tania howells

proud sister!

I am so exited, my brother is arriving today for his toronto premiere!  he has finished his documentary Alfred and Jakobine and I can't wait to see it on Sunday!  It is premiering at Toronto's Hot Docs Festival.

I have seen a rough cut and it was so so good.  Mainly, from my point of view, because of the diary excerpts of Jakobine's.  I just love her, and of course I am partial to diaries and women's experience in general.  My brother, I am amazed at his ability to persevere, this was a long long time coming!  Hooray for my brother!

 

I just love this mural I spotted a few weeks ago on Queen street.  It really is true.  I hardly recognise this neighborhood, compared to even 10 years ago.  I do like how it has gentrified while still allowing the original grime to shine through somewhat.  As soon as a starbucks, and then a second one only 2 blocks away, move in, you know things are on the up and up.

 

 

Finished up another 11 x 1 7 quick and dirty quilt just now.  That's my style on preschool mornings!  No time to worry about stray threads and muck like that when I need to feel I have accomplished something, just for me!  No idea what to use these for, placemats perhaps, but then I will just spill jam and tea all over them...still I do like the small scale and ease of finishing!  I have a quilt ready to be finished, that I started over 7 years ago. In the end, I sewed all these strips together rather than adding plain strips in between them, and I really love it- will take a nice picture now that the weather is cooperating finally, even of just the quilt top.

Better rush off and get Finch!  TTFN!

 

your next sunny day

 

is just around the corner!  Playing around a bit with collage this morning.  It must have been inspired by waking up this morning to a snow storm! In the middle of April for heavens sake!

 

Check out my sprouts!  They sprouted so quickly, I was amazed.  I love them at this stage, just so pretty and tender.

Happy goshdarn spring!!

Preschool is finally on again and I get my precious 1.5 hour breaks twice a week (ha!) I have some turquoise fabric hanging around that I am using for some wide summer pants using a pattern a friend passed along to me.  Of course I thought it might be nice to have some pattern to it so I carved up this leaf stamp I plan to use on it somehow later.  Once I actually sew them up and print them, I will show you!  It could be a while ;)

Finch and I did some gardening the other day.  It is finally warming up!! Can you believe it?  I thought it would never ever happen.  The little pots (used Keurig coffee things- I hate how wasteful they are!) Have two kale seeds each and the orange juice box has arugula, the other with salad bowl lettuce.  Not very interesting to look at just yet... but so full of promise and hope!  Oh and one delightful daffodil bulb.  It remains to be seen where all this will go... I am hoping to keep sowing lettuce all summer in these very boxes but the kale will be containers somewhere in our tiny, now all decking, back yard.  My beloved patch of dirt was sacrificed for the greater good of having what feels like another room in the summer.  I do have a bunch of pots and am always on the lookout for more.  The only problem, without a car, is getting those giant bags of dirt home!  I have fond ideas of building some wooden ones with old shipping pallets I might find somewhere...and I do love the idea of this strawberry garden!

Our very own monster truck rally, inspired by some crazy youtube video Finch found.  Oh look, some kale on the floor there... ooops!

A gorgeous shimmering shot of a NOT!!! frozen lake Ontario from a lovely Sunday walk with my friend.

A not great shot of the also shimmering Alewives tank at Toronto's newest awesomest place, the aquarium!!

These fish are pure magic, twirling and whirling in their school.  I love this place, I have always dreamed we might get an aquarium here, but really didn't dare hope it would actually happen!! Pure joy.  Finch and I went last week (for the third time, mind you) and its wonderful

Oh and one more thing,  I was rummaging in the Annette branch of the library last week as I was up there for an errand, solo.  I love doing this!  I come across lovely surprises and I found this book- Edible Selby.

It is so so interesting!  I see its from a website that I have never come across- must investigate!  I am really thrilled lately by people doing foodie things from scratch on a small scale.  It really gets me revved up!  The Eagle street rooftop garden in brooklyn!! thrilling!  The guy who fishes the shores around San Francisco callling himself Sea Forager!  Blows my mind!  Wow, really WOW!  It inspires me no end.