Norah's Island Times

2010-09-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

WOW! it has been a long time since I posted here. We have moved in that time and added three more babies to the family!!!! Two months after Olivia was born to Benn and Megan, Kristi and Josh produced Jasenda Ann! What a precious little bundle she is but she sure didn't stay little long!!! She has a brandnew little sister named Riley Mae who arrived on August 31st! Just 9 days before Jasenda's first birthday!! What a busy 2 months it has been! On the 10 of this month(September) Katie and Grant presented Rod and I with our first grandchild!!!! Ask us if we are excited?????? Oh yeah!!! Capen Philip Saffarek joined us at 4:29 mountain time. He weighed in at 6 pounds 7 ounces and was a full 18.5 inches long!!! Not too big and not too small!! Just right as Goldilocks liked to say about the littlest things!!! LOL!

2009-08-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

Oh My!!! It has been awhile since I posted on here!! Time flys when you are buying a new house and packing up 29 years of the past to move it all!!
I am getting rid of some of the junk in my past while I am doing it!!! I will be back later to post when I am done and moved and have the pics to prove it!!! LOL! Wish me luck!!!

Introducing........

2009-07-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Miss Olivia Lee!!!

The prettiest little babe

that you ever did see!

This is my newest little niece...now stay tuned for September when the next little niece is due to make her entrance!!!! LOL!!!! Gotta love all these babies!!

Last day of Lobster season!

2009-06-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today, all the traps had to be out of the water!! Only a few boats out today as most already had them up! NOT a good season!! Still the sights at the wharf were colorful!!!

Stepped outside the office door....

2009-06-26T17:34:00.001-07:00

and here is what I saw: now, this bee has his pollen baskets on each leg, stuffed full!!! That will be a beehive full of happy hummers!!

Look at this: A bees butt!!!! LOL!! This bumble bee is loaded!!!! Look at his legs and hiney!!! Covered in pollen!! He loves my neighbours bushes!!! Can't say that I blame him!! I love them too!

2009-06-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

There is a new little guy in the family! I haven't met him in person yet but his Grammie is keeping me posted with pics!!! I have a l/o of the new arrival with his big sister, Zoe.

The collage is pics of Wyatt with his Mom, Alisa, and big sis!!

Summer is coming.........

2009-06-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

Sure wish it would hurry up and get warmer!! Can't complain about fog though, at least not yet!! We have had a fair amount of sunshine but it is accompanied by a raw north wind!!! Brrrr!!!! Makes me wonder how on earth the flowers can grow!! But they do!!! A little sun and a little rain and up they come!!

Drat!...I am no good at.......

2009-05-18T16:01:00.001-07:00

posting every day!!! I want to be really good at it but I guess life just gets in the way!! After all, life IS for living not just reading!!! LOL!!

I am loving our spring!! We have had lots of rain but the grass is so green and the halo of green fuzzing out over the willows is so easy on the eyes!! My eyes need a rest from the harshness of winter!!

Don't you just love the tiny little flower buds on the lilac tree! It amazes me that I can see just how loaded in sweet smelling blooms that tree will be in a few short weeks!! And there is hardly a leaf yet!!! The promise of spring is all around us in the month of May, in the tiny blossoms, the new buds and the birthing of the fiddleheads!!!

2009-04-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hop on over to My Paper Bliss ladies and check out the Card-A-Thon going on over there!! Lots of gorgeous cards!! The white on white one is fabulous!!!!
Blog Candy up for comments as well...don't miss it!
www.Mypaperbliss.blogspot.com

2009-03-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well! There was some excitement on the beach last week!! We had two days of easterly gales and the waves were picture worthy. My nephew, Jerry, thought so anyways. He went to Point Prangle to take a few pictures and the bank let go beneath his BRAND NEW truck!!! Not good!!! Not good at all!!! I took a few pictures that day too and so I guess I will let them speak for themselves!! By, the way, Jerry is fine!!

The rest of the l/o's from St Andrews!

2009-03-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

Here are the other 4 l/o's i got done! The one of Aidan, called Daddys Boy has some of Stephanie's handmade buttons. Check out all her goodies at http://www.mylittlebitofwhimsey.com/ She has some fabulous bees and the cutest little mushrooms!!! Oh, and the clouds are just adorable!!!

Scrapbooking in St. Andrews!

2009-03-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! We had a fabulous time at Chantal's weekend scrappy getaway!! The food was fabulous, the girls were great and we had a lot of laughs!!

I was happy with the 8 l/os I got done!!!!

2009-03-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

Been a day or so but I have a couple of new pictures I took early in the morning of Dorothy's second operation!! It is such a glorious sight, our skies, early in the morning!! Gives one great hope for the day to come!!! Some days we need more hope than others!!!

2009-03-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

WOW!! We had a huge icestorm on the 2nd of March!! The ice laden branches are gorgeous and usually don't stay around long enough to get a lot of pictures but here it is the 5th of March and there is still a fair amount left! it is melting quickly now but not before I managed to get a few pictures!!!!

So this post is all about the pictures!!! LOL! I have to take a couple of hundred to get a few good ones!! One has to do what one has to do to get a decent picture of such a spectacular nature scene!! Everything was encased in ice!!! Oh my, I am so looking forward to a little global warming right now!!

The sun is shining

2009-02-26T06:20:00.001-08:00

I love it when the sun comes out and the icicles begin to melt. Means Spring is coming even if the ground is still covered in snow! Our seasons are so different from each other but still they overlap. Underneath all that snow the little bulbs are beginning to stretch and groan and whisper to each other..."it's time to get moving!" The grass is shivering but still reaching down to their toes and beginning to pull up a little green coloring!!

Oh, I can't wait for Spring to get stronger and push old man winter right into next year!!!

2009-02-25T18:57:00.000-08:00

Did this l/o for a one hour challenge over at Kristines. WWW.Creative-Scrappers.com

It's a picture of Rod and his brother Billy sitting on the hood of their dad's car stuffing themselves full of sweet cherrys!!! It must have made a great impression on Rod because he talks about how his dad brought the cherry's home on the boat from Nova Scotia. He had been over there fishing in the Rodine.

Snow

2009-02-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

Has it snowed where you are???? Luckily we haven't had the snow that they got farther north but we have a fair amount considering we usually don't get any!!! When there is snow on the beach you know it has been coming down pretty good because the tide comes in and out of the cove twice a day!

Olive doesn't seem to mind the snow at all. Guess it is because the birds stand out against it as well as she does.

Scrappy pages I did this week

2009-02-24T17:32:00.000-08:00

Victoria is 13!!!! I can't believe she is a teen already!! Time is flying by and I can't keep up with it!!! Aidan is very happy to play with the paint markers his Nan gave him for Valentines!!! He can sure spread the paint around!!!

Sunsets

2009-02-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

Oh I just love sunrises and sunsets and we have some lovely ones here regardless of the time of year!! This is one from 2 days ago! i was working and looked up and saw this color and luckily I had my camera with me!!

Late for the New Year!!!

2009-02-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

I thought it was about time I got back to this blog!!! I can't believe I have let it go so long!!! I am thinking it is because I can't take pictures at this time of year!! It is dark when I get home from work and it is too cold most weekends to get the kids out to take pics of them!!!

Last weekend we had a major snow storm for us and i did manage to get a few pictures then!!

We also had an online crop last weekend at http://www.skrapnchat.com/ It was a good chance to get a few more wedding l/o's done!!

2008-12-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

Two days in a row!!! I am doing so good!

Well Dorothys surgery went well and though she is still in intensive care she is feeling better and recovery nicely. Arlene, her sister, got to talk to her on the phone!!! I knew that God was going to have total control over that operation!!! Want to know why??? Well in the early morning yesterday, I looked out my window and I saw the most beautiful sunrise!! I just knew that a God who could make that and hang it on the canvass of the sky was not going to have any trouble with an anurisym!! Here is what i saw:

2008-12-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile!! the time seems to fly by and then something will happen that makes you stop in your tracks and realize that the important things in life are the people in it!!! Not the things or the events but the people in your lives who are more important to you than you ever realized!Yesterday, a friend and cousin, was flown to the nearest hospital and it was discovered that she has not one but three anurisyms on her brain!! One is leaking so in the morning the doctors will use a coil and a vein in her leg for access to the brain and cauterize the leaking one. There is no other way to get to it because of where it is.!! Dorothy is 52 years old and just cause someone has always been in your life doesn't mean they always will be and that has really been brought home to me. I didn't realize what she meant to me as a friend and a neighbour until I was in danger of losing her from my life!! I hope I never again take friend and family for granted!! So if any of you are reading this please take the time to say a prayer for Dorothy because it is the one thing that you can do that can make a real difference!!! it works and I am trusting God for Dorothys life!!!

2008-11-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! Where has the time gone! A whole week since i posted!!! I should be doing laundry and packing clothes as I have to get up at 5am to catch the fery!!! Shirley and I are heading for Bangor for the weekend!! Going to visit our friend Trudy, whom I haven't seen in 5 whole years!!!!! Speaking of time getting away from you!!! That is way to long to go without seeing her.

Aren't real friendships a blessing? I have been blessed with several friends that have always been there in my life. Linda and Miriam!! I have known and loved those girls since we were born!!! One lives in Florida and one in Ontario. We can go years without seeing one another but when we do get together it is like we just saw each other 10 minutes ago!! Trudy is another friend like that!! No matter how much time and distance separates us they are always in my heart! Shirley is my SIL but she too fits in that catagory!!

I have a picture that I took and it didn't come out as well as I thought it should but it has such a golden glow that it appeals to me anyway.It is soooo White Head in the fall!

2008-10-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

My Daughter is having a Christmas special on her website!!!! Check it out!! http://innerbalance.mychoices.biz
She is a gateway to a lot of American and Canadian stores also so you can't beat this deal!!! Safe shopping from your armchair, speedy delivery and the delivery fees are free with a $75. order or more!!! Other perks too so go have a look!!! Offer good until Dec.12th!!!
;) tell her Mom sent ya!!!

2008-10-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

Oooooooo.......Hallowe'en!! Lots of little goblins out tonight.

2008-10-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, been busy at work!! Bet you all know what that is like!!! We are now computerized and i LOVE it!!! it is going to make life sooo much simpler!!!! That is, it will once all the bugs are worked out and I get so I know what I am doing!!! LOL!!

Looking forward to the weekend and a chance to take some more pictures!!! Took a few action shots last weekend!! I have some willing volunteers!!! I need more practice though!! My volunteers work for little pay!! Just a chance to get to click the camera so any picture you see with me in it is taken by a 2,4,6 or 9 year old!!!!!!

Natalie's Technique Class

2008-10-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

I have really been enjoying this class and just have not had the time to do as much as I wanted to as she is posting but I am going to try it all before I am done!! She just posted the instructions for making an album from scratch!!! I can't wait to do that!! I have done a couple of l/o's using some of her techniques and ideas!! It is different from what I usually do but I like it!!

My next project will be a 12x12 album!! I can only hope that it will turn out like the picture of it I have in my head!!

Photos with the kids at Northern Pond

2008-10-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

The kids wanted to go to the beach with me but we went to Northern Pond instead.It has a bit of a beach at the back end of it. Really it is the seawall that holds back the sea from flooding the fresh water pond and also the road! There is plenty of beachy things to do there and the kids availed themselves of the rocks and sand and water!! While they were busy I was busy clicking away with my camera. I used my tripod for the first time. It will take a bit of getting used to but I am determined to learn and get better. Practice is the key i have been told and there is nothing I like better than to snap away!!!

We stayed until it was getting quite shady and then headed for the volley ball court to drop Anna and Aidan off with their Mom. I headed home to upload the pictures to see what I got! I took approx. 260 pics and had a few that I was happy with and a few more that were keepers even if they weren't the best! If I only kept the best I would never have any to scrapbook with and that just would not do!!! LOL!

My No name Kitty!

2008-09-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

This poor baby still has no name!

She is a little sweety, some days I call her Timon, sometimes, she is Alice and my DH calls her Smudge! She loves laying around in the sun and will just flop over if she walks through a patch of sunlight!!! Her grandmother is half Simese and she looks alot like her! But her markings are really odd. She is cream colored with Vanilla stripes on her legs and a grey tail and grey smudge on her face!! Did I mention she has blue eyes and a little pink tounge!!!!

2008-09-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, I am going to love taking this Photography class taught by KAthy Thompson Lafoley!! I have already learned that I know nothing so I am a clean slate to start teaching/writing on!!! LOl!! For the first lesson I have taken 400 pics and not a spectacular one in the lot, not even a really good one!!! I am expecting that to change as we move along!!!
The weather here has been great! Warm, sunny and just lovely! Our falls are always so much better than our summers!!
I am taking another class taught by Natalie !!! I just love her scrap pages!!! She is great at a lot of different techniques!!! She will be teaching us some of them. If you want to get in on her class hurry over to http://www.creative-scrappers.com/ and sign up. We will be learning to make albums from scratch as well as some other great techniques!!! It starts the 20th so you still have time! Here is Natalie's blog where you can see her work. www.mosquitoqueen.blogspot.com

A Big thanks to a special friend

2008-09-14T20:47:00.001-07:00

This blog would not be possible without Kristine!!! I owe her a huge thank you and someday I will get to say it in person but for now this will have to do!! thank you so much Kristine!!!!! I really appreciate it and you and I am so excited about this blogging thing!!!

This thing called Blogging ....

2008-09-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

I am not so good at posting everyday!! Can't imagine that day to day life activity is very interesting to all of you who are doing the same things!!! Well except for scrapping!!! that we all seem to get excited about pretty much every day!!!! Somedays i don't do anything about it but I am always surfing and reading when not actually scrapping!!!

I have been busy trying to get my daughter's wedding album l/o's completed!!! Not nearing completion yet!!! Wonder how many albums will be full by the time I feel 'finished'!! Lol!! But jeepers!!!! All the pictures are so pretty that I feel I need to scrap lots of them!!! Here is another if you are interested in looking!!

I wanted to try my hand at making my own crocheted flowers and I loved this sketch by Kristine Davidson! The scalloped border is crocheted too!!! What do you think??? Too much?

A Gorgeous Day ...

2008-08-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

But it is very fallish here today!! the air looks and feels different. Don't know how to explain it but when fall comes you can actually see it! I love the fall season!!! it is my favorite!!

Went to my sister n laws swimming this afternoon!! Not many days left to sit around and in the pool!!! My SIL has 6 grandchildren!! The oldest is 12 and the youngest is 2!!! The little ones love coming in the pool with me with out their water wings!!! Anden mostly wants his on because he still is not sure of the water in his face!!! He is the 2 year old. Aidan, his brother is nearly 4 and swims very well!!!Mostly all underwater!!! he is just learning to do the crawl!! So cute to watch! Aidan and his sister Anna(6years) like to jump off of my shoulders into the water and dive with me to the bottom of the pool to pick up objects! Anna is a little fish!!! Really a good strong swimmer already!!

I was going to go gooseberrying this afternoon but as you have read, I didn't...must go now and get ready for another workday tomorrow!! Night!

Have I Mentioned ...

2008-08-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

that I love scrapbooking??? Oh YEAH!!! I really do!. And....I have tons of wedding pics to do!!

My DD got married July 28th this summer and I am doing her wedding album. I have an acrylic album I want to do of those pics too but I am so scared to start that paticular project!! Eventually I will get at it though!!! here is a l/o I did last night during a one hour challenge at www.creative-scrappers.com.

the sketch is by that site owner, Kristine Davidson!!!
I won the participation prize!
It also won L/O of the day over at www.compuproscrapbooking.com. I was so honored!

I am so enjoying all the pictures from the wedding and there are many I can tell you!!! So far all I have scrapped are the candid ones that Amy Dow took!! Of course she didn't take any of the honeymoon ones, they were taken by my daughter!! LOL

I made all Katie's wedding invitations also. The pics aren't the best but here is the outside of the invitation! I took that picture!!!

A Sail around Grand Manan ...

2008-08-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 24th...we took a boat ride around the island of Grand Manan.

It was a beautiful day for a sail and we had good company and a 'new to us' boat.
Off we went, out of the harbour and out among the islands!

On our sail we passed by herring weirs and salmon cages

The cliffs on the back of Grand Manan are impressive!

he fog is often thick and sometimes small clouds of it hang low and solitary,
even though the sun is shining brightly!

We came around to North Head and started the final jaunt towards home when we came upon a kayack floating on the water with the oars still shipped aboard her

.

No one was in sight on the water, so we hauled it aboard and called Fundy traffic to report it in case someone was in trouble. It looked as if it had just drifted from the shore but we had no idea from which shore! luckily another boat hailed us and told us where they had seen two people waving from the shores of a small uninhabited island.

We returned their kayack.They were sure happy to see it and didn't waste any time getting aboard of it and heading out!! It was a great trip and as we were nearing home, just passing by the Mumps Weir near the ledges when we ended the day with this beautiful sight!!

Annual Corn Boil ...

2008-08-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today was our island wide, annual corn boil!!!

The corn was sweet and soooo good!!! Yummy!!! We went to the beach where it is held each year to help shuck the corn!! Worked up a great appetite!! There were 6 big sacks of corn and everyone had all they could hold!

Everyone from the littlest islanders to the elderly make the trek down to Pebble Beach to visit with friends and neighbours and those from 'away' who try to get here each year for the event. The hat is passed and the proceeds go to pay for the corn and the sweets for after are 'potluck'.

Everyone brings something!

When the shadows get longer and the day is winding down most of us are still not in a hurry to get home!

The First Day ..

2008-07-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the rest of my life...I am marking it by starting this blog to record thoughts, some memories and air my pictures and scrap pages!! I see so many blogs on the internet and they are so interesting. I hope that one or two of you will find this interesting in some way.

i love in a very unique place and will share glimpses of island life with you.

This is my home, water in front of me and water behind me. I wouldn't be surprised to find that there is salt water in my veins!!! LOL! This water can be gentle or it can be threatening too.

Some days the wind is wild and throws the seas high into the air!!! So beautiful to watch!! So deadly if your caught out in it!!

When you live on an island your life revolves around the ocean and the tides. If you make your living from the sea it can be perilous and it can be profitable. The profit only comes if the fish come. there are no guarantees in fishing anymore than there is in farming. Here, the herring make a nice addition to the yearly coffers if they arrive. They are caught in weirs.