living out loud

.. new and improved ..

2011-03-15T07:39:00.000-05:00

as you may or may not have noticed, there has been absolutely no activity on this blog in over a month.

*blush*

all for good reason: my new and improved BLOG!! i really do advise that you check it out right now, as it is that exciting! [or at least i think so :)]

as for this blog, we had a good run. and just because you taught me lots and were good to me, my reward to you old blog will be too keep you alive via links from my new one.

all you need to do is click: www.melanie-mac.com!

hummmpphh...

2011-02-07T15:44:00.000-06:00

i knew this day would come...

this day, meaning approximately a week or so ago, was frustrating! i used all of my free space, meaning i have no more free room to showcase my PrOjEcT 365, or add pictures to this blog. i am currently in the works to have something better up and running very shortly.

i am excited to get back on track and for the new to come!

good things - i am told - take time :)

mahna mahna :)

2011-01-30T16:12:00.003-06:00

cracks me up every time :)

{side~note: pause music from my playlist to hear the full effects of the 'Mahna Mahna' video! right hand side, little ways down...}

mark 12:31

2011-01-29T15:05:00.002-06:00

getting to know neighbours in this city, as it is in any largely populated area, is challenging. seems funny really; or perhaps it the country girl coming out in me. if you grew up on a farm or had the opportunity to visit a rural community, you quickly know everyone within miles; the names of not only the neighbours, but what they drive, their pets names, when their birthdays or anniversary are. always waving to one-another while meeting them on the road, or never being afraid to call and ask if they have seen your horses or cows {when they happen to get out} or walk to the nearest house to get a tractor to pull your vehicle out of the ditch :)

here in the city it is a little different mentality when it comes to getting to know the neighbour. getting our own house has made me realize how i took for-granted how easy it was to get to know neighbours in a country setting compared to here in the city. seems that there is not a lot of Mr. Wilson moments {from the tv show home improvement}, or not too many waves are returned {more confused looks than returning a simple wave}. so i was forced to keep up what i had been taught: treat your neighbour as you would want to be treated. when dividing plants, offer to those who seem interested or in the fall when our garden surprises us with more veggies than we can handle, to offer them to our neighbours here in the city {who appreciate more than words can say} or when it snows {as it has this winter especially!}, to shovel our neighbours walk ways and back ally. (to name a few things)

by 'loving your neighbour as yourself' the rewards are amazing. i have gained many good friends and love the feeling that i know my little community that immediately surround our home. which is rare in a city, as odd as that sounds... i really do enjoy having a conversation with a neighbour when walking farley, or having a community of eyes watching our property when we are gone or at home, who feel comfortable enough to drop in a say if they seen something that seemed out of the ordinary.

this morning, a neighbour felt so very happy to have us as a neighbour, we were presented with a gift of appreciation. i accepted the gift, saying that we really did not do the things we do to be rewarded, we simply do it out of love for our neighbourhood. our neighbour continue to say something that made me fuzzy on the inside, how greatly appreciated are all the things that we have done and continue to do, but how the things we do in our little community are appreciated.

our gift :)

on another note:

having a blast in the snow, as much as our city will regret getting all this white stuff when it starts to melt...

oh, yea... while i have your attention, please do check out my PrOjEcT 365,
a new photo for every new day.

..words past spoken..

2011-01-27T15:39:00.000-06:00

find myself reading a lot, actually tons. love it, as i always have. i can remember picking up certain books and finishing them the same evening. or how some books you purposly read slowly; they seem to pull you into being a part of the amazing world that your imagination had created while reading. how you seemed to know the characters as they are your close friends. i do love to read!

came across this piece, made me smile and ponder awhile, enjoy!

If a dead man is raised to life, all men spring up in astonishment. Yet every day one that has no being is born, and no man wonders, though it is plain to all, without doubt, that it is a greater thing for that to be created which was without being than for that which had being to be restored. Because the dry rod of Aaron budded, all men were in astonishment; every day a tree is produced from the dry earth...and no man wonders.... Five thousand men were filled with five loaves;...every day the grains of seed that are sown are multiplied in a fullness of ears, and no man wonders. All...wondered to see water once turned into wine. Every day the earth's moisture, being drawn into the root of the vine, is turned by the grape into wine, and no man wonders. Full of wonder then are all the thins which men never think to wonder at, because...they are by habit become dull to the consideration of them.

~ Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)

thanks for popping in, muchly appreciated .

since you are here, swing by my project 365, perhaps leave a comment or two!

..all good things must come to an end..

2011-01-06T19:11:00.000-06:00

hard to believe that our amazing vacation has come to its final days... feels like we are leaving our 2nd home, thanks to all the turners for making us feel at home! seems like we just got here and yet we have stayed for a wedding, christmas and new years. time really does fly when you are having fun! now it is time to pack up and mentally prepare ourselves for freezing temperatures. :(

well, actually am getting excited to see our shaggy dog, crazy cat, and to ~~catch a wave~~, i mean hit the slopes on our boards, that is snow boards...

time for me to get all my daily photos/365 project online ~ super excited to get those posted!! excited in general to get editing with cs5 and new bamboo pen & touch :)

thanks to my fab hubby ;)

hope this finds everyone in good spirits and health! Sending best wishes for 2011,

drop by soon to check out some amazing pictures from the rainbow state.

i{heart}faces: pets

2010-12-13T09:02:00.003-06:00

Farley Sprocket

currently we are into the deep-freeze of winter; waking to the temperature of -38*C! makes me a little more excited for our warm holidays.

{two days and counting}

was excited that this challenge was of our PETS! so the following is my entry, our shaggy friend: Farley Sprocket. since he has come into our lives a year and a half ago, we have had some amazing adventures! {always exciting}

this photo was taken this past summer.

enjoy!

...Don't forget

check out other great entries at i{heart}faces & my PrOjEcT 365!

.surprise visitor.

2010-12-09T20:41:00.002-06:00

could not help a smile after i read the following Shel Silverstien poem :

Hot Dog

i have a hot dog for a pet,

the only kind my folks would let

me get.

he does smell sort of bad

and yet,

he absolutely never gets

the sofa wet.

we have a butcher for a vet,

the strangest vet you ever met.

guess we're the weirdest family yet,

to have a hot dog for a pet.

enjoyed a visit from my parents and their little meatloaf.

seasons greetings :)

oh, ya...
don't forget to take a peak at my PrOjEcT 365, everyday is a new photo :)

PrOjEcT 365: update

2010-12-08T08:41:00.002-06:00

having an absolute blast with my PrOjEcT 365!

{if you have yet to check it out: check it out here!!}

that was all, well at least for now. time to walk the dog and venture out to finish what christmas shopping i have left until now.

! sending warm holiday wishes your way !

i{heart}faces: self portraits

2010-12-07T13:55:00.004-06:00

...Self portraits...

this week the challenge is to take your own picture. sounds easy enough!

[after the whole afternoon, and ump-teen photos; this one felt good to show :) ]

remember to check out other other amazing entries!

lator, gator :)

'tis the season

2010-12-06T23:47:00.003-06:00

time spent with family is time well spent

had an amazing weekend spent with our amazing parentals'! hard to believe that it has been over two months since we broke the city perimeter to venture to a much more wide open world; too long for us!

Ed learned some new tricks to making cabbage rolls: who would have know he was a natural. well they got shining reviews from those involved. although we never did taste the final product, i can say that the rice filling is good as i had to make sure that it was not poisoned, you know like a quality control :)

this was one of two, then 2 extra large roasters :)

would also like to remind everyone to give those loved ones an extra hug as in today's world you never know what may be in store for you. today marks a grave anniversary of a horrible event, please take a moment to remember those who are innocent and lost too soon!

fix-it friday #78

2010-11-19T10:29:00.000-06:00

Susan snapped this lovely photo of son a couple of years ago, and today it is our subject for fix-it friday @ i{heart}faces.

enjoy my edits :)

original

... black & white Vs. colour ...

2010-11-12T16:50:00.004-06:00

B/W vs. CoLoUr

{round 1}

this week there was no fix-it friday at i{heart}faces, as thee crew is still recovering from the dream big photography workshop held last week. no reason not to showcase some of my own editing! now:

sit back, check out the following photos, leave a comment on your thoughts :)

fix-it friday #77

2010-11-05T10:53:00.002-05:00

wow, friday again! never ceases to amaze me at the speed at which time flies... remember when time seemed to go by soo slow: in a day you could build a castle with only the couches, chairs and a blanket ~ only to have it ripped down once perfected cause it is bedtime, how it was the end of the world when you noticed a zit, or how high school would never end... life as a kid, love how perceptions change :)

seems that i{heart}faces fix-it fridays are keeping me at least blogging once a week. {kinda} i really do look forward to editing, and i{heart}faces gives me a chance to work on someone elses' photos.

so for all of you who are new to this blow or to i{heart}faces fix-it fridays, it is a weekly event where contributors edit the same photo and participants {such as myself} can join the fun by editing the same photo in their own way and linking into the party! today the photo was captured by Michelle Johnson of her beautiful daughter.

enjoy :)

original

the following are the edits done with only my edit options on iPhoto. soon to come {next week} cs5!!!

fix it friday #75

2010-10-22T13:38:00.003-05:00

Today the photo is one that Angie had snapped during their family photo session with Jessica Paige!

original

my colour edit

my b/w edit

my sepia edit

thanks for poppin' in! please do share the love and leave me some feedback :)

BWAT {Ballroom with a Twist}

2010-10-18T14:33:00.002-05:00

gotta love free tickets

i often add my name to contests, never giving them a second thought. well this past week, the stars aligned and my name had been chosen as a winner! totally made my week, as i just found out that our electrician blew us off yet again :( but my frown was instantly turned around, as i was given an excuse to get dolled-up and buy those much needed boots to go along with my dress :) so i do have to send much love to the humane society for putting on the contest. picking up my tickets from the new home to the humane society, just off of waverly, i rethought fostering animals and picked up some information. breaks my heart to see the look in those animals eyes being locked up without a family, if interested in fostering click here!

so last night my hubby and i, dressed too the nines, enjoyed an evening of dancing! there was soo much talent:

olympic gold medalist and runner up on dancing with the stars Evan Lysacek

dancing with the star pro's: Edyta Sliwinska, Alec Mazo, Jonathan Roberts, & Damian Whitewood

american idol finalists: David Hernandez {season 7}, Gina Glocksen {season 6}

cannot forget the fabulous young dancers from: So You Think You Can Dance, Burn the Floor, & High School Musical

we both watched in awe at the flexibility, strength and obvious dedication the performers put into this show. job well done, as even my hubby had enjoyed the evening.

enjoy the photos i snuck, was hard to pry my own eyes from the stage :)

fix it friday #74

2010-10-16T01:54:00.002-05:00

original

my edit

thanks to i{heart}faces for the opportunity to edit someone elses photos, also dana suggs for the photo to work with!

Thank you, too, for dropping in.

oh and don't forget to leave a comment or two below, feedback is always appreciated :)

every step is one step closer to finishing

2010-10-15T20:23:00.001-05:00

.wrapping up small projects.

having this extended spell of beautiful fall weather, i tried to 'grab the bull by the horns' and start finishing the many small projects. they seem to multiply, then scatter to all corners of our property... today i can say that there is only one handful of small projects on the go in the backyard as of now. {and the completion dates are set for the one handful left}

with me busy doing my mental list of things, was too busy to notice ed finished the retaining wall around the cedar. after a good paint job and the pathway finished running alongside, this area will be finished!

15 more days until halloween, my pumpkin better get changing :)

turkey~day football

2010-10-14T02:51:00.001-05:00

thanksgiving day football

monday after feasting thanksgiving weekend, found ourselves enjoying some ol' pigskin. was extra fun as our cousin, Cole, was playing during the intermission. was an beautiful evening with exceptional october weather, and the football was not bad. with over 25,000 fans packed in to watch the blue bombers in the stadium, the cheering was loud to say the least. the bombers did not disappoint, winning final score: BC 35 MB 47 :)

next few photos are of the intermission game {Cole is #6}

first time i saw a 'group fight' break out at a football game :0

cheers!

fix it friday #73

2010-10-01T12:54:00.005-05:00

original

my 1st edit

my 2nd edit

my 3rd edit

please do check out what others edited to add their creative spin on this photo at i{heart}faces, or click the following link:

oH & please do not forget to send some love by dropping a comment or leaving some wisdom. it is always appreciated :)

friday the 13th

2010-08-13T17:42:00.004-05:00

and the weekend begins

happy friday! as i sit here typing i can't help but smile one the day i had, thus far..

1. woke to screams coming from the basement. being asleep, i was not sure exactly what the words were, as to the tone that they were coming in. as i jumped out of bed, the words became clear, ' the water is gushing in'.. run downstairs to see a fountain of water gushing up 2 feet in the air, about an inch when we got there, and gushing...

2. having the hubby volunteer to stay home and get the water situation under control, i went off to work. {somewhat thinking that it may be a optional day, on account of the storm} of course once i got to work, the: monsoon rain stops, clouds open up, sun beams through the storm clouds, and the humidity starts making everything sticky. had to chuckle with loralee, how this always happens: especially when you are wanting it to rain. :)

3. a surprise lunch date, courtesy of my husband. nothing like a&w on the tailgate of hanky! farley got to meet some new friends, as he found a hole in the fence...

cannot say that this friday the 13th has been all bad, not that i am superstitious.

i've included a couple of photos of farley today. he was sad because it is pouring out so we only took him for a short walk, with promises of a longer one later.

enjoy :)

cool summer evenings...

2010-08-12T18:21:00.003-05:00

relief from the humidity

yes, ed & i are both wearing sweaters. no, not because we were cold, the mosquitoes were crazy !!!

last night enjoyed nightly walk-a-bout without the crazy humidity. never looked forward to the rain soo much, aaron actually took me out for a celebratory meal.

{we sat on the patio, watching the rain pour; nothing like 'poor mans' air conditioning :) }

enjoy the photos of the evening walk :)

August Long Weekend '10

2010-08-10T16:39:00.003-05:00

rushing river

what an adventure that weekend was, of course in a good way. {chris may think differently, although he was a sport...}

started out with a couple detours, wild blueberries everywhere you looked, a near drowning, a few storms and severe watches, amazing food, great company, sunny afternoons, couple of farley/meatloaf escapee run, world domination {risk}, amazingly clear water and a bit of fishing... weekend in a nutshell

enjoy :)

better late than never :)

2010-07-22T21:37:00.002-05:00

congratulations graduate :)

would like to send a shout out to my amazing lil' bro {giggling at the irony of that} for graduating high school! it is not an easy feat, espically when the end is in sight! love you and am soo proud. this big ol' world is going to have to watch out for you! oh, ya, don't forget who your favorite sister is when your rich and famous!!!

three amigos

sistas

my favorite models :)

mother & daughters

this month we have been very fortunate to have lots of family come here, whether it was for graduation or the upcoming wedding. absolutely having a blast, and we did not have to travel for days to enjoy it! super excited for cousins bryon and susie, who are expecting baby #1 and first great grandchild for grandma & pa kopytko!!

aaron's sister {and mine, too ;)} Alyssa, had a chance to take some family photos of us. we went to a park setting, exchange district, and a graffiti wall; all locations so different, yet the results all the same: amazing!!! i was speechless with the results, every photo aaron saw was his favorite :) she really does make it impossible to pick one favorite! thanks again Alyssa :) cannot wait to share some

well, i have to go back to the problem that led me to make this blog... i locked the only set of keys in the little brown truck named hanky... i am smiling know as i share this little experience as i think of the numerous times i have locked my keys in my vehicle. yes there has been many, many times... :)

keep the sunny side up!

F G P

2010-06-24T18:45:00.002-05:00

got my groove in the grove

having the opportunity to check out a new park is ranked pretty near the top, when it comes to Farley ~ or so i think. earlier this week he was given this opportunity and he jumped on it. {well actually in the car...} off to fraser grove park; home to my day job.

enjoy the photos!

M.

wild strawberries

2010-06-22T21:42:00.003-05:00

bright sunny days

was glad when i woke up on sunday morning as it was a beautiful day! full of family, good food and fun! a happy fathers day was had by all! the day was full of adventures: finding the forbidden flowers ;), almost sliding into the muddy turtle drain, go-carting with paige, celebrating fabulous fathers, and eating fresh wild strawberries. happy belated fathers day dad, and to all you fathers!

today may not have been the brightest day, considering we are under severe thunderstorm watch. there was a break in the clouds and was able to make the best of the evening. playing in the background was the dixie chicks and the eagles ~ as the concert was at the bomber stadium; a nice touch to a mosquitoie walk!

wild strawberries
are wild strawberries really wild?
will they scratch an adult, will they snap at a child?
should you pet them, or let them run free where they roam?
could they ever relax in a steam-heated home?
can they be trained to not growl at the guests?
will a litterbox work or would they leave a mess?
can we make them a cowberry, herding the cows,
or maybe a muleberry pulling the plows,
or maybe a huntberry chasing the grouse,
or maybe a watchberry guarding the house,
and though they may curl up at your feet so sweetly,
can you ever feel that you trust them completely?
or should we make a pet or of something less scary,
like the domestic prune or the imported cherry,
anyhow, you've been warned and i will not be blamed
if your wild strawberry cannot be tamed.
~shel silverstein

editing fun

2010-06-18T17:36:00.003-05:00

would like to say thanks to Julie Rivera Photography for donating this lovely photo for us all to edit :)

the original:

my edits:

do not forget to check out some other amazing edits at i{heart}faces photography site!

i {heart} faces: week 24

2010-06-15T18:14:00.003-05:00

babies

this week at i{heart}faces it is baby week! since i do not yet have a wee one, i happen to have a big, furry baby: farley sprocket!

i thought of this picture right away. it is farley, around 4 months old, and his once favorite toy ~ curious george. happen to catch him in the act and was able to take a quick photo before he tried to 'finish the job'.

check out the many other pictures of babies at i{heart}faces ~ click the link below!

farleys photoshoot

2010-06-06T23:31:00.003-05:00

testing skills

have been testing many skills in the last week: started a new day job {parks & recreation}, built a garage {more on this to come later}, taught Farley S. to bow, photo~shoot with Farley ~ are the first that come to mind. is it not a part of life to acquire skills, then test them?

lately it has been the best weather for the ducks and mosquitoes around here! so when today we got blessed with a bright sunny day {little on the humid side ~ but i am not complaining}, was excited to get outside. being in the midst of building the garage, aaron had arranged a crew coming over to help and my job was to take Farley out for the afternoon so he would not be in the road.

which was how i decided that this afternoon i would go scouting for new photo locations and Farley would be my tester. following are some photos of Farley-dogs shoot,

enjoy :)

if can, can :)

2010-05-30T20:58:00.004-05:00

a walk to fight arthritis

today i, along with my better half and farley sprocket, participated in a walk for the Arthritis Society. Please do go and check out the site!

i am always amazed at what an impact farley has on a crowd of people! walking up to get registered, several people stopped us to asked if they could pet him.. sitting down, waiting for the start time and i felt like i was sitting next to the mascot of the marathon, as children {young and old} came to say hello and to give our fluffy friend some love. the event photographer stopped us a number of times to get farley to pose with different people and in front of different signs. and to top off all of farley's fame, the MC even added him into the opening speech and got a hand of applause! gotta love farley sprocket!

shortly after that we were off on our 5 km adventure...

the path was from the forks {scotia stage} to the legislation building back to the forks. {notice umbrella in hand :) }

ed trying to display our t-shirt ~ was a gusty day...

added some random photos that had been taken along our trek ~ have to make time to smell the flowers :)

rainy days

2010-05-29T20:19:00.002-05:00

Rain

i open my eyes

and look up at the rain,

and it dripped in my head

and flowed into my brain,

and all that i hear as i lie in my bed

is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

i step very softly,

i walk very slow,

i can't do a handstand~

i might overflow,

so pardon the wild crazy thing i just said~

i'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

~Shel Silverstein

came across this poem of one of my favorite poets, Shel Silverstein. felt it somehow was appropriate considering that in the past couple of days it has been raining cats-and-dogs... added some photos that may be enjoyed!

happy saturday!

Fix it Friday

2010-05-28T12:06:00.001-05:00

#53

it is friday, TGIF, end of the week, begining of the weekend, also fix it friday at i{heart}faces!

this week candidly grateful donated a photo for the rest of us to play with!

original:

colour:

black & white:

spring showers

2010-05-28T01:10:00.005-05:00

rain, rain, go away,

come again another day

i need to find a rain coat for Farley... i am smiling as i typed that as i never had thought that i would be considering buying clothes for a dog, especially a 90 lbs. Old English Sheepdog. but i am only human ~ when it has been raining off and on for the past week and guess what is in the forecast for the next little while... i am going to be searching some pet stores tomorrow and am officially crossing the line to one of those 'people who dress up their dog' :)

as i reached for my ~~rain jacket~~ jacket in a packet, i wondered if old navy would carry a dog-version large enough for Far. was glad i had some protection from the rain!

{thanks mom}

spite the rain, timmy's in hand, we had a great stroll in 'on-again-off-again' rain :)

i {heart} faces: YELLOW

2010-05-25T15:37:00.003-05:00

yellow glow

this week at i{heart}faces the theme is YELLOW.

my entry has yellow in the photo, but i am going for more of a 'yellow glow'. this photo is of my best to guys, was able to catch them both smilin'! was fun experimenting :)

for more photos with the theme yellow, check i{heart}faces!

May Days

2010-05-25T13:37:00.005-05:00

spring dayz

i find myself letting out a big sigh.. aaahhh, back to high-speed, wireless internet. it is humbling to try to go from high-speed, driving 2 hours from home {the city} to parents houses {the farm} and have dial-up or satellite {better than dial-up, but with a list of flaws}. ... i am trying to explain why i really havn't been on the 'net for nearly a month ... and those goofy internet commercials are not lying when they are comparing dial-up with high-speed; an example to upload a couple of photos may take over-night :( i really feel spoiled to have access to high-speed.

may was an extremely fun month, so far. found ourselves [Aaron, Farley & and i] in and amoungst nature for the majority of this month: meaning were out in the 'sticks' ~ aka the country.

in a nutshell, may includes, so far : tanning {my pasty white legs are in desprite need of vit. D}, morel hunting, fishing in the pouring rain, picking wood-ticks off Farley-dog, fire in our backyard pit, walked couple hundreded miles {or so it seemed}, picked many more fat wood-ticks, bought a tiller, seeded a garden, preped and poured form for our garage, enjoyed some amazing sunsets, running into friends we should see a lot more of, and the list goes on. the things that get accomplished when the weater is nice :)

it is was 'that time of year', meaning a certain hunting season... which really does explain my absence from my city life. was a very fun, crawling-on-your-hands-and-knees exciting year. was a little wet at times, and we all were very tired at the end of the numerous days of walking.. but all-in-all was superb year. shout out to Vickie for putting on the miles alongside Aaron, Farley and i :) and Chris for stickin' it out to finally see a 'good spot' !!

love to garden, go figure..

bought a tiller a few weeks ago and finally got to take it out for a spin. works great, starts on the first pull ~ someones junk is others gold :) planted our garden and can hardley wait to enjoy harvesting from it.

also had some fun with potting up plants in our garden at home. can hardly wait to finish our backyard.. more on this to come...

i participated in escalate live 2010 recently, and if i had to sum it up in a couple of words: 1) jammed-packed-full of knowledge & 2) inspiring {wow}. i think that i became aware from my fab sis-in-law, Alyssa. who might add is the best photographer on the hawaiian islands, and can hardly wait for her to take our family portaits in a couple months.

! AlyssaPix website or check her out on facebook!

and to end:

for all those who have big/large/xl. dogs ~ word of advice: bikes! with ours truly {Farley Sprocket}, getting a good work-out includes our bikes. at first it was a challenge, as both soo new to us all. honestly did not know what to expect, but it works great. of course we had a few mishaps, i flipped over the handle bars and did a face-plant and Aaron was dragged through a mud-puddle with mud a 1/2 foot deep... all-in-all works great, now we all kinda know what we are doing.

TGIF

2010-04-30T12:22:00.002-05:00

last friday of april

excited that friday has arrived! i am very excited to be going home to the country to visit our {aaron & i's} parents. i always have to smile when i get soo excited to escape this concrete jungle to what i used to call the 'arm-pit of the country' funny how time/maturity changes your views on things...

wanted to shout from the roof-tops about an amazing blog in the name of love. seriously, last night i stayed up till the wee hours reading, watching, laughing, crying at this site ~ such an inspiration. Bianca is an amazing woman with an amazing ability to connect with whoever she is in contact with {i have never met her, but get this sense of connection by simply listening to what she has to say} she inspires me to be the best person i can be, through my eyes and others.

please do check it out as you will not be disappointed, but the complete opposite!!!

thought i would also add some of my favorite random photos. enjoy!

the ABC's of life

2010-04-28T12:49:00.005-05:00

one summer, many moons ago, i found myself on an island. not just any island, but one that seemed to move slower in time... where instead of going to the local box grocery store for fresh produce, instead you walk/bike down the road to the nearest farm booth [found at the end of the lanes] to choose freshly picked produce/seeds/flowers amoung many other things... the flea market is like no other as it is brimming with hand made/grown unique stuff. of course i'm speaking of none-other than salt spring island in british columbia. it was a summer that i will never forget {the memories or the amazing people} and think of daily when i read my marble slab with the abc's of life, which hangs in the bathroom. [bathroom due to the fact that it is a place in the house that chances are most will visit :) and would i feel that everyone should gander at this slab of life...]

Not only does the abc's of life slab remind me of the amazingly fun and adventurous summer, but this time of year: spring, more specificly around todays date as that is when Ed and i took different paths, back in 2006, for the summer to better ourselves for eachother {which did happen, as we had gotten engaged by the end of it...}

something about when new seedlings are sprouting or fresh flowers reveiling themselves reminds me of how hard it was to leave everything i knew to go to the unknown.

looking back i want to use the saying 'if you love something, let it go and if it comes back it is ment to be' ~ not that i ever let ed go, but that summer really did cement us together. not that i would ever choose to be without him ever again, if can be helped.

had fun taking some photos of my newest blossoms in the yard, and well of course my favorite shaggy dog in the world... enjoy!

Accept differences Be kind Count your blessings Dream Express thanks Forgive Give freely Harm no one Imagine more Jettison anger Keep confidences Love truly Master something Nuture hope Open your mind Pack lightly Quell rumors Reciprocate Seek wisdom Touch hearts Understand Value truth Win graciously Xeriscape Yearn for peace Zealously support a worthy cause ~ r. stewart

no, this turtle wind-chim is not from salt spring island, but

from another amazing island : Oahu, Hawaii

Fix-It Friday #51

2010-04-23T17:25:00.000-05:00

Before:

After:

first bloom :)

2010-04-23T15:42:00.002-05:00

the furry lil' flower

i was pleasently surprised to see my first bloom today. funny as yesterday I had taken some photos, seeing how it was to bloom anyday, and today it did. would like to introduce you to Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Rubra', the Pasque flower or as i like to call it my fuzzy flower! enjoy

earth day

2010-04-22T08:59:00.003-05:00

...its ~~not~~ easy being green

farley and I have just returned from our morning walk. it amazes me how beautiful it is [weather wise], compared to last year this time.. makes my mind wander to how simply complicated the earth is and everything on it.

today i hope everyone takes a minute to really reflect on what impact their lives has on our earth. For getting more 'earth friendly', today i am: getting a bike [as mine was stolen] and putting it to use as my main mode of transport, starting my garden by seed [most was collected from last years produce], really try to shower in a shorter time.

would like to list some of the 'green' things that i do on a daily basis:
~ hang all our cloths on our cloths-line
~ grow & preserve our produce from our organic garden
~ mow the lawn with a push-reel mower
~ use a programable thermostat
~ use biodegradable bags for the little tash we get
~ compost
~ use a reusable metal water bottle
~ pick up trash while on my walks with Farley Sprocket
~ unplug items when not in use/ use powerbars which can be switched off
~ turn off lights when not in the room
~ really try my hardest to follow the 3 R's:
               -reduce what i buy
               -reuse everything can have a 2nd chance!
               -recycle if cannot be reused

patiently waiting...

2010-04-15T00:34:00.003-05:00

4:00~ish in the afternoon

no matter what i find myself doing [around 4 o'clockish] i have to stop to smile at Farley. he knows that one of his most exciting times of the day is upon him.

he is sitting, waiting.. until..

this is my favorite of the bunch ( :

i {heart} faces: desserts

2010-04-13T19:07:00.003-05:00

tim-bitty-licious...

is it not fun to play with your food?

sunday walk

2010-04-13T13:01:00.001-05:00

photos of our nightly walk-a-bout

the last of the snow at the park !)

*giggle*

eekk.. i really need to get my 'brows plucked.. :s

signs i found behind the recycling bins..

evening in the park

2010-04-11T12:06:00.004-05:00

...evening at the park

this past friday was a trying day for me on soo many levels :(

won't get into any details. (puzzled look on face) i am still trying to understand...?

(shrug shoulders) sigh

..giggle..

...smile, as thinking,"could be worse..."

i am soo stoked that the weather is agreeing with us! meaning that we were able to get to finishing Doreen & Bills backyard. it is not done yet.... only job left is the finishing touches on the patio, then we can focus on 'operation raising the garage' ooohh the excitement !)

once back home from landscaping, went on our evening stroll. both aaron and i were runnung on borrowed energy, so it was a hard decision to take farley to the off lease park.

had fun, farley ran and ran..

enjoy !)

garbage day

2010-04-08T12:49:00.003-05:00

garbage day

getting in shape for my next big hurtle ~ project 365!

Had fun with this concept, and thought that would be kinda interesting for those who are not exposed to this type of garbage collection. I'm sure the operator/driver was wondering if I was going to write him up for something or some wacki person with an obsession with garbage....

Anyhoo, take a look and give me some feedback !)

ol' fashion crisp !)

2010-04-07T10:38:00.003-05:00

Seeing that it is vacation week at I Heart Faces the challenge is yummy desserts. Considering I had rhubarb on the mind and in the freezer ~ saw an opprotunity to make some "spring" dessert: Apple Rhurbarb Crisp !)

Ol' Fashion Crisp

For this reciepe, I used a jar of canned apple pie filling !)

4 c. fruit*

1/2~3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. rolled oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4~1/2 tsp. allspice

1/3 c. cold margarine/butter

* Have used a wide varitey of fruit: mixed berries (frozen or fresh), peaches, apples, rhubarb, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums, etc... You get to be creative !)

Rhurbarb from freezer !)

I had to double the reciepe, as my canned pie filing plus frozen

rhubarb made exactly 8 cups. !)

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease 8 inch baking dish

2. combine first 6 ingredients

3. cut in margarine and sprinkle over fruit in greased 8 inch baking dish

4. bake at 375 degrees F for 30~35 minutes

~~makes 4 to 6 servings~~

One of my favorites!!! I absolutly love this reciepe, as you can see it is simple to put together and is best served warm with ice cream !)

Is is summer Yet?!

2010-03-24T21:13:00.001-05:00

It is amazing, actually it is mind-boggling how many times I take for granted a nice day. Especially here in Winterpeg... For instance last night...
Aaron is completely, flat out, sicker-than-a-dog, was confined to the house. So I set out to get our yard looking not so "hung-over" from this past winter season, the usual picking up the trash that is blown in, picking of Farley's forgotten winter turds,- yuk - and raking the leaves. Got everything in piles, ready to be bagged, when Farley started being more annoying than usual. Meaning one thing - time for the evening walk. Being outside in only a hoodie, thought that the bagging can wait until tomorrow. Ran inside to grab the camera and Farley's leash: off to the park. Ended up spending over two hours out at the park: playing, shooting some sunset shots, trying to catch Farley... By the time we got back home, I was soaking wet from the knees down and needing a hot tea to warm me up. I glance at the piles and decide that first thing I will get them bagged. Woke up to snow

Heres a look at the sunset from the park: