On with the show

Lately it seems like I am the Ringmaster of a 3-Ring Circus.    And each Ring is featuring some kind of train wreck!  Lol

No, not really that bad but I do have too many balls in the air right now.  So if I am behind in checking up on some of my favorite blogs, please have patience. 

I'm on the road tomorrow so that is another wasted day. 

I thought it was time I posted and showed you what I have on the hooking frame these days.    This is part 1 of the project.  



You will have to wait for another post to see the finished results.  Well, if I don't get cracking on it you won't have anything to see in the next post!   Just wanted to pop in quick so you would know I was still alive!

Blooming

The love and laughter has continued throughout the weekend.  I think that the concept of celebrating your birthday over several days should catch on - it is so much more fun that way!

I did go out to dinner with some girlfriends last night.  We did "howl" a little - well.....howl with laughter!  The food was great, the drinks were flowing and the company was excellent.   I think we need to do that more often. 

The thunderstorm that threatened all day never materialized so late in the afternoon I grabbed the camera to capture a few backyard images. 

The lilac tree is just ready to burst with blooms.  This is the best this tree has blossomed in years.  It suffered some ice damage a few years back and looks like it is recovering nicely.   I just love the smell of lilacs.

Can't you just smell them?

You know I hate to garden but I am actually considering planting a few flowers this year.  I have a bed in the back yard that is a mess of ugly perennials.  I wish the Garden Fairy would come over and dig it all out so I could start over.  (Do you think that might actually happen?  Probably not eh!)

Since there is still potentially one frost left, I will wait another week and then see how I feel about digging in the mud. (Blahh)  So, in the meantime, here are some "voluntary" flowers.

I think I have the only camera shy birds in town.  The yard is always full of birds - - until I take out my camera.  Seriously, as soon as I bring out the camera they just scatter. 





There was a bird in front of this birdhouse when I snapped this picture.  I swear!!   Stupid birds.

Just perfect

That just about describes my day.  Today was my birthday!!  And I couldn't have had a better day if I tried.  Yep, I'm 39......again (well a few times over if the truth be told)

I woke up to find birthday presents on the kitchen table, then I arrived at work and was delivered a muffin with a candle in it and a coffee.  (and several minutes later I spilled half that coffee all over my white silk shirt and had to go home and change)  And even THAT didn't dampen my mood.  The sun was shining and all was good!

There were multiple deliveries of other treats throughout the workday, lots of calls and emails, a birthday cake from the staff.  I did miss one special call, but did get the voicemail.  You know who you are - you made my day!  A couple of dear friends took me out and treated me to lunch.

The afternoon was much of the same.  Isn't it great to have a day that is all about you......LOL

This is one of the cards I received today and just had to share it with you.  It's perfect and just cracked me up.  The sender of this card knows me well ;)

   And it is even better when you can stretch out the fun for more than just one day.  Tomorrow night I am going out to dinner with a group of girlfriends.  It's our turn to Howl!    Look out Downtown - middle aged women on the loose!!

It's Tradition

Traditions are important.  Especially now with the world changing at such a rapid rate, it is nice to have something to hold on to, something familiar.

Traditions remind us of another time.  A ritual that you can rely on.  You know I'm an old fashioned gal who likes to hold on and honor traditions.  I'm sure we all have family traditions that we cherish and look forward to each year. 

New Shoes on Budget Day!!   Got ya......Lol 

New shoes on budget day

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

New shoes on budget day is an unusual tradition among Canadian Ministers of Finance. The tradition holds that the Minister of Finance should purchase or wear new shoes when the budget is delivered.
The exact origins of this tradition are not known. The observance of this tradition has been inconsistent among federal ministers; indeed, for two or three finance ministers, this tradition only holds if "new shoes" is interpreted to mean "new footwear". It also makes appearances among provincial finance ministers.

Well, we are not federal or provincial - we are municipal.  And I am not a finance minister.  BUT why should they get all the fun?   Why should they get to buy new shoes?  Plus, men's shoes are kind of ugly.

I see no reason why I should not participate in this fine old tradition today, as we (finally) approve our Budget this afternoon.

So today I am wearing my pretty new "budget" shoes.   (Please ignore the cankles)

A bright beginning

The long weekend in May is the traditional start of summer around here.  And it couldn't have started out on a better foot. The weather was ideal and the smell of fresh cut grass and barbeques filled the neighborhood air.

Yesterday and today I got to enjoy some sun out on the deck.  I relaxed, read, and drank my morning coffee watching the birds zip around the birdhouse.  Nothing is better than starting the day like that.  It gives me that little bit of me-time that is kind of rare around here.  Plus I even got a little color on this pale skin. 

I have even managed to hook a fair amount this weekend.   This is just a sample.  I will show you the finished results soon.   I need to hook 6 squares before I can cut the fabric.  Three done, three to go.

I was still dreaming about that stupid scallop burger.  So, I decided to make my own.  (Its just not the same when someone doesn't serve it to you!)  I must say, it was tasty!  And I have enough scallops left to make another tomorrow ;)

The evening sky is pink so that means another great day tomorrow.  I'll meet you on the deck in the morning with a coffee.  Days off are fabulous!!

Look Ma, no hands!!

My Sweet little Millie - drinking from her water dish.  I am not holding her or the dish!

Success!  At last.   If you are not a regular reader you might wonder why this is such a huge deal.  I wrote about her little psycho spell here.

For the rest of you, I can hear the collective cheer - WOOHOO!  Millie is back to normal (or whatever normal is for a super spoiled fur baby)

The Plan must go on

You take a Type A personality and a Plan and that can be a tricky situation.  Especially when something has the potential to threaten the plan. 

I am on Day 1 of my 4 days off.  I have plans for all 4 days.  Sounds perfect, right?   Well what happens when you wake up this morning with a headache?  Day 3 of the same headache, I might add.  But I would not relent with the Plan.  I wanted to go for a drive to Parrsboro.  Our little beach front restaurant re-opened last weekend.  They are only open in the summer.  The best scallop burgers, and I have been dreaming of having one all winter.

I felt like crap when I got up.  I immediate took a couple of pills.  I'm not sure if I actually looked green, but I certainly felt green.  My stomach was not good at all.  Instead of thinking of changing the plan, I instead thought of places along the road where I might have to throw up.  (I know, Type A - crazy)  Auntie came downstairs and looked at me and said "Maybe we should go another day"  (so apparently I did look green)   No, I said we were going - I would be fine soon.  I said just wait a half hour, I will have a cup of tea.   See, if you are from Nova Scotia, the cure-all for everything is a good strong cuppa tea.   Well, the tea plus a couple of digestive cookies and I did start to feel better. 

We headed out as planned.  It was a gorgeous sunny day and the drive was lovely. We arrived at the restaurant, me in total anticipation of the scallop burger.  I scan the menu 3 times.  Its not there......  I ask the waitress and she says its off the menu.  Huh?   My response - you have scallops, you have burger buns......can't you just slap them together??   Well, apparently not.  I feel my day circling the drain again.  Hrmmph,  WHATEVER.   We did stay for lunch, however disappointing as it was.   (Note to self: need to find new restaurant)

Next stop was the lovely Sweet Briar Boutique.  We did manage to pick up a few little treats there.  A cute little summery necklace and a few little goodies for a birthday gift for a friend.   The retail therapy helped brighten my mood :)

Once we got back home and I dropped off the Golden Girls, I went to have a coffee and visit with my friend who owns a downtown boutique.  She says, I owe you money.  YAY!  She sold some of my little hooked pieces.   Nothing puts the hooking mojo back in your spirit like money in your pocket!

So tonight I picked up my hook for the first time in several weeks.  I didn't realize how much I missed it until I pulled those first few loops.    The day ended with hot fudge sundaes at 9:30pm.   You need to be little decadent on vacation days :)

Just a little random

There has been so much going on lately.  Both at work and at home. Unfortunately none of it is blog-able.    Sometime when I win the lottery and retire to a private tropical island, I'm going to write a book.  Sure thing bestseller! 

So instead you get my random thoughts today.  I tried to post last night but the second I opened up blogger, my mind went blank. 

Today was my Friday.  I have 4 days off in a row!  And as a bonus, the weather forecast is looking fabulous.  I think a little roadtrip might be in order tomorrow.

Today Auntie went out to lunch downtown with a friend.  When she got home she was laughing and told me the Cafe was packed.  She asked the waitress what was going on and she replied "Oh, they're all Hookers".   Now a few years ago, before I took up this craft, my dear prudish Auntie would have recoiled in horror.  But now that she is used to having "hookers" around, she just laughed and said "Oh Deanne must be having a class"

I'm reading Fifty Shades of Gray.  I'm blushing.  It is scandalous.  The critics said it was fairly explicit.  THAT was the understatement of the year.  (Still blushing)

For the next week or two, I will be trying to avoid going out after dark.  The June Bugs are insane this year.  Tuesday night poor Millie and I were under serious attack by those creepy hard shelled demons.  I have this fear of them getting stuck in my hair.  Millie is not a fan either.  She did not waste a minute doing her business.  It was in and out in record time.

Well, I feel that mind-blank thing happening again.  That's all for now.

Mother's Day

Me and Mom

Friday at last

I'm not sure I have ever been so happy to see the weekend.

Do you remember those commericals - "Calgon, Take Me Away"?

This is kind of how I felt when I got home from work tonight

This guy sure knows how to party!

But I'm thinking this last guy could REALLY Take Me Away!

Anywhere - He - Wants!

Thank Goodness It's Friday :)



A little crazy

It has been awhile since I posted about Miss Millie, or as she has been affectionately known as at home - - the psychotic little fur ball.

I guess that should give you a tiny clue that her "issues" have not been resolved.  All is not bleak. There has been some teeny tiny progress.

Remember how she suddenly wouldn't come to her mat beside the table?  Well, it took some time but I am pleased to say that now she is back to staying on the mat 95% of the time.  Besides, I think she figured out it is much harder to beg for food from across the kitchen. 

I wish I could say we have made the same amount of progress on the fear of the water dish issue.  When I say that I have tried "everything", I really mean it.  Including getting down on the floor on all fours, over the water dish and making fake slurping noises.   Yes, I did it.  I was desperate.   STOP laughing!!

I bought 3 different water dishes for her to try - stainless steel, colored plastic, and ceramic.  No dice.  I sat on the floor and held the dish in my hands.  She took a sip, jumped back.  I stirred the water with my finger.  Again, a sip then jump back. I moved the dish a foot to the left - she sipped.  A foot to the right - she sipped.  I cupped my hands and filled with water.  She drank.

Well, I'm not doing that everytime she needs a drink!  The next attemp was to hold her in one arm and the water dish in my other hand.  TaaDahh!  She drank so much I thought she might drown. But she would only do this for me - no one else.  This went on for a few weeks. 

The last week or so we are making a little more progress.  Now she will drink if I just place my hand under her chest while she drinks.  After a few slurps I am trying to remove my hand.  I think we are getting a few extra slurps in each day.  If things continue this way, we may just have this water dish thing licked soon.

See, I told you it was teeny tiny progress.  But it is a whole lot better than when she first started her little crazy spell.  It really is a good thing she is so cute.  I think I'll keep her despite her issues :)

Music to soothe the savage beast

They say that music can soothe the savage beast.  I admit to believing that concept.....until tonight.

You know I have been very busy at work recently and am struggling to stay caught up.  I went in to work last night and it was so quiet and peaceful and I got a lot accomplished. 

So I thought I would do the same tonight.  As I arrived I remembered there was a reception being held in the first floor lobby.  Its OK I thought, I'm on the 2nd floor.

They were so loud I could hear them in my office.   Clapping, cheering, giving speeches.  I tried to focus but it was a bit annoying.  Then a coworker comes upstairs and says he's leaving because they are starting karaoke.  I thought it was a joke.

Then it started - for real - and loud.  I suffered through Hotel California, the Village People's YMCA, and then they started doing Whitney.   That was the straw that broke the camels back.   I had become the Savage Beast and that noise was NOT soothing me.

It's bad enough to have to go in to work after-hours, but try to be productive while listening to bad karaoke!!  The Savage Beast came home. 

Later tonight I will try to forget the gawd awful songs I heard while I watch the elimination episode of Dancing with the Stars.   I really think it is time to send Melissa Gilbert back the Prairie.  (fingers crossed)  This show is a guilty pleasure.  And this year I have been having fun with a group of hilarious women on facebook.  Sweet Alice from the blog A Day in the Life has been hosting a little DWTS fun during each show.  There is a bunch of ladies from Canada and the US and the comments are just hysterical.  It can get to be a no-holds-barred critique from some very clever and funny gals.

Random Ramblings

Another pic-less post from me.  Sorry.  Today my bare legs got reaquainted with the sun.  It was warm enough to get out the cropped jeans.  I did notice the seasonal closet gremlins were at work again.  They seem to sneak in and shrink all the pants in the closet.  It's just mean and un-fair.  I laid down - I inhaled deeply - and I zipped them up.   Hahaha - take that!

The traditional sunday dinner took a little detour tonight.  The thought of peeling veggies, cooking some kind of meat etc was just too much.  I dialed 7 magic numbers and Chinese food appeared.  What a concept!

Apparently the "5 second" rule has actually been studied by some scientist.  So now you can all rest easy - if a cookie falls on the floor and you can grab it before the dog does - it's OK to eat it.  I found this to be extremly valuable information, as well as a sound use of research dollars.

I have been hearing about this new book "Fifty Shades of Grey".  It is supposedly the summer beach book of the year.  It is also referred to by some critics and media as "Mommy Porn".   If I'm not a Mommy and I read it - Is it just Porn?   I downloaded it.  (blush)

Only 2 episodes of Desperate Housewives left.  Better get the snacks ready.

Home again

I'm back home after my little work trip.  Just so you know, the hotel wasn't quite Norman Bates but still a little icky.   Did I mention there was no door on the bathroom??  Yeah, classy - just sayin.

Rebecca, my co-worker and I met for breakfast the next morning. Part way through breakfast (McDonald's bacon and egg biscuit) she says "I shouldn't tell you this, but when I went to bed last night I started thinking about bed bugs and couldn't sleep."   OMG, I did the same thing.  I got in bed, had that flash through my mind and then got all itchy!  By the way - there were none.  I checked.  

The mattress was like laying on marshmallows - too soft.  Between that and the bug thoughts, I didn't sleep well.  And in the morning my back was killing me from the mattress.  I took me several minutes to even get out of bed.  I must have looked like a 98 year old arthritic trying to get up.   So needless to say, we were both less than bright eyed and bushy tailed at breakfast. 

We did have a good day and a nice 3 hour drive home.  We were in the part of the province that is mainly agricultural.  So that meant lots of little farm markets and fruit and vegetable stands.  We stopped at several.  The highlight was finding the first batch of Spring Fiddlehead Greens.    I cooked them for tonight's supper with a piece of salmon.  Mmmmm, perfect.

I still haven't found my hooking mojo.  All I seem to do lately is knit.  I just packed up an order of cotton dishcloths.  I may find the strength later to list some on etsy.  I am missing the rug hooking, yet until you have that inspiration for a project you like, its a waste of time.  You will not like what you are doing and it will become another unfinished thing.  So for now its still knitting.    MOJO, where are you?

Hot Lips and the Fleabag Hotel

So, did that title get your attention?? Hehe, thought so! Well we have arrived at our destination. I'll get to the accommodations in a minute.
We decided to have supper first. We had the spiciest Thai chicken. it was a great meal but the heat intensity actually got worse after we finished eating. I thought my lips were on fire. Good thing there was a cold beer on the table :)

Now it's time for me to tell you about the fabulous, classy resort/spa we are staying at tonight. Oh wait....that's the place that was full and put us on a useless waiting list. We are someone else....now affectionately known as the "fleabag hotel".

Not exactly 4 star. It is cleanish. When we arrived and walked in the lobby, Rebecca says "oh, there must be a pool. I smell pool". It did smell like pool. The desk clerk says "no pool, you smell laundry". Seriously....what's up with that?

She gives us our room key cards. We are on 2 different floors. I walk to my room, try the key card, and try and try. I'm thinking, geez how stupid am I that I can't insert a card in a slot properly? Then I see the clerk running down the hall. She gives me an actual key. Apparently the electronic cards don't always work here. Nice!

Then 2 hours later when we came back from supper in town, the clerk was actually folding laundry at the front desk - on the desk! Now is that classy or what??

But there is no excuse for totally roughing it. We are having a nice little buffet of Brie, crackers, melon and olives (and liquid refreshments)

Happy times at the Fleabag Hotel.

More of the same

Nothing new, just more of the same.  I am boring.  Well, lately I am boring :)

I have no new projects on the frame or in my head.  I did manage to get my hair fixed so that seems like a huge accomplishment.  At this point I will take any little crumb to talk about.

However, I do have an opportunity to get out of the office for a day and a half.  It is still work, just in a different location.   Oh well, a change is better than nothing!  The weather looks good so the drive tomrrow will be pleasant.

The nice hotel where the sessions are being held is booked.  So I am staying at a flea bag (not really but sort of) down the road.  So tonight I picked up a few gourmet snacks to take with me.  No point in completely roughing it. 

If anything earth shakingly exciting happens in the Valley, I will let you know.