Smiling Saturday

Saturday morning.  It might just be a little too early. Hard to sleep and to rest with 6 year old's knees in my back; Treehouse TV on with Caillou; and Daddy whispering, "Don't spill it" when he brings the oj into bed.


O well.  It's Saturday after all.


Here's part of the decorations for celebrating 7.

The magnetic board is a Creative Memories gift.  I have plans for a picture and more decorations on it.  Probably "Happy Birthday".

These homemade tissue flowers are easy to make and very inexpensive.  Thank you Pinterest.  Three packages of dollar store paper, 2 that were already opened and used, made seven flowers for me. DD really loved them when she came home and saw them hanging up.


I LOVE SPRING.  I cannot get enough of the greenness of the grass nor the yellow of the flowers.

Have a very good Saturday.

TGIF Day

Isn't it great that it's finally the end of another week and the very first weekend in May. Hallelujah!!! I am looking forward to an easy low keel time.


The 6 yr old got off to school in fine form.  The school population will be attending the musical "Beauty and the Beast" .  I am hopeful that 6 will thoroughly enjoy it.


Did you know that 6 has discovered Retro Toons channel on TV and watches the cartoons that I did as a child.  6 loves them!! I hear laughter floating out of the room constantly.


Grey and overcast though we've had promises of sun and clouds.  Cold and I am hoping for a warmer day.

I wanted to share my latest decorations in preparation for #7. Easy to make and easy on the pocket book.  I give Pinterest the credit for this wonderful DIY craft.


Have a wonderful Friday as we gear down for a weekend of rest and relaxation. Or, at least I hope so.

The Days of May are So Sweet

May 2 already! It's been another little while since visiting you.


Here is what I have been experiencing in these days of spring.

These pictures were taken in April after the snow was gone.


Life is surfacing again.

Life abounds everywhere.  I love spring.  I love the smells and the sounds and the budding up of the plants.  I love seeing the animals and the plants.  It lets me know that life is indeed good.

O yeah!!! 
I love spring.


I love it too because my 6 year old will be 7 during this season.  I have been thinking and planning the decorations, the cake, the special things we will do to celebrate the birthday.  And, all with the colour of blue throughout. 


I have really enjoyed the Wiltons site at www.wilton.com.  It has a few good ideas and pointers on baking cakes and cake pops.  I have so many great ideas to chose from.


I have ideas of wreathe making to put on the front door in celebration of 7. The goodies for the classmates keeps changing from cupcakes to cake pops to mini ice cream cup cakes. I keep thinking about the party favour bags we're planning for the class.  I keep thinking of the decorations and getting them made.


Once I get into gear and get some of these things done, I'll post some pictures of it all.


I really look forward to 7.


I hope that your spring has been springing into life for you. I hope it causes you to look forward.

It's a Good Day

Well, it's been a while. WOW!! Life keeps happening. Things come along and it's really a very ordinary exciting life I lead.


We've had snow over the last month.

We've had good weather where all the snow left.

I've been cooking and baking as usual.  It's getting to be very natural for me to be in the kitchen whipping something up for a meal.  Baking is still my favourite of the two activities.  On this day Buzz was there keeping an eye on the delicious lasagna that I made.

I made these goodies for a 50th birthday party in early March.  None of them came home.  They were a big hit.

My crocuses have been in full bloom.  They have withstood some cold weather and snow that we've gotten this past week.

These little tulips have done really well as they move through the early awakenings of spring.

I hope you have a great weekend and I hope you enjoy the ordinariness in your life.

Tuesday is for the Eagles

I love it when I happen upon the eagles.  I ended up at my own little eagle watch even before I ran my errands this morning.

I counted at least a dozen flying around.  They were out for the fresh meat of dead chickens.

They flew.  They swooped.  They glided.  They passed one another in flight.

They sat and watched.

They flew some more.  


What beautiful creatures! Strong ones! Predatory ones! Graceful. Soundless. Sweeping. Beautiful.


That's how part of my day was first thing this morning. I hope your Tuesday has joy in it and a few smiles along your way.

Fill'er Up Friday

It's another glorious day in my neighbourhood. It was wonderful to get out after being housebound for the week.  Having a sick child is no picnic for anyone.


We took a small jaunt around our Valley to take in the sites and the fresh air.  The sick child was almost asleep when we got home.


Husband stopped for me to fiddle with my camera to take pictures of these beauties. They sat there overlooking the Gaspereau Valley.  Majestic!!!

The valley floor is gorgeous.  It was sunny with no clouds in sight along with a beautiful blue everywhere. We were enveloped in it.  It was beautiful.

Camera shy??? I think not!!! Just having some fun on the way.

Our weekend is shaping up with more of the same.  Inside. and all scheduled events cancelled for the next two days to allow the yellow pudding trick to kick in to help the child get better sooner.  It's most interesting what we parents have to do to get the medicine into our little sick loved ones.

I hear there's another storm abrewin' for Saturday and Sunday.  That means we'll be in regardless of plans if it's a dousey.

What's on your plate for the weekend?

Comfort Food for Wintry Days

Well, I realize it's been a while since I've written anything.  I guess living an ordinary life and with certain routines in place, doesn't make it so write-able.

But I have been cooking and baking lately on these cold, grey days of winter.

Today is no exception.  Tonight for supper we are having Mulligan Stew followed by Classic Apple Crisp.

The Mulligan Stew is really easy to make.  It consists of coating the stew meat with a mixture of flour, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a brown paper bag. Let it braise in some oil in a skillet on the stove. Don't let it burn. Then I added three small onions and 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.

The fun part begins when I added the three cups of water and the bottle of beer.  Just your regular lager of LaBatt's Wildcat that my other half keeps stashed. Let it all simmer on low for at least two hours. You can use whatever beer you have in your house.

Then having peeled and cut up over 2 1/2 lb of potatoes and about 8-9 carrots,and thawed out 10 oz or frozen peas, I added it to the brew. I'm not sure how thawed they were.  I just took them out and let them sit until I needed them. I also added the amount of potatoes and carrots that I wanted in the stew.

I must say that I like the smell of the beer simmering with the meat ingredients.

Once the vegetables are added, I bring it to a boil again and then turn down the heat so it can cook until done.  

It takes about three hours.

Grandma's Mulligan Stew is a recipe I cut out of Woman's World magazine on 17 March 1998.  I make it almost once a year.  It's a wonderful comfort food as we live through these dreary wintry days. I just might make it again for St. Patrick's in March.

Now, the Classic Apple Crumble comes from the book, "Two Cooks in the Kitchen" (1990) by Janet Bell and Janet Lee.  It's on page 84.

It's easy to make and bakes in 30 minutes.

And, sometime this afternoon, after I get all the baking dishes washed, I plan to make tea biscuits for tonight's supper.  They are my Aunt Betty's recipe.  I will share it with you when I get them made.

To top off any day and to begin any day, I always have my cuppa Just Us close at hand.  It's delicious and inviting and smells oh so good.

This is how I have spent my day this day.

Yesterday I made four dozen apple cookies and The Best Dad's cookies.  Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!

I've found the baking and cooking very therapeutic as I stay house bound with a sick six year old. 

How's your week going so far? 

Monday Marvels

What a beautiful sunny crisp morning.  I loved the walking I did this morning.  As I waited at an intersection, I heard this little critter up high in the tree.  Always evasive or I just might be too slow with an inadequate lens to do the little fella justice.


What a wait to be greeted on such a beautiful Maritime morning.


Have a great productive good week everyone. Welcome to the new year of 2012.  May you find all the good things that make you who you are within and without.

Birthdays are Great

It's the morning after a wonderful night out.  We went to a relative's 50th birthday party.  It was so nice to be out with my husband and socializing with family and friends.  It was so good to see everyone again especially my nieces and nephews so soon after Boxing Day.


I am truly blessed.  I realize I cannot take time for granted.  It's with me right now and I could be gone before too long.


What I mean is that I must enjoy being IN the moment.  I must take hold of what I already have and enjoy it to the fullest.


It was a late night as we lived over an hour away from the event.  Our little one stayed up until midnight waiting for us.  Our child is only 6 years old.  What a child!!

Congratulations to the birthday boy.  Have many more.


Thank you to a great family who is there and who loves well.

New Year's RESOLUTIONS

I decided that I would make resolutions this year.  That meant that I would not verbalize or share them with anyone and that I would not write about them.


I think I was resolving to do do something this year.  Do something to improve myself so that I could say I worked on something in this year.


In the meantime, I found a blog that might interest you.  It's 
http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/2011/12/new_years_resolution/ and also
http://www.carriewithchildren.com


In summary, here's what I took from her blog.


I assure you it looks much better on her blog.


Let's Do This ... 2012 ...


One word: ___________________


Want: What I really want in 2012 is:


Need: What I really need in 2012 is:


Share: What I will share in 2012 is:


Succeed: In 2012, I will succeed at:


That sounds like a simple concise way of putting into words what I believe I'd like to accomplish this coming year.


I'm going to write it out using paper and pen, and then maybe I just might share with you.


It started out as a beautiful, cool day.  Now at 4 p.m. it's cold and grey.  I think maybe we'll be getting foul weather soon.


Have yourself a great  Tuesday.  Don't think too hard about your resolves.

Happy New Year!!

New Year Challenge for 2012


I woke up determined to make a change in my life.


I went to the basement three times today to walk on the treadmill and pedal on the bicycle.  I am out of shape.  It is time for me to do this FOR ME!!!


I have also watched my intake of food today.  I am on my third glass of water and am snacking on celery.


The turkey sandwich I shared with husband filled the hunger gnawing.  Now the water and celery will fill up the rest.


Turkey soup is cooking in the pot.  It will be ready very soon.


This new year holds a lot of promise.  I want to make it count in a good way for me.


I expect my entire family will reap the benefits.


It's time to get the smaller me back.  I hereby promise to blog regularly about my progress and challenges.