What we have been up to!

Summer is such a busy time...even if we are doing nothing but making lunches and taking them out to the pool...so it's hard to keep on top of blogging everything.  I realised I hadnt written a post about real life for a while so I grabbed my datebook and went back over the things we have done lately....

- The Little Prince wrapped up his dance classes with a little recital.  The kids picked the music and each one got to pick a step and it was all put together.  Having a son I never realized just how emotional little girls are!  Oh my gosh!  The classes were an hour each and 5 little girls spent that hour taking turns sulking, having tantrums and crying in the corner while he waited patiently.  The Little Prince is now terrified of girls.  I plan to keep it that way.  Anyhoo, he did a great job, remembered all the steps, wore a little bow tie and took his teacher flowers.

- I went to a Chamber of Commerce networking event where I met a gift basket designer.  I have already been printing ribbon for her and hopefully her clients will order ribbon too!  www.Royal-Ribbons.com is my ribbon printing business in case you didnt already know.

- My Rotary club held a dinner for the poverty coalition in town and all the poor people who belong got to come to our buffet.  The food was great and even tho it rained (poured) we had a good time doing something nice for the community.

- I went to Toronto and met High Heeled Life for lunch and shopping...but you already knew that.

- The town committee I am on has taken a dramatic turn from how it has been for the last 15 years...most of the committee quit in February which left me as the senior member with a whopping 5 months of experience.  I told the mayor I wanted her to put me on a different committee but she asked me to stay which I begrudgingly did and now it is awesome!  Last year I hated being on this committee and this year it is a totally different experience.  The new chair is a former professional fundraiser and event planner and when I was at her house for a meeting I saw her big notebook is monogrammed!  She takes me seriously and has actually made me feel like a part of the team rather than the obligatory citizen they have to have on the committee.  This 78 year old woman has become my new idol! 

- Hermes Scarf Friend and I went on to homes and gardens tour and I would love to show you photos but I was told to stop taking pics and to delete the ones I had taken off my camera.  I guess they have enough people coming through and dont need any more free promotion.  Too bad, some of the homes were quite nice and very interesting.  The tour took place in 5 houses in the region so we had to do a bit of driving.  It was so nice to spend time with HSF as we are both so busy we dont often have time to just do nothing but chat and gossip.  It was such a hot and humid day - we ended up stopping for ice cream on the way home to help cool off!

- I attended the last meeting of the 'year' for the library book club.  I wasnt in love with the book but it's always a nice way to spend an hour with people I dont see anywhere else.  Usually someone brings treats but for the last meeting most of us brought something so we had a nice dessert buffet.  The next meeting will be at the end of September so I have time to read a few of my own books over the summer!

- The Little Prince and I went to High Heeled Life's house for Canada day...but you already knew that.

- We went to the local waterfront festival for the first time.  Usually the Suburban Prince is working that weekend so it was nice to finally see it after all of these years!  I was impressed at how big it is and will need to plan better for next year and give ourselves a lot more time to see all of the vendors.  There were lots of activities for the kids, concerts all day long, beach activities, a midway and lots more!  Next year I will take photos, we were a bit rushed this time.

- We had my inlaws over for a swim and dinner for my MIL's birthday.  I made two huge slow cooked racks of ribs.  They were sooooo good!  I managed to find the Suburban Prince's favourite bbq sauce just in time!  On the side I had Greek salad and broccoli salad and for dessert I made key lime pie parfaits.

- We went to the local lavender festival and later the same day went to a party for HSF's son who is going to Belgium for a year on a student exchange.  It was part fundraiser part goodbye party tho I will see him before he goes at least two more times.

- The Suburban Prince went for a hearing test - I made the appointment and sent him as I am sick of repeating myself and having to yell all the time.  Turns out his hearing is in the normal range so now he knows he has no excuse.  Are you reading this handsome husband?  I'm on to you!

- We took the Little Prince to see Winnie The Pooh on opening day.  He was a superstar!  He stayed in his seat, yelled to all the characters, ate popcorn and clapped at the end.  I cant wait to take him to see The Smurfs!

- My housekeeper has a girl party every summer so I stopped in for a couple of hours.  It's always nice to see some new people and see some familiar faces from previous years but it's also a bit akward when it's someone else's friends and they all have a history and I am the outsider.  Either way we had nice cocktails by the pool and didnt have to do any of the cleaning up!

- We went to the Highland Games as we do every year.  I have been to them all over the place and it has rained every. single. time.  I have been soaked to the skin, drizzled on, crammed in a beer tent while the bands carried on by standing on the tables and playing their hearts out.  I have seen bands almost struck by lightning and have taken to carrying rain gear and umbrellas with me whenever I go.  There is no way that many Scottish people can gather without rain!  This year was the exception tho!  We got through the whole day without a drop of rain - it's a Scottish miracle!  We had never seen the end of the games before so it was nice to see the bands all playing together....there is a post with lots of photos coming this week.

- I got back to golf, at last.  I havnt even looked at my clubs all season and last week got to the driving range with my teacher for a few buckets of balls.  I am quite pleased at how well I did and got through the entire bag of including my Big Daddy club!  My favourite is when I finish my swing and my teacher tells me I look like the top of a trophy!

- I took the Little Prince to visit a friend who has a summer home at the lake...in other words a trailer at the beach and it was nice to watch the kids play and snack while we chatted about life, love and how to take a decent photo of ribbon.

- I visited a friend who had a stroke a couple of weeks ago.  She is 36 and the doctors didnt think she was having a stoke because of her age...even tho she kept telling them she was and had all of the symptoms.  While running all sorts of tests on her they found she has a hole in her heart so now she is waiting for more tests and a surgery to repair the hole.  I am amazed how how stressed she is while being so positive.  She is a bodybuilder and believes she will fully recover and get her life back to normal.  In the meantime she has been realising what's important and told me she plans to make changes in her life.

- A friend of a friend left her husband a few weeks ago.  It was a bit out of the blue but I can totally understand her snap decision - I am the same way and when things arent right I cut ties and move on.  I know this woman as we see each other at some of the same events and she has been at my house a few times...I can honestly say I never liked her husband and think she is better off without him.  I told her at least now she can live her live on her terms and she says 'Exactly!'.

- Another friend is teetering on the verge of ending her marriage.  There must be something in the water or the planets are aligned wrong or something!  It's a 22 year marriage but they have done what so many people do when they get married at 19...they have grown apart.  They hardly do anything together, they practically live apart and often take separate vacations.  I say sh*t or get off the pot!  Anyhoo, hopefully she will decide what she wants and stop torturing herself.  40 is the new 16 so it's not like her life is over!

- I finally saw Midnight In Paris - oh my!  What a wonderful movie!  I had no idea what it was about so I wont spoil a thing here.  I loved it so much and now understand why everyone was raving about it!  I would love to go see it again - after I have googled everyone in it lol!  I took little bottles of champagne with me to ensure I was really involved in the atmosphere.


This coming week is another busy one for me with my ribbon business (www.Royal-Ribbons.com) and getting some plans made for my Rotary club's 90th birthday party.  I somehow ended up being the chair of the committee so I want to have all the info ready and make a presentation to the club in 2 week's time.  I am going with a 20's glam kinda thing...bring on the Charleston!


Have a fabulous day!