In memory

It has been a year today that my beloved Granny passed away at the young age of 87. My grandpa, her love, passed away back in 1995 and there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't miss him. So I am happy that they are reunited in Heavan, happy that she no longers lives by replying on strangers in a sterile "hospital" type enviornment, happy that I know she is finally happy and at peace. But boy do I miss her! She was the most sweetest, most caring, most beautiful soul I have ever had the honor of knowning. She helped shape who it is I am, and even more so, who it is I desire to be.

This picture was taken many many years ago, at my Grandparents house. I am the little face pearing out behind my cousin. Behind me is my uncle, my grandparents youngest child who is also a twin. Did I mention today is their birthday? Their mom passed away on their birthday and they saw that as a honor. I think that is wonderful. So happy birthday Uncles!!

And my Granny, here's to you I miss you more and more as the days pass but know one day I will see you again.

~ Marcia

Holiday weekends finds

Yay! I was able to get a little more juice out of my batteries today. Just enough to snap a few pics of the great finds I picked up over the long weekend. So, without further adieu...


These cute little shoes I picked up at the local Kmart. It's the first time I went in and was amazed! All the other Kmarts I ventured in were dirty, clothes and housewares strewn across the floors. The prices were outrages for the store we were in!! So to say I went in very apprehensive is an understatement. Well, to be very honest, I needed to use the girls room and this store was close on our outing. Anywho, it was great!! The store was immaculate, and the prices were very reasonable. (And the washrooms were clean!). I fell in love with these shoes. They came in four colors and its the first time I purchase shoes outside of black or tan. I love them!! They were all of $18.95!

Hubby and I have a GPS that we received from my in-laws last Christmas. It has saved us from being lost countless times! What we like to do is ignore the directions and travel about different streets we have not ventured on before. We especially love doing this in residential areas. We found some gorgeous homes this way. And this past weekend a lonely little rummage sale. We got out and I quickly acquired this little guy for $5! I am going to spray paint it white and plan on using it on my front hall table that I have yet to purchase. Sidenote: I went to a rummage sale and was interested in buying the wicker writing desk the lady had for sale. She was asking $100, for the table, the small bench, and a few other things I did not need. I asked her how much simply for the table, she said rather rudely, "Do you mean writing desk?!" (In all fairness, it was the only table/writing desk on her front lawn!), anyway after some explanation as to how it would be much more expensive if I did not acquire the rest of her possesions, she rattled off a price of $75! For a second hand, wicker, writing desk that I would need to spray paint anyway. I said a quick "thank you", which I do believe she heard "than.." as she quickly turned her back to me and walked away. I realize it is opening season for rummage sales and there will be plenty more on a Saturday morning, I just wonder if she does realize this very thing.... Anyway, all this to say I am still searching for a front table to put my newly purchased wreath holder, which I plan to use for a different purpose. (Btw, I did NOT purchase it from that lady. In fact I purchased nothing and simply walked away and will not return to her yard sales). Hmmph.

Our apartment complex has a book swap at the gym. There are shelves of books that you can take or leave if you're done reading something. I think its fantastic! I have dropped off a few books and magazines and found some great reads! I recently picked up this one after a workout with hubby. I loooove Dorothea Benton Frank's novels. She is a great summer read. I have yet to visit the Lowcountry in South Carolina but after reading a few of her novels I feel that it is a place I must visit. This was a free find!! Is there anything better?


~ Marcia

I am starting off a little late, I'm still in the long weekend mode ;)
I had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend! As I hope you all did too! The weather was gorgeous, high of 89 degrees. Warm temps, lazy days, it was fantastic. Hubby and I stopped at random garage sales, we took the pup out for a long hike and we had dinner with family. Hubby also surprised me on Friday with our first "official" date night. We went out to Red Lobster. Yuummm! This Friday is my turn and I'm checking around to see our options. I am real excited to surprise him with something fun!

Tomorrow I will post pictures. I apologize, my cameras batteries has died. Sigh....

Until tomorrow wishing you all a great Wednesday!

~ Marcia

My first award!

I am so excited! I received my very first award!! Thank you sooo much to Mervat who not only writes one amazing blog, but TWO! And she's a Mom, a scientist and a soon to be novelist! She can be seen at http://www.isthatnew.blogspot.com/ (I SO wish I could learn to link!). I am so grateful Mervat, thank you so much for nominating me!

The stipulation of this award states that I must list my 5 least favorite things before I can nominate some of my own favorite blogs. Therefore, here are my 5:

1) I really dislike waking up to an alarm. It bothers me so that I can't even eat breakfast right away. I must wait about an hour to be able to eat so as not to be sick.

2) I very much dislike my kitty's habit of using our carpet as his very large litterbox. He is 9 years old and rather skittish so when he is afraid or angry he'll let me know by urinating on the carpet. Just when I think all is well, he'll do it sometimes in his box, sometimes on the carpet. Arrgh.

3) Confrontation. I try to avoid telling someone that what they did/said or didn't do bothered me. Then it eats me up inside and I spend all this time rehashing what they could've meant. It is a frustrating waste of emotional time.

4) Storms. I am unjustifiably afraid of tornados, earthquakes, tsunamis. Anything that can take my house away. I panic, even though I do not live in an area that these natural disasters frequent, I still panic.

5) Much like my fear of storms is my very real fear of being in a car crash. I am the "backseat driver" everyone hates to have. My foot automatically slams on the non existent passenger brake. I will tell hubby, "he's braking" when the guy is four car lengths in front of us. As I get older this fear has gotten stronger. It's not as though the people I ride with want to get into an accident and I am the only one that doesn't. So I don't really know where this fear came from...

Now here are 5 of my favorite blogs:

BellaDella

Wsprsweetlyofcottages

Bless our Nest

Lady Liberty Patriot

Farm Wife Primatives

~ Marcia *Smiles*

Let the planning begin!

Yesterday I approached hubby about my idea of a weekly date night. We have gotten lucky by getting paid each alternate week so I decided the week I was paid I had to come up with a planned activity for our date night. The rules are simple, it does not need to be extravagant. It can be a planned meal and a rental movie, a dinner out, stopping at a new trail and then going for ice cream. It just has to have some thought put into it. I was actually surprised by how readily he agreed! I thought he would've put up more of a fight! Don't get me wrong we always do things on weekends and he is great at stopping at shops we haven't been before, or wanting to take Cinnamon on new walking trails. I just wanted date night to be something special, something of thought that we put in to show each other how much we care and the time we spend together.

So, I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a great first idea! (I got off easy, it's his date night this coming weekend ;) I think for the first date night I plan we're going to take a haunted ghost tour. We have to meet at The shop of Ms. Somebody (?) and then we walk with lanterns around the area while our guide explains the history and hauntings of the area! (No worries on ruining the surprise, hubby doesn't read my blog).

I am so exicted! I am really pleased we are going to do this. So to cap off this blog I decided to share with you my favorite photo of the two of us, our wedding photo. It does require a little explanation.

We decided to get married but in order to file the required paperwork (as I was not born in the US ),we chose to marry in front of the justice of the peace instead of taking a year to plan an elaborate affair. We did however, wish to have a big celebration with family and friends afterwards but money, as always, had other ideas. LOL.
We got married at my in laws big old Victorian house. She is a gorgeous old dame! That day we had a blizzard so severe they had not seen one like it in 20 years! Don't let the picture fool you, I was freeeezing. The dress was a steal! I wanted something beautiful for the pictures that we took but I was on a tight budget. It is hard to tell in the photo but it even had a little cathedral train! I bought this dress at Herrburgers which is something like a JC Penney. It was marked down 80% and I paid a grand total of $23! Thrilled I tell you, thrilled!! Hubby looked so handsome and asked me if I minded if he wore his trademark bandana. Who am I to say no? I wore leopard shoes!

~ Marcia

A weekend gone by

One of our favorite weekend things to do is to find new walking trails. Here is a favorite of mine that we visited earlier this month.


This is the one we visted on the weekend.

Here is a picture under this gorgeous tree.

And here we are :)

On another note, I am planning a special date night! Hubby and I seem to be in a rutt. Things have hit us hard in our short marriage. Being new to the area its usually just the two of us and we've enjoyed exploring our new home. But now I want to do something a bit more planned., something out of the norm that we'll both enjoy.

Do you have any special date nights? What are your favorite times spent with your hubby?

~ Marcia

Yay for Friday and being present

The older I get the more I realize just how quickly time passes. I just said to my coworker who graciously picks me up each morning until our car is fixed, that "Didn't this weekend just blow by? It's already Monday". And here we are facing another weekend. If you measure time by weeks it is easy to see just how short life is. How living in the NOW is so important, especially to someone like me who relives the past and dreams about the future. I am trying to learn to focus on the now. Be present and accountable. I have a tendancy to realize just how great something is after it has happened. Doesn't make for such a great lifestyle. So I am becoming more aware of today, its sights, smells and sounds. I am also attempting to put a more positive spin on things such as if its a rainy cold drizzly kinda day, its no longer a yucky day but rather a perfect day to stay in and cook, or curl up with a cup of tea and read a good book. Even if I have to trudge through it to get to work.


So bringing me back to today. I LOVE Fridays. It's always been my favorite day of the week. The last day of school and now work, anticipation of the weekend and now the day of my alltime favorite TV show Ghost Whisperer. Mom and I watch it then we call each other (she's in Canada) and discuss exactly what just took place. Tonight is the season finale! Poor hubby, I get off at 8pm, he picks me up, race home and I dont speak to him until after the show is over. Yes, I love it that much. ;)


I just received my first paycheck! Woohoo for a second income!! I am planning to pay bills then do a little shopping. I'm thinking of hitting up these two places and then go rummage saleling...(is that even a word?)

Do you have a Christmas Tree Shop where you are? It's amazing! Very good finds on lots of different things. I bought a great little light there for $3.95 once. I think its in one of my first posts.

What are your weekend plans?

~ Marcia