Sunday, now that the two coats of primer were on, the actual paint went onto the shelves and the doors… and because it was going to rain, we had to do the doors inside, rather than on the deck, lol…
then we got to relax as we waited for it to dry…
we checked out a few other projects and I put back the banner that had come down in the hall…
looks so much better now that the holes have been repaired…
today, for my seventy-first birthday, I’ve been treated to phone calls, texts, and messages on social media…
I’ve also received a gift of a flower bouquet subscription, an actual bouquet of flowers, and chocolates… these people know me well, lol…
my buddies also came by and sang to me on the sidewalk…
our birthday bag has travelled many a mile from one house to the next and has been repaired a number of times… it has even gone missing for a year or two, but always turns back up…
just before they surprised me, I had been listening to music released in 1951… much of it seems very old, lol…
first thing this morning, I went out and shovelled the steps and sidewalk after more snow over the last few days… it was a treat to have blue sky, sunshine, and weather warm enough to wear a spring jacket… and the snow on the trees was pretty…
I also did some yoga, had a nap, took flower photos, got some reading done in the sunshine, attended a Zoom meeting and possibly ate a bonbon or two with some tea…
it has been two and a half years since I last saw this girl in person…
and something like four years since she’s been home…
I am delighted and look forward to making the most of these next few days…
so far, we’ve eaten chocolate and macarons and I got the cutest tray from Paris with Monet’s NYMPHEAS (water lilies)… it was a lovely reminder of a wonderful visit the two of us had to a museum in New York…
more lazy days, tons of conversation, favourite foods, and walks outside are on the agenda;-)…
I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day… from getting flowers from my beloved, to making heart shaped sugar cookies for the girls’ classrooms for years, to taking roses to my colleagues…
in later years, once the girls had flown the nest, we would have a special dinner… often steak and lobster…
this year I ordered a charcuterie board from Oak Hammock Marsh, one of our local not-for-profits, for my dinner tonight…
it was delivered to my door and looked festive…
there were cheeses, olives, crackers, cold cuts, fruit, nuts, herbs, even a bit of chocolate… and it came on a nice wooden board…
tonight I enjoyed half of it, and will finish it either tomorrow or Monday…
was thinking of my beloved as I enjoyed this treat…
I’ve been thinking about generosity quite a bit lately…
recently a friend treated me to dinner and another one to lunch… such a gift;-)…
when I think of generosity, I think of generosity of spirit, kindness, and sharing the wealth as much as possible…
I think of my dad, who taught me to be kind and treat people nicely… he would have given anyone the shirt off his back…
I remember whenever he or my mom were sick and in hospital, it would be my job to fetch nuts and chocolates from Morden’s to share with the staff… that was something we did to thank individuals and groups for their help…
many years ago a colleague suggested that I did nice things for others to get attention and compliments… they were not able to understand that this generosity habit was part of who I am…
thanking those around me just seems to be ingrained in me…
for many years I would treat colleagues to flowers, chocolate and/or nuts, or something else I made, to celebrate special events… often my anniversaries or birthday… it was always great to see their enjoyment of whatever the treat happened to be…
it also brings much happiness and always reminds me of my dad…
nowadays, I am working toward sharing with others in as many ways as I can…
the cleaners were here today and while they were inside the house, I was in the garden on the back deck spending time with googly finding the answers to the Happy Mail for Chocolate Lovers crossword that I received in an email mid-August;-)…
it was fun learning new facts about the various places where cacao grows…
two friends dropped by at different times a few days ago…
one brought me a sad orchid she had which I am going to try and perk up… we both had masks on and she left the plant on the bottom step while I stood on the top… she moved close to the road and we spoke for a few minutes before she headed home…
about half an hour later anther friend brought me some chocolate which she had added to an online order and which had arrived… it is always fun to see what mask we each are wearing… we visited for a few minutes… she sat in a chair on the lawn while I sat on the steps…
yesterday we had an online chocolate tasting in the afternoon… it was the gift I gave my four buddies for Christmas…
before it started I spent time preparing my space for the call… moved most of my orchids into the pass through and put fabric behind it so the light wouldn’t cause a problem… looked great;-)…
everyone received a package in the mail with a beautiful handmade pouch holding four chocolate bars… three were the same for everyone, and one was different for each of us…
besides information on how to taste, choose and buy chocolate, forms to use to describe tasting information on each bar, there were little treats included as well… a chocolate flavoured tea, hot chocolate, a cocoa bean and cocoa nibs…
we had a lovely time, learned a huge amount about cacao, its origins and how it is made into the chocolate that we enjoy… we were able to ask questions throughout and shared what we thought of each bar…
one of us couldn’t get their camera to work, but was able to see us, even if we couldn’t see them… there was a lot of laughter and delicious chocolate eating, uh, tasting, happening…
what a great treat… as much a gift for me as my buddies…
herbiggirlpants 