{this moment}

I'm linking up with SouleMama today for {this moment}.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

 

 ~Happy Friday Friends~
 

Why I Moved to the Country: Reason #98

 Driving home during a torrential downpour

 is much less stressful while traversing the back country roads instead of commuting on the highway.

 ~Stay dry friends!~
 

Nighttime at the Farmhouse

 It's just us girls at the old farmhouse tonight. 

Three country girls, one each of the human, feline and canine persuasion.

We're doing alright. 

There just happens to be a ruckus of enormous proportions outside.

But we're doing alright.

The loudest band of coyotes and dare I say closest to ever approach the farmhouse is visiting tonight.

Of all nights.

But, honestly, we're doing alright.

We're real country girls now.

 


 ~Sleep well friends!~

 

Image by: John Good - NPS

Thrifty Thursday Link Up & Middle Name Revealed

 Baby, it's hot outside!

So let's cool ourselves down with a cold glass of lemonade, shall we?

Served in this thrifted dispenser I picked up last week for just a few dollars.

I think it's rather cute and I rescued it from a certain fate at the landfill. 

Now it's your turn, show us what you got please!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the way, not only do I share the same middle name as my great grandmother we also have the same initials. 

A.S.

Our middle name?

Sarah

Elizabeth was quick on the draw and guessed it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instructions:
1. Publish your Thrifty Thursday post.
2. Once it's published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Thrifty Thursday post so that your readers can find other great thrifty finds.
Voila! Fait Accompli! Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.  It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working and if you have any questions, feel free to give me a shout at ontarioruralrevival@gmail.com.



 ~Stay cool friends!~

Numbers and Such

 

Don't y'all just love this old vintage sign? Sigh.

I've gone dodo for vintage.

Maybe because I am vintage. Sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On an entirely different note, someone has a birthday today.

I just love the soft blue of that hand sewn quilt made by that young'uns great grandmother. Did you know they share the same middle name?

It begins with S.

Any guesses?

And no, it is not Stalker.

~Life is good friends, enjoy!~
 

Canada Day Replay Part 2: Everything but the Parade

 Let's get to the rest of the day, before Canada Day rolls around again shall we?

It was a day like no other, chock full o' fun. 

After the parade, opening ceremonies were held with short and sweet speeches from local dignitaries followed by a prayer from our minister. Awards were given to recognize the Citizen of the Year, a very sweet lady, Junior Citizen of the Year, a very shy, young girl and a Lifetime Achievement Award for a long time resident. More than once, I questioned just how small is this community? When everyone pitches in, as they seem to do around here, it makes the community seem larger and closer. They're a tight-knit friendly group. Only in the country, I say.

There were games for children of all ages, and those who were rather short in stature and years, all received a prize. Each and everyone. How wonderful. 

There was music of all sorts.

 There was face painting, lots of hot food served by the local Lions, balloon art, ice cream and candy apples and a pedal tractor pull which, somehow, I managed to miss. Perhaps because I was busy assisting in the judging of the classic car show. 

That's right, I was a judge, as appointed by none other than the head judge! You may recognize him by his other moniker, The Artist. It's a relaxed atmosphere but we took our job very seriously. I'm sure you've all heard the words at many contests, where the officials always announce how difficult it was to pick a winner. Well it's true. As I walked around the field, going from car to car, I could hear those words echoing in my head. It truly was a difficult choice but we were very impressed with the first car we checked out and after that every car had to measure up to it. 

Here's the winner.

 This lovely couple was a little surprised and quite touched to have won, which is always nice. But it was the story of the car that pretty near bowled me over. It seems this gentleman has owned this car for forty years. Forty years! I thought to myself, he doesn't look old enough to have owned this car for forty years, surely it was originally his father's car. Nope. He bought it when he was 16 for $50. He fixed it up into a little hot rod number, but his wife told me as their tastes 'matured' they decided to restore it back to its original self. And restore it he did, all of it, in his garage at home, all on his own. Amazing. A wonderful piece of history available for future generations to witness. That in itself deserves an award. We couldn't have made a better choice.

Here was the second place finisher. Another beautiful car, Vettes were always my dad's favourite and the male twin's pick of the day. Great presentation!

While I was occupied with my judging duties I almost missed one of the highlight events of the afternoon. 

Almost, but just for you, I made it by a hair, to witness Cow Pattie Bingo.

 With tickets available for only $5 a piece, how could you not buy a square in Cow Pattie Bingo yard? We owned square 32 as picked by the Artist. Obviously, he doesn't know crap about playing bingo.  

Sorry but I just couldn't resist that one, no way, no how.

After a brief respite at home for some dinner, a cold drink and a brief siesta, we returned for more....

 Sugar! 

And yes, yes, of course, we also came back for the fireworks. 

Did you know my camera has a special setting for fireworks? Neither did I!

The Artist decided to mention this amazing fact just as the show was about to begin and the barely cracked manual was back at the old farmhouse. So I'll have to leave you with this and just say, here's to next year!

~Be well friends~
 

Thrifty Thursday

Welcome to the second edition of Thrifty Thursday!

You can go here to get the sweet and low on what it's all about.

This week I wanted to share two thrifty finds that have been put to the same use.

The copper pot on the right was a thrift store find, and I when I saw it, I knew it was too good to leave behind. That means I had no idea what I was going to do with it but that's okay. I usually have one or two ideas in my mind by the time I arrive home and show them to the Artist. And then there are times I don't even show him; I just strategically set the item somewhere in the house as a decoration and see if he notices it. And in case you're wondering, the answer is not very often.

The pot on the left was thrifted by rummaging through the leftover debris near the sugar shack in the back woods behind the old farmhouse. When I posted about it, Debbie suggested I use it as a flower pot, so that's just what I did, with both of them. Most of our other pots are terracotta, and while they're nice, I like having a variety of texture and colours around the house and decks, and these two are my new favourites.

Now I can't wait to see what you've found. Bring it on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instructions:
1. Publish your Thrifty Thursday post.
2. Once it's published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Thrifty Thursday post so that your readers can find other great thrifty finds.
Voila! Fait Accompli! Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.  It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working and if you have any questions, feel free to give me a shout at ontarioruralrevival@gmail.com.







 

Canada Day Replay Part 1: The Parade

Because everyone loves a parade, and because I took a zillion photos of this particular one.

We'll start at church; it's as good a place as any to start a birthday celebration and it also happens to be smack dab at the crossroads of town.

And it was a very busy little town; the crowd this year was at an all time high.

Now it goes without saying, we wouldn't be celebrating Canada Day without the service of our veterans and each year one is chosen to represent all veterans who served our country in order that we may bestow a small token of our deepest gratitude and appreciation. This gentleman, like all veterans, choked me up. Six years ago, my former neighbour, who had served in the Canadian Navy, was asked to to be in this parade. Doug is gone now, but he was a smart man. In 2003 he predicted we were headed for a depression. He wasn't far off. As for myself, I would have never predicted, that a few years later, I would be living here attending these same festivities. Life is funny like that.

The antique fire truck belongs to the village and is a source of pride among the villagers. So much so, that when the Artist suggested they try selling t-shirts this year to commemorate the village's big day, the committee asked that he come up with a design incorporating the fire truck.

This is what he came up with, as modeled by someone the day of.

We think it was a hit, as sales were fairly brisk. He's already thinking up of a new design for next year.

The parade was full of goodies, I wish I could show you all of it, but that would mean I know how to use the movie mode on my camera. Let me just say it was full of classics.

Classic cars,

 classic engines,

 classic tractors,

 classic trucks,

and classic wagon pullers.

 You may call them horses, I call them beauty on hooves and I told the Artist, if we ever have horses, these are the ones I would have. Just saying. 

And of course, no parade is complete without lots of floats. 

Notice anything particular about this float? Look real close. Can you see what's on it? Can you see what I see?

Let's zoom in for a closer look, shall we?

 Now do you see them? That's right, there were classic twins in the parade too!

  ~Stay cool friends~
 

Just in Time

 By hook or by crook, the twins and myself made it just in the nick of time to snag ourselves a bunch of these beauties.

Our first few days of summer vacation were splendid. Warm summer days have been spent with book in hand; cool summer mornings have been spent at the local village tennis courts. Spare moments have been filled weeding the vegetable garden, planting blueberry bushes and lavender and entertaining friends with a bbq and a bonfire. 

In fact, we've spent so much time out of doors, that all of our berry picking skills were almost for naught. Lest you be alarmed at such a travesty, fear not. They've been put to use in salads, home made jam, our first ever batch of home made ice cream ( to die for! ) and an entire lot was sent packing to the freezer out of reverence for those winter days when a pick me up is needed most; on those dark and frosty mornings we will celebrate with a smoothie for breakfast and remember those summer days of past and dream about the ones yet to come.

To my dear American friends, I sincerely hope your Independence Day holiday was filled with joy, happiness and fellowship with those you love. As for Canada Day here at the old farmhouse, it was a wonderful day indeed. While I have been neglecting my computer to enjoy these fleeting summer days, I will, as promised, fill you in on all the details soon.

~Until then friends~

 

Happy Canada Day!

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Thrifty Thursday in order to celebrate Canada's 143rd birthday.

Happy Canada Day!

 All of us around here have been gearing up for the big day, but none more so than the Artist. This is only our second Canada Day in the country and our first year attending the Canada Day events sponsored by our local village and it's a busy day at that for the Artist who was in charge of the sponsorship drive, the classic car show, as well as designing the graphics for posters, flyers and t-shirts commemorating the event. 

The entire committee of volunteers have done a wonderful job and I think our future Canada Day schedules are mapped out for many years to come.

I'll share the details with you all tomorrow.

 ~Until then friends~