A "FLURRY" of FuN & HaPpiNeSs!

My little Mary Engelbreit Quote calendar 
said this yesterday...
"Some cause HAPPINESS where ever they go."-Oscar Wilde


FLURRY- a brief snowfall
-a sudden burst or commotion a stir!
(perhaps from "FLURR" to scatter!)


My household has seen a real FLURRY 
the last couple of days and this morning it snowed... so FLURRY seemed 
appropriate for today's theme!
I took a FLURRY of photos, too... 
here are just a SCATTERING 
of the ones I took!

Mariah catching "ANGEL KISSES"
on her tongue during a little snow FLURRY
on Tuesday with Beau watching her from inside! 

A little mid day bubble bath for Beau,
while Mariah stepped in to get her feet wet! 

Beau loves water... you can see here by his smile! 

Beau with the Ducky on his head 

Beau snuggling with his milk, blankie,
and Uncle Brian! 

My niece Rowen and Mariah in a couple of old
Dance costumes of Jana's from back in the day
with a FLURRY of dance routines and performances! 

Beau hiding behind the couch! 

Making a parade with the little toys! 

Me and my "OWIE" on my nose, holding Beau! 

The kids watching TV and giggling! 

Jana and Mariah yesterday when the kids
got dropped off here
for  another FLURRY of FUN TIMES! 

My brother Brian here for day 2 of
 fun and happiness with the kidlets! 

Beau having a little Stroller ride with
Mariah's LaLaLoopsie dollie! 

One of the very few HEALTHY things consumed
Beau loves BROCCOLI! 

Mariah , Rowen and Beau in a little fort they made
with their snack of popcorn twists! 

Mariah creating dances in the basement
her arm looks a bit distorted here!!! 

Mariah smiling and dancing in
the Shamrock shades and her new
 Tinker Bell flip flops! 

The soundtrack for the last couple days... lots of these songs
sum up the moods of the two fun filled days!
(This is an old CD from my collection that
Mariah seems to pick out
a lot to play for her dances!!!)


Today as I sat down to yet another blog...
it was snowing big huge light and fluffy snowflakes outside!
This gave me the theme idea for my
FLURRY of activity I have had here the
last couple of days!

I was to have babysat only BEAU
for the four days this week...
but instead it became Beau and Mariah
for yesterday and the day before
along with tomorrow...
but I got today off!

I love my grandkids... but was once again reminded why I had my children
when I was
 in my twenties!!!
Their never ending energy causes me
to run out of my energy pretty fast!!!
I not only had my grandkids here...
but both days my brother, Brian,
popped by for a visit each morning...
and my niece Rowen came by
both afternoons to play with the kids too.
My sister-in-law, Brenda stopped
in for coffee yesterday as well.

I decided rather than write out
all the things we did... I would write out a "FLURRY" of words that pretty
much describe the two days...

In RANDOM order!...
grandkids, fruitloops, lucky, camera,
movies, toys, sticky fingers,
popcorn twists, climbing, running,
hugs, stickers, diapers,wet ones,
crayons, crafts, scissors, tape,
tv, printed color sheets, trucks, cars,
tinker bell flip flops,
 balloons, snuggles, kisses,
bubble baths, duckies, books, stories,
tears, tantrums, smiles, giggles,
broccoli, cheese, chocolate chip cookies, baking, snacks, juice boxes, fruit roll ups,
extreme cheddar fishy crackers,
visitors, dances, costumes, make up,
set ups, parades, forts, stroller rides, performances, pop, puppy in kennel, music,
dollies, blankies, bottles, sippy cups, mischief,
big mess, kisses from heaven, snow flakes!

So today I am actually enjoying
a little calm before the FLURRY
continues again tomorrow!
I went to the gym this morning, too...
because I ate as many, if not more,
snacks than the kids the last
couple of days...
but I think I needed it
to keep my energy up!

There is a saying about
 SNOWFLAKES being like
KISSES FROM HEAVEN...
I have had lots of thoughts of my
loved ones from above lately in the
form of snowflakes and dreams.
And I know my parents are with me
daily in spirit for sure!

So on that thought ...
here is my rhyme of the day...

Whenever I babysit...
there is a FLURRY of FUN...
Provided by my grandkids,
yep... from each one!
MARIAH loves to craft, to put on make up,
and also sing and dance,
BEAU is like a whirlwind babbling,
climbing, running and is gone in a glance!
Once kids were practical,
and on their feet wore socks,
They drank their juice from a sippy cup,
instead of out of a box!
Cereal's were healthier,
not sugary LOOPed in sweets!
And apples were the snack of choice,
and not so many treats!
But even though my grandkids
keep me busy as can be,
I wouldn't have them any other
way than that, you see!
There's always a FLURRY of FUN and HAPPiNESS whenever they are here,
I cherish time I spend with them,
because they are so dear!

Going with the FLOW!

"Go with the FLOW." 
-Proverb


"Of all the five vital principles, LOVE is the foremost. It is still love that FLOWS as the under current for the other four values. How does it FLOW this way?" 
-Sir Sathya Sai Baba


"A laugh, to be joyous must flow from a joyous heart, for without kindness, there can be no joy." 
-Thomas Carlyle

Mariah and Jana joined me for the
FAMILY DAY BODY FLOW
class at GOODLIFE GYM
yesterday.

Mariah looking happy just before the
FLOW class yesterday! 

Mariah and Beau here for supper on Sunday night.
A little sisterly loving was all part
of the FLOW of the evening! 

Mariah spinning Beau around on the chair...
check out the FLOW to her hair in the breeze! 

ELLEN had these TuTu cuties on once again yesterday...
They are becoming part of the regular FLOW of her show! 

ELLEN shared another cute pic of the
TWO ENGLISH cuties, SOPHIA GRACE and ROSIE,
 on the red Carpet at the Grammies...
Ellen seems to just love these two...
as do I!
 

For those of you who missed my Valentine's day blog,
Here is the picture we received from my son COLIN
that day with his girlfriend, CARO.
These two seem so happy together in Montreal.
We also chatted with him on the phone last week, too!

This 42" by 33" framed masterpiece of Bobby Orr's
signed Boston jersey along with photo of his famous
1970 winning goal at the Stanley Cup...
was a prize Brian got for a contest at his dealership.
He is pretty proud of this and is planning
 to send it to Colin who will also love it!


Today's blog is all about
going with the FLOW!

Normally at this time on a tuesday
I would be going to a FLOW class
at the gym, but this week my
gym plans are on the back burner,
as I am babysitting all week.

Yesterday was FAMILY DAY
so it was a holiday, and Jana's store was closed. So she and Mariah joined me for a specially designed BODY FLOW class
for families at GOODLIFE GYM.
I felt so honored to be doing a class
with my two girlies. When they played my favorite ANGEL song for the cool down,
I even felt my mom's presence
with us there, too...
making it a 4 generation class for us!!!

Just on Saturday night I had a
very real DREAM with my mom in it.
It felt great to hang out with her even
if it was only a DREAM.

Often when I'm here at the computer
doing my blog, I hear the same tune
from a bird outside my window, too.
I believe that is mom and or dad
singing to me!

I enjoyed a Starbucks coffee visit
with my cousin Gwen on Sunday,
followed by a yummy supper here.
My brother Brian and Jana, Nels and
their kids joined us for that.
I'm so lucky my hubby is such a
good cook and enjoys doing that as well!

A couple of weeks ago I visited
a skin specialist and am now being
treated for a suspicious mark on my nose.
The specialist said it looked as though
it could be "PRE- CANCEROUS"...
so I now have cream to apply twice
a day to that. She also told me it
 would form an ugly scab...
(which it now has)...
so I will just go with the flow on that!
It looks unsightly, but it is a sign
that it will get better... so all is good!

Yesterday I found that my email account
had been hacked into... and some weird
and strange emails were FLOWING through. Today the problem continues... hmmmm...
this is not only annoying, it is frustrating.
I want to apologize if it has caused
anyone's email accounts any
inconveniences... just do not open any suspicious mail from me!!!

For today Jana is taking Mariah to work
with her, but will be dropping off Beau
very soon. We sent Shuffle to
doggie daycare for the day
for her to have a big play
with her doggie friends!

I am quite sure my day will have
a real FLOW to it chasing after Beau...
and I will capture many of those pictures
on my camera. I am guessing I may
not get another blog up
until the weekend now...
but will have plenty of fun stuff
to share for my next one
when ever I get around to it.

I hope everyone's spring break
FLOWS along well for them...
and on that note...

This week I'm off my schedule,
but I'll go with the FLOW.
I'm babysitting grandkids...
so much fun, I know!
It's sometimes very tiring,
and my energy runs out,
But I will make the best of it,
and still have fun no doubt.

SmaLL PLEASURES!

Today my little Quote calendar said this...
"Life is made up of small pleasures."


Then I looked up quotes about "small pleasures" and found more to this quote ...
... "Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don't collect all the tiny successes, the big ones don't really mean a thing."
 -Norman Lear


"Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures."
-H. Jackson Brown

Beau and I were both entertained with a little game of
"PEEK- A- BEAU!"
last night... SMALL PLEASURES...
 bring BIG SMILES!

Mariah and I did a little stop at
 the STARBUCKS on Broadway,
on route to her dancing lesson on Wednesday.
All those things bring me
SUCH PLEASURES!

I got this CD by one of my many musical favorites,
PAUL McCARTNEY at Starbucks.
This is a CD so suited to my tastes in so many ways,
I have listened to it a lot in the last couple days,
and it has brought me GREAT PLEASURES! 

At a Dr.'s appointment on thursday...
this board in the little room brought me PLEASURE,
 so I photographed it! 

It always brings me PLEASURE when Mariah
wants to put on her mommy's old dance costumes
and perform for me! 

Mariah after dancing on Wednesday...
 she loves to wear jammies,
and dance away.
Her free spirit and natural love of performance,
bring me so much PLEASURE...
(Technique can come later!) 

Those BIG BROWN EYES...
not only bring me PLEASURE...
they melt my heart! 

BEAU is all BOY...
and it brings him PLEASURE
 to ride on his truck!

Last night BEAU had more PLEASURE
spreading his popcorn twists all over the rug,
than eating them! 

Last night my niece, ROWEN, popped by and was
playing games with BEAU.
It brought me PLEASURE watching the 2 together! 

BEAU idolizes his big sister, who he clearly calls "RIAH".
I think he was hoping for a little lick of her popsicle here!
These two bring me BIG PLEASURES!


Today as I thought of a theme for my blog,
I noticed the saying on my calendar
and it gave me the perfect inspiration
for the "SMALL PLEASURES"
theme of the day!

Wednesday I took Mariah to her
weekly dance lesson and we stopped at STARBUCKS
on our way. My blog readers all know that Starbucks always brings me PLEASURE!

 I bought the new PAUL McCARTNEY CD there... which is quickly becoming a new favorite
 CD for me. I love that he is doing a
jazz styling along with a few of my other favorite artists, too...
Diana Krall, and Stevie Wonder!
"PLEASUR-IFFIC!"

Following Mariah's lesson, she came
back here for the rest of the afternoon.
She loves to get into jammies and get comfy. She also loves to dance and perform,
which she was particularly into this week.
She even got on one of her mommy's
old dance costumes from back in the day.
It brings me such PLEASURE to see
her perform with so much heart...
she is truly a real little free spirit...
and that is one of the many things
I appreciate about her.
She brings me so many pleasures!

Yesterday was filled with pleasures
from start to finish...
I enjoyed a great Body Flow class at
Goodlife Gym to start off the day.

A former dance student, LLOANNE,
from my studio days in the 1980's,
popped by for a very fun visit.
Hard to believe how much time as passed,
but we just picked up where we left off.
I always loved her spirit as well,
and nice to see, some things
in life never change...
She brought me lots of pleasure!

I joined my good buddy and dance friend, BRENDA for a quick little visit over
a latte in the afternoon.
We always enjoy any pleasures
we can share over a STARBUCKS!

In the evening Brian and I shared
babysitting duties with our grandkids...
He took Mariah to a BLADES HOCKEY GAME!
I chose to stay home with BEAU here.
My niece ROWEN and my two sisters-in-law,
BEV and BRENDA popped by for a visit.

I always find the visits with family
and friends bring me SMALL PLEASURES!

I did my WW weigh in of the month today
and lost a pound this past month...
and although that is not a lot...
It brought me SMALL PLEASURE to know the scale number didn't climb this month!

Now I am off to another great class
at the gym followed
by a coffee with my friend, ELLA!

So on that note...
Here is my poem of the day!

So many things in my life bring me
SMALL PLEASURES...
From people, to things...
and many wee treasures!
I'm reminded again and again
every day,
That I am lucky and blessed
in a very big way.
And often the people,
who are now still so small,
Bring me the
BIGGEST PLEASURES of all!
Throughout this life
I have learned a great deal...
From the PLEASURES I have,
and how they make me feel!

"LOVE" that... "BEAN" there!

VALENTINES DAY was a day
"FULL of BEANS"...
and LOVE!
from coffee BEANS, to gourmet JELLY BEANS,
 to pickled BEAN salad for supper! 

LOVE that....
my sisterfriend, LYNNE, from Regina
came to share a fun Girlfriend bond day.

LOVE that...
Lynne tagged along with her hubby, Mike,
yesterday when he came to the city for some meetings. 

LOVE that....
my son, Colin sent me a beautiful email yesterday,
including the first picture we have seen of his girlfriend, CARO.
They have been together for about a year (to my knowledge!) 

LOVE that....
Mariah liked her valentine gift of the little cupcake kit.
Jana texted a picture of her making them
with a smile of pride on her face! 

LOVE that...
today I get to take Mariah to her dancing lesson.
I created some little treat baggies for her to share
with her dancing buddies! 

LOVE that...
ELLEN continues to have these TUTU cuties on her show.
They are always FULL OF BEANS! 

LOVE that...
ELLEN had Sophia Grace and her cousin Rosie
doing the GRAMMY red carpet,
and shared that on her show yesterday! 

LOVE that...
ROSIE O'DONNELL did a fabulous
interview with TONY BENNETT on her
Monday show. 

LOVE that...
I can create fun little cards and things on this fun website
called DESIGN HER GALS
which raises money in aid of breast cancer.


On Valentine's Day my little angel quote calendar said this...

"LOVE is a path to the heart
that knows it's own way. "
-Lamar Cole

With yesterday being the celebration LOVE,
I definitely had a LOVE filled day
for sure in so many ways!

Normally Tuesdays are a big gym
day for me, but this week,
our former next door neighbors,
LYNNE and MIKE made a trip
to the city from Regina.
Mike had meetings all day,
so Lynne tagged along to  have a
GIRLFRIEND BOND day with me!

We had lots to catch up on and
shared it over a little GAL-avanting...
 shopping, lunching, coffeeing,
and just plain having lots of fun!

I received a great email from my son,
Colin, who is not usually a
 computer kind of guy.
He sounded so happy in his words
and also shared the photo I included
above of him with his girlfriend, Caro.
 I LOVE it when ever he connects with us.

I had given Mariah and Beau
little gifts for valentine's day
and one of the things in the package
was a cupcake making kit for
Mariah to make with her mommy.
I LOVED that I got a text from Jana
 including a picture of Mariah
happily making those, too!

I received a nice Valentine card
in the mail from my FB sisterfriend,
Arlene K. in Penticton.
... I just LOVE cards when ever
I receive them!!!...
But who doesn't LOVE to get "real" mail
now a days!

My thoughtful hubby gave me
a nice jar of GOURMET JELLY BEANS
along with a very sweet valentine card, too.
He thought it through carefully,
knowing I am trying to watch my weight...
he chose Jelly Beans over
chocolate this year!
I appreciate the THOUGHT...
it is always the THOUGHT
that counts, right?!

I LOVE that I have PVR and
record many shows I LOVE on TV
to watch at my convenience.
Yesterday I enjoyed the ELLEN
Valentine's show, with the two
charming little girls from
ESSEX ENGLAND,
SOPHIA GRACE and her little cousin, ROSIE!
These little girls in their array of
colorful TuTus... just are truly
full of BEANS always and
so entertaining.
ELLEN has sure featured them
a lot this season, too.
They are just TuTu cute!

I LOVE that ROSIE O'DONNELL
had a fabulous and informative hour long interview with TONY BENNETT
on her Monday show.
I LOVE TONY... he is such a true icon.
He is 85 years old and won 2 grammys at Sunday evening's Grammy Awards
for his recent Duets CD
which came out this past fall.
Not only is he a talented musician
and down to earth quality nice guy...
he is also an amazing painter and artist, too.
I was fortunate enough to catch his concert when he performed in Saskatoon
a few years ago, and he really is an entertaining legend for sure.
I decided to make his two duet CDs the soundtrack background to my blog writing today... LOVE them!

Today I will pick up Mariah from
her mommy's shoe store and take
her to her dance class.
I put together some little valentine
treat baggies for Mariah to take
for her dancing friends, too.
I LOVE every chance to do
that sort of thing when ever I can!

Last night I enjoyed a nice stay
at home evening with my hubby
as we watched a movie together
on netfix... called
"NO STRINGS ATTACHED"
Always nice to do things together...
especially on VALENTINE'S DAY!

"We can only to LOVE by LOVING."
-Iris Murdock

I hope all my blog readers had a
LOVING sort of
VALENTINE'S CELEBRATION, too.

On that note...

Another VALENTINE'S DAY
has come and gone...
So it's time to SHUFFLE along
and now move on!
I enjoyed the LOVE I received
from where it came.
I enjoy a celebration...
and the those who do the same.
Friends and family are special
I've always found,
And LOVE is still what
makes the world go round.
I'll carry the passion,
where ever I may go,
I enjoy what I am into
and to share it, you know!
And it is especially fun,
to do this and share...
With whoever has interest
and seems to care.
Thanks to all my blog readers,
whoever you are....
I appreciate you reading from
near and from far!

LOVE & COMPASSiON

"At the end of the day LOVE and COMPASSION will win." -Terry Waite


"All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness. The important thing is they should be part of our daily lives." 
-Dalai Lama

Valentine gifts of LOVE and COMPASSiON! 

A special outing for coffee at "The Roastery"
 this morning with my two Girlies...
Daughter, JANA and Grandaughter, MARiAH.
It was a morning of LOVE filled sweetness!
 

Mariah with her hot chocolate topped with fluff and sprinkles...
What's not to LOVE about that?!!! 

A little GRANDKID crafted Valentine
for Jana and Nels of their kids!
I LOVE to craft... especially with pics of my cuties! 

A GRAMMiE D VALENTINE for
MARIAH! 

A GRAMMiE D VALENTINE
for BEAU! 

Yesterday I gave into a couple of
cravings...
homemade chocolate chip cookies
and a Starbucks chai tea latte...
A combination of LOVE! 

Jana's bedroom still has her
WHITNEY HOUSTON Banner
from a concert we went to in 1991 hanging on her wall.
Mariah LOVES to play in her mommy's old bedroom. 

Another WHITNEY HOUSTON Memory...
Jana did a small jazz group in 1993
with five of her dance studio buddies to
"I'M EVERY WOMAN"
You gotta LOVE the styles of the 90's!!!

My blog wouldn't be complete without a pic of me and my
VALENTINE and LOVE of my LIFE...
My hubby Brian
Every day I am grateful for his
LOVE and COMPASSION.


Today's blog is all about LOVE
with tomorrow being
VALENTINE'S DAY!

This past weekend the world
was saddened by the sudden death
of another musical icon and legend...
WHITNEY HOUSTON.
I had done my previous blog in tribute
to the GRAMMYS which aired on TV
last night. I wrote that blog just hours
before hearing the news of
Whitney's untimely passing.

From last night's Grammy show,
it was obvious how much
LOVE and COMPASSION
surrounded the loss of this
amazing iconic performer.

I truly enjoyed the whole show
last night and it made me realize just how much I LOVE music of so many genres.

It was nice to see my childhood idol,
PAUL McCARTNEY of THE BEATLES,
honored and see him perform
a couple of numbers in
the three and a half hour broadcast.
His final song was the show closer
ending with the famous words off their
 Abby Road album...
"And in the end, the LOVE you take,
is equal to the LOVE you make."
Paul also sang a new tune written in
a jazz styling for this valentine's day,
and performed with another
one of my iconic favorites...
JAZZ PIANIST, DIANA KRALL.

The evening was jam packed with talents
and all very entertaining,
with the GRAMMY big winner of the year
being a 24 year old singer from England
who goes by the name ADELE.
She won all 6 awards
she was nominated for.

JENNIFER HUDSON did a
stunning tribute to
WHITNEY HOUSTON
by singing her biggest hit of all time...
"I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU"
from the classic movie
"The Body Guard".
It is so ironic that Whitney's
body guard discovered her dead
just this past saturday.
The world will always love
Whitney even though she had a bit
of a troubled life.

Today they were featuring a tribute
to her life on Serius XM radio,
which I have access to in my car only.
The announcers made a good point,
in that we often wait until someone is gone before we really get caught up
in sharing the love.
How very true that is.
I was once again reminded what an
amazing voice WHITNEY had
as I listened to her many great
hits played as I was
driving along in my car.
I have some of those record albums
in my garage from the days
when we still used turntables!

Jana and I went to a WHITNEY HOUSTON concert in the summer of 1991
and absolutely LOVED it.
Now that is such a cherished
memory for us. The souvenir banner
we purchased at that concert
still hangs on Jana's old bedroom wall!

This morning I received an inbox
facebook message from one of the dancers
in Jana's 1993 small jazz group
reminding me of what fond memories,
those girls shared dancing to
Whitney's "IM EVERY WOMAN".
Thanks KIM for reminding us of 
that fun time again!

This morning I received a very
sweet phone call from MARIAH saying
she missed me and wanted to see me.
I ended up meeting her and her mommy
for a special pre valentine coffee at the Roastery, a locally owned coffee place.
I LOVE when things like that happen...
it made me feel so LOVED
and proud to be a GRAMMIE!

I spent some time crafting some
valentines for my grandkiddies yesterday
... I LOVE getting a chance to utilize
some of the many photos I take
along with my many crafts into some cards!
I delivered those to Jana and Mariah this morning, too, with some roses
for my two girlies for Valentine's day.

Yesterday I had a craving for
chocolate chip cookies,
and finally broke down and made some...
I LOVE them... they are my fav!
We had my brother Brian over for supper
last night, so I sent the remainder home
with him so I didn't end up
eating the entire batch!
I always LOVE when he drops over,
too... we had a nice visit!

Saturday we enjoyed a great meal out
with friends, JOAN and GERRY.
I LOVE when we get the chance
to do things with friends!

Tomorrow my good friend from Regina,
LYNNE, is coming to the city
for a little VALENTINE'S DAY
girlfriend bond!
I LOVE connecting with her as
 we always have fun whenever
we get together, too!

I feel grateful for having a LOVING family
and so many great friends in my life
to share the
LOVE and COMPASSION
with always...
and although I do not always say it
I need to share the LOVE more often!

Yesterday my next door neighbor, Cheryl posted this on her facebook page...
"Live without pretending.
Love without depending.
Listen without defending.
And speak without offending."
-Author Unknown

I thought those were great
words of wisdom and wanted to share!

I have been thinking a lot, too,
about how without COMPASSION...
it is hard to have PASSION...
so on that note...
continue to be COMPASSIONATE
about all that you LOVE,
and TAP into your PASSIONS in life!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
to all my blog readers
out there whoever you are!
 I hope to keep on spreading
lots of LOVE & COMPASSION
through my blog!

It's fun to share
with the ones who care,
And to live each day with
LOVE and FLAIR!
Live each day from the very start,
With all the LOVE you have in your heart,
Let your PASSION shine right through,
With all the things you say and do.
You really cannot go far wrong,
When sharing some LOVE
through a little song...
Sing and Dance in your own fashion...
And live your life with
LOVE & COMPASSION!