Fall Secret Garden.

Our leaves have begun to turn already. I truly love

Fall but this is just too early. We didn't get Summer!

Our teetering tots don't seem to mind.

All seasons just work around them.

Our pretty bench with the potted plants

did well this year. A lovely spot to sit.

This area will need some attention. It's hard to see

the old wooden bench and the birdbath. A good

trim with the garden tools will get this spot back

to it's open and inviting purpose. But it's pouring

rain today so this will have to wait. Hopefully

we'll get Summer in our Secret Garden soon ....

~ Chy

Gramma's Art.

At mom's care home, they do art and

she was excited to show us her creation.

Handprints to remember a special day

they all participated in together. Sweet!

~ Chy

Tiny Blooms.

Despite all the chill in the air, we still

have blooms that pop up here and there.

So tiny but powerful and strong. Love

the brightness and the long green stems.

~ Chy

Wood Chips.

We recently took some huge trees down ~ actually

we didn't, we hired an arborist. He did all the work!

And he left us a very large pile of wood chips he was

able to create from the fallen trees. Now we have a

much lovelier garden patch for my perennials. No

weeds and a way to hold the moisture. Smells great!

~ Chy

Fall Colors.

Spotted at the grocery store. Yup,

Fall is definitely on its way here.

I don't like peppers but this display

was to perfect to not capture. Enjoy!

~ Chy

Extended Deck.

Our favorite contractor built us a new extension to our deck the other day.The "upper deck" on the house is accessed from the garden door off our nook. The little staircase you see in these shots bring you down to the "lower deck" and now we have the "ground level deck" that will next year hold our small hot tub. Upper will be bbq, a gardening shelf and some seating, lower will be lots of seating and flower pots, and ground will be hot tub and a nice dining table with chairs. Maybe some flower pots too. The pergola now has a string of lights around it and we're looking for an outdoor chandelier to add to it. Next Spring, we'll stain the decks and we should be set for this project. On to the next one.

~ Chy

Mom's Babies.

My mom has a baby doll at her care

home that she wraps up each day.

Usually she puts the baby on her bed

before she heads out for activities for

the day. But last week, she decided

the baby needed a new vantage point.

~ Chy

Playful Pup.

Our little guy had his stuffies set up for

play, then left the room to get more. And

came back to find our daughter's very 

playful pup had gotten up from her comfy

napping spot and knocked them over.

She then went back to her spot and napped!

~ Chy

Rosebud.

From my rosebush, a bud that fell off

and landed in my tea cup saucer. I was

drinking my tea at the time! Leaving

it for now and will dry it out in time.

~ Chy

Tiny Houses.

The Tiny House movement doesn't seem to be a fad anymore but a lifestyle that has caught on. I've been fascinated by families that have built the tiniest abodes to call home but know that in this season of our life, a tiny house would not fit our lifestyle. We use every room in our home and I couldn't imagine not having a dining room for family gatherings, a guest room for travellers, an art studio to create and a theatre room to enjoy. Maybe in time but for now, we do dream of a sweet little cottage on our favorite island. That we could manage for short term stays but not long term, at least now. Down the road when we retire.

I was shopping last week and at the end of an aisle, towards the back of the store, on a clearance shelf, were these tiny houses, on a sale! Now we have a sweet little village on our bookcase. I'm going to check out a few other locations to see if there are any more. They each have a hook on the back to hang them, so in time, they may move over to the studio to hang above the area I use to work on dollhouses. Wouldn't that be cute? I'll post pics once I move them over and hang.

Long weekend here. It's cloudy, raining off and on, and cold, so cold. No big plans yet. I work today so that is defined but the rest is open for whatever we feel like doing. 

Is this a long weekend for you?

Do you have big plans all weekend?

~ Chy

Home.

Younger dd has been away from home

for the last 35 days. She traveled over

25,000 km to New Zealand, to visit the

Shire, to Hobbiton, a dream come true.

The sweet postcard we received just

days before she set foot in Canada.

After all our celebrating, and unpacking,

I retreated to the art studio while the

family indulged in a long awaited movie.

And now I knew she was home because ....

.... she quite enjoys turning my dollhouse

items, actually anything I own, upside down!

Yup, 5 weeks without anything amiss and

then bam! She's home and here we go again!

~ Chy

Sweet Treats.

Last week was tough on so many levels.

Dh tried to make it better with sweet treats!

From the Duchess Bakery in the big City, these

amazing tarts. Key Lime is my very favorite.

We are not dessert people, except on special

occasions. So these treats were very welcome.

Not something we'll do every week but once

in a while, when life if tough, it can't hurt!

~ Chy

Mini Rose Bush.

 

Isn't it the sweetest? I bought this last week to add to

my little indoor garden I've created in my office at

the hospice. So pretty and lots of blooms. I know it

won't last for long but thought you'd love the shots!

~ Chy

What Is This?

What is this? Early morning light trying to peek through the blind and the lace curtain?? We have had days of dark, overcast clouds and more rain. But I see some light today. Looking out our oval windows that aren't covered, there is a vast, blue sky. What the heck? Is this Summer?? And dh just texted me to let me know there are no clouds in the City, the same blue sky, and, get this .... it will be 24 C today!! What?? Pinch me!! I may work outside today. Plant our rosebush finally. And get ready for the 2nd deck. Yes!!

Before all that, heading in to town to sign a document for my mom (I'm her Power of Attorney), then in to the City to work at hospice all day, then home .... to plant and get the spot for the 2nd deck all ready. Can't wait! Hope this sunny day lasts all day. To sit in the sun and feel warm would be amazing. I've had a hard time physically feeling warm lately. I need warm!

Busy week ahead. I don't normally work on Mondays but have done so the last 2 weeks. Kind of messes me up as I love having 1 day a week just to myself, to get centred again and regroup. Now I'll have Wednesday off instead. No plans just yet but thankful for a mid week break. Hospice and the 'Patch are super busy right now and I'm keeping up but the tiredness is creeping in to my bones. If it's nice, I may keep working outside. If it's not nice, I want to work on the dollhouse to get some ideas out of my head and in to the structure. Either way would be just fine. Excited.

What's on tap for you today? Do you have a busy week?

~ Chy

Bright Bouquet.

Our Anniversary was lovely. Thank

you for the sweet wishes and notes.

We had a great dinner out to a favorite

restaurant. Service is always amazing

and the food never disappoints. It is

"Lobster Month" at the Keg. Mmmm!

On Friday afternoon, the door to our

classroom opened and a man entered ....

.... with this beautiful bouquet of flowers.

I was going to find a staff member but ....

.... then he said my name and I realized

they were for me! From my lovey ....

Such beautiful colors. My pictures are

never touched up. This is real life here.

I am amazed 4 days later at how bright and

vibrant they have stayed. And so very full.

Love that this was a surprise and that I still

break a smile each time I glance over at them.

It was a cold and rainy weekend but we managed to

still carve out some memory moments. We had another

nice dinner last night with shrimp added to the menu.

Opened up our gifts and then planned our Fall holiday.

Today I want to stay home, in this snuggly, warm bed.

But I have a meeting for our upcoming event, then a

meeting with my boss about our new build and our

partner, then a session with my staff at a daycare.

One of their staff members died and they are worried

about the kids, the families and the other staff. So

we'll go in and do our magic and soon everyone will

be working through their grief. Love this work, even

on cold and rainy days. Daughter and grandson are

home and I'll get back here by afternoon. To snuggle ....

~ Chy

Big Anniversary.

We're celebrating a big Wedding Anniversary this weekend. Today is our actual day but we started observing this significant year on Friday. What year do you think we are observing? More pictures later but we're off for the day to continue on as long as we can! For today, and all year!!

~ Chy