very merry post Christmas thoughts

early morning pre sunrise..the Christmas lights are twinkling and winking outside on our porch..the darkness still enfolds us..A peaceful day with my tiny family yesterday makes me feel calm and ready to trek down to the Big Smoke with my daughter today. our rhythms yesterday were perfect.no bickering evident ..and even some humour and cuddle time..Our gifts were simple..dinner delicious ..salmon infused with fresh local garlic..dill and lemon and a fluffy romantic comedy movie to end the day with a smile and a sigh.

I am in a calm place right now..may it linger ..

merry catmas..

merry catmas..
Originally uploaded by heathermurrayart

Ned in pleasant reverie..It's been a peaceful day..lazy ,languishing with plenty of divine snacking for fur and human family..

outside..dec 25th..brrrrr

outside..dec 25th..brrrrr
Originally uploaded by heathermurrayart

the view outside our window

oh winter

So long dear Mills

Sam when she was a little younger ....

a new painting..

snow inc..

Yep it's here..I somehow managed to get my lights up in the nick of time and our dear snowblower is truly performing like a dream ..Stephen is quite keen to prove it's prowess and I am a little intimidated..but bound to start 'er up on my own! The job is going well.I seem to be managing 5 days of commitment without too much sense of loss..although snow day on Friday was a relief to just be home and still.

On a sad and mournful note we lost our dear calico Millie to cancer..and she was loved and will be missed deeply.

my daughter ..altered for art's sake

my daughter ..altered for art's sake
Originally uploaded by heathermurrayart

my little brother and I ...

my little brother and I ...
Originally uploaded by heathermurrayart

some new works..of my own family and history for a change

How did it get so Chaotic?

This week just got a little more busy then I had intended..trying to get myself tucked in early at night to reserve energy..

Luckily new workplace is calm and quite warm and inviting.It's just the life that I need to fit into the little spaces in between. With dark setting in so early I don't have time i would like to have with my outdoor critters-and pots have been mischievious with their escape plots so I must keep them in until i can mend their fences !I lost another hen this week to the $%#(* cornfield ! and fox? I won't free range them next year if corn is planted again..too risky and sad!

On a very positive note..visiting daughter in Guelph this Saturday..and showing and selling my art in Local Artsy Christmas show on Sunday..

November to remember

An eventful month indeed..thank goodness for a little sunlight to inspire faith in the universe! Between vet and car bills our wallets are spinning and almost levitating ..Incredibly enough I am enjoying full time work and treasuring my weekends..Hank and Winston have plotted and achieved various escapes into the not so glorious and bleached out cornfield..filling their potbellies with an abundance of dry corn..I think I have finally outwitted them ..but who knows?! Lucky they are driven to remain close by for their nightly gluttonous feed! last night at 2am I received a call from my daughter who screamed into the phone and promptly hung up..Imagine my hysterics? She texted me soon after to say she had dialed the wrong number,sorry,and had not in fact screamed at all ! A bad dream perhaps? hmmmm..her social life is definitely more hopping then mine.but I appreciate when my lovely REM is not interrupted for folly and mayhem!.ahh long distance parenting!

Well still presnow here although we also purchased our first snow thrower ..so bring it on!

November ..trying to unblah myself despite unsettled weather

A turbulent fall indeed..errant flu bugs abounding..neverending rain..mud city in pig's run..and huge hailstones today..egads what next? At least we ordered our snowblower!

starting to merge found objects into my art graciously/kindly donated by a dear artist friend

Hanging on to the green

newest recruit..roo or hen? As long as we don't lose to the evil cornfield

everyone gets along as long as there is food to share

I am appreciating the last days of colour on the ground.
Although the mud can go anytime..

Some cleanup is in order but I am procrastinating
probably in denial about the encroaching season of ..snow. We are seriously contemplating purchase of a snowblower -we have relied on the schedules of local snow removal guys and it's always hit and miss..
and anxiety producing as we cannot budge from here when it's too deep..

Well it's almost 7 am and i am off to feed piggies /chickens..and ready myself for final workaday..ahhh friday! I guess if this was January I would already be outside by now in the midst of the white stuff..

A balancing Act

Well I am newly ensconced in this job and feeling activated and energized. I suppose I am a person who needs/craves change -and become complacent and dull if I don't enforce it in some way. The constant grey sky is playing on my spirit a little-but mostly because the days are shorter now too..Trying to figure out how to fit in life tasks into a much shortened week. I am also trying to not be so hard on myself..to slow down and take it in..I haven't worked full time for over 8 years..and do not want to crumble in and give everything up. I am the prime house keeper/animal caregiver here however-and this causes me to feel pretty responsible for everything. How to fit in art..fitness.reading? (and quality time with critters) I am determined!

A pink sky morning

a new portrait

fox on the run..

who's hiding?

local colour

Red sky in morning sailor take warning..or something like that ..I am by the window just as the light starts to spread in the sky outside..Pink ..the fading to a blurred hazy fleshy grey..perhaps rain today?

Created a little art yesterday,dug in the garden and made a fool of myself on the cross trainer at the gym..in short a pretty perfect day..Even settled enough to read a little .with various cats in my lap.

The Bottom of Autumn

My portraits are currently happily hanging at The Downtown Bookstore

Hank pleasantly rooting for treats

plein air boys

new recruit happily hunkering down in the Chatsworth home for wayward felines

frost

Just thought that was a nifty title..feel more at the top ..but it's difficult finding the right inspiring,way to start here sometimes. We have had more sun here than over the last entire month and that brings a smile to my face and a glow to the fallen leaves. Mucked about in the garden yesterday and had the pigs out for a frolic..Everyone got along grandly-hens,cats,dogs and piggies..as they should!Starting full time work this Friday so trying to capitalize on the few stray moments I have left as a part timer..Hope I can still keep life ticking along in some kind of crazy balance..

Grey is the colour of my sky

Melancholy Wednesday..I suspect too much grey in the sky..Considering I am generally way more positive than is necessary here is a nice little bit of contrast.

.Don't know why..life is grand..excited about starting a new kind of employment in two weeks..perhaps it's all the goodbyes. Yesterday I said goodbye to a few youth I have been working with for a year and four years..sad. Although we reflected on progress and interesting elements/patterns of our work together I realized it is like a death of sorts..I will never see them again in that capacity. I feel so good about the texture and depth of my work with kids-but I realized also how fond I have been of them -and what they have given back to me too! So many others over the years-sigh I have been cavalier about endings.Perhaps now the meaning of it all is ever so clear at this midlife juncture. Over 20 years of youth work..now it's a new shift to the adult world.

Egads perhaps I have leaped into another major life change just when I am still reeling from my daughter's departure. It all resonates deeply.

Thank goodness for all my fur and feathered beasties who distract me to no end.

I will just let myself ride..go through it all..it's all part of it isn't it?

appreciating the pumpkin

home made pizza yum

new recruit..settling in nicely

morning sky..two views

spaghetti eating chickens..need I say more?

potatoes picked from my garden

plums from our tree..

Thankfulness all around

My titles are gettting more lame by the moment..sigh..I am thankful for thanksgiving..thankful for the extra day off..thankful for the sun which finally popped up today and thankful for the abundance of life around me..corny but true.

Thankful for my daughter's return tonight..thankful for all the creatures that make life grand-and challenging too