Thursday, April 25, 2013

Flood Watch

I don't want to jinx it, but I hear spring is actually just around the corner. They are forecasting warm weather next week and we, alongside of everyone else in Winnipeg, are looking forward to seeing the dirty piles of snow melt away. But not too fast. Because then it might flood. Sigh!

The kids and I went for a walk down to the river to see what it looks like before the annual flooding begins here. As the Red River interestingly flows north instead of south, Manitobans look to their neighbors to the south in North Dakota to help predict flood levels.

They've already been sandbagging down south and the big fear is with ice dams since there is still quite a big of ice on the river.

The river is predicted to go up 12 feet in the next couple days! We figured we better a closer look at what the river is like now because it'll look a whole lot different after the weekend.

Friday, April 12, 2013

A Walk in the Park

It was a beautiful evening tonight and Isla and I walked down to King's Park to get our blood moving after supper. We have been so lucky with our little house here in Winnipeg, couldn't have asked for a better location.

The fields and trails that we biked in the fall and XC skied this winter are still covered in snow and ice, but the weather seems a little milder and a little more hospitable each day.

The sun was just starting to set and cast an interesting light on the park on our walk tonight.

I am so impressed with Isla's enthusiasm for getting out, she is always up for some exercise and adventure, especially when it delays her bedtime!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Spring 'Break'

Our Spring Break has come and gone. And although the word 'Spring' doesn't come to mind to describe our week off of school, there was in fact a 'Break' - an unfortunate one!

Our poor little friend Eden and I now have another thing in common (other than our name). We both broke our leg downhill skiing at a young age! Little Eden landed herself in a cast after a very unfortunate dismount off the towrope on a day that was meant to be the kickstarter to a fantastic week of spring break adventures with our two families.
Carmen and I managed to re-think our initial plans and came up with a variety of outings that included some fun places, all equipped with public wheelchairs. I was amazed at Eden's spirit and Isla's need to nurture her little friend made for some memorable times.

We hit the aisles of IKEA and the Manitoba Museum, not to mention several indoor playdates that involved picnics, painting toes and craft making sessions.

Spring keeps promising to arrive, and hopefully before we know it we'll be saying, 'remember the winter that never ended......and when Eden broke her leg?????'




Monday, April 1, 2013

Most Deserving

It's nothing short of challenging to juggle a full time teaching schedule and your own creative practice.

In the few years that Robin has been committed to a teaching position in the field, I'm never surprised to see him head back to the studio, knowing that there are still several hours in the day for making pots, well after classes are over and the kids are in bed.

All the more reason to celebrate those that are able to find the balance and discover that the rewards outweigh the challenges. And even more remarkable are those that willingly share their knowledge and experience along the way, as teachers and mentors that seem to invest equally as much energy into their students professional thinking, creativity and success as their own.

This past month, two individuals were recognized for their outstanding achievements and in turn their influence and contributions to the field of ceramics.

Congratulations to Greg Payce, Governor General's Award recipient in the Visual and Media Arts by the Canada Council for the Arts. Greg received the Saidye Bronfman Award which recognizes excellence in the fine crafts in Canada.











And congratulations to John Neely, who has been named Utah State University's 2013 D. Wynne Thorne Career Research awardee - USU's highest research honour and the first fine artist to receive this distinction.








Both outstanding individuals who have influenced our lives and we are so lucky to call friends.

I love it when good things happen to good people.