Got my film pictures of the Horne family today. Brings back memories of a super afternoon!





The Horne family with Jim and Richard



The Horne artists at work

Aren't these sunflowers great? I was going to try to paint them but they died before I got around to it. A cousin I hadn't seen for years contacted me via email and we had a great visit and got into a search for trying to figure out various family mysteries...lots of fun and learned about naming traditions in Sweden. Makes one realize how all these bits and bobs of family history we pick up can get transformed and also that even official certificates and documentation are questionable given the times. We do make our own stories to explain events in the end...as Pi Patel would tell us.

What I've been reading lately:

"The Light of Day" by Graham Swift. Quite a compelling read...very suspense filled. Interesting development of a rather accidental relationship. Well done.

"The Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri. Short stories and an excellent chronicling of the immigrant experience. Author grew up in London & Rhode Island. I will be interested in reading her first novel which is due to be released very soon called "The Namesake".

"Original Minds: In conversation with CBC Radio" by Eleanor Wachtel. Very engaging conversations with people like Johathan Miller, Jane Goodall, Bernardo Bertolucci, Desmond Tutu, Gloria Steinem etc. Probably have to return the book before I get round to reading all of them.

Yesterday I heard Wachtel interviewing Nuala O'Faolain (interview took place in Victoria last Spring at the Manulife Writers Festival) and found her very funny and entertaining. Put a hold on her memoir called "Are You Somebody: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman". I think she catches the essence of this strange, desperate country very well.

Fern, Carole, and I are going to do canvas floor mats together. I've never done one but should be fun. I want to do something with sunflowers. I have quite a few pictures and also bought a bunch of sunflowers yesterday so these should give me some ideas.

Barb brought along her new English Cocker puppy today...isn't he a real sweetheart?



Chester at 10 weeks old

I haven't done too much with my sunflower pictures but I did do this stool that's been hanging around.


sunflower on stool

It's so great not being back at school this week. Golf yesterday, lunch out at the Victoria Estate Winery today. I made a celebratory paella for Jim since he has to work and it's one of his favourite foods.



Paella with men playing boules (napkins holder out of olive wood)