She said Yes to the Dress!

I had a wonderful time last weekend in St John's. Coming from NS where the finer things in life were readily available to me and moving to CB where it's meat 'n' potatoes and the necessities of life, the trip was an enormous tonic to my foodie soul. Sharing it with family was icing on my cake.

We 2 mums were with our two 20-something daughters, so we did our best to keep up, fueled by a big breakfast and a big supper with  coffee and water in between; but it was so exciting and fun that no felt hungry until we stopped each day. We did breakfast at Chez Cora and Rocket (where I also bought a delicious loaf of whole grain sourdough bread to bring home). We ate at Swiss Chalet one night and had an epic evening at Jack Astors another night: St John's is known for it's colorful row houses (left picture), and I was so tickled when I visited the ladies room to see that they'd paid homage to this with the toilet stall doors that I had to snap a picture to share (right picture).












We'd start each day with bridal salon appointments and end up in the malls mid-afternoon. I even managed to fit in a few hours at my beloved Value Village where I scored some treasures. I got to eat Laura Secord ice cream (pistacho/almond and double chocolate together!); and I got myself a Starbucks. I loved the ice cream. But surprisingly, I found that I could have done without the Starbucks and chocolate buttercream cake from Rocket; my months of eating healthy is helping me get over my sugar monkey. Hurray! (And don't worry, there are lots of other fattening, unhealthy foods that I'm still addicted to!) 

But OH! THE BRIDE! She tried on so many dresses; and each salon had a front runner. But #3 salon - Kathy Evans -  was the winner, with a gorgeous beachy, sparkly gown that came in under budget and, as my mum would say, "fit her like a smack in the mouth". Yes ...... I cried and so did her mum-in-law! I'll share some of the runner-up gowns here, but the winning dress is a secret!

 We celebrated that evening with pizza at our Air B'n'B and a bonding evening of hilarious board games as we raised a glass or 2 to a beautiful bride-to-be and a successful shopping trip. 

I loved this vacation weekend with it's over-indulgence, late nights and exhausting day-long trekking. But ohhhhhhhhh! How good to be back to regular meals and sleeping in my own bed. 

This weekend promises to be a sunny one here on the west coast of NL. And the weather man says there will be a turn for the better weather-wise next week with spring being here and summer on it's way! 

Fingers crossed!

World Forest Day and a Newfie Boil Up

This is International Day of Forests; and although I've always liked forests, since moving home (where there's more forest than city or town), I have fallen deeply in love with forests. Being surrounded by nature always rejuvenates me. The Japanese call this "Forest Bathing" (shinrin-yoku); the Norwegians call it "Free Air Life" (Friluftsliv); I call it a magical gift from God.  So, as promised, today I'll share with you a little more of my "craic" weekend and take you into the forest with me. 

On Monday, I went snowshoeing for my first official snowshoe AND my first official winter "boil up".

A hiking group buddy and I headed off into the forest just beside her house. In any other season, you wouldn't be able to venture there because it's mostly bog. But this time of year, there's a great snowmobile trail that's very well used. We treked for almost an hour on the trail, stopping often for breathers and just to enjoy the beauty around us. It wasn't a sunny day, but it was clear and relatively mild -- a perfect day for a hike!


Cindy pointed out the steep uphill and downhill path that some snowmobilers take, following the electrical lines. 


Not for these old knees!

We passed over 2 bogs, went round a pond and then crossed our last bog to head into a spot where trees had been cleared a little; a perfect spot for a fire as we had ready made stools in place!

Cindy came prepared with lint-stuffed toilet paper rolls, newspaper and kindling to start the fire. We gathered some deadfall, stomped out a flat surface in the snow, put down a sheet of foil and began our construction. After lighting the starters, we topped the fire with some 'blasty boughs' (blasty - Of the branch(es) of a spruce or fir, dead and dry but with the needles, now red or brown, still adhering; esp in comb blasty bough, blassy: such a branch which, used as kindling, burns with a quick, fierce, crackling flame.) 

I got Cindy's camp kettle out of my knapsack, filled it with snow (several times), and we had a royal boil up! 

 We dined on roast beef sarnies, chocolate chip 'n' mint cookies and had cup after cup of the most delicious tea I can ever remember having. It was so tasty! 

After sitting and soaking in the outdoor "hygge" for about an hour, we packed up our stuff, covered the remains of our fire with snow, and put our snowshoes back on, filled with such a feeling of well being and contentment.

No Cindy's were
harmed in the making
of this picture!

The return trip was easy because the uphills were now all downhills. Alas! Cindy's snowshoe didn't quite make it over this fallen tree. And as the snow is a great insulator, I didn't hear a thud as she hit the ground. I heard her laughing, and when I turned around, this is what I saw. 

Now honestly! If she hadn't been laughing, I would have helped her up BEFORE I snapped the picture. Honestly! 

It was an amazing adventure and one I hope to do again before the snow melts.

The Power of Puppy Kisses

I think I mentioned that I'd been feeling down lately. I sometimes have sad days, but this time it's been harder to shake and more dark than I've ever experienced before. I totally blame it on either the Prednizone or Symbicort (both of which come with warnings of mood swings and mental depression). So, I've been taking extra care of myself.

Today, I seem to have shaken my blues, and I feel like I'm finally climbing out of this particular dark hole. I'm sure my hibernation weekend helped. AND getting outside more. AND taking Vitamin D drops. AND feeling physically better and treating myself to a payday breakfast from my favorite cafe was pretty darn nice this morning. Yummy!

But what really worked was a visit from my daughter and her two puppies last night. 

Jack the dachund was the first dog in almost 40 years that I fell in love with: he's a anxiety-ridden, quiet, patient, lovely little puppy who loves to visit Nanny's house. He knows where the treats are! He first visited me a year and a half ago and was immediately drawn to the basket where I kept my chargers and phone cords and my yoga balls. At $15, I quickly moved them to a spot where he couldn't reach (which is almost anywhere for a dachund!) But EVERY time he's come to visit, that basket is the first place he goes (even though they're not there any longer). He'll search and search; and when he does finally come to the new hiding place, he'll sit and cry. Nanny consoles him with treats and belly rubs.

And then there's Olive Mae, the pug. Olive was born last August and she is just a bundle of energy and joy. She drives her brother Jack crazy sometimes; and as I'm rubbing Jack, I often come across signs of Olive's over-zealous love bites! Olive ran around the apartment exploring all the new spots she could find, ate her doggie treat, and was quite content to sit next to us on the couch and chew on her dog toy. Her favourite things are her Mommy, her brother Jack and chewing on any sticks she can find. Taking her out for a tinkle last night was painful for her as she discovered the rose bush "sticks" and ended up with a sore nose. 

Someday when I can afford the care of a dog, I believe I'll get one. They are wonderful for stress and depression. But for now, Jack and Olive seem to have magical qualities in helping Nanny beat the blues.

Room at the Inn!

This is the airport at my nation's capital this morning.

And this is my Prime Minister, greeting my new neighbors and handing out winter coats to some of the families.



I am so proud to be Canadian!

Rabbit, Rabbit! and Sci-Fi

Rabbit Rabbit everyone.  Another month has passed and this steam-punk bunny is here to say "Not so fast! Before we get to November, tell me about how you spent this last weekend of October 2015, Sandy."  Well Bunny, I spent it with my daughter at Hal-Con Hal-Con, a sci-fi, fantasy and gaming convention held in Halifax NS and run completely by volunteers.

Although I've always known I was weird, I've only just begun to realize I am also a bit of a geek ...... with my lifelong love of Doctor Who, my recent addiction to The Walking Dead and my ever-growing addiction to sci-fi. This was my first Hal-Con, but it sure won't be my last.

Here's Molly and I getting our own steam punk on with these gorgeous hats. A bit too expensive for our pocket-books, but they sure are inspirational for next year.

In spite of the fact that I really know nothing about gaming, my tour guide did; she would point to people dressed up and tell me what game they were from. I loved checking out all the vendors -- people selling furry clothes, chain-mail clothes, elven ears ($$$), jewellery, etc etc. I did buy myself some Tardis earrings, an earth-pic necklace and some books. But I mostly loved just viewing who (or what) was walking around and their own personal rendition of their favorite character; home made costumes abounded and it was fascinating to see what was used in their making! Also, every time I asked permission for a picture, they stopped and immediately posed.

On the left is a couple in steam-punk cosplay. (It was encouraging to see the different age groups.) And on the right are a cute couple of girlies from some video game; I saw them several times throughout the building, always carrying their trays of colorful cocktails. 

Dr Who was represented several times. This young man on the left is obviously a Tom Baker fan, Doctor #4, I believe. And on the right is King Renley from Game of Thrones (may he rest in peace).

This elf really impressed me. She made her own costume, wore a beautiful bow and home-made leather arrow case, had lovely pointed ears and a narrow little circlet of golden leaves round her head with a gem in the middle. Molly and I saw her at a panel we sat in on; she was right across the aisle from me. And while we were listening, she must have been hungry because I noticed her take out a green packet tied with twine. When she untied it, I realized the green were leaves and inside it was lembas bread -- just like in Lord of the Rings. Wow! Now that's dedication to the cosplay!


But in spite of the beautiful costumes and the variety of characters depicted, my favorite of the whole day was this most beautiful of all the woodland elves, my daughter Molly. Ya know, it's wonderful to find at my age that I can share this new-founded common interest with my gorgeous geekie daughter. 

The family that's cos-plays together, stays together? Yeah! It sure creates some wonderful memories.

We got to eat a couple of great meals together, and I got to go thrifting the next day before I headed home to once again become a responsible employee and mother to internations.  

But I've got a whole year to get a few costumes together for next year's Hal-Con. 

Have you ever been to a sci-fi convention?

Oils of Life

With a post title like this one, you could be thinking I'm talking about olive oil or flax seed oil or coconut oil: there are so many beneficial oils and so many ways to take them into/onto your body. But no:  today we talk about different "oils of life".

I read a UK blogger's post last week on Style at Every Age and she talked about this new Body Shop product line called Oils of Life. I use Body Shop products as part of my daily skin care regime. And one of my favorite home-made things to do is to add a drop or two of essential oil to a bottle of light olive oil and rub this over my legs, feet and arms after I shower. So, I was interested in checking of the Oils of Life line. And the opportunity came up on Saturday when the girls and I went to the city.

I have to be really careful with scented products; most make me terribly ill (tummy and body aches, migraines, nausea), sometimes even from one little whiff. But I listened to the young salesgirl describe the line to me and I tried a little on my wrist and sniffed, thinking at least I'm near a washroom if I have to hurry and wash my hands. 

The oils used here are seed oils - Black Cummin, Camellia and Rosehip to be exact. They are supposed to be both an antioxidant and anti-bacterial and benefit your skin in the same positive way that eating super foods would benefit your body. That's a plus!

The bottles themselves are lovely to look at; they look high quality (without being high priced). On application, the oil was light and not greasy; it absorbed into the skin quite quickly. The cream was silky smooth and again there was no greasy feel to it. The scent was beautiful! Delicate, earthy, intoxicatingly delicious! And although I thought I recognized the scent, I couldn't put my finger on just what I was smelling.  Cummin? Rosehip? My mind went through the other familiar yet exotic aromas of my spice rack.) All I knew was that I smell good enough to eat! Hahaha!

I've been using their Pomegranate skincare line, so as I only needed a night time cream, I just bought the revitalizing cream at $34 Cdn and was gifted a free sample of the facial oil. After using them for the past 3 nights, I love it. Again, the scent is so lovely and the feel is so silky.  

Once I run out of my other product ..... and once this new product becomes old enough to be added to their frequent sales (buy 2 get 2; but 3 get 3, for example), I'll try the other products.

In the meantime, someone get over here and sniff me!

And then file me under delicious!

Note: I sure hope this satisfies hunger pains rather than working up an appetite or I'm in trouble!

At the Massage Therapist

I recently discovered a new blogger: Ginny Marie at  Lemon Drop Pie.  And she hosts "spin cycle" prompts which simply give the reader an opportunity to share their "spin" on the topic at hand. Today's topic is about what's on our agenda for this week. It's entitled:   

At the movies. At the deli. At the gym. At the library. At the _________. 

My post is called "At the Massage Therapist". 

I'm lying on a heated massage table, one pillow under my knees and one under my belly to take any strain off my spine.  My head is cocooned in a little padded donut hole; and I am feeling warm and cosy.  I breathe deeply and inhale a slight scent of eucalytus.  The room is softly lit -- no harsh glare of lights --  and I can hear gentle, relaxing instrumental music coming from the corner.  I close my eyes, breathe deeply and allow the tension to leave my body.

I completely surrender myself to the healing, ministering hands of this skilled and caring woman.  There is a feeling of absolute trust which brings deeper relaxation which in turn allows my body to receive more healing.
  

Ahhhhhh!
Feel, smell, hear...
Breathe thru and release the pain 
allowing my body to mend and heal.

It is an hour of therapeutic indulgence.

Necessary for my health.  

But medicine as well for my mind and my soul.

Mother's Day comes Early

You all know how I whine about having no mate to pamper me and buy me gifts; and you all know that I compensate by buying my own special-occasion gifts; and you may remember that I hide these gifts so I can surprise myself on that special day.  Well, that day is here -- a little early perhaps, but Mother's Day begins today for me.  

Okay:  let's open my gift:  I'm so excited!  

What is it?  What's nestled in that tissue paper? 

Wow!  Thank you ME!

It's a hand-beaded necklace from African Threads. 

Isn't it beautiful!  ( I've had the necklace under my sweetly-scented nighties for over 5 months; so I knew WHAT it was but didn't remember what it looked like.  Surprise!)  It was more expensive than I usually spend on myself;  more expensive than the rest of the outfit I'll wear today.  But Motherhood is difficult!  And for me (with all these international children) never ending!

Tonight my good friend Sandy is treating me by taking me to a dinner theatre at her church.  It's become an annual event with us; and although no one will win any acting awards, I know all those silly people so it's always enjoyable.  And then there's the home cooked meal.  Yummy, I'm sure!  

Now, what to wear to work today as I'm not coming home?

This sweet little thrifted Old Navy dress ($6 at the Sally Ann in NL) will make it's 2014 debut, I think.  Cute and comfy ..... and it's loose so it will hide the cheesecake dessert.

And which color cardigan?  The blue will look best, I believe ($12 year-end sale at Reitman's in 2012).

This is my "sac de semaine" --  a thrifted ($16 at Value Village) Clark's leather cross-body bag with the prettiest lining.

Now for the shoe selection.  I have 4 pairs of blue shoes:  a gorgeous pair of faux-snakeskin heels; a cute pair of navy wedges; and 2 flats -- one navy and one periwinkle.  Yeah, definitely flats.  My delicate tootsies demand flats more and more these days.  I think I'll choose these recently thrifted navy pair that I haven't worn yet ($5 at VV).  I love the dark navy color with the bright white polka dots and the figure 8 flowerette

Alright.  Put the finishing touches on me and I'm ready to head out the door, devote 8 hr to "the man" and sit and have an enjoyable evening with friends.

Forgot my lippy!
Oh well, just imagine me with red kissy lips please.

         Happy Mother's Day to you all from me.

Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain .....

It's afternoon tea break here at the office ..... 

and I'm alone ..... 

and it's gently raining.  

It's so quiet here ... and so peaceful.  I've stopped and put my stocking feet up.  And the quiet, the peace and the gentle rain falling make my tea (and arrowroot biscuits) taste even better.  

I'm facing the large picture window that overlooks the pines growing in the front yard and the brilliant colored leaves of the deciduous trees across the road.  An occasional car drives by on its way to shops and business's in the industrial park.  But mostly, it's just me, and the clock and the falling rain on this metal building's roof.

So quiet and peaceful.

I'm thinking of how we so seldom have these moments of quiet and peace now-a-days.  Unlike our fathers and grandfathers, a lot of us have to "make" these moments happen.  At home there's kids and phones, TV's and I-tunes, showers running, refrigerator door opening and closing; "Have you seen my ....?"  The coffee shop can be quiet, but it's mostly because people have plugged in to their phone, talking or texting.  What's happened to sitting and making eye contact with others!  

Today I wish for you all to enjoy some quiet and peace.  I hope for a figurative "gentle rain" to fall upon you.  I hope that you'll get to sit in comfort and peace and drink tea and eat bickies and reflect on the goodness and restorative elixir of just sitting in nothingness ............. before you have to get back to life.