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Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Tuesday 1 September 2020

Home ... Is Where Your Heart Is


If you were to ask what is most important in a home, I would say happy memories. ~ Lilian Gish


Welcome back to Rose Chintz Cottage! I have missed you, dear friends! 

While my hubby was on his staycation, I took a break from blogging. I will be sharing bits and bobs throughout this blog post about what I have been up to since my last posting. It is longer than usual, so pour yourself a yummy beverage and thank you so much for stopping by. I enjoy your company!

I wish I could tell you that all our family got home this year just as they planned, but the truth is, it didn't happen. Ask any one of them and they will tell you home is missed, especially this year because they had all made plans to come at the same time. 

This is the first summer in many years that at least one of my guys didn't get home. The phrase, "Home is where the heart is," reminds me that no matter where you are in the world or who you are with, home is where you will find love, warmth, and acceptance. Our happy memories are buried within our hearts and it isn't necessarily the house, it is simply being with your family and your loved ones. It is kinship of the dearest kind.

Home is the nicest place there is. ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Our son who lives on the west coast still hopes to come home for a few days this Fall, but it is not looking promising with all the restrictions still in place. Our "Atlantic Bubble" is supposed to be the safest place in North America right now. So, I guess we can be thankful for that!

Home isn't the same without our kids though.

So, what did we do while Hubby was off? We had planned to go to New Brunswick to visit my Auntie P and other relatives but that was not to be this year. We planned on going to the beach, trying out new restaurants, visiting some shops, and just relaxing. Much of our vacation was spent here at home.

The first week was a bust because I had injured myself and had to recuperate for most of that week. We did a lot of sitting out on our deck drinking coffee, enjoying the sun, and watching the birds. Hubby really needed that rest because he had been so busy at work. He actually didn't mind so much that we stayed home for a few days.

The next few photos are of our beautiful beaches. 
Wavy sand and a lone shell, spell serenity.

Our amazing beaches are just perfect for taking a walk along the shore. 

Apparently science has proven that spending time at the beach heals the brain. It alleviates stress and is pleasant to the senses. The smell of the salty ocean air, the lapping of the surf on the seashore, and the colour of the sand, sea, and sky, all work in unison to bring health to your brain as well as your body. Now I understand why I am so completely relaxed out there and why my family and I love it so. There is no other place like it on earth, and we are blessed to have beaches all around our island.

A moody beach just before sunset.

Once your feet have touched the warm sun drenched sand of the seashore you will never be the same. ~ Patsy Gant



A gorgeous sunset to close out the day.

We also did some furniture shopping. It took us a few days, but we finally chose some furniture for the family room and dining room. They should arrive in about five to six weeks.

When I posted my last blog post, you may remember that I was complaining about the chipmunks and squirrels taking over our feeder. We were actually overrun with them and I was very upset because my little feathered friends couldn't get near it. I really thought we would have to take down the feeder and forget about feeding the birds, it was so bad. Then our wonderful son surprised us by special ordering a metal wrap around squirrel baffle. We put it up and we haven't had to deal with the critters ever since. Now, we can enjoy the birds and relax without chasing the furry little varmints. 

The chipmunks and squirrels attempted a number of times to climb the pole but they couldn't get past the metal cone. I am doing the happy dance!
For those of you who don't know, I have a chronic illness and watching the birdies at the feeder is one of the things I can enjoy in my life. It means so much to me to be able to watch those little birds come and go throughout the day. They make me happy!

I'm not hard to please because it is the simple things in life that make me happy. 

We ended up getting another feeder and hanging it on the opposite side. Now the birdies have the feeders all to themselves and we are thrilled! I tried to get a picture of the birds but every time I went out to take a photo, they flew. We have had a lot of wind lately so the feeders and the cone were a bit crooked. But the songbirds are content, and we have little red breasted nuthatches, a male and female that haven't been here before. Our son says they  will stay the winter months, so we're happy about that!
We visited The Dunes since Hubby went back to work. This is a very busy tourist spot where one can browse the shops for some unique items. One can find glass and wooden wares, jewelry, crockery, Island photography, and art, most of which are created here on the Island. 

The lion would make quite a statement in your home. He is quite large.
These little wooden ducks are so cute, aren't they? I didn't get a picture of the one dressed like a giraffe. One of these would make a wonderful conversation piece!

There are lots of fanciful things to look at or purchase.

A lovely garden is out back and there is a splendid restaurant as well. 
A large lily pond to enjoy. 


This is the back of The Dunes, or part of it. As you can see, it has several levels. Great fun to visit and the tourists simply love shopping there!

We also got out to our favourite tea room. Sorry no pictures this time.

Down in the states, our youngest son and his family is "growing the big one." They have a wonderful pumpkin patch. This particular pumpkin weighs 405 pounds at the moment.
There is a lot of science involved in growing a large pumpkin. Right now they have two and it is fun watching every week for the updates. Of course, they also have smaller pumpkins which they will use for pies and such, as well as some lovely gourds.
Giant sunflowers and sweet little nasturtiums decorate the pumpkin patch. There is something about a pumpkin patch that makes me feel at home.

What I am reading at the moment...

One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better. ~ Iris Murdoch


I love my books! Once the Covid settled down and I was able to get into our Indigo here in Charlottetown, I chose three Joanne Fluke books from the TV series, "Murder, She Baked." These books are filled with recipes as well as a good story. I love a good mystery, don't you?


I also ordered Laura Childs' latest mystery, Lavender Blue Murder. I have every book in this series and any one of you who has ever read them knows that they not only contain a good mystery but also recipes and tea time tips. The book jacket on this one is especially pretty!

Time to refill my teacup!

Summer is winding down and school is ready to begin again next week here in Canada. Our youngest grandson who has lived here all his life, flew to Ontario last evening to go to school and to play football. He is fifteen and a star in the football league here. He grew some over the summer and he is well over six foot one. I always knew I would be the shrimp in the family!
We are so sad to see him go, especially his dad! I pray that God will go with him and guide his footsteps. 


Well, friends, this is my catch up for now. I hope everyone is happy and healthy! As you all know, I like to begin and end my posts with a quote. I thought this one was lovely!

Happiness is often the only thing you can give without having it, and it is by giving it that you acquire it. ~ Voltaire


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

13 comments :

  1. I love this post. Yes, home is where the heart is... and with this pandemic, we too are missing our kids and grandkids. Reading your post as well as your profile, I find we have so many interests in common (books - read all Jan Karon's - even have her cookbook! and love cozy themed mysteries). Think living close to water with long walks on the beach heaven on earth. And have always wanted to visit Prince Edward's Island - have no idea why. Those pumpkins are fantastic!

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  2. So wonderful to hear from you and know that you have been enjoying this "staycation" with your hubby. Lovely pictures. Praying for your grandson as he goes away to school.

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  3. Awwwwww Sandi, it was so wonderful to catch up with you to see how your summer staycation went!! I loved seeing your pictures of the beach, and yes, being there is so mesmerizing. Your bird feeders are now critter free, thanks to your son. Hooray!! Seeing the Dunes and all the beauty that you captured made me wish that I could be there. How wonderful to be expecting some new furniture in a few weeks, too. My oh my, but your grandson is so handsome. Thanks, too, for the book recommendations. I still haven't read any Laura Childs' books, but I know that I'd love them. I look forward to reading more posts from you, and am sending love and blessings.....

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  4. Whoa! That pumpkin is HUGE! I didn't realized that your youngest son lived on a farm.

    I also enjoyed seeing the beautiful beaches on the Island. It's really nice that it's not crowded with people.

    Are you using sunflower seeds for your bird feeders? The other day, I heard on the radio that there is a pandemic shortage of sunflower seeds because everyone seems to be buying them for their bird feeders.

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    1. Margie, my son doesn't live on a farm. That pumpkin patch is in a garden in their back yard. They have a really good sized lot and they grow all their own veggies. Yes, we always use sunflower seeds because our little birdies seem to prefer them. I guess we had better stock up on them if they are getting scarce.

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  5. Oh my word that pumpkin is enormous. Will it be edible or is it just being raised for show. I would love the challenge of growing one for one of our summer garden shows next year. Your grandson is a very handsome young man. I hope he loves his time away at school.

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  6. Hi Cherie, That big pumpkin is just for show. They have smaller, edible ones for pies and such. Thank you for your visit, and yes, I have a handsome grandson. :-)

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  7. Enjoyed this post so much and was glad to see a post from you. Love what you said about the beach and the beach pictures. I love the beach. It surely always soothes my mind, soul and heart. Your grandson is a handsome young man. I have only one grandson and five granddaughters. And girl...I am the shortest one in my bunch too! That pumpkin!!! WOW! Enjoyed your lovely pictures today Sandi. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  8. I enjoyed this post very much. 450 pound pumpkins, wow. Tge beaches are always calming and your pictures pretty.

    Your grandson sure is handsome and they get to an age where they can sprout like crazy.

    We are still not able to do much of anything in our state, it's horrible.

    Happy your son fixed the bird feeder situation.

    Stay well

    Cindy

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  9. Covid has kept all of us from many special events, but I am so sorry you haven’t been able to see your beloved Auntie P or your boys and grandkids.

    Glad the squirrel situation has an easy solution!

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  10. What a delightful post, Sandi, just like having a chat over a cup of tea. PEI has beautiful beaches and I agree that walking a beach is restorative. That's one HUGE pumpkin your US family is growing! I hope your grandson does well away at school. Stay well and happy.

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  11. such a lovely catch-up post, I enjoyed your travel and of course the beach. So nice to see you again, Sandi to Sandi

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  12. Lovely post, Sandi. It was wonderful to catch up with all of your happenings. Is your grandson going to a boarding school, or will he be staying with folks he knows in Ontario? I assume at 15 he is not in college yet?

    That pumpkin is amazing! Our kids always wanted to try milk-feeding a pumpkin as described in Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

    Your books look like fun and enjoyable reads.

    We have both the white-breasted and red-breasted nuthatches here at our feeders. We enjoy watching them!

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I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY!

Also, due to the amount of spam I've been getting, I have had to set Comment Moderation. ~ Sandi

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