CAAAANAAAADAAAA , We love you ...

HAPPY CANADA DAY !!!
We live in a WONDERFUL country. I am super proud to be a Canadian. I'm not really proud of some of our politics or environmental moves in the last few years, but we can change that ! But as a physical country, an ideal, and a people, I think CANADA ROCKS !!!
Here is my list of great Canadians and Canadian icons.
1. Margaret Atwood *
2. Leonard Cohen (legend ...)*
3. David Suzuki*
4. Pierre Trudeau ( he LOVED our country)*
5. Tommy Douglas (Thank you Mr Douglas !)
6. Rick Hanson
7. Stompin' Tom*
8. Bob & Doug MacKenzie ( witness the birth of hoser culture ...)
9. Howie Mandel ( he makes me laugh !)
10. Margaret Laurence
11. Vince Coleman ( hero)
12. Nellie McClung (Thanks Nellie & friends for making me a person !)
13. Paul Martin ( a proud Canadian, he really tried)*
14. K.D. Lang (voice of an angel)
15. Cassie Campbell & the Canadian Women's Hockey Team ( they kicked ass !!)
16. Rick Mercer (Rant on !!)
17. Rene Levesque ( I know, he tried to break up the country ... BUT ... he had a fierce pride for his culture & his people, and I admire that. Just glad it ended up 49%-51% !!!)
18. The Friendly Giant ( not sure if the ACTOR was Canadian, but the GIANT & friends were ...)
19. Niagara Falls ( hmmm ... not a person ... but I LOVE it so much. I can see why you would be drawn to go over in a barrel...)*
20. Gordon Pinsent ( sigh, Gordon ...)*
21. Our beloved Queen ( not born here but a HUGE part of our country's identity !!)*
22. Mother Nature ( where would we be without her ?!!) *
And ... just to show you what a great country this is ... the names with the asterisks are people I have seen in person, met, talked to, or spent time with. How amazing is that ??? Only in Canada would our icons be so accessible to the public. LOVE IT !!!
HAPPY CANADA DAY !!!!
Let me know who your favourites are !!

Where have I been ???!!!

Okay ... is it really going to be JULY in a few days ??? How ? I cannot believe that it is already month 07 ... wow, where has the time gone ?? And here's a little secret ... I still write 2008 on my cheques... I don't even have the right year !! SHEESH !!

(Sorry ... a bit distracted by all that great sparkle ... chunky glitter ... oooo)
But the time continues to fly by so I will just have to take every one's word for it ... !! This past week has passed in a busy blur.
Monday was our anniversary and we had a wonderful dinner at Pasta Jack's.24 years !! Next year we are planning a big party ... why not celebrate 25 years of happiness by creating a bit more ??!! Bring on the BBQs , cotton candy, dancing monkeys ... we are going to celebrate !
I spent the days I wasn't open ( and a few HOT STICKY nights) redoing the scrapbooking part of the store. It seemed chaotic to me. ...no rhyme or reason ... and there wasn't any - I just made room for stock when it arrived wherever I could. So I stripped it all out and re-organized. It feels so much better now. This week I am tagging & labeling it all. I am really happy with it. Now where to put the two orders I have coming this week ... ( haha! I actually built in space for some of that stock... I am getting smarter!)

My ribbon all in one place ... finally !

My paper all together ... also FINALLY !!!

A little "FLEA MARKET " table ... full of sweet goodies !
Then there was the usual ... garden, groceries, house, feeding ourselves, cats, work, more work, more gardening, all good.
Thursday we had a great treat here at the store... but sadly no pictures to share of it. A mother duck and NINE babies ( I originally thought eight but no ... 9 !) walked across my parking lot, right along the front of the store, around the steps, and off across the next door lot. Soooooo cute !!
Another highlight was watching Gran Torino ... oh my god ! My heart was so full at the end of that one. AMAZING MOVIE !!! I LOVED IT !!!
This weekend was full of shopping, visiting, gardening, a cook out on the beach with family, tales of a 3 legged beaver, oh, so much !!

( a little card I made with a Melissa Frances Post Card kit )
Now I am on to another week ... one with a holiday right in the middle ... how great is that ?!
Enjoy Canada Day ... and be happy and grateful that we live in such a wonderful place !
P.S. The fence that we didn't get done ... oh well, all in the fullness of time !

Security Worries ...

I was a little worried about security ... so I added a lock. But here's the secret ... just for my friends ... I hid the key just up above the roof so you can come in any time !
A quick check of the garden last night had me TRA-LA-LAing with glee !! I had little rows of beets, radishes, peanuts, turnips, squash, broad beans, spinach ... all pushing their way up through the cracks they had made. So exciting !! Today they should have a good drink courtesy of Mother Nature . Hooray !
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ONE WEEK
That is the movie we watched last night. It stars Joshua Jackson and it is wonderfully proudly Canadian. It is a gentle thought provoking movie. I would give it a 10 out of 10. I LOVED IT !!! Loved the story, loved the character, loved the soundtrack, loved the adventure, loved Canada as he travelled through it. It was soooooo good. In case you haven't guessed yet, I would suggest you rent it !
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Well, next week is a big "RENO" week here at the store. I have a whole boat load of new scrapbooking stuff and I need to make room. But even more I need an organized & harmonious space back there. So I am redoing that area of the store so that things will flow better. My hope is to have a little area to feature an ever changing project with all the necessary supplies. And to arrange things so that they are a feast for the creative eye. A fun challenge ! My brain is spinning as I type ...
Have a great weekend !!

Flashes of FAB !!! ( much better than flashes of FLAB ..!!)

Another whirlwind week... busy busy ... but oh so fun. We worked hard, played hard, gardened hard ... wonderful !!
Here are a few quick highlights ...
* got my tickets to see the GREAT CANADIAN FOLK ARTIST ... STOMPIN' TOM !!! WAHOO!!
* we bought fruit trees last night ... ready to start our orchard !!! Cherry, pear, peach, and 4 kinds of apples.
* made this ... love it !!! ( you may remember the "no modesty" thing.)

* made this quite a while ago but have made up some kits for it. Love it too !!

* planted more ... Roma beans, green & yellow zucchini, broad beans,buttercup squash, scalloping squash,beets, spinach, snow peas, snap peas, yellow boy tomatoes, plum tomatoes, parsnips, radish, more celery, more red onions. Now we just have lettuces,cucumbers,more squash, green onions, ... I think that's all ...
* Morning Glory cookies ... yum ! Plump cookies filled with raisins, apples, carrots, coconut, pecans, cinnamon, orange, mmmmmm ... but when they came from the oven they seemed to be begging me for something. "What was that ?" "You want cream cheese icing?!" "Well ... why not !?" oh ... so good.

* an afternoon with Deedee, a Bead & Eat with my pals, a visit with Anne's sweet puppy Bella, a Baltimore Oriole and a Cardinal sighting (birds not ball players), the first shoots of squash plants struggling up through the earth, fab sunsets almost every night, cat cuddling, a day just "makin' stuff",finding a GOOD anniversary gift for my beloved ( OF 24 YEARS !!!) wow ... a FAB week once again !!

Just a few FAB things !!!

okay ... this is one reason why I love living where I do ...

( the view from my front door ...!)
And this is what I am loving as a snack these days ... YUMMO !!!

And here is my new PURSE !!!! Can you stand it ??!!


And lastly, check out our mower ... how sweet will that ride be ???

Have a great weekend !!!!
OH MY GOD !!! I almost forgot !!! ( how could I ???!!)
TICKETS to see STOMPIN' TOM !!!! WAHOO!!!!

oh.my.god. I am sooooooo tired.

Wow ... I am soooo tired. I am not complaining , just stating a FACT.
TIRED. VERY TIRED. Maybe even OVER TIRED. I think that I may be burning my candle at both ends but there may also be a torch under the middle ...
This week.. month ... season has been FRANTIC -BUSY-CAREENING THROUGH TIME-OUT OF CONTROL. I am sitting here at work in a wee quiet spell gasping for air. I cannot believe the way the days have filled themselves, overflowed into night, and marched on . We have been on the road every weekend to something or someplace and the weekdays have been crazy busy. This week saw over 3000 baby chicks and big ugly turkeys pass through our days as well as the multitude of phone calls to arrange pick up. That's in addition to reordering stock, waiting on customers, the usual. We have locked the doors every night this week at some point after 7 or 8pm and have unlocked them several mornings before 8am. Actually on election day we came to work before the polls opened, put our heads down, boxed chicks, carted, carried, lugged, sold, advised, and never got out until after the polls closed ... YIKES ! That meant we never had the chance to vote. Oh well ... nothing that we could have done about it that day. Sometimes work needs to be done and things fall in the cracks. Anyway, it has been a crazy "PEEPY" week and that is just the days. The nights have seen me at 11:30 making soup or oatmeal for the next few days lunches & breakfasts, doing laundry, gathering paperwork for the accountant, whatever needed to get done. Whatever didn't NEED to get done , didn't. Simple really. But I have discovered that it doesn't matter how many times you leave the house, no one comes in and washes those damn dishes - they are STILL in the sink. Poop !
So this weekend we have a tiller rented so that means we can finally plant the bags & bags of seeds I have gathered and the flats of transplants. There is ANOTHER drive to Halifax to pick up seeds & bags for the store. Maybe some dishes to wash ... or throw away ... Some mouldy bits in the fridge to dig out. Some cats to put big lovins on. A deck to be washed & cleaned up. Rhubarb to be harvested. Bead & Eat to get ready for. Lunch plans to feel out. And 3456 other great plans. It is going to be GREAT !!!
Deep breath ... bag of cherries ( cheeries !!) ... cup of tea ... here I go !

WOW !!! Where is the time going ???

Oh my ! I can't believe it is June ... and the second week at that !! Life has been FULL and BUSY ! Our days at work have been full tilt and then there are so many things to do at home ... yard, garden, dreaming, planning, ... Phew ! The time has roared past.
Our weekends (well ... 1.5 days they are actually !) have been devoured by the hunt for tillers, plants, herbs, doors, ... all great things for the house. And then the days have been so nice that we have NEEDED to drive to Port Williams or Smith's Cove or anywhere in between. And meandered back. We have cleaned out the upstairs of the store - who knew there was all that room ?? - and filled a dumpster. We have tilled & planted and nurtured. We have FINISHED our books for 2008. (WAHOO!!!) . We have "chicken-winged" with friends. We have BBQed at home and eaten at some great little spots. We have read & lived in books. We have NOT cleaned the house but who cares ?
I am soooo glad I have finished my books ... that means that the table that has seemed to have been chiding me is now going to become an art table and will be INVITING me !!! I can't wait to plop myself down... unlike the last few weeks when I averted my eyes when I went past it... trying not to see a year's worth of receipts, cash slips, and the grouchy ledger badgering me to sit & work. FREEDOM !!!!
I have so many art projects to do ... not sure how to calm down, focus, and choose any ONE to start. And renovation projects. And books to read. A greenhouse to build. Throw in 2500 chicks ... and a few hundred turkeys ... A beach party to plan. An anniversary to celebrate. Lunches with friends. Father's Day. Add to that all the veggie & herb transplants I bought (yikes !!), the seeds, and the secret plans I have ... oh my ... I think I may have to give up something ... So long ... work !!! (heehee !!) Just kidding, I actually enjoy that too ! And there I have orders to place, samples to make, classes to dream up, stock to get out, rooms to clean up ... PHEW !! I am lovin' this crazy ride with no rest stops !!! ROCKIN !!! ... here I go !!

Ramblings of a Bead Addled Mind ...

I hate little silver beads.
No ! Not really ! But I see them in my sleep !! I said I had 21000 to weigh, bag, and price. I SAID that. I didn't COMPREHEND that ! Holy shit !! That is A LOT OF WEIGHING, BAGGING, PRICING !!!! I have been at it for DAYS and I am down to 2 multipack bags left. I can see the end ........... tomorrow.
For all those of you who are asking ... okay none of you are ... my garden is FAB !!! I was out at 11pm watering it last night. I was worried about it. We planted out all the transplants and then it BLEW A MIGHTY WIND for 2 days. Actually blew my Italian parsley OUT OF THE GROUND !! My basil tag was off in the grass and my Yellow Boy tomatoes blew over and broke. So when I got home from my little 8 year old buddy's birthday I had to go out and repair and give off good vibes to my lovely little plants !
And the birthday ... I love that it gives us a once a year occasion to belt the heck out of each other with Nerf weapons of every size. Its not every day that you hear an 8 year old yell "Hold still or I'll kill you !" ( I realize that you probably aren't supposed to encourage that kind of thing but it was part of the moment !) He had a little Nerfy zinger kind of gun that shot foam discs that looked like bunion cushions. I said that, so the call all night from him was "I NEED MORE BUNIONS !!!".
We gave him Bagkumon (??) . It is some weird Japanese card/creature game. I thought he said he wanted "Vacuum-Gone" . NO!!! He suggested I write it down. Does that mean you are getting old when a child doesn't trust your memory or ability to shop ???? Anyway, we got the right things and all was well . And he had such faith that we would get it. He told his Mom she didn't have to get it for him because we would. Like I said FAITH. Thank goodness we did buy it !
Anyway, I am happily munching on some lovely homemade oatmeal piled with big fat yummy blueberries. Delish. then I will sip my tea and then start attacking those crazy beads again. Then I have another box to unpack ( this one has some variety, hooray !!) , then fill the seed bead rack ( near empty), and then balance 6 months of books from last year. Pretty easy day I would say !!
Have a great one .... buy yourself a Nerf toy.

"Some kind of wonderful " ... and an add-on confession ...

It was a WONDERFUL weekend. We zipped off to Halifax on Saturday after work. We picked up our seed order for the store ... and some plants for our garden ... and then off to look at aisles of stamps, papers, ...yum! A few more stops, a few bags of FAB books, dinner at "OPA!", and then home we came - tired but happy and laden with treasure !
The next day was sunny and gorgeous. GARDEN DAY !!! We set off in search of plants - a difficult task believe it or not ! Most places now seem to only carry cosmetic garden plants with the odd tomato or pepper. Our voyage included a visit with Deedee and a side visit to the Tourist Bureau ( Deedee & I were "Meals on Wheels" !!) , lovely omelet lunch at the diner, and then more stops for plants. Our last stop was in Wolfville. So we meandered out to Port Williams, on to Fox Hill Cheese for yummy gelato and squeaky cheese curds, then the back roads home.
Our next task was to plant the garden. I have to say I am a bit worried about this veggie gardening thing ... it is rapidly becoming an OBSESSION !!! I ask tons of questions to all the old gardeners I see at the store, I read anything I can, I source plants & seeds constantly ... I sneak out just to LOOK at it ... YIKES!!! But here's a quick list of what we planted yesterday :
tiny tomatoes, big tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, green & yellow peppers, red & green cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, PEANUTS, lots of eggplant, baby white bush squash (eat'em whole !!), 3 kinds of pumpkins, bay leaves, Italian parsley, tarragon, celery, chinese cabbage, basil, and ... oh, about 120 leeks !! This week we will till up more land (we've already used up what we thought we would need ...) and continue planting !!! This garden stuff rocks !!
I made a big pot of Deedee's sisters awesome , fire breathing sausage tortellini soup for supper at about 8:30 and then a very tired me was in bed 2 hours later ... I never go to bed that early. May be the farmer coming out in me ...
Have a great day ... and GO PLANT SOMETHING !!!

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Here's a little more "wonderful"... a local antique dealer and far-ish neighbour arrived today with a little envelope of old photos for me. Just thought I could use them. How freakin' wonderful is that ?!!
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And now ... a CONFESSION.
I ATE WHITE BREAD.
okay, in my defence, it was fresh from the bakery, and sweet, and white, and oh my. I had my 15000 grain bread laying there, from oh, several days ago, and I was making Charlie's sandwiches... and ... I don't know what came over me ... well, yes, I do. It was BREAD ENVY. I had it and I had it bad. But I only ate one slice - I skipped the top on my sandwich. AND HALLELUJAH - IT WAS DELICIOUS !!! ( sorry all you whole grainers ...)