National Son's Day.

After National Daughter's Day, we had

a sweet day to celebrate all our boys on

National Son's Day. We were fortunate

to raise 2 amazing boys, Brady and Brodie

from tiny babies into beautiful adults. We

held our 4 sweet Angels in our hearts and

wished we could have raised them each

as well ~ Bretton, Birkley, Beau and tiny

Bentley. Loved forever, never forgotten.

We are blessed every day for all our boys!

~ Chy

National Daughter's Day.

These 2 sweet babies have grown up to be the two

sweetest daughters, though there is often some

sarcasm and more than a few tattoos! But they are

both still full of love and compassion, and we are

beyond proud to call them ours. Wishing we could

have also raised our 4 tiny Angels that we know

would have been just as amazing! Happy National

Daughters Day to Chelsea and Chynna, and kisses

to Heaven to Ciara, Cabriola, Cambria and Cree.

This day was on Sunday but posting my post today.

~ Chy

Twenty Years.

My mom and dad at our wedding on

August 18th, 1984. My dad sadly died

18 years later on September 28th, 2002.

He was exactly 60 years and 6 months

old. Yesterday was the 20th anniversary

since his death. My brother commented

the other day that it doesn't feel like it's

been that long at all. But it is and we

all miss him. My mom is now in care

with dementia. I love this sweet photo

of them on our very special day, when

they were both so full of life. Love ....

~ Chy

Blessings to All.

 

We don't have any family on the East Coast of
Canada but we do know people who live there.

So thankful to learn they are safe and not dealing

with injuries or any damage. Power is restored and

now the clean up begins. We don't have any family

in Florida, but we do in Texas. Thinking of them

as well as some of the bloggers I love to read who

are waiting out the the storm that has landed today.

Blessings to All.

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

 

What I'm wearing .... raggy white cutoffs, my purple Disney shirt and cool bare feet. Comfy and perfect for tonight.

What I'm reading .... my latest "Daphne's Diary" magazine.

What's happening in my kitchen .... my kitchen is clear and quiet, ready for tomorrow. 

What's outside my window .... quiet night, changing leaves and a dark sky.

What I'm thankful for .... even though I'm battling a nasty cold, we had a lovely day.

What I'm smelling .... the clean clothes sitting beside me, ready to be folded!

What I'm hearing .... the tv in the background.

What I'm crafting .... dgd's dollhouse. Still a work in progress!

What's on my mind .... my work week, the garden task list and my brother's upcoming visit.

Words to live by .... see the beautiful quote above.

Having an amazing week!

~ Chy

New Miniatures.

For the last 8 years, we've ventured into the Big City to the Dollhouse Show each September. I save through the year so I can freely spend on items that are unique for the dollhouses I've been collecting. For 2020 and 2021, like the rest of the World, everything shut down and that meant the show was cancelled. It was so exciting when we found out the show would be back this year in person. The only downside to the date they chose was dh is on a roadshow tour and he had to miss the show for the first time ever. We always have so much fun going with our dd's and grandson. This year, my youngest dd and I went together, while dd and dgs were off to hockey for the day. We had a great time and spent all the funds I gathered. I love this show because pricing is decent, not expensive. I can get so many items for a frugal budget. 

The first thing I came across was the tiny wooden house in the upper photos. It was $2 and I have several ideas for creating a tiny dollhouse. My favorite purchase of the day and the most expensive, was the bookcase in the last photo, painted black with books placed on the shelves. It was $10 and so worth the big price. I love it and can't wait to see where it will land. I have a few ideas ~ so many choices!

Our schedule over the next few weeks will be super crazy busy. But I do hope to have some time, once our events and deadlines have passed, to work on my dollhouses. Now with these new pieces, I've been inspired to get the work done.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

~ Chy

Our Queen.

We've been so sad with the news that our beloved

Queen Elizabeth has flown off to join her husband

Philip, who died over a year ago. I have tried a few

times to write a post but it just became too sad. My

favorite photo of Queen Elizabeth as a small child is

above ~ a time when she became known as "Lilibet"

because she couldn't say her own name then. Any

time I see this sweet photo, I think of the wonderful

life she led and the leadership she provided to so

many of our Commonwealth countries. Our Queen.

~ Chy

Blooming!

We woke up to dark skies, thunder and finally, rain!! It managed to rain most of the morning and in to the early afternoon. Now the sun is out and the sky is blue but oh, the cool air is beautiful! We weren't supposed to get any rain until Thursday, so this was a welcome change. I took these photos last week and are so impressed with the growth on our new perennials this year. I've never grown Delphiniums before but loved how these have grown and bloomed so much that I'm going to plant more. Perfect height for the garden I'm trying to cultivate in front of the garage. My Clematis is small but hardy so hope it will grow in both height and width. Dark shade of purple for this bed.

After a bit of a sleep in, with the thunder and the rain, we decided to not head in to the Big City for the final boot sale of the year at the Antique Mall. Instead, we drove in to our little hamlet and worked at our preschool for a bit. First day of classes tomorrow. And then headed to the dollar store to get some storage baskets, to WM to get some items for the freezer and then filled the tank with gas for the week. I came home hoping to use the energy I've had for the last 4 days to do something but truthfully, I'm tired and my heart is hurting for all the families in the province next to us, Saskatchewan, where 10 people died yesterday and almost 20 were injured by 2 men who are still at large. Why? A quiet community, in a quiet province, in a quiet country. I don't get it and not sure I'll ever understand why people kill people. I've been angry with individuals at different points in my life and wish they'd just go away. But would never kill someone because we don't agree or they've harmed me. I hope this ends soon. It's stressful knowing someone is out there (or 2 in this case), the alerts keep popping up on our phones and yet they have not been found. Peace to all.

Dh has his podcast on the radio tonight, so my plan is to pull up a grant I'm working on and see what changes I need to make, then gather my receipts for reimbursement, put my work bag together, figure out my lunch for tomorrow and put laundry away so we're set for the week. It's a long weekend, so this is usually my Sunday night routine. I've been away from work since Wednesday, so looking forward to seeing my crew in the morning. It's going to be a great week as we get ready for our colleague who's been on Maternity Leave and welcome our students who will both be with us until April. I love having students ~ fresh energy and it's lovely to teach what we know, as well as learn from their perspectives. We all benefit from their practicums!

All for now. Wishing you a

beautiful and warm Fall week!

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

What I'm wearing .... white distressed shorts, my long short sleeved floral t (Fall colors) and barefeet. Hair in a single braid off to the side. I was at a meeting today, but it's so hot here and everyone was very casual!

What I'm reading .... just started "The Gown" which is a tale about those who made Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown back in the 40's. So far, it's quite intriguing.

What's happening in my kitchen .... dh is putzing about as he starts to make dinner for us. I never know what he's going to make and love the surprise every time!

What's outside my window .... hazy skies as there are forest fires in B.C. ~ the smoke has made it's way to Alberta.

What I'm thankful for .... no fires here and rain in the forecast on later in the week on Thursday.

What I'm smelling .... my lemonade. Super tart today!

What I'm hearing .... laundry tumbling in the dryer.

What I'm crafting .... sorting out the projects I'd like to tackle this Fall. so no crafting in the moment but getting ready!

What's on my mind .... fires, 2 guys on the loose stabbing people (not here but in Saskatchewan), work next week (all good stuff) and my mom, who we hope to visit tomorrow.

Words to live by .... great quote above. A favorite!

Having an amazing week!

~ Chy

Hello September.

I'm not ready yet to say goodbye to Summer. We are feeling quite blessed, if I may use the term, that our season has been full of warm days, cool nights, beautiful colors and very few storms. In fact, we can only count 2 that we can recall. There were threats and warnings, but most did not happen. The last few weeks have been super hot and now the landscape around us is turning color. I decided not to post a Fall color scheme to welcome September as I know I'll be sharing many shots of the outdoors here in Alberta, Canada once I feel Fall is well under way! For now, blossoms of fading flowers but still with Summer colors. Enjoy!

We started Summer with an amazing week long trip to Las Vegas for dh to attend a convention with his staff. Because everyone works from home across the country (a practice since long before Covid was a word in our lives), and we are so glad we were able to attend as it was the first time he was physically meeting everyone in person. A great trip, new memories and we both felt so welcomed in to the fold. When we got home, we immediately went in to "festival mode" ~ once the laundry was done and the suitcases packed away. Our first venture back outdoors since 2020, our festival went better than we could have even hope for. The weather was perfect, the music beyond incredible and the feedback was full of happy notes and vocal messages. We paid the bills, there's money to start next year's venture and the artists all want to come back! Always a good sign. We took a few weeks off, and now we're back to planning, as our next festival will be in late June. Can't wait already as we make plans, try out new ideas and book artists to ensure another successful event for our community.

In July and August, we worked on our garden, our garage and our sweet brick path to take us from the front door to the driveway. Or from the driveway to the front door. That was a ton of work and we were pretty achy after but so happy every time we step back and look at the progress. We put out some of the landscape lights along the path and have more to add in but well worth the work. Next we have to order a load of cedar chips to put down and add in some more perennials and bushes in the Fall. Our garage will need another tidy as we start putting away the Summer stuff and start bringing out what we'll need for the Fall and of course, in time, for Winter. I park outside in the Summer as we have a nice shady spot for our cars but in the Winter, I like to be in the garage so I don't have to scrape ice and snow off my car in the morning. For the Summer, we use the garage for projects so no room for cars at that point. That changes once the leaves start to turn. We hunker down, fill the pantry and freezer, get out our sweaters and boots, and settle in for more cozy indoor life. Hyyge!

We welcome September with a "Hello" as we start to say "Goodbye" to a beautiful Summer for 2022.

~ Chy