Heart with a View

I stopped to enjoy the view and snap a few photos.

When I turned to continue my walk I spotted hearts!

 

Marvellous Marvin Monday

 Marvin is still being extremely snuggly.  All of this week's photos are close-ups, or extreme close-ups, as a result.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.

Project Progress

Last week:

This week:

As you can see, I've moved a bit further along in my knitting project.  Another ball of yarn has been added to my thing, and there's another twist-and-a-bit in the cables.

So far, it's a repeating pattern. Once I got the hang of the main three rows, knitting didn't require a lot of thought.  That's going to change in four rows.  I must admit, I'm a bit nervous.  I'm not sure my pandemic-addled brain is up to thinking.  Either things are going to get ugly, or the challenge will be a welcome distraction.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Fuzzy Fungi

Today we're throwing back to some funky, fuzzy fungi.  I took this photo on October 8, 2018.  2018.  That seems like eons ago.  

Naughty Naughty Daikon

Nope, it's not the most recent musical guest on SNL.  It's an actual daikon that Hubby grew in a container on the deck.

I think we should use a deeper container next time, though the results will be much less hilarious.

Start With a Heart

Thanks to the pandemic, Tuesday is my new Monday.  Sharing hearts here on Tuesday morning means I get to start my work-week off with a little love.

And given what pandemic work-life is like, I think we can all use a little extra love.  Though I'd settle for chocolate.  Or a decent bottle of Scotch.

Marvellous Marvin Monday

I'm not sure what's up, but Marvin has been particularly snuggly this week.  Don't get me wrong, he's a always been a cuddly cat, but his week he's been following me around whining.  Usually when that happens it's because he wants a treat.  This week it's because he wants me to sit down so he can curl up on my lap.  Once he's there it's hard to get him to move.

I don't know if it's the colder weather, or if the return of the wildfire smoke has stressed him out.  Whatever the reason it's giving me an excuse to lounge on the sofa.  I could get used to living life like a cat.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.

Harvest

It was harvest weekend at Sleeping Cougar Acres.  We picked whites yesterday in the sun, and reds today in the rain.  Both days were perfect.  Looking forward to next year all ready.  By then my achy, grape-picking muscles may have recovered.

Project Update

 So I've gone from this:

To this:

To this:

Not a ton of progress, but the cables have one more twist, and I've attached a new ball of yarn.  My "thing" looks much smaller than the sample "thing" in the yarn shop.  Perhaps my tension is off.  I wouldn't be surprised if my stitches were tight.  We are living in stressful times.  It makes sense that my tension would be reflected in my knitting.  And yes, I'm that tense. Most days I would gladly poke someone in the eye with a knitting needle.  Good thing I don't knit in public.

Bright and Cheery

Today we're throwing back to a burst of colour from October 2016.  Somehow I think October 2020 is going to need all the bright cheerfulness it can get.

Windy Beach

One day last week I spent a wildly windy lunch hour at the beach.  I only stepped out of the car long enough to take a few pictures. I almost got blown away!  By the time I got back in the car, my glasses and my windshield were coated with ocean mist.

Notice the shaky camera work?  I was struggling to stand still in the wind.

Joyful Hearts

 I found joy at the beach.  It's a little lopsided, but I'll take it.

Marvellous Marvin Monday

Today's Marvellous Marvin Monday photo is courtesy of Hubby.  The soft-focus effect truly captures the fuzziness that is Marvin.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.

Cozy and Content

My spring and summer days were made more enjoyable by the wee solar fountain Hubby brought me back in June.  I spent many happy afternoons sitting in my lounge chair beside my fountain with a book in one hand and a martini in the other.

Last week, I stored the fountain away.  Deck time is over.  We've already had storms. The thought of a cold winter indoors was making me rather blue.  Once again Hubby came to the rescue.  This time he brought me a wee electric woodstove.  I've set it up next to my yoga mat.  It's delightful! 

Thanks to Hubby for making grey days brighter and my yoga practice warmer.

Project Progress

I've made some progress on the project I announced last week.   

It's actually beginning to look like something.  Now lets hope that "something" turns out to be what it's meant to be!

Happy Campers?

Unlike other camping photos I've shared here, my mom, my sister and I all look relatively happy.  This is particularly impressive since Mom's arm is in a cast.  Camping.  With toddlers.  With your arm in a cast.  Maybe they gave her the good drugs at the hospital.

I hope so.  Mom remembers that 24th of May weekend as, "rainy and definitely cool... It was hard doing most things with a cast...Getting you two washed, dressed and to the bathroom was really fun. Lots of spiders."

My sister also remembers, "big, big spiders there and you wouldn't go to the bathroom.  We had to be lifted up and off the toilets and mom only had one arm for some reason or other."

Weirdly, my sister remembers my Mom doing things with only one arm, but she didn't remember Mom's arm being in a cast. Not even with this photo in front of her.

Probably because Mom still manages to look cute in that Audrey Hepburn gamine-chic kind of way. The fisherman's sweater, popped collar and penny loafers make it easy to overlook the cast.

Photo courtesy of Dad

Though Mom only had the cast for a couple of weeks while her wrist healed from having a ganglion cyst removed, those weeks did leave my sister and I with lasting memories.  

My sister remembers holding a dustpan up to the side of the table and mom sweeping crumbs off into the pan. That's such a toddler thing to remember.  She sort-of remembers Mom being able to use only one arm. She doesn't remember the surgery or the cast, but she does remember getting to use the dustpan. Such a good little helper! 

I remember running to the neighbours for help when Mom's good hand got stuck in the kitchen window.  I've never been a fast runner, but that felt like the slowest run of my life.  The slow-motion feeling was likely fueled by fear. I was scared because Mom was hurt, but I was terrified because the neighbours I was most comfortable with were away.  I dreaded having to go to the formidable F's for assistance.

Giant spiders, fascinating housewares, rescue missions.  We certainly had some adventures.  Glad Dad took all these pictures to so we could reminisce, though I'd happily forget the spiders.

Make Love Not War

This little sea anemone looks like a lover, not a fighter.  Wait? What? Don't be ridiculous.  Sea anemones don't fight.

Actually, yes they do.  Hubby and I learned that while watching The Nature of Things' Kingdom of the Tide. Not only do they defend themselves from predators, colonies of anemones wage war against each other. Yikes!  Maybe this heart-shaped anemone isn't as sweet as it looks. 

Marvellous Marvin Monday

My sister chose the photo below for this week's Marvellous Marvin Monday.  

Look at that sweet face, and those gorgeous eyes.  That's the face of a cat who is lulling me into a false sense of security so he can steal my spot on the sofa.  

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.

New Project

Oooh.  A new project.  What's it going to be?

I'm not telling.  It's a surprise.  As in, it will be a surprise if it turns out, so I'm not going to say, just in case.

Just Because

Today we're throwing back to a Thursday in July of 2017. I chose this photo for no other reason than that I like it. 

Stay tuned for next week when we throwback to yet another family camping trip.

 

Smoke

 It's hard to believe there are mountains in the distance.  

I assure you they are there. They're just hidden in the smoke. 

Leafy Love

 So many leaves are shaped like hearts.  Too bad it took a pandemic for me to notice.

Marvellous Marvin Monday

Once again, my sister chose a series of photos for this week's Marvellous Marvin Monday:

Marvin is runninng in circles hunting dust bunnies. 

"I'm gonna get you yyyyeeeetttt!!" he yowls as he slips and spins on the laminate floor. 

When he spins to a stop Marvin pauses to think.

"I know that bunny went that way.  I'm just going to slither over until I find it's hiding place, then I'm going to pounce and bunnies will scatter everywhere!"

"Scattered bunnies are going to take a lot of work to catch.  I better have a snack first. I'll use my hypnovision on Mom."  

         

"Darn.  She seems immune to my powers. In fact, she seems to be mocking me.  Hmmf, I'm going to my Kingdom."

"Marvin this and Marvin that, wait until she hears my proclamation when I get to the top of Kingdom CAT."

Marvin surveys his realm from the top of Kingdom Cat.  All seems to be  well. But wait! What is this he sees?  REAL BUNNIES! They must be there for him.  THEIR KING.

Or maybe they're just eating Dad's garden. 

Either way, Marvin puts on his fiercest face, stands tall and proud and announces, "I"LL GET YOU MY PRETTIES!".

             

Then he spins toward the dust bunnies now floating teasingly behind him.  He gives his best scary face and states in he most ferocious voice, "AND YOUR LITTLE BUNNIES TOO!"

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.

Anniversary

A long time ago, at a university far, far away, I met a guy at the foosball table.  We've been together ever since.

How fortunate am I?

King's Island

Several weeks ago I promised to share memories of our family trip to King's Island.  I'm finally getting around to it today.  Better late than never.  

I was a horse-crazy pre-teen.  I read every horse book in our school library, and my home bookshelf was filled with all things equine.  Riding lessons and horse ownership were not practical options when I was growing up, but my parents did indulge my childhood dreams by taking us to Kentucky - the most horse-filled place within driving distance - twice.

Kentucky Souvenir

One of those trips took place in 1979.  That was the year that King's Island in nearby Ohio opened the tallest, fastest and longest wooden roller coaster in the world.  We heard ads for the arrival of "THE BEAST" everywhere we went during the trip.  

It wasn't long before my sister and I were exclaiming "THE BEAST" in suitably deep, growly voices every time the ad came on the radio.  The advertising had certainly worked on us, but we didn't realize that it had worked on our parents too. One night, as my sister and I were tucked up in our hotel-room bed, we overheard our parents discussing making a detour to King's Island.  My parents quickly realized that we weren't asleep when my sister and I turned to each other and gleefully whispered "THE BEAST"! 

King's Island 

We were some of the first guests to arrive at the park, which meant no line-ups.  Somehow, we convinced Mom to go on the first roller coaster we came to: The Racer.  We even managed to get the front seats.  It was my sister and Mom vs Dad and I.  I don't remember who won, but I do remember having to pry my mother's white-knuckled fingers from the safety bar at the end of the race.  No one had to worry about Mom keeping her hands in the ride at all times.  We could barely get her to let go even after the ride was over.  

My sister and I went on the ride a couple more times while Mom settled down a bit.  She said she was fine, but we could tell she was rattled.  The ride was short, but it was really fast, and Mom isn't a fan of heights.  

So, it's kind of surprising that Mom joined us on the next ride: a huge Ferris wheel. Mom and Dad were the very first people on the ride. My sister and I were two cars behind.  Being loaded first meant there were lots of stops while the operator loaded more riders.  Poor Mom.  After the roller coaster the Ferris wheel was too much for her. Even with an empty car between us we could hear Mom.

"Oh, I don't like this.  I want off."

By the time Mom and Dad's car was swinging at the top of the wheel,  Mom was leaning over the side screaming at the ride operator to let her out.  My Dad, sister and I thought this was hilarious.  We laughed.  She screamed.  The entire line stared up at us.  

In spite of Mom's screaming, the rider operator didn't want to stop the ride.  He seemed to think that once the ride was loaded, he should run the required rotations before he let anyone off.  Mom managed to get him to re-think that policy.   When she and Dad got back to the bottom of the wheel the operator stopped the ride just long enough for them to get off.  It's a wonder we didn't get kicked out of the park.

We didn't though, and once Mom had her feet firmly on the ground, she stuck it out for the whole day.  None of us remember if she went on any other rides.  When asked, Mom's only comment was, "All I remember is the racer roller coaster that scared the crap out of me."

Family trips.  All about creating happy memories.  Well, at least memories.  And strangely, in spite of all the hype, none of us can remember riding The Beast.  We know we did, it just didn't leave a lasting impression.  I guess family drama always makes for a more memorable story. 

(*Note:  I don't get anything for the links above.  They're there for your information.  Hope you find them useful.)

Poop

 This was at the end of our driveway last Sunday:

The dog's owner would have been able to see the doggy-doo bag dispenser in the park next door, but they obviously chose to ignore it.  

I wasn't kidding about needing the Poop Fairy.

Lepidoptera Love

The cabbage moths are enjoying our container garden. They even left us a love note.

 

Marvellous Marvin Monday

Once again, my sister chose a series of pictures for this week's Marvellous Marvin Monday.  Marvin's story, as told to my sister, follows:

Mom was writing earlier today at this desk. She was on her pushy-key thing to make letters and write. She must have been taking a class. Sometimes she wrote, and sometimes she talked to other writers, and sometimes the other writers talked.  It was confusing. When all the talking and writing was just about done, I heard her say something about "Marvin".  Then everyone laughed! I had to see what she writing, but she kept pushing me out of the way.  I couldn't see anything. 

Huh, finally, after I waited forever, she stopped writing and left. I jumped on the desk and looked for her pushy-key thing that she uses for writing and IT WAS GONE. The writing must be in this red contraption. I tried and tried to open it, but I couldn't get it open.  I was so sad.  I was desperate to know what she said. It was too much for me and I had to lie down.

I stayed like this for a while thinking "What to do, what to do...think, think,  think...", but I couldn't think of anything that would open the red contraption to see what mom was writing.  Why did everyone laugh and laugh at me? I couldn't help it.  I threw back my  head and let out a heart-wrenching cry because I couldn't open the red contraption.

Mom finally came home with her pushy-key thing for writing and set it up again to her writing page. I felt pretty silly though. After all that wondering, and sneaking, and worrying what everyone was saying about me, I heard Mom tell Dad that the writing group was having so much  fun with my photos and stories on the blog. They hoped that the "talent" was getting better at translating for me, because they enjoyed following along so much.

I feel so silly!  Maybe I won't tell anyone about my afternoon of worrying.

Wait! What! You've been recording this!  Oh no!  I bet you're going to post it, right? I better get over it now.  The talent must be getting better at translating.  That's a good thing and a bad thing, I think.  For me anyway.  I'm glad she's feeling a bit better though.

Thanks for reading!

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.

 

We Gru a Tomato!

Actually, we grew several tomatoes, but only one that so closely resembled Felonious Gru from "Despicable Me".  

Hubby spotted the similarities.  Now if only we could grow some Minions to fill in until the Poop Fairy gets back from holiday.

Surprise!

We usually do take-out on Friday.  Last week we picked up...

Charcuterie from Runge's Deli!

When "charcuterie" appears on our meal plan, it usually means cheese, crackers, Salt Spring Kitchen Co's Onion and Thyme jam, salami and whatever pickled items we have in the fridge.  My DIY charcuterie looks nothing like this.  That's 2.5 pounds of food.  And that's the box for two! And those purple cubes in the lower left, that's lavender cheese.  Cheese made with lavender.  Who knew? I still don't know what those bright red berries are, but they were delicious.

We ordered the box ahead of time.  The staff asked a few questions about food allergies and spice tolerance, then they chose what went in the box.  Then it was just a matter of picking it up on Friday.  Couldn't have been easier.  I'm so glad we did it.  What a treat.

*CORRECTION:  I just checked my receipts and that was the three person box.  When I placed my order, I wasn't sure what sized box would be appropriate for Hubby and I.  I thought I had ordered two.  I thought wrong.  Now I know for sure the two-person box would be big enough.  Heck, we would probably be OK with the one-person box. That's a lot of food!