Tucked In.

Our little guy has started to make his own

bed whenever he sleeps upstairs. This is

his newest version .... all the teddies had

to be tucked in, safe and sound and cozy!

Car Memories.

My dad had this car. Same color. Same

style. I loved driving it when I could!

Lunch Date.

Dh surprised me last week and picked

me up from work to take me for a late

lunch before one of our performances.

We went to Olive Gardens. So yummy!

I knew I couldn't eat a full sized meal

so I chose the lunch special, which was

the bread sticks, the salad and a small

portion of the Fettuccine Alfredo. I was

so full that I couldn't even eat dinner

later that night. We had amazing service

and the food was perfect. Happy that

we didn't have to wait to be seated.

The last time we went, there was a 2

hour wait for a table but we hit just

the right time. After we were done,

the line up for a table had begun and

it was long. It's a very popular place

and we are thankful for this great day.

Play Dollhouse.

I've been learning how to refinish old dollhouses

as an art medium. I currently own 6 dollhouses.

All are in need of refurbishing and it's been

great fun doing the research and the finishing.

But this week, I've been working on the

gifted dollhouse for our preschool. Part

of the process was finding furniture for

the house that our preschoolers would

like to play with. Such a different feel

working on this one that is not a classic.

The kids will love it and the furniture

is so sweet. I can't wait to see their smiles.

Chocolate Gift.

 

Our best man is still in our lives, all these

years later, and we are so blessed to have

such a good friend. He always remembers

our Anniversary and here's this year's gift ....

Potting Shed.

When we purged our other house before moving to

this one, we brought one item along that likely seemed

strange to those who helped us move: the change table

we used when our kids were babies. Why would we keep

this item you ask? We have no babies. And our grands are

no longer in diapers. So what is the purpose. Well my

friends, let me tell you the grand scheme. It's a good

plan and one I hope you will like as much as me!

See the change table above? Yes, it's now a potting table.

This is what we'll do with our old change table that has

been siting in our garage for the last couple of years.

Dh is going to create an opening for dirt, we'll reinforce

the shelf so I have a good working space and the small

lower shelves will hold supplies. Won't this not only

look amazing but work so well in our little potting

shed? Now that it's in its place and we're almost to

the end of our veggie patch growing season, my

attention is turning to how to finish up the inside of

our little shed. On Saturday, we were at the Antique

Mall adding items to our booth and we decided to

do a bit of shopping. We came across a old tool

caddy repurposed (photos later) and an old metal

picture to hang on the wall (photos later). A theme

is starting to emerge. A plan that is focusing my

mind right now away from world politics and the

fact that Fall keeps making itself knowing with the

growing number of yellow leaves we see each day.

I promise to do a "reveal" post when all is done.

Sweet Cookie.

At our movie premiere a couple of short

weeks ago, we were given "goody bags"

to take home. Look what I just found in

the bottom of my bag. A sweet cookie!

Fallen Leaf.

Out on our walk, look we we found on the

path we took. Yup, a fallen yellow leaf. Ugh!

2nd Design.

On the same street is this sweet and very

vintage house that is now a new clinic.

Love the carved tree of life on the outside

of the shingled building. Very welcoming.

I'm going to check out this spot for some

of the therapies I use for my body. Might

be a great place to try out. I love the colors,

the design and the warmth it alludes ....

Lovely Design.

On our trek down the street where our

venue was located, we spotted this ....

.... a new counselling centre, in a new build,

a very lovely design, a welcome addition.

In the big City, there are so many needs and

yet wait lists are so long.  Having a new spot

for clients to explore their experiences is a

very welcome move in our field. Exciting!

Ticket Table.

The wind picked up the other night and

this was the result of the ticket table ....

Toddler Pj's.

Our dd holding the "toddler body" that

our one designer created for our show.

He needed a set of toddler clothes, so I

dug up dd's favorite pj's that she literally

lived in for a couple of years. I actually

had a matching pair but wore mine out

long before she outgrew hers. One day

I'd like to make a memory quilt for each

of my kids and this pj onesie will be a

big part of hers. A lovely memory.

Show End.

Our show ended yesterday afternoon. It was another great performance and we're all feeling really good about the rehearsals, the fundraising, the long hours, the physical work and the run. Our best show ever at the Fringe. After we ended, we all walked over to a local pub for a final drink together and the conversation (after the speeches and gifts were delivered) quickly turned to next year's production. Lots of options and great excitement surrounded us. Such a great team.

In time, some of the cast had to leave, so a smaller group of us retreated to our favorite pub but unfortunately, it was after 4 p.m. and our little guy wasn't able to be in the pub. So we went next door to another pub we've never been to. We now have a new favorite spot to spend time in. Pictures and commentary to follow. For now, I've posted a pic of the cooler and white chocolate I love to indulge in after a very big event. My "go to" treats for a job truly well done!

We got home later in the evening, full of good food, good cheer and great memories. It wasn't long before we found ourselves closing our eyes while watching a show on tv so up to bed we went. And woke up over 12 hours later this morning. We were tired! This morning we've lounged a bit in bed, watching a few episodes of "Escape to the Country" and munching on raspberry toast. We plan to do a bit of gardening today if the weather holds out (its cloudy and rain is predicted) and then a trek in the City to stock our booth at the Antique Mall ~ we've been selling quite a bit this month and we need to fill in the empty spaces. Then home for dinner and a bit more snuggling down to rest as this will be a very busy and active week. Lots to do before Fall hits our region. 

What are your plans on this quiet Sunday?

Do you have a busy week coming up?

Theatre Life.

The two of us met when we were cast in a production at our local professional theatre in the Big City. We were both 18, fresh out of breakups from our former partners and thrilled to be part of a energetic cast and crew. The production was well received but just a few weeks before the end, the promoter ran off with the proceeds and the show closed early. It was a blow to all of us who had worked so hard and the beginning of a time in my life when I unfortunately realized that not everyone in life can be trusted. A life lesson I carry.

Out of all that turmoil, we ended up in a relationship that a few years later resulted in our marriage, our house, our careers and then our children. Through it all, we would continue to be involved in the theatre world as much as we could. Our children have grown up with conversations at the table that are probably not typical ("who has an audition coming up?") and each of them has been involved in the arts in a variety of ways. I'm proud of their collective and individual creativity and am happy we have been able to maintain connections within our own arts community. Definitely not a boring life!

In August each year, we are either performing or delivering a production at the second largest Fringe Festival in the World. This year, our team wrote an original work and it's been well received at Fringe. Today is our last performance. I always get sad for the last day. We work so hard and its well worth the energy. But the curtain closes, we take our bows, strike the set, go out for a last meal together and then we're drive back home to resume the "normal" life we must live in between the performances, the cheers and the camaraderie. It's a great community to be part of and I'm grateful we've been able to carve out experiences with our family and our theatre life.

Early Frost.

We woke up to discover that frost visited our region during the night. It's been increasingly colder each night and lots of rain yesterday and through the night. It was just 4 Celcius when we woke up. In a bit, we'll go visit our veggie patch and hope our plants were hardy enough to celebrate this early frost. We were told we'd be having a nice long and very warm Fall so I hope this is a one off! It's supposed to be sunny and around 20 Celcius today, with rain tonight again and possibly a bit tomorrow. Then a nice warm and sunny week again. I'm hopeful that we get to enjoy more of Summer and a great Fall before the frost returns again. Just too early in my opinion.

Ciara's 20th.

Twenty years ago, on August 21st, 2008, at 8:02 p.m., we said hello and then quickly goodbye to our tiny daughter, Ciara~Rose Kennedi. Ten tiny toes, ten curled fingers, sweet little lips, long eyelashes and curly ques, but a heart that wasn't strong enough to beat forever. We will always cherish our short time with Ciara and wish each and every day that we could have had her longer. We are comforted that she is loved every day by our amazing community of family and friends. And we hope she's loving Heaven with her siblings, her grandparents, her great grandparents and other family members. And all the sweet and tiny babies who we've never personally met but we hold their families in our hearts as we all grieve our babies together. Happy 20th Birthday, Ciara~Rose Kennedi. Loving you to the moon and back, forever and ever, without skipping a day. Always in our hearts ....

Fall Colors.

A few pictures the other day from our little garden in the big woods. Lots of different colors at this time but the one that keeps shining through is of course the bit of yellow. Fall is on its way here in the country. I'm not wishing to let go of Summer but Fall is my very favorite season. Just hope it's nice and warm, colorful and long! Not crazy about Winter at all. Even though our cold months have been much warmer than in the past and our snow not as deep, it's still not the time of year that I look forward to. If we could have a long Summer and a long Fall, and a day or two of Winter, then lots of warm Spring, I'd be in Heaven. Can you imagine gardening most of the year? Well, maybe you can but here, it's a shorter season, so we take what we can and make the most of it. And long for the warmth and color of Spring, Summer and Fall! Truly always worth the wait in the end.

Build Ideas.

When we built our new home a couple of years ago, our little cottage in the big woods, we knew we'd love to build at least one more time in our lifetime. This current house was really meant to be just for the two of us once our children all left home. But life took a bit of a curve when the marriage of our eldest daughter did not continue after the birth of their first and only child. She came home, baby in arms and we didn't skip a beat in welcoming her to be with us. While she went back to school to become a nurse, we built a house that would accommodate her tiny family and give us space to move and live. It's been worth every moment so far and after sharing a much smaller house, without all the options we have here, we have truly cherished our little cottage. Truly cherished.

I think we did really well to create a unique home with such a limited budget. The key was finding a builder who could give us almost everything we hoped for without a huge premium price. We also had a side budget to do a bit of extra shopping for a few perks, like our dream range (our AGA from England), the stone fireplaces (all the way from New York), an art studio, theatre room, extra big kitchen island and pretty wood floors. We still came within our budget. We are such great treasure hunters that we found each of these at decent prices, though each of these looks like they cost a million bucks! Well, not quite but you get the idea. Truly a ton of fun.

Now that we've settled in and are concentrating on our landscaping, we have had a couple of conversations around how long we'll all live together. I don't think this will be a short term situation as our dd does need us to care for little guy when she works her 12 hour night shifts. And help out when she works a day shift and we need to take him to school. We enjoy this and know until he's a teen, she'll need our support. In time, we might build again, and that makes me a bit excited, though I would be very sad to leave here. A bit closer to town might be appealing, especially in the Winter. But not too close as we love the quiet in our little forest. No noise, except the wind. The sound of cars, people, city life is just not appealing to us at all. But a bit closer would be. We're only 8 minutes from town, but in the Winter, on a snowy, icy day, those few minutes can feel like a lifetime. In order to move, it would have to be just the right piece of land, close enough for a shorter drive but then far enough for the quiet. Sometimes we come across listings of land and we peek, but then we say "not yet" and close the link or newspaper. One day, it will fall in to place, just like this did when we were ready to build the first time. It will take patience and energy. For now, we stay.

But this decision hasn't stopped us from gathering new ideas just like we did for years before this house. I was in a waiting room the other day and started looking at a home style magazine and found these shots. The first is an iron tub. A very different look but one that intrigued me. Next house, I truly would love to have a claw foot tub. This one is just too neat but I suspect, likely out of our budget. Unless we find a  similar look within our budget! Next picture is my favorite. I'd love more of a "chunky" look for our AGA range and this is just what I'd have in mind. Finding a builder who could do this might be challenging. But then he'd (or she) would have to create this fireplace too! Again, similar to what we have now but in a larger scale. And probably a larger budget then. But this house, right from the moment we took possession, has gained some lovely equity. In the end, it will likely be relevant to the building process at the time. Equity is a good thing!

Until then, we'll keep loving this house and work on the landscape design, which feels like it will take forever. I know one day we'll stand back and say "we did it!!" For now, we plug along, trying to fit life, theatre, work and play in between all the dirt and lifting, moving rocks and creating paths. Such fun. But tiring too! I look forward to the next house and can't wait to build again. Hopefully next time, we'll have another great experience. We lucked out and our hard work paid off.

I'm off to our Centre today ~ it's my day off from work so I'm using it to meet with my Summer Students and paint our walls and trim. A bit of a refresh before preschool starts on September 4th. Can't believe that Fall is just around the corner. I need more Summer so I can finish up my task list. Just a bit more please! I want to enjoy Fall instead of working away. 

Is your Summer task list almost done?

Are you looking forward to Fall?

Afters ....

On Tuesday, we took some time out after our

tech rehearsal to eat dinner with our crew.

It was hot and smoky from the fires, and

very noisy, as any big City will be but we

still had a great time laughing and eating

great food that left us full and fulfilled.

Stage View.

Just before the show the other night, 

I captured this sweet shot of one of

our actor/dancers as she sat for a tiny

moment before we opened the theatre ....

Smoky Skies.

This was our bedroom the other morning,

well after the sun would have been up.

Because of the catastrophic forest fires

in the Province next to us, our sky is dark.

Full of smoke, making this eery portrait. It's

hard to breathe and a State of Emergency has

been declared. Here, one Province over, they

have asked people to stay inside until this clears.

I went to work but had 2 asthma attacks

during the day. I typically have 1 to 2 a

year, so it's pretty bad. I'm worried about

family, friends and our little veggie patch.

We desparately need rain here to clear all

the smoke from the skies but in B.C., they

need the fires to be extinguished. It's so

scary and many are being evacuated. I

can't imagine the terror of not knowing

if you're home will still be standing when

this is all over. Crews are doing the very

best they can but we truly all need rain ....

Brekky Dinner.

We had a late night after our first show

and when we got home, we both realized

we had missed dinner and were just a

tad bit hungry. The cupboards and

fridge are full but we didn't feel like

cooking, so we had a bit of breakfast

for our dinner. Yummy and very fast

to make. Not the usual but it worked!

Media Call.

One of the charity's I work for has been invited to be part of an event that includes a movie premiere, a first showing in Canada. We are honored to be part of this amazing opportunity. Part of our commitment is to be available for things like a media call. I was asked to be on the radio and tv on Friday and brought along our little guy to the studio. I've done tons of media over the years, but he's never had a chance to come to a studio before. A big treat for our little guy.

The crew were amazing, even putting him right in the control room during the shoot. We discovered later in the day when we got to see the taping (it was shot and shown live but they keep a tape and sent us the link) that he was in a bunch of shots. They thought he was amazing and kept showing the control room where he'd peek out from his chair with a big grin and a thumbs up! He has great aspirations to be an actor and it's so much fun seeing his vibrant personality shine through. I have no doubts he'll be somebody one day. Too much character in this little body!! I can't wait to see it unfold.