Goodbye July.

In just a few short hours, the month of July will be but a fleeting memory. I'm not one to mark time and wish our days away, but this month has been extra tough. The unrelenting heat, the smoke from forest fires in other provinces, the rise in Covid numbers (again) and restrictions being lifted without much though or concern for our community has made it not my favorite month to look back on. I've got some health stuff to navigate and our old house is now officially up for sale, adding just a bit of stress to keep me awake at night. Between the heat (even with air conditioning) and all my little worries, it's hard to sleep!

As I always like to balance out the bad with the good, July also had some great moments and events. We chose to stay home for the Canada Day weekend and reflect on the Indigenous experience in our history. It brought many discussions and ideas forward. Next was our staff all returning to work full time the following week. Exciting to finally have everyone back together again, in our new space and living the dream. Our daughter's birthday was next and we had a great time celebrating her. The music festival we created in 2019 was live this year but not on the big site in the park. We were able to have a small audience on site as well as online, and our board and volunteers were super happy with the event. The smoke by this time had arrived in our community and many commented how it was amazing we were able to have our event, and at the same time, keep everyone safe and healthy. After a little break, my attention this week was focused on our grieving kids Summer daycamp and again, it went well, with tired but happy kids at the end. And this weekend is a long one, to celebrate Heritage Days and spend time without a schedule. Time to work in the garden, despite the heat, gather some new energy and get caught up on other projects. Getting there.

We've made no plans for this weekend while we're under another heat warning. I worked today, we stopped to get groceries, cleaned the fridge and pantry, did the recycling, vacuumed after putting away anything that was not in it's place, watered the flowers, dh did some weeding, I power cleaned our bathroom and put away the last load of laundry, and after a lovely bbq, we watched "Jungle Cruise" with dgs. Heading to bed soon to watch 1 more episode of "Succession." Can't wait for the 3rd season to arrive in the Fall. Excited!

Wishing you a beautiful weekend

and hope your weather is decent.

~ Chy

A Beautiful Gift.

We came out of the grocery store the

other day, balancing all our bags and

waiting for a car to pass so we could

head to our car. But we were stopped

by a sweet couple in camp shirts and

shorts, asking if they could present me

with a pink rose. For no reason. For no

money. They had flowers left over from

a kids Summer camp and decided to give

them all away. Such a sweet gesture that

truly made my day. At a time when we are

all so very stressed, this was a beautiful gift.

~ Chy

Evening Sun.

I love evenings at the cottage, when

the sun shines through the windows

and casts light on the floors, walls

and furniture. I don't know why it

always makes me feel safe. Maybe

it's the image of the sun coming in

to our little house and dancing on the

walls when I was about 4. My mom

and dad talking in the kitchen, my

little baby brother playing in his crib

and me sprawled on the wood floor

of the hall, trying to catch the sun

in my hands. No fighting. No empty

pit in my gut. Just pure bliss while

I listened to my parents laughing

and my baby brother babbling, while

dinner cooked and the sun shone.

These were the best of my days at 4.

~ Chy

Healing Seeds.

I love this sweet Angel on one of

the courtyard tables at our hospice.

Today, the final day of our kids' grief

Summer program, we created pots ....

.... wrote on seed tape a message.

I wrote all our babies first initials. 

And then we planted them in the pots.

They should sprout wildflowers in a

few days. Fingers crossed this little

healing activity will work out well.

~ Chy

From the Outside.

My corner office windows look sweet from the

outside with the lace panels. Finally feeling cozy!

~ Chy

Keeping Comfortable.

Trying to keep the cottage cool so we

don't have to use the cold a/c too much! I

love when our lace curtains in our master

bedroom float in the breezy open window.

~ Chy

Smoky Skies.

The sky today, between the smoke

and the heat. Hopefully it clears soon. 

~ Chy

Christmas in July.

Not on tv. Not in stores. But oops! In

my cabinet that I hadn't opened in ages.

Can you see the Christmas decor? In

December, I did have the doors open.

And must have closed them one day

and completely forgot. Yikes! My bad.

~ Chy

BBQ at Work.

We are so lucky to have amazing staff

at our hospice and our chef with his

team are high on the list. Especially

when they make all of us a fantastic

bbq lunch! I couldn't eat the meat of

course but loved the grilled corn on

the cob, the salads and the fresh baked

bun. So good and it was hard to eat my

dinner last night. We are well taken care

of and I love my work even more now!

~ Chy

Cool Pic.

This showed up on my laptop today as part of the

photos that circulate when it's on. I've never seen

this particular one before but it captured my eye

and I had to save it to share. Isn't it the coolest?

~ Chy

Dry Creek Bed.

Another photo for another

project. We want to create

this great look for our sump

pump discharge as it does

 look like a little creek when

the water gushes out. Excited!

~ Chy

Tufted Chairs.

Do you bookmark or collect photos

so you remember a look you'd like to

create? Our dining room chairs match

the table and hutch BUT they are old

and creaky, and we've been thinking

about replacing them in time. I'd love

something more comfy, like the tufted

chairs in the photo above. Not sure if

we have enough room for actual wing

back chairs in this space but even 6 of

the side chairs would be amazing. We

would probably linger at the table for

a bit longer. Right now, the cushioning

on the chairs is not comfy at all. Very

thin and wearing. What a dream this

would be to have new chairs. Hoping!

~ Chy

Oh No. Oh No.

After years of ensuring we would never

have Creeping Bellflower in our garden,

look what showed up this weekend! It

is a noxious weed in our region, so now

I'm busy reading on how to get rid of it.

Just a small patch ~ hoping it won't spread.

~ Chy

The Italian Centre.

The new Italian Centre opened up in

our little hamlet last week. The line

ups were huge ~ so many had waited

for so long. We let it die down a bit

and ventured out on Friday afternoon

and by then, it was much quieter. It

is quite the impressive place. We've

never ventured in to the locations in

the City, so this was a new adventure

for us. We bought some lemons and

limes, and will go back for a bigger

shop another day. Look at the peppers!

~ Chy

Scary Storms.

The rain we've all hoped for has made

several appearances. Unfortunately, it

meant the return of the most unwelcome

Summer storms. Thunder, lightening

and high winds make for a few nights

of worry and waiting for calm. Ugh!

~ Chy

Before Curtains.

I came across these great shots that I

took last year when our new hospice

was still under construction. My brand

new office, before the paint, the carpet,

the trim, the furniture and the sweet lacy

curtains ~ which was the finishing touch.

~ Chy

Fresh Tattoos.

I don't think I've ever really written

about or shown my tattoos. I have 2

and they are both the same, except

the one on my left arm has green in

the design and the one on my right

arm has purple. Now are both fading

but when they were fresh, the colors

were vibrant. The images above were

the original design that we then did a

bit of tweaking together to get exactly

what I wanted. Both are memorials

for all our sweet babies. The design

includes tiny hearts, many little swirls,

ribbons, a bow, a key to my heart, all

intertwined to tell my story. It took

time to get here, courage and love.

~ Chy

Out My Window.

We have had some rain this week and

the World out my window is green again!

~ Chy

Curtains Up.

I finally had time to drag the stepladder

out of storage at work and hang up my

lacy curtains in my office. I love how it

seems so serene and calm now. On my

list next is to bring in a little half moon

table for the seating area and more pics.

~ Chy

Pretty Petunias.

At least I think they're petunias! I love

this shade and hope to find it for our

front veranda next year. These are on

the porch of my hospice. Love them!

~ Chy

Birthday Girl.

Happy Birthday to this sweet baby (isn't she the prettiest baby), who made us parents for the first time after such a long wait ~ we started dreaming of her 4 years before she was born. We even had her name chosen 4 years before! She keeps us active with our grandson. She is THE BEST hockey mama, and the most amazing stage mama too. You will never find a more compassionate nurse, and we know a lot of nurses. Always the best hockey fan ~ Go Oilers! An incredible big sister to all her younger siblings. And of course the most amazing daughter anyone could ask for. It was a great birthday weekend, that we started yesterday with lunch at a restaurant, all in person, but with masks until it was time to eat. Later at home, there was a fun gift opening, singing and ice cream cake. Tonight we had a BBQ, with more cake and lots of laughter. Our dark haired baby, with big blues eyes, was super blonde from the age of 1, until her mid 20's, when her hair started to turn dark. Now she's a dark haired adult, with big blue eyes and the sweetest personality. Interesting, as both dh and I are still blonder (with lots of grey), but our kids keep getting darker and darker as they grow. When they were small, we looked like a very typical Scandinavian family. Now we look pretty eclectic, which describes us perfectly! Another birthday done. 

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

What I'm wearing .... jeans, blue flouncy button down shirt with cap sleeves and pearl buttons, bare feet, my favorite necklace, beaded bracelet and hair down for the day.

What I'm reading .... still reading the same book. Still slow ....

What's happening in my kitchen .... lots of chopping and marinading, prepping and laughter. Our daughter's birthday is today and we took the girls and our grandson for lunch yesterday. Tonight, we're having her favorite dinner. Can't believe our baby is so grown up, with a baby of her own!

What's outside my window .... the bbq is heating up, waiting for dinner. Sunny skies, slight breeze, warm air but NO rain, which we truly need. It may rain next week. I sure hope so!

What I'm thankful for .... we are ready to list our other house. I'm thankful for the guidance of my dad's best friend, who will take this on for us. I feel like as we deal with J, it feels like my dad is watching over us. Hopeful for a quick sale and no issues. And the relief that will come soon, once all of this real estate stuff, dealing and waiting is all done.

What I'm smelling .... the dinner on the bbq as it cooks.

What I'm hearing .... the sound of the 2nd season of "Succession." We're prepping for the next season to air in the Fall. LOVE this series. Hope it can continue on but if not, we'll watch it again, and again. A great piece of entertainment.

What I'm crafting .... waiting for the windows for dgd's dollhouse. She is going to be so excited once it's all done.

What's on my mind .... the other house, the variants, the market and life. No big worries, just hopes and dreams.

Words to live by .... the beautiful quote above speaks to me. I hope it does for you as well. Sweet tattoo but not mine!

Namaste, my blogging buddies.

                                      ~ Chy

Blue Butterflies.

Last year, we had tiny blue butterflies

that were everywhere on the acreage.

I had never seen these before, so it was

magical to have them all around us.

This year, we've only spotted a few

but now we have gold butterflies all

over. I'm not sure the color difference

but wish we could have the blues back.

The gold ones are pretty but they are

in great abundance and are everywhere.

On my plants, on the furniture, on the

windows .... everywhere you look you

can see them hanging about. Maybe

they are keeping the blues away ....

~ Chy

Finally, Home.

I grew up with a very eclectic home life. We never stayed in our homes very long. My dad was a realtor, so we moved every time he came across a house that he thought would be just perfect for us. The walls stayed white, only a few pictures would be hung and our basement was always full of boxes, waiting for the next move. Some years, I'd attend 3 different schools. It became harder and harder to say goodbye to my new friends and make new ones. That has affected me all my life. And I knew from a young age that all I wanted and all I craved was "home" ~ a place to be, to live, to grow. A place to put down roots and stay put. Home.

My dh had a similar experience with moving frequently but his was more centred around their lifestyle choice to not buy but rent. So if the rent went up, they'd move. If they moved in and didn't like something about that neighborhood, they'd move. If they settled in and then his dad was transferred, they'd move. He went to multiple schools like I did. And he also had a wish for his family to have a more stable life.

For the first few years that we were married, we did flip houses so we could move up the ladder. Our 1st house, we had for 4 years and that felt like forever, especially because we knew it was not our forever home. Our 2nd home we stayed for 1.5 years, our 3rd home was 2 years and then we had a temporary stay in a condo for 2 months when we had a fire in that house and had to rebuild. We moved back but it was super hard on the kids. We knew we'd have to move at some point so they could settle again. Then we visited a home that had gone on the market quite by accident. We were out and about one day and happened to drive by a home we had seen 10 years before when it was a show home. And there it was, our then dream home, up for sale, newly renovated and in our price range. We stayed in that home for 24 years, and then when we built this cottage, we chose to keep the house as our dd was at the time interested in buying it down the road. She's now changed her mind, our beloved tenants are ready to move back home and we're ready to sell. We're meeting our realtor at the house this afternoon. Ironically, we bought it 30 years ago tomorrow and if all goes well today, that's when it will hit the market. Nervous but hopeful we'll find a lovely family to buy it, and love it like we did, all these years. Our kids never had to move schools, or pack up their rooms (until they formally moved out), never had to wonder if they'd have to leave their very loved play room or their amazing back yard. Our 5th home was a good solid house that is now be ready for a new young family.  Fingers crossed for a quick sale. 

The cottage is our 6th home. It's taken the last 6 years for it to finally feel like it's truly ours. Finally, we are home. We know we won't be here forever as in time, the work of keeping an acreage in decent shape will become too much as we age. At that point, we'll be retired and either move out to our little island in a tiny home OR have a condo here OR do both! Whatever we decide at that time, we know we'll look back with fond memories of this home. We created every nook and cranny, the look, the feel and the atmosphere. It is just as we hoped and we still pinch ourselves that we get to live here every day. I love coming home when it's dark but lights are on. I love walking in to the warmth of life in our little cottage. I love we went bold and didn't follow what the builder and his wife suggested to stay "neutral" and "in trend" but instead painted our walls a lovely lavender and created the "English kitchen" of our dreams, centred around our AGA. There's nothing we would change, though over Covid we realized a separate office space would be handy (on our wish list now). I love the look of our blinds, the light that highlights the butler's pantry, the turret that spans 3 stories, the balcony overlooking the front door, the many windows letting natural light in and the fireplaces that keep us warm on cool nights and rainy afternoons. I know this home will be the hardest one to sell down the road. Not hard in that no one will buy it because we've already had realtors gush over it and tell us it will sell no problem. But it will be hard to leave. I'm sure tears will be shed. My hope will be at that point that a beautiful family wishing to live in the country (but not far from town) will fall in love and embrace this sweet space. Thankful though that we don't have to think about this for a long time. For now, we love it, we live in it and we continue to make it even better. I hope where ever you reside, for you, it is HOME. Namaste dear blogging buddies. Thank you for stopping by our home!

~ Chy