One Year Ago

August the 23rd will mark one year from the day I had my accident. I nearly died that day, and looking back, I think it was a pivotal moment in changing my life. Today, everything is different - I have a new home, a new love, a new dog, a new job, even new teeth.

I may have become more philosophical. My mother commented on a recent blog posting, "Good grief, I think Heather is getting spiritual!", which may be more revealing about the low ranking given to spirituality in my family than a real indication of any enlightenment I might have achieved. Indeed, I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about my existence in this world and how to make the most of it.

One thing I do know for sure - striving for money and material gain is a dead end street. Learning to give and receive love - on both personal and universal levels - is a open road.

I am so grateful to all the lovely people, both friends and friends-to-be, who have left inspiring and supportive comments over the past year. I hope that in the next few months as my life settles down, I will be back to making more art, more quilts, more embroidery that I can share with you. For a blog that is supposed to be about stitching, it has gone off on some wild tangents. But if we can look at the definition I give at the top of the page: "To join, to make or mend, to decorate", in a metaphorical sense, maybe everything can be seen as stitching.

Love, health and happiness to you all!

Tidal Pools

Sorry I have been absent for so long - a few technical difficulties. And I must confess to simply spending so much time on the beach that time dissolves. The seductive beauty of Lasqueti is overwhelming.

Here are a few shots of tidal pools that I have been exploring. They are like microcosms of the universe, absolutely mesmerizing.


I didn't know starfish are purple. Or maybe just the ones in the Georgia Strait are?


The colours are like jewels.

Some Blog Postings Just Come Naturally

A dramatic rescue at sea happened Sunday night. I wish Funniest Home Videos had been there to record my ignominy.

I had taken Keiko down to the beach for one last walk for the night. The tide was very high, right up to the road almost. Keiko disappeared for a minute, then started yelping excitedly. Seconds later one of the island's feral sheep comes charging out of the trees, with Keiko at her heels, border collie genes firing on all cylinders.

Now, dogs can be shot for chasing sheep, and this was a serious lapse of my pet owner responsibilities. I called Keiko back, I'm sure the whole island could hear me. Of course she had much more fun things to do, chasing the sheep through the trees and into the bay. They both started swimming out into deep water, Keiko, literally at the poor sheep's throat.

I did what they do in movies - kicking off my shoes and pulling off my jacket while diving into the water. I swam out to the animals, pulled Keiko off the sheep and dragged her back into shore, swimming with one arm - finally those Red Cross courses came in handy. The sheep came in on her own - and stood on the beach watching as I had to carry/drag the 65 lb. wet squirming dog up the road.

All the while I had visions of some crazed Lasquetian lunging out of the forest with their .22, ready to take out my dog. Ooooff. What a scene. When I got back to the house and told my family what had happened, they were momentarily horrified, then my Mom said, well, at least you'll get a blog posting out of it!