What I'm listening to: Mumford and Sons on Grooveshark. Seriously, check out Grooveshark. Everything I've looked for is on there, and it is usable as a free service. There are more functions if you subscribe, of course, but it is still very good without giving them money.
What I'm Reading: Steven R. Lawhead's King Raven trilogy. I love historical fiction. This is a well written take on the Robin Hood legends, especially given that Robin Hood was already in the oral histories before King Richard and his brothers.
What I'm Loving: TOTAL Under the Big Top day camps. It's a circus arts day camp that both my kids are involved in this year. My son's was earlier in the summer. If you can imagine 4 and 5 year old kids putting on a show with clowning, magic, and "jungling" (as my son says juggling), you'll know why I liked it. My daughter is in hers right now, for the third year. She wants to do acrobatics for sure and is trying to figure out what her second activity will be.
What I'm Writing: A resume. I was doing industrial construction but I have been having problems with chronic pain. My doctor thinks it's fibromyalgia, and from what I've been reading I agree with him. Either way, no construction for me.
What I'm Playing: The Sims 3 : Generations. EA Games owns my soul. Especially since they bought out Bioware Games. Almost every single one of my much-beloved games is an EA title.
What I'm Watching:Avatar: The Last Airbender. The series, that is. I did watch the movie, and I was rather disappointed. Special effects do not a good movie make. Hire at least one good scriptwriter. The series, on the other hand, is amusing and fun to watch with kids... and occasionally without them.
What I'm Making:A frock coat and vest for the husband. I'm going for a more Victorian look than a Western look, but this is the pattern I'm using.
What I'm Lusting Over: An embroidery machine. I don't have anything specific in mind, or a budget for one, or space, or a need for one, but that doesn't really matter, does it? I blame it all on Urban Threads. I love her designs and I keep thinking of places I could put them.
What I Could Use: A better way to store my jewelry. This will probably be an upcoming DIY. Right now everything is piled up in a series of boxes. They're rather pretty, but everything is tangled.
Well, there we go, just a little selection of what is going on for me right now.
Tuesday 16 August 2011
Saturday 13 August 2011
Click!
Take a pic!
He still is that cute, even if this an old picture. Paper Mama's photo contest this weeks involves "Eyes". As soon as I read that I went through my old pics to find this one. I love his bright blues here, and the way his smile goes all the way into them.
Want to check out the contest for yourself? Just use the handy button below.
Reminiscing
Currently I'm doing data entry and administrative support for my husband's mom, both because I need a low physical labour job due to my health, and because she is swamped with clients and needs the help. Sometimes my boy comes with me and rattles about the house while we work. He even gets a mini-desk set up in her office where he uses crayons to do his own paperwork.
So after work yesterday we got to go outside and pick raspberries. In total I think he contributed about 10 berries to the basket that came inside, because the rest of them ended up in his tummy. Being out there picking raspberries with him reminded me of when I was kid. We had some family friends with a farm and all along one side of the barn were raspberry canes. Mom would drive out with me and my brother and we would help pick all these raspberries which got made into jam for the rest of the year. Much like my son, we ate as much or more than we picked. There is something so fantastic about berries just fresh off the plant.
In the spirit of these memories I made French toast this morning with, you guessed it, raspberries on top. My favorite meals as a kid were pancakes and French toast and grilled cheese. Mom would always be the last to eat as she stood there frying the food and sliding it onto the plate. My brother and I would eat as fast as she made them until we were both stuffed. Then finally Mom got to sit down and have her own meal. So now I'm the one standing by the stove feeding everyone and watching the kids eat as fast as I can make it. You know what? They're still my favorite meals.
So after work yesterday we got to go outside and pick raspberries. In total I think he contributed about 10 berries to the basket that came inside, because the rest of them ended up in his tummy. Being out there picking raspberries with him reminded me of when I was kid. We had some family friends with a farm and all along one side of the barn were raspberry canes. Mom would drive out with me and my brother and we would help pick all these raspberries which got made into jam for the rest of the year. Much like my son, we ate as much or more than we picked. There is something so fantastic about berries just fresh off the plant.
In the spirit of these memories I made French toast this morning with, you guessed it, raspberries on top. My favorite meals as a kid were pancakes and French toast and grilled cheese. Mom would always be the last to eat as she stood there frying the food and sliding it onto the plate. My brother and I would eat as fast as she made them until we were both stuffed. Then finally Mom got to sit down and have her own meal. So now I'm the one standing by the stove feeding everyone and watching the kids eat as fast as I can make it. You know what? They're still my favorite meals.
Thursday 11 August 2011
She's Back!!!
Yesterday I took a break from, well, just about everything. My daughter has been gone for about a month between this and that and the other thing and we were able to pick her up for a large portion of the day yesterday. Yay!
This photo is actually from Canada Day, but I love how she looks with her brother here. The cowboy hat makes my inner redneck happy, and using the mini flags as hairsticks was just so cute.
I have discovered a problem with having fantastic kids, everyone else wants to spend time with them too! The beginning of the summer included trying to sort out her schedule. My brother and his wife wanted to bring her on a family trip, family friends (our girls were born three months apart) wanted to take her to camp with them, we want to see her, of course, her dad and his girlfriend need time with her, she has circus camp next week, and tickets to Taylor Swift...
I was in serious withdrawal. She'll be with us next week for day camp, because it's easier for us to take her to and from camp (yay for part time hours and working at home). I needed to see her before that though. So did her brother if the way he flung himself at her for hugs is any indication. We didn't do really do anything special, though we did go out for breakfast. I took the kids to the park and watched them build sandcastles. We took out the juicer and the blender and made fruit smoothies. All in all, an awesome day.
This photo is actually from Canada Day, but I love how she looks with her brother here. The cowboy hat makes my inner redneck happy, and using the mini flags as hairsticks was just so cute.
I have discovered a problem with having fantastic kids, everyone else wants to spend time with them too! The beginning of the summer included trying to sort out her schedule. My brother and his wife wanted to bring her on a family trip, family friends (our girls were born three months apart) wanted to take her to camp with them, we want to see her, of course, her dad and his girlfriend need time with her, she has circus camp next week, and tickets to Taylor Swift...
I was in serious withdrawal. She'll be with us next week for day camp, because it's easier for us to take her to and from camp (yay for part time hours and working at home). I needed to see her before that though. So did her brother if the way he flung himself at her for hugs is any indication. We didn't do really do anything special, though we did go out for breakfast. I took the kids to the park and watched them build sandcastles. We took out the juicer and the blender and made fruit smoothies. All in all, an awesome day.
Sunday 7 August 2011
The Princess and the Pea (Soup)
My son had a birthday in June, making him the ripe old age of four. He thinks his older sister, at eleven, is the coolest person on the face of the planet. He loves dressing up and his favorite colour is pink. With those fantastic red curls it looks fabulous on him. I got him a book called My Princess Boy for his birthday. He doesn't really get the point, as he is totally accepting of everyone. The book was really more for us because it made me happy, and the art is fantastic. Anyway, when we were shopping yesterday we found this sparkly tiara for a dollar and he immediately pointed and gasped, "A princess boy tiara!" So here is a picture of my princess boy in his princess boy tiara. It isn't the best picture as he was being so very wiggly, but he still looks darn cute.
In other news, we've been trying to get excited about cooking at home again. Historically we eat out way too much. To help with this endeavour we've signed up with The Organic Box. It's been working well for us. Once a week they drop off a box of organic produce, much of it very local, and we then have to figure out what to do with it. Everything is seasonal, meaning that when it shows up it's really easy to get excited. This week we had a bag of peas from Peas in Earth dropped off, and they were huge and beautiful. We still had a few left over from last week so I decided it was time for some soup.
Sometimes I cook from recipes, sometimes I make it up as I go along. Last night I made it up. I shelled the peas and stuck them in the pot with some veggie broth (for Campbell's, I admit) and some mint and basil from the garden.
I figured that if I was cooking for three, I would need a bit more green in there. So I added half a bag of spinach and some more herbs.
There, that looks better. From here I just boiled everything until the spinach was reduced a bit and the peas had gotten nice and soft. All that I added for extra flavour was some cracked black pepper. Once everything was ready I took out my handy immersion blender (bought last summer at Superstore for $10) and pureed everything. It got a little foamy and so very green. I couldn't believe how very vibrant the colour was. I added a bit of cream to the soup to smooth it out and then tore up some prosciutto and added it in. Then I forgot to take a photo until my second bowl. But here it is.
It really doesn't do justice to the fantastic colour. I think in the future I will chop the prosciutto up really fine. It started cooking up as soon as it was added to the soup and became a little tough. Still, it was a resounding success that will get made again. The husband was sweet and said it was the sort of thing he would be pleased to get in a high end restaurant. I think I'll keep him.
This week I also have a clamshell of fresh raspberries and another Saskatoon berries. Any thoughts?
In other news, we've been trying to get excited about cooking at home again. Historically we eat out way too much. To help with this endeavour we've signed up with The Organic Box. It's been working well for us. Once a week they drop off a box of organic produce, much of it very local, and we then have to figure out what to do with it. Everything is seasonal, meaning that when it shows up it's really easy to get excited. This week we had a bag of peas from Peas in Earth dropped off, and they were huge and beautiful. We still had a few left over from last week so I decided it was time for some soup.
Sometimes I cook from recipes, sometimes I make it up as I go along. Last night I made it up. I shelled the peas and stuck them in the pot with some veggie broth (for Campbell's, I admit) and some mint and basil from the garden.
I figured that if I was cooking for three, I would need a bit more green in there. So I added half a bag of spinach and some more herbs.
There, that looks better. From here I just boiled everything until the spinach was reduced a bit and the peas had gotten nice and soft. All that I added for extra flavour was some cracked black pepper. Once everything was ready I took out my handy immersion blender (bought last summer at Superstore for $10) and pureed everything. It got a little foamy and so very green. I couldn't believe how very vibrant the colour was. I added a bit of cream to the soup to smooth it out and then tore up some prosciutto and added it in. Then I forgot to take a photo until my second bowl. But here it is.
It really doesn't do justice to the fantastic colour. I think in the future I will chop the prosciutto up really fine. It started cooking up as soon as it was added to the soup and became a little tough. Still, it was a resounding success that will get made again. The husband was sweet and said it was the sort of thing he would be pleased to get in a high end restaurant. I think I'll keep him.
This week I also have a clamshell of fresh raspberries and another Saskatoon berries. Any thoughts?
Saturday 6 August 2011
Meditations
So, I continued to work on the blog. I changed the layout, because I thought that this one was pretty. I added the Kahlil Gibran quote. If you have not read his poetry, I would really recommend it. His writings are amazing. They span love and life, spirituality, and equality. This is some of the most evocative stuff I have ever read.
I also added a list of blogs I like to follow. There's not much to read here right now, so you might get to know about me through what I read. These are really talented people, so enjoy their work.
The last thing I wanted to do was to add an item that I found on Etsy the other day. I stumbled on it through a blog, but I can't remember which one now. Anyways, I found this locket and started crying. I guess it hit something.
Whispered Mantra Locket
I also added a list of blogs I like to follow. There's not much to read here right now, so you might get to know about me through what I read. These are really talented people, so enjoy their work.
The last thing I wanted to do was to add an item that I found on Etsy the other day. I stumbled on it through a blog, but I can't remember which one now. Anyways, I found this locket and started crying. I guess it hit something.
Whispered Mantra Locket
A Letter of Introduction
So, not the first blog. Surprising, right? On my last one I attempted to sound thoughtful and educated. I am thoughtful and educated, but that's not the point. It was a look at current events and politics from my own perspective. I am told by a worthy source that I came off sounding like a feminist lesbian. That wasn't precisely my intent as I am neither a feminist, nor a lesbian. For the record, I have no issues with homosexuality. I have to say that most women calling themselves feminists irritate me. I think the damage they do to true equality far outweighs the good.
What I am is a 30 something woman with two beautiful kids and a fantastic husband. I'm a geek and a gamer, and, as my husband once pointed out, I'm never really happy unless I'm making something. I charge merrily back and forth from one craft to the next with gleeful abandon. Some of them I even get finished. I am someone who has struggled with my health all my life and I am once again having issues with it. I like coffee and chocolate, especially when they get combined. My favorite movie of all time is the Princess Bride. I really do think that my babies are the smartest, most beautiful children in the whole world. Yours can be a close second, but mine really are just that awesome. I always should have a project on the go because it's one of the best stress relievers out there. If I could do anything I would travel all over, and then go back to school. I would take random classes because they seemed interesting. There's too much stuff in my house despite having gotten boxes and boxes of things out recently. I form emotional attachments to books and music and coffee cups. I really miss my dad and I wish I could have one more conversation with him. I eat tofu because I think it's a really great food. I would probably be a vegetarian if meat wasn't so damned tasty. My husband thinks I'm gorgeous, sometimes I even agree with him. It's time, I think, to just try and be myself, whoever that is. I can't get all of that into one post, however, so I guess the rest you'll just have to stick around for.
What I am is a 30 something woman with two beautiful kids and a fantastic husband. I'm a geek and a gamer, and, as my husband once pointed out, I'm never really happy unless I'm making something. I charge merrily back and forth from one craft to the next with gleeful abandon. Some of them I even get finished. I am someone who has struggled with my health all my life and I am once again having issues with it. I like coffee and chocolate, especially when they get combined. My favorite movie of all time is the Princess Bride. I really do think that my babies are the smartest, most beautiful children in the whole world. Yours can be a close second, but mine really are just that awesome. I always should have a project on the go because it's one of the best stress relievers out there. If I could do anything I would travel all over, and then go back to school. I would take random classes because they seemed interesting. There's too much stuff in my house despite having gotten boxes and boxes of things out recently. I form emotional attachments to books and music and coffee cups. I really miss my dad and I wish I could have one more conversation with him. I eat tofu because I think it's a really great food. I would probably be a vegetarian if meat wasn't so damned tasty. My husband thinks I'm gorgeous, sometimes I even agree with him. It's time, I think, to just try and be myself, whoever that is. I can't get all of that into one post, however, so I guess the rest you'll just have to stick around for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)