Doing it up, Summer-style

Hey friends!  I know it's been a while, but hey, I've been summering.  Summering hard.  Everyone knows my favourite time of year is fall and winter, but I promise you, I've been doing my very best to not think about it.  I haven't been holed up in my house pretending it's fall.  I've been soaking up this glorious hot summer, and doing it up in style.  Here are some of the highlights from past 6 weeks:

• Pontoon Ride, Take 1 - One of my favourite things to do at least once during the summer is to head out on a pontoon ride on the Ottawa River with friends Kerry & Jeff.  The day Kerry texted me it was a sweltering hot Saturday, and I was sitting out on the deck reading, wishing I had a pool or some body of water nearby.  Perfect timing!  I gathered up my stuff, they picked me up late afternoon, and we spent a wonderful few hours out on the river, cruising along, and stopping at the island to wade in the shallow water.  Not even the appearance of a water snake right beside me could ruin my day!  It was fabulous. 

• Stacy & Ricky's Wedding -  My friend Stacy is my oldest friend, we go all the way back to pre-K (maybe even before?) and I was so excited to be part of her and her long-time love Ricky's wedding day on July 21st, as she had asked me to be the photographer.  I'm not a professional, and I had never done a wedding before, but I was pretty confident I could capture the day for them.  I ended up being more nervous than I expected - I started worrying I wouldn't get any good shots at all - but once I got up there and started snapping, I felt better and settled into my role just fine.  It was a gorgeous day, a beautiful wedding, and everyone was so easy to work with.  Laid back, casual, and so much fun.  When it was over, I wondered what I had ever even been worrying about.  Over the next few days, as I went over the pictures and started editing, I felt pretty happy with some of the photos I got, and Stacy & Ricky seemed happy too.  It was such a terrificday, watching two of my favourite people finally say "I do", and I'm glad I got to capture the day for them!  These are a few of my favourite pics:
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• Birthday Shenanigans - The end of July brought my 35th birthday, and it was another great one!  It started a few days early, with my friend Lindsay treating me to a pedicure and dinner at one of my favourite spots, Bistro Vitalia.  Then the Friday was my last day of work before going on vacation, and so after work, my mom and I went shopping and had a delicious Thai dinner at Chez In in Shawville.  Saturday was the big day, and what could be better than celebrating at our town's Tractor & Truck Pull??  It's one of my favourite events of the summer, and I couldn't have been happier than to celebrate at the Pull!  I hung out with friends during the day, and eventually we went over to the Legion for the after-party.  Dancing, drinks, and lots of birthday fun!  It was a memorable day!!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Summer Vacation at the Camp -  I was up bright and early the next morning, despite the night of celebrating, to get ready for our annual family vacation to my aunt & uncle's camp on the river.  Before we left, my family gifted me with some wonderful presents - books, a big floaty swan to bring to the camp with me (from Danica, of course lol), a new shower head, a rock salt lamp, and a Fitbit... pretty much everything on my wish list, they fulfilled!  I am a lucky girl!!  Our first day at the camp was a continuation of birthday celebrations, as the family gathered and we had a delicious supper and cake.  Another fantastic day!!  The next few days were spent playing in the water, kayaking, napping in the hammock, reading, eating, being treated by Danica to s'mores, playing games, and just having a wonderful time.  I love my days at the camp - always anticipate them with all my heart, and feel so sad when they're over.  The only downside to this year's trip to the camp was that we had some reptilian visitors.  Blech.  There were a couple of snakes that hung out on the logs by the dock the whole time we were there.  I was proud of myself, though.  As a kid, if snakes were around, I'd have never gone near the water.  This time, I made up my mind I wasn't going to let them ruin my fun.  So I kept an eye on them, but as long as they were on the logs where I could see them, I didn't hesitate to get in the water. See, I AM growing up! ;)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Summer Vacation continued - We returned home from the camp on Wednesday, and I spent the rest of that day unpacking and unwinding.  As much as I love the camp, I am a homebody at heart, and I was happy to get home to all my "things".  A shower, AC, my shows, my bed... I settled right back into home.  On the Thursday, my friend Sharon treated me to lunch at one of her favourite spots - and now mine - Art Is In Bakery, and also gifted me with the new Emily Giffin book.  I had a great day with her and the twins, as we also made a few stops on the way home, and capped the day off with a treat from Starbucks.  On the Friday, my mom and I went to see Mama Mia: Here We Go Again at the theatre, and we both loved it.  We had supper at Boston Pizza.  Then on Saturday, I don't think I did much - read out on the deck, got some sun, and had ice cream with Mom.  Holiday week was going swimmingly!!
• Lainey's Baptism - With my holidays winding down, I had a special occasion to attend on the Sunday, as that was Lainey's baptism.  I had been honoured to be asked to be her Godmother, and so I was happy the big day had arrived!  It was a joy to stand at the front of the church with my friends Lindsay and Ryan, their son Sam, and baby Lainey, as well as Lainey's namesake, her 101-year-old great-great aunt Elaine, and the ministers Éric and Rev. Susan as Lainey was welcomed into the family of God.  We celebrated afterwards at Linds and Ryan's with a fabulous lunch and swimming in their pool.  It was such a wonderful day!!  I was also super excited to give Lainey the gift I had been working on over the past month - a Hugs & Kisses crocheted blanket and stuffed lady bug.  I was so happy with how they turned out!
  
  
  
  
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• Beach Day - Stacy had put out notice that she was planning to hit up the beach on the holiday Monday, and I thought that was a perfect way to end my week off, so I joined her and Maddy at the beach along with a great group of friends.  We played in the water, chatted while we chilled out on our towels, ate snacks, and enjoyed yet another beautiful day.  I couldn't think of a better way to close out my holidays.  I just love being on the water!
  
• Movie Night - My friend Caryl had asked me if I wanted to join her and her little girls at a movie some night this summer, so my first day back to work was made a little easier with a movie night to look forward to!  We went to see Hotel Transylvania 3 and we had a lot of laughs.  The girls loved it, and we all had a great evening!
• Book Club - Our summer book club was held at Sharon's house, and she had prepared an amazing feast for us that night, which we ate outside at her picnic table.  We had a bonfire, discussed our books, and spent much of the evening gazing up at the stunning night sky as it was the weekend of the Perseid meteor shower.  I caught sight of a few shooting stars, and they take my breath away every time!  Lolly also taught me how to spot a satellite, which I was very proud of every time I spotted one. LOL!
  
• Garlic Festival - I attended the Carp Farmers Market for the first time with Sharon and the babes, and we made our trek over specifically because it was Garlic Festival weekend.  We toured the many vendors and picked up some great treats - lots of garlicky stuff! - and enjoyed a gorgeous hot & sunny morning out.  I loved all of the little samples and trying new things.  That said, I also don't deal well with big crowds, and that place was a ZOO.  So while I enjoyed the experience, I was also glad when we packed up and headed for home.  We'd all had enough!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Pontoon Ride, Take 2 - Last Saturday, I was thrilled to be invited on another pontoon ride!  My friends Sue and Adam had won a pontoon ride in a past Canada Day Commitee auction, hosted by our other friends Wayne and Brenda up at Brenda's family cottage on Otter Lake, and they asked Sarah, Ian and I to join them for the day.  We had such a great time just putting around the lake, enjoying snack sand drinks, stopping at the sand bar to get out and swim, and at one point just stopping the boat in the middle of a big, peaceful park of the lake, and we sat there for over an hour just chatting.  When we returned to the cottage, we had a delicious BBQ supper, sat out on the deck shooting the shit for hours, and made a visit next door to the corn roast that was going on.  Just an absolutely perfect summer's day!!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

There's been a lot of other summer stuff going on... suppers at the chip stand, stops for ice cream, swimming with the kids, ball games, movie nights, and reading on the deck.  So as much as I love fall and can't wait for the cooler weather to get here, no one can say I haven't been enjoying my summer!  It's be a great one, with lots of great times with friends and family...and more to come!!  

Cheers to Summer!!

Random Tuesday: Life Lately

It's crazy how fast July is flying by!  I just want to hit the pause button!  Here's a little of what's been going on in my world lately:

• Heat Wave -  It's been a hot, dry summer so far.  The heat wave seemed to start the week before Canada Day and we've only had a few days of reprieve since then.  My favourite part of the heat wave (and I'll get shot for saying this) is not having to cut grass!!  My grass is brown and crispy and I haven't had to cut it in weeks.  But we've all been doing rain dances, I know how important it is for farmers (and my employers!!).  We got some rain over the weekend and again last night, and hopefully there's more on the way.  
• Canada Day - Canada Day weekend was such a fun summer weekend, despite the ungodly heat.  I had my Lucas/Platt relatives, along with my own fam-jam, over on June 30th to celebrate Canada Day Quyon-style, with the BBQ, parade, and fireworks on in our little town.  I would normally have hit up the after-party as well, but it was so sticky, sweaty, gross hot that I ended up just going home and lying on the floor in the AC.  The next day, we all went to my Aunt Marion & Uncle Eric's home on the Ottawa River, and we played in the water and went for rides on Big Mabel (the big couch he pulls behind his boat), and watched fireworks from all around at dusk.  It was a great weekend of family time, and I very much enjoyed it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Swimming - I feel like I've spent more time in the water this year than I have since I was a kid.  I guess that's thanks in large part to the heat wave!  My BIL's parents live just behind me and they have a pool, so I've been taking Caden and Danica with me to bob around in the water any evening we have the chance.  It's also become our Sunday afternoon activity as well.  I just love being in the water!
  
• Mont Cascades - I took a day off last week to go to Mont Cascades with a group of family and friends.  I hadn't been in there in years, and it was fun to re-visit the waterpark.  It's not as big and elaborate as Calypso but the lines aren't as long, and it's not nearly as crowded, so that's nice.  We had a great day, despite my chafed inner thighs and being exhausted from climbing mountains all day! haha!  
  
• Movie Date - It has become a tradition for my friend Lindsay and I to take her little guy, Sam, on a date to McDonald's around his birthday.  This year, we didn't get to go in April because of Linds being on a strict diet as she waited for gallbladder surgery and also having a newborn at home.  But now that Lainey is a bit older and the gallbladder is gone, we were finally able to take Sam on his date, and we threw in a trip to see The Incredibles 2 as well.  It was such a fun evening!  My only problem was trying to keep awake in those comfy, luxurious recliners they have a the Colisseum!  I think I dozed off a few times!
  
• Amazon Prime -  Oh, it finally happened.  I've finally been sucked in.  Yesterday, I signed up for Amazon Prime to take advantage of Prime Day.  Why?  I DON'T KNOW.  I don't NEED anything!!!  But I did it anyways, and here we are.  I've been wanting to sign up just for the video streaming feature, so of course I had to order a Fire stick to do that, and a whole bunch of other crap I don't need. *sigh*  I need help.
• 13 Reasons Why - Actually, 13 Reasons Why is the reason why.  I watched the show over the past few weeks, and I just wanted to buy the book.  I just wanted to read the book to compare it to the show.  So I go on to Amazon to buy the book and realize it's Prime Day, and the next thing you know, I'm down the Amazon rabbit hole.  It's all 13 Reasons Why's fault.
• Things I'm Reading, Watching, and Listening to:  I finished The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman a few weeks ago, and then started The Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.  It was the book selected for Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show Summer Reads book club.  If Jimmy Fallon starts a book club, you can bet I'm joining!  As I mentioned, I finished watching 13 Reasons Why on the weekend (totally gutted me, especially the final episode of Season 2. still giving me panic attacks thinking about it) and now I'm on to Riverdale Season 2.  I loved the first season - cheesy teen fun - but Season 2 so far is beyond ridiculous.  It's basically just background noise for me while I crochet.  I finally watched the movie Lady Bird, too.  I've been wanting to see it since all the Oscar buzz, but as with most Oscar-worthy movies, I just felt meh about it.  Some funny moments, some poignant moments, but nothing I'd write home about.  And what I'm listening to is The Glorious Sons and Greta Van Fleet mostly!  Downloaded albums by both bands a few weeks ago and they occupy much of my summertime playlist.  I'm also looking forward to using the Amazon Prime music feature too.
  
• Ray Emery - On a sad note, it was heart-breaking to hear on Sunday that former Sens goalie Ray Emery passed away tragically in a drowning accident near his hometown of Hamilton.  If you look back into the archives of this blog, you'll find many Sens posts that revolved around Razor.  He was a fan favourite during his short time here, especially during the 2007 run to the Stanley Cup Finals, and I have so many fun memories of cheering him on and loving his crazy antics.  The game when he fought both Martin Biron and Andrew Peters back-to-back will go down in Sens history and live forever in infamy. Broke my heart to hear he was gone, and at such a young age, only 35 years old.  Rest peacefully, Ray.
  
  
  
  

Well, that's about it for now!  Hope you're all enjoying a great summer as well, with still lots of fun to come! :)

Random Tuesday: Summer Fun

Summer officially hit last week, and it's already brought so much fun!  The past week and a half has just been jam-packed with good days and happy moments.  Here's some of the random highlights thus far:

• On Saturday, June 16th, my cousin Brandon married his sweetheart Meghan, and we had SUCH a good time at their wedding reception!  The barn setting was beautiful, the band was awesome, and I don't remember the last time I danced that much.  Such a fun evening!! 
  
• The next morning, I was up bright and early to get ready for our church's Sunday School picnic, which was held at my friends Lindsay & Ryan's.  A casual service was held in the shelter of the garage, followed by a potluck lunch and fun in the pool.  Nothing I love more than a day at the pool!  
  
• Last Wednesday evening, something VERY exciting happened to me.  Like, I was ridiculously excited.  Wednesday evening is 3-pitch night, and I'm playing this year for the Lollygaggers, a group of great friends of mine.  We are just out to have fun and get some exercise, and I think any one of us would admit without hesitation that we aren't very good at playing ball.  I especially struggle with it.  Having grown up in a sports-oriented family, I have watched a LOT of ball in my lifetime, and I KNOW in my head what to do, but I can never seem to be able to execute.  I am also very competitive, but don't have the athletic chops to back it up.  This means most games are filled with frustration for me.  Anyways, last Wednesday we were playing against a team with a few of my friends on it, including my friend Lindsay's husband Ryan and my friend Sharon's husband, Wayne.  And they were kickin' our butts.  I was trying to do some trash-talking, but it wasn't going well for us at all.  Anyways, late in the game, I'm out in my rover position, basically praying balls aren't hit to me because I never even come close to catching them, when Wayne came up to bat.  And the ol' Hobberknocker drove one right to me.  Like, literally.  I didn't even have to move.  I just stuck out my glove and heard the "smack".  I caught the ball.  I friggin' CAUGHT. THE. BALL.  And I celebrated as if we had won the World Series.  It was probably a little excessive, but I have never - and I do mean never - had such a rewarding sports moment in.my.life.  So, we lost the game and I have no idea what the score was but it was probably like 22-0 or something like that, but you could not wipe the smile off my face.  Every now and then the sun shines on a dog's rear-end! ;)
  
• Following up on that big night, the next evening I completed my art project with Shannon that we've been working on for 9 weeks!  So rewarding and thrilling to be finished!  It was supposed to be an 8-week course, but we had to add an extra week to finish it.  We started out with a black-and-white photo that Shannon had taken and then painted the picture in black and white.  It was just oozing with detail and it seemed very daunting at the beginning, but it was amazing how quickly it all came together, and it was neat to see the little tricks she taught us along the way.  I love my final result!
  
• This past weekend was a fun one to kick off the summer.  On Friday evening, we gathered at my sister's place to celebrate my niece's 6th birthday.  We had a BBQ and cake and presents, and just some great family time.  We also were celebrating the end of the school year, as Friday was the kids' last day of school!  My nephew graduated from Grade 6 and received the Citizenship Award and Male Athlete of the Year.  We are so proud of him!
  
• Saturday was overcast and kind of dreary, but I was up and off to Shawville to get groceries early in the day.  I spent the afternoon relaxing and napping before getting up and getting ready for my friend Stacy's bachelorette party.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Milestone's downtown, then went on a Rideau Canal boat cruise.  We had lots of laughs and it was a great evening!
  
  
  
  
  
• On Sunday, I went to church and had brunch with my mom and brother, then just went home to do some stuff around the house.  I made homemade bagels and pinwheels for lunches this week, then vegged the rest of the day.  I read out on the deck, I did some crocheting, and watched Downton Abbey (almost done!) - then in the evening I settled in to watch the movie The Shallows.  It kept me jumping, and it was a perfect summery scary movie!
• Last night, I was just sitting out on the deck reading when I got a text from my friend Josee to say she was going to be at the ball field if I wanted to come down and meet her new baby girl, Gracynn.  So I quickly grabbed a bite to eat and then headed to down to meet the new babe!  I was excited to give her the blanket I had crocheted for her - it's the first one I've actually given to anyone!  Jo said she loved it, and I was so glad I finally got to give it to her.  It was made with lots of love! :)
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• This coming weekend is going to be a scorcher, and I am spending the rest of this week preparing for it, as we have lots going on.  I have family coming on Saturday to celebrate Canada Day Quyon-style, so I have to get my grass cut, my house cleaned, and groceries done.  Then on Sunday we'll be going to my aunt & uncle's to celebrate Canada Day on the beach, and I can't wait!  Canada Day festivities are the best, bring it on!!! :)

Summer Memories: Going to Grandma's

I don't know what exactly it is about this day, but it has me reminiscing and thinking about summer days from my childhood when we would go to Grandma's.  The cloudless blue sky, the emerald green of the grass, the breeze ruffling the leaves of the trees... even just the clean, fresh smell of the outdoors.  It's carrying me back to perfect summer days at my grandma's.

We spent a lot of time at my grandma's when I was a kid.  During the summer, at least once a week, we'd spend a day up there at her house, on the outskirts of Shawville.  Mom would be going up to cut her grass or do her hair or help her with flower beds, and she'd tow us along with her.  When I was little, it was always a joy to go to Grandma's.

Now, I know what you're thinking:  This sounds like a lot of outdoor stuff, and Jill, you're not an outdoor girl.  Very true.  And yet, while I avoided any of the hard labour in the garden or flower beds, I love the memories of wandering around Grandma's property, or going for a walk down the road.  Sitting in lawn chairs outside while she admired her flowers and I pretended to care.  Swinging on the old wooden swing that hung from ropes in one of her trees.  Exploring the old sheds and garage.

On really special occasions, there'd be a trip next door to John's to visit the chickens.  It was always a delight when she'd take us over there, and he'd give us a tour of all his chicken coops outside.  In my mind, going to John's was like walking into a jungle. Elaborate flower beds and trees every where, little paths to walk through, and then emerging in the back yard to find chickens everywhere.  I don't even like birds, and yet I fondly recall these trips to visit the chickens.

Now, don't get me wrong, if I could hang out inside the house, I would, as much as possible.  Couch potato all my life.  But even inside, watching Mr. Dressup or Sesame Street, it still felt like summer.  Windows open, breeze blowing through, wind chimes tinkling, the front screen door slamming as others came in and out.  The sound of the lawn mower.  I mean, how silly is that?  I hear lawn mowers all the time, yet today, it makes me think of Grandma's...

And what would my memories be if they didn't somehow involve food?  This time of year, it would be a light lunch of  toasted tomato sandwiches or even just little bits of this and that - some cold meat, some crackers and cheese, a dish of pickles, carrot and celery sticks, the ever-present butter dish.  All enjoyed out on the summer porch.  If there's one part I miss most about Grandma's, it's that summer porch.  It was just a small little room off her kitchen, closed in yet so bright with big windows and a screen door.  Sitting out there almost felt like sitting outside.  Just outside the big window hung her hummingbird feeder, filled with that bright red liquid, and she'd hush us if one drew near.

After dessert was served - and there was always dessert, whether it just be a few cookies from the freezer or a lavish platter of freshly baked tea biscuits topped with homemade jam and whipping cream - she would collect the tea bags and get us to go out and sprinkle the insides of them in her flower beds.  I have no idea why.  I have never heard of anyone else sprinkling damp tea leaves in their flower beds.  But it was a job I simply loved, tearing open those soggy bags and dumping the insides of them in the dark soil.

A summer day at Grandma's was never complete without a stroll through her garden.  As I mentioned, I avoided the hard labour like the plague, but never minded the walk-through when all the work was done. Grandma's garden was always immaculate, carefully weeded, tended in perfect rows.  When the peas were ready, she'd let us pluck a few pods and split them open, eating the raw peas fresh.  Only kind of peas I ever enjoyed.  We now joke about those garden tours as a delay tactic, a way of her getting us to stay longer.  "We have to be going now."  "Oh but wait!  You haven't seen the garden yet!"  I don't think anyone minded having to stay a little longer, though.

When it was time to go, she'd stand on her front step and say good-bye, waving one finger at us, up and down, a bright cheery smile on her face. 

I don't know why those visits to Grandma's are so forefront in my thoughts today.  I'm fortunate to work on a farm, in an office with big windows that allow me to gaze out at beautiful scenery all around me.  Today, that blue sky, bright green of the foliage, breeze swaying the trees, are all bringing me back to that childhood haven.

I know it's a place I can't go back to, and even if I did, it wouldn't be the same.  But just for a day, how I wish we could.

I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Summer Lovin'

Happy Wednesday friends!

Work is still super hectic - yesterday I felt like my head might explode I was being torn in so many different directions - but going to try to take a few minutes and bang out this post!  I miss blogging!!

I saw this writing prompt on another blog, and decided it would be a quick one to play along with, with a summer vibe.  Here we go!

1. Walk or Bike Ride?  Lately?  Neither. LOL  I am such a sloth.  But I'm a walker when I am motivated.  Bikes always hurt my butt.  I don't even have one.  Walking is by far my favourite form of exercise.

2. Favourite Picnic Food?  I can't say I picnic very often, but it makes me think of an array of sandwiches, fresh fruit, potato chips, stuff like that.  For our Sunday School picnic, I usually make some sort of salad or snack food, like a nacho dip.

3. Pool or Lake?  I'm a water girl.  I'm happy no matter what form I'm water I'm closest to.  That said, for swimming, I prefer the clear blue of a pool that I can see the bottom of. lol  I can spook myself thinking of the "things" that go unseen in the depths of lakes and rivers.  But I sure as heck wouldn't turn down a day at the lake, trust me!

 

4. Favourite flavour of ice cream?  I'm a plain ol' vanilla kind of kid.  Especially with soft ice cream, just a nice vanilla cone, or a chocolate dip... mmmmm... If I'm picking from hard ice cream flavours, I'm drawn to mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip cookie dough, anything like that.  I now I'm DYING for ice cream!!!

5. Ice cream cone or in a dish?  Depends.  If I have the freedom and the time, cone.  If I'm driving or doing something else at the same time, gotta go with dish. 

6.  Flip flops or slides?  Flipper floppers, always!!

7. Jean shorts or jean capris?  Sigh.  I have reached an age (and a size) where I'm uncomfortable showing off my tree trunk legs.  I usually opt for capris, unless I'm going to be alone on my deck and not worried about anyone seeing my legs.

8. Favourite summer fruit?  Ooooh gotta go watermelon on this one.  Especially a nice sweet seedless one.  Just tastes like summer!

9. Corn on the cob or off the cob?  ON the cob, with lots of butter, salt & pepper.  One of my favourite summer treats, can't wait for fresh corn on the cob!!

10.  Favourite summertime song?  This is like, IMPOSSIBLE.  But because I've been in a Beach Boys mood lately, I'll go with one of them... "Wouldn't It Be Nice" or "Rock 'n Roll Music" or "Surfin Safari"...any of them really!

11. Favourite summertime activity?  Anything the involves being on the water!  At a friend's pool, at my Aunt Marion's beach, at the camp, out on Kerry & Jeff's pontoon... anywhere where there's water, I'm in my happy place.

12. Favourite berry? Strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, or blackberry?  Strawberries = summer to me, but the berry I love most is blueberries.  (Raspberries are the fruit of the devil, I loathe them!!!)

13. Bikinis, tankinis, or one piece?  Most of my bathing suits are two-piece, I guess you'd call them tankinis, but I'm completely covered. Ain't nobody wanna see this belly. 

14. Dresses or skirts?  Hard to choose!  I have a few of both.  I guess I'll go with dresses though, I think I have more dresses.  Maxi dresses and sun dresses.

15. One word to describe Summer?  Carefree!!  Or at least, that's the way I like it to be!!