CARNIVAL IS IN TOWN!!

Growing up in a small town, we always got so excited when the travelling Carnival came to town. As a little girl, I remember being so in awe of all the excited noises, the sparkling lights , the smell of cotton candy and popcorn, caramel apples. That curious gypsy way of life the ppl worked there was also intreguing to me.

Oh and the rides were also alot of fun too! LOL

Even now..that little girl feeling flutters inside of me when the Carnival comes to town. I can't wait to take in the the sights and sounds.

Where we live is just a block from the area they set up every yr, next to the Hockey Arena.. So Chris and I walked over there last Sat evening.

The sound of the little ones on the rides, the parents taking photos as fast as they can, at each turn the child gets close lol.

The Games...the prizes..the pull by the vendors...STEP RIGHT UP! ...WIN A PRIZE!..

OH the Screams from the bigger rides!!..The loud music..the teens trying to hold on tight, while flying around at warp speed, all while clinging to the stuffed toy their bf won for them.

I rarely get on those rides anymore. I just enjoy watcing others scream with glee or hyseria lol.

My hero won me a stuffed toy too YAY! I was all giddy like a school girl...I chose a kitty...so our dogs would go nuts tearing it apart lol. It even has a meow build into it.

So I asked Chris to smile pretty with the toy, for the camera....so the good husband that he is...did......

Then I asked him to show us how he REALLY FELT!! about winning his prey.....

He came, and he conquored!!!!.......HE DE MAN!!! ARGH ARGH ARGH!!

So the woman is proud and happy with her MAN... bats her eyelashes looking up at him....As they head home, she glides next to him, with her hand in the crook of his arm, and he saunters, chest puffed out.....all the way home.

Atlast...the new kitty is introduced to the dogs...as u can see Clochette is smitten with the kitten lol..Shinoo could care less...and well Tayo, our boy is no where to be seen as the meowing makes him cry LMAO!!

Needless to say, we had a really nice evening...

The fresh, hot little beignettes, drenched in icing sugar ...we brought home to have with coffee.....was the "icing" on the cake lol.

Do you like the travelling Carnavals or u would rather just go to the big theme parks? I don't mind seeing those pib parks once in a while, but something is to be said for those small carnivals....If it weren't for them, I would never have seen anything like it growing up.

MY BLUE FLOWER AND MY WHITE CLEMATIS

HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL THE DADS OUT THERE!!

This week, was my daughter (my blue flower) Cleo's piano recital. It was held in a really pretty chapel at a private school this yr. It just happened to be on a day that was over 100F ..so, yes, it was hot as hell in there, no pun intended lol!

Cleo had no probs talking in public, or among ppl she doesn't know. She does however have a horrible time playing piano infront of others. Her hands shake so bad in public that she has a really hard time. She has no probs playing at home but her piano stage fright has her in a tizzy for weeks before the recital. One yr, she played a few cords and just stopped...went back to her seat, her hands shook too much. My heart goes out to her at this time...as a parent we are so helpless to help them through these moments. I was doubley proud of her that yr, because after everyone had played, she gave it another try and finished the song. It wasn't perfect but the fact that she got back up there was astounding.

This year, she was to play 2 songs. To help, she asked the teacher to sit on the bench next to her, just to block ppl from seeing her hands. She played IMAGINE by John Lennon...It was not without a few mistakes but she got through it.

Later she played the MOONLIGHT SENATO by Beethoven...this one she did perfectly...untill the very end ...inwhich she missed a key once. ..I think I held my breath the whole time! I was so proud that she got up there period!!

There was over 100 ppl there to see their friends and family play...all students of a terrific teacher (Jacynthe)that teaches out of her home.

After all was done, there was refreshments for all. Jacynthe gave all her students a present from her as she does every year. Cleo got a very cool pair of black earings.

Cleo's best friend Mel and Mel's bf, came to see her play. We took a few pics outside infront of a nice fountain.Above is them with Chris. Below is a terrific pic of Cleo and Mel.

These were taken last Sunday, the 8th June. Afterwords we went downtown MOntreal with Cleo. We wanted to eat our fav smoked meat sandwiches since Monday was our 2nd Wedding anniversary. So we had a great meal...did a quick toast to many more yrs being happy and together. Was a great day!

This week I also took some pics of my Clematis this yr. It totally bloomed within a week ...it is so full of flowers that I just had to grab the camera. Our pergola is getting old..and worn, along with the bench under it..but I happen to think it lends well to photos even better that way lol.

Oddly enough...one side always blooms much faster then the other side of the pergola...so withing a few weeks, the other side will be in full bloom while this one will be done.

As usual, there are more photos in the flickr page if u click twice on any here.

I plan to take photos of all the flowers I planted in the front yard soon, I am waiting till they fill out some lol.

We have planted a garden this year also...I look forward to ripe tomatoes and cucumbers...among other things.

Have any of you planted flowers or a garden this yr? Do u have a green thumb or not?

I have to admit that my thumb is green when I put it outside...but I have always managed to kill ANYTHING that grows in the house without out fail!! Don't ask me how or why!

SO TRUE!!!!

I got this in an email from a friend and thought I just had to share it here for many to read......

So very eloquent...and so very appropriate.

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stock room. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

If you don't send this to at least 8 people....Who cares?

George Carlin

TO EAT LIKE A KING! OR ATLEAST NEXT TO ONE?

We went to visit Chris' sister Frederique and brother in law Bernard.They live in a lovely village called Vernon. As I have mentioned before, they have a lovely resturant there called Les Fleurs. Bernard is a terrific chef and as a team, he and his wife run a very nice resturant.

Firstly, I was really looking forward to meeting Chris' sister Frederique and her husband Bernard along with their children, Sylvain who is 20 yrs old and their Daughter Marine who is 15 yrs old. They were all so warm and welcoming. I felt comfortable with them emmediately. We expected to eat with the family early, as they have a resturant to run but hense, they said no...they had already planned to have their meal, along with all the kids, (Chris' kids included) but that Chris and I were to wait and be served in the front at a table for 2 abit later. As we were their guests, we did not argue lol. Next post will be dedicated to the gastronomical meal we were served. In the meantime, as they ate, we were upstairs in their living quarters...using that time to get caught up on internet emails and such. As we have no access from Chris' parents home etc. It was good to log on to clear up emails, check bank stuff lol. As I was online, I bumped into my good friend Anna...so I was able to chat with her about where we were. The building where they live, and have the resturant is actually over 400 yrs old YES! 400! Unreal eh. It has many different levels also, stairs here , stairs there, all leading to different rooms. The above living quarters meat thier needs...although the building itself is narrow...its quite deep. They have a few different , small private dinning rooms for groups on different levels. Had I been left alone, I would have easily gotten lost in this labirynth of levels, angles and rooms lol. Just one house over, is much much older. This one was the actual house where the Emporer Charles the 5th, used to lodge with his mistress, in the 1500's! It it still lived in, and even still belongs to the family desendants that hosted the king way back then. No where will u find a plaque announcing this on this house, but it is all registered in the town archives. I believe it is because, as its still very much lived in, the ppl don't want to be bothered by passers by wanting to visit etc. These cool facts my friends are the advantages of being family with the locals lol. We learn so much more and see far more interestings things off the beaten paths if u will LOL! Needless to say but I will say it anyway...I have SERIOUSLY never eaten so good in all my life!!

As usual, clicking any of these photos twice will bring u to many more in flickr...enjoy.

NEW DO'S FOR MOM & DAUGHTER!

Well...I haven't been on much lately...my laptop is in the pc hospital again! Hense my lack of blog or appearances. It's been a week and I am slowly going crazy...( hey, I heard that!)

Anyway, I am on the downstairs pc for the moment...something I can't do during the day while my clients are up and about.

So today Cleo my daughter and I went to get our hair done. Last yr when I lost so much hair due to a few things previously mentioned, I had to go radically blonde on top to trick the eye/ It was so thin on top, my dark hair looked so pathetic and all u could see was scalp with the contrast...so, the blonde really blended the scalp with light hair, hense making it look like there was more there lol...It was certainly different and I needed the change.

Thankfully a yr later, my hair stopped falling out..started growing back in and DADAH.. I don't have to get it bleached so much anymore. It was also growing out and given the pixie edging, it was getting difficult to style in the back, SO... Today I got more of my natural colour put in...and chopped it off in the nape, so it will grow out more even...I have to get used to it being this short but it's still kinda cute and I like the little bit of highlighting left in the front!!

So here is BEFORE....

AFTER....

Cleo wanted something funky and different also....as she is busy with college and just started a summer college course to lighten her fall load...AND she is hoping to get accepted in the ARMY RESERVES this fall, after she gets past a last testing phase...she thought that this summer will be the last time she can really do something funky...and I am all for it!

I have always loved her style and have always encouraged her uniqueness....so she thought..BLUE! would be cool! She was so totally due for a cut anyway ..so here we go, some before pics...one with her favorite hat du jour lol!

BEFORE....

AFTER...........

I think its adorable!! And frankly it's now or never to be totaly funky. She will be 18 in sept. so she has a few yrs to have fun with style etc......

So there u have it...a quick hair cut update lol ...

I hope my laptop comes home soon so I can continue uploading my pics from France and a few blogs I have put aside to go with them...fingers crossed!!!