Bats in our brolly!!

Imagine my surprise a few days ago when opening up the umbrella on the deck, I found two of these little chaps hiding inside!
We had seen them flying around in the evenings and I believe they usually spend the day in trees (but maybe not).

They squirmed a bit and were quite reluctant to leave. After debating whether or not to close the brolly up again I decided that we needed the shade more. Eventually they flew off to another resting place for the day :)

My intended blog post was put on hold last week because I wanted to take part in The Tree of Happiness. I was going to tell you about the 'little vintage clothing trip'. Both Jemma and Amber were really keen to investigate the various used clothing shops in the city. Amber downloaded a street map for us to follow. Wearing suitable comfy walking shoes we trekked the streets in the city centre. Craig and I made a few 'patient' coffee stops at Starbucks, while the girls hunted amongst racks of dresses, tops and jeans. They both managed to find a couple of cute items at bargain prices and were pleased as punch. It was a lovely day with the City having a great Cosmopolitan atmosphere on a Saturday. Such a lovely memory point. As the children don't have a school uniform here (how I wish they did!) their clothes become one way of expressing their personalities. Our local shops are quite limited, with the clothes all being fairly similar, so it is always refreshing to find something a little different in vintage shops and on e-bay occasionally too. Actually some of my own favourite pieces are finds from many years ago in the English charity shops I found hidden away in quaint villages. I have a couple of 'designer' pieces picked up for a song, even though I am not into labels at all they are extremely good quality and classic.
This week I was approached by Rebecca over at The Ardent Sparrow, she is also an etsy seller and has compiled a little ongoing competition with various etsy sellers in Canada donating a 'freebie' from their shops. It has given some sellers including myself a little more publicity at a quiet time of year. With people starting to think about Christmas (crazy I know!). I think her timing is perfect. Also, someone is going to win a great collection of goodies. I included little Hanna, a golden labrador puppy to go into her prize parcel. If you pop over to her blog and you can read more about it.

Finishing off, I just had to include this picture of Craig looking ever so happy whilst picking peaches at a local farm. I love this time of year!! Yummy fuzzy peaches

Bye for now, til next week

Hazel xx

The Tree of Happiness!

I was surprised and delighted this morning to find a comment on my last blog post from Emily , giving me 'The Tree of Happiness Award' Yay! Thanks Emily for choosing me and also for the links to some lovely new blogs to visit.
The award states that I must list 'just 6 things' that make me happy. Well that shouldn't be too difficult so here goes.....
1. My family (an obvious one for most I am sure)
I met my wonderful husband Craig on an aeroplane, it was pretty much love at first sight (sounds cheesy I know, sorry) we have been together for almost 20 happy years! My two daughters' Jemma and Amber have put countless smiles to my face over the years and still do on a daily basis. I am so proud of my family and love them to bits.
2. Friends.
My real friends living in various parts of the world, who accept me for who I am, don't judge me and who I know will be there either in person,on the Internet or at the end of a phone line through the good and bad times. Never underestimate the importance of true friendship.
3. My early morning 'me time' walk.
Every other day I walk the same route at around 6.30am. It's never boring because I don't know what I will see from day to day through spring, summer and autumn. Breathing in the crisp air, being close to nature and the ever changing view from the top of the hill across the valley.
4. Growing our own organic veggies and fruit.
Picking washing and eating it ! Thanks to my husband, who is so much better than me at remembering to water it regularly! Nothing compares to the fresh taste of a salad full of baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced courgettes, tiny carrots, sliced peaches, toasted almonds and creamy poppy seed dressing.
5. The Internet
I like to keep up with the times and the Internet gives me the opportunity to keep in touch with friends and family (not everyone likes to write letters anymore) It enables me to run my etsy business, which I love, find new ideas and inspiration. All of which makes me very happy in a modern world. It also keeps me sane through the long cold winters in Canada.
6.Music.
Whether it's a new song that makes me want to get up and dance or a song that brings back a memory of a different time and place. Something about certain music just fills me with happiness.
Here are a few happy friends I am passing the award to, I would love to find out what gives them their own 'happy feeling'.

Kat, Kathy, Kali and Keriann (all the K's!)

In my shop this week I had a flurry of interest over this little guy!He was a special order made up for Taci who's daughter specifically wanted a green dinosaur with a blue tummy. After designing, sewing and listing him as reserved I had three customers ask for one of their own :) I do enjoy designing something new and this one could be for the boys too for a change!

I hope everyone has a happy week :D

Hazel xx

More Berries......

Moving on from the blueberries last week, we went on this summer's first 'blackberry' hunt yesterday afternoon. I had noticed a couple of days ago that they were coming along nicely at the side of the lane. With a recent dose of rain and some early morning sunshine, the first little berries were just about ready, not as sweet as they will be in a few days but tasty none the less with a sprinkling of icing sugar on top, Mmmmm. 

It was Craig's birthday on Wednesday, which coincided nicely with a company function we were invited to in the city. All the nearby hotels were fully booked, so we opted to stay in a B&B instead. This turned out to be a very good decision, as we discovered The Pepperberry . A beautiful heritage home in Halifax city centre, run by Mike and Karen, a friendly couple who emigrated from England in 2004. Our room was perfect, in the Garret loft and the breakfast was 'excellent' with fresh fruit and home made pancakes. They were even kind enough to serve gluten free pancakes and toast, which I was able to enjoy!

Jemma and Amber were happy to hold the fort at home taking care of Archie. It was the first time we had left them alone overnight!
My final 'berry' to get a mention is the cranberry, an essential ingredient in a 'Crantini' One of several drinks mixed up at a girls Martini party up at lake George last night. About 25 ladies, including my friend Tina (no men or kiddies allowed). We all had a fun evening sampling a few different Martini cocktails, including the Crantini, Appletini and a Pomegranate martini.

"Ok who's next?"

Cheers!!

Hazel xx

Yummy Blueberries!!

The blueberries are now ripe and ready for the picking!

Amber and I went for our first visit this summer to the 'pick your own' blueberry farm, which is just a 3 minute drive away. Normally I manage to control myself, but they were so juicy and tempting I lost track of my 'tasting' and ate a few too many thus confirming that purple lipstick is really not my colour! It was fun to be amongst other eager pickers in the early morning sunshine. We collected two punnets full, most of which have now been measured into little bags and put in the freezer for later. Of course I left a generous bowl on the table for Craig to nibble on when he comes home from work.
Some other Organic 'edibles' to be found in our own veggie patch are the sweetest baby carrots. When I pulled up this one (or two) I thought of my online blogging friend Rachael.

Cute carrot couple :)

Of course my graphic computer skills are not quite up to her standard but I couldn't resist having a go, just for fun.

The days are slowly beginning to get shorter now with the sun going down at around 9pm. This huge lone and rather ominous looking cloud appeared in the sky the other day. Craig was hitting a few golf balls out in the field and called us all outside to take a squizz, while he took a snap of it.... and gave it the thumbs up too I see :) My little etsy shop remains awfully quiet, but I promised myself that I would not become despondent. I have to remember that it is the very thing that keeps me sane during the winter time, along with my computer, which enables me to remain in contact with my friends. I am trying to sew a couple of animals each day in anticipation of busier weeks ahead. I was however quite upset to receive my first 'neutral' feedback a few weeks ago. A new customer reported on the feedback section in my shop that she hadn't received the tiny puppy I had mailed to her. I quickly made her a replacement for free and sent it with my apologies. The original one did show up, just a little late (I suspect the replacement one did too). By then she had already left her comment in my shop and didn't bother to change the wording. I am disappointed to have my selling reputation slightly tarnished, but am trying not to let it get worry me too much.

My growing army of tiny animals!

Hazel xx

Summer Thrifting

So far this year my finds on the 'thrifting' front have been a little on the sparse side. Perhaps because it's our third yard sale season here and there are only so many 'bargains' a girl can snap up! Craig and I did stop at a couple early last Saturday morning. We met a very friendly lady called Shannon who was selling some of her unwanted items at her parents home in our closest town Berwick. We got chatting and have since visited each others blogs. Shannon even bought a couple of my tiny felt animals!
I didn't find any items of furniture, which I am always on the look out for, just a few small bits and pieces like this cute little recipe book from the 1950's.
I selected some vintage craft books and magazines, which are always fun to look through especially on those cosy winter evenings, if only to laugh at the advertisements.
My shop bought 'Sale' find this week is this pretty candle chandelier. I had in mind the library, above the stairwell as the perfect spot. However, within minutes of bringing it inside the girls had disappeared with a collection of 'props' including my new purchase, to do a little photo shoot under the weeping willow tree!

As for the chandelier, having served it's purpose in a few snaps, it is now hanging in the library thanks to Craig and his diy skills. Quite a tricky manoeuvre, as the sheer drop into the hall below could cause a nasty injury. Securely harnessed by some rope to the bedroom door frame (sounds interesting), he managed to stand on a stepping stool and lean out far enough to put the hook in the tin ceiling. Mainly for decorative purposes I am now on the look out for some smoke free candles, which of course would only be lit when we are in the room. It can easily be reached from the stairs, but I think it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Hazel xx

Happy 17th Birthday Jemma

Seventeen years ago in the maternity ward at Frimley Park Hospital in Camberley Surrey my eldest daughter Jemma made her appearance. After a 15 hour labour (pretty average I suppose) The Doctor finally studied my x-rays and realised that It was highly unlikely that I would be able to have the 'natural' birth I had hoped for. All those National Childbirth Trust classes I had so diligently attended turned out to be not so useful after all. They only skimmed over the C-section option, focusing instead on how we 'must' avoid pain relief at all costs!! It was just assumed that everyone in the class would manage to have a straightforward natural birth. Jemma did arrive safely and was the sweetest child I had ever laid my eyes on. Little Jem, just a few hours old
As for recovering from my operation! Craig and I had been renovating our first home, a small semi detached house close to town. My labour had started quite abruptly after stripping wallpaper all day, with my waters breaking just as I was about to go to bed at the end of a long day. We moved into our half renovated house when Jemma was only 3 weeks old! Oh the faded but fun memories that go with that good old 'nesting instinct' :DNow I have a beautiful young lady in her final year at high school who makes me so proud. Her special day today has been a simple 'family' event with Craig finishing work early and bringing home a 'Subway' lunch (a birthday treat request). Desert was her favourite New York style cheesecake, served with all 17 candles perched on top in a little sponge cake in the middle, they get ever so messy plonked in the cheesecake itself! We took a few photos and Amber has since compiled a little movie on facebook which she is going to put on her site this afternoon. Jem chose a new release DVD called 21, to watch this evening in the cool lounge. I never thought I would be so grateful for this chilly home of ours, it has been quite humid lately with temperatures hovering around the mid to upper 20's so the best places to be are indoors, under a tree or in the lake between the hours of 11am and 4pm.
A little family outing we enjoy at this time of year is a 20 minute drive to the pebble beach at Harbourville where we make a fire and toast marshmallows on long sticks or forks. Saturday was another very hot day, so we headed for the bay of Fundi where we found an almost eerie atmosphere, the sun was so diffused by the mist that Amber was convinced it was the moon. Craig threw a few flat stones, skimming them across the water. The girls had fun taking photos and exploring, while I hunted for white pebbles to take home and put on our garden path. Mmmmm, is that one for me?

Hazel xx

Three years in Canada!

Yesterday was exactly 3 years since we landed in Canada. After a couple of nights in a B&B back in 2005 we moved into our 'empty' nest, the girls and I saw it for the first time! It took another four weeks for our furniture to arrive from England which is funny when we remember it now, a bit like camping indoors! Craig viewed 40 or so properties up and down the valley prior to our arrival and was lucky to find the house that has become our home that we all love and have enjoyed over the past months.

Last Friday we all felt a little 'empty' after saying goodbye to our family visitors. The lake cottage was vacant until Sunday so we decided to make the most of it all day Saturday, rather than let it stand empty. After swimming and boating we watched a late afternoon video called 'Fried Green Tomatoes'. I hadn't seen it for ages and had forgotten how sad it was - oops! Such an enchanting and emotional movie though, now I want to watch Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, which I haven't seen before. Finishing the day with a final BBQ, before heading home to put Archie to bed. He is such a funny creature of habit and starts to get fidgety at around 10pm, wanting to go to bed! We leave him purring contently in the mud room with his little bedtime biscuit treats until 6am the next morning!

Funny little Archie

Craig was back to work on Monday, it was a beautiful day so I took the girls on a drive with a picnic lunch which we ate alongside a field of wheat! Amber had her camera with her and we took a few impulsive snaps. The rest of the week was fun too with temperatures still soaring to 30 degrees, we headed for the beach up at the lake a few times and both girls had friends over to visit them. I busied myself building up stock for my shop which is in a virtual comatose state at the moment, normal for this time of year.

Two of my good friends, Kathy and Keriann have recently taken this 'personality test', it seems to be doing the rounds on several blogs at the moment. My friend's personality summaries were pretty accurate so I decided to have a go myself just for fun.
This is what it says about me:
Hazel's personality type:
Quiet, kind and conscientious. Can be depended on to follow through. Usually puts the needs of others above their own needs. Stable and practical, they value security and traditions. Well-developed sense of space and function. Rich inner world of observations about people. Extremely perceptive of other's feelings. Interested in serving others.
Careers that could fit Hazel include:Interior decorators, designers, nurses, administrators, managers, secretaries, child care/early childhood development, social work, counselors, paralegals, clergy, office managers, shopkeepers, bookkeepers, homemakers, gardeners, clerical supervisors, curators, family practice physicians, health service workers, librarians, medical technologists, typists.Encouraging to see that I have delved into a few of my suitable career options at least! Have a go by clicking the link and see what it comes up with for you. Jemma and Amber had very interesting results I must say.
In the garden this week the white Hydrangeas are in full bloom as are the lilac and white Hosta flowers, with the heavy rain fall yesterday they are looking quite refreshed after a long dry spell over the past 3 weeks. This however is my favourite flower of the moment. A single beautiful blue Delphinium given to me by Tony, my next door neighbour. I am going to keep the seeds when it wilts and plant them in our garden for next Spring.

On the fruit and veggie front, the strawberries have been polished off, hand picked cherries have been eaten in abundance and we have been harvesting our home grown spinach, cucumbers, lettuce, Swiss chard, beet greens and spring onions on a daily basis for several weeks now. The 3 different varieties of tomatoes are looking promising and with a few more days of sunshine should be ripe for the picking in the not too distant future - yummy and ever so healthy too

Harvesting the last of the baby spinach
Poor Amber got stung by a bee on the instep of her foot on Friday - OUCH!! It was day before we were due to visit Halifax for Jemma's pre-birthday 'look and see' trip. Amber was adamant that we should all go, even though her foot was blown up like a balloon. Amber is allergic to bee stings, which is not dangerous as long as she doesn't get stung near her mouth, nose or throat. I managed to organise a wheelchair at the mall for her to sit in, as she really could only hop along, but she opted to 'hop' instead. Hence a somewhat disastrous venture for both girls (we live and learn as they say) Jemma has decided that she doesn't really need a cell phone after all and would rather wait until she goes to University next year. Her final AP Biology mark came in the mail a few days ago, she was expecting a 3, hoping for a 4 and ended up getting the highest possible score of 5!! Such a clever bean.
I had a 'tiny' windfall recently, winning a $50 Amazon book voucher for 'house of the week' on a photo website. It will come in very handy for Jems next lot of AP text books for Chemistry and Calculus plus a couple of other books, yet to be chosen.
My oh my I am rabbiting on this morning!!
If you're still awake I hope you have a good week :)
Hazel xx

OUR SPECIAL VISITORS ARRIVED FROM OVERSEAS

Taken on the last day (Amber behind the camera)

It's not often that I go for two whole weeks without writing a new post, especially at this time of year. With family and friends visiting from overseas I decided to hold off for a while.

The first guest to arrive at the very end of June was our friend Dave. An English man who moved to New Zealand around the same time we did back in 2002. He lives in the village of Havelock North where he has a beautiful home and garden bursting with indigenous trees and even has a lemon grove! A retired British Airways engineer means that he gets to travel the world for free, usually in first class!! Something we can only dream of, having only ever flown in economy seating. Dave did a little sightseeing whilst here and spent plenty of time with Craig driving around the local area. He was so sweet, helping with the mowing as well as treating us to a couple of meals out.

Lunch at 'The Port' with Dave

The same day of Dave's departure was the arrival of Craig's sister Tess with her family; hubby Mike and children Leah, Jono and Rachel. All the way from South Africa, they had already visited relatives in England for a few days prior to landing in Canada. Jem and Amber were a little nervous after over 8 years apart and hardly knowing their cousins. They needn't have worried because within a few minutes everyone was relaxed and the bonding grew from there. They spent the night with us and we had breakfast on the deck in the morning sunshine. As there were five of them they decided to rent a place up at the lake for the rest of the week, just 6 minutes drive away and very handy. A sweet little hexagonal shaped cottage right on the waters edge.

With the weather being pretty much 'perfect' the whole week there were plenty of things to do; swimming, canoeing, pedal boating and even indoor games when it got too hot or during the only rain shower one morning. Five of them playing 'Twister' was particularly entertaining!Craig took Tessa and Mike out a couple of times to see some of the touristy places; Lunenberg, Chester and Mahone Bay. They also stopped off in the city of Halifax on the last day to visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which featured a comprehensive Titanic exhibit. A last request was to view a 'big' shopping Mall in the city. Couldn't have them leaving thinking our kids were deprived of retail therapy :D

We all enjoyed a day out in New Minas meeting up for lunch and then going on to do some strawberry picking at Dempseys farm.

All 9 of us having lunch in Boston Pizza

Most evenings were spent around the BBQ at the cottage, relaxing with a glass of wine and a cold beer or on our deck with the children eating under the trees on a picnic blanket.

Under the variegated Maple tree as the sun went down

I could go on and on, with so many funny and heartwarming things I noticed and heard when they were together. This has been a holiday full of precious memories as they all slip into adulthood. A blast of uninhibited fun, the way it should be for children, especially cousins so close in age.

'The Famous Five!'

Jono (13) Amber (14) Jemma (16) Rachel (13) Leah (15)

Their visit exceeded our expectations and I really hope that they enjoyed the holiday as much as we did. My only sadness is that Durban is so very far away and I now have a couple of teens who are going to miss the cousins they only knew through facebook until this week.

You never know though, maybe we will win the lottery and get to see them all again one day in the not too distant future.

Hazel xx

Time for Peonies and Strawberries

The peonies are out in full bloom, right beside our strawberry patch.

This is our second harvest of strawberries since planting them last year and they have come up a treat, giving us about a punnet full every day. Craig has been very diligent in keeping them free of weeds and watering them regularly.
I do love peonies, ours are mostly white with just a few pretty pink ones. Big and frilly with such a wonderful scent.

I asked the girls to take some photos for my blog and they were happy to oblige. As you can see below my two teens are literally 'jumping for joy' with the anticipation of enjoying the summer holidays.Amber is away on another camping trip this weekend. She has gone with her best friend Marcy and her family, for four nights. They are staying in a caravan and not a tent, so it will certainly be more comfortable than her last trip and of course no hiking for hours! It feels a little strange walking past her bedroom in the morning and not seeing her tucked up safely in her own bed. I took Jemma into town yesterday and my heart skipped a beat halfway there, for a split second I thought I had forgotten Amber at home! Guess I am not getting any younger and quite possibly becoming slightly 'dippy' :(
A happy ending to my raccoon tale from last week. After the trauma of the first lot we were on the look out for family number two to follow. I am happy to say that they did all manage to vacate the barn safely. This was taken whilst they were making an attempt during the daylight. We believe they left one evening after dark. Those little ones took their sweet time plucking up the courage, doing a few practice runs! We went in and out with duvets in bin bags like yo-yo's for several evenings in a row. Whether these made for a safe landing or not we will never know for sure. Finally on inspection number three, there was no evidence of them living in the barn anymore. The mess they have left behind is another story! The neighbours must think we are completely bonkers. Raccoons are a real nuisance locally and most folk would like to be rid of them.
Next year we need to put chicken wire around the 3 Coppola's on the barn roof peek, to stop them breaking in again. It has been entertaining while it lasted.

An anxious Mummy watching her two little ones cling on to an overhanging ledge above a shear drop of about 25ft!

I am going to do my proud Mummy bit now and say how thrilled I am that both Jemma and Amber were awarded 'Honours with Distinction' at the end of the school year at each of their schools.
Amber got the highest average in her year 98%!! Considering they have both had busier than usual social lives recently. Jemma also with her advanced courses and other 'distractions'. They have my permission to polish their halo's this week!
We are all looking forward to our visitors arriving this week and are hoping that the weather will be kind, so we can spend plenty of time outdoors.

Love and kisses
Hazel xx

School Holidays - Yipeee!

Friday was 'officially' (according to the calendar) the first day of summer here in Canada and the beginning of the long school holidays too.
Jemma completed her final two exams on Wednesday and can now breathe a little easier, for a while at least. She has not had much luck so far finding a summer job, but then jobs are pretty scarce in the valley (as Craig and I already know) We may well have to put a time limit on her laptop these school holidays, encouraging her to do other stuff, like this wonderful baking she busied herself with on Tuesday.

These delicious looking cream puffs were made especially for her chemistry class

pre-exam breakfast! Miss Jeffrey, Jemma’s favourite teacher, will also be her teacher in Grade 12 for food science. All the students were asked to bake or buy something as a contribution. Yikes, I hope the exam papers didn't get too sticky!!
Amber has just a couple of days to go, she is a little nervous at the thought of starting ‘high school’ after the holidays. Or perhaps it’s the getting up at 6am to get ready for the early bus? Poor Amber, mornings are NOT her favourite time of day, she seems to naturally be a bit of a night owl and perks up in the early evening dancing and singing with bundles of energy.
My morning walks up to the wood have became ever so slightly less appealing recently, after the man who moves all the apple crates in the orchard told me he had spotted a big black bear on my regular route! Craig tells me reassuringly “You will be just fine, as long as you make lots of noise while walking”
I don’t think random lyrics, spontaneously blurted out mid song on my Ipod count somehow. I have been known to wear Archie’s collar around my ankle with bells on, perhaps not loud enough? More ideas anyone??
Moving on to smaller and somewhat less threatening furry friends.... (advance apologies for rambling)
Every year we have a resident racoon living up in the top floor of our barn, previously referred to as a ‘he’. It is in fact a ‘she’ we realised after the first year! Using the warm loft in the spring, whilst pregnant, before leaving to find herself and cubs a new home up in the woods. Each evening about the same time, she climbs down alone, rather precariously, avoiding the overhead electrical wires scaling the wall and then trots off to find food. This ritual is a great source of entertainment for Archie our cat, who sits watching on his stepping stool, glued to the window.
On Tuesday evening we spotted ‘two’ mummy racoons on the top of the roof with four babies!! (we had never seen little ones before) They had decided that this was the night for evacuation. We all watched, holding our breath as the sun was going down and the light was getting dimmer. First mummy, then two babies, trying desperately to copy, by clinging on to the side of the wall. One of them got caught in the wires, so mummy had to go back up and untangle the little guy. He was then so scared that he wouldn’t move for ages. Finally he completed the descent, followed a little too quickly by baby number two who lost his grip half way down and fell into the bushes luckily and not onto the concrete below! Mummy rushed around, followed by the other little one and we all smiled as she emerged with both racoonlets running alongside her - Ahhhh :)

I did a bit of machine sewing this week for a change, the Martha Stewart toile style cotton napkins that my friend Rhonda bought me about 2 years ago finally got opened up and utilized. Not for wiping tomato sauce from our mouths, instead I turned them into cushion covers for the outdoor chairs. They match the brolly and are nice and comfy on our botties too! We were invited across to our neighbours Tony and Marjorie today for a BBQ on their pretty patio. We don't get to see them during the winter, so it was lovely to catch up again.This evening at 10pm I can see the silhouettes of the second Mummy racoon and her two babies. They all chickened out on Tuesday, after watching the first lot struggle. Looks like tonight it’s their turn to brave the wall, they can't stay up there forever. Amber and I went out earlier and put a couple of soft duvets wrapped in garbage bags at the bottom of the wall, just in case! Yes I know, we are a couple of softies :D
Hazel xx

The new deck!

A deck we can indeed be proud of!After repairing the back wall, because of rotten wood it gave us the incentive we needed to re-do the tired old deck that had been standing for many years (scroll down to see the 'before' pic).

By the end of summertime the wood will have cured and we can then paint the trellis and railing white to match the front veranda.

Mid week we celebrated with a family BBQ, using the basic table Craig put together last year and the rickety kitchen chairs. On Thursday our teak patio set arrived to complete 'the look'. Although personally I prefer a lighter wood, it will fade in time to a lighter shade and I am NOT allowed to paint it!!

Over the next few weeks we hope to soften the surrounding area with lavender bushes against the railing, sweet peas growing up the trellis and a couple of strategically placed planters.

The project I did tackle mid week, with sandpaper and paint is this small chest of drawers picked up for just $12 at a yard sale on the way home from Halifax last weekend. OK, it is perhaps a little more 'shabby' than 'chic' and has found a nice home in my laundry.The laundry incidentally seems to be the stop gap for any second hand piece of furniture entering our house, before it gets moved somewhere else! I decided to paint it a pale Robin's egg blue (following a little mid week live chat with my uncle Tony in Spain!) The drawers are perfect for storing beach towels, sunglasses and citronella candles in Summer, or mittens, hats, brollies etc in Winter.

Only a few days now before the girls finish another school year. Amber moves up to the high school in September after spending 3 years at middle school, where she seems to have become a fully fledged Canadian :D

Jemma will be in her final year at high school, before hopefully going on to University!! Jemma was given the good news that she has been accepted on 2 more AP (Advanced Placement) courses; Chemistry and Calculus, having completed her AP Biology this year, she realises that a hectic year of studying lies ahead. Jemma is the only student with 3 AP courses in the school and we are very proud of her. Major hints have been dropped that she would like a cell phone for her 17th birthday in July. Amazingly (for a teen) she has managed without one so far, so we can't complain. Craig will be taking an in depth look at all the plan options so we don't get diddled with a long term contract that has the dreaded 'small print'!

Still fighting the bugs! A few are hanging in there, even though it has soared to 29 degrees some days. I now have quite a collection of citronella candles and torches and some excellent mosquito cream from a company called Watkins. It doesn't pong as much as some of the sprays, the fumes can be pretty horrendous.

In case you wondered what became of the little shelf unit a couple of blogs ago. I painted it the same shade of blue, (my favourite at the moment) after removing some of the partitions first.

Hmmm those little animals do seem to get around a bit!!

Phew did I perhaps overdo the photos this week?

Hazel xx

Ambie's Special Day

Amber survived her Duke of Ed trip a week ago, arriving home 5 hours later than scheduled, quite bedraggled and exhausted. The weather was much worse than the teachers had predicted, they said it was one of their more difficult challenges. Everyone got soaked to the skin in the very heavy rain, a couple of kids even fell in the fast flowing river! Amber was a little quiet on her return and so glad to have a soak in a hot bath and climb into her own familiar bed for a good nights sleep. Even with bug spray and face net she still got practically eaten alive, with the insects being particularly prevalent this year. Don't think she will be keen to go on another camping trip or hike anytime soon!
Yesterday my adventurous daughter 'finally' got to celebrate her postponed birthday. A 'half birthday' for the first time this year. She requested a trip to the City to do some shopping. Having already conferred with Jemma we bought the dress and ballet flat shoes that Amber really wanted, that was her first surprise. Her second was an unexpected digital camera of her own. Now she can snap away to her hearts content and hopefully download some more great shots onto her deviant art site. The girls wanted to shop alone (parents in tow not cool at this age).

Girls who do like to shop!
Craig and I did our own thing, lunch at an Italian restaurant and plenty of time in Michael's, a huge craft store, book store and diy shop.We picked the girls up after they had 'shopped til they dropped' and had enjoyed their lunch together at Manchoowok.

On the way home we stopped off at a cute old 1950's diner for desert, coffee and to listen to old tunes on the juke box for fun!
It was a great day, although a little weird and I suspect that she will want to go back to her usual December 1st birthday, even though it is close to Christmas it is the real day.

Next week I will try to report on our deck, which is coming along very nicely, unless I manage to sneak a picture in here mid week :)
Not long until our overseas visitors arrive, Dave from New Zealand on 29th June followed by Craig's sister Tessa and her family of 5 from South Africa. I am sure there will be lots of juggling with cars and children with who wants to go where, as well as all the cousins finally getting to know each other after 7 years!

Hazel xx

One blustery day.......

.....we put up our lovely gazebo to protect us from the mosquitoes.

After writing such a chirpy post last week I can now tell you that our gazebo didn't get a lot of use this year! Craig and I spent over an hour assembling it and managed to sit inside for one cup of coffee before an unpredicted super strong wind blew in the following day, and did this!! It took us much longer to dismantle the tangled collapsed version, as all the screws and metal bits had buckled and jammed. There is also a huge tear in the canopy :(
However, on a more positive note, the building of our new deck is now in progress. The back wall of the house has been repaired after the wood was found to be rotten (hence a few leaks from driving rain in the Autumn last year) The pink and white blossoms look very pretty this week and opened up 'after' the strong wind, but just in time for the apple blossom festival in the village this 
weekend. Amber left this morning bright and early on her Duke of Edinburgh award hiking trip up in Kejimakujik National Park. I drove her to school to meet up with the other 

participants. She looked a little nervous, as did her friends. They didn't seem too excited about the 5 hour hike or spending the night in a tent with the predicted heavy rainfall. The biting insects are out in full force so she is armed with a strong repellent spray and a rather fetching mosquito head net! This weekend was supposed to be her 'official' birthday (postponed from Dec 1st) so actually she is 14 and a half tomorrow! But, because of the hike we will celebrate next weekend instead by taking a drive into Halifax and having lunch out.
I began my painting project (the Old Canadian Crate Company shelf unit) yesterday. This turned out to be a mistake, those sneaky little black flies were quietly landing on me and I am now sporting some huge and ever so itchy bites on my neck face and arms. I am told that I will gradually build up a tolerance to them and create my own antibodies? Not sure I am entirely convinced of this theory.
The HB's are still managing to feature in my posts after I sold two of my 'new design' this week ;) Hazel xx