Dear 16-year-old Me

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In memory of Larry who would have turned 62 May 30th.
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He was 31 when it first showed up; 58 when it took him.
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Be informed; be smart; LIVE!
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Fertilizer Friday May 27.11

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It's Friday! Almost everyones favorite day of the week when 2 days stretch out before you, full of hope and promise. I will be joining Tootsie today for Fertilizer Friday
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The sun is threatening to shine today -- yipee! It would be so nice to get out and finish my weeding, especially with my thoughts this week constantly moving ourdoors and dreaming of new flower beds AND tomorrow's plant/yard sales.
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The garden is beginning to fill in again, and things are beginning to bloom.

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Have a wonderful weekend!

Thrifty Thursday May 26.11

Red letter day in my house: Blogger is working again, so I'm able to post from home, add comments, etc.

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For this, I am thankful. I've missed chatting with you.

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And, of course, it's Thrifty Thursday. I've been a frugal thrifter lately -- partly because I don't need another thing; but also because there are so many great yard sales coming up. The money will only stretch so far!

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But I did visit the Salvation Army Thrift store yesterday and got some wonderful buys.
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I got these two 3'x3' table cloths for 50 cents each! Can you believe it? So fresh and summery and the perfect size for my round table..

I found 3 of these plates at the back of the store in a box with some others. They were unmarked; so I got these for 25 cents each!.
And then I found 2 skirts. This pretty cotton paisley needs an extra snap sewn on..
And this beautiful crepe chiffon is perfect just as it is.Do you see the price? $3 for each skirt. I did well yesterday!

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This Saturday will host 4 of my favorite spring yard and garden sales. I'll be up bright and early armed with lots of loose change and several sturdy cloth carry bags.

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Happy thrifting everyone! And check out the other fabulous finds with Leigh at Thrifty Thursday.

A Royal Beauty!

(Doris the Great here, reporting surreptitiously from behind the filing cabinet at work! Shhhhh!!)


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Both Wednesday and Thursday afternoon brought actual sunshine in Nova Scotia. And who was at work, hmmm? Back to rain today and tomorrow! OH WOE IS ME!!
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My flower beds are in dire need of weeding. But of course, that also means that there's lots growing. The tulips are on their last legs and the creeping phlox are just starting to bloom. Some of my Primula plants have bloomed and left, but most will all open this Sunday when we see sunshine again. But look at this lovely vision in purple that I found hiding out in the side bed.

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Three years ago, I bought some seed plants from a local nursery which were labelled "Primula". This is the first one ever to bloom and isn't she pretty! As you can see, the leaves are smooth and a lime-green color -- unlike the other Primula I have growing. Perhaps it was labelled incorrectly? Perhaps it's just another variety?
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Either way, "a primula by any other name would look as sweet!"

Happy gardening!

And please visit Fertilizer Friday/ Flaunt Your Flowers May 20/11
posted by Tootsie at Tootsie Time .
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Any company out there for my misery??

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I'm not sure how many of you have been experiencing problems with Blogger lately. I've heard a lot of people mention it, and I myself have had a number of minor glitches which lasted for anywhere from an hour to a day.

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But this weekend, something extremely odd happened.

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On my home computer, I can go to my blog's home page, but I'm unable to redirect to go to my Dashboard, My Account, etc. When I try, I get a Google 414 error message that says that the uri is too long. With my very limited computer knowledge, I've tried to fix it. With her slightly impressive knowledge, my daughter has tried to fix it. I even called my server and they have no answers for me. It's a stumper!

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But the really odd thing is that I'm able to access everything from my blog on my work computer! I came in early yesterday, so I posted from here. And today, I'm posting from work. But I can't keep coming in early and using the work computer; that's just not kosher! And if the problem isn't remedied, I'll have to give up my blog. So, I'm hoping that it's Blogger related.

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I'm looking for anyone else out there who may be having the same problem. Send me an email if you can or leave a message on this post.

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That is, as long as I can continue to access my blog on other computers!

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Head Cold

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At hand:

• 4 pillows


• Large glass of cold water


• Puffs lotion tissues


• Lipsol


• Throat Lozanges


• Remote control


• Reading glasses and my current paperback

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I am at the point where I can enjoy my poor health!

Sore Throat

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I seldom post on weekends but always like to greet my blog friends on Mondays. However, today I can barely talk due to ....
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And I have the usual sniffles and aches and sleepies!
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So, I'll rejoin the blog world in a few days.
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Stay warm and healthy!
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Thrifty Thursday Mothers Day Treats - May 12.11

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Last Saturday morning, I attended the secondhand jewellery sale held by a local women's centre. My budget was $20; I went over by $3! And look at the goodies I got (some of which will be gifts for others).
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I love a pretty ethnic bracelet, and I didn't have a simple gold chain. These were $3 each.
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The three bracelets, necklace and the set of triple matching earrings were $2 each..

The necklaces below were $2 each and each pair of earrings was 50 cents. (Click on the pictures for enlargement.)

One of
my favorite

necklaces.

These cream colored
faux pearls are
another favorite
purchase.

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What a fun Mother's Day gift to myself. And where else can you get 19 pieces of jewellery for $23?

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Shoesday May 10.11

"Funny that a pair of really nice shoes makes us feel good in our heads -- at the extreme opposite end of our bodies!"

Levende Waters

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All around is green! Every shade of beautiful, bright, verdancy imaginable! Lush growth that sprouts up inches a day -- almost before your eyes! (My front bed looking down from my 2nd floor bedroom window.)

Yes, nature is a clean, green, growing machine. And although it's lovely to see natures unstoppable urgency to grow and bless us, it comes at a certain expense .....

RAIN!

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In parts of Canada, they are gearing up for flooding. Local government in Saskatchewan have given the order for evacuation, and people are faced with the possibility of losing all their material possessions. My prayers go out to them.

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So, although we in Nova Scotia are water-logged and soggy, we really shouldn't complain. When the rain begins to get me down, I become pro-active in looking for ways to cheer myself up. Music, exercise, laughter and (yes) food! AND clothing! Today I am wearing verdant shoes -- with cute little bows!I feel better already! Why, my blue dress pants even have a little green stripe in them.But I don't have a lightweight green blouse (I haven't unpacked my summer clothes yet). So, I'm topping myself off with this:

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Contrary to what Kermit sang, in this part of the world, it is most definately easy to be green!

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I'm a blessed Mama

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Mother's Day was cool with a mixture of sunshine and cloudy periods. But the sunny periods gave me an opportunity to snap my beautiful tulips.

I dressed for church befitting the royal Princess that I am -- at least today.

An afternoon nap was followed by gifts: a beautiful homemade card painstakenly written in English from my little Korean girl telling me how much she cares for me and what a good mother I am to her. Ohhh, it brought tears to my eyes. My necklace and lovely soppy card from Libby again brought tears to my eyes.

Molly came home from work, and there was a flower for me and this gorgeous gong for the deck. I told them all that it was the new dinner bell, and there were lots of groans!

My little Mexican daughter gave me Swiss chocolate and cooked me a wonderful Mexican dinner. We had something I've been thinking about since I was 24 and first read "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel -- Chicken Mole! OMG! It was so good! I mean, chicken, chocolate and spice! How can you go wrong!We also had red rice and the yummy vegetable de jour was zucchini, corn and cheese. Just before we all rolled away from the table, we tried a slice of Dairy Queen's new Mocha Torte: it was good but I think I should have simply bought an ice cream log.

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Which is a good thing! Because boy! Do I ever need to work out and work off this meal.

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I hope you too feel blessed as a mother.

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Mother's Day Eve

After a relaxing Friday evening, Saturday morning I shopped for groceries. The mall was full of preparations for afternoon Mother's Day celebrations (including a 2nd hand jewellery sale which will be featured in a post later this week).

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But I also treated myself to a pretty potted violet-colored Campanula and something to read while I recline on the sofa Sunday afternoon in anticipation of my Mother's Day dinner and pressies! (A woman needs her dreams!) Gotta catch up on Wills and Kate!
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Shopping done: and by 12:45, I had finger sandwiches prepared and was out the door for the annual Mother's Day Tea at my church. This year was extra special; we have a new Hostess who did the most spectacular job, not only in decorating and presentation of the food but in the guest speakers.
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We had a display from "The Garden of Readin", our local Christian bookstore. We had a wonderful talk from 2 reps of "Works for Widows", a non-profit organization that helps widows from Sri Lanka earn money, as well as a presentation of their beautiful jewellery. (Alas, I had already spent my quota that morning!) And then we also had a rep from the "Sleep Clinic" who spoke on sleep apnea. (If anyone out there snores badly and/or wakes from sleep still feeling exhausted, the rep recommends being tested for sleep apnea. She says that her life has drastically changed for the better after being diagnosed and using the mask at night.)
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Then came the food! Tea, coffee and a punch fountain. Several delicious varieties of finger sandwiches (does anyone else out there find that egg salad tastes so much better at a Tea and Sale than it does at home?), mini quiche, devilled eggs, fruit and veggie plate. And then dessert: yummy lemon tarts, cupcakes filled with cherry compot, chocolate dipped strawberries and shortbreads. It was not only delicious and filling, but so lovely to sit and be catered to.
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I spent my evening with a little mending, a glass of red wine and "Slumdog Millionare".
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I am relaxed and content!
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On being a mother? Miraculous! Joyous! Self-sacrificing. Heart-breaking at times. Exausting is an understatement. Wouldn't give it up for the world! And isn't it nice to be pampered and appreciated sometimes.
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A very Happy Mother's Day to all my bloggie friends.
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I'm Longing .......

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Sigh....................
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I'm longing for:

• Sunny days; rain, rain, go away!




• Dirt under my fingernails, a slight back ache and piles of weeds at my feet.




• Less busy-ness!




• No one calling me "Mom" for 2 weeks!!!!! (Except for this coming Sunday, of course.)




• The ability to walk in the back of the basement and find things when I need them.




• The loss of 10 (or dare I say it?) 20 pounds.





• A perfect pair of yellow shoes. Ðαωᾔ at Creative Cain Cabin has a pair .... but she won't give them to me! (And I still like her; 'cause that's the kind of magnamious, forgiving, Christian woman I am.) Sigh ... The search continues.

These are cute & look comfy and my feet would enjoy them!...These are ULTRA gorgeous!!! and my eyes would really enjoy them! and they're what I'd wear if I had my youthful feet again. I'm looking for cute and comfy. Sigh...

• A pair of classic navy blue dress pants, preferably thrifted and around the $5-$6 mark. They're so elusive, I couldn't even find an image on Google! The search continues.

• Summer evenings in a lawn chair with family and an open fire. (Disclaimer: These are not my feet because I adamantly refuse to wear Smurf-footed crocs! I have some standards, however few ... and however low!)
  
  

Sigh..................................
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It's Friday soon.
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And the sun is supposed to shine!
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Time to stop sighing and go to bed. Goodnight!

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Yuck! It's another wet, drizzly day here in the Maritimes. Sure, it helps the flowers to grow. But it also means that we don't get out to enjoy them unless you're dressed like a duck!

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Oh well, the sun will shine again. In the meantime, I like to liven up my wardrobe with happy colors. Today is Rednesday; so reds (or variations thereof) are the choice.

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I'm wearing this soft, light-weight raspberry sweater with a Cloisonné enamel pendant, a Xmas gift from my hubby when we were just young.

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects, in recent centuries using vitreous enamel. The decoration is formed by first adding compartments (cloisons in French) to the metal object by soldering or adhering silver or gold wires or thin strips placed on their edges. These remain visible in the finished piece, separating the different compartments of the enamel or inlays, which are often of several colors. Cloisonné enamel objects are worked on with enamel powder made into a paste, which then needs to be fired in a kiln.

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And to prove that I'm a rebel, I'm once again ignoring what Stacey and Clinton say and I'm wearing my fairly matchy shoes. (And if I'd been thinking last night, I'd have painted my toenails a pretty color - perhaps not matching though!)

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My handbag of choice for the past 2 weeks has been this baby. Soft, sweet leather with lots of room and little pocket pouches. And besides my handbag, I usually have a tote bag with me to carry a book or magazine, an apple and other necessary items for the day. Again, this is the one I've been using for the past couple of weeks.
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I'm just a red girl today. Now, I'm off downstairs to have my breakfast while the girls finish their morning preparations for school and/or work. And while I drink my tea, I'll be looking through this book and continue my dreams of summer vacation.

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Happy Rednesday! And I'm joining Sue at It's A Very Cherry World! for more Rednesday posts.