Gratitude and Glimmers #104

Welcome to my post of glimmers (of joy and wonder) and gratitude for the month of January. You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color. 

1. I love this house for its brightness. Despite it being small, with no closets to speak of, and having painted-over panelling from the late 1940s (it was built in 1947), the brightness due to lots of windows, and something about the lot upon which it sat, told me it was a good place. Slowly over the years, we well mostly MacGyver, have renovated this house to the point where there isn't a room or wall that he hasn't touched/redone. When we did the major renovation in 2019, converting the half story to a full useable second level, we moved my sewing room to where we'd originally thought our bedroom would be, because of the light, which our wise builder had noticed. I love how it streams in through the entire day, thanks to windows on three sides that face east, south and west. Yes, it can wreak havoc on fabric and quilts, but I am careful to move them or shield them if in direct sunlight. This gave me a glimmer of joy early one morning when I walked by.

I made this cover for my longarm in 2019 when I was an Island Batik ambassador. filling it with all kinds of quilting motifs.

Gorgeous fabric and a gorgeous if I do say so myself, double ribbon candy motif.

2. The first roll of my hearts quilt last night made me smile in happiness and satisfaction. The 'fat flowers' motif that I love to quilt and the flannel backing (same line as the front fabrics) are just perfect for this quilt.

3. I've followed this account for quite some time. This is, and long has been, how I feel.

A while back my sister sent a couple of old photos, one of which was this one. I've mentioned before how we'd regularly take walks in Edmonton's beautiful river valley as a family.

4. I like my Olympic mittens which I proudly wore during the games this month,

and my heart swelled with pride in and love for my country, along with respect for these athletes when they walked in.

They did us proud (with one exception, 😒 a moment in men's curling) and I have nothing but admiration for them. There was a moving post on Instagram where members of our women's hockey team read out emails from Canadians showing their support and love for them. Look up the @cbcolympics account for it if you haven't seen it.

5. February was an unusually cold and snowy month for much of the country. Rufus was in his glory.

I love watching him frolic in glee in the snow. He looks and acts like he's one year old, not seven and a half!

6. MacGyver was in Alberta during the first part of the month, when it was bitter cold. Rufus gave me a little glimmer, this one of adoration and empathy, when I came into the kitchen to see him laid out in a patch of sunshine. I get that!

You may notice the bird of paradise and multiple other plants we are over-wintering, not for their first time!

7.  Ten days after that shot of Rufus, what did I spy in the garden by our side door? Daffodils poking through! What a glimmer of joy and hope that gave me!

February 17

Have we had more snow since? Yes, a couple of times, though not much and it melts within the day. I'm so over winter!

8. This gave me a chuckle the other day, Bella had joined me at the table where I was working on the computer, and peeked at me. In the background you can see yet another wall where MacGyver executed my idea of opening it up on an angle with the stairs to upstairs. He also executed to perfection my other idea of staining and varnishing the old tired treads and painting the risers white. This house has changed sooo much since we bought it, and I know I've said I should do a before and after post one of these days... I need to make a digital scrapbook or even a tangible one of all we've done over the past nine years.

Yes, there is yet another plant we are over-wintering for the...gosh..fourth or fifth season.

9. British authors have my likes this month. I’m on my eighth book of the year, The Mysterious Bakery on the Rue de Paris by Irish author Evie Woods, a lighthearted book that combines some magic with incredible French patisserie, and of course, takes place in my favourite country, France. The other British author that I thoroughly enjoyed this past month was Richard Osman, the latest in The Thursday Murder Club books, The Impossible Fortune.

10. Yesterday on my walk into town, a very windy one, I saw this house with its sugar maples tapped! Love this for several reasons, but yes, spring is gently arriving, and the trees are waking.

MacGyver ordered a greenhouse which arrived yesterday, so that will be an interesting addition to our back garden this year. Which brings me to a quote on my yin yoga lesson plan for this afternoon:

Mindfulness is simply being aware of what's happening right now without wishing it were different:

• enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will)
• being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won't)

--James Baraz