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the big orange house
Summerside, PE
902-439-4562

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not a friday but a love list anyway...with skates and strawberries 🍓

March 1, 2026 Arlene Giddings

i had to work this
past friday…
i had wanted to do a
friday i’m in love
cause i had things that i loved
but i ran out of time.

so…here it is on a sunday instead.
a snowy, quiet sunday.

last friday,
my girl stopped by for a visit (which i love)
and also a sprinkle doughnut (which i also love!)
and then
my talented and super sweet bestie
brought me a spectacular surprise,
the SWEETEST red knit strawberry hat
that i have EVER seen.
THAT SHE MADE!!

i absolutely adore it.
and proceeded to wear it
the rest of the day
where we went skating
(no real photos but proof in the
doodle above),
then we went to Daisy-Mae’s used bookstore
and to auntea’s oddities

where i got big compliments
in both places about the sweet strawberry hat. 🍓

and also got new books and
beautiful set of oracle cards that i adore.

but first, can we just take a second
to ooooooh and ahhhhh
over the cover of this book?
AND IT’S ILLUSTRATED!
(there may have been a very
short lived tussle with said bestie
over this book but the rule is
she-who-found-it-may-buy-it
but-also-must-loan-it
)
this is in sub-section 34, clause b, page 73
of the contract i signed with her when
we were 10. 🤭

and the oracle cards. sighhhhhh. 😍

do i know anything about oracle cards?
nope.
but they are just sooooo pretty and make me happy
and honestly, that’s really all I go by when
making life choices.

oh! and taking photos of the cats in their napping positions
has also been bringing me happiness.
And it’s March!! So close to spring now…yay!

In 2026 - Nourish, best friends, friday i'm in love Tags strawberry hat, oracle cards, daisy-mae bookshop, friday i'm in love, bffs
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friday i'm in love...#3 of 2026 (the 🩷 hearty-heart-to-heart 🩷 issue)

February 13, 2026 Arlene Giddings

the truth is
i might love valentine’s day
more
now that i am
alone
than when i was
with someone.

there is no
wondering if they will remember
causing me to
question
whether or not
i am worthy of being remembered,
or reminding me of a time
when
they always remembered.

there is no expectation,
no disappointment,
no pretending that everything
is ok just the way it is,
that it’s just another day,
a made up consumerism holiday
(when really,
i think we all know
that i love made up consumerism holidays…
i love celebrations and special days
and themes and colors
and a reason to use my fancy stickers
or dress all in pink
or put some food coloring in my ginger ale
and call it “special valentine’s bubbliness”)
(surely you know this about me by now.)

so the heart shaped point i am trying to make
is that, at first, i thought
this day might make me sad
but it doesn’t.
i look forward to it now….
i plan out it out as a day, a weekend, a month
of self-love for myself.

whatever i want.

movies by myself? sure!
a hike in the silent woods, just me and the birds
(and hopefully no coyotes)? check!
should i buy myself some fancy
*insert whatever is the current obsession here
(shampoo? body wash? plants? stickers? markers? candy?)
yes, yes and yes.

and here are some other things i am loving:

🩷 my valentine’s tree….it just makes me happy
🩷 a sleep over with one friend this week and supper date with 2 others another night! *also, shipyard was very good!
🍿 i love emily henry’s books so was really excited to watch
"the people we meet on vacation''
it was good…i debated adding it here as i don’t feel i LOVED it
but i still enjoyed it.
🩷 i found the sweetest surprise in my mailbox from a friend…
a handwritten letter!!! with little surprises!! including
a muppet sticker!!!! (& she also loves muppets so
i knowwwww how hard it is to give up stickers of
something you love…) and the letter was so
thoughtful it made me cry but also
realize how much i appreciate connecting with people…
you just never know what will resonate with someone else.

this is way longer than i meant it to be
but honestly,
i just had a lot of good things i really loved lately….
i couldn’t fit it all
into one post!!

so be prepared for more to come.
happy heart day…i hope cupid finds you
and gives you
whatever it is
that makes you smile.
(and if that’s pink ginger ale
in a fancy glass, that’s ok…
we listen and we don’t judge. heh)

*and also just to say that i am 
also painfully aware
of the incredible sadness 
happening in the world
right now…💔 
so hard to wrap your head 
(or heart) around.
In friday i'm in love Tags friday i'm in love, valentines, hearts, timmy the cat, emily henry
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friday i'm in love ... #2 of 2026

February 1, 2026 Arlene Giddings

January has been a bit of a
sleepy month for me….
a month of self care, new slippers (pink sharks above!),
pjs, tv series, naps, saunas and
shovelling.

Here are some things I am currently loving:
❤️ the movie Yesterday. I was surprised I didn’t already watch it.
But the premise was interesting and
it made me laugh in places.

❤️ this blue jacket which is NOT a winter jacket but
I absolutely adore this thrift store find!

❤️ using the “finch” self care app
❤️ trying to learn French with Duolingo

January always starts off a little strong for me
and then wobbles a bit at the end.
This January was no exception.
But there was definitely some good things this month.
And that is worth celebrating.
(and the days are slowly getting longer and brighter,
so yay for that!)

In friday i'm in love Tags friday i'm in love, slippers
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friday i'm in love....#1 of 2026

January 9, 2026 Arlene Giddings

Hello, Friday.
I am happy to see you.

This has been a busy
but good week filled with lots
of happiness and insights and connection.
I have plans for 2026
but part of that includes moving into this new year
slowly,
gracefully…easily…and quietly.

BUT….

HERE ARE SOME THINGS I AM CURRENTLY LOVING:
📺I stumbled upon a series called “Little Disasters” and I was completely invested. I couldn’t figure out what happened, who to blame or if there was even anyone to blame. I give this 5 ❤️’s (it’s on Paramount if you want to check it out).

🎥🍿OK. Hear me out on this one. It’s a movie called “threesome” and yes, it is about a threesome. Haha. But it was so good. I adored each of the characters and was rooting for them all in their own broken little ways. Cause I fully relate to broken.

💛early morning “get the sun in your eyes” walks through the park

📺I know this feels like a lot of tv in this one but cut me some slack…it’s January. Heehee. I may be late to the game on this one but I have been watching The Diplomat on Netflix and it’s sooooo good. I don’t normally love political but this is keeping my attention. Plus…there’s Hal. Heh.

🍳I have been eating “egg bites” every morning instead of buying a bagel or muffin at work and I am loving them. But going to try making my own this weekend. Fingers crossed. Heh.

Also, I am working on picking
my 26 books in 2026 to read…..
I plan to read more than that
but I like this idea as part of the bigger picture.
Any suggestions that you loved or
are really excited about?

Happy Friday wherever you are
and yes, that even includes those of you
sunning in warm temps while we
slog it out in the snow. ❄️

In friday i'm in love Tags friday i'm in love, movies, books, series
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friday i'm in love...

May 30, 2025 Arlene Giddings

Such a perfect Friday.

Some decluttering.
A mid-morning nap in the hammock.
A bit of a trail walk.
Some journaling by the water.
A lot of time reading.
Bare feet in the long wet grass.
Delicious doughnuts & a cold can of diet coke.
Messages from best friends.
A little bit of garden planning.
Picked up some gifted hostas & lilies.
Saw some ducks.

(and in case you think it’s
allllllllll
sunshine and lollipops
in the big orange house
i did also
step on a
half eaten hindquarters of a
dead mouse
complete with entrails
WITH MY BARE FOOT
and so…yeah….
that happened.)

To take your mind off the mouse entrails,
please look at these
frigging amazing doughnuts
i got today….
caramel ice cream cone & raspberry lemonade
from Get Caked Donuts

I did not eat both of those donuts at the park…
but did I eat both donuts today?
Yes. Yes, I did.
Sigh.

Other things I am loving (not everything is about sugar)….
* these cookies (ok, yes, I realize they also have sugar…)
* finding out that goblincore is a thing. (and yes, it might be my thing).
* my chat gbt explaining my color analysis to me…apparently I am a deep or dark autumn. 🍂

Tags friday i'm in love, friday adventure, get caked donuts, scales pond, spring, books
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