Life

Both girls went off with a smile on their face and butterflies in their bellies,  Hannah off to Grade 1 and Lena heading to Grade 4.  It’s always bittersweet sending them off to new grades and classes.  It is my hope and prayer that they have a good year with a supportive teacher and good friends by their side.  I’m so thankful for the staff at our local elementary school, they make sending my kids off so much easier, knowing they have good people waiting for them.

Oh, these girls – so grown, so beautiful and busting with personality!!!  My heart aches with love!!!

They spent the summer with my niece, Sam, who babysit for us.  They were pretty tight before, but these three got a whole lot closer this summer.  I was so thankful for her!  I didn’t have to get the kids up or fed before I left for work and quite often, there would be supper or treats waiting when I got home.  And if Aunt Clare was around, they would get to swim in their pool or, if they were really lucky, she’d pack them up and take them to the beach!

Over the years, it’s become tradition that Sam { and sometimes Brandon } comes to our place and gets on the bus with the girls.  So, while she’s there, I take her picture, like she’s one of mine 🙂

Thus kicks off another school year, time flies by so fast, I’m sure in no time it’ll be Christmas break and then Summer vacation again!  But until then, we’ll soak up the last days of summer weather!!

To be continued,

Lori

I enjoyed the quiet mornings sitting on the porch, sipping coffee and reading or wandering the yard and photographing the flowers that are in bloom at the moment.  We moved at our own pace and had slow starts and late nights.   Lena and I took a pyjama wander down the road to my parents one morning and Hannah and I weeded the garden in our jammies the next.  But sometimes its fun to be able to do whatever!

On Canada Day, we traveled along the Sunrise Trail west and then over to Joggins Fossil Centre.  If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it.  It is fascinating.  I won’t go on about the periods and the how or the anything, because you need to go check it out for yourself.  But I will tell you we found fossils, laying right there on the beach.  And I think that is pretty amazing  To hold a rock that is shaped like a root of a tree that is millions of years old….yeah, pretty darn neat!

I especially loved the architecture of the building and the fact they had a green roof.  An ordinary building would do the job, but why not go all out and do something amazing? Plus they had a giant rock maze so while I admired the building, the kids ran around the maze…..and then so did I!

We played tourist some more on our way home and hit Parrsboro for an East Coast meal; scallops, seafood chowder and fish & chips for supper! We also met a sweet older couple from Alabama who were traveling around the Maritimes.  I love chatting with strangers and hearing a bit of their story and finding out how they are enjoying their trip to my province.

Heading down along the coast, we stopped at a light house and Five Island Provincial Park.  It’s pretty amazing that the geography can change so much from coast to coast in our little province.  I think we’ll plan a camping trip back there this summer…or next for sure.

Saturday was a much more laid back day.  We ran errands, mowed lawn and painted furniture.  Nothing too exciting but yet we had fun.  Not all the days can be spent traveling and exploring.  The work still needs to get done.

Sunday morning landed us at Sugar Moon Farm in Earltown for a tasty brunch.  I always love it there and yesterday was no exception.  Our waitress, Jackie, was wonderful and then it turns out she’s the best friend of one of my dear friends.  Go figure!  Then we drove to Tatamagouche for salad ingredients and more coffee….always more coffee!  Is it bad when they write your name on your coffee?

We stopped at home long enough to throw the salad together, pack bathing suits and then we hit to road again for a nice, relaxed afternoon at my in-laws.  The girls swam, I took pictures for an upcoming blog post and then we all sat down to a big BBQ feast.  Of course, we can’t go there without a visit to the horse pasture!

It’s weekends like these, where we just do whatever we want, that really spell summer to me.  No set schedule, no plans….yep, feels like summer.  I look forward to more weekends of down time but, of course, I want to explore more and roadtrip and do fun things, too!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend, celebrating our great country in your own way, making your own traditions.  Spending time with loved ones is always high on my list of ways to spend special days!

To be continued,

Lori

Want to hear my excuses?  No? Oh, well, too bad.  Here’s why I’ve been otherwise occupied:

1. Coldest Night of the Year – locally we are walking for The LifeShelter and hope to raise $50,000!! Can you imagine being homeless in a Nova Scotian winter? No, me either.  So, I take on the role of Event Director and have the typical ups and downs of a role like that.  { If you’d like to donate, click HERE }

2. We’ve been hit by a nasty flu bug that has wiped us all out.  I’m talking 2 weeks worth of coughing, fevers, no energy and for some of us, nose bleeds….always interesting when you’re 6 and have never had one before and you’re leaving a trail down the hallway….

3. I’m being lazy and distractable.  Typically in the evenings is when I sit down to write, but lately by the end of the day, I just want to veg and do nothing.  So I curl up on the couch and watch TV with the handsome Mr. Byrne, usually falling asleep under a warm blanket….

4. I’m obsessed with looking at pottery on Pinterest.  I apologize to all who follow me on Pinterest and couldn’t care less about pottery.  I’ll write a post just about my lessons and obsession, I promise, I can’t wait to share all about it!

5. I’ve been writing for a few other spots, including the next issue of At Home on the North Shore and Stones Prestige Homes Blog, too.  It’s fun to write different things but still all home related.  I love being a decorator and involved in decorating….sigh….I so enjoy it.  And know what? People love to talk about their homes and the cool things in their homes and they love to show their homes.  And I soak that up!

6. Recently I was asked to present at our local campus of the NSCC about my blogging experience.  That was interesting and fun experience.  I’m so not techy and I know there’s so much more I could be doing to promote my blog and business in the big world of the internet, but I don’t know how and nor do I make it a priority to learn.  But, I’m hoping to make some changes in those regards.

7. I’m trying to make a few changes in how I run my business and provide services for my clients.  And that takes time and thought.  And phone calls….so many phone calls and schmoozing with people. Sigh.

8. I’m trying to do a better job of connecting with friends.  Coffee, not just FB conversations.  Real live interaction.  Meeting at coffee shops and chatting for far too long.  It’s fun.  I really enjoy it.  And I’m not going to stop.  It’s important to have real conversation in the world of social media.  It’s also really enjoyable to meet people and get to know them better, if you only know them from social media.

9. My clients need me and my attention to make their spaces awesome.  And I’m working on some really fun projects!  Hoping to share some over the next few weeks with you!  I think you’ll like it! 🙂

10. That’s it, I’m out of excuses.

I’m hoping to do a better job of blogging more regularly and keeping you all in the loop of what’s happening over here at Farm Fresh.

Until next time, hug your family, dust a shelf and straighten up that picture!

To be continued,

Lori