I really have been searching for Buddha's hand. I am sorry this is such a fuzzy picture--but then, life has had its fuzziness of late so... It all began with a renewed zeal (this is a low energy zeal mind you) for sorting/simplifying and general tossing of things no longer needed or useful. Some of this physical, some mental. Anyway, after sorting and moving some stuff around I left the room for a few minutes and while I was gone I heard one of those disturbing clunks--almost a crash, but not quite. I walked back in to find a shelf half off the wall and balanced on my printer below it....and Buddha on the floor minus his left hand. I've looked and looked. No hand. Not in, on, under, behind, or beside anything.

The Market at Granville Island

Ahhh...wonderful fruits, vegetables, spices, foods, artists, and great signs. I love wandering the market at Granville Island. My favorite story this visit is meeting meeting a man who sold his wife's original designs silk scarves. They were unspeakably beautiful and he was so proud of her. I didn't meet her--she was working in the studio, but he showed off all the marvelous things she made with such love - it was touching.

at the Saturday Market

Meet Daisy-the cute-puppy. Below her is the bee hive in action. The zen sand was right by where we parked and has nothing to do with the Saturday Market, but it was such a calm sight.....oh, and the flowers I made me think of Sarah in Virginia...

These were just some of the sights....I also smelled some de-lic----eooooouss soy candles. Yes, I stopped and held the Creme Brulee one to my nose and declared that this candle could make me make things in my kitchen that I did not need to eat....I talked with wondrous women who were preparing to walk the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, and a very talented stay-at-home mother/potter who tempted me dearly with her ceramic blue fountain made using shell formations--I love the beach, and shells, the sea, the tide, sand, rocks, and did I mention shells?

Before leaving the market I also found a pink hand painted sign that said "Princess" and was perfect for the 'Princess Birthday' party we were going to the next day....fancy that.

Into my New Cubbyhole

Well, at last I have almost accomplished one of my odd ideas. I have always wanted to have (or perhaps it is a returning...) a very small, cubbyhole like space in which to write. To write my way out of eventually.

As I went looking for the Chinese New Year scene I had in my mind from one of Amy Tan's books...I came across this in The Bonesetter's Daughter and smiled:

"Back at the flat, Ruth put the groceries away, set the orchid on the

dining room table, and went into the Cubbyhole. She like to think

that limited space inspired limitless imagination."

If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it...I plan on rereading it myself here shortly. I won't spoil what/where the Cubbyhole is in this book. My Cubbyhole is in part of the slightly over deep closet in my Nook--the room filled with all my clutter for making things...and the dresser drawers full of ephemera for collage...hence the blog name. Good things come from these old mismatched dresser drawers. Words, letters, photos, scrapbook paper, Scrabble tiles, things long ago made from Fimo....and more.

For now, my back is tired and it is time to head to bed and get lost in my current very long read, A Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Perhaps tomorrow I will have things straightened around enough to take a picture. For now goodnight patient blog, goodnight.

a ghost from Christmas past

An old book...Robert Burns Complete Poetical Works...given on Christmas of 1899 by my great uncle Jack to his aunt Hattie....leather bound, well loved, a treasured present no doubt (the family origins are Scottish you see.)

It makes one think about what our descendants might find in the category of well loved treasures and what they might deduce from what they find?

In any case, this is still a treasure in my life--reminding me as it does of these two people, one I knew well, the other just barely.