Two weekends ago I spent time away from home with a very good friend of mine. I have known Rosemary since we both were 13 and it is fantastic that we are still close friends. The sleepovers we did as teens have now become weekend getaways and conversations now run along the the lines of children and spouses instead of boy crushes and dancing to Cyndi Lauper. We laugh, smile, drink, eat and then drink some more on our escapes. Who would have thought that we both would end up on the West Coast of Canada, raising our families so far away from our childhood homes? Sometimes it truly is a small world we live in. We trade off on destinations. I will travel to the mainland and spend the weekend in Vancouver with her or she will travel over to the Island and we stay in Victoria. We have our favorite haunts in both places. This time I failed to bring my camera, and Rosemary left hers in my car for most of the weekend. From our trip we have one picture, the one she took at the ferry terminal before she left, of the birthday gifts we bought each other. One can never have too much jewelry, Happy Birthday to Us!

This post brings about sharing a purchase made last year when it was my turn to visit the mainland for a weekend. Come on! Do you think we just drink and eat? We shop till we drop! Blue Ruby was the place where this piece from Love Heals called to me from under the glass counter top. Yes, it did, honest.


When I wear it I am always reminded of a wonderful friend. I feel the luck of the four leaf clover and am reminded of Irish eyes. I feel the warmth of the heart on my skin and feel love. And when I bought it 10 trees were planted and I helped protect a child from blindness in need. It really is an all round, feel good, piece of jewelry that I receive many compliments on when I wear it.

Summer means outdoor cooking. I try to make use of the barbeque as much as I can simply because I would rather spend my time outdoors instead of inside a hot kitchen. Lucky for me my love of cooking on the barbeque comes naturally.

At my home, my dad took over cooking the main dish as soon as the weather was warm enough, which meant he was barbequeing from June to the end of September. Mind you, my idea of cooking outdoors means I can read a book or putter in the garden while food is cooking, whereas my father's concept of outdoor cooking allowed him to sit on a lawn chair, beer in hand, and watch a CFL game on the portable TV. Or golf for that matter! Still he was, and still is, an awesome cook!

Yesterday it was a warm 35C. By all accounts, a perfect day to make dinner on the barbeque. And aside from having to let the potatoes simmer in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, our dinner was basically cooked outdoors on the natural gas grill.

Grilled Potato Caesar Salad

Couscous Salad (no barbequing required)

Fresh Red Snapper (sprinkled with a little of this)

For dessert Thistle's Fudge Cake.

(Thistle is a precocious 18mth old with amazing blue eyes)

Cleanup was a breeze. You gotta love summer!!!