It’s a beautiful Sunday. I’ve had my customary Sunday late morning lie-in and now I’m itching to get outside and be in the sun, feel the breeze on my bare arms. Spring and early summer here in Cape Breton is a revelation.
I’ve got some catching up to do, first. Here are some photos I’ve been taking over the past month, and wanted to share with all of you!
Adam bought a house. I live there a good portion of the time now. It’s close to this sweet park.
Sailing lessons at Northern Yacht Club, just next door.
On Mother’s Day, we took our moms to Membertou Trade and Convention Center for the buffet. Then we went and checked out the new Hampton Inn just next door. I’m sniffing the carnation Mum got at Membertou.
Work, work, work, work… I do love my job at the marina. I’ve been there going on three years, and I feel competent, smart, and happy at work. That’s a gift! (Never mind that I’m not a boater…)
The cat came with me on my photo-taking walk through Mum’s garden last week.
The Baddeck Library – a very favorite haunt of mine. Good friends work there, I used to work there, and ever since I was a little girl, it’s been a place of refuge for this introvert. MMM… books!
My first PAID writing gig!! (The picture of me was taken last summer, when the piece itself was actually written.)
Oh, I’m a total writing geek, but something thrills me about seeing my own bio in print.
If you see this guide when you’re out and about this summer, pick it up and you can read my piece!
I just love message boards at local businesses. So much community goodness.
Out for an evening’s walk last week.
Pretty ferns.
And pretty apple blossoms!
The Baddeck Volunteer Fire Department (and upstairs, the Library).
Gaelic house sign. Same street as the community garden (that’s the cement truck in the background, pouring a sauna tube).
Greenwood United Church in Baddeck. I love old signs with this lettering. Also, I love that Alison Etter is a young woman who moved here to lead this congregation. I can’t wait to get to know her better!
I love road signs.
This little guy grows on the wooden staircase that leads one from Water Street up to the parking lot of the library and the community hall. I love all these textures and colours – pipe, plant, wall, wood.
I love old typefaces and book design. They inspire me so much! I found this book at work. I like to think this illustration on the front is of the author, the mysterious Mr. Clifford W. Ashley.
I also love the design of this spark plug packaging – bright, colourful, clean. (This is a very typical work scene, for me. I place a LOT of orders, for parts for marine engines.)
Atlantic SuperStore in North Sydney, beer run on Friday night.
… and gardening run on Saturday morning! I SO love gardening centres.
I ran into a friend and she kindly let me snap a shot of her purchases.
I had to go around back to load up my HUGE cube of potting soil. Have I mentioned how I have a thing about old-fashioned, 1950’s era sign lettering? I have? Oh, awkward.
It’s a start! My potted garden on the back porch at my boyfriend’s.
And the little bed at the bottom of the deck stairs, where the creeping thyme will eventually spill out over the concrete. All those lined-up rocks are ones I found in the bed as I was clearing it of buttercups.
Yup, I broke down. I got me an iPhone. It’s my first cell phone, if you don’t count the pay-as-you-go one I had in Australia, eight years ago. And I am kind of in love with it. And by kind of, I mean totally. Oh god. So awkward. (The sticker, by the way, is one I got in Toronto last month, from a sweet store in Kensington Market.)
These are towels my Grandmaman gave me, that she bought ages ago. Don’t they look like “Angry Birds”? I love them.
These days… I’m loving being outside. Playing in the dirt, digging and pulling out weeds at my boyfriend’s new place. (I’m sure that joy will wear off – who loves pulling weeds?!?) It feels super good to put my mark on this new home of ours.
I’m also loving this new phone. I got it just yesterday and I’m already hooked. To inaugurate the phone, I texted a friend who has an iPhone and she wrote back, “Welcome to this century!” Yeah, I put it off for long enough, didn’t I? You know, I was getting somewhat sick of telling people, “Well, if it’s Tuesday then I’m at this number, but if it’s Friday after 6 then I’m at this number…” One number to reach me, one number to rule them all.
I’m also loving the summer pop jams of 101.9 The Giant. I go through phases where I can’t stand highly-produced pop music, and think it brainless noise, and then at other times it gets me pumped, motivated and happy. Right now is one of those latter phases, and it finds me driving around with the radio cranked, and singing along at the top of my voice: “Starships were meant to fly, ohhhhh, reach up, and touch the sky!”
Next week: watch for another awesome Q+A, as well as a fun way to support a local food market, some pics of some recent adventures I had at a Health Fair, and some Frugal Friday updates (yes, it’s been a while since we talked thrift!).
Love the way you think Leah. Thank you for sharing you to us as well. It is refreshing to read about good things and about life’s little blessing which to me are big blessing. Now I am going out to pull weeds but more likely to go for a walk with the dogs. Take Joy ~ Diane
Hi Leah , l think all these pictures are something else l love them all as l know most of there was a store, that l was one specialplace the store,because l was looking for rubber boots,could you let me knowwhere l can get these boots, ,but l wasnt able to read your story,but l know it was very special./my eyes are not good.
Blessings
Hi Kaye: The store is Baddeck Marine. It’s at 23 Water St, Baddeck. The boots are by the company Viking. Hope this helps!