Yarn Stash

Well, here's my true confessions moment.  This is Yarnageddon.  The Stash.  The Wooly Mammoth.  The reason I am no longer buying yarn.  (Until the pile is gone....)

In my defense, I work with senior's and a lot of this yarn has been given to me by dear little ladies who can no longer wield the hook or needles.  Who can turn down good yarn?  Not me, obviously.

I finished the wool-eater afghan last night, (six skeins gone!)  and am considering my options at the moment.  I found some beautiful black mohair in the pile, and think my next project will be a scarf for Jackie, Stacey's mum, who is visiting from Moncton right now.

Happy Hooking!

Catching Up At Home

During Christmas (and for a short while afterwards) I took a break from the blogosphere to focus on family and home.  This is a little catch up post to let you all know what's been going on.  Above is a picture I took of our two apple trees in the back yard, and it turned out all silvery, thanks to one of those handy phone apps!  This is where the bird feeders are stationed, and I get a lot of pleasure from feeding and watching the winter birds in our yard.  They like our yard because we have allergies, which means no cats and dogs.

While we were decorating our Christmas tree, one of the kids snapped this picture.  I only discovered it later, but I really liked it!  We had a great Christmas, lots of good food and family fun.

During a trip to Calgary in mid December, we drove by the unfinished Calgary Temple, and Scott snapped this photo.  I can't wait until it's finished!  This Temple has the most amazing view of the foothills and Rocky Mountains.  Breathtaking, actually.

Also in December, Scott and I went to see the Messiah at the Winspear!  Amazing concert, and the conductor, Bill Eddings (I think) was highly entertaining.  They played the complete Messiah, which they don't usually do (in previous years it's been selections from...), which made for a long concert, but following along with the scriptural references they handed out was a very moving experience.

It's January now, so I'm cleaning out closets, making resolutions (I love the word resolve), and (hope springs eternal) have bought my first packet of garden seeds. 

I am also working my way through my yarn stash.  I am currently making this aptly named wool-eater afghan.  You can find the pattern at www.sarahlondon.wordpress.com.  The color choice is rather unimaginative, but as mentioned previously, I have taken a solemn vow to buy no new yarn until I have worked through my existing collection.  So, pink and cream yarn I have lots of, therefore I am making a pink and cream afghan.  I have also made a hot water bottle cover, three scarves, one dishcloth, a net shopping bag, and a book mark.  And barely a dent has been made in the pile.  I think I need a name for my stash.  Something that big is worthy of a name.  Yarnageddon?  The Wooly Mammoth?  George?  Hmmm, I guess I'll have to think about it.  Happy blogging, everyone!

All in One Christmas Post - Recipes, Scrapbooking Ideas, Fun Links, Tips......

Well, my friends, the countdown is on and there's lots for all the Mrs. Claus' to do.  In the spirit of gettin' it done and keepin' it real, this is an all in one Christmas-palooza post.  So, here goes....

Recipe:  Raisin Clusters

1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups raisins

Line baking sheet with buttered wax paper.  Set aside.  Melt chocolate with milk and vanilla in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat when melted.  Stir in raisins.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet.  Refrigerate until firm.  Store in fridge in container between layers of wax paper.  Makes 30 clusters.  This is my dad's very favorite Christmas treat.

Tip of the Week:

If you're making chocolate cakes or cup cakes this season, try dusting the greased cake pans with cocoa instead of flour.  No white flour marks on the cake - yay!

Family Activity:  Christmas ABC Scrapbook

  This is one I'm going to start in the New Year, it's an old idea I've had in my Christmas File for over a decade.  Basically, all the Christmas cards that you've kept through the years can be added to an ABC scrapbook.  Get a nice big scrapbook and make sure it has at least 26 pages in it.  Label each page A-Z with the following verses:

A is for angels, with halos so bright, whose carols were heard on that first Christmas Night.
B is for baby, that Christ child so dear, We celebrate Christmas, His Birthday, each year.
C is for Candles that so brightly shine, To give a warm welcome to your friends and mine.
D is for doorway with garlands of green, To make Christmas merry for as far as they're seen.
E is for evergreen garlands galore, We hang at our window, fireplace and door.
F is for fun the whole season long, From trimming the tree, to singing a song.
G is for greetings, a merry hello- With a heart full of love for people we know.
H is for holly with berries so red, To make into wreaths to hang overhead.
I is for ice on white covered hills, Where sledding is fun along with the spills.
J is for jingle bells merrily ringing To the whole world, joy they are bringing.
K is for Kris Kringle, so merrily he stands.  He is who they call Santa, in ours and many lands.
L is for lantern, I'm sure that their light Helped Mary and Joseph, on that first Christmas night.
M is for Mary, her heart full of love For her little son Jesus who came from above.
N is for Noel the angels did sing To herald the birth of Jesus, our King.
O is for ornaments, so shiny and bright, With lights on the tree, they sparkle at night.
P is for packages, presents so gay, All around the tree for our Christmas Day.
Q is for quiet Christmas Eve night, With snow covered hills glistening so bright.
R is for red, the color so gay, That makes all things bright on that one special day!
S is for shepherds who first saw the star Over Behtlehem's manger and followed it far.
T is for trees we decorate so gay, They wait for old Santa to hurry our way.
U is for universe, the whole wide world, Where Christmas means joy to each boy and girl.
V is for Vixen, the lively reindeer.  He always helps Santa deliver toys each year.
W is for wisemen who brought gifts so rare, and fell down and worshipped the Christ child there.
X is for excitement, the best day of the year, We can all hardly wait until it is here.
Y is for young children who love Christmas so, Who teach its true meaning by the love that they show.
Z is for Zeal, real excitement and fun.  May this book help to bring a "Merry Christmas" to everyone!

This is a project to be brought out every Christmas season.  Keep the Christmas cards you receive every year alongside the scrapbook, so whenever little people get restless, you can get them to look through the cards and find new pictures to add to each scrapbook page.  Warning:  this scrapbook is not for moms to obsess over, it is a yearly activity for the kids, so please put your perfectionism aside!  (Unless you want to do one for yourself, of course.  Kind of like how dads should have their own kub kar/pinewood derby car all for themselves.)

Home and Garden:  It's Yarn Season for me.  I can't go outside and dig in the dirt, so I play with yarn and drool over seed catalogues.  Here's a link to one of my favorite crochet pattern websites, it's pretty comprehensive:  Crochet Pattern Central .  I've made two cute hats already and am working on a Mobius Granny Scarf right now.  Confession:  I drooled over yarn at Michael's yesterday, then reminded myself of the pact I have made to abstain from buying yarn until I have used up my current stock, which is shocking.  I think I have enough yarn to cover a bus.  Did you know there are yarn ninjas out there who do yarn grafitti?  Maybe Beaumont will discover a yarn activist when I run out of people to cover in granny squares........

Review:  The Graphics Fairy

This isn't so much a review as a big thank you to The Graphics Fairy.  Her site is amazing, and filled with free vintage clip art and absolutely cute craft projects.  I am in awe.....

Family Inspiration: 

This was written by Toni Young of Calgary many many years ago:

"Remember---

What children really want for Christmas is a warm and close family celebration and a few carefully chosen gifts from people who care about them.

Build up to Christmas has been lengthened, but its ending has been cut short.  When the gifts have been unwrapped, Christmas is over and children are left dazed and bewildered. 

When parents have family celebrations, kids learn there's more fun to Christmas than just unwrapping gifts.  When children have exciting family activities to look forward to, before and after the present-opening, gifts start taking their rightrful place in the festivities."

 

Red Berries Covered in Snow

Just as I am decorating for Christmas inside our cozy little house, Mother Nature is also getting festive outside.  Here's a picture I took with my phone a few days ago.  Hope you're all enjoying getting ready for Christmas as well!

The Backyard Visitors

Now that winter has truly set in, it's time to focus on the visitors that come to our back yard when it's cold and snowy.  Here's a sweet little chickadee hanging out in the birdfeeder.

Another visit this week was a sassy bluejay who was enjoying the suet hanger.  I made my own suet bird concoction this weekend.  We had houseguests and I cooked a shocking amount of bacon.  I won't tell you how much, it's just wrong.  As my friend Stacey and I were staring at the prodigious amount of bacon grease waiting to be disposed of, I remembered something I had read in one of the boys Cub books recently.  Little birds need the fat from suet or bacon grease in our cold Canadian winters.  I grabbed a bowl, the grease and a big bag of birdseed, and added enough birdseed to the bacon fat to make something that looked like a seed muffin mix.  I spooned the mix into four muffin tin papers, and popped them in the fridge to cool.  Voila, little chilled suet balls, waiting to be used.  I put one on the birdfeeder a couple of days ago, and yesterday I saw a little chickadee picking away at it, so it was successful!  I hope he has a good cardiologist.

Halloween Musings

                             A neighbor hood ghost swinging between two trees. 

          A bunch of trick or treaters waiting to hit the streets and fill their bags with treats.

This year we had a great Halloween, mainly because it was above zero and there was no snow!  My two boys and their friends spent the evening collecting candy, and then came back to our place for some hot chocolate.  Some even went out for a second go round.  Two smart ones looked at their haul and felt they had more than enough to last for a long time, and stayed back to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labors.

We don't get a lot of trick or treaters at our house, people seem to go to the newer subdivisions.  The houses are closer together and make for faster candy collection, I guess.  I still like to carve pumpkins with the children and put up some not so scary decorations.  We even play a little Halloween music for the ones that do come to our door. 

I know there's always a big debate about Halloween.  In our ward the discussion often centres on whether or not to hold a trunk or treat party.  (Let me 'splain.  No, there is no time.  Let me sum up.)  Basically a church party held in the chapel parking lot on activity night.  Kids dress up in their costumes, adults decorate the trunk of their car, and then hand out candy to the kids as they make the loop of the parking lot.  Traditionally this is held on years when Halloween falls on a Sunday, like last year.  This year it was decided to hold it again, which meant two rounds of trick or treating for all the children in our ward.  I participated with my family, especially since my two teenagers were helping to plan some indoor activities for the younger children.  However, I have reservations.  Mainly, if we have two trick or treat events a Halloween, then the kids will feel gypped on a year when it falls on Sunday.  Also, nobody needs that much candy.  And finally, two big batches of Halloween candy are not cheap, and ward events should never make it financially stressful on families that might be struggling.  So there, I have weighed in on the issue of the Annual Trunk or Treat.

My next problem with Halloween is this:  Halloween seems to have crossed the line from slightly spooky to genuinely disturbing.  I went into a local store called the Spirit of Halloween, and I was not impressed with the display of zombie babies, squishy baby heads, corpses and other really gross things.  I think that Halloween was for kids when I was a little girl, and seems to have ventured into the adult zone in later years.  Plus, the costumes for women and girls are really demeaning.  There was a line of costumes for girls 4-8 in another store marketed as Little Divas, and they were very suggestive.  Not to mention what is available for teenagers and grown women.  My daughter had a really hard time finding an appropriate costume, and ended up going as a rag doll.  She was very cute, and covered up.  Not to mention the fact that we live in Northern Canada, so why would you wear a costume that is appropriate for Miami Beach. 

That`s it.  That`s all I have to say on Halloween.  It`s gone from a night where you carved a pumpkin and raided your mother`s closet for a costume, to a major commercial enterprise that seems to rival Christmas for outdoor decorations, while pushing the boundaries of good taste. ( Plus I miss the days when you`d get homemade fudge, caramel apples and popcorn balls.)

Parable of the Apple Tree

There once was a wise man who had four sons.  He greatly desired for them to learn wisdom, so over the course of a year he sent each son on a quest.  They each travelled to see an apple tree, one in the winter, one in the spring, one in the summer, and the last in the fall.  At the end of the year the wise man gathered his sons together and asked them to describe to him what they had seen.  The first son said, "I saw an old apple tree, ugly, gnarled and bare."

The second son said, "I saw an apple tree as well, but it was not ugly and old.  It was young and beautiful, covered in pale green leaves and delicate blossoms."

The third son exclaimed, "No, the tree was mature and laden down with an abundant harvest.  It was wonderful to behold."

The fourth son said, "The tree I saw was awash in the most beautiful colors, with its leaves spangled like gold on the ground."

The wise father explained to his sons that they had each visited the same tree, and viewed it in different seasons.  They learned to not judge a tree by one season, but as a whole.

I am thankful for the seasons of my life, and look forward to viewing the whole.

(I have searched several times for the general conference talk this came from.  I just had to go from memory.  If anyone can remember the speaker, please let me know so I can add the link!)

Thoughts on the Garden at Thanksgiving

As Canadian Thanksgiving is this coming weekend, I have been thinking (and thanking) about my dear little garden and all the pleasure it gave me this year.  Right from the first sight of crocuses and rhubarb pushing their way up through the snow, to the petunias, sunflowers and tomatoes (yes, tomatoes!) still clinging to life this fall.  Some things went along wonderfully, like the rhubarb, raspberries, apples, potatoes and tomatoes.  Some of my flowers were just divine, like the roses and sunflowers.  Other things didn't go quite as planned, like my dismal carrots, the sweet peas that never really managed to do anything, and the beets that just languished.  Every day was an adventure, as I weeded and planned, pruned and picked in my little Eden.  I'm so thankful for the good earth and all that grows in it.  Every seed contains a miracle that will always amaze me.  We will give thanks this Monday for all our many blessings, with hearts full of gratitude.

graphics courtesy of graphicsfairy.blogspot.com

Changing Seasons

"Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons." - Jim Bishop, writer

Last of the summer blooms....

Temperatures have dropped considerably since last weeks little summer blast.  We've gone from 30+ C down to 14 C this week.  Tuesday morning when I took Sarah to seminary the thermometer was reading 1 degree!  With a -1 degree windchill, no less.  We have not been touched by frost in our yard, although other areas have been, so I wanted to snap a few pics this morning to capture the yard in it's late summer glory.  Before it's destroyed by frost.  Sob.  Here's a shot of the rosehips on one of our bushes.  It's loaded with hips, which many will tell you is a sign of a hard winter coming.

My petunias were looking very leggy and shabby a few weeks ago, so I cut them back hard.  The result is one last burst of blooms for me to enjoy!  The shadow is the top of my giant head.  This is why I usually get Sarah or Scott to take my photos.

One of my favorite tomato plants this year is this Tumbling Tom.  It's still producing lots of little tomatoes.

The sunflowers are in full bloom, this variety is called Kong, and has not disappointed in it's claims!  The wind is really blowing today, you can see them swaying in the wind.

I just love my sunflowers, they're so cheery!  And really, I just love to grow something that reaches 12 feet in height.  How often do you get to grow something that big? 

Summer has Arrived!

It's official, summer has finally arrived in a blaze of September glory!  30 degree weather has arrived at last!

My teddy bear sunflowers are finally blooming.  They're one of my favorites, they're so cute!

A lady bug and a bee decided to have a little party on one dwarf sunflower.  They held a pose for me as well.  I'm really going to enjoy this beautiful weather we're having, it's been a long time coming. 

Apple Harvest

I woke up the other night and heard things dropping outside my bedroom window.  Apples were falling from one of our big apple trees.

Justin has promised to climb up the tree to where the big beautiful apples are, and I'll get the lower branches.  Then it will be time to make apple sauce, apple butter and apple pie filling.

The beginning of the end.....

On Thursday morning, I had three (un)willing helpers in our vegetable garden.  You see, some things are really quite finished in the vegetable patch by the end of August, and I needed some help!  We picked the last of the yellow and green bush beans, the carrots (which were quite dismal this year, and I was tired of looking at the scraggly, tiny things), the beets (see carrots) and dug up a pile of beautiful, large red Norland potatoes.  Success in one area!  All that is left right now is the swiss chard, tomatoes and cucumbers.  And the sunflowers, which have not bloomed yet.  They have about three weeks left before frost comes and wipes everything out.  So come on tomatoes, cucumbers and sunflowers, you can do it! 

Garden Gone Wild!

This is the time of year when I start to think that maybe I overcrowded my garden in the spring.  Everything has gone cra-Z in our little garden!  I think I have enough plants stuffed in there for a garden three times as big.  Sigh.  I pulled my first whopper of a zucchini out of the patch yesterday.  I think its a three pounder, I'll have to weigh it.  Too big to cook with, I'll have to grate it and bake with all it's zucchini goodness.  Don't tell the kids, but there will be zucchini in the chocolate cake I make tomorrow for our Sunday dinner!  The pole beans are still flowering, but I think I can start picking from the lower levels soon.  We had our first batch of yellow beans for dinner on Monday, they were so delicious.  The raspberries are still plentiful, which is a delicious treat.  Gardening is always an amazing experience.  Next week I'm going to share some of the things that went wrong in our vegetable patch this year.  There's always a failure or two every year, and it's a chance to learn something new.

White Butterflies

Friday morning a dozen or more white butterflies visited our garden.  Scott ran out with our camera and took pictures, but this is the only butterfly that would pose for a picture!  Apparently it was quite a sight, they were fluttering all over the vegetable patch.  Our backyard is very busy with bees, ladybugs and dragonflies, and now white butterflies! 

Roses then and now

Last week this rose started to bud.  What a beautiful color!  This is the rose that almost didn't make it, that was winter killed right back to the ground.  I'm so relieved it made a come back!

Here's the same rose this week, fully opened, what a beauty!  This little rose bush survived -30 to -35 degree celcius temperatures this past winter.  And lived to tell the tale.....

Garden Dreams

In January, I dream of growing things.  I make long lists and draw up plans.  I dream of the taste of a fresh sun-warmed tomato.  In July, these dreams seem more like a possibility.

In February, I imagine the taste of raspberries picked right off the bush and popped in my mouth.  Jars of jam waiting to be made.  Raspberry sauce over vanilla icecream.  By the end of next week, this will be a reality.

In March, I start buying seeds.  Pole beans, nasturtiums, green onions, sunflowers, sugar sprint peas.  In July I can crunch on pea pods and admire the bright red flowers on the scarlet runner beans.

In April, I start hoping the last of the snow will disappear, and poke around in the garden beds for signs of life.  In July the delphiniums are taller than I am.

July makes everything seem possible.  All the hopes and dreams of the winter come into fruition.  When spring came, this little rosebush was so badly damaged by our cold winter, I thought it had died.  I cut it back hard, almost to the ground, said a prayer, and miraculously it made a remarkable comeback, and now is loaded with buds.  Even more than last year.  Gardens can teach you to never give up on a lost cause. 

Rhubarb in July

Yesterday was the day of reckoning.  The rain had let up, and the rhubarb patch looked positively amazonian.  Is that a word?  Anyway, it did look like some sort of Amazon like plant had found it's way into my humble garden patch.  I took my trusty kitchen shears out into the garden, sprayed on a healthy layer of DEET, (cough cough), and started working at the rhubarb.  Did you know it's a vegetable?  It is.  (Knowledge is knowing that rhubarb is a vegetable.  Wisdom is not putting it in your salad.)  I hacked away at the rhubarb until there was nothing left to hack at, and then hauled my harvest back into the kitchen.  Where I stayed for the next eight hours. 

Eight hours + 3 huge rhubarb plants =  24 jars of rhubarb strawberry jam (20 cups of rhubarb), 4 strawberry rhubarb pies (4 pounds of rhubarb), and seven bags of diced rhubarb in the freezer (43.5 cups).  I am grateful!

Love at Home

In the cottage there is joy,
When there's love at home;
Hate and envy ne'er annoy,
When there's love at home;
Roses bloom beneath our feet,
All the earth's a garden sweet,
Making life a bliss complete,
When there's love at home.


-John Hugh McNaughton

picture taken by Sarah MacIntyre

Garden Update

My little garden is coming along very nicely, thanks to some good rain and hot, sunny days. I received this new blackboard garden sign as an early birthday present from a dear friend - Thanks, Stacey!! We harvested our first crop of spinach just before it bolted, thank goodness, and the second crop is coming along nicely. The nasturtiums have formed a border around the edge of the garden, and should be blooming soon. As you can see, the pole beans are starting to climb their structure, and the zucchini are doing well, of course. The raspberries are setting their fruit and we'll harvest them starting in about two weeks. The peas are blossoming as well, and the lettuces and chard are just about read to be picked. The only downside this season is that along with all the rain, northern Alberta has sprouted a bumper crop of voracious mosquitos, which is discouraging us from staying out of doors too long. My new perfume this season is Off! with DEET, what a lovely fragrance!

picture taken by Scott MacIntyre