My Mom..things left unsaid

Yesterday was a day that everyone dreads. The day they must lay a parent to rest and go through the preceedings of the day, the buriel, the memorial, the gathering reception.With great pain in my heart I gathered with family and friends to pay tribute to my Mom. This photo captures one Christmas when I sewed her a coat with the skills she taught me. She said she felt like a queen in her coat of many colours.I love the joyful look on her face.
I am truly blessed. I grew up in a "functional" family that is a tribute to my Mom and Dad's love for us all. I am the person I am because of them, and I am proud and blessed to have two sons who are a reflection of that devotion to family as well.
My Mom taught me so many skills that have helped my on my journey. Sewing, cooking, knitting, gardening, preserving, collecting. The list goes on... but she also taught me the other skills needed in life...love, forgiveness, compassion, devotion and generousity.
She took the time to appreciate the world in which she lived. A Sunday drive was common as she drank in the wonders of nature and the country life she loved. She would tear up easily. Wether it was watching a sad news story, or holding a young animal or laughing till she was crying at Carol Burnett or Lucille Ball, but she always had a tissue at the ready, tucked into her waistband. This was part of her tenderness that I loved about her. She cared. She also always had her camera ready when she came to visit anyone. She loved having photos to share with anyone of how all her children and grandchildren were doing and I am so very grateful for all those photos she took when I was to too "busy" to capture life with my own camera.Those photos are vital to history and to capturing life as we knew it.
We were her life...she was a mother at heart. Yesterday the pastor talked of leading a life that was significant, which is different than having a successful life. Mom's life was successful too though, because she was so significant to my siblings, our spouses, her granchildren and friends throughout her life.
Growing up, we all seem to want to stand alone and struggle with our parents to assert our independence. Despite my age and my ability to stand alone, I can't help but feeling my net has been pulled out from under me and now I must truly fly by myself. But I do so now with the skills she provided me with as a loving mother.
I thank her ...and I miss her with all my heart...

New Day!

Its a new day again. Change is inevitable in our lives and how we accept it is up to us. When on the edge of a cliff, do we choose to fall or learn to fly?
The change of sky this morning was a welcome change from yesterday's photo of the morning. Other things have not changed...still cold and I still need to fill the bird feeder!

Spring In Winter!

This was the morning I greeted! Cold but beautiful! Then I walked out to the sheep pen...and this is what greeted me!



This is of course after I settled the boys into the barn with their Mom and put their new wool warming coats on. These lambs are from our herd of St. Croix and Dorper cross sheep. These sheep shed their hair fleece in the spring (NO SHEARING :)) This flock was supposed to be lambing earlier in the year according to the man we purchased them from...This girl is only the beginning of our first winter lambing...and I mean winter...-17C this morning. So I had these real wool pillowcases that I really didn't like as pillowcases, and fashioned some real wool coats for my wool-less lambs...ironic. Actually the lambs were fairing pretty well when I found them and and a good deal of hair coat to them..but this will boost their ability to withstand the cold. And lambs are still just as charming in November as May! Can hardly wait to see them springing around the pen...

Spirit

Spirit knows what we need and when if we are open to it.
Today I met a very kind 75 year old man who had the table beside me at the annual arts and crafts guild sale. It was both our first time for doing this sale, so we put our chairs side by side and chatted when we could. He was a horseman and made stunning, highly crafted horsehair belts, hat bands etc. He had to press the base of his neck to talk as the doctors had removed his voicebox in a 9 hour operation. He is now 2 years cancer free, that was at stage 4. Over the course of the day he and his 20ish granddaughter told me of his experience with the doctors and procedures at the U of A and the Cross Hospital in Edmonton, where Mom will be going for treatment of pancreatic cancer that was confirmed yesterday.They offered comfort and reassurance of the quality of care and support he received. He now walks a mile a day, rides and is planning next years sales where he can sell his work. He was inspiring.Any success of the sale, whether sales or promotion didn't matter one bit by the end of the sale. My day was important for many other reasons. Thank you Spirit.

Gibson's Good Looks Payoff!

Gibson was a handsome puppy from our Loma/Falco litter two years ago. He was adopted by Carrie Bottomley and her family and thanks to Carrie's skills as a photographer, Gibson has been earning his keep as model! This is a picture of him as a puppy, but if you check this week's Zeller's flyer, Gibson is pictured on the front page with Carrie's daughter as a TV picture insert! Great photo!Very cool!!

The Tim Brothers

So I received 2 wonderful emails today from families who adopted from our amazing Tim/Kiss litter of 13 pups in 2009. It is always so nice to hear what they are up to and I am so proud of both these boys. However they both experienced very different weekends and just thought this was interesting to share.
Spiritrider's Hot Stuff McDuff (McDuff) had an amazing weekend, when he passed with flying colours the testing for therapy dog through the PALS association-(Pet Access League Society) This is exceptional as Mc Duff is only 13 months old! Very young to be calm and well mannered enough to pass their strict guidelines for doing this very special work. PALS dogs are allowed access to hospitals, nursing homes, etc. to give the gift of hope and comfort to those in need. Mary Lou, his owner, is an exceptional lady who will make great contributions to others lives by doing this work with him.
Meanwhile, this weekend, McDuff's brother, Spiritrider's Smoken Hot Duke (Duke) had a very different life experience. Here is how his owner Gina relayed the story.

I love my Dog but….
Duke barked at the back door..perhaps it was a little more of an aggressive bark, but a bark none the less..I opened the door thinking that the neighbor’s cat was once again in our garden. Duke ran to the patio and was accosted and Assaulted by a SKUNK!!!!!
I screamed, the kids screamed….Duke continued to bark and Kelly started throwing things at the skunk, he stared with a milk jug and then picked up the heavy artillery, the wine bottle. The skunk stood its ground. Duke ran into the house when he could safely make a break for it and I hustled him downstairs to the shower…we started with all the V8 we had in the house, moved onto strawberry shampoo and decided that we needed more tomato juice.
Kelly and Logan dashed to the store and came home with 6 litres of tomato juice, that we then bathed Duke in. I rinsed him off only to find that, not only does tomato juice turn to cement on a dog, but it doesn’t do much to eliminated the smell. We continued with shampoo moving from strawberry to oatmeal and then to baby shampoo.
Kelly’s Dad arrived to save the rest of the day. He was dressed in his painting overalls and had his hunting hat on he was ready for business…he was also carrying the box of ‘fix the skunk smell’…also known as Semi Permanent hair curling solution…yup, Duke was going to get a perm. As Bill read the hair styling directions I started to laugh and laugh and laugh…to the point I couldn’t see or breathe. Here was my father in law, outdoorsman extraordinaire about to style Duke with a Perm. Apparently he has used this technique before as he has hunted with his doges since the beginning of time and this has always done the trick.
Well... low and behold it worked.

Duke is now in the garage for the night and we are airing the house out and praying for a BIG rain tonight to freshen the air in the back yard.
Damn skunk...

Gallery & Studio Grand Opening

Well, the time has come finally in my life to make some exciting changes! This weekend as part of the annual Rocky Studio Tour, I will be launching Spirit Rider Gallery & Studio! One room is dedicated to gallery space for my glass work and paintings. One room is my studio working space.And one room for a teaching studio and glass supply store area! Tall ceilings, big windows, and space to create!!! I have been working on the class list of the glass classes I will be offering in October and Nov. and will post them tomorrow. I am so looking forward to finally just being able to create and share knowledge and inspire others to follow their creative head bliss!!
The studio tour is Sept 17,18 & 19 from 10 am-6pm. For a map please go to www.rockystudiotour.com There are 16 studios participating this year and it is also Alberta Arts Days! So come take a drive and enjoy the fall colours and see something new!