Glorious and Free

 O Canada,
Soon to be 150, but in your 149th, 

this year, we're grateful for the wisdom

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you've gathered on the freedom frontier,

not just for speech, but for the space,

 in which we can solemnly declare

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our striking individuality seasoned

with patriotic, True North flair!

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'God, keep our land,

glorious and free.'

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O, Canada, thank you

for being thee! 

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Happy Birthday, 
Beautiful!
 
xxx
Poppy 

Been Walking

Hello Friends,

I've missed you so! 
It's been a while, I know,
(since that pretty Peony Festival), 
but please believe me when I say,

I've been meaning to touch base, to
 pop into cyberspace if only to say,
'Hey there, how are you?'. And stuff. 

But, as you can see, 
I've been quite busy...

Walking.

Sometimes, I'm in great company, chatting the miles away with Liberty. Other times, it's just me and my new Canuck cronies, who tend to get off track, since they adore exploring the shore, (after all, they've got time galore), whereas I, lately, have not even a minute to spare. 'Beware!', they blast, 'lose the shoes, let your bare feet feel the grass, see the views'.

Have also been setting up Libby's new place, just around the corner from this dreamy, neck of the woods, where fairy tale houses with red, cherry doors, are gateways to sweet,  storybook neighbourhoods.

And when I finally do take a seat, it's to gather my strength, while soaking my poor, achy feet, for I know that there are many pending deadlines to meet, some of which never make my acquaintance.

So, when put to the test, all we can do is our best, one day at a time, (leave the seventh to rest), to wander and wonder amidst days of bird song and thunder, along routes of flowers and fences that speak to the senses, signalling, 'Stop! Smell the roses, before the day closes, breathe in that fresh, morning air. Feel the sun on your back. Hear the beat of your heart. Touch someone's soul. Say a prayer.'

Thanks for visiting, everyone.
Hope to 'run into you', soon.

xo

Poppy

Decor to Explore on Lake Ontario's Shores

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Meet the talented Michael Penney:
decorator, retailer, husband and father.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Michael,
 when we visited his beautiful shop in the
 pretty town of Whitby, Ontario, last week.

My mom, my sister, my daughter, and I spent some
time studying the charming rooms,  at Penney & Co.,
 114 Dundas St. West, in the heart of downtown Whitby.

The entire space is furnished and accessorized by 
items that Michael has hand picked himself. 

Before heading back home, we made a stop near the city's marina. Being a Pisces, I am naturally drawn to water. Thus, whether it's the saltwater of the deep blue Aegean, or the cold freshwater of Lake Ontario, waves on hydro runways, seagulls floating in the misty air, and the muffled echo of voices in the distance, always demand a barefoot march along rugged coastlines, 

or simply a leisurely stroll near the sandy shore.

Thanks for visiting!

xoxo

Poppy

Birds, Bees, Lilacs and Peonies

'Canadian' colours welcome me to Unionville, Ontario, where my sister
   and her family have been living for the past 16 years, and Liberty for 3!

Hello, my friends,

I've missed you!

On Main Street, black shutters frame white windows,
 allowing for peeks into a reno taking place, 'inside'.

I arrived in Canada on May 7th, and have been enjoying
 the sights and sounds of my favourite season.

A perfect pale purple, luscious lilacs scent their
 surroundings, providing a sweet surprise for passersby.

On my walks around the neighbourhood, I am greeted
  by frilly, fragrant lilacs, which instantly transport me
 back to the pretty gardens of my childhood.

Another ebony and ivory beauty, this one complete with French windows
and doors, facing a pretty pathway, leading back to a welcoming front porch.

The grass is green, the sky is blue, the birds
 are singing, and everything's 'brand new'!

An empty swing sways in the cool, morning breeze, as eager, early
 bird shoppers, (yours truly, included), hunt for charming treasures
inside this beautiful, barn red house holding a contents sale. 

Don't you just love it when serendipity sneaks up on you,

 smack -!- in the middle of your prepared plans, and 

suddenly plants a happy  smile on your elated face,

 because you just 'happened' to run into an old friend, or,

 oh, I don't know...stumble upon a brilliant estate sale?!

I do!

On her way home from work, Liberty stopped to
smell the peonies, after snapping them for her mama.

But when it strikes TWICE, (coming across pure pink

peonies in full bloom!), it's cause for celebration, and

 that's exactly what we did, as we celebrated Liberty's

 26th birthday, and Poppy View's  3rd, on May 18th.

A lemon cream cake, baked with lots of love, for my very sweet Liberty.

Thanks for visiting! As you know, I've been busy with my

 sister's move, buying new furniture, and packing up the old, 

with little breaks in between, seeing friends and relatives.

 I hope to catch up with you, too, all this week, since

 we are expecting 5 (!) days of non-stop rain. 

On the bright side, I was honoured to be featured

   at Junk Chic Cottage's wonderful series,

'Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger'.

Please come by and say hello to our charming

 hostess, Kris, and me; we'd love to see you!

Finally! Peonies - in person, after 30 years of  adoring them from a far!

Wishing you all a very sunny Sunday, and

a happy Memorial Day to my American friends!

xoxo

Poppy

Sharing at:
Home & Garden Thursday,
Feathered Nest Friday, Simple & Sweet Fridays, What's It Wednesday, 
Wow Us Wednesdays, Tuesdays at Our Home, Roses of Inspiration,
Home Sweet Home, Tweak It Tuesday, The Art of Homemaking Mondays, 
Inspire Me Monday, Amaze Me Monday, Saturday Sparks

The Allure of a Picture

Downtown Galt, Cambridge, Ontario, photo by Linda Fegan

Have you ever been so utterly enchanted with an image, that you found yourself, literally, being drawn into it? This is exactly what happened to me, the second I spotted the gorgeous photo above.

A small stream, Churchill Park, Cambridge, Ontario

I felt an inexplicable and immediate connection with Cambridge, a pretty town in Southern Ontario, that compelled me to cross the Atlantic and see it for myself! And, that's exactly what I did!

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So, I got on a plane, and

jetted 8385 km (5210 miles)

 across a very big pond, 

Charming, downtown Cambridge, Ontario

to another continent, and the city of Toronto,

from which I drove a further 108 km/67 miles,

until I reached the banks of the Grand River, 

 The Living Levee Trail, Cambridge, Ontario

where I walked along its flowing trail,

past leafy pathways and shuttered, stone houses,

 charming, cottage-y gardens,

Queen's Square Terrace Retirement Living

and stuccoed, shingle topped stunners,

Central Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, Ontario

piercing, sky-scraping steeples,

and shops painted in happy, pastel-y hues,

to finally STOP.

My photo: a rainy day in spring, of the view that originally captivated me!

Then, in silence, I gingerly stepped, 
into that bewitching of views -
this blogger's beautiful, magical muse!

A big thank you to my sweet brother-in-law, 
Alex, for all the driving, and the giggles!

Thanks for visiting!

xx

Poppy

Sharing at: 
The Art of Home-Making Mondays,  Create It Thursday,  Saturday Sparks,
Say G'Day Saturday, Friday's Five Features, Flaunt it Friday,
Friendship Friday, Fabulously Creative Friday, Show & Tell Friday,
Simple & Sweet Fridays, Feathered Nest Friday, Wow Us Wednesday, 
 Tweak It Tuesday, The Scoop, Tuesdays at Our Home,
Brag About it, Treasure Box Tuesday, Inspire Me Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness, Be Inspired Features and Link Party,
Amaze Me Monday,  Inspiration Monday, Make it Pretty Monday,
Inspire Me Monday, Sunday Showcase Party

Anticipating Autumn

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This post was written last September, on the first day of fall.
Thought I'd share it again, in celebration of the coming season. 

Finally! It's here. It arrived today. Six minutes ago, to be exact. It's 12:06 am. I've been waiting a whole year, but it was on time. Timely, actually.  As usual. As expected. 

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For me, as a young girl growing up in Toronto, the beginning of summer simply meant that soon enough, autumn would arrive, and with it, crisp mornings that called for cozy knitted cardigans and homemade apple cinnamon muffins. 

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Raking the leaves and brisk afternoon walks around the neighbourhood took care of the extra calories at breakfast, while cute little pumpkins on porches provided guilt-free eye candy of the decorative kind. 

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Of course, autumn goes hand in hand with Halloween, when mini monsters rub shoulders with Disney princesses and comic book heroes, as they roam the streets in search of decadent handouts of bite size chocolate from neighbours in disguise.

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Nothing though, could compare to the impressive collage of muted orangey foliage that always seemed to magically appear out of nowhere-year after year!

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Choppy chunks of copper coloured forests bordered the main roads, where radiant hues of amber and gold flashed in the sky, like floating traffic lights, waking still sleepy drivers, and accompanying them to their journey’s end.

But, on this vibrant island in the Mediterranean, autumn is a season pronounced in quieter, softer tones, sometimes hardly noticed at all, as the transition from hot to cold and longer to shorter days is more subtle. 

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Here in Crete, autumn speaks in low, windy whispers of weak, rusty vine leaves, delicately trembling in the now, cooler breeze, no longer able to hold onto their branches, ultimately letting go and falling down to the dense dry ground below, thirsty for the first rains of the season. 

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The moody season is accented by the harvesting of walnuts, a tedious and tiring job that is only truly rewarded with the promise of rich, walnut enhanced desserts and savoury stuffing at Thanksgiving.  

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It goes without saying, that wherever you are in this wide and wonderful world of ours, autumn has a unique presence and a distinct voice all its own, one that always seems to steal the show with a multi talented natural cast of characters, whose song and dance routines repeatedly leave its audience speechless and spellbound after each and every encore, after each and every year.

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Thanks for visiting
and happy weekend!