February 14th, 2023

Well Happy Valentine's Day to you!  Originally  this was just going to be a bit of this'n'that and then I realized that today is Valentine's Day!  And my first thought was dang, I will need to save this post for another day and write a different one for Vee Day!  And then I changed my mind.  I bet I can tie the two ideas together and salvage this post.  So here we go!

1.  We had a visitor last Friday! (Left to right is Carol, me and then Joy)  And on this day of hearts and flowers:  I love my family, both the near part and the far part : )  Our cousin Carol from Michigan was visiting and  thank goodness, she and Joy and I were able to get together for lunch.  I hadn't seen Carol in at least 4 years, Joy probably much the same, so we had a lot to catch up on!  We managed to find a neato place to meet (I've written about it before - Snook Haven) have lunch and then gab yak chat giggle schmooze for about 3 hours!  Mercy!   It was awesome to see her again and to exchange family updates.  The time absolutely flew by!

It's a funny thing but  having not seen each other in four years didn't impact our ability to jump right back into the fray one single bit.  It was as if we had gotten together a week or so ago.  I would say that it's a family thing (and it is) but it's not just that.  I also have that kind of connection with other people to whom I am in no way related.  Not a lot of other people, but some and it is always delightful when it happens.  I just love it!  There are no awkward silences or moments of confusion (what on earth are they talking about ?) at all.  It's like putting on a jacket you haven't worn in awhile but every time you wear it, you feel good.  And then wonder why you don't wear it more often!

Thanks for taking the time Carol and by the way, Thanks for Lunch.  Our treat next time!

2.  Tim (the man I adore, my Valentine Every Year) painted the project room!  It looks so great!  And it feels so good to know that we are one step closer to finished.   Do you want a quick look?  I mean the room isn't done, but it is definitely feeling a lot more like a room and less like a construction site.  And before you say anything, yes we chose that colour on purpose and yes we love it.  At  any rate, here is one quick little peekie.  It's amazing to me how much difference it makes just having the colour on the wall!  Obviously when it's completely finished I will post pictures :)
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3.  I love our crazy weather!  Sunday was super windy!  The temperature dropped and the wind picked up.  Tim and I of course had to go down to the jetty to check things out. Of course!  We were wet and salty by the time we were done.  Just getting the pictures was very tricky, I had to keep wiping the wet off the camera lens, the wind was blowing my hair into my face and in absolutely truth, Tim had to stand behind me holding on to me to keep me from blowing over the edge and into the water.  Seriously!  

But I was laughing like a mad woman the entire time. It wasn't scary, it was exciting and kind of funny.  The pictures aren't great but I did the best I could and you can, at the very least, tell what I was taking a picture of, so that must count for something.

I felt so badly for the poor seabirds who, no matter how hard they tried, were just kind of hanging in midair, not making any headway at all, no matter how hard they tried.  But I had a blast doing two things I love: hanging out by the water and taking pictures!

4.   We also went up to the National Cemetery on Sunday to "visit" my dad, who we also love and miss terribly.  Oddly, it's not a sad place at all. Well of course I'm sad that my dad is gone, but he was so proud of his Military Service and I know he is happy to be surrounded by his brothers and sisters at arms. 

It's beautiful there and when we leave there, we always take with us a sense of peace.  I know some folks may find it ghoulish but I often take photos when we visit. There are beautiful trees and fake lakes with gentle hills and winding pathways. The birds do not care one single bit if a body of water was created by man or nature and there are always plenty of birds around.  So here are a few photos that I took:

5.  There's no photo to accompany it but just as a statement of Valentine's Fact, since we are talking about heart shaped things,  I love my husband, my children, their spouses (who I consider to be my bonus children) my sister and her children and my friends.  I think that pretty much covers things for today. 

So I guess that's mostly it. You are now officially caught up on the dribs and drabs, odds and ends, flotsam and jetsam, bits and bobs of what's been happening around here  AND got a Happy Valentine's Day tie in as well.

What's new with you?

​Oh! And Hope you are having a Happy Valentine's Day too!  Hugs