Paradise Found

It is assumed that when reference is made to living in Canada a picture of the Great White North comes to mind.


Let it be said that when the page of the calendar turns to December we are often at the mercy of Mother Nature. But alas, with a little ingenuity and a trip to the greenhouse, paradise is found.


At the place where I purchase the first buds of spring, flowers for the window boxes and mums for the Fall garden, winter yields its palette of beauty.


From the palest of pink to deep crimson en masse the poinsettias create a carpet befitting of royalty. Each delicate petal uniting to reflect the spirit of the season.


Row upon row of vibrant cyclamen, heads bowed yielding to the awestruck observer choosing to take one home.


There are silver-tipped ferns painted by fairies that flit about in the darkness sprinkling their magic sparkle (at least I imagine such). Or combination baskets that can be coaxed to spend the winter and released to the garden in the spring.



A visit to such a place can cure the grey day doldrums and soothe the soul.

Beyond The Horizon

As I gaze out beyond the horizon and contemplate life I realize that I am but a single piece of a much larger picture.

At this time of year when we begin to celebrate and indulge in holiday festivities it is most appropriate to ponder a moment to be thankful.

When you pass by the Salvation Army kettle remember a little loose change adds up. Volunteer to read a story in the children's ward at the local hospital, the gift of smiles and giggles you'll receive are priceless.

And most of all say a little prayer for the brave men and women serving overseas spending another holiday away from their families. Singularly the task may seem insignificant... but united the sky's the limit...

Eliza

In my possession there is a piece of linen that has been coveted for many years.

It arrived here in 1862, the year the young Quaker wife from Willerby, Yorkshire, England emigrated to a land not yet a country. Perhaps with a satchel or trunk full of belongings Eliza arrived with her husband Joseph to begin life anew. (In that trunk was also a sampler that I have written about in a previous post that is still an ongoing research).

Having married only three years earlier Eliza had bore a child that had succumbed to an early death. The pain may have been unbearable and so her husband believed that a fresh start in a new land may help to relieve the melancholy.

It is here she came, bearing a son Joseph and a daughter Charlotte. When her husband died in 1889 Charlotte returned to her Mother's homeland to live with her Aunt Rebecca.(Eliza's sister)

The piece of linen and the sampler were passed down through her son to his daughter Dorothy that remained in Canada for all of her 93 years. Research is a mysterious phenomena, through census, birth, marriage and death records one is able to fit the pieces of a puzzle so the picture becomes a whole. The Quakers were infamous for recording meeting minutes, blessed events and their own history. It is because of all this documented knowledge that the path of the linen and sampler has been laid before me. Their history tugs at my heartstrings and renders me content.

~ Eliza 1859~

Mia's Revisited

Here in the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario winter can begin early and linger for several months. What better way to brighten the cloudy days of the season and inspire the promise of spring than the softness and comfort found at Mia's.

Bringing new life to old things is reflected throughout the shop. Not only a gifted upholsterer, Mia has the knack to renew life into pieces of furniture sometimes overlooked.


So make a trip to Erie Road in Crystal Beach, Ontario and visit Mia's. There are some perfect gifts for Holiday giving and a great opportunity to chat with Mia herself.

A Love Affair

I would like to thank all who participated in my guessing game. Several of the comments were very imaginative, others on the right track.

Henri de Montaut was a talented illustrator whose works included submissions for novels, a successful magazine cartoonist and several paintings. The lithograph shown was a cartoon from the weekly magazine La Vie Parisienne, sometime after 1863. Perhaps it had something to do with an anniversary or memorial.


If you look at the gentleman on the balcony entranced by the actress upon the stage you will notice below him is the Royal Crest of the French Court (three fleurs-de-lis and crown).

Therefore he could be no other than Louis XV. Besotted by the woman dancing before him, she would be his beloved mistress Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764). She often performed plays and operettas for the King's pleasure. A theatre was built at her residence the Petit Trianon (later given as a gift to Marie Antoinette by her husband Louis XVI).

Until her untimely death at 42 April 15, 1764 Madame was his greatest confident and perhaps his only true love.

I placed the names in a hat and I am happy to announce Kris(Tres Belle) and Doreen(Vermont Harvest) as the winners. A new chapter in the tale of Wealthy's Bonnet will be featured later this week.

*Painting by Henri de Montaut

A Little Mystery

It's time to dust the cobwebs off the brain,
and have a little guessing game.


A sweet friend of mine purchased this engraving a few months back. Its subject is still a bit of a mystery so the challenge is to discover the inspiration behind this endearing rendition.

The illustrator is Henri de Montaut (1825-1890). He was also the illustrator for Jules Vern's Five Weeks In A Balloon From the Earth To the Moon in 1868. The lithographers were de Bacquet frères, Lith par Ch. Barque.

Of course there is a prize for the most informative comment (an antique infant dress) and also one for the most entertaining (snippets of vintage lace). The winners will be revealed the first weekend in November.

Another tale of reminiscence awaits at Wealthy's Bonnet.