March 17 - March 23, 2013

When you walk a lot, you find pleasure in different things that mark each season. Late winter ice - that white fragmented ice on early morning sidewalks that the sun hasn't melted yet. It makes such a satisfying crunch when you walk on it, and when there's water caught under it, sometimes you can make the water bubble up out of a hole in the ice. Simple lifelong pleasures!
 This is my second posting this weekend - Here's 7 more brooches.

Every year a group of my ex-work buddies get together and have Dim Sum in Toronto, usually around St. Patrick's Day. This silver pin was my 10 year anniversary pin from my old workplace. I was fortunate to find such a group of talented and fun people - my, how time has flown.

There's a place up north in Combermere, Ontario where I found a few of these pins from Toulon, France. It was likely a souvenir from many years ago. I love the design of this pin. The rolling sea, the ship in full sail, the rope border. Remember Narnia and The Voyage of the Dawntreader? - still one of my favourite reads.









Another pretty floral brooch. I like the peridot green of les petits fleurs. 













Hooray! First Day of Spring! That's why the choice of a big cheery flower.
I had an email about what I was wearing in the photos. Actually, in most cases the brooches are lying on clothing, fragments of wool, bath towels, paper towels (whatever tickled my husband's fancy at the time). It was too dark in the morning before work and too dark in the evening when I got home to take photos of the brooches in situ so he would photograph them on his days off and most of them are now photographed. But I still keep finding a few rogue ones. And then of course, the ghost in the machine (my computer) likes to do a disappearing act on some of them.

Never read about Pooh as a child. Considering I loved books with talking animals when I was a kid, I don't know why I missed this Honey Bear. It  was likely because of that irritating Tigger. This brooch makes me smile. Not only because it's such a happy pin, but also Pooh has survived a few machine washings intact - sadly, not  the fate of some other brooches.





Sorry, upside down photo. This brooch is a bit battered, not from an occasional surprise laundry adventure but from an occasional dropping. It's still pretty, and since roses are no longer grown in our garden, this represents those beauties.

In high school, a bunch of us went on a school trip to Expo '67 in Montreal. Quel un blast! That's where I bought this pin. I distinctly remember wearing a pantsuit with orange and lime green flowers that a friend made for me. Unforgettable!

March 10 - March 16, 2013

This is very sad. I've worked so much overtime in the last couple of weeks that I can't even remember what this week was like other than VERY LONG! I just found out that if you type all the letters UPPERCASE, it means you're yelling. How do you type letters if you're just emphasizing the words? very long, very long, very long, very loooooooooooong? Anyway, voila, the next 7.

One of the most beautiful animals in the world. I particularly love the way the hairs stick upright on top of their heads and they don't need any product to make it so. 

This is a cat I could be buddies with. It's got attitude - good attitude.

Can you imagine the teeny tiny shoemaker making these teeny tiny clogs. When I was growing up in Toronto, we had a Dutch cobbler who mended our shoes. I loved going into his store because a. he was handsome and friendly, b. he also made shoes for people who had deformed feet. The plaster moulds of the feet in the window were creepy but weirdly interesting, c. you could see some of the backroom of the store and the cobblers would be sitting on their benches tap tap tapping - forming the leather into shoes. I loved the smell of the leathers and that tapping, and d. did I mention that he was handsome.............

  I was part of Professor's Chalupka's Celebrated Singing School - a small choir  of 8 - 12 friends who sang songs of the late 19th century (1865 - 95 ish). We performed at various historic venues singing hits of the past like "Woodman, Spare The Tree",  " Paddle Your Own Canoe", "Father's a Drunkard and Mother Is  Dead" - absolutely toe-tapping stuff. We had a lot of fun. There's nothing better than sitting in a room with friends and singing four part harmony a cappella. 

And this brooch? It's another enamelled pin, with what looks like the beginning of an alto part.

When first I was given this pin I didn't see a connection. Then I remembered all the Brandied  Peaches, and Garden Special that we had canned together.                                                                 I personally make rotten jam. I try each year to enter "stuff" at my town fair - usually rug hooking, jewellery, bits and bobs. One year I entered the Jam competition as a lark. In went my runny blueberry jam. As luck would have it, when I came to collect my non-ribboned jam at the end of the Fair to my joy, someone had mistakenly taken mine, and I went home with a very nummy jar of jam. One kind and diplomatic friend had said that my jam would be great on pancakes.

Two elephant pins in a week. I like the  swish of the tail, the joyfulness of this elephant and the pearliness of the red colour.

I was at a workshop on wool felting and wet felting that happened to be held at an United Church Retreat Centre; a lovely place out in the country. I wore this pin as a nod to Danforth United Church where as a teenager I was a member of the CGIT. This pin was marking the 50th anniversary of the CGIT in 1965. I hope it's still going strong as I had a great time and I LOVED the midis shirts that we wore - very sailor-like. Note: you can tell it's an old pin - it was made in Canada.

March 3 - March 9, 2013

Yes, it's the month of Timmies'  "roll up the rim to win". I don't know about you but it's a rare occurrence to see win/gagnez or whatever a winning cup says under the rim. But I'm a sucker for it; the back floor of the car attests to the number of coffees bought so far, and that's only my husband's. Here's the next grouping of brooches and not one of them involves drinking coffee although a drink of another kind was needed.

Friends of mine live down on the sandy shore of Lake Erie. Outside their home facing the beach we followed a female turtle who was looking to find a place to lay her eggs in the warm sand. I know I was very particular where I wanted to give birth to my son, but yowser she stopped here, and there, and then over there and then.......... We tired of this exercise after a while and went back to the "lawn" chairs and a cool glass of wine.


I found this sheep amongst some rug hooking wool that had belonged to my 
one-of-a-kind, never to be duplicated teacher, Nancy. Not only was she an exquisite rug hooker but she was a wonderful storyteller and there was always laughter when she was around. Don't know if she made it or it was given to her, but I wear it in remembrance. Truth be told, I did try to rip the pink bow off the sheep, but as you can see, to no success.

I think of Chopsticks - the song, not the eating tools. This brooch looks like a keyboard. The background has a mirror quality and it has a pleasant trick of reflecting different colours and images.

I like things that I can rearrange and change and this brooch is perfect for that. My favourite is the leaping for joy with arms and legs akimbo. In this pic her hair is very chi-chi with it upswept. It's usually very devil-may-care.















The Cardinals have starting singing their sweet spring song (at least the ones around my neighbourhood - don't know if they're singing at the Vatican), even though there's snow on the ground and an icy North Wind a-blowing. I like the movement of this brooch and that lovely colour.







A sweetheart type of brooch, very ladylike of me to wear it. I hear the guffaws now from friends and family alike.

I lost this lovely owl today. It slipped off when I was about town. My heart sank when I noticed he was gone so now I just hope he found a good home. Of course, I will keep on looking for this tiny owl for you never know if he will reappear. So with scotch in hand...... (usually I don't need an excuse for a wee dram).............safe flight.

February 24 - March 2, 2013

I returned to work this week in order to share my "cold" and elicit hoped-for sympathy - my husband and kitties having had enough of my whinging (isn't that a perfect word). Surprisingly 3 of the brooches this week were presents from the same person. Can you guess which three?


If I wasn't such a pale spotted person who burns in the shade in a few minutes, I would love to swim with the fishes in some turquoise sea.  When as a teenager, my friends and I would swim at the outdoor pool at Riverdale Park in Toronto. You could always spot me as I would be the one wearing a t-shirt over my bathing suit - tres alluring.










This is a favourite of Purdy's - the young'un of our feline clan. I bought it cause it looked like a nest with little brown eggs and I liked the helter skelterness of it. Maybe that's why Purdy would grab it off the dresser and maul it a bit til I woke up. It is now safely tucked away.












For my fiftieth birthday, I wanted a tattoo. My husband found me a Tattoo parlour (why is it called a parlour?) called Stigmata. Took me a while to decide - maybe a celtic something or other because of my heritage but then it all came to me - a road sign, and not just any one - The King's Highway. As we drive along the smaller highways of Ontario they always catch my eye. So on my back shoulder is that road sign with a number 1, which to me represents the Trans Canada Highway. Now, let's all sing together "I have walked crossed the sands of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Lazed on the ridge of the...........................".  I like this brooch. Another nod to a great highway (and a great T.V. series).

I love it when travelling friends bring me back brooches from their toots. This was a brain squeeze for me and my friend couldn't quite recollect where he found it either. I think it's from Sweden, with pressed wildflowers on reindeer or deer bone. - It almost sounds like something you might order to eat in some fancy joint. 

What can I say except the wine bottle is waaaay toooooooooooo small. I have a friend who would give me a wine glass the size of a fish bowl. We should all be so lucky to have a friend like that.













Here's to all the Altos in the world. Long may we reign my dear friend M MacM.

I swear I was sober when I bought this, but for the life of me I don't know why.

February 17 - 23, 2013

This was the week that the dreaded lerghy (i.e. I don't know if this is a real word, or the proper spelling, but I use it meaning sick with something, and FYI, the h is silent) really came to roost. I was ensconced on the couch, reading my fill and then watching daytime television til I could "Takes it no more" - Popeye quote? Only one brooch had an day's outing - to the Doc's and work and back to the couch.
P.S. if the brooch is too tiny for you to take a good boo at, just double click on the image.

I forgot to wear a brooch on the Sunday to go with my sick lounge wear 
(green LL Bean sweatshirt and lime green sweatpants - a vision to behold)
so this is a beaded brooch I made and it's on a winter coat. Surprisingly, it has survived the wintry elements.








I was given this from someone who collects frogs and I think this was one frog too many for her. It's  very twinkly.











One of my smallest brooches and one of my favourite creatures. Do you remember the scene with Dick Van Dyke dancing with the penguins in Mary Poppins? If I had it on DVD I would have watched it this week . Love those chimney sweeps.

I'm like a magpie or a crow - attracted to shiny things.











If you've ever walked an ocean beach you likely have a bunch of shells - who can resist. The "striations" on this clay brooch remind me of those delicate shells. If only it smelled of the sea.









This is how I looked and felt this week.













I wonder what seaside town this brooch came from. Although every time I go to the supermarket I want to free the lobsters and take them back to the sea (my husband restrains me), I still like tucking into a lobster roll or Lobster Thermidor. All you industrious souls with your bibs can do the hacking and cracking. Had the most wonderful lobster rolls this past September in Maine.

February 10 - 16, 2013

This is the week of all heart brooches as a nod to St. Valentine's Day. In honour of this day of love and chocolate, I'm including a quote that is in Dorothy L. Sayers's  Busman's  Honeymoon (I think sometimes called Busman's Holiday depending on it being a British copy or an American one). She quoted bits of poems, books etc. at the beginning of each chapter. This is the last in her quartet of books involving the relationship between Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane - her finest book was the 3rd one, Gaudy Night - a gem.

Love? Do I love? I walk

Within the brilliance of another's thought,

As in a glory, I was dark before,

As Venus' chapel in the black of night:

But there was something holy in the darkness,

Softer and not so thick as other where;

And as rich moonlight may be to the blind,

Unconsciously consoling. Then love came,

Like the out-bursting of a trodden star.

                           THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES: The Second Brother

Can anything be sweeter?

It's a copy of an old style brooch

but the sentiment never goes out of style.

I like the sweep of this heart and the lovely patterned silk. I'm not a fan of silky fabric - I used to rip the satiny border off the ends of my blankets cause it was too shivery cold but it's hunky dory on this brooch.

Doesn't this look delish? It looks like creamy icing on a fancy cake - num!

This clay brooch reminds me of those raining men with the umbrellas that Magritte painted - I know - far fetched  - but that's what I see. Isn't there a song - Raining Men - Hallelujah? or something like that....................

Love, love, love this brooch. It's an old one I was lucky enough to find. The heart strings remind me of a harp or a lute. What would be playing? The choice of song is up to you - I hear Embraceable You sung by either Judy Garland or Nat King Cole or if you want to be frisky how about Why Don't We Do It In The Road by those Liverpool lads.

Another of my Horse Hospital finds. It was hard to contain my glee when I spotted it and paid all of 2 pounds for it. The sticker on the back still attests to that.

A perfect red enamelled heart.

Love to you all.