portfolio

10- 5x7
13- 8x10
8- 8x12

countless frames, ready made and hand cut mats, time, money

One wire bound photo album with portrait style high clarity print preservers

cost: less than $1000

result: double that if I sold everything

reason: to show

Tea for two, you and me maybe even three

I have another tea pot and I love it because it was a gift from Michael, but it makes a quick 2 cups and calls it a day. My sister somehow found me the PERFECT tea pot. Brews at least 4 cups. Has a fine mesh strainer, good for Rooiboos, and it's CLASSIC. I love it!!

Thanks Sis.

the photo

IMGP2784.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

That led to our unfortunate adventure, "Not Narnia".

not Narnia, edited with links to photos

Really, I wish I took photos but the whole thing was like a lucid nightmare that had aspirations of veering dangerously off course. I had visions of Fargo dancing in my head and somehow taking photos of the horror would have been the catalyst that pushed it over the edge.

While on the way to Grandmother's house for tea (isn't that how they all start?), we took a road off the secondary highway to Olds, Alberta. It was tree lined and with the fresh fallen snow, looked like the entrance to Narnia. I took some photos and we turned around for the hay bales that looked suspiciously like frosted mini wheat's with the dusting of snow.

For some reason, we decided to go back down the road to Narnia. I don't know why but, I was glad we did at first, as along the road were some old granaries that are too often being torn down for the sturdier and uglier metal ones. With my back turned to take photos, I was unaware of the series of events that would happen next until it was too late.

Even though we were on a desolate rural road a few km off the main highway, Michael decided to pull over to the side of the road- even though, I said, "I'll just be a minute." To his defense, it did appear that there was a culvert at the T-intersection to which a road led to a nearby farm. But, to our dismay, it was not. What was there instead was the steep prairie ditch filled with snow and when Michael pulled off to the side, he hit that snow with the weight of the vehicle and it tipped violently to one side.

I was in disbelief. Keep in mind that we had driven out of the worst snowstorm to hit the lower mainland, endured the steep mountainous Coquihalla highway in a blizzard, and thus far avoided the circumstance of so many vehicles ill prepared for the road conditions. How was it that a quick stop for photos, and a traveling speed of 2km/hour would be our demise?

Unbelievably, just as it happened, 2 guys in a huge pickup truck (like the ones we laugh at for being so monstrous) pull up and ask if we'd like to be pulled out of the ditch. I figured our magical Delica and Michael's skills could do the job and said,

"well maybe you could just wait and make sure we get out OK."

"alright, we're just going up to that farm and we'll be back in about 10 minutes."

When they didn't come back, I went and got them. It was -16C, the wind was blowing and I refused to get in the vehicle leaning dangerously in a steep ditch. I told Michael, "look- I don't know who these guys are and who knows. If I'm not back in 20 minutes call the police" and I set off down the dirt road- freezing.

Nice guys. Can't remember their names now, but they didn't kidnap me, as imagined.

They managed to pull us along the ditch rather violently but without success in getting us out. The Delica looked like a little helpless toy being tugged through the snow by a monster truck sliding against the thin gravel. I stood there in horror and praying that the rope didn't snap or the van tip and twist from the attempt. I stood there fighting back massive tears that would have frozen like sad icicles under my eyes, it was so cold.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. We weren't supposed to be there. We were supposed to be at my grandmother's drinking hot tea. My legs were stinging and prickly from the tiny pins of cold air and I was watching a horrifying situation with my love in a helpless and potentially dangerous position.

Suffice it to say, we switched the rope to the other side, the driver of the truck backed up a bit, got a good running start and bounced, literally bounced, Michael and our home on the road, out of the ditch. I grabbed the 40 bucks my aunt fern had given me to make some prints and 20 from the wallet and thanked them profusely we had a quick chat and told them it was all so silly as I just wanted some photos of the granaries and they said good thing as they're planning to take a bobcat through them in the spring.

I made a note to self to visit the road in the warmer months in hopes the buildings would still be there, drop a bottle of Jack off on the doorstep of the farm and then got the hell off the road to not Narnia.

things not to do and vice versa

I've has some unusual experiences in the last few days while Michael and I have driven from Vancouver to Red Deer, Alberta through some of the worst weather BC had this year.

So for the final hours of 2008, I'll list them while we wind our way through the mountains to Banff...

1. Trust others. Give them the info to make their own decisons.

2. Give your customers the benefit of doubt and if they want to split the discounted Po'boy let them.

3. Travel with snacks and juice.

4. Be veryu careful of ditches filled with snow.

5.Be thankful and grateful of strangers come along on a rural road and pull you out of the ditch.

6. Appreciate the love and kindness right in front of you.

7. Visit your family.

the three graces

where oh where has my true love gone?

IMGP2576.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

tracking santa

Through the Coquihalla,
Over the hills of snow
Off to see the wizard,
Called Krimbo, don't you know.



I'm sending my mom and friend Lisa periodic GPS updates.

http://maps.BlackBerry.com?lat=50.20210&lon=-120.65644&z=8

And now you can see them too. Cut and paste into a new brouser if the link doesn't work.

Merry Merry Joy Joy

Hi!, originally uploaded by jill y.

I'm off with a load of granola bars, fruit, juice, blankets, candles, tow rope and tire chains for wild west adventure to Alberta.

Hopefully, I won't be burning the wrapping paper on my gifts to keep warm in a snowbank.

Just kidding Mom, Dad, family.

Merry Christmas You.

It's a Lush Life..

bushels

I found this Wheat Necklace on Etsy. It came all the way from Italy and arrived just in time to brighten my cold, wet and dreary day. Thanks Mail delivery Person for being out in the hard packed snow, salt and bad drivers.

ode to joy

island life

The last time I was on an island it was Cuba. The night was hot and tropical and mysterious. Palm trees illuminated against the night sky left lingering shadows of strangers waiting for rides in the middle of nowhere.A cab buzzed me recklessly through the heavy black air, over Soviet built roads and past billboards of anti-American and pro Socialist propaganda and though the decrepit streets of Havana to my borrowed bedroom home.A bed with only a top sheet and 2 pillows, a tiny fridge and a window overlooking a roof top with a kept rooster would be by home for 2 weeks.

Tonight the island adventure is with air so crisp and puffs of breath that keep me an unwelcome company. Yellow street lights glare down on crunchy snow and make the trees pointy and stiff without their leaves. A bus dark with strangers keeping to themselves and glancing suspectantly at each other makes it's way along show homes and prefabricated siding with manicured trees and cascading rock landscaping services. Tonight my borrowed bedroom will be a ruffled and flowered with puffy blankets and meant for 2. But it's just me on the island.

a note ed

I've been wandering and rushing around these last few months in a navy blue haze. sometimes the light breaks though for a moment of a nice cerulean blue..maybe for a moment of robin egg blue. But, generally it feels blue and dark, this cloud I find coated upon my presence in life.

This mini grief I carry around in a rose colored handbag. Do you ever feel like you had a day in your 20's when you thought.. one day it will be better..then I will be happy.. one day, it will go away and it won't matter. and then one day you woke up and you realized that you had spent 20 years waiting for whatever it was to go away so you could start something that would feel meaningful and there it was, stuck to your shoe still.

This made me kick off my shoes and feel sunshine again.

catch me if you can

catch me if you can, originally uploaded by jill y.

guess where

IMGP5062.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

proof that aliens exist

a sketchy sketch

Couldn't retrieve chat history

On my way home, and half way up a hill in the rain, I suddenly discovered my front wheel had gone completely flat. Not a little bit flat. Completely flat. Not ride-able to the nearest gas station. Flat. Did I mention the prairies?

Morosely, I walked my bike down the hill. Rain dripping down my rain covered helmet. Drops of rain in attack mode against my rain repellent pants, making a slight headway into my shoe coverings and certainly dancing a dance upon the neck of my rain coat. Did I mention it was wet?

In the dark and oil slick wet street back to work, I passed 2 coworkers who barely recognized me in my repellent suit of armor. But we said our greetings and carried on.

forward 2 hours:

Me: Oh Kate. It got so much more worse

Kate: What happened???

Me: The keys to the van and my wallet were locked in my office. I thought I had the key. When it turned and broke off in the door, I suddenly realized it was my apt key I broke. Stuck at work in a wet suit- with a flat tire, no money and no apt key.

I did the obvious thing I could think of.

Kate: WHAT?!

Me: With some help, we got a hammer and screwdriver and attacked the lock until it was a wretched mess and then hacked away some more until we were able to get the door open.

Then I phoned my landlord and no one answered.

Kate: OH MY GOD

Me: I KNOW.

Kate: This is awful! Are you still at work??
Me: It's a bad b-movie without the soundtrack.

Kate: Where's your man friend?

Me: In the UK. He has my spare key.

Kate: Oh my......

Me: I spent about 40 minutes me surfing the web, going through friends in my head that would put me up and alternating between a hotel room and sleeping at work.

Kate: Are you just going to keep trying the landlord?

Me: No, it's OK. I'm home now.

Kate: Oh you are? Oooooh, ok good. Good grief Jill!!!

Me: But I got home to find that my boyfriend's vehicle, that he co-shares with another friend, happens to be off insurance and is parked out front in a "street cleaning zone" and bound to be towed if not moved.

Kate: Aaaaaahahhahaa

Me: It's comedy of errors.

dreaming of days gone

IMGP2318.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

I may be wrong..

But I think everyone I know has a ball of string and therefore needs a Victorian String Holder, just because it's so pretty.



And affordable available right here in Vancouver at Lee Valley