Month: August 2025
Back to School Tips
Heading back to school after the summer can be the best experience or not. Many children have spent their summer going to camp and keeping up a routine (almost like school) because parents are working and need to be cared for. Daycare is often the reality for many kids throughout the summer. Some kids have
Creative Dishcloths
“But do you know how old I will be by the time I learn to really play the piano / act / paint / write a decent play?”Yes . . . the same age you will be if you don’t.”― Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity Is there something that you
Butterflies in My Garden
I have three beautiful butterfly bushes in my garden. The attract the most beautiful butterflies. I often think of the book, Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver (one of my favourite authors). In Flight Behavior, alteration of monarch butterflies migration symbolizes a changing world. Dellarobia Turnbow is a 28-year-old discontented housewife living with her poor family on
17 Rides for the Great Cycle Challenge…so far…
This year, I set myself a goal of 400 km for the month of August. There are BIG Agendas in our lives and LITTLE Agendas. We need them both. The “little agenda” items lead to fulfilling the “big agenda” items. My big agenda was to raise as much money as possible for Kid’s Cancer and
Growing Tomatoes
There is nothing more delicious than fresh fruit or vegetables from the garden. We grow tomato plants every year and enjoy putting them in salads, on pizza, into sauce and just eating them with a little mayo “on the side” for a delicious summer supper. There are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes in the worldTomato
A New Crochet Project – The Fish Pond
A Kindergarten class and a nursery school are getting a new fun toy this year! I love creating and trying new projects so this is perfect for me. I started by creating the bowls for the fish – I have finished set one, now on to set two and THEN, on to the fish. So
When the flowers match the dishcloths…
This weeks dishcloths are beautiful flowers. They are a reminder of the beauty of the garden and the joy of creating. Everyone has creativity inside them, you just need to “let it out”.
My Bougainvillea
I have had two bougainvillea plants since living here. The first lasted 4 years, coming in the house for winter and back out by the pool for summer. This plant is my second and it is enjoying its second summer outside by the pool. My first plant would take all summer to bloom; however, this
Tomato-Basil Naan Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella
What do you do with fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden? Make them into a gluten free delight. I used gluten free pita instead of naan bread and I added a little grated pecorino. These were amazing, simple and they baked up nicely in the air fryer. 4 gluten free pita or regular naanCombine
The Great Cycle Challenge
Each August, I challenge myself to ride for Kid’s Cancer. This year I have challenged myself to a 400 km ride and I have actually assembled a team to ride with. We had one 40 km ride together and we are planning another to end the month. I recently read that we need to become
Creativity and Colour in Dishcloths
When I use a granny square pattern, it is always a bit too small. I take advantage of the opportunity to be creative by using contrasting colours to add borders around the square. The creativity of combining colours is one of my favourite parts of the process – in knitting, quilting or crocheting.
Blue and Green…Summer Socks
I continue to create one pair of socks each month. I always can find someone who needs a nice pair of socks – great for winter, hiking and for cozying up with a good book on a cold winter’s night.
Baby Quilt – “I Spy”
Whenever I hear that someone has had a baby, I always think about a quilt. It is so great to have a beautiful baby quilt to lay down to put your baby on for “tummy time” or to snuggle up with as a toddler when you are reading a good book. The “I Spy” quilt
July 2025 Reading List
Goodreads has let me know that I am 7 books ahead of schedule for my 175 book goal for this year. I have read 108 books as of yesterday, August 31st. Reading is a change in perspective, an escape, a goal each day – it makes you think and feel. Reading makes a difference. Fiction