Busy day again............

Doing what....well cutting grass of course.  Tuesday was a good day to cut grass.  Not too hot, infact it was actually a little cool.  I had to put my fleece jacket on.  Still I managed to get it all cut other than the field; that's Thursday morning's job.  I also got a bit of edging done, there is stil lots, and lots, and lots more to do, no doubt I'll get around to it all before the end of the year!!


I had to go out and buy gas for the lawn tractor.  Ended up paying 99.9 cents per litre, which is the highest it's been in a long time.  Mind you come Thursday it will be going up 8%, so if you are in Ontario, make sure you fill up today before it goes up in price.

While cutting the grass all the purple martins came out to play and swooped and flew all around me.  Sort of freaky thoug, reminded me of that movie where all the birds attack, luckily they didn't attack me, they were more interested in catching the bugs.  I actually saw one catch a moth which was so neat.

This afternoon, I am going for my yearly every other year physical.  Can't say I am looking forward to it.  The only good thing about it all, is that I have had all my blood work done and I have had a mammogram, so at least that's out of the way.  I need to have a form to get an x-ray.  Remember my arm?  Well it's not looking great and it still has a lump in it............so I had better get it x-rayed to make sure there isn't anything left in there {SIGH}  Oh and next Monday, I have an appointment to have my tooth pulled {{SIGH}}  I am fed up of being in pain, so decided to have it pulled.

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Chimney Sweep and other stuff...

Had the chimney swept on Monday morning and I have to say I was thrilled with the service they gave.  Excellent and super clean.  I did not smell any soot at all and there was no soot in the room either.  They even spray painted the top of my insert so it looks all brand new.  They were between $20 to $50 cheaper than everyone else; so that too made me very happy!!  Also because I had it done before the end of the month I saved on the PST (8%), so another plus.  I will definitley use these people again.

Below is a photo of Molly sitting looking miserable, as she wasn't allowed in the family room while they were cleaning the chimney.  They were in and out of the patio doors, so I didn't want her getting out and going for a frolick around the woods again!!

I talk about Molly in my column this week for the Eden Valley Messenger, here is a direct link to it


I have mentioned before a friend called Nita who has an online site called Phancy Pages.  She has a section called Blogs Around The World, and is looking for more people to submit their blogs to add to the page, contact her here

Oh and finally do you think Molly is comfortable?

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Obviously I didn't kill them all then....

I see there are the odd red raspberry on the bushes between the weeds. So I didn't kill them all. I am still a couple of weeks away from picking as it's a bit early yet, but there may be enough to make some jam with again.

I managed to get the brown, cream and pink quilt block done on Sunday.  I am pleased to be so ahead of the game this month.  Sewing is at the bottom of the list at the moment; but with it raining again Sunday it was a good job to get done.

Now if you click on the photo of dh's finger you will see the full extent of his "wound."  Dh was harping on about the fact that he will have a deformed finger.  However as I pointed out, it's not like he's going to be giving up his day job as an electrician to be a hand model, now is it?

If you see me in real life, look on my forehead to see if you can see the word "Sucker/Idiot" on it.  That daft dog of ours has got me wrapped about her little finger/paw.  She doesn't like going out in the rain, just like me.  However on Sunday night she was hopping around, so dh tried to let her out and she wouldn't go.  Then I tried and she wouldn't go so I carried on sewing.  However I knew something was up, so I put on my coat and took her outside on the leash.  She went out no problem and both peed and pooped.  Only we would have a dog that likes us to observe her going to the bathroom.  Mind you she is probably laughing at me for being such a mug and standing out there in the rain with her!!

 Then finally the thugs/protesters at the G20.  It's all over our news about the protests with the protesters complaining of police brutality etc.  One woman was complaining about the police, and how afraid her 4 year old daughter was.  Excuse me, but what sane parent would take their 4 year old child to a protest???

Here are more news stories  One thing I know for sure, the leaders of the G20 really need to rethink the whole meeting procedure, as at a cost of 1 billion dollars for a four day meeting (for both the G 8 and G20 summits) the whole thing is way out of whack.  That money could have been used for a much better purpose and hundreds of thousands of lives wouldn't have been disrupted like they were.

One thing I was pleased to hear though was that Barack Obama, didn't get it all his own way, that our Prime Minister finally found his back bone and stood up to him.  What good it did him I don't know, but finally a little bit of leadership from our "leader!"

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Today's Flower..........

Blogger decided to turn the first photo???  These daisies are growing in the raspberry patch, and they are quite pretty, so picked a bunch and brought them into the house. I haven't thought of this rhyme for a long time:

Daisy, Daisy give me your answer do.

I'm half crazy all for the love of you.

It won't be a stylish marriage,

I can't afford a carriage.

But you'll look sweet,

Upon the seat,

Of a bicycle made for two.

You may wear your virtues as a crown, As you walk through life serenely, And grace your simple rustic gown With a beauty more than queenly. Though only one for you shall care, One only speak your praises; And you never wear in your shining hair, A richer flower than daisies.

Phobe Cary

The daisy's for simplicity and unaffected air.

Robert Burns

For more of Today's Flower photos, please click on this link

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Interesting list and a quilt block.......

This list was published in the Toronto Star on Saturday and I thought it was interesting:

Ian Law - Better Driving

After 40 years and a couple of million kilometres of driving under my seatbelt, I have witnessed many transgressions committed by motorists.

Here is my list of the 10 worst motoring offences.

• Impaired Driving: whether it is by drugs or distraction, this is the leading cause of death and destruction on our roads. Alcohol, street drugs or some prescription drugs negatively affect four of the most important functions of safe driving ability: judgment, co-ordination, vision and reactions. Just as dangerous is being distracted by cellphone conversations, texting, chatting to passengers, day dreaming, entertainment systems, or any other distraction that prevents a motorist from focusing on driving.

• Running Red Lights: This is also one of the deadliest motoring mistakes. Running a red light for purely selfish reasons or due to distraction will eventually involve you in a serious collision. Saving that little bit of extra time is never worth the risk.
• Following too close: I am always amazed by how many motorists tailgate other vehicles. Each and every day I have drivers following much too closely behind me and I have to take action to avoid this threat to my safety. When I encounter a driver that is too close to my rear bumper, I will gradually slow down and keep right in the next available passing zone. Most motorists don’t even realize they are following too closely. At highway speeds, the average driver needs at least half a second to recognize a threat and then react. This equates to roughly 15 metres or five car lengths just to realize they need to start braking. With some drivers creeping up to within one to two car lengths of the vehicle in front, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that just isn’t enough time.

• Parking in handicapped spot: Too frequently, the driver is obviously not physically challenged at all. Most drivers who use these convenient parking spots genuinely need this convenience. Shamefully, some motorists have a permit that applies to someone in their family but they use it for their own benefit. It is these illegitimate users that make my radiator boil over. This is not only very selfish, but can lead to someone who really has difficulty walking, having to park much farther away because the few handicapped spaces are occupied by those not really in need of one.

• Left lane driving: It still boggles my mind that drivers will occupy the left lane on a multi-lane highway and then stay there regardless of how many vehicles are lined up waiting to pass. By now there has been enough press about this motoring indiscretion that you would think drivers would have clued in.
• Driving in middle lane: Too many motorists will poke along in the middle lane of a multi-lane highway at a slower rate than the majority of traffic when they should be in the right lane. Trucks too, are notorious for this and it leads to traffic bunching up as it tries to negotiate around the blockage with the resulting multiple-lane changes occurring.

• Failing to signal: Applies to both lane changes and turns. It is not wise to surprise other drivers with your next move and it is also disrespectful. Signalling lane changes notifies other motorists in all directions and is also a sort of an electronic “excuse me please” request to occupy the space in front of you. Not signalling is much like butting into line.

• Impatience: Each day as I commute in rush hour traffic, there are always a large number of drivers who need to get to work 10 minutes ago. They always zip out to the left lane, follow the other late drivers much too closely and then come to a screeching halt as the left lane soon becomes overpopulated. I seem to always catch up to these impatient drivers as I motor along in the much less stressful right lane saving fuel, brake and eventually insurance costs.

• Cutting off others: Most motorists will speed up slightly to block another driver from merging into the space in front. This only leads to frustration, possible retaliation and road rage. It never teaches the other driver to not pull in front of you.

• Fog lights: They’re frequently used on clear nights when there isn’t even a hint of fog. These lights are for a specific purpose and not to show off your cool German car. Fog lights are to be used in thick fog when your headlights become detrimental to illuminating the road. Some drivers say they like to use them to light up the side of the road. If so, when you encounter oncoming traffic simply turn them off.

It was a wet and miserable day on Saturday and I didn't seem to get much done.  However I did sew the black, white and red quilt block for the month of June.  It's called a Twist Block:

Now in the scheme of things I didn't think this was a difficult block to make, as the border is put together similarly.  Only two more months to go and then all twleve quilts blocks are done.

Oh and by the sound of it, all hell broke loose downtown Toronto with the protests, see here.  Once again like most things, a small group of people out to make trouble.......nothing else to say on the subject :0(

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Buy, Buy American Pie

As usual I can't do the embeded verison of this Youtube video, so you will have to click on this link  I first saw this on Caroline's blog, which is sort of funny as she is Australian........I would have thought it would have done the rounds of the American blogs, but I haven't seen it on anyone's?


I have to agree with a lot of what the video says, as we have had one recall after another here in Canada with goods from China.

Another busy day around the acreage on Friday.  Dh was busy in his closet.  As with everything in this house even the smallest of jobs take forever to do.   His poor finger is red raw, it's going to take a while for it to mend.

It was a lovely day on Friday and I managed to get two big loads of laundry washed, dried and ironed.  I also trimmed some more trees, so the firepit is overflowing again.  It was just too windy to start a fire on Friday, so it will have to wait until next week.

I even got around to visiting some blogs on Friday......finally.  I miss visiting everyone.  Only a few more months before things slow down in the garden!!  Here are some neat sites that I hope you have time to visit.

The Lemon Lady collects food and produce for the local food banks; plus she has a lot of useful links on her blog.

This is a neat thing called Seedballz that are hand rolled by people with disabilities.

 For those of you in Britain, I saw this site in the June issue of Prima Magazine.  It's called Approved Foods, and is a discount site that sells produts that are past their "best before dates," but obviously still fine to eat, as well as discontinued and trial lines and food in older packaging.

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Molly has a new friend and a funny

Molly has a new friend, a squirrel friend. Granted it is a stuffed toy squirrel, but she loves it, probably as much as her beloved hedgehog.  By the way it's tail squeaks!!

This was over on Tracey's blog and I decided to "borrow" them. Now Delia, is Delia Smith Britain's answer to Martha Stewart, well sort of, she is a fantastic cook and I have always liked her, I know I have at least one of her cookery books, maybe even two.  I put a link to everything that I didn't think anyone who lived outside of Britain would know what it is.  I have just noticed, both women are the same age......

9 handy household tips for the modern woman


1. DELIA'S WAY


Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.


THE REAL WOMAN'S WAY


Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for God's sake. You are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it anyway.






2. DELIA'S WAY


To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.


THE REAL WOMAN'S WAY


Buy Smash and keep it in the cupboard for up to a year.






3. DELIA'S WAY


When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking tin, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.


REAL WOMAN'S WAY


Tesco's sell cakes. They even do decorated versions.






4. DELIA'S WAY


If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a potato slice.


REAL WOMAN'S WAY


If you over salt a dish while you are cooking, that's tough shit. Now, please recite with me the Real Woman's motto: "I made it, and you will eat it, and I don't care how bad it tastes."






5. DELIA'S WAY


Wrap celery in aluminium foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.


REAL WOMAN'S WAY


Let it keep forever. Who really eats it anyway?






6. DELIA'S WAY


Brush some beaten egg white over piecrust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.


REAL WOMAN'S WAY


Sainsbury's frozen pie directions do not include brushing any egg white over the crust - so we don't do that.






7. DELIA'S WAY


Cure for headaches. Take a lime, cut it in half and rub in on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.


REAL WOMAN'S WAY


Cure for headaches. Take a lime, cut it in half and drop it in 8 ounces of vodka. Drink the vodka. You might still have the headache, but at least you will be happy!






8. DELIA'S WAY


If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.


REAL WOMAN'S WAY


Forget the gloves, use that gadget you keep in front of the TV ... that's what he's there for isn't it?






And finally ...






9. DELIA'S WAY


Freeze leftover wine into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.


REAL WOMAN'S WAY


Leftover wine???? .... Hello!!!!!


Oh and the crazies are coming out of the woodwork for the G20, read this story

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Earthquake, a trip to the dentist AGAIN! and other stuff

Now to be fair I didn't feel the earth move, but dh did.  Actually he saw the kitchen cupboards move, while he was bleeding like a butched pig in the kitchen sink.  He tried to chop the top off his finger while cutting drywall!!

Now dd who works in Toronto was on a meeting on the 17th floor of her building and the building swayed, and they evacuated the building.  They actually thought they were under attack as she works for the Provincial Goverment.  They of course learned later it was THE earthquake!!

Now for all of you on the West Coast earthquakes are a common occurance, for us its not.  By the way it was a 5.5 earthquake, what ever that means.

Meanwhile I felt nothing, as I was driving home from the dentist.  I decided I wasn't going to suffer no more with this tooth, so trotted down to the dentist, who again took another x-ray and again found nothing.  He thinks my nerve (s) are dying in my tooth?  He's put me on antibiotics again and I go back on July 2nd, and I think it's a case of they either do a root canal (I DON'T THINK SO) or pull the tooth.  The only problem with pulling the tooth is I won't have any back teeth on the bottom right side, which may prove to be a problem. 

Mind you doing a root canal, at a cost of a few hundred dollars may not be the answer either, as that might not solve the problem.  I swear I have been more times to the dentist this year than any other time in my life.

When we were out on Tuesday we picked up the new Meatloaf cd "Hang Cool Teddy Bear."  I played it in the car too and from the dentist and it's okay.  I do however like this song, Los Angeloser the best.  I see he's playing in Oshawa on July 6th, but it's a couple of hours drive to there from here, which is a pain.  Plus no doubt it's sold out by now.

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Poured down on Tuesday.........

so we went out on a road trip to a place called Singhampton.  Why Singhampton; well my dad said there was a place that sells firewood.  Found the place and sure enough it sells firewood and a bit cheaper than I can get it around here, which will save us around $140 to $200 for the three bush cords.  So now I have to find the money to order it.


By the way we saw a lovely property in Singhampton that we thought would suit us just fine, this one  What do you think?


We then drove to Barrie and went to the mall.  I picked up some Christmas gifts, so will put them away.  I also got to spend some time in Chapters book store which I love and picked up some magazines to read.  It was close to supper time by the time we got home. 


So I wonder if England will be kicked out of the World Cup today? 


There was a protest downtown Toronto by the Gender Justice Advocacy Group on Tuesday.  Not sure what that has to do with the G20 summit, but they protested..................I guess that is the start of all the protesting that's going to be happening.


Dh is going downtown also on Saturday as he is going to the Toronto FC game.  Fingers crossed the traffic won't be too, to bad?

Oh and finally....had some soup on Tuesday for lunch and yes it was hot.  However since then I have had chronic toothache AGAIN........I give up.........or those in the dental profession, what do think is wrong with my tooth?

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Something to think about:

This was emailed to me the other week:

THE SITUATION



In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45  minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing.  He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried  on to meet his schedule.


About 4 minutes later: the violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.


At 6 minutes:  A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:  A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.  The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed  hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:  The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened  for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their  normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:  He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. 


No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the  greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a  social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:


 *In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

 *If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

 *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?


One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .


How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

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Obituary

I revceived this email the other week, it came from Britain:

An Obituary printed in the London Times - Interesting and sadly rather true.


Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:


- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;


- Why the early bird gets the worm;


- Life isn't always fair;


- and maybe it was my fault.


Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).


His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.


Common Sensel ost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.


Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;

I Know My Rights


I Want It Now


Someone Else Is To Blame


I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.


This is all so true!!

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Today's Flower

We were lucky to inherit a lovely peony patch when we moved to this house.  They have been battered with the wind and rain, but I brought a lovely bunch into the house last night.

For more Today's Flower photos, please click on this link

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Um, um good..........

I wish we could smell things through our computers, as believe me this ham smells as good as it looks!!

I used a new to me glaze recipe on it, here is the link.  My only advise with this glaze, it's like toffee if you let it cool down!  It's good though.

While I had the oven on, I made a couple more Rhubarb Crumble Pies, recipe here.  One for us and one to sell at the Church Strawberry Supper.

Saturday was another busy day for me.  I baked the ham and the pies first thing in the morning before it got too hot.  They are for lunch today.  I then nipped into town to take advantage of the 20 x the points deal at Shopper's Drug Mart.  So I am now stocked up on toilet paper and laundry detergent for the next six months.  With coupons I only paid 99 cents for a bottle of Purex.  Plus I treated myself to a 24 pack of Nestea.  I don't have it that often so it makes a nice treat.  I see they are changing the points system at Shopper's and not in our favour!!  Here is a link to what's what.  Now the girl in the store was saying that next weekend it's a bonus redemption weekend here in Ontario, so I may cash my points in.  I only have 40 odd thousand; still I can get $100 worth of product free with that.

By the time I got back home and unpacked the groceries, it was lunch time.  After lunch I made a potato salad for lunch today.  Then fiddled on for the rest of the afternoon until it was time for me to go out at 4pm.

I went to the Strawberry Supper and sold a few recipe books; so far I have orders for 32 recipe books, so not too bad a start.  There was ham, various salads, and rolls for the main course, with fresh srawberries, whipped cream, ice cream and shortcake for dessert. Coffee or tea.  It was $14 for adults and $6 for children and under 4 was free. 

There was also a table where homemade bread and biscuits/scones were being sold.  I bought a couple loaves of bread.  Also there was a table with homemade pies that the church ladies provided.  They were selling pies for $10 each. There must have been around 40 pies on the table and when I left there was probably only 10 left.  I am pleased to say someone bought my pie.  At the time of writing I don't know how much money was made, but I know there was around a couple of hundred people who bought tickets for the meal.  Regardless it was well worth while.

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I am so annoyed........

I was busy tidying up the ditch on Friday, but had to pick the garbage up first.  I know it's not Tim Hortons fault, it's their lazy customers fault, but I am so fed up of picking up empty coffee cups from oury property.  Those along with water bottles, juice boxes and beer bottles are thrown down on a daily basis.  I would dearly love to put a big sign up saying:

I DON'T THROW GARBAGE ON YOUR PROPERTY, SO PLEASE STOP THROWING IT ON OUR PROPERTY! 

As dh says that would only make matters worse, but even so.

Then when I went to watch Eastenders on BBC Canada at 12 noon, only to discover it wasn't on.  Would  you believe they have taken it off the air until September????

"EastEnders will return to Canadian television exactly where it left off in Sept. 2010 – please check your local listings at that time for more information."

What the heck, it's bad enough we are already over two years behind as it is, now we'll be even further behind??  I should send them an email.

I only watched the last three minutes of the England vs Algeria game and honestly it was three minutes too much.  I mean what on earth is wrong with them, the English Players?  They seem to be half asleep, or totally not into the game at all.  Unless they pull their socks up and knuckle down I don't think they will be going anywhere in the World Cup!!

Other than that though, things have been super busy again on Friday.  I was busy again in the garden edging and cutting grass.  Managed to get two big loads of laundry washed, dried and ironed, and some tidying up done.

We had an anniverary dinner at Swiss Chalet, nothing exciting, as we had a few errands to run in town, including doing some grocery shopping.  The rest of the weekend is going to be busy, but I am hoping to pop in to visit everyone's blogs at some point.

Enjoy your weekend,

Gill

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Busy, sorry, happy anniversary....

Thursday was a super busy day, I never stopped all day.  What with trying to get some grass cut, tidying up around the new cedars I planted. Writing the column for the Eden Valley Messenger and submitting it; never mind it was three days late this week....oops!  Actually doing a little tidying up in the house.  Going to the church hall in the afternoon to help with prep for the Strawberry Supper on Saturday, then travelling 50 minutes to Brampton, to meet dh at the doctors to get his results for his CAT scan; he's fine just has to keep on taking his puffers and nasal spray?  Then driving back home (we got fish and chips for supper on the way home).  Back out in the garden for an hour of edging the grass, barely made a dint in the edging.  Then making a start on cutting the field, I don't feel as though I have stopped all day.

So I'm sorry but I just haven't had the time to visit anyone's blogs.

Then today Friday June 18th is our 27th Wedding Anniversary.  Gosh the years have gone by fast.  No plans on doing anything.  Dh finishes work at lunch time to get home in time for the England vs Algeria game which is on at 2:15pm our time. Me, well I will no doubt be cutting the grass or ironing!!

Oh and a sort of sad thing.  I was watching Coronation Street on Thursday and it was when Rita told Emily that Ramsy had died on his way to Australia.  Emily put on a cd of Australian songs, and it played Waltzing Matilda,  I haven't heard or thought of that song in many years.  Poor Emily looked so sad and so old when listening to this song.

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They smell so good............

I went to visit a friend and her husband on Wednesday morning as it was pouring down and I had to run a couple of errands in town.  She had been strawberry picking the day before and was kind enough to give me a container of strawberries.  There is nothing better than local picked strawberries.  They smell so much better than the imported strawberries. I can't wait to eat them.

While I was in town I had to get the recipe book order forms photocopied.  It cost 59 cents per copy for a colour copy.  Can you believe that, I was shocked. I didn't have to pay for it, the church has an account, but due to the high cost I only got 50 copies, as that was was over $25 for those. 

In the afternoon between the showers I managed to plant the 10 emerald cedars.  Which is another big job crossed off my list.  Must say though I was pooped after I had done that. 

One of the big news stories in our area is the G8 and G20 summits that are being held in Huntsville and Toronto  It is costing the taxpayers of Canada millions and millions of dollars, disrupting businesses and people alike.  Downtown Toronto will be coming to a virtual standstill while the G20 is on.  It has cost us taxpayers $1.9 million to build a "fake lake" in the middle of the Convention Centre, to give the summit goers an idea of what Muskoka looks like?????  I am sure you could take them all on a day trip on a bus and show them what it all looks like for a lot less!!!  Oh and the latest security threat, they're uprooting trees downtown as they could be used as weapons!!!  For more crazy stories about these summits check out this link

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In the garden again...............

We have a robin's nest in the front tree.  I guess they thought the tree in the back by the deck was too noisy for them this year; what with all the squirrels, chipmunks and Molly running around.  Dh was just saying the other night, how fat all the squirrels are around our place!!  As I said they are well fed........

One of the jobs I did on Tuesday was to trim some trees which resulted in me having a huge pile of branches on the firepit.  As yet I haven't got the emerald cedars planted.  That I am hoping is Wednesday's job.

I ended up trimming more bushes and trimming off the shoots that grow off the side of trees.  I also trimmed the old lilac bush as well, as I had hardly any flowers this year, so maybe a haircut will do it good.

The only problem with having a fire is that you end up stinking of smoke.  So I am sitting here thinking I must go for a shower, as I can smell is smoke!!

Got the rest of the potatoes weeded, but that was it for the weeding.  There is just too many jobs to do in the gaarden and not enough time in the day.........everything will get done all in good time I guess.

It's short and sweet tonights post, as I am  tired!!

Enjoy your Wednesday.

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Half way through the month already....

June is just flying by it seems.  Monday was humid all day and so I dragged my heels all day.  I did get more recipes input into the system and now only need five more recipes.  However this had brought up another issue.  People who have left it to last minute to give me recipes will not be able to have them input, as a lot are recipes I already have.  So now I am having to call people to give me alternative recipes, which means more work.  As at the end of the day I don't want duplicate recipes in the book.  We have finally decided on a name for the book:

Three Churches Cook 2010

Why that name, well there are three churches involved in this, and rather than have each church named and there be an argument as to whose name should go first.  The title we chose was nice and simple, and to the point.  As at the end of the day it's not the title that sells the book its the recipes inside of it.

I took the first vegetables out of the garden on Monday, just some lettuce and some radish, but it's a start regardless.  The tomatoes are starting to flower, as are the peas.  The weeds are growing like crazy devils!!!  I hope next year it will be a lot easier in the veggie patch.

It was actually a little cooler after supper so I got an hour and a half of weeding done, which may not seem a lot but it was a start.  Plus by the time I had finished my back was killing me.  Still it's a start, and I did manage to get the potato rows all weeded and "hilled" them up a bit more, plus a little more weeding in other parts of the veggie patch.  I wll go out again after supper on Tuesday night and do more.

Hope you have a lovely Tuesday. 

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Oops, forgot to do a post.......

mind you can't say I have anything interesting to say.  I am bone weary at the moment, I get like this once a month before a certain visitor appears...........enough said.

The humidity has arrived back again, which doesn't help.  We have an air conditioner (a/c) unit sitting on our front deck waiting to be installed, so at least we will have a cooler house this year when it's finally installed.  Dh is doing part of the installation his self.  However as he worked his regular 40 hour week, plus 46 1/2 hours overtime last week, I am not sure when he is going to have the time to do it.  He does start a weeks vacation on Saturday so hopefully next week he will get his part done.

One of the reasons he is taking next week off as he wants to watch the England vs Slovenia game on Wednesday morning.  Mind you if it's anything like the England vs USA game it will be a waste of time watching it.  As dh says England is a bunch of under achievers when it comes to the big games.

Well I guess I had better get on, I have a couple of big loads of laundry to get hung out and then ironed.  The house looks as though a bomb has dropped in it.  I can't see the veggie plot for weeds, and the ten emerald cedars still need to be planted.  Guess I'm going to be busy again.

Enjoy your Monday.  Oh and by the way I can't get this stupid song out of my head.

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Monday's Post

Anne in Niagara Falls if you happen to read this, can you email me with your new email address, please?

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Today Flower......

These photos were taken outside of dd's condo building.  If anyone knows what the magenta flowers are I would love to know?

For more of Today's Flower shots, please click on this link

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oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang!

I haven't heard this song in a long time: oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang


The original song was performed in 1958 by David Seville and here is a link to that one.


Then there is Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater."
Both these songs were brought back to "life" by Alvin and Chipmunks.


This is what is sitting in my window sill at the moment, they are actually past their best, but still a lovely sight.

Next Saturday I have to bake a pie to sell at the Church Strawberry Supper, so as I have enough rhubarb to sink a ship I decided to try a Rhubarb Crumble Pie recipe on Saturday, to see if it would be a good pie to make.

I can't find where I got the original recipe from.  I have changed it slightly, and luckily I saved it on Word!!

Rhubarb Crumble Pie

This rhubarb pie is topped with a buttery spiced oat crumb mixture. Serve with a scoop of ice cream for a perfect summer dessert.


Ingredients:


• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell


• 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb stalks


• 1/3 cup water


• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 3/4 cup sugar


• Few drops red food coloring, optional


• .


• Topping:


• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature


• 1/2 cup granulated sugar


• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats


• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Preparation:


Heat oven to 400°F. Prepare pie shell or thaw a frozen pie shell.


Trim and rinse the rhubarb stalks. Slice large stalks in half lengthwise. Slice rhubarb stalks crosswise in 1/2 to 1-inch lengths. Combine sliced rhubarb and water in a medium saucepan. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons flour and 3/4 cup sugar, stirring until well blended; add to the rhubarb mixture. Stir well and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover but leave the cover ajar to let steam escape and continue simmering for about 5 minutes, or just until tender. If desired, add a little red food coloring to make the filling more colorful. Spoon filling into the prepared pie shell.


With a pastry blender or fingers, combine the topping ingredients until blended and crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the pie. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is browned and the filling is bubbly.

Now a couple of tips.  Make sure you put the pie on a tin foil lined cookie tray as it will boil over!!! 1 1/2 lbs of rhubarb is around 6 cups.  When cooking the rhubarb, watch it carefully as it sticks to the bottom of the pan and burns........ask me how I know!!

This recipe is a keeper the rhubarb is tart and the topping is sweet, a lovely combination and I will make it for the Church Strawberry Supper next Saturday.

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Close encounter with a.......

FROG.......AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!  Okay it may have been a toad, but regardless it was a slimy creature and was HUGE.....at least a foot across, as we have giant ones up here on the Acreage!!  And you all know how terrified I am of frogs.

They are not very clear shots, but believe me they will have to do as I wasn't getting any closer!!  I think I did well to get as close as I did.

Something is eating the bark off the tree and I think it's the squirrels as they like to perch up there and "talk" to Molly!!

Dh has finally got a day off today.  He has been working seven days a week for a while and long, long days.  Infact he refused to work today, as England is playing the USA in World Cup Soccer at 2:15pm our time.  I may even join him in watching the game, I'll see.  All I am excited about is that all the games are on early enough in the day, so Coronation Street will be on, as its on the same station that has the World Cup Soccer on.   Finally someone saw sense about making sure Coronation Street should stay on.  Saying that the story line is pretty dull at the moment.  I'm liking the Eastenders one better.  Even I thought it was sad when Bradley left Stacey, she looked heartbroken.  We are at Valentine's Day 2008.  Coronation Street we are on or around August 24th, 2009.

This is funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-8BYmkLXTY

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A heart warming story

I was visiting Sandra's blog on Thursday and she had the most marvellous story about a lion on her blog.  Please take five minutes to read it, as its so worth your while, here is the link to it.

Below is a shot of the condo building that dd and boyfriend live in. 

Their condo is on the left hand side of the building facing east.  She is on the 21st floor; however there is no 4th, 14th, or 24th floor as 4 is an unlucky number in the Chinese culture.  Not sure about the 13th floor as a lot of people reckon that is an unlucky number also.  They have a teeny tiny balcony where you can fit a couple of lawn chairs, otherwise they have no outside space.

I will be showing some photos of the front entrance of the building on Sunday for Today's Flower as they had a couple of lovely urns outside with flowers in them.

I know I have mentioned this before, but we live pretty close to a cattle operation, where they keep 3,000 cattle.  I never hear the cows, but I smell them a lot!!  Anyhow all the manure goes into pits and trucks pick it up and they spread it on the crops.  While driving back from town on Thursday morning, what should pull out in front of me but one of those trucks.  The smell was vile, I mean really, really vile.  Thank godness I only had to follow it for a few minutes.  I don't know how those truck drivers manage to drive those trucks all the time.  I guess you get used to the smell?

Here is a photo of the roof of one of the cattle barns that we can see from our house.  As you can see from the photo its mainly camoflauged by the trees.

I managed to get to visit some blogs on Thursday finally.  If I haven't got around to yours, I will on the weekend, as its going to rain all weekend, so no gardening for me.

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Skywatch Friday

Stormy skies today, although as of 2:30pm no rain yet........

For more Skywatch Friday photos, please click on this link.

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True Lovers Knot Quilt Block and more photos from downtown

It was raining on Wednesday.  I had visitors that popped in for a couple of hours, and so in the afternoon I decided to get the quilt blocks done for the block of the month club.  It's called True Lover's Knot this month and is really pretty, well at least I thought so.

I have to say though, when I Googled True Lover's Knot quilt block I couldn't find an exact match to this quilt block, so I have a feeling it may have another name?  Let me know the quilters out there.

There are still another three months to go for the block of the month club.  I should have nine made now.

I loved how this guy was sitting feeding the pigeons in front of city hall.

Another view of City Hall

Old City Hall, which is next door.

Reflection of Old City Hall clock in the modern glass building.

A very modern looking bicycle taxi.

I enjoy going downtown Toronto, as there is always so much to see.

Finally some words of wisdom:

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Out and about........

On Monday we had dim sum for lunch.  I have never had that before.  It was in a restaurant that dd had eaten at before.

Now I will say I have no idea what all these items are called.  I liked some things, wasn't too keen on others.  I did however like the Chinese tea that they offered which surprised me.  Overall with the tax and tip it came to $23 for the both of us and we were stuffed.

We saw this sign in another restaurant window.  Look at the description (you may have to click on the photo to get a better look) of the types of noodles!!

Here is a link for my column in the Eden Valley Messenger.  I will say unless you live in the Eden Valley it probably won't be of interest to you this week, as it's all about the gypsies that come to Appleby for the Horse Fair each year.

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