Climate Change

I know this is a subject that now a days we hear more and more about and some of you may have had your feed on the subject and don't want to hear anymore for a while but the issue of climate change, more particularly "the environment" is something of extreme importance to me.

Last night I watched this. One of the researcher said that Halifax is the most severely affected by climate change in Canada... that's us, we live 300km from Halifax. We are surrounded by the Ocean. I need the Ocean, I am an "ocean person".

So today as you go about your usual busy day, innocently having your car idle for 15 minutes to drive to the store which is walking distance, as you take a longer then usual shower, as you hand wash your dishes under running water, as you take a breath of that nice crisp air outside - think of your generations to come... will they be allowed to take in that nice crisp air !

Have a wonderful weekend and please think of the environment ! You know... "every little bit helps ".

Village

Christmas Village is up and running for another year.

Frenchy's as of late

The red color in this picture is not the greatest. Found this twiggy, berry swag thingy at Frenchy's today at noon. I wrapped it around the bowl that was already on the kitchen table (for the time being).

Earlier this year I bought the Abalone shell on the right for burning sage. I got it at a store in Halifax. Today at Frenchy's I found the shell on the left which can also be used for the same purpose.

Weekend purchases

As mentioned in a previous post, I was in New Brunswick this past weekend. Ginette and I met up with a family friend at the Dieppe Market Saturday morning. I love markets, people are so talented. I could'nt resist this beautiful plate handmade by an artisan from that area. I want to hang it on the wall in the kitchen.

And as a new Christmas tree ornament for this year, I bought these cute wooden skates.

Did I ever tell you I LOVE CHRISTMAS !!!!!

Weekly Hodge Podge

Hello everyone out there in blogger land. Although I haven't been able to find the time to post this past week I've been checking my regular blogs daily. I need my daily fix of blogging buddies.

Let's see, what have I been up to this past week. Last Thursday evening my friend Winnie and I hit the highway en route to Moncton, New Brunswick (a five hour drive). I visited with my daughter and Winnie with hers. I had a fabulous visit - Christmas shopping, good eats in restaurants (except for that fish chowder, right Win), Christmas decorations went up and meeting people for the first time.

The only picture I took the entire weekend was this one - the king of the house ''Puss''.

Winnie gave me this cute snowperson... for no reason, just because.

Then my daughter gave me my birthday gift - Andrea Bocelli's latest CD. Look at him, how gorgeous is that face and his voice is even more beautiful. Merci beaucoup Gi !

Now the two following pictures could be a new fade for me. I don't quite now how to take it yet, this new interest that I've taken to...


... yes, I am going to try my luck at sewing (there, I said it... the S word). You may or may not know that I've hated anything to do with sewing for as long as I can remember. But this blogger thing has gotten to me. Viewing and reading all the nice sewing projects that my favorite bloggers posts - I got the bug. I can't post on what my project will be... it's a surprise for someone. My goodness, what have I gotten myself into !!!!! The sewing machine is not mine. It belongs to my daughter Ginette. She's had it since she was 10 years old. It's amazing the stuff she made at such a young age.

A very simple and easy craft project I snapped up last evening.

Hopefully this amaryllis will be in bloom for Christmas !

Road Trip

Oh how I wish we had not stored our bikes for the winter season. If only we had known that we were going to have spring like weather til this time of the year...


I know I haven't posted in a week but things have been kinda crazy at the office. Was in Halifax last weekend for two days of meetings.

This afternoon I'm am traveling to Moncton to visit this special person.

I will post when I get back on Sunday. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend.

Goodies

Here are a few pictures of some of my birthday goodies I got today.

A post office to add to my Christmas village (which should be up by next week).


More additions for my Christmas village.




This card is soooooo special. Dave hand-painted it for me. The inside is as nice as the outside (sorry no picture).

Firewood

Every year the long weekend in November (Remembrance Day weekend) is the set-time to bring in our 6 cords of firewood in the basement. So to keep tradition going, this past weekend we had work to do...

Dave putting extra air in the tires before getting started.

This was the scene Saturday morning before our first load = 6 cords of dry wood. This will be our heat energy for the Winter. I know, I know removing 6 cords of wood from the forest each year is not being good to Mother Earth but I hope she understands that we make up for this with other ''good green actions'' on our part. We had to stop bringing wood at noon because it started to rain.

Oh boy !!!!! this was the scene Sunday morning when we got up to bring in more wood. So Sunday was a lost day for us but we enjoyed indoor activities.

On to Monday ! We got up to a nice bright sun so after having a hearty breakfast we headed outside at 9 a.m. and worked on bringing in as much wood as possible up to 4 p.m. All the firewood that fits in the basement is in. We still have about half a cord outside but we have to burn part of what is in the basement in order to bring in what's outside.

Dave is enjoying a very much needed break with cookies and hot chocolate.

Remembrance

Thank you ! to all the men and women who have served and are serving to ensure that each and everyone of us get to live in a safe and secure country.

My father, my grandfather... they all had to serve.

Seems a simple thank you is not enough.

Christmasy

There it is, this season's first snow. We got up this morning to this beautiful white blanket of snow. I think snow is sooooooo beautiful before Christmas. Then afterwards, it is not so much pretty. I suppose I am eager for Spring.

Since I am on the subject of Christmas, below is a picture of the wreath I bought yesterday. When I got home I did'nt store it away for only a few weeks, I put it up on the back door immediately.

Handy dandy Frenchy find

This had to be the most practical and useful item I've found at Frenchy's in a long time. A plastic grocery bag holder. I don't know why I haven't had one before. I paid a whole .10 cents for it.

Thoughtful niece

Looky, looky, what I got in the mail...

You know when you had a very hectic, busy and exhausting day at work. A 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. non-stop running around the office day. I had one of those at work today but when I got home and checked the mailbox a surprise package was waiting for me from my very special and dear niece Colleen. How did she know I was going to need such a fabulous surprise today ! She made the print at a workshop she attended. And look at all the different kinds of tea (some of the tea are also from my sister, which happens to be Colleen's mom) many thanks go out to sis also and for the b-day card. I love, love, love tea and from those that I've received today not one have I tasted before - even more special.

Thank you very much Colleen from the bottom of my heart ! xxo

This kind of makes me want to start a tea swap.

Construction zone

We've been ''on the contractor's list'' for three months and today when we got home from work we noticed that work had begun (dah, it's obvious). Our roof very much needed to be re-shingled. Can't complain, the present shingles have been there for over 30 years.


Notice how dark it is outside and the pictures were taken at 4 p.m. today.

Mexican Monkey Cake

If you're ever in the mood for a nice moist cake I recommand you go ahead and bake this delicious Mexican Monkey Cake. I copied the recipe from Farmgirl Fare.

And just as mentioned by Farmgirl, this cake is even better the next day. I did'nt take any pictures and there is only a small piece left. I will definetely bake this cake again... soon.

Bread making

To be honest I'm kinda happy we had a rainy/windy weekend. I got to clean a few corners and closets in the house, cook and bake and do 'some' reading. Although it was sunny today I still spent most of my day inside cooking a comfort food supper (roast tenderloin pork, mashed potatoes, string beans and gravy) and baking this multi-grain bread.


What I love most about cooking from scratch is that I know exactly what goes into our food preparations. No preservatives in this bread...

Noel - 24 hours

Hurricane Noel was at its peek at around 9 p.m. last evening but we did'nt get it as badly as some parts of the Maritime Provinces did. We got rain and wind most of the day yesterday then for a couple of hours during the night it got a little worst. The picture below was taken exactly 24 hours later from this one. Amazing how weather conditions can change in 24 hours.

I ended up putting clothes outside to dry today... a perfect windy day for drying clothes.

Cassis

Remember back on September 1, I was working on this. Yesterday the two months had passed so I finalized the brew. Homemade Cassis made from blackberries instead of black currents (because I did'nt have any). Might I add that it taste just like the one my husband brought back from France years ago - lip smacking delicious ! What you see in the picture is all we got from the mixture so we are storing it (out of sight) til Christmas.

Is Noel coming ?

These pictures were taken at 3 p.m. this afternoon. Everyone is preparing and bracing themselves for Hurricane Noel that is suppose to hit southern Nova Scotia at around 9 p.m. tonight. Rain and wind started at around noon today and picking up speed by the hour.

It seems to be dark outside in the picture below but it was'nt. It was the dew on the window that made it look dark.

I will post more pictures tomorrow.