Only 363 more days ...

Glimpses of Christmas in Calgary (technically, Langdon!). 

Sad to be without Dayna and Rob, but happy to have Laurel with us.

How to Achieve "Certifiable" Status

A photolog by Karen and Linda.

Hand press 300
 individual mints (ala Great-Grandma Meyer)

Squeeze out 300 Coffee Meringues 

Roll 160 Peanut Butter Balls

Assemble and bake 160 Caramel Pecan Clusters.
We are NOT opposed to using child labour to achieve our goal!

Make and cut 160 Fudge Bites

Roll 160 Truffles.

Print 20 "Contents" cards and attach to box lids.

Take a break and colour with the kids to avoid apprehension by Child Welfare due to neglect.

Package Bottom Layer

Package Middle Layer

Package Top Layer

Quality Control Check

Decorate Box

Get Anthony to take a picture because ... WE ARE DONE!!

2 DAYS OF BAKING.
1240 INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF CANDY
1 DAY OF PACKAGING
20 BOXES OF GOODIES FOR OUR FRIENDS
CHRISTMAS 2011
(all accomplished with Linda being 8 months pregnant)

Conversations

Last Thursday I got to spend some "alone" time with Anthony.  We did some grocery shopping, painted some crafts and talked.  This conversation took place with Anthony in the back seat and I was driving.

4-year-old logic:

A:  I'm smart because I know a lot about God.
Me:  Do you?  Tell me something you know about God.
A:  Well ... God made ALL the VeggieTale movies!
Me:  Did he?!  Is that why they're such good movies?
A:  Yes.  And I told Jacob that but he didn't believe me.  Jacob's not smart yet.

Raindrops on roses ...

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
these are a few of my favorite things ...

• Sunny, brisk autumn days, full of oranges and yellows.
• Anise cookies
• Orange (and oranges!)
• Benjamin's dimple, Jacob's hugs, and Anthony's "finger kisses"
• Purple asters in full bloom after everything else has died away
• Taking Fargo for a walk
• Playing Scrabble with Harry
• Hot coffee and a crisp biscotti with a good book
• New York Times daily crossword
• Knitting

In the Women's Group I belong to we have been challenged to list 10 simple things we like or appreciate once a month for the rest of the year - kind of an exercise in taking note of the simple, small joys we too often take for granted.  I didn't share September and October with you ... but this is my list for November. 

October Travels

Fall clean-up of Dayna's garden

After-dinner Scrabble match with Dayna & Rob

Dayna won ... by A LOT!!

Niagara  Falls ... The American falls

Horseshoe Falls (The Canadian falls)

 

Gorgeous autumn colours

Sleep. Beautiful sleep.

in·som·ni·a  n.   Chronic inability to fall asleep or remain asleep for an adequate length of time.

I suffer frequent bouts of insomnia ... nights when I just can't sleep more than 2 hours.  And I have always had problems falling asleep ... taking well over an hour of laying in bed before that sweet unconscious state takes over.

NO MORE!  On the advice of a professional I tried something new a few months ago and it's still working, so I'd thought I'd share my new-found technique.  He said I would fall asleep easily and have a deeper refreshing sleep  (more REM time).

The solution:  Classical music. (no words allowed) 
The method:  Put on soft, relaxing classical music; turn off the light; LISTEN to the music.

First, I needed to ensure I was listening to relaxing music --  No 1812 Overture stuff!   Solution: off to iTunes where I found an album entitled "The most relaxing CLASSICAL music in the universe."  It's certainly true to its name!

 

Next, I needed to figure out how to play it just for me (Harry wasn't interested in hearing it!  But then he's asleep before his head even settles into the pillow. )  Solution:  use my iPod. 

After 2 nights of falling asleep with ear buds and finding it very uncomfortable and the iPod playing through the entire album  - 2 hours 55 minutes, I had to find a way to turn it off after 45 minutes or so. 

Back to iTunes.  Guess what!  There's a FREE app for that!  I downloaded the app "Sleep Timer with music: reverse alarm clock" ( http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/sleep-timer-with-music-reverse/id354737783?mt=8 ).  The app allows you to choose music from your library and then set how long you want it to play.

I place the iPod beneath my pillow where I hear it, but Harry doesn't.  I let it play for 45-60 minutes.  At first I would listen to 5 or 6 pieces before I fell asleep.  Now I 'm lucky to hear all of the second song!  If I wake up in the night and need to fall asleep again, I just put it on again and within minutes I'm sound asleep.  I'm getting the best sleep I've had in YEARS and no more chemical aids to achieve it!

So I can now proclaim "Sleep.  Beautiful sleep!" 

Hmm ... I wonder if it works on kids ... ?

Solution

What do you do when Opa says he has to leave but you don't want him to go?

TACKLE HIM!!!

September Blues

Here it is.  Mid-September.  For the first time in 10 years, we are not on our annual 5-week holiday.  I have just realized this week that it seems strange to be in Calgary through the season change.  Normally we would leave Calgary in September and summer weather.  And we would return in October and fall weather.

This year I am watching the cool nights begin to affect the trees and bushes.  And, despite occasional hot days, the light during the day has subtly changed so you know it's no longer summer.  Even the air smell different.

I am harvesting roma tomatoes these days. They managed to survive all of our severe hailstorms.  My kale was obliterated by hail and by a visiting puppy who really liked to eat it!  I got one pepper and only a few carrots and parsnips.  I still have lettuce growing to my surprise.

So ... while leaves have orange and yellow hues, tomatoes take on red and the foliage is turning brown ... I have the (temporary) blues.

All in a (few) day's work

From the instructions: 
"Some assembly required. [!!]  This project will take 2 people 14 hours to build. [!!]"

We have Lift-Off

Of all the changes in our lives this year, closing down KVH Business Services has had the greatest impact on me.  I opened KVH Business Services in 1989.  For the last 22 years I have been providing bookkeeping and administrative services to sole-practicing lawyers.  It's been a good run.  With Harry's appointment to the bench I had to let all but one of my clients go to avoid any conlict of interest.  All of my clients were defence counsel and would be appearing in front of Harry in court.  I'm keeping the one client that is not a lawyer, but it only requires about 8-10 hours of work a month -- in other words, not much.

So I faced the future with some uncertainty.  I wasn't ready to quit working completely.  I didn't really want to start a full-time position somewhere.  And I didn't want to start working for someone else after 22 years of being self-employed.  With encouragement from family and friends I decided to open a new business doing something I love ... taking care of dogs.

Last Friday, with the completion of the website, Gentle Hands Canine Care was launched.  It's been a very fun and interesting journey starting up a new business.  KVH Business Services had more than enough work simply by word-of-mouth.  I never did any advertising, didn't have a website, etc.  But in today's plugged-in existence it was clear I had to do things differently.  I worked with a local marketer to design business cards and brochures.  Because I'm already a QuickBooks user, I could get a professionally-designed website through their Web Development Services.  Oddly enough, the developer I was working with was actually in Ft. Collins, Colorado!!

I've taken training with our vet to learn the basics of veterinary "nursing" and I've learned how to do massage on dogs.  It's been so interesting!!  Our vet also provided a letter of recommendation to 5 different veterinary hospitals here in town.  I've already had response from one of them.  Yay!

All this comes down to inviting you to have a look at what I'm doing now.  www.gentlehandscc.com

This venture might never take off.  It might be wildly successful.  Who knows.  I'm ready for either.  If it's to be, it will be.

Oh Hail, part 3 aka: I give up!

Friday, August 5, 2011, 6:00 p.m.
Third time this week ...

Oh Hail, part 2

So.  Some places deal with tornadoes and severe thunderstorms all summer.  We deal with hail storms all summer.  We had another bad one this week.  Unfortunately it hit while we were making supper.  That didn't deter Harry, though!  He stood in the hail and grilled our steaks!  We did manage to get the tomatoes covered this time.  :-)

On a sunnier note (and day) we had a great time at the zoo.



Oh Hail!

6:30 p.m. last evening.  The middle of our first hail storm and downpour of rain last evening.

About 20 minutes after this dump a second wave of hail rained down on us.  The temperature dropped 17 degrees C!  (30 degrees in F).  This morning there was still hail hanging around.

And my beautiful, lush, thriving garden is now this:

A good week's work

It's Friday and I've finished my first round of canning for the season.   This is what I accomplished:

• 6 - 250 ml (pint) jars of Rhubarb Marmelade
• 6 - 250 ml jars of Rhuberry Spread (a tangy sauce for marinading, grilling or roasting; a combination of rhubarb, strawberries and lemons)
• 6 - 250 ml jars of Blueberry-Rhubarb Jam
• 8 - 250 ml jars and 2 -500 ml jars of Rhubarb Ketchup  (This is one of our favorites and I 've been making it for years.  You can use it as grilling marinade, as a condiment on sandwiches or for a dipping sauce.)

Rhubarb-Bluberry Jam, Rhubarb Marmelade, Rhubarb Ketchup, Rhuberry Spread

I have just enough Rhubarb left to make a Rhubarb Custard Pie  -- thanks to Jay for tantalizing my tastebud memories!

Cherries are coming now so I'll guess that will be next ....

Let the canning begin !

Rhubarb has been late around here this year.  Finally got about 8 pounds from Linda's mother-in-law and decided to try some new recipes this year.  Today I made:

Sunny Summer Sunday

Alberta Summer

Big blue sky, white clouds

Purple flax bends in the wind

Gold canola sea

Gardening Success ... finally!

Do you have any idea how nice it is to return from a holiday and find that your garden has grown and flourished.  Okay ... you probably do!

Our venture into raised-bed square-foot gardening is already a huge success over the last few years. 
 

Kale, Parsely, Radishes. Romaine Lettuce & Spinach

Beans, Brussel Sprouts, Onions & Peppers

Tomatoes, Parsnips & Carrots

Our beans took a bit of a beating in a hail storm, as did the peppers.  There are still blossoms on them!  Tonight we'll be having a spinach salad with fresh spinach from our garden.  Yay!

I also discovered that the pump  on our fountain decided to die.  Hey ... it was close to 15 years old!  So off to the store to get a new pump.  Then I installed the new pump and cleaned the fountain.



Clean fountain with flowing water.  :-)



Ooh!  Look!  Pretty fish!



Even the rest of the yard is flourishing.
Especially that grass!





Some Days ...

Have you ever had one of those days when the alarm clock is actually alarming and you don't want to get up and when you do you stub your toe on the end of the bed and there's almost no hot water left for your shower and you forget to put the coffee in the coffee maker and you try to call someone but dial the number wrong 3 times and then Revenue Canada calls and you find out you're being audited (okay that part didn't happen) and it's now only 10:30 in the morning and you don't know if you should just go back to bed and start over?

I think this sums up that kind of a day:

2-week summary

Now that my work load has significantly decreased I sometimes wonder what kept me busy all day or week.  So why not summarize events and occurances in the form of a list to help my "aging" brain.  I mean, really, who doesn't like lists?!!

Things I managed to get done:

• finished planting the vegetable garden.  Then, after the resident squirrel feasted on my freshly planted seeds, I re-planted portions of the garden.
• stapled fine nylon mesh over garden boxes to discourage resident squirrel.
• cleaned out and turned over the perrenial garden beds
• put solar lights on the back fence
• moved my mint patch to large container to ... um ... contain it!
• took care of our friends' puppy Veda for 5 days. 
• retrieved shoes from various locations daily for 5 days because Veda likes to take shoes and hide them
• worked on reunion stuff  (Not everyone sent a variety of pictures to  me.  You know who you are!)
• cell phone had major hiccups so cell provider said I would get a replacement phone.  The warranty department said they would be sending a previous version of my Blackberry Bold.  I had a 9700 and they wanted to send me a 9000.  Called cell provider again and politely told them I pay $5 a month for the extended warranty and that was for a 9700!  Cell provider called warranty department and said "upgrade her" to a 9780, free of charge.  Cranky Karen became Happy Karen
• got new cell phone and spent a morning getting it set-up and removing all personal info from previous phone.  Mailed previous phone back.
• picked up my Blackberry Playbook (compliments of a dividends cheque and $200 coupon from Staples on my business account.)  Spent an ENTIRE day getting it to sync with my Blackberry and computer.  Yes ... I made it more difficult than it actually was.
• went to Sears to pick up a few things and was asked by the checkout clerk if I qualified for the senior's discount.  What?!  Well, in her defense she didn't even look old enough to actually have a job ( so I probably looked ancient to her) and it was Seniors Tuesday and at Sears the Senior's Discount starts at age 55.  But still .... 
• Did some office work so I could still claim to be employed and keep the client happy. 
• Spent a whole day carting laundry in and out to the clothes line.  It was so warm and breezy, each load was ready to take down by the time the next was ready to go up.
• Discovered how much I like eBooks.  The Blackberry Playbook has Kobo (Canadian version of Kindle) on it complete with a selection of free books.  I can now say that I have actually read Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  I have to decide if I will read Sun Tzu's The Art of War.  There are 2 other free books of the Noris Roberts type that I'll leave for emergency escapist reading someday.
• Spring-cleaned my kitchen
• Tried a new biscotti recipe (Anise Biscotti). LOVE it.
• The usual cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, etc that fills each of our days

Entertaining things I did:

• Watched lots of hockey while wearing an oversized jersey of Harry's to help the Canucks win
• Watched the Social Network  (I liked it; H said "nhh")
• Played Wii sports with Anthony who is a killer bowler (his scores were 150, 168 and 182 -- he's only 4!). 
• Reached a score of 396 in a Scrabble game  -- just can't seem to break the 400 mark. 
• Spent an afternoon at the Salon getting cut, coloured and facialed  (I just made facial into a verb -- oops)
• Gave myself a pedicure

Okay, so I guess I did do stuff and accomplish things.  Good to know.

Judgement Week

Interesting fact:  judges are given 2 weeks in the year to write judgements.  Harry just had his first Judgement Week.



Addendum:  May 16th -- Garden boxes are all planted!  GROW!