The yellows are so hasty this summer! Too hasty!

I love that old jug..many many many years ago..when I worked..we would do an annual Christmas bazaar for the firemen's fund..

it started small..just our little office w/ an incredibly talented..nice..smart..manager..she hired me when I was 28 and so green..I would never have survived in real estate had it not been for her.
Seriously.
I have stories up my sleeve:)

She would knit so many sweaters..and other things..some baked, some made quilts and some painted..
One of the things I bought was this painted jug..Barbara Fullerton painted it..Great job:)
She is long gone..but everytime I see this jug..I see her:)
She was devoted to the bazaar.

So..yeah..yellows abound right now..actually even for a couple of weeks now..

bright happy sunshiney yellows.

It struck me this week when I had to get something from somewhere because it had been requested of me..specifically requested..so I went to get it..politely..and was told I did not need it..that it had been sent..
so what do I do? Arrive w/out it when it was REQUESTED..and risk being turned away after a 6 month wait?
So I politely asked again..and got it..

How can something turn into that?
I just don't get it:)

Peace and love..lol.

Then..leaving..I walked out a door that is very hard to push open..someone was coming in and I do what I always do..I held the door open..
  she walked right in..kept looking at her PHONE.

Please get you faces off your phones..and live a little.

I said: "Bienvenue".You're welcome.

I would not have said that had I not been verklempt..ed? upstairs.

Be KIND..be appreciative..be grateful.You don't have to radiate happy..we all have something that dulls the happy..but...
Kind?

There I said it.

Jacques said that might  teach you to stop being nice to strangers.
( he did laugh when I read this to him..out loud..we are NIGHT and DAY..:)
Are you kidding me?
That will teach me to continue .

By the way..if you need something sweet this w/e..

these are decadently sweet but delicious..with a cup of tea?
Perfecto.

I found them here..at Baked By an Introvert..(love that name)
Toasted Coconut..white chocolate chip cookies..

Bon weekend~

Garden Walk..

Paul Farges aka Summer Snow clematis is a winner anywhere.

That clematis takes over..and bleeds into Betty all across the arbor..to fill in where she leaves off..on a front arbor..
I love Paul Farges..if I find another..it's jumping into my car..and it's :"Start the car!:)"

Jody..from Gardenbuddies told us about it..♥

The ditch lilies..on the right side of our driveway where I have vowed to let go wild with great difficulty..are ditching it:)

And all my other favorite lilies are chiming in..
they were early also..
The coneflowers are blooming, the garage clematis..the fairy roses are almost done though..some feverfew is still in bloom and the Echinops..I love those quirky blue globes..they attract so many bees and cute fling creatures..the flying little bug is out of focus..the echinops was too high..they reach for the sky!
and Verbena Bonariensis..I bought it late as an afterthought..next yr..I am planning on having them here..there and everywhere.

So I got to hold a chicken Sunday..Chewbacca,Chewy for short.
All you have to do is cuddle them close..and hold their feet.
Those girls are treated like princesses:)
I have been studying and painting..Yuko Nagayama,Jean Haynes..
bought a couple of books and trying it all...at once..
And it's confusing.
Weather is stellar~still..
The big kids had a nice party..both passed their driving tests this morning..scooter../car.
Oy..I remember when they were 5 and 7..
Time really not stand still.That means in 5-6 years Lucas will be driving.
On that note...I will go and try to paint a few strokes~
Bonne Journée~

Well, Hello August~

You are just about to happen upon us..did you see July fly by?

August..a whole lotta pinks going on and a whole lot of yellows so I'll start w/ the pinks..
Some of these I have shared on Instagram..so those of you who have seen the radishes and the salad can look away :)
I grew my radishes because I could not find watermelon radishes here..
I may try again..later..

The bee balm is prolific here and even moreso in my borrowed wildflower gardens out back.
So I pick bouquets and display them for me.
I have trepidations now..going into wildflowers..ticks have appeared it seems in pets here in QC..and quite frankly they freak me out.

I've been baking and taking pics and gardening and painting..and reading..Lilac Girls was good..almost 800pages and I didn't get bored at all.
I love E-books..but not for art books..to me it is better seeing it in person if you are trying to learn to paint..etc..or keeper art books and you all know my faves..
I have gone on and on about them♥


So... August is busy in our little clan..
Adamo ..July31rst.. Lucas August 6th..Giuliana August 8th and Mylène August 10th..Caroline and Frédérick's anniversary..and a childhood friend's birthday..Really really nice.
And next weekend Lucas and Mylène,,

Which brings me to the subject of cards..

I am an E-booker and an E-mailer..no doubt about it..and an E-shopper too..

 I get the  E-cards idea  at Christmas..well ..because postage is dear and if you have a gang of cards to send..I get it..I used to send out 100 calendars minimum..to sometimes hear.."I get so many calendars"..ok then..and they were almost $2.00 each to send.
That is one thing about my job I do not miss..mailing out calendars:)
And international rates are so high..
..it's just not doable.
Many gave up sending Christmas cards years ago.

So back to the cards..I get the E-cards for Christmas..
But I don't get an E-card for birthdays.
unless you cannot get out:( I so get that..been there done that.:(
When someone is not well..by all means don't go out..and do what you just can't..never.
Never should anything be an obligation..it has to be freeflight~

Or..you forgot:)
And that happens..a lot:)

But if you remember and you can get out..why not send a real card..hard copy..a stamp is still the most affordable gift you can give.
The $ store has cards:)
Just write in it..

It just feels so warm..to send and to receive.
I get excited when I send something:)
I do..
A little nutty I am..

I follow some  calligraphy/mail art  artists on Instagram..and oh my goodness the letters are such a gift!
One I love..you can follow her blog also..Lindsey..


I think one of the things apart from her insane talent at making her maps  and all the art she creates..that makes Carol Gillott's Paris Maps ..so special..is just how special the letters are..the work involved..and the care that goes into them..
and they arrive snail mail..in your mailbox..
with lovely Paris add-ins~ business cards,flyers..such cute stuff..the things I was looking for during our week in Paris~
Treasures to me.

July and les bonbons:)

Les petits trésors de Carol Gillott

I must say..before we left for Paris..I went over so many of Carol's posts..to refresh my memory and to point me in directions..very helpful.

The easiest to please friend I have..  said this past week..

"Always nice to receive a package"~


I had not received these yet~

See what I mean.?.Feel good via snail mail~
♥
Bon Weekend!

It's blueberry season in QC~

My daughter Mylène,Noah and I went on one of our summer outings..it was a different place for me and it was lovely..again..not commercial like the previous place..and so many blueberries..the bushes are literally dripping in bluebs.My new nickname for blueberries..Noah cracked up..sounds like boobs...8 yr olds love words like that.

We had 800 meters of corn fields to drive by..it was beautiful.

My daughter said :"aren't we lucky to live here?""We have fields bursting w/ produce when some starve..we have so much..look how pretty everything is."
I swear that sounded exactly like me when I have been  with our other daughter ,Caroline.
I am always repeating myself..about how beautiful here is..and then I heard myself but the words came from another person.

It's so funny how our children inherit certain traits..here and there..of Jacques or I..all mixed up.The great gene pool.

So we got loads of blueberries..we went early..and by the time we left the heat and humidity were settling in again.

I decided to make 2 little pies..  and some jam..and save some to eat fresh..we may go back they will be open until the end of August.

Very nice ,young,gentle owner.

I told him I preferred his blueberries to another place..and he so nicely said..they have many things they cultivate..not one nasty competitive remark..
I loved his answer.Gracious. I didn't like mine.Lesson learned.
You can say you love his fields,just don't compare.
Not necessary.Less is best.
I made Linda's pie dough again..which is quite similar to the one the TB makes..I have not comapared the quantities..but it was so hot..the dough..for the hearts,did not hold it's shape as well..
the filling was just blueberries,cornstarch, sugar and cinnamon.


I am crazy about some of the pie decorators on Instagram.
I am crazy about some of  the gardeners on Instagram.
I am crazy about  some the photographers on Instagram.
I am crazy about some of the artists on Instagram.

You find people from your urban and country settings..vintage from England..beautiful children..
just another pretty venue apart from Blogging.
If you haven't looked recently..go peek and make a search.
You will be amazed.
One of the pie decorators is called the Topless Baker:) he has you tube videos and his pie decorating one was very good..his attention to detail is sweet.
Just one of hundreds I now follow..

Like the bloggers I love and follow..
It's different..blogging.. my perception is....you get to "know"the person..I am possibly wrong.
on Instagram..it's more ♥ing something..You click on a heart.
it means you like it.
You open your Instagram..and you are seeing gardens in Sweden..vintage finds in the UK..artists from all over the world....Calligraphers..bakers..many photographers I follow are from Mtl and I have gotten to appreciate my city even more.

Saturday I went to my brocante..again..so MUCH stuff..all so different and fun.

The above..all repurposed wood..made like vintage sewing machine drawers w/ alovely pull kno..at the front..at $15.00 I thought what a great price..
cute for bathrooms..kitchen..seed storage,art supplies etc..

This man has great..garden benches/structures in metal w/ a nice old green patina..
if I was 20 yrs younger I might invest:)

we have bouquinistes too:)

Love it.What did I buy? A small wood cigar case again..for paints:)
I have bought a few things from that man..they work so hard,many having to be there by 6 AM..set up..stay all day.And it was HOT.
Kudos.