Category Archives: 10 Beautiful Things

Beautiful Alphabets, Teddy Bears, and more…

07 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Animals, Art, beautiful, Crafts, Design, Needlepoint, Poetry, Reindeer, Sewing, Ten Beautiful Things

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© Joan Currie – My needlepoint wreath and alphabet pillows.

My Needlepoint Pillow Gifts by Joan Currie

In stitches and threads, a year’s toil unfurled,
Ten needlepoint pillows, each a gem in the world.
With wool and with velvet, with silk piping so fine,
Crafted with love, each design to enshrine.

Alphabet treasures that children adore,
Alligators, elephants – snakes galore!
Gentle giraffes and bears wearing red bows,
Falcons, hedgehogs, and ducks with no toes.

As gifts were given, joy filled the air,
Tears of delight, expressions so rare.
But scarcely had they nestled in hand,
The chorus erupted, a unanimous demand.

“We want more!” they cried, their voices a cheer,
For the beautiful stitching, oh so dear!
So back to the needles, with passion and grace,
More pillows to make for their hearts’ embrace.

I have two large needlepoint canvases almost finished, and had planned to take a break from needlepoint to concentrate on my animal and bird watercolor paintings. But now, we shall see!

© Joan Currie – More of my small needlepoint pillows. Elizabeth Bradley design.
© Joan Currie – My floral needlepoint pillows. The smaller pillow was worked in embroidery floss – not wool.

Ten Beautiful Outdoor Winter Preparations…

03 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Photography, Ten Beautiful Things, Tips, Travel, Winter

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Dutch whaler woolen hat, c. 1650-1700, I photographed at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

“…the men recognized one another only by the pattern of stripes on the caps. The men were bundled up so tightly against the fierce cold that only their eyes were visible.” Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

It’s wintertime and I plan to spend time outdoors. Despite the prevalence of winter survival videos that make life in the wilderness look so easy, the elements can be very unpredictable and conditions can become life-threatening very quickly. I have experienced some challenging times in snow country, including my snowmobile falling through the ice. Fortunately, I was able to jump away from the ice hole, but after that, I had a much greater respect for winter safety and safety in general. I travel with a buddy whenever possible and make sure I set up a communication and locator alert system with a designated family member or friend before setting out.
Here’s what I do to keep warm and safe in the cold:

1. Wear a woolen hat and neck warmer. (I have knit myself several, and always bring a couple of extra ones in case it snows heavily and they get wet.)

2. Use a waterproof shell for my woolen mittens to keep my hands warm and dry (see below). I pack spare pairs of mitten liners.

3. Dress in layers to regulate my warmth and so I can remove or replace ones if needed. I pack backup clothes as well, including a bag that I always keep in the trunk of the car. If it is really cold, I wrap a wide wool scarf around my waist and over my kidneys to keep my core warm.

4. I know my gear: I have tested my sleeping bag to be sure of its comfort rating. I pack an extra one in case the temperature drops lower than anticipated. (I use a converted quilt as my backup sleeping bag to my mummy sleeping bag.) I make sure to keep them both dry, especially since they are down-filled.

5. Take a pocket thermometer to be aware of the temperature dropping, particularly in the late afternoon.

6. Take a travel carbon monoxide detector in case I have to spend time in my car or a cabin with a gas heater or open flame.

7. Keep my phone charged and keep it close to my body so it doesn’t freeze up. Pack a backup battery.

8. A flashlight, headlamp, and high visibility reflective vest are musts.

9. Bring along extra food such as power bars and especially water – I keep a water bottle tucked in an inside pocket.

10. Car equipment: chains or cables, shovel, sand or kitty litter for traction. Snow equipment: waterproof boots with snow leg gaiters, snowshoes, boot calipers, rope, and a small axe, ice pick and knife. I mark my ice pick handle with one inch markings to measure the thickness of the ice.

My cold weather mittens with wool liners and outer shells.

Ten Beautiful Christmas Cookbooks…

19 Sunday Dec 2021

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Books, Christmas, Ten Beautiful Things

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My current favorites…

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
from The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

My Christmas baking marathon has begun!

Here is the list of books featured above:

  1. The London Ritz Book Of Christmas by Jennie Reekie
  2. The New England Butt’ry Shelf Cookbook by Mary Mason Campbell
  3. Real Sweet by Shauna Sever
  4. Very Fond of Food by Sophie Dahl
  5. How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson
  6. Martha Stewart’s Christmas by Martha Stewart
  7. Christmas From The Heart Of The Home by Susan Branch
  8. Holidays, from the best of Martha Stewart Living Magazine
  9. The Canadian Living Christmas Book by the editors of Canadian Living Magazine
  10. Entertaining by Martha Stewart
Mincemeat tarts hot out of the oven!

Ten Beautiful Things I Do After The First Snowfall…

13 Monday Dec 2021

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Photography, Reflections, Ten Beautiful Things, Winter

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Walking in the woods…

“Before you can have a roaring fire, you’ve got to gather a good supply of wood.” Pierre-Auguste Renoir

I love this time of year! At the first snowfall, I start preparing to stay warm and cozy inside my house but also to make the most of the splendorous winter wonderland that awaits me outdoors. Below is my list of what I love to do during my favorite season:

1. Get out all my wool toques, mittens, and scarves, the down jacket, and the snow boots with the big snow cuffs.

2. Put my flannel sheets, down comforter, and wool mattress topper on my bed,

3. Walk through the woods and try to spot a hare or Snowy owl. Listen for the bird calls of a Blue Jay, Cardinal or Bohemian waxwing.

4. At sunset, as the temperature is dropping the fastest and the wind has fallen, listen to the rare crinkling sound of the ice crystals forming on a pond or gentle stream.

5. Before dinner, light a fire in the hearth. The sounds of the damper cranking open, match striking, and wood crackling – magical. The woodsmoke settles briefly in my hair and transports me to seasons past.

6. Change the recipes from the cool meals of summer to the warm, comfort meals of winter; stews, soups, and hot meat pies.

7. Round up my Christmas baking supplies: cookie cutters, plum pudding molds, mince tart tins, and best of all, my mother and grandmothers’ special recipes and ingredients.

8. Listen to the muffled sounds of the city when the snow falls, delight in watching the snowflakes dance as they descend from on high and feel them touch my face, make a snow angel, and jump off a snowbank.

9. Get my skates sharpened, check my snowshoe strings, and find the wax for my cross-country skiis.

10. Cozy up in front of the fire after dinner with a warm blanket, hot chocolate or apple cider, and significant other… or a romantic novel.

In addition, check out the beautiful YouTube channel featuring many winter videos from Jonna Jinton in Sweden.

Photo by David Dodds

 

Ten Beautiful Things I Like About A Brewer…

05 Sunday Dec 2021

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Beer, Recipe

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Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
from Shakespeare’s Macbeth

  1. The way he works with his hands.
  2. The way he works with what Nature provides – hops, barley, yeast, and water.
  3. The way he has great chemistry and knows it: his pH, specific gravity, boiling point, and lovibond are perfect!
  4. The way he knows his pots and pans: mash tun, boil kettle, and hot liquor tank.
  5. The way he creates his own recipes. He is a chef who only uses his grain bill, yeast, hops, and spices.
  6. The way he brews for taste not alcohol, and believes that, “beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy” (apologies to Benjamin Franklin).
  7. The way he knows the difference between kegging, casking, and bottling.
  8. The way he looks forward to the changing seasons because they bring the opportunity for the seasonal brews (his Christmas brew is special!).
  9. The way he enjoys sharing his brews.
  10. The way he is adventurous. He values the classics but is always ready to try something new.
Photos by Mark and David Dodds

Ten Beautiful Art Books About Women Artists…

01 Wednesday Dec 2021

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Art, Books

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My favorite art books about women artists and a portrait painted by me to the right.

In art, what we want is the certainty that one spark of original genius shall not be extinguished.
Mary Cassatt.

My favorite women artists are Emily Carr and Mary Cassatt: the former for her landscapes and the latter for her portraits. It was difficult to narrow it down to just two as Berthe Morisot, Cecilia Beaux, Frida Kahlo, Marlene Dumas, Joan Brown, and Cecily Brown are also contenders. What I love is the great volume of work these artists have produced and in many different mediums.

The books pictured above:
Joan Eardley by Fiona Pearson (exhibition catalogue)
Berthe Morisot by Jean-Dominique Rey
Berthe Morisot Impressionist by Charles F. Stuckey and William P. Scott
Helene Schjerfbeck by the Royal Academy of Arts (exhibition catalogue)
Vanessa Bell edited by Sarah Milroy and Ian A. C. Dejardin
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum edited by Peter H. Hassrick
Mary Cassatt: Modern Woman organized by Judith A. Barter, Art Institute of Chicago
The Art of Emily Carr by Doris Shadbolt
American Women Artists 1830-1930 by Eleanor Tufts, The National Museum of Women in the Arts
Women Artists by Margaret Barlow (1999 edition cover shown below with painting by Mary Cassatt, The Loge)

Ten Beautiful Things I Like About a Soldier…

05 Wednesday May 2021

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Art, Reflections, Ten Beautiful Things

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© Joan Currie – Soldier watercolor


Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 KJV

  1. The way he looks in his dress uniform.
  2. The way he pays attention to detail in his turnout.
  3. The way he cares for his equipment and weapons.
  4. The way he lives by his regiment’s motto.
  5. The way he looks after his buddies.
  6. The way he keeps himself in good shape.
  7. The way he stands, even when he is not on parade.
  8. The way he can stay calm under extreme stress.
  9. The way he understands that he is at the pointy end of the stick.
  10. The way he always remembers his family and loved ones even when he is far away.