Shuswap memories

We spent, arguably, the best week of summer in the Shuswap, specifically in the hidden gem known as Scotch Creek. Used to camping, we were in pure luxury in an outfitted log cabin with running water, stoves, beds, electric light and a bath. A few moments stroll away from the warm and clean lake. Pure heaven.

While we were there, Aurora emerged from the water only long enough to sleep.

I nosed out the best of the local fruit...and promptly made 5 kinds of jam with it to bring home and enjoy all year. (Thanks to everyone tolerating the kitchen heat) Maybe to share, with my patient cabinmates, especially!

And...we found the BEST-ever cinnamon bread, perfect for French toast, served with lots of maple syrup, fresh fruit and, of course, bacon.

Love is...

...not necessarily not having to say you're sorry - although we all know it surely helps when needed.

For us, it's a whole bunch of things. There was a little post on Ravelry boards recently about what this is, and I was going through a bunch of recent pictures, and I found a few that for me, truly showed what love means in our family.

An unexpected bouquet of strawberries & chocolate at the end of a long, difficult few weeks says volumes. I was even able to share the love with my friends!
Aurora loves her cat, Hattie - who (by the way of her ears) does not always love being held, but who does it anyway, because she loves Aurora right back.

My sister must love us a lot - she manages, every year, to take our annual picture, with her lovely long arms held out with the camera, when she does a whirlwind tour in our direction, or when we're visiting her in Cold Lake or Edmonton. This is often taken after many hours of missed sleep from us catching up on life.

I love my garden - this year in pots only, due to selling and moving - and it just feels like love right back when I wake up in the morning and go out on the porch to greet the day...and these blooms are there to say good morning. Love, for me, is when Jason waters them for me when I can't.

Speaking of Jason, his gift of Artigano lattes to me, often when I need one most but don't ask for it (he just disappears in the morning & shows up with it - in time to drink on the porch with my flowers) is just awesome.

As is his willingness to get "dressed" by Miss A, never mind getting photographed in the outfit when she begs him to. Yes, that is a ShamWow (which Aurora loves), that he is brandishing. No parent ever felt prouder (and humiliation never enters the scene.)

And for Jason, Pizza=Love. So, why not get the best we can, when we can? We love Nick's Pizza. Crispy on the bottom, gooey on the top, deliciousness. Mmm.

Jason also discovered a new love this summer: He taught at a creative writing camp for teenaged kids in July put on by the Young Alberta Book Society - and what a bunch of kids. These kids truly love the written word, and were just the most amazing bunch of young people I've seen in action. The group dynamic was unimaginably supportive, and Jason fell in love with teaching...and the energy from these incredibly talented kids. The gesture they're making is a "standing O(vation)", in homage to Gail Sidonie Sobat, the woman behind the event.

My friend Anne showed some pretty awesome love to me during the heat wave (sadly, we long for one now) this July. When she heard of my longing for a lime slurpee - and discovery of one up the street, but knew I was cooped at the yarn store (never a bad thing really), she marched right over there and came back with a pair of the biggest lime slurpees I've ever seen. I love her for that.

The yarn store has been the centre of a lot of love for me. I love it there - I find my peace there. I find things I love (mmm, fibre...), I plan to make things for the people I love, and we knitters sure do talk about the people we love, when we're there - and God knows those women have helped me deal with so much of the loves in my life!

Aurora has found love there, too...in the form of Correna's puppies. She first met Honey & Juno about two years ago, and pined for one of her own. And Juno had puppies recently...and Aurora has utterly fallen in love with one of those, too. Which might just become one of her own...