Breakfasts of Champions

Aragorn: Gentlemen! We do not stop 'til nightfall.

Pippin: But what about breakfast?

Aragorn: You've already had it.

Pippin: We've had one, yes. But what about second breakfast?

[Aragorn stares at him, then walks off.]

Merry: Don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.

Pippin: What about elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? 
He knows about them, doesn't he?

Merry: I wouldn't count on it.

Icelandic breakfast

Lol, nothing like a little hobbit humour to start the day! I trust you are staying warm in your part of the world. As I type this post it's a balmy -16C here. We're supposed to be moving into + temperatures by end of the week though, so fingers crossed. It sure would be nice if the snow melted and things warmed up at least until Christmas.

We've all heard the adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and with our mornings now darker and colder, it's even more crucial - maybe Hobbits have the right idea after-all :) I recently stumbled across a very interesting look at 50 of the best breakfasts from around the world. I used to make oatmeal every morning for years, with fresh fruit and yogurt on top, but the past number of months, it's been Texas Scrambles, as I call them; turkey sausage, veggies (onion/red pepper/zucchini) and scrambled eggs with a dash of Montreal Steak seasoning - yummy!

Do you eat breakfast everyday? If your answer is Yes, what do you usually have? 

Poland - looks positively delightful!

Italy

Hawaii

Australia

Japan (tofu)

Bahamas

The rest of the delicious slideshow is here :)

The Purrrfect Home and the Cutest Owl, Ever!

Hi Everyone - Yes, more kitties for you lol!

Cat's and their owners would love this home, but as we all know:

only dogs have owners...

cats have staff!

Lastly, here's a short video of the cutest owl EVER!

Is it just me, or do owls and cats share a lot of similarities?

Hmmm.... :)

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's my very first birthday today!!!

(Mommy & Daddy almost forgot my big day... imagine that?)

I plan to celebrate in exactly the same way I celebrate each and every day:

playing, jumping, running, demanding attention and treats!

I will be lying down for the next little while though, because my tummy is already very full

of the treats Mommy had to give me to get one decent birthday picture ...

hehe, that's one trick I taught Mommy!

And so it begins...

Frosty Friday Greetings!

No, the above is not a pic from last winter - try yesterday afternoon... in like a lion, as they say. It snowed all day and was still at it when I headed to bed. I actually wore a down parka with hood up and big boots to the grocery store - a wee bit overdressed perhaps, but I'm certainly not ready for winter and am really feeling the cold. My gargoyle Hemlock's wondering why I haven't brought him in yet - once the snow stops and the wind dies down, he'll be rescued :) Today's post is a bit of this 'n that, mostly about books; in this weather about all I really want to do is curl up under a blanket and read...

It's a little late now, but I recently found out that November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) a task urging authors (or would-be authors) of all backgrounds to pen 50,000 words (an approximate 175 page novel) before November 30th. The project started in July 1999 with just 21 participants, but by the 2010 event, over 200,000 people took part. Although first originating in the San Francisco Bay area, I picked up a notice in a local coffee shop here, followed the link, and found out there are support groups (both online and actual meetings) pretty much right across Canada for this event. Seeing as we're already over halfway through the month, it looks like I will just have to procrastinate starting my best-seller for yet another year, lol.

Speaking of books, I came across an amusing slideshow on the Huffington Post entitled 

"Offbeat Holiday Books" 

I guess these are for those hard-to-buy-for people on your list: the child who has everything! 

When was the last time you visited your public library?
I'll admit, it's been a few years since I've darkened the doors of mine.
The Huffington Post has an ongoing series regarding the death of the library -
very interesting. It's an American piece, but I fear it's safe to say Canada's libraries
will inevitably suffer the same fate. Kind of sad really.
As a child I adored the library and when old enough, I would take the bus by myself on Saturday mornings to snoop through the well-loved books on it's dusty shelves.
I especially loved it when I was old enough to be allowed upstairs into the adult library!

That's all for today, I hope you enjoy a relaxing weekend

and leave you with this Carlsburg ad I stumbled across the other day - too funny!

Cheers :)

Third Rock from the Sun...

Hi Everyone, I Need Your Votes!

Hello, Jane!

Congratulations! Your photo 0001225055 posted to the Jones Soda Gallery

   http://www.jonessoda.com/gallery/view.php?ID=1225055

has been given a "Staff Pick" badge. That means we really like your photo
and are passing it on to the judges who make the final label selections.
Thank you for participating and we look forward to seeing more photos from
you at the Jones Soda Gallery.

Cheers,
The Jones Soda Gallery Crew



A big thanks to everyone who votes :)

Now Our Money Really IS Plastic!

Our new $100 dollar bills arrived yesterday. They're comprised of a polymer, developed specifically for the currency. By March 2012, a $50 bill will enter circulation followed by $20, $10 and $5 by the end of 2013. There are no plans to bring back the brown $2 bills.

The environmental impact of these new bills is noteworthy, as they are recyclable and 2.5 times more durable than their cotton and paper counterparts.

A Canadian focus group was commissioned to look at the bill and reported some amusing findings here. I've said it before and I'll say it again: we see what we want to see...!

A very interesting look at the numerous security devices imbedded in the new bills.

What If Kitties Ruled the World?

Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, 

Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow

Why are cats so amusing?

More here :)

Happy 66th Birthday Neil!

You'll always be one of the best!

Heart of Gold - Calgary 2008

California - 1969

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

 Lol, aren't these hilarious!!

I ran across these in my travels and have vowed to knit them by end of this winter.

I'm not much of a knitter (it's been many years and only headbands and scarves), 

but I recently picked up a Knitting For Dummies book so stay tuned... 

I will post pics once they are completed!

 (Here's the pattern :)

 In other Middle-Earth news, stills from the upcoming Hobbit movie 

can be viewed here.

As well, here's the latest behind-the-scenes production video.
I didn't realize this was being shot in 3-D.

CAN'T wait!

Full Beaver Moon - Tonight!

Greetings!

Wherever possible, the words 'beaver' and 'moon' should not be used in the same sentence... hehe. Growing up I had a little brown dog named Beaver... you can believe me when I tell you that I've heard them all! However, tonight's full moon is indeed known as the Full Beaver Moon.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

In recent history, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. This moon is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon.

Interestingly there is a controversy currently swirling in Canada. Conservative member, Nicole Eaton, recently suggested we replace our busy, buck-toothed national symbol with the polar bear. I don't know about you, but I'm proud of our "dentally defective rat" (her words, not mine) and suggest she find more important issues to sink her teeth into!

This Day In History - The Edmund Fitzgerald

Greetings!

A new feature at Jane's Jewels will be the occasional 'This Day In History'. Today's story takes place on Lake Superior, that huge, treacherous, yet oh so beautiful Great Lake. I lived in Thunder Bay for six years during my late teens/early twenties, and what I remember most about my time there was the wind, which never seemed to stop blowing.

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that made headlines after sinking in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew. When launched on June 8, 1958, she was the largest boat on the Great Lakes, and remains the largest boat to have sunk there. Nicknamed the "Mighty Fitz", "Fitz", or "Big Fitz", the ship suffered a series of mishaps during her launch: it took three attempts to break the champagne bottle used to christen her and she collided with a pier when she entered the water. (Wiki)

Gordon Lightfoot immortalized this tragedy in his haunting 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'. This song quite often comes to mind when I hear or see the word November; in fact that's how I ended up profiling this story. 

I love Lightfoot almost as much as I do Neil Young (and that's saying a lot :)


Have a great day! 

At Your Service!

I recently visited the store Artifacts here in Edmonton.

Great place, lots of imported furniture and eclectic pieces.

I couldn't help but notice a small theme happening:

Cat Butlers!

Wouldn't you like one of these by your front door :)

Like an Egyptian

 Love his cat pendant.

A Mercat!

"People who dislike cats in this life, will come back as mice..." ;)

Finding Clarity

“What will you do when faced with two choices?

Simply toss a coin... 

It works not because it settles the question for you,

But because in that brief moment when the coin is in the air...

You suddenly know what you’re hoping for...”

What really matters? We often don't know until we are faced with a decision or a life changing event. I've been stumbling again on StumbleUpon and fell in LOVE this story :)

The side of an abandoned house in New Orleans has been turned into a giant chalkboard where residents can write on the wall and remember what is important to them. Stenciled with the sentence “Before I die I want to _______”, the wall has became a space where people can record their hopes and dreams. It's also transformed a neglected space into a constructive one.

Before I die... 

... I'd like to start my own business

... write a book

... see Hobbiton :)


What would you write on the wall?

Today's Jewel:

"In the eyes of it's mother,

every turkey is a swan."

~ Nov. 3/11 Old Farmer's Almanac ~

It's November!

Greetings! I trust you survived last night's festivities. 

It was an exceptionally warm Halloween here, but an exceptionally quiet one as well.

I don't know where all our goblins were...

"No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -
November!"

Haha! What can be said about November - no matter how much we try to put a positive spin on it, the above poem perfectly sums it up. The beauty that was Autumn has past, the trees are laid bare and the geese are wisely making their way to warmer climes. If I had wings I'd join them! Still, I refuse to allow this time of the year to get me down, 'This too shall pass' is my faithful adage. 

I turned the page on my Inuit calendar today.

It's a lithograph by Pitaloosie Saila entitled The Red Mitts.

What are your thoughts about this time of year?

Do you have a special saying that you use to motivate or cheer yourself?

This too shall pass is something my mother often said to me in encouragement while growing up.