Still Catching Up

It's been 4 days since we arrived home from our vacation to

British Columbia Canada

where we visited my family in the mountains.

I'm still trying to catch up on all the chores around the farm. The grass about needed a combine to mow it!

Now we have sold our huge 40'X180' building so we have things to move and prepare for the dismantling. Not fun at all but it will be wonderful to see pastures and fields instead of the end of a steel building out the kitchen and office windows!

Anyway...here are a few photo's taken on vacation.

The large photo is of the Shuswap River

with it's crystal clear water.

We weren't expecting to go swimming so

we went in with our clothes on.

NO WE DIDN'T SKINNY DIP!!!

The top right photo is a photo of my youngest daughter Caitlyn (Caity) and my oldest daughter Angelea (Angie) and I lazing on the hammock...sideways.

Middle picture is one of the many mountain flowers that grow around Angie and her husbands home.

The bottom picture is the view out the front of their home. This is looking east in the afternoon and then in the evening they enjoy the cliffs lit by the setting sun.

Just beautiful.

I am linking up with Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

I hope you'll join Mary and all the other wonderful bloggers that are taking part this week.

You'll see some WONDERFUL mosaics and get to meet some fun fellow bloggers at the same time.

I hope you have a fantastic Monday!

Take care

Maura :)

We're Home!

Hello Everyone!

It's good to be back home but sad to leave my family behind. We had a WONDERFUL visit with everyone and did some really fun things and I took LOTS of pictures (over 700) but don't worry I won't post them all on here ;-)

These are a few I thought you'd enjoy looking at.

The Shuswap River

The forests near where I lived for over 30 years

The beach where we finished our float down the river on tubes and air matresses

Right now I'm trying to catch up with all the chores around the farm so if you don't mind I will go for now and get that done and come back soon to show you more of our vacation and

Beautiful British Columbia.

I hope you all have been well and happy.

I will visit your blogs as soon as I can...I'm sure there is LOTS to catch up on!

Take care.

Maura :)

I'm Leeeeavinggg On A Jet Plaaaane..

Tomorrow morning hubby and I will be doing this.

Not looking forward to it.

I hate standing in line.

Waiting.

This is always a beautiful sight

once all the waiting is done.

Below is the Kelowna British Columbia Canada airport.

That shiny thing you see at the top of the page (above) between the mountains is the first of 2 lakes between Kelowna and Vernon that the highway travels beside.

(that's the highway that we travel winding along the side of the lake.)

These two lake photos are of Kalamalka Lake which means 'lake of many colours'. These photo's do NOT do it justice as the lake turns from jade green, torquoise, navy, bluegreen and green depending on where you are and the light at that moment.

The native indians could not have picked a better name.

Four airports later and an hour car ride we will be at our destination.

And this will be waiting for us.

(Granddaughters Jette and Sailor)

(Our two daughters at a Hawaiian party we had for the grand kids about 5 years ago)

This is Lake Okanagan where my daughter and her family lived up until they started building their new home in the mountains last fall.

We'll visit this place and all their friends on the lake...we have lots of

wonderful memories of family time spent on this spot.

One year we even pulled our boat from Kansas to this lake!

Can't wait to see everyone.

I will be back soon...see you then!

(photo's from the internet except the last two)

Follow Me....

Please take my hand and follow me...

To a hidden place of tranquility...

 Where the only ones here...

are you and me.

Would you like to share a pot of tea?

How will you dress for this Garden Tea Party?

These three would fit right in.

Our daughter Angie as the Bride and our oldest Granddaughters Sailor and Jette

These are 3 of my most favorite Tea Party

guests.

Have you got a special place that you enjoy a spot of tea?

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Maura :)

Photo Credits: Country Living, Debbie Mom, In Style, iVillage, Internet

Getting Excited

We have 4 days left before we are on our way to

British Columbia Canada.

Where I will see my children and grandchildren!

My Family!

This picture was taken  5 years ago (I have newer ones but they're stuck in my old computer!) The fellow in back with the beard is my Mr Fixit and the lady holding the little girl is my daughter in law.

Since this picture was taken we have two new grandchildren who we haven't seen yet. They were adopted over a year ago.

I'm so excited.

It's been two years since I've seen them all!

These are pictures of the area where my oldest and youngest sons live and my grandkids. This is Echo Lake and is on the side of a mountain just a few miles from town. It is a very beautiful area but they do get 40-60 feet of snowfall per winter.

It's a ski area.

My youngest granddaughter at the time with my oldest daughter before she had a little one of her own.

We'll be doing lots of sight seeing and visiting old places we used to go when the kids were little and taking logging roads up mountains. I'm hoping the huckleberries are still producing further up the mountains. Mr Fixit is a Kansas boy and has never had a huckleberry.

I'm looking forward to seeing clean clear water again

Kansas lake water leaves much to be desired...but it's wet!

I'm busy busy busy trying to get all the last minute things done around the farm before we head out. I hate flying but it takes 3 days to drive up there and we're limited for time this year.

I'm excited to go ...but I'm already anticipating leaving.

And that's always hard to do.

I hope your summer holidays have been good so far. Enjoy what's left of the season!

Take care.

Maura :)

Where Has The Time Gone?

Don't you just love the shabby chic feel of this porch!

It's hard to believe that it's August 6th already!

Where has the summer gone?

I know some of you in the north west haven't had much of a summer at all and others in the south east have been struggling with heat and high humidity.

We've been breaking records for temerature here in Kansas and because of the heat I haven't spent much time with my camera...

so I thought I'd share some photo's from the Internet of pretty summer decorating...inside and out.

Love the railing and look at that view!

I just want to climb in and have a little nap

Sweet idea from Martha Stewart

I love white ironstone, don't you?

I have 3 watering cans similar to these..what a great idea!

Love the old wood walls

I love the look of this room...that table cloth is sweet!

Seeing this makes me want white walls and those flowered drapes!

Love the little spoons with the shells

This is another bed I'd love to jump into right about now!

We've still got over a month of official summer left so that means we still have time to enjoy and play with our summer decorating.

Yeay!

I hope you all have a wonderful summer.

Keep cool if you've been suffering from the heat and for those who haven't had much of a summer yet...

it's not to late.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Maura :)

(Photo's from BHG, Martha Stewart, House To Home, Room Decorating Ideas, Luxury Home Decorating Ideas and the Internet)

By The Beautiful Sea

We broke another record yesterday with a temperature of

109 degrees!

Our lawn is turning yellow in places

and it's hard to even go out to check for eggs.

So

I'm turning my thoughts to far away places where cool ocean breezes blow and the beach is just right out   my door.

Oh ya.

Can't you just see yourself laying here reading a book and sipping a margarita

 I can hear Jimmy Buffet playing softly in the background.

Sigh.

And of course if you're staying at the beach

you need a little

Beach Cottage Decor

Don't you just love these colorful old pails.

Well I don't know about you but I

feel a bit cooler.

If you could go anywhere you wanted when the weather is hot...where would it be?

I hope you're enjoying your day.

Maura :)

(Photo's from Country Living and the Internet)