Time for STRAWBERRIES!! Barrie Hill Farms & Spud's Finest in Ontario!

We made these plans a few weeks ago....actually, my 5yo who has an addiction to STRAWBERRIES, has been bugging me for a good month now!! "When can we pick strawberries?" A daily question! My answer was the same everytime..."when school is finished!" Finally school is finished...and the strawberries are ready at our local farm...Barrie Hill Farms! Actually...when they opened for the Season, their market to be exact...we started going every Saturday and buying local vegetables/fruit and the odd baked good or two...and some local, kettled made chips!! YUM!! I know, we need to be eating healthy...but if you want to support your local vendors/farmers...you have to try Spud's Finest Kettle Chips!! It has become our weekly treat!

This past Saturday, with my BFF from Public School and the whole Family...we went to the farm!! The rain held off and we filled 4 baskets of beautiful, ruby red berries. The field was thick with the seduction of strawberry...what Summer is all about(at least to me). Kids had a blast!! Clothes, fingers, toes, legs and lips were stained red! Kids also enjoyed a wagon ride to the field and back again! We saw other crops growing...getting ready for us to pick! It is a must....parents need to take their children to the farm...to see where their food comes from! To have an appreciation for it! Too much food now a days is processed..full of crap! We need to get back to basics!! I strongly believe this! We need to support our local farmers!!

With our 4 baskets of plump, juicy berries and other local vegetables and treats...we went home for a feast! I have made jam! Which by the way.....while making the jam...the kitchen was heavy with the thick, sweet aroma of strawberry...it was fabulous! Strawberry shortcakes were devoured! Pancakes with strawberry maple syrup were inhaled! And I have perfected my Strawberry Smoothie!! Plus....a slightly different version for the adults....with a little RUM!

I keep thinking of a quote from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice....and I think of this as we consume these Berries...."If you prick us do we not bleed"....strawberry?

Fathers Day Tradition.....a little bonus for Mommy!!

This past Father's Day we did what we have been doing for the past 4 or 5 yrs...one can't keep track...we just started doing it and it has become a ritual! We escape the expected from Fathers and Family and focus on our wee family! We travel north to a friend's cottage, which we have adopted, and hide out in the tranquillity of Six Mile Lake! Us...the Fish, the Loons and NOW the Chipmunks and two Geese that call the dock their home! AND the mosquitoes...how can we forget them!! BLOOD SUCKERS!

Like some Family members...but that's another blog!


Father's Day is around Hubby's Birthday!! So he gets the WHOLE weekend!! And all he wants to do is FISH! To be with nature!! I'm all for that!! See....when we go to the cottage, the kids want to fish with Daddy...and all four of them will be on the dock...fishing....and I will be on the deck, umbrella up, wine glass filled, book in hand and enjoying the peace!! No one wants to sit and read with Mommy....they want to fish and tickle their toes in the water!! And they did!! No pics of the fish(sorry)...but Katie, in her purple party dress(her choice) caught the biggest fish!! A 3 pound Bass! The boys all caught mini sunfish, bass and one catfish!! We do the catch and release here in Watton Land!!

Hubby had a blast!! Fishing and spending time with his kids!! To him it was perfect!!

To me...... it was perfect!! I had alone time!! He had his kids!!
Perfect Father's Day Weekend....right!!?

SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER.....

As of 5:30 this morning...day one of SUMMER HOLIDAYS...I have done one load of laundry, consumed 3 mugs of coffee and fed dear Princess, who if I didn't, would have woken everyone up! Her MEOWS are desperate when she hasn't been fed!!
Not sure who is worse...the nagging 5yo, or the HUNGRY cat who sits by my pillow, waiting....!?

I am sitting by the computer thinking that I will make the most out of this Summer...get into a writing routine...most of it done early in the AM, before the kids wake!! So far...this is all I have done for writing!! But at least the kids have clean undies!! Right!?! And I have been fuelled with COFFEE!!

Yesterday....I counted the HOURS of SILENCE! I know, I should have been writing and doing all the little things that I can't do, once the kids are home, BUT I did nothing!! I did vacuum...the last good VACUUM of the Season...till the kids go back to school! But other than that...I did nothing! I sat in the house with nothing on...and listened to the silence and pureness that the house has to offer!!
I thought, "Sherry...listen to this, remember this...soon it will be over...kids everywhere...noise, mess, fights....just listen and remember!"

Did anyone else do this? LOL!

I feel as if this will be a BIG SUMMER....Birthdays(some milestones), changes, meeting Family that I haven't seen since I was 6, playing more with the kids....and just trying to appreciate the SEASON!! Cause soon the kids will be grown and doing their own thing!! And will only NEED me for a DRIVE or for the CASH!

What are your plans this Summer??

First day of school and LAST day of school!
Some......OK, just the girl, is sad that school is over!

10th BIRTHDAY in the BIG CITY of TORONTO!

AS you know, my Son turned 10 last week. To celebrate....we(Grandma and myself) took him out to LIVE the HIGH LIFE in TORONTO!! All he knew was that he was going away and was eating dinner at The Harbour Sixty! He was excited knowing that he was dining where Hockey Players, musicians and just some plain old, famous people dined at!! I gotta say...the food was delish...the chairs so comfy and bouncy and the wine bottles aligning the walls...HEAVEN!!

We rode the Subway...and then travelled under ground to the hotel....The Fairmount Royal York!! He was amazed and thrilled!! I believe...in my other life... I was rich and had everything at my finger tips! I was meant for finer things! I realized this as I flopped down on the bed for night....down comforter and feather pillows! I just wanted a nap....after having kids for 10yrs....I needed a nap! But there was no time for that...we were on a tight schedule! Next was the play!!!

He wanted to include the pic of his Dinner!

Josh has had a love for the Titanic since it celebrated 100yrs! He has watched National Geographic specials, read books and watched movies and documentaries. He knows it all!! He wants to go to Ireland one day and see the BIRTHPLACE!! I promised him that we would....when the time is right, more like when the accounts are right!! So...the next best thing was the Musical! He was excited! We all were! It was wonderfully done...my eyes were wet!! Especially at the end.....!! A must see while in Toronto!!

His Beignets!

Then....dinner at Harbour Sixty!! Josh had the Salmon and loved every minute!! His dessert was Beignets!! He has always wanted to try them since watching the movie "Chef'.....his weekend was complete!! By the end of the night, he was walking ahead of us on the streets of Toronto...hands in his pockets...walking and watching the city life at night! He owned the it!! I am so proud of my 10yo!! He is becoming a great man!! He has so much to look forward too...so much he can be...so much love to give and so much love he receives!





By the end of the weekend...he said "this was the best present ever!"
I was glad to share it all with him.....

My Son's 10th Birthday made me realize.....

Pardon me for being RUDE...but I've had a FUCKING FANTASTIC LIFE...and I'm only reaching 40(next month)! Today is my FIRST Baby's, Birthday.....Josh is turning 10!! He is now into the double digits!! And where did the time go?? I can recall turning 10 myself....standing in my Mom's bedroom doorway...curtains were pulled to block the July Sun that afternoon.....I recall standing there...thinking, "I am 10..I am OLD, I am no longer in the single digits...I am double digits for the rest of my life...that's it!"

((See...if I was thinking that back then, no wonder I am having issues turning 40 this year!))

Homemade WAFFLES and Blueberries!

But for my Son...who is turning 10...didn't I just bring him home yesterday!? I can remember everything!! Playing poker...while waiting for something to happen!! Not feeling the contractions till they broke my water...and that was it......here's BABY!! I vividly recall the hemorrhoids!! How he was the ONLY baby sleeping in the ward(was something wrong with him)!! And I thought, as we brought him home and sat him in his chair ..."this is it..you are here...here we go!" And we did go!! It's been amazing!!

He is such a smart, young man!! He definitely has an old soul! He loves to cook! He loves History! He is kind and considerate! He even lectures friends and younger kids on the IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY EATING!! I almost get embarrassed when he is passionately telling people, "white bread is bad for you....and hot dogs aren't healthy....that cereal is sugary...and why would you eat at McDonald's!?"
Gotta thank JAMIE OLIVER for that!! And he is right....!!

I think Hubby and I are doing OK!!

Going over photos from the past 10yrs.........I realized I've had a fucking fantastic life!! And it's only the first half......