These Boots...

I had to scale back on running awhile ago so I find myself doing a lot of walking. I decided to splurge yesterday and get myself some fancy schmancy hiking boots.

And today I decided to break them in - aren't they serious looking! It was 53 F (11 C) here today so perfect for getting out.

However, it was very overcast. We had rain last night and will again tonight. So everything is rather "brown".

You have to really look for interesting stuff...like the gentle slope into the valley.

The rush of the stream (rather brown water I would say) from the storms.

The splash of green moss everywhere.

As well as fungi which I always like to see.

So after a couple of miles I decided to head home for a "cuppa and bikkies to dunk"....looks like I was in a rush LOL. Met some lovely puppies out with their humans and got to do some ear scratching...

Hope you had a lovely Sunday to. enjoy. Jewels

Thank You

In life it is important to say "thanks", at least in my opinion (must be the Canadian in me, LOL). Someone - a stranger really - who I have met in Blogland - did something really nice for me. She does not know me at all. Does not live any where near me. Only socializes through the comments we leave in each other's "hood"....but she did this thing for me anyway.

So I felt it was important to say thank you properly. I made a little gift that is now in the post and on its way. I hope she likes it - seems to fit her sunny personality. I'll let you know.
And remember - say thanks every chance you get - to family, to friends, and to those folks who may be strangers, but deserve it. Honestly, it will make you feel great to! +Jewels+

The Things We Keep

Funny the things we keep... I was going through some boxes the other day and found the usual - old cards, letters, photos, school art - things you would expect to find...

...and then there are always those things that bring back memories (kinda sorry, I don't know if I still have all my facts straight). Take for example Bunny - who certainly has seen better days.

Bunny was used to store my PJs - and I slept with him for many years - he survived a few good washings and at least one major surgery to sew his head back on...funny...

Or what about my Topsy

Turvy
Doll... A present from my Grandmother (or Aunt, can't remember which) in England. At one time she actually had little plastic faces on each side but they eventually broke off...funny...

Then there is one of my very view "oriental" pieces. All I remember is being at home in bed with a terrible ear ache and my Dad, who had just been on a business trip to California, bringing back and giving me this bamboo plate - still have after all these years...funny...

I was not really a big doll fan when I was young - but for some reason my parents and Uncle at the time thought it very important for me to be "diverse" in my thinking...so naturally I had to have a white doll and a black doll.

Here is the Christmas photo the year I received one of them...funny...

Of course I'm really the only one that all of these things have true meaning for. Maybe a younger relative will want them - but then again maybe not - but I don't mind (anyway, I really think they'd rather have my money, what there is of it, don't think I could convince them these are all "antiques" LOL).

While they're still all mine I'll pull them out every now and then and have a good memory...

Can Anyone Tell Me....

..what happened to October? Did I just not post about it being my favorite month? Don’t blink ‘cause I have a feeling November will go by even faster! I don’t know about you but it always feels like the last three months of the year go by in such a hurry and then we have the beginning of a new year to recover (sigh)! Oh well, here is some November poetry from one of my recent book purchases to get you in the mood…




November is a quite month
That holds its breath, it seems,
While Mother Earth prepares the land
For winter’s lengthy dreams…
Carice Williams

She Flourished Her Pen!

Oh dear - I must be a dinousaur after all. I read this article yesterday - apparently our children and children's children are no longer required to be adept at cursive writing. I find that sad, understandable given technology today, but sad.

I love recieving letters - now admittedly some of the ones I get from elderly aunts and uncles require a decoder - but the fact that someone takes the time to sit down and "write" a letter to me is very special. To me it indicates a caring about the written word (I know I always think through every letter I write). I personally don't believe cursive writing will completely disappear. After all, I consider it an art form - and not one we are all necessarily good at. Still, what's next? If you watched the Emmy's last night you heard several times about technology and television (heh, if you can see it on You Tube why bother with a set?) Of course, I'm saying all of this while banging out this post on my keyboard!!! What do you think?

Ode to Owls

I like owls – not sure why. We have one fellow who has lived in our back tree lot for some time now. I have never seen him but we certainly hear him on a regular basis. The other morning (5 am) he was loud and clear with his “Tu whit, tu whit, tu whooing”
Maybe I like owls because of my days as a Brownie. Leaders were known as Brown Owl or Tawny Owl or Snowy Owl.
Or maybe it was my fascination growing up with Grey Owl – a man who rescued beavers and made quite a name for himself as an early conservationist though it turned out he was not a North American native after all , but an Englishman who immigrated to Canada. It really is an interesting story. And it has nothing to do with the fact that Pierce Bronson played him in a not so great movie (but who cares with that kind of eye candy - he's a real slurpie, if ya know what I mean)... I don’t think it was Harry Potter – but owls certainly play a role in his story which made perfect sense to me when reading the books. I don’t understand why Rowlings had to knock off Hedwig (oops, should have included a Spoiler Alert – sorry)…
It could have been this cookie jar that my brother gave my Mum many years ago. It sat in her kitchen until she finally gave it to me. Whatever the reason, I like owls and over the years I seem to have amassed a small collection. Besides the aforementioned cookie jar, there are the following:
A lovely t-towel from 1987.



I love the “retro” looking owls.
A couple of owl vases. And the flowers came from the Farmers Market on Saturday - aren't they gorgeous!This lovely corsage I got from Elisabeth over at Words and Whimsies (I’m a big fan of her pin cushions to).
And most recently, my blogging peep Beth sent me this darling pin…

Whatever the reason, I like owls – what about you?

Grateful Any Day

I know lots of bloggers choose days of the week to list things they are grateful for – and our Guild Prez likes to start our meetings with her “gratefuls” ..To buck a trend, so to speak, I decided I’d post from time to time (in other words, Any Day) things I’m grateful for. And not the usual stuff (OF COURSE I’m grateful for my hubbie and family and the fact that everyday I gain consciousness to fight the good fight to called Life) …

So here are some things that came to mind recently (no particular order).

I am grateful for…

…a really good ham sandwich. When the heavens align and a. the bread is fresh b. the ham is perfect c. the “good”mustard (French’s of course) is in the fridge (hubbie just thinks it’s the worst stuff on the planet) I can’t think of anything better – awesome. (Note: I personally don't add the cheese like in the pic, but I thought it was a good one so used it - makes me hungry looking at it). Come to think about it, I've always had a thing for cooked ham - I once told a boyfriend I loved him as much as cooked ham - needless to say that relationship did not last :-<.
I am grateful for…
…finishing a run. Not because I set a goal for the day and completed it (how noble). I’m just grateful the dang thing is over and done with – geesh, like I enjoy exercising to keep my girlie figure! Yah I get this magazine and yah I will NEVER look like her (sniff)...
I am grateful for…
…stitching a straight line. Yes it seems the older I get the more wobbly I am – really. And I know that standing 10 feet away you will never see it – but there are times that ¼” seam just does not want to work – so I am VERY grateful when I finish a line and there it is, a perfect 9 ½ score (I’m never that accurate) - I'm Queen of the world!

Finally, today and everyday, I am grateful for…
…having all of you dropping in from time to time to see what’s up in my neck of the woods. Since I started just a few short months ago I’ve made some new friends and I appreciate all your comments, each and every one - so keep them coming.

Until my next Grateful Any Day … Cheers!

And the Winner is!

Lately my hubby has been following the manly pursuit of buying a new car. To give him credit, he did do his research. Currently he drives a 1999 Durango - very clunky and over 120,000 miles (he does a lot of driving). He boiled it down to 3 choices - all which we test drove..

A Toyota RAV4

Nope - thought this was the worst of the three - felt "cheap" compared to the other two (which of course NONE of them are). Sales Rep - hyper TJ...

A Subaru Forester

Better, however the passenger seat was low to the ground while the driver was able to adjust up so high my hubby was talking "down" to me! Can't have that. Sales Rep - Polish Bob - I kid you not, it was right on his business card - like buying from your Granddad....

And the winner (two thumbs up) a Honda CR-V - Sweet... Even the picture looks better! Sales Rep - laid back AJ

So we are off today, between Quilt show coverage, to buy it...I know my hubby is psyched - this is the car most of his pals are also interested in and he will be the first kid on the block (so to speak) to have one. Of course this is his birthday present (so happens March 29th is the big day) for the next 10 years (probably Christmas to)... Good news is, I need a new car to! Hmmmmm...

Day Light Savings Time

I'm not a big fan of daylight savings time - especially this time of the year. That whole "spring forward" thing irks me. So when Miss Gwendoline decided it was time to get up this morning, I was not a happy camper. I always feel like all the things I plan to do on this day will fall behind. And at 7 am it was still dark. I was grumpy putting on my walking shoes and taking G&G out for their walk. I was grumpy dragging out a warm coat (will Winter ever quit?). I was grumpy opening the door thinking about all I had to do.

Then something wonderful happened. It wasn't really that dark out. In fact dawn was pushing itself to light our way. It wasn't really that cold out - a little ice from yesterday's rain - but not really that bad. And I could hear the birds every where. Living outside of town in a wooded area has its benefits. All kinds of birds were calling each other - you know, the calls you get first thing on a "SPRING" morning. It was just what I needed to hear. In fact G&G and I took a longer walk then planned. Yes Winter is finally losing it's grip and yes Spring will come. Don't get me wrong - I still don't like DST, but if it is a sign of things to come then I guess that's okay with me.....