Love and Life with Lisa 🌹

Come, come sit with me, grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair... Okay, real talk here... I am so out of sync right now, it isn't even funny. 😂 Y'all, my year has been moving soooo fast, putting one leg out to slow it down has NOT been working. 😂 Let me start with work. I enjoy my job, but let me tell you, it has gotten even more interesting when you throw in travel... The stories I have about the airport... making sure you have everything you need to travel with, going through security, then you get the rental car and you just never know what you are going to get. 😂 And I haven't even started doing my job yet. Okay, you got your first week of travel done and you're on your way back home... HOME. Mmmm... but when you get there, you want to meet up with friends and family because you've been gone. You need to do laundry, and then you need to get ready for your week... This. THIS has been me for the last five months. So I am sitting here today telling...

Come, come sit with me, grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair. Let me ask you something... Why is it so hard for so many of us to simply say... "Thank you" when someone gives us a compliment? I bet that hits home for a lot of us. Someone says something nice about us and instead of just accepting it, we get uncomfortable. We brush it off, make a joke, change the subject, or immediately come up with a reason why what they're saying isn't really true. Why do we do that? Who taught us that? Was it the fear of sounding arrogant? Did we grow up believing that accepting a compliment somehow meant we were full of ourselves? Was it years of criticism that made praise feel unfamiliar? Or have we spent so much time focusing on our flaws that we've become blind to the good everyone else seems to see? This is just my opinion, but think about this... Maybe the compliment almost isn't the point anymore. Someone says something like, "You...

Come, come sit with me, grab yourself a drink, and pull up a chair. 🌹 I hope everyone has been having a great summer so far. The other day, I came across a message that made me stop and think. It simply said: “Sometimes the blessings come in unexpected ways.” The way I interpreted that message might be completely different from the way someone else does. I think that’s the beauty of it—we all bring our own experiences to the words we read. But for me... it had everything to do with people. Maybe it’s because I’ve been travelling a lot lately and meeting all kinds of people. Or maybe it’s because, over the years, I’ve met people who have crossed my path for only a few moments, yet somehow they’ve stayed with me. One memory in particular came back to me. A while ago, I was grocery shopping, picking up the ingredients for supper. I wanted to make salmon, and I found a piece that looked really good, but it was much bigger than I needed. So I asked the lady behind the s...

Come, come sit with me, grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair…. Today’s blog is a big one for me. It marks a place that I never imagined I would get to, and quite honestly, it’s because of you that I got here. Today marks 100 blogs. When I wrote my very first post, I never imagined I would one day be sitting here writing my one hundredth. I wasn’t thinking about numbers back then. I was simply hoping that maybe, just maybe, something I wrote would connect with someone. I started this blog because I wanted to connect with other people who love to read books with a little spice… or maybe a lot of spice. 📚😉 I thought we would spend our time talking about our favourite characters, the books we couldn’t put down, and those stories that stayed with us long after we turned the last page. But somewhere along the way… something changed. I started talking about life. I started talking about love… because we all know how I feel about love. I found myself writing about re...

Come, come sit with me, grab yourself a drink, and pull up a chair. I have been thinking a lot about the treasures we may be missing out on. And I bet you're asking, "What treasures, Lisa?" Let me tell you... The treasures are our grandparents. Yup. I sometimes wonder if we're missing out on one of life's greatest gifts... the older generations. Not because they have all the answers. Not because they never made mistakes. But because they carry decades of stories, wisdom, laughter, heartbreak, and memories that will disappear one day if we never take the time to ask. I loved sitting in my grandparents' homes, especially when my grandmothers were cooking for us. There was something special about watching them make a meal without ever looking at a recipe. The measurements lived in their hands, their hearts, and years of experience. My dad's mom used to laugh and say to my father, "Why does this child always ask ‘why’ after every answe...

Come, come sit with me, grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair... Let me start by saying these last few months have been an adjustment—but a good one. I've been busy. Learning. Meeting new people. Finding my footing in a new season. Like many new beginnings, there have been moments where I've questioned myself and wondered if I'm doing everything right. But through it all, there's been one thought that's been living rent-free in my head... Why do we spend so much time wondering if we're enough? Sit with that for a moment. I don't think it's because we're weak. I think it's because we care. We want to be a good employee. A good parent. A good friend. A good partner. A good son or daughter. A good person. Somewhere along the way, our desire to do our best quietly becomes the voice that asks... "Am I enough?" And there it is again... Am I enough? Before you know it, your mind starts wandering down so many ...

Come, come sit with me, grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair... Sooo... I saw something on the internet the other day that really got me thinking. You all know that I think romance and connection make the world go around... mmm... well, I like almost the same thing in my books. Now don't get me wrong. I love a good insta-love every once in a while, and if they meet and end up in bed that same night... well, child, that's all good too. 😂 But not all the time. Give me the slow-burn romance. Give me the stolen glances. The accidental touches. The late-night conversations. The moments when they're fighting their feelings because they're terrified to admit what they're becoming to each other. I want the tension. I WANT the banter. Girl... give me a man who can flirt, tease, challenge her a little, make me laugh, and sprinkle in some dirty talk at just the right moment... Oh Lord, I think I just fainted there for a second. 😂 Now don'...

Come, come sit with me, grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair... You all, I was travelling last week for work. Can I tell you? I learned a few things. Okay... a lot of things. 😂 Oh... before I go any further, the trip actually started with an upgrade on the plane. Now, that upgrade was... interesting, to say the least. 👀😂 Let's just say the lady sitting beside me gave me a travel story I'll never forget. I'll save the details for another blog because trust me... that one deserves a blog all on its own. 😂 Let's start with this... I was nervous. Like, really nervous. Would I get my point across? Would I talk too fast? Too slow? Would they like me? Even though I've talked to them for a long time, meeting people in person is different. A million thoughts were running through my head. The other thing was I had a lot of driving to do between meetings... so you guessed it... MORE thinking. Thank God I love music because, without it, me and my th...

Come, come sit with me... grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair. 🌹 I bet some of you have wondered why I always tell you to grab a drink and pull up a chair. LOL. It's because when I think about you reading my blog, that's exactly how I picture it. I picture you curled up on the couch with a cup of coffee or tea. Maybe you're taking a little break from your day, sitting on the porch, or winding down before bed. I want you to be comfortable. I want this to feel like we're sitting together, chatting about life. I think part of that comes from how I grew up. When I was a kid, Sunday dinners at my grandparents' house were just what we did. The whole family would gather around the table. There was always food, laughter, stories, and time spent together. Those dinners weren't fancy, but they were full of love and connection. Later, when I moved away from my family, I found a second family with my bestie and her family. For more than ten years, Fri...

Come, come sit with me... grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair. 🌹 Oh child... 😂 Remember when you were a kid and your parents used to say things like... "Were you born in a barn?" "Turn the lights off!" "Money doesn't grow on trees." "I'm not made of money." "Because I said so." "Close the fridge!" 😂😂😂 I bet some of you are already laughing because you heard your parents' voices as you read every single one of those! Come on now... you know exactly what I'm talking about. I used to hear those sayings and think to myself, "I swear I'll NEVER say that when I grow up!" Well... How's that working out for you? 😂 🚪 "Were you born in a barn?" 😂 I swear... every time I left the door open, that sentence came flying across the house. I don't know if I was letting the cold air in or the bugs in, but apparently I wasn't born in a barn! 🤣 ...

Come, come sit with me. Grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair. Oh girl... I have been so busy these last few months with work, travelling for work, and writing to all of you that I think I've lost a little balance in my life. I have a feeling you know exactly what I'm talking about. Maybe for you it's trying to balance work and family. Maybe it's family and friends. Maybe you're raising children, caring for aging parents, or trying to find time for yourself somewhere in between. Sometimes it feels like we're trying to fit ten hours into five. We keep saying, "Once this week is over..." or "Once things settle down..." But then another week comes, another responsibility shows up, and before we know it, we're running in circles. Somewhere along the way, we stop asking ourselves a simple question... When was the last time I felt balanced? Then something happened that made me realize I had been asking myself the wrong quest...

Come, come sit with me. Grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair. Oh... let's talk about music. Isn't it amazing what one song can do? It can calm your soul after a long day, make you smile for no reason at all, or take you right back to a moment you haven't thought about in years. One minute you're driving to work... The next minute, a song comes on the radio and suddenly you're remembering your first love. LOL... child, maybe your first heartbreak too. A song can remind you of your wedding day, a family road trip, dancing around the kitchen with your mom, a night out with friends, or that one summer you'll never forget. It's funny how music doesn't just play in the background... It becomes part of our story. Let's just say I have a ton of songs that can take me from laughter to sadness in two seconds. Some songs I love simply because of the beat. Others... I really listen to the words. There are days when I need to feel e...

Come come sit with me, grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair. Let's talk about our bucket lists that we have secretly done. Some items are easy to cross off. Others take years, a little courage, a bit of luck, or sometimes a whole lot of patience. But I think we all have a list, whether we've written it down or not. LOL, I'm going to tell you a few of mine... not all of them, but some. I would love to travel to Ireland and Greece. Those are right at the top of my list. I have also always wanted to go whitewater rafting... mmmm, but that one is going to take a lot of courage. The funny thing is, we start these lists early in life, but life tends to get in the way and we forget about them. Work, families, responsibilities, bills, and just trying to get through the day can push those dreams to the side. Before we know it, years have gone by, and those things we once talked about doing are sitting quietly in the back of our minds, waiting for us to remember them....

Come come sit with me, grab your drink and pull up a chair... So I have a question for you to think about for a moment. Yesterday I was sitting on the patio and I got to thinking... lol I know that is dangerous for me because my mind can take me in so many directions. 😂 Okay, here is the question: Why do we always look for perfect instead of just enjoying the memories that got us there? Think about that one memory that makes you smile so hard you almost laugh until you cry. Maybe it is a family gathering, a vacation, a holiday, or just a random Tuesday that somehow became unforgettable. I have a lot of those memories because A. I love to laugh and B. I have family and friends who make me laugh all the time. The funny thing is, when I think back on some of my favorite memories, none of them were perfect. So there was this one summer when I was a teenager. Mom and Dad were working and we were home. LOL my brother had his friend over and they were bugging me. They went outside to ...

Come, come sit with me, grab your drink and pull up a chair. Okay, I know I hit you with a good blog on Monday, but you know me — my head just keeps moving from one thought to another. And hun, the thought that popped out this time was this: When was the last time you had a conversation with someone you truly trusted? I mean really trusted. The kind of person who would listen. Wouldn't mock you. Wouldn't weaponize what you tell them later. Would genuinely care about what you're saying. The kind of person who lets you be completely yourself. No filters. No pretending. No editing. Because that's what trust does. It gives us a place where we can stop editing ourselves. And the more I thought about that, the more I wondered... How many people are walking around every day editing who they truly are because they don't trust that people will like the real version of them? Take me for example. Lord knows I don't always say the right t...

Come, come sit with me, grab your drink and pull up a chair. Okay, well this thought has been sitting with me for a bit, and I know some of you will feel it while others will say, "No, that's not me." Sit for a moment and think about this sentence: What happens when communication breaks down? I know you're sitting there thinking, "Lisa, there are so many ways we communicate with people today." We text. We email. We send emojis. We comment. We like posts. But is that really talking to a person? Mmm... now you're feeling what I'm saying. Sit with that thought for a moment. In our world today, I believe we're forgetting how to truly see and listen to people. Because communication isn't just talking. It's also listening. It's hearing something uncomfortable without immediately becoming defensive. It's being willing to say something vulnerable without knowing how the other person will respond. I've t...

Come come sit with me, grab a drink and pull up a chair. The last couple of weeks I have been thinking about my mom. Okay, okay... my mom and food. 😄 In my opinion, my mom was a great cook. Child, let me tell you, whenever I went to visit her, I already knew what was coming. The first night would be donairs. The second night? My favourite. Ribs, rice, and tea biscuits. Now let me tell you something... I love tea biscuits. LOVE them. To this day, they are one of the things I have never been able to make quite like my mom did. She would make this sauce to go over the ribs and rice, and it was so good. If I visited in the summer, there would usually be blueberry pie. If I came in the winter, it was apple pie. The funny thing is, when I think about the people in my life, so many of them have a food attached to them. My bestie's husband loves to cook, and let me tell you, that man can make French toast. Mmm mmm. 😄 You know the kind where you tell yourself you...

Come come sit with me, grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair. Have you ever had one of those weeks… or maybe even months… where you feel like you’re grieving, but you’re not fully sure what you’re grieving about? I realized my grief was about lost dreams. You know… we all carry these pictures in our heads of how we think life is going to look. The things we thought we would have by now. The people we thought would still be beside us. The moments we were sure would happen one day. But then time passes… and some of those dreams never get fulfilled the way we imagined they would. Some of those dreams have truly passed on… and honestly, that hurts. The strange thing is, you think you’ve let them go. You think you’ve made peace with them. But then out of nowhere, they pop back up unexpectedly… and you realize the ache is still there. I think sometimes we grieve the life we thought we would have by a certain age. Maybe we pictured marriage, children, more security, a di...

Come come sit with me, grab yourself a drink and pull up a chair… Oh hunny, I just have to tell you… after watching Perfect Crown , I fell down a complete rabbit hole looking at wedding dresses from around the world. 😄 Because let’s be honest — most of us grow up thinking brides wear white or ivory. But other countries? Mmmm… now THEY know how to wear a wedding dress, in my opinion. LOL I remember having a friend from India who showed me her wedding dress years ago. Hunny… I was in ahhhh. It was this deep purple colour and oh my goodness… it just jumped out at you. The detail, the richness, the meaning behind it — it felt so different from what I grew up seeing. Then after watching Korean dramas, I started looking at weddings from different cultures and realized just how much beauty, symbolism, tradition, and love exist around the world. And honestly? I found it fascinating. Now hun, before I start, I just want to say this is all based on my own curiosity and person...

Come come sit with me, grab a drink and pull up a chair... I have so many thoughts running around in my head lately, but one of them keeps coming back to romance books… and what actually makes a good one. Or honestly… what makes any good book? You all know how much I love romance, but for me it’s never just about two people falling in love. It’s everything that goes into it that makes it unforgettable. You have the loud kind of love… the quiet kind… the teasing kind… the protective kind… the touching kind… So many different ways people love each other. And I think that’s why romance books pull so many of us in. Because deep down? Most people want to feel chosen. Seen. Wanted. Safe. Understood. I’ve been thinking about love a lot lately and how people crave it so much that we will go to great lengths trying to find it, protect it, or hold onto it. But sometimes… when we finally get love, we throw it away thinking something better is around the corner. Or we ...