Frenchy's and Antiques

In between Dave's blueberry picking we managed to drop into Frenchy's and the antique store. Dave found this steel drum at Frenchy's.


I found a nice hand-embroidered linen tablecloth at the antique store and...

Dave got himself the 1866 (first copyright) version of Longfellow's poem ''Evangeline''. It sits on the shelf right next to my statue of Evangéline.

Bleuberries and the fog

Dave loves picking blueberries and this summer it's a very productive year as far as berries go. He went four times since last week and we now have a 10 litre container full in the freezer for the upcoming winter season. Yesterday I baked a pie and two loaves of zucchini/blueberry bread.

Last night after blueberry picking we went to Mavillette Beach. Ah, the good old Maritime fog. We hardly ever get fog inland (as seen in the top picture of Dave and his blueberries). Me with coffee in hand and Dave with his energy drink.



I found a heart rock to add to my collection in the garden.

Yoga and Nature

6:30 a.m. Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - waiting for my ride (fellow yogi Debbie) to head out to the much anticipated yoga/nature retreat at Birchdale Lake. Debbie and I were only able to attend for one day this year (the retreat last two weeks) but we are definetely making plans to go for one week next year. We drove 87km in the woods, so yes, this is very much a nature retreat :-)

We did'nt want to miss-out on this very special guest ...

Yogiji - a guru from India. He might look serious in this picture (picture borrowed from Kerry Lawson's website) but he is a very bubbly and friendly person.

Above - Debbie posing in front of the building where we had our 3 asana practices and 1 pranayama practice.

Below - yours truly in front of one of the cabins. If we seem overly dressed and wrapped in blankets it's because it was 7 degrees when we got there at 7:45 a.m. It went up to 17 in the afternoon sun. We had a fabulously sunny day.

We had 3 asana practices during the day and the evening ended with a pranayama exercise. In between the sessions it was free time i.e. nature hikes, swimming in the lake, canoe, biking, talking with newly made friends, etc. or just laying in the hammock, reading and waking up with your book fallen to the ground...

Meals were a group effort. All meals were prepared and eaten in the main lodge.



However, I must comment that the most important thing that I've gotten out of this retreat is that I'm not as conscious ''in the moment'' as I thought I was. Yesterday made me realize that and I want to work on it.

Yogiji saved the best for last - the pranayama session. If you breathe properly - you'll be in the moment...

BREATHE my friends but don't forget to smile :-) !!!

A little piece of heaven

We had a small family gathering at my brother's house tonight so we could all spend some quality time with our sister Carol that's visiting from Ontario (she's on the left). On the right is my sister-in-law, Annette. We had drunken chicken with all sorts of goody salads. For dessert - 3 kinds of pie and a blueberry coffee cake.

Left to right - my sister's husband, Paul; brother Ken and Dave.

A few random pictures from outside their home. I love coming here, it's such a peaceful spot in the forest. They live on a lake... a little piece of heaven, what else can I say.



Wishing everyone a wonderful week.

Quilts : or Art ?... or both

Anyone that knows me now that I LOVE anything handmade. I am overjoyed when I receive a gift and it was handmade with love. My sister is visiting from Ontario and earlier this week we went with my mom and brother to a quilt exposition in a local church. All quilts were made by local ladies. I can't say they were all ''handmade'' - some were machine stitched (but still very beautiful; I love both hand and machine stitched). What you see in the picture below was only half of the quilts on display. It litteraly takes your breath away when you first walk in.

Below - my visiting sister. This was ''one'' of my favorites.

Two pictures below are the same quilt - made by my aunt. Amazing isn't it ! her hand stitching is finer than machine stitching.


But I have to tell you a story before you view the next picture. My husband's parents died exactly one month apart - July 10 and August 10, 20 years ago. A short while after the funeral Dave and I went to clear the house because we had sold it. I guess some boxes ended up in our attic because two weeks ago when we were cleaning our attic we found and opened one of the boxes and found 6 quilt tops that Dave's mom had hand sewn. One quilt in particular, Dave gasped when he saw it, he said that he remembers helping his mom cut those tiny little squares when he was ill in bed for an entire school year with rheumatic fever. He was 7 years old ! I could'nt hold back tears, I was so touched by the expression of joy on his face. Memories are so good for your soul... don't you think ?

So I could'nt put that quilt top back in the box, even though it smelled like the attic big time. I washed it, put it to air dry outside, found a huge piece of flannel at Frenchy's and some binding and presented Dave with his quilt (see below). I am not going to stitch it, I will tie it with red wool here and there in the quilt.

We've decided that this quilt is our official picnic blanket !


And while we're on the subject of quilts, I must post ''a second time'' a picture of a very special quilt that was handmade by a very special friend and offered to me. You can read more about it here.


Have a good weekend everyone and hope you make someone happy.

Summer is still on

Here are a few random pictures I took one very sunny day earlier this week (I think it was Wednesday).




Hope everyone is having a blessed Summer so far !

Surprise gifts

Don't you just love receiving unexpected gifts... My sister is visiting us from Ontario for two weeks and her daughter (my niece) sent me a parcel with surprises. When she had posted about the tote bags she had made I commented that I just loved the design and color of the fabric and presto ''I now have one of those bags. I know exactly what I am going to use it for. Also included in the parcel was a Marie Claire magazine (french version which I can never find around here) full of Christmas ideas and the cutest little plate with birds and flowers on it (my favorites). This plate is going on a wall in my yellow kitchen.

Thank you so much Colleen for sharing these wonderful gifts with me.

Parade

The next two weeks will be spent celebrating our acadian culture. Yes, it's time for the annual Acadian Festival. Festivities started Saturday with an outdoors concert and celebrations for everyone will continue until August 15th. Sunday was the annual parade. The radio station my husband manages had a float in the parade and what else would a radio station have as a float - why yes, live music behind a pick-up truck and who was driving the truck - yes again, that would be me (sorry no picture).

Next two random pictures are of participants waiting for the parade to start.


After the parade Dave and I headed to another acadian festival to attend a live outdoor concert.

Trail Mix and the latest harvest

A snack that I love very much is trail mix and the best kind is home assembled. You get to make your trail mix with all the ingredients that you like. And that's exactly what I did last week. What would trail mix be without M & Ms :-)

Below - yesterday's harvest - three cukes, one zuke, one tiny tomato, a whole bunch of green beans and camomile that I will hang to dry for tea.

Award

I'm running a little late posting about this award but you know... I'm on vacation so things get put on hold when on vacation, he, he, he.

Joyce Ann over at http://feather-spirits.blogspot.com/has given me the Brillante Weblog Award. That was very nice of her to do that but that's the kind of person she is - down right nice and friendly. I feel honored. I am suppose to pass it on to 7 Brillante Weblogs.

The rules are :

• Put logo on your blog


• Add link to the person who awarded you


• Give 7 bloggers this award


• Add link to awarded bloggers

• Leave a comment to those awarded

I don't want anyone to feel obligated to pass this award to anyone if they don't feel like it. I just wanted to mention and recognize a few blogs that I enjoy reading and find inspiration in.

JoyceAnn - she gave me this award and I want to give it back to her with no obligations. You know how sometimes you feel like you know someone but have never met in person. Well this is the way I feel about JoyceAnn. We have so much in common, it's almost unbelievable that we don't know each other. We enjoy almost the exact same things in life. Although, she has grand kids and I don't :-)

Barb - she's the one that contacted me first with a comment on my blog and I am so blessed that she did. She is one of the kindest person I've ever known (real life or blogland). I read her blog daily. Please pray for Barb this week as she lost her father earlier in the week. I am inspired by this wonderful woman's kindness.

Colleen - what can I say, she's my niece and she's been a HUGE inspiration in my life. She is very well grounded and knows what she wants in life. She's an amazing mother and wife.

Sebrina - i found Sebrina's blog through my niece Colleen. Her family's journey to Ethiopia will bring joy and happiness in your own life. I can't help but be inspired by her devotion to her family.

HoneyB - i don't think I know her ''real'' name, i've always just called her honeyb :-) but please check out her blog. Her recipes are to die for. I've tried a few so far and haven't come across one that I did'nt like. In addition to her recipes, she also blogs about her life as a mother and wife to Grumpy (which is pretty hilarious sometimes).

Kim - we met through a shopping tote swap and we've been keeping in touch ever since. Her daily activities can be pretty hilarious at times. She makes me laugh every time I read her blog.

I know I haven't listed 7 bloggers but these are the ones that I have to read daily.