take me on the road baby...

Little M and I hit the road last Monday for a week long trip to south Ontario.  We visited friends and family.  With sunset swims, bike rides in skirts, sparkler dancing, and a lot of beach love, we had the time of our lives.  Hope we see all who we love again next year, but hopefully sooner. xoxox

Rosebud Delight

I have always dreamed of having my very own china cabinet filled with rosebud delights.  I have been collecting little, tea, china trinkets over that last few years and have now finally filled my china cabinet with these treats.  Most of them came from value village and other thrift or discount stores.  I don't worry about matching pieces identically, choose a theme a stick to it (mine is pink roses) they will all tie in and and add texture and ladylikeness to your home.

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Granny "Madgie" McG

My Sweet Granny

She raised four boys and one wee girl,
she always wore her hair in curls

She was a mum and a dad and the Lord only knows
If you stepped out of line, she's dig you in the nose!

Eyes that could talk and hundred miles an hour
and hands that could wallop, she didn't know their power!

She dreamed of Canada and meeting a rich farmer
But no one in the land was able to charm her

When you left her house after her famous brown stew
She would wave at the door 'til she couldn't see you

She wrestled out Jimmy and knocked out his teeth
But when she'd bat those big eyes you couldn't give her grief

With those bony fingers she'd give your back a rub
All the time you would know and feel her love

She prayed for her children every night as they slept
Praying for their wee souls to be kept

She'd trip and fall, a regular "Footless Annie"
No one could replace my sweet Granny...

...who always let you know as often as she could
that she loved you "Hard, hard, like a soft jube-jube"



All that knew her, let's keep her memory alive by
praying for our children and letting our families
know they are loved.
We miss you xox

a day at the dock

We had a lovely time with our close friends, m&m, yesterday.  Dock jumping is a fave of ours, we hope to have many more days of fun with the ones we love this summer, carefree and happy.  Photo taken by Yummy Hubby.

grade 8 grad

Coming from N.Ireland, I never had the opportunity to graduate from grade 8.  We just finished primary school and went on to the "big school", at age 11, without any celebration or hullaballoo.  I have to say I feel kind of ripped off that we didn't get all the cheesiness of a grade 8 grad.  Last night we went to see our son gradute from senior elementary school.  The procession was led by pipers, and we watched as our boy walked down the aile, in his midnight blue suit, with a big (showing teeth) smile on his face.  We looked on as each child had their diploma presented to them by their grade 8 teacher.  We sang  O' Canada and I cried as I always do during this anthem "the True North strong and free" (how can you not?) and then we stood and applauded as they did the recessional out, and on to high school.  They grow up so fast, we must treasure every moment.  Love you Dr. T.xox

Father's Day

We took ourselves off to the lake with my Yummy Hubby's (YH) new snorkel gear.  We had a great time splashing around and hanging out with the family across the lake.  I had to stop and pinch myself a few times because it felt surreal to be sitting there at the picnic table, in Canada, at the lake, with my family; realizing I was living the all Canadian Dream.  I am blessed.  Can't wait for my dad to make it over here to live this dream too.  Love you daddy xoxox.

Dr.T put on quite a show for us with his Sunfish detection and bmx bike flips into the lake.  Yes that is a life jacket you see on the bike.  How else would we retrieve it from the lake after a 360?  My little dare devil, you never cease to "wow" me.

handstand champion

Well done Little M.  We are so proud of you!

"this must be under water love..."

I just got an under water camera.  Very exciting.  Although today was not very warm Little M and I braved the elements to test it out.  Here is the best shot she took, with a little photoshop from me, don't forget she's only 11, I think she took a fantastic photo!

And here's a cute, happy-snappy, I took of her.  More under water love to follow over the next, hopefully hot, months.

Track and Field

It's so enjoyable to take the day off work to go and see your kids doing what they love.  With Little M it happened to be high jump and long jump.  She placed 3rd and 8th in the regional competition.  Well done!

lovely lavender

I dream that one day I may have lavender beds as beautiful as this (sigh). http://rachelashwellshabbychic.blogspot.com/

pink and green birch

Here's my latest painting.  I woke up on a Firday morning full of inspiration.  I was actually, lying in bed, thinking about my friend's mum's house, it was the colours of her living room that inspired me.  I had to get up, before I had coffee or anything (much to my teenagers disgust as he awoke to me clanking around the basement), sorry dear steppy, and finish this piece that had I already re-worked about 3 times.  Re-working over and over seems to be a pattern of mine but I reckon I get there in the end.

when I lived in the city...

...I loved it.  I didn't mind the traffic (I rode my bike everywhere).Ioved the diversity of everything but most of a I like taking photos.  Toronto is a visual feast and that is what I miss the most, finding beauty in all the unexpected places.  Here are a few photos from my time spent there.  The first photo is of a lovely little deck, my roomate, Anigav and I shared.  It may have been a bit more shabby than chic but we spent many a night out there basking in the ecstasy of the warm, city, night air.  Don't get me wrong, the city has it's own "treats and treasures" but I sure am glad I had my time with Toronto.  It changed me, it allowed me to grow and it brought some wonderful people into my life, one of those my good friend Poppy, you can see her peeking out of the right corner.

bragging board

"Bancroft, the most talented town", as our welcome sign declares, is no lie.  Today as I watched our T-Hawks for their first match of the season, I was thrilled.  I had no idea how gutteral my yells could get as I screamed for 33 to "GET HIM DOWN" and belted out to 24 (my beloved steppy) to "RUN, RUN, BRING IT HOME".  33 awed us with his gazelle like leaps into the air and down onto his prey as he took out the offense over and over again.  I am hooked, I loved every moment of the action and even shed a wee tear when our boys won 13-12 and my step son took home "Player of the Game".  A promising season ahead.  Love you boys!

dandelion

Finally got my Dandelion photo.  Maybe a little contrived but Little M, Hot Hunter and I had fun getting a few shots in the afternoon sun, can't wait to see her favourites.

spring splashing

What is lovelier than little girls splashing in the lake, wearing white cotton?  I got all inspired the other day when I went to pick Little M up from school.  The Dandelions were in full force on that side of town and their yellow, button heads in contrast to the spring, green grass had me excited to take some photos; of the girls frolicking in their cute, white cotton dresses, through a green pasture, peppered with gold.  Unfortunately by the time we made our way back to our side of town, there was not a Dandelion in sight....we ended up going back through the woods to a lovely dock on a secluded little lake, splashing and playing catch with the dogs.  What a lovely afternoon.  Roll on summer! P.S. Dandelions are weeds.

The Logger and The Lady

Here are some of our wedding pics...we just got them yesterday.  Taken by Erica Miller of http://ericamillerphotography.com/ . I'm not very computer savy so the order and arrangemnet of the pictures is kind of all over.  You should get the general idea anyway.

    

Suckerfish Fishing

Who would have ever thought you would get me in a freezing cold pond to fish "Suckers" with a net.  I'm still not convinced this is their official name but I'll roll with it since I haven't heard them called anything else.  The idea is to "dog" the fish down the stream to the narrowest point, where in our case there were half a dozen of us waiting with nets to catch the "spooked" fish.  I actually caught one on the first night (when I eventually got out of the car since finding a populated area seemed a little more challenging than anticipated).  The boys were up to their (as J so delicately put it) "nut sacks" in the freezing cold water, having a blast scaring up these slimey critters and the rest of us had a gay old time catching them. 

The next night it was our turn (the girls) to do the dogging.  I donned a pair of big ol' hip waders, and a spear (though only for splashing) and along with Pastor A and Hot Hunter L we "dogged" the suckers down stream.  I had no idea that the Suckers made gobble noises.... no wait that's not a fish....I looked up above my head, there to my amazement were a flock of wild turkeys roosting.  Apparently they found our girlish laughs entertaining as every time we giggled they mimicked us with a "Gobble gobble gobble".  Where the France do I live and what the France am I doing in hip-waders, on a Sunday night, in the pitch black, dogging suckers down a stream?  Having a grand old time is where and what....I highy reccomend it!  Some of us weren't quite as fortunate in our attire as others...but God bless this attempt at waterproofing.  Now not only do we have Snow Rd Steak (fried bologna) and Snow Rd Salmon (Suckerfish), but now we have have Snwaders (Snow Rd hip waders).  What a beautiful addition to this collection of quality products;)

'tude

Here's my little pre-teen...she is hilarious.  I'm so blessed to have her in my life, telling me stories and coming out with the funniest comments.  For example: when we watched The Bachelor one night....I believe there was a bachelorette on there who was "in love" with Jake (the guy sifting through all the drooling girls),.....she had one eye looking at you and the other eye looking for you.  We roared with laughter when she turned to the camera, with squinty eyes, to say "why didn't he wanna kiss me?" ...at which point my Missy turned to me with cross eyes and repeated in a deranged voice "why didn't he wanna kiss me?"....I'm glad she knows when girls are being crazy!

Balls

On the most romantic day of my life I decided to have a really tasteful photo taken of my lovely sister-in-law and me.  The photo was taken by my great friend Melissa Jenkins.  The Poladroid finish is courtesy of : http://poladroid.net/ which I found on http://dirty-kitchen.blogspot.com/ another great friend of mine.
Hope you enjoy our balls!