Marlene's Space

Great Chili!

2012-02-11T05:36:00.006-05:00

I don't make chili very often as I have never found a recipe that my family likes... until today. Debdoozie's Blue Ribbon Chili, it's called - from a website called allrecipes.com. A while back I signed up to have a recipe delivered to my email every day. Most days, I look it over and discard it, but this one looked interesting, so I gave it a try. And I was not disappointed!

I won't repeat the recipe here, as you can click on the first link above... But I highly recommend it. I followed the recipe for the most part... BUT I added only 1 tablespoon of chili seasoning instead of 4. I don't like it that hot and the salsa I used was spicy. I also used a pound of ground meat instead of two. And a whole chopped onion instead of a half. Next time I'll use a little more meat.

It was quick and easy - and I had most of the ingredients on hand. Definitely a winner, to be added to my regular cooking repertoire.

A (Tentative) Step Into The Future!

2012-02-10T05:08:00.001-05:00

It all started with a question from a cousin - who is more tech savy than me: Did I have access to "Face Time," a video phone program on some apple iphones, computers and ipods?

She had access to it - and if I did as well, we could talk to each other, while seeing each other face to face.

I did have access to the program, but I had never used it...

Trying to figure out how to set it up, I turned on the computer... and noticed that one of my sons was online (in Toronto).

Do you know anything about Face Time? I emailed him...

In a few minutes, I was talking to him using my ipod... and seeing his face!

Who are you talking to? Terry asked, as he lay on the sofa reading the paper... So I showed him...

It was amazing... So, of course, he had to try!

Is this the way of the future? Terry asked our son...

Sure is! he replied.

(We're still a little in shock! Ordinary telephoning suddenly seems very bland!)

Delicious Garden Vegetable Soup

2012-02-09T05:56:00.000-05:00

This Garden Vegetable Soup is now my favorite homemade soup!

And it's easy to make:

First, heat a tablespoon (20 mL) of olive oil in a large pot. Add one large thinly sliced carrot, one small diced onion, and a clove or 2 of garlic. Cook for a few minutes, until softened.

Then add:

3-4 cups (250 mL) of broth. (I used canned concentrated beef broth plus vegetable stock for added flavor)

1/2 cup (125 mL) of tomato salsa, tomato, or a tablespoon (20 mL) of tomato paste.

1 cup (250 mL) each of chopped cabbage and chopped spinach

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) - or more - each of dried basil and oregano

Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes (or longer).

If desired, add a cup (250 mL) of chopped zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe was based on a popular Weight Watchers recipe and it's absolutely delicious!

I Don't Understand... Sports Fans

2012-02-08T05:31:00.004-05:00

After the last Super Bowl, when "my husband's team" lost in a close game, my husband was VERY, VERY, VERY disappointed. (Would "devastated" be too strong a word?) Looking at him sitting quietly on the sofa the following day, I realized that (after 35 years of marriage) I really did not understand him. In fact, I really have no inkling what it means to be a sports fan... (And here, it would probably be useful to point out that "fan" is short for "fanatic"... something I have never wanted to be!)

To me, sports is a game (a GAME) where one side inevitably wins and the other side inevitably loses... (A tie would leave fans of both teams angry: Someone has to win!) So, as my husband sits glumly after the game, I say things like: "It's only a game..." And "There's always next year..." Or "They are both good teams, but someone has to lose." But none of this lifts the cloud hanging over his head...

I realize that whatever is happening in his mind and emotions is something beyond my understanding... It is as if I had lived in the tropics all my life and someone mentioned snow or freezing rain... I wouldn't have a clue what they were talking about.

I am puzzled by the whole "my team" concept. How is it "your" team? I mean, you have no financial investment in the club. Your only investment is an emotional bonding that happens... I have no idea how.

I can understand disappointment. I have been disappointed, too. But this deep sadness is something I don't understand... unless someone - on either team - had been seriously injured while playing.

My perspective is: You had a wonderful time cheering for your team all season. They did very well, but they lost the final championship to another very good team. Let someone else be happy... Be happy for them! Share the joy of winning!

There's always next year to look forward to... I know you will.

And you're right: I really don't understand.

Winterlude Begins

2012-02-07T04:42:00.008-05:00

Last weekend was the beginning of Winterlude, Ottawa's annual winter festival. Terry and I wandered over to Confederation Park, site of the ice sculpture competition.

A few ice sculptures were completed...

There were even a few you could sit on, like this easy chair made of blocks of ice! (Hurry and take the picture, Terry said... This is COLD!)

The ice sculpture competition was just beginning...

It was fun to see them set up their blocks of ice and draw the design on.

(It's cold, hard work!)

I was surprised to see participants from hot countries, like Mexico...

Where do they get ice to practice on?!

(These ice blocks are especially manufactured near Toronto. To make them stronger, the water is kept moving - to eliminate bubbles - while they freeze.)

Lunch in the Glebe

2012-02-06T05:35:00.002-05:00

We were heading to our favorite Glebe coffee shop...

... the Wild Oat...

... when we noticed the sign outside one of Terry's favorite Indian restaurants.

He often used to come here with colleagues, back in his working days. So, of course, we had to go in... for old time's sake!

The lunch was abundant... and delicious.

(Retirement allows for an impulsive kind of life!)

Don't Leave Praying to the "Sick and Shut-In"!

2012-02-05T05:37:00.000-05:00

Christians often imply that prayer is the perfect "work" for those who are too old or too ill to do much of anything else - the "sick and shut-in." The idea seems logical! When you can do nothing else, you can still pray. (My minister implied something like that a few Sundays ago...)

I never questioned it myself until I was hospitalized for about a week - and then spent a month or so recovering at home, unable to do much of anything.

During that time of weakness, I had no energy for prayer. And, frankly, I was hoping that others were praying for me!

My experience is that prayer is hard work requiring stamina and strength...

There may be some elderly shut-ins who are "prayer warriors" and spend large chunks of time praying for others, but I suspect they were seasoned in prayer before becoming "old and shut-in."

I also suspect that many who are sick and shut-in hope that someone is praying for them!

Back to Class

2012-02-04T05:54:00.003-05:00

I have been thinking of taking an drawing class for several years now... I loved art when I was in grade 9. But in high school, there never seemed to be enough time on my timetable for "fun" subjects.

Someday I'll begin drawing and painting again, I promised myself... And this year (four years after retiring!), I finally decided to DO IT!

But first, I needed to go out to buy art supplies! (Silly me! I had naively thought that a pencil, paper and eraser would be all I'd need!)

Knitting Dilemma

2012-02-03T05:09:00.002-05:00

I recently posted a blog about starting a mohair afghan out of yarn I found in my mother's stash. (I have no idea what project the yarn was originally intended for!) I wanted to try a new pattern, knitting a square on the diagonal. The project was progressing well. Although the stitches were loose, I had no idea how big the blanket could end up. (Or what I would do if I ran out of yarn!)

Color-wise, the pattern is pretty random... Bold blocks of bright color separated by bands of purple, knit on the diagonal: casting on five stitches in one corner, INCREASING ONE STITCH AT THE BEGINNING of every row, until the desired diagonal width is reached, then DECREASING ONE STITCH AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY ROW until the last five stitches, then casting off.

I had used more than half my yarn, but the blanket still wasn't very large - so I panicked! Better begin to decrease. Even so, I might not have enough to finish the blanket. WHAT TO DO?!! Where could I find a similar acrylic/mohair blend? (I was pretty sure the yarn was decades old.)

One local yarn store has an amazing selection (and a room full of discounted yarn in the back), so I headed over.

Perhaps they would have something I could use...

Sure enough, there - in the discount room - I discovered several shelves of mohair/acrylic blend!

I chose this mauve that will hopefully fit the bill, although it's a little thinner than what I'm using.

(I'm not sure what I'll do if it doesn't work! Being impulsive has its risks!)

Hooded Baby Towels

2012-02-02T05:29:00.001-05:00

This tutorial (in pictures) showing how to make a hooded towel for a young baby reminded me of of the towel I made many years ago - one of the few things I did manage to prepare before my first child was born...

It was well used by three babies... All things considered, it doesn't look too worn.

I didn't make my own bias tape, to finish the edges, like the mother-to-be in the blog has done.

Some things never go out of style!

Craving Color!

2012-02-01T06:06:00.000-05:00

Now that winter is here...

... the world outside my window is mostly white.

So it is a treat to catch a glimpse of a winter sunset...

COLOR adds so much to life!

Whether it's outdoors...

... or indoors - like the splashes of color on a quilt! These white winter days, I CRAVE COLOR!

No Turning Back!

2012-01-31T05:38:00.005-05:00

The day was windy: a wind warning was in effect. But somehow the squirrels were oblivious to all this. They were still out running around! One little guy seemed relatively new to the game of walking on wires - he paused now and then as he followed his buddy across the icy hydro line, stopping to adjust his grip on the line, his tail waving madly for balance.

Would he fall off?! I grabbed my camera to take a picture, in case he did. (I have never seen one fall off a line...)

But no, he made it safely across... Tenacious? Or foolish? I'm not sure! But one thing is certain, once he got on that wire, there was no turning back! (At the first gust of wind, I probably would have stopped, frozen in my tracks!) Sometimes it's good not to have the time - or wisdom - to think too much!

1000 Posts?!

2012-01-30T05:27:00.012-05:00

I find it hard to believe that yesterday marked my thousandth blog post! I guess, like everything else, it's a matter of beginning, taking it one blog post at a time... and being surprised when a milestone is reached!

How has blogging affected my life? Writing is now a focal point of my day. And I take a lot more pictures! Whenever I see something interesting, I take a picture to (perhaps) blog about it... (I have a lot of unfinished blog posts that never get posted.) Blogging has taught me to be more attentive to the details of my life. (And I take my camera with me wherever I go, just in case I encounter something "blog-worthy.")

What have I learned about blogging since beginning this adventure in February 2009?

First, that I apparently have a lot more to say than I originally thought!

Second, I've discovered a few "hot topics" in blogging. Gardening is one... According to Google Analytics, my most read posts deal with gardening. What to Do with Indoor Trees (from February 2011) remains my most read post with 599 page views. Next, with 208 page views, is Gardening in October (from October 2009). And my third most viewed post is Early May Flower "Catalog" (from May 2010) with 110 page views. Readers find these posts, even now, through a google search, sometimes looking for images.

Third, I've learned that BLOGGING IS A LOT OF FUN... In fact, it's quite "addictive." If I ever think of taking a break for a while, as some bloggers do, I get a "panic attack".. (As if my doctor suggested I give up MY MORNING COFFEE!)

I mean, I could live without coffee (or blogging) if I absolutely had to... but my mornings would definitely not be the same!

Stability

2012-01-29T06:13:00.002-05:00

I am a very impulsive person, so too much stability seems BORING to me. Now that winter is here, part of me wants to buy a plane ticket and go... somewhere, anywhere... where the sun is shining and the sidewalks are free of ice!

But at the same time, I enjoy the benefits of stability: living in a predictable family, having predictable work and income, as well as predictable relationships with family and friends. I also have "promises to keep"... (Among them, doctors' appointments to take my mother to...)

Yet, as I reflect on many of the wonderful Benedictine principles that teach me so much, I struggle with the idea of STABILITY: "The workshop where we are to toil faithfully at all these tasks is the enclosure of the monastery and stability in community," Benedict wrote 1,600 years ago. (RB 4:78)

Could I be "stable" enough to live with the same people in the same place all my life?! I don't think it would have worked for me... I have too much wanderlust!

I read on: "The spiritual value of stability lies in commitment. Like everything else in monastic life, stability works best when it is wholehearted, without escape hatches or preserves of autonomy." (Benedict's Way, p. 52)

Perhaps my stability lies in my commitment to my family - which involves give and take. And which sometimes makes demands of me. So for me: "The spiritual value of stability lies in commitment. Like everything else in FAMILY life, stability works best when it is wholehearted, without escape hatches or preserves of autonomy."

My commitment to my family is wholehearted... But sometimes I need to "escape" and take a vacation...

But it does make me feel better, when I go off for a few days... that my mother waves me off with a smile: Have a good time!

(Her memory may, at times, be foggy, but her character hasn't changed: she also loved to travel in her younger days. So she's happy for me when I go.)

What a Difference a Day Makes!

2012-01-28T05:32:00.001-05:00

The weather had been lovely all week...

Terry had cleaned the ice off the driveway and the main roads were clear... I was out and about running errands. Winter didn't seem that bad.

Then yesterday, we awoke to a world of white... again...

... icicles hanging from roofs.

The "mixed precipitation" (snow and freezing rain) continued all day, coating branches in white ice.

Of course, the roads and sidewalks are icy again, too!

Will I Have Enough?!

2012-01-27T05:38:00.002-05:00

I started these (adult-size) socks a few weeks ago...

... using two batches of yarn left over from other sock projects.

The purple was left over from lacy socks my daughter made me.

(I don't have patience for doing such delicate work!)

The other yarn is left over from a colorful pair of socks I made quite a few years ago.

I tried to create a pattern with the two yarns, doing the top ribbing and heel in the purple, and creating stripes of alternating 3 rows (of purple) and six rows (of the multi-color yarn). I wanted to tone down the brightness of the red/yellow/blue/green.

I must admit that I'm surprised that I've made it this far.

I'm currently decreasing at the toe. The yarn is running low. So the big question in my mind is: WILL I HAVE ENOUGH of this yarn to finish the socks?! (And, if not, what color yarn should I add to finish them up?! I've been gathering together all my scraps of sock yarn...)

(Several hours later:) I can't believe it! I had enough... with a tiny bit to spare!

How Much is Enough?

2012-01-26T05:14:00.006-05:00

Clutter is an inevitable part of my life - whether it's piles of papers on my desk, clothes draped over a chair, or a mess of ingredients on the kitchen counter whenever I bake or cook.

So I pause in Kathleen Norris's book, The Cloister Walk. She is describing the trees in Dakota. They are so rare that they stand out in the bleak landscape.

Comparing the inside of her Dakota home, with its "abundance of books and papers" to the simple beauty of a horizon with one tree, she writes:

A perfectly simple room, with one perfect object to meditate on, remains a dream until I step outside, onto the Plains. A tree. A butte. The sunrise. It always makes me wonder: What is enough? Are there enough trees here? As always, it seems that the more I can distinguish between my true needs and my wants, the more I am shocked to realize how little is enough.
(p. 296)

Poinsettia Joy!

2012-01-25T05:28:00.001-05:00

It has been a month since Christmas...

... yet the poinsettias continue to brighten my winter white world!

What I Hate Most About Winter!

2012-01-24T05:23:00.006-05:00

It isn't the snow (which can be quite pretty)...

Or the cold...

What I hate most about winter is that freezing rain turns sidewalks...

...into glare-ice "SLIDE-WALKS".

(Fear of falling keeps me in the house!)

Browsing on Bank Street

2012-01-23T05:39:00.015-05:00

Bank Street is a very long Ottawa Street that runs north and south for miles, from Wellington Street (where the Parliament Buildings are situated) in the heart of the city, right to the outskirts of town. One of my favorite shopping areas is Bank Street in the Glebe (an old Ottawa neighborhood near the Rideau Canal).

The buildings are old - and some of the names are, too, like the Glebe Apothecary (a drugstore)...

... and the Glebe Emporium, where I occasionally buy pots and pans and other household items.

My daughter loves to shop in the Papery, a stationery store with many unique paper items.

We sometimes stop in at Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's, a toy store, with lots of interesting gift ideas, for children and adults.

It's easy to find one-of-a-kind gifts in other small Glebe shops, too... (like these cute winter hats for children - with animal faces on them - which are popular this year)...

And, of course, there are coffee shops and bakeries... (Why am I always drawn to the bakeries?!!)

When Reading Paths Intertwine...

2012-01-22T06:22:00.006-05:00

Perhaps I read more in winter, when evenings are longer and I don't spend as much time outdoors. I rarely "plan" what I read... (which is why I have never joined a "book club" where everyone has to read the same book - then meet to discuss it...) But books come my way: sometimes I read about a book that tweaks my interest... sometimes I hear about one from a friend, then try to get a copy for myself.

Which is how I happen to be reading three different books at the moment! Two relate to Benedictine monastic life: The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century and The Cloister Walk. The other is Life with God, by Richard Foster, a Quaker, who has long been one of my favorite Christian writers.

How did I discover these books? My friend Janet told me about the first one - and I read about the other two.

But I find it interesting that some of the ideas I am currently reading are overlapping.

Just this morning, in The Rule of Benedict, I read Joan Chittister's comment that by beginning early morning Vigil prayer with the words "O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise" (from Psalm 51), Benedict teaches us that "Even the desire to pray is the grace to pray. The movement to pray is the movement of God in our souls." (p. 104)

A few days ago, in Life with God, I had read: 'Through Scripture... God ... [whispers] down through the centuries: "I am with you!" ... Then... God [asks] a question that searches a person to the depths: "Are you willing to be with Me?" '

It is exciting to be reminded (twice!) that God not only sustains us: He is the initiator of our faith. In other words, it's not all up to us!

My Online Learning!

2012-01-21T05:35:00.000-05:00

My parents had an encyclopedia that they used daily. Whenever they encountered a place or a word they had never heard, they would "look it up"!

I do the same - but using the internet! Recently I was looking up the name of an ancient city I had never heard of before. I discovered it was in ancient Turkey. Reading a bit more, I saw a reference to Celtic invasion...

Surely not the Irish Celts, I thought... But a few more clicks showed me that, yes, the Celtic culture had once expanded into Europe. In fact, in the 3rd century BC they had invaded the Balkans and parts of present-day Turkey. Moreover, Celts didn't originate in Ireland, but in present day Austria!

Where did I get the idea that ancient civilizations simply stayed put! That we are the first world travelers... (Well, apart from Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus, 1500 years later!)

(I have so much to learn!)

The Best Desk... is...

2012-01-20T05:59:00.001-05:00

We have quite a few desks in the house. Here are what two look like...

The others are no different!

When I need a large work area, I usually clear off the dining room table...

But Terry prefers...

... the FLOOR!

(Teacher Tip: By the way, in case you were wondering about the best desk for children, studies show that they do better in school if they do their homework at the kitchen table, where they are near adults, so that they can ask questions easily if they don't understand!)

A Winter Walk on Bank Street

2012-01-19T05:19:00.002-05:00

Terry and I like to walk on Bank Street in downtown Ottawa. Sometimes we fantasize about downsizing and moving to this old neighborhood...

(It reminds us of our single years, when we both lived in downtown Montreal.)

The neighborhood is changing - and there is an interesting mix of old and new buildings...

...with high-rises sprouting up all over. (Well, not really highrises! A city by-law prohibits the building of structures taller than the parliament buildings in the downtown core...)

Terry could have stood for hours watching the excavation of this new building site... (Condos, perhaps...?)

The downtown area is convenient and popular with many... (including birds?!) But I'm not ready to give up my garden and move into a condo!

Children's Stories

2012-01-18T05:19:00.007-05:00

I remember two books from my early childhood, my preschool years, before I knew how to read. One was The Bingity Bangity School Bus, which was a favorite of my brother's when he was two or three... (My parents read it to him so often that we all knew it by heart!)

The other was a book of bedtime stories... I don't remember its title or any of the stories in it. All I remember was the picture on the cover and how it frightened me! It showed a little girl in a nightgown sitting on her bed - which was floating down a river. Strange animals stood looking at her from the shore. I remember being frightened by the idea of being alone on a bed surrounded by water. And I felt sad for the little girl, so alone. How was she going to get back to land? Did she know how to swim? Only much later did I realize that the illustration was meant to be symbolic of the imaginary world the stories take us to... (Do children see symbolism? I certainly didn't! I must have been a very practical child!)

I was reminded of these books - and my childhood reaction to them - when I recently read the story a three-year-old narrated to her mother, who wrote it down and illustrated it... (The mother is an artist friend of my daughter's.)

Hmmmm. On first read, I was surprised! Interesting logic (and balance) here!

Chocolate Sauce Recipe

2012-01-17T05:48:00.000-05:00

I didn't do much baking last Christmas: just whole wheat cinnamon buns and chocolate sugar cookies - which went well with ice cream. But something was missing: chocolate sauce for the ice cream!

I remembered an easy recipe I used to make years ago. It was on the cocoa container... (Don't remember which brand.) I checked, but there was no recipe on the container I had. So I did an online search, and came up with a different recipe for chocolate sauce on the blog of David Lebovitz, an American chef living in Paris.

He calls it his "basic black dress" recipe - it goes well with everything.

It was pretty simple:

In a saucepan, mix together and bring to a boil, STIRRING CONSTANTLY:
1 cup (250 ml) water
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/2 cup (160 g) corn syrup
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Then add a handful, or more precisely 2 ounces (55 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, and stir till the chocolate chips melt.

Refrigerate for several hours before using.

I didn't bring the mixture to a boil as the instructions said to remove from heat when it begins to "simmer" - perhaps I should have left it a few minutes longer. Then when I added the chocolate chips, I didn't chop them, so they didn't completely melt and the texture wasn't completely smooth. It was also not as sweet as the sauce I remember from my childhood. But if you like a thick chocolate sauce that isn't very sweet - this one is for you! It was easy to make - and gets thicker the longer it stays in the refrigerator.

Preparing The World's Longest Skating Rink

2012-01-16T05:32:00.003-05:00

Ottawa is proud to have the world's longest outdoor skating rink, weather permitting! Weather permitting, the Rideau Canal and Dow's Lake (a man-made lake that is part of the canal system) are transformed into a skating rink that attracts thousands of skaters every winter.

I sometimes come by once skating begins, but I rarely see the ice being prepared...

But this year I did. As we were driving by Dow's Lake, city employees were busy drilling holes into the ice that had formed... and pumping up water from the lake to create a thick, smooth surface. (I always wondered how they did it!)

I have never seen them flooding the ice before. I wonder if they start at Dow's Lake and continue until they have flooded all along the 7.8 kilometer (approximately 5-mile) canal! The ice is already strong enough to hold the workers, but skating isn't permitted until the ice is strong enough for trucks and equipment to drive on it!

Work and Pray... Or Is It Pray and Work?

2012-01-15T05:20:00.001-05:00

I have been re-reading Benedict's Way, and today am again pausing to consider WORK, one of the cornerstones of Benedictine monastic life. In fact, their motto, "Ora et Labora" (in Latin, "Pray and Work") highlights work, together with prayer.

"Idleness is the enemy of the soul," Benedict writes, and I agree... though I'm not sure why. Perhaps because, as much as I hate to clean the house or tidy my desk, I feel good when it is done. Perhaps because I've seen what trouble kids (and adults) can get into when they have "nothing to do." So, when they were young, we registered our children in swimming lessons, dancing lessons, and sports - to keep them busy. And when they were in high school, we encouraged them to get part-time jobs.

But Benedict also encourages prayer. What is the connection between the two? Is it similar to the connection between faith and works, the connection between what we believe and how we live our lives because of what we believe? One determines the other: Faith without works is dead, the Bible tells us...

At this time of my life when what I do is totally my choice, I sometimes wonder how I should be spending my day. A prayer in Benedict's Way is helpful:

God, you care enough about me that my work is important to you. You love all of us enough that there is inherent dignity in the labor of our lives. Remind me that I am your partner in creating the world you are designing - and that I am your partner in creating myself. Help me to cooperate heartily, and give me insight into the value of my work. Amen (From Benedict's Way, p. 49)

If our work partners us with God in "creating" God's world and at the same time "creates" us, it is extremely important. But we can't do it alone. "Every time you begin a good work, you must pray to God to bring it to perfection," Benedict wrote 1,600 years ago. (RB Prologue 4)

I guess that's it! We can't do it alone!

Four Years!

2012-01-14T05:07:00.006-05:00

I retired from teaching four years ago. During my first month of retirement, I sorted through materials I had brought home from school, culling and throwing away quite a few boxes of papers... But I couldn't bear to part with it all, so into a basement filing cabinet the rest went... in case I ever needed it. (And I never did!)

I read somewhere that one de-cluttering one's life sometimes involved giving up dreams or plans. I didn't plan to teach again, but I wasn't willing to give up the idea totally either.

Perhaps it was the snowstorm that kept me indoors yesterday - perhaps I sensed that all this unused STUFF was bogging me down. In any event, I want to begin some new things... so it was time to let go.

In the end, I simply asked myself: Do you ever plan to teach again?!

No! The answer was clear... So down into the basement I went, filling box after box with paper, remnants of my previous career: copies of grammar and spelling exercises, stories and research projects. Eight or nine boxes later, I had cleared everything out.

I wish I could say that the basement looks a lot tidier. It doesn't. But the teaching files are gone!

I feel a lot freer, ready to move on! (But it took me four years to let go!)

Taking Winter Risks

2012-01-13T06:01:00.001-05:00

In Newfoundland - I've heard - young men test their mettle in winter by jumping from one chunk of floating ice to another. (Do they forget that the ice is on the ocean?!) They actually try to see how far they can go, I've heard, walking on floating pieces of ice! (When looking to see if I could find a You Tube clip, I discovered that ice walking is popular in Sweden too!)

I've never seen that in Ottawa... But I have seen men of all ages risk life and limb to remove ice and snow from roofs...

... like this man...

...who presumably wants to prevent the snow from landing on someone!

(Fortunately he didn't fall!)

Winter Sunsets

2012-01-12T05:56:00.006-05:00

Winter sunsets are just as beautiful as summer ones...

... even though they occur much earlier in the day.

This one caught my eye as I was walking into the kitchen to prepare supper ... around 4:30 pm. (When supper is over, at 6pm, it is already dark!)

My Personal (Clothing) Style

2012-01-11T06:18:00.005-05:00

I don't consider myself "stylish." I've always loved comfortable clothing. So, for years, I have worn jeans, loose shirts and (in winter) fleece pants and tops.

But - I admit - there are times when I get bored with my boxy "look"... (But obviously not bored enough to change!)

My daughter (who loves fashion) recently sent me this video clip entitled, Advanced Style - and I loved it! (Particularly the lady who said: Don't tell me, This is what everyone is wearing nowadays. I don't want to look like everyone else!)

What a (stylish) inspiration these ladies are! (But will they inspire me enough to change?! Probably not!)

Depending on the Kindness of Others

2012-01-10T05:22:00.009-05:00

"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." (Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire)

It is perhaps ironic that, on the day that my blog post mentioned parent-child relationships when getting old, I spent a large part of the afternoon and evening in the hospital emergency room with my 92-year-old mother. She struggles to maintain her independence, but her mind plays tricks on her. She isn't really forgetful. But she doesn't recognize herself in old family photos. Occasionally she says strange things like, What kind of mirror is that? It doesn't show what's really in the room. And often she misinterprets - or simply disregards - what people tell her. Shortly after returning home from the hospital, for example, she called me to ask if she could remove the splint they had put on her hand. Definitely not, I told her... But by morning, it was off.

We were at the hospital because a gouty knuckle had become infected, and - on the last day of the New Year's long weekend, when doctors' offices and medical clinics had been closed for several days, or perhaps even for the whole period between Christmas and New Year's - the hospital emergency room was the only option available for medical care. So the waiting room was packed.

As I sat there, waiting to see a doctor, reflecting on my blog post of the day, it occurred to me that the suggestions given were only useful if a parent could reason logically...

My mother, oblivious to the fact that the room had been full when we arrived and equally oblivious to PA announcements indicating the arrival of level 2 patients by ambulance, kept insisting: They've forgotten we're here. Go tell the nurse we're here.

No, Mom. They know we're here. They are busy, and we're not a real emergency...

But the experience - sitting there watching people come and go with crying babies, bound-up limbs, chest pain - reminded me how much we depend on the kindness of others. Often friends and family, but occasionally strangers... like a friend of mine who volunteers one day a week driving the elderly to medical appointments.

I watched an older woman leading a blind man. Her husband, perhaps? Another man assisting a woman (his wife?) from a car into a wheelchair, her hand in a sling. Had she fallen on ice?

Everyone was there with someone... I was strangely moved to see so much care and concern cramped in one room. It was a reality check for me to be reminded that no matter how self-sufficient we think we are, we can't always do it alone.

Blue Monday (Chocolate) Cake ... Or Cupcakes

2012-01-09T05:51:00.004-05:00

It wasn't Monday - it was Saturday... But I felt in "need" of a "chocolate fix"! So I took out the recipe for the easiest cake I know: a one-bowl chocolate cake that my friend Channa calls her "Blue Monday" cake... for a rainy (or blue) day!

It can even be mixed in a square 9" baking pan - but I decided to make cupcakes, so I mixed the batter in a medium sized bowl.

First I blended the dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (or 375 ml) of flour (I decided to use all-purpose flour so I replaced 1/4 cup (50 ml) of the flour with 1/4 cup (50 ml) of psyllium)
1 cup (or 250 ml) sugar
3 heaping tablespoons (or 60 ml) of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground cinnamon

When the dry ingredients were well mixed, I added the liquid ingredients:

1 tablespoon (or 20 ml) of lemon juice
5 tablespoons (or 75 ml) cooking oil (I used olive oil)
1 cup (250 ml) cold water, milk or sour milk

Mix well. Pour into baking pan or muffin tins.

The recipe makes 12 cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees F (or 175 degrees C) for 40-45 minutes for a cake or for 30 minutes for cupcakes.

Enjoy! (I did... without icing! It was delicious accompanied with vanilla yogurt... and an interesting newspaper article!)

It was also nice - the next day - with a scoop of ice cream and some homemade chocolate sauce!

I Need ... PATIENCE

2012-01-08T05:58:00.000-05:00

From time to time I read bits of Joan Chittister's commentary on The Rule of Benedict and reflect on what the 1,600-year-old Benedictine Christian document can say to me today.

The words that jump out at me today are Joan Chittester's - not Benedict's. The theme is being patient amid hardships.

"We are a people without patience. We do not tolerate process," she writes. (Page 88, italics mine.)

So true! So true of me! I want to grow as a Christian wife/mother/friend/writer/ artist/woman of faith (and the list goes on...!) I want my children to have strong character, to find satisfying careers, to build strong families and strong faith. But growth is a process... (Their growth and mine!) It happens in tiny steps.

Do not despise small beginnings, the Bible reminds us... Process takes time... And I... I need PATIENCE ... as I take my daily (tiny) steps.

Lost in Translation

2012-01-07T05:27:00.003-05:00

I once had a student who was a Mexican priest, in Canada for a sabbatical year of study. One day I was talking to him about his work. He told me that he was a priest in a mountain village, and that his parishioners were very poor. Part of his job involved visiting them in their homes, where he could see how little they had.

They would always offer me food, and I would always have to eat it, even though I often saw hungry children peering in through the door.

Was I eating the children's meal? I often wondered. Was this the only food they had?

But you had to eat it... I said.

Yes, they would have been very offended if I hadn't accepted their hospitality. And the motto of our religious order is: "Be as gentle as a dove and eat like a pig."

Eat like a pig?! I replied, somewhat astounded.

Yes, he nodded. Eat like a pig.

In English to eat like a pig means to eat a lot - as much as you can, I told him.

Oh no! he replied. In my language "to eat like a pig" means to eat whatever is put before you, without asking what it is. There were times I didn't know what I was eating. If I had known, I might not have wanted to eat it. But I followed our motto to "eat like a pig" and I didn't ask any questions. That was the polite way.

Lentil Soup

2012-01-06T06:05:00.001-05:00

I decided to try another soup recipe from the (online) South Dakota Diabetes Control Program cookbook. The lentil soup looked interesting - and I didn't have to go out and buy any ingredients. I had everything I needed in the cupboard.
I won't repeat the recipe here - click on the link to it (and accompanying nutritional information) above. It was easy! I simply put all the ingredients into a pot and let it simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

The recipe calls for 2 cups of dry lentils. I added one cup each of orange and green, as I had both. I also used frozen broth I had on hand. After an hour or so, the soup started to get thick, so I added more liquid.

After several hours, it ready to eat. The tomatoes made a colorful broth and remained in large chunks (visible above).

When I re-heated the leftovers, I again added a little more liquid - plus some spicy salsa, about a tablespoon per bowl of soup! Frankly, I preferred it that way - not quite as thick, and a little more spicy.

Best Bagels

2012-01-05T05:05:00.001-05:00

Ottawa's best bagels - in my opinion - are found in a Wellington Street bakery, the Bagel Shop. I used to go there weekly - to buy several dozen bagels for weekend breakfasts and school lunches. But in recent years - since discovering I was type 2 diabetic (and not having school lunches to prepare) - my visits have been much less frequent.

Recently I was back - for a brunch with former colleagues... teachers who worked together more than 30 years ago, teaching English to French-speaking army recruits at Canadian Forces Base St. Jean, Quebec.

(That we are still in touch is partly a Facebook "miracle"!)

After eating my breakfast bagel sandwich, before leaving...

I just had to buy some fresh bagels to take home!

A Strange Name

2012-01-04T05:53:00.003-05:00

My father was born, in 1910, in a part of Europe that had once been part of the Prussian Empire. But during my father's childhood, it switched back and forth between Polish and Russian rule. My father used to say, I have a grade 3 education - but I did grades 1 to 3 three times: once in German, once in Polish and once in Russian!

Although his family was German, his mother named him Wladyslaw, which is not a German name. It's the Polish form of the Russian name, Vladymir (the W pronounced like a "V"). Perhaps she thought a Polish name would serve him well in a Polish country... Or perhaps she simply liked the name! In any event, he was called Wladyslaw - or "Wladik" for short.

But when, at the age of 19, my father immigrated to Canada, his name immediately posed a problem: Nobody could understand it.

What's your name? people would ask.

Wladyslaw, he would answer... only to be met by blank stares.

Wladik, he repeated, using the diminutive form.

Oh, Dick! they replied. Short form of Richard.

So "Dick" he became - and "Richard" eventually became the middle name of his son.

Fast forward six decades... My father, now in his 80s, returned to Europe to visit family and childhood friends after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

And, of course, when they visited his relatives, my mother referred to him as "Dick" not "Wladyslaw."

My father had always been a thin, small man. "There wasn't enough to eat when I was growing up, so I never grew to full size..." was his explanation.

But now his German relatives were puzzled. The man they knew as "Wladyslaw" was now being called "Dick" by his wife. And in German "dick" means "fat"!

I don't understand why you call him "dick," one relative told my mother. He never has been "dick"... (Or, in German, "fat"!)

A Walk on Wellington Street

2012-01-03T06:21:00.001-05:00

Ottawa has grown over years... slowly absorbing towns and villages around it. Which is why some street names are confusing... They suddenly change... For example, Montreal Road (in the east end of the city) turns into Rideau Street, which - a mile or so down the road becomes Wellington Street which turns into Richmond Road... (I may have left some names out!)

One of my favorite shopping areas is Richmond Road (Or is it still Wellington Street at this point?!)...

I was recently there - one snow-free Sunday in December - enjoying the ambiance of a neighborhood that reminded me of a small town. It has small shops...

... especially its bakeries. (There seem to be a lot!)

Lots of coffee and tea shops... And a furniture store or two...

(My neighborhood - in contrast - has lots of big box stores. )

So walking on this street - so reminiscent of a small town - is a delightful change!

Growing Old with Dignity

2012-01-02T05:39:00.000-05:00

I recently came across this reprint of an Ann Landers article from 2001 on growing old with dignity. As another year - and another birthday - approach, I thought it might be good to post it - so that I can find it and re-read it from time to time, as a gentle reminder. (I do tend to misplace random pieces of paper!)

Ann Landers, August 4, 2001 - reprint

1. When my children tell me I should no longer drive, I will believe them and quit, because I know they love me.

2. When it becomes apparent that I need extra help, I will accept it from outsiders because my children cannot do everything. They have other obligations beyond my daily care.

3. It is up to me to make my life fulfilling. It is not my children's responsibility. I must stay active and learn to entertain myself so I do not become a burden to them.

4. If my children tell me I am becoming confused and that it is no longer safe for me to be alone, I will believe them and not become defensive.

5. If I am unable to get along with my children, I will seek counseling so we can learn to manage the changes in my life together.

6. I will get my legal affairs in order and trust the advice of professionals so there will be no problems about money or property down the road.

7. I will not complain about feeling poorly. My children cannot fix my health, and such complaints are emotionally draining for them to hear.

8. My children are not my indentured servants. I will remember to thank them for everything they do for me, and I will do loving things in return.

9. I will avoid making my children feel guilty. Age is no excuse for insults and manipulative behavior.

10. For as long as I can, I will take good care of myself physically, dress well and carry myself with dignity. Nothing saddens a child more than to witness parents who give up on how they present themselves.

A New Year's Prayer

2012-01-01T05:13:00.001-05:00

Here's a Christmas card - and a New Year's Prayer - my mother received a few years ago.

In case you can't see the words, they are:

Dear Lord, please give me...
A few friends who understand me and yet remain my friends
A work to do which has real value, without which the world would feel the poorer
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed
An understanding heart...
A sense of humor.
Time for quiet, silent meditation
A feeling of the presence of God
And the patience to wait for the coming of these things, with the wisdom to know them when they come.

By W.R Hunt

Published by Guideposts.

(I was unable to find out who W.R. Hunt is, but I did find a few of his or her inspirational writings online.)

Word for the Year

2011-12-31T05:17:00.001-05:00

I recently read that best-selling author Debbie Macomber often chooses a word to reflect her goal for the new year. In fact, an upcoming book of hers talks about it.

As the new year approaches, I have been wondering if I, too, would be helped by choosing a word to reflect my hopes for the year ahead. Would it help me focus on some of the things I want to do? I'm giving it some thought. Perhaps GROWTH should be my word for 2012. It's too easy to continue on in the same path without challenging myself to GROW...

(I may try it - then I'll have to read her book to get more ideas about how this practice has helped her!)

Fun in the Snow

2011-12-30T05:54:00.000-05:00

We are lucky. A nearby park - a favorite of dog-walkers - has gentle slopes...

... for cross-country skiing.

It's fun - especially when the snow is fresh and soft...

... Before crusty ruts have formed!

Wanting Change

2011-12-29T06:19:00.010-05:00

I was recently discussing work options with a young friend. After a year or two working in the same field - where opportunity for advancement was limited - she was in a rut and wanted to make some career changes.

What's holding you back from doing what you think you want to do? I probed. You want change - but do you want it enough? (... And if you don't, that's okay!) But your action - or inaction - is telling you something. Perhaps it's saying you don't want change enough.

I suggested she ask herself where she wanted to be in five years, what she wanted to be doing - and then figure out what steps she needed to take to get there...

And if you don't take these steps, I cautioned, maybe you simply don't want it enough...

Reflecting on my own life - on changes I had (or hadn't) made over the years, I conclude that my instincts served me well. I became a teacher because it was something I knew I could do... (As a child, using my mother's old text books to "play school" with my younger brother and other neighborhood kids, I had always been the teacher, never the student! I had organized assignments for "my students" and marked their work.) Teaching was always very natural for me!

But teaching wasn't the job of my dreams: I wanted to be a writer - writing novels set in exotic places where I would live for a while, learn about new cultures and places... and then move on.

The travel happened - but I didn't write. I always felt I wasn't ready: I didn't know enough. I also struggled with being brutally honest, the way I knew good novelists must be. So I settled for studying literature, critiquing other writers. But when looking for work, I returned to teaching, my comfortable niche.

Looking back over my teaching career, I recall several turning points when I seriously considered switching to journalism. But each time, instead, I returned to teaching. I kept returning to the career that was natural for me.

And now, in retirement, new opportunities present themselves. I have the luxury of deciding how I want to spend my time. A year after retiring, I began to write this blog. In a totally unexpected way, my writing dream is finally being fulfilled!

But there are other things I've long wanted to do. Like learning to play the drums and the banjo. Like drawing and painting. What's holding me back?

Nothing, really...

But maybe my inaction is telling me something. Maybe the time is wrong... That's possible. Or maybe I simply don't want them enough!

Lesson Learned!

2011-12-28T05:21:00.003-05:00

I recently washed two pairs of my hand-knit socks. (The yarn is 75% wool.) I don't usually put them into the dryer, but somehow, one from each pair ended up there...

... and shrunk!

My solution? I'm going to pretend this didn't happen and simply put them in the sock drawer, hoping no one will notice. If they are uncomfortably different, I will probably wash them again and make sure the larger ones end up in the dryer this time. (I don't dare put the smaller ones into the dryer again! They might shrink even more!)

The World's Coldest Capital?

2011-12-27T06:05:00.004-05:00

Years ago we had a neighbor who worked in the embassy of a certain European country which I will not name...

To my amazement, she commented one day that embassy workers at her embassy got bonus hardship pay when they were posted to Ottawa because it was the world's coldest capital city.

Really?! I exclaimed... What about Moscow?

No, it's warmer, she replied.

So as I reflect on her words, wondering about other cold places... such as Tibet, I discover (from Wikipedia) that its capital - Lhasa - isn't that cold :"the valley location protects the city from intense cold or heat and strong winds. The city enjoys nearly 3,000 hours of sunlight annually and is thus sometimes called the "sunlit city" by Tibetans. The coldest month is January with an average temperature of −1.6 °C (29.1 °F)"

What about Lapland? Its capital - Rovaniemi - seems to have average
winter temperatures similar to Ottawa's. But then I see that Lapland is
actually a province of Finland, and its capital - Helsinki - has milder
winter temperatures!

Maybe we are the world's coldest capital!

(But is living here really such a hardship that people deserve bonus
pay?!!)

Cinnamon Buns

2011-12-26T06:14:00.004-05:00

One of our family traditions is eating homemade cinnamon buns on Christmas morning! This year, I decided to look for a whole wheat cinnamon bun recipe. I could always make a second batch using white flour if my family didn't like the whole wheat variety.

I hunted for a recipe online, and found this one for sticky cinnamon buns on The Fresh Loaf.

The recipe assumes some bread baking knowledge (how to let the dough rise, etc.) But the buns were delicious!

I highly recommend it!

The cinnamon buns turned out so well, I could hardly tell the difference! (No need to make a second batch - though I may have to if they disappear too quickly!)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T05:36:00.000-05:00

My wish for this Christmas: COMFORT and JOY... for all!

May we spend our day counting - not our presents - but our BLESSINGS!

Making Christmas

2011-12-24T05:20:00.011-05:00

Not long ago, my daughter called from Toronto to discuss her Christmas plans.

Is the tree up yet? she asked wistfully. This evening, walking down the street, I noticed trees lit up inside houses. It made me want to be home.

The tree will be up when you get home, I promised her.

Her words reminded me that - just as Christmas is a date, it is also a spirit... a spirit of love and well-being. The lights of the tree in a home make me think of comfort and coziness, being loved and surprised by family and friends - and blessed by God.

I aspire to make my home a comfortable, loving place all year long.

But the lights of the Christmas tree - that I carefully set up before my daughter arrives home - remind me that even peace and love - comfort and light - don't just "happen."

Sometimes they require a little extra work!

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

2011-12-23T05:51:00.015-05:00

My mother used to do a lot of Christmas baking, starting (in November) with two Christmas fruit cakes - light and dark, which had to sit for several weeks before we ate them. Then there were the many varieties of Christmas cookies, like shortbread and thumbprint cookies, traditional in many homes at that time.

Years ago, I made all these treats... But I eventually stopped. Experience taught me that I would end up eating most of them, as my family doesn't eat raisins or nuts - which are essential in a lot of those traditional recipes!

This year, I decided to make one batch of cookies: sugar cookies. And while I was at it, perhaps they could be CHOCOLATE sugar cookies, if there was such a thing, as I love chocolate... So I did an online search and found this amazing recipe at the Joy of Baking website.

Perhaps I should have used the dough hook on my new mixer...

I say they were "amazing" because the unbaked dough is absolutely delicious... (I know you're not supposed to eat it... But I couldn't resist.)

The baked cookies are delicious, too! I would definitely make them again. I don't plan to ice them. Cute and delicious with a cup of tea... or as an accompaniment to ice cream and chocolate sauce. (My family doesn't like traditional Christmas pudding either!)

Drummer Boy... In Winnipeg

2011-12-22T05:48:00.000-05:00

Little Drummer Boy, one of my favorite Christmas songs, was composed in the 1950s. I recently came across this Canadian rendition - a You Tube video sent out by a drummer from Winnipeg to wish his friends Merry Christmas... and it has "gone viral"! (More than a million views!) Enjoy!

Pinwheel Quilt... Done!

2011-12-21T05:37:00.001-05:00

Surprisingly, a day after finishing my scrappy socks, I finished my pinwheel quilt.

I say "surprisingly" because I had planned to add a wider border to the blue border - which would have necessitated hours (if not days) of additional work. But when I added the small blue border, my immediate reaction was: That's enough! Anything more might detract from the central design... the pinwheels. So I simply added binding and it was... done!

I usually have extra fabric left over from every quilt - but I used up all the blue (border and binding) fabric, and - in fact - had to improvise with the last strip, adding another fabric to make the last strip wide enough. The dark blue is hidden inside the binding.

This tiny piece, about an inch square, is all of the blue fabric that is left.

GREAT Latte Art

2011-12-20T05:44:00.002-05:00

On a recent trip to Toronto, we stopped at Crema for morning coffee...

Now they have amazing latte art!

Each cup had a different design...

Lovely!

(Now, why didn't I simply turn the cup around to do it justice?!)

Scrappy Socks Done!

2011-12-19T05:44:00.001-05:00

The first of my many unfinished craft projects is now done.

I couldn't resist working on these almost identical socks made with leftover yarn from 6 other pairs of socks...

There are only subtle hints of some yarns...

Now on to other projects... I wonder which one I'll be inspired to finish next!

Unloved? Disrespected?

2011-12-18T05:57:00.000-05:00

Terry and I (in our 35th year of marriage) recently attended a Love and Respect Conference sponsored by a number of city churches...

Would it be interesting for "old-marrieds" like us? we asked our minister, one of the sponsoring clergy.

He replied that the conference had made him and his wife more aware of how they were speaking to each other...

That was enough bait to lure us in!

We were not disappointed. Without going into details, I will only say that the realization (based on research) that - after a spousal disagreement, most women feel unloved - while most men, on the other hand, feel disrespected...

That realization alone has had a profound impact on both of us.

Outdoor Skating at "Ottawa Share"

2011-12-17T06:08:00.014-05:00

Walking beside the Centerpoint library and theatre early yesterday, I discovered the outdoor rink was already in operation! Not only that - a fundraiser had just begun - Ottawa Share, an event to raise money for one of my favorite local charities: Operation Come Home.

Two skaters were already trying out the ice...

(One in short sleeves)

A Zamboni was parked in readiness (beside the green grass)...

The change huts were operational. And food was available...

It was a picture-perfect day...skating without snow!

I'm RICH! (In Things To Do)

2011-12-16T05:41:00.000-05:00

I sit in my favorite chair, surrounded by unfinished craft projects, and I'm struck by the thought: I AM RICH: I have so many FUN things to do.

(I mention FUN because there is also housework - dishes and laundry - tasks that don't seem as ENRICHING!)

On the chair in front of me are two quilts I hope to finish.... SOON.

One has only a few squares to quilt (I've marked the unfinished squares with safety pins.) I gave this quilt to my daughter last Christmas as a gift - but it still isn't quite finished...

Then there's my pinwheel quilt that needs a border. I've finally decided on the fabrics They are sitting on the piano bench.

Then (next to them on the piano bench) there's a patchwork duvet cover I've just begun.

I don't lack for knitting projects either. I'm in the middle of knitting not one, but TWO pairs of socks...

And a shawl... or maybe it will be a blanket...

And, when I need a change, I can turn to "Anna's" afghan, which isn't knit - it's crocheted...

Or I could mend a pair of socks. (I only mend special ones, like these made of alpaca yarn.)

Or finish the beehive pin cushion I started a while back...

I'm sure I could find a few more unfinished projects if I looked in other parts of the house. But these are around my chair - where I can see them every day, a sign that I'm intent on finishing them soon.

People like my husband, who have tidier hobbies (who read and watch TV sports for fun) might mistake these piles of projects for "clutter" (not "riches"). But I'm sure that there are a few crafters out there who understand!

December Walks

2011-12-15T05:47:00.007-05:00

Our mild December days - with all the snow melted - seem like BONUS fall days. Every day I go out for a walk.

My 5-km walk to and from my Curves location takes me through the best a city can offer:

.. pedestrian passageways to avoid traffic...

... and across a park where I can enjoy nature.

One December day - a few years ago - I slipped on some ice in this park, fracturing my wrist.

I've learned my lesson. Once ice and/or snow return, my walking days will end!

A Knitting Trick

2011-12-14T04:18:00.004-05:00

Whenever I knit socks, I knit both at the same time...

I don't do them on the same needles, as some people do... but on two sets of double pointed needles, knitting them stage by stage, first the leg part on one, then the leg part on the other; next the heel flap on one, then the heel flap on the other... (as in the picture above) And so on.

The problem with double-pointed needles is that it's easy to knock the stitches off the needle, especially when they are put aside while working on the second sock.

This problem is not a new one for knitters. Stitches often fall off when knitting is being transported - and there are solutions out there, like plastic tips...

... which often fall off when I use them! (Winding an elastic band tightly around each tip works better for me. )

But I discovered another trick that I have been using as I knit the socks pictured above. When I leave one sock to work on the other, I temporarily replace the double pointed knitting needles with needles a slightly larger size. (The right sock, which I am putting aside, now has slightly larger needles than the left one, which I am again beginning to work on. When I go back to working on it, I will again switch needles, putting the larger needles on the sock I am not working on.)

Larger needles practically guarantee that the knitting will not move.

I started doing this as I didn't have enough small double pointed needles. Then I discovered the second benefit: Stitches don't fall off!

Checking Out the New Algonquin College Bridge

2011-12-13T06:02:00.003-05:00

A little over a year ago, we watched the installation of a pedestrian bridge over a busy street in our part of town. The event occurred overnight - to minimize traffic disruption. Dozens of people stood for hours watching the painstakingly slow installation... To be truthful, after a while, I left - before the installation was complete. (The slow, meticulous operation was a little - as they say - like watching paint dry...) But the next day, I was back and took some pictures in the daylight...

Not long ago we heard that the bridge had opened to pedestrian traffic. It leads from the Algonquin College administration building, on the east side of Woodroofe Avenue to a new "Construction Excellence" building on the west side. Eventually there will be a large bus stop in the basement of the new building...

As we walked across the campus...

...from one building to another - indoors,

....then stepped onto the new footbridge...

...I realized how much easier it will make crossing the campus in winter.

The new "Construction Excellence" building is very impressive...

... with its glass elevators...

...its wall of plants...

... small suspended study pods (with space for perhaps 6 people) that hang in the air in the foyer...

We walked outside to check out the bus stop, just outside the door. The indoor bus stop is not yet completed.

Knitting With Scraps

2011-12-12T05:43:00.000-05:00

I have been inspired to use up scraps of sock yarn left over from other projects...

The result so far is two pairs of baby socks (the smallest sock pattern I have) plus a pair of scrappy socks for me.

It has been satisfying to see the scraps disappear - and a magical design mix appear. It is always a surprise!

(Mix-and-match knitting is so much more FUN than knitting in plain colors!)

Catching Up With Kathleen Norris

2011-12-11T05:43:00.002-05:00

I have been mentored by many Christian writers over the years - individuals who shared their personal struggles in books that comforted me. The first was Catherine Marshall, whose books reassured me - when I was in my 20s - that there was a place in the church for me.

Over the years, there have been many other writer mentors... (Some day I may attempt to list them all...)

The most recent has been Kathleen Norris, a poet and Benedictine Oblate, whose books (The Cloister Walk, Dakota, Amazing Grace) are my current daily read.

What is she doing these days? I wondered recently... and (thanks to the internet) I found this update.

It's always good to hear how "friends" are doing - even if they are mentors I have never personally met!

IKEA Opening

2011-12-10T05:21:00.007-05:00

A few days ago, Terry and I walked over to the grand opening of the new IKEA store, currently the largest in Canada. It is a few kilometers from our house. (We walked, meaning we had no plans to buy anything - just to check out the new location and perhaps have something to eat in the new, enlarged cafeteria.)

I should add that most of our furniture does come from Ikea - we have been avid shoppers there since first becoming homeowners thirty years ago. But my first Ikea chair didn't come from a store. I found it on the sidewalk on garbage day the year we lived in Toronto. Someone had tossed it because of a tear in the fabric. I carried it home and mended the tear - and it served us well for many years.

I admired a new lighting fixture, wondering where it might fit in our home. I also admired the textiles this new store sells. (Our previous store had no textile department.)

There was an interesting new poster for sale. It showed the Parliament Buildings in downtown Ottawa. Everything looked so dynamic, I had to stop and stare at it. That didn't look right! Our quiet town does not really look like that... Then I realized that they had edited the image, moving a number of downtown landmarks closer to each other than they really were!

If I have any criticism of the store, it is that it is a little TOO big. I was tired of walking through it before I had seen the whole thing. But I'm sure I'll be back...

I got home to discover that my daughter had sent me a link to a Wall Street Journal online article on problems IKEA stores face in China... Their lovely cafeterias with free coffee have become meeting places for older people who are single and looking to mingle! (So there is no room for legitimate shoppers to sit and eat.) People take naps in the bedroom displays... Parents allow children to jump on the furniture... It's an interesting read!

Prayer Shawls

2011-12-09T05:25:00.003-05:00

I have heard about prayer shawls - but have never attempted to knit one.

When I showed a friend the mohair and acrylic mix of yarn I had discovered in my knitting bin - yarn which may have belonged to my mother as I don't remember buying it - she suggested it would make a soft prayer shawl.

Even in these bright colors? I asked.

She loaned me her Prayer Shawl Companion book for a few days. I have been browsing through it. I'm not sure that I'm ready to make a prayer shawl, but I was delighted by the many interesting knitting designs...

... designs that would look lovely in knit afghans too!

Carrot Soup

2011-12-08T05:18:00.000-05:00

I enjoy the simplicity of a soup meal.

Recently I discovered an delicious carrot soup recipe on the cookbook of the South Dakota diabetes control website: Puree of Carrot Soup. I highly recommend it!

When it first read the recipe, it sounded too simple... Would it taste good? And it was quick: in half an hour the soup was on the table!

Here's the recipe: Puree of Carrot Soup

1. Heat a 5 cups of broth. Add one clove of crushed garlic to the broth.

(The first time I made the recipe, I used a can of Campbell's concentrated vegetable broth plus enough water to make 5 cups. The second time, I used homemade broth with a large onion added for extra flavor. I preferred the first.)

2. While the broth is heating, peel 3 large carrots ( they weigh about one pound). Chop the carrots and add to the broth.

3. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are soft.

4. Puree - I used my hand-held BLENDER.

QUICK, EASY, DELICIOUS!

Knitting a Blanket... (Or Shawl?)

2011-12-07T06:06:00.001-05:00

I have begun knitting a blanket... Or maybe it will simply be a shawl... (It really depends on how far my yarn will take me!)

I recently saw a lovely knit baby blanket on a blog I often read. The pattern seemed easy:

Cast on 5 stitches and knit in garter stitch (knitting - not purling - every row.) Increase one stitch at both ends on every other row. When half your yarn is used up, decrease one stitch at both ends of every other row. When you are back to only 5 stitches on the needle, cast off. You're done!

I immediately went to my yarn box to hunt for yarn. I wanted to try the pattern and make one like it - only bigger... Afghan size, perhaps...

I discovered several balls of a mohair and acrylic blend that may have been my mother's... I don't remember buying it - and the colors don't look like something my daughter would pick...

Why not give it a try?

I don't know how big it will end up being, I mentioned to a friend...

Well, if it isn't enough for a blanket, it would make a very nice, soft shawl, she replied...

So I'm simply knitting- and when I get to the end of my yarn, I'll find out what it is!

Knitting Baby Socks

2011-12-06T05:22:00.000-05:00

Whenever I knit a pair of socks for myself, there is always some yarn left over.

Sometimes I combine the leftover yarn from several pair into a new adult-size pair.

At other times, I make baby socks.

The pattern I use is from a Martha Stewart website - and has instructions for a woman's size sock and a large Christmas stocking as well. I've made the woman's socks but I've never tried the Christmas stocking - which would be made with thicker yarn.

One of the nice things about making baby socks is that they do go rather quickly. I could probably do a pair in an afternoon or evening.

There are currently no babies - born or expected - in our family... But they do make nice gifts.

Neighborhood Update 2011

2011-12-05T05:36:00.001-05:00

Our neighborhood - established in the 1940s - used to be on the outskirts of town. An area of large lots and small houses, it definitely didn't have that crowded feeling that many new neighborhoods have.

"I could live here," I remember telling Terry when we came to looked at a house that was for sale. "This neighborhood feels like home!"

And that is how it has been in the years we've lived here: Small houses with lovely gardens. I never tire of admiring the many stately trees that grow on every block.

But all that is slowly changing. As old houses are sold, many new owners don't want the houses. They want the land to build a new house on. So they simply tear down the house, or remove it and build one - and sometimes two - enormous houses that completely fill the lot... No garden space remains!

Last year several houses on our street were moved away, to be set up out of town. First one... And then another...

I guess I shouldn't complain... The new houses replacing them are lovely.

The first house to go has been replaced by one that isn't finished yet...

The second house moved is being replaced by two houses... Though only one is now done.

But I am always happy when - instead of replacing a small house with one that fills the lot, people simply renovate or build smaller houses...

... (like this house) and still maintain the peaceful sense of green space that the neighborhood is known for.

More Words to Ponder

2011-12-04T05:33:00.002-05:00

I am reading The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris (a protestant Benedictine Oblate/poet/writer/teacher/wife). The book leaves me with lots to ponder...

First, I am struck by Kathleen Norris's remark: "get a life, current slang [suggests] that life itself is a commodity..." This she compares to a Biblical perspective - "my life is but a breath" (Psalm 39:5)...

Second, as she writes about life among monastics (as a married woman affiliated with the Benedictines), she comments that "the skills of celibate friendship - fostering intimacy through letters, conversation, performing mundane tasks together (thus rendering them pleasurable), savoring the holy simplicity of a shared meal, or a walk together at dusk- ... can help a marriage survive the rough spots." (p. 118)

The expression "holy simplicity of a shared meal" jumps out at me. As mother (and overseer) at family dinners, I so often found myself jumping up to bring things to the table that I wondered at times if I shouldn't simply stand in the kitchen to serve, while everyone else ate, then eat later, alone - as I remember my grandmother Bartz doing... I am drawn to the expression "holy simplicity of a shared meal" and wonder how to to keep mealtime simple so that the meal shared will feel "holy."

December Gardening

2011-12-03T06:13:00.004-05:00

I don't think I've ever gardened in December before! But the sun was shining... I just had to get out.

Enjoy your last gardening day, Terry called after me. I was heading out to cut down a few remaining dead fall perennials. It was really a make-work project - an excuse to be out in the yard...

I wandered around in the cold air, picking up a few pine cones that were on the grass... The air was chilly ... This was definitely not as much fun as I had hoped!

But I did manage to trim back a few bunches of flowers and put them on the compost heap.

I lasted 15 minutes before coming indoors. Yes, December 1st probably was my final gardening day for 2011. Now I'm finally ready to let it go till spring!

Is It Really December?!

2011-12-02T05:21:00.001-05:00

In our part of Canada, December was ushered in with no snow on the ground... a rarity!

(Snow could happen at any time - which is why we have already put up the frame of our plastic winter "garage" - but Terry is waiting for a serious snow forecast to put on the cover.)

Our mild early December weather makes me want to work outdoors - perhaps putter around the flower beds - raking, cutting down dead growth, tasks I often leave till spring.

It might be an apt time to mention that - last month - I started a new blog - an "Ottawa weather" blog.

I plan to post regularly and do an annual cycle - updating the posts on their anniversary - so that weather on a certain date can be compared from year to year. (So there will never be more than 365 posts!)

So if you ever wonder what the weather is like in Ottawa on a certain day - you can simply check it out... And if you feel inspired, create one for your city... and pass the link on. I love to compare weather! (It's a very Canadian thing to do!)

Is That a Squirrel?!

2011-12-01T05:58:00.007-05:00

I did a double-take...

Was that a squirrel... sitting on the top of a metal stake... at my compost heap?

Yes, it was! After quietly sitting there for a few minutes, he jumped down to find more snacks!

After all these years of living among squirrels, their acrobatic antics still amuse... and amaze me!

Quilting... With a Difference

2011-11-30T05:26:00.004-05:00

Internet searches are often like treasure hunts! Here is where one such "hunt" got me!...

I had been wondering what kind of border to add to my latest pinwheel quilt, so I did an online search of pinwheel quilt images to see what others have done.

This, in turn, led me to a blog with pictures taken at the Pacific International Quilt Festival a few years back. Two quilts caught my eye... The beautiful kaleidoscope of colors in a quilt made with pinwheels of various sizes (and no border!)

But the quilt that really amazed me was a portrait of two "Sunny Girls" - pictured a little further down the blog page. This quilt was created by a California quilter... So I did a google search to see what else this quilter (Pat Durbin) has made... And discovered a whole new style of quilting: picture quilts!

I'm utterly AMAZED by what Pat Durbin has done!

Moroccan-Style Mint Tea

2011-11-29T05:24:00.004-05:00

When I was a university student, one of my close friends introduced me to mint tea, Moroccan style. I recall it was made of tea and sugar steeped in a lot of mint leaves. Over the years, I tried to replicate the taste, but I was never successful. Mint grows wild in my garden, but I think it's not the right kind of mint. I also didn't realize that traditional Moroccan mint tea is made using green tea... I may have to try again - using the recipe link above.

In the meantime... a few months ago, I discovered some mint tea bags, Moroccan-style, in my local supermarket. The natural sweetener, Stevia, gives it a slightly sweet taste. Whenever I drink it, it really does bring back memories!

It has quickly become one of my favorite teas: Refreshing hot or cold!

Money Memory

2011-11-28T05:49:00.005-05:00

I was recently reading how writing down childhood "money memories" can help us understand our relationship to money.

It made me think... My earliest "money memory" dates back to when I was about four years old and living in small town Alberta (Hay Lakes: population 300 at the time)... And I was often given money by strangers...

(Perhaps I should clarify!) I had recently discovered the value of money... or, more precisely, that a nickel could buy me a small chocolate bar and a penny or two, a few candies in the corner store across the street...

At the time, we lived in a 3-room apartment above my father's garage, so I was often near the garage, or popping in to see what my father was doing.

Somehow I had also discovered that if I asked my father for money when he was at the cash register, and he refused, a customer standing nearby would invariably give "poor me" a nickel or a few pennies!

Then, of course, I would quickly run across the street to discover what my "treasure" could buy!

I'm not sure how that relates to my current relationship with money... (Do I view it as Easy come, easy go?!) I think it reveals more about my personality: That I am not afraid to take matters into my own hands. That I never viewed my father's "No" as final.

Perhaps any "normal child" would have done the same... In that case, it does make me realize how early children can learn to be schemers!

Pondering

2011-11-27T06:15:00.004-05:00

I am slowly reading Kathleen Norris' book, The Cloister Walk. There is a lot to ponder.

Norris, a poet, makes the comment that - in our modern age, we have lost our ability to think metaphorically. (This can be a problem, as the Bible - like poetry - is steeped in metaphor.)

Elsewhere, she writes (in metaphor) that "the ancient monastics recognized that a life of prayer must 'work the earth of the heart'..."

And I (a non-poet, struggling with metaphors)... I am left pondering what the "earth of the heart" might be... Does 'working' this earth mean embracing all of the pain - as well as all the joy - life brings our way?

In my garden, working the earth means digging deep to mix the soil and soften it so plants will grow. How does this happen in me?

Thankful... For City Sunsets

2011-11-26T06:04:00.000-05:00

I love living in the city...

I'm especially thankful that, though I live in the city, I can still see glowing sunsets - even if they are partly blocked by buildings, telephone poles and trees!

Herringbone Quilts

2011-11-25T05:19:00.000-05:00

Karyn's blog reference to herringbone quilts made me think about my own herringbone quilt - made quite a few years ago.

The color theme of my quilt was "blue"... (Though I thought of the design as waves.) But, from a practical standpoint, I simply wanted to use up my many blue fabric scraps!

The unique (to me) feature if this quilt is that I used an old sleeping bag for batting...

Yes, there's an old sleeping bag in here! (Washed, of course!) Which makes the quilt extra thick. As I recall, it was a little harder to quilt than normal batting. But I wanted to reuse and re-purpose the sleeping bag!

Come to think of it, the backing (fabric on the back) of the quilt is also re-purposed. I cut it from a European-made duvet cover that wasn't the right size for my Canadian-sized duvets.

ENERGIZING Sun!

2011-11-24T05:37:00.007-05:00

Why this sudden burst of energy that makes me want to tidy my desk?

Could it be the sun?

The weather has been overcast for a few days... But even if the weather outside is cold - when sunlight shines in, I always feel ENERGIZED! There is nothing quite like it... (I wonder why!)

Knitting Stretch Cotton Socks

2011-11-23T06:17:00.006-05:00

I've knit quite a few pairs of socks in the past few years, often using multi-colored yarns - both wool and synthetic...

I was inspired to try after hearing about someone who knit a pair a day...

I'm not as fast - it often takes me weeks (or even months) to finish them... I often have a pair on the go.

Last week, I began a pair using Paton's stretch cotton yarn.

I'm using a Paton's pattern for wool socks - a free pattern I picked up at a yarn store several years ago. (It can still be downloaded for free by anyone who signs up as a member of the Patons yarn website.)

The yarn is easy to knit - and I'm hoping the sizing will be right.

Kingston in November

2011-11-22T05:47:00.009-05:00

Terry and I recently spent some time in Kingston, Ontario - a historic city on Lake Ontario.

We were lucky enough to get a hotel room overlooking the lake...

We saw a few boats in the water - and the ferry to Wolf Island...

But I imagine it was a cold ride...

Later we spent a few hours wandering along the water's edge near our hotel...

Battery Park...

The Marine Museum...

We saw relics of Kingston's marine history along the beach...

There are many reminders of Kingston's important role in Canada's history...

... when travel by water was faster than travel on land,

We also noticed ducks in the water...

They didn't seem to mind the cold November breeze that had us bundling up.

This monument beside the lake was especially sad. Erected in memory of 1500 Irish immigrants who died of typhus 160 years ago - after fleeing the famine in Ireland and braving the Atlantic Ocean to come to the New World, only to die here - it reminded me of my maternal grandfather - who also died of typhus in Europe in 1921 when he was only 30. Fortunately, typhus is a disease we rarely hear about these days.

Pomegranate Memory

2011-11-21T06:01:00.005-05:00

I don't know when I ate my first pomegranate - but I do remember standing at a rural bus stop near Kibbutz Hazorea in Israel during my summer on the kibbutz and noticing a tree nearby with fruit resembling pomegranates on it. The tree was growing at the edge of the road, so I went over and picked a red fruit, ate it - and LOVED it!

There is nothing like eating fruit fresh off the tree!

Now, whenever I see pomegranates in grocery stores, I can't resist buying one... And when I eat it, I always think of that summer so many years ago, and that delicious discovery one hot, dusty day.

Imaginary God

2011-11-20T05:33:00.000-05:00

Our minister, George, recently commented that an imaginary wife, husband, girlfriend or boyfriend always agrees with us... But a real-life wife, husband or friend often sees things in a different way.

His point was that if God (as we envisage Him) always agrees with us and our ideas... If God doesn't sometimes challenge and disagree with us, we are worshiping an imaginary God - not the real-live living God.

George's words rang true - and I left the service thinking, not only about my real-life husband, but my real-life children, my real-life work, and my real-life friends... (My real-life LIFE!)... All are - at times - challenging... And sometimes (I admit) I do get fed-up and wish everyone would just agree with me! Wouldn't life be perfect if I could have everything my way?!!

But perhaps my attitude towards life (and all the wonderful people in it) is wrong. Perhaps life is meant to be challenging. We grow through challenges...

So maybe - instead of wishing for that wonderful future time when there will be no conflict in my life - I should revel in diversity, thankful that we are all different, constantly challenging each other to learn and grow!

Shakshuka: A Quick and Easy Meal

2011-11-19T06:08:00.003-05:00

A while back my daughter sent me a link to a recipe blog.

Do you know how to make Shakshuka? she asked.

Well, I've watched people make it and I've eaten it. But I've never actually made it, I replied.

But the way I remember it was simply fried tomatoes...

... with eggs added, to make a scrambled egg and tomato dish. It's pretty easy.

(I guess the closest North American equivalent - in taste - to my recipe would be scrambled eggs with ketchup!)

After doing a little more online research, I've discovered a second recipe for Shakshuka. Both this one and the link my daughter sent me (above) make a tomato sauce with green peppers and garlic added, whereas I simply fried a tomato. This second recipe also adds spicy jalapeno peppers and suggests that - paired with pita bread - shakshuka makes a good breakfast. (I personally prefer it for lunch.)

Another Afghan Begun!

2011-11-18T05:43:00.009-05:00

I don't know why - but whenever the weather gets colder, I have the urge to knit and crochet.

A week or so ago, I finished an afghan I started last winter...

So (of course!) I had to begin a new one!

It's based on "Anna's Afghan" - a pattern I've never tried.

(I really hate it when Terry asks me what I'm going to do with all my afghans! I tell him it's my "art": artists have to create - they don't ask practical questions like WHY or HOW MANY?!)

DELICIOUS Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-11-17T06:02:00.001-05:00

My baking urge started with a picture in a blog I often read: The chocolate chip pumpkin bread looked delicious! (November 7, 2011) So I hunted down the recipe*.

Here it is! But I made muffins...

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

2. In a large bowl, combine:

3 cups white sugar (or a little less to taste)
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs

3. Beat until smooth.

4. Add:

2 teaspoons baking soda
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (As usual, I made some substitutions: I included 1/4 cup each of psyllium, oat flour, quinoa flour, wheat germ and whole wheat flour in place of some of the white flour. )

5. Mix in:

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

( I also substituted 1 teaspoon each of ginger and allspice in place of the nutmeg... But it was still delicious!)

6. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips.

7. Fill muffin tins or loaf pan 1/2 to 3/4 full and bake for 25 minutes for muffins, for 1 hour for loaf pans - or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from tins or pans. This large recipe makes 3 loaves - or, in my case, 12 cupcakes and 2 loaves.

----------
*The recipe in the blog "Just Breakfast" is credited to this blog... But later (hunting down nutritional information) I discovered the same recipe on the Allrecipes.com Canada website as well.

A Favorite Indoor Plant

2011-11-16T04:27:00.004-05:00

I don't know what this houseplant (top right) is called. I first saw it at a colleague's home - and Vera - a fellow teacher and plant lover - broke off a slip, rooted it and started this plant for me.

It loves the sun and grows profusely... so I also started a new plant, which I took outside this summer.

Would the outdoor sun be too strong for it? I wondered... But it thrived... until the last frost...

I trimmed my indoor plant the other day - and I am now rooting new stems in a vase of water... getting ready for next spring, for next outdoor gardening season...

(We gardeners live in a cycle of hope!)

Apple - Cranberry Crisp

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am back to warming the house with the smell of cooking - and occasional baking.

One easy recipe I have been making is apple crisp using unpeeled apple slices and frozen cranberries. I sprinkle a little cinnamon on the apples and cranberries, add a little honey water (made by adding water to crystallized honey.)

This I cover and microwave on high for two minutes, to partly cook the fruit.

I then add crumb topping...

... (I keep some stored in the fridge for emergency dessert cravings!) ... and I add a bit more cinnamon.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes (until brown and bubbling) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) - and there it is, ready to eat!

The Many Uses of Quilts

2011-11-14T05:37:00.000-05:00

I recently enjoy reading a blog post that summarized - with wonderful illustrations - the many uses of quilts.

I glanced over at an unfinished denim quilt I had started at a workshop many years ago. I realized, as I worked on it, that it would be too heavy (and probably not warm enough) to use as a comforter.

So I left it - unfinished - draping a strip of blocks over the piano bench.

Here are the unfinished pieces... Perhaps I should get back to it. It might make an interesting table cloth or picnic blanket... Or maybe even a wall hanging...

A Prayer of Thanks

2011-11-13T06:11:00.008-05:00

I recently attended a workshop on appreciating and writing personal "psalms" - poetic prayer songs to God. I'm no poet, but I do love to read (and sing) the psalms of the Bible. (They are so honest!)

Our assignment: To create a personal list of things for which we are thankful - adding a comment about each item on the list. So here is my prayer of thanks, written as 17 of us sat in a sacred circle - all composing, then sharing, our personal thanks to God!

Loving, surprising Father-God,

I thank You for the dreams You put in my heart -
They've taken me farther than I ever expected to go.

I thank You for the family You've given me -
They've stretched me more than I ever wanted to be stretched.

I thank You for allowing me to Live the Dream -
The grade-five dream of a house among trees,
And a life of writing... not stories, but blogs.

I thank You for pulling me back to this writing dream -
Again and again -
I have so much to learn!

This is all part of Your Divine Plan:
Your leading has taken me farther than I ever expected to go!

Tree Dilemma

2011-11-12T06:03:00.006-05:00

This white pine tree...

... is really two trees growing close together.

The front tree is now leaning towards the road... and it's tall: Could it crack and fall in a wind storm?

An arborist suggested bracing the two trees together - something Terry wants to do.

But I'm no fan of the trees. They shed pine needles profusely - creating acidic soil that kills many of the flowers I plant. I feel as if I'm in a constant battle with the trees... So my preference would be to cut them both down...

What to do?!

It's our current tree dilemma.

Another Afghan Done!

2011-11-11T05:24:00.001-05:00

In my ongoing attempt to COMPLETE some of the many UNFINISHED projects in our house, I am delighted to announce that an afghan I started last winter is finally done!!

The afghan was inspired by a photo in the book, the Gentle Art of Domesticity (page 95 and others)...

It has a long blogging history: Trying like mad to complete it last spring, I injured my wrist through "over-crocheting"! At the suggestion of an occupational-therapist/fellow-crafter I know, I tried using a wrist brace, but it didn't make crocheting fun! So eventually I put it aside.

Now my wrist is better... and I'm on to my next (unfinished!) project!

No STAIRING

2011-11-10T05:28:00.002-05:00

A lot of construction is happening in our neighborhood. When Terry and I go out for a walk, we often stop and STARE more than once, amazed at at all the changes taking place.

(We are probably not the only ones!)

I wonder if this is a renovation or if someone is building a new house, Terry commented, as we paused in front of this building, a few blocks from home. Sometimes it's hard to tell.

Then I noticed a small sign, not far from where we were standing: STAIRING $ 1.00

What do you think that means? I asked Terry. That's a cheap price for STAIRS...

Look at the rest of it, he replied. They don't like people STARING at them. (But they spelled "staring" wrong. Better bring over a copy of your book!)

A Drive to Morrisburg and the St. Lawrence River

2011-11-09T05:43:00.003-05:00

A few days ago, Terry and I decided to take a drive to Morrisburg, a pretty town on the St. Lawrence River - about an hour south of Ottawa.

Best known for its historic attraction, Upper Canada Village, Morrisburg also has a lot of lovely old churches...

I particularly like the two-tone brick style of this one.

It must have been a popular style at one time, as there is also house nearby with the same style of brick work.

We stopped at a park on the river and enjoyed the view.

Later on, driving on highway 4 along the river, we passed several parks - where ducks were congregating.

Were they heading south?

Then at Johnstown, we crossed the bridge to the USA ... for a quick trip to the nearest shopping center buy MILK. Terry (a milk and "milk products" connoisseur - think "ice cream") can't resist the urge to buy American organic MILK - which he prefers to milk we get locally.

(What do you mean, we never go anywhere... he loves to say. Why, I took you to the USA just the other day!)

Sacred Quilts

2011-11-08T05:53:00.005-05:00

When I recently attended a workshop on sacred writing at All Saints' Anglican Church in Westboro (an Ottawa neighborhood), I was drawn to the many quilted banners in the chapel...

I've never quilted a banner - but here are a few that are inspiring me to try: a Celtic cross...

I particularly loved this image of light in the midst of darkness...

The square of light has a dove quilted on it...

Also this banner - triangles that form a flower in the center, where the points of the triangles meet... Could it represent the beauty and strength of synergy, being part of a team?

Great Burgers

2011-11-07T05:15:00.003-05:00

On a recent trip to Toronto, we decided to visit The Burger's Priest - touted to serve the best burgers in Toronto. Their only downfall, we discovered on their website, was the fact that they serve take-out only. Where would we eat?!

On a warm summer's night, eating outdoors would have been an adventure - a picnic, of sorts. But evenings were already cool - and the dark arrived early.

As we stood waiting in line, first to order, then to pick up our burgers, our son noticed that the patrons - most in their 20's - arrived by bus, but rushed home in taxis, before the food got cold!

We ate our food sitting on the (chilly) steps of an employment agency across the street - then hopped into our car to drive to Ed's, a few blocks away, to chill ourselves more with Terry's favorite ice cream!

How good were the burgers? They were fine. But nothing special (in my opinion)... And I found the bun boring... But then, I'm used to good burgers: Terry's a bit of a burger fanatic - and his home-cooked ones are always delicious!

Writing Psalms

2011-11-06T05:06:00.005-05:00

Psalms are songs and prayers found in the Bible. Many were written by David, the musician-king of Israel who lived 3000 years ago. Given their ancient origin, I was surprised to see a workshop on creating psalms being offered at a nearby church... Intrigued, I decided to attend.

The experience of writing poetic prayers, under the guidance of writing instructor Ray McGinnis, was a pure joy. Gone was the fear of being critiqued: Why worry about what others think? Our prayers, laments and praises are for God...

In one exercise, Ray gave us a list of phrases taken from Biblical psalms and asked us to incorporate as many (or as few) as we wanted in a prayer-poem. Those who wanted could later read it aloud in our "sacred circle." It was then I discovered the second blessing of writing prayers: listening to the prayer-poems of others.

On my way home, I thought of the expression: One hand clapping... Had we not opened up and shared, our sacred circle would have been as silent as "one hand clapping"... By overcoming our fears and reading our prayers aloud, our listeners could share with us, pray with us. Their smiles, nods (and occasional laughter) confirmed that they too had been blessed.

So in that spirit of sharing the blessing, here is a prayer I wrote at the workshop. (The italicized words are phrases taken from our instructor's list.)

O God,
You go before me wherever I go.
Because of You, I shall not be moved.

My bones grow weak whenever I reflect on my problems.
But You are there, so I stand on solid ground.
Scatter my worries like breadcrumbs.
Guard my life, I pray.

The doors of my faith are ancient doors that stand firm on hidden foundations.

In the morning, I come before you.
You meet me - not in flashes of lightning
But in secret peace - pleasure forever.

Comfort me: I am an owl among ruins,
a bird alone on a rooftop.

My bones grow weak;
Guard my life, I pray.

Toronto Harborfront Walk

2011-11-05T06:06:00.001-04:00

Terry and I recently visited our children in Toronto...

While he and our son attended a soccer game...

... I strolled along the city's harbor front.

No trip to Toronto is complete...

... if I don't take time to enjoy...

... the peace and tranquility of Lake Ontario...

... on the edge of Toronto's bustling downtown.

Again... Watching a Sky-Dome Transformation

2011-11-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

Occasionally, when we go to Toronto, we stay at the hotel attached to the Sky-dome.

When we do, Terry always asks for a room overlooking the stadium field.

He loves to watch a sporting event through the window - from the comfort of our hotel room.

(Sometimes he's even lucky enough to catch a pregame practice!)

For me, the fascination begins AFTER the game - when the stadium is transformed from one type of venue to another. Astroturf is rolled up and moved.

Sometimes a concert stage is put up.

Massive stage curtains are added.

Trucks arrive and unload.

The seating is rearranged - often some of the grandstands are moved!

For me, this "show" is more fascinating than any sporting event! I watch it, transfixed, like a spectator at a construction site in full operation!