Fleeting Moments

It is the end of June already!

What's with the time going by so quickly?

I am not complaining, however it appears the older one gets,

the faster the time seems to go .

Ever notice this?

This photo was taken last evening on our walk/hike up and down the MacDonald Hill.

That would be Ron there and Sophie, it appears, disappeared into the editing!! lol

It was a beautiful evening and there was a lot of activity in the water below....

kayakers, and parasurfers having a ball with the wind and the waves.

Taking one day at a time........no rush.

Contemplative Monday

The following is from 'The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh'

and published by 'Shambhala Pocket Classics'.

ENGAGED BUDDHISM

"The moment when you sit down and begin to breathe in,

calming your mind and your body,

peace has become a reality."

Eclectic Tastes

This has been a life-changing week for so many people.
When I saw President Obama sing 'Amazing Grace' this week,
I sensed, as many others did, that this world had changed
and is now heading in a more positive direction.

I hope everybody has a wonderful Sunday.

Saturday Morning Post

Energizing week......

This 'Moonbeam' clematis is in full-bloom....my favourite.

Calling it a day.

Like skiing I guess.....bend those knees!

Waxing Gibbous 50% full (half moon) over Lawrencetown Beach.

K1 practicing for regatta. 

Catching up with our friend, Joan in Halifax.

Our niece, Jami, with her six month old daughter, Annie Mae,

at Dad's birthday party.

And her other daughter, Cameron, delicately eating the birthday cake.

And Dad last Sunday at his birthday party with 'the girls'.

Dad is so comfortable with children. Heck, he should be, he had 9!!

Warming Up To Summer

Summer is here....bring it on!

Two kayakers on Lake Banook yesterday getting ready for upcoming competition.

The Most Photographed Dog In The World

Tuesday at Birch Cove Beach in Dartmouth which is across the harbour from Halifax.

 This is Lake Banook which is one of three connected lakes in Dartmouth.

Sophie usually spends most of her swimming time in salt water at our beaches......

I think she knows/feels the difference between the two  locations.

She makes the best of where ever she is.

A little instruction.....

And then the 'dry off'.....which she LOVES.

So Many Raindrops.....

Yesterday morning on my stroll through the garden, 

everything was covered in raindrops.

These Irises were covered.

As well as these Rhododendrons.

So on that note.....have a listen to get you into the rainy mood...

99 and Counting

My father's birthday party went off without a hitch on Sunday afternoon.
All his children, most of grandchildren and most of his great-grandchildren were present.

A great time was had by all.

Contemplative Monday

The following quote is from 'The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh'

and published by 'Shambhala Pocket Classics'.

A LIFE OF MIRACLES

"It is of no use to sit in a peaceful forest

if our mind is lost in the city."

Eclectic Tastes

I have always liked Cyndi Lauper for her spunkiness
and willingness to 'step outside the box'.
I know she has helped a lot of women do the same.

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone.
And, Happy Father's Day.

Saturday Morning Post

This is a 'mug' of me. I remember that jacket so well....

thought I was so cool in it!!

This was 1959-60 and I was 12 years old.

At dusk on MacDonald Hill....

I like these pastels, and with that backdrop........has a 'New England' look about it.

I just purchased this table a few days ago from the gal who had this space before me.

It is from Pictou County, Nova Scotia and is called a 'Baker's Table'.

The drawer goes from front to back.

It is probably a 100 years old.

This fella, Teddy, has been in the basement for too long.

He comes from Ron's mother's estate.

He is about 70 years old.

Blocking the view, so I improvised.

From one of the shop windows looking out onto the Atlantic.

This is a 'Prayer/Meditation Bench' that is also in the shop.

It is from a local church....probably Roman Catholic or 'high' Anglican.

I remember these in church when I was an altar boy, except they had cushions.

Our deciduous Azalea is just blooming out.

It is very striking in the front garden.

'Straight Out Of Camera' (SOOC) of Soloman's Seal blossoms.

Blending in.

What a great way to end the week.....with laughter!

Met up with a friend, Caroline, from 1980's aerobic fitness days.

We were all instructions back then.

Would you believe she is 75?

We have her permission to announce this to the world!! lol

Man About Town

Went to Halifax for breakfast yesterday and check out the satisfied look on Ron's face!

Mid-Century Mania

I don't know what it is that attracts me to mid 20th century 'things'.

Maybe it brings back good memories of what I noticed/saw when I was a kid.

Maybe its the 'clean lines' and simplicity of most of it.

I 'found' this deuce table and chairs set last week.

I fell in love instantly!

Then I cleaned it up a bit and voila....not viola!! lol

It will eventually make its way to the shop.....when I have some room for it!!

A Lost Art?

I picked up this handmade 'knotted-patch' quilt on Monday.

It will find its way to the shop today.

I always wanted to try and make one of these.

Years ago, when we lived in the valley, on a mountain...ok, a high hill,

we don't have real mountains in Nova Scotia, at least on the mainland,

I used to watch the farm family across the road in their living room

set up a giant frame for quilting, and go about hand sewing the entire quilt.

It was a social gathering of sorts for the ladies to meet once a week to talk and sew.

I ended up buying one the quilts for my brother, Dennis', wedding.

I know now one could do these in sections

 and assemble together after all sections were done.

As you may know there are quilt museums filled with wonderful examples

of different patterns/styles.

This particular one here is precisely what it looks like....made up of hundreds of patches

taken from different multi-coloured fabrics and each patch is knotted in the centre.

I was immediately drawn to this one because of the bright colours and that it was hand done.

This is the back of the quilt as it was hanging on the clothesline Monday evening

as the sun was going down.

The back is made from one sheet of fabric that is printed in squares.

I had to look closely at first and realized these were not individual squares on this side.

Have you ever made a quilt?

If so, tell us about the one(s) you made.

If not, would you like to?

Playing In Traffic

We were down at the beach around 7:30 AM yesterday.

The sun was shining and the 'rush hour' traffic along the beach road

was starting to pick up somewhat, heading in towards the city 35 km away.

So I decided to focus on a few vehicles whipping by.....

Everyone had somewhere to go.

As did we, but not to the city....

to the beach.

Contemplative monday

The following is from 'The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh'
and published by 'Shambhala Pocket Classics'.

Peace Work

"Meditation is to be aware of what is going on----
in our bodies, in our feelings, in our minds, and in the world."

Eclectic Tastes

Easing into summer........
enjoy and have a wonderful Sunday.

Saturday Morning Post

A 'shop to shore' kind of week.

'Mid-Century Maniac', my shop, has now moved into larger quarters.

It took A LOT of work to do so

but in the end it was worth it.

I can now put kitchen furniture in the shop

which means that our basement has some room in which to move around.

It is still a 'work in progress' as are most shops.

I really enjoy having this focus and meeting people from all over who visit.

Yesterday morning at Lawrencetown Beach....Sophie and I and Ron in the distance.

Looks like Ron is about to give a sermon!!

 Our garden, front and back, is more like a 'woodland garden' than anything else.

We pretty much let things happen on it's own....at least at this point.

Initially when we started with a blank slate,

 we planted everything we could get our hands on using design plans

that were not always adhered to.

We have about four 'ground covers' and I noticed lately that each is asserting themselves.

It will be interesting to see which one has supremacy of certain areas of the garden.

I love ground covers. And since we do not have a grass lawn, these are easier to maintain.

Clematis and Climbing Hydrangea love this rocky area of the garden.

As do some of the Hosta.

Clam shell.

Lone orange flower growing among the Euphorbia 

The highlight of the week was Dad's induction into the Maritime Sport Hall of Fame.

Here he is with most of my siblings:

From the left...Mary Elizabeth (Mim), Fred, Laurie, Cheryl (our 'double first cousin'

who has been more like a sister over the years), yours truly and Paula.