Winter's Last Gasp and Weekend Visitors

A cool but sunny day beguiled me into working in the yard last Saturday. I cultivated the herb bed, enjoying the smell of oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary - plants hardy to our area. I felt sure that spring was well on its way.

Wednesday morning saw this system roll in. Heavy snow. And the temperatures have plummeted, meaning the snow has hung around. 

I feel I should qualify "plummeted" for those readers not living on the west coast. It's about -7 Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit), nothing at all like the deep freeze across the Rockies. But it's cold for here. 

I'm not going to be working in the yard this weekend. But that's just fine by me. Adria is coming to visit - and she's bringing her parents. Sweet baby snuggles are in my weekend plans - what about yours?

Royal High Tea

Laura, from Decor to Adore has been doing a weekly focus on the Royal Wedding, coming to a television station near you on April 29. Her posts are fascinating glimpses into facets of royal life and procedure.

She's hosting a blogging tea party today. If you pop over to her site you'll find links to all sorts of wonderful tea parties taking place all over blogland.

I'd like to invite you to tea chez moi. I've set the table with English bone china, from Paragon in the Romance design. 

When I was about 15, my mother, my sister and I were downtown and spied a wonderful collection of teacups. That day, mom told my sister and I to each pick out a pattern. This was mine and I've loved ever since. 

Unfortunately it ceased production quite soon and my pieces are limited. All the pieces I do have - salad plates, tea pot, cream, sugar, tea cups and saucers were gifts from my mother and mother-in-law. All the pieces but one. A friend gave us a cake plate for our wedding.

In keeping with the royal theme, here's the back of the plate showing the coveted "By appointment to H.M. the Queen" warrant on the back.

"Royal warrants are a mark of recognition to individuals or companies who have supplied goods or services for at least five years to H.M. the Queen, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh or HRH the Prince of Wales. Warrants have always been regarded as demonstrating excellence and quality and are highly prized." There are about 850 royal warrants.

Around the time of our marriage I also chose this crystal pattern. I found it at the Hudson Bay Company. It's name is, fittingly, Prince Charles, however I do not know who made it. And like the china, production ceased soon after I started collecting it. 

Since the tea is partially to celebrate the upcoming nuptials, I thought it fitting to place a piece of romantic sheet music under the place.

The linen napkins are vintage, over 50 years old, and a wedding gift to my in-laws. There is small tablecloth to match. I love thinking about the history of linens and dishes and of all the people who have sat around tables enjoying food, conversation, and laughter. 

Let's keep the centerpiece simple - a bouquet of pink roses, in a crystal vase given to me by my husband on our second wedding anniversary. Softly textured roses glowing in the sunshine are the prettiest things.

For a little light entertainment, let's play a word search with all the words having to do with the wedding.

It's often common, around these kind of celebrations, to look at the past and ooh and aah over the bride and groom. I have no photos of the bride's past, but a book of the groom's. 

Here is William's mother, Princess Diana, beautiful and glowing.

William going home from the hospital with his parents.

And of course, there must be good things to eat. How about blueberry scones?

This raspberry meringue roulade is delectable, and there's plenty for seconds.

Or some cucumber radish nibbles?

For tea, let's be sure to have something English, like Twining's Earl Grey. Twining's also holds a royal warrant.

Crystal servers for sugar and milk (not cream and NEVER the powdered chemical stuff) for those who want it.

The best part of this tea table would be the conversation. How fun would that be!

Be sure to check out the links at Decor to Adore.

Texture Mosaic

 

     Beyond capturing places and events, I like to use my camera to record different layers of the world we live in. Color, certainly, and shape, but also texture add so much to our experience of a place or event. Weather-worn stone, soft pink leaves, tough and rustling palm fronds along with rough tree bark are a few of the textures captured on our recent vacation in Mexico. 


     Touching a photograph is not the same as touching an object, but looking at a photograph triggers memories of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. 


     Painter Andrew Wyeth says, "I search for the realness, the real feeling of a subject, all the texture around it ... I always want to see the third dimension of something ... I want to come alive with the object."


     Linking to Mosaic Monday hosted by Mary at the Little Red House.

This and That

It's Friday already. This week has zoomed by and I feel like I haven't accomplished a lot. I've been recovering from vacation :). 

These roses, brought home by my sweetheart on Valentine's Day, have inspired a couple of photo shoots. They are opening beautifully and I have plans for more photos. I do love the flexibility of digital cameras - no need to worry about taking too many photos!

Tonight Myrna and her friend Caroline are coming for dinner. They are in Nanaimo for a sewing retreat. I have great plans for sewing more clothes, but I'm not making a lot of progress on that. I keeping telling myself that "there will be time" and for now, finishing my studies is paramount. When I take a break for creativity these days, I'm looking for fairly quick and easy projects.

Myrna has some dietary challenges. While I'm glad I don't have to worry about dairy-soy-corn-gluten free cooking every day, I think of preparing a menu for her as a fun challenge. 

For dessert I found this recipe for Chocolate and Raspberry Financiers (scroll down through the post to find the recipe). I'm usually confident enough at reading a recipe to not worry about a trial run, but this time, I thought I should. The batter has to sit for awhile, so I made it up yesterday and baked just one this morning. I ate it for breakfast. It was wonderful! Hopefully I'll remember to take a photo or two tonight before serving them properly.

Meanwhile, I'm working on a paper this morning (medieval history) while ignoring the scraping noises created by the workman who is repairing the ceiling after we pulled down some walls.

One Week - Barely Enough

Our week in Mexico flew by. There is so much to see and do on the Yucatan Peninsula. Tourism is the lifeblood of the economy there. And they do a great job of it. Several people asked if we were nervous about visiting Mexico these days. We felt perfectly comfortable and safe the entire time.

This was not an "adventure" vacation where we were totally independent. We went on an all-inclusive vacation to a resort. We just needed a break, Tim in particular. 

We relaxed, but didn't sit around too much. This was a new part of the world for us to explore! We took a guided tour of Tulum, a late Mayan town perched on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea. 

Our group from the hotel included both Spanish and English speakers and we were told that we would each have a guide speaking our language. Tim and I looked at the large group of English-speakers and the small group of Spanish-speakers and decided to go with the Spanish guide. Puzzled looks resulted. Speaking Spanish again was one of the most fun parts of the vacation.

We climbed a couple of these towers and surveyed the very flat landscape. Beautiful birds live here and it was fun trying to catch glimpses of them.

I didn't take as many photos as I normally do. My camera is a simple point and shoot and I don't have an underwater housing for it. So taking pictures of snorkeling was impossible. 

But snorkel we did - for the first time! Wow! Equipped with life jackets, flippers, masks and snorkels we followed our guide over the reef. It was COLD! After 45 minutes I was hugging myself in the water, swimming with just my flippers, in order to conserve warmth. Several others in our group did the same thing. I declined a second tour over another part of the reef, preferring to stay in the boat and try to warm up. 

What an amazing world there is under the sea. Plants and coral of myriad shapes, colors and sizes. And so many colorful fishes. Truly marvelous. We're hooked on snorkeling.

Another day found us swimming in an underground river system, exploring another beautiful world of stalactites and stalagmites. We weren't permitted to take cameras into the caves. But I took this photo showing part of an underground pool (cenote) in another area of the jungle. 

And now, we're back to real life, but the break accomplished its goal - we're ready to tackle the every day challenges that come our way.

Mosaic Monday - Warmth and Color

Today, driving home from Victoria, I was struck by the gray tones in the landscape. The contrast between the cool tones of our island home and the warm brightness of Mexico's Yucatan coastline are striking.

We spent a lovely, restful week away. Our biggest decisions involved choosing what to eat from the buffet and which excursions to take. We read, we swam, we snorkeled, we walked. Mostly, we unwound and relaxed. I took some photos, but not oodles of them. No internet nor email distracted us from our vacation.

A thousand different shades of green punctuated with abrupt color make for a landscape that delights the eye. Set against the clarity of the Caribbean ocean simply adds pleasure.

And now, we're home again, back to the same work, the same studies, the same issues that we faced before leaving. But the break did us a world of good and we'll face each task, each problem, with renewed energy. It's good to "vacate" everyday life from time to time.

I encourage you to visit Mary's Little Red House to see more mosaics that are just like taking a mini-vacation! 

Our Bags are Packed

...for the homeward bound trip.

We've been off enjoying a week in the sun and, Lord willing, will be back today. Looking forward to catching up on my blogging friends.

From the Heart

I like Valentine's Day. Around here it's sweet and understated. I put out my rock hearts - three of them for my three children, each one unique. A bit of lace and a touch of pink finish it off. 

The other day I went through my night table drawer and found a number of Valentines given to me by Tim. And ones that I've given to him. I save them and put them all out the next year. In fact, I have the very first Valentine card he ever gave me, back in college. We don't exchange cards every year but acknowledge the day in a variety of ways.

I like to cook a nice meal for my husband, and eat by candlelight. I might get flowers or I might not. With his current work schedule I'm thinking not, this year. And that's okay. As I've grown older I think I've grown a bit wiser - and lessened my expectations. Love isn't shown by flowers and chocolates, although they are nice, but by coming home every night, sharing dreams and thoughts, and enjoying each other's company. 

An Old-Fashioned Dessert

On a bookshelf downstairs I have, neatly arranged by the month, stacks of Victoria magazines. I think publication began in 1988 or 89, and continued until 2003, then resumed with a different publisher. I'm not so fond of the newer issues. Rather, I find inspiration in the older pages.


Looking through the issue dated January 1995 I was drawn to a page featuring a beautiful dessert. Here's what the author of the article wrote:


"...the choux-pastry ring is a classic mainstay of New Year's Eve celebrations all over France. This praline-flavored cream and almond confection dates from 1891, when a pastry cook decided to make éclairs that looked like the bicycle wheels that raced by his windows. His shop, it seems, was located on the route of the bicycle race between Paris and Brest, a happenstance that gave this sweet treat its quirky name." 


I made a Paris-Brest recently. For anyone who loves cream puffs (as I do), this version takes it up a notch with crushed almond praline folded into the whipped cream. Mmmm good! 

"When was the last time you spent a quiet moment just doing nothing - just

 sitting and looking at the sea, or watching the wind blowing the tree limbs, or

 waves rippling on a pond, a flickering candle or children playing in the park?"

--Ralph Marston

Saying Thank You - Tutorial

Recently, when I go on a trip, I like to say a personal thank you to the people whose work I appreciate. Waiters, chambermaids, guides, and drivers do much to make a tourist's vacation pleasant, and a pretty card along with a tip adds a personal touch. 

This fast and easy project could, of course, be easily adapted to saying thank you to anyone.

You'll need:

old greeting cards

cardstock printed on both sides

 8 1/2 x 11 designed paper for your printer

stickers or other embellishment

scissors, glue, or doublesided tape

1.  For some cards I used the fronts off old greeting cards. Just trim the front with scissors or a paper cutter.

2.  For others, cut various sizes of printed cardstock. Suggested sizes include 4 x 6 inches, 6 x 6 inches, 5 x 7, or whatever you like. 

3.  Open a Word document and compose lines saying Thank You, Muchas Gracias, Merci Beaucoup, or whatever line of thanks you want. I used a couple of different fonts, 24 point size, with three dashes before and after the words. Leave space between the lines for cutting.

4.  Print the document on printed paper - I used scrapbooking paper cut to size. Cut the lines apart, then trim as needed and apply to the back of the cardstock or card fronts that you prepared with double sided tape or a gluestick. 

5.  Add embellishments. I kept mine very simple, with stickers. Stamping would add great texture. 

And there you have it. Sweet and simple.

Paper Hearts

When I saw these paper hearts at Jill's blog, I knew I'd be making a few. Book paper and hearts, what's not to love? A few strung together for a simple garland, and one more...

to hang from the dining room chandelier. Decorating for Valentine's Day is always minimal - but these are so sweet. 


Mine are a little smaller than Jill's - it's easy to adjust the size. Here's a link to the tutorial, and another one to see Jill's finished garland. Go on, make one, or two, or a whole string of them. Jill is making a flurry of them to adorn the backs of chairs at her daughter's wedding.

Hot Tea Month: January

Hot tea month is any month of the year, as far as I'm concerned. But someone, somewhere decided that January is officially hot tea month. It is a good month for sitting down with a cup of tea. A little cake alongside never hurt. And some good books to peruse while sipping. 

I used some of the blueberries I froze last summer for this oh, so tender and not-too-sweet Lemon Blueberry Cake, and glazed it with a lemon and icing sugar mixture. Scrumptious!

Lemon Blueberry Coffeecake

1 1/2 cups flour (the recipe suggested all-purpose, I used 100% whole wheat)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, (can use mixer, but I did it by hand), cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Stir in yogurt and lemon zest. 

Stir in dry ingredients just until mostly mixed.

Gently stir in blueberries (I used frozen berries and mixed them in frozen - they are less likely to turn the batter blue that way.)

Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched in centre.

Cool for 5 minutes, then turn out of pan onto a serving plate. Drizzle with lemon glaze (1 cup icing sugar stirred with lemon juice until of desired consistency).

 Enjoy the last days of January!


Linking to Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House.

A Woodsy Ramble

Two weeks ago we went for a walk in a foot of snow. There was no trace of snow today in the woods. This time we hiked up alongside Nile Creek, about 20 minutes north on the highway. 

The hike was rugged, muddy, a bit drizzly, but oh, so beautiful. Refreshment for the soul. Rushing water, moss dripping from branches, lush ferns and invigorating woodsy smells.

I'm linking to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Mary of the Little Red House. 

Flower Necklace Tutorial

Pearls are a favorite of mine. I've had this long (artificial) pearl bead necklace for a very long time. I wear it when it's in style and it lounges in my jewelry collection when it's not. Inspired by Anthropologie, I added a simple silk flower to the necklace.

Here's what you'll need:

bead necklace, really, any length that pleases you

1- 10 inch square of fabric, I used silk duppioni

3-5 small beads, I used fresh water pearl beads

needle, thread

scissors

fray check, if desired

scrap paper and a pencil to sketch your flower

1.  Draw out on paper, then cut from fabric; or cut free hand, four flowers. The two larger ones are about 3 1/2 inches at their widest point, and the smaller ones are 2 3/4 inches wide. 

2.  Apply fray check to the edges, if desired, to prevent fraying.

3.  Thread your needle and pinch the center of one large flower, taking a few stitches to secure the pleats. 

4.  Add the second large flower on top, again taking a few pleats to add dimension to the flower. 

The photo shows the two large flower pieces stacked together.

5.  Add the smaller flower pieces in the same way, pleating and stitching. The flower petals will be very free-form, this is the look you want.

When you have all four petals in place, you'll see the dimension, particularly if you hold it sideways as shown above.

6.  Stitch the beads you've chosen into the center of the flower. I used seed pearl beads in keeping with the monochromatic look I was after, but colored beads or even small buttons would work equally well.

7.  Finally, stitch the flower to your necklace with a couple of stitches that wrap the thread between two beads. Fasten off securely and enjoy wearing your new creation!

Sunshine and Oranges

The late afternoon sun slants across the dining room table. I grab my camera to capture the moment. Each day is noticeably, if infinitesimally longer than the last. Earth turns on her axis as she has done for millennia past.

These sunny moments make January easier. It's a month that seems to drag on in the northern hemisphere, made longer by incessant, gray rain or unending snow. It's a month in which time seems to hang, suspended between the celebration of Christ's birth extending into the New Year and the anticipation of spring. 

I prowl around the house in the evenings after daily tasks are accomplished. What to do? In order to sleep well, I must leave my studies alone after dinner. There are projects to finish and others to begin but I'm reluctant to engage in them. How to overcome this lassitude? 

* take up the wool and the needles for "just a row" and soon the rhythm of the needles captures and results in a pleasant evening of accomplishment

* a cup of tea and an easy book

* a night-time walk along our safe and quiet streets 

* a short project - something that can be completed in less than an hour or two, like baking muffins, cutting out an article of clothing, gathering the supplies for a craft

* reading blogs

* and before bed, a final round about the house to tidy the cushions on the couch, unload the dishwasher, straighten books on the coffee table  

So Proud of my Sister

My sister Darlene and I are just 13 months apart in age. I was the older, bossier sister. I'm still older, hopefully not so bossy. This photo of the two of us was taken in June 2009, in Bratislava, Slovakia. Walking around Europe together (along with our mother) was fun, and just the right sort of exercise we enjoy. None of us are into sports or athletics.

Shortly after returning home, my sister's second son, Colin, was diagnosed with cancer. He fought valiantly and by Christmas we all rejoiced - the stem cell transplant seemed to have worked. However, the cancer returned in a vicious form and sweet Colin died in July, 2010. The months since have been difficult for his parents, Darlene and Neil, for his widow Melissa with two children, for his siblings, and for his extended family

 I nearly fell off my chair when my sister told me that she has taken on the challenge of biking 200 kilometers this summer to raise funds for cancer research. Given our athletic habits, this is a real feat. She's training regularly. Her husband and family are rooting for her. It's amazing what love can do. I'm so proud of her. 

Here's a link to Darlene's personal page where you can see a photo of her with Colin. I love you, my sister.

Sewing Projects

Although I'll dabble in almost any craft, I always return to sewing. My trusty machine is 28 years old this month. She's tired and has spent a little time in the repair shop in the last few years. But she continues to whir happily and I'm content. I dread the day when I have to replace her. 

This weekend I sewed up curtains for the living room. They are the most economical fabric available - canvas drop cloths from Home Depot. I didn't want to invest hundreds of dollars in fabric at this point, and I wanted something neutral with texture. This is it. Two of them were up over New Year's when my parents were here. My dad asked, "are they supposed to be wrinkled?" Well, yes, they are, if only because pressing them removes only a fraction of the wrinkles. I like to think they add to the texture. 

They are still not hemmed, but I'm waiting for the fabric to hang out a little before doing that. In the meantime, they close in the living room, making a cozy nest for these January evenings.

The desire for some fresh color led me to make a raft of new cushion covers. I used what fabric I had on hand and I'm pleased. Reducing the stash is a good thing.

Linking to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Mary at the Little Red House.

Memento of the Past

This past fall, my mother-in-law gave to me the small carved bird pictured above,  saying that she remembered always perched on her mother's windowsill.


When Tim, my husband, saw it, he too remembered the little bird from his grandmother's home at the farm in remote northern British Columbia.


Her name was Irma and she died when Tim was 13. Recently my MIL wrote and self-published a book about her family history. Through her words and memories I'm getting to know a little bit more about the woman who first owned the little bird. And I'm pleased that it's now in my care. 


On another note, I'd like to introduce a new friend to the blogging community. Dawna writes from Alberta where she and her family live on a farm and run a Bed and Breakfast. Dawna and I are connected through family. My nephew Colin who passed away in July was married to her niece Melissa. I'm sure that we met at the wedding 7 or more years ago, and reconnected through the sorrow of Colin's illness and death.


Dawna's new blog is That Country Place and I know she'd love a warm welcome. Her header alone will cheer up any winter blues (or grays).

A Hint of Spring

Smoke curls from the chimneys.
Sullen gray sky.
White-covered ground, or soggy bare brown.


Anticipating the January doldrums, I planted, in mid-December, several pots of paper white narcissus.  

Now, faint, intoxicating scent drifts through the air. So sweet, so evocative of warmer, sunnier days to come. The magic of creation - such beauty contained in dull bulbs. Hope. 


Just a clarification - in my last post I gave in to a bit of silliness. I am not really hoping for a castle/house exchange. But I wouldn't turn one down, either.