Treasure found

When Mark was cleaning out the cubby recently, he found two dry and dusty envelopes with the address of the house next door, and the name of the War Veteran who lived there, back when these houses were first built. Weathered, stained, and brittle, we opened them carefully, thrilled by this discovery, and found some stamp catalogues, paystubs dated from 1946 through 1949 (he seems to have worked for a Furniture company and made $6.75 per week), life insurance papers (so much more lovely and decorative than now), a broken compact mirror, and a metal bill fold with a 20 dollar Deutschmark.

Not sure how these papers came to be in our crawl space, unless the houses were numbered differently at one time? An enticing mystery for sure. I will discuss with the neighbours.

I have to say, it was quite exciting to stumble upon something from a previous owner (even if he may not have lived in our house), and I would love for some future homeowner to find this and feel the same sense of wonder. It makes me love this little house even more, knowing more about the history in it's old bones. Is there any greater thrill than uncovering long-lost treasures (even if at some point they were just mundane papers)?

2 bottles milk and Whipping cream. Such lovely handwriting! Look at that W! Swoon.

That's right, my friends!

It's Beavertail season, y'all! So bundle up, and get out on the canal for some deep-fried, sugar coated dough!

Winter forest

Finally, the first snowshoe of the season. So good to be back in the winter forest. Incredible colours on the snow from the late afternoon sun. Peach, mauve, and coral pink! The thick blanket of snow muffling summertime sounds, allowing me to hear the flapping of the Pileated Woodpecker's wing-beats as he passed overhead. Just a brief moment, but a magically expansive one. A perfect day out, topped off with an owl sighting on the way home. Life is good. Even when it's minus 20.

B+A #003: $2 makeover

A simple refresh for this antique sewing table found at a flea market for $20 a few years ago. It coated well, but I put on two coats anyway, to make it nice and thick, which used about half of one of these handy test pots. 

Also, if you're curious about the name, as I was, Araucana is a type of chicken, whose eggs are a lovely sea-foamy colour.

Every cloud...

... (and leaf, and tendril, and telephone pole) has a silver lining.

The first skate of the season

After finding out that a section of the canal is now open (from Pretoria to Bank), Mark and I jumped at the opportunity to get out on the ice last night, even though it was bitingly cold, and though it is a bit scary skating in the near-dark...

Enjoying the little things of late: you know, like snowstorms and crocheted universes.

Some nice colours and textures I pass on my way to work.

Keeping the Christmas tree up as long as possible, since we were so late in getting it.

Enjoying walking home in Friday's beautiful snowfall.

Happening upon the opening of a beautiful art installation by Andrea Haltrich at the Shenkman Arts Centre, and spying this awesome poem in the guestbook. Here, I'll type it, because it's just so awesome:

Tyler's poem
Hey andy, I know your pretty handy, your art is great, I wish it was a state. I know you nit this, and the squirrel's bit this. But the good thing is that I want it to be on bing, so let me tell you that i love you. but I want you to know that you can tie a bow. So that's my story.

Frosty tendrils.