Up at the crack of dawn........

and  believe me its not my idea to be up at 2:30! It's still three hours till dawn was due to break.......but it is what it is today I guess. Its a gorgeous morning though! So its not all bad and that cup of coffee tastes divine! So since my day started so early this morning I've had plenty of time to design the flower beds that I want to start creating in the front yard......I went to the lumber yard yesterday and picked out some Holland pavers so that I can outline a few beds. I may have to go back today as I wasn't sure just how many I needed but I've got enough to get started.

The Hubs was busy on the weekend finishing up the garden beds so they are ready and raring to go as soon as the nights are free of frost. Our front lawn is seriously too, too much grass......so for the next couple of years (and that's how long it will take) I am going to be implementing low maintenance gardening.........perennial shrubs, and bushes, and a few more dwarf trees.......I'm even hoping to get a palm tree. So in the meantime.......

 

 

 

 

Well its still too early to go out side and turn on the lawn mower, the neighbors would probably kill me so I think I will do some baking and find something for dinner. Have a great day and I hope weather allows you to get outside and enjoy the day!

Loving this gate!

A fantastic find last week....................

when I went with my mom to the nursery by her house.........cement planters and pots are sooooo ridiculously expensive......and I am not made out of money.....so when I found this beauty I snapped it up faster than you can say Jiminy Cricket! It was in need of a little repair but pfffffff not a problem when I'm getting a deal! I didn't really know what I would put in it but that's not a problem when you can grow just about everything here.

So as you can see it had seen better days. The paint was chipping off and it looked just tired and worn out..........

If you have ever gone to buy cement planters you know they can be expensive.....this wasn't tooo, tooo bad even at $79.99 half price was even better!

So with a little help from a can of STIX...........

The hubs says "why don't you do that in your studio instead of in the front hall"...........well cause this baby is a wee bit heavy......and well I wanted to be with him in the house.........So I gave it a quick sanding to loosen the paint, and gave it a good wiping down.......then two coats of STIX primer to seal it...........and then ta-----dah!

 

 

A few coats of  "Country Sun" in BEN exterior soft gloss.......its beautiful and cheerful! During our walk yesterday one of the girls had seen this black grassy looking plant.....so I went looking for Black Mondo Grass.......otherwise known as OPHIOPOGON ARABISCUS, can be grown as a groundcover. Small pink flowers prefers part sun to shade, and only grows to a 10" height. Perfect choice for this planter! Thanks for the tip Ingrid, it will look lovely! Also thanks to our friend Lee from Scotland. The yard is getting a few new plantings! Well I need too get this show on the road, three days off and many things to accomplish while the weather is good! Sunny skies this week! Whoop! Whoop! Have a good one!

Went for a walk this morning............

because running is out of the question at the moment and that's fine, we walked at a good clip and "with purpose" as Sue instructed. We were going up and down and over hill and yonder........it was quite the work out and ........ actually managed to break a sweat! So for an hour we walked and walked and a few times I stopped and took a few pics........................

Beautiful calm waters

A view from under the pier

 

The pier as an art form

 

This reminded me of the song..............

This boat is probably not sea worthy
but someone thought to keep it pretty

An old boat house but I don't think it's used
anymore but it was a lovely color

Well that was my morning then off for coffee and then home for some chores and gardening.........and an exciting project! I hope you had a good weekend. Enjoy your week.

You call this retirement?

I don't think so! I'm busier now than I ever was working 5 days a week. I am on a week off right now, with the switch with Tracy last week, and I was actually clicking my heels last Wednesday night.....its been a long haul getting the store up and running but I am happy to say its all done and it looks fantastic!

We had a visit from oldest daughter and "boyfriend" last week and wouldn't you just know it, it rained for the 2 and a half days they were here, and the day they left the sun came out.....well that's what its like around here.....today was gorgeous but there was a slight chill with the breeze. The girls and I went for a hike that we have been threatening to do for a while. And what a hike it was to the top of Mt. Daniel......not a long hike it took about 40 minutes to get to the top and only half an hour to come down. But what a glorious day it was! The view was well worth the heavy breathing and the quad workout! When you see the photos you will definitely agree!

 

 

 

 

 

Pender Harbour

 

 

Madiera Park

 

 

 

 

A few wild flowers

 

 

 

 

And back down the road to the car. It was a awesome climb, similar to the Grouse Grind in Vancouver but not quite as long. So our next adventure is taking us to the Grind, maybe with a few training trips up Soames Hill to get our legs in shape.....well it was a good morning with the girls.....then it was on with our day, I finally got to mow the pasture, I mean the lawn. Boy if I could bale it, I could make a lot of money!

I hope you have had a good week, and you've gotten into some exciting projects. Me not so much! But I do have lots of ideas percolating! Now I just need to find the time to do them......I hope everyone is well and recovering from the shocking news of last week from Boston. Now if we could only find someway for everyone to live in harmony........good night............

I just don't know....

about this world we live in......what in God's name are people trying to prove by detonating bombs at a sporting event where people are out enjoying the scenery, fresh air, the thrill of victory, or seriously anywhere for that matter! The Boston Marathon is iconic in the running world.........getting to be a qualifier for this event is huge, and some idiot decides its a good idea to blow up a bomb?

I had two friends running in this race and thankfully they were lucky enough to have finished a little before the first bomb went off. She was actually walking away and turned around and saw the them go off. She said it sounded like a cannon going off. Terrifying to say the least and the mayhem that followed was incredible. I hope they find who did this before they do it again somewhere at another event. Such a terrible thing to witness and sadness for the people killed and injured, and their families........I just don't see the point of it.................

I've been working a lot lately so needless to say I haven't been doing much of anything unless you call treading water crafting! The Hubs has been busy in the yard building more garden boxes and getting rid of the winter build up. The weather is warming so its almost time to get thinking about planting the vegetable gardens and a few pots and baskets......I've bought a few canvases to make a painting but no time at the moment.

The store is almost set up and we've gotten quite busy as word of mouth has spread the word. Grand Opening is set for next month so everything will be ready by then. Well gotta run, number one daughter is coming mid-week, for a few days so I think a hike will be in-store if the weather cooperates. Have a good week! And keep the victims and their family, and friends in your thoughts and prayers..........

These times they are a-changin'..........

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

I'm pretty sure when Bob Dylan wrote this song 49 years ago even he didn't realize the catastrophic changes that we were in store for........................when he wrote this song even the cell phone hadn't been invented, that would come 9 years later so you have to think........what's in store for us in another 50 years? Yikes! What a scary thought.......myself  "what goes around comes around" is a huge part of life. But fortunately here in Sleepyville......things tend to stay the same for quite sometime, and there are people who will make darn sure it stays in the 60's! It's quite funny actually, maybe they didn't here Bob's song or its just their way of protesting......I don't know but it makes me laugh!

So how has your week been? Hard to believe that Friday is upon us already and for some the weekend has already begun......I am doing just great! I can see like I have never been able to see, although reading and doing anything on the computer or hand work is a bit of a challenge.....but I am getting there, patience is key.......and well.......I'm working on it! I am looking forward to running this weekend, I finally finished painting the outside of the house on Wednesday, since it had been dry for over a week and warm it was perfect timing as the monsoons started on Thursday afternoon. Timing is everything!

So when the sun returns the Hubs will get back out making garden boxes, we had two, but I want a few more so there will be 6 in total and then we can grow many things.....days of living in the country spoils you and with this yard space the more we can take away grass and put in boxes for vegetables, I'm all for it.......honestly taking an hour just to mow the front yard is not my idea of retiring and downsizing!

The week is over and now to move on to the weekend. I am working and busy helping get the store ready for the ta-da next week. So exciting! Well hope you had a great week and even greater weekend. Thinking of you all, and so glad my friends are home from their holidays and others are enjoying their time away. Ta-Ta!

Slow and steady wins the race.......

not that I tend to do things slowly, I usually hit the deck running and don't stop till I finish whatever it is I have in the works, but lately I've had too many things on the go and well....you know how that goes....nothing gets finished and then you end up with a huge pile of projects and you just don't know where to begin. So  few weeks ago I finished the guest room as it is going to have guests very soon. I made a few things and I have one more painting in the works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did this whole room in shades of grey and white. The furniture was your typical 80's but with a few coats of paint and changing up the hardware, ''what's old is new again!'' The bedding, I had, Ikea, works perfect with just a hint of color. The one thing I didn't paint was the bookshelf but with the help of a dark grey curtain, voila! Transformed ugly into clean slate! We have this great paint at the store that Tracy and I have pretty much painted everything in site to see the differences in effects that it has on different surfaces. I painted out all the handles and pulls, really love that look, it is the Zip Guard Hammered Silver Grey, its sooooo pretty!  The tray on top of the armoire was handmade by my uncle but.......sorry needed upgrading........looks very glam now! The painting on the canvas was a little more challenging as I could quite figure out what I was looking forward and once you use this paint, there's no turning back.....so with a few swirls of white paint, BA-DA-Bing "art"! Well not Picasso, I am not but it will do!

So the eyes are doing well......still seeing a whole new world in HD! Still a little sensitive to light and well reading gives me a headache only because you're not suppose to spending too much time just yet, staring. So I just have to remember to take it easy......well just a few things  to tidy up today. It was a big yard day yesterday because it was sunny and warm and rain was in the forecast but so far so good today! Well have a great day!

Hello April!

 

What a beautiful start to the month and the morning! The sunshine was brilliant this morning and the forsythia just popped over night. I love this time of year when all the blooms are bursting out. I wish they lasted longer but not so the case with these beauties.

I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend, and got to enjoy it with friends or family. We didn't have any family around but we enjoyed it with time in the yard and a trip to the beach with my running partner and her sister from Edmonton.....what a nice treat before going back to the land of winter. The beach was beautiful and a trip wouldn't be complete with out a few pieces of sea glass. But it was pretty slim pickings yesterday....oh well another day.

 

 

 

 

 

Spring has sprung on the Westcoast and I couldn't be happier! Although I have heard springtime in Paris is something to behold........

 

 

 

Well not this year but someday I hope I get to see the flowers and the tower, and sit in a street cafe and sip a cafe au lait! Can you just smell the beautiful fragrance from the magnolia tree.....................ahhhhh....... on the bucket list my friends!

Have a wonderful day and safe travels wherever the roads may take you!