Shadow Shot Sunday - Part 2 - With Sun

What a difference an hour or two makes. From dull and overcast with muted shadows  to bright sun and lovely dark shadows. I went back out and captured some more shadows.

Be sure to check out SSS2 for some wonderful shadows.

Shadow Shot Sunday

First day of summer holiday! Yeah! So looking forward to having large blocks of time for art and proijects.
It has been extremely hot, humid and bight the past few days. This morning when I went out to check for shadows, I couldn't believe that bright sunshne was missing. Overcast and cool. A bit of a welcome relief but not great for a shadow chaser.

We also have a new resident on our porch - another dove just built a nest inches from the last nest that was there. We wo't be able to use the ladder again for several weeks.

Our lettuce has just gone wild with all the heat. Caught a bit of shadow this morning.

Our roses have been doing well also.

Be sure to check out all the shadows from around the world here.

Slice of Life Tuesday

Tonight we held the Grade 8 graduation at our school It has been a group of kids that has been challenging all through their years and a group we are not too sad to see go.
As I watched them tonight, I had many thoughts:

*The outfits: so many of these young girls were totally inappropriate - too mature, too sexy, too short. Where were the parents in the choosing and buying of these outfits?

* Three awards were not given - most based on leadership and positive attitudes. Did parents realize that none of their children qualified for these awards?

* The valedictorian gave a speech that seemed to attack the teachers and supply teachers that are at our school. And the other students cheered at mention of certain incidents.

* Where will these young people end up? I am concerned with their attitudes and behaviour and their lack of empathy.

This year we have had little school spirit at our school. We had a new principal and vice principal and the tone of the school has changed. Many of use want to bring back some of that spirit. Maybe with these gr. 8s leaving and a new batch of gr. 8s with better leadership qualities coming up,  we can recapture some of the school spirit that has been missing.

Linking with Slice of Life Tuesday here.

Summer of Colour

Kristin of "Twinkle, Twinkle" has posted another delicious ice cream for this week:

Baseball Nut - "A smooth, vanilla flavored ice cream swirled with a black raspberry ribbon and loaded with cashews" from  Baskin Robbins

At first I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with this colour, but then just decided to play. I grabbed  a rose and  black for the raspberry and brown and white. Then I just applied the paint and blended and played.

Same colours, just a different focus. Not sure where I will go from here, but enjoyed the play tonight.

Be sure to check out the wide range of awesome art here.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadows abound in the sun - and it has been sunny this week! Gorgeous weather to begin summer. We almost had record heat on Wednesday and Thursday - and we were having playday at school on Thursday morning!
Only a week to go until school is done for another year. Hard to believe how quickly the days have flown since March break. I will certainly be looking forward to R & R this year!

More shadows from the garden:

Loved the design of this spent flower.

Be sure to check the great shadow chasers from around the world here.

Slice of Life Tuesday

Sunday was Father's Day, a day to celebrate our Dads. On this Father's Day, I realized that my Dad has been gone for 40 years. He died too young - at age 49.

As I thought back, I realized I have much to owe  my father. It is from him that I get my build, my thick hair, my love of reading, my math ability.
It was at his funeral that I heard what made him a role model for many people: The custodian at the bank said that my father always had a good word for everyone and treated everyone the same - whether he was a president or a custodian. He was most definitely not a "yes" man. If a person was an idiot, he told him so!

My mother became a widow at 43 - and raised 5 children on her own, never remarrying.
I always wonder where we would be today if my father had lived.  I know I wish my children would have known their grandfather.
Patty Digh wrote about her Dad this Father's Day and quoted a poem. Read it here.
It so made me remember our special summer vacations at Ocean Park, Maine. So many memories, so many to treasure always.
Happy Father's Day Dad! Love you always!

(I can't believe my Mom still had this - from when I was 10 or 11! It was in the box of photos I took home after my Mom died.)

Linking up with Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers.

Week 2 - Summer of Colour

Kristin of "Twinkle, Twinkle" is once again holding her "Summer of Colour". This year,  though,  the inspirations are from delicious ice cream flavours!

Welcome to Week Two of The Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspirations!
This week the inspiration is from mint chocolate chip! How delicious is that!

I just finished report cards last night (|YEAH!!!), so I am now free to indulge in all kinds of challenges. Kristin's colour challenge is a must! I thoroughly enjoyed it last year.

I created 2 backgrounds tonight - one for week 1 and 2.

Week 2:

 I used 2 colours of acrylic paint with white , with the idea of ground and sky/grass.

Then I added a photo of a rose from our garden, some stamps and one of my favourite quotes:

Week 1 was Rainbow Sherbet!

I'm still not sure what I will do with this background yet.

Be sure to check out the different versions for Week 2 here.

Shadow Shot Sunday

This weekend has started off with a beautiful morning - warm and sunny. And the weather is predicted to be hot and humid for the next few days. Great for a barbecue for Father's Day! Also great for photos of shadows this morning just steps from our porch!

Be sure to check out the wonderful shadow chasers from around the world here.

Slice of Life Tuesday

My husband and I attended a memorial service for a an older lady from our church on Saturday. Her death came after a sudden diagnosis of cancer and then she had a blood clot, which led to hospitalization and complications.
She was a former teacher, a volunteer for years, a dynamo in our church. Her passing will leave a hole.
It was listening to her best friend that hit me the hardest. I heard so many stories of what they meant to each other and how they did so much together.
It made me miss that friendship I used to have before I moved here.
Her sons talked about the need to live in the moment and make each day count. Good advice for us all.
I need to get on the phone and reconnect.

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It has been over a month since I took part in these memes. I have been reading, although not as much as I'd like. But it is report card time and spending more time on marking and working on reports.
My list of books to read keeps growing though!

We got a small bookshelf at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago and finally set it up Saturday. I knew there were few places it could go - but my husband's suggestion worked so well! It now sits atop a desk in my soon to be functional art room (at least by the time school ends!)

In the past few weeks,  I read:

"The Island" by Elin Hilderbrand  - really enjoyed it

"Bite of the Mango Tree" by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland. I finally finished this autobiography of Mariatu - from her  horrific loss of arms in Sierra Leone to life here in Canada.

as well as these YA and picture books:

"Bifocal" by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters (It was excellent and really looked at two different ways of life and viewpoints

"Dancing Through the Snow"  by Jean Little. very enjoyable

"Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White this was a reread - as I  read it as our class read aloud. I still love it, as did the children.

"Charlotte" by Janet Lunn an excellent look at the United Empire Loyalists and how the revolution tore family's apart.

"Little Burnt Face" by Kath Lock   great for comparison to Cinderella

Right now I am reading:

"Alice I Have Been" by Melanie Benjamin  (historical fiction about Alice of "Alice in Wonderland"

"Stolen Child" by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (A Brantford resident and a writer of historical fiction for young adults. I'm enjoying this one)


Be sure to check out some great book choices here and here.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadows abound with sun - catching some this week was fun. Good thing, as this morning I awoke to more rain. We need ti though - our lawns were looking almost brown.

Had to include this last one - our peonies have just exploded in colour this week!

Be sure to check out the wonderful shadow chasers from around the world here.

Slice of Life Tuesday

I drive to work each day on a fairly busy 2 lane highway. I have seen animals occasionally, but most times they are on the side of the road.
On Friday as I came over a hill, I couldn't believe the sight ahead - a flock of 30 or more Canada Geese waddling across the highway. Theyhad  just reached the centre line as I came abreast of them.  I did make it by and then the highway was blocked. I flashed oncoming cars ahead and as I looked in the mirror,  I saw two long line of cars growing as the geese made their way - slowly - across that busy stretch of highway. Quite a comical sight really!

Linking up with "Slice of Life" at Two Writing Teachers.