Fall Food

I came upon this 'Smoked Sausage and Cabbage Skillet Supper' by Marie at The English Kitchen. I decided to try it and it is quite delicious.  Poor Marie just became a diabetic and will be focussing on healthy meals for diabetics from now on in her blog.  This is timely as my husband was also diagnosed.  This recipe was before she became diabetic, but cabbage is full of fibre.

This article discusses the health benefits of pumpkin pie. One slice is 323 calories and it has 23% of your day's fat, but the spices (cinnamon,ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves) used to make it are good for you and the pumpkin itself is full of healthy fibre.

Creative Tuesdays - Gifting

It's time for Creative Tuesdays' 'Gifting' theme. My contribution is done on an index card in watercolour pencil.  I don't have a wonderful story around this gift the way Wanda does.

Texas Food

Did you witness the supermoon lunar eclipse last night?  The next one is in 2033. They were calling for clear skies all day then it clouded over at night, then the moon appeared and we saw it partially in shadow then it clouded over again, sheesh.

One of my sisters went to a wedding in Texas some weeks ago and sent me these food photos I thought I would share with you. Have you ever been to Texas? The food portions look huge. My sister also spoke of a BBQ house with the most delicious BBQ brisket.

32 oz ribeye

chicken fried steak

twice baked potato

BBQ brisket house

Sunday Sketches - Happy Retirement

I made this retirement card for a friend in watercolour pencil. I thought I would show it for Sunday Sketches.

Here is a photo of the card. The reason it is 2-sided is that I mistakenly started sketching on the wrong side:

Interesting Question

I had a bookstore gift certificate and decided to use it towards the purchase of these books on Diabetes.

Then I got these glucose tablets from the pharmacy for husband M, I have been educating myself on the disease and discovered they are a good thing to keep handy in case his blood sugar goes low (less than 4 mmol/L for whatever reason). He is supposed to take 4 of these 4g tablets and retest his blood sugar after 15 minutes. Hopefully he never has to use them.

The interesting thing yesterday is when M noticed his slow release metformin tablet came out in his poop! We were alarmed then I thought to check google and the answer is that it is just the shell after the drug was absorbed, and that it is one of the most common questions. What would we do without google, it saved a call to the doctor!

Paint Party Friday - Party Dress

Welcome to Paint Party Friday. This piece is called 'Party Dress' and is done in watercolour pencil and crayon on an index card. I was inspired by a little girl I saw in church wearing a a sweet little dress over top of her sweatpants and sweater. It was a bit cold that day, but she was so adorable-looking! I actually based my drawing on a Nordstrom catalogue photo.

At the Gym

I thought this was a pretty fall planter:

On the weekend, my friend S and I came upon a garage sale as we walked. This lady had the prettiest ornaments on sale for very reasonable prices. Some of the pieces had never been used. However, it was time for her to declutter. We had fun looking through the assortment, but the time will come when you have to get rid of the stuff. I'm sure she had a lot of fun collecting them.

And at the gym, our aerobics instructor announced that she attended Whitney Houston's concert in 1986 when she was one year old.  So after class, I said to her 'so you are 30 years old?'  She laughed and said she wasn't, she just wanted to see how many people would be fooled by that.  I told her I totally believed her.  In fact, she is 43, but being a gym instructor keeps you in really great shape!

Apple harvest time

I was debating whether this was a crabapple tree then realized it must be an apple tree, as crabapples are much smaller, silly me. They are starting to fall off a neighbourhood tree, harvest time is from August to November from what I can google.

Daughter L convinced me to start watching 'The Voice' auditions, which has been airing on TV the past 2 nights. It has been very entertaining. It is going to be hard to find a winner with all the talent I have been hearing. I don't watch a lot of TV beyond news, FoodTV and HGTV. Although I am going to try to remember to watch the Amazing Race Canada finale tonight. The show has been renewed for a 4th season. It is fantastic actually.

I am also looking into quinoa recipes, it is a wonder grain, low on the glycemic index and happens to be a complete protein as well.

Creator rights versus User rights and copyright

I am seeing a lot of these fall arrangements on my walks these days:

Around the house, I have replaced my summer (artificial) flower decorations with fall flower decorations. I don't do anything elaborate, just a few pieces.

This is an interesting article concerning fair use with copyright laws.  This lady in California won her case after 8 years.  She had posted a video of her dancing baby with 29 seconds of music by Prince.  She was asked to take the video down as she was violating copyright.  It seems user rights in Canada are well protected compared to the United States.  Creator rights and user rights have to be balanced in Canada.

Fall is almost here

Apparently the first day of Fall 2015 is September 23rd. The grocery store already has lots of the symbolic pumpkins for sale:

small pie pumpkins

Large Pumpkins

I met my friend S for a walk and we went for coffee. The weather had cooled down and you needed a sweater but there was lots of sunshine. S had to run off to get a haircut but then I met another friend so I sat with her and chatted for awhile. It was a pleasant morning I would say.  On my way home I noticed this pear tree, can you see the pear?

Sunday Sketches - Landscape Layers

It's time to celebrate Fall! These are 'Landscape Layers' done in an index card in watercolour crayon. Happy Sunday Sketches!

My Fried Rice

I seem to be making really good fried rice these days. For this one, I used leftover baked chicken breast pieces, cooked green beans, some chopped red pepper for added colour and tossed it all together with both light and dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce.  I always put a couple of cooked eggs in there too as well as some chopped green onions.

Paint Party Friday - Loons

Welcome to Paint Party Friday. This piece "Loons" is inspired by one of Jenn's photos. It's done on an index card in watercolour pencil and crayon.

My Flavoured Yogurt

I bought some plain yogurt and decided to flavour some of it myself. I just mixed in some good strawberry jam and some chopped fresh peach. It was so delicious.

Here is an article about a new Alzheimer's treatment from Australia that fully restores memory in mice using ultrasound waves.  Human trials may start as early as 2017.  It seems this is not the first time I've heard about this, or something similar out of Australia.  It would be a good thing.

Long Bench

I just have a photo of some morning shadows that I took yesterday to share with you today:

Have a look at this 'Long Bench' by designer Inneke Hans, it costs a mere $4935.00! I saw it in the newspaper last week.  It does seat 4 people with optional cushions which would then bring the cost to $6015.00!

At church this past weekend, I learned that they are doing confirmations in Grade 7 now, instead of Grade 8.  This may interest you if you are Catholic.  So this year they will confirm both Grade 7 and 8 children as they phase into the new way.

Creative Tuesdays - Dream

Welcome to Creative Tuesdays' 'Dream' theme! I did my piece on an index card using watercolour pencil and crayon.

Free Phone Charging

It seems you can get free phone charging at the mall these days, changing times.

It was cool and rainy this past weekend, but I was able to go for a planned walk with a good friend on Saturday morning. We went to lunch after to celebrate her birthday, along with husband M and son K. Poor M had planned a cottage weekend with a couple of his good friends but they decided to postpone the event due to the rainy forecast. M and I went window shopping for a new laptop, as mine is dying after only a couple of years.  K went for a haircut.

Sunday Sketches - Lily and Frog

Welcome to Sunday Sketches! This piece "Lily and Frog" is done on an index card in watercolour pencil and crayon. It was inspired by a couple of Jenn's photos. Thanks Jenn.

Two for the Price of One

Husband M was told by his doctor that he is now diabetic.  He has to go on medication in the form of slow release tablets.  So far, he feels a lot better with these meds.  To his benefit, he is not overweight and exercises regularly.

Daughter L wanted to go out to lunch the other day. I happened to have a "Two for the price of one" coupon on large salads from Panera Bread. We decided to use them, so I chose the Cobb salad and L had the chicken caesar salad. We both preferred the chicken caesar, it seemed to have more flavour.

Cobb Salad

Chicken Caesar Salad

Paint Party Friday - Sunset

Welcome to Paint Party Friday!  I have a sunset scene on an index card for you today.  It is done in acrylic.

On Friendship

Daughter L was at her boyfriend's family cottage a few weeks ago and sent us this photo of her breakfast. It is a bread bowl with egg and vegetables. Doesn't it look yummy?

I read this story in the newspaper about these lifelong friends who met 70 years ago. I was struck by this paragraph: "Separately, each woman gives a near-identical answer about the other: She listens, she never judges, she helps me. She is reliable, she is kind. I can tell her things I couldn’t tell anybody else."

How lucky they are to have found such a friendship!

At the Theatre

Husband M, son K and I were downtown (Toronto) last week to see the 'Kinky Boots' theatre production. I took some quick photos for you.  It is a great musical show and story, if you don't mind a lot of drag queen entertainment.  It led us to a discussion that night of 'drag queen' versus 'transvestite' definitions.  I think it means the same thing, although 'drag queen' would be for purposes of entertainment.

Totally Sinful and Good

I was out for a walk one morning last week and noticed there was not a cloud in the sky:

The flower plantings are at their peak at this time of year, soon the beds of annuals will be pulled out until next year

And here is a photo I took at about 6pm last night, it was hot and muggy:

We were in a restaurant recently and mentioned to the pretty, and friendly waitress that we were on our way to the movies afterward. We declined ordering dessert saying we wouldn't have room for popcorn. She told us to remember to ask for LAYERED popcorn. So they will pour butter on half the popcorn, fill the bag and then pour more butter. It sounds totally sinful and good! Did you know about this? We finished our dinner a bit early so the kids convinced us to go to Main Street for ice cream. That meant we ended up not having any popcorn that night as we were too full. So the layered popcorn with have to wait!

At the Hairdresser

corn on the cob

white sweet corn

I was at the hairdresser last week. The esthetician was all upset. She is an older woman and it seems she had been asked to repeat her mammogram, including an additional ultrasound. For three days she had been in a private hell, worrying about the potential outcome. (That happened to me a few years ago so I could empathize).  Everytime her phone rang, she went into a bit of a panic. After a little while, yet another phone call came in and this time it WAS her doctor. It turns out the results were negative and she was happy again! The hairdresser's assistant showed me photos of the recent Syrian refugee crisis. A young boy was found washed up on the shore of a Turkish beach, his family trying to flee Syria. It is heartbreaking and sad and there is a call for North America to do more to help.

On leaving the salon, I noticed a man selling bags of corn from his pickup truck. He must have been a farmer. So I bought a bag of 13 for $5. They are sweet, delicious, large white corn cobs.

Sunday Sketches - Landscape Layers

Welcome to Alexandra's Sunday Sketches! This piece is done on an index card in watercolour pencil. I was inspired by a photo showing lots of landscape layers.

The Great Escape

I read this article about a survivor of the mass breakout (known as The Great Escape) from a German POW camp during World War II.  Paul Royle died recently at age 101. It was interesting that Royle thought that the 1963 movie 'The Great Escape' starring Steve McQueen glamorized the 'reality of darkness cold and terror'. He said there were no motorbikes or Americans there. Only 3 escaped, 50 were shot dead, 23 (including Royle) were sent back to POW camps but survived the war. He intensely disliked the movie for the reasons described.

I am going to try to use more photos and quotes from the public domain from now on.  Of course, my own photos are fine too.  Even though I come across funny and cute things I want to share from the internet we have to be mindful of copyright restrictions, the tendency is to forget.

Husband M and I met up with an old friend of mine and her husband yesterday evening, we had not seen them in awhile.  The husband has to have knee replacement surgery but he has to wait until March next year.  He said the government only allows doctors to perform one surgery per week instead of one per day.  It must be cost cutting measures.  My girlfriend was doing great, having started a regular exercise yoga program.  She says it got rid of all her aches and pains.

Paint Party Friday - Shimmer

It is the long Labour Day weekend here in Canada.  People with cottages tend to close them up around this time as the kids head back to school next week.

Welcome to Paint Party Friday!  Thanks to Eva and Kristin for always hosting us.

I hope you can see the shimmer on the water in this piece done on an index card in acrylic.  I used silver on white paint for the reflection on the water.

Here is my scan, I decided to remove the photo version based on the comments that the scanned
version is fine:

Cake Rusk

Son K and I were at Costco Wholesalers recently and I tasted a sample of these cake rusk biscuits and it was so delicious I had to get a package of them. They look like biscotti but are softer with an almond flavour. K got the other package of assorted cookies.

Daughter L wanted to see 'The Man From Uncle' movie and there is a week long special on movie prices at the cinema this week, so we all went to see it.  We enjoyed the movie.  Have you seen it?

Rain Love

I took this photo of one of many leaves lying on the pavement the other day, maybe I will paint it.

This is a short, priceless video of a toddler's reaction to a summer rainfall with her dad. I have a feeling she will love running out in the rain forever.

Creative Tuesdays - Container Garden

Welcome to Creative Tuesdays and to September! The theme this week is 'Container Garden' and here is mine! It's done on (6" x 6") good quality textured purple cardstock in watercolour pencil and outlined with a fine point marker.