SPRING CLEANUP!

Have you gotten outside yet to clean your garden beds and freshen everything up?

It's still a little chilly here by the lake, but pleasant enough to work outside, specially if the sun is shinning.

My pots are ready, but will have to wait until the the end of May to clear the last frost.

My Magnolia is beginning to come into bloom, and ...

The Cherry tree is budding nicely.

Most of my roses made it through the Winter.  I only lost 2 to Winter die-back. It is what it is

Three bags full of garden cleanup. Now to move on to the front garden!

Until next time,

 TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG

Back in 2010, I started a blog by the name of BEACH BUNGALOW.  It was so much fun, grew fast, and provided me with a creative outlet that lasted a good long time.

Then, I acquired a stalker and had to stop.  I deleted that blog and called it a day.

After a little while, I started a new blog, IMPROMPTU.  But, I quickly learned that times had changed, competition was fierce and I just didn't have the desire or time investment required to grow a blog again from scratch.

Plus once again, I found my blog being followed by 1 particular, very undesirable 'subscriber'. Needless to say, it all became very tedious and I said bye-bye to IMPROMPTU.

Then along came A WHOLE LOTTA MAGIC, a new kind of blog; no expectations, no rules, not sweat.  

It's kind of a journal for me, something to look back on and see what was going on at any given time.  I post when I want, about what I want and don't really care about 'stats'.  

I'm having fun!

What about you? Tell me what blogging does for you, why do you do it? 

Are you having fun?

Until next time,

ARE YOU READY?

 Until next time,

 CANADIAN, EH?

WorldAtlas and RepCore Nations ranked Canada #1 in the world for its international reputation.

We Canadians are a hardy bunch. It is a deeply rooted part of our identity. 

all photos courtesy of the WWW

This toughness has been celebrated in our culture from the 'rugged frontier' days to modern day endurance.

From Newfoundland to the Prairies, this resilience is often cited as the key characteristic of the Canadian people.

We are frequently named most loved, respected, and admired country in the world.

We consistently score high on quality of life, political stability, and safety, making our nation most appealing on the world stage.

We are widely seen as polite, welcoming and hospitable, and are often considered the friendliest people.

Our reputation is bolstered by our iconic landscapes including places like Banff and Niagara Falls.

Banff, Alberta

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Until next time,

 AND THEN . . . GRANDBABIES

As a young mum I would never have believed that the heart stopping love I felt for my kids would be twofold the love I would someday feel for my grandbabies.

It's difficult to describe the unending joy, patience, and unconditional love these little beings have instilled in me, their grandma.

They have taught me how to be truly present, in a way I didn't always have the capacity for back when the daily pressures and stress of child rearing sometimes left me rattled and exhausted.

So here I am ... free to focus entirely on enjoyment, with greater life experience, and lots of time for the 'fun stuff'.

Let me introduce to you, my grandbabies in order of age:

Jade

Brooklyn

Emily

Jacob

The whole bunch!

Until next time,

 A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS

- Solo nature walks:  No destination, no conversation to maintain ... pure heaven.

- Browsing book stores, libraries, and shops alone:  The joy is in the browsing; no explaining required.

By The Lake Books

- Solo travel:  Day trips, or even just an afternoon alone to do what I want when I want; so empowering.

- Creative projects:  Baking, crochet, journaling, painting. No audience, thank you. Deeply fulfilling.   

- Reading sessions:  Need I say more? Not just 10 minutes before bed, but an entire afternoon with a novel. Pure decadence!

- Solo cafe or restaurant time:  There's a quiet confidence that develops when you learn how to take  yourself out on a 'date' because you genuinely enjoy your own company.

- Reflection time: An inner check in connecting you with your own direction.

- Doing nothing at all:  Quiet time is maintenance for your nervous system; self care at its highest form in my opinion!

What do you think? Do you have a list of your favourite things?

Please share in the comments.

Until next time,

SOLITARY PERSUITS

One of my favourite creative outlets is CROCHET. 

Dolls

I've whiled away many a pleasant, meditative afternoon joyfully crocheting.

Kangaroo w/joey
My Ben

My projects are varied and not at all selective; I just go for whatever tickles my fancy at any particular time.

A bear I named Beatrice

My projects become my friends, just as the characters in my beloved books do (I'm a veracious reader). 

I can't bear to give them away; they keeping me company.

Bunny

Soon my focus will pivot to the outdoors as I begin to revive my slumbering garden. I'm so excited to get started!

What solo activities bring you joy?

 ARE YOU AN INTROVERT?

We are a misunderstood bunch.

Common misconceptions about us is that we're shy, antisocial, or don't like talking.

In reality introversion is about energy management and preferring quieter, deeper connections.

We are not 'broken', we are people who thrive on thoughtful communication, often misjudged for our need for solitude.

Here are some truths about introversion:

Many introverts have excellent social skills but choose not to use them constantly. 

We value keep, meaningful connections over large crowds or small talk (small talk is death to me).

We talk when we have something to say. We prefer to listen, think, and process information before speaking rather than talking for the sake of talking.

Because we are quiet, we are often mistakenly seen as stuck-up or judgmental. The truth is we are just comfortable with our own thoughts and don't feel the need to fill in the silence.

Introversion is a way of experiencing the world, not something to be fixed.  Both introversion and extroversion are equally valid, and the world needs BOTH. 

Unfortunately extroversion is validated while introversion is not.  The world is basically set up for extroverts.

Our strength lies in thoughtful, calculated action and deep focus.

We enjoy our own company, but like everyone else, crave connection and socialization.

Our quite nature is not a sign of depression or boredom; we are just deeply engaged in our inner world.

We have varied personalities; some of us are very active and outgoing, while some are reserved.

If any of this resonates with you, you may be an introvert.

If so, lean into to, embrace it!

You are the CEO of your life, babe!

It's time.

DO YOU LIKE HOMEMADE BREAD?

I do.

But I also like simplicity; the thought of spending ours in the kitchen is not my idea of fun.  So ...here's a dead easy, no knead bread recipe that requires no special equipment and is guaranteed to delight your taste buds!

CRUSTY BREAD

4 cups flour

2 tsp yeast

1 tsp salt

1-2/3 cups warm water

Mix dry ingredients and add warm water.  Mix until well blended, cover and let rise for 2 hours.

Stretch and shape dough into a ball (dust with a bit of flour if sticky) and transfer onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 450.

Lightly dust top of dough with flour and cut a cross across the top.

Transfer dough to pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

ALL THE THINGS

I once made a list of all the things I thought I would've done by now.  Great adventures, big improvements, very impressive achievements. 

The list was longer than my arm. 

The day was not.

For a moment, I felt rather disappointed in myself.  Then I wondered, what if I made a new list of what I have actually done.

I wrote ...

I stayed

I tried

I loved

I got back up

I breathed through difficult mornings

It turned out to be a very good list indeed.

If you think you're behind who you were meant to be by now, try counting what you have survived instead of what you have not achieved.

You may discover you are far more successful than you ever knew.

- Winnie the Pooh 

 Ta-Dah!

The after picture of my bathroom mirror! 

Not bad, eh? 

The colour is Badminton Blue by Benjamin Moore and it's been sitting in a dark corner of my basement for I don't know how long.

 It needed three coats, but otherwise the finish is really nice!

You can see the before picture here:

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Have a great weekend, my friends!

 A MINI GOLDEN DOODLE

Hello, dear friends!

I would like to introduce you to my new BFF, Samantha!

Just Coifed

Her everyday look, lol

She is the sweetest thing ever, and after 3+ years of living without a dog in my life (Ben passed in 2022), I am finally ready to open my heart for this little lady.

My heart is happy again.

Have a great week!

 MIRROR, MIRROR

Hello dear friends!

Well, Spring is on its way and it's got me itching to make some changes and freshen this place up!

Along with plans for my front entry, (last week's post), I'm thinking of painting my bathroom mirror:

What colour you may ask? 

Well, you'll just have to wait and see!

Have a wonderful week!

 FLORALS AND ANIMAL PRINTS, OH MY!

Hello Friends!

What do you think of this inspo pic for my front door entry?

Inspo Pic

I'm thinking of painting my front door hot pink and adding an animal print mat.

Inspo pic 2

Here's the entry:

Also thinking of using this window film on that little window up there.

So pretty!

What do you think? Is the hot pink too much?

If you're working on any Spring projects around the house, please share. 

I'd love hear all about it!