There’s plenty of things to be proud about the city of Calgary. No matter, how cheesy, loud or crazy it gets, the Calgary Stampede is one of those things! As a born & raised Calgarian, I still get excited every summer for the Stampede. I anxiously look for the booklet in the mail, mark out a day when we can go down {and hopefully catch the World Stock Dog Championship}, and daydream of mini donuts until the fateful day arrives. Are you this nuts about Stampede, or is it just me? It can’t be just me, not when attendance can crack 1.2 million people each year!! Anywho, I thought I’d just share some highlights from our adventure this year.
I’m sorry the posts have been few and far between lately. Everyday seems full just trying to keep up with the basics. Add in a decent sized garden that demands daily attention, fresh food that needs harvesting (& cooking, eating or preserving), and plenty of random extra appointments, errands, & phone calls. Plus hubby is crazy busy now that his urban farming business is in full swing. On top of all that, add in my mom who is staying in a long term rehabilitation centre and my brother & his wife out of the country. Oh, and Marcus’ grandmother of 91 years of age, passed away. Ya… we have been stretched thin, with only tiny breaks here & there.
It’s not all bad. I’m truly thankful for the time we get to spend in the garden (and in the sun). Also, thankful for the little adventures Sam & I squeeze in. Sadly, blogging has not been high on the list of to-dos. I don’t really see an end to all the craziness soon though. All your patience is appreciated. Maybe I can at least get back to some fun button posts soon. Even that would make me feel a bit better.
For now though, a post to share photos of random moments in our lives. No particular rhyme or reason to them, just things we’ve done, or small bits of our lives I’ve finally taken notice of. Thanks for popping by and taking a peek into our week, so far:
I feel like hospital blankets always look the same. Been spending a lot of time at a hospital-like-facility where my mom is having to stay for an extended time. Did I tell you she took a bad fall at the beginning of June? Broken arm and broken pelvic bone. Long road to recovery. Seems like kind of a lonely place, so we’re trying to visit as much as we can.Finally treated myself to some lovely new Birkenstock sandals! Sooo purrrrdy! I bought my last pair over a decade ago. It was high time to treat my toes. Lovin’ the colour!Brewed our first batch of sun tea this week! Nothing says summer to me like seeing a jug of sun tea brewing on the deck. Want to make your own batch? Grab a glass jug, fill with water, drop in a few tea bags and set it in the sun for a few hours. Chill. Enjoy!Sammy and I headed down to the Bowness stampede pancake breakfast and parade. He LOVED it! Pancakes dripping in syrup, waving at each group in the parade, saying “yahoo!” a million times, and “thank you” each time candy was thrown his way. We scored A LOT of candy!! Sugar high and super crash all in the same morning. True Stampede spirit at its best! Can’t wait to head down to the Stampede grounds later this week. Deep-fried-everything here we come!!!
Well, it’s July in Calgary, which means two things. One, summer is officially here. Two, it’s time for STAMPEDE!! Yep, I’m one of those crazy born and raised Calgarians who still loves to go to Stampede each year. This year is special because it’s the 100 anniversary of the Calgary Stampede and it’s the first year that Sam will get to go (not that he’ll remember). So to keep with the theme of things here in Cowtown, here is a button craft to bring out your Western spirit. This project is from artist Ann Wood, who’s work I have admired for several years. You can find the full tutorial here and the horse PDF pattern here. The horses are cut from cardboard, painted and then jointed together with thin wire & buttons. I love the look of a whole herd galloping across the wall! Ann individually names all her horses (and other creations). I’m thinking a herd of Buffy inspired horses might be in order. This is getting filed away into the “some day” project pile. It could definitely be fun to paint the horses with Sam when he’s older, don’t you think?
