Settled in the Maritimes of Canada, surrounded by the forest and Acadian Mountain Chain, I live a simple life of gratitude. This blog is a journal of my art, food, furkids, garden, home, my life and my thoughts. Thanks for reading!
I can handle ghosts, goblins and ghouls...but cold winter weather scares me! It's snowing this weekend, which is very pretty but as I say every year...TOO EARLY.
Alex and I try to go for walks every night. Last night was fun walking in the snow for the first time this year. I like the silhouette of our hats. :)
Canning season is officially over! I used the last of my Mason jars to preserve 20 pints of apple sauce today. The 50 pound box of apples cost $20, so each pint was $1. It pays to can! :)
Halloween is almost here!! :) I have my menu planned, decorations ready, pumpkin carving tools handy and paper machier pumpkins in the works!! Now I just hope the snow melts!
Here are my latest "Ghostober" pieces I've been posting on Instagram. I have three more days of spooky art for this challenge! One will be based on a local Montreal haunting....buah ha ha ha ha!!! Stay tuned for my Halloween post! :) So much fun! 👻👻👻
"Dullahan" (acrylic): The Dullahan is a Celtic solider of Irish mythology whose head was chopped off and taken from him in battle. He roams the land on horseback, searching for his lost head. If you look at him, you will immediately be blinded. Some stories state that his bitterness causes him to kill innocent people to join him in the afterlife. If he speaks your name, it is your life he wishes to take.
"White Lady" (acrylic): A White Lady is a tortured ghost who died watching her loved one die before her in a horrific way. She is typically a woman mourning the loss of a lover or a child. She appears in the area of the tragedy and haunts it restlessly for eternity.
"The Ghost of Hamlet's Father" (watercolour): In Shakespeare's "Hamlet", the dead king appears to his son Hamlet. The ghost reveals that he was murdered in his sleep, by his own brother - Hamlet's uncle who became King and married Hamlet's mother. The tortured ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing his uncle.
"Hellhound" (acrylic): A Hellhound is a demon black dog sent to brutally kill condemned souls and drag them to hell. If you lead a sinful life; and were visited by a Grim, or heard a Banshee's cry, or heard the voice of a Headless Horseman whisper your name...you may suddenly hear dogs barking fiercely in the distance. As the growls and barks grow closer and closer, your first instinct is to run...but there is nowhere to hide from the Hellhounds.
"Will-o'-wisp" (watercolour): A Will-o'-wisp is a ghost light seen by travelers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. It resembles a flickering lamp and is said to recede if approached, drawing travelers from their safe paths.
Psychopomp (acrylic): A Psychopomp is a spirit who escorts newly deceased souls to the afterlife.
"Poltergeist" (watercolour): A Poltergeist is a noisy spirit who frightens homeowners by knocking on walls, throwing objects, moving furniture, and other similar deeds. They are said to be the restless spirits of dead adolescents who are only interested in playing nasty pranks. They can be relentless to the point where most people opt to leave their homes. Poltergeists have been known to harm humans if they're pranks don't result in the homeowners leaving their homes.
"Herne The Hunter" (acrylic): Herne, a skilled huntsman, was fatally wounded while saving King Richard from a charging stag. He was cured by a stranger, who tied the antlers of a dead stag to the dying man's brow. For healing him, the stranger took all of Herne's hunting skills. With no skills left to hunt, Herne went mad, and fled the forest where he hung himself from an oak tree. His spirit was tortured; every night he rides, leading a ghostly hunt, chasing the wildlife of Windsor Forest.
Cheese making has begun!!! I started two wheels of Camembert yesterday and I'm hoping they'll be ready for New Year's Eve! I've recorded the process so far, so stay tuned for a video on Rainy Day Cheesemaking very soon! :)
After our latest fondue night, we wanted something a little healthier (with cheese of course!), so I made a Cheddar and Cauliflower Soup. Very good with warm buttery homemade bread!
I've had a hankerin' lately for Homemade Croissants with some Brie cheese...I decided to make them a few days ago to have with the leftover soup. I can't take credit for this Brie...but when the Cams are ready, I'll be making more croissants for sure. :)
Here are a few more pieces I created for my "Ghostober" art month!
"Mummy" (acrylic): In Ancient Egypt, the dead were mummified because it was believed that if they were not, their spirits would leave their bodies to haunt the people close to them.
"Banshee" (watercolour): A Banshee is a female spirit in Celtic lore who heralds the death of a family member by shrieking and wailing near the doomed person's home. Her cries are terrifying and ear-shattering.
"Demon" (watercolour): A demon is a fallen angel who thrives on torturing humans by possession in order to reap their souls.
Guess who learned how to add a slideshow to her blog??? I love learning new EASY things! The first slideshow has the pumpkins I've carved for the last 7 Halloweens.
And this slideshow shows all of the food I've made for the last 5 Halloweens. Thought I'd give you some ideas!
I'm going to get myself a big ol' coffee and spend the morning catching up with your blogs my friends. Then I'm off to Pinterest to find some more Halloween food ideas!
I hope you're all doing well :) The theme for today's Scribble Picnic is "Bottle" (please follow the link for more art or to join in!). The very first Looney Tune cartoon that came to mind when I thought of "bottle" was Carrotblanca. Poor Bugs is hitting the carrot juice pretty hard!
I know "they" say to read your labels, but I honestly have never read the front of my Worcestershire bottle before...brings food alive huh? Hmmm...
This may not turn out well... :)
We opened up a jar of Absinthe-flavoured cherries we'd canned in the summer of 2017...Oh my, what a great combination of flavours!!! Alex made us some Old Fashioned's to celebrate that success! :)
Sleepy Jack
Time to rest up...Halloween is right around the corner! I'm very excited and have lots of fun stuff planned that I will be sharing over the next few weeks! Do you have big plans? :)
👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻 GHOSTOBER!! 👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻
I post these daily on Instagram, but I'd like to share my Ghostober paintings and ghost stories with my Blogger friends too. Here is the artwork I've done for the last few weeks:
"Apparition" (watercolour): An apparition is a sudden manifestation of a spirit who is trapped in a certain place. Usually an apparition will appear out of the corner of your eye, when you turn to look at it, it will be gone!
"Battlefield Ghosts" (watercolour): Battlefield Ghosts are spirits of dead soldiers who are trapped in the battlefields where so much death and destruction took place. They haunt these areas seeking out their fellow slain soldiers and their horses.
"The Bell Witch" (ink and watercolour): The Bell Witch is a woman who was allegedly cheated out of a land deal by John Bell. On her deathbed, she swore revenge on him, stating that she would haunt his home, his family and all of his descendants. She created poltergeist activity in the home, and caused physical harm to the inhabitants, including the children and the farm animals on the land. It is believed that her spirit played a hand in John Bell's death by poisoning.
"Dryads" (acrylic): Dryads are protective tree spirits and have been known to lure lost travelers into the depths of the woods as an act of vengeance towards humans who destroy forests.
"The Flying Dutchman" (acrylic): The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship that can never make it to port and is doomed to sail the oceans forever.
"Grim" (acrylic): The Grim was thought to be invented during the time of the Black Plague. Because death was so rampant and terrifying, people personified the horrors with a supernatural creature who came to claim lives.
"Hungry Ghost" (acrylic): A Hungry Ghost is the spirit of a deceased person who was greedy and envious. They have necks the size of pins and cannot swallow, they roam the earth endlessly looking for food which they cannot eat.
"Madeline Usher" (watercolour): In Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", Roderick Usher, distraught and mad, buries his sister Madeline alive because he believes that his deadly fate is connected to his family name and his home. Believing that he is the last Usher to survive, he feels he has conquered his doom until one night his bedroom door bursts open to reveal Madeline standing there. He is terrified as she approaches him, she falls on to him, accompanying him into his death, as the House of Usher shatters, sinks into the ground and disappears forever.
"Mrs. Wessington's Ghost" (watercolour): From Rudyard Kipling's "The Phantom Rickshaw". After being discarded for a younger woman, Agnes Wessington dies of a 'broken heart'. She haunts the man who betrayed her relentlessly. At first he sees her old rickshaw all around town, then he sees her riding in it, then eventually she appears to him constantly until he loses his mind and his new bride to be.
"Oiwa" (watercolour and acrylic): The Oiwa is the ghost of a woman who was poisoned and disfigured by her husband. When she learns of his plans to disgrace her, she fatally uses a sword to cut her throat. In death, she takes revenge and haunts her husband until he isolates himself goes mad.
"Shellycoat" (watercolour): A Shellycoat is an evil spirit and boogeyman who haunts the rivers and streams of Scotland. Calling out this rhyme is a dangerous deed: "Shelly-coat! Shelly-coat! gang awa' hame, I cry na' yer mercy, I fear na' yer name." Those who have recited this rhyme in areas where the Shellycoat resides, end up with broken bones and bruises - IF they're lucky!!
"The Snow Ghost" (ink and watercolour): The Snow Ghost is a winter mountain spirit. She appears on snowy nights to travelers who are trapped in snow storms, she leads them astray with her beauty. Her goal is to feed on their life force, often freezing her victims solid or leaving them to die of exposure. During nighttime blizzards, she has been known to break into rural homes, flash-freezing the inhabitants as she feeds on them.
"The Unquiet Grave" (watercolour and acrylic): The Unquiet Grave is a poem (I also read it's a folk song), about a man mourning the love of his life at her gravestone. Her ghost arises and begs him to move on so she can rest in peace.
I'm happy to announce the winner of the 16 Williams Sonoma Cookbooks today! Please see the video, I don't want to ruin the surprise by announcing the name here! :)
Congratulations!!! Will the winner please contact me as soon as possible with their address so I can organize the package for Tuesday's free shipping day?
Thanks! You can send me an email via the contact form on my sidebar or on Instagram, send me a Direct Message!!! :)
🍷 Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian friends!!! I'm thankful for everything today! :) 🍷
I'd like to start by offering these 16 Williams Sonoma cookbooks to any of my Canadian friends if they would like them. Note: If you really want them and you are outside of Canada, you'd have to cover the shipping...the 16 books weigh about 15-16 kg (un-boxed), so let me know in the comments as well. :)
If anyone would like these, please let me know in the comments, or send me an email (I have a contact form on my sidebar). Canada Post offers free shipping in Canada for people with business accounts, every Tuesday in October, so I'm taking advantage of that since both Alex and I have a business account!!
They are used but in great condition! They are doubles that I have and I'll tell you, I use them all the time, the recipes overall are wonderful! I'll pick the winner on Sunday October 7th!!! :) Please check back then, I'll announce the winner on that day!!!
Today's Scribble Picnic theme is "Chicken". (please follow the link for more scribbles or to join!) The first chicken that came to mind was Foghorn Leghorn trying to convince Henery Hawk that he really isn't a chicken!
I tried some more of the scratch board style with my Acrylic Chicken. :)
And finally, because it is October...I had to do something scary! Do you remember the Looney Tunes short "Hyde and Tweet"? The first time I saw this as a kid, I was TERRIFIED of the Hyde-Tweety-Bird!!! Poor Sylvester is having some regrets at the moment!! :) I also joined an Instagram challenge called "Inktober" which is a drawing challenge using ink. There are prompts to follow each day. So far I've kept up and I hope I can do all 31 prompts! Here are the first three of the month:
"Poisonous"
"Tranquil"
"Roasted"
I've been so busy over the summer that I haven't done too much art, but now I'm really getting into it!
I started my own October challenge that I call Ghostober. Every day in October, I draw or paint a ghost or ghoul and write a short description of the tale. I have them all on My Instagram Page, and I'll post them here every week too! Here are the first three:
Bloody Mary: Bloody Mary will appear on certain nights when her name is spoken three times in front of a mirror. She is an evil spirit who may foretell the future, but at the cost of your life!
La Llorona: La Llorona is the ghost of a woman whose children were lost. She haunts the river beds, moaning and searching for them. Beware those who hear her cries or cross her path for she will bring great misfortune to you!
"The Ghost of Banquo": In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth has his friend Banquo murdered for fear that Banquo will take the crown from him. After appearing at Macbeth's banquet in ghost form, Banquo foretells the omen "Blood will have blood."
The countdown to Halloween is on! :) Alex and I are watching a horror movie each night and it's a lot of fun! How is your weather? It's cold here in the Laurentians. Lots of rain, lots of frost, lots of below zero temperatures and thankfully we have NO SNOW YET!! But it's definitely the type of weather where nobody wants to get out of bed...especially Jack. :)
The Scribble Picnic is back after a summer break! I'm so happy about this, I missed the weekly challenge! Explore is the theme for today's artwork (follow the link to explore other lovely scribbles!). I'm not sure what's going on in this watercolour...but this gal is definitely on the fence about exploring this possibly haunted house....would you go in? I don't think I would!
Bugs decided to do a little exploring himself and look at that delicious discovery he made! I wonder if his treasure will make it to the museum or not. I tried my best to draw the Indiana Jones fedora...it may be too big for Bugs though! :)
Fairy Condo: I still spend some time every morning in the woods, exploring the area with the three dogs! I hopefully have a few more months before the weather stops me, so I'm taking full advantage of what the forest has to offer!
My friends on Instagram know all about my potato-obsession of late. This was my first harvest from six containers. Not too bad! I posted this one minute video on IG, but I wanted to share it with my Blogger friends too:
So far the potato count is 212 and I still have 4 sets of tires to go through! Some of them have potato scab...which is okay, just kind of ugly looking. From what I've read, it's because my soil is too acidic. I'll have to correct that next planting season. They are still edible, you just have to peel them.
By The River
Weather Lore From the Farmer's Almanac:
The Three Days of September (19, 21, and 22) rule the weather for October, November and December.
Keep an eye on your weather and see if it predicts the next three months! Today started off cold and rainy, but now the sun is out and it's supposed to be a fair day...so I'll be watching for this trend in October. :)
