Friday Potpourri

Can you believe that it is the end of June already...

where has the time gone!

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and officially summertime

which means so many good things!

and speaking of good ~ we have been enjoying

cherries as snacks

peonies bursting open 

warmish nights = evenings on the deck

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so many blooms and fresh cut grass

planting and weeding ~ enjoying all the green

time with my "big girl" camera  ~ I put it down too long

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 first week of hubby's new job and so far ~ so good

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tomorrow I will be putting out my red & white

as Canada Day is next week

so looking forward to it

it's a birthday weekend as we celebrate my MIL & SIL

with a brunch on Sunday

then my Sweet Pea turns 16 on the 2nd

I can't believe it ~ my Samantha is growing up

way too fast ~ I am a proud Auntie

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and I always have room for a new potato salad recipe

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Hope you had a great week

and that the weekend puts a smile on your face!

Main & Steadman

Like most I drive the same route to and from work every day

and every morning as I come around the corner

I see a sea of red & white

I say to myself ~ you need to come early one morning

and get some shots with your phone

but it never happened

then last week ~ one night after supper

I changed my clothes and grabbed my camera

and away I went ~ off before the petals all dropped

and it is a good thing I did because after the rain we got this weekend

they are pretty much done ~ thankful that I had the timing right for this one

this is right outside the main police department in Moncton

and as I walked to this spot I thought back to last year

when I walked here with a heavy heart and tears streaming down my face

I am happy to say ~ this year I was smiling

it was a beautiful night and there were so many people downtown

smiles all around

I love the brickwork in the downtown core

as you come to a cross street ~ there is a marker bearing the street name

I jumped in the truck and went up a couple of blocks

to outside a business I passed the week before

and saw the most beautiful lilac bush

knowing that most of the lilacs were done ~ I held my breath as I came around the corner

and yeah ~ she is still blooming

isn't it beautiful ~ double blossoms with just a tint of mauve

and the smell was amazing ~ I may have snagged a couple just to enjoy for a few more days

so while I was out I decided to stop at another place

I pass by every single day

it's an old house converted into a business

and it has curb appeal up the wazoo

from her pretty blue door and her big pot full of flowers

to being surrounded by lilac bushes 

both sides and the bushes are huge ~ i could just sit down on the steps

and be very content

the retaining wall and the cascading greenery that blooms as well 

I really must stop back when this is in bloom

so so pretty

Can you believe that we are already half way through June?

The kids finish school this Friday

I think there is a prom every night this week so Facebook will be filling up with beautiful pictures

Hubby will finish out the school year being a bus driver and start a new adventure on Monday

I participated in the United Way ~ Day of Caring this past Friday

love giving back to these organizations

we celebrated my besties birthday on Saturday night

12 of us at a Japanese restaurant ~ seated around the grill

it was so much fun

not much else ~ feeling like summer

loving the sunshine and the heat

hoping to get to the cottage soon

Hope you have a great week!

Simple Pleasures

One of the things I do every morning is log onto the app Timehop on my phone.  It is one of my favourites as it pulls from social media posts from that date in past years.  As I usually tweet my blog posts, this one came up for me on Saturday morning.  Kim over at Kimberly Taylor Images had a series called "Simple Moments" and asked for guests to post on certain dates.  This was my post and since we were headed to the cottage that day ~ my words struck a chord with me.  I thought it was one of my best posts, so I thought I would share it again here for you.

Originally published May 30, 2012

I love the quote “you are responsible for your own happiness” so when Kim asked me to write a guest post about finding joy in the simple pleasures I was “in”!

Maybe it has something to do with getting older but I find myself stopping and looking around more often ~ trying to really see my surroundings.  Heading down the dirt road to the cape where the cottage is something I used to take for granted but not anymore.  I call it my little piece of heaven.  Knowing that there have been 5 generations travel on that same route makes me stop and smile ~ 5 ~ that’s amazing to me.

Our rustic little cabin nestled in the woods ~ milled from trees that Dad cut down with his father and brother.  The wood stove is our source of heat ~ perfect for a rainy or foggy night on the bay.  Smelling the fire and hearing the crackle of the flames takes me to a warm cozy place.

Going down the driveway and crossing the road and down the embankment to the beach.  Walking along and finding treasures ~ glass no longer sharp as it has been tumbled by the tides ~ the odd shell ~ and cool rocks of every shape size and color.  Come mid July the sandpipers will arrive ~ feasting on the mudflats while the tide is out and giving us an incredible air show when it comes in.  Grampy always called them the “peeps” ~ I watched them as a child and still sit and watch them in awe of their fluid moves ~ it truly is a site to see.

Not too far up the road is the farm ~ the place where my Dad was born.  I can spend so much time here ~ camera in hand ~ walking and just loving my surroundings.  Wildflowers in the field ~ my grandmother’s big rhubarb patch ~ the old hen house ~ the barn where we used to swing for hours ~ the blueberry fields and the best sliding hill around.  If you listen real hard you can hear music coming from the house ~ guitars and singing as a good old Maritime kitchen party kicks into gear.

They all spark a memory which wrap around me like an old well worn sweater and hug me tight.  That brings joy to my heart and sometimes a tear to my eye.

Other things that bring me joy are my 4 legged fur babies that always make me smile ~ a good book  ~ freshly cut grass ~ flowers blooming and knowing that vacation time is getting closer.

Happy Monday!