Tagged....

...by Karyn, so I guess I'll be nice and play, mostly because I can do it from my laptop and I don't have to fight with my camera and computer who don't always speak to each other.

Here are the rules:


The tag is this.....list 7 things I love....I'm supposed to tag 7 other bloggers too, but I'm way out of the loop.

Here's my list of 7 things I love:

1. Learning, (even though it's often preceded and accompanied by much pain).
   
2. Evenings at the lake with my family, watching the fire and listening to the loons.
3. Listening to my grandkids laugh and make me laugh.
   
4. Creating something with my own hands, instead of buying or consuming something.
5. Lavender.
6. Stories of my parent's youth.
   
7. Road trips, planning road trips and looking at pictures and remembering our road trips.
   

Kiva

I just added a link to Kiva. We just made a new loan to a single mom in Peru. My niece and her fiance are in Peru right now. They are heading to Pico, Peru to help rebuild after an earthquake destroyed half of the community. My Mom is talking about going down with my sister to meet up with Robin and Jun and work at the project.
If you are like me and can't hop on a plane, fly to Lima and ride a bus for a day or so to Pico so you can spend your time and money volunteering on your holiday, Kiva is a great alternative.

Cold Days Call for Desperate Measures.

I've been hoping the weather would get warmer and spring would surprise us, but the -39 C with wind chills has been keeping me inside, looking for ways to stay warm.

One way to keep winter at bay is with a nice home-made soup. This one is such a winner. It warms from the inside out, it's very budget friendly, and it is delicious! It's from a magazine...I'm not sure which. The page just says "fit to eat". Is it Martha Stewart? I can't remember, but it is a keeper.
If you haven't yet tried lentils you should give this a go. Everyone in my family liked it, including the supremely picky 13 year old. It's spicy and thick and delicious. Be generous with the ginger. It gives it that touch of the extraordinary!

Spiced Red Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 diced plum tomatoes (or my substitute-1/2 cup salsa)
2 cups red lentils (I'm sure any lentil would work: we don't care what colour you are: we love you)
4 cups stock; chicken or vegetable
4 cups water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon, or to taste, red pepper flakes or fresh ground pepper (I use X-tra spicy Mrs Dash)
Plain yogurt (optional)


In large pot, heat oil on medium high heat. Add first 5 ingredients and cook till onions are soft and golden, stirring often and scrapping browned bits, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes (If using salse, just add and stir well.)
Stir remaining ingredients into pan, raise heat to medium high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally untill lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
Let stand about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings.
Using an immersion (or regular) blender, process soup till thick and as smooth as you like. I happen to like a little texture, but I do like it thick and "creamy".

Makes six servings. You can top with 1 tablespoon plain yogurt if you like. I didn't find it needed anything. I have served it with caramelized onions, and that was a delicious addition!

Enjoy! The only thing wrong with this recipe is that it only makes 6 servings!

Apronology

I picked up a new Somerset publication on Thursday night after seeing a movie with the Mr. I didn't know the level of inspiration I would aspire too after flipping through it. It's so wonderful I actually had butterflies in my tummy thinking of all the possibilities! Apronology could become my new favorite topic of study!

I immediately decided to repurpose a few items in my stash. One was a shirt dress in linen with a blue flower pattern, one was a blue linen shirt, and one was a denim jacket with a gorgeous, wide, blue lace trim around the hem. I loved them all individually but never wore them, and together...serendipity! I worked on it from midnight to 2:30 am, thanks to the diet Coke I ingested at the movie. (Why don't they have a sugar-free, non-caffeinated beverage?? Hello!)

I am so very happy with the way the apron turned out. It has two large pockets on the front with another blue pocket that I removed intact from the blue shirt, on top of that. I trimmed the hem with lace and added some to the blue pocket as well.

This is just prep for the Mother-Of-All-Aprons Swap that I will be creating for come Mother's Day. I won't know what kind of apron will be appropriate till I find out my swap partner. (If you like swaps, love aprons, are Canadian, and want to play, contact Dawn at Art of Humungous Proportions.)

Whew! This is the first time I've blogged in what seems like months! I've been busy with many good things, which must use more of the left side of my brain. Blogging seems to use more of the right I guess...I've been involved in some great discussions and classes and reading that have been stretching me in other directions. This creative side is still here, waiting to take over again, but for now I'm studying, searching and questioning. It's a good thing, because I have two boys who are coming up to serious study time and they are enjoying keeping me on my toes! Homeschooling like we do, following our passions and not a curriculum, is rewarding and has it's own rhythms, and I plan on dancing to that beat as long as it takes.
So if I seem to have fallen off the face of the earth, don't worry. I'm still making my rounds in blog-land and filling up my creative tank by reading and enjoying all your beautiful posts!

Need a Laugh?

Blogging has not been tops on my list lately. Reading blogs gives me a lot of pleasure, but not so much posting. Maybe I just lost my focus...art?...family?...writing? I'm not sure. I'll sort it out soon.

But this is too good not to post. Nialle sent me the link with this note:

" Hey mom, you're gonna like this. Wild gesticulations, unintelligible screaming… I thought hardcore punk was crazy!"

hehehe Check this out. I can listen to it with my eyes closed and I LOVE it, but watch the video at your own risk. Don't do so with while sipping coffee, tea or any sticky beverage. Sans full mouth. Don't say I didn't warn you.

It's better than the Laughter Yoga class I did this week.

Very Neglectful in the New Year

I know, I know. I got more great gifts I haven't posted, and fun stuff from Christmas. But there was a Champagne and OJ incident on Christmas day involving my camera and a 2 year old hyped up on Kinder Surprises and candy.
Oops.

Nothing TOO serious at all...his parents made sure to jump in and safe the day and the electronics. Just a little sticky stuff in the lens that I want to make sure is completely dry. Then I'm sure I can wipe it with some alcohol (no, not more champagne!) and clean it up.
I have the batteries out and if I were more motivated and less slothful (does that happen to you after the frenzy of Christmas and New Years?) I'd get on that right now.

But I think I need to lie down and have a bon-bon. Did I mention it is -41 here today!!!!? (That is not factoring in the wind chill either, which is said to bring it down to -51. )
I cannot even comment on that. At least not in plain English. I'd have to resort to my second language, which I have not had too much practice in of late. (Yes, that would be profanity)

So stay warn, where ever you are, and for those in my 12 Days swap that I haven't yet showcased, please know that your gifts are so, so appreciated and loved, and much shown off, and I will post more about them in the near future.

Happy New Year everyone!

Nine is Mine!

Only 4 more days till Christmas! Wow! This is kind of like Hanukkah though, only better. Instead of 8 nights of gifts, we get 12!!








Today's surprise came from Lisa Ryder in New Zealand. Look at the ATC's. It's a full hand, 12 cards, each with personality, humour and style!








But that's not all. I LOVE this little canvas with a grid of circles! Click on it to see better. I'm still noticing new things in each of the elements...so much detail!

Thank you Lisa!

8th Day is so fine

It's icy cold, -27, but bright and sunny and beautiful. There is a frosting of pure sugar over the whole landscape, and the sky is a brilliant baby blue that only happens this time of year when the air is full of ice crystals. It's breath taking! Quite literally. Stepping outside is a shock to the lungs and the senses.







But the day brought more surprises, and more Christmas! Fiona started my day out with fun and festivity!

Look at the little linen heart goodness,









and the fabric (Amy Butler? Vintage?) book mark.


I love them both! One is hanging on the door knob of my pantry cupboard, giving me a little kick of colour and charm each time I reach for a can of tomatoes or a jar of fruit.
The other is holding my place in my Tasha Tudor's Christmas book, where I see it often and appreciate it's usefulness and beauty whenever I sit down to read a bit, between projects.

Thank you Fiona! I heart them!