WHEEEEEE... the rollercoaster......

is dipping and diving... the financial rollercoaster that is.... am hanging on tight, hoping that the bottom doesn't fall out... we shall see i suppose... i was hoping that the american govt would come to some sort of agreement in 'financial aid'... mortgage wise anyways... perhaps a cap on housing prices, a few years back, would have been prudent.... as for the common folk... gosh.. spend what ya got, not what you don't have!!! think i'm sounding a bit old fashioned but my parents were depression era and struggled and starved right along with others.... i think i learned some valuable lessons from them... frugality being one of them.... i did have a time where it was fun to purchase new and exciting things... but most of them were 'things' and just 'things'... back to the old ways, shopping for sale items, canning and preserving, utilizing items already in my cupboards or sheds ;) ....
anyways, enough rantings.... the weather is about to change ... brrrr and wet... my tomatoes are still ripening and i'm thinking maybe i need to rip them up and hang them upside down in the garden shed.... but first i have to organize it.... another couple of hrs and i should have a fully fledged garden shed.. been putting things in my big studio/shed... but trying to keep it to a dull roar... and yes utilizing my bits and pieces of things.. like wood, cupboards etc., i've been collecting tiles... a LOT of tiles... but am noticing that the supply is starting to dry up... a reflection of the economy i suspect... anyways... should have enough to tile the bathroom tub surround.... that will be my spring project... the tubsurround is starting to decay and becoming a serious problem... sooooo trying to dry it out and do a patch job until then....
anyways....... garden has been lovely... here's a pic of one of the residents....





just looked, been awhile since i last posted... have been busy going back and forth to Youbou, its very pretty at this time of the year... but spent much of my time, doing computer work for a friend... was fun.... she's the most wonderful hostess... mmm i'm sure i gained another 10bs.. sigh
see this fellow... he's gonna fix my friend's old Pontiac....
Ed, the fixer.. who won an award in 2003 (i believe) for a Hot Rod that he'd restored...

the pontiac.... will show pics of what it used to look like.... so sad to see it being hauled away like this... was once a fine tuned vehicle!!

an end of an Era... Ted Leroy Trucking and Logging company.... another victim of the 'recession'? or bad wheeling and dealing and one very horrible accident... this was at the Chemainus Richie Bros., auction... was sad to see, as it's just a sample of some of the bigger companies that couldn't weather the financial storm of the lumber industry....

The look of........

fall...... its arrived.. not so slowly but here, nonetheless... the leaves are changing, crinkling on the edges, turning red for some, fall already for others... the tomatoes are ripening and the new crop of fall peas are about 3 inches high...
a couple of days ago i got a treat... the most wonderful one in awhile... at the living room window the dogs started growling and watching carefully, at first i thought it was the neighbour's dog.. i looked out....... WOW is all i can say... a rare glimpse of an Elk... i say rare because there's never one been reported out this way... they are usually deep in the mountains in the centre of the island... not sure why he/she was here, but a more beautiful site i've not seen in awhile... sad to say... BOTH cameras were in my car.... so just a memory .... and hopefully creator will make it so it doesn't end up in someone's freezer...

yesterday we had a forest fire relatively close to here... arson again.. someone has been busy setting fires in the area.. if they only knew the damage and destruction they are creating... not only for the humans, but enviromentally... i hope they are caught soon, the forests are dry and crackling....

today is Sian's birthday... the ripe old age of 9, will take some pictures at her dinner tonight.. a family affair.. she didn't want any of her school friends.. so family it is... hotdogs and pizza and cake on the menu..

'THE' election....

is driving me NUTS!!! blah blah blah... half told truths, half hidden lies... thats my opinion on it.. and i'm seeing a country bamboozled by beauty and newness... sort of similar to a new chocolate bar... mmm good to the eye, bad for the tummy.... not everything in the chocolate bar is listed.. a burp is coming .... my opinion of course...

here's an article by Gloria Steinhem... well written and thought out.. i was never a feminist but i thank them for the inroads they made into society, and the importance of their work....
anyways... Palin: wrong woman, wrong message .... i do worry that there is a reversal of the breakthroughs of the 60's, the freedom movements, the feminist movements... somethings i'm in agreement that they weren't all good things.. but personally, i'm not in favour of going back to the 'good old days, of mama in the kitchen, keeping her mouth shut, producing babies at a bunny rate'... if your interested, at the bottom of Ms. Steinhem's article is a link to the comments... YIKES is all i have to say...

speaking of the kitchen.... i'm in there because i want to be, because i love to cook....
so we canned our hearts out again... managed to accidently fall into some very cheap pears, plums and nectarines and corn on the cob ... we got 21 quarts of pears and daughter froze the plums and nectarines until we're ready to make jam or jelly... mmmgood... thank goodness for the feed store that gets 'deals on fruits and veggies..... as for the corn... today i scraped the cobs and made a pretty interesting casserole...
corn, zucchini, kale, swiss chard, peppers, garlic and onion, all sauteed then i sliced tomatoes and grated some mixed cheeses and baked till golden brown and bubbling....

i took a small 'holiday' .. to Youbou... spent the evening and sunday at my friend's house, she cooked, i cleaned..... her puter.. was great!!! had a lovely visit with her and another friend... and when i went to leave... she gave me a huge piece of spring salmon... mmmm Candied Salmon here we come!!! perhaps tomorrow we'll start on it.. takes a bit of prep work, the smoker and a great recipe!!!

Kitchen mornings......

are great... at least i think so... this morning i made yogurt and am trying out a new recipe... it's from Gluten-Free Vegan and is a gluten free bread recipe, it's in the oven and smelling delicious as it's cooking... so will update later... it was easy to mix, but i'm terrible for 'rearranging' to suit.. since i didn't have all the ingredients... i've added a few 'extras' such as coconut flour and a dash of millet flour, some quinoa flour and a bit of nutritional yeast... it didn't call for any eggs, but i'm thinking i might try an egg next time for better binding... then it should be easier to slice...it's all cooked and cooled.. had a slice... it's got an excellent flavour, i think it's one worth repeating, including my 'extras'...

this recipe also calls for it to be in the freezer or fridge after cooking... does that mean i have to actually CLEAN OUT the fridge??? yikes!!! i know there are green monsters lurking in corners.....

this morning is lovely and peaceful... the sun is out, the dogs are outside, the t.v. is off... ahhh silence except for the quiet tapping of keys... and slurping of a leftover morning coffee...

not bad for a hump day :D

First day of school...... (and some pics)

THANK GOODNESS!!!!! YAY... that says it all doesn't it!!... was a wonderful summer, full of suprises and drama... children do that ..... but i survived another year... more grey hairs that i'd like to know about!!! well only myself and my hairdresser knows how many!!!
Labour Day weekend consisted of 2 cases of peaches that needed to be canned.. NOW, not tomorrow or the next day... so we canned 1 and a half cases and the rest were eaten... yum yum.. i'll take a pic of a couple of jars, when i get them back.. we did the assembly line at daughter's house... we're quick and organized so an afternoon went by quickly with 17 quarts looking all "peachy" and yummy...

yesterday was a certain grandbrat's 15th birthday... she's offically old now.. if you double her age, she'd be 30... remember the saying... 'never trust anyone over 30'... think that came from the 60s but i could be wrong!!! anyways dinner was a bbq at the other grandma's house, the grandpa cooking burgers and chicken... was pretty tasty and i got to sit around looking ravishing... just kidding!!!

got a few new pics..











this was a painting that Sian did last summer... and i love it... i framed it and it was on the wall, but needs a new home... at least while i have spare folks here....



i'm afraid the photo doesn't do it justice, the colours are very vibrant.. its really quite delightful... i guess its a grandma's thing, but hey i love it.. :D

A day of Rest...

i lied!!.. but i actually didn't do very much... picked a few ripe tomatoes, pulled all my broccoli and brussel sprouts and several kale plants.... damn aphids terrorizing my garden... what were they thinking... besides.. mmm nice organic veggies... good old organics, even the bugs grow well... it was cool this morning, as it was yesterday, but warmed up this afternoon... t-shirt weather.. not so hot you can't be outside, and not so chilly u need to be bundled up...
i went to daughter's house and the cute peachick has a name and thinks Mommy is her... soo Sidekick is a happy go-lucky little chick... eating well, likes crickets and anything that moves... yay!!! the other poor little fellow passed away yesterday and his body was recycled to the pine snake... our loss and the snake's gain...
have been watching CNN for the Hurricane Gustav news.. make me glad i'm here, and that the hurricane force storms that we have in the winter are nothing compared to Atlantic hurricanes...
i wish everyone well and hope that it passes by without much trouble... to see a whole area of millions of people evacuate was amazing....

Beets......

are done...... so for now all my canning is finished.. woohooo... the tomatoes are ripening on the vine, but slowly...





i've had to cover them the whole season... never got the cover off.. but what is coming is good... so i guess i can't complain about them... just not the quantity i was hoping for... but since i got 2 cases of tomatoes, mixed paste and regular, i okay with whats there.. nothing like a fresh picked, pop in your mouth tomato!!!

last night i picked a couple of cabbages from the garden, the green cabbages are tiny, but the red ones are okay and look much better... i only have a few, but hey, a few is better than none...


i'd like to move the one garden spot and put it closer to my house.. maybe next spring... when i have more energy... LOL... i have big plans... now to find someone to build them.. i want a small greenhouse next year too... i'm getting some decent peppers this year, but only because they've been covered and treated extra special... the eggplants... well, they will make nice compost ;) .... thats all they are good for.. but compost is like gold, so i won't complain!!!

Baby Peacocks and mama Ducky...

and did i mention... a snake!!! Daughter phoned this morning... welllll i guess mama Ducky has been sitting on some eggs..... a LOT of eggs... and no, none of them are hers.... a bit of background on Ducky... she was given to my daughter from our vet's office... someone had tried to have her for dinner, and someone else had rescued her in mid 'throttling'... and she had this Z in her neck for quite some time... anyways.. it's gone, she's fine.. but she thinks she's a peacock!!!

now that nest is minus 2....

one of them isn't doing very well.. and we don't think it will make it.. but hey one never knows... mother nature has some weird twists sometimes....

speaking of twists.... grandson found a snake... i tried to get a pic of the neck.. but its got a L neck.. so it's in rehab too...just a wee one... so it should have a good chance of survival.. we have more than enough slugs bugs and other things around.. we've been swamped with rain...

Tomatoes and Peppers....

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers..... and i got to can them... i thought there was about 10 lbs of peppers.. mmm nope... about 20 lbs and over 50 lbs of tomatoes............ ahhhhhhhhhhhh all done... but took me 2 days... the last batch of jelly i just finished... it's not cooled yet, so don't know if it set.. but hey, no matter, its always good for glazing, as a dip.. whatevers... mmmgoood....

i got 17 quarts of just canned tomatoes, 12 pints of salsa, 8 pints of hot sauce and 8 pints of jelly... and not a bit left over... YAYYY

alas.. the canning isn't done yet tho... i have about 10 lbs of beets to go... this year, i'm just going to can them, plain jane, no pickled beets... but only because i already have pickled beets in the cupboard...

All things hot......

well not 'all' things, but certainly hot peppers.. to make Bajan Hot Sauce..... mmmmm good...
daughter and i went to the farmers market and i came home with 2 cases of tomatos, 10 lbs of beets and 10 lbs of mixed peppers, some hot, some not.... going to be a cookfest tomorrow....
apart from that, not a terribly 'busy' day, but the weather was absolutely miserable... chilly, rainy and generally a 'movie' kinda day....

BRRR...

all i gotta say is BRRRR..... i think fall has arrived... and rather suddenly too... sighhhhh
was out in the garden this morning, t-shirt, sweater, long pants, gloves... and still chilly....
got some free stuff last night, from Freecycle... i love the idea of an internet access to free stuff.... i belong to 2 groups, one in Nanaimo, and one in Oregon, got the bases covered i figure... unfortunately i see free stuff at the one i'm not at.. LOL... but last night i did score... i got a dresser/buffet, 2 wooden stools, an indoor garbage can and a laundry basket full of apples....
it was dark when grandson and i went to get the items so it was a 'hope it's okay' type of thing... they were outdoors, in the dark, and i had to use my headlights to see by... anyways... i checked the items out this morning... the dresser, is used, needs some cleanup and some knobs and a set of casters... none of which should be difficult to do... its actually in pretty good shape... i've seen lots worse at the Sally Ann or Goodwill... oh and got more tiles... i'm just going to collect and collect and see what i come up with... i was playing with some of my tile bits last night and came up with an idea for making squares with them, then inserting in hobnob in the wall... my ultimate goal is to redo my tub surround which is rotting away as i type... sometimes decorating on a strict budget is difficult at best.. but kind of a fun project... just as long as i don't get junky, it should go okay... i'm still looking for a deep bathtub too... who knows, maybe i'll actually find something that is on sale or something... my ideal would be a lovely old clawfoot bathtub... how i wish!!!

Mosaic......

mmmmosaic heaven... was at the tile store yesterday... OMG what a cornacopia of colours and textures.. i think i might take another tour when littlest grandbrat gets home from her summer visit with daddy... she loves art, and what an 'art' store... i've been collecting bits of tiles and all sorts of stuff for doing some mosaics... i like quilting, well actually wall hangings and i think doing mosaics really isn't that different... just a different medium... i had a bit of a practice run with some of the tiles... it's going to be a beach scene i think... at least thats where it's headed so far...


i rescued a small wooden bird feeder and wooden bird house, of which i'm going to 'transform' into a mosaic feeder and house... it will be good practice... Youtube has some great small tutorials on tiling... the last bit of tiling that i did was about 15 years ago.... and it was difficult to pry off the wall when we changed the 'decor' in the kitchen.. sooo figure i can somewhat master the art of mosaics....





been doing more research online, for gluten free recipes and information on celiac disease... no i don't think i'm a celiac, but i do believe that cutting out the gluten in my diet has definately helped with my joint pain and it seems to have stalled the multitude of trips to the bathroom and gutwrenching bloating that have seem to have increased the last year.... i think that if i cut gluten out for a couple of months and it helps, then good, if not, then it was nothing lost... if anything more gained, not only in the researching, but of learning new recipes and finding new blogs from gluten intolerant or celiac folks...
one of the best gluten free blogs that i've come across so far is Gluten-Free Girl ... she's a writer and illustrator by trade and her site is interesting to read as well as being fully of great recipes and information....

Greywater utilization....

the water situation here is critical during the summer months.... i can't see why a system couldn't be incorporated here, i just need a 'handy' person to help me... i found some directions on a very cool system... i can visualize a pond, perhaps only bathtub size, but seems that it could be utilized to water some areas of the garden... a cistern would be the ideal problem solver, but a shortage of cash and labour nixes that thought, at least for now...
found this tidbit of information for the future... Hansgrohe has developed a compact Greywater system which is supposed to be coming to the U.S. ... more more.. bring it on!!! North Americans in general are a wasteful bunch... and yes, i include myself in that group... i'm more frugal than a lot, but if i didn't need to be.. would i be??

Peas.......

are planted... we shall see what comes up... hopefully something yummy!!! am going to teach my bratlings to use my sprouter... nothing like a good dose of vitamins, when its cold and frosty... but whether they wish to learn, who knows... seems like eating fresh veggies, sprouts is a no brainer in the stock up on vitamin department, but the hardest part is getting the kids to go 'green'....
i know that i've made some kind of impact when they willingly go and 'steal' peas and tomatoes from the garden... and are frugal with the water...

Pictures!!!

i took this picture on saturday.. it was hot hot hot... 34 celcius is 93.2 and it had already gone down a couple of degrees cause i was on the road... was too toasty to stay in the house, poor puppies needed some fresh air on their faces...






this carving was in Michael Biggs park.... it scared Dora to pieces.... the late Michael Biggs was a world class researcher/photographer in the world of Orcas... just a note, (trivia) that when i grew up the Orcas were called Black Fish .. it wasn't until the first capture of them in the 60's did the name change.. there is a sound at the mouth of Knight Inlet which is called Black Fish Sound...




i've not got a clue what this peice of machinery is, but thought it was pretty cool....





in case your wondering what the heck that is... its a flower tea ball that opened... was a delightful white tea bundled with some rather dainty flowers .... and it was delicious tea!!



this set of twins and mama were in Qualicum... went on an adventure on Monday... went to Qualicum to find a store called The Bulk Store, which has a little bakery and specializes in Celiac breads etc. i got a loaf of Cinnamon Raisin bread and some made up little pizza shells... and both were exceptionally delicious!!!



Qualicum Beach....








we had a good rainfall last night, some wind and general earth cleansing... my garden looks well watered, am thinking it might be a good day to plant some peas... i'm going to try and get a fall crop in this year... weather permitting of course!!
i've been on the hunt for fall crop transplants but nothing in yet... perhaps later this week... now that the hot spell has come and gone those transplants won't bolt as soon as they get plunked in the ground...

the sun is out this morning and am hoping that it will hold out for a while and warm us up just a bit... apparently our stormy weather is unseasonal.. hmmm what else is new these days...
global warming, cooling.. who knows... i prefer to call it global changes...

Tasty Tuesday....

woke up feeling like the truck ran over me... mmm neck troubles... so laid low for awhile...

those pickled onions just couldn't wait for me... soooooo up i got.. turned on the canner and got cracking... i now have 3 beautiful pint jars of pickled onions... yum yum...
here's the recipe if your interested...



Ingredients

5 lbs silver skin onions ( i only had enough for 3 pints)
1 cup pickling salt
4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons whole allspice, spices

Directions
1 In a large pot, add onions, cover with boiling water and let cool.
2 Peel and discard skins and water.
3 Rinse onions and return to pot.
4 Sprinkle onions with pickling salt.
5 Cover onions again with boiling water and let stand for 24 hours.

6 Drain and reserve salted water.
7 Rinse onions with cold water and return to cooking pot.
8 In a separate pot, bring reserved salted water to a boil.
9 Pour over onions.
10 Repeat this same process for another 2 full days.

11 At the beginning of the 4th day, drain and discard water.
12 Rinse onions thoroughly.
13 In a cooking pot, add sugar, vinegar and spices that are wrapped in a cheese cloth and boil for 2 mins.
14 Pour this liquid over the onions.
15 Cover and let sit for 24 hours.

16 Drain off liquid, save and reheat.
17 Pour this liquid over the onions again.
18 Repeat this process for a total of 3 days, which is now the 6th day.

19 On the 7th day, which is the last day, drain and reserve the liquid.
20 Wash onions thoroughly.
21 Reheat the reserved liquid.
22 Prepare and sterilize jars.
23 Fill jars with onions and pour the hot liquid over the onions in the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top.
24 Wipe tops of rims very clean.
25 Place prepared lids on top and screw on screw lids just finger tight.
26 Place jars in a hot bath in a canner and boil for 5 minutes.
27 Remove from bath and place on a towel.
28 Cover with another towel to cool.
29 Jars are sealed when the tops"pop" and are concave, (turned down.).
30 Wipe jars clean, lable and store in a cool, dry place.


yum yum...

i figured that now the weather has broken and no longer blazing hot that a good baked dinner was needed... so made a delicious veggie casserole...

the basis is any veggies you have in your fridge, cupboard or garden... chopped and sauteed in olive oil, with a chopped onion and 3 or 4 cloves of garlic... throw on some leftover cheese or sauce and bake...

for today i had
1 onion
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
couple of potatoes
zucchini
green beans
celery
carrot
eggplant
spinach

fresh tomatoes
canned tomatoes

i put the canned tomatoes on the bottom, added a layer of eggplant, then the sauteed veggies, added a layer of some leftover pesto sauce, some slices of fresh tomato and topped it off with some leftover mozzarella and some other hard cheeses..
and baked for 350 till bubbly and browned.....

well i think that the dreaded 'fall' is on the way... i saw geese in formation and some of the maple leaves are starting to turn.... and it's chilly and raining hard... sighhhh
seems like summer just got here.. 2 weeks of warm and poof, it's rained away....

MMMmoisture.....

it finally rained.. but not a lot so ended up watering the garden a bit ... ah well only another month then i won't have to... picked a few ripe tomatoes today, some cherry tomatoes and 4 beekfsteak... now that i'm home and watering more regularly the next batch should be more uniform in looks, no cracks or signs of lack of water.... am lightly fertilizing once and week as well... my newly transplanted carrots are doing well too.. seems carrots and my soil are enemies tho.. not exactly sure why...

so yesterday was another scorcher, but later in the evening it clouded over and we had a few drops of rain... i drove down to Maple Bay to see if i could find somewhere to take the dogs to the water... apparently i'm not too good in the water department since once again, we came home dry.. there were a few places but filled with dogs, kids and rowdies... ah well, didn't need a wet dog or 2 anyways i guess...

another day of checking my pickled onions, boiling the liquid, and putting back in the crock.. yay... i tried one, tasted delicious... tomorrow i should be able to can them.. i will only get perhaps 3 pints.. but will be a tasty treat later in the year...

am going to make some veggie antipasto i think... that is a LOT of work.. but ooooh so good... not terribly cheap either but well worth the work....will have to haul out my very old recipe and get too it... it has 18 ingredients so will be a lot of chopping and putting together.. mmmgood...

2 Fans....

that i brought back from Oregon... were a godsend yesterday.... sally ann specials..... in Oregon i could actually have bought them cheaper, BRAND NEW, at wallyworld.. ahem.... i actually saved $15.00 each, because here they are $35.00 and i paid $20.00... anyways.... it was so darn hot i actually had to gather the 4 legged children and scoot them off to cooler places.... in our travels we hunted for a cool watery spot.... good luck on vancouver island... this is probably one of the most unfriendly dog places i know of...well maybe water/people unfriendly too... there was no where that i could take them to the river, in town no dog is allowed on the beach in the summer, whether it be lake or ocean... ah well... we had fun driving around wasting gas.. making a bigger carbon footprint...
on the return trip, i had a bear run across the road in front of my car.... unfortunately he/she is aweful close to 'civilization' and is almost certainly doomed to die... in the past week, we've had 3 bears destroyed, that we the public know about.... and i know of another case in Port Alberni where the poor bear will be destroyed when he's captured....not a nice world we have created... time for mass birthcontrol of humans...

Another hot day....

wheeeeee the temperature's been soaring.. yesterday was HOT and muggy... today is just plain HOT, already at 9 am it's 80... so i know by the end of the day, this trailer's gonna feel like an oven... ah well... wait a couple of months and i'll be crabbing about the cold ...

so in my internet journey i came across this very cool idea.. of which i hope it comes to fruition... solar curtains.. what a concept!!! about time i'd say.. so in my fantasy world.. the solar curtain could supply enough energy to even heat my house at a low level.. which would cut down on my use of home heating oil... ummm gee, i suspect that the big oil companies are going to balk at such a thought... cynical i know... but for years now the technology has been here, and it's a very slow process it seems, with pitfalls and hurls that are unending... HMM i say...

mmm pickled onions... how 'basic' is that.... mind you, after 4 days of brining, i'm now to the vinegar, sugar and whole allspice stage, another 3 days of straining once a day, boiling the liquid and pouring onto the onions ... then i can cheerfully can them.. and i HOPE that the weather has cooled a bit... nothing like canning when it's already 90 plus in the kitchen.....

mmm brined cucumbers... are almost ready!!! did a test yesterday.. one bite and i can tell if they are brined enough.. nope not yet.. they are so close to being ready... including the lovely scum at the top of the jars.. mmm not so tasty looking, but i know it's all a part of the brining/fermenting stage... a bit like kim chi maybe... anyways maybe today... when they get to the yummy eating stage, thats when they get popped into the fridge.. tada.. 1 1/2 gallons of brined 'deli' style dill pickles...

so i'm experimenting in the yogurt department... if you've ever had Trader Joe's Cream top, plain yogurt, you'll know what i'm aiming for... the closest thing it that i've found in Canada is Astro brand.. BUT it's filled with geletin and other assorted goodies... i just want yogurt culture and milk... nothing else... not only do i eat it, the dogs get a dollop of it on their morning breakfast... mmm yum they think!!
i've made yogurt for many years, but homestyle yogurt tends to be a bit twangy to the tastebuds, but i think i can master a more subtle flavour... where there is a cook, there is a way.... at least in my mind!!

just a little wacky... but interesting site... 'green' cartoons' from europe... its a site called Climate Cartoons ... enjoy ... or not...

A Thursday twist...

wow... how much more twisted is this... Julia Child, our wonder woman of the cooking world.. was a spy ... during WWII was an agent of Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The OSS was the United States intelligence agency during World War II ,and precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency. mm swell have a little spy in your martini? gotta watch out for those Olives ya know!
i did know a lady who was a spy for the Resistance.. she was an amazing lady when i met her, her flaming red hair, gaudy jewellry and brassy but fun clothes... she was infectious with her laughter and wit...
apparently she was wisked out of Denmark, to England, because her cover was going to be unearthed... she was a 'lady of the evening' for German officers... i can't imagine some of the stories that she 'didn't' tell!!!

speaking of 'political' things... gotta love this one!!! Hotflops with Obama and McCain.. please check it out... i wasn't able to copy and paste a photo and unable to find another one elsewhere on the net.... but anyways... feature your wee head or umm heads on the strap of a flip-flop... errr thong ( as in flip-flop not underwear) in my generation!!! all in a name i guess... better to be on one's foot, than up one's ass... umm well ... cast your vote here ....

Wacky World...

uhuh... that it is... just read in the news about the Olympic ceremony and it's fakery... how sad that a little girl was cheated from her night ... and btw if you didn't see hear her... she had a voice that would melt butter... she was absolutely terrific.... the other girl was as cute as a button and did a good job of lip syncing... sad sad to think adults are that foolish...and that the struggle for 'perfection' is so great...
the whole Olympic 'race' seems more political than sports minded.. i guess competition is competition whether it be in the sport arena or the political arena... we try and teach our children fairness in competition but what they see is a different thing altogether... and we wonder why our world is the way it is... rant rant rant!!!

on to a new note... the Millet Oat Bread (minus the Oat flour, cause i didn't have any) was cheerfully eaten by daughter as well... now if i can just convince the wee one that its yummy bread... atm she's away in Calgary.. its terribly quiet here, peaceful even... but miss her wise beyond her years comments...

Tardy Tuesday....

hmmmhmmm i've been tardy... i did say i'd post.. and here i go...abet a few days have passed since the last time....
BUT since then i've made bread and better pickles, mustard bean pickles, brined cucumbers (deli style) and am in the process of making pickled silverskin onions... this morning i opened up the jars of brined cucumbers... OMG!!! they are beginning to smell just like the dill pickles i love.. u know the ones.. they are at the deli and come with your fav veggie or pastrami sandwich!!! can't wait to give them a try in another few days... the trick supposedly is to only let them brine for a few days, and when they are to your liking, off to the fridge they go....
i only wish i was closer so i could share the spoils with you.... yum yum!!!

i've been trying hard to not eat wheat, and fell off last night... funny thing is that i bloated like crazy, felt very ill and spent a night of gas and finally upchucking... sooo back to the no wheat, i'm not sure if it's the culprit but am thinking that its a good possiblity.... whatever .. i feel better without it and not so bloated....
made a loaf of semi gluten free and it didn't agree with me either... so this morning... another recipe.. fully gluten free...
i've been on the prowl for gluten free recipes and came across some pretty good blogs...
Gluten Free Mommy is a good one... she has some great links as well..

MMMMGOOD was the Gluten Free Mommy's Millet Oat Bread recipe.. i didn't have all the ingredients so made some substitutions... like Coconut Flour for the Sweet Rice Flour... and used my basic 'flour' mix for the base flour amount... pretty much if it adds up to the same amount it should work!! starch for starch tho... not sure of the chemistry but i'm sure that is one thing that does make a difference...

yesterday was kind of fun... went to Habitant for Humanity store... found some 'fake' bricks and other assorted 'fake' stone 'thingies'... all for $15.00... which is pretty much a steal for that stuff... still not sure what i'll do with it but who knows... my poor lilacs need a new space, their pots are crumbling as i type... sighhh... but for 4 years in the same pot.. not doing so bad.... anyways will have to make myself do some labour i guess..
the day before i found some board ends (cedar) from Gogo's mill... so promptly brought those home too... one never knows when these things will be used...

fertilized all my garden stuff today, its grey and lightly cloudy.. if that makes any sense!! so used the 'stinky' fish fertilizer.. wasn't too bad actually... it's a new to me brand... mmm good sniffing for black dogs...

Tomatoes....

are a growing.. prolly the best thing left in my garden... fertilized them this morning... we shall see if that produces a better, bigger crop... unfortunately.... i see no more blossoms.... but with some water, sun and fertilizer.. should have a burst in a couple of weeks....

t and g came back last night... from their adventures in the woods.. they decided that Prince George was out... but that they'd go inland, up in the mountains, on t's quad... i wish i wish... i'd love to do that, would be a riot... and it only cost 20$ for gas, to go 120 km... thats about 70 plus miles... they even saw a bear, deer, squirrels, elk... not sure what else... the elusive cougar was not to be seen... and prolly good, since we on vancouver island have the most aggressive cougars in the world, and the most docile black bears... go figure....

Monday Morning...... holiday

today is a holiday... if your canadian... actually it's just another day... pulling weeds and watered a bunch of things...
not very exciting i'm afraid... but interspersed with phone calls from a distraught mom who's bratty teen and friend didn't come home last night... sooooooo i checked the trailer... hmmmm ditto at this house.... thank god i'm not a parent anymore... but unfortunately the trailer maybe removed soon... at my doing.... sometimes being a grandma ain't what it's cracked up to be... speaking of cracked....
had an egg today... first one in a month.. ackkkkkk... a white egg no less.. and store bought.. i sure miss those chickens....had a doe and fawn in the garden yesterday....now that dora and sampson are back, that will be far and few between... they are maturing, the romps out in the field are less, and shorter.. more snoozing ... mind u, up all night watching for criminals can wear out a doggy.... dora is a good little watch dog... she excels at her job....sampson just thinks life is grand, whatever dora does, he does... woofy woofy....

The Mad Dash......

going north.... 'wagon ho'... err.. well you know... throw the stuff in the car, grab the puppies.. and off back to Canada... was a generally uneventful trip... except for Portland there wasn't even a lot of traffic.... landed in Canada with no trouble... the Border guard was very pleasant and merely mentioned that i had my dogs to cover the fact that i was smuggling in drugs and alcohol... my reply was 'oh sure', he chuckled and said.. welcome back... whew.... no strip search this time... and NO, i had no drugs, no alcohol, no nothing... not even too much gift value... i've decided i'm simply too boring for words... but saves on fixing my vehicle after they've shredded it....guess i have a healthy respect for 'da law'...

sirens howling, 4 firetrucks just flew past on a mission... 'welcome back'.... it's fire season and even tho we've had rain, its bone dry and ready for sparking.... it's a long weekend here so lots of campers and 'riverities' (those who go to the river to party hearty)
speaking of burning... daughter #2 is fried... she had to go to vancouver today... 4 hrs on the ferry(2 hrs each way)... laid out side... utoh.... fire engine red...

as yet i have no pics... my garden.... well... i have plenty of tomatoes coming.... my lettuce and other cold season crops have all bolted, 6 feet high and swollen with seed pods, the peas are finished... sighhh.... but am thinking i might just pull them out and plant some new ones... sometimes we get lucky and its a long enough season for a new crop...
and i found 5 big pepper plants today $1.50 each.... even if i only get 1 pepper per plant... i'm ahead of the game... since peppers are astronomical in price.. AND one of the worst victims of the pesticide game... mmm nothing like a little pesticide to make yer hair fall out...makes me wanna never eat an unorganic pepper...

anyways.. thats my 'job' tomorrow... planting them up in pots and putting them somewhere warm.... since our 'summer' isn't quite the temperature that peppers like... mmmm now where did i put that parka???

The birds.....

are busy busy... collecting and gathering for nests and babies.... my one bullrush stalk has been well used... maybe next year i'll have 2 stalks :D...
i've been hearing a pheasant in the field... and thanks to Dora's alert ears and pointing habits.. i can see him... he's eating bugs over by levi's dirt track... so dora and sampson are resigned to being indoor puppies... at least until our pheasant friend wanders elsewhere...

woohoo.... i just spotted his mate!!! am excited... a breeding pair of pheasants would be awesome... unfortunately our hunter friends think they are good eating... personally eating something that doesn't have a lot of meat on it.. just doesn't cut it!! actually eating something that wandered in my field doesn't quite do it either... i'd rather see them wandering in the field, eating up the bugs that are going to dine on my garden :D
they seem to like levi's dirt track.. must be good bug hunting....

got my choi plants all transplanted.. choi as in bok, sui and other closely related ones... they come in a 6 pack, 3 different varieties... i'm needed some more swiss chard too... will check out my leftover seeds... the weather is cooler than normal, so am in no hurry atm.... all my 'babies' are covered and hopefully won't go into shock...

still a sick kid at home... yesterday we made a fairy... she will hang in Bubbles the car... :D

Island Farms....

and the GMO issue.... Vancouver Island Challenges British Columbia Farmers to Boycott Monsanto Corn & GMOs ...... this article was in August of 2007... i wish i knew if things had changed much, but suspect that probably not.... i don't know about you, but personally i'm not really keen on drinking or eating a product that has Monsanto's Roundup Ready corn, which is genetically engineered to endure repeated spraying with Monsanto's glyphosate-based toxin, in it... mmmm get your vitamins with a healthy daily dose of Roundup???? EWWW....

got my peas and lettuce planted yesterday... woohoo... now watch the weather turn ugly! i know that the spring weather will be erratic as usual so i have reemay ready to cover the new babies... as for the peas.... they are in the ground, ready for a quick rain shower... yum yum in 60 days there should be the start of some very good garden eating :D i saw baby tomatoes in the garden shop yesterday... what are they thinking!!! and not only that.. $1.50 per plant... yikes! Costco had huge ones for $10.00 but they were at least 2 feet tall.. probaby ready to spring into blossom... unfortunately unless one has a greenhouse, chances of tomatoes setting are slim to none, since they won't set below 45 degrees....

today would have been our first ball game.. but... alas... i have a sick kid at home... ah well more ball games to come.... silly bug nestled in her chest and she's coughing and hacking germies all over..

was supposed to rain today.. but so far so good... mind you it's only 6:14 a.m. lots of time for mommy nature to change her mind.... i was going to mow the rest of the yard, but ran out of gas.... the mower works great... will be good once i finish... that will knock out the broom in that area.... woohoo... what a nasty plant... invasive and not generally useful unless i wish to make brooms out of it....

Plastic water bottles........

are a evil nasty waste of oil, enviroment and generally foul... thats my opinion at least... i'm ranting about it because sitting on my balcony is a case of them... and i'm not terribly happy about it... but daughter is working hard and needs water for work... sooooooo that led me on an internet search for an alternative.. TADA!!!! LifeWithoutPlastic.com .. is a great site!... what i think are pretty reasonable prices for stainless steel products... i'm going to order one of the water bottles and who knows maybe one of their food containers...

can't believe it's been almost 2 weeks since i last posted ... i'm a slacker in the posting dept... have been busy sawing, screwing, hammering.. and trying to build some extensions on my shed... there isn't enough covered room for my tools and wood... and since i'm in a rainforest (what's left of the forest :( ) and it rains a lot i need something to protect them... sooo i've become ms 'notsogood carpenter' LOLOL i'm sure if someone video taped me, they be blushing... since i'm not very agile anymore and everything takes twice as long to do.. aging gracefully isn't in the heart of the 'notsogood carpenter... so i finished my fence around one garden.. sampson and dora firmly believe that the raised beds were just built for them for a huge play box and bone burying spot... now i have to start on the other one that they like too... they are happy happy puppies digging up my herbs and carting off old brussel sprout stalks...

yesterday sian and i got to observe a very dedicated little hummingbird that found my one rush stalk to be a supply of downy fuzz for her nest....

i wish i could have been closer, but think i was lucky to have captured the picture at all... i have 2 mallards in the pond just near the house, but unfortunately it will dry up as soon as summer comes.. so i'm hoping they will transfer themselves down to the creek.. we still have one beaver (hopefully) and there should be a pond of sorts...

erika has been chef lately... made a killer (yummy) roast chicken... with help... i gathered some fresh rosemary, thyme and sage, a couple of carrots and showed her how to stuff it with the herbs, throw it into the roasting pan... hmmm so easy she's discovered!

i bought my bedding plants.. getting ready to plant them... and plant some peas... the weather hasn't been the greatest and is below normal temps, so i'm in no hurry... sian has a brand new pair of garden gloves, just her size, and some new to her garden Duck Boots... woohoo... she's looking forward to helping me... lots of peas and tomatoes are on her list....

but not today... we're both sick... some sort of 'bug' ... sniffles and tummy upsets.. mmm the joys of schools and children .... besides its grey and threatening rain... good day to stay indoors and do almost nothing!

Today...

is World Autism Awareness Day..... Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the world.... it affects my family... the stats on Autism is staggering... gotta wonder what really is going on with our children....

First day of Softball....

well it was a practice! the season is starting mid april... woohoo... should be fun... have been going to ball since the mid 70s... do i play? no... but i do keep score.. trust me its hard work... keeping 15 women in check!!! my team is pretty good as teams go... most of them actually remember what order they are in... and our league is fun... its Coffee League which was started by Marie Berry, in the 70s... there were other leagues but none for moms with children... it was and still is a very important part of nanaimo... a sign of the times is less teams, more working moms... my eldest daughter Tova is on the team... and there are a quite a few Mom and Daughter, great fun...

this was a pic from our last years wind-up trophy gathering party!! ahem... every year there is a dinner/dance/trophies etc.. for the league... its a lot of fun... btw, the beverage in MY cup is non-alcoholic.. i was the designated driver.. the lush in the front (with the medal around her neck) is well, perhaps u see a family resemblence.. cough cough!!

Today is sunny.......

well kinda... LOL .. what did u expect?? after all we're on the west coast... and unless u live in southern cali... its generally 'kinda' sunny....

i've been attempting to get into the garden, when it's not snowing, raining, hailing or otherwise icky out!!! today i started to muck about where i have asparagus, strawberries and a hill of rhubarb... mmm weed city... ah well, once i've gotten the early spring clean-up done, it won't be too bad...


here's a cute pic... sian made her very first cake... well from the box... instructions from erika... it turned out delicious... she's helped me make carrot juice, carrot apple juice... and those she really liked...

Dith Pran passed away today... if you've seen The Killing Fields you'll remember who he was...

2002 was......

the last time we got snow this late in the year.... suprise wake up... well i wasn't too surprised since it's been snowing on and off for days.... but at least nothing 'stuck' ..... 7:30 a.m.
brrrrrrr and more brrrrrrrr.... gotta go feed the critters and put out some grain for the wee birds... made up some hummingbird food as well.... they don't do well in the snow... poor babies....

2 hrs later.... mmm more snow.. :(

9:30 a.m.

What do you think?......

of this article... from the Seattle Times Newspaper .... just a little bit scary to think of how much we really are being watched.... i'd rant and rave but i'm sure you already know how i feel about it all....

sooooo on a more positive note.... a new car is sitting in my driveway... not for me, but daughter.... an Aveo 5 ... pretty darn cute i say... not of the upper league but certainly of the cheap on gas league... a very pretty girly perwinkle blue... on a grey day is actually brighter more purplish tone... and it won't eat $400.00 worth of gas each month... pretty good trade off i'd say.....
was dreaming of another truck... but then the gas reality sets in... sighhh ... to bad i'm a realist!!

Concrete canvas....

seems an interesting concept for emergency shelters... dykes etc., saw a short news clip of it... but found this link online....

farming....... is more than meets the eye... read this....

Grumble grumble.....

it's cold and snowy... brrrrrr is all i gotta say... and according to the weather guy... more to come.... much like March of 2002 i think.... it snowed on the 31st. in 2002.... so much for gardening weather!!!
i got a put together, kinda, greenhouse..... tomatoes are the focus this year... and i will try, once again, eggplant and peppers.... last year was a fallout in the heat lover plants... and not just in my garden, was a typical complaint amongst us not so green thumbers ;) hard to keep a green thumb when ya got dirt under yer fingernails :D

HOP HOP down the lane........

here comes the Easter Bunny.... well... kinda....

sian and erika looked for eggs and candies....



and i managed to get a pic of 'mommy' in the window... she's camera shy.... even more than dora....




mmm easter cake....

after the 'hunt' everyone went inside, except dora... she found her own egg... not a chocolate one tho :D

Pics.......

of erika and levi ... we moved the tent and with my help... we made it just like home... :D

complete with solar lights to guide them in the dark....







i tried to get Sian over, but she was busy with Auntie.... they were gathering things for the fire.... then she came and got marshmallows for roasting... wasn't a hit... she'd rather eat them 'raw' just like her food...




Spring equinox today.... it was filled with lots of blooms... at least on the island... back east.. nada... brrrrrrrrrrrr for them... for awhile longer...

my new furnace is almost installed... yay... it works, tomorrow or tuesday will be finished... as per usual there is Murphy's Law....

Levi offered to do the dishes tonight...