Thursday, September 24, 2020

I Like/Love #44

I know it's cliché, but the end of the month rolls around awfully quickly, and here we are with another post of gratitude and thoughtfulness. That means this Saturday is also the last one of the month, and time for DrEAMi! here on the blog where we show off the squirrels we've chased and nabbed this past month. I link up with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color where a group of us post, some weekly, some monthly. Feel free to join in because...

The more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract things to be grateful for.
-Anonymous

1. I absolutely love Fall where I live. We really get into the fall spirit, decorating front porches and lawns and businesses. I walked over to the farm to market just down the road last weekend to take some glamour shots of my backpack (the post is here; be sure to hop over there as there are two pretty sweet giveaways). I peeked 'behind the scenes' a bit at the farm market and saw this.
What a riot of colour, eh? 😉 As you can see from this photo, and those on the backpack post, the majority of our trees haven't started changing yet. Some of our maples are just beginning to get fiery red-orange tips, and the chestnuts are going brown.

2. I absolutely love Point Pelee National Park. We took a drive there on September 23, a glorious afternoon with temps nearing 26C (78F). Did a good walk right out to the tip of the point. For several minutes MacGyver and I were the southernmost Canucks in Canada!
Well, technically the seagulls were further south. I've loved this park since I first was here in 1980.

There is a new observation tower that is pretty high, and wow what a view from up top. See below, the first photo of the collage. You can't see the very tip from where I took that photo, but you can from the top. I figured I'd take a clear shot from the second highest level since no one was around and I didn't know how many people would be at the very top. We did have our masks in hand in case. Lots of information about the park is available as you walk around. It is a major funnel, literally, for migrating birds and Monarch butterflies. I like the sign that shows you how far we are from the other three (northernmost, westernmost and easternmost in Canada) national parks. The other sign that is partially cut off because of making a collage gives more detail about all four parks.
The '42' sign explains that you are just south of 42N latitude, in line with Rome, Italy and Barcelona, Spain. We walked through the forest on a little path to gaze at the eastern side of Lake Erie. The lake's deepest point, 64 metres, or 210 feet, is in the eastern basin; we live on the shore of the western, shallow, basin. It is the shallowest of the five Great Lakes. The Canadian flag at the entrance/exit to the park is at half mast in respect of former Prime Minister John Turner who died this past week. I posted a video on my Instagram from the top of the tower. It really shows the shape of this southern tip of Ontario.

3. I like this 'new' garbage can for my sewing studio. It was actually my mum and dad's. It's perfect for here, the French poodle (ooh lĂ  lĂ ) and the pink stripes. It is over 60 years old. When I asked my aunt, my mum's BFF if she knew any detail about it, she did not, sniff. I wish I knew. It is tin!

4. I like my red RSC blocks for this month. After the backpack intensity, I sat and finished them all. I only had gotten two of the Weeks and Ringle ones done as leader/enders, so this was an unusual month I that I sat and worked solely on them. And it felt wonderful. Playing with the reds, going through the scraps, sewing and pressing and putting them right up on the design wall, ahh. So good for the soul.

5. I am over the freaking moon about the record number, nine, Emmy awards that a show I have talked about a few times here on the blog, a precious show, Schitt's Creek, won! I love the eloquent acceptance speeches, and actually did a little fist pump when Dan Levy said he was so very proud to accept this award (for Outstanding Comedy Series) in Canada with our Canadian cast and crew. I love that the city of Toronto, where they all were, lit up the CN tower in gold.as well as the new Toronto sign. (Uh maybe now the city of Windsor will KEEP their Windsor sign all year round instead of just during the Bright Lights Festival?!)


6. Speaking of shows, I am really enjoying another Canadian one, 'Mohawk Girls'. I'm late to the party for it, but gosh I love CBC Gem (and I know I've said that before here but I do). I also love Netflix. MacGyver and I are currently enjoying a show recommended to us by some good friends, "Down to Earth". If you haven't watched it, you must. We have just two episodes left. Powerful stuff about our dear earth.

7. I've read a few thought-provoking books again this month in my educating myself pledge to myself. Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden was a difficult read for me. I don't like reading about war, or anything to do with war for that matter. However, this was an important book, well-researched, about the part that Indigenous peoples played fighting in WWI. I also read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. Wow. Thought-provoking, deeply insightful into our white supremacist world. Not in the KKK sense, but in the all whites are inherently racist sense. I truly hope we are starting to shift the power, but as Robin writes, she won't see it in her lifetime. I also read Samra Habib's book, We Have Always Been Here. Another thought-provoking, insightful book from yet another marginalized group of people. Well-written; I flew through it. I love the tessellated colourful women busts on the cover!

8. I am on Week 5 in my Indigenous Canada course, (funnily enough, the same as Dan Levy, who is the reason why I am taking the course). I truly hope that there is a shift in what is being taught and how in our schools. I have learned so much. There are 12 weeks in the course.

9. I often mention a new-to-me tune that I am in love with, and this month is no different. Interestingly both are Canadian artists. The first, 'Burnout Fugue', is classical in nature, by Alexandra StrĂ©liski. Her album Inscape won a Juno this year. 


 The other is pop, 'In My Head' by Ryland James. This young, just 21, man's backstory is pretty amazing. So is his voice!! It gets me in the solar plexus every. single. time.

10. I love seeing so many fall flowers and plants in bloom. This vine on the chainlink fence between us and our neighbours forms a beautiful hedge of flowers at this time of year. I looked it up and it's called Bukhara Fleeceflower, aka Mile a Minute Vine. This is taken just a few minutes before publishing this post!
Don't mind the white cable; that's our temporary (ya, a couple of months now) internet cable. Don't get me started... Isn't that display just gorgeous though?
The cannas are still merrily blooming their tropical heads off. They're about 6 feet tall! I had to stand on tiptoe arms up in the air to get this shot.

Hope you are all well and getting prepared to hunker down and ride out another wave of this pandemic.




18 comments:

  1. look at the lengths you must go to to share lovelies with us! lol, those flowers are gorgeous. A poodle trash can????? You KNOW I need one now! Milo needs one! Thanks for the show rec. and for the first song... so beautiful. Thanks for your spirit of human rights and speaking about the issue. Love your post, LeeAnna

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  2. Three Day Road is a very difficult to read but so very worth it.

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  3. These are my favorite posts. They (and you) remind me of just how much there is (still!) to be thankful for. Some days it's harder than others to be aware of the bounty around us. I'm just trying to keep breathing in and out for now.

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  4. A great post of so many wonderful things and Canadian which is even better. Those flowers are gorgeously green well the pink ain't bad either.

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  5. The Cannas and white fleeceflower are just gorgeous!!! And I love the new music that you shared. And the fall picture at the beginning is so fun; I love fall too and while our tress haven't changed, the temperatures have come down, so it's definitely feeling right!

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  6. Thanks for the identification of the white Fleeceflower. I've seen it along the road here and there, but never up close and never knew what it was. I read White Fragility this past month and it was thought-provoking. It's just so depressing that the people who need to read it the most won't and wouldn't believe it if they did. Currently reading All the devils are here by Louise Penny, my absolute favorite series. Those cannas are gorgeous, a very pretty color. I tried to plant some gifted to me by a neighbor a few years ago, but the deer kept pulling the tubers out of the ground, so I couldn't get them going.
    Pat

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  7. A beautiful list of likes/loves. I love that you are able to get out to the water and enjoy Lake Erie. It looks so nice! The wonderful photo collage was a pleasure to see. The cannas are so beautiful and the hedge is almost heavenly. Love it's nickname, Mile a Minute Vine! I thought of you when I heard that Schitt's Creek took so many Emmys as you have said more than once how much you enjoy it.

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  8. You have some beautiful views there, Sandra! Isn't it lovely to be able to get to the water like that?! Beautiful flowers, too. Thanks for sharing your book list - there's so much to learn about these days.

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  9. Wonderful post! Thank you.
    You did send me down a rabbit hole though. I listened to the videos, then I got some ad about YouTube channels, so I started going through that, and listened to several Neil Diamond albums. Oh my! It's been awhile. So my sewing room saw some great dance moves this morning. Thanks! Well worth falling down that rabbit hole. Or, did someone say "Squirrel!"?

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  10. I think I can hear that water lapping gently. The views look amazing. So many thoughtful things in this post, Sandra! Always interesting to read what you are up to. Maybe that cable would make a nifty quilt holder . . . or not! Ha!

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  11. What an incredibly happy posts filled with beauty and colour. Fall is definitely coming to your part of the country. I only have one complaint about Schitt’s Creek........it ended 😱. What a perfect way to go out though in a blaze of glory and pretty lights. Makes a Canadian proud. Can’t wait for the DrEAMI day to post and part of its your fault! 😉

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  12. Hi Sandra! Gosh, that farm to market picture (behind the scenes) is just gorgeous. What nice and neat rows of mums just opening. Lovely! And your pictures and video from Point Pelee (on IG) were just fab. I could watch that video of the lake forever. Nine Emmy awards is just amazing for an amazing show - love the Toronto sign. And thanks for the book recommendations. I will definitely look them up. {{Hugs}} and take care. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  13. Fantastic photo of the farm market! What a dream to have something so beautiful and neatly manicured behind the house!

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  14. Thanks for the fabulous post. Water, pumpkins, flowers and a cute trash can. Definitely a post reminding us to look at the small things! I jotted down the book recommendations and the TV watching ones. DH and I are always looking for something else to watch, that isn’t Prime Time!

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  15. I always have to save your posts till I have time to really read them. YOu made a gorgeous bag, Btw and lovely red blocks as well.
    Just the maples turning here too. I love it all and esp. appreciate the late blooming flowers. I was surprised but pleased that Schitt's Creek won so many Emmy's as I loved the show right from the start. YOu might like Anna Maria Tremonti's podcast More talk with Catherine O'Hara...what a modest lady. I've read all of Joseph Boyden's books and followed the controversy as well.
    You are so busy with all the lovely stitching and following up on your desire to learn more about these important matters. Hope you get a little relaxing time on the weekend.

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  16. Wow, so much good stuff in your list of loves. I think my favorite it the maple quilt picture, though. I have to try Schitt's Creek - for some reason I have avoided it. I am watching Hinterland now, having finished Saving Hope. So many things to watch....and read which I am doing a less good job of.

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  17. Yes, I agree with you! The more grateful we are, the more we find to be grateful for! Pretty flowers! Lovely! How lovely to live near water. That poodle tin can is so pretty! I can see why you like it for your sewing room! Yes, your Mile a Minute Vine is absolutely stunning! Wonderful shares!

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