Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Make Ahead Gravy

I saw this on Jamie Oliver's Christmas special and just had to give it a go.
I made it today and it smelled fantastic and tasted the same.
I now have 6 cups of this wonderful gravy base for our Christmas dinner
 
 
Internet image
 

Hoping the Mayans are Wrong

Hi all!
My snippets of life have become full fledged chunks.
I am hoping to get back to blogging and a regular routine in the new year.
Don't give up on me!!

 
 

 

 


 
As long as we get past tomorrow I
 
 Wish everyone a warm and cozy holiday!
 
See you in 2013!!
 

 

Monday, December 3, 2012

Keepin Warm


 
 
One of our little stray/feral kittys soaking up the warmth from the shed roof.


 The river is beginning to have that wintry look to it.
 

 Hope y'all had a good Monday!!

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Snow and Honeymooners

Had a wee bit of snow last week.
 

 
I guess it does make me feel a bit more Christmasy.
Unfortunately if I am expecting to keep this feeling because of snow I am on my own this coming week.
Forecast is for rain and way above zero temps.
Nope I don't need the snow.
My little tree is up and my wrapping station is full of paper and bows.
Next week it's baking time.
Cards are at the door ready to be mailed and i am thinking one more kick at shopping and whoila done!
I have to be done so I can get the western parcel on its way --- giddy up!
 
Picked up the the honeymooners in Montreal last Saturday.
They had a wonderfully relaxing time and were nicely brown when they arrived home.
 



 
Everyone was so hungry so we stopped at the A and W in Hudson Quebec.
It is a 2 hour drive to Ottawa and then another 40 minutes for HB and I to get to our town from Montreal.
 
Have a great weekend!!
 
 
Please keep my friend Deb at Just Cats in your thoughts.
She lost her sweet Cali last week.

Homemade Harvest Craft Show

Just back from the Handmade Harvest Craft Show.
 
 
First time in our town. And I hope not the last!
They held it in our local canoe club.
The first 50 people get a swag bag with lots of little goodies in it from different participants in the show.
The show started at 10:00.
I was there at 10:07.
All were gone!! :-(
We were met at the door by Emily Arbour.

She along with her friend Colleen Hewitt co founded this brainchild.
I'm not really sure how many years it has been going but my niece in law (Salvage Designs) has been at a show the last few years.
 
Brandy is doing a show in Ottawa so my nephew is donning the jeweller cap for this show.

 
So so many talented people.
It was a joy to spend a couple of hours looking at everyone's table.
I may have found a few Christmas gifts and yes okay I admit it I did find a little somethin somethin for me.
 



 

A quick stop at Starbucks for a soy latte.
And homeward ---  got some wrapping and knitting to do today!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Upstairs Downstairs

Last week I decided to pull out some family silver.
We don't use silver tea services any more but

 
I will use it for a small vignette with a few flowers and some candy sticks.
The tea service belonged to my mother in law.

 
She gave it to us for our 25th wedding anniversary (um 9 years ago)
Then of course there are those little silver cups we all get when our children are born.
I even found my own.
 

 
All were pretty tarnished. But a morning of breathing in the delicious aroma of Silvo.....
They are sparkly again.
It did bring back memories of my mother and Nana dragging out all the silver and giving it a "good" polish for the holidays.

Wishing you all a sparkly weekend!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Last Visit with The Boys

The newlyweds arrive home Saturday evening.
HB and I had a last dinner with the boys.

 

BBQ burgers and hung around with them.

 
You can see MacGuffin sitting on the steps inside the door.
 
 
We smell burgers!!!!
 
Their house is clean. There is food in the fridge.And their boys are waiting for them.
HB and I are heading to Montreal tomorrow afternoon to pick up Mr and Mrs V!
Sunday we are doing a bit of decorating and then to friends for a very welcome dinner.
 
Unfortunately our Santa parade is tomorrow evening.
We will miss it.
But our town is decorated and waiting for the jolly old elf.
 
 
Taken from Carleton Place Nursery Facebook page



 

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Presquile Park and Purple Sandpipers

Early this week HB and I with another birder friend made our way to Presquile Park.
I tagged along -- not so much for the birding but thought I could get some late fall shots of the park.



We arrived early and went on the elusive search of these purple sandpipers.
 
Image from the Internet
 
As some of you know HB is doing a Big Year for Ontario.
Some young whipper snapper named Josh has far exceded the previous number of 338 in 1996.
Iain is up to 284.
We trudged thru the park to what is called Gull Island.
 

Usually we have to look across a body of water with a scope to even see anything on it.
This year we could walk to the end of it.


I hate to report after hours of searching for those damn purple sandpipers  nada!
We did see a few Snowy Owls and huge flocks of Tundra Swans
The reason we went was that according to some birding reports they had been seen.
There was also a report of a Little Stint.
 
Image from the Internet
 
This guy is from Europe!
Looks like a Least Sandpiper!
I guess they had moved along by the time we got there.

 
HB has been interviewed by a couple of publications in the Ottawa area.
I have had a couple of pictures credited in them as well.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all my American friends a very
 Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

MacGuffin and Mulligan

HB and I have been making the daily sojourn to spend time with our 2 furry grand babies while the newlyweds bask in the Dominican sunshine.
We usually spend an hour or so with them.
Feeding, cleaning boxes, playing, doing the lights and shades, and a few cuddles.
 
 
Last evening we decided to take in supper and spend the whole evening with them.
Boy oh boy were there ever a couple of very happy pussy cats!!
They played and curled up with us while we watched TV.
There were lots of rubbins and purrs.




 
I hated leaving them all alone but one of S and W's neighbours pops in every  morning.
We will probably spend a couple hours with them again this evening. 
 
 
"You will be back tomorrow won't you?"

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

A Peek

I can share a pic of Siobhan's bouquet.
Gray and black feathers and black callas with a bit of sparkle.
As I thought the photo does not do the display justice :-(
Our local florist www.blossomshop.ca (who is also a good friend) created this especially for Sio!


 
The back drop is her wedding gown.