Halloween 2013 - A Spooky View

Happy Halloween, I made this piece especially for the occasion!  It's acrylic on cardstock (6" x 6").  It's meant to be a spooky view of the evening sky, looking up.

On Defibrillators

Here's the horse from yesterday's puzle:

I found this on Pinterest the other day and thought it was funny!

My husband M was at the gym the other day. He happened to be in the same room where a lesson on using the defibrillator was taking place. The instructor made some interesting points. He told the students to ensure necklaces, even nipple and navel rings are removed before using the equipment, else it won't work properly. Angina medicine patches also have to be removed. He explained that a heart attack causes the heart to pump blood in an abnormal fashion and that what the defibrillator does is to stop the heart in the hope that it will re-start and correct itself.  Interesting information, I thought.

And I discovered a 'simple English Wikipedia' when I googled 'defibrillator', how neat is that?

Can you see the horse?

A friend shared this recently and I thought it was neat! Can you see the horse?  Hint (try flipping the image counter clockwise).

I officially started my Christmas shopping on the weekend. There was a breast cancer fundraiser event in the area, so my husband M went with me as my friend S was busy. It was really crowded this year for some reason. It's their 3rd year in a row I think. M noticed there were all mostly well-dressed women in attendance. There were lots of booths with scarves and jewellery. I bought a couple of jewellery gifts and decided not to enter the raffle or silent auction. (I didn't feel lucky!)

In the fun spirit of Halloween, hop over and see Momma Melly's 'witch finger cookies', they are just great.  And Diana made the most awesome minion costume for her son, she is so talented!

New child proof medicine bottles

I was at my mom's the other day trying to open a new medicine bottle. It was a new child-proof container, and possibly adult-proof too! There were no written instructions, just a graphic on the top. After a few minutes, and after considering smashing it open, I looked closely and figured out that it wanted me to squeeze the cap at the indicated ends, then (at the same time) twist counter-clockwise. Okay! I swore and then sighed in relief as the cap opened up.

And McDonald's has free coffee all this week until Sunday, around here anyway!  They run this twice a year.

Sunday Sketches - Freedom

For Sunday Sketches, I did a bald eagle soaring into the sky. Isn't this the ultimate sense of freedom? It's acryic (art greeting card) on textured blue cardstock (5 1/2"w 4 1/4" h).  Have a great day!

Cookbooklets

Marie of the English Kitchen is selling some adorable cookbooklet downloads on her website for a very reasonable price.  I was so happy to receive mine as I have enjoyed using many of Marie's recipes in the past!

Paint Party Friday - Colours of the Season

We had snow not too far north of here yesterday. Yikes, it seems early for that.  Well it will be good for snowblower sales this year!

For Paint Party Friday, I am being inspired by the colours of the season. It's an art greeting card of a fall tree in acrylic,(5 1/2"w x 4 1/4"h).

Unit Price

My son K got his full 'G' driver's licence this week, he is over the moon.  Here in Ontario there is a graduated licensing system. My daughter L's university graduation photo proofs arrived.  It's time to order the photos. She will graduate next spring. 

My friend S is a pretty frugal shopper. A friend told her the unit price of an item is displayed at the grocery store but you may not have noticed where to find it! In my photos below, it's located just beneath the price of the item (in fine print). Can you see it? It is 1.345 per 100g. For example, a small box of cereal is on sale. If you compare the unit price of the small box and the unit price of a large box, you might discover that it is still cheaper to buy a large box of cereal!

Mini Roses

It's time to get flu shots, have you got yours?  A lot of people don't believe in them, I know.  We got ours this past Monday at the local pharmacy.  We don't have to go to the doctor anymore.

I saw these beautiful, healthy-looking mini roses at the grocery store and decided to buy them. They are a gorgeous orange-red colour, perfect for the season!  They have already given me hours of pleasure.  It's a known fact that flowers make you happy.

Here's a closer look:

All Ready

So our pumpkin is all ready for Halloween, I've stopped carving it out. I wanted to buy a plastic one with lights inside, but I saw some for about $30 and decided to just buy a real one. As it is, I paid $2.99 for this one and then it went on sale a few days later for 88 cents, go figure. Now I just have to get some candy, although we don't get a lot of kids around here anymore. Well, everyone just gets the chocolates they like to eat themselves and problem solved!

The Traffic Ticket

I got this in an email and it gave me a good laugh, so cute!

Last week, I attended the hearing for my traffic ticket I got in August. The prosecutor was female.   No questions asked, she said she would toss out the ticket I got for disobeying the stop sign if I would pay the ticket for not having the car ownership signed. I was happy with that as the stop sign ticket came with demerit points while the other one didn't. I still had to pay $110. My husband M thought I should've asked to pay less, but I didn't want to push my luck. The lady was quite nice. She did the same for another lady who had a speeding ticket and who also had not signed her ownership permit.  The day started out as nerve wracking anticipation but ended well, I thought.

Sunday Sketches - Fall Scene

We turned the heat on in our house yesterday, it was feeling cold last night.

Last week, I pointed my camera up to the sky to capture one of my favourite trees turned orange/red.  Wish I knew what kind it was!  Acrylic (11"w x 8 1/2h) on card stock.  Happy Sunday Sketches!

And congratulations to Alexandra and MMm!!!  It's wonderful news indeed that two of my favourite people are getting married. Here's a toast to Creative Tuesdays and Sunday Sketches!

Here is the photo that inspired it:

Haptics

My sister sent me this interesting article on Haptics, something I've never heard about before.  It's entitled 'By Tricking the Brain, Disney’s Bringing Digital Sight to the Blind'.  And here is a video that explains more about the concept: 'Haptic-feedback shoes guide blind walkers'.

I had this delicious 'spicy seafood and pork noodle soup' at our favourite Vietnamese restaurant the other day.  It is their Wednesday special  I just asked them to make it a bit less spicy and it was perfect!  I had never tried it before and I'm glad I did.  We tend to get the same things every time and this proves it's good to try new things every now and then.

Paint Party Friday - Wildflower Garden

This (12" x 12") acrylic on cardstock was inspired by a photo I saw of Prince Charles' wildflower garden at his Gloucestershire Estate. Happy PPF!

Email Receipts

Here is a typical fall scene around here at this time of year, the leaves will be picked up for composting.

The beautiful new Ripley's Aquarium of Canada opened  yesterday in Toronto at the base of the CN Tower.

I've noticed some stores lately asking me if I would like my receipt emailed to me. It was a bit confusing, but what they are trying to do is eliminate paper waste. You can get a paper receipt if you want and have it emailed to you as well. It's something to think about. I certainly have a problem with too many paper receipts over the years.

Here is a cute story I read in the newspaper the other day.   It's entitled:
A search for a ‘co-parent’ has ended in love.

Early Fall

I took this photo on a walk the other day, thought it was pretty, with the sun coming through the fence.  The weather was very mild, it made me think that early fall is quite a nice time of year before the biting winds arrive!

Alexandra at Blue Chair Diary who hosts Sunday Sketches surprised me last week with a beautiful song she wrote and sang, a tribute to her brother who is going through a difficult time. She is multi-talented that's for sure. You can listen to her song from her post here.

Cabbage Slaw with Apples and Walnuts

My son K took this delicious photo, a memory from the weekend. We attended a large extended family gathering at my husband M's sister's house on Sunday. We were introduced to a new baby in the family and lots of cute little toddlers were wandering around. The food was amazing.

Thanksgiving 2013

I got this recipe from Whole Foods and decided to try it. It's called 'Cabbage Slaw with Apples and Walnuts'. It is simple and delicious and it qualifies as raw food for those who care. I had a half cabbage leftover and I just shredded it, added sliced apples, crushed walnuts (they weren't even toasted), some apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  You know that made a lot of slaw, a quarter of a cabbage might be better!

And then there were two

I intended to take a photo of just one leaf, but the brown one blew into the picture as I snapped it! 

Fall Leaves

Hope you are having a Happy Thanksgiving weekend if you live in Canada!  My daughter L came home from school for a few days with her boyfriend then they are spending the rest of the  Thanksgiving weekend with his family up north.  It was so good to see her and all too soon it was time for them to leave (sigh!)  I am nervous for her as I anticipate her future life changes.  She will graduate university next spring, hopefully/eventually find a good job and continue her transition into full adult life.  I don't remember being so nervous for myself, I think I just took logical gradual steps forward.  It wasn't easy, but smooth overall.  How would  you describe your transition into adulthood?


Icy at Beyond Wandering had an interesting post recently. Did you know you can list your blog on Amazon Kindle to make some money?

Sunday Sketches - Mushrooms

Just some mushrooms for this week's Sunday Sketches. Acrylic (6" x 6") on card stock.  Hope your Sunday is going well!

USB Charger

I ran into an old friend at the grocery store the other day.  It was nice to catch up with her.  A few years ago, her elderly mom passed away and she had to deal with selling the mom's house and another family property.  Now she is a lot more relaxed and quite free of responsibility as an only child.  The cashier was upset with me for coming into her lane as I had a lot more than 8 items.  The thing is there were no other cashiers open at the time.  She didn't believe me.  I apologized for causing her this trouble and told her she was very quick checking me through.  She became very pleasant and told me she had got into trouble for doing this before and that was the reason she didn't like to do it.  All is well that ends well (whew, I tend to avoid confrontations how about you?)

They were selling these USB chargers at Costco on my last visit for about $25. I didn't get them, but it's interesting how USBs are becoming a part of daily life. This package includes a charger to go, that will just plug into any outlet. It also incorporates a charger into an electrical outlet switch. I thought this was interesting.

Paint Party Friday - Fish

I'm featuring some clown fish for Paint Party Friday.  Acrylic (6" x 6") on card stock.  I was inspired by a photo I saw on Adam's blog Neko Random with a single fish turning. I thought 'what an interesting angle'. Adam posts a lot of interesting facts on his blog. Like the other day he posted on Woodrow Wilson's wife Edith and the fact that she was a direct descendant of Pocahontas and John Smith! I didn't even realize Pocahontas and John Smith were real, lol.  Thanks Adam!

CO Detectors

I was in Walmart yesterday at the cashier station.  In front of me was a young man purchasing supplies for a new cat coming into the family.  There was a pet bed and various other necessities.  Behind me was an expectant young couple purchasing necessities for their upcoming newborn!  It was so sweet observing them, a touching coincidence.

I bought some new Carbon Monoxide detectors from Costco. They last about 7 years, it was time to replace our old ones as they have been plugged in for a much longer time than that. They may appear to still be working, but the sensors may not be working over time.

Lexiphile

Got this in an email and I know some of you love these!

Lexiphile" is a word used to describe those that have a love for words, like: "You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish…..

or…..

To write with a broken pencil is . . . pointless.

When fish are in schools, they sometimes . . . take debate.

A thief who stole a calendar . .. . got twelve months.

When the smog lifts in Los Angeles , . . . U.C.L.A.

The batteries were given out . . . free of charge.

A dentist and a manicurist married. . . . They fought tooth and nail.

A will is a . . . dead giveaway.

With her marriage, she got a new name . . . and a dress.

A boiled egg is . . . hard to beat.

When you've seen one shopping center . . . you've seen a mall.

Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was . . . resisting a rest.

Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? . . . He's all right now.

A bicycle can't stand alone; . . . it is two tired.

When a clock is hungry . . . it goes back four seconds

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine . . . was fully recovered.

He had a photographic memory . . . which was never developed.

Those who get too big for their britches will be . . . exposed in the end.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair . . . she thought she'd dye.

Acupuncture: . . . a jab well done.

25th Wedding Anniversary

Fall 2013

M and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary today.  It fell on the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend and I remember we served turkey at the reception.  This year Thanksgiving falls on the upcoming long weekend. We celebrated by going out to dinner with some good, old friends on the weekend.

We have been trying to re-hang all the curtains in the house as we had taken them down to have the windows replaced.  It was a good time to wash them all and in the process, I remember donating some of them to goodwill.  Unfortunately, I did intend keeping one of those black garbage bags.   So  on the weekend my friend S and I went looking for a new pair of curtains for one of the rooms as I  had unintentionally 'donated' the old curtains.  Maybe it was time for a change anyway!  I did find a great pair at Bowring so I was happy about that.

Scented Tattoos

It was a wet, rainy weekend, with not much sunshine.  However, the temperatures are still mild.

I will often email away for free product samples just because it's fun to get freebies. This one arrived in the mail recently and it was perfect for my son K. It was 3 Burberry Brit men's fragrance samples. What made it neat was that they were scented tattoos. So K just peeled the back off the card and pressed the tattoo onto his wrist.  It did smell good.  It's great marketing because guess which fragrance K wants to get now?

Sunday Sketches - Owls

I did a pair of owls for Sunday Sketches today. Acrylic (6" x 6") on cardstock.  I chose a dark background, remembering they are nocturnal, and come out at night.

Online Dating

Got this in an email, haha! Have a great Saturday!

And a friend sent me this video demonstrating 'the power of music', if you have 6 minutes to watch. It's called: 'Old Man In Nursing Home Reacts To Hearing Music From His Era.'

Paint Party Friday - Julianne Moore

This piece for Paint Party Friday was inspired by the current cover of InStyle Magazine featuring Julianne Moore. I was attracted to her beautiful necklace and of course she is always so beautifully colour co-ordinated.

Thursday

We've just finished replacing our windows and doors in the entire house. Our old windows needed replacing over time. Last week was busy (chaotic) but everything went well and it's like having a new house. We now have vinyl trim windows on the outside and wood trim on the inside. So now we have to get the wood trim inside painted.

One thing we learned while talking to the friendly installers was that everyone should get 'sewer backup' included in their home insurance policies. There was some flooding in the city this past July which caused many home basements to flood when their sewers backed up into their basements. It was a messy (smelly), expensive repair, especially for those without the proper insurance. We called our insurance company to check and added a clause to protect us from outside sewer backup. According to my husband M we were only covered for inside sewer backup if the sewers inside your home backed up. So if the flooding is caused by the sewers outside your house backing up, it's a different thing. Apparently the insurance companies have had a lot of calls about this matter since the flooding.

Rapid Change

Fall Leaves

So I am hearing of at least one company that is asking employees to put their documents on Google Docs for ease of sharing. It is like Microsoft Office, but open to everyone, you don't have to buy the product. A lot of people are now also using Dropbox to share files including  movies and photos. The world is changing rapidly as computer systems become more open.  And of course I get these emails from my bank encouraging me to bank and invest via mobile phone (I'm not ready).

Inspiration

Final Bloom

Welcome to the month of October!  

There was an article in the weekend paper by journalist Barbara Turnbull, reflecting on her 30 years as a quadriplegic. She was working in a convenience store in 1983 and was shot in the neck by a robber, resulting in her becoming paralyzed. A planned trip to New York City coincided with the 911 tragedy. They arrived there shortly after the disaster. Witnessing the immediate aftermath, she has this to say: "I went to New York to escape, but instead I found perspective." There are a lot of people worse off, and she thinks of this whenever she is down.  I thought this was really inspiring.