Breast Cancer Awareness

Monday Funnies - Experts

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - A Wonderful Week

Last week was one where everything just seemed to meld together in a glorious blur of blessings. Some of my blessing highlights were:

1. family as always provided love, strength, support and laughter
2. video of grandbaby now 9 months old climbing the stairs
3. excited news from DS and DDIL over hearing their baby's heartbeat for the very first time
4. being able to take advantage of a couple of very good meat sales
5. an abundance of local, in-season produce
   
6. several successful canning sessions - my pantry is beginning to burst at the seams
   
7. numerous photo opportunities
8. a visit from a spider with a leg span of almost 3" - the blessings were we identified him to find he wasn't harmful to humans (barring my instant heart attack) and he was outside
9. quiet reflective time
10. two gnew gnomes joined my gnome empire
    

In the Beauty of the Day

Mute Swans
September 19, 2007

Yesterday I took a little more me time. I'm not sure why but I need it right now. The pork shoulder was defatting in the oven and I knew the hamper of tomatoes would wait so I went and sat by the water again. The swan family visited yesterday. The cygnets have really grown so likely are closer to yearlings now. I fed them a little so I could get a few nice pictures. They stayed around the dock until after sunset. As the sun went down I snapped this picture of the mother with cygnet. It was a perfect ending to a bit of a relaxing day.

Wordless Wednesday - The Rose

Simple Beauty
September 18, 2007

Me Time

Clouds While Boating
August 17, 2007

I'm into the heavier canning season so spent much of the weekend cooking and canning. Keeping the motivation at a high level can sometimes be a problem this time of year at the best of times but I'm still tired from our move and settling in so fighting procrastination is a daily thing. One of the grocery stores have a sale on pork shoulder roasts at $1 per pound so that has been a good motivator. I canned up five test jars on Sunday (picture and method here) after a slow cook. It was a nice break from canning tomatoes. We are taking advantage of this sale so my husband brought home 16.4 lbs for $16.40 regular price of $53.96, a substantial savings. It's in the oven now slow cooking for canning later this evening.

With no tomatoes to process today and having no one home, I've decided on a little "me" time while I wait for the roast to cook. After filling the bird feeders, I'll do a walk-about the gardens, camera in hand. Then I'm going to settle in on the dock for an hour or two flipping through a couple of home improvement and scrapbooking magazines listening to the sounds of the water and pausing to catch the sights. It should be a very relaxing and reflective afternoon.

Enjoy your day!

Monday Funnies - Genetic Engineering 101

Fruit Bowl

Perpetual Fruit Bowl
September 13, 2007

I had a dentist's appointment this morning so stopped at the nearby grocery store to pick up a few things. As always a healthy part of the purchase was fruit and vegetables. While most of my produce purchases is from a wonderful little market with locally grown produce, I have to buy things like exotic fruits, citrus and bananas at the grocery store. For some reason today's shopping stop jogged a small memory tucked away.

Food plays a huge part in our family and always has. Everyone who knows us, knows that and they know how insulted I would be to think anyone ever left our home hungry. I always have two large bowls of fruit, one on the kitchen/dining table and the other on the coffee table. I also always has a huge bowl of vegetables on the kitchen counter. Both are repeated in the form of chopped fruits and vegetables in the fridge. The contents vary but they are always there. The rule in our house is any food is fair game meaning even when the kids were toddlers they were free to help themselves. My philosophy was and still is emphasizing good, wholesome foods. Kids will eat what is available and in our house heavily processed, preservative laden foods full of excess salt and sugar was just simply not available. So back to this little memory.

One day our youngest, then a precocious pre-schooler climbed up onto a chair and sat looking very perplexed at the fruit bowl. Thinking he was trying to choose a piece of fruit, I continued about my kitchen activities. Finally he sighed and asked me if the fruit bowl ever got empty. I said, well sure but because we keep eating it the bowl keeps being refilled. Satisfied he grabbed an apple and went off to find his brothers and sister. A few minutes later it was just a bit too quiet so I went to investigate. He was munching on his apple telling them that the bowl was magic so it would never get empty. We heard the night time raids and did find evidence of them trying to empty the fruit bowl by eating one piece at a time but true to his then their belief the bowl was always filled.

Over the years I've added new fruit bowls like the one in the photo but that one bowl is always out. Our kids are now grown with fruit bowls of their own. I have to smile when I see the bowls heaped full available for anyone to snack on. One of our traditions has been passed onto the next generation :)

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset at the Marina

Sunset at the Marina
September 8, 2007

The Marina

The Marina
Sep 9, 2007

We stayed overnight on the boat Saturday night despite the forecast for rain. The marina we docked at is one we've stayed at several times. It's within walking distance of a few restaurants and grocery store but the marina provides a shuttle service to larger shopping centres. We opted to walk to the near by sports bar for a quiet meal while watching the football game. After dinner we went for a nice walk before settling down on the boat. It's always quite relaxing just sitting on the boat as it rocks gently in the water while taking in the sights and sounds of the marina.

I awoke to the sound of a gentle rain in the early morning hours and of course couldn't get back to sleep. I couldn't go and sit outside because of the rain so finally turned on one of the cabin lights to read through a magazine while my husband slept to the sounds of rain drops increasing in numbers and boat rocked a little stronger. Being rained out when boating much the same as being rained out in a tent when camping but photo opportunities always present themselves.

Not to miss any photo opportunities, the camera was beside me on the cabin's ledge. Looking out one of the port holes, I spotted the lighted palm trees a few feet from our well. I took a few pictures from inside hoping for at least one good one. It's had to tell how good the picture will be from the LED display sometimes. I was rather pleased with what I thought was the best picture from the group. The palm trees sit on each side of the dock ramp. What looks like golden shimmering water is actually the dock beside our boat. The empty well beside us adds to the illusion of shimmering water forming a mirage effect.

Monday Funnies - He's a Rebel

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Boating

I thought it was about time to change my Blog Your Blessings Sunday banner so I hope you like the new design.

Last week was quite busy and filled with many blessings. We decided to end the week by taking the boat out overnight yesterday. Apparently the rain predictions didn't scare off my husband. We had an uneventful trip there and ate dinner at a lovely little sports bar with great food and likely more importantly the football game on. We took a nice walk after dinner then sat on the boat chatting while the sun set. In the wee hours of the morning it began to rain so despite the rhythm of the falling rain and gentle lapping of the waves, I couldn't sleep. This morning promised more rain so we headed back to our slip. All of our clothes were wet. What wasn't wet was damp so it was a chilly ride home but we arrived safe and sound getting the boat unloaded just in time for more rain. A safe boating journey is always a blessing!

Other blessings last week included:

1. quiet time with my husband - talking and laughing while discussing what we need to do in the house
2. quiet self reflective time
   
3. family and friends
4. a bit of good luck at a casino
   
5. excellent produce availability
6. knowledge and ability for several successful canning sessions
7. mastering another Photoshop technique
   
8. an encouraging physio report
9. blogging friends
10. just being
    

Have a great week filled with many blessings,

Fiery Sunset

Fiery Sunset
September 5, 2007

The days have been quite busy with traveling and canning so last night I decided to sit on the dock and finish reading the final pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The evening was quite fitting and as the sun set I closed the book. The cool air enveloped me as the sky turned a beautiful orangy red. I sat for quite sometime digesting what I had read knowing full well that I would be re-reading the last hundred pages before going to bed.

Wordless Wednesday - Boat Ripples

Boat Ripples
June 17, 2007

IKEA Sweetheart

IKEA Sweetheart
Sep 1, 2007

Sorry everyone but I wasn't home to post my Sunday blessings and yesterday was so busy trying to get back into routine, well blogging was a bit on the back burner. I spent Thursday canning and packing. We left Thursday night to travel to my daughter and son-in-laws full of anticipation and excitement. We were going to have the grandbaby to ourselves for the whole day!

Friday, they were ready to go out the door about 8 am while grandbaby played with grandpa aka my dear hubby while I rolled over for a couple of extra z's (that's zed's not zee's). I woke with a start because everything was so quiet to discover both of them snuggled up sleeping on the couch. The noise from the camera caused her to stir enough to open her eyes but she wasn't ready to wake fully yet so she drifted off to sleep again. Grandpa carefully put her on the love seat so I could watch her while he got ready for our big day. She finally woke with a beautiful smile and twinkle in her eye signaling time to roll. I quickly got ready and we started loading everything into our car. Do you have any idea how much stuff kids need today?

We headed to IKEA at Burlington. IKEA is one of our favourite places to shop. First we stopped for lunch with the grandbaby sitting in a cart eating off of our plates. At only 8 months old she doesn't do the baby food routine but prefers to eat what adults are eating. Her parents are doing a remarkable job of introducing her to as many foods as possible so she will eat most foods. Then we were off shopping. Grandpa picked up a hippo he just thought she needed that turned out to be a good call. She is a very quiet and content baby so it was a few minutes before we noticed she had fallen asleep on her new hippo. Gosh, we have so many pictures from this outing! We decided to surprise the kids with a steak barbeque with all the fixings so after IKEA we stopped at Fortino's then headed back to their place. We enjoyed a lovely meal then played Joker as the grandbaby slept happy to be at home and the sleepy fairies fluttered about beckoning sleep. Babies sure can tucker out grandparents!

Saturday, we headed to Burlington for Canada's largest ribfest. This is a wonderful family event that we all look forward to. It was the grandbaby's first ribfest and she ate with all the gusto of the rest of us. If you would like more details on the ribfest check out the latest entry on my cooking blog. Sufficiently stuffed and tired everyone headed to our son and daughter-in-law's for the night. Eventually the sleepy fairies fluttered about :)

Sunday, we went out for breakfast at Cora's. It was a nice, filling breakfast with wonderfully cooked food and fruits. Then we did a little shopping finally stopping at Whole Foods. I loved this supermarket from the get go. It was bright, airy and filled with lots of culinary eye candy! After dropping thing kids off and collecting our overnight things, we headed home stopping in Brantford at the casino where we had an interesting experience along with making money. Then we pointed the car towards home to enjoy the comforts of our own bed :)

Wordless Wednesday - Morning Dew

Morning Dew
August 27, 2007

Lunar Eclipse

The alarm was set for 4:30 am this morning. When it went off I scurried to the dock, camera in hand in eager anticipation. After two return trips to the house to get warmer clothes and something warm to drink I was ready to settle in to see the lunar eclipse. It was very cool and damp sitting on the dock. Absent minded, I wondered where all my neighbours were. They should be out on their docks taking in this marvel of nature but no, they were snuggled in their nice warm beds! A large what I think was a blue huron landed two docks over almost as if he was watching the eclipse to. His calls kept me company as did the occasional jump from a fish. Other than that the water was very still almost glass-like except when a freighter went by but it quickly returned to the glass state.

I sat quietly snapping pictures of the lunar eclipse and reflecting. The eclipse itself happened quite slowly until the moon was gone yet there was a hint of the moon as it took on a light red-orange glow that my camera couldn't capture. Reflection brought a few profound thoughts one of them about how we as humans tend to deal with relationships. If we don't nurture and encourage them, then tend to become shadowed until they do longer exist except in the imprints of our minds always leaving a mark on our soul.

As the eclipse sunk behind the clouds much to my dismay and the sky lightened with the rising sun my attention turned to my avian friend who had kept me company. I hoped for enough light to be able to get a picture but he had other plans. He gave one last call then spread his might wings circling once almost directly over me the flew north. I so wanted a picture! Instead I sat quietly listening to the awakening world around me. What an absolutely beautiful time of the day, greeting a new day full of anticipation of what is to become.

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - New Grandbaby

It's official! Please see the estimated time of arrival for our second grandbaby. We couldn't be happier as our family grows. What a true blessing!

Possible Funnel Cloud

Possible Funnel Cloud
August 25, 2007 7:15 pm

Last evening the skies darkened so we went out to take pictures of the approaching storm. At 7:10 pm I took a photo of an artifact in the clouds that I thought looked interesting. By 7:11:32 pm the artifact looked like a possible small funnel cloud so I kept on snapping photos as the cloud developed. At 7:12 and 7:14 I took two video clips to capture the swirling and sounds of the storm. This photo was taken at 7:15 pm. By 7:16 the cloud appeared to almost touch the water. The winds picked up further along with the strange almost like a train noise. As the cloud approached us, we ran for cover barely making it indoors before the rain hit. We watched from indoors as a wall of rain quickly approached. The last video showed the wall of rain just before it hit our house with an annotation by me of "Oh my God!"

Storms

Stormy Skies
August 23, 2007

Yesterday the temperatures soared and the humidity became stifling so we took the boat out for short ride while dinner was cooking. My husband declared it too hot to grill! It was no surprise when an evening thunderstorm blew through. We sat in the sunporch listening to the roaring thunder while watching the lightening flash as Zeus and Thor fought out their battle once again. The whipping winds drove the rain with a furry while the waves crashed into the shore amplifying the sounds of the storm.

This morning the lawns were soggy but there was little damage from the high winds in our immediate area. There was a bit of wind damage and flooding away from our shielded area. Today the high is to be 31ºC but with the humidex it feels like 45ºC. Thunderstorms are predicted for this evening with showers overnight. We went from everything being so dry to so wet with no in between.

As I type this post the skies have been getting progressively cloudy with the humidity increasing. The air feels stagnate and the trees are eerily motionless. The conditions are perfect for severe thunderstorms. Normally this type of weather would send me scrambling to disconnect the modem. For the past four years we have had dial-up only because high speed simply is not available here. A couple of years ago one internet provider started offering wireless high speed but because of the abundance of trees we could never get a line of sight. Another company came out again Tuesday but couldn't get a line of sight either. So we called another company who offers a newer wireless satellite internet service. It was hooked up Wednesday! Ladies and gentlemen, I now have high speed internet so am now up to the speed of the rest of the world.

Boat Watching - The Kaye E. Barker

Kaye E. Barker
August 17, 2007

Living on the Great Lakes waterway provides ample opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of sights aside of the amazing wildlife. The shipping industry is a large part of the economy in our area so each year we buy a copy of Know Your Ships, Guide to Boats & Boatwatching on the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway. This wonderful little book is always nearby at home and travels with us on the boat. We make a game of learning about the lake freighters and ships we see throughout the year. Each sighting is carefully ticked off as we see them. We can now identify several of the ships from a distance based on their colours or horn sounds.

The Kaye E. Barker was unloading gravel the afternoon we decided to spend on the boat last week so we took the opportunity to get a few close-up shots. We've seen a lot of smaller pleasure craft get quite close to the ships as they are moving but that can be dangerous because of the undercurrents these large vessels create so we keep our distance. The Kaye E. Barker is owned by Lakes Shipping Co., Inc.. of Richfield, Ohio. It is a division of The Interlake Steamship Co. also located in Richfield. This vessel was originally built by the American Ship Building Co. in Toledo, Ohio and christened the Edward B Green. From 1952 to 1985 she* was the flagship for Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company fleet. She was lengthened by 120 feet in 1976 by Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wisconsin to an overall length is 767'00", breadth is 70'00" with a cargo capacity of 25,900 Gross Tons. There are larger ships in the fleet but she is still impressive especially up close when in a pleasure craft. In 1981 she was converted by American Ship Building Company of Toledo, Ohio to a self-unloader. She joined the Rouge Steel Company fleet in 1985 under the name Benson Ford. In 1989 she joined the Interlake fleet as was renamed Kaye E. Barker in honour of the Chairman of the Board and President's wife.

That's as much as I know about the Kaye E. Barker other than her crew are a very friendly bunch, always waving back at us. My husband jokes that they are likely muttering under their breath "dang tourists!" but I don't think so. We had a very enjoyable day on the water heightened by the news that our second grandbaby is on the way. Estimated arrival date is April 6, 2008. This is another one of our kids not the parents of the first grandbaby who is now crawling and chatting up a storm. Spending a bit of time with them on the water was wonderfully soothing. We took a lot of pictures (thank goodness for digital cameras), did a lot of laughing and enjoyed our family time together. It reminded me of the times we would take one kid out just for a bit of alone time as a special treat to all involved. It's evolved to a special couples time alone away from the hustle and bustle of a busy household and still growing family making each one of these times a true treasure.

*Boats are always referred to in the feminine.

Wordless Wednesday - Funnel Spider

The Spider

August 22, 2007

Monday Funnies - Nanobots

Maybe I should hire out these nanobots to help get my homemaking blog back online. It's going onto day 5 that I've been locked out of my own blog because of blogger (Adsense?) bots. Hopefully these nanobots are a little more accurate than the bloggler ones!

Family and Friends Celebrating a Milestone

Family of Ducks
August 17, 2007

Yesterday morning I was still pretty frustrated at being locked out of access to one of my blogs so I didn't feel much like blogging. The other three blogs have been mirrored but not activated on the other site yet. I bought two domains, one for my cooking blog and the other for my gardening blog. Now I have to figure out what to do with them. I will likely buy domains for this blog and the homemaking blog as well. Lots of fun all due to a spam bot that is capable of giving false positives apparently due to Adsense! The funny thing is I don't advertise on any of my blogs.

The kids are home again this weekend as we have a wedding this afternoon. The day after our anniversary party we got wonderful news (more on that after Tuesday) so having the all kids home feels good. I must share that a few days after the anniversary party several people gave us the loveliest complements on our kids. Words included: awesome, fabulous, very caring, loving and you must be so proud. We knew all that :) but just had to tell the kids as well. They have matured into beautiful adults each with their own unique talents and gifts. They are a true blessing in every sense of the word!

Yesterday we took our son and daughter-in-law for a boat ride. She hadn't been on the boat yet due to timing and weather. Our first stop was for gas and in case you hadn't heard, gas for boats is more expensive than gas on land. We no longer flinch as the price for a fill-up nears the $200 mark knowing that it will likely last us if we are really lucky another trip out. Seriously, we took one son and his two friends water skiing then to the swim hole last year and calculated the cost to run the boat just in gas was $140! Boats are not cheap to operate and the phrase "hole in the water" does ring true sometimes. But enough about cost because for us boating is a way to spend time with our family and friends.

As we came out the cut from re-fueling we saw this family of ducks sunning themselves on a rock while the daddy duck stood guard. We stopped to take pictures. It reinforced my philosophy of the importance of family. The nurturing, guiding, supporting, loving is eternal. Sure there will always be some rough spots but as a family we always get through them. So today as we celebrate our true friends' daughter's wedding and watch their family grow, we will hug ours a little tighter. Once again family and friends will celebrate a milestone. May she and her new husband always experience as much love and laughter as we have and may they always be blessed with the loving support of family!

Blogger Difficulties

Sunset
August 12, 2007

Note: For those readers following my homemaking blog, Blogger's spam bots flagged it as a possible spam blog. I have requested it be unlocked but apparently that can take as long as a week. Until it is unlocked the blog will show a 404 Error. I will let you know when it is unlocked. As of now, I am in the process of mirroring my blogs to prevent this type of thing happening again!

Today I realized how at the mercy of others blogging can be. Imagine my surprize when I logged onto Blogger only to find that I had been locked out of one of my blogs! I have no access to any of the content until someone at Blogger views my homemaking blog and sees that it is not a spam blog. I realize that this is a free service and I agree to the TOS but I hold copyright to any of the material I have written. To disallow posting to that blog while I wait for a human to review it I could understand. To deny me access to my copyright protected posts and images, I cannot. And to think this is all done by an automated robot! Essentially you are guilty until proven innocent :( In the meantime I lose readers who enjoy that blog some who may not return. It looks bad on me as well. I sincerely apologize to my loyal readers who follow one or more of my blogs. As mentioned above, I am taking measures to mirror all of my blogs as I type this. This type of thing should not happen whether it is a free service or not.

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset on the St. Clair

Sunset on the St. Clair
August 11, 2007

Monday Funnies - Admin

cartoon by Dave Walker

Tagged Again :)

Billowing Clouds
July 18, 2007

Dana over at Southern Gal Goes North tagged me for this meme. Goodness, I tempted to use Gnome. In the spirit of the meme I followed the rules so there are five tagged bloggers :)

RULES: You have to post these rules before you give the facts. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.

Here goes:
Mac user :)
Amateur photographer
Really enjoys Harry Potter books
Independant
Establishing a gnome empire ;)

I've tagged:

1. Mike from Mike's Blender - Japan
2. Castaway from Run-a-bout
3. Sandy Carlson from Writing in Faith
4. another mac user (sorry can't find their name) from The Loquacious Curmudgeon
5. Jade from Jaded Sunburns
   

Have fun!

Wordless Wednesday - Sun on the Water

Sun on the Water
June 6, 2007

I've been tagged...5 links

Clouds
March 25, 2007

This picture was taken earlier this year. It almost looks like angels floating through the sky from the effects of the darker clouds. At the very least something mystical was happening when I took this shot.

I've been tagged by Chef Cherylann for five links. Here's the rules:
-----

Just copy paste this and everything below up until my Five links:

Tami thought it would be cool to have a meme where we post links. We can post up to five. Then we tell five more people to share their links. If we all share who tagged us, our links are sure to be seen!

They can be business links, favorite sites, affiliate links, whatever you want…

There are Five Rules:
1. MUST be clean. No R rated sites.
2. Only FIVE links.
3. MUST tell 5 people.
4. A link back to the person who tagged you
5. Lara’s Place is the meme originator. (an active link would be appreciated)
———– end copy paste ———————————–>

My Links:

1. Just a Flip Flop Mom
2. MuggleNet
3. The Harry Potter Lexicon
4. The Family Homestead
5. Graphics by Irene
   

I am tagging:

1. Otilius
2. Blue Panther
3. Jayedee
4. Steve
   
5. hotdogman
   

Have fun with this one :)

Thinking Straight

Clouds
July 29, 2007

Have you ever had so many things on the go that you can't think straight? Of course everyone has this happen from time to time in their lives. So you know the feeling. With the quickly approaching anniversary party there are so many things happening it's hard to know where to begin and what to do next. Getting the house and yards ready as well as menu planning along with the logistics of a large party has not been without a few set backs.

Tuesday I was making progress with painting. The family room is now finished so I've moved to the upper level landing and lower level bathroom. At the same time the upper level family room has been prepped for painting. So after painting Tuesday afternoon, I decided to take a quick swim before doing more work. The water was wonderful...then it happened. The waves had washed up something likely a rock or broken glass that found its way into the archway of my foot. Eight stitches later and hobbling around, things came to a bit of a stand still Wednesday but I was back at it yesterday. A lot of progress should be made today with the help of my husband and our son.

Wordless Wednesday - Evening Sky

Evening Sky
July 23, 2007

Monday Funnies - Laundry

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - A Week Filled with Many Blessings

As we struggle to get settled into our new house and get it ready for our anniversary party the first week of August, I'm am conscious of the abundance of blessings we have. The past week has been very busy with both inside and outside work. Progress is being made thanks to the very generous help of our kids. Brush has been cleared, rocks removed and the yard has been prepared for sod where gardens were removed. Inside we have finished painting the family room, installed the dishwasher, fixed a plumbing problem, fixed a fire hazard electrical problem and completed many small tasks. Our oldest has been staying with us for the past couple of weeks to help wherever he can. This has given us some valuable and much needed bonding time before he moves to Wisconsin. It's wonderful to just be able to enjoy his company! Last week's blessings include:

1. family!!!!!
2. baby giggles and coos on the phone
   
3. good friends
   
4. very friendly new neighbours (even went to a neighbourhood party, music was a live band!)
5. good DIY skills and the knowledge to know when to call professionals
6. a serious potential electrical fire hazard averted (read about it here)
   
7. a 6 hour plumbing repair (done by our plumber) - Hey, it could have been longer and more costly!
8. learning to fine tune my patience - Paint only dries so fast and getting things done for our schedule, well ... my patience has been tested but that's a good thing!
9. down time with Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows while sitting in the glow of the setting sun on the dock
10. a visit last night from a maundering skunk
    

Have a wonderful week filled with many blessings!

Garden Gnome
©2007

Harry Potter! Deathly Hallows

I would be remiss as a Harry Potter fan if I did not write a post on the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the newest movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Last Saturday my daughter, son-in-law, his mother and I went to the theatre to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I was full of anticipation! After the movie we stopped to buy copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7). Like many Harry Potter fans, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of the book while avoiding any of the spoilers regarding the final chapter. I've speculated and predicted the outcome with both family and friends.

I have mixed feelings about movie 5. It was good but not sitting on the edge of your seat fantastic so I was a little disappointed. Harry (Daniel Radcliff), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) have matured and that is reflected in their appearance and behaviour. The importance of the phoenix was downplayed as was the abuse Harry suffered at the hands of Dolores Umbridge (actress Imelda Staunton), the newly appointed Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She steadily takes over Hogwarts with the approval of the Ministry of Magic. Umbridge is one of those easy to hate characters right from the start in both the book and the movie so it was rather satisfying seeing her carted off into the Forbidden Forest by the centaurs. The battle at the Department of Mysteries was portrayed nicely. Voldermort and the Death Eaters were nicely portrayed as well, consistent with the previous movies.

For Harry Potter fans, this is a must see, must buy movie for your collection. As with all the movies it is one that will be watched again simply to pick up on those things missed with the first viewing. The movie has less enchantment and whimsical but considerably more darkness. There are some differences between the book and the movie. To get the most from this movie as with the previous movies, read the book first.

UK Child Jacket Version

Note: No spoilers follow. If you want to know what happens you will have to read the book.

I have the UK hard copy version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Of the jacket covers, I really like the UK children's version. It has nice visual appeal mixed with a lot of symbolism. I'm as far as page 157 of 608. Already more has been learned about Dumbledore and a few other characters. There has already been one death but you will have to read the book to discover who.

There are a lot of spoilers online regarding Deathly Hallows. Don't read them before you read the book!

Wordless Wednesday - Wispy Clouds

Wispy Clouds
July 22, 2007

Monday Funnies - To Modern Medicine

Photo Opportunities

Straw Bales
July 13, 2007

I mentioned yesterday that my digital camera is always near by. We live in such a beautiful area surrounded by fertile farmland and the gorgeous Great Lakes waterways. Even a simple drive into town can provide a photo opportunity. There is an abundance of wildlife and waterfowl to enjoy and the scenery couldn't be prettier! For some reason I always love the sight of straw bales in the field. The bales are massive compared to the smaller rectangular straw or hay bales. The round bales are loaded onto farm wagons pulled by tractors for their journey to the storage barns. The tractors are slow moving allowing those patiently following behind to drink in the surrounding beauty.

Today I feel like getting away from all the work that needs to be done in the house but I can't. We have too much to do before August 6. In my mind's eye I will be enjoying the scenery of the countryside as I go about the seemingly endless amount of work throughout the house today - painting, caulking, preparing walls, tearing things apart, putting things back together, stripping wallpaper and when in doubt repeat. Some tasks are easily accomplished, others are more challenging, while a few require outside help. Yep, our electrician and plumber are our new best friends with the AC installers right up there as well. Still bit by bit they are coming getting finished at least on the lower level. With any luck the lower level aka main living area will be finished enough for the party by Wednesday of next week.

If you are interested in reading about some of the repairs, decorating or anything related to our new home, please check out my homemaking blog, Garden Gnome at Home.

Pondering

Abandoned Farm
July 13, 2007

My digital camera is always close by even when I'm driving as I never know what might strike my fancy for a photo opportunity. So it was a few days ago as I was heading into town. I've been by this old farm site several times and have taken several photos but was waiting for just the perfect sky for a nice photo. I couldn't resist when the opportunity presented itself. All that is left is a dirt laneway leading to bare track where the house set, the front porch and a huge shade tree. I can't help pondering...

As you know I have been extensively researching my ancestors. I would have loved to find even these few remnants of my third great grandparents home. Sadly there is nothing remaining despite a very diligent search. The old abandoned farm makes me wonder and ponder so many things.

Who lived there? I imagine a family farm with young children running carefree during the summer after doing their chores. Their parents were hard working, honest folk tilling the land, raising livestock and keeping their faith. I see a family gathering with extended family for a summer picnic shaded from the heat by the huge shade tree. The children likely climbed the tree and swung from a homemade swing hung for their entertainment. During the storms the children likely hid under their beds as they heard the winds whip about the house causing both it and the tree to groan eerily.

The laneway - The laneway likely was at best little more than two ruts leading to a simple farmhouse. At first it would have been ruts caused from a horse and carriage. Later automobiles widened the ruts. It would have been almost pure mud during the spring thaw and rainy autumn seasons. At some point someone added gravel to counteract the mud but there is little of the gravel left now.

What was the house like? Given the location, I suspect the original house was a wood sided, two story house somewhat on the smallish side with no indoor plumbing. There would have been an outhouse and summer kitchen. The house would have been heated with wood and food would have been cooked on a wood stove. The house would have been cold and drafty in the winter, hot and muggy in the summer and rather pleasant during the spring and autumn months. As the farm passed through the generations the house may have been bricked. The old wood porch was replaced with a concrete one. Indoor plumbing and wiring were installed and the summer kitchen renovated into a larger kitchen.

Abandonment? As the farm passed from generation to generation as many farms in this area do, at some point either the remaining family passed on or sold the old homestead. Whoever the farm passed to decided to tear down the old homestead several years back expanding the workable land. Somewhere one or more elderly persons were fondly remembering the old homestead likely with a tear or two.

And life goes on, generation after generation always changing but leaving memories behind...

Monday Funnies - My Desk

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Family

I'm going to deviate from my normal listing of blessings over the past week. This past week has been one so blessed with family, I wanted to share that instead. Throughout our move the number one blessing has been family. They have been there through the frustrations of the sale, the packing, the unpacking, and the settling in. They have helped get outside work done, hauling stuff to the dump and have give unsolicited but pretty good advice. This weekend all the kids and their partners were home for a family reunion on Saturday. Most of them came home early to help us with the house, stay overnight to travel to the family reunion and turn things into a family oriented weekend.

Anyone who has read my blogs knows how much family means to me. I cannot stress this enough. You can have all the money in the world but if you don't have family you have nothing! My husband's grandmother age 94 was at the family reunion. She was able to meet and hold our granddaughter her great great granddaughter. A younger family member is doing genealogy as a class assignment focusing on certain portions of her family at one time. I was surprised at what information she had! It was all done by hand and word of mouth with the help of other family members who gathered whatever information they had. To me it was a genealogy mecca! It was a wonderful blessing to see such a young person interested in genealogy to the point of gathering not only pictures but primary and secondary information. How wonderful to see a young family member so interested not only in the history of the family but also the future embracing all what genealogy is about.

This past week has been all about family. From the laughs, the tears, the fond memories, the food, the support, the bonding...it was all about family. We are so blessed beyond words to have such a wonderful family. Sure there are a few skeletons and family hush hushes although surprising very few given the size of the family on that size. What is amazing is the absolutely wonderful stories of their lives from the elder members and how some of those things influenced future generations. Two world wars, a depression, immigration and starting a new life in Canada with no family other than themselves to depend on. Believe me I was all eyes, ears and talk picking for any information I could find while enjoying myself.

I watched my now adult kids and grandbaby interact with their aunts, uncles, great (everything) and sit with a mesmerizing look on their face as they listened to their great great grandmother sharing bits and pieces with them. I saw the respect in their faces for other family members. I saw the shear joy of them being around other family members. I saw the laughter and sharing. And I saw blessing flowing so freely. Family...is everything! And what a true blessing it is.

Peaceful Enjoyment

Sunset
July 7, 2007

So much has happened in the two short weeks since we moved. Not only are we unpacking and trying to get the house organized we are also working on the house. That means long, tiring days. So far we have removed three pick-up truck loads, heavily loaded of brush and the same amount in rubbish to the dump. Inside, we have organized the home office for my husband as he often works at home during the evening, organized the pantry, organized the utility room and am now preparing the family room for painting this morning. DIY activities have involved: electrical wiring, updating electrical receptacles, solar lighting, stripping wallpaper, reviving flooring, installing our stove, hanging bird feeders and indoor lighting. We needed help with included the gas lines for the grill and dryer plus our electrician is coming in Tuesday to get the electrical problems fixed quicker than we can right now. The AC is being installed the same day. I just calculated that we have 23 days to get the house and yards in shape for our anniversary party on August 6. Given that a good 5 of those days are already committed to other events that leaves 18 days which would be fine if we were both home all day to get things done but we aren't. So a couple of deep breaths and steady work to get what we can done is working right now.

The picture of the sunset was taken while sitting on our dock. We have so much going on that it would be easy to miss these photo opportunities and the chance to re-connect as a couple. The past few mornings we have been sitting together in the sunporch re-connecting as we watch the glittering water. Our even meals have been mainly grilled then plated and taken to the dock to enjoy. After dinner we take a short walk just enjoying our surroundings. Right now these intervals of peaceful enjoyment are critical. They put everything into perspective and give both our minds and bodies a chance to rejuvenate. Some of our best ideas for our new home have risen from this type of peacefulness.

Wordless Wednesday - Clouds

Clouds
July 5, 2007

On the Water

Waterfront
View from Sunporch Overlooking Backyard

The official back of our house opens onto the water. Shrubs, trees and vegetation line the entire backyard creating a scenic and private setting opening onto the water. It can be viewed from the lower level family room, kitchen and covered patio or from the screened-in sunporch on the upper level above the covered patio. I took this photo from the sunporch. The view has changed and will be changing again within the next couple of weeks.

The cedar shrubs under the maple tree have been removed. These were a mosquito haven and took up a large section of the yard. The garden bed under the other maple tree will be removed as well. The previous owner kept the cedar bushes along the breakwall somewhat rounded but we will make them more of a straight low growing hedge. I've already added solar lighting along the hedges for a soft, subtle glow at night. We will be renovating the dock likely next spring. It is a good size but can be extended a considerable distance into the water.

We are looking forward to enjoying many sunrises and sunsets in our new home. The wonderful eye candy we are greeted with each day makes the work of getting settled while fixing a few problems enjoyable. Watch for more pictures of our outdoors coming soon. If you are interested in what's going on indoors or in the kitchen at our new home, click the links.

Monday Funnies - Mimicking Life

Blog Your Blessing Sunday - Settling In

Our lives have changed greatly over the past week. We are slowly getting settled in our new house. The location is absolutely beautiful! The blessings have been abundant. I can't begin to write them all out here in this post so here are a few highlights of our blessings last week:

1. family!!!
2. grandbaby cuddles and giggles
   
3. awesome friends
4. sense of humour
5. patience and tolerance
   
6. discovery
7. wildlife
8. beautiful sunsets
9. extensive DIY skills
10. a new adventure
    

Discovering

Mute Swans (Cygnus olor)
June 29, 2007

Last Friday was a day of discovery in our new home. As I did my morning walk about to check out the surroundings, I discovered many and I do mean many garden decorations peaking out in unexpected spots. I took pictures of the ones I wanted to keep knowing that later in the day all would be gathered up to make room for my Gnome Empire. My gnomes are so thrilled at this prospect! It's interesting seeing bits and pieces of the previous owner.

Throughout the day as we discovered more of these items, we would stop and ponder the meaning. Why did she put that particular item there? Most were broken in some way yet she found a home in the garden for them. The most peculiar and thought provoking item we found was part of a tombstone of which when I finally get to my genealogy supplies I will do a rubbing to see the inscription. Then we discovered other parts to the same tombstone. I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this tombstone had been vandalized at one of the cemeteries so she brought it to her gardens to protect what was left of it. The next time I talk to her I will ask because I'm sure there is a story there!

I had been concerned that the Mute Swans wouldn't stop by. They were a frequent sight at our old house and I never tire of watching them gracefully glide through the water. Mid-morning my fears were put to rest as this family visited the dock area. As soon as they saw me they headed right to the dock so she must have fed them. We discovered a few potential problems and as we worked through the day we made note of these. All of the problems can be solved. Some like a potential rodent problem will involve persistence but things like electrical can be solved immediately.

So it was a great day for discovering about our surroundings, our new home, the previous owner and ourselves...

First Glimps

Our New Laneway

Moving day ended about 1:30 am Friday morning so it was a very long and tiring day. Everything went well with the exception of a very nasty temper tantrum by the new owner. Obviously he thought we weren't getting things out quick enough so became quite abusive. Other than that between our friends, family and the movers we managed to get things moved rather quickly.

Friday morning I was up early to do a walk about the new property. It is very much geared towards friendly privacy. The laneway is bordered with boxwoods and open onto a deadend road. A wide expanse of greenspace dotted with a stand of trees separates the deadend road from the main road. I think the laneway is quite majestic looking! The layout of the property is greenspace and laneway to the garage. From the garage to the house is a yard bordered with gardens on one side, a walk way and side yard leading to the back (we prefer it as front) yard. From the house to the water edge is lovely. There are large trees with a lot of under growth, grass area and natural privacy opening onto the water. There is a breakwall softened by boxwoods and a dock.

The property as beautiful as it is did not come without problems. I'll be posting how we deal with these problems on Garden Gnome at Home and from time to time mentioning them here. The house itself is a well built two level home with brick exterior. The lower level is not really a basement as the house was built into the ground so that at the side face the garage it is mainly underground except for about 3 feet. About halfway up the house the ground slopes to where the the kitchen opens at ground level. The lower level walls are a foot wide keeping this level a fairly constant temperature. The house was built for energy efficiency at a time when few talked about saving energy. Vegetation and trees provide protection from the prevailing winds as well as providing privacy. The most startling thing I notice about the house is the quiet. Once inside the outside is virtually non-existent!

We have met the neighbours on both sides who are extremely friendly people! We met the neighbour two doors down on the one side Saturday and the other neighbour two doors down golfs with my husband. On Saturday we also managed with the help of our kids to trim up some trees, remove two bushes, collect the garden ornament clutter left behind, clean out the sunporch and clear the garage so the car fits in.

And so begins another chapter in out lives...

Happy Canada Day 2007

Happy Canada Day