Just checking in

Last weekend was the first long weekend of the summer season and boy was it a nice one for a change. The nights were still pretty chilly but with a warm campfire it made things so much better! The laughs and jokes filled the night as we watched neighbourhood fireworks filling the skies. 

The next day it was off to Port Dover to have the first arbor dog and peach glow of the season.



I browsed the little shops and I was good. I never bought anything……..this time. I might not have bought anything, but I did run across a sign in a shop that I just had to have. I didn't buy it, but since I had my camera on me I took a picture. :) I’ll leave the Port Dover purchases to the end of summer when I go with a dear friend to end off the summer.

(This goes very well with one of the questions I had to answer in order to accept the Liebster Award!)



Last Friday I was kind of taken back by a weird looking rainbow that could be seen. There hadn’t been any rain, yet this appeared out of nowhere. I guess Mother Nature can be filled with more surprises than just the change in weather. I didn't have my camera on me but my daughter was able to catch this sight on her phone.

I have my new fountain up and running and it's so nice to be able to sit on the deck and hear the trickle of water. It really does remind me of the sound of a small creek. That's kinda cheesy to say but hey what can I say? I have cheesy moments at times :)



This coming weekend is going to be a busy one since we have finally made the decision to build a wooden privacy fence down the one side of the yard. At this point it’s just a plain ole chain link fence, but since I love sitting outside first thing in the morning to have my coffee, I want a bit more privacy than what I have right now. I also bought some plants that I am eager to plant, but until the fence is up they will stay on the kitchen counter. Saturday is the day Curly, Larry and Moe along with another pair of hands will begin this project. With any luck there won’t be too many Band-Aids given out. As for me, I’ll be sitting there watching with a supply of Tim Horton’s coffee beside me on the deck table.

(A picture of the chain link fence soon to be replaced)

 

(Will post the after picture when complete)



 

 

 

 

Do YOU believe???????

                                                      

The Challenge has been over for a few weeks now and although I did have fun, this break gave me the chance to catch up on things I had fallen behind on. I must say that I gained a few more followers and I myself have started following other blogs. I’m actually looking forward to next year’s Challenge already!

The other night I was chatting with a dear friend on Facebook and after catching up on the tidbits and gossip we got into a rather weird discussion. Now I may find myself way out on a limb here and others may scoff at what I’m going to say but I do believe in ghosts and spirits. I actually admitted that a few posts back when telling a few facts about myself. Anyway, my friend had told me about certain things that have been happening in her house which in turn gave me the hebee jeebies (slang word I know). She had told me that on more than a few occasions she has heard footsteps on her stairs and once even heard something crash onto the floor in her kitchen while she was upstairs in bed. Since her hubby was away and after gaining the courage she went down stairs to see what had happened. It turned out that there was nothing amiss and nothing could be seen on the kitchen floor. Others have heard unexplained noises and things while staying at their house and apparently one time a single key on her piano was pressed allowing her to hear the sound while she was upstairs. Now if that was me….. hells bells I’d be getting my arse out of that house!!!!!

 It sounds weird but I have had an encounter with a spirit but it was all good I think; well according to Sylvia Brown the renowned Spiritualist (who is having a bout of bad publicity concerning a much publicized case at the moment). Anyway…… I’m not talking about the chain rattling ghosts flying through the air covered in a white sheet causing mischievous fun such as Casper. I’m talking about actually seeing a spirit and interacting with it to a point. It happened one night many years ago just after my mother had passed away.

I’m not sure what had awakened me but something did. The other half was sound asleep beside me and the kids were tucked in their beds all safe and sound. I had sat up in bed listening to make sure the house was still secured and just as I started to lay back down a movement caught my eye just outside the bedroom door. Our bedroom was right at the top of the stairs and what I saw next is still hard to comprehend. My mother dressed in the last outfit I had seen her wearing when she was alive was walking up the stairs. To say I was scared s***less is putting it mildly. Mom stood at the stop of the stairs, looked at me, smiled and then continued down the hall to the kid’s room. I was panicked and my mother mode kicked in, I got up and followed. She went into each of the kid’s rooms, placed a kiss on their foreheads and then walked passed me and started down the stairs. Before disappearing she looked at me again, blew me a kiss and then left. I felt a warmth inside me that is hard to explain. I know it sounds weird and a wee bit off the wall but I swear it happened.  It was many years later that I even admitted that it had happened and with the help of a friend and some research I came upon an article that Sylvia Brown had written explaining many different aspects and reason we have spirit encounters. According to her article what happened with me was a way for my mother to assure me she was fine and wanted to let me know she would always be close. I have never seen her since, but now my father has passed I really do feel his presence when I need it the most. Sometimes I can even hear him whispering Dawn Marie in that exasperating way he had when he was chastising me.

The Liebster Award





*Stands up and walks to the podium. Clearing my throat and tapping a few times on the microphone. Smiling out into the vast world of bloggers, I continue* “hello everyone, my name is DM or Dawn Marie and I am truly honoured that Shawn from Laughing at Life, 2 has generously presented me with The Liebster Blog Award. There are a few responsibilities that come with such a notable award and those are, 1… I need to give 11 fun facts about myself. 2….I have to answer the 11 questions about me that were asked by Shawn, then award a Liebster to 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions. If they so choose to accept this award all that is asked is they continue to pass on this award in the same way. Tell 11 fun facts about yourselves; answer the 11 questions and then choose 11 more recipients to give this award to. So without further ado I’ll begin…..

11 Fun Facts about me

1. I love to write and often lose track of my time when I am in front of the computer.

2. I’m afraid of spiders, snakes and heights

3. I’m totally tone deaf but will belt out a song into the handle of my hairbrush like I’m Lady GaGa

4. I don’t cry gracefully and if I am seen crying I blame it on allergies (I don’t have ANY allergies)

5. I talk to myself and the odd time I do argue with those little voices in my head

6. I never tell a joke because I always screw up the punch line.

7. I was once hypnotized by an Adult Entertainer Hypnotist while at a Club and did some very risqué      things that will haunt me for years to come.

8. I believe in ghosts and spirits but I don’t believe in aliens.

9. I hate being the center of attention.

10. I blush very easily and it’s not a pretty shade of pink, I turn a bright shade of red.

11. I’m my own worst critic.  

(Not very fun facts, but eh….it’s who I am)

Now, here are the questions I had to answer;

1.  If you could choose to have any super power what would it be, and why?

I’d have to say that I’d like to have the super power of mind reading. As a mother that’s a super power that should be mandatory!

2.  What would you do for a Klondike bar?

Since my blog is rated P.G I can’t disclose THAT information J

3.  If you could be any cartoon character which one would you choose, and why?

I’d have to say I’d like to be Lucy from the Charlie Brown series. There are a few people who I would definitely pull the football away just as they were about to kick J

4.  What is your favorite movie?

My favourite movie has to be The Wizard of Oz. I have loved this movie since I was a kid. I still watch it when I see it on TV.

5.  If you could be granted one wish what would you wish for?

I’d say world peace, but all beauty contestants say that so my wish would be to be able to spend one more day with all the family and friends that have passed away.

6.  Why did the chicken cross the road besides to get to the other side?

None of the other chickens crossed the road and this chicken wanted to be different.

7.  If you had the power to change laws, what would you make legal and what would you make illegal?

Make the Drinking and Driving law MORE severe. Drinking and driving convictions should result in a loss of driving privileges permanently. No exceptions. If people haven’t learned that drinking and driving is not ok by now, they never will and should be removed from the road with the first conviction.

 In British Columbia Canada it is illegal to kill a Sasquatch. This should definitely be changed. Thank goodness I don’t live in B.C but IF I did and IF I saw that huge hairy beast in my yard I think I should have the legal right to shoot it!

8.  What is your favorite way to spend your free time?

Aside from writing in my blog, I love being outdoors, camping and hiking.

9.  What is your favorite quote?

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”  By Dr. Seuss

10.  In your opinion, do you think man has really been to the moon?

Well of course men have really been to the moon. Would the Government lie?

11.  What is your favorite quality in the opposite sex?

My favourite quality in the opposite would be a man that can smile and laugh and laugh at himself.

 

Now, my 11 Questions for 11 more Bloggers…

1. What do you value most in life?

2. If you had to pick up and leave now, to move to another country, where would you go?

3. How do you deal with someone you don't like?

4. Name one Television character that you simply adore?

5. What would you chose, love or money and why?

6. If given a choice, what animal would you like to be and why?

7. If you were stranded on a lonely beach, what 5 things would you hope you had with you?

8. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?

9. What do you miss most about being a kid?

10. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?

11. If you could know the answer to any question, besides “What is the meaning of life?”, what would it be?

Now my 11 choices to give this wonderful Liebster Award to……

1. JoJo @ http://tahomabeadworks.blogspot.com/

2.  catherinelouise @ aanditsallaboutme.blogspot.com

3.  http://heatherl04.blogspot.ca/

4. http://zoecottage.blogspot.ca/

5. http://mamajess66.blogspot.ca/

6. Diary of the Sunday Visitor  http://ad1274895.blogspot.ca/

7. morgankatz505.blogspot.com

8. http://thedaymaker.blogspot.ca/

9. http://bookswithwineandchocolate.blogspot.ca/

10. http://wearinglemon.blogspot.ca/

11. http://coffintreehill.tumblr.com/

 Grab a drink, sit back and stop by these remarkable bloggers. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them as much as I do!

The Letter Z

Z is for Zombies



It seems the world has been taken over by the bodies of a dead people giving the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose. I’m not really into all the Zombie mayhem but there are many who are. Don’t get me wrong, I do love horror movies and flicks, but the Zombie is one character I cannot take seriously. Even when the Zombies participated in Michael Jackson’s video Thriller I had to laugh a bit. I love the song, but a bunch of Zombies dancing to a song just strikes me as funny.

 

It seems like these dead/undead things are invading the world as we know it with TV shows, movies and even commercials. We have the television series The Walking Dead, The Awakening and some show called Zombies vs. Vampires, not to mention the countless movies that somehow slip Zombies into the plots, I even caught a glimpse of a commercial where 3 zombie men were attacking a pizza that had been dropped on the road. I haven’t seen it since, but that one time was enough for me.

 

So we have come to the last letter of the alphabet drawing the A-Z Blogging challenge to a close. I have had a wonderful time and to end it off just right...................   

 Zippity doo dah, Zippity aye,

 My oh my what a wonderful 26 days

 Plenty of sunshine came my way,

 

 Zippity doo dah, Zippity aye.

 

The Letter Y

My Back Yard

With the warm weather on its way, I’m so looking forward to spending time out in the back yard. It’s more or less my oasis. It gets me out of the house, into some fresh air and away from housework. Last year I spent well over 7 weeks building up one corner of the yard and putting in a small pond with running water. I made the pond close enough to the deck so I could sit outdoors and read or write. Most times I just curled up on the little outdoor couch and listened to the relaxing sound of the water giving the illusion of being out in the woods by a small creek. I even went to the river and gathered buckets of river rock as well as snagging a Lilly pad just off the shore. I was very pleased with the end result although Bentley had decided that the pond was a huge water dish and I made it even worse when I purchased 5 rather large gold fish for the pond. I enjoyed my pond well into mid-summer and then began to have trouble with the pump and a family of racoons. It seemed every other day the pump would stop working allowing the racoons to do some night time fishing, let’s just say I went through more than a few gold fish before the summer was over.

 

I’ve been contemplating on whether or not I’ll keep the pond. It was a lot of work putting it in, but it was also very frustrating keeping up with the maintenance. I’m thinking about revamping that area by taking out the pond, restructuring the landscape and instead of the pond maybe drag the fountain over to stand in its place. It’ll be a lot of work, but I think in the end it’ll be better. There is nothing better than being in the outdoors, hearing the sound of trickling water, closing your eyes and letting your mind just wander.

The Letter X

X is for XOXO
X is for X's and O's
X is for X Marks The Spot

Ok, this letter was a hard one, for me anyway. Yes I found many words starting with the letter X and aside from the usual X words such as X-ray and xylophone most of them I could not pronounce let alone know what they mean and being able to blog about it. So here go my choices for the letter X.

I’ll start off with the abbreviated kisses and hugs as in XOXO. I do have a habit signing every card I give (to family and close friends) with the xoxo letters.  The custom of placing X's on cards and the bottom of letters to mean kisses can be dated back to the Middle Ages. A Christian cross was drawn on documents or letters to mean sincerity, faith, and honesty. The signer would then kiss the cross as a display of their sworn oath. Since the majority of the common people could not read or write, an 'X' was placed on documents, and a kiss placed upon it as a show of their sincerity. The 'O' is of North American descent; no one really seems to know how it was started. Perhaps now it is used as the 'O' being rounded represents arms encircling another, as in an embrace.

Next is the game X’s and O’s or Tic Tack Toe. I think we have all played this as kids and I’ll be honest during spurts of boredom I’ll still play the odd game when asked. The good thing about this game is that it can be played anywhere and anytime. I remember playing it as a kid in the dirt with just a stick. I did the same thing as an adult with my children when we took camping trips. It kept the kids busy for a little while at least. I’ve even played it during my work hours with another employee when it hasn’t been busy. X’s and O’s or Tic Tack Toe is a pencil-and-paper or stick and dirt game for two players. One player claims the X as their marker and the other person has the O. They take turns marking the spaces either with an X or an O in a 3×3 grid. The player who succeeds in placing three respective marks in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row wins the game. Players soon discover that best play from both parties leads to a draw (often referred to as cat or cat's game). Hence, Tic-tac-toe is most often played by young children.

 

And lastly, X marks the spot. As far back as I can remember I have always been intrigued with mysteries, either solving them or hunting for a mysterious buried surprise. I’m starting to think that I was born to be more like a Nancy Drew type person (and yes I read the complete series of Nancy Drew as well as the Hardy Boys). I used to beg my older sister and promise her I would take her turn doing the dishes all by myself IF she would make a map for me with different clues leading to a secret place with an X marking the spot. I would spend all day (no matter how easy she made it) having fun figuring out the clues and finally leading me to that X. I have even incorporated an X marks the spot game into a few of our family reunions with the clues eventually leading to the X. The prize……..usually a bottle of wine or a bottle of Tequila.

 

The Letter W

W is for Wrinkles


The dictionary defines a wrinkle as a small furrow or crease in the skin, especially of the face, as from aging or frowning. I don’t care what the definition is, I just hate having them. Yes I’m at that age where Mother Nature and Father Time get together and have a few laughs at my expense, but I think they could ease up just a wee little bit!

Take for instance the creases/wrinkles that have now adorned my forehead. There are 2 types of wrinkles that “decorate” ones forehead as they age. The first is called forehead rows, or those wrinkles that run straight across the forehead. The second is called frown lines, which are deep vertical wrinkles between your eyebrows that appear every time you frown. It really doesn’t matter what type of forehead wrinkles you have, these forehead “decorations” tend to make you look older or even angrier than you really are!

Then there are those wonderful lines that have decided to enhance my eyes. I did not ask for any enhancement but those little suckers decided to invite themselves and have made permanent residency at the corners of both my eyes. When I was a teen and decided it was not cool to wear glasses, my mother would always harp at me saying that squinting would give me wrinkles. Of course I rolled my eyes at her not believing a word she said, but now I’m not so sure. Could my squinting not only be the reason my eyesight got worse, but also invited those little suckers to appear sooner?

And last but not least. Who decided to call those deep crevices at the sides of my mouth laugh lines! There is nothing laughable about them. Now I for one think my lips are just fine and I really and truly feel that I do not need these parenthesis lines to draw attention to them.

Yes I know there are all sorts’ lotions, potions and creams that supposedly take care of these gifts of aging, but I have not found one that works. I even went so far as to listen to my older sister a few summers ago. She was blessed with being the dark haired one with skin that tanned, and even though she is a few years older than I am her wrinkles didn’t show as much. I’m the total opposite, I’m red-haired and very fair skinned and every crack, crease and crevice shows up even more on me. We had a huge family wedding that was going to be taking place and she suggested that since I was so self-conscious about my wrinkles that I should try the self-tanning cream to make my wrinkles less noticeable. My makeup just seemed to “fall between the cracks” so to speak so like a ninny I took her suggestion. I did purchase a can of the Spray on Tan and was amazed that there was enough to do not only my face, shoulders and arms, but I was able to do my legs as well! That was a huge mistake since I ended up with a nice “orange” tan on all exposed skin. I swear, if I had green hair I really would have been a human walking carrot and it certainly did NOT hide the wrinkles! I’m glad I did it a month before the wedding giving my “fake tan” a chance to go away.

I guess I’ll have to be like everyone else and live with the humour Mother Nature and Father Time has so graciously bestowed on me, besides I’ve figured out……….