I know, I know, it's only February...

But I have been thinking lately a lot about my intentions for my first trip this summer once I have retired… (partly because I have to start making reservations and partly because it is just so exciting to think about!)

It will be a relatively local and short trip for me, just to DC and NJ on the East Coast and then to Nova Scotia. The East coast part will be to visit one of my cousins and an old friend from High School with whom I have reconnected thanks to Facebook. They are both named Barbara so I call that part the 2 Barbaras tour. Then I will head to Nova Scotia and that is where the intentions come in.

After a lot of searching on the Internet I found there were so many places I wanted to visit that I had to prioritize and figure out just what it was I wanted to see and do there. So I came up with these three things:

1. To listen to Celtic music and go to a few Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee and is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic/Celtic folk music and dancing). I absolutely love Celtic fiddle music.
2. To enjoy nature there and wander along a few beaches to find some sea glass, especially more rounded older pieces (and if I am lucky, in some of the less common colors.) I also want to see some puffins either from a boat tour off the northern part of Cape Breton Island or a more complicated trip to an island nesting site from New Brunswick. And speaking of nature... getting to see a sun rise from the Altantic, which is why I went to Nova Scotia the first time about 40 years ago!
3. To visit a few of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in as I like to do when I travel. I am focusing on a few in Nova Scotia but maybe I will also find some in DC and NJ for the East Coast part of the trip.

So just in the planning and dreaming stages... more to come.

Friday florals on Saturday...

I am slowly getting back to things this weekend...

Went outside this morning and saw these bits of Spring playing in the flower pots. Cheered me up enough to get a few photos and make a blog post. Spent some time yesterday starting to plan out a summer trip. Slowly life is getting back to normal.

And thanks to all of you new folks who joined my blog and/or left a message on the Grow Your Blog post. I am (very) slowly getting around to visiting your blogs. Thank you in advance for your patience!

Saying goodbye to another cat...

We had to say goodbye today to our dear Perseus... (Kidney failure) He came into our lives nearly 19 years ago already maybe 6 months to a year old... so he had a wonderful full life here with us. He and Pandora got along so well. When she died, he started going downhill and his kidney disease was discovered. We tried a couple of treatments for him but his health failed quickly this last couple of weeks. We did not want him to suffer any more so we brought him to the vet today and said our goodbyes. He will be buried outside next to Pandora in our flower garden.

Rest in Peace dear wonderful Percy.

Last of the Season...

Satsuma Mandarins. My favorite fruit! I discovered them when I lived in Japan 30 years ago and have loved them ever since! They are an easy-to-peel seedless variety of mandarin orange. I am fortunate in that they are grown in my area for us to enjoy in the States.

They have such a short growing season. Around here it is usually late November until late January. Andy found these tiny ones at the Farmer's Market this morning but they are definitely the last of the season. In high season they are usually twice as big! Still yummy but it just reminds me that some things are seasonal so enjoy them when I can.

HERE is more info about them!

Thinking about a tea cosy...

I cannot believe it is already February!

I was thinking last night that I needed to make a tea cosy. I often make tea in my tea pot and then of course it cools off over time. I remembered last summer having a delightful tea at a cute shop in Tillamook and found I had taken a photo of their tea cosy.

Not sure this is the kind I want or the sort of quilted kind that goes over the whole teapot. I may have to scour the web later today to find one I like. I am sure I have enough fabric stashed in my closet to make one. (Said with tongue firmly in cheek as I have a whole closet full of fabrics for future quilts and projects!) Now where is my sewing machine...

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