Many Returns

Return the First:

The computer tower has returned from it's extended (and rather pricey) holiday at the repair shop. I have to say, it's working far better than ever before.

So, Hoorah!

Return the Second:

Since I haven't yet posted any photos of Victoria - and we returned from that holiday FIVE WEEKS AGO!!!! - I'll do that right now.



We stayed at the Surf Motel, a 1960's era motel right on the ocean front. It wasn't quite what you'd call posh (I suspect Nigel would have been horrified to have stayed there), but I thought it was very cool. Quite a few of the fixtures were original to the build, including a killer pink bathroom suite, an original '60's stove and the oldest range fan I've ever seen (took me a while to figure out what it was, in fact). All the rooms face the front of the building, so all have an ocean view with floor to ceiling sliding glass doors onto small balconies, facing the Juan de Fuca Strait.

See:



Stunning. We left the door open all night long, enjoying the cold air and ocean sounds - a novelty coming from the Prairie summer.

I'm afraid I didn't take any other photos. I dragged the camera everywhere to all our family visits, but didn't remember to take it out of the bag, not once.

I know, shocking.

More shocking, is that I've done this frequently over the years, so I tend to rely on my sister, Jane, to send me photos of my own parents.

Let's move on to things I never fail to photograph...

I finished the vintage cardi I was working on...



deep olive tweed, with two white angora stripes on a circular, ribbed yoke. Bracelet length sleeves, too! I can't wait for Autumn!

Return the Third:

Well, no return yet... Ian and Nigel have been holidaying in the US, and were due to return this evening, but they've had mechanical problems with the plane on the way home and have been put up in a hotel in Chicago an extra night, so tomorrow morning, they should be back.

They went to Lollapalooza (in Chicago) and then on to New York (Ian's first visit) for a stay at the Waldorf Astoria. Did you know that the Waldorf has a dress code? It's true, I had to buy Ian a whole bunch of new clothes just so he could walk through the lobby. Definitely not the Surf Motel.

I'm looking forward to hearing all about their adventures while away - I'll pass them along if they're appropriate. During a phone call home, Nigel mentioned a good line from Ian. Apparently, on entering one of the luxury accommodations Nigel had booked for them, Ian said, "Tsk, only two bathrooms?"

Mm-hmm...

I had many plans for finishing loose ends around the house while the boys were away, but I'm afraid it was too, too, hot, and I ended up accomplishing next to nothing.

I did get around to painting an old dresser.



This dresser was Jane's as a baby and it's had MANY coats of paint over the years. It's red now...and full to the brim with embroidery supplies. It makes me very happy to look at it. I wonder if the boys will notice?

Not that I'm happy, but that it's now red.

There are more things I still want to share, so I'm planning something shocking.

TWO POSTS ON CONSECUTIVE DAYS.

I know, I know. Stay tuned... I shall return...

A Quick Hello

Just stopping in to say a quick hello, our main computer tower is down - actually 'down and out' of the house completely, being repaired by professionals. I'm updating the blog on the MacBook, and I still haven't learned how to link on this thing, so sadly, no videos or photos.

Our trip to Victoria was quite lovely, though the weather was unusually hot. I seem to have bad luck that way, I head out somewhere that's suppose to be temperate, and it happens to be going through some sort of worst-in-30-years heat wave (Scotland was the same) - the Prairie heat seems to follow me. Victoria had other perks though, we visited with family and friends and ate far too many fine meals. There was a particularly memorable meal at Mum's one night, when she was serving some very beautiful salad greens from the pesticide free market she favours. After the greens had been rinsed thoroughly, spun through the salad spinner and served onto plates, Ian speared a leaf and on lifting it up found a great big slug sitting on the plate staring up at him. Ian screamed, Mum was horrified and Dad scooped it up and set it out in the garden, while I just laughed and laughed and laughed. Does this make me a bad mother or a bad daughter? Maybe a little of both. (hee hee hee)

We also did some walking along the beach, finding some mermaid's tears (beach glass) and driftwood. so a good time despite the heat and the slug. Once the computer is up and running again I'll post photos.

It's been a fairly lazy summer, I haven't finished any projects I've started, and the weeds have completely taken over the garden. The mosquitoes like the tall weeds, and the dragonflies like the mosquitoes, so we're inundated. I'm just gazing out over our back garden and there must be thirty or forty dragonflies buzzing around, I don't think I've ever seen as many as I have this year. I really should weed that garden...