A Fun Game

Here's a good one I saved from Plowing Through Life. Lol.

Here is a fun game from Google called Dr Who's 50th Anniversary, in honour of it. The premise of the game is 'those dastardly Daleks have stolen the Google letters and we need Doctor Who to retrieve them'. If you have kids who like video games, they might enjoy it! I had trouble retrieving even the first letter G.

Paint Party Friday - The View

Welcome to Paint Party Friday!

I found this old art journal (approximately 5" x 7") in my stash and decided to start using it for sketches.

Here is a sketch of the view from my window, from a photo taken last month. It's done in watercolour pencils.

Vegetable Tray

Happy Thanksgiving to our US neighbours!

mini sweet peppers, snap peas

This was my lunch the other day, using leftovers from my husband M's Grey Cup Football party. I got this delicious vegetable tray from Costco containing some different ingredients. There were some miniature sweet peppers and some sugar snap peas in addition to carrots, tomatoes and broccoli. I had also bought a large tourtiere meat pie. I didn't even know you could eat snap peas raw like that and they were crunchy and delicious. So were the sweet peppers. I thought at first they were hot peppers.  It came with a garden ranch dip.

Snow Tires

I took my car in to the service centre to have the snow tires put on.  I asked the serviceman if he was new there.  He told me he started in May.  Prior to that he worked at a similar place.  But he had moved as he wanted a job close to home.  He has been in the business since he was 19 and he is now 36.  He seemed happy in his job.

This place has a complimentary shuttle service.  They use retired men to run the service and they are always full of interesting conversation.  On my way home, we spoke of the upcoming Pan American Games next summer, all the bad mayors, all the road construction, you name it.  For the return trip to get my car, he made good points.  For example, people shouldn't complain about the snow because the people who work in the ski resorts are happy, it's good for their business.  I learned that the service centre is slow in January and September.  January because everyone's broke after the holidays.  September because everyone's broke after dealing with their  kids' school expenses!  It's the same for all the stores and they have to run sales to keep their cash flow going.  Then we decided the restaurant and grocery business (and indeed even my hairdresser) is happy at Christmastime because  all the parties and festivities bring in a lot of business for them.  The summertime is also a good time for the restaurants.  Indeed his daughter has a restaurant and hires a lot of students in the summer.  It all works out when they have to return to school in the fall as business slows down.

So these are the interesting tidbits for today, I think I learned something.

Advent

Here's a good one I got from an email!

And here is a neat ping pong game you can play, but you have to be really good to beat the computer!

I went to church on the weekend.  The deacon gave his sermon using a Samsung tablet!  He faltered a couple of times losing his place as he moved his fingers over the 'pages', but his message was clear by the end!  Good for him!   Plans for the Christmas pageant are underway.  Advent starts next weekend, right after the US Thanksgiving.

Healthy Snacks

My husband M was on a business trip to the U.S. last week. He brought back some healthy snacks. One of those says it's a wheat free gluten free snickerdoodle cookie, it was so delicious!!  It's from WOW baking company. There is even a blueberrycrisp energy bar there along with some fruity snacks.  It's nice that there is a switch to healthy snacks everywhere now.

 M had a Grey Cup (Canadian) football party yesterday at our house with a bunch of friends.  Wish I was a sports fan.  Apparently the game was not exciting, too bad.  But everyone had a good time.

I bought several Christmas gifts on the weekend, they are playing lots of Christmas music on the radio and the malls scream gift shopping with their tempting displays. And the weather became freezing cold along with snow!

Sunday Sketches - Festive Dress

I've done a Festive art greeting card on gold card stock for Sunday Sketches (6"h x 4"w). I saw a photo of a model wearing this pretty dress and loved how it swirled about her legs. Are you getting into the holiday spirit?

Bitcoin

Lol!

Just a few thoughts for today.  Canadians are happy in their jobs, according to this article. And I keep reading about 'bit coin'. According to this article 'Bitcoin is a completely decentralized form of virtual currency that enables direct payment over the internet by skipping the middleman, which is usually a bank or credit card company. Transactions are safe due to cryptography used to prevent double spending, counterfeiting, or theft. Users can use bitcoins for a variety of real transactions.'  Things are changing fast, now we are talking about digital money.  Of course this will bring its own problems that will have to be worked out through trial and error.  One of my sisters said she heard the money is not traceable so drug dealers like it.  Apparently you can already get bitcoin from kiosks in Vancouver. 

Paint Party Friday - Leaf in Shadow

For Paint Party Friday I've done an art greeting card (6"h x 4"w) 'Leaf in Shadow', inspired by a leaf that blew into my front door the other day. I took a photo pictured below and went from there! Thanks to Valerie at Bastelmania for the gift of some good quality cardstock!

A Chance Encounter

McCafe Latte

I was at my local McDonald's yesterday, decided to get a small latte, skim milk and whipped cream, a good compromise don't you think? An older senior lady sat quietly at the table next to me. I decided to ask her if she was collecting the stickers on her cup. It's a fun promotion and if you get 7 stickers, it entitles you to a free medium drink of your choice. She said she did have a couple of stickers she had saved.

She mentioned she lived alone, that her husband had passed away a month ago, he had heart valve problems and died in his sleep at home. We both agreed we wouldn't mind dying this way. He worked up until the day he died. It was revealed that he had compromised their business due to gambling debt and felt he had to keep working. As it is he had left their affairs in a mess. There is no life insurance and she will sell her house, which will pay for other accommodations once she decides where to go. Admittedly, the house is too big for her alone anyway. She doesn't have many friends left these days so she didn't think it mattered staying close to home. Her husband was 82 and she is 81. She has children living with their own families, one at the other end of town and one living up north. The one at the other end of town visits her weekly.  She was very 'matter of fact' about the whole thing, as opposed to being upset. I think it was good for her to talk to a sympathetic ear. Indeed her problems are not unique in our aging population.

I bid her goodbye and we both hoped we would meet again.

Fancy Egg Breakfast

My daughter L sent me this food photo of a fancy egg breakfast she made recently. She said you just lay a slice of ham inside a medium muffin baking tin. Then you drop an egg into it and sprinkle some fresh dill on top. Bake for about half and hour and pour it on top of some toast! Doesn't it look restaurant quality?

Simple Foods

My daughter L has a roommate at school who is a very good cook. She believes in using  fresh spices, herbs and ingredients. L told me she now loves dipping bread into a mixture of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. She is also eating lots of salad (romaine lettuce) mixed with a similar dressing. The simplest meals are the best!

The Circle of Life

I got this funny one from Martha at Plowing Through Life.

We went to a potluck dinner at the home of some old friends on the weekend. I happened to make a decent eye of round roast in the crockpot, so we took that along and it was a success. Their grown kids happened to be home and it was nice to see them. We met the older girl's boyfriend, a nice young man. They are recent university graduates and have started new jobs.  I suspect it's just a matter of time before the wedding invitations come in, the circle of life you know.

I asked the young couple how they met, it turns out they went to elementary school together, from about grade 5 to 7.  At the end of high school, a group of them who have always kept in touch decided to get together for a reunion.  They have been dating since then!

Sunday Sketches - Seascape

This is an art greeting card for Sunday Sketches, just a seascape in acryic on textured cardstock
 (5 1.2"h x 4 1.4"w).  I was inspired by Martha's (Plowing Through Life) photo here.

Holiday Beverages

The weather was gorgeous yesterday considering the time of year (10C or 50F).  We were able to go for a long walk in the afternoon.  My husband M and I stopped by Starbucks  to take advantage of their holiday beverage deal. It was buy one get one free to share. We got the gingerbread latte (on the left and the caramel brulee latte with whipped cream. Yum! They also have a peppermint mocha. Starbucks is running this promotion until Sunday, in the U.S. as well.

If you click here it will take you to an interesting link containing a picture of famous people.  If you click on a person in the painting it will lead you to more information about him.
I got this in an email and thought you might find it entertaining.

And if you have 16 seconds you have to watch this 'Little girl walking on ice is the best thing about winter' video, adorable, lol.

Paint Party Friday - The Handsome Model

I saw this photo in a magazine of a male model with the most perfect features, I sketched him here in pencil on cardstock (6" x6").  Happy PPF!

Here is the actual photo:

Quinoa Cookies

First off, thanks so much to Valerie, I received her Halloween Tags and other goodies yesterday, it was so exciting pulling it out of the mailbox!!! I was a winner in her recent giveaway. I can't wait to start painting on some of those blank cards too, she knows me well!

My daughter L told me these cookies from Costco are really good, so we got some. They are delicious and healthy, although each little cookie is 60 calories. Well, it's a (nutritious) cookie after all.

One of my sisters sent me this recipe for Marinated Butternut Squash from a new digital magazine called Purewow. It sounds like a delicious roasted squash salad.

Chicken, Pasta and Salad

An update on yesterday's candy stash, my daughter L had taken at least half of it back to school to share with her roommates.  Within 24 hours they had eaten most of it, kids will be kids!

L sent us this photo of a recent dinner she made, looks good! Sometimes she's too busy to cook, but when she does she can put a nice meal together.  She is a foodie like her mom.

Here is an interesting article where Jamie Oliver proves McDonald's burgers are unfit for human consumption. It is quite shocking, I knew about the chicken nuggets but not that the beef was washed in ammonium. I'm hoping the grilled chicken is ok, as you can actually see it. They will be changing their recipe now and it is ironic they are ranked one of the 50 best companies in Canada.

Candy Stash

My son K took a photo of the candy stash in our house. We have a lot leftover from Halloween and usually have lots of chocolate around anyway. It seems we will be entertaining a bit over the Christmas season and we already have some invitations for parties. I'm already thinking about the Xmas cards too.

Here is an interesting article with a video talking about an invisible helmet from Sweden.

Remembrance Day 2013

It's Remembrance Day in Canada today, lest we forget.  Some employers such as banks give employees the day off.  Many people wear red poppies on their coat lapels in honour of the occasion.  The plastic poppies are sold by veterans at this time of year.

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My daughter L visited this weekend from school.  We likely won't see her again until the Christmas holidays.  It was so good to spend some quality time with her. 

I received a letter in the mail last week, it contained some stickers.  But I noticed it was neatly cut open at one side and you can see the stickers almost falling out.  Fortunately all the stickers were still inside.  Well, my friend thinks it may have gone to the wrong address and the person may have opened it, but I am skeptical as we approach the Chrismas season.

envelope slit open

Sunday Sketches - November

For Sunday Sketches, I did an art greeting card in watercolour pencils (5 1/2"h x 4 1/4"w). It's inspired by what the trees look like around here in November, with the leaves all but gone.  This is a lilac tree. Thanks Alexandra for always hosting!

Digital Microdose Mammography

If you are female of a certain age, likely 50 or over, have you had your mammogram?  I had mine earlier this week.  The nurse gave me some good information on the current process:

Find a lab that offers Microdose digital mammography in your area, most use older machines due to cost. Digital detects tumours the size of a rice grain and use less radiation. Don't use deodorant before you go, some have powders that show up on the x-rays and confuse the doctors

 

Matthew Golding

 

Here is a handsome Canadian ballet dancer named Matthew Golding. He is the new principal dancer this year for the National Ballet of Canada. They are doing a Swan Lake production according to this article.

Paint Party Friday - Fall Tree

This is an art greeting card (4 1/4"h x 5 1/2"w) in acrylic on textured cardstock.  I was inspired by a tree in the neighbourhood changing colour.  That was a few weeks ago, so it may have lost its leaves by now.

Happy PPF!

And I need to thank Helen at Nature's Walk Studio for the beautiful art I received, I won it at her recent giveaway. It is so beautiful, I love it!

Roasted Whole Fish

There was a recipe for roasting a whole fish in the newspaper the other day. I may have tried this in the past (I've since learned the fish has to be scaled, gutted and cleaned), but I decided to try it again. The article said (truthfully) that cooking fish (or meat) with the bones imparts so much more flavour. Once cooked, you slice away the flesh from one side of the fish, uncovering the bones. You lift those bones away and you are left with the flesh on the underside. It's not hard to do.

I got some whole farmed trout from Costco wholesalers. It was beautifully cleaned so I just had to stuff and roast it. The stuffing can be as simple as some chopped onions, tomatoes and herbs. Season with some salt and pepper and I'm thinking you could lather it with your favourite barbecue sauce. Pre-heat the oven to 400F (or 450F depending on how hot your oven is). Bake on a sheet lined with parchment paper for half an hour. 

Have you ever roasted a whole fish before?

Roasted Trout

The Santa Claus Fund

My daughter L sent us this photo of a snack tray she made. It looks good!

I read this touching article in the newspaper concerning the origins of the Toronto Star newspaper's Santa Claus Fund:

'One day during his youth, Atkinson stood near a frozen lake, watching children skate. A woman approached him and asked why he wasn’t skating as well. The young man explained to her that he didn’t have enough money for skates, which evidently touched the stranger. She bought Atkinson his first-ever pair of skates as a Christmas gift. '

It sounds like it's out of a movie, but it's a true story of a man who grew up in poverty and went on to fight against all kinds of social injustice.  So he founded the newspaper's Santa Claus Fund which gives toys to needy children year after year. Needless to say, I made a small donation to the fund myself right after reading this article!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Marie of the English Kitchen posted this wonderful recipe for cinnamon and oatmeal cookies and I made them last week.  They were so good.  I even used quick oats and it didn't seem to matter.  It was fast and easy and made 36 cookies.  They are rolled in brown sugar before baking, I love that sweetness.  I'm learning to keep a close eye on my cookies as they bake.  Sometimes the recipe will say 10 minutes but if you have a hot oven like mine, it can be 7 minutes, you have to decide when they are just lightly browned.

Child-proof medicine bottle

I had a cold but sunny walk to church yesterday morning, it was 1C (34F).  But I went back inside the house to change and bundled up in my winter coat and it was fine.  The night before we went out to dinner with some friends (Zaffron Persian restaurant).  My husband M and I shared a wonderful whole roasted fish.  I'm not really a fish lover, more into lobster, shrimp and crab, but it was a great meal, it felt almost celebratory.  I'm sure the waiter said it was a fresh trout that had just come in that day.This restaurant also does a delicious 'chicken barg kebob' that melts in your mouth.  My son K came along as he is not one to miss a nice dinner out.

As an update to my post last week, here is a photo of the offending medicine bottle cap. It's not the greatest photo, but can you notice where it indicates steps '1' and '2'? So you press in at either side of the container then twist counter-clockwise at the same time.

Sunday Sketches - Holiday

For Sunday Sketches, I decided to take a look back at my first Sunday Sketches contribution way back on Dec 12, 2010! It was very nostalgic searching through my posts until I arrived at this one.  The years do fly by but luckily we have our blogs to capture the memories! 

Online purchases

I snapped this pretty fall arrangement while I was out and about. I love that flowering kale.

Here is a trend to watch: internet purchases hit $18.9B in 2012 (Canada). It was mostly in the 25 to 34 age group and mostly for airline tickets and events.

I cleaned up the yard a bit yesterday, it was very windy but mild. Halloween came and went, we only had 2 kids this year! That is an all time low. It was raining all that day. I found these '10 helpful ways to smile through painful situations' and hope it gives you a laugh too!

Paint Party Friday - The Dress

A few weeks ago, Gloria of Loving Frida decided to show her first PPF entry around the time it just started up. I decided to do the same for this week's Paint Party Friday! Here it is, all the way back to March 18, 2011.  I had seen this beautiful dress in a magazine and loved it.