look its best, I want to preserve it well. It wasn't cheap either...but this is something I can put a price on :-)

Monday, June 10, 2013

Monday, Monday

There's no escaping Mondays. It's just not possible to outsmart that one day of the week. Laid out my work clothes, packed up the lunches, went to bed early, squinted at the calendar and said "Monday, you're not going to make my life miserable!"

And wouldn't you know it...

Ten minutes before I usually leave the house, I can't find my bus pass, which has my pass card along with it. I flail, upturning everything around the doorway while Muffin makes his "Want out!" screams. I dump my purse, my backpack...my husband tries to helpfully figure out when I last used it...finally I just have to cough up the $3 and mentally kick myself for losing a bus pass at the beginning of the month. And a $20 pass card.

I miss my connecting bus, so I have to take a regular bus. At least I got a seat. That's a positive.

Then work is an avalanche of requests - which I dutifully sort through and before I know it, it's lunchtime! I unwrap the sandwich that I bought at the Sobey's deli...and the bread is moldy. Unnghh...I gamely start eating the unmoldy half and then...ugh...ugh...this chicken salad sandwich still has bones in it! I throw it away and am thankful I packed a bigger lunch than usual. So gross!

The afternoon is suspiciously quiet...I just wait for something to sneak up at me at five minutes to four...but it never does! Have I finally escaped the Mondays?! I even get a seat on the way home.

But Monday was only resting! Digging around in my purse, I can't feel my keys...oh no! I unceremoniously dump my purse on the concrete step. Whew, there they are! For all the trouble Monday has caused me, it has one last surprise in store. We go out for 2 for 1 pizza at this awesome little Italian place. My mushroom, pepper and pepperoni pizza comes with...onions! Truly, a First World Problem! The waitress checks the order and apologizes and kindly gets another the correct order going. Perhaps Mondays are not so bad after all! :-)

Oh, and the bus pass and my pass card? I dumped out my gym bag and there it was! Monday, you just can't trust that day!