Confessions Of a Packrat

Truth be told everyday I go to work, I step from the present to the past. You see, I work for an auctioneer and it is my job to sort, appraise, record and separate the contents of a home, a life, a generation...


Most times it is thrilling to peek into drawers, boxes, attics and trunks that hold treasures that have been tucked away over time.


On a few occasions it can be overwhelming especially to a packrat such as I. Finding beauty or the possibility of a future for the smallest of mundane trinkets.


Buttons, lace, snippets of trim... all coveted by doll creators, mixed media artists and silly romantics (such as myself) that cherish these pieces of the past. Each one with a tale to tell and a history to share.

I hope I will be able to continue to work at this job I love for years to come... I'll just have to find a bigger house with a barn for storage.

* The pics are from an upcoming auction not my house.

Pardon My Swan Song

Well as I'm sure you can tell Miss Maddie's Swan Song lasted all of two weeks and then I came to realize I had friends to visit and tales to tell... so somewhere amidst the other enjoyable pastimes I was pursuing I could find time to post and leave comments on others' blogs. After all, is this not a community of women with similar values, shared passions and unrelenting dreams?


And now for the tale...
The precious pair of swans (that I wrote of before) that mate for life have yielded 4 cygnets (what baby swans are called). Always under the watchful eye of one of the parents their soft grey to buff down and awkward toddling about has granted them the name of the ugly duckling. It takes a full year for the feathers to completely turn to white.

A male is referred to as a cob and the female a pen. She has an important role in history for her flight feathers were fashioned into writing instruments originally called a pen quill... later a quill pen.


I wonder how many feathers were destined to carry the ink that graced the pages of her manuscripts as Jane Austen brought 'Pride and Prejudice' to life.

All the swans of Europe can trace their lineage to the Royal Swannery of England. 'Birds Royal' was the beautiful creatures' title as only Kings and Queens (or a few favoured subjects) could keep them.

May this day find you cozy in your nest and dreaming of the beauty that surrounds you...

To Cherish

A Mother's love
bestills the heart,
To cherish it forever...

Solace In The Woods

Though the first blush of Spring has transpired into lush blossoms, heady scents and a blanketing beauty beyond measure, the woods has yet to reveal the realm she guards with secrecy.

Just before the leaf buds open on the towering trees, creating a shaded canopy of concealment to the dark, rich earth below the warming rays of sunlight permeate, melting the last of the Winter's snow.

From beneath the carpet of moss and fallen leaves the fronds of ferns and the delicate trilliums reach up to the sunshine to revel in its glory.


As a human intruder I can only partake of this revered landscape as I seek solace in the woods...