Cute One

I got this from the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF).

Which owl are you today? Lol.

Paint Party Friday - Mama

For Paint Party Friday, I saw a bunch of these animal photos with their babies an email and decided to draw this one in watercolour pencils on (5 1/2"h x 4 1/4"w) cardstock. They are King Penguins.  Happy Friday!

That's Life!

So I'm driving along with my mom a couple of days ago, we were going to McDonald's for lunch.  This cop pulls me over, he said I didn't stop at the Stop sign.   He proceeds to give me two tickets for $110 each.  The 2nd one was because my husband M had not signed our car ownership certificate.  Apparently I can meet with a prosecutor to show him the signed ownership and that ticket shouldn't be a problem.  For the stop sign, I wasn't speeding and in my opinion I did stop.  There was no one at the intersection.  He perceived that I just lightly tapped on my brakes.   So I will plead my case with the prosecutor as I will have 2 demerit points on my record for 3 years.  It would be the 2nd time in 36 years of driving that I have been pulled over and the first time was not for a stop sign.  I think I was going through some street during rush hour and I wasn't allowed.  Oh well, put into perspective, that's life!  I just wish the whole incident didn't make me feel so bad.

To a more pleasant topic, have you ever seen the Queen Anne's Lace wildflowers go to seed? Isn't the pod pretty?

Golden Beets

My friend S gave me some of these golden beets recently.  Her sister actually has a farm. They are the size of new potatoes and when you cut them, they are yellow inside. I put a couple of handfuls into some chicken soup I was making, they are sweet tasting and I liked them.  I just cut the ends off and left the skins on.  I also put in a handful of sliced red beets which turned the soup red, so I imagine the golden beets would have turned the soup yellow. Anyway, I had never seen these golden beets before, have you?  In fact I haven't seen them in the supermarkets.

Smile

I couldn't resist snapping a photo of this poster displayed in a school counsellor's office the other day. It says 'Smile, it's the first thing people like about you'. Doesn't it make you smile?

In other thoughts, I realize I have been putting off reading the newspaper and magazines, preferring to go online and read stuff there first. It seems to be a quicker and more efficient way of obtaining information. In fact, I have to pull myself off the computer sometimes. How about you? I feel sad for the newspapers and magazines, it spells their ultimate demise perhaps.

Crockpot Oatmeal and a Close Call

We went to a show downtown on the weekend, a musical called 'Anything Goes'. It garnered a standing ovation, with an excellent cast.  The orchestra played wonderfully beneath the stage.  I thought it was a bit old-fashioned, but it was okay. I had gotten a half-price deal for the whole family.  L is leaving soon to return to school so it was nice to have us all together that night.

I noticed these pretty lights as we walked downtown. That is an RBC bank building and the CN Tower right beside it in red. It's neat how they have those blue lights running up one side of that building. We also noticed some teenaged street skaters skateboarding on a busy downtown road.  I had noticed one of them doing a trick leaping onto a pile of construction material on the sidewalk.  I suddenly heard a huge collective sigh of relief. My daughter L had seen the teenager tumble into the road directly in front of a car.   Fortunately the driver was alert and was able to slam on his brakes in time. That was a close call and the boy's time had not come!

This recipe is being shared on Facebook (Emily's Skinny Friends). It is delicious, it tastes like bread pudding and smells like a cinnamon bun!

place 2 sliced apples
1/4c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
in bottom of crockpot

sprinkle in 2c oatmeal (I used quick oats)
then add 2c milk
2c water 

do not stir

cook overnight 8-9 hours in your crockpot on low.

I actually added more water and a bit of extra sugar.

Sunday Sketches - Rose of Sharon

For Sunday Sketches, I did a quick ATC sketch using watercolour pencils of a Rose of Sharon branch I had photographed.  I was attracted to the three different colours of the flowers on the branch that I saw.  Can you see the burgundy, purple and pink?

Here is the photo:

I know my sketch doesn't do it justice but this is what I have for today anyway!