What would you do on a Friday night...

... this is what Dave and I did last Friday after a long week at work. We packed-up the four-wheeler and headed to the ocean to have our supper.

But first we need a fire !

Our means of transportation

Beautiful rocky shore

It's a 30 minute buggy ride in the trail; we stayed for about an hour than headed back. What a beautiful way to end the week.

Wooden Monkey

A few weeks ago Dave and I took a day trip to Halifax (actually I needed to find a mother-of-the-groom dress; and I did). An excellent restaurant for us is at the Wooden Monkey (that building behind me with the yellow trim). The food is fresh and delicious. They value and honor the 100 mile diet.
After devouring our yummy lunch we headed down to the Halifax Waterfront (always a popular spot during the summer months). Here I am with Theodore.

Yoga and Nature Retreat

Last week I went for 7 glorious days and nights way in the deep woods for a yoga and nature retreat at Birchdale. This was my second year going and it's safe to say that I'll be back there next year. Everything is perfect out there - no electricity, no highways so no cars, no motorized boats in the lake (only our kayaks and canoes), of course no television, radio, computer or cell phones, no junk food. But lots of bike rides, nature walks, bird watching, delicious organic meals prepared by an ayurvedic chef, three amazing teachers (two from India), restful sleeps and many soothing cups of tea.

But one can never forget the friendships that are forged at this retreat.

Nature forces you to slow down and appreciate what surround's you.

It's kind of like at an ashram where everyone helps out with the chores. This year I was in charge of the flowers in the chapel and lighting all the candles in the chapel before meditation every night.

View from our front porch. The cabins are very rustic (just the way I like it) with a wood stove and fireplace. We had rain for a few days but the rest of the week was nice and sunny. Our day started with one hour of asana, followed by breakfast, than 90 minutes of sutra studies (yoga philosophy), lunch, free afternoons to do whatever activities we wanted (I mostly read and knitted on the front porch of our cabin) than at 4 pm we had another hour of asana practice, supper, meditation and the evenings always ended with a fire in the fireplace, tea and cookies with everyone sitting and chatting.

Away

I am headed later today in the deep woods at a Nature and Yoga Retreat. Talk to you next week.

Why we live the way we do

A few weeks ago someone pitched this comment to me ''do you think that with all you and Dave do by eating mainly a plant-based diet, using only homemade cleaning products, soaps, lip balms, deoderants and creams, biking, kayaking, all-terrain buggying, make our environment scent free (as much as possible), growing and eating organic fruits and vegetables... that you will live to 100?'' My answer was shorter than his question '' We are not trying to live to 100 but the years which we are on this earth we want them to be of good quality''. It's all about quality of life, don't you think ? We don't know how long we are on this journey so Dave and I are making the best of every single day. Our health is our main concern, we both have family histories of heart disease.

Look at these pictures - isn't this a good quality of life !!! And another thing, we live the way we do because we want to ;-)

All pictures were taken yesterday while kayaking on one of our many prestine lakes.

Feeding ourselves and yarn

This year I made pesto with my garlic scapes and ''it is delicious''. We ate some and I froze a few containers for next winter when I start dreaming of spring and my gardens. I can't believe I did'nt do pesto with my scapes before this year...

Drying garlic
Some yummy yarn I bought on my recent trip to Moncton when Dave and I visited our daughter and SIL

Made by him

We had a rainy evening and half-day over the weekend so Dave made these for me ... I love all three of these projects.

This now hang's pretty in our kitchen. We are starting to have quite the lavender garden outside so some of it is starting to find its way in the house.

Driftwood sculpture in our back entry.

These plant markers were seen on a few blogs this year. I thought they were pretty cool so Dave made a bunch for next Spring's plantings.

We have a winner

I won some pretty cool stuff all handmade by Amber. I've already used the sugar scrub and the red apple hand balm smells soooooo good; I practically use it as a perfum. Can't wait to use the soap and try out that washing mitten. Thank you so much Amber for sharing this loveliness with me.

I love Amber's blog. I've been following for a couple of years. She's always up to something fun and interesting.