FIVE THINGS FRIDAY Archives - Keeping With The Times

Five Things Friday | June 8

June 8, 2018 by Barb 6 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment. First up, a little May 2018 review from Instagram.

Month of May in Review

Lilacs, anemones, rhubarb, Marsh Marigolds, and pansies filled my feed last month. Trying to post an image every day is quite challenging, but in the end, I love to look back.

On a side note, I’m also starting to ponder the fact that if Instagram disappeared (or more likely my account) I would lose years of consecutive moments …

I’m trying to find my blogging voice again and let me tell you it’s hard. But I need this space, I really, really, need this space! So let me start with some behind the scenes work I’ve been doing on my blog.

I’ve Been Working on Making my Blog GDPR Compliant

The EU’s new data privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation, goes into effect on May 25, 2018 and applies not only to EU-based organizations, but also to anyone who has customers or contacts in the EU.

For me, that means creating a Privacy Policy as well as informing and obtaining consent from existing subscribers to my newsletter that yes, they still do want to receive mail from Keeping With the Times. So a newsletter will be forthcoming. I can honestly say I’ve been paralyzed by all this but also that I’m proud to be working through it all.

What I’m Reading

I became obsessed with the TV series Outlander about a year ago after finding the first season on sale at Target. I remember handing the DVD to the hubs and remarking that “oh, this is supposed to be good”. Little did I know, I was going down a rabbit hole!

After we devoured the entire 3 seasons, I decided I had to read the books as well (I just wasn’t ready to let Claire and Jamie go ;)

So … I can check book #1 Outlander off my list! It’s a huge one and I thought it would take me until the end of August … but nope (I’m already on book number 2 :) I loved it! It was very similar to the TV series and I could see Claire and Jamie quite vividly. A great summer read my friends!

What I’m Loving

Do you use Goodreads? It’s a fabulous resource for booklovers! You can:

See what books your friends are reading.
Track the books you’re reading, have read, and want to read.
Check out your personalized book recommendations. Our recommendation engine analyzes 20 billion data points to give suggestions tailored to your literary tastes.
Find out if a book is a good fit for you from our community’s reviews.

~Goodreads~

What I Discovered

While some people dream of having a fresh flower farm and growing their business, I dream of finding that person with a fresh flower farm and helping them grow their business ;) and find them I did! Woo hoo!

Lovely Jen @farmfreshflorals in Leduc County, Alberta, grew these amazing “Finola” tulips. She also found a way to deliver them to me virtually hassle-free. Having them harvested with the bulbs was an extra special bonus, i.e. photo op!

I’m looking forward to getting more local, fresh bouquets.

So that’s it for Five Things Friday for June 8th! If you stopped by, I thank you! xo

5 Things Friday | March 9

March 9, 2018 by Barb 16 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

Hello friends. Today, as I try to get back on my blogging feet, I’m simply going to share a few things I’m grateful for this week (because it’s about all I can handle at the moment.)

As I just had some pretty major dental surgery this week, today I’m grateful for:

modern dentistry
skilled doctors and nurses
painkillers
antibiotics
living in a country where all these things are available to me
friends and neighbours who call to see how I am, and drop by with food

But mostly I’m beyond grateful for my FAMILY who has been with me every step of the way.

I realize this is a lame blog post, but hey … I’m here. And I’ve missed this space … and you.

Five Things Friday | September 22

September 23, 2017 by Barb 6 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

September 22 was our Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere! It began at 2:02 pm MST and I welcomed it with open arms.

Our trees are just beginning to turn colour and a few leaves have fallen. But this image is where I’m at right now—bringing plants indoors to save for a couple more weeks. I love this geranium basking in the sunlight on my garden table. It was one of the first plants I purchased last May … a zonal geranium (Pelgardini Vancouver Centennial.) I like the variegated leaves and how the flowers remind me of fireworks.I’m so grateful for the abundance of apples (from our friends’ orchard)
.. and I love baking with them …

Five Things Friday | September 22

What I’m Reading

Since my last “Five Things” post, I finished A House in the Sky. It’s a tremendously well-written powerful read, and at one point, so hard to take I had to skip a chapter (near the end.) Having said that, I truly recommend reading it. She does get rescued, and she does go on to live a life helping others. Her actions that led her to be captured became controversial and thought-provoking but I’m on her side.

I also read The Picture of Dorian Gray … now that’s a weird read … enough said ;)

What I’m Watching

Lately I haven’t had time to sit down and watch anything, however, I’m starting a list of shows I want to watch:

Law and Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders on NBC on September 26, I love everything Law and Order, and I love Edi Falco (from The Sopranos)
This is Us (of course)
60 Minutes (you laugh!) but Oprah!! ;)

What I Discovered

Caution (brag alert): one of my photos was featured on Instagram. Insert every shocked-face emoji you can imagine. My account had been absolutely stagnant for months and months and suddenly I was inundated with new followers. Yes, some are weird (some are not.) But hey … I was featured on Instagram.

But what I discovered is that the growth (while amazing) was not meteoric. And contrary to popular lore, the minute I posted another photo my followers did not fall off like flies. I’ve probably lost about 5. It’s a strange experience. I could hardly sleep the night it happened, but life goes on and it’s practically over… my fifteen minutes of fame is over. Side note: my photo on Instagram got more likes than Steven Colbert (lol ;)

What I Love

My hair. At my age there isn’t much to love anymore ;) but seriously I found a hairdresser who gets what I want and she sticks to the plan. I did show her a few photos at first so as to have no confusion. You just cannot beat a good haircut ladies.

What’s Inspiring Me

My daughter and her husband have a new blog This Big Adventure and it’s chock-full of valuable information on travel etc.

We are the Rooneys, an Albertan family of five. We believe adventure can start the moment you step out your front door. From exploring our hometown, taking day trips, weekend camping excursions, or long haul vacations, we love to do it all! Stick around as we set you up with all the tips, tricks, and hidden gems that we find along the way!

It’s amazing how first-hand advice about something can make a world of difference in making travel easier and I highly recommend checking it out!

So that’s it for Five Things Friday for September 22. Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have a lovely weekend.

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Five Things Friday | August 4

August 4, 2017 by Barb 7 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

I haven’t shared a Five Things Friday since May … but I’m starting to get back on my feet after 2 months (gasp!) of not posting at all. I totally lost my mojo and tried to explain why in my post What Happened? (if you care to have a read.)

I’ve been picking lots of wildflowers, as I truly prefer a free bouquet :)

It’s also interesting that whilst in Arizona last year I paid for goldenrod (solidago), which is growing in great heaps in our ditches at the moment. You can see the bouquet I purchased at Trader Joe’s for proof.

So without further ado, here is what I’ve been up to in the last little while:

Five Things Friday | August 4

What I Discovered

I discovered that I am capable of solving a technical glitch. After a WordPress update in May, my blog posts were a total mess (behind the scenes). Tons of extra html and gobbledy-gook were lurking inside every post, and while you, my dear readers couldn’t see it … I could, and I cannot stand a mess because I figure it will eventually bite you in the butt. So after my tech guy kindly and (finally) took a look and didn’t see anything, and after contacting HostGater who although helpful in other ways, did not diagnose my problem, I set out to figure it out myself. To make a long story short, there are two editing views in WordPress: Visual and Text. I used to be able to switch seamlessly between the two views but now they counteract each other and cause all kinds of havoc. Apparently this is not news. It happens. So I disabled the Visual Editor and now only work in HTML. It sounds complicated but actually, it is not. I would be happy to share more and write a post if anyone’s interested … let me know!

What I’m Reading

I’ve just started reading A House in the Sky. It’s the true story of Amanda Lindhout and her kidnapping while acting as a reporter in Mogadishu, Somalia “the most dangerous place on earth.” I find it especially interesting as she’s a Canadian from Red Deer, a city about 2 hours drive from where I live. So far it’s a very good read … describing places and events I only want to experience from my sofa.

What I’m Watching

Well, I’m not really watching anything … but last night the hubs took me out for dinner, and to see The Phantom of the Opera. Oh I can’t get that musical out of my system … I’ve now seen it 5 times! 3 times in Edmonton, once in Calgary, and once in Toronto. Last night’s performance in Edmonton was spectacular and the music was extraordinary. I’m still buzzing. After the show we drove home in a gentle rain … the entire evening was magical.

What I’m Loving

Well, I love it when a company sends me fabulous product to try … and when Vintage North asked if I’d like to have 3 lovely plant pots, and perhaps to share them on IG or my blog … I’m like wha? ummm, yeah!! I absolutely adore them (they’re a perfect compliment to my lovely succulents I think.) I’m thinking these will be showing up time and time again :)

My Favourite Leaf

By August my garden is quite the hodgepodge of flowers, seedpods, grasses, and weeds. But also leaves … and although I’ve always loved my hostas, I’ve never used them in still life photography. So I set out to remedy that. So here is my Hosta Big Daddy: a huge, sturdy, ruffly, quilted, textural beauty that is also slug resistant! It also lasted several weeks in a cut flower bouquet!

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your Friday!
xo

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: Late Summer Floral Arrangements

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Five Things Friday | May 19

May 19, 2017 by Barb 4 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

The view from our dock this year is pretty spectacular. We’ve had a lot of snow and rain since October and while it’s not been the best weather for our farmers, the lakes and streams are loving it.

Someone said this looked like an infinity pool and I thought that was quite apt. However, I only give you the perfect “visions” because, as this weekend wears on, there will be boats galore speeding around just outside those narrows … big boats with people who enjoy their skiing, surfing, and music (ahem). I hate to say it but sometimes I can’t wait for Sunday evening …

Five Things Friday | May 19

What I’m Loving

Magical light, shimmering through the aspen, bouncing around the kitchen/dining room, onto my little garden table that seems to have taken up permanent residence by the window.

The amazing ready-made lettuce pots available everywhere right now.

What I’m Reading

I finished The Handmaids Tale. It’s probably not a book everyone would love, but I really enjoyed it (again.) Margaret Atwood is a genius.

Now I’m reading Nearly Normal by Cea Sunrise Person. I’d already read her first book “North of Normal” and I must admit I was skeptical as to how she could add to her previous book and make it fresh. Well, she’s doing an amazing job of it. When I study the cover of this second book, my heart breaks for this young, innocent, baby girl.

To quote the inside cover: Drawing connections between her early experiences and later life mistakes, Cea identifies how her family’s extreme and often selfish behaviour contributed to her downfall.

I’m truly enjoying it and I would highly recommend reading both books.

Blogging Bits and Bytes (Gentle Encouragement)

Did you realize that if you wrote one post per week, you’d have 52 posts you might not otherwise have?

I just thought I’d throw that in as I’m preparing to send out a Blogging Bits and Bytes newsletter :)

What I’ve Discovered

Have you heard of Medium

Every day, thousands of people turn to Medium to publish their ideas and perspectives. Leaders. Artists. Thinkers. And ordinary citizens who have a story to tell. Posts range from scrutinies of world affairs to deeply personal essays. Medium sifts the best of these for you and delivers them directly onto your home page.

I first learned of it in my blogging class with Emily and Stef of Makelight. I haven’t quite figured it all out yet (we’re still learning about it) but there is some incredibly great writing going on there. I was particularly interested in this post Practicing the Subtle Art of Detachment by Shreya Dalela. I thought you might enjoy it as well.

My Gratitude Journal

I’m grateful for a daughter who keeps in touch via text as she travels the world
I’m grateful she’s now home :)
The sweet wrens are back, frantically chirping and building their nest … take a look at this real estate, honey :)
I’m grateful that I finally got in to have my shoulder x-rayed and examined by ultrasound. Not so grateful that they discovered fluid and at least 3 tears (of what I’m not sure) but will be seeing my doctor in June
I worked (carefully) in the garden yesterday, with no ill effects (see above point)

Here’s to a peaceful long weekend, my friends.

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: 3 Tips for Blogging Regularly

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Five Things Friday | May 12

May 12, 2017 by Barb Leave a Comment

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

Five Things Friday is kind of like gathering around the water cooler, as in … how about those Oilers eh? sigh … sad face, happy face … sad face … maybe next year face … .

But spring has definitely sprung here. The ice is off the lake, the trees are green, and my garden is pushing up at an alarming rate. Once it starts, it’s like a whirlwind. I’ll soon be seeing anemones in bloom … gah!

Every year it seems like a miracle and there’s no thyme to waste ;)So we may as well get to it, right?

Five Things Friday | May 12

What I’m Reading

The Handmaids Tale

Actually I’m re-reading The Handmaids Tale. I read it when it was first published (suffice it to say it was a long time ago) but I was more than a little startled, and disturbed, to see that it has been republished and made into a TV mini series.

I always avoid getting political, but this dystopian classic is a must read for every woman (and man) and is more relevant today than ever. Margaret Atwood is genius and her introduction in this release is provocative.

To quote the Phoenix Gazette “The most chilling cautionary novel of the century”. Enough said.

What I’m Working On

I may have mentioned his before, but I’m taking a blogging class with Emily Quinton at Makelight. It’s called “The Thread” and I’m finding it extremely inspiring. My head is exploding with ideas so now I have to make sure I do something with it all (see below :)

What I’ve Discovered

I’ve gone back to using iA Writer to draft blog posts and keep notes. It’s simply a distraction-free, plain text editor.

I was using it a long time ago … so long that in fact I had to purchase the new version and start over. But I think it will be worth it, as yesterday I had the biggest brain dump ever! and I know I won’t be misplacing my notes. Even if I lose my iPad, my work will be in the Cloud and synced to all my devices. I can see four or five blog posts coming from it. I simply need to buckle down and do the work.

What’s Up in the Garden

Anemones
Perennial Geraniums
Yarrow
Cornflower
Lily-of-the-Valley
Delphiniums
Peonies
Daisies
Daylilies
Rabbits ;)

My Gratitude Journal

I’m so grateful for:

Being able to go to greenhouses again! I love it!
Buying fresh pots of herbs and planting my herb garden.
So thankful for the warm weather turning our world green almost over night.
Clearing out trash. Getting rid of stuff.
A GREAT haircut. I always seem to need a haircut. But this time my stylist Angela did the best job ever (my hair is finally recovering after a year of bad cuts it seems.)
Being able to buy new spring clothes and shoes. I’ve been partaking in Kelly Rae Roberts Wear Your Joy series, and even though I could almost be her grandmother, it has really helped me define my style. It has also helped me to clean out my closet :)
My family.

So that’s it for me today. We are going to be setting up the rest of our dock, and putting the boat in the lake. Fun times.

Have a lovely weekend my dear readers!

Five Things Friday | April 28

April 28, 2017 by Barb 2 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

Ah, the weeks do fly by don’t they? I was hoping to post to my blog more this week but it didn’t happen. Instead I binged on soap operas, sat down at the lake watching the world come alive, and went to bed early most nights. It must have been just what I needed, as this morning I’m feeling more energized and organized than I have in weeks.

I made a sweet little succulent wreath before we left Arizona. I had a couple pots with lots of little plants and it was “off with their heads” so I could play. I have to tell you that it was a LOT of fun! Never would I have chopped up my succulents unless I knew I was going to have to leave them behind and that they would die anyway. Liberating!It’s been a cold, snowy April in Alberta this year and I was hoping to pick a few more pussy willows for a wreath. However, for some reason I was drawn to the ones that were already popping …Apparently we’ve had more snow this April than we’ve had in 80 years! Don’t quote me, but I heard it on the news so it must be true ;)

And then there were the geese …

Geese Landing on Lake from Barb Brookbank on Vimeo.

OK, so let’s get on with it shall we?

Five Things Friday | April 28

What I’m Watching

The Young and the Restless (sorry ;)

What I’m Listening To

I’ve been listening to a few podcasts by Sara Tasker at Me & Orla. I really enjoyed her interview with Xanthe Berkeley about The Power of Personal Projects. Quite inspiring really.

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OK, thank you for acknowledging my intelligence 79 Melodie and I’m happy you think I should be more neatly appreciated ;)

What I Discovered

I discovered that I need to take more control of my blog! Since I had someone update my theme about a year ago, I literally let go of the reins and became very afraid to tweak anything. For an entire year my WordPress Gallery did not work and I figured it was because of the new theme.

Hmmm … turns out all I had to do was go and reinstall the plugin. Talk about an “aha” moment … and a bit of a “what a dummy head smack moment” as well.

You can see how a gallery works, and how it can benefit your blog, at the end of this post.

My Gratitude Journal

SO grateful to be home sweet home
Our lake levels are up this year due to all the snow we’ve had
Becoming the boss of my blog once again
It’s time to get back to playing at my lovely potting benches
Bits of green poking up here and there (mostly daylilies)
I do believe the sun is poking out even as I type this
The Phantom of the Opera is coming to Edmonton! I’ve only seen it four times already … but, you can never see the Phantom too many times :)

So that’s it for Five Things Friday Folks! Have a lovely weekend.

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: Create a Project Gallery Part I

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Five Things Friday | April 21

April 21, 2017 by Barb 2 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

I may have mentioned a few times that this past month has been a tough one for our family, but a person can only take one day at a time, and for now I’m simply happy to be back with my five things.

If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine
Morris West

The hubs and I were recently in Arizona enjoying sunshine and a slower pace of life. A few slow morning coffees, quiet lunches and/or dinners on patios, and leisurely walks after sunset went a long way to settling frazzled nerves.

I found this lovely chamomile at Trader Joe’s and even though my mind was reminding me that this stuff is a noxious weed at home and that I can pick it by the armloads in the summer, my heart was telling me to go for it!

July is a long way off and what’s a few dollars for handful of joy!
I also had a big bouquet of pink ranunculus but for some reason, I never did get around to photographing them … until I noticed this one turning white!

The leaves had become papery and translucent and really very beautiful:

Five Things Friday | April 21

What I’m Watching

We finished Season 4 of House of Cards and while we’re completely wrapped up in this series, the last episode felt a tad weak. However we now can’t wait for season 5 … once you’re hooked on House of Cards, you’re hooked!

What I’m Reading

I picked up The Time Traveler’s Wife at a garage sale for $.50 and thought what the heck!

It’s the love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was six and Henry thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Totally fantastical right? But Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future.

Each chapter Clare and Henry are at different ages and at different stages which can cause you to either

put the book down because you can’t follow it, or
forget about keeping track of their respective ages and simply focus on the love story (which I decided to do) at which point it becomes very interesting and even a bit thought-provoking

Right now I would recommend reading this book, but won’t have my full analysis until I finish it …

What I’m Loving

Have you heard of Sky Guide? It’s an app you can use to view stars day or night. It’s a ton of fun for $2.99!

Apple Watch: Sky Guide can send you a notification when an event is about to happen in the skies above your location, like when the International Space Station is due to fly over. You can also keep tabs on the latest solar activity.

The first night I put it on my phone it was a full moon and I took a screen shot:… and then we went for a walk … or was this before (I can’t remember :) but no matter, it was all magical!

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What I’m Learning

I’m very excited about a new blogging class being offered by Emily Quinton. I watched her video Blogging for Business Growth and a Better Life and even though I’m not a business, her enthusiasm about how blogging makes you want to live a better life really resonated with me.

I’m a real advocate for blogging and bloggers and I started Blogging Bits and Bytes for just that reason. I’m hoping this course from Emily will reinforce my own enthusiasm and perhaps even help me get back on track with my blogging series … in my own way and my own words of course.

My Gratitude Journal

I’m so very grateful to have had a couple of weeks in Arizona to finish off this difficult month
Spending time with our daughter and her family here in Arizona
Taking our daughter to the Grand Canyon when she came through (again) on her way to a blogging conference
Spending time with our other daughter and her family, even though it was cut short (we will be back :)
Flowers from Trader Joe’s
A great haircut … never scrimp on haircuts my friends!
Arizona landscapes and succulents at Costco!

Thank you for being here! and have a wonderful weekend my friends!

Five Things Friday | March 24

March 24, 2017 by Barb 5 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

Spring arrived in the Northern Hemisphere and the world was suddenly lighter and brighter. Although we do not have crocuses popping up outside, they are popping up in supermarkets ;)

Side note: I did not realize how cute crocus leaves are!

As I write this, I’ve travelled from Alberta to Arizona and back. I’d love to share our itinerary for the next ten days, but I don’t want to make you dizzy so let’s just move on, shall we?

Five Things Friday | March 24

What I’m Watching:

Movies

We went and saw The Founder with Michael Keaton.

I can’t say we thought it was a blockbuster, but it’s certainly an interesting story and the hubs and I agreed that Ray Croc was a brilliant man who worked hard and went after what he wanted. I’d recommend it.

This drama tells the true story of how Ray Kroc, a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

Television

After waiting like forever, we’re finally watching Season Four of House of Cards.

Love it or hate it? That’s my question to you.

We know one person who absolutely hates it and cannot stand it when Frank turns to the camera and starts talking. However, we find it startling and extremely effective.

Kevin Spacey plays the role of Frank Underwood in a way that is absolutely mesmerizing. He’s a man you love to hate and you can’t turn away. I’ve alway said that we (the audience) is his conscience, and he’s trying to convince us of something, or explain his actions away… I’ve never researched this or Googled it because I don’t want to hear anything about this series until we’re done (so no spoilers please :)

And then there’s Claire … oh Claire.

Books/Magazines

I was thrilled to finally get my hands on a copy of Floret Farm’s “Cut Flower Garden.” It’s a gorgeous hard cover book filled with ideas on how to grow, harvest and arrange florals. The photography is stunning and inspirational.

You may want to check out their Instagram feed @floretflower to get a feel for their work.

Or, you may want to check out my blog category FLORAL DESIGN. Ha Ha! Ahem … years ago I took a course in floral design and although most of my creations at that time were hideous, I’ve improved vastly since then.

Recently I asked a real life florist what it is that makes a person a florist. And she said, they are working as a florist. Oh, ha! Well, I can pretend. I guess I’m a wanna-be.

Best Spam Comment of the Week

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But what is magnificent is being greeting by bougainvillea tumbling around our doorway in Arizona … and then of course you have to create a still-life …

or two

My Weekly Gratitude Journal

Save travels to and fro …
Comfy, clean hotels to stay in after a long days drive.
Seeing wildflowers on our way into the Phoenix area. They were absolutely stunning with reds, purples, yellows, and oranges. Alas, the highways were so busy, and with high speeds and virtually no pullovers, I just couldn’t capture them. But I am grateful for having experienced one of the best wildflower seasons in Arizona.
Instagram love.
Arriving home safely late at night, diving into bed, and sleeping like a baby.
A hot cuppa in the morning, and time to regroup.

So that’s it for my Five Things Friday … thanks for stopping by!

Five Things Friday | March 10

March 10, 2017 by Barb 10 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment and I’m so happy you stopped by!

It’s been so darn wintery this week: one day it’s snowing and grey, and the next it’s bitterly cold and sunny. I do love the sunny days when my dining room is awash in light!

Oh and we’re about to “spring forward” and set our clocks ahead one hour which means an extra hour of daylight in the evening. Some people don’t like this time change, but I love it!

To recap last week … I haven’t been reading much. I’m slowly getting into “The Witches of New York.” I’m trying hard, but I may have to switch to something else for a bit (no crime in that I say.)

“This is Us” made me cry (as I suspected it would) and I can tell you I’m not looking forward to the final episode next week. I probably should run into Costco and buy up their supply of tissues …. .

Oh, and I fell … I’m not ready to explain how, but suffice it to say I have a bruise the size of two of my hands put together and it’s the colour of liver. I also have various other injuries … but I’m OK. Truly, I’m OK, I just had to share … so strange how we have to share our little mishaps … .

So let’s get to it!

Five Things Friday | March 10

Did You Know?

Instagram has a new feature where you can add a string of photos into one post! I personally haven’t created one yet (it’s hard enough coming up with one photo/day) but check out Kim’s example here @kimklassen (it doesn’t work on a computer, you may have to use your phone.) I’m really looking forward to trying it though … the possibilities are exciting.

Best Spam Comment of the Week

I really have to share some of the comical spam comments I receive … and I receive tons of them! I’m so thankful for Akismet Anti-Spam my spam catcher. It does an amazing job.

So here’s the Best Spam Comment of the Week (from Grantham) on my post How to Make Saskatoon Berry Pie:

Undeniably believe that which you said. Your favorite justification seemed to be on the internet the easiest thing to be aware of.
I say to you, I definitely get irked while people consider worries that
they plainly do not know about. You managed to hit
the nail upon the top as well as defined
out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a
signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks

Ummmm … you’re welcome? alrighty then, would you like a side of ice cream with that? ;)

What I Discovered

I recently discovered the most amazing face cloth! Introducing … the Wonder Cloth as found at Bed Bath & Beyond. You’ll have to search for it since for some reason it won’t let me link directly to the cloth.

It’s for removing makeup but I can’t bring myself to wipe mascara and lipstick all over it. Instead, I first remove my makeup and then, using a gentle cleanser, wash my face with it. Be careful though, and don’t scrub; massage gently. As an experiment I examined the pores on my face in a magnifying mirror before I used the cloth and then after. Those nasty little pores were so clean … invisible almost. I know … hopefully that wasn’t tmi, but I’m giving you a beauty secret here ladies!!

Movies I Saw and Loved

We went and saw “Hidden Figures” and oh my gosh what an amazing and inspiring story:

HIDDEN FIGURES is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

Official Trailer|20th Century FOX on YouTube

It’s a must see!!

What I’m Grateful For

Brilliant sunshine on a bitterly cold (-27C) morning.
Getting out of bed, turning up the furnace, turning on the coffee pot, and diving back into bed until the house is warm and the coffee is ready.
Finding the perfect (reasonably priced) hardware for my new kitchen/dining room drapery panels. The dining room looks ah.ma.zing!
Affordable spring blooms from grocery stores … tulip, crocus, mascari, daffodil, and hyacinth. It may be full on winter outside, but it’s full on spring inside.

Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Five Things Friday | March 3rd

March 3, 2017 by Barb 9 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment and I’m so happy you stopped by!

But can I just start with the Oscar train wreck?

I’m really not into this annual show, and I only watch the highlights. So how about that screw-up with the award announcement for Best Picture? … and what about our fascination with it!? you’d think it was a major world catastrophe!

But oh my gosh … apart from envelopegate, what do you think of Warren handing the envelope to Faye? He obviously knew something was wrong (he looked flustered and confused) and then he handed it to her! He totally threw her under the bus!

… totally not impressed with you Warren :(

But, let us move on …

Five Things Friday | March 3rd

What Florals I’m Arranging

Tulips and birch branches on my garden bench—throw in a couple found-and-foraged bird’s nests, and you have a sweet spring vignette. Something to hang on to for these last looong winter weeks. I love that tulips are affordable right now … they’re at every grocery store checkout in our province.

O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?
Percy Bysshe Shelley

What I’m Watching

This Is Us.

I hardly need say more. This wildly popular series on NBC has captured the hearts of audiences everywhere. But I’m going to make a little confession. I only decided to watch it when I realized Adam Newman was going to die, and my favourite actor on Y & R (Justin Hartley) was leaving … yes, ahem (bwha ha ha) I watch Y & R. I can’t seem to stop myself even though I’ve tried and tried (and succeeded from time-to-time.)

Anyway, back to This is Us. This show has made me laugh out loud, and it has made me cry … two things I don’t do very often when watching TV, and I love it when that happens, don’t you?! Five Stars for this show! No spoilers though!

What I’m Reading

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

I’ve only just started this book, so I can’t really say much about it, except that it has captivated me right from the first paragraph. I am a bit concerned that I should read her previous book The Virgin Cure first even though, apparently you don’t have to. But, if I get a chance I may pick it up before I get too far into The Witches … hmmmm, decisions, decisions!

So instead, here’s my thoughts on another book I’ve recently read:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I was a bit late to the party with this epic story, as it was published in 2005 and I only just purchased the 10th Anniversary edition. You open the cover and it goes something like this “When Death has a story to tell, you listen” and boy do you ever!

The prose is beyond … it’s like reading music, and if I was one to write in books, this book would have paragraphs highlighted, underlined, and covered in exclamation marks. A must read!

Goosebumps all the way …

What I Discovered

Remember last week when I mentioned The Magnolia Journal? Well I discovered something awesome!

Not only are there some gorgeous botanical prints in the magazine, I went to their site and discovered a free download of the same spectacular botanicals ready for framing or simply hanging on a wall as is. I printed mine on some lovely textural card stock and they are gorgeous.

Check it out here (it’s the pink bar along the top of the page). I must say, I’m not sure how long the download will last, so I wouldn’t delay!

What I’m Grateful For

Super sunny days. Even though our temperatures plummeted this week (and let me tell you it has been cold at -20C with -25C windchills!) I’m choosing to focus on the light. It pours into my dining room and makes the whole house glow.
Grocery and hardware stores that carry affordable plants and flowers.
Walks with friends … I’ve literally stepped up my commitment to getting outside and to exercising more. I’ve been taking 45 minute walks 3 times a week. Pretty good for me (especially when my old bones protest ;)
Making plans to attend Finding Stillness | Summer 2017 in June.
Online friends @alajamie that become real life friends, and then send you props to play with. I received a box full of vintage jars, letters, silky ribbons, and other ephemera. It’s like a prop chain letter where each participant takes the same props and uses them to create an image. She then posts it to Instagram with the hashtag #propbox2017. You’re allowed to add up to 3 of your own props and I used the book and the succulents. The box has since been sent on to the next participant. Lots of fun! Thank you Jamie!

Today the hubs and I are off to town to find drapery hardware for my new curtains … how fun!

Hopefully we get home before the impending winter storm hits … I feel a cozy afternoon by the fire in my future.

Five Things Friday | February 24th

February 24, 2017 by Barb 21 Comments

Hello and welcome to Five Things Friday!

I’ve been mulling over this (big/not big) idea since the beginning of the year. I needed something to replace Sunday Sundries where I not only featured images from the hashtag on Instagram, I also listed everything I was grateful for in the preceding week. Sunday Sundries was a wonderful series … I’ve documented literally hundreds of grateful moments (which I really enjoy reviewing) and it truly was an amazing practice that did my heart good. And while I continue do this in private, I felt it was time to move on.

Five Things Friday will be about what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment. I know the title is not unique in any way. In fact, if you Google it, you’ll find hundreds of hits … but no matter. This is MY Five Things Friday.

So let’s just get started OK?!

Five Things Friday | February 24th

What I’m Loving

I was sitting in my dining room this morning watching cold hard snowflakes fall outside my window and was contemplating the colours of this northern world of mine (and what will be the colours of this world for 2 more months.) And I remembered … I remembered why last autumn I saved these sprigs of yellow yarrow, even though they drop seeds and dust all over the place.

Today I’m loving dried flowers and birch branches on a cold February day.
… sunlight and shadows …

What I’m reading

Actually, I just finished reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. OH my. I will admit that I had a hard time getting into this book but once I did, I devoured it. It really does capture the horrors of World War II … oh the horrors :(

I finished it late last night and was taken completely by surprise please no spoilers here! but I have to go back and reread a chapter or two to see if I was just asleep or what … .

What I’m watching

For the last year, the hubs and I have been watching “The Sopranos”. We found the entire series (minus the last episode … ha ha) for $5.00 at a garage sale! Add in the $35.00 we spent on the purchase of the last episode, and it was $40.00 very well spent. Hours and hours of drama … I can’t say this show is for everyone but what an amazing glimpse into the world of organized crime. Most of the time I could hardly wait to clean up after dinner so we could watch one or two episodes (even though I had my eyes closed a lot of the time.) And I swear I did not breathe during the final season … and at the end I stared at the TV for many, many minutes … frozen. Then the hubs and I had a big discussion. Again, please no spoilers here!

But on a side note, do you know anyone who’s interested in purchasing the entire set of The Sopranos for $40.00? ;)

What I’m Eating/Drinking

I’m loving the Peppermint Hot Chocolate on sale at Williams-Sonoma right now (disregard the tea in this photo ;) Regular price $28.95 for 12 oz of mix, on sale for $7.99. I know, it’s still expensive but whoa! what a treat. I think I have to go back before word of this gets out ;)

What I’m Photographing

Whilst I was in Arizona, I was photographing everything from succulents to hyacinths.

Just before we left I decided to take them out of the pot to celebrate the bulbs and roots … aren’t they gorgeous?

What I’ve Discovered

This month I discovered a new magazine: The Magnolia Journal. Its’ full to the brim with inspiration, ideas, art and recipes … it’s a beautiful read and I highly recommend it.

So there you have it! Thank you so much for joining me on my first Five Things Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend!