A Night On The Town

We went to a concert over the weekend with friends and at one point in the evening, this was the view from the row directly in front of us, lol!!! Have you ever been in a situation where you feel like you should tell someone something, but you hesitate to do so? You just never know what kind of reaction you might get nowadays... it could be a grateful "Thank you" or more than likely a "Why don't you mind your own f%#'n business!" Seeing as the lady plumber was in her twenties and probably drinking, we all opted to (try to) ignore the obvious and a little while later the problem thankfully rectified (:p) itself. 

Don't leave home without it!

Then just when we thought we were safe, the sex kitten to our right was 'feeling the music' so much, she could scarcely contain her enthusiasm. It was of no consequence that she didn't have her pole with her - she managed to improvise quite nicely, nonetheless! Pathetically amusing - till she spilled her drink on JJ Hubby. Mercifully, she and her 'old man' eventually wandered off, more than likely in search of refreshments... probably worried she might begin to sober up!

The rest of the night also proved very entertaining. The band was great, but they certainly had some stiff competition for our attention from the audience itself! I don't think I'd ever seen any of these creatures outside their natural habitat: Walmart!

Being the good introvert that I am, all this excitement leads me to ask the obvious:

* All butt-cracks have been changed to protect the clueless.

Rooting For the Bad Guy

If you read enough books or watch enough movies, you'll soon recognize that you often end up rooting for the bad guy - at least I know I do. A few weeks ago, I finished the last (of 5) Thomas Ripley books by Patricia Highsmith. When necessary, the protagonist Tom quietly and efficiently murders anyone who threatens his (illegal) business interests and the very comfortable lifestyle he now enjoys in the countryside of northern France. He much prefers gardening, classical music, antiquing and learning to master the harpsichord - but knocking off nosy meddlers is sometimes simply in his best interests. And even though he's obviously a sociopath, he's actually quite charming and likeable - his neighbours all love him!

Written in the first person, Highsmith very masterfully draws the reader into the mind of Tom Ripley and before long I found myself almost willing Tom to eliminate certain characters and thoroughly enjoying it when he inevitably did. Hey, they were getting in the way! I began rationalizing and justifying his behaviour - and if I'm honest, it was a little unsettling. 

Who's your favourite villain of all time & why? (Not counting Grumpy Cat!)

Do you feel even slightly conflicted when you cheer them on?

Looking For Friends In All The Wrong Places

I noticed I had a new follower when I logged on this morning. Like everyone, I'm always excited to meet new people in the blogosphere and will almost always follow back. I'm not sure what criteria you use when deciding to join another blog. If it's about sheer numbers, then I guess any ol' blog will do.

Some people have very specific interests (like mountain-climbing or stock-car racing) that aren't of interest to me. Can't see myself randomly joining a bowling enthusiast's blog just for the sake of picking up a new Jewel either. Often though, it's more about the feeling or impression I immediately get when I first open their page, than the content. Humour is an important quality that jumps out at me right away. So is love of family, friendship, furry animals ---- and fully-clothed individuals...!! 

Imagine my surprise when I tracked back to my new follower's blog. I suppose my first indication should have been the content warning, but I plunged in anyways, silly me. My bad - and oh my eyes!!! Wasn't ready for that. X-rated for sure. And disgusting to boot.

While I don't consider myself a prude, I would like to think a quick glance at my content would be all the information someone with an x-rated blog trolling for new followers would need to determine we're not 'into' the same things. 

I'm not sure if it was the kid's books, those ridiculous knitted mitts from a few days ago or perhaps this pic of my first poppy of the season I posted way back in July, but something must have indicated we shared some common interests. Or maybe it's simply that this guy has a complete lack of common sense. Either way, I feel quite insulted. So thanks but no thanks, buddy. 

The (Big) Kid in Me

 

A teeny-tiny vignette from one of two terrariums I will eventually get around to showing you.

You may recall I made a total of four last summer and had profiled two at the time. Here & here.

I was recently given the Leibster award by Rachael over at Letters from a Mermaid. Although I do appreciate it, I'm not going to follow through on all the requirements of the award - instead I thought I'd just share one random secret about myself with you:

I'm still a big kid!

(and suspect many of you are as well :)

To get myself through the winter, I tend to read and watch a lot of movies. After sci-fi and fantasy, my favourite genre is the Children/Young Adults section. Whenever I find myself at Goodwill (which is quite often) a certain portion of my time there is spent perusing the kid's books.

         

I've either recently read, am reading or plan to read the above.

I've watched these movies in the past few weeks and each was a visual delight. 

I think it's important remain childlike (though not childish ;) throughout our lives. Children's literature and movies help me to stay in touch with the magical, whimsical and fantastical possibilities in life as seen through more innocent, wondering eyes. 

Happy New Year Everyone!

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. 

~Author Unknown

I have a confession to make: I'm a secret slob. If you saw me on the street, you'd likely think me well put together. My clothes would be clean and stylish, with no buttons missing or threads hanging. If you came over to my home and looked around, you'd find it very neat and well-ordered; a place for everything and everything in it's place. Same with my car. 

My purse however, is a completely different story... This is what my wallet looks like all year - and not because we just had Christmas. The only time I ever seem to empty it out is right before a trip.

Yesterday, while I was ruminating out loud about what my New Year's resolution should be (I also happened to be rummaging through my purse at the time), a voice from the peanut gallery (JJ Hubby) piped in with, "Why don't you start by cleaning your wallet..?" 

Truthfully, I'm not sure I would even want to resolve to keep my wallet clean - I kind of like it the way it is. If I need a coupon, an old receipt or list - I always know where to look. And granted, sometimes I have to search a little, but often I'm also rewarded by coming across something, maybe a stub from somewhere I've been and had forgotten all about. It's like an archeological dig!

I think instead of a resolution, I'm going to go with the 'Word of the Year' theme I've been seeing on so many blogs lately. A beacon of inspiration for 2013, so to speak. The word I've decided on is:

ACCEPTANCE

This year, I will try to be more accepting of myself: foibles, vices, weaknesses and all. Actually, so far, I'm finding this SO easy, I'm now wondering if maybe I should also work on accepting the weaknesses of those around me... No, on second thought, I think I'll save that one for 2014, lol!

Do you have a WOTY or Resolution made for 2013?

Are You Driving Your Neighbours Crazy?

We really like you Dan - but could you please move your van?

The other morning while my husband and I were having coffee, the subject of why our neighbour Dan, insists on parking in front of our house (despite the fact that he has both a driveway and a garage) came up once again. For some reason, this really bugs us!! Poor Dan - if only he realized we don't want to look at his van every day, right outside our front window - no matter how lovely it may be.

I got to thinking afterwards that we can't be alone in this. I expect everyone has something that drives them crazy about their neighbour. Small, ridiculous, petty complaints. It's inevitable.

Our neighbours on the other side also irritate us in tiny ways that they are, in all likelihood, completely unaware of. They seem like very nice people - that's why we wonder why they only cut their half of the green strip we share between our driveways - while JJ Hubby cut the whole thing for years (now he only cuts our half, lol!)

When we first moved into this home, close to 12 years ago, I remember these same neighbours shaking their heads at the previous homeowner, who liked to vacuum at 11 pm, with a very loud built-in vacuum system.

This all makes me wonder what WE do that drives our neighbours crazy... ! I bet Dan doesn't like that my vines start to crawl under his fence by about mid-June every summer. Especially since he literally doesn't have a tree, bush or flower in that backyard to speak of - another thing that really irks us, haha!

As for our neighbours on the other side, it could be anything - maybe I water too often or too long. Perhaps we don't pay enough attention to their dog when we happen to meet them on the street (that dog creeps me out for some reason - it's quite unfriendly itself). I bet they suspect I try to avoid them when we are all outside at the same time. I admit I do - I am an introvert, after all!

This isn't to say that over the years we haven't had to address some issues; we've had to politely work things out with Dan on a number of occasions - he regarding where our drain spout was pointing - we regarding his drainage hose. But these are legitimate concerns. How do you go about telling your neighbour where to park? You don't - you just chew about it over coffee :D

Well, what does your neighbour do that bugs you? What do you suspect is driving them crazy about you?!!

This Weather Is For The Birds!

When I was out shovelling yesterday afternoon (in the middle of a snowstorm) I heard the unmistakable cries of Canada geese overhead. They were making their getaway and if I had wings, I'd have joined them. It started snowing first thing in the morning - a very wet and consequentially heavy dump - and it never let up all day - I ended up shovelling 3x's in a futile attempt to keep ahead of the game! You can see how dull & grey the sky was.

I do love the winter wonderland of a fresh snow, provided I don't have to travel in or shovel it.

I got to wondering where the expression 'for the birds' comes from and found out there seems to be no definitive answer as to the origin of this avian insult. The closest I could come to an answer was that it originated as US Army slang towards the end of WWII. "That's for the birds" is a shortened form of the more vulgar version "that's shit for the birds", in reference to the habit of some birds pecking at horse droppings in order to find seeds. Lol, just thought you'd like to know!

I noticed a few hearts formed up against this post - do you see them? I guess it's not all bad after all :)

I've decided to try to look for ways to appreciate winter - we have many months of it still ahead...

#1: The spiders are sleeping!

Hope you're warm & dry where you are.

Fly, Be Free, My Little Bird

If my son reads this blog (which I know he doesn't), he'll likely recognize the above pic he forwarded to me at least six months ago!

Our boomerang child, who was 27 in October, finally moved out again this past Friday (his sister left over 5 years ago!) for what we have adamantly stated is The. Very. Last. Time. So resolved are we in fact, that in a few weeks time, he'll likely think he's at the wrong house should he happen by... it's the domino effect - 4 rooms are getting shuffled in all our excitement. Just try to find your old room David, lol!

I know we're not alone - books have been written on the subject.

Haha, shouldn't they at least attempt to hide their delight?

This is us right now :)

The hard part isn't necessarily getting them out of the house - it's keeping them out!

Fall Greetings!

Wow, can you believe it's September already? I want to thank everyone who expressed their concern regarding my recent bout with tendonitis. I really appreciated your well-wishes. Thankfully my hand has now completely healed-up. 

I recently spent a week at a cottage on Bob's Lake in southern Ontario. It was a rejuvenating time of relaxation and deep reflection.

If you have followed my blog for any period of time, you'll already know that every so often I feel the need to check-out of the blogging world. While I love visiting your blogs as much as I appreciate your visiting mine - the time has once again come for another bloggy-break... not sure for how long... 

In the meantime, take care of yourself and I miss you all already :)

Is This Blog-Worthy?

Haha, don't adjust your set, dear reader - you are indeed seeing double :) I ran out this afternoon and picked up a second pair of these adorable little shoes I've been wearing non-stop this summer. This isn't the first time I've bought a second set of the same pair of shoes - I do so quite regularly. Next spring who'll be laughing... !

Shortly after I'd arrived back home, my sister called me and I mentioned my errand. "Oooh," she said "Is this blog-worthy?" Hmmm... I'm not sure if she was being sarcastic or not (I have my suspicions!) - but, truth be told, I had already been thinking the same thing as I drove home. When you have a blog, you tend to see and run your entire life through the 'blog-filter'.

Well, I guess you have your answer Michelle! It is.

Do you buy things in multiples when you see a great deal or just plain love something? I am very proud of myself for not procrastinating this task and then finding out they were all sold out of green, size 7. Another thing I'm not going to put off any longer is starting my Christmas shopping - especially the stocking stuffers. I have been thinking the time to start is now - not in October and November when it's cold and the stores are busy. Many thanks to Sarah for giving me a reminder... even if it came in July :)

Goodbye Little Creamer ☹

Whaaa!!!

This past week I was again reminded of the Buddhist teaching to see stuff as already broken. (I blogged on this mindset some time ago here when my favourite coffee mug broke.) The above set was purchased 22 years ago at a yard sale in the tiny hamlet of Berwyn, Alberta on a very hot summer's afternoon with two little children in-tow and I have treasured it dearly ever since. I'll admit I was mortified when it broke - I won't even bother going into how. I screeched, howled and stomped around the room for a minute (or two :) and then an acceptance and calm took over... c'est la vie!

The essence of this teaching is that all of life is in a constant state of change. Everything has a beginning and everything has an end. Every tree begins with a seed and will eventually transform back into the earth. Every rock is formed and every rock will vanish. In our modern world, this means that every car, every machine, every piece of clothing is created and all will wear out and crumble; it's only a matter of when. Our bodies are born and they will die. A glass is created and will eventually break.

There is peace to be found in this teaching. When you expect something to break, you're not surprised or disappointed when it does. (Can't claim I'm quite 'there' yet, lol!) Instead of becoming immobilized when something is destroyed, you feel grateful for the time you have had.

I am grateful for the time I had this creamer - it was finely-crafted, attractive and used in innumerable ways over the years; perfect for watering a plant, lovely for sauces and gravies & maple syrup :) and of course, milk or cream.

The Sweet Smell of Memory

Another day, another reason to celebrate; it's Fragrance Day!

Hahaha - We've all met this guy :)

What's your favourite scent? 

Oddly enough, one of mine is almond extract. Growing up, there was a corner store two blocks away from my home that I would visit just to drink in the overpowering smell of almonds that permeated it. I don't know what the reason was behind their signature scent, but it's indelibly inked on my memory. 

Speaking of corner stores, do you remember when there was one on just about every corner? Within a four block radius of my home there were six. I don't know about you, but I really miss them, especially in the spring/summer/fall months. Some of my fondest memories include walking to the corner store on a blistering hot afternoon for a freezie or an early evening stroll for a chocolate bar. Every establishment was unique; the proprietors lived at the back of the building (you could often sneak a quick glance into their home if the door was ajar...) and they carried everything: fishing tackle, pickled eggs, nylons, tacky gifts, penny candy, army knives, comic books - you name it. Some of it was dusty and dated (even by '70's standards), but somehow this just added to the overall ambience and appeal!

It's Been Sew Long

Lol, this was sent to me by a faithful reader yesterday - Thanks Lorene :)

My sister recently asked me how my sewing skills are. Good question! I used to sew a lot. I grew up with a mother who sewed beautifully and therefore had a fully stocked sewing room at my disposal. It was bright and sunny and I spent many a happy hour fashioning creations; by high school I wasn't even using patterns for the 'outfits' I sported. When I think back on some of the things I actually wore to school, I have to cringe - I now realize they were odd, but thankfully no one was cruel enough to tell me! After marrying, I made clothes for myself and my children, drapes etc. for my home, outfitted three flower girls on one occasion and even had a (very) small clothing repair business, which I operated out of my home; the result of an add I ran in the newspaper every other week. My clientele were mainly bachelors bringing me their work clothes!

I had two dreams as a child: to run a hairdressing and/or a seamstress business out of my home. My grandmother had her own seamstress business and I was always so impressed with her resourcefulness and talent whenever I visited her. 

It's hard to believe, but it's been at least five years since I've sewn anything. I guess I've been feeling that with the price of material and factoring in the labour involved, it's really not worth crafting anything... why not just buy it? Well guess what... I've agreed to make a Peter Pan doll for my nephew's fifth birthday! Above is the one my sister liked best, we found it in Google Images. I've had no luck at all finding a PP pattern, so I purchased a basic doll pattern (think I'd better go with one since I'm so rusty) and will fashion some clothes for him as best I can. I'll post pics when I'm done :)

I already know what I'm going to say once I've finished this project, because I'm already feeling it: 

WHY has it been so long? I'm enjoying myself immensely!

(Before I go, I want to thank Tracey from Breathing English Air and Kate from Musings of a Book Lover for honouring me with awards this week. Both great blogs, I might add. I'm getting spoiled and have been forced to open a trophy room at the bottom of my page to house all my loot. Check it out!)

Hope you have a great weekend!

I'm Back!!

Homemade ornaments are the best!

I spotted this adorable gingerbread man on our friends' tree yesterday;

turns out it's the handiwork of their granddaughter (with a little help from grandpa :) 

Seeing as this is the second time I've 'popped by' when I'm supposed to be taking some time off, I'm guessing my bloggy-break is now officially over, lol! I trust your Christmas was a merry one; ours was lovely. I was actually quite excited this year in anticipation of the Kindle Reader Santa was bringing me - don't ask me how I found out - I never reveal my sources... :) So far I'm really enjoying it. I'm a hoarder collector of books and will likely end up picking up many of the books I read on the Kindle at Goodwill for my collection anyways. I finished Harry Potter a few days before Christmas and have started a new book series which I downloaded to my reader (see my Good Reads page)

Food is such a big part of any Christmas, that I thought I'd share a few recipes with you. I made an apple crisp for our dessert on Christmas Eve and a Sour Cherry Trifle for Christmas Day. I put it together early on Christmas Eve, except for the whipping cream and almonds which I added just before serving. If you haven't yet decided on a dessert for your New Year's celebrations - this would be a perfect one. Very showy and delicious!

The above photo is from the Canadian Living website where I found the recipe (link). I had full plans of posting a pic of my trifle but in all the excitement, I only realized I'd forgotten to take one after having dished out numerous servings...! You'll just have to take my word that it was essentially identical to the one above :)

Something I did manage to get a shot of was one of the numerous pans of Graham Breakaways I've made over the past week (my sister calls them 'Crack' because you can't have just one, lol!) This was just before I'd broke them into pieces. Below is the recipe (which I've adapted) from the Kraft website. (link)


Take 1 sleeve (30) Honey Maid Graham Wafers and 2/3 cup butter and 1 cup packed brown sugar and mix & match your recipe from these options...

	chopped nut options	topping choices
	pecans	flaked coconut
	walnuts	dried cranberries
	peanuts	Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
	almonds	Baker's White Chocolate, chopped

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. On parchment paper spread wafers onto large baking sheet.

In a saucepan melt butter on low heat with brown sugar until incorporated, then raise heat to med-high and boil for 1.5 minutes. Quickly pour over your prepared wafers, spreading mixture evenly.

Bake 5 min. or until topping is bubbly and lightly browned. 

Remove from oven, sprinkle generously with chocolate (I use semi-sweet chocolate chips) and put back in oven for 2-3 minutes, remove from oven and spread melted chips over caramel layer.

Add your toppings (nuts, cranberries, coconut) Press down gently and bake another 2 min. max.

Cool completely in fridge. Break into pieces. Enjoy!

Note: Other yummy toppings would be Skor pieces &/or substituting 1/2 butterscotch chips for regular chocolate.

Also: Do not use carob chips - they won't melt properly!

Here's another one of Jinnaya's creations :)

Cheers!

Let the Festivities Begin!

Seasons Greetings everyone! How are your Christmas preparations coming along? Things are looking up here - yesterday I mailed out cards and it's not even December 15th yet! (that's usually when I really get moving, lol) Above is my Christmas card for this year - a cosy image that looks like a scene straight out of most of our childhoods. Is your tree up? I managed to get mine decorated over the weekend and it's definitely helped me feel a bit more festive! 

You may have noticed I recently cleaned up my side-bar and added horizontal links to pages under my header pic. One links to a new monthly caption contest. Take a peek and get those 'ol creative juices flowing - submissions will be accepted until the end of the month, at which time I'll post the winning caption and a new pic for the following month. I hope everyone participates - surprise me with your warped humor! I've already received one great submission.


I'm planning a giveaway at some point over the Christmas season... still deciding what the lucky winner will be receiving. Stay tuned :)

Lastly, I hope you enjoy this hilarious clip (this episode re-aired last night in fact) 
from one of my favourite shows, The Big Bang Theory. 
For those who are not familiar with Sheldon,
he is a geeky, socially inept theoretical physicist.

Have a great day!

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?