Thursday, April 28, 2011

Brag post: Calorimetry

This wonderful thing (well- the top thing) is called
a Calorimetry (pattern and info on Knitty.com)
The trick was getting the rows to match up (it was made for a solid colour).
Yes there are several errors in this piece as I was just starting back to knitting, but my daughter wanted one, and these colours are brilliant on her. See, Raine? Who loves you?  The Calorimetry is a head wrap.  Each end comes to a point (see right) and is meant to have a button closure.  It is sitting on a matching scarf, with red fringe.

The wool in the centre, bordered by the purple, is all one variegated wool.  Nice Eh?

Wiiiiiiiiiindy day

The gusts of wind are extraordinary - twice I nearly got blown into the road while walking to the bank. Once I was in the bank, I was surprised how tense my abdominal muscles were from trying to keep me upright! With my banking finished, I debated about taking the quick way home behind the bank (it was lunch time and I had tummy rumbles) or going over to the Bargain Shop.  Shopping won and I ventured across the road and into the shop. After a few minutes (I didn't need much), I got up to the cash.  There was a huge crunching noise, like metal crates being dragged over concrete.  The sales clerk announced (as the power went out) that the hydro lines had just come down... behind the bank! =:o   You know... the bank I nearly walked behind! YIKES!


See how a good bargain can save your life?  By the way, got a cute summer one-sie with cap for Sunday's baby shower :D  Score!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Frantic

The problem with running around like a chicken with its head cut off is that then you wouldn't be making any noise...

Can you picture it? Head - sitting by itself on the ground screaming whilst body runs around on its own - arms flailing?  Or is body flailing with one arm and carrying the screaming head with the other arm?  It doesn't quite pan out when you try to pin down the details.

ALERT: Topic Change            (What does  a Lert look like? Has anybody seen one?)

We have been frantic at work and for the second week in a row I'm going to have to cancel my non-essential dentist appointment.  I need a night guard because apparently I grind my teeth. Who knew? I mean, it's not like there's the least bit of frustration in my life is it? *shrug*  It is aggravating that I will likely have to pay for an appointment I can't make.  Do you think I can hit the boss (Mum) up for it?

Did you notice? I typed this whole thing without commas (it nearly killed me), just to see what it looks like. Whaddya think?

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Caution: Random Cat is Random

First, I want to voice my complaint at the exclusion of one of our national party leaders from the political leaders debate. Disgusting! Who's afraid of Elizabeth May?  Come on, now - let the Green girl in! How is it possible that we have one candidate in the debate who is only running in one province, and we don't have the national candidate with representatives in every province (probably every riding).

Second, I think I put too much garlic in my smoothie yesterday, and it hurt my tummy. But I also ate it with a whole banana, so maybe the straight up banana did it. :P  In any case, I had to take a Diovol.

People have been confusing their days this week. Is it happening to you, too?  My son thought it was a different day and was half an hour late for work. My dad rolled in this morning and thought it was Friday. Which is awesome, cuz we go out for morning coffee break on Fridays.  That is where we ran into the local candidate for the Green Party, and hence my comment above. Doncha love small towns, where you can just run into your candidate while having tea?

It's a stellar day today.  My older brother and my baby sister have both just arrived in town for two weeks, so the whole clan is here! Whoop! All 5 of us! Warn the cops and hide your car keys... oops .. no, that was my old line.  I'm much better now, honest. Seriously, I'm very laid back now and mostly well-behaved.

For those of you who started your seedlings, I hope you brought them in tonight - it's ch-ch-chilly out there!
I enjoyed the sunshine though.. it actually felt warm on my face.. ahhhhh!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

More about green stuff

Well, that could be anything, couldn't it?  In this case, however, it is a vegetable matter. (ha ha!)

Breakfast today was another green smoothie and the last of my carrot nut 'cake'. That way I got vitamins, minerals, carbs, proteins, and fibre all in one. It actually kept me going til lunch, and I usually start to fade an hour too soon. See recipe below.

On another note, it has been seven years today that my darling Mother-in-law passed away.  We lived in England for 5 years, and I always tend to use that as my unit of comparison for time-based things. I cannot believe that MIL has been gone 2 years longer than we lived in UK~!  And in August it will be 4 years since my niece passed (4 years April for my sis's late bf), and 5 years since my FIL passed.  YES it was a long couple of years.  Never underestimate the amount of time it will take you to recover from such a loss.  I don't say 'get over' cuz I don't think you can 'get over' losing someone that important.  [see more below]


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

It's here, it's here! It's REALLY here!

Yes! Spring is here.  I know it is, cuz I was digging some sod off the area I want for expanding my garden and there they were- worms! Beautiful, wiggly worms aerating my soil for me. I quickly poked them back under the earth before the beady eyed robins spotted them. Don't want to lose my soil workers to the long beaks!


On another note, if you are ever feeling down, watch this video and it will cheer you right up! It's called "Robin in the Rain", and it's sung by Raffi.  We always sing along and ham up the air trumpet, etc.  Don't forget your jazz hands!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Visiting Friends

I had a great weekend - spent Sunday with friends playing Euchre.  Yes, girls against boys. Yes, girls got euchred. :(  Oh, well. We were out of practice and we won some.

So we're laughin' and jokin', and the competitive streak is flaring up in some of us, and there I was... having a great time except for the swirling cigarette smoke.  At one point, I delayed the next game until the room had a chance to clear.  At what point is it just no longer funny that I can't/ don't want to breathe their smoke? I know I went to visit her, but I didn't realise it would turn into a 4 hour euchre marathon.  I was already being a pain in the butt by not drinking coffee or tea (caffeine) and because I'm vegetarian.  They were being kind - the window was open. You have to understand that my hubs is a smoker and he smoked all the way down there and all the way back. (No escape!)   And I used to smoke, so I know it's tough when one person doesn't smoke, and you want to have one. And now I know what a total, insensitive, complete, jerk I really was to each and every person around me.

I apologize.  I am seriously not going to be visiting my friend very much though. Cuz I can't breathe. *cough* And my sinuses are now wrecked for another week.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Weatherhead... is worse in Spring

All this turbulent weather is playing my head up something awful! Blargh! It starts with a bruise like pain up my neck and behind my right ear and then it all goes south on me...  yesterday was like that.  By nightfall, we'd had the rain, the temperature had risen and the medicine had fixed my headache.
Today is a MUCH better day, still overcast with a tendency to drizzle.  There are plenty of different birds around these days, all hootin' and hollerin' and chasing each other around. Canadian birds are a wondrous mix of size, shape, colour, and attitude.  We have the tiniest little birds that would fit in your pocket, up to the big block bullies, our crows.  I watched a very interesting documentary about crows. Did you know they mourn communally when one of their members is killed/dies?  We have blue jays, cardinals, robins, sparrows and chickadees. There are woodpeckers, or they could be flickers, and tons of others.  In fact, I am blessed to live near Presqu'ile Park where there is an annual bird-spotting to see just how many varieties they can count each year. I haven't even touched on our water birds yet! And don't forgot our little jewels, the hummingbirds.  I haven't seen one yet, but I think they come in Summer.  We only just started Spring, so I'll enjoy the ones that are here now.

Orange Cran Juice!

For the record, orange juice mixed with cranberry juice is delicious, refreshing, and really pretty in a special glass!  Make sure both are the unsweetened, nothing added variety.  :D

Pineapple 'green smoothie'

Did you know you can easily grow a pineapple? Just DON'T CUT the top off... watch this video, it's easy and encouraging.  Some things to have before you start:  A largish pot, potting soil, some stones for the bottom.
How to grow a pineapple

Now for the part about my delicious breakfast.  Pineapples were cheap again, and fresh pineapple is soooo delicious, that I had to have some for my sunny breakfast.  It came out a pale green, but tasted most like the pineapple.  Measures are approximate. It made about 2-3 cups of smoothie, or about 2 days worth for me. Recipe below.  By the way, basmati rice and bulgur both take 15 minutes to cook, and both are 1 part to 2 parts water. So they are a natural blend, and this will give the lovely taste of basmati while adding fibre and other nutrients of bulgur.

I also made a carrot/date 'cake'.  This is a raw recipe that I lifted off another blog called Gone Raw. I had made some carrot juice and was left with skads of carrot pulp.  I found that the dates did NOT do well in the blender, it kept sounding like a pit was bouncing off the blades (I do not have a food processor).  I forged ahead anyway by chopping the now sloppy (I had been soaking them for 10 minutes) dates into little pieces. This actually makes a great entree, as it has lots of nuts in it for protein and chewing. It's sweet and tasty. It did not set well. Recipe and credit below.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Silly expressions

Is a hackneyed phrase something we say in a cab?
Does anyone know that a hackney was a kind of carriage?

Silly things we say and we don't know where they came from (which often leads to their mutilation and misquotation).
"Money is the root of all evil" , for instance, is an incomplete quote.  It should be: the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.  Money can be used for many things, but greed or lust for it is what drives people to behave immorally.

Got any others?

Friday, April 1, 2011

Morning blend

I don't know what you prefer for breakfast, but lately (not everyday, but oftener than not) I've been making 'green' smoothies. Since I get very exuberant, I tend to make enough for two days which has the benefit of only involving half the cleanup.