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Monday ~ June 2nd

Thought I would share some of the happenings in our yard since that's where I've been spending a lot of my time lately ~ 

The pots are planted & fertilized.

The squirrel is continuously suspicious of me, despite how well I feed him.   

The lilacs are in full bloom & are fragrantly perfuming the yard.

Maggie is holding her pose, in hopes that a butterfly will land near her & mistake her for a lantern or a pot.  So far it isn't working...

I actually had one of those series of magical moments in quick succession yesterday.  First I found a magpie feather, a really good one, in great shape & very iridescent.  I went to put it in a safe place on a bench & spotted the most delicate spider web on one of the pots.  At that moment I turned to go into the garage to tell Chris about the spider web when a little baby squirrel ran right up to me on his way to the bird feeder.  We stood still looking at each other, both of us not sure what to do, until a minute or so later when he carried on his way.  Then I walked up to the garage & spooked a jack rabbit in the neighbors' yard who bolted out of the bushes into plain view where the neighbors' cat happened to be sitting.  They too just sat there looking at each other, both not sure what to do, until finally the rabbit took off into the next yard.  A feather, a web, a baby squirrel & a jack rabbit all in a matter of minutes, It was awesome.

Wednesday ~ June 4th

It's Weigh In Wednesday and I'm back ~  I lost 3 more pounds (total to date: 20.2).  Crazy, I really didn't think I was down that much, after all, I went out for dinner twice last weekend & had several icy beers in the yard while digging through the garden.  Mind ya, I'm not complaining, just a little shocked.

I'm lovin' "Them Kids" by Sam Roberts; a great song with some interesting contemporary topics & The Sims computer game incorporated into the video.  Here's the lyrics if you want to follow along, or don't bother, just turn it up & enjoy.  Besides a couple of songs like "Brother Down" & "Where Have All the Good People Gone", I'm not really familiar with a lot of Sam Robert's music, but he's going to be at the Pemberton Festival so I'm starting to become more familiar.  I might be the oldest "kid" at that festival, but at least I'll know how to dance the rock n' roll.    

Friday ~ June 6th

I had a couple inquiries about this planter on the right after posting a photo of it on Monday.  I picked it up at Cannor Nursery out by Devon, but at the time that was the last one they had.  However, yesterday my mom & I popped into Zocalo's in Little Italy & they have wonderful, bright Italian pots for sale.  They also have a delightful gallery & courtyard & they serve delicious lattes if you're looking for something to do.  The one on the left is the one I picked up, now I'm off to the greenhouse to get some pretty flowers for it.

Since we went to see "Buddy Holly's Birthday Bash" at Jubilations Dinner Theatre, Chris & I can't seem to get this song out of our heads.

Tuesday ~ June 10th

My mom has started to put together some things for an Open House we hope to have soon (we'll set a date next week).  She came up with a new line of fabulous, light weight, very sparkly & feminine bracelets which we still don't have a name for (any suggestions?).  I love them, they're really nice & comfortable & I think they're going to be a big hit.

We stayed at the Hotel Selkirk in Fort Edmonton Park on Saturday night with some friends to celebrate Chris' sister Pam's birthday.  If you live around here or are planning a trip to Edmonton, I definitely recommend staying there.  It's very fun; the food in the restaurant is delicious, drinks in the Mahogany Room are enjoyable & you get the park to yourselves after 6 p.m. (however, the buildings are closed until 10 a.m. the next day).  I know that I have a soft spot for Fort Edmonton because I used to work there, but it was really nice to stay at an old fashion hotel & get a chance to walk around, check how the gardens are growing, spot bunnies & drink in the "Olden Day" vibe.

Wednesday ~ June 11th

9:45 a.m.

Wow, these weeks are flying by!  I have errands to run & then I'm off for the weigh in.  Be back with an update later today...

1:13 p.m.

Much to my surprise, I dropped 2.2 pounds this week.  I think all the yard work is showing on the scale.  Good thing I still have more shrubs to plant & lots & lots of weeding to do. 

I've never really mentioned this before, but a really nice part of this process is having such great support from Chris (thank you honey).  Each Wednesday he comes home with a treat (reward) for me.  Not the chocolate kind either, but usually a c.d. or something pertaining to the garden.  Last week he gave me a bat house which I'm so stoked about!  We need to stain it & hang it & then wait & hope we get some bats to the neighborhood, we have the most delicious mosquitoes around & we're starting to get lots & lots of them.  I'll keep you posted if we do.

Thursday ~ June 12th

I've got nothing today, nothing... well except for another adorable picture of yellow, fluffy goslings. 

I'm really tired today, I woke up all weird & groggy, & haven't really been able to shake it.  I must have interrupted my sleep cycle or something, boo.

Tonight I'm going to pop by my mom's place after my *dreaded photography class to talk about a possible Open House date, perhaps next week on Friday or Saturday.  We have to see where we're at with the jewelry.  I know the next week is going to be very busy, I have a class with Michael Barley & a visitor staying with me & a thousand things to do in between so I'm hoping we can pull it off.  The sale will be rather casual, no demos but we will have new goodies out for people in need of some summer bling, or perhaps presents for upcoming birthdays or maybe a chance to give a special friend a little treat.  I hope to have some things up for sale here as well so stay tuned.

* Yes, I said "dreaded" because the photography teacher is painfully boring & 3 hours is one heck of a long time, especially when you feel a little drained. 

Let's leave on a better note.

Monday ~ June 16th

                   Chris working on the deck into the late hours...

Hope everyone enjoyed the Father's Day weekend.  We sure did, a weekend busy with friends, family & jobs in the yard.  I'm happy to report that the lower deck is almost complete.  Our neighbor came by & asked how it was coming along with our "dance floor".  I'm not sure why he called it that, perhaps because we have no furniture on it yet, or because it's rather big but I kind of like the name ~ perhaps that's a function it will serve in the near future.  Maybe I should go digging for my ol' tap shoes & test it out?

The sunset on Friday was spectacular.  This was probably around 10:30 p.m.  I just love these Northern summer nights.  And the mosquitoes are not too bad this year (so far). 

My mom & I have set a date for an open house, it will be the 26th of June, that's a Thursday.  I'm not sure on the hours yet, but I will be posting that soon along with some sneak peaks. 

Tuesday ~ June 17th

                         Allium giganteum in my yard

Tomorrow I start a 2-day class with Michael Barley & rumor has it, they go quite late so I won't be around here for a few days, but I will have some pictures from class when I get a chance to put them up.  Have a wonderful week!

P.S.  Do you ever wonder what the weather is like on Mars?  Check it out here.

Monday ~ June 23rd

            A stunning window bead Michael Barley made in class.

Click on photo to see pictures from my class with Michael Barley.

** We are having an Open House this Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., if you didn't receive an email & would like information about it, please contact me here. **

Ah, the world is a little less cool without you George Carlin (* warning, if you're sensitive about bad language, don't click on the link).

Wednesday ~ June 25th

12:30 p.m.

I'm a pound up - grrr.  I guess I better be a little more diligent this week...

On a lighter note (pun intended), a reminder that our Open House is tomorrow from 3 - 8 p.m.  I was at mom's setting up earlier & things are looking good, hope you can make it!  Need more info?  Contact me here.

7:30 a.m.

It's Weigh In Wednesday and I am dreading it.  I've been trying to get back to a little routine in my life, but that isn't happening and the ramifications of my lack of preparedness just might show up on the scale this morning.  That being said, I'm off to the gym to try to sweat off a little bit of the "good times" I've been having lately.  Be back later with the news.

Thursday ~ June 26th

It's Open House day!  Wish I would have remembered to take some jewelry home yesterday to photograph, doh!  You'll just have to take my word for it, we have some awesome stuff. 

I just realized that it's the last day of school today too.  All the more reason to come down & pick up something pretty for yourself, you'll be deserving a little treat pretty soon.  I remember those 2 months of summer, it seemed like such a huge chunk of time back when I was young, but now it just flies by.

I hope to have a jewelry sale here as well in the near future.  We are expecting a heat wave next week so it's best that I leave the torch off & spend some time with photos & the website.