Platt Discovery Cottage

Cottage Moment

Taking a cue from the wonderful Soulemama, Fridays will be a single photo, no words, capturing a moment of time during our week.

(in the neighbour’s driveway)

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Add comment April 9th, 2010

Easter

I was going to post a bit here about our Easter celebration. However, no one takes photos better than my cousin Hilary and she beat me to it. Check out Bug & Fuss at Easter over on her blog:

http://thesmittenimage.blogspot.com/2010/04/tiny-cousins-and-big-ones-too.html

While there, if you have time, poke around - her nature photos are phenomenal!

Enjoying the journey, Amanda

Add comment April 8th, 2010

I don’t usually get excited about travel mugs (in fact I think they are ugly but functional) but my really good friend turned up with this for me the other day and I have to say I’m really excited about it. Kirsten works as a therapist for children with autism. Her office sells these mugs to raise money for autism.

Kirsten knows how much I love green so she chose the perfect one. The lid fits absolutely perfectly and it’s really easy to open and close. It’s big enough to fit a grande latte from Starbucks, which makes it ideal for me.

I’m sure you have seen these before, but they are new to me. If you are, in fact, seeing this for the first time and would like one the contact information is: michella@potterytravelmugs.com

Enjoying the journey, Amanda

Add comment April 7th, 2010

Book: The Poacher’s Son

poacher I received this book as an ARC from Barnes and Noble. It’s a great read. It’s in a genre I don’t usually enjoy. It’s a mystery as in the who-done-it style which isn’t my favourite sort of book.

This one was quite well written and it had the advantage of being totally presented through the main character. The reader had no more information than the main character did. I find so often in mystery novels the reader kind of knows what’s going on and we are left to watch the main character bumble around trying to figure it out for him/herself. I don’t find that fun reading.

Mike is searching for his eestranged father after his father leaves a strange message on his answering machine. Believing his father needs him, Mike lets his life crumble around him while he sets out to find his father and prove the man’s innocence in a local crime. The most interesting part for me was the loss of all Mike’s surroundings, his house, his family, his girlfriend, and how it all comes back together, supposedly. In talking with the author it turns out he’s been slated to write a series with Mike as the character. It will be the same genre and they will each be set in a season. This one was summer. I like that - anything seasonal makes me want to read it. Mike is a Maine game warden, so the seasons will greatly affect him. I think I will read the future installments.

So, if you are interested in mysteries, give this one a go!

Enjoying the journey, Amanda

Add comment April 5th, 2010

Cottage moment

cottage moment

Taking a cue from the wonderful Soulemama, Fridays will be a single photo, no words, capturing a moment of time during our week.

1 comment April 2nd, 2010

scrapbook catch up

One of my absolute favourite hobbies is scrapbooking. I’ve been doing it for years. However, it’s been almost a year since I’ve done any scrapbooking at all. I’ve just not felt motivated. Perhaps I’ve been in a rut, or uninspired or some such thing.

However, the other day I just felt like scrapbooking. Maybe it’s my new scrapbook room that makes working so lovely. But, I finished my pages for January 2009. I didn’t have many, so it was a quick project, but it seems to have started the scrapbooking bug up again and I hope to finish all of ‘09 by the end of spring!

Here are the pages I did for the few photos I had for January:

Enjoying the journey, Amanda

Add comment March 31st, 2010

not letting go of winter

This was Bug’s first year skiing. I don’t think she wants the season to end. She really took to the sport and was amazingly proficient at it. She’s also amazingly proficient at maintaining the look. She got these all by herself out of the garage and mostly had herself outfitted. Colin caught her at the last minute and she was so proud of herself that he couldn’t bear not to help her finish getting outfitted. She spent some time struggling through the backyard terrain until she decided it just wasn’t the same and let Daddy put it all away until next year.

Enjoying the journey, Amanda

1 comment March 29th, 2010

knitting circle

I re-joined a knitting circle I belonged to years ago. Actually, it was when I was pregnant with Bug. that I left the group. I wasn’t knitting as much as the birth came closer as I wanted to spend every possible minute with Fuss. However, I’ve been really wanting to knit more complicated projects than blankets so I thought the encouragement and tutoring would be a good idea. The woman who runs it is a fabulous, master knitter. She goes around the table helping those who have questions. It’s also a wonderful social time as it’s quite a large group. Amazingly enough, when I walked in a few weeks ago, most of them remembered me. Wow. I thought there would be no way after over four years, but that’s knitters for you!

So, what am I working on???? Well…….

That’s just a fraction and they are projects I’ve had sitting around for some time now! This display consists of 4 pairs of thrum mittens, one pair of cuddly mittens, two wee sweaters and a knitted play farm . All in various stages of completion, or needing to be put on needles. I promise to post as I complete them with the help of master knitter Gloria. Who did crocheted button holes the other day for me. That’s right - I’ve been knitting all these years and I’ve no clue how to crochet.

Enjoying the journey, Amanda

1 comment March 28th, 2010

Alice in Wonderland

alice

Colin and I went on a double date with my cousin and her husband to see this movie. We bought our tickets first and then ran to grab a bite to eat. Our sitter was a running behind so we didn’t have much time. The tickets for the movie are incredibly expensive up here. I think they were 15.50 each. We got to the restaurant and found out we could have bought them with our meal for $7. Too bad. Well, we know for next time! We had such a great time and I loved the movie. I loved the self-absorbed personality of the red queen! I do think she may have been my favourite character, although the Cheshire cat was quite quaint.

I think Depp’s role wasn’t big enough for him although he played it well. I like him, so it doesn’t really matter what he does, I’ll tell you I liked it.

I found the 3D effects amazing - far superior to Avatar’s. It had way more depth. I was unable to grasp on my own that it was kind of Alice in Wonderland 2. I hope it’s because I was tired, or I had just read the book and my expectations were high, and not that I’m plain stupid. That would be unfortunate.

I would not take my children to see this, although there were children of a similar age there (at a 9:15 movie!). Fuss is really bugging to see a 3D movie since he’s never known us to go to a movie and now we’ve been to two in a matter of weeks and both were 3D. I may take him this week or next to see the Dragon one that’s just come out today. If you know of any reason I shouldn’t, please share! I’d hate to make a mistake at these prices! (Meaning for therapy for Fuss.)

Enjoying the journey, Amanda

Add comment March 27th, 2010