So Much to "FALL" in LOVE with!

"It's time to LOVE...It's Fall! Fall in Love!"
- Author Unknown

"Once in a while, right  in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale."
-Author Unknown

"Love is like a dry leaf in the wind."
--Author Unknown

Today as I SHUFFLED through the AUTUM LEAVES on my morning walk,
there was so much to "FALL" in LOVE with!

Brian and I did some celebrating this weekend, the photo on the left
is in front of Jana's store Saturday between a wedding and reception.
The photo on the right was just today at noon when we were treated
to lunch at Brown's Social House by our good friend Vern. 

On Friday, September 27th, Brian and I celebrated our love and the day
we met 40 years ago by dining out at Sushiro,
followed by a bottle of wine and a movie in the comfort of our cozy home.

Saturday's FALL beauty as this wedding party prepared for their  photos
by the river and the stunning FALL trees.

Here are some more things from the above wedding.
We were fortunate to be included at this wedding at Knox Church,
for SARA & RHETT.

I LOVED the attention to the little details at SARA & RHETT'S wedding.
We sat at table #15 with friends, GALE and JEFF... always fun to renew
connections with friends.

So much to FALL in LOVE with in this photo of Mariah
when she ran in the Terry Fox run at her school Friday.

More... food, fun, friends and LOVE being shared!
Sunday morning at Fuddrucker's breakfast...and sunday noon at Earl's
with the Pedersons...Mariah is seen here with her other Grandma,
and her Auntie Ingrid.

Here are the grandkids with their LOVED Grandparents yesterday
at our lunch at Earl's.

Mariah going "HOG" wild for a couple of "PIG"-ture perfect photos
in the entrance of Earls' yesterday...you gotta LOVE it!

SHUFFLE in the FALL beauty this morning on our daily walk.

SHUFFLE and I this morning on our walk in the park...
I LOVE this time of year... so does Shuff!

LOViN' LiFE... and "LEAViN' " it...
This is in our back yard among all the FALLiNG LEAVES!



It's hard not to FALL in LOVE at this time of year every September. I love this month and season for so many reasons... one of the biggest of course is that
I met my hubby in September 40 years ago.
We also got our doggie Shuffle in September 5 years ago.

This past few days has been a whirlwind of celebrations from
dining out lots... to attending a lovely wedding... to sharing times with family and friends.

I enjoy every chance to go to a wedding as it not only reminds me of my love but it renews it once again... kind of like FALLiNG in LOVE all over again.
The wedding we were at was for the daughter of our good friend's Linda and Wayne. I loved the entire day... from the lovely ceremony through the reception, toasts and attention to all the little details along the way.
The weather was so perfect for a FALL wedding too!

Friday I spent some time with Jana helping her clean her house. I even enjoyed that...as we do not get lots of chances to mother -daughter bond it seems!
I felt a connection to the grandkids, while cleaning their rooms for them, too... even though they were at school and daycare at the time! I am picking them up later today after school and daycare and will get in a little grammie D bonding  then. I might even take them to the park to play in the leaves... it is just so pretty out.
(might even get in another pic or two!!! )

Tonight is a great TV night  with a couple of my favourite shows. I find I watch more TV once the FALL comes, and spend less time outside in the evenings.

WE have had 3 calls from my son, Colin, this past week, which for him is a lot. We are often lucky to hear from him once a month or so. He was quite excited to share news with us about his recent gig he played at in Ottawa with his band. It was on a boat cruise...and sounded pretty exciting.
He was very enthusiastic on his call to us last night.

Once a mom always a mom... I always LOVE any connections I have with my kids when ever they may be.

Tomorrow we turn the page on our calendars again, and SEPTEMBER will be done for another year. It is hard to believe how fast time is going, but I hope FALL will be around a lot longer,
as I'm not ready for the winter just yet.


I did enjoy Body Vive at the gym on Saturday morning...
and heard the famous Earth Wind and Fire song,
"SEPTEMBER" for the last time in that month for this season. That song is always fun to groove to regardless of the month we are in!


I know October brings many family birthdays... from Sister-in-law, Arleen, on the 4th...
to cousins, and aunties, and my hubby's too!
Tomorrow I will bring out my pumpkins and spice up the decor for the next month.

On that note... here is my rhyme of the day...

September brings out LOVE & colour galore,
Of all the months, it's sure one I adore.
I love it so much, for so many reasons,
To me it's the prettiest of all of the seasons.
The leaves are all vibrant, blowing everywhere,
The sunshine is bright and warms up the air.
Walks in the park bring FALL beauty in view,
So much to FALL in LOVE with...
in all that I do!

DANCING Through Life!

"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."
-Wayne Dyer

"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance."
-Anonymous

"Dancing with the feet is one thing, but Dancing with the heart is another."
-Anonymous

Some little DANCE things in my house...
The little TAP SHOE frames have photos of Mariah in her first tap shoes,
from fall of 2007... looking TuTu cute!

More DANCE stuff in my house...
the little quote was a gift from dance friend Vanessa years ago,
The ornament was my mom's... one of my favourites of her's... it
reminds me of how her and dad loved to DANCE!

An old photo of  me and Brian while in Vegas in
1979... for a DANCE workshop I was there for.
I actually met my hubby as a result of a DANCE workshop
I attended in Edmonton in 1973!

Yesterday at DANCE STREET with the grand kids to get Mariah
new dance stuff!

Two cute cards I purchased at DANCE STREET...
with cute photos and Dance sayings!

DANCE captions on the walls at the DANCE STREET store.

A little visit and treat party at the GREAT GRAND PARENTS yesterday...
It was definitely a a day to dance in our Hunter rubber boots!

Family... Jana and Nels... and their kids Mariah and Beau
just this past weekend.

What is better than DANCING through life with these cute
grandkids... my grandson, Beau
and my grand daughter, Mariah.

Even my doggie adds some lovin' to the DANCE of life, with her sweetness,
and her Dance related name...
SHUFFLE!

Friends always add to the DANCE of life!
Above friends... Robin and Kelly with Brian,
Below... Vern , Brian, Kellie  and Cathy.

As I dance through my life day to day...
flowers add a little colour, and cheer.
These are ones we received a week ago from Jana...
and they still look
like this  a week later!


Today I am TAPPING into some of the connections my life has had to DANCING!

I have done my blog now for about 3 and a half years as a way of keeping track of events and positives in my life and journaling them here as well as sharing stories and photos  taken that go with the theme of my daily post!

Today it seemed fitting to write about the DANCE of my life.
I have danced since I was 4 years old. On this date in 1973
I was off to attend a BRIAN FOLEY DANCE WORKSHOP in Edmonton where I would stay with my friend, Marg.
Marg and I were school buddies and we both grew up DANCING.

After high school, she moved to Edmonton. Her boyfriend, Dave also moved there. They decided to set me up on a blind date on this dance workshop weekend with another former Saskatoon, guy, Brian... who at the time his friends referred to as "RAB".

Long story short... one year later I opened up my DANCE STUDIO of 28 years... DIANE WILL DANCE STUDIO, and later went on to teaching the Brian Foley ADAPT dance syllabus and was the first Saskatoon Dance teacher to put students through his exams.

Three years later, the blind date I met...
Brian/ RAB... and I were married!
... and we have been DANCING through life together ever since!

We always celebrate this date every year... to us it is special...it never gets lots in the SHUFFLE!


As many of my blog readers know, we have been dancing through a new kind of chapter in our lives lately.
It is one I cannot share much about on my blog, but we have done many DANCE steps through this chapter of our lives.

Although at times I do feel a little bit lost in the SHUFFLE... I try not to get into a FLAP! I keep STRIDING along...some days are a little bit more of a DRAG, but that is when I need to KICK up my spirits a notch! I just have to have a LEAP of faith in each day and try to ELONGATE life as we continue to TAP into new skills in our day to day !

I am ever grateful for friends and family always. We have had many coming by to share love with us. Just this week, two friends I met through my teaching dance days at BSOBAD ... Kellie and Cathy brought over a box of good home cooking to share with us... That was just so thoughtful of them.

Although I have been retired from teaching since 2008, I continue to TAP into occasional DANCE jobs here and there, whether it be, free lance summer schools, or workshops, or choreography... or adjudicating Dance festivals and or competitions in and around the country.

I do get some DANCE type exercise by going to Good Life gym. Just yesterday I went to Zumba, taught by a DANCE teacher friend, Nicole. Tomorrow I hope to get to Body Vive, taught by Theresa... who co-incidentally was a former dance student of mine many moons ago!

I continue to enjoy all the shows revolving around DANCE on TV such as "So You Think You Can Dance",
and "Dancing With The Stars"... and
in addition to that I always enjoy Ellen DeGeneres, who also DANCES on her show daily.
Just last week she  had an inspirational dancer on her show, who was a cancer survivor with one leg, but still TAP DANCING... google the name
"EVAN RUGGERIO" to check his amazing story out.

Also this week I enjoyed a nice lunch outing with my DANCE friend, Brenda... as well as visits with friends Ella and Heather ... friends do help me to TAP into lots of fun as I DANCE through life!

I am hoping that Brian and I will be able to TAP into a dinner this evening to celebrate our FORTY YEARS
of DANCING through Life together!

Next week my sister in law, Arleen, celebrates a milestone birthday... so I hope she TAPS into a wonderful day on October 4th, too!

My life truly is a DANCE...
it is all about the RHYTHM and the RHYME... so on that note, here is my poem of the day!

It isn't really all by chance,
My life is just like one big dance...
When I'm lost in the shuffle,
I don't get in a flap,
I hop, skip and jump all over the map!
I tap into new skills here and there,
I always just wing it, and do it with care!
I live with a leap of faith each day,
It's step after step, all the way.
Some days can be a drag, I know,
But others I kick it up a notch as I go.
My life's like a DANCE, I have found,
From ups and downs... to round after round.
In life there's so many twists and many a turn,
It's how I dance through it, with all that I learn.
Dancing just brings me lots of smiles...
As I shuffle through life's journey and miles!

The KEY to a GOOD LIFE!

"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. when I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life."
-John Lennon

"The key is to keep company with only people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best."
-Epictetus

"Love is the key that opens the heart."
-Author Unknown

LOVE really is the KEY that opens the heart...and makes every day of
LIFE worth while!
Brian and I have been really enjoying our time spent together
lately ... this photo was yesterday on our deck in the sunshine!

Here are some of the many yummy tomatoes from our garden...
and my keys sitting beside with my tag to GOODLIFE Gym!
Healthy food and exercise are two more KEYS to Good Life!

Last Friday I joined my very good dancing buddy, Brenda at a new restaurant
in the city called LEYDA'S.
The restaurant has a KEY to GOOD LIFE philosophy... serving
all healthy organic and gluten free foods.
Their decor has KEYS as an accent, too!

We have shared many Happy Hours
in the lovely weather this summer into fall.
The above two photos were last Friday with my friend, Ella joining us.
The bottom one was yesterday... yummy brochette and wine on the deck!
GOOD FOOD, GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD WEATHER...
more KEYS to GOOD LIFE!

I learn so much from my grandkids, Mariah & Beau about the
KEYS to LIFE...
stay active, be happy, do what you enjoy!

Brian and I took Beau and Mariah out to their favourite restaurant,
Boston Pizza for their Favourite meal, Bugs'n'Cheese,
on Saturday!
Another KEY to GOOD LIFE...
when you find what you like stick with it!

We meet good friends, Bob and Jacquie most Sundays for
breakfast at Fuddrucker's... always so enjoyable.
This past Sunday they brought their out of town friend, Diane, along
to join the festive fun!...
Another KEY to LIFE...
TRADITIONS... and the MORE THE MERRIER!

Family bonding... another KEY to GOOD LIFE!
Monday morning my cousins,
Gwen, Pat, and Bev along with myself were
invited to my sister-in-law, Arleen's house for a family catch up!
(Arleen requested to not be in the photos!!!... but she was there, too!)
KEYS to LIFE...
share family news when ever you get the chance.

This morning I met up with my friends Ella and Heather (above)...
and the gal below here is another HEATHER...and the one who I owe
many of my "STARBUCKS" photo credits to!!!
She is often at Starbucks working on her computer!!!
Another KEY to GOOD LIFE...
whether at work or play,
STARBUCKS goes down very well!

Here is my son-in-law, NELS, who is celebrating his 32nd Birthday today.
I love the chance to craft a card for any occasion...
another KEY... be with who makes you happy...
do what keeps you happy!
We couldn't be more proud and happy to have Nels as our son-in-law.
partner for our daughter, Jana, and daddy to our darling grandkids too!

More randoms from this week of events...
Shuffle, my dog, stealing tomatoes in the back yard,
Brian sitting on Broadway Sunday when out for ice cream,
Yummy Biltmore pizza at Browns's Social House, monday night,
and two new pair of shoes I purchased at my daughter's shoes store,
 SWANK SHOE LOUNGE
yesterday so I can continue to put my BEST FOOT FORWARD
as I continue to follow the KEYS to GOODLIFE
day to day!


Well here it is another blog writing day...
I write my blog to focus on the positives in my life. I do actually cram a lot into my life from blog to blog... or maybe it's just that I take a lot of photos.
I figure capturing my life is not only a way of remembering what I did along the way, it is a
KEY to MY GOOD LIFE!

I did actually get to GOODLIFE GYM yesterday for another wonderful Body Vive class taught by Trent.
I feel so fortunate to belong to that gym because not only are there many good classes, and instructors there, but the people I have met there have all added positive vibes to my life in one way or another.

I have spent a lot of time the past few months evaluating my life, and realizing how GOOD I have it.
I constantly say this, but I do feel blessed to have the best of so many worlds. There are things that are not perfect, but I try to focus on the ones that are positive, and the things that have made me appreciate the GOOD in my life.

I think staying positive and appreciative are two
KEYS to a GOOD LIFE.

I have so many good friends and relatives, and I get to share time with lots of them on a weekly basis.

We have had so much good food, good weather, good company, and so much more lately.
The KEY to good life is that I live in the moment making the most of the best and least of the worst.

Shuffle, my doggie, has been enjoying our tomatoes as much as we have... she scouts out the ripest ones she can find and plays with them like a ball then eats them.
It is funny and entertaining... until she lets a stinky one on the family room!!!

Beau is funny with his long hair...
His philosophy is...
"Long hair... don't care!"

Mariah keeps her self busy in her daily activities from school to dancing...
She is a happy little free spirit always!

We continue to enjoy our daily routine, including happy hours and trips to starbucks and for ice cream 
here and there, mixed in.

Another KEY to my good life is knowing my two kids are happy in their day to day life. We heard from Colin when he called us Sunday from his home in Montreal to share what a great time he just had when his Punk Rock Band toured to Edmonton and Vancouver.

We visited Jana yesterday at her shoes store, 
SWANK SHOE LOUNGE, and she is always busy, between the store and her happy little life with her sweet family. So as a parent it helps me to know my two kids are  enjoying their GOOD LIFE, too!


I have enjoyed lots of the competitive TV shows... DWTS, SYTYCD, AGT, X-Factor... and on and on.
I do love shows where there is music, dance and competition involved. I was especially inspired by Valerie Harper on her first night of DWTS this week. She is 73 years old, living through cancer, but chose to dance...
she said this on the show this week...
"It's good to be alive, and it's better to be dancing."

Life is really like one big dance I figure...
and we continue to learn the KEYS to GOOD LIFE
one step and one day at a time!

Happy Birthday to Nels, my son-in-law, today.
On the 23rd of September my first nephew, Brad,
 will be 38 already, so Birthday wishes to him on that day.


Another KEY to my GOOD LIFE...
is the chance to gather my photos, thoughts,
themes, and quotes here in my blog, and finish it off with a rhyme of the day... so on that note
here is my poem for today!

The key to good life is easy to see,
It's all about being as positive as can be.
Where ever you are, and where ever you go,
The key is keep upbeat, and go with the flow.
Whether at work or whether at play,
Just make the most of every day.
Do the things that make your heart smile,
And follow your heart for mile after mile!

So Many SiGNS!

"Life is one big road with lots of signs. so when you're riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind."
-Bob Marley

"Words are but the signs of ideas."
-Samuel Jackson

"I don't look for signs. But when things happen I say "OK, something must be right." or "OK, something must be wrong."
-Lil Wayne

Here is a great SIGN I saw at Winners the other day,
so I bought it and it is now hanging in my family room!

A couple days ago I was out for coffee at STARBUCKS with cousin GWEN!
I ran into a friend, there named Heather... she is always there!
I guess I am , too... must be a SIGN we both love STARBUCKS... she
is always happy to snap a photo for me, too.
Gwen and I went to Winners and found some
fabulous SIGNS there
after our coffee!

More great signs... oh how I love a quote with a good message!

Another sign from winners... along with some photos of
Mariah off to her first dancing day of the season.
We started at Marble Slab... so she could
"Find her Happiness Within"
...and got ready at her mom's shoe store!

on the left is a favourite photo of all time for me...
and also taken this date 5 years ago the day we got
our boston-pug cross puppy, SHUFFLE...
on the right is a photo of Shuffle today...
these photos are the signs of how much
growth takes place in five short years!

This is a beautiful metal sunshine we gave to our parents-in-law
to hang in their yard... it is a SIGN to remind them of their
SON/ SON-SHINE/ SUNSHINE
Bruce who passed away last month.

I love chocolate...and I love AERO bars...
they were my mom's favourite, too...
when ever I have one, it is a SIGN my mom is near!

I love the SIGN on this t-shirt...
KEEP CALM and SHUFFLE ON!
I am always trying to TAP into my
inner "CALM"!


Today on this FRIDAY the 13th...as I sit to write this blog post, I am drinking coffee from my black polka dot mug that says... KEEP IT SIMPLE! 
Superstitions say Friday the 13th is a SIGN of bad luck...
but I am not too superstitious!

I have had a week filled with signs from here there and everywhere... but continue to TAP into my inner voices and signs...and follow my heart as to where they lead.

I had a fun filled afternoon with my cousin Gwen on Thursday when we met for a STARBUCKS coffee. We went over to Winners afterward and found many wonderful signs and took photos of them, too!!! Funny how a family friend, Heather, is often at Starbucks...must be a sign we both love our coffee!!!... she refers to STARBUCKS as her office... she is always willing to aid me in photos of me with whoever I am there with at the time as I continue to
document my life in photos!

It was this date 5 years ago we purchased our darling little Boston-Pug cross (BUG) puppy. This was my first fall I was to begin as a retired full time dance teacher, so it seemed appropriate that I name my doggie after a favourite tap dance step... "SHUFFLE"!
Hard to believe how much SHUFFLE has grown in those 5 short years... she fills a big space in our hearts as well.

In life there are many signs... and I like to follow where they lead even if they take me on a detour along the way!!!
I try to follow my heart most of the time, because it usually knows where it is going.

On the 11th of August I lost my brother in law, Bruce. so we celebrated his first month anniversary of his passing a couple days ago. We continue to get signs from him as he shines on brightly through the sunshine daily.

Yesterday I was feeling a bit sluggish... which was a sign to get to the gym... I took a zumba class, and it made my heart  smile and my feet too!!! I  always enjoy the classes at GOODLIFE GYM!

On that note... here is my brief poem of the day...

In life there are so many signs...as to where to go,
Some make it easy, and others make it hard to know.
I keep it simple and follow my heart,
That is the best sign to follow from the start!

HaPpY HoUr!

"Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won't have to hunt for happiness."
-William E. Gladstone

"It doesn't matter if the glass is half empty or half full. There is clearly room for more wine."
-Author Unknown

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy."
- Dalai Lama

The view from our deck  yesterday...
this is where we have shared many
HAPPY HOURS
this summer!

Last night we enjoyed the company of good friends, Bob and Jacquie,
 and my brother Brian for a delicious BBQ meal made by my hubby!

This past Wednesday, we got invited to share a HAPPY HOUR
in the back yard of my good friend, ELLA.
We enjoyed our visit so much that we carried it on
on the deck of the restaurant, "PRAIRIE HARVEST"
over a yummy supper there.

We shared some HAPPY HOURS of fun with the Grandkids
this past Thursday when we were up bright and early
to get the kids off to school and daycare.

We picked up the grandkids and stopped by MARBLE SLAB, on
Thursday after school and daycare... where MARIAH and BEAU
found their "HAPPINESS WITHIN...
Both having vanilla ice cream with sprinkles and
and Beau had gummy bears in his, too... that was his favourite part!

Mariah loves to play restaurant, too and here she is as quite the happy
little waitress, with Beau sharing his baggie of fruit loops!

On Mariah's first half day of school this year... we picked her up
and treated her to a HAPPY lunch at one of her favourite spots...
Boston Pizza where she had this yummy looking beverage!

I am always HAPPY when I can share a STARBUCKS with a good friend,
and here I am with dance teacher friend, Barb, from Moose Jaw.
Earlier that day I helped Mariah label school supplies!

Brian and  niece Emily find lots of HAPPINESS fooling around
by teasing each other.
Also in this photo is HAPPY time shared by family
the day after the celebration of Bruce's life held on Sept. 1st.

Some more photos from the CELEBRATION of Bruce.
The family was so HAPPY with how the day went and the
huge turnout of people there, too.

More familiar faces at the Sept.1st
CELEBRATION of Bruce's life.
Lots of HAPPY connections were made that day.

Another HAPPY HOUR celebration...
Friend, Jacquie, had a special afternoon shared with her girlfriends
over a week ago... she is definitely a HOSTESS with the MOSTEST!"


First of all may I say I do enjoy the HAPPiNESS my blog writing brings me. It is a review of the HAPPY things going on in and around my little life these days. I enjoy any HOURS I can spend in HAPPiNESS with family,
 friends or even on my own.

This past summer has seen some lovely weather, where we have been able to share HAPPY HOURS with friends and family on our deck or the decks elsewhere. We enjoy our backyard... it makes us feel like we are on a nice vacation, with our privacy from the trees. We have eaten lots of yummy meals out there this summer as well...
and managed to more than keep our weight up!!!
(not that we were aiming to that!)

This past week since the big celebration of life for my brother in law, Bruce, we have been kept busy doing things we enjoy from looking after the grandkids to sharing times with family and friends.

The fall is always a favourite time of year for me. It is the beginning of a new season. I love the start of many things in fall. I also love the weather in fall, too. So many memories of new beginnings for me.

Yesterday was GRANDPARENTS DAY. We always thank our lucky stars that we have the most wonderful grandkids.
We wish any other grandparents out there reading this blog special recognition too. We feel especially proud to share our dear grandkids with their other grandparents...
Arvid and Nancy. Not only are they great grandparents to Mariah and Beau... but they are good friends to us as well.

I look forward to the beginning of new seasons of some of my favourite TV shows as well as the finales to some I am currently watching. Many HAPPY HOURS for me are provided by TV shows!

I look forward to many more HAPPY HOURS
and TIMES to come...and on that note...
here is my poem of the day!

I am always grateful for the time I can spend,
With a loved one and/or a good friend...
Sitting on a deck somewhere enjoying the sun,
Sipping on a beverage and sharing some fun.
I love every hour I can see the grandkids, too...
I feel so very lucky, those hours are quite a few!
Whether doing things with people I love,
Or enjoying the warmth from the skies up above,
I feel very happy with what my life brings,
And I also do enjoy the songs, that my heart sings.
I do try to make the most of my best...
I also try to stay up beat and not get too stressed.
Having many HAPPY HOURS helps to make me smile,
Those happy little moments help fill me up for a while.
Before too long the snow will fly again...
That is when our HAPPY HOURS will
move from the deck back to the den!