From my deck chair

The sun peeks up over the mountains around 3:45 am this time of year on the island.
Even with blackout blinds...I still know its up, and so do my little dogs.

 

It was going to be a gorgeous day, so I took my camera out to play.

I refuse to read the manual so I'm learning through blunders exploration. 

The regular Sunday morning sailboat races started right on time.
It's a shame there was no wind but I still enjoyed watching them bob around.
The spinnakers are so pretty and colorful.

Light wind is supposed to prove who the better sailors are.

I spotted this big fella watching too.
Call me a simpleton, I am always excited to spot one of these!!
They fly past my deck at eye level but I can never get my camera out fast enough to catch them.

When I start to see the cruise ships slide past, I figure it's cocktail time on board so...

fuzzy shot...wrong adjustment

cloudy Lemon Drop...organic lemon juice, organic simple syrup (home made)

There was a lot of day between sunrise and sunset. I didn't jump to cocktails immediately.

I read.

I knit.

I napped, remember 3:45am?.

I walked my dogs and I made us a light lunch.

All in all it was a rough day.

The beauty of our sunrise' is only rivaled by our sunsets.

Tomorrow I need to tidy up a bit. My Realtor is bringing someone over to have a look.

I wonder if they'll be as intoxicated by the view as we are...and buy it?

I wonder if I'll have a heart attack..if they do!

Handbag Etiquette

Most of the time I carry a satchel shaped handbag. It matches my aesthetic and is easiest on my shoulders and neck.  I do have some shoulder and cross body bags that I use when traveling and shopping. I also have a collection of clutches and very tiny bags for evening use. Daily, it's a satchel. I carry it over my forearm or by the handles in my hand.

The handles however, are not long enough to hook over my knees or the back of a chair in a restaurant. Consequently, my purse usually ends up balanced on top of my feet...if there isn't an extra chair at the table.

The Portuguese have a superstition about placing your handbag on the floor.
They believe it will negatively affect your finances by not showing respect for your money.

Interesting premise, but I'm only concerned with the sanitary issues here.

Are you careful or concerned with your handbag hygiene?

Do you put your handbag down on the ground in restaurants?

Think about where you place you bag when you get home.

Does it go on the kitchen counter...or worse, the kitchen table?

~

Several years ago I was given a purse hanger by a girlfriend.  I couldn't imagine myself bothering to use it, but it turned out to be very helpful. It unfolds and the weight of my purse helps secure it to the table top. It works on thick or thin tables and can even work over the back of a chair in a pinch.

I'm very conscious of where my handbag has been and because I'm finicky about where my guests handbags may have been, there is a lovely bench for them in my front hallway.

Where are you likely to place your handbag when you need to put it down?

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White Wednesday

...looking for beauty...

beautiful back

the beauty of matching hangers

beautiful red lipstick

beautiful hat

beautiful way to start the day

beautiful place to read a book

beautiful truth.

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Positively Summer

Summer is my time to decompress. I love to sit on my back deck watching sailboat races, catching sight of migrating Orca whales, spotting Bald Eagles soaring overhead and just breathing in the beauty. It's a balm for my soul.

So that I don't miss a thing, I'm listening on Audible, rather than reading this book.

It was written by Julian Fellows in 2005, before his success creating Downton Abbey for television. It's described as a comedy of manners that blends social critique with character and story.
I love listening to the narration by Richard Morant. His rich English accent adds to my enjoyment.

This quote, in the description on Amazon, is why I thought it would be fun:

"The English, of all classes as it happens, are addicted to exclusivity. Leave three Englishmen in a room and they will invent a rule that prevents a fourth joining them."

One of the major character's is Lady Uckfield. She's described as "the most socially expert individual...who combines a watchmakers eye for detail and a madam's knowledge of the world". Her son Charles observes that "she has an image of studied perfection"

"It pleased Lady Uckfield, always, to give the impression that everything in life had been handed to her on a plate. This was no truer for her than it is for the rest of the human race, but she preferred to be on the receiving end of envy, rather than pity"
"...she found her own problems as dull as she found everybody else's".

What a refreshing concept!

As I thought about how that felt to me, I realized we seem to be a society that loves to share our pain with everyone. Girlfriends get together and try to one-up each other for who has the worst story to tell. Everyone commiserates and the victim feels soothed. Longtime couples get together and before long the discussion turns to what's wrong with us. Our latest health challenges take center stage. How depressing it all is.

I've spent the last 9 months jettisoning people from my life who constantly complain and find fault with situations. Negativity is a complete energy drain. It's counterproductive, soul-destroying and a waste of precious time.


I would much rather spend time with happy people who focus on the positive, Celebrating what's going well in our lives. Sharing our dreams and hopes for the future. Positive energy.

That's not to say I'm not supportive and kind to people who are suffering or in pain. I just want to move on from it quickly...to the joys we have around us. Happiness is contagious.

"I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet."
-Mahatma Ghandi

Clothing As Metaphor

"Why not be oneself? That is the whole secret of a successful appearance.
If one is a greyhound, why try to look like a Pekinese?"
~ Dame Edith Sitwell

Clothing mistakes. Who among us hasn't made them?

If our clothing is a metaphor for what's inside us, why would we want to keep those blunders?

The more comfortable I become in my own, changing skin, the fewer faux pas I make.
I'm fairly certain what I want people to know about me when I walk into a room, based solely on my clothes.

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I no longer make the age appropriate mistake.
I don't need to wonder if something is too young for me.
My idiot meter, mercifully, screams loud and clear on that one.

And yet...I now have several impostors in my trunk heading back to the store.

Someone else will look and feel fabulous in the patterned, flowy skirt.
The structured blazer belongs in another woman's wardrobe.
And the shockingly bright coloured sweater that called to me from the escalator...is not me.

Those siren calls don't usually grab me, but this week I was an easy mark.

I'm packing for my summer on Vancouver Island, and apparently forgot how differently I live and dress when I'm there. Still...nowhere in my life would these garments work for me. They grate on my eyes and sensibilities in the clear light of my own mirror.

Do you keep the impostors you buy and try to make them work for you?

Perhaps you don't make those mistakes?

Comfort Shoes

...a term used to describe Gnome shoes...

If I were an aging hippie type I'd have no problem finding comfortable shoes at a reasonable price. But I'm not, and even when I was a hippie in high school, I didn't go for that look.

........

I haven't shopped for shoes in over a year.

*First, was the decision to make-do with what I have because having a larger wardrobe doesn't make one better dressed. Owning and coordinating the right pieces does.

*Second, was the financial crunch that kept me on track with number one.

*Third, and always was the inability to find anything comfortable.

........

I was a ballet dancer for many years. Toe-shoes were not kind to my feet. Ten years of jogging helped me almost maintain my sanity through my children's teen years, but was murder on my feet.
In a nutshell, my feet are shot.

One of my shoe mainstays for the last several years, is no longer an option. Ballet flats compress a nerve that's inflamed so I have to toss all mine out. Shoes can't stop at, or have a seam near the ball of my foot. Plus I have wide feet. That makes shoe shopping for something I can wear with a skirt, a depressing challenge.

Anyi Lu...these just miss that nerve and are very comfortable.

Beautifeel...have the most amazing cushioning. They're like walking on little pillows.

Arche...my "high heel". Soft suede uppers and very flexible soles.

I can never go hunting for a shoe...it just needs to cross my path.
Strangely, they were all lined up for me yesterday, online and at Nordstrom.

My criteria are simple.
They must be comfortable.
They must be semi stylish.
They must cost less than the mortgage payment.

Yes, these shoes are all in black but they're comfortable and will work with a skirt or dress.

Do you indulge in "comfort shoes" or can you wear anything on your feet?

What brands do you find comfortable?

The Silver Lining

~

To find the silver lining in life's stormiest clouds takes faith and perseverance.

Knowing there is a hopeful aspect to every unhappy situation.

~

I've been helping a family member navigate the health care system for several long months.

Being his health care advocate. Caring for him in my home between hospital stays. 

Organizing his medical appointments, procedures and Dr. visits. 

Being with him as he is given the results and prognosis.

Holding him as he cries. Crying with him. 

He's my brother in law. I didn't know him well when this process started.
I know him very well now.

As terribly sad as it is to nurse him through this terminal disease, I am gratified to know I have brought him comfort. The small amount of peace I can give him is evident in his trust. 

The look of relief on his face when I enter his hospital room. He is comforted to know I will worry about the details...all he need do is worry about how he feels. 

~
Last week he asked me to sit at the end of his hospital bed so he could always see me. He told me he feels better just knowing I'm there.

~

There is joy in giving and helping ease the worry of others.

I realized this morning, I'm proud of myself. 

That is a silver lining for me.

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