Ikea Furniture lasts longer than some marriages....

My kitchen, err I mean, our kitchen....after 6years of living in our home, I finally feel like the kitchen is complete..! Slowly over the years we made little changes, tweaked this and that.  Then this Summer we really went to town! We chose a back splash, well lets be honest, I chose the back splash and then while shopping Hubby saw another tile that was on sale...in the end, I went with his decision. I then took it a step further and decided, (in a time when people want storage) to take away storage! I got some quizzical looks and emails about "why would you do that?" And you were all told, "I was cleaning, if you really go through a cupboard and decide you don't use it, donate it or sell it!" We took down the cupboards and microwave(shock and horror) over the stove! It felt wonderful! Light and airy, open space! And finally, I wanted to tackle the back wall!! The big wall that just sat there...and no matter how I tried to dress it up, it just wasn't right!! It didn't feel complete!

It didn't feel complete till I thought about built ins!! I know what you are thinking...didn't you just take away cupboards and now you are thinking about built ins? YES!! I have kitchen stuff in the living room and pretty things hidden in other cupboards! Why not make the kitchen sing and put everything kitchen-y into the kitchen?

Hubby considered building from my sketches...then I saw a unit on line, Ikea!! Why not buy it in a box? He can build it!? I would supervise! What could go wrong?

I haven't been to Ikea in over 5years...and I just love walking through the mock living spaces...giving me so many ideas! I had a few tissues with me, drooling at tools and sinks and back splashes...! I brought my Daughter and had my bestie with me, we needed a pick up truck! (Reason number 48 to own a pick up truck)

We had a blast...and after realizing how many boxes we had to load(UGH).. we went to pay! It was there, while waiting in line, we started to chat with another customer. He told us that the furniture and instructions had gotten better over the years! Him and his wife had purchased a wall unit, over 30 years ago...and it was still standing! But not the marriage! It was then that we noticed he was buying a bed, and a mattress was rolled up on top...OUCH!!

In the end, I have come to the conclusion that Ikea furniture in its many boxes and with a thick instructional manual, might test a relationship. And if built properly, will outlast some marriages in the end.

Our marriage...still standing!!
Perhaps the key to a successful marriage is to have a few bolts and nuts leftover....

Family Trips.....fishing on Prince Edward Island

Family trips stay with you, whether good or bad...they are a part of you and at times, something...whether it is a sight or smell,  triggers your holiday memories...and you either smile or shudder....

Last year in Prince Edward Island...we went to our local, fishing hangout in Rusticoville...Joey's. It is the boys' place to fish.  From mackerel and cod, to lobster, to Hubby going tuna fishing, we have done everything there!! Last year Katie wanted to partake in the mackerel and cod fishing...so the whole Family ended up going!! It just wasn't for boys anymore....

I didn't think I would be sea sick. I thought I had great sea legs....apparently not! First we were fishing for mackerel....and it was a blast!! I caught more than Hubby....not that I was counting! There was a moment that I had two mackerel on my line! I WAS into fishing!! It was a rush, especially when a Gannet plunged deep into the ocean. I had no idea what had just happened! I was focused on my line, looking down...and so was the Gannet...who wanted my fish!! I had a fight, a fight on the seas to protect my catch from the grips of a hungry, ruthless bird...! In the end, I won!! I was on a high...!! I was born to be a fisherman.....catching my food! But then we went out further...and further...and again further...looking for cod! It was then it felt like the boat was being tossed about in the waves...up and down...up and down.....lets just say that I wasn't taking pictures anymore.....I needed to sit down! My sea legs were gone! Just like that....!!


To make a sea story short....I stayed sitting!! Everyone else fished and my eldest Son pulled the biggest cod of that trip! My younger Son, was rushing about...seeing what everyone caught!! My Daughter was in her element, fish guts on her sweater! I was the odd man out...!! I was told by the Fisherman...."don't look down, never look down, keep your eyes on the island!" My eyes were glued to the red shores of Prince Edward Island....

Once back in the harbour....each passenger(or Family) got a bag or two, of fresh fish! Already cleaned and cut up...ready for consumption! That night we had cod and mackerel.... you can't get much fresher than that!! It was a highlight of our trip! We totally recommend fishing at Joey's....!
Next time....I'll wait on shore...!! But eager to cook....!!

Mackerel...fried up in a pan!

Cod...poached in lemon juice, olive oil

some wine and chives

joeysfishing.com

@joeysfishing

Microwaves....

I can recall a time when I was growing up and we didn't own a microwave. Friends had them and would  throw in packs of food to be heated. Part of me was jealous. They were independently choosing their meal from a freezer...popping it in and waiting for the bell to tell them that a deliciously, hot meal was ready! I always had home cooked meals. Years later, we got a white microwave...and there it sat on the counter...all white and shiny. Mom constantly wiped it down whenever there was spit of food from the dish being left on reheat too long. Or the oils from the popcorn bag(although now studies show that microwave popcorn isn't the healthiest...I like to think I have a orange tinge on my insides).

Flash forward to now....

Awhile ago I read a Face book post by Leigh-Anne Allaire Perrault...she wondered if anyone had ditched their microwave.  I read the comments...and THAT was what got me thinking! Do we need ours?

I had stopped making microwave popcorn a few years ago(the main reason we had a microwave, that and the fact it came with the house)...but recently...it was just used for storage. 

Another reason to take it down...was that it was eye level with me!! It sat above the stove. Now we are tall people and the fact I kept having to lower my head to see the back elements or see the temp of the stove top or the oven, annoyed me terribly! Mixing my risotto, I would stare deeply into the black microwave and see my beautiful reflection. With the bad lighting...it would highlight my bags and thoughts of a face lift ensued. 

After serious consideration...mostly me telling the Family that we don't need the microwave, it came down! And then we went a step further and took down the cupboards! When I posted that the cupboards were coming down too, the gasps and "why would you? Are you crazy?" (Maybe...)


Having recently gone through a complete tidy and downsizing of kitchen items...I had free space in the cupboards! Why do we need 20 Ziploc containers, half of which have no lids, where did those lids go? It was time to clean up!

After taking the microwave and cupboards down...we found the space opened up! We loved it! But I wanted shelves! Unique shelves! I found corbels! Made shelves and am completely thrilled and happy with our quaint kitchen!!

Have we had any regrets? Nope!
After all...a face lift would cost more than what we did!

The cherry on top of "our" decision, was reading Laurie Colwin and her desire to never having a microwave! If she could do it, so could we!

Do I have a yearning to smash down a wall...YUP!! Total demolition would be a BLAST!

*Don't get me wrong, this was our decision and I know people who can't live without them. For example, my Grandmother and my Mother! And that's fine! To each their own....

I'm back...!

You know how it happens, you get busy...life happens. You think of writing something and something else more important grabs you...like your 3 kids! Then there is the phase of "I don't want to write...just leave me alone..no one cares...why do I bother?"  Then there are times, usually around the wee hours of the morning, you wake cause you need to pee, and once you settle back under your blankets, you start to think of ideas...a post! You tell yourself, "I will remember this in the morning...!" But you don't! You have a vague memory...about life, the sound of the crickets outside your window, but you just can't put all the ideas together! So you don't! You get up and proceed to make coffee and feed the cat, that has been serenading you since 5AM!

But now, it's the middle of Summer...months have flown by and currently finding that ALONE time is non existent...with 3 kids home...all day...every day! Even having a shower guarantees NO alone time.  They still come in the bathroom with questions or complaints about their siblings...!

Even with stating all the above, I do find more time to read(outside, early in the morning)...I love reading!! I have recently gone over all my books and downsized! There are some treasures that I will always cherish and others I have donated to a Woman's Shelter. Awhile ago, I was watching Nigella Lawson, now I can't recall the episode...but beside her was a book...I paused the show and read the title, making a note of it in my phone, I added it to my reading list through a bookstore app. See, I have lists, things that interest me, things I NEED to have.  The list builds up until my Birthday or Christmas.  That is when I get gift cards.  I then send my wish list to the shopping bag...

One of those books, that Nigella had...was Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking. Colwin's writing had me from the beginning.  I was hooked, laughing through various excerpts! Especially the bit about her never having a microwave.....!!

We recently took down cupboards and I decided I didn't want or need the microwave. The idea for not needing it, was planted in my head by Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault, who on Face book, mentioned that she was redoing the kitchen and was eliminating the microwave. That got  me thinking, do we ever use ours? Ours was mostly used for storage. When I read Colwin's mention of the microwave...I knew I was on the right track!

With the need to know more about Colwin, I thought I found her on Twitter...it was then I realized that she had died! She died in 1992, suddenly at the age of 48. I was devastated! She was dead!! No more juicy, descriptive words would flow from her pen, or keyboard.....what was written, was written, that was it! Knowing this, I have taken my time with her book. I just finished Home Cooking, and quietly ordered the follow up, More Home Cooking!

I would like to get back to Twitter for a moment...various people have asked me, "why Twitter? What is it with Twitter, what's the fascination...?" To me...I love Twitter. There is a connection with other people, all over the world. I can reach various people, whom I would normally not have reached! I have received personal msgs from "famous" people. And today...after finishing Colwin's book and tweeting about it, I had a brief chat with "R"...who I'm assuming is Colwin's daughter, Rosa! She mentioned that Colwin loved hanging around on a deck, which I was doing while reading and waiting for my Banana Butterscotch Muffins to finish baking! "R" also mentioned the "fish head soup"! Through the magic of Twitter...the gaps closed in, and I was connected to Colwin...only for a brief moment. That is the power of Twitter...connecting people in a way that Face book cannot.

All the above is the reason that there is a spark in my creativity...it has been ignited!! And I will try to be on here more often.....

Domino effects of my life! It all started because of Lucy Maud Montgomery!!

Yesterday...being November 30th was Lucy Maud Montgomery's Birthday! She would have been 141 years old. I started thinking about her and the impact she had on my life. Her books brought to life my desire to see Prince Edward Island. If it weren't for her, I don't think that I would have travelled and lived for a period of time on the fairest island of all...

It is a domino effect...all the choices and chances I took, led me to where I am today. And the instigator was Lucy Maud Montgomery. Have you ever taken a step back and looked at your life? Wondered how you got to where you are? I did that yesterday and this is what I got....

It all started with Anne of Green Gables! Especially when Kevin Sullivan and the CBC created the TV Movie of AGG!! I was captive. I wanted to BE THERE!! I was seduced by the landscape and of finding my Gilbert. Weren't we all? Family trips were planned during the Summer and it was there, on that ferry ride to the island, that I knew I was meant to live on PEI. Of course I was younger and still in high school...but my love and desire grew. After a rocky start at choosing a college/university, I decided and was accepted at the University of Prince Edward Island!! I spent a few years growing and becoming a better version of me. I found myself!

Unfortunately...after graduation I went home...and quickly found a job, had to repay THAT student loan!! That job led me to finding and reconnecting with an old friend...who is now my Husband! So because of LMM...I am now an educated, married woman with 3 kids and is trying to pursue her creative side(daily)! I have also introduced Hubby and the kids to PEI!! And we all want to live there!! One day we will...baby steps!

But I am, where I am today, because of Lucy Maud Montgomery and her creation of Anne of Green Gables! After several rejections on her novel and tossing it away in a hat box...she rediscovered it and tried one more time at publication...and that was it!! Can you imagine if she didn't try again...!! Where would I be!?  What about the others who have been influenced by her....where would we all be?

Comforts Foods....

COMFORT FOOD! We all have own comfort food. Something that brings pleasure and reassurance on bad days, cold days, dark days or even a day where you just need to smile with your tummy! I have a few comfort foods...but the simplest for me is MASHED POTATOES! Although for me, they have to be done properly.... with butter, a little milk and sea salt!!

It is soo satisfying...smashing them carefully, getting out all your frustrations and stresses of the day! I have had times where all I want for dinner is a bowl of mashed potatoes. Eating with a big spoon, curled up on the couch! Comfort! Heavenly!

Its reassuring somehow. Maybe its from my childhood...mashed potatoes were a common side dish. Even with my paternal grandparents...although they were old school and it was a PLAIN mash. Sigh.
Some days I will dress up my potatoes with a glove of garlic and other times I will top them with spring onions or chives...!! YUM!

Today I had about half a cup of leftover mashed potatoes from last nights dinner! AND I must say...I am proud that there were any leftovers...potatoes are my weakness!! The old me would have just shoveled them in my mouth with delight! But Christmas is coming...gotta start cutting back! Its all about balance!

I also had a small portion of pork tenderloin leftover. I warmed them up slowly and started to think greek(ish)!! I quickly chopped cucumber, and did a rough chop of feta and olives. So in my bowl my creation of yummy flavours formed....potatoes, sliced pork and chunks of cucumber, olives and feta! It was heaven in a bowl!! Why had I never thought of this before....!? 

So...question of the day! What are your comfort foods....

Tooth Fairy business sucks.....!!

We have three kids...that's a lot of teeth to lose!
End result...I would have been fired years ago!
Then again, it's not all my fault...I have kids who have short term memory. They don't always remember to put the tooth under their pillow! And the way things are going...I don't remember to remind them to do it!! Sometimes I remember...but I don't have the toonie(that's two dollars, Canadian)...so I don't remind them! Sometimes too, they lose the tooth at school and we just all forget about it!  I can do soo many things...I can bake/cook...refurbish...write...garden...fix the odd thing in the house, BUT to remember to be the Tooth Fairy!? Nah!!

Just recently my 10yo lost his molar...at school!! He left it at school for about a week! Of course the Tooth Fairy wasn't going to come...she needs the tooth under the pillow! Eventually he brought it home and left it in the hall...for a few days! Now Hubby has a phobia of teeth! He eventually saw the tooth and not sure what it was, picked it up...and proceeded to freak out!! I heard him while I was upstairs! It's great to have a relationship with him...so many laughs!

Eventually.... the tooth made it under the pillow!!

AND because I felt soo bad for the kid...the Fairy left five dollars! Well...OK, there is more to the story!! I forgot that he placed the tooth under his pillow!! It wasn't till morning that I heard the heavy footsteps...and him muttering "she isn't real...she's fake. My tooth is gone and there is no toonie! It's crap!" Right away I questioned him like a good Mother does, "did you look everywhere? Under your bed? Did you even make your bed this morning? Just go have your shower for now, I'll look later! She wouldn't do that to you!"

Once I heard him in the shower, I grabbed the only money I had...a five dollar bill...and went quickly downstairs and made his bed and left the money on the comforter. Later I told him what I found! He was excited! I just looked at him and said "see...you have to really look for something, just don't glance at things and assume..!"

Being a Fairy is hard work!! You have to remember the TOOTH!! You have to have the CASH! Who carries cash anymore?? Everything is debit/credit! You have to slide your arm under the pillow carefully! You have to remember where the squeaky floor boards are! If the bedroom door creaks! And make sure there are no toys on the floor! Some kids are excited and sleep lightly, in hopes of seeing the Tooth Fairy! Once...forgetting my Daughter's tooth, I sat up at 6:30AM knowing that I forgot! Grabbing the toonie, I walked past her bedroom door and threw the coin on the floor!! When my Daughter woke up and saw the coin, she said, "Wow the Fairy must have been tired! She left the tooth and the coin is on the floor!"

Yeah....she was!!