Monday 21 March 2016

Saturdays With Daisy

Sunny Saturday...what better day to take to the open road for a little Jeep therapy. You know the sort of therapy I speak of, right? You put yourself in your vehicle with a big cuppa brown holy water to go, a mitt of cash for those yummy lil provisions found along the way, all your favourite tunes loaded on your ipod ready for the blasting sound you'll sing along with and you head out to wherever a full tank of gas might take you...no plan, no real destination; just drive.

Just Drive.

I have been craving a day like this. A day with only myself. A day to free myself; to run away. To process. To see. To wander. To cry.

I had a great day with Daisy, that's my Jeep, and let me tell ya: she's one trusty girlfriend. We tucked in tightly behind a convoy of muddy Jeeps and tagged along as long as we could, wishing silently we could venture to trails unknown with them. But, a "city Jeep" like Daisy isn't ready for a day of mud just yet...she needs to be toughened up a little...so we tooted, flipped the jeepers sign to the nation and flew on past when they pulled off. I'm pretty sure I heard her whisper "Let's find the ocean" on a break between Johnny Cash songs, so I set my sights on The Bay of Fundy.

Many years ago Mr. PurpleBoots took me to Halls Harbour. A magical little village where the 20 foot Fundy tides leave the boats sitting high and dry; the shoreline is stunning. It's a totally different shoreline than the granite one outside my door. A twisty road that seems to drop off into an abyss as you descend around that last sharp corner where you see "it": that spot that drops your jaw no matter how many times you've seen it before. That tiny little harbour. So. Freaking. Beautiful.


And the beach.


Tetley, my first springy thing, loved it here. A garden of rocks just for her delight. She adored rocks, and in fact, died at age 13 with hardly a tooth in her wee head from chewing and dragging them around for all her years.


The day was sunny and bright but the cold wind howled so my time on the beach was limited...stupid Reynauds Disease. My hands lost circulation in no time flat even in their heavy mitts. I did though drag up a few nice pieces of driftwood, found one piece of seaglass, fell without injuring myself too badly and heard the symphony of melting icicles echo in the wee cave. (um...MAGICAL!!...just sayin')


Daisy clearly had great plans for my therapy. A trip to my favourite bakery yielded the days provisions and treats for my boys at home, a quick pop in to my besties home near Kentville got me a refill of hot water in my Davids tea mug, a pee break and a much needed hug, and of course there was a not-so-quick stop at...you guessed it...Avonport Discount Fabrics.

I know, I know. Try not to wet your pants. I'm still shocked too. I picked up the fabrics for that commissioned T-shirt quilt I've been avoiding and some much needed machine needles. Sensible choices, right?


Um...but then there were all those nice bolts of Kona and I needed some of those in staple shades so I grabbed 4 cuts. And somehow a stack of bolts wound up on my cart that mistakenly got placed on the cutting table and BAM! Before I knew it I had a stack of delicious lil fat quarters handed to me.


Oh well.
Therapy comes in all forms.

People, I have had one helluva month! I stood beside my father who was ravaged with cancer while he died and buried him. I came home "unable to breathe" and barely functioning yet jumped straight back into my work with 12 hour days in a desperate attempt to get caught up. I was absolutely blindsided when I had to unexpectedly bury my uncle/godfather who lived next door to me just one short week later. I have been fretting over Not-So-Little PurpleBoots and his rotting big toe (ugh). Sleep is difficult; concentration harder still. Grief comes like roque waves...out of nowhere and larger than life when it breaks.

So..."F*CK the Stashpocalypse!"

Lucky it was only fat quarters.
Could've been crack.


17 comments:

  1. I love road trips. Sounds like you had a great day. Halls Harbor is one of my favorite places to visit. And love your therapy choices :) You gotta do what you gotta do.

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  2. Sounds like ya had a blast Val! :)

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  3. It sounds like you had a great day. And considering what you've been dealing with, a little bit of fabric is no big deal. Now had you told me you went on a splurge with some Jack....I might be concerned LOL Hang in there. [hugs]

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  4. I loved this post. I also lost my dad very quickly from a very aggressive cancer in June. Your description of grief is spot on! Months later and it still is no easier for me. I agree, screw the stashpocalypse!!!

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  5. I loved this post. I also lost my dad very quickly from a very aggressive cancer in June. Your description of grief is spot on! Months later and it still is no easier for me. I agree, screw the stashpocalypse!!!

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  6. Oh what fun a road trip sounds like! Sometimes you just need to roam when life gets tough. Your retail therapy looks absolutely fabulous, I wouldn't regret it for one second. :) That view of the beach looks absolutely gorgeous, I couldn't imagine living somewhere so beautiful!

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  7. Hey now... no need to drop F-bombs. At least not over fabric. Do what you've gotta do to keep 'er between the poles. If that's a little Jack, or some Jeep therapy (obviously not at the same time), or a wheelbarrow load of FQs... do it. And BTs quite a hugger if you need some DT time. Seriously.

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  8. Life sure does have a way of knocking us down from time to time but I'm glad you're not letting it get the best of you. The day trip with Daisy was a good thing and you needed those fabrics. Sending hugs from New Hampster. <3

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  9. Sounds like you had a perfect day just for you. Your pictures are wonderful and your writing is so captivating.Do you have a book in the works? Love those fabrics...great therapy. Take care!

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  10. So glad you took this day just for you and what better place to go than Halls Harbour, we spent a week two summers in a row staying in the little yellow house at the top of the hill while the boys attended ball camp, that wasn't yesterday so that house could be long gone or certainly not yellow utility oh boy I loved that spot and that beach. I love rocks 😊 your retail therapy is lovely , Avonport is the best ! You take care and here is a virtual hug for you () grief is a process that doesn't happen overnight and we each handle it in our own way .

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  11. Your one day road trip sounds like the right way to treat yourself after a long hard stint with life. Your pictures of Halls Harbour and the beach make me a bit nostalgic this morning. The trees starting to come off of the side... just the thing to remind me of summer days spent playing on those beaches.

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  12. Love those pictures! What great therapy. You earned it.

    I will talk to you later, we will be up in your neck of the woods in sept I think. But we can talk later. Recharge now1

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  13. I trust you will use them wisely. I was with you in spirit, on Monday, when I found some lovely text prints off the beaten path and they followed me home.

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  14. Oh, what a tough month it's been for you. I'm sure the therapy did you a lot of good. Doesn't erase everything else that is going on, but gives you strength to keep going despite everything. And yes, fabric is undoubtedly better than crack! About your sensible choices for t-shirt quilt - there are a couple gems in there... the white on the top right, and the matching gold and red prints with the dots arranged in circles... want!

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  15. Honey, you HAVE had a tough month! I will keep you in my thoughts. So glad you got out to restore your energies. Your pics are great! I'm a little homesick! XO

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  16. You are so right about grief coming in waves and therapy coming in many forms. Sending mega-quantities of hugs. SO glad you and Daisy had that day away.

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  17. Grief hits us at unexpected moments and it sounds like this was the day that you needed. Love your fabric choices and you took me down memory lane with Halls Harbour and Avonport. Miss living in Wolfville. Take care.

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