I've decided asking me if I've had a lovely weekend this time of year is like poking a bear.Especially from a happy baby face rep, who’s in front of me to sell me next Summer stuff first thing Monday morning - after they’ve had a lovely day at the beach or surfing!It’s buying time, sorting sales stock and entering stock time… "So Good Morning" or "Have you had a nice day” keeps me happier than reminding me that there are 2 days meant for rest and relaxation.That a side - It's been a whirl wind week. The shoe fair in...

Here we go again da da da da daaaa 🎶Often I wake up and a song seems to pop into my head and hangs out there for the morning. I've noticed it usually has something to do with the days list of jobs also in my head.This week it's been the same song- every single day.“here we go again"… Which has everything to do with the season…Yes, it's the 4 letter word season, for the first 14 days of February. It's everywhere.It's that time of the year when everything coming at you seems about Love.Except, in Gabriels we change that...

I got a new Recipe this week….The laundry tap exploded and filled the garage, and foyer for over an hour…. so yes it also went down stairs, into the “Harry Potter cupboard"Named so because it's a huge storage space under the stairs that grant access to the lower level of our place. I've been heard to say for the past 8 years I still haven't unpacked everything - and part of that is in this particular zone. Harry Potter cupboard has also been storing all our family photos and memorabilia. My family history. Water, photos, old paper and cardboard boxes. Yes,...

We have been making the most of the summer team working in the shops these past couple of weeks.That meant spending a bit of time between the cottage office (table that overlooks the lake) and home office, (table that overlooks the garden).It's also meant catching up on 2 years of chores around the places. This has been met with some laughter and frustrations.Seems we forgot what tools are in what location.This proved exactly the case when I was directed to buy a wheelbarrow, even though we thought we had one - for the cottage, because "we can't move that compost...

When my morning starts with a text from a neighbour, before 7,…you awake? My heart dropped and my reply was yes - Why?The phone rang from him. I was feeding Stella, and she bit me and bolted over the fence- Stella is out!!! And I've had to leave for work! Stella is another neighbour's wee dog, in fact, a puppy from our helper, so I know Stella and her being out is bad, bad, bad.So, dressing in a hurry and rushing down the road with my helper dog, we find Stella back in her own yard. The next neighbour who...

The feeling you get when you open a chest that's been sitting untouched for at least 8 years and discover that's where those photo albums got to!Then proceed to flick the afternoon away by stepping down memory lane one album at a time. 💕Back in the day, I would purchase a new album at the start of the year, and as each family outing was snapped and developed, I'd put them straight in the book in order. No one got to look until it was done.One thing that became clear is how our life revolved around the water. After laughing...

It's fair to say Daughter and I had a smashing end to 2023...On our way, on our bikes, for our 1st drink with friends, we crashed into each other creating a wonderful sight in the middle of main street Mangakino. She says I turned into her, I say she T boned me… so clearly it was my fault. Currently, we are both walking wounded.However that isn’t holding us back, it's a New Year, a new day. All be it we are both a lot slower than normal full speed ahead… and both wish we were not completely sober at the...

Compliments of the Season To You!My Dad always greeted people with this, during the week between Christmas and New Years.It's not one nor the other but it is part of the silly season….It was lovely to kick back and have a couple of days with family, and now we turn our thoughts to the New Year.I never used to understand the big deal of a "New Year", but as I've aged it's become more of a thing.Setting goals for the time ahead, and recognising what we have achieved in the year just been. It's also a special time too for...

Daughter has made a “doing” Advent Calendar this December, and its been a bit of fun “doing” each days task. Some simple, like: call a friend you haven't spoken to in a while, watch a Christmas movie, send a real Christmas card, … and one this week a not so simple- Bake Christmas Cookies… Now that became an event!Actually, the decorating of said cookies became the event🤣.“Come help me” was called and so of course being the artists both husband and I are, we both obliged.Husband only doing 1 so he could eat one. Me on the other hand, found...

Our friends just announced the safe, but early arrival of their twins. Bex is a December Birthday herself, but that's not the wonder of it, how’s this, twins with separate dates… 30Nov and 1Dec. Congratulations Rebecca A we can't wait for cuddles💕.It's my Birthday week and I'm again amazed how fast 52 weeks have evaporated.I'd set a personal goal for this year and I am so far off achieving it I think I dreamed it.They do say a goal is a dream with a date on it. So I've decided to aim for next Birthday, after all I've had a...

No matter how you dress it. It's officially the silly season 🧝🏻‍♀️🥂🍾I find myself full of hope and wonder, and sadly it's not the same excited vibe, hope and wonder of childhood Christmas.Which is not like me at all. Usually, I'm all over Christmas, maybe we peaked too early doing family Christmas in November🤣. Something has to change. It's just a "silly sad" feeling I've had😬, so I'm sitting here under a sparkling tree deciding to turning it into a silly happy feeling 😀.After the Christmas parade on Sunday, I served a wee Elf. It was one of the most...

Imagine my absolute excitement when I discovered a tomato on my vine yesterday morning!The battle I was waging with slugs has had me the looser, however it seems I've managed to talk the tomato into giving me fruit!I've been enjoying my early morning moments in the veggie garden, even if my fingernails haven't.It's good for the soul, and fingers crossed may now give us some rewards.I've got the best ever tomato dish that I do during the summer, and always at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ham and Turkey just aren’t the same without it… However this year Thanksgiving dinner was missing...