Love....

This is one of Kate's fabulous cupcakes, suitably entitled LOVE...and it is summer so how good is that. It was really hot here in the Okanagan, about 31 today!!!

Hey Kate, I hope your garden in Devon is getting more splendid by the day and that by now you too will have summer.

Visit her web-site @ http://www.cakeadoodledo.co.uk/
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Love is to the heart what the summer is to the farmer's year - it brings to harvest all the loveliest flowers of the soul. ~

Author Unknown

Come Away With Me.....

To a beach on a lake

Have a cold drink or two.
Read a book or magazine


Keep cool in the shade

What' s your pleasure, the drinks are on me.

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There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want."
Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes

@ Shannon and Del's

Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep on the Sun Rivers Golf course where Shannon and Del live in Kamloops

Shannon and Del.....hamming it up !!!!

The new cabin on the Shuswap, which will soon be enjoying the sounds of laughter, and cooking!!!

The view from the beach....

We drove up and spent the night with Shannon and Del. She is my Ya Ya friend that also lives in Queen Creek, AZ, and we sorely missed our other Ya Ya pal, Sue, who had to work in Vancouver....however do not feel too sorry for her as she and Dave are spending next weekend with Shannon and Del (their second choice after finding out we were busy that weekend, ha ha!!!!) So anyways, we had a lovely drive up, Jim and Del golfed while Shannon and I went out for lunch, did a bit of shopping, had a great dinner, some wine, and then to bed. This morning we drove to their new under construction lake house, sweet, and had a picnic on their beach...On the way home, stopped in at a couple of golf courses & antiques shops. Found Cindy's birthday present, so it was a successful trip!!!!!

The dogs were really happy that we were home, but they had the great company of one of the gals I work with, Erin, who stayed at the house and dog sat...thank you Erin!!!!

We need the tonic of wildness. We can never have enough of nature.
Thoreau

Jesse Cook Concert

Jim and I at Jesse Cook's concert tonight at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery

Jesse Cook playing at the Winery. What a wonderful evening this was, the music was truly inspiring. He said it was probably one of the most beautiful venues he has ever played in. The sun was still shining at 8:30.

Okanagan Lake in the background

www.jessecook.com

Crafting today....

Jim was busy today at work, so I took the dogs for a walk off leash in Peachland. Then had a great cup of coffee at "Bliss." I came home, tidied up the house, and came down into my craft, turned on my iTunes, cranked up the volume and started making some cards. I gathered all my old scraps and these were a few of the cards that I got made so far....

Tomorrow we are going to the Jesse Cook concert in the amphitheater at Mission Hill Winery!!!Let's hope the sun will shine all day long and the evening will be warm.

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Pleasure is spread through the earth

In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find them.

~William Wordsworth, 1806

Blooming today

Nasturtiums

Victoria Lilac

Coleus

Clematis

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In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.

~Abram L. Urban

Thrift Shop find....

This is my latest Thrift Shop find, a vintage Florida tablecloth without any spots or holes in it, could not believe it. Then of course I found some crochet thread (maybe I will learn to crochet now) and other "good things." As my girl friends know, nothing makes me happier then a vintage find!!!
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It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it."-
W. Somerset Maugham

Summer is finally here...

All these wonderful colours are prefect for summer time fun....drinks anyone?

From Pottery Barn, of course.

Lunch with Christa...

One of the reasons that I wanted to go home to Bull River, besides seeing my family, is that is really close to where Christa lives in Mayook. I was glad to be able to spend some time with her there.

Picnic suitcase I made up for Christa and her grandkidlets to so that she could stop and enjoy a snack on her drive to and from Airdrie to Mayook.

As a special treat, Christa made home made soup, Foccacia bread and rubarb pie for lunch. Was it ever GOOD!!!!!

Just the 2 of us, doing what we love, eating, laughing and hanging out together...Thank you Christa for the lovely time we spent together.

Mom and Dad's bench

The view from Mom and Dad's bench.

We all leave a small offering when we come up to their bench.

The plaque I made for them and fired in my kiln.

The Bench

When our Dad passed away in 1994 @ 70 and our Mom in 2000 @76, my brother Harry and his wife Jill offered a place on the top of their property for us to place their bench and spread their ashes. We had planted a tree for Dad that first year and Mom hauled water nearly every other day. It didn't live as the horses use that acreage as pasture but I am sure that it gave our Mom purpose to go up to the bench and just think of Dad. Now all of us kids and grandkids have a place to sit down, think about the love, happiness, the good and tough times that we all shared together. We were so lucky to have them as our parents.

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There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.

~Hodding Carter, Jr.

Part of my Family....

These are my 2 sisters, Caroline and Evelyne in Caroline and Larry's log home that they bought from my parents long ago and have totally made it their own.

My brother Harry, just getting this photo was great, as he is pretty quiet and a bit shy. What a handsome guy!!! He lives here with his wife Jill in a house they built together.

And here I am with my youngest brother Steven, even more difficult to get a photo of, but I am so glad they all humored me and let me take their pictures. He is kind of cute as well, eh? He shares this wonderful log home with his wife Stefanie, son Tyler and daughter Cassidy.

I had a wonderful couple of days back in Bull River, where I still feel is my home in my heart.

Road trip to Bull River

Here we are having a picnic in the rain. Cindy drove down from Nelson and met me in Salmo, where we had the best picnic....Hot tea, blankets, Landyeager sausage, several different types of cheese, V8 juice, olives, bread, etc, etc, and desert. She even made me stuff to enjoy on the road...it was so much fun, we didn't even notice that we were wet. The forgotten wine was exchanged and more memories were made. My dear and thoughtful friend even brought treats for Cookie and Pebbles. Thanks for the Raspberry Jam!!!

I then drove over the Salmo/Creston pass into heavy fog and about 3" of snow on top, and slush in the middle of the road. At 1 degree it was really cool and some brave soul had his ski's on and was trekking up the hill for a good run down in the powder...who would of thought that possible on the 7th of June.

95 years young!!!

This is our dear friend, Doris Drayton from Kaslo, now living here with her daughter Penny. Her two sister siblings are both doing well at 93, and 91...How cool is that! Today we went out for lunch, then drove around in the convertible, top down and music up and a cool wind in Doris's hair. We drove up to Cedar Creek Winery and then continued on to Carmelli's Cheese place. We had fun trying new cheeses and trying out their Gellato. Doris is a beautiful living treasure, she is so sharp and living a fulfilling life. We are proud to have her as our friend.

Looks of summer....

Welcome to summer, soon it will be here and then we will be ready to enjoy all the lovely tiime spent outside....these finds are from Pottery Barn....