Babysitting

Today PK and I babysat my mother's cousin's littlest one - M. Super cute. The two littlies had great fun together. PK helped by giving her a bottle and her soother and showing her how to do things. She was a pretty good sport about the whole thing. I just loved this moment.

The little princess out for some glorious summer sun wearing the crown we had whipped together in the craft room at GG's.

Sad Day......Happy Day...Grateful Moments

Today is a day that started with some sad news. My grandmother passed away. And though it may sound odd that is happy news. Though it is sad that she is no longer with us in the physical sense it is good...great in fact that she has passed away. The reason that it is great is that she had cancer and it was just a matter of time and no one could say just how long it would take. The doctors also said that it would be very painful near the end and yet she went suddenly from doing just fine to gone and for that I am happy. I didn't want her to have to suffer a long and painful drawn out closure to her life.

The odd thing is that our household was getting ready to go and see her when the phone call came. Had my Mother phoned me just 10 minutes later we would have been gone and the news would have come from some staff member at the hospital. So for that person whom was spared having to give me the news I am grateful. For receiving the news from my Mother rather then some unknown hospital worker I am grateful.
For my husband whom chose to spend the morning with us despite there no longer being the reason to go to Victoria with me - I am extremely grateful.

PK feeding my grandmother when we went for a visit with my father back in September. This was a visit I insisted on doing as I wanted to make sure we had atleast a photo or two of all four generations. It may not be a portrait but atleast I have something for the photo album.

Tigh-Na-Mara

Andy and I had our Christmas 'staff party' this past weekend. We joined up with my old employer for a joint party to make things a bit more fun. Littlest PK went to his Grandma and Grandpa's for his first sleep-over at their house. He had a great time playing and visiting with their guests and listening to music.

Us parents, well we had a romantic overnighter at Tigh-Na-Mara in Parksville. This is a lovely resort on the oceanfront. They do an amazing job of a buffet spread for dinner and the rooms are cozy and enjoyable.

A view from our room.

Camping bliss

Friday through monday was spent at Qualicum. The campsite left something to be desired but thankfully when you are spending time with friends it is easy to forget.

New friends


Fair fun



Sandy sculpting



And for todays news........my little sister is expecting #2....yeah!!!!

The 100-mile diet

So I just finished reading this great book by Alisa Smith & J.B. MacKinnon. They challenged themselves to eat a diet of locally grown (within 100 miles) foods for 1 year. The book itself is a mix of their individual feelings about what was going on in their lives, the foods they ate, the sourcing of the foods, the history of the areas the foods were coming from and much, much more. I found myself totally engrossed in this book and tempted to challenge myself to such an undertaking. But how am I to do this with the way my husband eats and with a 10 month old child.

I think however, that I could perhaps work towards such a goal. Start with buying as much BC produced products and then start to eliminate those that contain out of province items and then gradually to local grown only.

To start I have chosen to cook dinner tonight consisting of salmon caught just off our coast and island grown potatoes and beets. The lettuce and carrots are unfortunately imports as that is what is currently in my fridge. Dessert (if we have any) will be either Island farms icecream (a far cry from the real thing but locally produced) or perhaps some wonderful cookies from True Grains bakery (right here in Cow Bay)...oh and of course the bread if eaten will be from the same wonderful bakery.

Day by Day

Nothing too exciting going on in my world. Just getting bigger and bigger. Today is day 9 on the count down of last days of work.

This past weekend the painting crew - ie Andy, Todd, Keith and Sandra finished off the large sections of painting the shop. Now there is just little touch-ups and putting tread back on stairs, etc to do. I didn't do anything but mix paint but was so hot and tired that I barely had energy to even feel guilty.

Sunday evening was capped off with this beautiful view from our back patio.



And because someone wants to see this big belly of mine - a warped side view taken after admiring that beautiful sunset.

Baby bump photos

Andy and I had a photo session on July 26 to take some photos of what the belly looks like at -7 weeks from due date. It is funny looking at them today, only a week later and it seems like the belly has ballooned since then but then I think the belly looks way smaller in the photos then in real life from what I remember it looking like a week ago so it probably isn't really that much bigger.

I have a whole selection of fun photos from that day. Some with Andy, some without, some of just the belly....I think it is going to be tough to choose the one photo to have blown up as there are several that I like. Here are some of my favs though.

This weekend we went to the lake. Three full days of relaxation. Pure bliss for this waddling girl. We spent Saturday working on choosing baby names. Actually came up with some names we both like - might be getting somewhere. The rest of the weekend we did next to nothing...a boat ride...sitting in the sun...sitting in the shade....going for a swim...man life was tough. Christine and Carson also joined us on Sunday which was so nice as we barely see each other anymore.

Tarts, tarts and more tarts

Saturday morning was an assembly line of tart making. 125 lemon with fresh raspberries and 125 pumpkin to be exact. Made and delivered by 1 pm for a Saturday evening outdoor wedding.

Three double batches of lemon filling (the type you would find in a lemon meringue pie - yummy). Each tart had 3 fresh raspberries to top them off.

Boxes of lemon tarts ready to go.

Pumpkin tarts cooling down, more ready to go in the background and empty tarts waiting in boxes to be filled.

After deliverying tarts Andy and I went up to Honeymoon Bay to relax for the remainder of the weekend......ahhhh bliss.

Mosquitos are swell

Or should I say when one is pregnant and gets bitten by a mosquito one swells. This is a tame version what my mosquito bites looked like on my feet after our trip to the lake on the long weekend. I don't recall every reacting to mosquito bites. Yes, they get itchy and red but never do they swell up. The picture shows one at a "normal" reaction size and one at about the size the others were the day before - although they also went a white tone rather then red as in the photo. My other foot had about 3 or 4 or these beauties. Isn't being pregnant an experience!

Let it Snow

The first sprinkling of snow came to us last night. She dropped big fluffy bits of delight on us for a couple of hours. I sat inside with a cup of tea, indoor lights off, outdoor lights on and marvelled at the beauty of it all. This morning the sky was clear and from the warmth of the hot tub I enjoyed watching the sky turn from the darkness of night to a beautiful blue. The silhouette of the snow covered trees against the dark sky was truly breathtaking. What a perfect way to start the day.

And the Stockings Were Hung...

So the stockings are finally made. I have been working on this project since I graduated high school but let's not dwell on that. The important part is that they are completed and that I love them. Andy's is the partridge in a pear tree and mine is the angel. They each are backed with the same fabric that makes the cuff (forest green for his, burgundy for mine) and are lined with an off-white satin fabric.

I also spent this weekend making bread (6 loaves), buns (1 dozen), and pumpkin shortbread (3 1/2 dozen). I got the shopping done for the Clarke Christmas hampers (we are supporting two families this year), got the presents together for the little girl that I am personally buying for and wrapped them up in ballet slipper pillowcases to do my part to save the environment and she gets something useful too. Sunday we had brunch with Verna. We went to Samuel's and had an enjoyable meal. We then went to Verna's were we continued our conversation and enjoyed a chocolate fondue. Finished the evening with a movie. All in all an enjoyable weekend

Bold or ???

So this little cheeky girl was sitting right in
front of our living room window on Sunday morning. Andy and I both walked right up to the window and took about two dozen pictures of her before she finally got up and walked away. Her male friend atleast had the decency to sit on the front lawn on the other side of the parking area. It truly is a love-hate relationship I have with these creatures. If only they could leave my plants alone. I do have an entire acre of grass that they can eat to their hearts content. I must admit I will miss them when I fence the yard but I will have vegetables and flowers so not too much.......

Precious Moments

This is the little something I picked up for the shower I am attending this weekend. If I had thought about it in advance I might have motivated myself to make something but I have been a bit on the disorganized side as of late and therefore had to buy something ready made. I do like this little piece though. Hopefully the receipt does as well.

This morning I just happened to look out the office window into the fields surrounding the barn and just at that moment the most incredible rainbow appeared. It looked as if the rainbow started at the farmers house and ended at the open air market.

Mini Getaway

From midday Saturday through midday Sunday Andy and I enjoyed a mini vacation. We escaped the house and drove down the road to Cowichan Bay for a romantic weekend all of 15 minutes from our home.

We stayed at the Oceanfront Grand thanks to the generosity of my boss Geoff. The rooms have been recently renovated - creamy coloured flooring and walls with black granite countertops in the kitchenette and bathroom.

We enjoyed wandered the storefronts in the village and had a midafternoon snack and drink. The cookies came from the bakery in the village that makes the most wonderful breads and sweets from organic grains that are milled on site. The chocolate chip cookies are made with spelt grain and the cranberry cookies are so filling you feel like you have had an entire meal.

The views from the room are breathtaking.
As the sunlight slowly faded to darkness we watched the boats coming in and out of the marina. We enjoyed a delicious and filling meal at the restaurant and relaxed for the remainder of the evening. Just enjoying each others company and being in the moment - no chores to distract, things needing or wanting to be done. Absolute heaven.

A relaxing morning of hot tubbing and newspaper reading was capped of with an amazing brunch. I enjoyed seafood, sushi and waffles while Andy found eggs benny, bacon and salads. Truly a buffet that pleased us both.

Old Friends New Times

Last night I had a friend, Alex, over that I hadn't seen or talked to since grade eleven. We went to Maxwell together from grade 9-11 and had lost touch after he left the school during grade eleven. We re-met through facebook. It is the oddest thing getting an email from someone you haven't talked to in over ten years and yet it is strangely exciting.

There is something about the knowing that they are doing well. That life is unfolding for them in whatever manner it is. Perhaps part of that is in knowing that not all the people I went to school with are still around and that when you reconnect with someone you know that they are okay. It is nice knowing what people are doing, where they are focussing their energy, what has become important to them. Are they pursuing something, a passion, a belief, a calling of sorts. What values do they hold close, what experiences have occurred for them.

I made pizzas for dinner, apparently homemade pizza was a novelty for Alex which made the preparation even more fun. BBQ shrimp and pineapple pizza, balsamic mushroom pizza and pesto chicken pizza were the options of the night. No recipes to start with as I made them up with what I had on hand - monteray jack cheese, red peppers, red onion, black olives, etc. The pesto chicken was a completely new trial and it was delish! I think some toasted pinenuts and green olives would have made it even better. Definately will play with this one some more.

It was a lovely evening and makes me realize how important it is to keep touch with people you care about and how easy it is to renew a friendship that may have been lost.

Loafing around

This past weekend was one of those weekends were life is truly at it's best. I took a course on saturday - Artisan Baking. Bagels, challah, ciabatta, sweet and sour rye, focaccia, cinnamon buns and a multi seed bread were the spoils of the days. It was a day of being immersed in something I truly enjoy. Measuring, mixing, shaping, baking. The textures, smells and sight of everything going on in the kitchen was amazing.

Andy and Todd did a taste test of all the different breads when I got home that night.

On Sunday morning I came downstairs to this sight.

Andy was already outside cleaning out the gutters. Hadn't even stopped to have breakfast yet. After breakfast- yes he did come in - I helped out with the gutters and did some garden cleanup. Andy power washed the sidewalks after cleaning his "fleet". He wrote me messages in the sidewalk before cleaning them completely. Every once and awhile he does the sweetest things - never the typical flowers and chocolates which makes it all the better.

We went for a belated Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's. Nothing says yummy like turkey dinner.

Curled up in bed last night (Sunday) I couldn't help but think about what a relaxing and enjoyable weekend it had been. If only everyday was that relaxing and enjoyable. If only.......something to think about.

This morning as I was enjoying my last cinnamon bun I watched a little bird fly to our back door and perch on the wood frame that holds the glass panes. It sat there for a minute or two until Andy walked out the garage door and it flew away. It was one of those moments were you truly realize how two people can be in almost the exact same location but have completely different experiences. I sat and watched this bird completely immersed in the shape and colour of it's feathers meanwhile Andy probably didn't even see the bird as he walked out the garage door. Every moment of life is truly unique to each person on Earth.

A Quiet Place

It has been a busy couple of weeks; hence, no entry until now for the entire month of September. We visited my parents up at Lundbum Lake (just outside of Merritt) earlier this month for an extended long weekend. We were greeted by these cheeky and somewhat greedy little characters - not at all shy!

We spent the weekend exploring all the back trails around the campsite in the tracker.

First there is the lake where the campsite is at. A small and peaceful looking lake.

Then there was the lookout that my parents had found only days before we got there. It overlooks Douglas Lake Ranch - the largest working ranch in Canada. It was an amazing view of thousands of acres of land with not a moving soul in sight.

We saw grouse, coyotes, chipmunks, squirrels, numerous types of birds, fresh water shrimp and clams and even a bear!

On one of our adventures we came across this beautiful specimen of a tree. Andy posed beside it to show just how large it truly was. Dad, Andy and I wrapped our arms around it but still could not touch fingertips.

We also went to a bison farm were we had a wonderful lady teach us about the way they raise their bison as well as numerous tips about how to cook the different cuts. She was an extremely generous hostess both with her time and information. We even learnt of the methods they had used to build their home - combinations of infloor heating, solar panels and generator but also strategic placement of windows for maximum natural sun heating. It was quite interesting as they were living completely off the grid.

With trails called Coco Bonk to explore and things to discover around each corner it was an extremely fun and relaxing weekend.

Busiest of Weekends

Wow, what a great weekend. On friday Andy and I quickly put together our bags and headed off to join Todd at Honeymoon Bay. We had a great evening full of yummy food (Malay chicken kabobs with bbq baby potatoes and mixed vegetables) and even better conversation. We had a campfire complete with roasted marshmellows.

We had a relaxing morning and went for a nice walk out to Gordon Bay campsite and got back just before the rain settled in. We then packed up and headed towards home with a quick stop in at the Saturday market to pick up some fresh corn and baby potatoes. Quickly completed some chores around the house and then headed off to pick up Bill.

We then went down to the government whalf in Mill Bay, loaded up Bill's sailboat and motored and sailed our way to Todd inlet. We found a great little place between another sailboat and a huge 50' powerboat and anchored for the evening and awaited dusk to come.

As dusk grew nearer more and more boats made their way into the inlet. And then we enjoyed the show - Butchart's fireworks from a sailboat. When the fireworks were complete we bunked down for the night - my first time sleeping overnight on a boat! In the morning we enjoyed a family of raccoons running along the beach, a sea otter on his morning swim and an assortment of water creatures and birds that inhabit our local coastlines.

We made our way back to Mill Bay and after dropping Bill off we then joined Andy's family for a late brunch. We dropped in at Blue Rose on our way home and picked up some New Zealand flax - a cute green/black variety that looks great in our new black pots and a water hybiscus that I am hoping will not be eaten by the deer. If it gets a chance to bloom I'll post a picture. We completed our weekend by starting on our rockwall in front of our bay windows - halfway completed already!

Long weekend fun

This past weekend we were up at Honeymoon Bay again. Todd has this great little RV site up there and we get invited up on a regular basis. Christine came up and her new beau Carson and his buddy Ian came up on Saturday. We all knew Ian from school days so Carson was the only new face. Kathryn, Leif and family and Elisa, Brad and family came up for the day of Saturday. This picture is of Matt - such a little angel.

There isn't much to say about the weekend at the lake - that is why they are such great weekends - you do nothing when you are at the lake - sit in the sun or shade, have a couple of drinks, go for a swim or a boat, maybe read a book or do a craft. Pure relaxation.

It was the annual bake and craft sale this past weekend. Christine picked up a 2lb bag of baby red skinned potatoes for $1 and I picked up a glass plate full of rice crispy squares for $3. The potatoes made delish hash browns on Sunday morning and the rice crispies were quickly demolished by everyone on Saturday.

I roasted some corn on the bbq for dinner on friday night - a little disappointed by the lack of sweetness in the corn - I guess that's what happens with grocery store corn though. Have to see if I can track down some nice fresh stuff.

We came back from the lake early (Todd wasn't feeling well) so Andy and I visited the grandparents on monday morning. It was good to catch up with everyone.