catching my breath

September 16, 2025 Arlene Giddings

I spent this past weekend
at Steel Away Cottages in Grand Tracadie
and it was exactly
what my heart needed.

If you know me, you know I love heights…
so this was so fantastic.
There were two decks and the view was
INCREDIBLE.
I got up before sunrise both mornings
so that I could sit on the top deck
and watch the sun come up over the water.
I saw two eagles skimming the shore,
spent time in the barrel sauna
(also I WILL own a barrel sauna at some point in my life,
if I have to build it myself, haha),
explored beaches in Stanhope,
ate at Fin Folk which is ALWAYS amazing
and I had the sweetest server….

I would 100% recommend this
little island getaway…
😍

and then it was sunday and the week was over...

April 2, 2023 Arlene Giddings

but what a good week it was.

the truth is
sometimes
you get caught up in the
i SHOULD be
doing/wanting/buying/needing/completing
and you
kind of
forget
that you can be
perfectly happy
just
being.

i spent a lot of time
this weekend
just being…
reading in cars by the water,
eating sugary lemon filled doughnuts,
climbing rocks in the cold
on a quiet, barren beach,
binge watching a show that i have been hoarding,
playing with the camera on my phone,
singing loud and driving slow while convincing
myself NOT to try to try the dirt roads yet….
and mostly
just being by myself.

and it was a very good week.

Robin’s lemon filled doughnuts are my favorite.

jellybean got a little dirty…but it’s happy dirt… :)

and now i am finishing off the week
planning a new week
and drinking caramel drizzle coffee
with lots and lots and lots of hazelnut creamer…

happy april!! let’s see what kinda trouble we can find this month! :)
♥♥♥

tuesday truths...you know...the posts where i overshare & get too wordy...heh...

October 4, 2022 Arlene Giddings

The truth is that
after days and days
of not being able to come
to the page,
to any page,
virtual or paper…
I am suddenly
on fire with
wanting to
write and document,
note and number,
doodle and draw,
plan and pretend and
scheme…

I am hyped about
Inktober
and planning a
2nd annual pumpkin carving day…
I am driving dirt roads,
listening to music
I forgot that I loved,
making connections
with friends that I have missed
and redecorating my deck
with pumpkins and
purple flowers.

I feel alive and
almost humming with
excitement
like a power line
on the edge of spontaneous combustion….
and while that sounds
dangerous
it’s also
exhilarating.

I’ll ride it out while it lasts.
Winter hibernation
will set in soon enough….
♥

sticking close to home

July 24, 2022 Arlene Giddings

today I tried to
stick close to home
for once...

if you know me,
you know I like roam,
to explore,
random long drives
to nowhere places...

but I have a couple of "big"
weekends coming up,
so I am sticking close to home.

which is harder than I expected.
:)