suzette roberts

// Balancing Bits...

{my sister, Gi, giving Daddy an at-home hair salon experience :)}

 

Congrats! (again) to the Toronto Raptors; #KyleLowry! - he was ready to go from the get-go! :) Well done! Wrapping up the work week with a few little moments that continue to bring a gentle softness to my days and weeks... quiet tucked-away lunches outdoors in the sun included-- just the way I like it (with our lower humidity temps). Weather-perfect. And happy Father's Day to our dads on Sunday. :) Music from the week and more after the jump. Have a relaxing weekend. ~xx

// The Tuesday Six, Plus...

... They make life so worth living-- found here from my elevating reads this month. More links and finds in recent times from around the web...

 

...  More than your average flipbook; more here... Wow!

...  The death of a parent affects even grown children...

...  CHANEL's Cruise 2019/20 Fashion Show by Virginie Viard :) (07:15).

...  Science says, "Silence is much more important to our brains than we think."

...  6 Steps to age-proof your body.

...  And surprizing health benefits of Earl Grey Tea. 

 

>>> Plus...

...  What if all I want is a mediocre life? #amen!

...  A twist on an old classic for Dad.

...  Eight tips for coping with the death of a parent.

...  4 Creative ways to teach kids about finance.

...  Currently loving... with very hot showers.

...  And 40 Perfectly-timed nature photos that will make you laugh. #20 :)

 

 

// Organic Earl Grey Ice Cream

It's officially ice cream season(!) But, then again, one could easily add, "Is there ever a season that's not ice cream season (heat on during our winter)?" We are a heavy tea-drinking family and grew up on mugs of simply-brewed black tea-- my amazing parents included, back in the day... This month I wanted to celebrate them both with a new flavour: Organic Earl Grey, with its pure Italian bergamot citrus oil, after taking some time away last month. This pure (organic) blend of ingredients salute their strong work ethic, exemplary business acumen, and drive to live an authentic life. We're over the moon to have them both with us on the same side of the pond these days, finally! More behind-the-scenes steps after the jump. Have a fun weekend. ~xx

// June Notes

Hello June! 'Hard to believe, but this month we say good-bye to our 2018 - 2019 school year, as we've experienced it. And what better way to wrap up the year with reflecting on its many hoops and curves with a few loved quotes that travelled with us through the thick and thin of it all...

 

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food, and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself." - Tecumseth

// Dad Days: The Unexpected, Loss, & New Beginnings

{Dad & me in more recent times: having a breakfast moment (left) on vacation; i always look forward to sleeping in, skipping breakfast, and making it in time for lunch together; but Daddy is an early bird even on holidays, and he wanted us to have all the meals together; hence, i was up way early @7 a.m. on this day with some very hazy moments; thanks Daddy!; (and right) enjoying a quiet at-home birthday celebration in his party glasses; he loved these quiet at-home evenings with all his girls}

 

My dad and I have been having so much unexpected, needed time-out and quiet fun these past weeks with having lived in two different countries for so many, many years, that without any thought I stepped away from my after-hours blogging hobby three weeks ago to revel in his comforting and playful spirit energy. My daddy passed away last month and although there was a sudden and heightened sense of what was actually happening in late March, we were still looking forward to celebrating his next milestone decade this year with an extended summer trip to Jamaica seeing his brighter appearance, disposition, and chatting a lot more early April... He's usually quite the serious and studious type, so it's been great travelling these casual, unscheduled moments with him. I never know what to expect next... He always liked fun surprizes, and sure is dishing it out in varietal style these days. I never guessed that our 12:50 a.m. sugared lemon zest crossing flash when he actually peacefully passed in his hospital bed (unknown to me at that time as I had just stepped out of the shower much later than usual that night, with attending to some paperwork his doctors had just requested), would begin a whole new way of communicating on the daily. So I slowed down (deliberately), and cut back for a few to catch all these little spirit connections, as just us...

 

More behind-the-scenes and out-of-the-business-suit casuals Daddy and I shared in and with each other, after the jump... Thank you so very much everyone. ~xox

// Serendipity in May

'Ahead of 'her' usual growth spurts this year; how interesting and timely. #soothing :)

 

It always comes back to our blooming botanicals, where we last met them and where we now meet, days, weeks, and that month(s) or year later... While May has been filled with a myriad of changing moods, moments, memories, and its own touches of unexpected 'magic', this out-of-the-limelight city spot constant has stood out as a place of purposeful pause, pleasure, and positivity to navigate the day, days, and weeks ahead as I travelled through May. The simple, basic blooms, have been the most grounding part of May (and this year). Mother Nature is always ahead of us, and life unexpected. Above is a close-up of 'her' third week in May with a few captures of her life in progress from last month's snap (third photo down), to present day...