Frenchy Addict

Winterlude

2012-01-22T17:52:00.002-04:00

Finally, it looks like the season we are suppose to be in. Today was a picture perfect day outside. After I cleaned the chicken coop I walked around in the backyard and here is what I saw :

Three curious ladies - Anysie, Aimée and Antoinette

We've had cold temps the past couple of weeks and with the windchill factor it always feels a little more crisp doesn't it. I love snow ! A nice covering of snow makes everything so quiet and peaceful. The chickens were happy to have a clean coop and especially happy to spend some time outside taking in fresh air. They must be happy because they are still laying each an egg per day.

It's been pretty quiet around here since Christmas. Seems this time of year is slower for us; we go into a sort of hibernation.

Christmas traditions

2012-01-03T22:13:00.003-04:00

Like a lot of you out there we have our own family traditions such as lobster for supper Christmas Eve, watching a movie together after the opening of the gifts Christmas Eve, traditional wild rabbit meat pie the eve of Christmas Eve, etc. One tradition I have for myself is to get one new album of Christmas music each year. I got this one this year and man is it ever good. Thank you Ginette ! Usually the Christmas music is stored away in its usual spot the day after Christmas but this one I'm still listening to.

Birds

2012-01-03T21:57:00.002-04:00

I've mentioned countless times how much I love nature and pretty much every creature you find out there. Birds being right up there with dragonflies and lady bugs. I haven't posted frenchy's finds lately (actually in a very long time) so here are a few of my latest finds at Frenchy's...

Last summer we bought straw from a local market to put between our potatoe rows and there must have been hay in there somewheres because we got plenty of wheat. It was a pest in the garden but sure looks pretty in this antique pitcher I found about a month ago at Frenchy's.

A mama bird with her baby; love, love. And my favorite color... how lucky am I.

There are two candle holders in this picture. The double-one in the background I found last year at Frenchy's but the one in front I found last weekend. It holds my beeswax candle perfectly.

Week leading to Christmas...

2011-12-29T21:19:00.007-04:00

Sorry if you think there are way too many photos in this post but I think the best way to show you what we did the week leading to Christmas is with pictures plus I love reading other blog posts with a lot of pictures so here we go...

Christmas Eve 2011 - Dave and I with the two loves of our lives.

And here are those two lovelies again.

Mr. Puss chillaxin while we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve.

Our traditional Christmas Eve lobster supper.

This year the kids and Dave had a family game night on Christmas Eve eve. But before getting out the board games we had....

... a deep fried turkey and homemade curly fries supper. Luc and I watching over the frying turkey.

We ended up having a white christmas after all.

Tree with unopened gifts.

Antique balls hanging in the window. This is a neat idea I got from this fabulous blogger friend.

Another antique... how cute is this nut cracker.

Of course there was lots and lots of baking during the week.

And coffee drinking. I've collected 6 of these cute mugs. Luc mentioned that we'll need a sippy cup for next year. We are all so excited and looking forward to Noël 2012 with Ginette and André's baby.

And to end the holidays Dave and I spent Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the day after in hospitals. Dave fell and broke his left wrist for the second time in 8 weeks. Yes, same bone, same wrist. He needed surgery. He has 6 fixation pins in his wrist.

I hope 2012 will start better than 2011 ended but heck, it could be worst.

Rural Christmas Parade

2011-12-18T10:04:00.003-04:00

Our tiny (and pretty) little village sits in the woods. The trail (former railroad track) is right in front of our house. Even though it's very rural we still get a christmas parade. Last night was the night to watch for it. Everything is on all terrain vehicles. Amazing the work these village folks put into this display of awesomeness.

It was a cold night but Dave and I only had to wait for about 20 minutes before the parade went by. They stop to chat with the on-lookers.

From where I'm sitting...

2011-12-06T21:41:00.002-04:00

... things are looking mighty fine. I put up the Christmas village over the weekend. It's getting bigger and bigger every year. It is so beautiful and peaceful to look at.

Thanks to Dave, the tree is up five days before it was scheduled to go up. He assembled it and put the lights on so all I had to do was put the ornaments and voilà... our beautiful tree.

Just a few more decorations to bring down from the attic and we'll be done for this year. Dave and I are looking forward to another lovely Christmas spent with the ones we love doing our little family traditions that were started years ago.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party 2011

2011-12-04T19:42:00.005-04:00

I know this picture has nothing to do with sweater parties but I just had to share this beautiful picture with you guys. Dave and I hit the road early this morning to go pick-up another amazing stained glass window from this artist in Bridgewater. Sorry, can't post a picture of the window because it's a christmas gift and she reads my blog. Early morning is my favorite part of the day !

OK, rewind to last night. We had another wonderful ''Ugly Christmas Sweater'' party. I think it's our third year. Below, Dave and I getting ready at home.

Front view of my party jacket...

... the back.

Comfy toe socks.

My sweater this year...

... and Dave's.

T'is the season...

2011-11-28T19:54:00.002-04:00

... to start the Christmas preparations. I've said it a million times before ''my favorite part of Christmas is the weeks leading up to the big day''. The kids, Dave and I have always celebrated Christmas on the 24th. For me, everything is blaaahhhh on the 25th. We jam-pack a whole lot of goodness on Christmas Eve day.

Yesterday Dave and I headed deeper in the woods to fetch the necessities for the outside decorations. We keep things plain and simple outside... inside, well that's another story. Now that outside has been taken care of, let's start inside.

I am putting up stuff one bit at a time.

I was in New Brunswick over the weekend and picked-up this beauty. I can't remember the german name for it; I call it the wooden german merry-go-round. (Note to self - yes, you have to keep an eye on it when it's lit. Two of the propeller thingy almost caught on fire).

I am starting to prefer roasted pumpkin to boiled for making purée for baking.

This week I am also getting ready for our annual ugly christmas sweater party taking place this Saturday. Pictures to follow I'm sure.

Wild Things

2011-11-13T17:25:00.003-04:00

I've mentioned here before - I have a niece that's only 7 years older than I am. She's also my best friend. It is unfortunate that we live 4 provinces apart, we can't visit in person like we'd like but there's always the telephone, emails and skype. She's the one that started me (gave me a little push in the back kinda thing) on this simple living journey that we are living around these parts. Did I tell you she's smart and knows a lot about healthy eating and Mother Earth and so much more.

Yesterday this came in the mail for me with a beautiful message in the card. And yes, it's from Colleen. She and her daughter went into the woods to collect the items for that Christmas tree ornament she made for me... an early birthday gift.

There are three books that show you how to make projects with natural found items. She made the ornament from that first book you see over there.

Thank you so much Colleen. You know how much I love handmade gifts, especially those made by you and that it's made from nature is a double bonus.

Unrelated, but I wanted to let everyone know that I participated in my first drumming circle Friday evening. WOW !!!!! it sure won't be my last. The energy in that room was uplifting to say the least. Friday afternoon I sewed-up that linen bag for my drum.

Annual foliage drive

2011-11-06T18:16:00.004-04:00

This afternoon Dave and I went for our annual fall foliage drive. We were a few weeks late, most of the leaves are on the ground but it was still pretty and peaceful. And I LOVE Sunday drives, I just love them... and Dave knows that. So he knows exactly when to suggest such a drive.

We stopped at our secret spring in the woods to fill our water bottles.

Mmmmmmm, so refreshing.

Filling Dave's bottle, because as you know, he broke his wrist so he has to be super carfeful about those yoga poses ;-)

I love the ocean but I sure was born to be a woodswoman. The deeper the woods the better for my soul.

Have a good start to the week everyone.

Baby, it's cold out there

2011-10-30T18:09:00.003-04:00

This is the kind of day we had ALL day. Plus, extreme winds (which you can't see in pictures). We still have about 3 cords of wood to bring in. Dave broke his left wrist a week ago so I'm finding myself bringing in the firewood with Luc and Liette's help. Dave has a hard time accepting he can't do these things.... and that, for 6 weeks. This is making me realize how much he does around here... I miss that left hand (and the right one also).

There has been a whole lot of ''secret'' knitting around here in the past month. Dave and I are going to be grand-parents in May. Ginette and André are expecting our first grandchild.

And yes......... we are VERY excited!!!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-30T18:04:00.002-04:00

This year our group's theme for Halloween was ''Martini cocktails''. We went to the dance last night; it was so much fun. I have such an awesome group of friends.

That is a wig I am wearing but a lot of people commented on my new hairdo. They actually thought it was my real hair.

Russets

2011-10-22T18:35:00.004-04:00

Our property stretches out back 3 acres. There are ''very'' old apple trees over there. Like everything else around here... nothing gets sprayed or treated so sometimes the best pick looks a little distressed but that's how organic is - lumpy and spotted. One kind of apple way back there is Russet. Those are Dave's favorites. So today was our annual walk across our property to fetch a basket of Russet apples (and a few other kinds too).

I think I've mentioned before how much I LOVE fall but here I am saying it again.

We are still busy bringing in our winter firewood and Dave was working away at a storage unit in the laundry room. Divided in two - one side as a closet for our coats, shoes and such and the other half to store our canned goods. Pictures to follow when everything is painted.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Wedding :: Few more for you

2011-10-18T18:26:00.004-04:00

Dave and I enjoyed having this bunch of funny, crazy boys in our home for a few hours while they got ready and waited for the limo to pick them up to go join the girls.
Luc escorting me to my seat.

The beautiful couple in their driveway.

Thankful

2011-10-10T18:31:00.002-04:00

I have so much to be thankful for (actually when I stop and think about it, I'm thankful for everything). As I often mention, the number one thing to be thankful for is the health of my family. Everything else is secondary.

No turkey this year. It was a busy weekend with our son's wedding so we put the big turkey supper off until next year.

Firewood is arriving daily.

Dusted off the old scarecrow.

Even though we did'nt have turkey we still had delicious pumpkin pie.

Wedding :: Groom getting ready

2011-10-10T18:15:00.003-04:00

Saturday, October 8, was a gorgeous sunny and warm Fall day and it was our son Luc's wedding day. The ceremony, reception and dance took place at a lovely rustic lodge only 2 km from our home. Here are a few pictures of Luc and his entourage taken while they were waiting for the photographer...

The handsome groom.

Bestman Simon, Luc's childhood friend. They've known each other since they were 4 years old.

Groomsman André, Luc's brother-in-law.

Groomsman Daniel, Luc's highschool friend. Luc was a groomsman at his wedding in August.

Groomsman Sylvain, another of Luc's highschool friend and music playing buddy.

I'll post pictures of the beautiful couple as soon as I get my hands on pictures.

Dream Big

2011-10-01T20:36:00.002-04:00

Dream Big... I knew right away that with a name like that I was going to love Sara's blog. I was immediately drawn to this section. This beautiful blog became one of my regular reads in blogland. Than one day Sara had this post up. Blue and dragonflies... yes please. After a brief exchange of emails and a two hour road trip and a very warm welcome from Sara and John at their beautiful home, and two cute dogs, here is the rest of the story...

I have the perfect window for my gift-to-myself. When the sun hits those blues and greens, oh my (no sun today as you can see outside).

The valance came down and up went the stained-window.

Roasted tomato soup

2011-09-20T20:24:00.003-04:00

I've been following this wonderful blog for a few months now and I enjoy seeing all the wonderful things Renee and her family are up to. Last week Renee blogged about her family's favorite soup. Actually I think she said it was her family's favorite ''meal''. Just reading about it I immediately knew it would be my favorite also. So first thing Saturday morning I set out in the garden to pick all the ripen tomatoes and I made half a batch to see if I would like this soup. By the time I went to bed Saturday night I had eaten the entire batch by myself. Sunday I made a full pot. This time my husband got to see for himself what the rave was about the previous day. I managed to freeze two jars to be consumed later this Fall.

In our household, Fall and Winter means soup. We hardly eat soup the two other seasons. Now, go ahead and make Renee's Roasted Tomato Soup. Seeing that I'm a cheese addict, I added crumbled feta cheese on top of the soup after it's been scooped in the bowls.

All the signs are there

2011-09-18T19:02:00.004-04:00

All the signs of Fall are out there. I love the transition from Summer to Fall and of course Fall being my favorite season.

Our cultivated scarlet runner beans. They are a heritage seed from the 1600's.

This little guy is all smiles... I think Fall might be his favorite season also.

We are still eating chard from the garden. It's amazing how much we ended up harvesting this year.

That beautiful golden color of Fall.

Eggplants still growing in the cold frame.

As well as peppers.

This picture was taken a few weeks ago... these are the scarlet runner beans drying in the sun.

Mmmmm, pumpkin pie here I come.

Next post I will share an amazing roasted tomato soup recipe from a blogger that I follow. Stay tuned and get your tomatoes ready. You will want to cook up a pot of this soup.

What would you do on a Friday night...

2011-08-29T19:53:00.003-04:00

... this is what Dave and I did last Friday after a long week at work. We packed-up the four-wheeler and headed to the ocean to have our supper.

But first we need a fire !

Our means of transportation

Beautiful rocky shore

It's a 30 minute buggy ride in the trail; we stayed for about an hour than headed back. What a beautiful way to end the week.

Wooden Monkey

2011-08-29T19:45:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago Dave and I took a day trip to Halifax (actually I needed to find a mother-of-the-groom dress; and I did). An excellent restaurant for us is at the Wooden Monkey (that building behind me with the yellow trim). The food is fresh and delicious. They value and honor the 100 mile diet.
After devouring our yummy lunch we headed down to the Halifax Waterfront (always a popular spot during the summer months). Here I am with Theodore.

Yoga and Nature Retreat

2011-08-17T19:53:00.004-04:00

Last week I went for 7 glorious days and nights way in the deep woods for a yoga and nature retreat at Birchdale. This was my second year going and it's safe to say that I'll be back there next year. Everything is perfect out there - no electricity, no highways so no cars, no motorized boats in the lake (only our kayaks and canoes), of course no television, radio, computer or cell phones, no junk food. But lots of bike rides, nature walks, bird watching, delicious organic meals prepared by an ayurvedic chef, three amazing teachers (two from India), restful sleeps and many soothing cups of tea.

But one can never forget the friendships that are forged at this retreat.

Nature forces you to slow down and appreciate what surround's you.

It's kind of like at an ashram where everyone helps out with the chores. This year I was in charge of the flowers in the chapel and lighting all the candles in the chapel before meditation every night.

View from our front porch. The cabins are very rustic (just the way I like it) with a wood stove and fireplace. We had rain for a few days but the rest of the week was nice and sunny. Our day started with one hour of asana, followed by breakfast, than 90 minutes of sutra studies (yoga philosophy), lunch, free afternoons to do whatever activities we wanted (I mostly read and knitted on the front porch of our cabin) than at 4 pm we had another hour of asana practice, supper, meditation and the evenings always ended with a fire in the fireplace, tea and cookies with everyone sitting and chatting.

Away

2011-08-07T07:49:00.001-04:00

I am headed later today in the deep woods at a Nature and Yoga Retreat. Talk to you next week.

Why we live the way we do

2011-08-02T21:04:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago someone pitched this comment to me ''do you think that with all you and Dave do by eating mainly a plant-based diet, using only homemade cleaning products, soaps, lip balms, deoderants and creams, biking, kayaking, all-terrain buggying, make our environment scent free (as much as possible), growing and eating organic fruits and vegetables... that you will live to 100?'' My answer was shorter than his question '' We are not trying to live to 100 but the years which we are on this earth we want them to be of good quality''. It's all about quality of life, don't you think ? We don't know how long we are on this journey so Dave and I are making the best of every single day. Our health is our main concern, we both have family histories of heart disease.

Look at these pictures - isn't this a good quality of life !!! And another thing, we live the way we do because we want to ;-)

All pictures were taken yesterday while kayaking on one of our many prestine lakes.

Feeding ourselves and yarn

2011-08-01T20:46:00.002-04:00

This year I made pesto with my garlic scapes and ''it is delicious''. We ate some and I froze a few containers for next winter when I start dreaming of spring and my gardens. I can't believe I did'nt do pesto with my scapes before this year...

Drying garlic
Some yummy yarn I bought on my recent trip to Moncton when Dave and I visited our daughter and SIL

Made by him

2011-08-01T20:36:00.002-04:00

We had a rainy evening and half-day over the weekend so Dave made these for me ... I love all three of these projects.

This now hang's pretty in our kitchen. We are starting to have quite the lavender garden outside so some of it is starting to find its way in the house.

Driftwood sculpture in our back entry.

These plant markers were seen on a few blogs this year. I thought they were pretty cool so Dave made a bunch for next Spring's plantings.

We have a winner

2011-08-01T20:29:00.002-04:00

I won some pretty cool stuff all handmade by Amber. I've already used the sugar scrub and the red apple hand balm smells soooooo good; I practically use it as a perfum. Can't wait to use the soap and try out that washing mitten. Thank you so much Amber for sharing this loveliness with me.

I love Amber's blog. I've been following for a couple of years. She's always up to something fun and interesting.

Moncton in July.... during a heat wave...

2011-07-24T20:45:00.010-04:00

... is very, very HOT !!! Dave and I spent the past four days in Moncton visiting Ginette and André. Some days it went up to 34 with the humidity - that's hot for us. We are used to the ocean breeze. There are so many nice things to see around where they live. Apart from the usual dining out, farmers market, very little shopping done this time, we celebrated Ginette's 30th with a group of her wonderful friends...

... we went to Le Pays de la Sagouine in Bouctouche, New Brunswick. We had reservations for an evening dinner theatre but we spent the afternoon walking around and visiting the site.

That sign I'm holding in the first picture is part of a contest they are having to celebrate the 40th anniversary of La Sagouine. Contest ends August 15th so you'll be hearing more about this in future posts.

We also had fun discovering the wonders of Hopewell Rocks. It really is breathtaking !

We always have fun when we visit ''the kids''. Thanks Ginette and André xxo

Right now...

2011-07-14T19:41:00.006-04:00

... we are loving the explosion of colors in our flower gardens, Mr. Puss visiting for still one more week, the soothing scent of lavender everytime I go by, many four-wheeling adventures, homemade whole wheat english muffins, eating fresh from the garden meals every day and enjoying this beautiful summer as it zooms by a wee bit too fast for this girl. Two weeks vacation coming up and yes, I will be spending those two weeks doing much of the same as listed above.

Hope everyone is well.

Canada Day weekend

2011-07-02T20:21:00.007-04:00

And the weekend isn't over yet. Yesterday was Canada's Birthday. We had two fabulous days so far - weather wise and fun wise. We went to a beautiful lake, drank cold refreshing drinks, made a campfire, had a clambake on said fire, found a cache and went on a two hour all-terrain drive on the trail and much more. We'll see what's in store for tomorrow... maybe we should rest to go back to work on Monday.

Big chair and quinoa

2011-06-22T20:18:00.002-04:00

I know, that is one wicked big chair. You can see it for yourself if you visit Mavillette Beach.

If you love quinoa and you're looking for a new recipe to try out, go ahead with this one. Served with ziki on the side for dipping. These little patties are delicious and a super food at that.

Father's Day s'mores

2011-06-22T20:07:00.002-04:00

Father's Day evening we had a nice fire going at Luc and Liette's house. We enjoyed the sticky deliciousness of s'mores.

Vacation Day 3 - still nice and sunny. Making progress in the flower gardens (lots and lots of weeding).

Solstice

2011-06-21T20:53:00.004-04:00

Hope you all had a wonderful first day of summer. It was also my second day of a one-week vacation. I could not have asked for better weather (it was a repeat of yesterday), deep blue sky, bright warm sun and a tiny little breeze helping to keep the horseflies at bay. Today I had an oatmeal breakfast, did two loads of laundry, had leftover arugula pesto pasta for lunch from pesto I made and froze last summer and a mug of cold ginger lemon drink, dug, weeded and transplanted in the flower gardens, made this minus the tofu for supper (it is one of Dave and I's favorite these days), we went thrifting this evening and now I am ready for a good night's rest. Tomorrow will be much of the same !

Sparkles

2011-06-20T18:42:00.004-04:00

Our walk on the beach last evening in photos.

Dave and the big rock.
Images in the sand

Me trying to roll the big rock ;-)

Everything was so sparkly

Just be...

2011-06-19T18:17:00.005-04:00

Towards the middle of the week I knew this would be a weekend of not doing too much, relaxing, eating fresh strawberries, some weeding in the gardens,... to Just Be !!! It rained all day Saturday and part of this morning but towards noon today the sun came out and it turned out to be a beautiful day. Dave and I made a batch of soap yesterday; orange citrus.

Tonight we went for a relaxing walk on the beach. Pictures in another post. Wishing everyone a good start to the week tomorrow. I'm on vacation from work for the week.

Fun day away

2011-06-12T20:49:00.003-04:00

We spent the day today in Halifax at my brother's for my niece's confirmation. I won't post pictures with my niece in them because I don't have permission. It was a lovely celebration of love and joy. We left at 3:30 pm with our bellies full of delicious food. Dave and I headed one way and Ginette and André the other.
Entertained !!! what people do for fun now a days...

While we waited at the church for the rest of the family, we took pictures of course.

It was fun to get away even for just the day. Back to work tomorrow. I have a week's vacation coming up after this week.

Blessed

2011-06-05T19:34:00.004-04:00

We had two beautiful sunny days for the weekend. Today was homemade ice tea (Pink Flamingo) time - although it could have been a wee bit warmer but the sun was so nice and bright in that nice blue sky.

I am so blessed to call this place home !

Today we celebrated our son's 26th birthday with a traditional dish ''rappie pie'' and ice cream cake. I also made my second batch of soap and it's looking beautiful. I love that I am surrounded by so many resourceful people... I enter the soap supply store and walk out 45 minutes later with a head full of new information and a pocket full of little pieces of paper with names, websites, etc on them.

Frenchy's find and a gorgeous evening

2011-05-30T19:29:00.005-04:00

I know I haven't been posting a lot about Frenchy's lately and it's not because we don't go... the reason you don't see a whole lot of Frenchy's finds on this old blog is that the finds are quite grim lately. Above is my latest find - a very soft and cozy hoodie which I will wear when we make backyard fires in the pit...

What a gorgeous evening - bright blue skies, no wind and ''almost'' no little black flies. Dave made a fire in the pit while the chickens roamed around the yard.

Random link love :

I am baking these tomorrow night. I have a batch of sprouts in the sprouter which I will use to stuff these yummy pockets.

I made this for supper tonight, minus the tofu. We are not tofu kinda people. We don't consume meat or pork; only seafood and organic chicken (not ours that's for sure) on occasion. It is a keeper for sure. Both Dave and I loved it.

I made soap

2011-05-30T19:10:00.004-04:00

With my trusty assistant Dave by my side, I made soap ! It took me a good part of the year to be able to say those three words. I've read a few books on the subject in the past year, bookmarked some delicious looking recipes from the internets and started picking up the required utensils. For my first batch I made this simple recipe. I am going to use these bars to make my next batch of laundry powder.

I followed the instructions exactly as directed and measured my ingredients with precision and my soap turned out lovely. I added lemon essential oil in my batch to give my laundry detergent a lovely citrus aroma. I got 18 bars of soap.

Now I'm going to get all the oils I need to make a batch of hand and body soaps.

This is fun.... !!!

More rain... more food

2011-05-24T19:26:00.002-04:00

With the return of ''the rain'' we also see the return of baking in our home. I love most baked goods; really. This coconut zucchini bread with coconut rum lime glaze was delicious. I enjoy a good cup of tea with a nice thick slice of bread. However, if I had a choice, I prefer a plain bread (minus the fancy glaze and roasted coconut). A side note here - the best tasting zucchini bread for me so far is baked by my dear daughter. I've tried her recipe but I can never achieve her results.

Sadly I did not copy the link to the blogger that posted the recipe and I don't feel like typing (although I can type 120 wpm) a one-page long recipe. You will have to take my word - it was very yummy.

I did however, copy the link to this recipe. It might be the canadian in me, but I love the Canadian Living magazine and their web site. So many delicious recipes. A blogger (again, my bad; can't remember who) suggested adding 1/3 cup crumbled feta instead of the tahini paste and I am so glad that I took her suggestion. I love hummus and I will certainly be rotating from chick peas to lentils.

Best of both worlds

2011-05-24T19:10:00.002-04:00

I love living in the woods but sometimes Dave and I leave everything we are doing and head for the ocean... to recharge of sorts. Sunday evening we had take away supper and drove here to enjoy our meal. I was born and raised in the woods and Dave was mostly raised next to the ocean. Needless to say he jumps for joy :-) at any chance to head for a walk on the beach or to do some beachcombing (which is one of our all time favorite pass time).

When I was done taking the above picture I turned to my left and took the picture below.

These two wind turbines are located on the university campus where Dave and I work.

We enjoyed our non-rain long weekend but it's back to the rainy, soggy weather today and forecasted for a few more days.

The Edibles 2011

2011-05-21T19:39:00.002-04:00

I knew we were starting to have quite a few fruit, berries and veggies on our property but did'nt know we had this much, until I took inventory tonight ...

Cold-frame Dave built for me a few weeks ago.

Scarlet runners (pole beans)
Leeks
Turnips
Rhubarb
Asparagus
Cucumbers
Kale
Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Garlic - soft and hard
Sunflowers
Beets - red and golden
Green beans
Peas

Salad mix

Arugula

Jeruselum Artichoke

Pumpkins

Zucchini

Egg plants

Broccoli

Peppers - green and red

Carrots

Potatoes (are drying, will be in the ground tomorrow)

Cherries

Plum

Raspberries

Blackberries

Blueberries

Grapes

Currents - red and black (cassis)

Strawberries

In the herb garden : mint, oregano, lemon balm, camomile, basil, italian parsley, sage, catnip, tyme and chives.

Some fruit and berries were planted a few years back. The veggies and ''some'' berries were planted in the last few weeks.

Reading, eating, drinking

2011-05-17T19:12:00.004-04:00

What does one do when it's been raining for over two weeks ?

My latest read ''Homesteading in the 21st Century''. I have never been one to read a book in a few days or one weekend. I am a very slow reader. Sometimes I read the same paragraph over and over just to make sure I understood what the author was trying to tell me. Very seldom will I read fictions, they're not my thing. I am so happy this book caught my eye 30 seconds after I walked in the doors of Chapters on the weekend. Only about 30 pages read and I can already tell it is going to be a good one.

Drink one ''heavy-on-the-leafy-greens'' smoothie once a day - rain or shine.

A warm galette aux pommes... no recipe needed. I bake like my french ancestors - whip up something with what I have on hand.

Previously mentioned green smoothie - spinach, kale, strawberries, kiwi, apple, chia seeds, nut butter, coconut water, frozen banana (always frozen). All this in one single glass. You would never eat all this in one day. See my fancy reusable straw over there in the smoothie ? never have to put another plastic straw in the trash.

If you've been reading here for a while you know how much I would love to be this amazing woman. I'm hoping that in my next life I will be just like Tasha. I love her so much that I often make recipes from her cookbook (which by the way was a Frenchy find). My latest was her date and nut loaf; delicious with a hot cup of tea.

This has become our favorite bread lately. Perfect for toast.

Can't remember when...

2011-05-16T19:18:00.002-04:00

... but one evening last week looked like this. Sunsets have been few and far apart around these parts lately. Atlantic Canada, like many other places, has been hit by heavy and constant rainfalls in the past two weeks. Something we rarely see in our backyard is the lawn soaked way up to the back steps; and today it is.

Hoping to see some clearing in the sky soon. We bought three more blueberry bushes that need planting and our taters are not in the ground yet. I need to write a post with a list of everything we have planted on our property. As Dave says ''we'll need to open a roadside stand''.

Hope everyone's Monday was easy to go through.

Curly

2011-05-16T19:10:00.002-04:00

I know these things have been around for a while but for me it was the first time I've ever heard of it or seen one in action this past weekend.

Some people come up with the most amazing ideas. We ate ''lots and lots'' of curly fries yesterday. Our son and his fiancé bought this contraption and brought it over last night.

Duck weather

2011-05-11T18:59:00.000-04:00

Is anyone else getting rain ? We've been having rain since Saturday. Rubber boots weather for sure. Forecast for tomorrow is for rain in the morning and clearing in the afternoon. Friday cloudy and yup, rain Saturday and Sunday. I'm happy we did'nt plant the potatoes on the weekend because they would have rotten in the soil by now. I'm not against rain, I kind of love hearing the sound of rain slowly falling. However, when it's being pounded on the windows by gail force winds... not so much.

However, if it wasn't raining we would'nt be able to spend too much time outside on account of the little black flies having a feast with our blood. A no win situation !

Patiance I tell myself, the time will come.

One-day weekend

2011-05-08T16:15:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was the Spring Convocation at the university so I worked pretty much all day. It is so nice to see the joy and excitement in the faces of the graduating students. Some of them have been with us for 7 years and being a small university, everyone is family !

Lots can be done in a one-day weekend at home (and no, I'm not talking about housework). Dave and I planted blackberry canes, 3 blueberry plants, 34 strawberry plants and I planted the lettuce and turnips in the veggie garden.

Mother's Day flowers from my son.

Beautiful outdoor ornament from my daugher.

Edited : I should have said married 32 years and together for 35) Part of my anniversary rose bush from Dave. We celebrated 32 years together on May 5th.

As is the case every year, there is a lot of weeding to be done... but I love digging my hands in the dirt.

The guest speaker at yesterday's graduation left us with the following words of advice ''if you start looking forward to Friday afternoon on Monday morning and you get depressed on Sunday night because of work the next day... it's time to move on''.

Happy Monday everyone !!!

In the garden we went

2011-05-02T19:38:00.004-04:00

Some favorites of the weekend :

- three protected tomato plants; raspberry canes, zukes and sugar pumpkins. Everything has to be protected from the dirt-loving chickens.

- a repurposed crow from my son's garbage pile now hanging around our strawberry patch. Let's see if this year we can scare away the ''real'' crows.

- beautiful blue skies all weekend.

- basil seedlings.

- see that huge window that Luc is holding in back of Dave's lawn tractor ? stay tuned, I'm hoping to show you the finished product that this window was used for.

A few link love for you :

I need to make one of these for my side of the bed.

I love pyrex and although I have more than my share of bowls, I don't have one of these.

I have a special connection with bloggers from Maine and this one is no different. Maine has so many similar caracteristics to us here in Atlantic Canada.

Hope everyone had a good Monday and that the sun is starting to shine in your neck of the woods.

Snipets

2011-04-30T19:43:00.006-04:00

Thank you so much for all the get well soon messages. You are all special friends (and I wish those that are lurking would find the courage to leave comments. I would love to hear from you; honest). My pneumonia is ''almost'' gone. Antibiotics were done yesterday and I still need the puffer for another week. Most important, my mom is doing very well also. Who knew how serious (life treatening) low sodium could be.

Here are a few snipets from around our home :

Table next to my rocking chair.

This year's pussywillow pick.

Beautiful sunshine we got to enjoy today.

Elemental dishes - fire, air, water (times two) and earth, one green and one brown, finally displayed in their new(old) armoire. Estimated to be around 120 years old.

Fresh morning eggs waiting to be washed and stored. Sherrie, this is my egg holder that I've mentioned earlier this week.

Baywindow with some of my favorite things. See that fishing basket ? given to me by my brother when they moved last Fall. It was handmade by a dear friend of my father's who passed away last year. The giant hornets nest I found years ago. Can you tell my favorite color is blue ? Heart-shapped stained glass in the window - bought at a yardsale a couple of years ago for 25 cents. The little woodland fairy hanging in the window - a special 50th birthday gift from my dear niece. Our home is a simple, fonctionnal farmhouse with some antiques (wish I had more). I don't like an arts and craft home. All the rafia, heart-shaped everything, plaid, forest green and burgendy. So yes, I don't really like that wallpaper, needs to go. But you see, neither Dave nor I really like the tedious task of removing wallpaper. This home was ''papared'' wall to wall, upstairs and downstairs and over the years we've taken it all down except for this tiny corner and the den (which we are afraid to remove because we know underneath it's old, very old, plaster that will come falling down with the paper). Oh, and I don't go for border paper either. I love clean painted walls.

Did a lot of yard work today. Should have a post for you tomorrow.

I'm back but not 100% yet

2011-04-24T19:43:00.004-04:00

I'm back, not 100% flu-free though... had to go back to the doctor yesterday morning. Had the beginnings of pneumonia so I have new meds, drinking a lot of herbal teas and resting as much as possible. For the first time in two weeks, I slept through the night last night without one single coughing fit (meds are already working). I can't even start to figure out the last time I had the flu... it's been years.

Walked around the gardens this afternoon while Dave was cleaning around ...

Kale is keeping strong.

Garlic is growing well.

Dave's newly painted tractor wagon.

Our son and his friend went in the annual two-day canoe trip Friday and Saturday. They enjoyed two pleasant sunny days; although the second day the wind was against them.

Back soon....

2011-04-18T19:25:00.002-04:00

Battling this three week old monster of the flu and a hospitalized elderly mother has me running behind on everything. Hope to talk to you all soon. Take care.

Cold 911

2011-04-10T18:42:00.005-04:00

Sorry I've been a stranger here for a week but I've been sick... yes, sick with the cold that's going around. It's not a good one to get; believe me. I was soooooo proud of myself for not getting a cold all winter (with all the precautions I was taking) than BOOM it started with a sinus infection, went into my ears, down into my throat and all settled in my chest where I've been coughing my lungs out (so to speek). Looks like I might be able to drag myself to work tomorrow. I've been drinking a lot of Cold 911 tea from David's Tea.

Oh, and the Spring Peepers are out !!!

Cleaning the grounds

2011-04-03T20:35:00.007-04:00

The wet snow we got Friday and early Saturday melted as soon as it hit the ground and that's a good thing ! Today was the perfect day to empty the compost bin for that nice black earth, go through the in-ground vegetable garden with the thiller, creating a new spot for the pumpkin patch (with the help of the girls of course), hoping that old faithful Mr. Thiller will serve us good for just one more season and knowing that the way we are living here suits our lifestyle perfectly and appreciating each and every day we are given here on this beautiful earth.

Something not related to gardening but still nice... since starting this blog 4 years ago I have been inspired by so many like-minded bloggers, found delicious recipes, knitting and sewing patterns, organic gardening tips, homemade cleaners and beauty products and most of these are found through links that my favorite bloggers share. I think ''if I like it, someone out there might want to know about it too'' so here goes a list of a few of the things I'm loving these days :

I love poka dots and I adore folk art, so owning one of these would be a joy just in time for Easter.

This cake pan will be in my cupboard at one point this year. Finding this pan is perfect timing seeing this year I am studying bee keeping.

Something on my bucket list for a while is making a quilt. Can't wait to see this in my mailbox later this week.

This could possibly be my next etsy purchase. Years ago, when I was a wee little girl, my grand parents had one of these and I loved it.

Wishing everyone a good start of the week tomorrow and let's hope we'll be hearing those Spring peepers soon.

Spring and Earth Hour

2011-03-29T19:20:00.003-04:00

It looks like Spring out there, smells like Spring but sure doesn't feel like Spring these days. We've been in some sort of cold spell since late last week. The forecast for the next few days is for higher temps; yes please. Nope, this is not a beaver's den. It's the pile of twigs getting bigger and bigger by the day. I've mentioned here before that I love ''pick-up stix'' after the snow has melted and we sure have been picking many, many, twigs lately. If ever this wind can calm down we'll make a fire in the pit.

When we got home from work, Dave and I changed in our yard-working clothes and headed outside to keep an eye on the chickens. We've been letting them free-range but we stay outside with them.

Saturday evening at 8:30 pm it was lights out in this household to celebrate Earth Hour 2011. I was home alone so I sat on my Zafu pillow and meditated for the hour.

Snow storm in the forecast for Saturday !

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Cookies

2011-03-24T19:35:00.005-04:00

Tonight's baking...

Happy Spring

2011-03-20T19:52:00.002-04:00

What a gorgeous sunny weekend we had; still on the cool side but beautiful. To celebrate the first day of Spring we let the chickens roam around outside their run... for the first time ever !!! they had fun and did'nt want to come back in. I had to run around and catch them one by one.

Frenchy's, herb rack and the Market

2011-03-19T19:37:00.005-04:00

About a month ago I mentioned to Dave that a cool gift to have for Christmas next year would be a label maker so he took note of that. With only a few minutes to spare on my lunch break one day this week, I stopped in at Frenchy's and guess what I found...

... well, a labeller of course ! for $2.95 and it works. We bought a new printing ribbon and just like the ink cartridges for a printer, it costs half of what a brand new label machine would cost. I am so happy to have labels on my herb, spice, cosmetic bottles.

Speaking of herbs, here is my new herb drying rack in our newly painted kitchen. It's an antique wooden leaf-rake we found years ago at an antique store. The handle rotted off seeing that it's been laying in a wood pile outside for all these years. Voilà, an instant herb drying rack.

Dave and I went to a special edition of the Yarmouth Farmers Market this morning. I needed to stock up on soap so seeing one of my favorite blogger, that just happens to make fabulous soaps was going to be there I knew I would come home with yummy smelling soap. Dave bought me this cute little frog on a lilypad painted rock.

Suppose to be another sunny day tomorrow. How is the super supreme full moon treating you tonight !!! Time for grounding and renewal.

Life is good

2011-03-19T19:23:00.003-04:00

Hard to believe the two day old baby chick in the first picture is now one of these. The six girls are all well and healthy after surviving their first winter. They sure are happy to be outside after four cold months spent mostly inside the coop. Later I will spring-clean their coop - dust cobwebs, paint floor and walls, remove four of the six nesting boxes (because all six lay their eggs in the same box anyways) making more room to roam around, cleans windows. I've ordered a 22 pound capacity feeder and an electric waterer (the heated part to be used next winter only). Our favorite electrician :-) will properly wire the coop with outlets and switches. This winter we were operating with an extension cord but we knew it would only be temporary.

Yes, they had snow

2011-03-13T18:34:00.003-04:00

Dave and I got back tonight from a nice weekend visit with Ginette and André in Dieppe, New Brunswick. Three months since I had last seen her in person was a bit of a stretch for me so off we went to visit.

I finally got to taste raspberry cordial and I did'nt even have to travel to PEI to get it. And it taste as good as Anne of Green Gables says it does... delicious.

Fine organic teas were bought and consumed, delicious desserts eaten (thanks Gi), Mr. Puss cuddles, movies, shopping, farmers markets, conversations... all good !

Yes, they got A LOT of snow this winter. I did'nt take any pictures with my camera but we have some on Dave's phone that we need to download. It's unbelievable and they said half of it melted last week, so that was only half of what they had. Now that it's starting to melt... another problem, floading.

OK, I'm off to brew a nice cup of organic forever nuts.

That day last week...

2011-03-13T18:27:00.002-04:00

... when it was so beautiful outside, I took these pictures while on my walk at noon.

We are seeing more and more of the ''warmer'' sun, less wind and the snow has been replaced with mud.

The chickens get to go outside in their fenced-in run on these nice days.

Knitting the winter blues away

2011-03-06T20:49:00.002-04:00

I sure have been knitting away this winter. When I get going I can knit for two hours straight and it doesn't even feel like that long. Most of the projects I've knitted since Christmas are for next year's gifts so I can't post them here.

Dave took the picture above yesterday while practicing taking pictures with his phone.

That nice plum colored yarn is an alpaca blend and I'm knitting a winter hat with it. The grey is 100% wool for a pair of man's winter socks.

The carpenter is done with the few minor renovations in the kitchen. Now we are painting the kitchen - a nice fresh white by Benjamin Moore ''Chantilly Lace'' and the walls are going to be, also by Ben Moore, ''Avoine'' (Oat). Our first big furniture purchase as a married couple was our kitchen table and chairs, 32 years ago. The table top needs to be sanded and re-stained... that's on our list too.

Wishing everyone a good start of the week tomorrow. I think my next post will be entirely on food preps and recipes.

Green

2011-02-27T19:23:00.003-04:00

Some green is starting to pop-up around our home...

A view of the inside of my sprouter - wheat grass on the left and sprouts on the right.

How can I not be in a joyful happy mood from looking at this sprouting kale ! in that same tray but still awaiting the first sign of life are tomatoes and basil.

Right now I'm at a very good place in my life. However, Life is not something I take for granted. We all know how quickly things can turn around.

I haven't said it in a while ''Celebrate Life''. Happy Monday tomorrow.

A few Frenchy's finds

2011-02-27T19:08:00.005-04:00

Can you believe it.... last day of February tomorrow.

Here are a couple of my latest thrifting finds at Frenchy's. I kinda like this double candle holder. As some of you know, I'm not a matchy matchy person so I put in one beeswax candle and one pale green soy candle (not seen in the above photo) and of course one is shorter than the other... that's how I roll !!! I love lighting beeswax candles in the house, it smells heavenly.

I am also very rustic in my home decor hence that hand carved wooden bowl up there that I just had to bring home with me. It still needs a good beeswax polishing. Underneath the bowl is a folded cotton yoga wall hang. Yes, I collect them for when I have my yoga studio in the loft of my new barn... it's not a dream; it will happen.

Theme party :: 70's disco

2011-02-27T19:02:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday (over a week ago, I know, I know, should be present here more) the fabulous group of friends I have, celebrated the mid-winter blahs with a 70's disco night. And look who dropped in for the evening... Johnny himself !

Such joy to spend a few hours with my most cherished buddies.

Catching some sun

2011-02-17T19:51:00.004-04:00

As most of you already know, two of our favorite past times for Dave and I are beachcombing and collecting beachglass - both going hand in hand. I would estimate that we've been collecting glass for almost 15 years. Recently we decided to select some of our favorites and have them weaved into this beautiful suncatcher by this amazing local artist. She repurpose's copper wiring. It's nicely displayed in our kitchen window where the sun catches it all afternoon (that's is; when we do have sun these days).

And here is someone that decided to catch some sun yesterday afternoon in our backyard... (you might have to click to enlarge the picture).

Anyone else enjoying the gorgeous sun we've had the past two days !

Spring...

2011-02-13T21:27:00.003-04:00

...has been on my mind lately. Lists are being made for vegetable seed orders, raspberry canes and what shall I put in the raised beds this year for fertilizer - hmmmm, I think my chicken poo pile is big enough to fill those 9 raised beds.

Herbal remedies

2011-02-13T21:08:00.003-04:00

(added :: capsules, capsule machine, powedered echinacea and cobalt blue bottle all from here).

I've been reading and researching herbal remedies for about 10 years (don't have a degree or anything, just something I do for myself and my family). We've been taking echinacea during flu season for many years and for the most part I don't get the flu; maybe the odd head cold once every other season (working at a university, I come in contact with a lot of germs). Our latest production - echinacea capsules. You know how it is, after you've done something and say to yourself ''why haven't I done this before''. And with this simple yet amazing little machine it worked like a charm.

Yes, twenty-four capsules at a time, we filled our bottle.

Product review :: juicer

2011-02-09T18:29:00.003-04:00

Wheat grass is a good thing to have in your diet. After a few months of gathering the appropriate equipment (wheat grass juicer), ordering organic seeds to grow our own wheat grass and waiting for said crop to grow, Dave and I gave it a go tonight. We've already had shots of the stuff before so we knew it's not the best tasting drink to have...

Full trays of wheat grass growing in the warm January sun.

This is the product from CSN Stores that needs a review from me. It's a beauty of a machine, all stainless and best of all - you don't need electricity to run it, it's all manual crank. No assembly required except screw on the crank and presto you have a wheat grass juicer.

A side note - with all the praise I've done on all my previous deliveries this one was pretty banged-up when it got here but the juicer did'nt have one scratch so that's all that matters, right !

Unfortunately, I am sad to report that our much awaited juicer did not deliver as we had hoped. I can't blame the juicer, we think it's the wheat grass that doesn't give enough liquid. This batch I had grown in soil and I think it should be grown in my green sprouter and than you would have more liquid coming from the roots. Anyways, that's the only solution we have for now. I'm going to start a crop in the sprouter and we'll see the results in a little over a week.

From an entire tray of wheat grass we each had one tablespoon of liquid. Which should have been more than that.

Stay tuned for the results of plan B with the wheat grass.

Just random stuff

2011-02-05T22:18:00.006-04:00

Excuse my lack of blogging around these parts lately. I am so horrible - at times I blog three times in one week than I'm entire weeks without showing up... This post is so random but I just wanted to drop in and let y'all know all is well, we are keeping warm and cozy with our wood burning furnace and we are trying to keep up with the snow shoveling. If we keep getting the white stuff, I don't know where we'll put it.

Meet Belle. She belongs to our son and his fiancé. They had to go out of town for the night and today so she spent time with me while Dave was also out of town on business.

I still have a hard time believing that I found ''the perfect cabinet'' that I've been searching for in every antique store I could think of for the past three years. But here it is, sitting pretty in our kitchen. Dave and I picked it up one evening this week. It's sole purpose is to display my elemental dish set that took me three years to put together.

Gorgeous sunny day today but as I am typing this I can hear the freezing rain hitting the office window... yay, more snow or maybe a thick layer of ice over the snow we already have ! good combination for sledding but no good for shoveling - heart attack snow; that's what I call it.

Have faith my dear friends... Spring will be early this year.

Peace out and enjoy your day tomorrow.

Snow Day

2011-01-27T16:39:00.003-04:00

I love Eastern Canada...

Half of the province got rain and the other - SNOW ! yup, that would be us. This is not our first snow storm of the season but it was my first snow day. I knitted, baked and there's a delicious supper ready to be put on the table.

Surprises

2011-01-24T20:37:00.003-04:00

When I got home from work this was waiting for me...

My organic herb order from Mountain Rose Herbs. I've already made the echinacea tincture which will sit for 6 weeks. Dave and I have been huge fans of echinacea for years. I also made the elder berry syrup which too is an anti-viral; immune system booster. Fingers crossed, we are hoping to stay under the flu radar this season. And of course, washing your hands often is also a good practice to avoid the flu bug.

And.... tah dah, my lovely and very thoughtful daughter sent me this delicious tea from David's Tea - Coffee Pu'erh. And my new love; this amazing tea press travel mug. There's a little compartment on the bottom to store extra tea in case you'll want a second cup when you're away from home. How cute is that. If you're a tea lover I suggest you drop into David's Tea on your next trip to Moncton or Halifax (and many more locations throughout Canada). I was in need of a new travel mug but I never dreamed that I would end up with the cadillac of travel mugs ! Thanks so much Ginette. xxxoo

Baby it's cold out there

2011-01-23T19:27:00.002-04:00

As the day progressed it got overcast and the snow came down... again !!! After lunch Dave and I decided to bundle up and go for a strole on the beach.

En route to the beach - a small cabin along the river.

Lasted all but 5 minutes at the beach than I headed back in the car while Dave braved the cold winds to take a few landscape shots.

As I type this post, our little weather station says -10 (without wind chill); eek.

Hope everyone has a good start of the week and stay warm.

Moving slowly on a Sunday

2011-01-23T11:26:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe but January is almost over and done with... see, it wasn't that bad now was it. Let's see what February will bring us. One things for sure, we can expect more snow and cold winds.

We've had a gorgeous weekend so far. This morning Dave and I had breakfast than I did a few rounds of knitting than headed outside to let the chicks out in their run and take a few pictures from around the yard...

Last summer Dave found some old fence wire tangled in the grass out in the field. I made this authentic wreath.

The girls enjoy a few rays of sun. We keep an eye on them though because it's quite cold out there.

Whipped up a batch of hummus. Mmmmmmm.....

Brrrrrr.....

Dave and I might be hitting a few Frenchy's this afternoon. I haven't posted any fabulous finds in a long time.

Dave working on his latest piece - folk art dogs. I love folk art, it's probably the rustic look of it.

Birdie cakes

2011-01-16T19:12:00.002-04:00

The birds that stay around for the winter need food, water and a heat supply. Seeing the abundance of snow in these parts it's safe to guess that they won't go thirsty for a while.

As for food - they don't need as much food as in the warmer seasons seeing they don't burn-up their energy as fast (they don't fly and move around and as fast as in the winter). We are always putting something outside for our fine feather friends, dried toast from breakfast, out dated bread, crackers and those birdseed cakes you buy at the store. This morning all containers were empty so I made some from what I had. The main ingredient for their energy in these is peanut butter and that is mostly what keeps all those birdseeds glued together.

I've just came back from setting them outside; our little friends will be happy come tomorrow morning.

Have a great start of the week !

Snow woman

2011-01-12T19:42:00.003-04:00

Tonight's snow creation - a snow woman but I think she looks more like a dog than a snow person.

Snow

2011-01-12T16:38:00.002-04:00

The blizzard advisory has been lifted for this part of the nor'easter path but we are still having our fair share of snow this afternoon. Ground and trees were bare at 11 am this morning ...

The girls are all warm and toasty in their little coop. Still, they can't figure out why they're not allowed to run outside.

Stay safe and warm tonight !

CSN Stores :: everything you need for your home and life

2011-01-12T14:23:00.003-04:00

As you may or may not have noticed, I've been talking a bit around this blog about CSN Stores. For those of you that have not yet taken the time to drop-in for a virtual visit... you should. More specifically, if there is a product that you are in need of and you are unable to find in your neck of the woods, this is the place - I'm pretty sure you'll find what you're looking for. I did !!! with my amazing clay bread baker (check out my blog category on "Products" to read more). I will soon be doing another product review (wait until you see this one, it's a good one people) but first check out the swingsets they carry. I don't think you need to be a kid to enjoy one of these; right.

(Taken from the CSN website) "Based in Boston, CSN Stores LLC began in 2002 and has grown rapidly into a Top 3 online U.S. retailer of home and office goods... Beyond providing unparalleled customer service, selection, and savings to our U.S. customers, CSN Stores has opened its doors to online shoppers from Canada, the U.K., and Germany. Recently named to the Hot 100 List of online retailers for 2009, CSN Stores continues to grow".

They pride themselves on providing unparalleled customer service and let me tell you, they go above and beyond to assure satisfaction. Many items have free shipping, hey, that's money in your pocket, a good thing in my book ! I am still blown-away at the stress free delivery they have.

CSN Stores is on twitter, facebook and they have a blog.

Organic herbs, routine and sprouts

2011-01-11T21:39:00.007-04:00

I order organic herbs (and supplies) from Mountain Rose Herbs. I'm making our own flu syrup and tintures this winter. Let's try and keep those nasty bugs at bay shall we! This company is a joy to do business with.

We are in our winter-mode routine: week nights are mostly spent at home, warming up to a cozy fire, sipping tea and knitting while Dave's watching television.

After less than a week in the easy sprouter, we are eating sprouts. This picture shows the wheat grass I've been testing for when I get my juicer. The sandwich sprouts are in the fridge - two trays full. Hmmmm, I could be eating sprouts for the rest of the week.

Later this week I have something nice to show you. We are having something made with our favorite pieces of beach glass by a local artist. Stay tuned...

Easy Green

2011-01-06T19:17:00.004-04:00

This is the christmas gift I was waiting to have assembled before showing you - the Easy Green Auto Sprouter. I love growing my own sprouts and up to now I've been doing it the very manual way - seeds spread on organic cotton cloth on bottom of a glass pan and mist with a hand mister every day. Worked for me but I guess Dave thought it was time to reward me with this handy dandy automatic misting machine (I have to admit, I'm a little bothered by the fact that I have to use a wee bit of electricity to run the mister). It works like a charm. It runs on a timer so every few hours the mister comes on for 15 minutes. I should be eating sprouts in my sandwich in a few days. And, it is easier to use than it looked in the box at first... yup, I was just a little frazzled by the looks of it. It works like a charm.

It holds 5 growing trays. As my experimental run I only have 3 trays with sprouts and one of those is wheat grass. I may or may not be getting a wheat grass juicer in the coming months; I'm just sayin'.

Happy 2011

2011-01-01T17:15:00.003-04:00

Wishing all my family and friends a very happy beginning of a new year. What I wish the most for each one of you is health. A couple of days ago Dave and I decided to go for a hike in the trail. It was the most gorgeous day in a very, very long time... plus, we needed the fresh air. About half way on our route you can take a shortcut and go through the woods and end up at our son and his fiancé new home. And yes Dave has a stick, to ward off coyotes (luckily none were seen).

And I had to leave you with a picture of my lovely ladies enjoying their new dry straw.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T21:28:00.006-04:00

''Christmas'' around here is celebrated on the 24th. It's always been that way. When the kids were young the 25th was spent playing with toys. Now it's pretty much a quiet, slow day with just Dave and I (Ginette travel's back to New Brunwick on Christmas day and Luc spend's the day with his fiancé's family). But all that is okey with me because my special day is Christmas Eve.

As with most families we have traditions. One being that Luc opens the candies and nuts in the afternoon of Christmas Eve.

Insence burner I made for my daughter at pottery class.

I say it every year ''that it was the best Christmas yet'' but this year I can't quite put my finger on what it is but it was a very special Christmas. The four of us were together most of the day of the 24th. I got to spend an entire week with my lovely daughter - that in itself was a gift. Although I miss her like crazy after she leaves.

Thanks Dave for the teapot. I already tested it with a nice flowering tea.

Cute tree ornament.

You all know what big fans of the movie Christmas Vacation we are; right ! Well look what our daughter wrapped up for us - a replica (tree ornament) of the house and when you press on a small button everything lights up. Clark is standing in front of the house with the extension cords...

I got a juicer; thanks Dave.

Ginette and Luc had this blanket printed out for me. I love those two with all my heart !

There is one more gift I want to show you but I have to get it assembled first... maybe tomorrow.

Merry all day

2010-12-25T21:41:00.002-04:00

Hope you had a wonderful and joyous day !

Movie night

2010-12-21T22:43:00.004-04:00

Our son and his fiancé recently moved into their new home. Tonight they invited Ginette, Dave and I to go watch Christmas Vacation. We know pretty much every line in that movie; we've watched it many, many times since 1989.

How is your week coming along ? ours is very relaxed and slow paced. Only a few more sleeps...

A baking day of sorts

2010-12-19T22:30:00.003-04:00

We are so delighted to have our daughter home for the holidays but everytime she's traveling those long highways by herself Dave and I worry the entire six hours. So to keep myself busy I baked most of the day...

Donuts

Carrot cake

Bread rising

Ginette is home for the week. She'll go back to New Brunswick on the 25th to spend part of Christmas Day with her husband. He had to work; hopefully he'll be able to join us next year. I've mentioned here before, that the 24th is the day we celebrate in our family. Christmas Day to us is practically just another ordinary day.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Winter Solstice !

Picture Perfect Day

2010-12-11T12:50:00.005-04:00

It's a beautiful snowy day outside today - what we call ''Picture Perfect''. The sun isn't shinning but pretty still the same. After I finished decorating Tabi's tree (she's burried under this apple tree in a quiet corner of our field) I walked around and took a few shots :

I'm off for our staff supper tonight. Wishing everyone a good evening.

Checking my list

2010-12-06T19:34:00.004-04:00

Around December 1st I declared that this year I had a goal... that on December 10th I would have these items checked off my list : decorations outside, christmas cards sent, decorations inside, tree made and gifts wrapped and under the tree.

All but the gift wrapping have been checked off my list.

Wednesday and Thursday evenings I should make progress on those gifts... December 10th is Friday; right !

Theme Party :: Ugly Christmas Sweater

2010-12-05T18:48:00.003-04:00

Last night was our 2nd annual ugly christmas sweater party at a friend's house (it was also her b-day). We had a blast. Everyone had such beautiful\ugly sweaters.

Dave and I before leaving the house.

The boys in the band.

The birthday girl - very happy about the gift we gave her. The Happy Baker cookbook.

The gang !

Happy December

2010-12-01T20:13:00.003-04:00

Happy December everyone ! Let the christmas spirit fly.

Christmas baking list is almost complete; 2nd annual ugly christmas sweater party coming up; village is complete and some decorations are neatly displayed. The tree must come up at some point over the coming weekend; cards are addressed and ready to post...

This year I have fixed myself an objective - all decorations (inside and outside) up and gifts wrapped and under the tree by December 10th. Eek, we'll see.

Do we really need new furniture?

2010-11-28T19:48:00.005-04:00

Our son will soon be moving into his own cozy home with his fiancé. He has already started moving some of his stuff out so this gives us the perfect occasion to deep-clean and declutter our home. Even giving us cause to maybe buy a few pieces of furniture. Presently, our television is an older model that fits exactly (very tight fit) in the hole in the wall. If we are to get a new television set we would need new tv stands as we also have a television set upstairs that's in need of a good solid surface.

His room will become my sewing/crafting room and my present sewing room will be turned into a library.

We won't need too many new pieces of furniture. What we already have is still in pretty good condition and I don't believe in buying ''stuff'' just because. If and when we buy new furniture we give away as many pieces as we bring in. Today, we gave away a lazyboy chair and a used tv (only good for playing video games).

I might also be looking for a new sofa and chair set... we'll see.

Heading for the woods

2010-11-28T19:26:00.005-04:00

It's here... that time again !!! when we head deeper into the woods to fetch a few tiny spruces for our outside christmas decorations. As is the tradition around here, it was an overcast and cold morning but still very much fun.

Lake at the end of the dirt road.

My handyman finding the perfect little spruce.

Pretending to cut a bigger tree with his hand held cutters.

Ready ! Let's go back and warm-up our hands and toes.

Taken from outside through the kitchen window. The lighted tree in the background is where the Christmas village will be.

So to recap my week and a half vacation at home alone :

- the house is nice, clean and dusted.
- a lot of laundry was made.
- warm hearty meals were cooked and enjoyed.
- christmas music played throughout the house all week.
- finished a couple of handmade gifts.
- made our christmas cards.
- some (emphasis on ''some'') decorations are up.
- the outside decorations are not all up yet; I'll post pictures when they are.

Back to work tomorrow. Happy Monday everyone !

Vacation day 3 :: still cleaning

2010-11-24T21:47:00.003-04:00

Today was day 3 of my one-week vacation. Taking vacation time at the end of November is not something I usually do but I have leftover days from last year that I needed to take and I felt that this was as good a time as ever. To be honest, I love being on vacation when no one else is.

I'm doing a lot of cleaning, dusting, decluttering... in preparation for the Christmas decorations coming out on the weekend.

Today was a very windy, cloudy and cold day outside so the toasty warmth of the wood fire kept me inside.

Moncton

2010-11-24T21:09:00.003-04:00

My annual christmas shopping trip to Moncton was this past weekend. I left Thursday and came back Sunday. I look forward to this every year - I love spending one on one time with Ginette. Some of the things we did :

- went to yoga class.
- stocked up on household staples from Costco.
- had Starbucks coffee and delicious lemon poppyseed cake.
- went to the Mall.
- ate lunch here. If ever you happen to be in Moncton you must include this restaurant on your schedule... it's a must people.
- we also ate at an amazing noodle place (sorry, forgot the name).
- went to the Green Conference and met David Suzuki again (he remembered me from last May).
- Ginette and André treated me to a fabulous dinner-theatre as my birthday gift from them. I loved it and of course it was about old-time Christmas.
- visited the new Casino but we did'nt play; we only walked around so I could see inside (side note here - I have never played any type of gambling machine; not interested at all).
- went to the Moncton Farmers' Market.
- experienced my first snow storm of the season (it was a mini one but still...).

Ginette and Meeko

Ginette eating her coconut cupcake from the Cake Box (I had one too). Snow was starting to fall and this was at about 3 pm and by 6 pm the ground was covered and the roads were slippery.

Still here

2010-11-17T20:32:00.003-04:00

It's been a while. Hope everyone's doing well. Since my last post, we've been keeping busy around the household :

- we are gifted with six eggs a day now.
- one of my christmas cactus bloomed; wish it would have waited til Christmas.
- finished all my knitted Christmas gifts.
- witnessed a four-day wind and rain storm the likes I have never seen before.
- we still miss Tabi... a lot.
- helping Luc and Liette getting their new home ready for moving day.

But the best thing since my last post ...

... my brother got his Gift of Life on November 5th. He is still in the hospital but doing extremely well (fingers crossed).

I'll be away for a few days. See you when I return.

Winterizing...

2010-10-31T17:52:00.003-04:00

Dave and I spent most of the day today at Nova Nada/Birchdale. We are part of a group ''Friends of Birchdale'' and we wanted to help a little by winterizing the vegetable garden. This garden fed us throughout the Nature & Yoga Retreat this past August. Even though it wasn't sunny it was still nice and warm (the flies were buzzin' around). It only started to rain after we were in the car coming back.

I can't think of another place in nature that gives me as much peace as this place does.

I brought back some still crispy swiss chard and as I am typing this the house smells heavenly with some Chick Pea and Swiss Chard Curry on the stove.

Miss Daisy

2010-10-28T19:49:00.002-04:00

We are dog-sitting this cutie pie until Sunday. Her name is Daisy. Her owners (friends of Luc and Liette) are out of town. Daisy loves Dave to pieces.

CSN Product Review

2010-10-27T08:11:00.003-04:00

Yes, another CSN product review is coming up on this ole blog but before that can happen I need to figure out, from the many, many, many products they have, what product I'm going to review this time around. I mean seriously, if you haven't taken the time yet to check out ''some'' of the items they carry... you should. I say ''some'' because with all that they carry you'll only be able to view ''part'' of what there is each time you visit. They carry everything from shower curtains, pizza wheels, braided rugs, diaper bags to fireplaces and yes, if you're in need of a dining room table they have that too.

I am less and less of a mall shopping person and loving this on-line buying thing ! And with CSN Stores there is no need to jump from one on-line store to another... it's all there, under one gigantic virtual store.

Stay tuned, my product reveal is coming up.

Better

2010-10-25T09:16:00.002-04:00

Thank you so much for your kind words on my last post. I have such an amazing group of blog friends. The kids have been such heros throughout this ordeal. Making sure Dave and I are copping as best we can. Honestly, I still miss her like crazy but it's getting better with each passing day. We all know and accept that Miss Tabi is in a much better place than she was the past couple of weeks. I hope family and friends understand that we are not ready to talk about our painful day. When the need arises, Dave and I share joyful memories and a few tears and talk with the kids. For now, that is all we need - ourselves !

We burried her under a beautiful apple tree in the field out back. Yesterday we placed a marker at her resting place made from a huge flat rock we found on one of Tabi's favorite beach.

Next Sunday Dave and I are planning a one-day getaway to the place that gives me the most peace and solitude... and hopefully do one last kayak run before the cold season hits.

Wishing everyone a pleasant week !

Farewell

2010-10-20T12:51:00.004-04:00

I remember the day so clearly, like it was just last year. It was early morning, Dave came in from outside and said there were these two cute little puppies hanging out in our backyard. We eventually ended up giving one of the two away; the healthiest of the two. I knew from the very beginning that the tiny, starving and abused one would stay with us and hopefully for a long time. I fell in love with her that first morning. We became best of friends, she immediately chose me as her master and she showed her love and admiration for me and for the rest of the family every single day - the most gentle dog ever. She only wanted to please, that's all. We would take walks together, car rides, beach and bird watching. She was the fastest runner, seeing only a cloud of dust behind her. I would talk to her as I would any other human being. She was my companion. She adored me with those big brown eyes.

Than she started slowing down, sleeping more and limping from her arthritis infected leg. She enjoyed those retirement years very much but missed her running outside-in-the-fields days.

Yesterday, 16 years after that early morning encounter with Dave, we said goodbye and released Miss Tabi into puppy heaven. We know she is running pain free at high speed with her cousin Princess.

Making that appointment was one of the hardest decisions I had to make.

Be well my friend. I enjoyed our time together. I will carry fond memories of you every day. I'm sorry I had to make that decision but I could'nt stand seeing you suffer any longer.

xxox

Ayurveda and yoga

2010-10-20T12:10:00.004-04:00

This past weekend I went to a yoga and ayurveda workshop with Kerry Lawson. We did some yoga asanas first thing in the morning, than some theory on ayurveda and finding what our dosha is and than we headed to the kitchen to get everything ready for cooking ayurvedic meals. At 1 p.m. we all sat down for the most delicious and nutricious meal.

We had the entire Inn to ourselves. What joy !!! I needed this weekend to rebalance and ground myself for what was waiting for me later in the week (details to follow in next post).

I love hanging out with people who think, live, play... like me.

(All pictures were borrowed from Kerry Lawson)

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-10-10T19:19:00.005-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian Family and Friends.

We had our turkey dinner today. The picture above sums up what I am so grateful for. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Ginette and André with their wedding cake top from August 29 last year (2009). We ate it today and it was still delicious and moist.

Luc and his fiancé Liette.

I am very much aware that I have been absent from here; sorry. Things got a little hectic there for a while and will probably still be for another few weeks. I'll try and report here more often in the coming weeks.

I am never too busy for Christmas music... yes, I played xmas music today and still love it very much.