One of our recent “Daily Diversions” inspired us with ideas about things to do before Summer is over!  With it being soooo hot the last few days it was the perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy it!  Yesterday, it was off to the Conestoga Conservation Area to cool off in the lake, do some jet skiing and picnic (a sandwich and bottle of water counts as a picnic if you’re sitting at a picnic table, right?).  With the long weekend there’s even more opportunity to squeeze every ounce you can out of Summer… enjoy it so much!

During my holidays last week, I spent a day at the ROM.  In particular to see the “Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army”.  It was quite staggering to be in the presence of such an archeological find!  Makes me want to travel to China to see the actual site… very cool!

http://www.rom.on.ca/terracottaarmy/en/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

Observed annually, June 23rd.

Whatever is eating at you, it’s probably not worth it. Today is the day to let go of your negative emotions and make peace with your past.

I’ve decided to let go of the 7 bucks my brother borrowed from me in 1979 to buy the Eagles “the Long Run”! What are YOU hanging on to?

So, I don’t even watch the show but, somehow, this makes it seem even more ridiculous!  Funny!

http://www.babelgum.com/5002891/kids-reenact-mtvs-the-hills.html

LOVE these kids!

This is Einstein… a contender for the record for smallest newborn horse.  Just some sweetness for a Monday morning…

This little guy brought back one of my favorite childhood memories.  Growing up, although we didn’t live on a farm, we always had horses.  When horse babies arrived, the deal was whoever saw it first got to claim it as their own.  My brothers ALWAYS beat me to it.  I’ll never forget the morning my dad woke me up way before school started and took me to the pasture so I could be the first to see a newborn colt.  He was less than an hour old and I was there to witness him stand for the first time on his wobbly legs and get his bearings.  That left a lifelong impression on me.  (cue Sarah McLachlan’s “Ordinary Miracles”)  BTW… my suggestion of calling him “Pudding” was voted down…

Rhubarb and ginger.  Well, rhubarb when it’s in Strawberry/Rhubarb Jam or my mom’s pie or cake … otherwise, let’s openly admit it, rhubarb really doesn’t have a significant place in our lives.  Until TODAY!  As I tore off the latest page from “The Cupcake Calendar” (a Christmas gift of sublime perfection from my radio sister Lisa Drew) I was awestruck by the featured cupcake for April 23.  Yes, Rhubarb and Ginger Cupcakes!  Whuuuuh??!!  Together?  Initially, it seemed wrong.  Now, I find myself out in the rhubarb patch willing it to grow!  I may break down and buy it frozen (available at Zehrs) because the waiting is the hardest part.  The calendar states the combination of rhubarb and ginger is “magnificent”.  I’m not going to argue.  Once I make them (and they pass the taste test) I’ll share the recipe… candied ginger in the frosting.  Do I have your attention?

Oh, and I peaked ahead to Monday’s cupcake… a variation of the Rhubard Ginger Cupcake but with CUSTARD.  Mmmm… cupcakes…  they are to me what donuts are to Homer.

“I conceive that the land belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are living, and countless numbers are still unborn.”  ~A Chieftan from Nigeria

My blog has been woefully neglected.  You know this.  I know this.  I have no good reason or excuse.  However, I DO have the best reason to get back to it… YOU!  You came through for the kids!!  You heard their stories, you heard their need and you responded.  You responded overwhelmingly and you never fail to amaze me.  I appreciate you and I thank YOU!

Have you watched that show on TLC?  I always think “there but for the grace of God…” I probably have pack rat tendancies but fight those tendancies like crazy!  So… I’m in a perpetual state of “purging” and love any and all organizational tips.  Found this at oprah.com  “Keep It or Toss It”

Get Your Trashbags Ready! Keep It or Toss It?

As you declutter, you’ll face this question over and over (and over) again. Our experts weigh in to help you decide.

By Catherine DiBenedetto

Toss it if…

1. You have twice as many as you need. Take inventory of your duplicate items. If you own enough spatulas and coffee mugs to supply a small diner, it’s time to shed a few.

2. It’s a gift you don’t love. “Sometimes when we give away a present, we feel like we’re giving away the person,” says Elsa Jewett, a feng shui consultant based in Denver. Remind yourself it’s just an object.

3. It’s not worth repairing. Search for similar items on eBay; if your item’s current value is less than the cost of repairing it (hello, broken printer from 2004), then toss and replace. Otherwise, give yourself a deadline. If you don’t get around to fixing the thing within six months, you can probably let it go.

4. Your gut says lose it. Don’t second-guess your instincts. “A lot of people worry they’ll have regrets,” says life coach Gail Blanke, author of Throw Out Fifty Things. “They’re afraid that one day they’ll need that exact thing. But 99 percent of the time you just don’t.”

5. You don’t know what it is. UPOs (unidentified plastic objects) get 30 days. If they’re still a mystery one month later, dump ‘em.

Keep it if…

1. It’s sentimental gold. “The more memorabilia you have, the less emotionally valuable each individual item becomes,” says Emily Wilska, an organization consultant in San Francisco. Instead of saving every card your beloved uncle ever sent, pick the one that captures his spirit best.

2. It fits your life today. Your possessions should support who you are right now, not the person you were five years—or five pounds—ago. Your ten-year-old LBD that still looks great? It stays.

3. You think it’s gorgeous (even if no one else does). Stuff that makes you smile—like the glittery clothespin reindeer your child made in third grade—doesn’t count as “clutter.”

4. You’d buy it again. It’s tough to be objective about your own belongings. So ask yourself, What would I do if I saw this in a store?

5. You’ll find a place for it. “Putting it back in a box is just predisposal,” says Erin R. Doland, author of Unclutter Your Life in One Week!! Any item worth keeping is worth creating a space for.

Where to donate all the things you’ve just gotten rid of (really, don’t just throw them away!)

Video: Declutter Your Coffee Table >

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