Category Archives: travel

deck…

09 Thursday Jul 2020

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last night I went camping on the deck…

instead of putting out the big air mattress, I brought up the lounge chair, put two cushions on it, brought out a quilt, a throw and a pillow and settled down for the night…

the space station was going to be visible at 3:22 a.m. so it seemed like a good idea;-)…

I did wake up around 3, but the sky was covered in clouds so I went back to sleep and when I woke up this morning it was clear again…

as I lay there I could feel the squirrels running over the deck beside me, lol…

such fun;-)…

planes…

21 Thursday May 2020

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today as I was sitting outside, I took this photo of the tree next door as it is budding out…

so happy to watch this transformation from bare branches to a canopy of leaves…

another thing I’ve noticed over the last few days is the number of planes leaving the airport… there are many more than there have been for weeks… hard to believe that people are travelling, although the planes might all be filled with mail and parcels, lol…

taste…

05 Tuesday May 2020

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someone recently talked about taking the time to enjoy eating, whether it is a snack, a meal, a treat…

tonight I had shrimp with cocktail sauce for my dinner…

while I was eating, I was remembering…

many years ago I flew to Florida with a dear family friend on vacation… I was there in case she had any problems with her health… we had a wonderful time and I enjoyed every minute with her…

one of the things you could do there was order cooked shrimp while shopping at the grocery store… while you shopped they were boiled and bagged for you to take home fresh… many evenings we peeled these delicious cold shrimp for our dinner as we discussed our day and life in general…

the other special memory was when we were in Hawaii last year and went to Shrimp Hale… it was a little restaurant in a strip mall just a short walk from where we were staying that we just happened upon…

the shrimp were boiled, butter, garlic and fresh lemon were added, and it was brought hot to the table in a plastic bag… we were given plastic bibs and gloves… the shells just went onto the paper on the table… it was such fun and so delicious…

such wonderful and special moments and memories… how blessed I am…

made my dinner taste even better…

banyan…

21 Tuesday Apr 2020

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a photo of the banyan tree in Lahaina came up in my Facebook feed this morning so I pulled out a few more…

I’ve been thinking of this particular tree for quite a while… it is the largest banyan tree in Hawaii, and covers an entire block… the aerial roots are astonishing… it is stunning, and also one of the most peaceful places I have been…

the area is filled with visitors, many, like we were, there from out of the country, but lots of regulars as well… a gathering place for lunch and work breaks, there were many of the town’s workforce in the space… it is also clearly a place where those who have very little spend their time… what was also obvious was how they cared for the place and treated it, and everyone there, with respect and kindness…

we visited it a few times while we stayed in Lahaina and it provided a wonderful break… the weather was very hot and it always provided shade and a slightly cooler place to be… each day as the sun goes down the tree is filled with the sound of hundreds of birds gathering there for the night…

before we left the town, it was the last place we stopped, to soak up the amazing feeling…

I took this panorama of a corner of the block…

this beauty of nature reminded me of Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island, another breathtaking place which I will never forget…

I hope you have memories of a special tree…

proud…

04 Saturday Apr 2020

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rather proud of myself… I have barely done anything for ages, but today I was able to accomplish three things…

first, I went into the backyard and shovelled a path to the hot tub… my shoveler hasn’t been by… likely he is staying at home like everyone else;-)…

being very careful of my back, I worked slowly and made sure there wasn’t too much snow in each shovelful… now I can go out to soak my back if I want;-)…

came in, had a break, and then tidied the hallway bookshelf… I’d organized it back in 2014… made me laugh when I realized it was that long ago…

finally, I redid the living room table drawer… put sea shells in two of them and left the others as they were… one has all the retirement cards and the other has a number of pictures and maps from our trip to Hawaii…

looks good…

pleased with all that got done… maybe I will keep on getting things done;-)…

bevels…

26 Wednesday Feb 2020

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recently I was checking out the rainbows on the kitchen floor… there has been lots of sun;-)…

thought they were coming through the patio door, but then I figured out they were coming from the back door window which has a number of bevels on it…

brought back memories of our time in Maui where there were rainbows all the time…

one day there were seven different rainbows within about an hour… it was amazing…

I do love rainbows…

reflecting…

11 Saturday Jan 2020

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had a lovely time while I was still at my daughter’s sorting and taking photos of my Christmas gifts…

I absolutely love my soft purple blanket, and was happy to examine all of the other wonderful treats I received…

a few purple items, lol – socks, facecloths, gloves, tins, toothbrush, reusable sponge, phone holder… and quite a variety of chocolate – pistachio, Lindt, turtles, raspberry (my favourite), chocolate covered sponge… a tea and chocolate pairing that was flavoured with orchids, reusable bags, a Chihuly 2020 calendar, colouring books and pencils, a magazine on gratitude, a hand printed towel… plus a few more I can’t even remember…

yikes, so many gifts… I certainly am blessed…

the sun was shining into the room as I was gathering them for the photo… it was very meditative and I was able to reflect on each gift and the person who gave it to me… and the fun we had as we opened and shared our delight over each parcel…

a wonderful way to extend the joy of Christmas morning…

now that I’m home, I’ve found a spot for each one…

as I use each item I will be sure to spend a moment to remember the giver with gratitude in my heart…

hosts…

10 Friday Jan 2020

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recently I flew home from Ottawa… I spent the majority of the trip with my eyes glued to the window… it was like the entire sky was filled with a sunset for the entire flight… what a gift…

I had the most wonderful visit with my daughter and son-in-law… also had a fun time meeting and getting to know his mom…

it was quite a different Christmas for me… flew out on Christmas Day and celebrated New Year’s there as well… his mom was with us for a week and then I spent another six days with the kids…

had so much fun… the kids are wonderful hosts* and offer up all kinds of interesting things to do… I stayed in their AirBnB room which was very cozy…

while I was there we ate great home cooked meals, fed birds out of our hands, went to see butterflies, had afternoon tea, went to the Market and restaurants, spent a day at the spa, had a photo shoot, and two chocolate tastings…

and enjoyed great conversations…

now I am home and able to begin retirement living…

*AirBnB Cozy Blue Room Ottawa

spa…

09 Thursday Jan 2020

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for my last full day in Ottawa, we went to Nordik Spa in Chelsea… it is the parent of Thermea, where I was, just days ago…

but it is so much bigger… there are whole sections for quiet activities, as well as silent ones… every time I go they have added something new… this time it was Quonset hut saunas… the light reflecting on the ceiling was gorgeous…

we started in one of the warm glass beds and moved to warm pools, saunas, hot pools, had scrubs, and sat around fires in huts…

we drank tons of water and had a delicious lunch… we chatted with strangers, just ourselves, and we spent time in silence…

they don’t allow photos on site so these are a few I took: leaving home as the snow fell, the view as we stood in line to get our bracelets, and a picture my daughter took as we were leaving…

it was a wonderful relaxing and rejuvenating day, and a great way to end my visit…

we drove home in the dark, after watching the moon rise from various pools, and had a simple supper before all three of us watched a movie…

we didn’t want to go to bed because she had to work the next day and I would be packing and flying home;-(…

market…

08 Wednesday Jan 2020

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on Sunday we had breakfast out at Stan’s Diner, which seems to be similar to the “A”…

then a trip to pick up mushrooms, maple syrup, bread, a raspberry scone, and squash…

we also tasted truffle butter and truffle ice cream;-)…

then home for a relaxing day…