Photos from Hawaii

                                     Kilauea Caldera in Hawaii National Park

                                   Locals surfing at Poipu Beach on Kauai Island

                                    Beautiful garden in Hilo, Big Island

                            Inside Thurson Lava Tube in Hawaii Volcano National Park

     Walking on old lava and watching smoke from new lava that's flowing into the sea

                                Viewing a turtle at Richardson Beach in Hilo

Winter - 2013

Even tho it is winter, time has certainly flown by - and here it is almost the middle of February. I have been good about going to my aerobic classes three times a week since the first week of January. I guess that is what has kept me busy as the class starts at 10:45 and ends about noon. Well, there isn't time for me to do much before the class - as really I am a slow starter in the morning. Sometimes I stay for coffee; free for us seniors, so I get home after 12:30. By the time I shower and we have lunch, etc; it is almost 3:00 pm; no time for an afternoon activity. So that is how three of the five weekdays are spent. Thursday is my pottery day, and so Tuesday is left for whatever!!!

On a different note, I had the pleasure of being contacted by an old high school friend. We had not been in contact for maybe 50 years; what wonderful memories came floating into my mind. Gena and I lived across the street from one another and always walked home together - though not always in the morning. Learning about her life since our last meeting has been more than just interesting. Sadly she has been a widow for the last eleven or so years. It is interesting how we all went our own ways after high school, really not thinking that we should keep in contact. We all lived our different lives in different ways in different places; and only many years after our kids had grown and gone, did we think about our early friendships, and have started to inquire about them. I think it is wonderful how things come around.

Not much else new - lots of snow to shovel! Enjoy your winter.

Busy December Brings in a Quiet New Year

As you might guess December was a very busy month for me thus no posts were entered. It started with the Ottawa Authors & Artisans Fair in early December that coincided with freezing rain that lasted all day, which didn't help our Fair. However, I enjoyed it as it gave me a chance to see other authors that I only see at this type of gathering. With parties and Xmas preparation, the month just few by.

Now Christmas to me is family time, so we see more of our daughters and grandchildren, some who come from out of town just after Xmas.  And so another reason for another gathering. During this season we spend much time eating - and more eating.  And this year Christmas has also brought winter with a vengeance; lots and lots of snow - and now the cold. While I don't make New Year's resolutions, I can't wait to get to the gym next week.

We brought in the New Year with friends sharing dinner then watching a movie 'Big Fat Greek Wedding', always good for a few laughs. Following New Years Day, we volunteered to baby-sit four grandchildren for the day; two sets of twins, eight and nine. Surprising there were few disagreements; and though it was cold we managed an hour of tobogganing on a hill just a few blocks from home. The kids really enjoyed that.

I look forward to next week when everything is back to normal. Back to pottery and back to the gym.
Happy New Year everyone! 

Ottawa Authors & Artisans 2012 Fall Fair

It's been 10 days since the Ottawa Guild of Potters Fall Sale concluded; I think it was a great success. More people in Orleans are getting acquainted with this sale and our attendance was up. Thankfully we had good traveling weather.

Now I am preparing for the Ottawa Authors & Artisans 2012 Fall Fair to be held at Jack Purcell Centre, Rm. 203, 320 Jack Purcell Lane, near Elgin and Lewis St. on Sunday, Dec. 2nd from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be a large variety of books by local writers - and local artisans. I will be displaying my book 'RV-ING and Other Adventures North of 60, as well as a bunch of pottery; hope to see you there. Below is one of my favorite pictures from my book; it's taken on the Alaska Highway in the Rockies.

In a way of advertising - this morning our president of OIW, Susan and I were one of several featured on Roger's Daytime program. Susan talked about the OIW's Fair, she brought her books; and I displayed my pottery and my book. We thought things went well.

Some of Hazel's Pottery

Here is a sample of my pottery. I make mostly functional pieces.

Ottawa Guild of Potters Fall Sale

Later this week, I will be participating in the above three and a half-day sale. It is a lot of work but fun as well as I love interacting with other potters and viewing their varied work. It is inspiring to see all this beautiful pottery - and I think, 'yes, I must try something different than my usual.' But somehow when I return to my pottery days later, I have forgotten what I was planning to do.

Anyway, I'm enclosing the poster that will tell you where to go and when. Ottawa people, I hope to see you there.

Visit to Elk County, Pennsylvania

Wow, how time has flown! I have been negligent in getting a post written in the last month. I will make amends and try to do better.

We arrived back from our trip to Lancaster and Elk County in Pa last Wednesday evening, October 31. Yes, we were in Pa during Sandy's super storm. Luckily we left Lancaster with my husband's brother and his two daughters and husbands for Elk County in Western Pa on Saturday well before the storm. And once arriving there, we were greeted with large meadows of elk, eating grass, wandering around, or laying down. What a wonderful sight! We then retired to a beautiful lodge our relatives had reserved where we could our spend time together.

What was intriguing about this Benezette area is that it was where my husband's and his brother's grandparents and uncles and aunts had farmed. We drove past these old farm houses still completely intact as my husband would announce, "That's Aunt Ada's house; and that's grandma and grandpa's house." And so it went as they revisited their memories from their youth. Back in the 1970's and 80's, I remember visiting 'Aunt Ada' in her trailer (now gone), when this area was still farmed. Some time about the mid-80's this poor farmland was turned into park; 12 counties in northcentral and northern western regions of Pa have become the 'Pennsylvania Wilds.' It is now a tourist area for fishing, hunting, hiking, and indeed, viewing elk; where many hotels, campgrounds and lodges have sprung up. Our trip here was to view the elk.

The next morning the weather was more gloomy and cold as we drove to the Information Centre and the viewing area to see more elk - and 'see we did.' It seemed dozens and dozens of elk streamed down the meadow as the small crowd clicked their cameras. Soon the mist started and we left, though we did have more views of lone bull elks along the road. The next day, the rain came down hard, and by mid-afternoon, it was decided that we would drive into St. Mary's where my husband Byron and is brother Paul were raised.  The rest of the time was spent watching the weather channel as Sandy hammered the East Coast.

Luckily we did not loose power at the lodge. We watched on TV how the storm decimated coastal areas and cause a lot of damage to others including Lancaster, the city we left a couple days earlier.
The rain still fell lightly as we drove back to Lancaster on Tuesday viewing some damage along the way, but feeling lucky we didn't get stranded.