If the title of this post seems like an oxymoron to you, I’m not surprised. I have a long(ish) and difficult relationship with the month of November. It’s always seemed to me like the most depressing, grey, cold, lifeless month of the year. On the other hand, my dear father, who died in 2011, was...
Year: 2015
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Making way for other things
It’s been ages since I’ve posted on this blog so I thought I’d let you know what’s happening. I am one third of the way through a process known as The Artist’s Way (book by Julie Cameron), which I mentioned in my last post. I’m finding myself unable to do a lot of writing aside...
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I gotta practice, but first…
Right now I ought to be practicing. At least that’s what I’m thinking most of the time that I’m doing something else. That’s the life and curse of being a musician. Practicing is always hanging in the background, like that angel/devil hanging on your shoulders; only they’re both telling me to practice. Ever since I...
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More confessions of a lazy (and distracted) gardener
I was in London, England, having a wonderful time visiting my daughter for eight days, got back on Saturday. Since then, I have looked at the Tranquil Garden, walked through it, took note of a few chores to do, watered my planters, which were in dire need; but not much else has been accomplished. I...
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Musings on the Spirit
I was taken aback the other day when our son mentioned in passing, “Well, I didn’t grow up in a spiritual household”. It made me ponder the nature of spirituality. I don’t believe that religion and spirituality are the same thing, but what do I mean by spirituality? We didn’t talk much about it as...
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Neighbourhood Inspiration
When I’m out walking or biking I’m constantly distracted, delighted and entertained by what other people are doing in their gardens. Sometimes I like what I see and even stop to take a picture, other times I’m dying to pull out a huge weed that’s marring an otherwise lovely flower bed. You never know what someone...
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Confessions of a Lazy Gardener
This is just a quick confessional update, in which I lay bare the truth about my gardening habits. In the middle of the summer, no matter what the weather (since I can’t blame the heat this year, there isn’t any), I just don’t get out to do any serious gardening very often. I do my...
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Drawn by Beauty
Every day, when I have the time, I take a turn about the garden. It’s not exactly an acreage so this walkabout takes about five minutes if I walk slowly and examine things minutely. I like to do it while I’m drinking my coffee in the morning, but I often don’t get to it until...
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Another Rainy Day
Okay, it’s been rainy, cold, and… not sunny and warm. I’ve heard people complain that we haven’t experienced summer yet at all this year in Montreal. While I understand their pain, sort of, I can’t help being thankful that it’s not blistering hot and there’s no snow on the ground. For these two things I’m...
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More on Dastardly Weeds
A quick update on my last post. The weed I was worried about is probably (98% sure) not Japanese knotweed, according to a friend of mine who had it in her previous garden. She looked at the pictures and assures me it isn’t it. I’m waiting until she sees it IRL (in real life) before...