A Rare Day

We've had a busy summer here, filled with family time, road trips, cottage stays, adventures, some sewing and knitting, celebrations and, of course, chores and work too. I've been away a lot, starting even before the beginning of summer with my book tour of Saskatchewan  and sisters trip to Alberta. So, today is a rare day for me: A whole day at home, trying to catch-up on correspondence, tidying and lots of odds and ends. It also gives me a chance to write a long-overdue blog entry! Here are a few catch-up photos:

In July, Jeff and I had the great pleasure of staying at a cottage near Huntsville that belongs to friends of ours. It was a charmed week at a very special place.

The scenery was perfect!

We shared the cottage with a funny little chipmunk. Every time we were on the deck, he scampered over to see if we had peanuts for him. 

We usually did!

The cottage was beautiful, day and night. 

When city lights are far away, it's awe-inspiring to see how brightly the stars shine.

A week or so after our cottage holiday, one of my double-first cousins, Ans, arrived from The Netherlands. Our first adventure with her was a walk across a series of suspended bridges in the forest canopy tour at the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve . 

We were well-harnessed before climbing onto the first bridge.

It was a little more unnerving than I thought it would be!

Jeff looked pretty relaxed, though.

It was a really cool experience!

At the reserve, there were also wolves. We viewed them through one-way glass so we could see them but they couldn't see us. Hm-m, not sure about that!!

More summer adventures to come!

All the best,

Judy Ann

Tiny

A few weeks ago I finished knitting a small, pure silk, super-soft hat for a dear friend's new grandbaby.

It's quite a small hat, but it looked positively enormous on the pint-size new baby!

She'll grow like crazy over the next few weeks and months and, all too soon, the hat will be far too small. I guess I had better get busy knitting a bigger one!

All the best,

Judy Ann

Fantastic day!

Last Saturday we celebrated 100 years of library service in the village of Glanworth. What a wonderful party we had! We tapped and clapped along with live music, were tickled to see face painting, made crafts, watched and delighted in watching Jenny Wren the clown make balloon animals, and ate yummy snacks. The best part, though, was meeting and chatting with guests. There were former librarians, long-time and new patrons, Glanworth residents, politicians, library board members, family, friends and enthusiastic London Public Library staff members. Our little library was bursting at the seams! Lucky for us it was a gorgeous day so we mingled on the lawn and delighted in the celebratory atmosphere.

Everywhere I looked there were happy faces and cheerful sunflowers!

My mom and dad enjoyed the festivities too.

We were so lucky to have such a talented, enthusiastic band!

It was a very special day. I'm so grateful to everyone who helped make it a great success and to all those who attended. I'm even grateful to those who didn't attend but wished to be there! Members of the Beattie family visit the Glanworth library all the time. I was sad to find out that they couldn't attend the party because they were away on a family holiday. During the party I received a wonderful surprise: A photo of the Beattie grandkids reading while on holidays! They sent a lovely greeting too. So while they weren't there in person, they were sure present in spirit!

It was all so wonderful!

Judy Ann

Best Books!

A couple of weeks ago I received a copy of the Canadian Children's Book Centre's publication, "Best Books for Kids and Teens 2012." I was delighted (and relieved!) to see that Reaching was included in the picture books section. Here's the review:

Told in gentle rhyming verse, this is the story of a baby and his family as they laugh, play and celebrate being together. Join baby as he cuddles with his mom, dad and sister, dances with his grandma, plays horsey with his grandpa and reads his favourite book with Great-gran. Endearing watercolour illustrations will delight both young and old.

Nice, isn't it?

All the best,

Judy Ann

Crafty kids

Throughout most of the year at London Public Library's baby branch in Glanworth, I set out crafts for kids every Saturday morning. It's usually a very simple craft that doesn't need much explanation or fuss.   I like it best when kids take my ideas and add their own creative spin to them. Here are a few photos of Glanworth's crafty kids:

We take a craft break for the next two months because we have the Summer Reading Club getting into full swing. That's loads of fun too!

All the best,

Judy Ann

Marvelous mail!

I just received a delightful envelope full of thank you cards from one of the schools I visited in Saskatchewan. I'm the one who should (and did) send thank you cards to all the schools who so warmly welcomed me.

This large card is from Mr. Marten's grade 4/5 class at 

Cornerstone Christian School in Moose Jaw.

And from the same school, these cards are from Mr. Breitkreuz's grade 2/3 class.

I'm so touched by the thoughtfulness of the students and staff! My gratitude to Susan Bergen for her kind words and for sending the cards to me.

All the best,

Judy Ann

Did I mention...

...that I get to hold Baby Austyn every time he comes to the library?

How lucky am I?

Enjoy your day,

Judy Ann