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Hard-workin’ Man

My husband, who works at home, usually tries to take the weekend off to get some much-deserved rest to recharge his batteries.  So Saturday morning he put his drafting and design work aside, and got outdoors.

First, he cleaned out the shed, put aside some renovation debris, and straightened up some of the things we have stored out there. Then, using the wheelbarrow, he moved said debris out on the point near the water’s edge, requiring several trips, and built a huge bonfire.

After the fire died down, my sweetie then built a little step-ramp to the shed door for wheeling out the barbecue and lawnmower.  When that was finished, he tuned up the lawnmower and proceeded to cut the grass on our property.  All of this relaxation had worked up his appetite, so he came inside and made himself a sandwich.  But hey, that grass wasn’t done yet, so out he went again to finish up.

When the lawn was done, my husband took out our zero gravity chairs and set them up on the deck.  Then he wheeled out the barbecue and put that on the deck.  Because it hadn’t been used since last fall, he had to clean off the grill.  Perfect!  We would have our burgers barbecued tonight, I thought, my mouth watering.  So my honey made our delicious dinner.

And that was Saturday.

This morning, my husband made his specialty scrambled eggs for the two of us, the ideal fuel for his second day of leisure.  Time to get to it!  First, he took out the recyclables, fed and watered the cats, and changed the kitty litter.  Then he went upstairs and put up some wood trim around our shower.

Well, that was all he needed to do around the house, for now.  So he went back to his office this afternoon, not to do drafting, but to put some time in on his favorite hobby, his pen and ink art.
It’s always nice to see my husband enjoying a weekend off.   ♥

Scenes From France – Part One: Cannes

Our group of four left Italy by train, eager to begin the next leg of our adventure in a new country.  Beautiful France awaited!  Our first destination was Cannes on the French Riviera, and it didn’t disappoint.  Warm, sunny weather, beautiful sandy beaches, exceptional shopping venues, and cuisine par excellence epitomized a delightful tourist experience. The Cannes Film Festival was over for the year, hence we saw no celebrities.   But I hope my photos give you some idea of why I recommend Cannes as a preferred vacation spot.

Almost there!
View of the gorgeous Côte d’Azur from the train..
entrance to our lovely hotel
view from our balcony

This is where I’m staying next time 😉
Let’s have a look around!


cool sculpture
Did I mention this place?
temperatures in the 30’s (celsius) most days we were there





Coming soon:  Paris..

Scenes From Italy – Part Four: Stresa

We said goodbye to half of our group whose time had come to fly home, as well as “ciao” to Tuscany, then the four of us rode by train to northern Italy.  Nestled by Lake Maggiore in the foothills of the Italian Alps, the pretty little town of Stresa was a welcome sight.  We checked into a B & B, our home for the next few days.

Bed and Breakfast

Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy.

We climbed the hill by cable car to see the magnificent view.
the Alps

Pippa, the resident cat at our B & B
Enjoying a refreshment!

Scenes From Italy – Part Three: Siena and Florence, Tuscany

During our week-long stay at the Tuscan villa, we took a couple of day trips to nearby centres of interest.  I have no words to describe the incredible feelings I experienced visiting Siena and Florence.  It comes as no surprise that these cities were named World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Siena is a must-see if you want to experience a historical throwback to medieval times.  Famous for all of its culture and art, it is particularly known for the Palio, a traditional horse race that takes place in the Piazza del Campo twice a year.
And of course, Florence, the capital city of Tuscany, was unforgettable.  The birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, it is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world due to its artistic and architectural heritage.

Here are some of my favourite shots of the two cities.

Coming soon:  the northern Italian town of Stresa…

Scenes From Italy – Part Two: Our Tuscan Villa

After four fun-filled days of sightseeing, food and nightlife, our group of eight said “arrivederci” to Rome, and in our rental cars, headed out into the Italian countryside.  Next destination:  our villa in Tuscany for a full week!

We had some day trips planned for later in the week,  but first we chose to relax for a while in our beautiful surroundings.

 

Scenes From Italy – Part One: Rome

How quickly the months fly by!  I can hardly believe that it will be a year, at the end of May, since we embarked on our biggest trip yet, to experience for ourselves the lovely countries of Italy and France.  To pay homage to this rapidly approaching anniversary, I though I would share some photos from our amazing trip, beginning with Rome, the first destination on our itinerary.  We flew into the Italian capital on May 30th, a warm sunny day, and an ideal start to our adventure…

Related post:
Roma, a poem by Jennifer Kelland Perry
http://wp.me/s25GJp-roma

Coming soon:  Tuscany…

For the Young, & the Young at Heart: Disney’s Magic Kingdom – a Pictorial

Here are some scenes from Disney World last week, during our vacation in Florida with my daughter and her family.  I apologize for the less-than-perfect quality of some of the photos, as I was quite caught up in all the fun myself.  Lack of photography skills aside, I hope I managed, in some small way, to capture the essence of  “The Magic Kingdom”.

And this was only what I managed to photograph.  We enjoyed other attractions, depending on the level of courage;  only the men did Splash Mountain and Space Mountain, and Paul and I did the Haunted Mansion.  The Barnstormer was scarier than I thought it would be, and the kids were frightened by Snow White’s Scary Adventure. I thought there should have been a warning for the littler ones.

So long, Disney.  Perhaps we’ll be back if we have any more grandchildren.  😉

Cats on Ice: Exploring Spring Thaw in Iceberg Alley

Here are some scenes I captured a couple of weeks ago when our backyard bay was full of ice and “bergy bits”.  Maisie and Vivian, being the naturally curious creatures they are, simply had to take a closer look.  On tentative paws and their noses in the air, smelling the invigorating ocean breeze, they took me along…


Time to Head Home for a Cat Nap!

Bonavista Bay Polar Bear!

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local Facebook photo

“Be careful what you wish for, Jennifer…”

I have always adored animals, and was enjoying getting closer to nature since my husband and I moved back to rural Newfoundland, but THIS IS A LITTLE TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.

Yes, the big visitor showed up in our little town just yesterday, one of four recent reports of polar bears being on the island of Newfoundland so far this spring (read further and view actual pictures from yesterday from the linked article below).  The Ursus Maritimus doesn’t often make its way this far south.  It is when it is hungrily hunting seals, which are found on icepans this time of year, that it may end up in some of our backyards.  Yikes!!

“Don’t worry,”  says my husband.  “Nobody has ever been attacked by a polar bear in Newtown before.”

Gee, thanks, Honey.  I don’t know why I was worrying.  We are, after all, only talking about the LARGEST LIVING LAND PREDATOR IN THE WORLD.

Silly RCMP, too, for warning us to be on the lookout.  Oh well, as the old joke goes, I won’t have to outrun the bear, I’ll just have to outrun the husband…

One Lovely Blog Award :-)

I was quite pleased and flattered this week when one of my fellow bloggers nominated me for the “One Lovely Blog Award”.  She is carlarenee45, one of the bloggers that I subscribe to, and I am honoured to be on her list as well.  Unfortunately, I’m having trouble with our internet connection these past two weeks so I had to write this from our local library.  With any luck, I should be back up and running by next week.  At that time I will respond to the nomination in more detail, and suggest some favourite blogs of mine.  But in keeping with the rules of being nominated, here are seven random things about me that I’d like to share.

1.  I have the curliest hair you probably ever saw.  It drives me nuts.

2.  I became a mom at the tender age of eighteen.

3.  I love interior decorating magazines.

4.  I have arthritis, but if I don’t exercise regularly, I feel worse.

5.  I love a clean tidy house, but I hate housework.  Wish I had a maid…

6.  I’m one of those oddballs that loves liver and onions.

7.  When I was 14, I read “Everything you Wanted to Know About Sex (but Were Afraid to Ask)”, when I was babysitting at my teacher’s house.  Quite an education (and probably explains number 2)!

My honey and I are off to Varadero, Cuba in the morning, so for the next week I won’t be on the internet very often.  Ta ta for now, and we’ll catch up real soon.