Friday Potpourri

Well today marks the end of my vacation

and all in all ~ it was a good week

really any week off is a good week ~ right!

via

via

via

we got to the cottage on Sunday and it is now cleaned

the beds are stripped and everything is sitting in the laundry room

ready for a sunny day so I can hang everything out on the line

via

via

Tuesday I planted all my annuals ~ baskets are hanging 

and the containers are full

it is amazing how these little punches of colour

can make a girl smile

via

via

Wednesday night was girls night out

as we went to see Beauty and the Beast

the Broadway show is touring Canada and I was lucky enough to go

it was amazing

via

Mom was originally scheduled for surgery yesterday

but it has been postponed til next week

she was upset but at least it is only a couple of days 

instead of a couple of months this time

via

I have gotten so many little things done this week

plus took some time to just sit as well

today I have a lunch date with Katrina

I don't get to spend nearly enough time with her ~ my oldest niece

then we will head to the mall

the perfect rainy day activity!

via

For the blog every day in May challenge

today we are to list our top 3 worst traits

I find the older I get the more Opinionated I am

and I can be quite vocal about it

I can however agree to disagree

and be open minded when given an alternate opinion

Some days I have a hard time speaking without Sarcasm

I have to be aware and dial it down when necessary

not sure if it is a bad trait or not

but I will add it to the list

I can be Selfish with my time

maybe because we never had kids

I have my routines and part of those are times alone

with quiet whether it is reading or just sitting

if I do not get this time I can get cranky

Wishing you all a wonderful week-end!

Day 23 ~ Things I Have Learned....

Day 23, Thursday: 

Things you've learned that school won't teach you

Life isn’t always fair ~ It is what you make it

Not everyone is going to like you and that’s ok

Be your own person

There is no rule book – no “what to expect when your expecting” for life

You learn from your mistakes

If life knocks you down ~ dust yourself off and get back up

Love with your whole heart

it may get broken a few times ~ and it will not be the end of the world when it does happen

but it will be worth it in the end ~ really it will.

Day 22 ~ My Rant

Day 22, Wednesday: 

Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. 

Well there are many things that I could "go off" on 

but since I like you and don't want to offend

I will stay off anything that can be construed as controversial

Rudeness, Talking down to people

and Selfishness

It seems that manners for some have gone the way of the 

banana clip ~ but leg warmers came back so we can only hope ~ right?

One day on my way out of the building I held the door for a girl

with her hands full ~ she did not say a word to me

and I grinned and said "you're welcome"

she spun around and gave me a look ~ hope she got the point.

~*~

Don't insult my intelligence ~ do not talk down to me or anyone else

and if it is done in front of me I will call you on it

we are all equals ~ you may know more than me

have a better education than me but I betcha that I could teach you 

a thing or two as well!

~*~

I have a couple of people in my life that they think 

the world revolves around them.

I cannot begin to tell you how much this makes me want to

take them and shake them

but nothing works so I limit my time with people like this

and those are my rants!

Day 21 ~ My Favourite Posts

For day 21 in the

blog every day in May challenge

"share a list of your favourite posts from your archives"

I sat down over the weekend and picked out some

of my favs

ironic since it was May 19th that I sat down for the first time

and hit publish on my very first post

that was 2009

back then I was not really sure what I was doing

lots of rambling ~ not much different than today I suppose

last year on my bloggy anniversary

I posted here

and it is one of my favourites

I started my Friday Potpourri posts in Nov 2010

and I love putting these together

finding the best pics ~ in season ~ to go along with my posts

My Women that Made Me series

was fun to put together and I am so glad I got to introduce

these ladies to you ~ they truly did make me who I am today

I used to put together a Wordless Wednesday post

and I loved picking a theme and running with it

I will still do one here and there as I love pretty things

I also like my causes posts ~ Breast Cancer & Ovarian Cancer

awareness are close to my heart

along with the Heart & Stroke Foundation

pretty pictures with a serious message

I have also done a few posts on some special people

one of my popular posts was

"For the Girl on the Swing" written for Lisa the "Bumpkin"

I still miss her friendship

I was quite proud of myself as I had not missed a day in the blogging challenge

until yesterday and I did not miss it ~ I chose not to write on the topic

so I did not miss it ~ I skipped it!

Day 19 ~ Favourite Blogs

On day 5 of this blogging challenge

I introduced you to

2 of my favs ~ one I have read since I started

and one I just started following this year

so since I have already introduced you to

Farmgirl Paints

& Gwen Moss

I was to pick 5 more of my favourites

and I will tell you ~ it was hard to choose

so of course ~ there are more than 5!

The Bottom of the Ironing Basket

is written by my sweet girl Simone

this is almost like a little but of cheating because I have been with her since the 

beginning ~ we knew each other before the land of blogging

but I still love it when I see a new post up from her

she is like a long distance sister

to me and I know in my heart that one day we will meet in person

Lou, Boos and Shoes

is another Brit in the form of Louise

I love how she lays it all out there ~ her writing makes me smile

and she finds the prettiest photos to accompany her words

The Lettered Cottage

is written by Layla and Kevin Palmer

and they are the cutest little couple ever

they just bought a new house and are making it their own

the work they did in their old place was swoon worthy

and they are in the midst of adopting a baby ~ so much going on for them

visits to their blog and IG feed are eye candy

Flower Patch Farmgirl

is written by Shannan

and don't let her fool you ~ she is a writer

some of her posts I snort laugh through

then others I sit back and go wow

Kimberly Taylor Images

Kim is the person that encouraged me to start blogging

I have proclaimed my love for her in the past

and she is a dear dear friend as well

 Bite by Michelle

I love finding local blogs and I found Michelle through a recipe on Pinterest

I will tell you ~ I have not been disappointed

Everyday Adventures of a Curious Gal

I have been reading Cathi

since I first starting blogging ~ it is one of my go to places

and there are so many others that I love

even when life takes over and blogging takes a back seat

I get excited when I see a post from Mikal, Jane, Jackie or Lissa

Where are your favourite places to go?

Care to share?

Day 18 ~ Childhood Memories

Every summer from the time I was about 8 through to my early teens

we would pack up the camper and the car on Friday night 

and head out on the highway.  

There was always a beach or a pool and friends ~ lots of friends.  

We would ride our bikes and run through the woods

collecting things for a scavenger hunt 

and getting fried clams or an ice cream cone as a treat.  

Life was simple ~ after supper we washed the dishes in a pan 

out at the picnic table and took off for the alders looking for the perfect stick.  

A bonfire was a nightly occurrence and there would be guitars playing, 

marshmallows roasting ~ happy campers for sure.  

As I got older I wanted to bring a friend ~ and also got choosy 

about which camp ground we wanted to go to.  

Our favourite was the one with the drive-in theatre next to it 

because Dad would take the car over and park it 

just us kids all jammed into the car ~ watching movies and eating popcorn.  

The adults would be back at the camp site and would take turns 

every now and then and wander over to check on us.  

These are days I remember so well and I think 

I became a better person for not only having the time spent with my family, 

but travelling around to different points, 

making new friends and experiencing life.  

Friday Potpourri

OK ~ I know I must sound like a broken record

and I really am not wishing my life away

but today could not have come soon enough

you see today is the Friday before a long weekend

and this is our official kick-off to summer

AND I start vacation

win ~ win for me!

so yes ~ I was more than a little anxious this week

via

I am so looking forward to this coming week

a time for...

digging in the dirt

hanging shelves

cleaning the house from top to bottom

lunch date with one of my girlies

pedi appointment

via

so tomorrow we load the truck

with cleaning supplies and head to the cottage

open the windows ~ strip the beds

clean clean clean

so the next nice weekend we can be cape bound

without a worry in the world

via

via

via

I am ready for a little R&R

and no alarm

via

Blog Every Day in May ~ Day 17

A favourite picture of yourself and why

I was sifting through photos this week

looking for one that brought back memories

and even though this one is not perfect ~ I smile a big smile when I 

remember this time.  It was New Years Eve 1999

Trev and I had just celebrated our first Christmas together

New Years we went out to dinner with some of our closest friends

and then back to our place ~ our first home we shared

it was a year of new love and new beginnings

it was being surrounded by loved ones

we were happy ~ and looking forward to what the year 2000 might bring

we partied like it was 1999.....

oh wait ~ it was!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend

full of sunshine and smiles!