Isabel Designs

Lights at Upper Canada Village

My friend Lin was stringing lights on shrubs outside her front door when she lost her footing and instinctively used her hands to break the fall. She saved herself from a face plant and broke a wrist instead! You don’t hear these stories everyday and still I didn’t heed the call of caution when stringing my lights the next day. While running an extension cord through the trees and up the hill, I slipped on a bed of dry leaves and as my feet slid back, my hands lunged forward to cushion the landing. Not a break, but a sprained wrist – self diagnosis. Treatment: ice, ibuprofen, compression wrap, rest – repeat. The lights are still sitting beside the driveway, but I’m going to postpone their hanging for a few days and give my wrist time to recover.

In the meantime, I’m a little slower at the keyboard and other right-handed tasks – which is just about everything! So my friends, if you’re out there decking the halls and making your property look festive, please do it with care. Here are a few safety tips if you’re interested.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

What a treat to see these little ducks on the lake this fall. I know that ice will send them south soon enough, but for now, I’m still enjoying their antics on a daily basis. They’re really tiny and very fast, and if one catches a fish the others will chase it. I hope you enjoy this little video and the photos I took. If you want to learn more about the Hooded Merganser, click here.

Hooded Merganser - female

Hooded Merganser - male

Butternut Squash Soup

I had dinner with my sister the other night and was totally inspired by her squash soup. I got her to reveal a few of her secrets and yesterday I made a soup with a touch of this and a dab of that. The result was so delicious I have to share it. Enjoy.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

2 butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 large onions, chopped
6 garlic gloves chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
32 oz veggie broth
2 teaspoon brown sugar
4 teaspoons of butter
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

1) bake squash in oven with butter & brown sugar until tender / lightly salt & pepper

2) sauté onion, garlic and apple in sauce pan / add spices

3) add broth, then scoop out squash and add to pot

4) bring back to a boil, let cool, then puree to reduce chunkiness

Feel free to add a little more brown sugar to sweeten and more red pepper for bite. Yum.

“I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.” Nathaniel Hawthorne

“I love the changes that fall brings.” I never thought I’d ever say those words, especially on the day that we rolled the clocks back, but this year the season has left me feeling oddly hopeful. I spent the day raking leaves, folding up lawn chairs, and winterizing the yard. Perhaps all that fresh air and physical labour went to my head. Maybe the celebratory Octoberfest when the job was done skewed my judgement. Or it just may have been the honking of Canadian geese over head that reminded me there is a path and plan for everything. At the moment, I’m content to blend into this season rather than fade out of it.

“In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowing glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November.” Rose G. KIngsley

Mystical, magical, unusual. We leave 2009 with the spectacle of a Blue Moon. The rising of a moon twice in the same calendar month is a rare happening. I see it as an invitation to disregard convention and enter the realm of chance and possibility. For many of us New Year’s Eve is accompanied by gratitude, reflection, and resolution. Today I blend and stir the question, “Will 2010 be the year my dreams come true?”

December Blue Moon

High on my list of achievements in 2009 is the completion of my CD, “Honestly“. Not only is it a new genre, (singer/songwriter with a splash of folk and dab of country), it follows an intimate journey of my life over the past few years laid bare for the world to hear. The coming months will involve the exploitation – otherwise known as marketing – of my life, which is somewhat unnerving.

Susan Boyle took a huge chance when she stepped onto the stage of Britain’s Got Talent. I was among the millions of people who watched the YouTube segment of “I Dreamed a Dream” and was overwhelmed with the shear beauty of her performance. She had everything to loose, but when she shared her gift we took notice. Every once in a while it happens – someone finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Sometimes I get stuck inside construed boundaries and allow expectations I have for my life to get cemented under their walls. Standing still is not the answer. The mortar has not hardened. Not only can I rearrange the bricks, I can redesign the wall to include a new opening – a different vantage point. I know anything is possible, and sometimes all that is required is a shift in my attitude.

Today as I look forward to 2010 and beyond, I do so with hope. Tonight I will look to the sky, beyond the clouds, and count all the lucky stars that celebrate with me and this rare December moon.

Happy New Year.

Icicles (photo by Noella Cotnam)

Last year at this time we were just getting our electricity back after an ice storm blackout that lasted eight days. This was the second catastrophic ice-storm I’ve experienced, so I was somewhat ready for the mayhem that ensued, but really, it’s hard to be ‘that’ prepared. Thankfully the kindness of friends and strangers abounded. We were able to find a hot shower, a hot meal, and even internet access within a short driving distance.

I have to say that the ambiance of candlelight and the radiance of a fireplace really were a wonderful prelude to Christmas. ‘All is calm’, albeit not so bright when everyday conveniences were unavailable. It gave new definition to the saying, “let’s make the best of it”.

When I was a youngster our family hosted big family dinners at Christmas. I’m sure all of these gatherings were special, but one really stands out in my mind: it was the year the power went out in the neighbourhood. The turkey had been cooked earlier in the day, but the trimmings were only half done when the house went black. As barbecues and Coleman stoves were being set up, candles were lit, and cousins, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles gathered in the family room. It was then that a lowly guitar player strummed out the chords and everyone sang carols together. We were connected and engaged in a way we never had been before. It was special – memorable.

Anytime we are pushed out of the ordinary, there resides the possibility of the extraordinary. Whether it’s a blackout, a layoff, a heartbreak or something else that comes to challenge you at this time of year, I hope the awesome power of peace and joy reveals itself to you. Look for it. It is waiting to be found.

Merry Christmas.

On a bright, sunny Sunday this past October, I answered a casting call put out by WORKSHOP and CAPTAIN AND THE FOX to be part of the video reading of the Charter For Compassion in New York City. I jumped at the opportunity because I believe in the powerful, hopeful message of the Charter. (That’s me in the picture in the front on the left side) Click here to see the video

It’s been quite sometime since I’ve been able to engage in ‘spiritual’ dialogue of any kind, even though I still consider myself to be ‘spiritual’. I’ve been waiting and longing for something I could really sink my teeth into, and without a doubt, I have found it. “Treat all others as you want to be treated”. This simple, yet ancient philosophy of kindness and respect toward others is worth getting excited about, especially in a world that so desperately needs it.

There are numerous opportunities for everyone to get involved in events celebrating the Charter world wide. There is also an open door for each of us to create our own events, and in that spirit, I’ve been working on two. First, along with my signmaking peers, we’ve established a blog and gallery of Inspirational Word Art. Secondly, I’ve written a new song called, “Higher Ground” with co-writers Dawn Kenney and Christine Hatch. The song will ultimately find its way to a youtube video featuring the Inspirational Word Art, and hopefully will find wings beyond that.

Everyone can get involved in spreading this message: facebook-it, msn-it, tweet-it, blog-it. More importantly, we need to ACT on it. Compassion is a lifestyle. An attitude. An invitation.

Designed by Nancy Beaudette

I’ve been putting off ordering new glasses for over two years now. My eyes have changed to the point where I need bifocals – I guess it happens to most of us after we pass the forty year milestone. My eye doctor said I could wait until I just couldn’t stand it anymore before biting the bullet. In this case, the bullet could have been $650.00 worth of lenses and frames! Yikes! So I’ve held off placing the order…until now. I broke my glasses.

Duct Tape & 18 gauge wire

It’ll take two weeks for my new glasses to arrive, and in the meantime, I’ve wired and duct-taped up my old frames. Yes, they look funny, and I get a good chuckle at myself when I put them on. They’ve become a social experiment for me. I leave them on when I go into the grocery store, or gas station, or wherever. The reactions are fairly predictable: my friends laugh and jab, but strangers take one look, and never make eye contact again. I have broken glasses – not leprosy! How many people in wheelchairs or with other visible differences experience similar reactions? Though I didn’t scientifically measure the results, my two week experiment was certainly enough time to ‘experience’ the awkwardness of people I encountered.

We have the ability to touch each other with our eyes every day – every time we look someone’s way. We’re all broken in someway or another – mostly on the inside. Today my challenge to you is another social experiment – never look away. Focus your ‘kind eyes’ on friends and strangers, especially if they’re ‘different’. Don’t just look at them – ‘see’ them – and take it to heart.

(By the way – I ordered new glasses online, progressive lenses and frames for a mere $66.00. Now we’re talking!)

Read Jackson Brown’s song lyrics: Doctor My Eyes

Peace

I would like to invite you to learn about “The Charter of Compassion”. This idea was conceived by author Karen Armstrong. She was the winner of the TED Prize in 2008 for her unparalleled expertise and wisdom regarding the three theistic faiths: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and their impact on the world today.

“The Charter will proclaim a principle embraced by every faith, and by every moral code. It is often referred to as The Golden Rule.”

On November 12th, 2009, the Charter of Compassion will be unveiled, unleashing a week of celebratory activities around the world – in places of religious worship, public spaces, schools, universities and workplaces. We are all invited to participate and spread the word. This could quite possibly be the greatest accomplishment of our generation, and we can be part of it.

“Compassion manifests itself in the world not by thinking but by doing.”

Let’s do something!

Sorting the pieces

Some day’s life really does resemble a box of moving parts. When the lid is removed, the pieces look like they should come together to create the finished-product of your dreams, if only you had more time. But if you’re like most people, it’s a struggle to find enough hours in the day to study the instruction manual, let alone sort the pieces.

I love spending time with my sister. Last time we were together she happened to be working on a 500-piece puzzle. She set up a card table in the living room, emptied out the box, and sorted the pieces into nice neat piles according to colour and texture of the picture on the box. By the time I pulled a chair up to the table, she had the perimeter done, and was working on the interior. Each newly placed piece felt like a small victory, and as the evening went on, it was clear we were on a quest for complete and utter triumph. A few hours later, we high-fived and called it a night, satisfied and proud of our puzzle making skills.

I love looking for lessons and meaning in the activities I do, and certainly there’s one here for me. I think it’s this: I need to believe my many small efforts will yield the results I’m hoping for. I like to be organized. I need confidence and steadfastness. Sometimes it just seems like I’m spinning my wheels – or that I’m just moving pieces around. My hope is that at the end of the day I’ll be that much closer to realizing my dreams.