“The scent drifted past the thousand-year-old cedars. It wrapped around the soaring trunks, caught on the rough bark, slid softly across the moss covered branches on unseen currents of air. Deep in the forest a black bear sow lifted her head and wrinkled her snout”
Hi, Welcome back! Today I’m sharing some of the things I’ve been enjoying recently:
R.J McMillen Book Series
The first book I read by R.J McMillen (a BC author) was actually the third instalment in her series of: A Dan Connor Mystery. I enjoyed it so much I’ve decided to go back, read the 1st and 2nd books. I’ll then jump to the 4th. The 5th is apparently in the works. The series follow the story of ex RCMP officer Dan Connor, retired and living on his boat travelling the coast of British Columbia. In the 3rd book I read (Green River Falling), someone is murdering pipeline workers in the Great Bear Rainforest and Dan is pulled out of retirement to help solve the case. I read it a few years ago and would take it to work and read it on my lunch break. I couldn’t put it down. R.J takes you deep into the vast wilderness that is British Columbia and does an amazing job of immersing you in the fog, rain and tempestuous Pacific ocean with her gift of describing the atmosphere surrounding BC. She spent years exploring the coast by sailboat with her husband and divides her time between BC and Mexico.
This is the entire series so far: Dark Moon Walking, Black Tide Rising, Green River Falling, Grey Sea Running. And coming soon will be Pale Mist Drifting.
Neon Nails
Homemade Pizza Night
I like to keep pizza crusts in the fridge for those extra lazy weekends when we don’t want to cook. I throw a couple together with veggie toppings and dinner’s ready in 15 minutes and best enjoyed on the couch while watching a movie. This one I made had Organic fresh Mozzarella, mushrooms, olives, artichokes, fresh basil and vegan sausage (made with black beans and spices).
Virgin River on Netflix
I started watching Virgin River 2 weeks ago drawn by the setting (supposedly set in a small town in the mountains of Northern California). The story is of a young nurse from L.A. who takes a job in Virgin River. Sadly she is trying to get away from a painful past and finds solace amongst the beautiful nature and friendly towns people. To my pleasant surprise, the show is actually entirely filmed in Squamish BC (close to Vancouver). Not only that but the cabin she stays in is the same cabin used in one of my all time favourite shows Men In Trees. Below is a photo I took of the cabin when I went to visit it years ago. It’s in a park in North Vancouver. I’m enjoying Virgin River, the pace, the story and characters. I love living in the city but the draw to an even slower life among the trees beckons me strongly.
Yankee Candles for Summer
Yankee Candle has the best sales and although candles are best purchased in person so that you can make sure you like the fragrances, I have a good list of Yankee Candles I have been using for many years and buy them over and over. During their recent sale I made sure to stock up on my Summer faves: Lilac Blossoms, Coconut Beach and Pineapple & Cilantro. I always make sure to get my tried and true Autumn scents as well. I keep these until September when the weather gets crisp then I pull out: Autumn Leaves, Chocolate Layered Cake, Macintosh Apple, Tonka Bean & Pumpkin. As an added bonus (they were heavily discounted) I threw in 2 of my Winter faves: Vanilla Cupcake and Salted Caramel. So I’m set for the year!
(photos from the Yankee Candle Website)
The BodyShop Coffee Mask
I wish I could be a coffee person. I love the smell of coffee. Unfortunately it makes me terribly anxious and nauseous, I’m sensitive. The Nicaraguan Coffee Face Mask from the BodyShop is the perfect substitute. It’s made with ground coffee for exfoliation and smells amazing. If you’re trying to quit coffee but need the comforting aroma, this is a great alternative. The mask is a thick almost honey like consistency and has natural oils in it. It gently scrubs away dead skin and leaves my skin soft and awake!
Thanks for joining me today. See you next time.
Love,
Jennifer