Sentimental Journey

Thanksgiving Greetings!

This was Saturday night's sunset :) Closing the blinds at the back of our house, I was struck by it's beauty and ran out immediately, camera in-hand. A short while later, I poured a hot bath, lit a candle and was lost in my latest Harry Potter book. The days are noticeably shorter and colder temperatures will soon follow, but if there's one thing we readers are able to appreciate, it's the fact that we can now curl up under a blanket (or in the tub :) with a good book for the next few months: guilt-free! That nagging feeling that we should be outside going for a walk, weeding, watering etc. is silenced for the time-being. I've had a number of very interesting discussions lately while waiting in line at the grocery store and in the local shops, regarding this very subject. It seems I am not alone in welcoming the opportunity to slow down after a busy summer. If only winter wasn't waiting in the wings, we'd all enjoy it that much more..!

Seeing as it's Thanksgiving, I thought I'd take a moment to consider 

the numerous ways my life has been blessed in the past year.
There are of course others, but these are the biggies.

- After 4 grueling years, our daughter graduated from University this spring 

and is now employed as a registered nurse in an intensive care unit.

- Our son made some hard choices and has done a complete 180 in life, 

something we are enormously thankful for.

-We got a dog! Despite all my complaints and reservations lol,

she has brought a lot of joy and laughter into our lives.

Here is Emma, trying on her Halloween costume!

-We both lost weight this past year, my husband 30 pounds and I, 15.
As we age, it sure gets harder to take it off once you've put it on...

-I started a blog October 19 of last year. 

This has had it's good points and bad... but mostly good :)

As a result, I have become much more mindful of the moments in life;
our days do indeed slip by like "sands through the hourglass"...

It's also given me a creative outlet and served to hone my writing skills.

  

Here's a bit of the quick trip we took this past week.
We set off to Nelson on Tuesday, making a pit stop in Nanton,
which is approximately 4 hours south of Edmonton.

If you are ever in the area, Sentimental Journey is one antique store definitely worth visiting.

It's situated in what's known as the Keeley Building, circa 1909.
The main floor originally served as a hardware store, the upstairs was later converted
into apartments which housed officers assigned to the nearby aircrew training base.
Interestingly, Nanton's town motto is "Where History Lives"

These pictures were all taken in the upstairs suites.

Each is unique and surprisingly spacious, yet cosy.

It's like walking back in time.

Love this cute little working kitchen,
but can you imagine no doors on any of your cupboards...!

Cola for two?

A very unique use for an old crib...!

Fantastic place, but seeing as there were many miles yet to travel,

we had to bid Sentimental Journey a fond farewell sooner than we may have liked...

The next day, these treasures were purchased in Creston, BC,
at separate antique (junk lol) establishments:

I now have a second amber seal,

one more makes a collection lol!  

This is Frankoma pottery which is no longer in production.
Each piece is numbered. I've been collecting Prairie Green for about ten years,
but rarely come across it. This creamer makes twelve pieces so far.
I realize I could very easily purchase it through various sources on the net,
but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun as finding the occasional piece in my travels.

I also picked up this book for .50
Alice Munro is a Canadian author of much acclaim,
having won the Governor General's Award, the Giller and Man Booker Prizes,
(to name a few) however, I don't recall having ever read anything by her.
When looking for books, I often refer to lists I carry with me detailing authors & book titles
I want to read... I have a good memory, but it's short!
One list I've been carrying around for years is the Top 100 Books
"you should read before you die" lol

Last week I discovered a fantastic tool via Stumble Upon, whereby you
enter the name of a book you really enjoyed (or an author you love) and a database
of books of similar style, as voted on by readers, is produced. I have plugged in a number
of books and authors and printed off the lists - hopefully I will stumble upon a
few good books in the process!

Here's the link if you want to give it a try:

"What Should I Read Next?"


Enjoy your day!

In case you're wondering, we did eventually get to Nelson,
and I will share that with you next post :)