Stylish Blogger

Who me??  Stylish?  That's the first time I've ever been called that but I guess there's a first time for everything!

Many thanks to both Frances at Island Threads and TS at Casa Mariposa for bestowing me with this honour.

Now this stylish award comes with a set of rules that state I must reveal facts about myself and pass the award along.  But I've decided to muck with the rules a bit.  I realized that I haven't posted a Triumphs and Tragedies in quite some time and now feels like the right moment.  So instead of revealing 7 facts about me here's a list of 7 Triumphs and 7 Tragedies that are revealing in their own way.

Bring on the Tragedies.

1.  The mailbox is gone.  Where it once sat there is only snow.  I saw hubby pawing at the snowbank like a dog digging a hole the other day.  I can only think he was trying to rescue our bills.  Personally I think the bills can stay there until spring.

2.  I turned on the radio last week to hear the announcer say another 40 - 50 centimeters of snow was expected.  That's approximately 16 - 20 inches.  I turned the radio off.  I just couldn't listen any more.  Despite my ignorance is bliss attitude the snow came anyway.  And then just a few days later, it snowed again.  Mother nature is telling me she will not be ignored.

3.  We've been desperate to get out the house and saw there was an auction taking place last weekend.  And there was jewelry listed! Much like the crows I'm enamoured with shiny things.  How excited was I?  But the morning of the auction the snow was blowing at gusts of 90 kilometers per hour and the roads were covered in ice.  Too dangerous to make the long drive to Summerside.  *sigh*

4.  Did I mention I'm getting cabin fever?

5.  I cut some branches last month and brought them into the house hoping to get a bit of greenery.  The buds on the roses, willows and apples all started to slightly expand and then........ nothing.  I guess they would prefer to wait until spring.

6.  The phrase "I know you're busy but we have an urgent request" has been uttered one too many times at my workplace recently.

7.  Despite buying multiple tickets, I have not yet won the lottery.


And now for a little Triumph to balance things out 

1.  Good healthy cat food was on sale.  And there were free samples!  I hate feeding the cats 'junk food' so it's always a bonus when I can feed them well affordably.

2.  Someone brought pretty pink tulips to work and they made me smile.  Spring has to come eventually.

3.  Although we couldn't make it to the auction the wind finally died down in time for us to get to the community sleigh ride.  Have you ever been riding in a horse drawn sleigh through the snow?  It was a wonderful way to spend an evening.

4.  Although I would have liked a shiny new bauble, the money that would have been spent at the auction was saved and put towards my line of credit.  That's much more responsible of me.

5.  We used our time indoors recently to strip wallpaper in the front entrance of the house.  It's a small renovation but already it's made a big difference emotionally.  Now when I walk in the front door of my house I'm looking at something that's 'mine'.  As opposed to walls that were done to someone else's taste.

6.  March came in like a lion, howling winds all last night and 15 more centimetres of snow.  But that means it'll go out like a lamb... right?

7.  I bought another lottery ticket.  You just never know.


Now for the second half of the award.  Here's a short list of some Stylish Blogs I love to read.  Please pay them a visit and say hello.

TS at Casa Mariposa - Although I was nominated by TS I would like to mention her again.  She wrote a wonderful article recently about how dog food helped her roses that both amused and educated me.  Her many tips and thoughts on organic gardening are both useful and inspiring.

Frances at Island Threads - Frances also nominated me for this award but again, she deserves her own recognition.  Frances is a textile artist who gardens on a faraway Scottish island and yet seems so similar to my own island with it's sandy shores and gale force winds. 

Kim at Top of the Meadow - Like myself, Kim and her partner Martin, hail from British Columbia and have replanted themselves here in PEI.  They've taken on a full country life, building a new home, raising animals and driving tractors.  Every day is an adventure and Kim tells it with a quirky sense of humour.

Jodi at BloomingWriter - This was the first garden blog I began reading when I was looking for information about my new climate and gardening zone.  Always a wealth of information and stories about kitties too which I can't resist.

Ed at The Amazing World of Conifers - I've only just recently discovered this blog and I'm thrilled every time Ed writes a new post.  Conifers are often taken for granted but Ed's love of them could turn anyone into an admirer.

Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island - How to make cheese, unusual potting containers, kitchen remodeling and edible flowers.  All this and she runs the Grimy Hands Girls Club!

Bub at I'd Like to Hold a Tarantula -  Bub's husband recently passed away from cancer and her story makes me want to hug my loved ones tight.  Bub has a delightfully wicked sense of humour but she also doesn't shy away from telling it like it is.  The words funny, crass and bittersweet come to mind.

Laurrie at My Weeds Are Very Sorry - A zone 5 garden like my own she has inspired me with how she took a builders lot and is turning it into a garden of her own.  Laurrie has already accomplished a lot but continues to take a hard look at her design and make improvements.

FloridaGirl at Peace in the Valley - When I can't stand the sight of snow one minute longer I know I can always see a beautiful array of photos of tropical plants, greener than my garden will ever be. I have to add that sadly today I read a post from FloridaGirl that indicates she may not be blogging any longer.  She'll be sorely missed.

WiseAcre Gardens - He's a bit of a wise ass (the moniker isn't a coincidence) but he knows a heck of a lot about native plants and mushrooms.  The challenge is whether he can keep the mad mower's path of destruction away from the wildflowers.