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Tag was always my favourite game when I was a kid, and so naturally I enjoy being 'tagged' in the blogging world. In a recent post, my mum tagged me to pick up the book nearest to me, turn to page 28, find paragraph 3 & write about that paragraph. Next to my bedside table for the last couple of weeks has been the book "The Red Tent" which I actually just finished reading this afternoon.

The book itself actually revolves around the Book of Genesis and the lives of Jacob and his twelve sons. What amazes me about this book is that it is told from the eyes of women, who are largely silenced and remain peripheral in the Bible. It speaks of midwifery, marriage, childbirth, life, death and the traditions of ancient womanhood within the 'Red Tent'. Specifically, page 28 speaks of women's experiences during childbirth and of child rearing, and of both the difficulties and the joys of becoming a parent.

I have spoken of this book before in past posts and many of you have either read this book and have recommended it, or have it next to your bedside waiting for the opportunity to begin reading it. In my opinion, "The Red Tent" deserves all of the acclaim it has received-

it is a must read!

I am Tagging:

All of you! And I look forward to reading your posts about the books that have inspired you!

I Heart George

I don't watch a great deal of t.v., especially when the weather outside is so beautiful. BUT - I will make an exception, and this exception's name is George Stroumboulopoulos. Not only is he gorgeous, but he's also informed (a real bonus these days), and I consider him the Canadian equivalent of Bill Maher (gorgeous, funny, informed....oh, and did I mention gorgeous?)

George not only brings Canadian news to life, but his signature black clothing and red leather seats on the set puts a unique and interesting twist on his presentation of the issues at hand. His interview with the late Canadian feminist June Callwood was one of the most touching interviews I have ever seen. These days, I find myself keeping my eye on the clock from 7 onwards and yesterday in IKEA there was a mad dash to the checkout at 7:45 pm to make it home in time to catch my 'boyfriend' George (you know a show is good when...)

His show "The Hour" is on CBC weekdays at 8 p.m.

Un Détritus De l'Homme, Est Le Trésor D'un Autre Homme

We were approached last week by one of our neighbours about doing a neighbourhood garage sale. Now, anyone that knows us or reads my and my mum's blogs, knows that we spend every Saturday morning garage sale-ing. And at one point in time, you know that you have to have a garage sale yourself (especially once you've weeded out the trash from the treasures!).

We have a local no-kill animal shelter that's near and dear to our hearts since we found our precious Ben there, so we donated all of the proceeds from today's garage sale to the shelter.

There may be less in our house now, but I think we've made just enough room for next weeks bargains!

Bourdons et Lapins

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you"

~Frank Lloyd Wright

From the top of our lilac bush to the bottom of our garden, we are blessed with so much beauty.

From the buzz of the bumblebees and the chirping of the birds, to the croaking of our little toad and the soft pitter patter of little paws, we are surrounded by nature.

Nests are being built in the trees above us and our toad nestles in his little 'toad house' under the garden bushes.

I had to stop and watch their industriousness and their beauty...

"I meant to do my work today,

But a little bird sang in the apple tree,

And a butterfly flitted across the field,

And all the leaves were calling me"

~Richard LeGallienne

Vacances De Jour De Victoria

"Picture yourself in a boat on a river

with tangerine trees and marmalade skies

somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly,

a girl with kaleidoscope eyes"

~The Beatles

Tonight I had kaleidoscope eyes.

The sky lit up.

Tonight, we celebrate Victoria Day in Canada.

Gâteau au fromage fait maison

And the competition continues....

As I've mentioned in previous posts, there is an ongoing (friendly) competition between myself and my dad as to who makes the best cheesecake. I must admit, my dad was the first to begin making the famous homemade cheesecake during the holiday season and my mum's birthday, but now I think the grasshopper may have surpassed the master...

In previous years I was in charge of making the graham cracker crust, which I must say, I have perfected. Fast forward to now, and I can successfully make the entire dessert from start to finish. If it sounds like I'm tooting my own horn, I am...toot! toot! But that's only because in past years I have successfully managed to destroy almost every dessert or meal I attempted in the kitchen. The mere fact that I am able to, at the very least, make a dessert without assistance, supervision, or general fear that I may literally burn the house down is quite an accomplishment for me.

Above is a picture of my latest cheesecake creation...the only thing missing is a scoop of strawberries and, if you're a chocoholic like me, a drizzling of some chocolate syrup. Delish!

Trésors De Grenier

I continue to be inspired daily by the creative, intelligent humorous women who share their experiences and daily realities through their blogs. Recently I was inspired by two such women, Rosemary and Vallen, who found some magnificent treasures which were passed down to them by friends and family. I thought it might be interesting to look through my own attic and see what treasures I could locate.

The treasures I did find only attest to the fact that I am a child of the '80s...first of all, my two major crushes were Fred Penner and Michael Jackson. I've always been attracted to musical people...and who can resist a man wearing red leather! I came across my Michael Jackson "Thriller" tape and my Fred Penner/Sesame Street albums, as well as albums from two of my favourite musicals: West Side Story and The Sound of Music (did I mention I also had a crush on Christopher Plummer?)

Then, I came across my vintage "The Wizard of Oz" poster. I had completely forgotten I had this, but it hung on my wall as a child and it has always been a favourite film of mine.

All of my treasures brought me back to my childhood in the '80s, and I want to thank Rosemary and Vallen for the inspiration to go digging through my attic and coming across these wonderful things.

Oiseau vert sur ma fenêtre

'Tis a gift to be simple,

'Tis a gift to be free,

'Tis a gift to come down

Where we ought to be

And when we find ourselves

In the place that's right

'Twill be in the valley

of love and delight

-Nineteenth-Century Shaker Hymn

I woke up this morning to the sound of my sweet little bird, Jax. As with all of our budgies, we love leaving his door open so that he can feel free. He especially loves singing with the birds outside, and it is amazing to hear them all communicating with one another.

I think they have their own little language...

Listes Pluvieuses De Jour

There is nothing better to do on rainy days than curl up with a favourite book, watch B & W movies or musicals, bake a warm treat, or make do-to lists. Although we have had more than our share of cold rainy days these past few weeks, summer is still fast approaching. So this afternoon, while I was watching "Dirty Dancing", I decided to jot down my Summer To-Do List:

1. Catch up on my reading (lots of books seem to be gathering dust on my bookshelf...it's amazing how many textbooks, rather than novels, a student reads in a year!)


2. Perfect my baking skills (years of watching the Food Network can do that to a person)


3. Ride my bike (it's been wayyy too long...)


4. Visit the Farmer's Market (a favourite in our town, the Farmer's Market sets up shop three times a week...lots of fresh produce to enjoy and flowers to smell)


5. Sketch, paint, create!


6. Spend Saturday mornings at garage sales and thrift shops


7. Walk barefoot


8. Eat lots of ice cream without the guilt (especially NY Style Cherry Cheesecake ice cream...if you haven't tried it this should be on YOUR summer to-do list...trust me, you'll thank me later)


9. Swim!


10. Take lots of long walks to the beach and the park with my favorite fellow (my beautiful Black lab Ben)


11. Wear cute skirts, short-shorts and stylish sunglasses


12. Visit lots of craft shows (this brings me to #13...)


13. Sell my work in a craft show (this is on mum's list, too!)


14. Take the time to stop and smell the flowers


15. Garden and plant lots of tulips, snap dragons, pansies and sunflowers


16. Travel (Paris would be nice!)


17. Go on road trips


18. Watch my favourite movies, musicals, and television shows (don't laugh, but I can't wait for 'Big Brother')


19. Pack a picnic


20. Visit our favourite little shops downtown


21. Take belly dancing and salsa lessons


22. Have lots of girls nights


23. Go to the movie theatre


24. Go bird watching


25. Take lots of photographs


26. Go to an outdoor concert


27. Enjoy every moment summer has to offer!

Qu'a lieu Votre Été À- Énumère ?

(What's on your Summer To-Do List?)

Le Jour De la Mère Heureuse!

"All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my angel Mother"

~Abraham Lincoln

Happy Mother's Day, Mum! I love you!

xoxo

Trouvailles De Brocante à domicile

In our family, especially when it comes to my mum and I, a Saturday morning wouldn't be complete without garage sales and this morning was highly successful, living up to all of my expectations (and then some!)

It all started with not just one sale but a STREET SALE...music to our ears! Lots of great bargains, including a gorgeous Victorian looking plant stand my mum found and a box of vintage lace from the early 20th century...I have a few projects in mind that will showcase its beauty.

Then, we hit it RICH...a ceramic mannequin hand from North Carolina that I think I'll put some of my bracelets on, a stunning green vintage suitcase, and the piece de resistance....a dress mold! I have finally found one! I plan on distressing it and jazzing it up with a bit of glitz and glam...not too over the top, but for me, nothing is complete without at least a sprinkling of something glittery!

Sur Ma Table De Chevet

There are just some things I like within arms reach, especially before I go to sleep... I am someone who loves to read and do puzzles, while watching my favourite decorating and cooking shows. HGTV and the Food Network are the typical channels I flip back and forth between, which is why, if you went through my Sudoku books, you would find recipes and decorating tips jotted down randomly on the front and back cover! I always have a candle lit, flowers (especially this time of year and usually from the garden), favourite pictures of friends and family and I'm always in the middle of at least a few novels. Here's a glimpse of a little corner of my room...

Prise de du temps de sentir les fleurs

Don't hurry,

Don't worry,

And don't forget to smell the flowers

-T. Rice

After work this evening mum and I were puttering around the garden making our 'To Do List' for the garden. So far, the list consists of:

1.) Arranging flowers in hanging baskets

2.) Getting new soil/cocoa mulch for the garden

3.) Going to our favourite greenhouse to purchase the newest editions for the garden: pansies, snap dragons (my favourite) and lilies (just to name a few!)

4.) Tending to the weeds (although I think this should be #1 on our list!)

On the days that I have off work, I spend most of my time gardening, planting, watering the flowers and mowing the lawn, and this morning I was ecstatic to see the shrubs and some of our plants in bloom. The hosta, daffodils, tulips, and our flowering shrub have all appeared and look absolutely stunning...a sign of what is to come!

Tous Que J'Ai jamais voulus...

All I ever wanted growing up was to be surrounded by animals. My love for animals began at a very young age and was passed down to me by my mum who always said "When you teach a child not to step on an insect, you do as much for the child as you do the insect." These are words that I have lived by for twenty two years, and words I also intend on passing down to my own children one day.

When I was three, I was given a blue budgie I named "Bobby". Bobby, a very timid and shy bird, was one of many pets that helped spark my interest in animal rights, PETA and vegetarianism, three things that I continue to be very passionate about to this day.

When I turned eleven, I got a brown and white hamster from a small pet shop that had three little dots down his back and it was those three little dots that earned him his name: Gideon Wallace Charles. After Gideon (or Giddy as we nicknamed him) was Daisy and Charley, two hamsters with very sweet dispositions. Then it was Jake, a yellow and green budgie who was very smart and whose quirky personality kept us on our toes and made us laugh. And, of course, then came Jax, Jake's twin in appearance but his polar opposite in terms of personality. Jax is timid, shy and quiet, except when his feathered friends come to visit him at the kitchen window. And last, but definitely not least, came along Benny my beautiful 10 and a half year old Black lab dog whose beautiful white beard and soulful brown eyes are usually posted right here on this very blog.

The beauty of having animals is not just the feeling of taking responsibility and loving your pets, but also the ways in which our pets enrich our lives daily.