Of ninjas and relatives ...

It was a dark and somewhat stormy night; I say 'somewhat' because we rarely get real lightning-bolt-on-black-skies-thunderboomers, so in all likelihood it was more of a grayish and sopping night with no real fireworks. I, on my way to write an update to my blog - complete with stunning pictures and witty commentary - was accosted by ninjas.  What the ninjas were doing in my house is somewhat of a story in itself, but to shorten the long and improbable story, they've apparently taken up residence in the sports closet under my stairs.  What's more, they are encouraging a population explosion in summer dust bunnies - you know, the ones with the darker coats.  I've just spent two months trying to outrun the ninjas and escape the dust bunnies.

There's no question that both have become somewhat of an issue to my getting downstairs to write.  I've taken to sleeping with a baseball bat. While I do that, the ninjas have encouraged the neighbor's cats to come visit as often as they wish. I know this because I'm pretty sure our cats don't have enough fur for the sheer number of dust bunnies roaming the halls late at night .. and I'm constantly chasing them out of our garden. Cats, not dust bunnies, although brandishing a broom at a dust bunny rolling through the shrubbery brings to mind a funny image. Usually the chasing is done in my pajamas at an ungodly hour of the morning (ungodly hours start with smaller numbers than 7:00) and I'm alerted to the presence of an enemy by frantic scrabbling at the window and huffing and puffing on the part of Murray and Mr. Tippy. Fortunately, they have not discovered that howling and meowling are a real thing. But there I am, sun not quite up, chasing a cat off my deck with hissing sounds, flailing arms and ungodly hair.

So yea ... obstacles to writing this summer.  I blame the ninjas.

I've been waiting for Aunt Sandy to send me pictures I took on her camera for their visit here in late May. My own camera decided to take the weekend off, but I did manage to get some photos before the battery packed it in.  Sandy may have not have a way to transfer pictures or the knowledge, but she may also have ninja issues of her own.  ::shrug::  who knows?

Late May in Parksville Community Park.
Sandy's first wish was to do some beachcombing in order to bring home driftwood and shells.
She and John posed for a picture against  the ocean backdrop .. looks like John
found something interesting just off camera.

Just to the left of John in the previous picture, some kids took advantage of low tide
to get a bright red kite aloft.

Sandy with some of her treasures.

The one that got away!

I couldn't take my eyes off this old building  at the edge of Black Creek Marina.  Unsure what style
you would call this, but interesting and spooky both seem to apply.  According to locals, the
building stands empty most of the year.

The first day on Vancouver Island, John learned to dislike the rainy weather in the same way that born-n-bred British Columbians do.  Driving around, wipers on high failing to keep up with the downpour, water splashing everywhere .. road signs obscured until you realize you've just driven past your turnoff .. yea, fun times.  Right John?  As a result, they found themselves staying in a hotel near a dodgy part of town, but the staff treated them like gold.

Next day, we were off and running for northern parts and beaches.  John and Sandy had a Three Hills friend who lived in Parksville, so we dropped in on them.  Sandy and I toured the home art studio while John caught up with his friend.  After a light sandwich and tea lunch, they took us down to Black Creek Marina where the wild driftwood grows.  Sandy managed to collect enough driftwood to make her Three Hills home look like a beach resort.  I took home a small collection of shells to clean and bleach overnight so Sandy could take home non-stinky souvenirs.

The day warmed up and we went to visit Goats On The Roof market in Coombs as a diversion on the drive home, where Sandy and I did a bit of shopping. I actually managed to get a picture of the goats, but at the last minute, they turned away and I was left with a shot of goat butts. You can thank me for not posting them.

Not a clue what this is, but gorgeous doesn't begin to do it justice.  It grew beside
the church across the street from the Goats on the Hill market.

The day after Parksville, I sent them over to Gabriola Island to sight-see without me getting in their way. I've always done the art tour and chatted with artists when I'm over there. Sandy and John simply spent the day wandering through shops and taking in the sights, so I'm glad they had the space to enjoy the day in their own way.  We had them over for dinner after the trip and were very careful about John getting too close to the cats, but they weren't bothering him.  Maybe next time, they stay with us!

John enjoying the sun and a glass of wine on our balcony.  

Next day was a big one ... we took a winery tour of the south central island, visiting Merridale Cidery, which I had to admit was my favorite of the day.  We also stopped three other estate wineries and managed to purchase something at each.  The Siegerrebe from Rocky Creek has proven to be a favorite of mine.

The pictures that Sandy has are from the winery tour.  Love to have them  Sandy, if the ninjas haven't put them up for ransom.

The  official "Yellow Door" picture.

All in all .. we had a wonderful visit and we are really hoping that the promise of a house to look after in a warmer winter climate than central Alberta will lure them here for a few months later this year.  I can guarantee rain though.  But as we Albertans say .. at least it's not snow!

More posts to come as I sort out pictures I've taken the last couple of months.

Family update

When I last spoke with Ian via text .. 'cause we're all cool that way ... he showed me his new fridge.  It was so shiny, I just had to share it.  Congratulations can be sent in the form of frosty beverages.

He and I have always had a four-leaf clover as a lucky symbol .. as kids we'd go out and spend hours hunting the clover fields looking for them. At least, I remember doing that. He says this was a cover-up of a pre-existing tat.  Gotta say, Ian, your arm is looking like it needs a wee bit more gym time to make it as sexy as that tattoo.  Just kidding!

Speaking of brothers, Kent's youngest, Elina, turned three a few days ago and he sent us a picture.  He and family are moving to Oslo for a year with plans to move back to Singapore for another two, possibly three years.  For the next couple of weeks, Ilana and the kids will be in Vancouver, so I imagine I'll soon have pictures of my own to post.

Dad's Visit

Dad and Dorothy are on an airplane to Calgary as I write this, heading back to temperatures that make our -8°C seem positively balmy.  Dad passed along that it was -35° in Calgary last night.  The nice thing about the cool temperatures while they were here is that we were the beneficiaries of skies as blue and unclouded as those of Alberta winters.  It was positively bright!

We had a good visit and I'm pretty sure they'll be back when the entire island isn't in off-season.  We drove out to Parksville and trod the beach for a bit while Dorothy looked for pretty rocks and beach glass.  I was going to grab a picture of them as proof positive that Dad got that close to such a large body of water (the Salish Sea), but alas .. no power to the camera.

We drove up to Qualicum beach and wandered around town for a bit, stopping at Yesterday's Child Antiques, a store that puts most shops of that sort to shame.  It was just so well laid out .. and clean.  No having to blow off dust or pick the good stuff from the bad.  It was all nice quality.

We also spent a bit of time wandering around the studios in The Old School House, talking to artists and generally oohing and ahhinng.  Its amazing how much you learn simply from talking to people about their art and techniques.  I suspect Dad and Dorothy weren't as enthalled as I, but they looked at home chatting up the artists.

I purchased a couple of artcards of geometric cats from Audrey Perry before we went back out into the chill.

On Thursday morning, I ducked out of the house for my Thursday gym session with Paul and while I was out, Dorothy turned my kitchen into an amazing facsimile of a bakery.  By the end of day, we had four dozen cinnamon buns ready for the freezer.  They are indeed as delicious as they look and Dorothy even waived her usual raisin inclusion in favor of walnuts. Now that's a woman who's won my heart.  Raisins .. ptooey!

Dad and I spent a lot of time catching up on people who I used to know or go to school with; Dorothy seemed to know more than a smattering of the family history and extended family friends as Dad brought me up to date on people in his area.

Bruce remarked to me how happy Dad looks and I have to agree. Dorothy is good for him.  I approve. I'm afraid, however, that she may have set precedent ...  any woman who bakes cinnamon buns in my kitchen is bound to get the thumbs up.  Perhaps she needs to return and do it again ... you know ... just so I can make sure that it really isn't just today's cinnamon high talking.

I know its January, but ...

I've just this past week managed to get the Christmas decorations down and dried out ... we're having a bit of a soggy new year so far.  So color me surprised to see signs of Spring in my yard.  I had been out watching out for Bruce as he climbed on top of our roof to clean out the gutters.  The service we hired in the autumn did only a half-assed job so there we were ... out on day sandwiched in between rainshowers.  My job was simply to watch out for Bruce, so I managed to get in a bit of garden gawking as well.  Also, I discovered that my husband can move over the roof almost as fast as a squirrel can scamper.

This is Camillia Japonica, sometimes called the Rose of Winter.  Although its the official state flower of Alabama, its equally at home in my yard, nestled among the cedar hedge.  It shouldn't be there, but it would be just too difficult to move anymore, so they've got to make peace with each other.  You can see that there is a bit of dark blight on the leaves that I'll ask Dorothy about when she and Dad visit in a few weeks.  I'm kind of excited about their visit.

They look a lot like pussy willows right now, but these branches will flower out before they leaf out. Seems a bit backwards, but the show is nice in early spring.  These buds will look like this for a while, I've learned.

I've no idea what these are, but they live beside my door, trapped in a flower bed where they can't take over the world, which is apparently their wont.   They are generally the first teeny tiny flowers of spring, but if it weren't for their smell, you might miss them.  Without being overpowering, the smell can literally stop you in your tracks and make you look around to see what could be doing that.  That's when you notice the flowers.

And lastly, its the time when you begin to see this more often in your garden.  This doe was busy chomping away on the neighbor's cedars (which are wrapped in deer fencing that does nothing to deter them) until I chased her across the street where she munched her way through the undergrowth.

And to my brother Kelly .. happy birthday bro.  I know it was yesterday .. I sent you an email too :)  To Ilana ... hope your birthday tomorrow is fantastic!

Catch up!

Bracing.  That's what we call a day like today.  It reminds me of my Granny and walking the the Scottish Highlands with a wee scruffy dog .. although I've never done that.  I must have seen it somewhere and totally related to it though.  Because today reminds me of that picture in my brain .. although why my Granny Gideon and a small Scottie are in that picture is also a confusing muddle.

It's beyond blustery .. the weather here on the coast has been the usual sort of mixed bag of goods .. sunny one day .. raining sideways the next.   However, the gusty, blowsy breezes have consistently gone past sporty to the point of 'small craft warnings' that tend to keep the less adventurous paddlers off the water.   Certainly not Bruce and his Huligans, who like to embrace the waves and thrive on this sort of weather.  I just make sure that he's got enough ID that they know who to call when the body rolls up to shore.   I've given up trying to make the safety argument.  You know that one that goes "small craft warning" means small craft .. and that means an outrigger canoe.   He's all "Logic bedamned!"  

::sigh:: Men!

It appears I can have a wholly unexplained reason for a mental picture of a "bracing" day and yet .. in the very next paragraph .. totally discount my husband's proclivity to make up his own rules regarding wind and water based on things like .. experience.  ::frown:: That doesn't make him less wrong.

Bruce has actually been trying to behave himself the last couple of weeks ... he's just finished a round of medication to recover from pneumonia and is still working in clearing the last vestiges from his lungs.  The wet-and-cold combination are making him a bit leery on the very windy days when he knows that there's absolutely no hope of not getting soaked to the skin.  I say "trying" .. I mean that the siren of the waves weaves her haunting melody and tugs at him ... he's a bit powerless to resist her full will.  

::sigh:: Men!

I put this post together in October and got distracted by other things.  So as I sit down to write a new post, you get the old draft too.  My distraction then actually allows me to add more news now.

We had a scare on Thanksgiving weekend.  We'd been to Galiano Island with Céc and Richard for their annual Thanksgiving artwalk and were enjoying ourselves thoroughly, chatting with artists, making friends with stray cats, trying on hats and making faces in mirrors as a result, climbing lofts to look over old boat reconstructions and watching a glassblower at her trade.   I'd picked up a couple of pieces of art and Bruce picked up a cup of chai tea or ate something that gave his usually dormant allergies a chance to surface.  As we were leaving the island, Bruce's reaction had gone from mild to surprising and by the time we landed back in Nanaimo, had escalated into alarming.  Although there is no medical clinic open during off hours, we did get into London Drugs and got him sorted out with some allergy relief pills.  However, on the way home, 'alarming' had again escalated to the point where we took him to emergency.  Fortunately, he didn't have a long wait; although we did leave him there while we made dinner.  Bruce and I would both like to thank Cécile and Richard for their caring, help and patience as it was very long day by the time Bruce was back home.  Bruce now carries medication with him and has some in the car ... and I have instructions on how to use the epi-pens  it as well.


Sandy and Melvin dropped by this month .. and when I say dropped by, I mean they were on the island to visit with her parents who have moved to Cowichan Valley.  We made the most of the day and caught up with our two friends.  I swear, its like we've never left them 16 hours away and 8 years behind us.

Yup, they're as much fun as you'd think.

Melvin taught that look to Miley Cyrus.  Go ahead, blame him.

Fence update .. because you were waiting with bated breath .. right?  We finished!  Done for at least one more year.  Bruce says it took six weeks, but really .. it took all damn summer.  Because we like to not stress ourselves over deadlines.  Its the best way, really.

Mr. Tippy and Murray take their Construction Foremen job seriously.

September - Bruce is measuring to keep the headers parallel before he drills that last screw into place.

Trina, Dad and Dorothy at Myranda's wedding

Kelly's daughter Trina, oldest of the gaggle of nieces and nephews, travelled to Northern Alberta for Myranda's wedding and a chance to catch up with cousins and extended family, bringing her boyfriend to meet the gang.

Family smiles

Dusting and cleaning isn't something that happens often enough at our house.  Oh, you'll say, but we've been there and the house is fiiiine.  That's because occasionally, we are motivated to move beyond our slothful, sinfully negligent ways and actually do something about the cat hair in the house.  We find a slightly furry house to be a sign of comfort because "cats live here" and its only natural they should also want some say in the decoration.  At least that's what we tell ourselves on the days when visitors are not due.

A visit from family or friends warrants a tidy up and a quick check around to make sure there are no stray socks in sight.  A visit from our cat allergic friends always results in a full-blown massive, hospital-size cleaning.  On those days, I come armed with toothbrush to get the dirt in all the cracks.

So Kent's arrival is always preceded by "the big clean."  Which I'm sure most people don't recognize when they step in the door, other than maybe the odd lingering whiff of cleaning product.  Still, Bruce and I both know that we've done what we can to put the welcome mat out and make our guests as comfortable as possible.

This is a truly fantastic picture of the two brothers.

In other family news, Myranda and Ryan are to be married in four days time.  Sadly, Bruce and I are not able to be there, but we sure wish it were otherwise. I just got an email from Trina who will be there.  I'm sad I'll miss gossiping with her as well as seeing the rest of the Gideon gaggle.

I had planned on visiting also with Samantha and DeeWynn who have just added a new member to the family.  All dolled up for his introduction  ... may I present Layne Harrison Toews.

Grandma Debbie reports that he arrived at 5:08 am after just two hours of labour!  He weighed in at a healthy 8 lbs, 3 oz.  Congrats DeeWynn and Sam!  Won't be long until you'll be adding another dirt bike to the collection in the garage.

Easter Update

The other day, I was wandering through one of my favorite stores and something twitchy happened ... it was that sort of twitch that happens to me occasionally (and I dare say most women) when they see something that they just have to have.  Now, I restrained myself .. I only bought two of these cute little juice glasses.  But they were gorgeous .. all glittery in their shiny pinks and greens, blues and aquas .. with their bumps and pretty glass patterns.  I should have taken a picture in the store.  But failing that .. here's one I hope you enjoy.

I know its been a long while since I made a post ... I had a lot of difficulty with January and February and March blahs in the rain, rain, rain .. and more rain.  And then I realized one day (when I had been absent from my gym once again this week except for my weekly beating up by workout with Simone) that I actually had things on the go.  So I'll try to bring you up to speed ... not that there is a great deal of impetus there yet, but .. you know .. one can wish.

I continue to visit the gym and have a Thursday morning half hour each week with Simone, my Brazilian trainer.  She's been away for the past couple of weeks so I've been working out with Paul Pilates .. that's not his real last name, just a handy moniker that Bruce and I give him.  The first week, he damn near killed me.  I was going to text him on Friday and tell him that my upper abs weren't aching when I breathed .. that he "missed a spot, nyah, nyah" .. but the rest of my body wasn't so sure I wanted to push that button.  I'm pretty sure he could have delivered on that dare.  This week was a bit easier, thankfully, since we were off to visit Ilana and the girls on Good Friday.  Which brings me 'round to why I was in Chapters .. buying an Easter gift for the girls ... and then, apparently, being sucker punched by an effective display of glassware.

Sailboats near the coast of Vancouver.  You can't tell from this weather, but the ferry crossing was
a bit eventful, travelling through a thick white coat of fog, sounding the big ships horns every
two minutes as a warning to other boats asea.

I picked up a couple of books ... Elsa insisted hers be read to her immediately upon receiving it.  Elina was more interested in the unused diaper drawer and having her teddy bear dressed up in them.

We went off to the park with the girls in tow, along with Jordan and Lauren, Ilana's nieces  who were exactly what you hope all cousins will be when you're that age.. fun to be around, willing to slide with you and show you how to get to the high places on the merry-go-round.  They were also the right age to be watchful of the girls and perfect for Ilana who has preschooler whiplash keeping an eye on two active girls running in two different directions.  The park was as super busy as you might imagine .. gorgeous weather, if somewhat windy, on the first long weekend of spring during school break.

Kitsilano Beach Volleyball

Thumping rap music added counterpoint to the bouncing of the basketball and smack of their feet on the asphalt as players drove down the court for the layup, the bumps and calls from the volleyball nets as players warmed up their style for the summer, and over it all  ... a layer of children's laughter and shrieking joy as kids played on the merry-go-round, the swings, the obstacles, in the sandbox, with kites or chased frisbees and big soap bubbles.

Elina and Ilana on the slide that Elina was determined to walk up as the other kids were sliding down.
Fortunately, she was fairly easily guided by Lauren into safer pursuits.

This is a far cry from the girl who, last visit, was afraid to come down the slide herself.
This time around, Elsa showed the other kids how to be more daring, launching herself face first down the slide.
The hat comes as a result of a night at a Canuck's game with her dad.

Visits with them always seem too short in retrospect, but while you're around them, they certainly know how to fill the space with sound and movement, color and creativity .. even putting on a pair of socks and shoes can be an adventure.  Ilana, I'm zipping and sending you all the pictures that I took.

Liz and Ian Taylor met us for lunch at the Lantzville Pub while they took a day or two break on the island to get in touch with their Scorpio water sign.  Just kidding .. only Liz is the Scorpio.  But they do love their nature breaks and they gave me a couple of pictures so I'll show off my island to you through their eyes.

From the turbulent northern shores ...

... to the calm serenity of a mannequin enjoying the spring sun on a houseboat
deck along the Victoria shoreline in the south.  Home security takes an ingenious twist.

Liz recently forwarded this wonderful picture that a friend of hers took near Jasper.  Amazing story of struggle and survival in the wild.

I've been doing a bit more reading lately (I really should update my blog as I do that) and have gone through some books from two of my favorite Canadian authors, Charles de Lint and Guy Gavriel Kay.  It's funny .. the e-reader is the right size and has the right features to replace the paperback and I've even got a fold out case for it so it opens like a book and it's wonderful for the treadmill at the gym.  But it lacks two things that would make it better ... the brightness of the page, the contrast of the typeface ... and the feel of turning the pages of a book.  My birthday iPod manages to do that .. no, you can't actually turn the page, but as you flip from one page to another ... the page curls over and you can faintly see the type reversed on the rear of the page you just turned if the new one happens to be blank.  So it fulfills that tactile need.  I'll be jonesing for a iPad before too long, I expect.

In family news, I understand there will be a wedding up north this summer as Myranda and Ryan make their partnership officially official; Samantha and DeWynn are looking forward to parenting ...and may I just say that Maureen is a good name for a girl?  Dad and the boys are cleaning out the farmhouse toward the end of April .. they're taking away the more valuable items since Dad is living with Dorothy now.  Dad invited me up, but we have a few 'must go' events off the island this year and its always an expensive prospect.  2012 and so far, 2013, have not yet been generous to MRI (our recruiting business), so we're watching pennies carefully, especially since dentists and optometrist visits have been a familiar calendar item for both Bruce and I this first quarter.

Bruce's race season is underway, and I've got some nice shots of the recent Crazy 8 race where the Huligans competed and placed third overall.  Had some confusion not put them in the open division, they would have placed second in the more age-selective Masters.

LaDonne, Holly, Richard, Marcus, Toni, Bruce - the Huliguns in fine form

Paddling past some stunning shoreline scenery and catching up to another crew.

With all this gorgeous weather this weekend, I feel a bit guilty about spending time on the computer when we have bulbs to put in the ground.  However, tomorrow is time enough for that .. and for getting other parts of the garden ready for showing off.  My pretty little pots need a bit of a face lift .. and some replacement since one of them blew off the edge of the stairwell and broke.  Bruce was kind enough to put some foot stones in good spots in my rather soggy lily bed, so I'll be able to get in there more often; I need to prune back some heather shortly and continue spring cleanup.  I'm sure you'll hear and see all about it as I go through my season.

Until next time, my friends .. stay warm.  I hope that you don't have too many of last year's weeds to pull out of your own gardens.

Lonestar Deepwater

Every once in a while, I get a peek at something I consider pretty jaw dropping and it involves my brother in law, Kent.  And not to make light of the amazingness that is his family of drop dead gorgeous blondes, but has me impressed today is Kent's profession.  Kent is one of the guiding forces behind Lonestar Deepwater, a consulting service that specializes in building offshore platforms.

He sent this to us recently, to show us the project he's currently working on off the coast of Israel   As a result, some of the language you see looks suspiciously foreign.

In all the billions of people in this world, there are an amazingly small number who could interchange jobs with Kent.  He is .. impressive.  And so is this installation.  Enjoy.

Old Man 2012 limped out of the year, dropping off boxes of Kleenex and Neocitran, bottles of Benelyn and cups of tea.  I curled up on the sofa and indulged myself in mass amounts of sleeping .. I don't think I got out of of pajamas for a week. Yes, yes, I changed them daily, but still .. pjs!   The thing I recall mostly is that I couldn't breathe through my nose, but damn those jammies were comfy.

January is up and has been kicking ass for a couple of weeks, and I am still throwing off the aftereffects of what turned out to be the longest cold I've had in my memory.  A reminder that Bruce is right when he gets up to wash his hands after touching a menu.  I think that's where I picked it up .. and I hope our visitors from the US didn't take it home with them.

I suppose its just as well that I didn't have a chance to finish off that bottle of liqueur in the fridge or cook up and eat all those delectables I had envisioned before beginning the traditional January diet.  Instead,  Bruce was a real trooper, taking on all the meals.  Its amazing how much guilt I felt over that, but I'm over that too.

I've talked to a few members of my family and have some news to share or gossip to spread.  Ian and Nikki have parted, but Ian is in good spirits and is seeing a woman from southern Saskatchewan.  His daughter Angelina may stay with Ian when Nikki moves either down east or to BC with a new fellow she met online.  At any rate, Ian reports that he is happier now than he has ever been, so I guess the new year is one full of promise.

Ralph and Debbie called to say hello and impart News from the North Pole.  Seems my Dad was down with a cold on the day he came to visit, so I imagine Debbie kicked into nurturing mode, which is so very like her.   I caught Dad on Christmas Day as he was about to do something, so we're overdue for a chat now.

Aunts Sandy and Brenda have been in touch and I got the Christmas letters, which I do appreciate.  I had thought to do one myself and even bought the cards, but ... December got away from me like a slippery trout in streams of spring glacial melt.

During the ecoli outbreak in the Fall with the  Brooks packing plant debacle, Bruce and I stopped eating beef and switched to a rotation of pork, chicken and fish.   Funny, but even now, we just haven't redeveloped a tolerance for what beef does to our bodies, so we're eating it sparingly.  Still, slap a nice rib steak on the grill .. we'll be there!

Each year, I try to embrace a new food.  2012 was the year of honeydew melons and pomegranate   I won't say 'never,' but I don't think cantaloupe will ever be a choice for my plate.  This year, I'm trying to eliminate dairy and wheat .. so who knows where that will take me.  I'll keep you posted, but for now .. quinoa looks interesting.  If you have recipes to share, I'd love to have them.

I'm back to my workouts and my trainer Simone delighted in testing my limits yesterday ... I found them some much sooner than I had hoped, but there was an increase in weights in a couple of exercises, so I"m hopeful that I'll be in fighting form soon.

I know this post isn't so very newsy and I don't even have interesting photos to share, but I did create an amazing breakfast one day in December for Bruce's outrigger team.   I'm sharing the recipe for Cinnamon Roll pancakes below.  This came from a member of the guild in one of the online games I play, and they were truly something to write home about.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes!

A little bit involved, as there are three parts, but I'll be as detailed as I can. First time giving this a whirl, so it was a little iffy on parts, but end result was great.  

Things to note:
This recipe yields about 8 4-inch diameter pancakes. If making for a group, I'd suggest doubling.
Also beware: They're tasty.

I'll do this in sections - The Filling, The Glaze, The Cakes

The Filling

Ingredients: 
1/4 c butter (it called for unsalted, I used salted because that's all I had) 
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Prep:
First off, melt the butter down. In a medium/small bowl, mix the melted butter with the b. sugar and cinnamon. Put it in a ziplock baggy and set it aside. (Yes, there'll be a bit of melted butter that separates from it, but that's ok. Let it cool to room temperature while you move onto the next part - The Glaze) [Mo's note:  I put about 2 Tbsp more brown sugar in and it solved the extra butter issue]

The Glaze

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Prep:
In a small pan, heat the butter on low until it's all the way melted. Once it's nice and melty, turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it's pretty smooth. (Takes a bit; also I left my heat on low while I whisked just maintain heat to help the cream cheese get its groove on.) Now when you've got the mixture nice and smooth, sift in the powdered sugar and whisk that in. Also add the vanilla. Whisk away until smooth. (Probably best to add the p.sugar in batches as to maintain a consistency.) Set that aside for the time being and move onto The Cakes!

The Cakes

Use your favorite recipe or batter mix.

While the first side is cooking, take your filling bag and snip one corner just a little. Squeeze the filling into the open corner and apply it from the center outward in a swirl. Don't get too close to the edge or it'll seep out the side... which really wasn't a bad thing, but I would recommend a quick wipe with a paper towel, as suggested, in between pancakes to control the excess mess and prevent sticky overload. Cooking time on each side was about 2 or 3 minutes give or take. 
If you need, rewarm the glaze just a bit. (I kept stirring occasionally while I made the pancakes) Drizzle it over the top and devour!

It's a bit of putzing around, but overall not too bad. Below are some of the pictures of the procedure and final product. Good luck! 

Swirl example:


Finished:

For you Albertans

This is growing on my front step .. and no, its not an evergreen.

Hope you're enjoying the snow.  Ha ha ha ha ha ...

Today's Smile

Elina about to truly discover the wonder that is Halloween.  Elsa's got it down pat already, you can tell.

Thanksgiving

We just had a highly delightful visit with my Aunt Brenda and Uncle Reg who were visiting the island in order to celebrate a milestone birthday with a friend.  They, travelling with Brenda's lifelong BFF, Betty and her husband Warren, decided to do a bit of sightseeing up the island and dropped by here on Thanksgiving Day.   It was my chance to have a feast, the likes of which I haven't had an opportunity to create in just about a year.   It was also a chance to make sure our house sparkled.  I cooked, Bruce cleaned.

And .. with the exception of an overly runny lemon meringue pie, it was a resounding success, I'm pleased to say.

Reg and Brenda are still the same lovely people that I've known all my life.  I loved their interaction with Betty and Warren and the banter around the table and Warren told a story about a little log house in the Okanagan that still has me chuckling.  You can tell that Betty and Brenda have been friends forever.

All in all, a lovely day.  Thank you for the visit!

A little cottage in the country

Kelly shared pictures and story of his house renovations, so I thought I'd pass them along.

The first three pictures show how it looked when I started. I didn't like leaves so I cut down the poplar, then decided I didn't like to paint - and the window trim needed redone. So I changed out all the windows and doors to colored steel and vinyl. When that was almost finished I decided I liked the Spanish style of the house and should make the roof match. After much looking around I found the style of roof I liked and ordered it from Kentucky. So as you can see, doors, roof, windows and half the outside walls have been changed - as well as half the walls on the inside. All the flooring on the main floor will be changed to porcelain, granite and hardwood this winter, as well as the counter tops.

George and I have been slowly working on the landscaping and hope to be done this year. By the time I get home in next couple weeks, the stack stone should be done on the front of the house. Everything else will slow down now that the money pit is starting to show the bottom of the hole. I hope to get the last of it all done next spring when me and the girls get back from Ireland .

Love ya, talk to ya soon ; Kelly
PS say hi to Bruce for me

When you said you removed all the trees, I was wondering. But this isn’t too bad. Dude, you totally need a back deck that is amazing. That little one does your house no justice! Have you seen that show “Decked Out” with Paul LaFrance? Omg .. that guy does amaaaaazing shit with wood.

Also, you really do need some green around the house .. such as lawns or flower beds ... too much gravel is not good for the soul.

Mo


I'm still not done with the dirt moving yet , but I am going to have some flowers also & the tree movers can't move the rest of the trees till October (to much stress on them ).  I'm going to

•  extend the top deck at the back of the house the full length of the house and 
• put in another set of garden doors out of the master badroom when I redo the master bath and
• put a roof over the top deck ( when Hugh moves). 

So far the renos are about $70,000.00 so I've started to slow down a bit . I'm just really hoping I can be all done by this time next year and I won't have to touch the house ever again, but I'm not going to put off going on holidays to do it.  Also you bet you can put whatever you wish on your blog . Oh Trina also said to say hi the next time I talk to ya.

Talk to ya soon , Kelly