Gratitude and Glimmers #84

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise.

It is not that we seize them,

but that they seize us.

--Ashley Montagu

I like that perfect description of a glimmer. Welcome to my post for May where I share things that have given me a glimmer of joy over the past month. You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color.

1. I like this story on the CBC website which fascinates me. Animals are amazing, but even more so are our closest relatives, the great apes.

Source: CBC.ca

2. This gave me both a glimmer and a start!

This quilt was in McCall's Quilting July/August 2019, and I've been working on getting the pattern ready to release. It sits on our bed for the month of May. I made it to honour my mum, and Mother's Day is in May, and the humongous row of ancient lilacs, as high as our two-storey roof, are in bloom at the beginning of May. The other day when I was making the bed, I petted the quilt, as I sometimes do, and maybe it was the light that happened to catch that baby lilac bud, but I looked... and looked again. Looked at all the other buds on the quilt, and well, I'll be damned, as my Dad would've said, I missed quilting two triangles! 

Herein lies a little humble pie lesson: this quilt was photographed professionally, has lived on our bed for an entire month at a time over the course of the past six years, has been to four Quilt Stories presentations, and it was only a week or so ago that I noticed this. So, step back my friends, from our quilts, and realize they are beauties, works of art as well as of the heart. And don't fuss and fret so much!

3. My University of Alberta Alumni book club has started our new book, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, and I am captivated. It is so good, I can't stop thinking about it when I'm not reading it; I'm seeing Demon, aka Damon, as he is living his life, a movie in my head that continues even when I'm not reading. She is a favourite author of mine, and I've read several of her books. I'm also glad because after jotting my usual notes in my book journal for the last book I finished, Henry, Himself by Stewart O'Nan, I'd written, "I need a good book!" and this one is delivering in spades. Prior to Henry, (wasn't a fan, sorry) I read Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov, again, I finished it, though it was a struggle. I could see the satire, just wasn't into it. Demon Copperhead is book 19 for the year, so I may just make my 50 books goal this year.

4. I like doing yoga with an animal. Bella often is in my yoga room with me and I love how she stretches out in … reclined cat pose with puppy paws?!

This made me giggle! Her hammock is on my sewing counter, not the best place imho, but she loves it there!

5. I love that Dayna's peony MacGyver dug up from their old house in Royal Oak, and brought over to our house to babysit until they move back to Michigan, is happy and has even bloomed!

The same with the huge old rhododendron he moved from the front of our house to the back. I was so worried about it but it seems to be doing okay and it is now blooming! It's later than the babies he transplanted, and some of the leaves have yellowed, but we also learned they are thirsty plants, so we are diligently watering it when there hasn't been rain. I took this photo just this morning. 

The tomato stake was set there to deter Rufus from marking it this past winter! Note the calla lilies he divided and transplanted in the fall that have come up in several places!

Babies: one piece broke off and the other had layered itself under the mama plant so he popped both in another bed in hopes they might take, and wow have they ever!! 

They flowered earlier than the mama, May 17. And photo-bombing Rufus playing with his ball. 😆

6. I love these fairy lights that Brianne showed me on a TikTok reel. She bought some and so did I. The photo doesn’t quite do them justice. 

7. This is a true glimmer, maybe an actual bursting out glow. These sweet peas, my birth month flower and a favourite, were planted last summer. I didn't take as good care as I should have in watering them as this is a south-facing spot, and tends to dry out in summer. So they didn't do too well. However, it is also a protected spot, with very little ground frost if any, and with this past mild winter, the ground didn't freeze at all. I said to MacGyver, my sweet peas are still alive; they're pale green. He kind of scoffed thinking it wishful thinking. That was in oh, February. Well, I took care to water them and LOOK!

They are twining up the posts of the side porch roof just like I had imagined!

Definitely a little squealing inside every time I see them.

8. This little toad gave me a glimmer when our house became a WaterBnB last week for him for an evening and early morning.

Normally, we put water in that roasting pan for the bedding plants before we plant them

9. I love living a mere 15-minute drive from Point Pelee National Park. Lots of glimmer moments the day we were there: Forest bathing, soaking in water sounds as well as an unplanned dip(!) and enjoying seeing Rufus filled with such joy.

10. I love having Rufus join me usually towards the end of my yoga practice. He doesn’t usually stay when I’m doing Ashtanga but yin, he loves because it’s still, and, Sandra can usually, with a little coaxing with the paw grab, be persuaded to give me a belly or shoulder or cheekbones rub!

11. Last of all, I got a heart-and-belly-deep glimmer when I went to sign Macgyver and myself up for the Gutsy Walk for Crohn’s and Colitis this coming Sunday and I asked both Brianne and Dayna if they wanted to do it and be on our team. They immediately responded that yes they are in, Brady and Tyler too, and will do the 5K. I love sharing stuff like this across two countries, two provinces and one state.🥰 Another incident this month was watching a couple of the Oilers playoff hockey games together in spirit, if not in person. Our Gutsy Walk team is called Brady‘s Bowels 😁 and if you go to gutsywalk.ca and search for either Sandra Walker or Brady Hague you can sponsor us. Just click 'donate' and then you can search by team name Brady's Bowels or our individual names. If you click the image, I believe it will take you right to the donation page. Thank you!