Trails of Hats'n Hospitalitea

The end of yet another week.  The French Gardener and I have been working about the Garden, cleaning up for Fall and taking short breaks here and there. Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts this FFF that encourages us to look back on our week and be thankful for, and blessed by.

Friday’s Favourite Five # 15

Here are my Five.

1. Well water that tastes so good. We didn’t opt to switch over to the city water when the city dug past the house a couple of years ago.  The city has grown past the limits that it was and reached us what use to be in the country.  However we’re still 4 km from the city. Tea and coffee just tastes so much better depending on the water and without chlorine in the water. Our guests always comment on a good night sleep and the taste of the coffee or tea .

2. Dollar stores when you need them. Yesterday night we decided to put the bikes on the back of the truck and head to Victoria Park for a bike ride, yes, we took Braxton in his basket.  After our race around Victoria Park we headed down to the waterfront to wave goodbye to the CROWN PRINCESS – PC that was in port at the Charlottetown Harbour then back to the car.  We decided to go over to the beach at Tea Hill and we didn’t take a leash with us but in Stratford is a dollar store so we popped in and bought one to go, actually to stay in the car.

3. A new day a new disposition. This week I woke with a challenge and a new disposition.  I so have to loose weight and I don’t see myself getting on the show the biggest looser.  I have made myself accountable to each Thursday of the week to have a weekly weigh in  and try and stay on track.  Each week I’ll set an new challenge for myself, wish me luck or give me advice.

4. Dads who call to listen to you on the phone. My dad is in a home, the girls at the home have been asked by me to dial my 1-800 number and pass him the phone after they return him to his room from meals.  This week he hasn’t said two words, I tell him about the weather, the kids, the garden and his response is “oh ya” not a word this week.

5. Do you have a suggestion for the next “Road Trip” beach combing vacation? We are blessed to be able to take a road trip for # of days. Leaving around October 17th this vacation will take us to Maine, visiting beaches along the East Coast down as far as Maryland, then I’d like to cross over to the West Coast visit some beaches there. Then drive up to Victoria Island and drive across Canada stopping in Ottawa to see our folks then onto home.  Can anyone make any beach suggestions?

Please join in and link up with us and visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.  Where you can link up and share.

xo,

cindy

This week is over, I can say I’m glad.  Although it has been the toughest in a long long time I’m thankful not only that it is over but for the next five things I’m blessed to be part of.

FFF # 13

1. The little ity bity things that make you laugh. Anna is a bit of a comic. She has new braids and insisted on putting them all in her hair everywhere we went today.

2. Waiting for time to pass. When I couldn’t reach my daughter Vicki on the phone I went to the house and found her on the floor beside little Anna’s crib. Anna had her binky (soother)  in her hand and was trying to give it to her mommy to make her feel better.  We rushed her to the hospital and I’m thankful to have Aubrey sit with me until she was out of the operating room. Vicki is in pain but she will be fine.

3. Making place mat mistakes. I make my own place  mats for Grandma’s Tea Room and have my scone recipe on it.  I was rushed and printed and  laminated 14 of them before I realized I made a mistake on all of them.  Yes, I redid them all. Leaving me with 14 laminated ones that people picked up and purchased in the gift shop for $1 back in May. This week I had a elderly lady come for tea, this is what happened.

Elderly lady, “You know this isn’t my first time here.”

Me, “It isn’t, well then a welcome back is in order.”

Elderly lady, “I came before and others got this here place mat.”

Me, “Yes, I had a bunch in the gift shop.

Elderly lady, “Do you know I’m 82?”

Me, “No, you sure don’t look it.”

Elderly lady, “Well there is a point to this. I’m 82 and your scones are the best I’ve ever had and I wanted one of those place mats so I could get the recipe off it, and they were all gone.”

She went home with a place mat.

4. Giant Cinnamon buns. Matthew is in the kitchen again. I came home and found 4 giant cinnamon buns across the counter. They were good but it took 6 people to eat one.

5. A thinking spot. When life throws a curve ball at you and you need to regroup it is nice to have a thinking spot.

Truly I have a lot to be grateful for this week.  We come together each week,  with Susanne  at Living To Tell The Story.

Sharing life’s moments, supporting one another, most importantly remembering to be thankful for life’s little moments be them large or small.

Thank you for stopping by, I enjoy reading your comments each and every one.

xo,

cindy

Friday’s FAVe Five

Walk with us for awhile and join in each week as Susanne has introduced us to focus on reflecting five favourite things, be them large or small, blessings obvious and gratefulness we dug into our hearts to share with others.

FFF#11- I think

1. Deadlines have a way of making things happen. Yes, I fell behind all kinds of deadlines this week, and put everything on hold while my brother and his family visited ( it was worth it).  Then this week I had 7 deadlines to meet and as I said deadlines have a way of making things happen, I met them all Wwwwohhhooooooo.

2. Sea Glass found on the Beaches of PEI. You know what that means, yup yesterday was Thursday and it was my turn to pick the place, the thing, the do, and lunch.  We went to the Beach, set up and had a picnic lunch, picked sea glass, visited Terri at Fire and Water, then ate fish and chips at Rick’s in St. Peter’s. Yum

(photo at bottom)

3. I miss my brother. I was thinking of him today, while I was at the same beach that we went picking sea glass together at.  I’m glad we had a visit.

(Photo at bottom)

4. Frugal never felt so good. I have been named the Queen of Frugality! Ya that is a big one.  Imagine what the name tag would look like.  This week I was frugal in every way, come have a look at my frugal flip flops.

5. Side by side with My French Gardener. We played side by side yesterday and today we will work side by side.  We have a hurricane on the way, notification has put us on alert with emergency services.  We will pick up the yard, tie up lawn chairs, take our business sign down, fill water canisters, put candles in each of the B&B rooms, make sure the lanterns are full, and pray the power is only out a short time.  We have 8 guests in the B&B tonight and for the next couple of days. I wish everyone well and I hope I’m back in service on Monday to tell about the storm. Happy weekend everyone.

Sea Glass

Walking Beach

Missing my Brother

This has been my FFF. For more Friday’s Favourite Five, visit Suzanne at Living To Tell The Story.

xo,

cindy

I love the idea of posting Friday’s fave Five. Find five thoughts in the past week that I am blessed for. This is also going to help the Mom’s missing MEMORY.

FFF post #1…Get on with it already.

1. First day I talked to my dad in ages. He is in a nursing home far away and came out of the hospital not able to dial my number anymore. I called the nursing home and made a few nurses promise when they brought him back to his room they would dial the 1 – 800 number I have set up for him. I got to talk to him 3 times in one day this week. (holding back the tears)

2. Friends that just drop by, don’t get me wrong family is great but friends hear the tone of voice and just know you need to share a cup of coffee and and a chat. Looking back many years I notice that each friend brings something different to the table, and I mean the genuine kind, the ones that will say “stop our you’ll have me crying too”, the caring sharing kind that want nothing but your company.

3. Shadows from the sun made it through the window into the tearoom and on the floor. For a shadow to make it that far the sun would have to be shinning awful bright, well it did. Here it is June and we are having April showers, in fact 17 days of them. Then this week of all, it broke through and started to shine. Brilliant bright Sun had reached the flowers, warmed our backs and gave me a little burn as a reminder to wear sun block.

4. Forever thankful that the week has a Thursday in it. On Thursdays we close our little tea room and gift shop call it a “G” day. Thursday is devoted to “Gardening, Groceries, Give me a break, and Grandchildren” I love G days, oh I mean Thursday – it is the little hump day in the middle of the week for me just before the weekend starts. This past Thursday my French gardener invited me out to go beachcombing with him. I love to comb the beach, excited and anxious to find a treasure. Each time I beachcomb, I reflect as this is where I was when I got the call that mom had passed away. With my brother crying on the other end of the phone, I sat down on the beach glanced at all the mermaid’s tears I collected and looked out over the ocean like as if it would come ashore and swallow me up.

5. Finding an end to pulling weeds this week. Yes, the better part of two days devoted to the garden and pulling weeds. It looks good now and deadlines have a way of making things happen. Next Thursday we are part of a Tourism Fam Tour, where 40 to 45 others from around the Island, stop at different spots and familiarize themselves with what other Island business have to offer for Tourism.

This has been my Friday’s FAVe FIVE, I hope you enjoyed stopping by. Remember to reflect on your favourite things from your week, look for blessings be them obvious ones or something you had to look for. Find and share.

For more Friday fun visit Suzanne at Living To Tell The Story

Tomorrow I’ll post about; mermaid’s teas, sea glass, or beach glass as it is called you’ll see, come back.
xoxo,
cindy