A Blog Break

These pretty flowers caught my eye at the grocery store:

There was a cute Middle Eastern young man ahead of me at the grocery checkout.  The cashier asked him if he wanted to buy any plastic bags.  They are about 5c each.  Most regulars bring their own re-usable bags.  He said in his accented voice 'How else am I going to carry all these groceries?', he was confused.  Of course he wanted to buy bags.  Then he asked her if she took air miles cards.  She was confused.  Air miles are points cards used in some other grocery stores.  He was obviously not used to doing his groceries at this store.  Then a lady asked the cashier where she could find tea and sugar.  Then another man in line asked about peanuts which he gathered must have been on sale last week.  I guess being a cashier requires a lot of customer service skills.

I'll be taking a blog break for the upcoming month of May.  It will be a busy month for me with lots of stuff going  on so I thought this would be the best thing to do.  Be back in June, God willing!

Plain Banana Smoothie

I was at my local convenience store getting a coke froster.  The attendants said hello to me and I pointed to one of them and said 'he's in a t-shirt today!'  He said in his accented voice 'what, you want me to wear a blanket?'  I had to laugh.  

Now that the warmer weather is here, I made a simple banana smoothie and enjoyed it.

1 cup of milk
1 banana
1 tbs honey
8 ice cubes

Puree all ingredients in a blender.  I decorated my glass with a slice of banana.

Sausage, peppers and onions

My son K passed all his courses for the winter semester at his college, we are so happy, and he can move on in his program!!!  It's a big deal because as I have mentioned he has an academic learning disability.

I had some Italian sausages and remembered watching Giada De Laurentiis making some on her cooking show. Here is my version and I was very happy with it:



4 tbs olive oil
6 Italian sausages sliced, casings removed
2 red and/or orange bell peppers sliced
2 small onions chopped
1 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 small can of tomato paste
1 c water
1 c white wine

Heat 2 tbs oil, cook sausages 7 - 10 minutes, drain and discard fat, set sausages aside in a separate bowl.
Heat remaining 2 tbs oil, saute peppers, onions, herbs, pepper flakes for 2 minutes, stir in tomatoes for 2 minutes, stir in tomato paste, wine, water and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in sausages, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Serve with rice or pasta.

Run for Women

Yesterday morning there was a marathon 'Run for Women' in our neighbourhood sponsored by a drug store company. It was an overcast day unfortunately with the threat of rain. Still it was better than the snow they had up north! It was well-organized with roads closed and police supervision. There was a good turnout for the 5 to 10k run. I even saw a participating mom walking with her young child in a stroller. I didn't participate by the way.

Sunday Sketches is on hold for the time being as poor Alexandra was in a car accident and is recovering thankfully.

Twittering and other thoughts

I heard all this twittering and looked up into the trees the other day and noticed these birds up there. If you click on the photo you may get a better view of them.  There are two in one tree and two in another. 

I don't have very nice lighting fixtures in my house, we've lived with what it came with.  However, I've always loved glass chandeliers and seriously considered replacing the fixture hanging over my dining table.  Until I went to a friend's house the other day, she had beautiful crystal chandeliers.  She mentioned they need a lot of cleaning to keep their sparkle.  I realized I would never spend any amount of time keeping all the little crystals clean.  And so if and when I do replace my lighting fixtures it will be something modern and contemporary, I like that too!

Another thought that recently came to me, is that husband M and I both enjoy regular visits to the gym.  I noticed both of our grown children also enjoy going to the gym.  It is so true that kids learn by example.

Paint Party Friday - Joy of Spring

Welcome to Eva and Kristin's Paint Party Friday! This piece is entitled 'Joy of Spring', done on cardstock in watercolour pencils (8 1/2"h x 11"w).

Cat cafe

Have you heard of these cat cafes popping up around the U.S.?  What do you think? It is already popular in Japan and Europe. It is a coffee shop that has cats for you to play with. It is therapeutic.

This one is in NYC.

This one's in San Francisco.

And one is planned to open in Toronto.

What will they think of next?

One Last Party?

Daughter L brought us these yummy Easter treats (fortunately or unfortunately). Salted caramel nut fudge, salted chocolate caramel, peppermint, and peanut brittle...

L and her friends are graduating after 4 years of university and it is almost time to move on and out.  We took L and her boyfriend back to school on Monday and moved some more of her things back home.  Many of her roommates will move out in one day with trucks.  We have a minivan and have been doing it slowly.  Most of L's things are modular and will fit in a van.  One more trip will complete the job.  The problem is deciding when to do it as she is trying to stay as long as possible, perhaps have one last party.  It's sad for them having to move out and move on.  The other problem is that they all can't move out on the same day, that will be a logistical nightmare.  There are 7 roommates including L.  Each person has a bedroom and there are 4 washrooms.  It is an old house but spacious and close to campus.  Well,  they have until the end of the month to work it out.

After the weekend

Son K is finished school for the winter semester and we (anxiously) await his final marks, hopefully all will be ok.  We took my mom for a nice Easter lunch on the weekend.  She loves ice cream so we went to a really good ice cream place afterward.  I ordered her a double fudge chocolate ice cream with raspberries and brownies, yum!

The next day daughter L came into town with her boyfriend and we went to an extended family gathering at husband M's sister's house.  The food was fantastic as usual and it was great to see all the little babies, growing up so fast already.  There are 2 more babies expected this summer and we have been invited to a baby shower.  The circle of life continues!

Easter Monday 2014

Hope your Easter Monday is going well. Government offices have the day off work, but only Good Friday is a statutory holiday here in Ontario.


Over the weekend, I decided to upgrade my laptop to Windows 8.1 as it is free and my computer kept asking me to do it.  It took a whole day to download it, then you had to do a restart which took several more hours.  It seems to be okay now, I had to reset my printer back online and I notice this version has an App store encouraging me to buy things.

Sunday Sketches - Happy Easter 2014

Have a Happy Easter if you celebrate! If you don't I hope you are enjoying Spring like I am.

For Sunday Sketches, I've done an Easter piece on textured cardstock (5 1/2h" x 4 1/4"w) in watercolour pencils.  Unfortunately no Sunday Sketches this week as Alexandra has been in an accident and is recovering.  We wish her and Michael all the best.

Legal Drinking Age

Son K is now legally of drinking age in Canada. He didn't waste time celebrating with friends this past week. I had to warn him of the dangers of too many cocktails. He hasn't yet developed a taste for beer.   Still, he took a nice photo and most importantly he knew not to drive that night.

Right on topic, I found this other photo:

Paint Party Friday - Spring Bear

Welcome to Paint Party Friday. This piece is done on a textured greeting card (5 1/2"h x 4 1/4"w)in watercolour pencils. It's called 'Spring Bear', inspired by a photo I saw in the newspaper.  The article spoke of female bears being ravenous after hibernation. It is illegal to kill female bears in the spring as they are nurturing their cubs, only male bears can be hunted. The issue is keeping people safe versus hunting bears up north.

My Pork Loin Roast

We woke up to some snow on Tuesday morning:

I had never made a stuffed pork loin roast before and happened to buy this cut of meat on sale. It turned out quite nicely as pictured here and was not difficult at all. I watched a youtube video which showed me how to cut and open the roast out evenly. Then I seasoned the meat with olive oil, onion, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, vinegar and herbs. I layered the seasonings, along with some diced celery, carrots and peppers on top of the roast. Then I rolled the meat up and didn't even have to tie it with string. I baked it at 350F for an hour. The next time I think 45 minutes will be enough and I could make a gravy with the drippings.

A Birthday

Son K celebrated his 19th birthday recently. We went to daughter L's school to start moving her home. It coincided with K's birthday so she baked him this delicious pineapple upside down cake and everyone sang for him.

Creative Tuesdays - Happy Birthday

We are celebrating Wanda's birthday for this current Creative Tuesday's theme! Wanda is a loyal member of Creative Tuesdays, not to mention that she is a beautiful person inside and out! Happy Birthday Wanda, I made some flowers for you, with a subtle sunrise in the background!  I wish you many more beautiful mornings. It's on textured cardstock (5 1/2"h x 7"w) in watercolour pencils.

Maple Mustard Salmon

Hope your weekend was a good one!  A friend had invited me to a girl's night out at her house this past Saturday night.  We all brought small desserts or savouries or both, we had hot cups of tea and laughed and chatted a lot.  The funniest part was when our host told us she had been bargain shopping in the US mid-west many years ago and ended up buying 20 pairs of shoes at a mall.  She says she has wide feet and often found it difficult to get that perfect fit.  All these shoes fit her perfectly.  I told them I'll have the next party in the summer.

I noticed this salmon recipe in a magazine and can't wait to try it. It calls for dijon mustard, margarine, maple syrup, soy sauce and of course, salmon fillets.

Sunday Sketches - Lavender

Welcome to Alexandra's Sunday Sketches. I've done a piece in my art journal in watercolour pencils (5"h x 7"w), it's entitled 'Lavender'. Have a great Sunday!

Retirement Paths

Here is a heartwarming promposal for you to watch!

I found an interesting article in the newspaper this week.  It was discussing '7 paths to a fulfilling retirement'.  'Shifting gears to your life and work after retirement' was written by Marie Langworthy and Carolee Duckworth.  They are both retired.  So which would you/did you choose:

Leisure, volunteerism, travelling, engaging new work, entrepreneurship, student, or life as a creative doing art, design, etc.

It seems I would create art.

Paint Party Friday - Platform Bed

This piece in done in watercolour pencils in my art journal (7"h x 5"w). It is a platform bed, a photo of which I found on Pinterest. I was attracted to its clean lines and minimalism and immediately started sketching it.   I've always loved canopy beds with curtains. This is a modern take on that theme.  Happy PPF!

AND I took Giggles' advice and sent a piece of my art off to Vistaprint for printing some cards. I was very happy with them, and now I am already thinking of giving them as birthday cards to my friends! And I wonder which cards I will make next!

At the movies

We saw Captain America on the weekend at a private screening in our local theatre.  Husband M's friend invited us.  It was hosted by a real estate agent who knows M's friend.  So there we all were at 8.30am in the morning.  We were given coupons for a kid sized snack which consisted of popcorn, soda and a chocolate bar.  It didn't include coffee wouldn't you know it!  It was a full house and the real estate agent was sure to greet everyone and say goodbye to everyone.  She also made a little presentation before the movie to sell herself.  It was a good movie if you like lots of fighting stunts and action, very fast-paced.  It was strange to be at the movies first thing in the morning with friends when all I really wanted was a good cup of coffee, lol.

A creamy mustard dip

I was watching the Food Channel on TV while working out at the gym.  Host Roger Mooking was making his Salt Cod Fritters with a variety of dips.  He started with this creamy mustard dip and I seemed to have all the ingredients (more or less) and made it as soon as I got home.  I had some meatballs, and some roasted chicken slices that would go perfectly with it.  I was not disappointed.  It calls for some sourcream, pickles, ground coriander, salt, honey and yellow mustard.  I used pickled beans instead of sweet gherkins.

I have been banking with the same bank for almost 30 years.  But they are making some changes recently which are starting to annoy me.  Things like keeping a large minimum monthly balance in your no-interest chequing account.  Permitting one withdrawal per month on your interest paying savings account.  It will be $5 per additional withdrawal.  This also applies to student accounts.  It is tempting to move over to one of the newer more modern online banks who I imagine are so much more flexible.  But it would mean a lot of changes to a familiar routine and way of doing things.  And that is likely the only reason. And other people will say the banks are all the same.

Some Nice Cookies

I know April Fool's is over but you have to watch this video, it's a good one!

Daughter L sent me a photo of these 'graham cracker crust chocolate chip cookies' that she made recently. She said they taste like gourmet cookies.  They sure look good.

I found this
interesting newspaper article where Google is doing a study on how people work.

It says 'Google has been able to differentiate between two types of employees: segmentors and integrators.' 31% are segmentors, who know how to separate home from work. The other 69% are integrators who cannot.   If you didn't know it already, segmentors are better off.  Which category do you think you fall into?  I think I am a segmentor.

Branch Cleanup

The city will soon be making a final large branch pickup to clear broken tree branches since the big ice storm in the winter. We had one broken tree and finally got it to the curb. Husband M was able to do the job with a small handsaw and a large pruner.

Last week I spoke about my son K's friend's untimely passing at 18 years old. It seems he committed suicide due to school stress. He was seriously depressed. I had mentioned his mom passed away from cancer when the boy was about 8 years old. His family now feels he internalized a lot of issues and had mental health problems (depression) since then which went undetected. They thought he was just introverted. It underscores the need for mental health awareness so we can recognize it in our kids and know when/how to counsel them. I am going to do some research to learn and understand more about this topic myself.

The funeral was beautiful, with lots of family and friends present. The sun came out in the afternoon although it was cold.

Sunday Sketches - Cheese Please

This piece is done in my art journal (7"h x 5"w) in watercolour pencils. It's called 'Cheese Please!'. Happy Sunday Sketches!  I saw a nice photo in a magazine that inspired me with its clean lines.

I immediately liked her

Last weekend, I had an uncle visit with his girlfriend. I hadn't seen him since his wife (my mother's cousin) died 5 years ago. He would be somewhere in his seventies now, I think. He seems a lot more forgetful. Anyway, they mentioned that a major bank had contacted him recently. It seems a bunch of seniors' investments have been compromised. My uncle was missing upwards of $25,000 in his investments and he had no idea. So the bank is investigating this serious matter. Seniors have to be so careful as they are targets for fraud and theft. The interesting thing is that he had known his current girlfriend for many years from the bowling league they belonged to. She has never married. When my uncle's wife died, they developed a connection and seemed very close this past weekend. I am happy they have found companionship at this late age especially as this uncle never had children. He finally had a will made and will be leaving his assets to his wife's family and his family although he doesn't get along with either side. His girlfriend will be his executor. Life is complicated. Oh I liked his girlfriend immediately when she told me I didn't seem old enough to have a 21 year old daughter, lol.

Paint Party Friday - Swan

This is a greeting card done in acrylic on textured cardstock (5 1/2"w x 4 1/4"h). It's called 'Swan'. Happy PPF!

Envelope Free

So yesterday I went to the bank to use the bank machine. I was confused as I didn't see any envelopes anywhere. Then I read that it was an envelope free machine! So you just slide your cheque in, and it can also print a copy of the cheque on your receipt. You just slide your paper cash bills into the machine in the same way! It was neat trying something new although I found the process a bit slow for the moment.

One of my sisters who lives in California says she has a teller free bank! So you can just go to the back to get cash or change! Wonder how that feels. She says it's really weird.

I have to purchase some health and dental insurance for daughter L as she will not be covered for a couple of months under my husband's policy after she graduates and before she starts her new job. I got an online quote but I think I will just speak to a person on the phone to help me through the actual purchase.

Lucky Day

Last week, I found a dime on the pavement.  Shortly afterwards,  I sat in a McDonald's restaurant having a cup of coffee.  I put my coffee sticker on my coffee card.  A group of older men sitting beside me got up and one of them offered me his coffee sticker.  He must've seen me putting mine on my card.  7 stickers entitles you to a free hot drink, I usually get a medium latte when I fill a card out.  I was having a lucky day!   I had been to a Zumba class at the gym and I've figured out that it uplifts me, it must release those chemical endorphins!  So I was on a high to begin with.

Creative Tuesdays - Nursery Rhyme

Welcome to Creative Tuesdays and the month of April! I did 'Sing a Song of Sixpence' in honour of the current 'Nursery Rhyme' theme. You have until April 8th to submit your interpretation! My piece is done in my art journal in watercolour pencils (5"h x 7"w).

And on a very sad note, we learned yesterday that one of my son K's good friends passed away suddenly on March 28, 2014. He was 18 years old and at the beginning of his life. It is unimaginably sad, even more so because his mom passed away from cancer when the boy was just in grade 4. He leaves his brother and dad behind. K is still in shock himself. We will attend the funeral on the weekend.  They are saying it was a heart attack.  K has known the boy since kindergarten.  It was just last year that they both had their high school graduation proms.  My heart is heavy thinking about it all.

Read this post for an update on this boy's passing, turns out it was a suicide.