Halloween Confusion

What do you think about Halloween?

 Some candy and a bit of fun for the kids?

 

Image: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Check out Annie's Halloween Page here to help you ponder a few facts about this 'harmless' night.

~ * ~

I'm just asking you to keep an open mind.

Those Were the Days

 My dad emailed me this photograph from what we think was 1966 ...

That's 44 years ago folks.

Me and my 'brudders' in 1966

I am the makeup-smeared-clown on the right.  Yes ... I was once five years old!

My younger brother is the cutie on the left.

And the #5 man ... my mom's loving attempt at sewing a Superman costume ... is my older brother.

Life was wonderful even back then

Quick Chicken Pot Pie

Today I decided to convert many of my recipe card, scrap paper, and computer printed recipes to My Demy.  It takes time, but it is so worth it.  If you didn't get a chance to see my post on my new kitchen gadget, check it out here.

So for tonight I was inspired to make Quick Chicken Pot Pie which was on a tattered and stained recipe card.  It was a family favourite when my kids were growing up, and I pleased the family again tonight by making it.

It's simple to make and simple comfort food.

Chicken Pot Pie - Serves 6

Carrot and potato simmering away

Add chopped onions to carrots & potato



Meanwhile cook the chicken

  

Cut butter into the dry ingredients

 

Add milk and stir to make soft dough

Add condensed soup, stir and add to casserole dish

Pinch off dough and 'plop' on top to cover

Bake ... but don't burn top  :o)

Quick Chicken Pot Pie

1 medium carrot

1 medium potato
----------------
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 small onion
---------------
1 can mushroom or cream of chicken soup
2 cups cooked chicken - chopped
1. Chop carrot and potato and cook in small amount of salted water until tender — about 10 minutes
2. Add peas and onions and cook a few more minutes
3. Do not drain, add mushroom soup and meat. Heat through
4. Pour into greased casserole
5. Spoon biscuit mixture evenly over top
6. Bake uncovered at 425 F for 20 – 25 minutes

Biscuit Topping

2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
---------------------------
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cold
1 cup cold milk

1. Mix together first 5 ingredients
2. Cut in butter. Stir in milk

Hanging Squash

We used to have 99 laying hens that provided our family with fresh eggs, and also a bit of an income. 

The kids were young and needed chores to 'build their character and work ethic'.  But alas now we've sold off the flock and have been purchasing the neighbour's eggs.

He drops them off on Saturday mornings directly into our sad looking rusted-out mailbox right outside our front gate.  Our two dogs LOVE to see him coming, as he gives them doggie treats.

This past Saturday he left me a treat as well.

Attached to twine, a beautiful butternut squash  from his garden.

THANK YOU neighbour for your genorosity

and for the lovely eggs.

Kooza

A few days ago I attached a youtube video featuring the talents of Chris Wheeler who is field reporter for British Columbia.  His videos are AMAZING to say the least.

I found this one video that I would like to share with you today about

Kooza by Cirque de Soleil.

MAGNIFICIENT ... DEATH DEFYING ... REALLY NEAT-O

Ahh ... Words can't describe ... Just check it out yourself

The Scriptures Say

 

Let the words of my mouth,

and the meditation of my heart,

be acceptable in thy sight,

O LORD,

my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Adam's River Sockeye Salmon Run

Dreamer & Dan the Man

Last week Dreamer and her boyfriend (Dan the Man) traveled north to Salmon Arm to visit his brother's family.

Okay, okay,  I realize that salmon don't have arms.  Hardy har har

But seriously folks, they had a wonderful time visiting, and also enjoyed the beauty of Salmon Arm.

Adam's River to be specific.

Adam's River sockeye salmon run

Apparently every four years (2010, 2014, 2018 ...), Adam's River hosts a three week long party to celebrate the sockeye salmon run.  Check out details here.

Sockeye salmon 'running'

For those that don't know, salmon swim back to where they were born ... hatched ... to lay their own eggs.  This is what is known as a Salmon Run.

It is quite a spectacular site to behold.

Up close and personal informative salmon display

Dreamer & Dan the Man

They had a great time being in God's great outdoors and looking at the wonders of His creation.  Imagine being able to be INSIDE  a mighty tree trunk to take this shot!

Then finally, after a four hour drive back home, they end the day at a BC Lions football game.  It doesn't appear that they are saddened by the fact that their team is doing so poorly this season :o)

 ~ * ~

You have to take the time to check out this video clip

of Adam's River Salmon Run

 ~ * ~

Four Monks

Weeds Glorious Weeds

My neighbour and ourselves each have crushed gravel driveways and parking area.  Certainly not beautiful like the stamped cement ones I see at executive homes, but they do the trick for our humble rural homes.

My neighbour's driveway is winding through trees and almost completely weedless.  Ours, on the other hand, is vast and weedy.  Remember my post called Weeds Glorious Weeds?  Yep, we got weeds.

We needed help.  I called my neighbour and asked her secret.  Vinegar!

Here is her recipe for weed control:

8 cups white vinegar

3/4 cup salt

1 tbsp dish soap

~ * ~

Combine all ingredients in a bucket and fill a spray bottle with liquid.

Spray weeds on a clear day.

(Stubborn, large weeds take a few applications.)

Four Monks White Distilled Vinegar

 I generally don't use vinegar very often, and the little bottle I had was, well, little.

So during our recent Costco run I purchased a box containing two  1 gallon bottles of Four Monks White Distilled Vinegar.

I haven't tried it yet ... rain has hindered my experiment ... but she swears by it.

I also did a little research on vinegar uses and the best site I have found is Vinegar Tips.  Amazing what they claim you can do with vinegar

Church Open House

Bible verse painted on church foyer wall

On Saturday, October 16th we were invited to attend the Grand Opening of the Aldergrove Canadian Reformed Church.  Hubby and I certainly love looking at new construction ... especially churches. 

Just before the cutting of the ribbon, Hubby bumped into an acquaintance of his.  Upon introduction to his wife, I discovered that she had an integral part in the church design ... specifically the kitchen.  As I leaped inside, I asked if she could give me a private tour.  She consented and off we went for 2 1/2 hours of informative enjoyment.  Call me weird, but really ... everyone has a passion.  I 'heart' architecture and design.

With your permission, I will share some of the really good ideas that they had ...

Linoleum just in front of their kitchen serving counter that opens into the carpeted fellowship hall.

Smart thinking for those inevitable spills and mishaps.

I had inquired about this piece of counter top leaning against a wall in a side storage room ...

Celia told me that between the two islands in the center of their 'spectacular' kitchen there was a metal lip upon which the counter piece could be placed IF more island space was needed.  Otherwise, the 'between' space acted as a walk-through or for storage of garbage cans etc.  You have to see it, to appreciate it.

Lovely new appliances and stainless steel sinks

I was excited about the dishes that they purchased for their church.  Commercial bone china ... if you can believe it.

Durable but light.  The large sauce r doubles under the soup / dessert bowl AND acts in its regular role as coffee / tea saucer.  WOW!

Board room table curved OUT to enable adequate viewing of all sitting down

Lovely etched glass on bottom pane in sanctuary windows

I thought this was a good idea too.  Some of the views from the sanctuary windows are not pleasant.  AND it is distracting seeing someone walking by outside the windows during the service.  These etched panes allow the light to come in yet significantly lowers the distraction level.

And finally I
LOVE LOVE LOVE
what they chose behind the pulpit.  Muted tan coloured stone with simple pot lights from above.

In my opinion it's timeless.

Bravo

Aldergrove Canadian Reformed Church

A Man Named Pearl

Do you ever get a chance to skip merrily from one blog or web site to another?  Well, I happened upon a bit of time and landed upon this movie trailer featured on you tube.

I don't know much about the man, or the movie, or his impact ... but I think it might be worth a look see.

A Man Named Pearl

 I found another video presenting a slide show of his work.

Doesn't it inspire you?

Just a Trim Off the Back, Please

Would you trust your daughter with a pair of scissors ... around your head?

I do.

Granted no need for a 'Noble Peace in the Family Prize' here.  I don't think that it has much to do with the trust factor so much as a cheap gene.

And a lazy pair of jeans thrown in as well.

You see, my hair grows at an astronomical pace.  How could I justify paying someone to cut my hair on a regular basis ... and where do I get the time?

Years ago when my hair was long and ... well ... just long ... Hubby squeezed his fingers into a pair of professional hair dressing scissors given to me by my sweet mother.

Now there was trust!

But I reasoned ... we had no money, and if he messed up, HE was the one who most cared about how I looked ... and besides, ALL hair-dos grow out ... eventually.

So today it's ... Snip snip snip

The kitchen floor is littered with my Nice n Easy coloured hair.

It's cheap, super fast, and proves to be a great bonding experience

~ * ~

I figure my hair style ... or lack thereof ... isn't the only thing holding me back

from becoming the next Miss Canadian Beauty Queen.

I can't twirl a baton!

Danish Proverb

Better to ask twice

than to lose your way once

 Danish Proverb

Image: Evgeni Dinev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

Costco Run

We cross the border into the USA every couple of weeks.

Passports:  It's the law

First we secure our needed passports, then we check out the web cam of the border crossing to see what the traffic is like, and finally, if  everything looks good, we proceed south for about 1 or 2 minutes.  We are fortunate to live very close to one of the Canadian / USA border crossings.

Passport photos never do anyone justice

We take our place in line and await our turn to cross.  The interaction with the border guard does not take too long.  As a seasoned border crosser, we go through a routine:  Remove sunglasses, roll down windows so that he can see into the vehicle, and answer all of his questions with complete short answers.  Oh, don't forget the eye contact.

Really it is never a problem.

Once waved on, we drive about 20 minutes until we arrive at our destination:

Costco USA

My daughter loves to assist me in a Costco run for one reason alone:

Many of the cashiers and stockers

... not to be confused with stalkers ...

are young men in their twenties.

Good looking young men in their twenties

I suppose that I should take comfort in the fact that my 'baby'

has all her toes and fingers

... and a complete set of raging hormones!

Moses Supposes

Moses supposes his roses ... decomposes

A while back we invited dear friends over for dinner.

I provided the food,

she spoiled me with a dozen lovely roses. 

Peach coloured roses with pink tips ... delightful!

But as all many good things come to an end,

the roses faded in time

Sadly they were leaving me

 

And then they were gone, and joined the ranks of compost

destined to return to the earth

To the Dump ... To the Dump

To the dump, dump, dump ... Add a bit of background music and our monthly trip to the dump almost sounds glamorous ... Okay, I said almost.

Living on a rural property, and running a home business in construction, our family generates its fair share of waste.

Now before you jump on my back about saving the earth ...We compost every scrap of fruit and vegetable waste, and we recycle all paper, cardboard, plastic, glass jars, and tin cans.  Come to think of it, I'm rather a card carrying Recycling Maniac.

 

And yet we still have garbage cans galore to take to the dump transfer station.

Wikipedia says ... A transfer station is a building or processing site for the temporary deposition of waste. Transfer stations are often used as places where local waste collection vehicles will deposit their waste cargo prior to loading into larger vehicles. These larger vehicles will transport the waste to the end point of disposal in an incinerator, landfill, or hazardous waste facility, or for recycling.

About once every month or so, we (okay mostly hubby) load up the filled garbage cans into one of our trailers. 

The garbage trailer is in desperate need of a paint job, is quite rusted out, but it does a good job despite its sad exterior.

(I can relate to this trailer on so many levels ... tee hee)

Garbage Conveyor Belt

Our local transfer station is run very efficiently.

Cardboard Bin

 Not only are we able to bring our household waste to throw into this huge garbage eating machine, but they allow a vast array of donations.

One bin provides a place for our piles of flattened cardboard boxes.

Metal Mountain

For any metal that we have, we are instructed to 'fling' it onto this monstrosity.

Looks to me like a bizarre

modern art sculpture!

Dirt, and weeds, and sticks .. Oh my!

And finally the disposal of any yard waste.

Each component of our waste is carefully separated and hopefully used in an earth friendly way.

Canadians have a great opportunity to help retain a beautiful ... and wonderful world.

Do you do your part?