Thinking Out Loud

                             Moonlight Yellow Queen climatis.


I forget from whom or where I read this, but have you ever wondered why you are keeping the 'good' china and the 'good' silver in the drawer and cabinet?

    Moonlight Yellow Queen climatis.


I know, they are for something or someone special! 

    Guernsey Cream climatis.


Who is more special than YOU and your family! I convinced my father to do this a few years ago. He just looked at me with this expression 'yes, why not'!

    Guernsey Cream climatis.


Get them out now and start using them on a daily basis. Every day is special and warrants a celebration. Don't you think?

                             Guernsey Cream climatis.

Life Goes On......

    Oriental Poppy.

As some of you may remember, my family has been planning a birthday party for our father.

He will be 95 years old this coming Thursday. The party is planned for Sunday at my sister's house which is actually just 'down the street' from Dad's house.

Everything has been checked and double checked and each of us 'kids' has our assignment. Mine is to make a seafood chowder. I will do that on Saturday.

Another of my assignments was to contact 'heads of government' both locally and nationally. Since Dad is celebrating a milestone birthday, all the levels of government will recognize this if asked. So I did.

I have received  a certificate from the Mayor of Halifax, the Premier of Nova Scotia, the MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) for Dad's riding, the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (the Queen's official representative for the province), the Prime Minister of Canada, and the Governor General of Canada (the Queen's official representative for the country).

The plan is to have Dad's great-grandchildren read each of the certificates at different times throughout the party. All the certificates have been placed into a scrapbook from which they will read. Fingers crossed that it will work out smoothly.

As life does have the habit of doing on occasion, Dad got an unexpected call from his brother-in -law yesterday.  Dad's sister, Eileen, has taken a turn for the worse. She has been living with Alzheimer's Disease for the past two years.

She is not expected to live much longer. Dad of course is very upset. She is the youngest in his family. His two younger brothers have died, so this leaves just Dad and Eileen.

What to do about the party should she die between now and then. We are taking one day at a time and will discuss this with Dad daily. I am of the mind to still have the party regardless of what happens.

Life is in a constant flux and as we grow older it is sometimes more difficult to plan things. Must learn to expect the unexpected I guess.

Mish Mash

Funny how when you plan something and think it will 'fall into place', just the opposite occurs.

Now, it's nothing earth-shattering. We had planned to go to this plant-nursery to get our summer supply of 'kitchen herbs'.

Well we arrived at the local nursery and much to my chagrin, they were all sold out of herbs!! I was surprised at this as this is always the time of year I buy herbs and get them in their deck containers near the house. I hope I didn't wait too long!

So off to another location tomorrow to get several kinds each of basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano and fennel.

Then off to the beach with Sophie.

Since the sun was shining brilliantly and it was a 'balmy' 22 degrees celsius, there were more people at the beach than usual.

There was quite a brisk but warm wind, so the surfers were there too taking advantage of waves.

Ron and Sophie went further down the trail while I stayed on the boardwalk to get some pics.

I guess Sophie was looking for me at the other end of the beach and thought she saw me and started to head back in my direction. I was standing on an elevated section of the boardwalk and looked in her direction and saw her coming.

She gets 'concerned' when one of us is not visible to her and feels so relieved when the three 'musketeers' are together again.

Contemplative Monday

"Home-Made, Home-Made! But aren't we all?".....Elizabeth Bishop, poet.

I've been reading a short biography of Elizabeth Bishop by Sandra Barry. She was an American poet who spent a large portion of her childhood living with her grandparents in Great Village, Nova Scotia.

This area of the province wraps itself along the shores at the very end of the Bay of Fundy, Cobequid Bay.

Ms.Bishop would return to Nova Scotia regularly throughout her life.

    Lilac and Spider.

Sunday's Selection

Moulin Rouge is one of my favourite movies of all time.....full of  romantic fantasy, music, dance and high drama. It is the only DVD I own!


This version of Elton John's Your Song by Ewan McGregor is superbly done, seeing that he is not best known for his singing ability.


Hope you enjoy this version and are having a great Sunday.

Retro Saturday

                                    Front.

So many of us have a fascination with 'all things Japanese'. Or maybe it is just me!

    Inside.


I picked this 'notepad/billfold' up at a thrift shop recently. The scene on the front got my attention immediately. It's made of rice paper.

                                     Back.


I think it's the simplicity and tidiness that attracts me.

Thinking Out Loud

                            Iris.
Ever wonder what it is that keeps some 'couples' together and others not?

Is there really anything to the saying: 'love at first sight'?

What is it that makes them persevere in a relationship?

Is it something we learn from our parents.....'learned behavior'?

Or does it have to do with our wants, needs and emotional maturity level throughout life?

I have been in a long term relationship with my husband and we have often asked what it is that keeps us 'interested' in each other. I believe that we have always had what I call 'the basics' in common........respect for each other, respect for family, love of life/nature. It also helps, I feel, that we 'see' things differently at times and don't try to push that on each other.

All relationships do not have to be long-term to make them good ones. A lot of people are 'stuck' in their situation with their partner for a number of reasons.

What do you think?