Planting

The plant souk is an area where a strip of nurseries for indoor and outdoor plants can be found.



We go to Orchid Nurseries to buy plants. The guys that work there know us and always make us a deal on our purchases.



Buying plants when it is hot outside is one thing.



But repotting and planting when the temperature is 110 outside is not such a good idea.

I worked from 9 am until noon and had to stop because I literally felt sick. Took a cold shower, ate a little something and then laid down for an hour. It's looking greener out there which makes me happy. Sure hope everything can survive this incessant heat.

Sending prayers and blessings to those in PA and NY affected by flooding and those in TX fighting wildfires. Best wishes to all, Tammy

Good Friday Morning!

I do love quiet mornings! That's what Fridays are around here. Nice and slow.

While at the airport in Paris, I picked up this magazine Maison d'Hote & Demeures de Charme. The text is in French, but that's okay because pictures speak louder than words.

I picked up Casas de Pueblo while in Spain several years ago and still thumb through the pages.

I have a love for rustic charm and an outdoor country life.

Outdoors here, two tiny little blooms have popped out to say hello ...

and good morning!

For the past two days, our bedroom balcony has been a flurry of activity. I counted 8 sweet little birdies who came for breakfast yesterday morning and today there were three different varieties out there chirping and munching away.

Hubby says we are going to the plant souk this afternoon so I will have my hands in dirt this weekend.

Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. ~Lindley Karstens, noproblemgarden.com

I hope your Friday is a good one! Friendship blessings, Tammy

Crafting Along the Way

I always carry crochet with me when I travel. While in the airport or on the plane, I am quite happily crocheting the time away.

These pretty little pouches are perfect for holding all sorts of treats. I made Mexican Wedding Cookies the other day; wrapped a few up and placed them in pouches as gifts. Handmade is heartmade.

Last Tuesday while in Paris, hubby went off to take care of business, so the kids and I had the whole day to wander the city.

I stumbled across a wonderful embroidery shop called Le Bonheur des Dames which means The Ladies Paradise. You can check out their website here.





There were so many beautifully framed stitched pieces hanging on the walls of the store.

Two cross-stitch books and two little rolls of material came home with me.

The bigger book is filled with 1100 patterns for motifs, borders and ornaments which are taken from pre-1930's design sources. I think I will be doing some stitching this weekend.

Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday. Friendship blessings, Tammy

The French Breakfast

Can you guess what we had for breakfast every day while in Paris?

Our hotel had a nice, simple breakfast buffet, as well as a hostess who would offer tea, coffee or hot chocolate, flavored or plain yogurt, sandwich meats and cheeses and a basket of breads.

Wherever we went, the French breakfast always consisted of croissants and baguettes served with jam and butter.

While touring the city, we would see people rushing down the street or on the metro with a big baguette in hand, sometimes plain, sometimes filled with meats and cheeses, always eating on the go.
I came across an article on the blog Almost Fit entitled The French Tradition - Give Us Our Daily Baguette that was quite interesting. So many people think if they give up bread, they will lose weight. From what we saw, the French people didn't seem to have a problem with weight. It must have something to do with all that walking.

Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. ~Soren Kierkegaard

Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday in your corner of the world. Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

Navigating Paris

Paris has the second oldest subway system in the world and is the second most heavily trafficked, carrying more than 4.5 million people on a daily basis.

I'm glad hubby knew what he was doing because it was all very confusing to me; but I must say, I was very impressed with how the whole system worked like clockwork.

This mural found on a wall of the metro in the Bastille area depicts a reproduction of one of the illustrations published in French newspapers during the Revolution.

There was even entertainment in some of the tunnels, from musicians to singers. It was like a mini concert every time we walked through.

While others chose to see Paris by bus.

Or by boat.

We chose to walk...

and walk ...

and walk.

Something we don't get to do during summers in Kuwait.

Our first day back to school went well. I was busy so the day passed really fast. The kids are happy with their classes (for the most part) and were happy to see all their friends again.

For those celebrating Labor Day, I hope you had a great 3-day weekend. Best wishes to all for the remainder of the week. Friendship blessings, Tammy

The Bastille District

Our first task upon arriving in Paris was to make our way through the airport to the metro system. Fortunately, my husband knew just what to do since he has been there on business many times before.

As it turns out, our hotel was just one block from the metro station where we exited. Best Western runs the Hotel Marais Bastille which is centrally located and sits on a street lined with trees, with a park just across the street.



The view from a small balcony off our room was beautiful.

It was so lovely to see that the leaves had already begun to change.

Yet there were also colorful plants and flowers everywhere we looked.



It was like experiencing fall and spring at the same time.



We arrived late afternoon on Sunday so our first night was spent wandering the area around our hotel.



Just a few blocks away was the Colonne de Juliet which stands as a tribute to those who died in the uprisings of 1830 and 1848.

Nights were cool enough that we were able to sleep with the windows open, something unheard of during summer in Kuwait.

Since our flight had departed Kuwait at 4 am and we didn't get to our hotel until after 4 pm, we all slept really well that first night.

I am nearly through the mountain of laundry we brought back with us. School clothes have been ironed, ready for the start of the new school year tomorrow. It's still amazing to me that one day we can be in Paris, and the next day we are home again, back to reality.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. Best wishes for a great new week. Friendship blessings, Tammy

I've Been MIA for Good Reason

Bonjour dear friends! We just returned early this morning from 5 days in Paris.

Weather was perfect the entire week so there was lots and lots of walking and sightseeing.

From the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame.


We had a lovely time but it is always good to be back home. Time to tackle the laundry and prepare for back to school on Monday. We traveled through the night so I can barely keep my eyes open and it is only mid-afternoon.

I look forward to catching up with everyone soon. Hope your weekend is a good one. Best wishes and blessings, Tammy