Thinking about my mother on her birthday

The lake at sunset
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2022

On November 6, (today) my mother is on my mind all day.
As I make plans for my son Sam's birthday, and
my husband Steven's birthday -- both tomorrow --
my mother is on my mind, and in my heart.
Today is her birthday. She died just before her
birthday in 2013 leaving a big hole in all of our lives.
My mother, Isabel, was a wonderful person -- brave, 
kind, brilliant and generous.

She was dedicated to living a healthy life, and encouraging
her children to do the same.

Isabel Muir
by Christopher Muir

Christopher Muir © 

She died 13 years ago, on Thanksgiving Day. We
were in Ottawa where she lived, and were in the hospital
with her the night before she died.  

I wrote this about her in a former blog:
"A month or so before she died, I sat with my mother,
who was totally blind, helping her fill out cheques to
organizations she believed in that protected the environment
 -- wolves, whales, parkland. Those weren't her only passions
 -- she gave to women's shelters, and sent money for hurricane
 and famine victims. Small amounts of course -- but this mattered.
My mother was not wealthy, but she was frugal -- sewed her
own clothes until she couldn't, grew her own vegetables and
researched for bargains.

The beautiful portrait photo of my mother is by my son, Christopher.
I love it because it shows her strength, her beauty, and the nature
she protected with letters, her voice on call-in radio on CBC, in protest
marches even when she had a serious chronic lung condition, and
with donations.

She was a good, kind and supportive mother. What
shone through with her was her love for her family, her intellect,
(she had a Masters in Bacteriology), and her concern about the future
of the planet."

Missing you Mommy!

Have a loving your life day!

Toronto in fall is the best

 

Steven on a beautiful fall walk

(it was colder a few days

ago)

Photo:

Barbara Muir © 2026

There’s so much going on now in my family, and with friends that

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to write a blog at all tonight. On a happier
note, we went out to the theatre to see a musical and it was great.

The image I’m showing you is a typical sight in Toronto right now
as this fall has had the most beautiful views of brightly coloured
leaves. The person in the picture is my sweetheart Steven on a
delightful walk in the neighbourhood.

I got some exciting work done with a friend this afternoon, So I will
have a lot to talk about in the next few days.

Have a loving your your life day!

The joy of my art group

 

Gabriel -- DVAC Art Group Sketch
Acrylic on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

Weirdly enough, our model at my art group last nightwas the same model 
we had at the art group exactly one year ago. And he was fantastic.
His pose was so difficult, leaning forward with his arms out as if
they were casting a spell over a glass ball.  He wore a very 
beautiful wizard's costume in blue with gold accents. All
fitting the Halloween season. 

I didn't get my painting done in the 30 minutes I had to paint, but it's
not bad for a quick sketch, but I don't have time to get it ready 
tonight, so I'm showing you last year's sketch.  He was in blue
with gold then too -- a blue sweater with gold stars.  I hope I can
post the newer one tomorrow.

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Birthday to Sally the dog

 

Sally the dog

Acrylic on canvas

5 x 7 inches 

Barbara Muir © 

It's our dog Sally's 14th birthday.  We sang to her and gave her a
special treat. Happy Birthday is her favourite song, and she barks
along to it every time. We got Sally at a very sad time
in our lives. Our almost 14 year old dog died that year in
September, and my mother died a couple of weeks later. 

We needed a dog, and visited the Humane Society adoption
Center, and chose Sally.  Well in fact she chose us. She was a |
skinny dog lying on a ripped blanket. When I sat down on the
floor beside her cage, she pulled my purse into the cage, and that
was that.  Steven found me sitting on the floor crying looking at
Sally, and the rest has been 14 years of loving this beautiful animal.
She no longer looks like this painting, but she is even more beautiful
in our eyes -- her family,  we love her, and she loves us.

Sally was one year old when we got her, and we were her fourth
owners.  Tonight when we sing Happy Birthday to her again, she
will of course sing Happy Birthday to herself again, and get two more
cookies, and something good to eat. She is now almost completely
blind, and deaf, but she hasn't lost her sense of fun. 

Have a loving your life day!

Remembering the good times on a birthday week

Steven at the back,

Sam our son, me and a stranger

at the Mid-town Hilton

 in New York City a few years back.

Photo

Photo Booth

On Halloween it was my birthday, tomorrow is our dog Sally's birthday,

Saturday is both Sam, our son, and Steven's birthday, and it was my
daughter-in-law's birthday just over a week ago, and my sister-in-law's
birthday is next week-- woo hoo, birthday land.

We are not going to be going to New York until things change a 
bit in the U.S., which we hope will be soon.  But we love New York,
and I love this photo of us when we took Sam to New York City for a

graduation present when he graduated from university. And we're
thinking of New Yorkers tonight.

I loved the fact that a woman just asked to be in our photo, and it was
very New York, and some would say Canadian that we said 'yes'.

Have a loving your life day!

International Self Portrait Day, and family art

For David Lobenberg

Self portrait
acrylic on canvas
12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2009
(I did this portrait for David Lobenberg's

June Paint Off in 2009)

You can read about it here.)

I learned that it was International Self Portrait Day today by scrolling
through my blog. Trying to decide what to write about tonight --
I thought --super! Artists frequently have no model other than themselves. 
So of course I've painted my portrait a few times. This is one of my
favourite self portraits. Steven likes it too, and it's in his office.

My self portraits never really look like me, from my point of view, 
but I like this one.  I am happy to have a good sense of humour, and
it's suggested here. I am so grateful to have kind, funny friends who
appreciate me. 

The year I painted this was huge for me.  Lots of TV, newspaper articles, the
beginning of showing in International Art exhibitions.  And I drew 
Oprah live via Skype on the Oprah Winfrey show, so I also like
this portrait for the time that it captures too.

As for the family art. We got together and drew like crazy today.  Covering
a table covered with paper with drawings. So much fun. Happy International
Portrait Day!

Have a loving your life day.