between

that grey time

after christmas

before the new year,

the mad dash for

post holiday sales

and the return of items

purchased in haste.

happy holidays

continue

at the

cafe.

holiday

wishing everyone

a merry christmas

and

a happy new year.

the reveal

these are the first 11

prints in the series

that i have been working on.

using recycled styrofoam

has proven to be a bit more

challenging than expected.

snow

snow.

miss m was

pleased.

poinsettia

a friend gave me

this deeply red poinsettia,

the first

seasonal decoration

in the house.

sky

the expanse of sky

compensates for

the bleak surroundings.

(there is a dark cloud hovering over

dillandparsley these days, posts will

be sporadic, thank you for visiting)

souvenir

a friend brought back this edible souvenir

from italy. it was a welcome treat during a

break from printmaking. the packaging is

so pretty.

black ink

at work...

november

november has been kind,

the last few days have been

perfect, sunny and mild,

the sun was trying to emerge this

morning.

most of the leaves have fallen

creating a colourful carpet.

miss m is enjoying our

daily rambles,

though we have to be on

the look out for

aggressive coyotes.

wishing everyone a

good weekend.

remembrance day

some mad fun

it has come to this,

i visited pia's blog, and she suggested

to mad men yourself. amusing.

i don't remember the last time i was

in this type of establishment and i don't

own a dress. who is that man anyway?

red toaster

a new toaster lives in the kitchen,

it must be the 8th or 9th toaster

in over 10 or so years.

some lasted one day, 3 days, a week,

a month. those that functioned longer

usually expired in a flash of light conveniently

past any warranty.

i am hoping that this made in england dualit

toaster will be with us for a long time. so far

it has been making beautiful toast.

a prague moment

if a sudden urge for

czech food descends,

it can be satisfied at

this homey and warm restaurant/deli.

there all sorts of treats and a welcoming

attentive staff. it is one of those forever

places, their site can be found here.

happy november!

yellow leaves

the leaves on the tree outside our house

turn a brilliant yellow

casting

a golden light

into the interior,

so warm and enchanting.

good bye october.

what will november bring?

happy halloween!

studio time

in the studio,

i have been working

on a printmaking project,

there is little time

for anything else

it seems.

fog

fog enveloped the morning

with a cool grey cloak,

october's colours quietly

glowed.

ending the week

the best way to end a busy

week is to meet a friend

at the favourite cafe.

never a disappointment there,

the food is excellent and the

atmosphere pleasant.

wishing everyone a

good weekend!

it is getting cold here...

hotel lion

i like the lion

looking out.

an afternoon

it was an afternoon of errands and gallery

visits,

we stopped into a cafe with perfect tarts

in a display case,

the cappuccino was unsatisfactory and

the staff indifferent,

we enjoyed the view of the park.

skyline

another vintage sign for my collection.

they are becoming rather scarce

around here.

collecting

while squirrels

are busy

stowing away

nuts and rearranging

newly planted spring bulbs,

i am collecting

the warm colours

of october

for bleak

winter days.

celebration lentil loaf

i am always searching for

vegetarian dishes to serve on holidays.

the celebration lentil loaf recipe is from the

whole foods market site. i liked the recipe because

it was nut free. the basic ingredients are lentils, bulgur,

oats, onions, mushrooms, red pepper. it baked well,

looked good on the platter, was easy to slice

and delicious. rather than serve it

with a vegan mushroom gravy,

next time i will try a lively tomato sauce

and change the seasonings to

suit our tastes. the recipe can be found here.

bricks

over the weekend i visited the brick works,

for a much needed hike.

this is another example

of an industrial site redeveloped

for a different use.

the day was perfect for walking.

more information about the site and

the activities can be found here.

purple

after pink

it has to be

purple.

wishing everyone

a happy thanksgiving.

pink

it is friday,

i stopped in at a

traditional italian bakery

and brought home amaretti biscuits,

these with the pink flourish

are my favourite,

join me for a

a cappuccino perhaps?