while we were at the cottage a dear friend of my daughter came to spend the day…
they had fun visiting, walking the beach, going in the water and playing with paint…
it was lovely to see them enjoy their time together…
I was reminded of the many times they spent together, and with their friends, when they were much younger, lol…
watching them painting brought back their project when they were in their teens… three of them spent a few days painting the bedroom door of my daughter’s room…
since then the door has moved every time she has…
currently it lives in her hallway…
it is so good to see these young people maintaining longtime friendships…
on Friday I put out all the cushions and pillows as it was supposed to be sunny all day…
it is a bit of a process, because I put one out at a time, which helps me get steps, particularly as I spend a lot of time in the garden on my butt, reading…
it looked beautiful… the poppies, which don’t match my colour scheme at all, were blooming and dancing in the breeze and many of the pots and planters had flowers smiling…
I was surprised when my daughter arrived for a visit… she has been staying with a friend who has a lovely guestroom, lol… we spent a lovely time in this beautiful space, talking about everything and nothing…
she left and shortly after Hilda the Gardener arrived for some maintenance… we visited as she tidied up all the beds and pathways… it looks so nice when she is done;-)…
later as I was enjoying the space my daughter called and suggested we go to The Leaf…
I walked over to the other side of the bridge and she picked me up and we headed to the biomes…
we had a fun time checking out all the growth since she was here last year and had a lovely visit with the three cacao trees;-)…
yesterday we moved the table on the deck to the middle of the space and this morning I put on the tablecloth and runner that I picked up on Saturday…
then my housemate put the umbrella back in its hole and we opened it up…
I folded silverware into napkins and brought out pretty, but unmatched, plates to put around… glasses and mugs followed… everything was upside down so they wouldn’t get dirty…
found bowls, covers, and spoons for the two salads – ham and German potato, as well as the coleslaw…
crackers went onto a wooden tray and the salt and pepper shaker made it onto the table, alongside some lily of the valley flowers from under the deck…
chair covers and cushions went out and umbrellas went up…
friends arrived with other food offerings… there were fresh veggies and hummus, devilled eggs, fresh fruit, whipped cream, chocolate, and custard…
there were flowers for the birthday woman…
we gathered at the table and enjoyed everyone’s delicious offerings… of course there was our usual coffee and tea to go with the fruit, custard and whipped cream, topped with a piece of chocolate and a pistachio, lol…
the bubble machine came out and was on until bubbles started to land on plates… the weather was beautiful as the sun shone with a slight breeze every now and then… conversations were free flowing and stories made us laugh…
we took a group photo, as we always do when we gather for special times;-)…
as everyone began to leave the clouds filled the sky and the temperature went down, but no rain fell…
I had a relaxing time as I cleaned up, filled the dishwasher, put away the cushions, and got the table back into its original location…
read my book as the last of the bubbles flew around the deck…
enjoying every beautiful minute I can manage in the garden…
yesterday, I dug pots out of the shed and planted the dahlias… four pots that go along with the one I planted last week…
then I set up a pallet with a plant hanging stand and added the lounge chair in the area to the northwest of the pond… I am hoping this will be a good napping area…
after I put out the cushions, I repaired one umbrella and put the rest up, to see when they provided shade…
after all that I had some lunch and read for awhile, testing out various sitting spots…
finally, I brought more pots out from the shed and set them up in various spots in the garden to be filled with plants;-)…
throughout the afternoon I noted where the chairs got the best shade…
while I was working a bunny came by and snacked on dropped birdseed and many white-crowned sparrows stopped by for drinks and baths…
this month commemorated the twelfth anniversary of my beloved’s passing…
it is always a reminder of how one’s life can change in the blink of an eye… mine certainly did at that time and again when I was diagnosed with cancer, and later diabetes…
the thing I have learned is that we can pivot and move forward, even if in a slightly different direction…
I have spent time remembering what a wonderful life we had together and how blessed I have been been and continue to be…
thinking of those who are at that pivot point in their journey…
yesterday I had a good time cleaning and organizing the upstairs hall bookshelves… I had hoped to spend time on the deck, but it was overcast and cool so instead I tackled the shelves… apparently the last time may have been in February of 2014…
it is quite a gift that I can wait until I feel like doing something to do it, lol…
and Tuesday morning I was ready to go…
found a box for the pass-me-overs and then started going through all the stuff on the shelves…
the box was mainly filled with books that seemed easy to let go…
items were rearranged and I even found a container of rocks and some small seashells…
happy with the outcome;-)…
now, I wonder how long I can keep it this way, hmmmm…
it has been so interesting to see all the technology that has improved many of the sports, from starting blocks to lights around the track showing world record speeds…
the athletics have been excellent and have brought many memories flooding back from magical times with my dad…
we used to attend events at the old Arena and had fun watching and cheering on all of the participants…
my dad really embedded the idea in my head that every person deserved applause, even if they weren’t from a team you were cheering for…
for the last week one of my knees has been a bit sore, so I have been taking it pretty easy…
today I was able to get in for a haircut and I got dropped off so that I could get there right away…
happy to have a tidy and lighter head, lol…
I decided to walk home as I could call and get a ride if I needed it should my knee misbehave, although it hasn’t given me any twinges for the last day or so…
I walked on the dry sidewalk along Portage, but when I turned onto the side streets I used the middle of the road as the sidewalks were covered in ice…
herbiggirlpants 