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 :)