Balsamic Glaze

I received this balsamic glaze as part of a gift at Christmas and decided to try it with some sliced tomatoes. It is delicious!

yogurt blue cheese dressing

I paired some celery and baby carrots with a yogurt blue cheese dressing and it is of course a classic  combination, celery is something I should have more of and the blue cheese dressing makes it a lot more palatable!

Sunday Sketches - The Lighthouse

Welcome to Sunday Sketches, this piece is called 'The Lighthouse' inspired by a photo I saw recently. I added a sunrise. It's (8 1/2" x 11") in watercolour pencil and crayon.

I took a photo hoping the pinks in the sunrise might be more visible than in the scan above:

Sago Taro Milk Tea

These Bubble Tea drink shops are popping up everywhere. Son K and I shared this delicious Sago Taro Milk Tea the other day, requesting 30% sugar. It was delicious. The sago are small tapioca balls that you see floating on the bottom. Then I googled the nutrition information for tapioca balls. Tapioca is pure starch extracted from the cassava root, albeit gluten free. So a cup of those balls amounts to 540 calories, a carb counter's nightmare. Delicious as it is, I think I will avoid these drinks in the future.

It is Chinese New Year today, Happy New Year if you celebrate, the year of the Rooster.

Paint Party Friday - Coming Up Roses

The title for this piece popped into my head as I was making this post for Paint Party Friday. It's done on green cardstock (8 1/2" x 11") in acrylic, outlined with a waterproof black pitt artist pen. 'Everything's coming up roses' means 'life is excellent, just wonderful'.  I wish you some of these happy moments in 2017!

Here is a photo that shows the work in progress, based on some silk roses I arranged on a piece of paper as a reference:

Good Friends

This is a healthy spinach salad I put together quickly. It is no more trouble than making a sandwich and is surprisingly filling and satisfying. I added a handful of sliced almonds, some blackberries, carrots and cherry tomatoes. A dash of raspberry vinaigrette dressing finished it off nicely.  Do you like salads?

A good friend took me to lunch at Whole Foods a few days ago.  She thought I needed to have a break.  We chose the stir fry bowl.  So you select your preferred vegetables, noodles, rice.  Then you add your preferred sauces, they had quite a range (teriyaki, Korean bbq, sweet and spicy, Thai, etc).  Then you choose a protein (chicken, beef or tofu).  You give it to the chef and he stir fries it for you in a few minutes.  It was delicious, we will definitely do this again.  And I appreciated my friend's  thoughtfulness.

A Great Movie

Raspberries and blackberries have been on sale at the grocery stores and they have been really sweet. They make for a great snack with some milk!  I also bought lots of fresh, green leaf lettuce and hope to be making wonderful salads in the hope of losing some unwanted pounds.

We just saw the 2016 movie 'Lion' with Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman and loved it, a definite 'recommend'!

The Age Effect

This is a pretty cabinet I saw in the stores the other day.

I heard from a friend I hadn't talked to in awhile.  She lives at the other end of the city and is a couple of years older than me I believe.  It seems she had a kidney stone removed (lithotripsy), and developed osteoporosis for which she is now taking medicine.  She also developed a thyroid problem (she had a biopsy done, and thankfully it is benign) although it will have to be operated on in the spring.  The last time I saw her she was perfectly fine.  She has a mostly vegetarian diet with some seafood and in fact looks years younger than her age.  In fact she was quite depressed but I had to tell her that at least whatever she has is treatable and she would be feeling better in no time.  Age does this to us.

Placing Mom's Urn in the Niche

Urn filled with ashes

Urn in the niche

We gathered with my sister and her family this weekend to place my mom's urn in the niche at the cemetery. It was quite heavy with the ashes.  A deacon said some prayers which moved us to tears. Then my sister placed the urn in its niche. They will make a name plate which will be inserted into the niche and will be ready in 12 weeks. That seems like a long time. But we will return to check that all is in order.

Afterwards we went out for a meal together. It has been an exhausting few weeks and it is time to move on and forward. Mom will be 'forever loved and always in our hearts' as the name plate will say.

Sunday Sketches - On Frozen Pond

This piece for Sunday Sketches is called 'On Frozen Pond', in acrylic on textured grey cardstock (8 1/2" x 11").

New Niche Flowers

My dad's ashes rest inside a marble niche inside a mausoleum at the cemetery. 23 years ago, I had made a silk arrangement which sits in a vase affixed to the niche. We had gone there recently and noticed the arrangement has become so fragile, it disintegrates at the slightest touch. So it was time for me to make a replacement flower arrangement.  This new one is pictured above in a temporary vase.


I plan to take it today when we go there to place my mother's ashes in her niche.  She is in another building.  Her glass niche does not need flowers.

Paint Party Friday - Dapper

This piece for Paint Party Friday is called 'Dapper'. It's done in my art journal in acrylic (8 1/2" x 11").

Baked Zucchini with Onions and Tomatoes

I made this quick vegetable dish recently and thought you might be interested in in how I did it.
Zucchini, onions and tomatoes are a wonderful combination. The onions and tomatoes seem to retain a lot of flavour.

6 zucchini cut into chunks
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
3 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil
2 tbs vinegar or lemon juice

Pre heat the oven to 350F (I have a hot oven)

On a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, mix in all ingredients. Bake for approximately
20 minutes or until zucchini is tender and enjoy.

The Funeral Service

My late mom's funeral service went very smoothly. Some of us got to the funeral home about 45 minutes early. We brought pictures and a usb stick loaded with family photos which were set up in the viewing room where the open coffin lay. My nephew wanted to rehearse his piano piece in the chapel, and we had brought some timbits (bit-sized doughnuts from Tim Hortons) to go with the coffee provided in the reception room.

It wasn't long before the guests started arriving. Close family and friends were in attendance, in fact it was a pleasure to see many of my best friends arrive. It wasn't long before the chapel which seated at least 100 people was full.

The chaplain gave a very personal eulogy, despite the fact that he never knew my mom. He had come by my sister's house one evening to learn more about my mom and our family. It would be a non-denominational ceremony although we are Catholic. My cousin read a scripture, followed by my young nephew. Next my daughter gave a lovely speech which had humourous bits about the family. Then my niece gave a touching speech about her fondest memories of her grandma. Before closing one of my nephews played a wonderful classical piece on the electronic piano which garnered applause. He is really talented.

After the service our family hosted a luncheon at a restaurant for some guests. Funerals are not cheap, much like some weddings. In retrospect it was a beautiful way to say goodbye to mom, with all her children in attendance. I have 3 younger sisters and a brother who is the youngest of us. My mom had 11 grandchildren. We had not all been together in some ten years.

Creative Tuesdays - Dazzle Me

Here is my piece for Creative Tuesdays' 'Dazzle Me' theme. It's done in my art journal in acrylic and outlined with a black pitt artist pen. It is based on a photo of a Regency style wedding dress from the Jane Austen centre in Bath, England. I added the stars for the 'dazzle' effect, although what's more dazzling than a beautiful wedding dress!

Bee Pollen

My sister who lives in Florida brought me this gift of bee pollen she got from Costa Rica. I didn't even know what that was. She said I am supposed to take a teaspoon a day, that it is a superfood. Hmm.  I googled it quickly and it appears to be 'bee food' extracted from flowers, believed to have healing properties.

Bundle Up.

We are having out of town visitors so I am unable to participate in Sunday Sketches today.  My sister and her family are staying with us, they live in California.  Upon arrival she asked if we would mind turning the heat up just for the short time they are here. So we upped the thermostat a couple of degrees. We were happy to do that for their comfort. We normally have it set to 20C (68F) in the winter and bundle up under the blankets at night. After a couple of nights they had adjusted and told us we could put the thermostat back to normal, but we decided it could wait.

The photo above shows a recent piece I posted for Paint Party Friday along with some beautiful roses I received from a good friend.

RIP Mom

My mom will be laid to rest today. Family and friends will be with us at this sad time. It is for the best, she did not have to go to a long term care home or endure palliative care. She will be with us forever in our hearts.

Paint Party Friday - By the River

I did a snowy scene by the river in my art journal in watercolour crayon (8 1/2" x 11"). Happy Paint Party Friday!

New Baking Mat

Daughter L received this silicone baking mat as a Christmas present and we couldn't wait to try it. You use it instead of parchment paper in the oven.  However it started smoking in the oven and set the fire alarm off.  It says it is silicone, but I am going to throw it out.  I am fine with using parchment paper as a liner.  Do  you use these mats?

No Waste

One of my sisters sent me this photo of her late night banana bread. She had all these overripe bananas and refused to let them go to waste. It seemed that she must have done this very quickly because it was very late that night.  They look perfect.

Niche

My mother is being cremated. We found a beautiful spot at the mausoleum where her urn will be stored. It is by a window.

We chose a glass niche where the urn can be on display.

The niche is 2nd level from the ground to the left of the white urn in the photo.

Now we have to find an urn we like that fits in the tiny spot.

Thoughtful Gift

As we prepare for my mom's funeral, I received this beautiful flower arrangement from some good friends. I am touched by their thoughtfulness.

The funeral is a bit delayed as we wait for family to fly in from abroad. It is sad that it takes an occasion like this to bring about long overdue family reunions. But it is what it is and everyone is excited. There has been a lot to organize and plan.

Sunday Sketches - Up Up and Away

Welcome to Sunday Sketches! This piece is called 'Up Up and Away', a sunrise theme today! It's done in acrylic (6" x 6") on good quality orange cardstock.  This must be quite an experience don't you think?

An Evening Out

We had gone to see the movie La La Land at this lifestyle type shopping centre which houses a lot of shops, restaurants and movie theatres. The photo above is a skating rink they created around the centre of the complex.  I was the only one who loved the movie, husband M and the other couple didn't really think it lived up to the good reviews.

Paint Party Friday - Snowy Tree Scene

I did a snowy tree scene for Paint Party Friday. It's done in acrylic on good quality purple card stock (6" x 6").

Happy New Year!

No Code

My mother passed away last night in the hospital.  It came as a surprise as she had been doing well at noon when I fed her all her lunch.  They had removed her IV medicines and she started an internal bleed at the site.  The Doctor spoke to us and told us how critical she was. She was in terrible pain and on morphine in those last few hours, I don't think her weak heart could stand the strain.  RIP mom.

My sister's in a bit of a shock, she said 'we're orphans now'.  I said yes, but we are in our fifties!

When my mother went into emergency, the term Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) came up. We did not have a clear understanding of what that means and I learned the following:

If the heart or breathing stops a DNR request can be made by the health care power of attorney to allow natural death (AND).  This new term is more popular.  DNR only affects intubation and CPR.  The patient can continue treatment with drugs, etc.

My sister and I had a power of attorney for health care and for property for my mother.  It's a big responsibility.  In fact I used that power to sign for a blood transfusion for her in what turned out to be her last hours.

Do you have these documents for yourself, it's a good thing.

Funny Story

Daughter L has a friend studying at school in Europe. The friend brought her these fine chocolates from Austria. The funny thing is that L was with her friends up in Northern Ontario at around this same time. They unearthed this old 1995 coupon from a local chocolaterie. It was worth $10 and had no expiry date. The store said they would honour it. They found the same Austrian chocolates in the store and got those ones!  What a small world and who needs to travel anymore?

It was New Year's Eve

Please visit my Creative Tuesdays post below this one, I mistakenly posted two entries for today.

Well I spent New Year's Eve all day with my mother in emergency at the hospital.  My sister had taken her in the night before.  She was a lot worse than what we thought and could have died then and there.  By the time I got there the next day she was stable although still very sick.  We have to be prepared for any outcome at this point.

Since I was just finishing off my happiness journal, I am in the habit of finding good things in any situation and I couldn't help but notice this pretty blue accent tile in the hospital washroom:

Creative Tuesdays - The Story Behind the Story

Welcome to Creative Tuesdays' 'The Story Behind the Story' theme.

Jean is on the train as she is every day, on her way to work. She can't wait till her vacation starts in a few days. Yes, her bikini is packed, sunscreen, mosquito repellant, plane tickets, passport, travel insurance, she is all ready! She had been saving for this vacation to Mexico for a year.  Five of her best friends  would be meeting her at the airport, and she was looking forward to spending time with everyone. 

Beef Stew

I made a successful beef stew in my pressure cooker for once. It was just the right consistency with the correct amount of thickness and fluid. The cooking time is just 15 minutes in the pressure cooker. I added a can of sweet green peas as a thickener and it was a great way to use some of the cabbage I had on hand.  For fluids, I use low sodium beef stock, red wine and water.

Happy New Year 2017

Wishing you a Happy New Year 2017!

I will put my decorations away this week.  Do you have a lot of gifts to return or exchange?  I tried to return a gift card at one store only to learn they are  not returnable or exchangeable, something to keep in mind.