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.