Time to harvest.......

This time of the year, many vegetables and fruit are in full bloom...in farmers fields and in our own back yards! For us, we planted just 8 tomato plants. Last year, someone was waiting for our crops. I still believe it's a certain, plump squirrel! He struts across the fence and periodically looks at me! I know it's him!! So this year, I toned it down......and planted some herbs and tomatoes. I was waiting to see if the squirrel would eat my crops! He did not!! Thankfully!!

During the growing season, I got green with envy when I saw posted pictures of tomatoes in full bloom from friends! Mine were still green...and flowering! BUT now...they are all turning beautiful shades of red...and when you pick one, they are warm from the sun! The red smells like tomato!! This is the time to reap your harvest and smell what true vegetables and fruit should smell like!! Grocery shopping in January is a dull experience...there is no life in produce..it is watery in taste and look.

This past week, with no recipe...cause that's the way I roll...I was experimenting with tomatoes. I made a soup! I roasted the beauties and pureed them(since some of my kids don't like lumps) and drizzled pesto(slightly thinned out) on top!! It was the best soup I've ever tasted!!

Today....I attempted to make a tomato sauce...and I swear...while it was roasting in the oven, I thought my kitchen was a pizzeria! I wish I could have bottled up that heavenly aroma!! I just wanted to dunk a piece of crusty bread into the mixture...!!!

I also made pesto for the sauce and got so carried away with it, that I didn't realize the splatter on my shirt...and since I love basil(with a passion...it's my herb of choice), I sucked my shirt to get it off!!
**Being a busy Mom, I don't always have time to change, especially when I have to go out!!

But when it was all finished and jarred...I just starred at my creation. This is fresh, from the garden...tomato sauce! Not bottled, not filled with (some) preservatives...it's fresh! You cannot get any better than that!!

I believe that we have to teach our kids where food comes from! How to grow it! How to prepare it! To not eat pre-packaged food continuously! I know I am first to admit that we cheat from time to time. But on the whole, I try to make fresh food....I like to know what is going into my food(and my Family for that matter)...I don't need or want a dictionary to find out what a certain ingredient is! Food is fuel for your body....! When the season is right...eat local!! Know where your food comes from! If we start to demand more knowledge on our food....can you imagine the outcome...a healthier society!!
Can you imagine!!!??

OK...enough of this rant, you get the idea!! So...what are you eating tonight??

SINGLE? Looking for a little romance, a little banter?? Have nice feet?? Read on....!!

I know...I know...so behind in the writings on our trip to PEI!! Soon...I promise!! Like tomorrow....cause the brats go back to school and I'll be cheering them on as I shove them into the doors of the school!!! These last weeks of August have been a blur...and now it's September!! But feeling more like the hot, hazy, lazy days of July!!

Couple of things I thought of, for my single friends in search of love, romance, or just that spark of something more....go shopping!! Hubby is away in West Virginia...leaving me with the 3 kids!! So basically I have to take them everywhere I go!  TIP ONE...go to RONA, or a home building supply centre...there you will find guys(hopefully who know how to build). I felt a presence, during the check out...and turned around to see a guy, who was pleasant looking, salt and pepper gruff on his face, very manly...starring at me, smiling and nodding!! I gave a little smile and continued on my way!! LADIES...go to these places!!
PS. You can borrow my kids!

Another store, which at this time, my Mom had the kids, so I was alone....trying to figure out what coffee filters to buy! I just bought a new coffee maker...and didn't realize that the filters had to be cone, not basket! So.....cause I was frantic in my thoughts "NO COFFEE....WHAT!?" .....I didn't read the instructions, telling me the size of the cone...cause I thought all cones were the same!! I was standing in the aisle of the grocery store...picking up packs of filters...confused and wondering if I should just buy them all? An employee came over...and started chatting with me!! Trying to help me...laughing...we decided on the ones to buy! I stated "I need coffee...it gets me through the day!" He replied "I can't drink coffee, it keeps me up all night!" and smiled at me!! I laughed...kinda nervously and backed away and thanked him for his help!  LADIES....go to the grocery stores and stand at a section, looking quizzical!

TIP THREE....if grocery stores and home building centres don't work...go on TWITTER!! I had a message recently...that I had HOT FEET!! FEET!! If you Ladies have gorgeous feet...show them!!! EXPOSE THEM! You never know!! There is a whole group of people who LOVE FEET!! Who knew!!! LOL!! I can see sales of pedicures on the rise!! Maybe I could be a FOOT MODEL and put our kids through University....I know, I'm getting carried away.....!! But isn't that wild!!!

AND I was depressed about turning 40!?!! Not anymore.....!!

Figures...days away from HOLIDAYS in PEI and NO HOT WATER!

What are the chances...two days away from holidays, going to PEI, and the HOT WATER DISAPPEARS!
This past week has been very hot and humid and showers have been coolish...so I didn't really notice! Then the 10yo had a shower and sang in acapella....

Hubby who works outside...12 hours a day...wanted me, ME to try to fix it!!! I hate anything with flames and gas....I am terrified that I will blow up the house!! I have never put air in the car tires...scared they will pop in my face!! Yes, I know...slight issues!! I read the instructions on the water tank..and tried...covering my face...pushing the ignitor..click...click...click!! NOTHING! Before doing that though, I had to move my Brother's dip station and weights, a leaf blower and a vacuum!! Now my back is tweaked...!!

YAH HOO...did I mention we leave soon for holidays?!

I called Direct Energy....and the Service Guy was great! He was funny, happy and had a great voice...if this was a dating call in centre and I was single...I would seriously consider him! He works 13hrs and has little time for TV, found this out cause he said a tech would come the next day between the hours of 1-5, you know the Seinfeld episode...Kramer, waiting for the tech guy!! And he never came.....!!

We had a great conversation! He said people from Barrie are always friendly! I replied "a little norther, a little nicer!" I suggested too that I could hose the kids down out back for their showers! With this humidity they would like it!  He was also surprised that I wasn't "bitchy" about the wait time...hey, I look at it like this, we have clean water, we want for nothing but a little hot water, yes its an inconvenience, but all I have to do is boil water...pretend its the pioneer days!! Gotta keep looking on the bright side of things......

PS. If you wash your hair in COLD WATER, like I did...it doesn't go FUZZY like a BRILLO PAD, and in this weather....it's a blessing!! See...looking at the bright side!!!

A few more days, and we are in PEI!! A BIGGER bright side!!

So...placing bets on when the Service man comes...I'm thinking a few minutes before 5! How about you...??

BIRTHDAY WEEKEND in PEI! Attending Estate Auction of LMM's Grandfather's Home!

This past weekend was the BIRTHDAY WEEKEND...the BIG 4-0...and for me, what a way to knock out the thirties and welcome the forties(kinda...still not comfortable with seeing that number) by going to Prince Edward Island! It was a whirlwind weekend...with three objectives...go to an Auction in Park Corner(LMM's Grandfather's home), visit with an University pal and of course eat some yummy food! It was all SUCCESSFUL!!

I've never been to an auction before and I didn't know what to expect!! My card number was 39!! I knew right away that it was my lucky day!! It was meant to be!! We saw people camped out, sitting in chairs with no bidding numbers! They were there for the day! Who does that?? We also met some fun guys! We also realized that you don't raise a hand or itch your face!! Cause you will accidentally bid on something that YOU do not want! Arms are meant to be by your side! Which is hard to do when a certain bug kept flying into my cheek. I wanted to desperately swat it away! We spent 6 hours there!!! Our legs and backs were sore!! We also realized that we should have bidded on chairs/stools...at least we would have had something to sit on! It was also exciting to watch two Ladies...in a bidding war, for the set of the Rosebud Tea(any LMM fan would know about these dishes!)!!


In the end I won 3 bids! A cute set of mini dogs, replicas of the famous..."Gog" and "Magog", which now sit with the LMM BOOKS that I have acquired throughout the years! I also won a sugar tin! And the last item that I won, makes me happy and it will be framed...a sermon, written in 1912 and I knew that my 10yo Son would love it! He knows it is not meant to be read/touched.....and it will be admired!! I won "A Tragedy of Speed", a Sermon on the Wreck of the Titanic, by Reverend William D. Moss. Dated April 21, 1912. My Son was and is ecstatic that I found something THAT old and on the Titanic, at the auction!

In the end...I kept starring at the windows, watching and looking at the lace curtains...was LMM watching and shaking her head disapprovingly? It was quite sad...seeing all the items being auctioned off. An end of an era. I just hope that those who won the items, will cherish them.... as I will cherish mine!

End of my 30's is days away......how will I mark it??

As you know already...I am closing a chapter on my life, my 30's are coming to an end! I am sooo not ready for the new decade! I have already received BIRTHDAY cards with 40 written on it. I stare at that number, 40...that's not for me, its for my mom!! She WAS just 40! I hosted two parties for her!! I can recall it as if it were yesterday!! 40 is not me!! It's my Mom!! Not me!!

The 30's were awesome!! I became a MOM!! 3 times!! Then married.....just once!! So far it's going along quite well!! Bought a house! And became nicely settled in a new town! Found my creative juices and am feeding them daily! Life is good!! And now...as the final days approach, how should I end this decade!? I don't really want a HUGE party! Signs on the lawn! Or notices in the newspapers! Instead...by pressure of close friends and Hubby....I am going for it, to live with no regrets!


I am flying to my beloved island(home away from home), Prince Edward Island! For the weekend!! To attend an estate auction at Lucy Maud Montgomery's (Paternal)Grandfather's home. The home was turned into a Museum and has recently been sold! Items within the homestead are being auctioned off! And I am going! I might not win anything, but it will be momentous for me to attend! To be part of it! I'm also considering looking at a house for sale! You never know where life will lead you! I'll be spending time with a University chum! I will sink my toes into the sand and feel the ocean breeze on my face! Eat some yummy food! Drink some wine and just to be thankful for where I am! I am closing the 30's in a special way! I am living my dreams! Taking that chance....cause you never know! Live with no regrets.....! Don't be afraid! Take a chance.....

I just hope it doesn't rain...!!

BIRTHDAY at the TORONTO BLUE JAYS GAME!!

This past weekend was my Daughter's 8th Birthday!! We decided to head to TORONTO and take in a BLUE JAY GAME! Their FIRST game!! Kids were excited! We were excited! We got tickets in the 100 level! I wanted to be close enough for the kids to see it all!! Didn't realize that the kids would be melting during the hottest weekend of the year!! Roof was open!! I was glad that we had sunblock and they all had baseball hats!! I swear, as Hubby put it, "we were wearing smog screen"...a combination of smog and sun screen! We made the decision to leave at the 6th inning, and head to a local AIR CONDITIONED restaurant for LIBATIONS and some food! BUT the kids LOVED IT!! Didn't care for the cost of the BEER! Or for the cost of the slice of PIZZA! But then I'm sure the man in front of us didn't care for the splash of cold water on his back!! Kids will be kids!! BUT we loved all the action that the city had to offer!!

I gotta say....there are some great people out there!! It was the weekend of paying it forward! We know this gentleman will probably never read this blog, but we are sending a HUGE THANK YOU to him!! We took the GO Train into the city...just to avoid the hassle of traffic and PAN AM GAMES!! While waiting to get tickets...a man approached Hubby and started to talk about these tickets to the PAN AM GAMES...in my mind I'm thinking, "I don't think so Buddy, keep moving!!" Turns out, he wanted to give us the tickets to save on the price of the train ride! He has raised a young family and knows how hard it is do these special occasions. The expense of it all!! We never saw him again! BUT we will definitely pay it forward!!

On the Sunday, while at our favourite coffee spot...OK, Tim Horton's...again, it was pay it forward!! SO Hubby paid for the coffee behind him!! It's amazing...in today's society how cruel one human can be to another. And then, a random act of kindness, restores your faith in humanity. There are good people out there, and there are more and more everyday, doing acts of goodness! Can you imagine if we all did one kind act a day....what an impact it would have, here on earth!

PS. To the person who mailed me a movie, Philomena....you made me question myself and my sanity! Did I order this movie and forget about it!? But I didn't!! I'm pretty sure I didn't!! LOL!
So THANK YOU very much! Paying it forward will live on.....

Did it like a BOSS! Well...for my first attempt at building a DECK!

I truly enjoyed the movie "The Other Woman" and thought the star of the film was Leslie Mann!! She is my new woman crush!! I have a few....Nigella Lawson(for food), Gail Vaz-Oxlade(money smarts), Julia Roberts(cause deep down I want to be like her..) and now Leslie Mann(for her humour). During the scene where Cameron Diaz says "Martha Stewart handled prison like a BOSS", came to mind as I measured, nailed and used the reciprocating saw(just looked up that word on Google, went by the pictures...had no idea what it's name was)....to make a mini deck for our new shed!

This year...the back yard was fixed up...new fence, shed, storage bench, donated a wooden playhouse(that was a chore in itself...but saw a cute dude strip on the street to help in the process of moving the house) and try to make an area for the BBQ(I call it the BBQ STATION!)....and it's only the beginning of July!

The Doghouse..err SHED!
Complete with a mini-deck!

Once the shed was completed, we had extra room from where the old shed sat. So I thought, "lets build a mini deck there..!" And we did! I could see what I wanted in my mind...and I tried to explain it all to Hubby! Finally it all came together!! I felt proud!! I am WOMAN...I can build a deck!! I might not know the terms of the tools...but I know what I wanted to use, the thingy...you know what I mean!!?

Using the saw, I had my Daughter sit on the wood, for weight!! She told me that her bum got a massage! We spent time together...building a deck!! I am showing my Daughter and my Sons for that matter....that anyone can do anything! Regardless of gender or race! If you think it...you can do it...or at least try to do it!! I know I messed up along the way in the building the deck, but those experiences better us!! We try, we learn, we mess up and try again...!! It's the fun part of life!! When I completed the deck...I turned to my Daughter and with much enthusiasm said, "Momma built the deck like a BOSS!!"

Now to build an outdoor kitchen island for my, errr... OUR..... BBQ Station!!