Keeping With The Times

living, learning, and keeping with the times

Gratitude

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The other day after a difficult dentist appointment, I stopped in a parking lot to gather my thoughts, and before I knew it my eye was drawn to a few tansy peeking through a fence.

There are not many left out there in late September, and I was delighted! I snapped them off (I didn’t have my clippers) and rushed home to play ;)

September does that to me… everything becomes a little more precious, a little more intense.

And so I thought I’d write a “Gratitude” post.

gratitude tansy barb brookbank

I’m grateful for:

  • finding tansy in a parking lot in late September
  • an abundance of apples from my friends’ orchard
  • autumn leaves
  • hot coffee and/or tea
  • being able to make a quick run to a grocery store and buying whatever I want
  • baking apple crisp
  • the smell of dinner in the oven
  • the furnace kicking in on a frosty autumn morning
  • travelling with my hubby
  • arriving home safely
  • sleeping and recuperating after travelling
  • my family

What are you grateful for today? I hope you have a good one!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Melodie Beatty

Five Things Friday | May 12

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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 ;)Garden Herbs, Five Things Friday, Keeping With the TimesSo 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 ;)

Rabbit, Keeping With the Times, Five Things Friday

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!

xo

 

 

Five Things Friday | April 28

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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!Five Things Friday, Succulent Wreath, Barb Brookbank, Keeping With the TimesIt’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 …Five Things Friday, Pussywillow , Barb Brookbank, Keeping With the TimesApparently 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.

Best Spam Comment of the Week from 79Melodee

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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.

If you liked this post, you might also like these:

Five Things Friday | March 24

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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!

Five Things Friday, Keeping With the Times

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

This weeks winning comment is from Dubai Escort Service ;)

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OK! thank you, I did not know I was just too magnificent :)

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 …

Five Things Friday, Keeping With the Times

or two

Five Things Friday, Keeping With the Times

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!

xo

Five Things Friday | March 10

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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!

Five Things Friday at KWTT is where I share what I'm reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving.

Five Things Friday at KWTT is where I share what I'm reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving.

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:

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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

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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

Five Things Friday at KWTT is where I share what I'm reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving.
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!

Five Things Friday at KWTT is where I share what I'm reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving.

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!

Five Things Friday at KWTT is where I share what I'm reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving.

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.

xo

Five Things Friday | February 24th

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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.Five Things Friday at KWTT is where I share what I'm reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving.
… sunlight and shadows …

Five Things Friday at KWTT is where I share what I'm reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving.
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.

Five Things Friday at KWTT is where I share what I'm reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving.Just before we left I decided to take them out of the pot to celebrate the bulbs and roots … aren’t they gorgeous?
Five Things Friday at KWTT is where I share what I'm reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving.

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!

 

After a While … The Poem

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Recently I was reminded of this poem and thought I’d share it here again … I hope you don’t mind.

After a While

 After a while you learn the subtle difference

Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning

And company doesn’t mean security,

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

And presents aren’t promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats

With your head up and your eyes open

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today,

Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans,

And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn

That even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,

Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure…

That you really are strong,

And you really do have worth.

And you learn and learn…

With every goodbye you learn.

Veronica A Shoffstall

 

 

 

Have a peace-filled Sunday my friends.
xo

Month in Review at Keeping With the Times

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Instead of stressing and lamenting over everything I didn’t do this month, I decided to sit down and write down what I did do … a little month in review as it were. And I’m not going to make any apologies for my seemingly easy life … I’ve paid my dues … I’m retired. But I still have dreams, goals, and ambitions.

It was a busy month and it blasted by, and it seems all I could do was berate myself for not doing this and not doing that … I was completely down on myself.

You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked.
Try approving of yourself and see what happens
~Louise L. Hay~

January 2017 Month in Review, Keeping With the Times

So, to start with, I run a household: I shop, plan meals, cook, clean, etc. etc. with no outside help (yes I know, many of us do ;) and we should pat ourselves on the back, right?

All my meals are homemade. I also baked a cake, and tried to make Valentine cookies which was an epic fail, and into the garbage they went (can’t remember that last time that happened … but in my defence I was running up and down stairs doing laundry and at the same time trying to help the hubs with some plans we’re making ;)

As well, I:

  • accompanied the hubs on a 4 day business trip (which was fab by the way)
  • attended a book binding class in real life and created my very own journal
  • hosted 2 separate family weekends
  • hosted a friend for 2 days:  visiting, shooting still life, and doing a little junque shopping
  • attended two webinars and various classes (online)
  • created and gave away 2 word art images
  • styled, shot, and/or edited 22 images which I posted on Instagram
  • wrote 11 blog posts, drafted several more
  • spent at least an hour a day in the back end of my blog: cleaning, sorting, and organizing old posts
  • spent a few hours researching ideas for new posts (I’m constantly trying to figure things out)
  • followed up on several leads for sponsored posts
  • prepared and sent out a newsletter
  • started on a project that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time … it’s not going great, but I’m making progress

All in all I think it was a very successful month and I’m full to the brim with gratitude.

Thank you January, I approve!!

Thank You!

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As 2016 draws to a close I want to say a huge thank you for visiting my blog in the past year(s).

Whether you left a comment, clicked the “like” button, or simply passed on through … I appreciate each and every visit!

My blog continues to evolve and I hope you’ll bear with me through some of the changes I have coming this year.

One of my intentions (in fact my main intention) is to provide authentic, helpful, and timely content to my readers.

As someone who is committed to lifelong learning, my blog is the place where I show up to prove it.

Lifelong learning” is a common term used in education today. Lifelong learning is the concept that “It’s never too soon or too late for learning”, a philosophy that has taken root in a whole host of different organizations. Lifelong learning is attitudinal; that one can and should be open to new ideas, decisions, skills or behaviours. Lifelong learning sees citizens provided with learning opportunities at all ages and in numerous contexts: at work, at home and through leisure activities, not just through formal channels such as school and higher education. Wikipedia

It is my hope that something I do may inspire you. Check my new and improved About page to learn more.

Have a fun, happy, and safe New Year’s Eve my friends, and see you in 2017!

xo

Sunday Sundries Feature December 18 and a Winner Announcement!

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for December 18th (on a Tuesday). Thank you everyone who tags their moments of beauty and gratitude to the hashtag!

So let’s celebrate the work of these talented photographers! and if you get a moment, please visit their Instagram galleries and leave some love!

I’m so thrilled to announce the winner of the beautiful set of winter themed cards from the Q & A with Elizabeth of Bottle Branch on my blog.

… drum roll please!

Our winner is:

Laura of The Sweet Life

Congratulations Laura, I know you are going to enjoy the cards tremendously!

And a huge thanks to all who participated in the contest.

So what am I celebrating this past week?

  • An amazing and beautiful early Christmas celebration with our nearest and dearest people. You know who you are xoxoxoxo … just so much to be thankful for.
  • Despite there being a LOT of sickness from food poisoning (not caught at our homes :) to stomach flus and colds, everyone seems to be coping … argh. What more can I say? I’m not celebrating the sickness … I’m simply celebrating that everyone seems to be coming around (small mercies ;)
  • I shall celebrate next week if the hubs and I don’t come down with anything … argh ;)
  • A small, but quiet reprieve this week before we get to do it all over again this weekend!
  • A warm home, food on the table, safety, peace.

So that’s it for me! have lovely week-before-Christmas everyone!

PS … this is the last instalment of Sunday Sundries … time to move on to new and fresh ideas. Thank you so much to everyone for following along.

#sunday_sundries and #stilllifeisreallife will continue on Instagram.

 

 

Pray for Peace

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Pray for Peace, Barb Brookbank, Keeping With the TimesMy blog has never been a platform for anything other than sharing my life, my photograpy, a few recipes and diy’s. It’s my happy place and I hope, yours too.

But with what’s going on in Aleppo I feel somewhat paralyzed, and I feel the need to express my sadness and horror in some small way. I’m a grandmother … a woman in her 60’s … to me the situation feels completely hopeless. I feel helpless.

It’s December 15th and Christmas is around the corner. Yesterday, as I was rushing around shopping, I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. Gratitude for where I live; that my only concern was going into well-stocked stores and buying gifts for my loved ones, gratitude for the peppermint hot chocolate I indulged in, and gratitude for having a warm home to go to at the end of the day with a sweet little Christmas tree gracing my garden table.

And as I head out again today (because I didn’t get it all done) I’m going to say a little prayer of thankfulness, and feel the gratitude all over again. But is gratitude the only thing I should be feeling?

I think not.

How about horror, outrage, anger, fear, sadness, and disgust?

But what to do. I honestly don’t know. But after listening to an interview by Anna Maria Tremonti on CBC Radio I think one thing (other than praying) is that I can talk about it … so here it is if you care to have a listen: The Current Transcript for December 14, 2016

* * * * *

Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world.
All things break. And all things can be mended.
Not with time, as they say, but with intention.
So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally.
The broken world waits in the darkness for the light that is you.

L.R.Knost

 

UPDATE: a lovely reader wrote to me and suggested there are charities and organizations that need donations. In Canada, the Red Cross has the Syria Crisis Fund … an excellent way to help. Thank you lovely reader!

 

sorry comments closed

Sunday Sundries Feature December 11

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for December 4th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of beauty and gratitude to the hashtag!

These images took my breath away, each for different reasons, just amazing, wouldn’t you agree?

Now for my moments of beauty and gratitude:

  • A lovely day “in town” with friends to celebrate a birthday.
  • I’m so thrilled the hubs put my Christmas music on my iPod and made a playlist despite my crabbiness and obvious frustration with the whole process (hugs to the hubs xo :)
  • I cleaned the house yesterday. I stopped with the still life photography, put stuff away, and just generally tidied up. That led to feeling like a ton of bricks had fallen off my back, and that led to decorating the house for Christmas. Whew.
  • Dinner at a nice restaurant with the hubs after a day of shopping and running errands.
  • A quiet morning enjoying hot coffee and music, feeling cozy and safe in our warm house while temperatures stayed stuck in the -25C range.
  • An invite to an impromptu dinner with friends … simple and uncomplicated. Goodness I had a lot of meals out this week :)
  • The hubs cleaning snow off the lake in preparation for skating.
  • Online classes to help keep me occupied during these dark winter nights.
  • Modern antibiotics.

That was my week :)

Thank you for stopping by!

Sunday Sundries Feature December 4

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for December 4th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of beauty and gratitude to the hashtag! It’s curious … there seems to be a lot of kitties on Instagram lately :)

Today we have flowers, and pots, and reindeer and kitties … all so very gorgeous!

I’m quietly starting a new tag #stilllifeisreallife if you feel like sharing there as well (I’d love it!) and I’ll be featuring from both galleries. I hope to post a few extras this month … after all ’tis the season for sharing :)

I’m so happy the sun finally made an appearance in my little part of the world—I swear I haven’t seen it since we returned home from Phoenix. But now our temps are set to plummet into the -25C with a windchill close to -30C …oh my gah, time to get all the woollies lined up.

But as usual there’s a lot to celebrate around here!

  • I’m absolutely thrilled I managed to post every single day in November for National Blog Post Month … I’m thrilled it’s over too ;)
  • As a result of all the fog and dreary days, the hoar frost was spectacular! I have quite a few photos to share …
  • A class I’d been eyeing up for ages went on sale for 90% off! one day only, and I grabbed it! I’ll be blogging about that real soon.
  • The hubs and I are on the same page about Christmas decorating … as in: not much. We aren’t being scrooges, it just doesn’t make sense this year. Our children are hosting, YAY!! We’ll bring the wine ;)
  • Sunday brunch at our friends home, complete with incredible food, and wonderful, inspiring conversations.

We’ll be having a fire in the fireplace later this afternoon, Christmas music will be playing softly, and I’ll be baking cookies. Sounds like a dream.

Have a wonderful day everyone, and thank you for your support as always.

I alone cannot change the world,
but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.
Mother Teresa

xo

Sunday Sundries Feature November 27

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for November 27th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag!

Autumn is still making a lovely appearance in the gallery, but things they are a’changing … let’s celebrate the work of these four talented artists, and if you get a moment please visit these galleries and leave some love!

Oh my gosh, today has flown by. It started out with a few cups of hot rich black coffee, then continued on into a lovely breakfast cooked by the hubs.

I’d cleaned and organized the house on Saturday, so I spent a little time working on my blog, sending out a newsletter, then photo-taking and editing.

A beef bourguignon simmered in the crockpot, as nuts and bolts baked in the oven. To say our house smells yummy tonight would be a serious understatement ;)

So what am I celebrating from this past week?

  • That time I went back to Star Lake to see if I could capture the Winter Whites better than the first time I tried ;)
  • Finding gorgeous chrysanthemums at Safeway, and tulips at Costco.
  • A walk with friends. Did you know that staying active, seeing friends, being conscientious and feeling a sense of purpose in life all appear to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease? (David A Bennett, Scientific American Mind.)
  • Attending an amazing craft sale and finding treasures.
  • I have 3 more posts to conclude my challenge for National Blog Post Month. The countdown is on … 3 … 2 … 1 … 0. Thank God November only has 30 days!

Thank you for stopping by, I’ve loved having you!

xo

 

#NaBloPoMo

 

 

Sunday Sundries Feature November 20

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for November 20th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag! My apologies to the guy with the hairy legs for not including that image ;)

There’s a definite shift going on in the gallery. Pumpkins are turning to winter greens and tiny handmade wreaths … and I’m getting a wee bit excited!

So what am I celebrating this week?

  • First of all that we made it back home from Arizona … ghastly food poisoning and a late night flight notwithstanding … argh.
  • A couple days at home to spend recuperating: sipping tea, nibbling toast, and sleeping before the new week starts.
  • Witnessing the supermoon coming up over the Four Peaks. It was absolutely a magical moment (I have a post coming up about that.)
  • Everything I mentioned in my last post.

Writing Sunday Sundries is truly a joy. I not only love to feature beautiful images, and to share my own moments of beauty and gratitude, but having committed to this series gets me to my blog at least once a week. It keeps me somewhat motivated and I highly recommend that every blogger establish at least one series.

So that’s it for me today. I’m heading for the sofa with a hot cup of herbal tea. Once again, dinner will be light.

Thank you for stopping by!

xo

#NaBloPoMo

Sunday Sundries Feature November 13

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for November 13th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag!

Let’s celebrate these amazing artists!

So what do my moments of beauty and gratitude look like this week?

  • A pair of cardinals that visited our patio! what stunning birds, we’ve never seen them so close.
  • I love our little Arizona getaway. It’s a real gem with lots of light, and a view to die for.
  • Desert sunrises, and sunsets … truly breathtaking this week!
  • So many fun parcels arriving in the mail. Parcels to play with, parcels to photograph :)
  • And I’ll admit it right now … I do love Target. Oh Target, you are so much fun (and so tempting.)
  • And I love Trader Joes. The flowers.
  • A good bed, a good sleep, and good food.

So that’s it for me today. I’m off to cross a few more projects off my list! Have a wonderful day!

#NaBloPoMo

Sunday Sundries Feature November 6

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for November 6th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag!

The tones of autumn are still filling the gallery … and I simply can’t get enough! So let’s celebrate these amazing artists!

So what am I celebrating this week?

  • A trip to our little Arizona getaway … November is great when  you can enjoy a little warm weather south of the border.
  • Rain in the desert … I love the gift of rain no matter where I am.
  • Finding teeny tiny baby succulents at Home Depot and buying them. I’ll enjoy them as much as cut flowers any day.
  • Watching hummingbirds coming to the feeder and listening while hubby tries to identify them. Simple, quiet, unassuming daily moments. The moments that make me think of this quote by Kurt Vonnegut:

“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.”

#NaBloPoMo

Sunday Sundries Feature October 30

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for October 30th! The gallery is full to overflowing with autumny goodness!  Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag!

The light … oh my, the light in these images is glorious, don’t you agree? So lets celebrate these four talented artists, and if you get a minute, hop on over to these accounts and leave some love!

So what am I celebrating today? For what am I grateful?

  • I think I’m going to start with my old friend; my blog. It’s been with me since December of 2010, and although it suffers at times, it remains a constant in this ever-changing online world. I was reminded of this when I was organizing some magazines and came across the issue of Artful Blogging Winter 2016 where it was featured. The words I wrote for that article still ring true for me, and I’m grateful to Stampington for including it in their stunning publication!
  • I’m grateful for YOU, my readers!
  • The opportunity to collaborate with Inkifi, an online printing service that printed a selection of my photos. You can read all about that, and 5 reasons why I think you should be printing your still life images here.
  • I’m grateful for Instagram … it keeps me motivated day after day after day … a 365 project with no real name …
  • And last, but certainly not least … my youngest daughter who is celebrating a birthday today! xo

… all that and so much more!

Since Sunday Sundries took a little break during the summer, I’d like to add the grid I missed posting on my blog.

Sunday Sundries Feature October 2:

 

 

:)

 

Sunday Sundries (on Monday)

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Welcome to Sunday Sundries (on Monday!) It’s been on a bit of a hiatus … although I did manage to do a couple features on Instagram. Today, its all about me ;) however, if you’d like to see the feature from the IG gallery, check it out here.

October is a month of giving thanks, extra thanks that is, because in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving in October and my gratitude list is endless …

I’m thankful for all the delicious little gifts our friends bestowed upon us from their orchard and their garden. Gifts to eat, and gifts that made for lovely photographs:

Sunday Sundries, Pears Still Life, Keeping With the TimesSunday Sundries, Pears Still Life, Keeping With the Times
Sunday Sundries, Pears Still Life, Keeping With the Times
Sunday Sundries, Tomatoes, Still Life, Keeping With the Times
I’m hoping to find time to make some kind of dessert with those teeny tiny pears, and the tomatoes that have not been eaten fresh will find their way into a sauce.

And now, I’m grateful for:

  • The return of warmer temperatures which was enough to melt the two huge dumps of snow we received, allowing us to put the yard to bed before winter truly sets in.
  • A beautiful Thanksgiving spent with family (although it sorta felt like Christmas!)
  • The fact that our family members made it here safely! A winter storm was on it’s way that Friday night and I had no idea … it snuck up on me.
  • Fires in the fireplace. Having a real fire is like having a beautiful, warm presence in the room. It radiates heat and comfort in a most amazing way.
  • Cozy blankets and throws that were used all weekend.
  • Sunrises that blow you away with intense colour and beautiful reflections on the lake.
  • Having fresh peonies (from my garden) in October.
  • Succulents. Never enough succulents! I love to bring them indoors to see what strange contortions they will come up with! With lower light levels they bend and twist and go leggy—so interesting!

I have dozens more things I could add to this list, but I’ll just leave them in my private journal so as not to bore you!

Have a lovely day!

Sunday Sundries Feature August 21

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for August 21st! I am completely bowled over by the beauty in the gallery … if I had time, I could make 10 grids … sigh.

These images absolutely blew me away … the bokeh, the dahlias, the jewelry, and that cupcake … “I do” … I so do love that!

If you get a chance, pop over to these amazing galleries and leave these people some love!

Hope you’re having/had a wonderful weekend!

Sunday Sundries Feature August 14

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for August 14th! What gorgeousness in the gallery today!

I so adore big tropical leaves. I’m thinking it was my Mom’s influence … . she lived her whole life on the flat prairies of Saskatchewan but filled our farmhouse with exotic plants of all kinds. She’d buy a sprout at the Co-op, and within a couple of months she’d have a monstera … (ummm … that was a joke ;)

OK. Onward then ;)

Get a load of that bokeh in the top right … can you say “sawoooooning”??!! and that glorious teacup in the bottom left with what I’m thinking was a well-loved linen piece of some kind, and then there’s some more tropical plants and well, that bag!

Thank you to everyone for tagging your photos to Sunday Sundries! It’s an honour for me to have the opportunity to feature you.

 

It’s a perfect, precious August day today, so I’m heading out to sit on the deck for the rest of the afternoon … hope you have a wonderful evening.

xo

A bit too busy to leave a comment? No problem! You can now “LIKE” it ;)

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Sunday Sundries Feature August 7th

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for August 7th.

Hosting a tag on Instagram has been such an amazing learning experience for me. I jumped into it without really knowing what goes into it; which is a lot of hard work, and making hard decisions. It’s a big commitment.

And then there’s the part about feeling bad that you can’t feature every single image you love … but here are four that made me smile huge!

After much agonizing I finally chose these four images…

When I saw that chair … and then the doughnuts … I couldn’t get the smile off my face! And then there’s the beautiful stark simplicity of the papers, scissors, and two towels hanging on a bare wall. Two very diverse art forms and I love them both so much! It’s no wonder I can’t get a handle on my own style—I love everything!

So today, I’m turning off comments for this post as part of my experiment with the LIKE button. If you’re reading this and like it … please do ;) and many thanks to all who responded so beautifully to my post Blog Comment Pressures.

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Sunday Sundries Features July 24th and 31st

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Welcome to Sunday Sundries Features for July 24th and 31st! Although I did post on IG last week, I missed posting here to my blog, so I’m including last weeks feature today as well.

We’ve been having a wonderful summer with lots of family time … and last week we had the honour of having 3 of our 5 grandchildren staying with us. We were having such a blast out on the lake, swimming, tubing and water skiing that I plum ran out of steam! Yay for real life!!

So before I get to my gratitude list, please help me celebrate the work of these amazing artists who share their work to the gallery:

July 31:

July 24th:

So what have I been celebrating these past two weeks?

  • Having grandchildren visit for a week. I tell ya, they bring a lot of positive energy to our lives.
  • Spending time on the lake with them and watching their joy; hours and hours of non-stop water fun. They play hard, and they work hard (as in putting all the water toys away each day.)
  • Eating dinner outside.
  • Campfires. S’mores.
  • A great haircut from a new stylist. It was a last minute appointment, and I was lucky to get her. My last stylist gave me such a bad cut … argh … it was embarrassing really, but now it’s fixed (and now I’ve found someone I believe really “gets” my hair!)
  • Coming out of the salon to find the hubs waiting to take me out for dinner. Really, does it get any better?
  • Another weekend with family, this time we were all together! Good company, good food, good times.
  • Playing “Yardzee” on the lawn on a summers day.
  • Visiting the farmer’s market and finding some perfect flowers for half price!
  • Buying fresh carrots and dills (now I’m planning on making my famous dill carrots ;)

So that’s it for me this last day of July! Looking forward to August!

Sunday Sundries Feature July 17

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for July 17th!

Once again I’m thrilled and honoured when people share their images to my humble tag at #sunday_sundries!

That cake (so perfect!), sweet blooms of clover, an artfully arranged bouquet, and a delicious cup of coffee, all made my heart sing!

If you get a minute, please visit these lovely galleries and leave some love!

Last week brought so many terrible things, right here in my own province and world-wide, that I can hardly get my head around gratitudes.

I go about my days … working, running errands, hosting friends for dinner, taking photos, and on and on. But at night, when that sense of anger, sorrow, and hopelessness cannot be ignored I give in, and my mind whorls around asking why … why … why would someone do that? Of course there are no answers … it’s just all beyond my comprehension and a restless night ensues.

So this morning (as I’m late with my Sunday Sundries post anyway) I just can’t come up with a list. Instead I plan to head out for a country drive to soak in the beauty that surrounds me and just be thankful that I am able to do so.

Thanks for stopping by …

Sunday Sundries Feature July 10

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for July 10th!

Once again I’m thrilled and honoured when people share their images to my humble tag. If you get a minute, please visit these lovely galleries and leave some love!

… such gorgeousness … I can’t even …

This past week was a bit of a tough one … my youngest daughter cut her hand and ended up in the ER … she’s OK (kitchen “mishap”) but it was a nasty cut. She’s seen the ER doctor twice now, and there is no infection or bone involvement: #1 thing to be grateful for.

So what am I celebrating this week?

  • All the love I received on IG when I mentioned my daughter … caring, encouraging words are always welcome.
  • When both grandsons catch a fish at the same time! They were pretty thrilled :)
  • I’m not celebrating the hailstorm which nearly wiped out my hosta bed (and they were so perfect this year), but I am celebrating the buckets of rain we’ve been getting. Every drop helps our lovely little lake recover from the drought.
  • Wildflowers … especially the lovely chamomile that’s blooming everywhere.
  • Our new Vitamix … I’m having a blast concocting all sorts of smoothies, so..oh … yummy! and that kale leaf … where did it go? ;)
  • Having TWO Sunday Sundries features today! My heart skipped a beat when I saw these beauties!

Once again, thank you for stopping by, I so appreciate it!

Thoughts on Gratitude

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I enjoyed the most ordinary day yesterday; gardening, arranging flowers, and even went for a drive after dinner, simply to enjoy the early summer evening.

Gratitude
But later a text arrived with disturbing news; my youngest daughter had cut her hand badly. By the time I was informed, she was on her way home from the ER. She’s going to be OK, but it is fairly serious, and I’m shaken to the core.. it’s what parents do, they feel their children’s pain like it’s their own.

A lot of my blog content has been based on the practice of gratitude with my weekly “Sunday Sundries”.

I never take an “ordinary” day for granted… I’m always grateful… but I’m suddenly struck by how a person can’t “stockpile” their gratitude. When bad things happen, and they do, it’s hard to find the silver lining.

Today, I’ll be sending my daughter flowers, love, and cyber hugs (and looking for that silver lining.)

Sunday Sundries Feature July 3

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for July 3rd!

Once again I’m thrilled and honoured that people share their images to my humble tag!

I adore this handheld offering of chives, this lovely stack of pancakes topped with exotic berries, the profusion of the prettiest poppies, and the pink zinnia taking centre stage! Thank you all for sharing your gorgeous images!

If you get a minute, please visit their galleries and leave some love! and then pop on over to #sunday_sundries to see more beautiful images.

We’re celebrating Canada Day this weekend and I’m so very grateful to be able to call this beautiful country my home. I would not live anywhere else. On the news the other night we watched a new Canadian citizen from Syria (a young girl) trying to say thank you for “letting” her live here, but she could hardly talk for the tears (and sobbing.) We all just looked at each other with tears in our own eyes … it was very moving.

OK, and here’s the rest! I’m so grateful to have family with us! We’re having a blast and ticking off many items on the summer “to do” list :)

So here’s what I’m celebrating this week …

  • Grandchildren that make you laugh … that make you get out and play.
  • When grandchildren accidentally fall into the little paddling pool after supper (in their clothes) and don’t get in too much trouble ;)
  • Early morning coffee tours on the lake, complete with puffed wheat squares (a personal favourite.)
  • Gorgeous warm, sunny weather for the holiday weekend (with a few drenching rain showers at night.)
  • Boating, swimming, and catching a bit of sun.
  • An overabundance of good food.
  • S’mores by the fire.
  • 4 flavours of homemade ice-cream. Like seriously, who makes homemade ice cream? (ummm, my daughter ;) and I’m especially fond of the mint chocolate … .
  • My new camera, and especially the new lens I just purchased (a review coming soon.)

So that’s it for me today. Thank you for stopping by and for sharing Sunday Sundries with me … I so appreciate your support.

xo

Sunday Sundries Feature June 26

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for June 26th!

Once again I’m thrilled and honoured that people share their images to my humble tag!

From a stunning and moody breakfast scene by Kim Klassen, to the white and minimalist visions by mauskewicz and mossyjojo (I have a thing for green urban jungle leaves), to the mysterious and atmospheric door by sweetshute, I can hardly contain myself! Thank you ALL for sharing!

If you get a minute, please visit their galleries and leave some love! and then pop on over to #sunday_sundries to see more beautiful images.

So, what am I celebrating this week?

Peonies! Oh my! such abundance on the peony front … at first I felt so paralyzed with having so many blooms, I could only manage a few photos of single stems … but ummm … that lasted about 2 days! I’ll be posting some of my images this week. And if you can believe it they’re already almost done!

Also …

  • I’ve been checking off moments from my Make June Magical list:
    • I’ve invested in a few new clothes … soft, summery, loose and flattering clothes (blog post coming soon!)
    • I’ve been taking drives around this beautiful county I live in, photographing daisies, grasses, and stopping in at a few garage sales.
    • I found myself sitting on the dock with a coffee (and the hubs), and going for a leisurely boat ride. So much gratitude.
  • I’m celebrating rain (again.) SO grateful for all the rain we’ve been getting. My garden is exploding … and my hostas are spectacular!
  • Finding the sweetest little wrought iron garden chair at our local town-wide garage sale. She’ll be making an appearance soon!
  • So grateful for our covered deck, which has become my summertime office/studio … it’s a beautiful place to work with amazing light.
  • Sharing lunch on the (other) deck with the hubs, under an umbrella to keep the beautiful hot summer sun off.
  • Birdsong.

So that’s it for today. I seem to live a quiet and perhaps uneventful life … but that’s quite alright with me :) I celebrate that as well!

Thank you for stopping by and supporting Sunday Sundries!

Sunday Sundries Feature June 12

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for June 12th!

Let’s celebrate these talented photographers! I just love everything about these images … from picking flowers (in the rain), to ice cream cones and bowls full of petals, to one astonishingly gorgeous hand-held bouquet—together they sing a song of summer.

If you get a minute, please visit their galleries and leave some love! ♥ and then pop on over to #sunday_sundries to see more beautiful images.

So what am I celebrating this week?

  • Backyard bouquets.
  • Late-blooming lilacs.
  • Finding chippy blue enamelware; perfect as vases.
  • My darling granddaughter … this is her birthday month xoxoxo!
  • Sunshowers. The way raindrops sparkle on the leaves afterwards, sending prisms of light into the dining room.
  • Wrens returning to the little wren house in the trees. Their huge song (for such a tiny wee bird).
  • Getting into a TV series that both the hubs and I like.
  • On Saturday, as thunder rumbled for over an hour, and rain came down in buckets, I was sitting on our covered deck enjoying a private garden party at my lovely garden table.
  • So thankful for the rain, and for our covered deck!

Here’s to another lovely week! Have a wonderful evening!

Sunday Sundries Feature June 5

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for June 5th!

Let’s celebrate these talented photographers! If you get a minute, please visit their galleries and leave some love! ♥ and then pop on over to #sunday_sundries to see more beautiful images.

Sunday Sundries is a bit late … argh! the reason being that I had to take a nap this afternoon. A one and half hour nap.

As the weather has turned really warm here, we’ve started leaving our bedroom window open all night. So, at 3:30 the coyotes started … and they must have been close to our house! What a racket! When they start yipping and howling, it gets your attention even if you’re in a sound sleep. You can listen in here (but a warning … don’t listen if you think it might spook you).

Then at 4:00 the robins, white throated sparrows, and crows got together for the sole purpose of keeping me awake (I’m sure of it)!

And lastly, at 4:15, in case there was any shred of a chance of me getting back to sleep, a woodpecker began pounding on the eaves right by our bedroom.

Alrighty then.

;)

Now, for my weekly gratitudes and celebrations …

  • I’m so grateful for afternoon naps!
  • Sunny weekends.
  • Catching up on housework and laundry (big huge sigh of relief here). I feel like I can finally breathe.
  • Walks with friends.
  • I so enjoyed my Instagram takeover at Bella Grace, I put my heart into it, and was richly rewarded with a ton of interaction from everyone. I managed 10 posts in 2 days – what a rush!
  • Gardening.
  • Photography.
  • Instagram.
  • Blogging.

And now I need to call it a day. I’m off to find some earplugs.

;)

xo