Do you ........?

Do you have a weakness for something? I do. I have to admit. As. Hard. As. I. Try. I am a "Kitchen Junkie". Sad but true. I recently started checking out a store that is mainly in the states but they do have one in Edmonton, so I may have to go on a road trip. It's Anthropologie. It has all that cutesy kitchen stuff that really.....do you need another cream and sugar bowl, I can go into kitchen stores and always find something. Back in the 1950's when all the Fiesta ware was popular and fruit motive bowls,jugs, plates were starting to come into being, well they are all coming back in style or maybe they never went out but they call me from the shelves of stores. I have an aunt and a mother whom I have gotten quite a few pieces from, and I still think ooohhhh there's a cute thingey. I love placemats, tablecloths, trivets, anything that goes around the kitchen or dining table. It's just pretty.



I really think tomorrow I will have to take a cruise by Winners and just see what is in the housewares department. Could you imagine if we had a Home Sense? No we don't want to go there. Because you know at this time of year all that adorable Easter decor will be flooding the shelves, and I don't even have little ones around. Susan's kids already think I am crazy when I hang plastic Easter eggs from the tree out front. But that is so much fun.
I made this picture for the top of my staircase a while back, I got the idea from the Thirfty Decor Chick. Who got it from Pottery Barn. I think it's rather a nice accent, it was a little tricky to do and I did make a mistake but only I know what it is.

I like the colors, and it's not shiny like the photo indicates, that would be the flash, and the words of wisdom underneath are very nice. Tomorrow is friday and I am running in the morning with the group, so I better shut it down for the night.....ciao

Towel Wars and Chair Hogs

I don't how many of you have been to all inclusive hotels but here is a funny story about the Chair Hogs and the inevitable towel wars. Everybody wants a chair when the sun is shining and of course they want it around the pool. Well each morning I kid you not before it is even light out, people are running out and laying their towels over chairs "in case" they want to lay by the pool. Now most resorts have enough chairs for their guests, but I have noticed that the larger resorts don't have the chair to guest ratio factored into their quantity of loungers. So a few mornings we would get up at a reasonable hour of 7, go downstairs around 8, and take a look around to see if there are any chairs available. Well let me tell you it is a feat in itself! So eventually, we would find chairs and drape our towels over the back and leave our books, tanning lotion, hats whatever...you get the picture and go have a quick breakfast and go back. So this one morning we are sitting in our chairs and we're just watching people around us. Well this one couple come by and obviously they had been out earlier and thought they had gotten their chairs, well I mean really all the towels are the same. So this couple that had walked by took off whoever towels were there and set themselves up, so about 2 hours later, the other couple comes by and the towel war begins, well the ones that had been sitting there for two hours stood there ground and kept the chairs and the others went off in a huff. Too funny! Well I have never been so entertained by the selfishness and pettiness of people in all my life.

It's very hard to read and tan when there is so much going on around you! There were chairs that sat with towels draped across them all day! And no one showed up but they had their chairs just in case they wanted them. Nuts I tell you!

So that's my tale, here are some beautiful flowers, hibiscus, bougainvilleas, and some others that I had no idea what they were, but I wanted to have a few photos of them so that when I am making cards I can use them.

Very Pretty! Morning dew.









Gorgeous Color!
Almost look like they are plastic.












Ahhhh, wish I could grow these at home......

Hola Amigas and Amigos

Sorry not to tell you I was going to be away but sometimes I think it's for the best. We took a week away in Puerto Vallarta, with our friends Fred and Cindy. We did enjoy the break and the little sun that was there. But to say it wasn't all it was suppose to be wouldn't begin to tell the story. It was a beautiful resort but not on my list of places to re-visit, too bad, because it is a very famous resort and location in Puerto Vallarta, but they have definite issues with their food and the preparation and possibly, the cleanliness. The resort was well cared for and the rooms were spectacular and very posh, but something is rotten in Denmark! Our friends went their in December and they didn't have any issues, and another couple we know went there and it was all good on their vacation too. I guess it was just our turn. After 6-7 times of going to Mexico, I think the odds were against us!

Between the sickness and the rain storms we did manage to pull off a gorgeous tan! Let me show you the place and you decide.


It's always nice to get away and be pampered and not have to think about the everyday events that consume our lives so on that note going on vacation was a good thing.
I think now that we are home it is a bit laughable "The Vacation from Hell" I mean, not just "I" got food poisoning, Glenn and Fred fell ill also, and on the last day Cindy was either not wanting to miss out or thought she might like to lose a few pounds. I know myself I dropped 5 pounds, heck of a way to go about it but well sometimes it just takes some extreme measures to get over that plateau. KIDDING! I would not wish that on anyone.
So lets get back to normal and get on with spring, shorts running, and gardening. I'll write a few funny stories this week about some of the going ons around the pool. Ciao for now. Buenas Noches

What a week......

It has been a busy week and I had meant to stay on top of my blog but well "things" happen and the days just get away on you. It's been one of those weeks when you'd like to turn back the clock and rearrange eevents but "it is what it is" and there's no going back.

So this week Trish and I have been running our legs off, and amazingly enough we are still feeling pretty fine, but after tomorrow we are taking a bit of a break before we start up again. We aren't tired of running, just the getting up early everyday and then having to go to work on top of it. I think retirement might be a good thing. But then I know I would probably start going a little stir crazy if I wasn't on the run daily. So anyway, if we get in another 5km or so tomorrow, we'll be nearing the 40km for the week. That's pretty good in my books.

I finished off a few of the framed initials I was making and I quite like the finished product. Nothing that a little paint and imagination can't accomplish. I'm not sure what my next project will be but I know I need to get a photo album and start putting my son's grad photos and Montreal photos together so I think that will be the next thing on the agenda. Also need to order the grad portraits from the ceremonies.

Girls are in Thailand now, shortened their trip to Malaysia as the Kuala Lumpuar was just a huge city and after they saw the Batu Caves and Borneo forest and waterfall they decided to catch a cheap flight to Krabi. Looks like a nice place and they are having a blast. So that's the main thing and beer is cheap, cheap! As soon as they start posting some photos I will post some. But in the mean time I will try and be more diligent in my blogging.

These are Steve's new friends. I'm not sure what their names are, as Jane didn't tell me maybe, they don't have names, one is black and one is orange. They are Japanese fighting fish, hence why they are in separate containers! Steve loves to sit and watch them and drink the water. Crazy cat!

Feeling somewhat better

Well I think I am pretty much over this cold that hit me last week. Thank goodness... I don't do sickness very well. Laying around is not my thing. But I have to admit my energy level was nil. But today I went to work and I did run this morning and all that was good so I must be feeling better.

My girls have left on their trip and should be arriving in Malaysia anytime now. It was a very long flight. I hope to hear from them soon. The trip started off on a sad note but hopefully it won't ruin it for them. And they can enjoy themselves somewhat.

I spent most of my weekend working on some cross stitch initials, and then I found some very cute frames. I didn't like the color of them but that was soon solved with a little spray paint. I love doing these small craft projects that make such a smart statement. So a short preview of the finished projects.




So I've done about 5 initials now, and will finish painting the frames tomorrow.A simple, and quick craft. Just what the season calls for. Well I am off to bed. Need to run in the morning. Night!

Today's a Special Day

Well seems that I have gotten behind on the week but then getting the plague does that to a person. As hard as I tried I couldn't seem to hold it off. Usually, if I catch it soon enough I can out run it but I must have been low in my immunity and Wham! So needless to say this week has been pretty much of a write off. Last night I woke up and coughed myself into a full blown head cold.....good thing I don't have anything pressing this weekend. A box of Kleenex and I should be set for the couch.:(
Today is my son's 21st birthday, and I hopefully will talk to him later on today.

The girls are home and waiting to leave for Thailand on Sunday.Of course Tor is going with them. To say they are excited would be an understatement. They have all their things packed and have gotten all there ducks in a row. Just a few little things to tie up today.


I thought today I would finally get some of the photos of Montreal put together so here are a few of the Notre Dame Basilica, my goodness it is a beautiful church.

I took quite a few of the inside of the church because I probably will never get back there. The ornate cravings and the stained glass are really something to behold. The craftsmanship from the 1800's I believe is disappearing. It may be alive and well in Europe but I don't think the young people of today's generation have the patience it takes to make such works of art.


Montreal is an amazing city, I really would like to go back there one day in the summer and be able to go around to the different parts of Old Montreal, the buildings are incredible and I didn't get to see my fill. So I definitely will have to work on that one. Have a good weekend everyone! And I hope I am feeling better soon...