Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Spring???

Well I spotted some flowers and the robins so is it spring? Well I leave you that to decide. In one way spring has come because the colds, flues and throat things are around again.
Well here are the spring photos:
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Monday, April 22, 2013

Jetlagged Morning

After coming home, we unloaded our car and checked our messages, went out and ate supper, and then we went home and crashed into bed.
The next morning Mom, Dad and Boo were up at 4:00 am, but I made it until 5:00 am. As I lay in my bed reluctant to get up I became aware of a sound, the sound was freezing rain coming down against my window. So I got up and checked it out.  It truly was amazing as the street lamp shone against the window. I ran downstairs now fully awake, and dug my camera out of one of the cases.  I took some photos, most of which didn't turn out until it got lighter outside.  But I still got some really weird photos.
Here they are:
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Saturday, April 20, 2013

Scotland

I was in Scotland for 2 weeks.
We didn't get to do any sight-seeing, but we did get some family history shoved into our minds.  Dad sorted loads of old photos, and we saw some really old black and white ones of great and great-great relatives.
Well we had a good time.  I did a lot of knitting and a once a day run around 11:30 in the morning. It took some getting used to, because people drive on the other side of the road from Canada and the US. But it was fun.
The only thing that was really worth writing home about was the fox we saw in Grandma's backyard. Oh and I must not forget to say, I went shopping with Mom and Aunt Dot. We had fun.  The other thing Aunt Dot did with us (us meaning Boo and I) was take us out, we went to D'Lish (a restaurant) and to a park of which I can't remember the name, and to do errands for Grandma. On these excursions we listened to a group Aunt Dot sings in called Praise Gathering. Here is the link to the CD we were listening to: 'This is our God!'
Now here are the photos.
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Here is the fox photo:

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Friday, March 8, 2013

Father and Daughter Soup.

I helped make a soup with my Dad. Here is a link to my Dad's blog . He has the soup up there too.
Now please note. I am not much of a cook. I used to take not much interest in the kitchen, until the end of last year when my Mom suddenly had to go away.  And I had to stand up and take charge. Then I realized that I was not going to get very far in life unless I learned how to cook. Before that, all I cooked was stuff that could come out of a box, but that was not very good. Especially when I thought of all the good and yummy food my Mom and Dad made! So one day I told my Dad that the next time he made soup I wanted him to show me how. And he did, bless his heart. Now you may be wondering why I chose my Dad to teach me how to make soup and not my Mom... Well here is why. My Mom sticks to a recipe and she seems always in a hurry, and I don't learn by reading a recipe.  The most she would likely say is "Read the recipe for goodness sake!" Whereas Dad takes his time and is willing to explain.
So here it is.
6 cups beef broth
1 small turnip
3 carrots
1 parsnip
2 stalks of celery
1 medium onion
¼ cup of red lentils
The onion and celery were finely chopped and sautéed in butter, then added to the stock.  Chopped carrots and parsnips were stirred around in the remaining butter; then, they too were added to the stock.  The turnip was chopped and put in the pot; as were the lentils.  All was brought to a rolling boil, reduced to a high simmer/low boil, covered, and left until all the vegetables were soft.
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Once ready, the soup was zschooked: that is, it was removed from the heat and blended using a hand blender.  At this point the seasonings were adjusted: salt was added, along with a pinch of dried parsley and two pinches of fines herbs.  The soup was returned to the heat, brought up to serving temperature, and served.
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This is thick soup.  Rinse the end of the blender before you sit down to eat. When reheating, it is a good idea to add more stock/broth.  The four of us had a cup of soup each, with bread and cheese, which left about six cups.  We divide the soup equally into two containers.  When we have this soup again, we’ll add a cup of stock to the three cups of soup.
Well it was a good soup and some more good memories.

Friday, December 14, 2012

More beading

10:13 pm. The night owl strikes again! :) ( The night owl being me.) Mom will probably blow a cork at the time but I will be good and not post it until morning. Some how it is easier to right at night and on my phone, and be funny. All that being said, I will get to the funny part.
I was beading tonight and made a necklace using some wire I have never used before, and I am not sure I like. But oh well... Dad saw it and thought he could make it better without much hassle. So I let him try. It took almost all my pliers and all Dads patients , and a lot of light. And I nearly blew a cork laughing.
The big event happened on my Mom and Dad's bed. My Brother was holding the flashlight. I was holding the clasp. And Dad was trying to get the wire through the crimp bead. In about 15 minuets later, I had popped my cork laughing, my brother took one look at Me and snorted. Dad was at the point of blowing a cork in frustration, and the ''Doggone-wire'' was still not through the crimp bead! "MAN does that wire spring!" I said. As Dad almost got it through the crimp bead only to have it spring back up again. Dad was now good and frustrated! And told me to hold the clasp, but I was laughing so hard, I was shaking. And I could not for the life of me hold the clasp still. My brother was snorting and laughfing so hard he could not hold the flashlight still.  Dad was getting red in the face, and still the wire would not go through the crimp bead, and stay there. Finely about another 15 minuets later the wire was through the crimp bead. And Dad was able to crimp the crimp bead. YES! So all in all. It took us 30 minuets. And it proved a lot harder than Dad thought. Ha ha. I knew from the beginning that the wire was hard to work with. But now I must close it up because it is 10:59 pm. There are no photos this time sorry.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Beading

10:08 pm. And if I spit out another post at this hour Mom will have a heart attack. So I won't publish it tonight but I will right it. ( I am a night owl and Mom is most definitely NOT.)
All that being said, I will get down to the real stuff.
I have been beading again.
And I made two magnetic bracelets and necklaces. I will tell you those were fun to make.
My brother made me a bracelet ( with my help) but the idea was his and the pattern was his. All I did was give him my brand new bead spinner, seed beads, and thread. And well as my hands when he needed them.  ( No I did not cut them off.)
 OK photos in the morning. It is 10:26 pm.


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Here are some of the photos that I took of the magnetic beaded necklaces.

Last week and Monday this week.

Ok posting from my phone.
Here are a few photos from last week and this week.
The drink I have in my lap is a smoothy from one of our favorite smoothy places.
The next photo is of my home town on Monday. Or maybe it is "where is my home town?"
And for now that's all I think.