Beauty in the Midst of Winter

How lovely to have this amaryllis blooming in the midst of winter.

It's delicate beauty, gentle and reassuring. Spring will arrive, patience will be rewarded.

Chinese New Year Parade

Yesterday, Ottawa's Chinatown held its Chinese New Year Parade. This toothy fellow led the way.

He was accompanied by three lively lions, who danced and pranced and visited the various Chinese businesses, bringing  them good fortune.

They made a beautiful colourful display when they were bunched up together at an intersection.

The banging of the drums, cymbals and gongs kept everyone moving along at an energetic pace. A lively spectacle, punctuated with the loud bangs of fire crackers, made for some excitement on this chilly February day. Happy Year of the Snake!

Happy Valentine's Day

 

Happy Valentine's Day!  I picked up this cloth heart-shaped box in a thrift shop a couple of months ago, thinking that I might be able to use it for Valentine's Day in some way.

 

I found a bunch of these lovely two-tone pink roses at the supermarket and cut the stems down so that they would just peek out the top. The box is covered in fabric so I placed a squat jam jar inside to hold the water. The box's lid has a lovely lace top. It makes a lovely Valentine's vignette.