What does Christmas look like at our house?Started getting the decorations up
Outside the trees are snow covered

The boxes of decorations and lights

The tree waiting to be decorated

Santa on the tree

Red bows and candles

Chinook arch this weekIn the morning this Chinook arch across the sky was a dark grey
I tried to capture it later on

In the late afternoon it had turned to white cloud, though it was still spectacular, I could only catch it in three pictures

Take a Pamper You Day - you deserve it

Ever feel completely exhausted, drained, on edge? If you're feeling tired, overwhelmed, anxious, not sleeping, then you feel like I do today, your world can sometimes feel like your racing a speeding train and trying to jump on but never quite make that leap.

Go to bed and rest. Stop what you are doing and have a nap if you can. If you can, have a "pamper you day" take that personal day and don't fill it with appointments and tasks. Okay clean one little drawer, just to get that sense of achievement buzz, but just plan to do one relaxing thing after another. If the phone rings, let it go to voicemail, get a book from the library, make a pot of tea or pour a glass of your favourite wine, have a bath, write some poetry or draw or paint something in a fluffy journal.

For now though, I am going to bed, sweet dreams and have a good rest. I may book one this Friday ;-)

Fall is back

Carburn this week was windy and full of leaves
Becky and I had a walk with Justin

Aftre a few early snow days the milder weather came back




A Chinook brought the temperatures up

This park next to our house is a lovely closer walk

Many trees are sprinkled around

Oh who's that?Why it's Eric and Cujo

What a handsome guy!

Angela's Baby Shower
On October 4th we offered Mary's Deli to friends to use as a venue for their daughter Angela's baby shower. It was well attended by her family and friends, baby Angela received many lovely gifts as well as plenty of food prepared by our own Chef David and a lovely cake made by one of Maryanne's friends.

Here are some of the pictures from the shower.

There was a lovely cake and plenty of food

The restaurant was decorated with lotsa pink!

Angela received some lovely gifts

Maryanne and I

The Star of the show

Baby Angela
The brothers and cousins

The proud mama and papa

Maryanne and SteveMaryanne cuts the cake as little ones wait around anxiously for a piece!

Some preferred to wait under the table
How cute is Logan?
Others wanted to meet new friends under the table

Taylor helped Maryanne keep track of the gifts

Angela may not remeber this day but the rest of us will!

Parenthood: that state of being better chaperoned than you were before marriage." - Madeline Cox

The weather in Calgary has been so abysmal since Tuesday, I won't go on about it, a Chinook is expected now and by Saturday we are supposed to get to 20+C - how crazy is that. I suppose, after 16 years here I should be used to it by now, but seriously there is rock hard, crunchy ice all over the side roads now that will melt and be quite messy OMG. I need to have a weekend retreat somewhere warm.

I have just added Carly Simon's Blog http://simonspeaks.typepad.com/ to my Blog list really enjoy the 60's ladies being that I was born during the 60's .................almost finished the book.

Good Read

I have been indulging in a book about three singer songwriter legends Called "Girls Like Us" by Sheila Weller. It is about the lives of Joni Mitchel, Carly Simon and Carol King; which is the main reason for not posting of late. It has spurred me to watch 60's and 70's videos of some of their songs as well as interviews about their lives, the change they helped to orchestrate to women's rights, the changes to our role in society and the music that touched all of us and still does today as many old and new artists record/ed new versions of their songs. James Taylor worked with all three on albums, and had a relationship with Joni prior to his marriage to Carly Simon. Though it ended in divorce because of his heroin addiction, he dropped this habit after their divorce. Their two kids Ben and Sally are also singer songwriters today performing with both parents.

Interviews and songs
Both Sides now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcrEqIpi6sg
Big Yellow Taxi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3g-Wv-p_ug&NR=1

Early James Taylor and Carole King duet, James was originally on the Beatles Apple Label before he became known http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7RPCFfudmU&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urt2cy7AqFs

There are a variety of versions of Joni's song "You Can Close Your Eyes," sung both with Carly and Joni http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzW6YJJAgCQ&feature=related
With Joni http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rabauXCtqxc
Ben and Sally - Carly and James kids http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVrRpNBosJQ&feature=related

This James Taylor song was originally recorded under the Beatles Apple label and is said to have inspired George Harrison's song Something in the way she moves, written about his first wife Pattie Boyd. Her autobiography is another great read about the early life with the Beatles and then life with Eric Clapton, Wonderful Tonight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqDV77r8244&feature=related

Inspiring Websites

Feeling blue? Need a jolt of fun? Or some refreshing ideas that make you ponder your existence or just to hang out because you have nothing better to do? I am adding two more websites to my favourite blogs list at the end of this blog. I stopped in at both of them this week, enjoyed what I found and will definitely be returning to them when I can.

http://www.goop.com/ - This one is by Gwyneth Paltrow and packed with interesting ideas, then for a more spiritual, out there kinda blog is this one; which also had some good reads.

http://beyondsuccess.wordpress.com/

Just a thought, suggestion, if you have time unlike me, but still want to read more than you already do, with bags under your eyes and falling asleep because there is just soooooo much to read out there and not enough hours in any given day.

Calgary Bike Paths By the Bow

Over my lunch break I try to take a walk near my house on the bike path

The city scape and Rocky Mountains can be seen on one side as well as nearby parks

It is a breathtaking break in the middle of the day
my puppy dog loves to walk here too

An evening walk at carburn park

The sun was nearly setting
The light made neat reflections of the trees on the water

Later that evening we made a fire on the patio and roasted marshmallows

Justin tried his first smore

He liked it so much that he wanted s'more, guess they are aptly named.......