Tuesday, January 31st - another windy morning but still no snow

Yesterday they predicted up to 5 cm of snow. Well, that hasn't happened as yet but maybe on Wednesday. It's 5:30 and the Weather Network says the wind is 15 km/hr but it's much stronger out here. I heard it howling all night long. It's a chilly -12' right now but the wind makes it feel like -19'. We're heading for a high of -10' today but we should get some sunshine

Last night Brenda headed out to her exercise class but no one else was there so she came over early. We got right to work on our scrapbooking and she finished 4 pages. I, on the other hand, only finished 2. But we made a bit of progress and she's totally getting the hang of it. It's nice to have someone else in the room when you're working. We're both doing our own thing and sometimes there's no conversation as we're both deep in thought about what we're doing but it's not as lonely as working by yourself. It's also nice to have someone else to bounce ideas off and to offer an alternate suggestion.

Today after work I'm going for a Therapeutic Massage on my neck and shoulders. It's been bothering me for the past couple of days so yesterday I made some calls and found a place close to work that has later appointments. I haven't had a massage since I left Guelph and there have been a few times I've longed for the pain that only Yvonne could inflict. It was sometimes quite uncomfortable at the time but boy did it do the trick. I  know I will spend the day eagerly anticipating that feeling again.

On Sunday when we were out on the trail in Suffolk, we came across a tree that had blown down. The roots were massive so we had to take a picture. This is the underside of the roots and the tree is lying on the ground behind. Amazing

Monday, January 30th - still no skiing

At 5:30 am it's -2' and the wind that howled most of the weekend has finally died down. We expected to go up to 0' today and flurries, accumulating up to 5 cm by tomorrow morning, but we'll see.

Friday was one crazy day. They were predicting a huge storm with all kinds of weather systems. They closed the schools at noon and sent the kids home in anticipation. By 1:30 nothing was happening. By 3:00 nothing was happening. Finally around 4:30 a very fine snow started falling. By this time the weather network had changed it's forecast to say only 1 cm of snow was expected (not 15 as previously predicted) but the radio was still telling us to expect 15. Who to believe? So needless to say the drive home was windy but not especially treacherous. Sometime during the evening it turned to ice pellets as I could hear them beating against the window then later on to freezing rain, then rain by morning. The roads out here were slippery in the morning but the highway was fine. So it turned out to be somewhat of a none event.

We had planned to get together at the VanGaals for supper on Friday night but we had postponed it early in the day in anticipation of the weather. It turned out to be  a good call as Bernie was quite late getting back. We decided to aim for Saturday instead. So after work I went home and baked some little apple pies for our dessert and then headed over. We had a steak we wanted to cook but unfortunately moose meat doesn't come marked with what kind of cut it is. We figured it was a tougher cut of meat and we were right. So we grilled it in the ridged cast iron pan then put it in the oven for a few minutes. It was still chewy but we cut it against the grain in thin slices and we made a wine and juniper berry sauce to put over it. Brenda found a new recipe for potatoes that we also tried. It was a night of firsts! It turned out great. While a bit chewy, the meat wasn't so bad and the sauce was really tasty. The potatoes were also VERY good and I'll be making those again. We also had a salad of mixed greens and a vinaigrette made with a flavoured olive oil and a balsamic vinegar that Brenda had picked up downtown. It was excellent! SO all in all a great meal was enjoyed by all. Even the desert was good. I've been experimenting a bit with pastry recipes and this one was very tender. I haven't tried it yet with a regular pie (these ones were a little free form) so I don't know how well it will come out of a pie plate but we'll see. Click here for the recipe if you want to give it a whirl - Extremely tender pie pastry.  The rest of the evening was spent listening to a weekly program on CBC radio and reading magazines. Sounds boring - it was nothing but enjoyable!

Sunday dawned a little quieter and after bringing in my wood supply for the week, Brenda called and we decided to go for a walk in the woods. We had thought it was going to be much colder and icy so had planned to go into town. But the sun came out and it was just too nice to stay indoors. So we headed over to Suffolk to check out the trails on the Winter River. Of course it was Coopers favourite part of the week. After our hike we came back and made Pad Thai and caught up on a couple of episodes of CSI..

Another great weekend!

Friday, January 27th - we're in for some weather today - a bit of everything

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours has a mix of everything-snow, ice pellets, freezing rain, rain...
It's -8'  right now and expected to go to  -3' before the snow starts around lunch time and continues all afternoon. All week they've been telling us we're getting 10 to 15 cm of snow and now this morning it's saying 5 cm, followed by 10 - 15 mm of rain overnight. The morning temperature should be +1'. Not exactly what we hope for on the ski trails.

A quiet night last night. I got home and finished the last of the split pea soup from the weekend, then baked some bran muffins to keep in the freezer for my lunches.
Yesterday at lunch I sat upstairs at an empty desk in the office and it was great. Everyone else went for lunch and I had a nice quiet spot to enjoy my lunch and read a book. This will work fine, thank you.
My previous choice had been to go to the staff lunch room but the mechanics come up there at the same time so it's quite a noisy spot so I've been avoiding it. But now I've found a new spot to get away to.

Tonight we're having moose steak for supper at the Van Gaals. I found a recipe for a white wine and juniper berry cream sauce to go with it. It should be good and it will be a new adventure. We'll let you know how it turns out.  While I was at the computer I added the recipe for some cookies that have turned out to be a popular item. Click here for the recipe for Oatmeal and Date Filled Cookies.

I received a new email from the Dennison's on Tuesday although I haven't heard the final outcome yet:


Hi guys,


Guelph just advanced with a 3-2 win over burlington(in overtime) and milton in a 6 game round robin series.  James helped with an assiast and of course the overtime winner AGAIN!  He still gets pretty excited!!
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network


Well done, James!

And for your morning smile, here is an clip I received  from Brenda that's just a little too close for comfort:

http://www.tomrush.com./video_remember.html

Thursday, January 26th - Maybe some snow?

After an absolutely beautiful day yesterday - 4' and bright sun - it finally cooled off again and this morning it's -6'. It's supposed to stay there all day but no precipitation, although I did see the odd flake fluttering down when I let the dog out. They're predicting 10 - 15 cm of snow tomorrow afternoon and evening but they've taken that out and put it back into the forecast half a dozen times this week, so we'll believe it when we see it!

Last night we went to see "Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close". I quite liked it although it was a bit long. The young boy who played the main character isn't a known actor and he did an amazing job.

When the movie was over we went  to Boston Pizza and had some Pizza Bread with a southwest sauce, and a Greek Pizza and of course, a beer. It was all very good and it was a lovely way to end the evening. Brenda was getting updates from Will, who was leaving Calgary for an 8 hour bus ride to Conklin. I looked it up this morning and found this information:

Conklin is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within the Regional Municipality (R.M.) of Wood Buffalo.[2] It is located on Highway 881 between Fort McMurray and Lac La Biche. It has an elevation of 575 metres (1,886 ft).

The hamlet is located in census division No. 16 and in the federal riding of Fort McMurray-Athabasca.

The population of Conklin according to the R.M of Wood Buffalo's 2007 municipal census is 299.[3] The subsequent 2008 municipal census recorded a population of 372.[4] However, with the overall 2008 municipal census result for the R.M. of Wood Buffalo not being accepted by Alberta Municipal Affairs due to the use of extrapolation,[5] Conklin's 2008 population may be more of an estimate compared to its 2007 figure.

As of 2006, Conklin had a total population of 199 living in 60 dwellings. With a land area of 15.35 km2 (5.93 sq mi), it has a population density of 13.0 /km2 (34 /sq mi).[1]

But I also came across this Travel Guide: 

http://www.northernalberta.worldweb.com/Conklin/

I suspect the population is likely a little larger with outside workers coming in.. It's certainly going to be an experience for him. 

The mild weather has certainly made preparations for the Jack Frost Festival a challenge. The walls they've built so far are all covered in plastic with snow piled around them to try to prevent them from melting. This colder weather should make it possible to make more snow. 

Wednesday, January 25th - it's all fun and games till someone lights the candles!

At  5:15 am it's 2' and another mild  morning. It's a little overcast but will stay this temperature for the rest of the day with a mix of sun and cloud. Yesterday was really a lovely spring day - light rain and 8' temperatures - oh, wait - I forgot, it's January. How bizarre is this?  Everyone I spoke to yesterday had a comment about the weather but many are concerned that we're going to pay for this. One fellow is afraid it will be late coming and then stay into April. Only Mother Nature knows for sure!

Patti sent me a couple of photos of Lloyd's birthday supper at their house. 

It looks like a lovely little celebration complete with a delicious looking cake. 

Not sure what happened but it looks like someone lit 60 candles! Could that be??? Or did the cake explode!

It certainly looks like a fine time was had by all.

Another short news day. Not a lot going on. Brenda and I are planning to go to the movies tonight to see      "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close". It stars Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks so right there is should be good. I heard a reviewer on the radio one morning last week talking about it and he said it was well worth seeing. Since Will has left for the west, and Bernie is going to Boston today,  we may as well find something to do (like that's ever been a problem) so the movies it is. We'll give you some feedback tomorrow.

If you are so inclined, click here for the Jalapeno Cornbread that we served with our chili last week. It was mighty tasty and something I will definitely make again. I've made some changes to the format of the recipe web site. For the hand full of people who know it's there, let me know what you think of it. It gives the viewer some various ways of looking for, and finding, the content - which may be useful once it actually has some content.

Tuesday, January 24th - Are we sure this is January ?

It's 5:00 am and the temperature is 2' and it's raining! We're predicted to receive up to 10 mm of rain this morning and this afternoon will be cloudy and 6'

It's another slow news day today. Not much going on. Brenda came over last night and has her first two page layout finished ! (Although I thought of something at 4:00 this morning that she can add  to give it a little more depth.) I worked on some pictures from James' visit and did a little more after she left. It was nice to spend the evening doing something other than just parked in front of the TV.

I talked to Lloyd last night. He had a lovely dinner on Sunday night with the Wilson's, the English's and the Winter's. I'm really sorry I missed it. The celebrations continued with dinner at the Dennison's last night. Yesterday was also Jana's birthday but I figure the whole world would be calling to send her best wishes so I'm going to wait until today.

Last night I worked a little bit on the other blog, while I was waiting for Brenda to come over. I've added the recipe for the Texas Style Slow Cooker Chili we enjoyed a while back. She also requested the recipe for the oatmeal cookies so I'll put that one in tonight. It will grow, slowly. But that means I have to cook real food more often if I'm going to get more content. More food has been a problem of late. I did so well with a healthy diet in the fall and it all went to pieces since Christmas. So today I start tracking the calories again - if I have to account for what I eat, I do better. Besides a few healthy recipes is a good thing for the blog as well.

Monday, January 23rd - Belated Happy Birthday Lloyd

It should be a great day today. At 5:10 am it's -10' with clear skies, heading for a high of -4' and sunny. But it's going to be a strange week. Tuesday is meant to be +7' and rainy and then 10 cm of snow on Saturday. What a roller coaster of weather we're getting this year. Last night I checked back to see what date we went skiing for the first time at Dalvay and it was January 17th. There were the odd bare patches but it was at least still possible. Not so this year - at least not yet.

I have to say a belated Happy 60th Birthday to Lloyd. His big day was on Sunday. He spent Saturday working on food for a party they were throwing at the hangar. Then last night he was going out with the Wilson;s and tonight he will be guest of honour at the Dennisons. It's been quite the celebration! Sorry I wasn't there to share it with you.

But it was  another pretty quiet weekend here on the island. Friday night, just a bit of TV. Then Saturday morning I stopped in at the Van Gaals on my way to work and had coffee and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I must get Brenda's recipe - they were really good, especially warmed up a little.

On my way to work, I drove by the Jack Frost site. They had a pile of snow they made with the machine on Friday and had taken it and packed it into wooden frames to make one of the walls at the entrance of what will be a winter village. The snow we got on Friday night will help as well. Hopefully the rain won't do too much damage on Tuesday. It appears they have it under control and will get it finished is spite of what Mother Nature throws at them.

Then off to work, grocery shopping on my way home then stacking wood after I got here. Nothing too exciting but all things that needed doing. I was invited to partake in supper with the Van Gaal family as it was Will's last night at home. After a delicious meal we watched some TV while Will went to town to go out with some friends.

Sunday morning I decided I wanted to make some Pea Soup. I had a ham bone in the freezer that I had taken out the night before. I knew I had yellow split peas somewhere and it took a while to find them. So while the soup was simmering I undertook to finally empty out and reorganize those cabinets. It was quite a job and it took all morning but I'm mighty glad to have that task completed. It was on my list of things to do and yesterday turned out to be just the day.

Wills flight was leaving at 12:30, so around 1:30 we went out to the trails for our Sunday afternoon hike in the woods. Bernie was going to go but decided he'd rather stay home. So just the three of us headed out - Me, Brenda and Cooper.  It was colder than last weekend but in the woods you don't get the wind so it wasn't bad. I don't know how far we actually walked but we figure it was close to 7 km. A good workout for sure. When we got back we warmed up some soup and made tea and sat by the fire. It was a good day.

After she left I worked on laundry and watched a bit of TV and that was my weekend. BUT.....

.......the really fun part was on Saturday morning when I was at work. I've had this idea rattling around in my head for a few weeks now and I finally got it in motion on Saturday. I want to do a blog but with just recipes. So my plan is to take photos each step along the way of the recipes I make and then post the whole lot on the blog. It's called "At our island table" and will feature little vignettes of where the recipe was used and what was going on when we enjoyed it. It's pretty rudimentary right now but it will grow. Check it out - in fact here you can find our Pea Soup we enjoyed yesterday! Once there are lots of recipes in there you can use the search feature at the top of the page on the right hand side.

Friday, January 20th - maybe a bit of snow tonight?

Conditions at 5:20 am: -7' and overcast and no wind, heading for a high of -1' and flurries this afternoon and evening, maybe up to 5 cm by the time it's over tonight.

It's so strange to open the door in the morning to let the dog out and to see bare ground everywhere. Yesterday at lunch I went to the mall and the big field behind it is where the Jack Frost event is being held but right now it's just a bare field of dead grass. When I got to the corner yesterday there was a snow making machine cranking out snow. But when I got past there to the mall and looked over, it just looked so futile - this big empty field with not a bit of snow and one little machine at the far end. Now that's what I call optimistic (or desperate). I wished I had my camera with me but I took a photo with my phone. If you look closely you can see the snow maker at the far end. It's got quite a lot of work to do. Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate over the next 4 weeks.

One of the guys at work was complaining yesterday because he drives the big loader we have on hand for clearing the snow. He really enjoys getting out there and playing in the snow and pushing it around - not to mention the overtime hours that comes with making sure the lot is clear in time for us to all arrive at 7:30. Needless to say it hasn't seen much action yet this year. But it's still early yet. I'm sure his opportunity will arrive soon.  But I can't say I'm not enjoying driving back and forth to work on clear, dry roads.

It's another slow news day so I'll end with this little clip I came across yesterday. There's a coffee commercial on TV that has a website posted so I wandered over there to see what it was all about and came across this. It brought back such fond memories of when Patti was a baby as well as her three kids. What is it about a baby's laughter that is so infectious?  I had tears rolling down my face I was laughing so much and for absolutely no reason. Click here and you'll soon see what I mean...

http://www.youtube.com/embed/gnagemulucw

Have a great weekend everyone.

Thursday, January 19th - all is quiet this morning

Conditions at 5:30 am: -11' with a -18' windchill,  light winds and clear skies

It was a cold and windy night last night. Brenda came over and we could hear the wind howling outside and it was very cold but it doesn't seem to be as intense this morning as predicted. Yesterday they were predicting wind chills of -28',  so -18' doesn't seem so bad! The wind has died down, finally, after roaring around all night long. Surprisingly everything seems to be okay this morning, although it's a little too dark to tell right now. The wood shelter is still standing, and for me that's the most important one!

We did a little work last night. Brenda spent the evening getting organized and going through pictures to decide what colours of paper she needs. It takes a while to get your head into it after a long time away and to get the creative juices flowing. But she'll get there. I did some work on my sunflower pages but didn't accomplish a lot. The nice part is we can just leave everything where we left off and pick it up again the next time.

I talked to Lloyd yesterday morning and he had his first pottery class on Tuesday night and from the sounds of it he really enjoyed it. I told him there's a kiln for sale in Charlottetown on the online ads, so I won't be surprised if he goes looking at it now that he's got the bug. Next week he'll be trying the wheel - that will be a different experience for him.

Other than that it's a pretty quiet time right now. Not a lot going on but after the hustle and bustle before Christmas that's a good thing.  I'll leave you this morning with a little funny that Lloyd sent me.

To help save the economy, the Government will announce next month that the Immigration Department will start deporting seniors (instead of illegal’s) in order to lower Social Security and medicare costs.               Older people are easier to catch and will not remember how to get back home.  I started to cry when I thought of you.                       Then it dawned on me .. oh, crap ... I'll see you on the bus!

Wednesday, January 18th - a little snowy but nothing serious

Conditions at 5:20 am: 1' and overcast with about an inch of new snow on the ground. The rain hasn't started yet but is due to any time now. This afternoon is going to be +5' and sunny so that won't be hard to live with.

Pretty slow news day today. I'm still working on my submission for the TV show. I've watched several episodes now as I set my PVR to tape all. It's given me some more ideas of things I can put into my questionnaire. It's turning out to be a lengthy process but I only get one shot at this so it's got to be good. I did hear that response has been very good so....

I picked up my pictures at Walmart yesterday and I think I'm back into scrapbooking mode again. I finished off the photos from the Capital Cup win and then I sorted the photos from James' trip in August. But that was as far as I got. I had three pictures that I wanted to do a page with but no ideas were coming to me.It was 10:00 so I went to bed instead. Then very early before the alarm went off the ideas started coming to me and by the time I got up the page was all planned. So as soon as I got up I went into the craft room and sketched on a piece of paper my ideas so I won't forget. It may change a bit still but at least the skeleton of the idea is there and I've got somewhere to start.

I received an email yesterday from my friend Jolene. The last time I saw here was when she and Lina were here in May. She had bariatric surgery in October. She sent a photo and with a new haircut and 50 pounds lighter she looks absolutely wonderful. She says she still has about 40 pounds to go but she looks and sounds on top of the world. She has some challenges coming up in her life, but a few are behind her and with her new confidence and healthier body she'll be able to meet them head on. Way to go, Jolene!

It certainly seems like yesterday was a day for reconnecting with old friends, or so it seems. In the morning I received an email from a girl in Ontario who I don't know really well but we were in IAAP together.  I received an message via Linked In and it was really nice to hear from her. Than last night Fran called from Rockwood. They've invited Lloyd out for supper on Sunday night. I'm ever so pleased to hear that. I was feeling quite badly that it's Lloyd's 60th birthday and I won't be there to help celebrate it but it looks like that's taken care of, so thanks very much Fran, I truly appreciate it.

Brenda was going to come over last night but she's not going away this week as planned so we'll do some work another night. Son Will is leaving on Sunday for Alberta for a few months to work in the Seismic field. So she's spending some time with him and getting his stuff all ready to go. This will be a new experience for him but I'm sure he'll do well. The kids today have the technology to keep in touch instantly, not like when our generation left home. A phone call home once a week was pretty much all the communications you had. Now there is email and texting, facebook and twitter so that connection is never lost - unless you want it to be, I suppose. Anyway, best of luck to Will on his new adventure.

Well, the snow plough has just gone past for the second time so I know the road is clear on both sides so I guess it's off to work. At this rate we won't get any snow days at all!

Tuesday, January 17th - Today I'm feeling the exercise

Conditions at 5:30 am: -3' and overcast, heading for a high of -1' and a mix of sun and cloud. We were meant to get a bit of snow overnight but it doesn't appear that we did, as my little back patio is bare and dry this morning.

Much pleasanter temperatures this morning. Yesterday was SOOO cold. But it was sunny so that made it much better. Tomorrow is supposed to be +5' and rain - how crazy is that?

My legs weren't too bad yesterday from walking on Sunday, but today I can really feel it. I'd forgotten that it's usually the second day when it hits me after I've over done it a bit. Obviously my body is trying to tell me to do more!

So yesterday, I went over to Walmart at lunch to get some photos printed for my scrapbooking. While I was waiting, I went for a walk through the store and found a great cookbook.  It's all mini desserts made in dishes like the ones I got for Christmas. There are some really interesting things in there that I want to try. We have a pot luck coming up with the cooking school girls so I think I might do an assortment of mini desserts so we can try several things.

Last night Brenda came over and we watched five episodes of Come Dine with Me Canada. She hadn't seen the show before. I watched some episodes on Sunday for the first time in a long time. Meghan (1) watched the same ones I watched on Sunday and we all agree I likely won't be picked as I'm not wacky or eccentric enough. These people are crazy!!! But I'm going to send in my questionaire anyway and we'll see what happens. Who knows, they might be impressed with someone who sets the table on fire during a fondue.

While we watched TV we munched on bruscetta and washed it down with some white wine. I had some left over grated cheese and chopped green onions in the fridge so all I needed was a tomato and a baguette and we had a yummy snack. Brenda arrived with crackers and goat cheese so we put that in the fridge till next time - probably tonight. We may actually do a bit of scrapbooking tonight or at least get ourselves organized.

Monday, January 16th - it's a cold one this morning

Conditions at 4:30 am: -13 with a -23 wind chill, rising to an amazing -9' and maybe some sun this afternoon

The finished steaming chili

It's cold this morning and I had to break down and turn the furnace on for a few minutes to warm the place up. I was in bed by 8:00 last night so no wonder it's cold this morning. We had a pretty active day yesterday after an otherwise quiet weekend. Friday  night was supper at the Van Gaals - moose meatloaf. It was mixed with some ground pork first, to balance the dryness of the moose and it turned out nice and juicy. On it's own the moose meat is very lean so it truly benefits from the addition of some form of  fat. I was quite tired Friday night so I came home right after supper. I watched part of a TV show but my eyelids kept slamming shut so I went to bed. Saturday morning was work as usual, then back home. It was chilly but the wind had died down. It was really strong during the night and on Saturday morning, but it was quite pleasant by 2:30. I spent the first part of the afternoon filling up my wood for the week. After a bite to eat I decided to bake some cookies. I made some oatmeal cookies with date filling, then set about to make some Texas style chili - chunks of meat rather than ground, and no beans. I hadn't made it before and wanted to try it. My search of the freezer for beef came up a bit short so I had to supplement what I had with some goat.  Once it was all prepped, it was put into the slow cooker to simmer over night.

The cornbread was a hit

Sunday morning I slept till 8:00 and got up to the smell of chili filling the kitchen. YUM. It was tasty enough but lacked a little heat so I added some cayenne pepper and let it simmer a bit longer. Perfect (or as close as I was going to get). It was time for me to bake chocolate chip cookies for Bernie and make some cornbread to go with the chili. I sourced out a recipe for cornbread with jalapeno peppers.

Once I was done in the kitchen it was time to get ready to go for our hike in the woods. As I was getting ready Lloyd called to report in on his evening out with the girls. It was the company Winter Party and he was there with 7 dates. It must be his good looks and charm that kept him busy 'dancing their little feet off' all night long - it sure isn't his money!!! It sounds like a good time was had by all. He says he would have had a better time if I'd been there but somehow I doubt it. It would have been a different party if I'd been there and it sounds like he really enjoyed himself. I'm sure the other ladies were pleased to have him all to themselves.

Brenda and Bernie picked me up for the hike and we were joined by her cousin Maureen and husband George. We usually cross country ski with them but there's not enough snow yet this year. Hopefully that will come soon. So the five of us (six if you count Cooper)  ventured out onto the 4.7 km trail. It took  a couple of hours for us to navigate the entire length. It's quite hilly in spots and not something you can walk quickly. But it was lovely in the woods - no wind, just peaceful and quiet and calm. When we got back we all had chili and cornbread and a beverage. It was a lovely way to end the afternoon, with good company around the warm fire.

But needless to say, I'm sadly out of shape and I was very tired, as were we all. The afternoon ended at 5:30 with all of us feeling like it was much later.  We cleaned up and dishes and they went home. I watched some TV but ended up going to bed at 8:00.  But then I was up at 4:30 this morning so it all balances out I suppose.

Removing the snowballs from his feet

Friday, January 13th

Conditions at 5:30 am: 1' and a bit windy, heading for 7' and rain later this afternoon.

On first glimpse this morning outside the back door, it doesn't appear we received nearly the snowfall they were predicting although it's hard to tell from there. The wind usually takes the snow from the back and blows it off to the side, but I don't think it's so bad. We'll see later when I get out onto the road.
 It appears the interest in owning lighthouses continues. This morning folks from Burlington, Calgary and Saskatoon have come in via my post inquiring about lighthouse purchases. Who knew people in the prairies want lighthouses!

 In my never ending (or so it seems) quest for some storage in my downstairs bathroom, I think I've finally found the solution. I was in a store in the mall the other day and saw a cupboard that I thought might work. So I brought in a tape measure and it would fit but it would be a bit tight, and it was also a bit more money than I was prepared to spend right now. Then a few days later out comes the Staples flyer with almost the exact same style of cabinet for about one third of the price. So again I take the measurements and this one is slightly smaller, making it a much better fit. That was last night's project as it came flat packed in a small box. But I've put together enough Ikea furniture over the years to have become fairly adept at " assembly required" . I'm so far quite pleased with it and it looks much better than what was there before.

But one thing I did note when I was putting things away in my new shelf. I have no choice but to tell Lloyd we need to get a divorce. One of the perks of having gotten married three times is that you always have new towels. You have a bridal shower and people give you new towels. It's been almost 23 years this time and I have to say, the towels are getting a little tired! I suppose I could just go and buy new ones, but I've never had to do that before!!!

I talked to Brenda last night after her meeting and the tulip truck driver should be home sometime today. He had to drive in snow all day yesterday and saw a lot of cars off the road in the ditch but he and his tulips just kept trucking along the highway, but he was mighty glad to get off the road for the night. I know the weather can be pretty brutal in those New England states sometimes in the winter.

Well, I'd best go for now and get ready for work. I'm still working on my submission for the TV show and I've got 5 episodes set to tape this afternoon. If the weather is crappy on the weekend we can watch those.

Thursday, January 12th - What do you cook for TV?

Conditions at 5:20 am: -13' and clear skies, heading for a high of -4' and up to 10 cm of snow, changing to rain by tomorrow morning - could get messy!

So, the big news right now is the TV show Come Dine With Me, which is typically shot in the Toronto area, is coming to PEI! There was a lengthy article in the paper yesterday morning and after seeing it I almost immediately sent off an email to apply to be one of the contestants. I had only just sent the email when I received a text message from Brenda asking if I was going to apply! A few hours later I called the number listed just to ensure my email had been received. I was told by this very nice lady that I would be sent a questionnaire to fill out. Sure enough a short time later, I received a three page document to complete and send back. I had no idea the questions would be so extensive but there has to be some way of cutting the applications down to a manageable size. (I'm curious to know how many people from the island will apply). Anyway it has a lot of questions about you and your personality. It's quite an in depth look at your likes and dislikes, accomplishments and failures, attitudes and opinions. I've asked for some feedback from some key people I know will be brutally honest with me (and that's a good thing!). I think that's what woke me up at 3:30 this morning, just thinking about some of the answers I might give.  It's going to be a long few days until I complete it and send it off. I probably won't get picked but if I did, it would be an awesome experience! What the heck, I have as good a chance as anyone. They're interested in your story and I think mine is somewhat unusual. Wish me luck! Here'e the article that was in yesterday's paper...


Come Dine With Me Canada coming to P.E.I.

Published on January 10, 2012  


The province is investing $35,000-$40,000 to help cover costs over and above the regulation production costs.


The Prince Edward Island government hopes a menu of hit TV shows will help deliver new customers to the Island province's doors in the weeks and months ahead.
Fresh on the heels of international exposure from Will and Kate in 2011 and Regis and Kelly in 2010, the W Network has announced its top-rated show Come Dine With Me Canada is coming to Prince Edward Island.
The P.E.I. government is investing $35,000 to $40,000 to help cover the costs of taking the show out of Toronto, where it is normally taped.
"Through this investment, an audience of more than a million viewers will get a taste of what Prince Edward Island has to offer as a premier tourism destination," Tourism Minister Robert Henderson said Tuesday.
"Not only is it the highest-rated show of its kind in Canada, the audience fits the key demographics we strive to reach when promoting our province."
Come Dine With Me Canada is a half-hour series that follows five strangers as they compete to throw the perfect dinner party for their fellow amateur chefs.

Each dinner party host is given one night to impress their party attendees and competitors with scrumptious food, sparkling décor and stimulating conversation.
At the end of the night, each diner rates the party.
The next night, it's another mouth-watering meal at another host's home, once again, the dinner-party marathoners rate the night.
At the end of the week, the top rated host or hostess wins the reward of $1,000 and bragging rights as the ‘host with the most'.
Amy Hosking, the show's producer, said she's never been to Prince Edward Island. She's excited to be heading to the Island for her first visit.
Come Dine With Me Canada is the highest-rated lifestyle show in Canada, averaging 1.4 million viewers every week.
"We really want to look at the local flavour and the people," said Hosking, who added she's a big fan of Stompin' Tom and the Island's red soil.
"I was reading the other day about Irish moss. I want somebody to make that. It's something different that we haven't seen."
To apply to be on the show, send an email to: comedinewithme@propertelevision.com or call,             1-866-598-2591 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            1-866-598-2591      end_of_the_skype_highlighting      .
It's open to anybody 19 years old or older who loves to entertain.
Producers from the show will meet 20 of the best candidates mid- February in P.E.I. That will then be dwindled down to either five or 10.
The show will be taped over the summer and will feature scenic shots from across the Island.
It will then air in the spring of 2013.
"Even if you aren't up to the challenge we all know someone who is a great host, pass the word on to them, they might be interested in competing," added Hosking.



Last night Brenda and I went to Papa Joe's for supper. We both had gift certificates courtesy of the Community School and a pleasant evening was enjoyed. Good food, good company and a little wine doesn't hurt either! The only down side was having to go out and get into cold cars at the end and it was COLD! This morning isn't much improved but it's supposed to go up to 7' tomorrow. How bizarre is this?

Well, I'm keeping it short this morning - got to get back to work on my submission for TV!

Wednesday, January 11th

Conditions at 5:25: -8' with howling winds making it feel like -17'. A few flurries have fallen and the conditions will pretty much stay as they are for the remainder of the day.

It's going to be a windy ride for Bernie this morning, who is off to Boston in his Tulip Truck. He's doing some part time driving this winter for a local tulip producer and will be making trips to Halifax and Montreal, as well as Boston throughout the winter. (as long as he can get across the bridge, that is!). Safe journey, Bernie.

Well, I see the interest in light houses is still there. This morning I note that visitors from Adelaide, Australia, Calgary, Alberta and Portland, Oregon are looking into buying them. Who knew?

So, last night I road tested the new craft area and it seems to work just fine. I was having trouble getting motivated to get started and then I realized it was the subject matter that wasn't that interesting. Working on pages from a trip 3 years ago just doesn't seem that inspiring then I decided, hey, why not work on something a little more recent. So I started on a few pages about James' 15 minutes of hockey stardom. From there I'll work back and do his visit in the summer, then I'll work on Tristen's visit at Easter and Meghan's trip to see Taylor Swift. By that time I should be ready to start again on the vacation pictures. I just needed something to get me jump started. I'm having some trouble with the cricut but I think it's because I've totally forgotten how to use it.  I suppose I'll have to get the manual out and do some reading. The software is giving me some grief  as well, so I'll stop in to the local scrapbooking store and ask them because they  sell both the machines and the software and sometimes have classes on how to use them. It has, after all, been over three years since I actually used it to any extent. (But I will check the Cricut website first as it has lots of information there - when all else fails, read the instructions, right?)
But I think the space will work fine. The work space is good but not overly big so we'll have to work as cleanly as we can. I'm more of a stuff all over the table kind of scrapper and every so often you have to stop and put everything away and then start again. I'll have to be more diligent about putting things away as I use them. Shouldn't be a problem with the storage drawers right beside us. Just a matter of developing some better work habits. But I'm looking forward to having someone to work with. I think it will be fun. And at least I've gotten going again. Thanks James, for being the inspiration I needed.

Tuesday, January 10th

Conditions at 6:00 am: -4' and a few clouds, heading for a high of +2' and a mix of sun and cloud and maybe a few flurries tonight.

If today is anything like yesterday, it will be a gorgeous day. It was cool yesterday but the sun shone brightly all day and it was lovely. Last night was a very bright moon lighting up the night. Brenda had fitness class and thought about coming over on her way home and going for a walk. We really should have, it was that nice out. But alas, we didn't. I spent the evening finishing up the craft room and it is now ready to work in. Or at least I think it is. You can never tell for sure until you actually try it out so that's what I'm going to do tonight. I'm going to do a few pages to see if the set up works. I really hope it does, it's so much more fun to work with other people than to do it alone.

Patti called last night and we were chatting about that very thing. She has a space but it doesn't get used for scrapbooking. Maybe when Meghan gets a bit bigger they can do it together. Much like Patti and I used to do at retreats. Those are some very fond memories.

We thought we'd set this up to keep us occupied during the long winter evenings but so far we're having trouble fitting it in. There's always something going on, or so it seems but I'm sure we'll work it out. I feel like I've made all these plans to deal with the long snowy winter again this year but so far it's not happening. It's really been quite a remarkable year so far, but it is early, and  I know it will arrive eventually. But it's also nice to see the days getting a little longer already. A sure sign that spring is just around the corner!!!

I'm always amazed at where visitors come in from and how they get to this site. I know that a string of words will pull up unexpected results but who knew how many people want to buy a lighthouse?  I was surprised this morning to see visitors from Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba, as well as Ontario who arrived via my post about buying a lighthouse. I'll bet they were somewhat let down when they got here! Not quite what they were expecting, I'm sure.

Monday, January 9th

Conditions at 5:30 am: a thin layer of new light snow, and -5', moving to -6' later this morning but maybe some sun this afternoon

We have a little bit of snow but not enough to do anything with as yet. It was a pleasant, somewhat relaxed weekend out here on the island. Friday afternoon Brenda called and suggested that if I were to pick up some tortilla's on my way home they would feed me fajitas for supper. Works for me. Saturday morning I worked and when I got home it was very calm and very mild - perfect weather for filling up my wood rack. It's so much better than last year, to have it inside and covered. It was really a challenge last year when it got wet before it froze so having to break the logs apart from the ice and  then try to dry them a bit before burning was truly an exercise in frustration, not to mention very inefficient heating. The girls who visited from Ontario last February thought I was such a pioneer woman, and last winter sure felt like it. This year is so much better - at least so far. I spent a while outside puttering around. I emptied the ashes from the stove and moved  a few things around - it was nice to be able to spend some time outside. After coming in and having something to eat, I tackled the craft room. It seems at least once a year it needs to be cleaned out because I'm really not using it and it just becomes somewhat of a dumping ground. So after putting the Christmas decorations all away, which had been sitting in a pile at the bottom of the stairs, it was time to get cracking on the rest of the room. I did make some headway and then came downstairs to watch some TV for the rest of the evening. Then Sunday morning I got back to it. I did manage to get most of it cleared out but I still have the bins to sort through as they've gotten all mixed up. Later in the morning Brenda arrived with the scrapbooking stuff that was at her house. We have a plan - to get it all set up with the two work surfaces that are there so we can actually use it on a regular basis. Once it's functional we can just leave our stuff where we left off and continue the next time. We're thinking even if we did a couple of hours a night when we get together we'll actually accomplish something. We're more likely to use it if we do it together. It's kind of lonely doing it by yourself. So we've set our first night to work as Thursday, when she's done her exercise class. I need a deadline so I'll actually get it ready in time. I guess I work better under pressure. If there's no deadline, it's too easy to just keep putting it off.

After we unloaded the stuff and stashed it in piles in the craft room, we prepped our meal for the evening. I had brought home a small moose roast from her house on Friday and researched a bit on Saturday and found a recipe for moose in the clay baker. I was wanting to give that a try. So we got everything ready and put into the oven then headed out to the woods near her house to go for a hike. Bernie had already gone and we thought we might meet up with him but he'd already left when we got to where he had been parked. Not to worry - we just followed his footprints in the snow to Camp George - a lovely little spot on their property along the river that actually has a small beach. It was covered in snow and ice, of course, but it's quite park like in that particular area. We'll have to go in by kayak sometime in the summer. After eventually making our way back to the car Cooper and I headed home followed soon after by Brenda and Bernie. We had our moose which was somewhat stew like and quite tasty and a red cabbage that was recommended to go with it. It had spices in it such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon but was unlike any braised red cabbage I've had before. It was good but not what I expected. Everyone was a little tired and we thought it was much later, when in fact it was only 6:30. After cleaning up they went home and I sat down to watch a bit of TV but struggled to make it to 9:00 so I called it a night. Better get to it - it will be a challenge to actually have to work for 5 whole weekdays for the first time in a while.

Friday, January 6th - it's another windy one this morning

Conditions at 5:15 am: -8' and windy, but it's going to get colder as the day progresses, to -10' but of course the wind will make it feel much colder.

Yesterday afternoon we got a couple of inches of snow, and it appears we'll get a couple more over night tonight. Perhaps this is the way we'll get the snow this year - a little at a time. That would be fine as far as driving is concerned. It was a little slippery last night driving home but the snow had stopped falling so visibility was not an issue. When I arrived home  and got out of the car, it was an absolutely gorgeous evening. The temperature was hovering just around the freezing mark and the wind and snow had stopped. There was a brilliant moon and if we'd had enough snow, it would have been a splendid evening to go skiing. Brenda even remarked on how lovely it was when I chatted with her later in the evening.

So, I talked to Lloyd last night and he's signed up for a pottery course. Guess he happened upon a place that's teaching in downtown Guelph yesterday, and he went in and the rest is history. So now it's up to me to decide what I'd like him to make. The lady he spoke with tells him he should be able to complete approximately 20 pieces by the end of the course. We'll have to go to the farmer's market when he's here next month and have a look around. Maybe I'll go this Saturday before work and see if I can take some photos of pieces to give us some ideas of what we'd like.

Not much else is new this morning. It was a quiet evening last night. I made supper, sat and watched the news while I ate, cleaned up the dishes (my new years resolution - to not leave them till the next day) and then got into my fuzzy pj's and watched a bit of TV. I have the Christmas stuff to put away but I have to do that during the day time as there are no light fixtures in the room they go in and the lamp just isn't enough light. I need to get right into the cupboard and straighten things up before I can put the rest away. That's maybe a Saturday afternoon job. Meanwhile the Christmas stuff is all in boxes at the bottom of the stairs. Oh well, it will get done eventually. It is only the 6th of January, and I know lots of people leave their tree and everything up until now.

Thursday, January 5th - Happy birthday Caitlin

Conditions at 5:30 am: -9' with a few clouds, heading for a high of -2' and a light dusting of snow on the ground. We may see up to 4 cm of snow this afternoon. Nothing like the 40 cms Caitlin's heading back to in London

I had the pleasure of being invited to the Van Gaals for a delicious supper last night, in honour of Caitlin's birthday. I saw it when I was looking up some information from last year and I meant to go back and double check the date and, of course, I forgot. Then her mom called and invited me for supper and mentioned that it was her birthday. So here's a belated Happy Birthday but  now we have a photo to go with it. Once we get our calendars from the school I'll be able to check it every day and never miss another birthday. 

As I write this, the Van Gaal family are likely already at the airport for Caitlin's 6:00 am departure. Brenda is driving a bus today so she and Bernie plan to go and get some breakfast after the flight is gone before he drops her at the bus.. It's great when a plan comes together. Hope you have a safe and uneventful trip.

It's been a busy couple of days at work and that's a good thing - the time goes by faster. But I had a bit of a revelation yesterday. Several years ago, I was at a conference out west, and was chatting with a girl in our admin group who had moved to PEI from Ontario. She said it took her about 5 years to get used to the pace and I didn't really understand that until now. We've had some issues at work with phone calls bouncing back to reception because they don't get answered at their destination. I've been tracking numbers and trying to help figure out where we can fix the problem. Customers hate getting bounced around, and I don't blame them. Well, yesterday it all fell into place. I put a call through to one department and it came back. I sent it over again, and it bounce back again. I put the person on hold and paged, but to no avail. I can see the front of the counter from my desk and I could see there were no customers there, and I could also see that no one was on the phone. There are 3 people who work at that particular desk so where are they? I took a walk over and one was just standing there chatting with another, who was still chewing something, presumably from a coffee break. It all made sense - they have to finish what they're doing before they can move on to the next thing. Picking up a ringing phone that's right beside you can wait. There seems to be a real lack of what we always referred to as a sense of urgency. I felt like I was being such a nag when I asked " can someone please speak to the customer on line 1?"  Then this girls words came back to me and I realized what she was talking to. This isn't an isolated incident, it happens all the time. I realized that the problem is me - and my expectations. Unfortunately some of our customers have the same expectations. But having come to this realization may make things a little easier to understand. But that doesn't mean I can't keep trying to fix it. 

Wednesday, January 4th

Conditions at 5:15 am: -11' and a few flurries falling, heading for -6' and a few more flurries throughout the day

I  read online last night that there was to be a meteor shower in the early hours of this morning  and the best time to see it was 2:30 EST, making it 3:30 our time. They should still be visible until sunrise but being as we were expecting snow flurries I didn't see any point in setting the alarm for the middle of the night to look at a cloudy sky. Sure enough, when I got up at 5:00 there's a heavy cloud cover. A good nights sleep was definitely a better choice.

After all the activity of the past couple of weeks, it seems very quiet now, and that's not a bad thing, unless you're trying to think of something to write about in a blog. I suppose the weather is always a topic people talk about when they have nothing else to say. In spite of the cold weather warnings in Ontario yesterday, we enjoyed a lovely sunny mild day. It was just around freezing when I went out at lunch but the sun and dry ground made it feel much nicer. It's great for driving around and heating houses, but not so great for skiing. I just took a peek back to last year and on January 4th of last year, I posted a comment that it was the 5th Monday in a row that we had snow. I don't remember that much before Christmas but it must have been. I know we had some rain right around Christmas but we had seen frequent snow before this date. This has truly been an extraordinary December. Last night on the news they were talking to some farmers who were out harvesting red cabbages that didn't get picked earlier in the fall. Now that's unusual for this time of year. I checked back and it looks like our first time out on skis last year was January 10th when we attempted the trails in Dromore.
But enough about the weather - Lloyd's favorite saying is "It is what it is" and he's right.

I moved my piece of exercise equipment (or rather Lloyd did) upstairs on the landing right outside the bedroom door. My hope is I will use it first thing in the morning when I get up. I haven't been really diligent about it. So this morning was day one. It's not high impact but it does give you a good stretch. However, if I used it every day for 8 hours a day, I would never get THIS flexible. Check it out.....

http://www.jokeroo.com/bin/player.swf?5f9f_f369

Tuesday, January 3rd - and another new year begins

Conditions at 5:15am: -1' with a light wind, and moving down to -2 later this morning for the remainder of the day. We may see a bit of sun once in a while and a sprinkling of snow tonight.

Well, after the busy days over the holidays the past two were pretty quiet. On Sunday I just could not get warm, and I wasn't even in the water! I thought I might be coming down with something so stayed away from Donna's supper invitation. Monday was a little better after a good nights sleep although the house was still kept quite warm throughout the day. I did manage to take down the tree and set up the computer and the larger monitor in the living room so it will stay in one place and not take up one of my kitchen counters.
Brenda, the ever energetic one, went off to exercise class last night and then dropped in for a glass of wine and some natchos. (The wine was open from New Years Eve so we needed to drink it before it spoils).
I did finally talk to James last night. He was pretty quiet although he did say his weekend was "awesome". I think that's a bit of an understatement. I received an email from Greg with this photo of James right after scoring the winning goal. It's from the Ottawa Sun newspaper with the following caption:

 "Guelph Jr. Storm's #4 James Dennison is mobbed by teammates Parker Varnal (L) and Kevin Tait (R) after he scored the overtime winning goal against the Ottawa West Golden Knights in the Minor Peewee A Championship game at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. 

Saturday December 31, 2011."

Congratulations, James! (and thanks, Greg!)

And on that note, check out this youtube video of our other two weekend warriors! The person taking this video must have been right beside Bernie - that's him on the left going into the water with the hat on and Caitlin is just ahead of him in the bright blue t-shirt..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3-EpewbxuM

Jan 1, 2012 - Happy New Year Everyone

Conditions on Sunday afternoon at  1:15 pm: hovering around 0' and a brisk wind has picked up, but still no snow on the ground

What a whirlwind the past few days have been. Lloyd will be glad to get back to Ontario to have a rest and not have to a) eat so much and b) wash so many dishes. I'm sure the pace will slow down a bit next year

All set for our Chinese feast

It started with dinner on Friday night with the Van Gaals and the Andersons. Llotd worked very had all day to prep the necessary ingredients for our Chinese  feast and what a feast it was. We had mini deep fried spring rolls, egg foo young, fried rice (thanks to Tabitha from Community School!), beans and beef in black bean sauce, chop suey, and General Tao chicken. It was all really delicious and there was very little left at the end of the night. A great time was had by all, yet again. Good food and good friends, a sure fire combination.

Then Saturday dawned to preparations for our get together that evening, New Years Eve. Patti called from Guelph to tell me that James and his team had made it to the finals. They had won their semi-final game in the morning and as he looked across the parking lot to the Scotiabank Place, where the Senators play, James decided that if he worked really hard, he'd get to  play there later on in the day. True to his work, they won and made it to the finals. It was being webcast so I called Brenda and asked if we could come over and watch it there as my internet is not always the best for these things. Well, I think the email I was copied on from Greg says it all:


Hi Everyone hope your holiday was as good as James!

Champagne from the trophy

They just won their tournament!!  They played six games over 4 days and went 5-0-1 (18 Teams).  James won hardest worker in game 2 and in the semi finals (the only player to get 2 in the whole tornament of 408 teams).  He ended up 5th in tournament scoring but this is the cool part.  HE SCORED THE GAME WINNER IN SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, wait it gets even better, ON THE ICE OF THE SCOTIABANK PLACE (a dream for him)!! Go Sens!!  The game was streamed live via web, announced, the whole nine yards, so mom (Patti) and PEI grandma saw the whole thing and cried their eyes out (gloves in the air, sticks in the air, James on top of the world).  He earned 3rd star for the final, was carried off the ice by his team-mates, they tried their best, (after the national anthem, they sang out of key) and was given the game puck by his team-mates!!!  it was surreal, probably the only time I'll see him with a game winning goal on NHL ice with a beer in the stands!!

Greg

My most proud moment!!!  James gave away his second hardest worker medal without asking.  I asked where it was on the drive, he hesitated, and said he gave it Evan (our goalie), he already had one didn't need two, that makes me even cry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Storm
Great Job James


The really sad part is I didn't realize he's scored the winning goal, even though Lloyd said he did. We listened for the announcement on the last goal but didn't hear it. So you can imagine my surprise to read Greg's message. We were just ecstatic that they'd WON.  Funny thing is I remember thinking earlier in the afternoon that if James scored the winning goal, for me it would be like the goal Sidney Crosby scored in the Olympics. - well actually way more special!

I was also very touched by his giving the goalie one of his awards. He's just that kind of kid and his mom and dad should be very proud of the job they've done raising him. He's a special boy.(although my opinion may be just a little biased).

The mad dash into the water...

...and the mad dash out!

Once the excitement of that event wore off, we headed home to finish last minute prep for company. It was a fairly quiet evening - just seven of us but a quiet evening was what we all needed, I think. We had way too much food and we all ate too much of it but I think everyone had a nice time. It was relaxing to just sit around and chat and quietly welcome in the New Year.  Of course everyone had to be up early the next morning (Sunday). In a moment of what the rest of us can only describe as a temporary mental lapse, Bernie and Caitlin decided they were going to participate in the annual New Years Day Polar Bear Dip in the Charlottetown Harbour. Lloyd was catching his flight to Halifax in an effort to get home and the timing was perfect. We arrived at the Van Gaals driveway just as they were pulling out to leave so we followed them into town. After parking we went and sat in the truck with them while we waited for 10:30 - the designated dipping time! We were amazed at just how many people were there to go in the water. At precisely 10:30 scores of people took the leap into the water of the harbour. The really smart ones stayed out and held the blankets and towels for them when they came out - which was pretty soon after they went in. But my hats off  to them - I can't even begin to imagine doing something like that but they both succeeded.  A rather invigorating way to start off the new year. Right after Lloyd and I left and went to the airport, where he got a seat to Halifax right away, but the rest of the journey will be anyone's guess.