shorelines

one of the most spectacular parts of my gros morne helicopter ride was flying along the shoreline from trout river to rocky harbour (much of this shoreline is accessible overland along the green garden trail). the shapes of the land. the colours of the water. yesterday i made 3 skeins of "shoreline" yarn.

flying

i have a fear of flying. and suffer from extreme vertigo. but when i turned 60 this year, i decided i wouldn't pass up experience out of irrational fear. my friend tess, who is an artist, received a grant to pay for a helicopter ride over gros morne and yesterday invited brenda and i to join her.

happy birthday blog!

today i'm celebrating 3 years of blogging. i started islandweet.blogspot aug.1st, 2007 and have posted most days since. this photo sums up how i see my blog. it was taken by lucy. while she was visiting she had free access to my camera. i think i notice and record the small precious details of my life, but seeing it through the eyes of a 5 year old made me look even closer. thanks to all of you who check in to share my life.

just a little sad

we just arrived back from st. john's. and for the first time in a month we don't have company. no children, no grand children. the house seems quiet and large. but tiny reminders are everywhere - the basketball net and wading pool still in the backyard. the lettuce my son planted for me in the garden the day he was leaving. it's been a crazy, busy month. what summer is.

and a warm sunny day

yesterday was sunny with a warm southerly wind. keith and my son took another day-long hike so lucy and i had the day to ourselves. a long walk around the pond. watched shirley temple's "the little princess" as we ate our lunch. and in the afternoon dyed some fleece and did a little gardening. this morning lucy is painting some pictures to take home to her friends. this afternoon we're going to the insectarium in deer lake before dropping my son off at the airport to fly back to montreal (i'll be visiting him again in a months time so it isn't too sad). and then tomorrow we drive lucy back to st. john's.

a cold rainy day with a 5 year old

yesterday was cold and rainy. my house isn't set up for children (not many toys) but we managed to pass the day with lots of activity and fun. we cleared out the linen closet above the basement stairs to get at my daughter's old dolls and doll clothes. lucy invited maida (marilee's grand daughter) over for a tea party (star-shaped sandwiches and cupcakes and mint tea) and they dressed the dolls and stuffed animals to join in and after watched "lady and the tramp". in the late afternoon while my son was reading to lucy i snuck off for a nap (over 4 weeks with little children is beginning to tire me out...) and slept deeply for 1 1/2 hrs! lucy discovered the crawl-space linen cupboard and made a nest in it where she insisted on having her dinner (we all wished we could join her up there). and i finished her hat.

fun with lucy

this is lucy's first time alone with us in corner brook. eamon began his summertime visits with us at the age of 4 but last year lucy said she wasn't ready. this year she was. lucy has always known what she wants. she's very sensible, so when she says no, it's important to listen to her. we're having alot of fun. yesterday morning she helped me with the carding and spinning (i have a big craft council order i'd like to deliver when we go into st. john's this weekend, so i'm trying to get on with that). she also chose colours for the hat i'm knitting for her and helped me card and spin it (she sits on my knees and holds my hands). in the afternoon keith took her to the park and to the caves and then bike riding (we picked up a 2 wheeler with training wheels for $5.00 at the sally anne). and in the evening we went to jungle jim`s with keith`s parents and my son for a surprisingly good meal. this is a short visit for lucy of only a week so we`re trying to fit as much into it as we can.