Drip......Drip.....Drip

My grandmother always told me that patience is a virtue.

Spring is here and the ice is melting.....one drop at a time.

The Art of Zen and Granite

Last week I mentioned on a post that our friend, June,

 who moved to France last month to join her daughter,

gave us a painting she did of Ron back in 1987.

I remember the day the photo was taken for this painting.

We three, June, Ron and I were in Peggy's Cove,

Nova Scotia.

This is an area/village along the south shore of this province.

There is a lighthouse that is surrounded by white granite rock.

It is quite an unusual sight to behold.....

all that granite stretching along the shore for as far as the eye can see.

It was a fall/autumn day and I remember Ron 'zenning out' beside a huge granite rock,

and examining a tiny berry he found along the shore.

I am glad June took this photo and then interpreted it the way she did.

You can see that it has been slightly damaged over time

but the memories of that day are intact.

A Day At The 'Office'

I work on Sundays....weather permitting in winter.

This winter has been an interesting one, to say the least.

So Saturday night we had a snow storm/blizzard.

On Sunday morning I thought I wouldn't be able to get to the shop

(which is five minutes away by car)

because our driveway was buried in a foot of snow.

At around 9 AM I heard our 'plow guy' out front.

YEAH!

The roads had been plowed as well, so I contacted the ladies

who run the 'tea room' to see if they are opening.

They were, so away I went.

The parking lot was plowed and we were all looking forward to the day.

It was a busy morning but not for us!

There were surfers arriving and parking their cars

because there was no access to parking at the beach

 because of two months worth of snow and Saturday night's.

In the 'surfing world', word travels quickly when the surf is just right.

And come they did!

A little bit of snow wasn't going to stop these guys and gals.

And as soon as they could get on their gear, away they went towards the beach.

Some were at full gallop along the shoulder of the highway.

Even though it was a DEAD day at the shop,

all the activity kept me entertained and busy.

Plus, I started a good book....

'The Life of Pi' by Yann Martel.

Contemplative Monday

The following is from 'The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh' (click)

and published by 'Shambhala Pocket Classics'.

SEEDS (continued from last week)

"Sometimes we act without intention, but that is also action.

"Habit energy" is pushing us; it pushes us to do things without our being aware.

Sometimes we do something without knowing we're doing it.

Even when we don't want to do something, we still do it.

Sometimes we say, "I didn't want to do it, but it's stronger than me, it pushed me."

So that is a seed, a habit energy,

 that may have come from many generations in the past.

We have inherited a lot. 

With mindfulness, we can become aware of the habit energy

that has been passed down to us.

We might see that our parents or grandparents

 were also very weak in ways similar to us.

We can be aware without judgement 

that our negative habits come from these ancestral roots.

We can smile at our shortcomings, at our habit energy.

With awareness, we have a choice; we can act another way.

We can end the cycle of suffering right now."

Eclectic Tastes

This is a perfect piece of music for some of us in the northern hemisphere.
I suppose it could also be a primer of what's ahead 
for those living in the southern hemisphere......
correct Jean?

Have a wonderful Sunday/Monday everyone.

Saturday Morning Post

I could literally fill this post with snow shots

and winter-related things.

But, if you are like me right now

and wanting a change in your environment,

with warmer, sunnier weather,

then all I could dare post today is a single photo

I took Thursday morning on the 'hill'. 

We are in transition now in Nova Scotia.

We could have anything from bright, warmish days

to dark, gray overcast days,

to an expected snowfall of 15cm today.

What can I say?

Going Once, Going Twice......

You may remember that a friend of ours moved to France last month to join

 and live with her daughter.

Our friend, June, is an artist

Before she left she sold/gave away a lot of things.

We bought a number of ladderback chairs and a ladderback rocker (which we kept).

Also June gave Ron and painting she did of him back in 1987.

Since June's daughter has furnishings of her own,

 they really didn't have room for much of June's.

They only took the things that they treasured.

And, the container they hired for the voyage over the Atlantic,

could only hold so much.

So, these paintings/lithographs were left behind.

I said I would try to sell them or have someone sell them.

They are by a French artist, Marcel Mouly (click to learn more).

 He died in 2008. He was a very prolific artist and is well known for his work.

These three lithographs were bought in the early 1990's in Toronto

when June's daughter, Katharine, lived there.

I really like how colourful they are and they look great on our walls too!

I have contacted a reputable auctioneer firm here to see if they are interested.

I am waiting for a reply.

If not, I may contact a couple of galleries to see if they may be interested.

Until their fate is determined, we continue to enjoy them here at home.