Waiting: Day Ten

What is it with home improvement store parking lots?

I'm off to New Brunswick for a few days tomorrow. I'll post pictures when I'm back :)
Love,
Gillian

Me Again...

It occurred to me today that I should have watched this video last night instead:



I remember watching this on Sesame Street when I was small, and even now it has a sedating effect on me. I watch it and the world is suddenly quiet and gentle again. I have no idea why. It's not anything to do with the cows, I think. It's just nice, peaceful, repetitive educational television. (Say it with me: "the cow makes milk for her baby, the calf.") My eyes just glaze over, my heartbeat slows down, I quit fidgeting and I feel like I'm four years old again.

Does it have this effect on you? Or is it just a deeply rooted memory of watching this while cuddled up in my mum's arms and being completely content and fulfilled?

For me, peace is a video about cows.
Where is your peace?

I'm going to watch it and then go to bed and sleep and sleep and sing "hey cow, I see you now."
Love,
Gillian

Waiting: Day Nine

Spent a rather successful day in Halifax/Dartmouth! Went to Starbucks TWICE (shameful!) I was sooooo tired after my craziness and only two hours of sleep!

Such a handsome profile!

So Very Tired!
Love,
Gillian

I DON'T Heart Insomnia

Ugghhhh. It's 4:30 in the morning, but do you think that will stop my brain from its incessant chatter about my past and my future? Of course not. Rather, it thrives in the silence. Does it matter that my body is tired? Of course not. Not with the impending doom of the 28th Birthday close at hand, and a looming future of BLANKNESS ahead of me *cue Gillian's head exploding* augh!!! AUGHHHHH!!!

I think I've pretty much given up on sleep entirely. It's over-rated anyway. Who needs it?

Maybe this lovely video will calm me down?



Love,
Little Miss Neurotic

Tres Chic! Tres Moderne!

The other day we were poking around antique stores and I came upon a delightful knitting book from 1942 for only $5! The pictures and clothes are so darling, I just can't wait to get started. I thought I'd post a few of my favourite pictures for you to enjoy. If you want the pattern for any of these just ask, and I'll send them your way!

These first few scans I found to be delightfully macabre ;)

Looks to me like she's putting on those gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.... (but I need the hat! haha! So Lauren Bacall!)

"She'll be sorry that she ever knitted me this sweater-vest!" He muttered, caressing his favourite digging spade. "And that hat with the ear holes... I was the laughing stock at the office for months! "

Speaking of which, guess what I'm making all y'all for Christmas?!

... Playing hide and seek... riiiiiiight... more like hiding from Mom cuz she keeps putting me in freaking itchy wool play clothes!!!

Alright, out of the macabre and into the just plain adorable. You can make up your own snarky commentary from hereon, if you choose.

... Although she does look like she's contemplating shaving the dog for wool, doesn't she?

So frigging CUTE!!!

Ahhh, I love it! Love the hair, love the sweater, love the skirt. I'm fairly certain she has cute shoes too, honestly.

This is SO the first thing I'm going to make, because this is just adorable. Victoria's Secret, eat your heart out! So darn cute!

This model looks as though she's aware that the bow-portion of this sweater is pretty unfortunate. Smile? Riiiiiiiiiiight.... And then I'm gonna call my agent.

Love,
Gillian

Follow That Bird!

While driving home this afternoon, dad spotted an enormous bird in a tree! LOVE my new zoom lens! After some research we've definitely decided it was a Golden Eagle. SO!FREAKING!COOL!!!

BIG bird!

To compare scale, the bird is in the top right hand corner, dad and the farmer are in the bottom middle. You might have to click on the picture to get a better look.

Just taking off!

And flying away!

Gorgeous!
Love,
Gillian

Saints Preserve Us!...

Branching off on Dad's post about "Lord, deliver us", and the fact that Mum and I have been on kick to preserve all vegetation known to human kind... well, the subject of the post really was ideal ;) Santa Marta (the patron saint of Bed and Breakfasts) would, I'm sure, not mind.

We have indeed been preserving up a storm, and still have many things left to make. It still feels summery here, so it's a little odd to be doing this autumnal chore. Usually by the time we make pickles it's starting to feel a little crisp outside. Not that I mind, believe me! It's just... odd. It's nice to do more domestic things rather than just paint all the time.

Mmmmmm Jam! Strawberry and Peach freezer jam.

Pickled Beets. This was an annoying escapade. After two hours of work we only got two lousy jars out of the deal. I don't even like beets!!! Looks like we'll be freezing some borscht, too.

Pickles! Again, things were a little shifty here too because we usually make a lot more than five jars (for our dear Nathan), so our measurements were a bit off. Still, they should turn out nicely!

Aside from the preserving, things are pretty much just going out here. One very, very cool thing is that there have been lots of Eagles lately! We live in the same place that the Eagles live in the winter, and although they don't technically move here until December, there are already a bunch in the area (hopefully this doesn't mean an early winter!) When we do get out of the house, we usually see one or two, which makes me fairly giddy. Shaun and I used to spend days and days driving around the Kananaskis looking for Eagles, and now they're flying over the house!!! Next time we go into Dartmouth I'm buying a zoom lens! So Exciting! No decent pictures of them yet, but here are a few pictures from around the yard:

This is overlooking our little ravine/creek/old railway/old walking path. This is where the bats fly around in the evening. It's cool to watch them fly until one gets too close and then I lose my nerve and squeal ;)

Of course in the day time, snuggled up on the tree trunk, I find them really adorable. Isn't he sweet? He's so tiny!

These are the grapes on our arbour. The whole thing is just swimming in grapes, but I'm not sure if they'll ripen into anything worth eating or not! Still. Grapes? Kinda cool.

The back of the house...

This is the jungley area on the back half of the property. The big weeping willow is on someone else's property, but the messy, jungley bit is most-overwhelmingly OURS. Apparently there are some apple trees back there, but I haven't found them yet...

This is mum and dad's favourite toy right now... The riding mower. I admit, it IS fun to drive ;) They cart dirt around and enjoy it thoroughly.

That's about it for now! Hopefully I'll post some Eagle pictures when I get my zoom :)
Love,
Gillian