Hello Dear Adele
....walking just south of Bloor yesterday at dusk - I come upon a family midstream in awe of this sidewalk garden - a little girl stood under the big fronds of the plant (just to the right)

and asked her mum if they could grow plants like these? They look like umbrellas! Her mum smiled and
then the daughter said - I want a garden like this! 
Toronto continues to bloom through Autumn - and - I am certain 
that the unusually crisp clear air that we are experiencing now is due to 
a not so hot summer and perhaps to umbrellas like these popping up in the
city in fits and bits.  Sending Joy to you. xoxo Michelle 

Hi Adele
Thinking of you this weekend. Sunday in Consecon turned sunny by late day. I stacked wood for 4 hours which was a welcome break from reading, reading, reading! I looked up between wheelbarrow loads as the early evening light hit the maple and burning bush in my backyard. I could almost feel the colour interacting physically with my eyes. A good tactile afternoon. Let me know if you'd like to have tea out here or perhaps in Toronto.
Lotsa love,
Martha

Hi Adele,

A rainy Saturday morning, and my friend Catherine Owen from New Westminster is staying with me. She is in Ontario on tour for her new book, The Other 23 & a Half Hours: Or, Everything You Wanted to Know that YourMFA Didn't Teach You -- about the writing life, community, working in mixed media, and related topics.  She, along with Amanda Jernigan (poet) and Gary Barwin (writer and musician) gave a presentation in Hamilton last night, and she is doing a workshop at the Art Gallery of Hamilton this afternoon.  Here are a couple of quotes from the book:

Poetry has agency in the world (George Bowering, Left Hook._
Poetry is a profession which engages the entire being of the artist.  (Stephen Kessler, Moving Targets),
Collaboration is the key; it takes innovation and creativity to the next room. (Shawn Lukas)

I love the way this blog helps us weave our different arts and voices together.

Here is a picture of milkweed seeds -- there is a wonderful collaboration between the milkweed and the monarch butterfly caterpillar, giving rise to the beautiful butterfly!

caring, as well as creating, always takes a village.
love,
Ellen

fiesta de los ninos

Dear Adele,
It happened that I had a little fiesta for kids at my home here in Nicaragua last Saturday. It was like dance class/birthday party/how down. My yoga ball was popular. I passed my camera to a kid so all these pics are taking by the children themselves. A surprisingly wild and cute adventure. Hope you enjoy the pics.

  (I played Staying Alive by the Bee Gees and we disco danced)

Thinking of you Adele. Nicole

P.S. Here is the other house cat, apparently named Ginger, posing here with a treasure I found on the beach.

Dear Adele;

The summer breeze had wandered by
lifting little bits of time gently into the azure light
he scattered them along his way, too many for his arms to hold
I caught one here, a sunshine moment as it floated down and send it now to you
Evidence of our summer effort, the lowly hayfield now becomes a place where love grows

Hi Adelle, I thought you might enjoy hearing about my new identity- as a baseball fan! Technically, I have been involved in baseball for years: both of my children were catchers in elite ball, and; my husband was a coach and scout.   For twelve years, every weekend during the official season I attended a baseball tournament in some city or other.  As the dutiful and loving wife and mother, I was ever supportive: cheering in the rain, patching their injuries; cursing poor sportsmanship, and; washing smelly baseball socks in hotel laundry mats in the dead of night.  Even today, with my children well into adulthood, my son coaches a rep team; my daughter plays on several adult softball teams; my husband is a rep pitching coach;  and I still attend some games. But it has always been their passion, not mine.  I was, and am, an artsy.  To their chagrin  I still occasionally refer to their uniforms as costumes and their practices as rehearsals.

But this all changed this past season and last Wednesday was the culminating event.  This year, I decided to be an "insider."  I worked hard at not watching, but belonging.  I wanted to have a team .  I learned the names of all of the Jays players and their positions.  I learned about them as people, and watched specials about their lives and how many obstacles they had to overcome to get to wear a Jays cap.   I picked a favourite player, Jose Bautista, and proudly wear his name and number on the back of my new T-shirt.  I even wear a cap! Strangely,  I feel akin to complete strangers who also wear Bautista garb.  I quickly learned that I can cheer and sing, wave towels and even dance in the street after a game in Toronto, and it is smiled upon!  As an artsy I would have willingly  done this anytime, but my husband would not have necessarily smiled! 

Last Wednesday I watched that amazing game at home with my husband and found myself  on the edge of my seat.  I waved a towel to support my pitchers; Stroman, Sanchez, and Osuna.  I found myself yelling in protest in the 7th inning when  Toronto catcher Russell Martin's return throw to the mound hit Choo's bat and Odor raced home.  I shouted and danced when my man, Bautista, hit that remarkable home run.

Even as I read this over, I have to laugh.  I actually know these players' names?!  I am emotionally involved in people I don't even know.  I can, and want to discuss the plays, highlights, and quirks of the game. It sure took me a long time, but I am enjoying it!    I suspect I still may slip up and refer to practices as rehearsals, but that is okay.  I am no longer just the artsy and the baseball mom and wife. I am a FAN, and tonight, I will be watching!

             My husband and I on our way to a game with my new-found community.

beautiful photography

Dear Adele....just thinking of you and thought you will enjoy these...
️️
hugs
J&S

St. Mary's Alter Krakow Poland

Corsica, France 

Queen Victoria Clock in Chester England

Prague

Secluded beach Amalfi Coast, Italy

River Seine Paris

Milan zodiac sundial, 1768 created by the Acsademi a di Brera - Summer Solstice the rays strike the bronze on the floor and for Winter Solstice it stretches to the meridian. 

Assos, Kefalonia Island, Greece 

Millau Viaduct, France

Switchback Mountain, Tainman Hwy., China

Lighthouse in Sutherland, England

Gate opening to Lake Como, Italy

Astronomical Clock, Prague, Czech Republic

St. Petersburg Russia, Up close

Pulpit Rock, Norway

Sheep's Highway, Ireland 

Dorset, England

Turquoise River, BC, Canada 

Vinhedos do Douro, Portugal

Arctic Cathedral, Norway

Peles Castle, Romania

Underwater Roller-coaster, Japan (No thank you!)

Victoria Falls, Africa

Ireland 

The Kremlin, Russia

Micheldever Wood, Hampshire, England

Rocky Village, Liguria, Italy

Basque Spain

Balls Pyramid out the eastern coast of Australia

Massive Vietnam cave discovered in 2009

Lightening on the Eiffel Tower, Paris France 

.

gift of light

Dear Adele,
Greetings again from the beach in Nicaragua. I've embarked on a bit of an art project here that I thought you might like. Leslie Ashton gave me some candles that look like peddles. I brought them with me. I've been photographing them at dawn or dusk, on the beach or with some of the unique graffiti and textures in my beach home. These images are very greeting-card-like, which I suppose was the intent. I've been quite prolific. But now all the candles are used up so I guess I'm done.
I hope you like them.

This means "bursting with stories"  if I've translated right.

It comes as part of a message painted on a door to new tenants. 

I am not certain I have it correctly but here is my take on the full meaning of the graffiti passage:

"If you find other places bursting with our stories, 

its because our where was not as important as our who."

These images are from tonight's sunset. It was just starting to rain and that made interesting effects with the candle light until they all got wet out by droplets.

And here is the most magnificent ocean.

With my very last candle I made a self portrait. 

I clicked as many pics as I could before the wax all dribbled out through my fingers and left me in the dark.

Now the rain is pouring down. I have a little cat under my bed and cricket by my door to keep me company.

Sending you light Adele.

Nicole