Friday, August 12, 2011

I love Classical Music

When you work in an environment that can make you crazy, if you let it. I recommend a dose of classical music. Classical Music is not all Mozart, Bach and Bethoven you know. I am not into the heavy "Chamber Music"or the extended operatic arias but there are some selections I would highly suggest.
The 1812 Overture is excellent for dealing with cranky customers. There are some people you just can not make happy. I little cannon fire in the background makes it easier for me to listen to their whining.

Ravel's Bolero...Makes filing a damn site more fun..

For book keeping I like some Debussy. It is restful and helps me to concentrate.
I listen to CBC Radio 2 while I am at work. Give yourself a chance and switch your dial to FM you may be pleasantly surprised.
I leave you with this video clip; this gives me goose bumps. British Airways liked the music so much they used it in an ad at one time.
Now, wasn't that beautiful?

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Greetings

Back again, after a hiatus. Working full time again and that took some getting used to. My grandson is beautiful and is a joy to us all. All fifteen pounds of him the little porker..lol

Logan and his Aunti Julia
I have hardly knit anything lately, Rather I should say I haven't finished anything. Started a couple of things but finished little. Lost track of all the blogs I used to read faithfully, out of touch with my Ravelry groups. Why? I have no idea. Not as if I have been writing so I can't use that as an excuse.

It seems as if my get up and go packed it's bags and has left me lethargic. It may have taken a while for summer to get here but it is here with a venegance now. The grass is dried out and there are more flies in the house than the Amityville horror. Nasty beasties...shudder You know the blue bottle ones that dive bomb you. Hate them.

Have spent way too much time on Pinterest. It is a virtual scapbook. You download this little "pin it" thing and when you come across a picture of something you like on the web, you "pin it" to your album. A way to waste time BIG TIME!!

Got a new phone, all high tech savy but unless I am in a free WIFI I hesitate to use the data as I fear using too much. Guess  I am not as high tech as I thought.

 O.K. I guess that is it for now

Friday, May 20, 2011

Mom's Birthday

Today would have been my mother's 86th birthday. Somedays I feel old, really old. The time is flying by, which is evidenced by this blog.
My grandson is home from the hospital and is thriving, my grand daughters are growing into teenagers, there is a new baby expected this fall and my retirement will be here before I am ready.

My baby and his baby

I sound like an old lady moaning about "Where did the time go." Sorry. This train of thought started when I got a little cotton sweater out of the drawer the other day. For a "store bought" sweater it is really cute and I was thinking about when I bought it.
I started counting back and remembered a picture taken in Amsterdam when I was getting on a canal boat. The sweater was bought for that trip. Then it hit me . That was 19 yrs ago. Nineteen years. Gone zap out of my life.
Another 19 yrs gone that fast and I will be almost as old as my mother the last time I saw her.
I am sure I have more than 19 yrs worth of knitting in my yarn stash. Crickey.
Mom always said, "If your not getting older your dead." So I should just shut up...lolol

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

First Day of Spring Surprise

This is my new grandson, Logan Gabriel, 2 months preemie, 3 pounds 12 ounces. Now I know it has been said that all preemies look pretty much the same. But, this baby is the best looking preemie I have ever seen!..lol
 In less than 4 hours his mother was admitted to one hospital, shipped by ambulance with 3 EMS, an OB DR and OB nurse to another hospital with a specialized NICU, and delivered by c section. Throughout it all she maintained a peaceful attitude while my poor son was beside himself with worry.
They can't even hold their baby yet which breaks my heart.
My baby and his baby.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Yesterday morning we woke up to this......
The poor wee birds are hiding in the shrubbery....
and I am supposed to believe....
Spring is around the corner.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

I got a new toy

Who would ever have guessed that I would turn all "techie" in my senior years?..lol
This was such a good buy ($29.95) that I had to have it. So far I have used it to play facebook games. It has tons of uses. I just have to learn the software.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Some things are inherently Canadian..

Skating on the Rideau Canal in our nation's capital, Ottawa.
Buying a beaver tail at one of the shacks. A toque and wellies in the same picture how perfect.
Yes, those are the Mounties in their dress "Reds."
( Just for the tourists you know, they kind of expect it)
Not this kind of beaver tail
This one all crunchy and sugary!

In honour of Fat Tuesday, I am sharing the recipe for this quintessential Canadian treat. Enjoy, we have 40 days of Lent ahead of us.
Recipe for Beaver Tails:
Ingredients:
½ cup warm water
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 pinch of white sugar
1 cup of warm milk
1/3 cup of white sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
5 cups whole wheat flour
1 quart of oil for frying
2 cups white sugar
touch of cinnamon
Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together the yeast, warm water and the pinch of sugar. Let stand until it is a slightly foamy (approximately 5 minutes). Then add the other 1/3 cup of sugar, milk, vanilla, eggs, oil and salt. Stir it all until it is smooth. Mix in about half of the flour and continue stirring it. Gradually add more flour.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface when it is firm enough. Knead for approximately 6-8 minutes. Add more flour if you need it to form a firm elastic dough. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover.
Let dough sit covered until it rises and doubles (approximately 35-45 minutes). Lightly deflate the dough and pinch off a piece the size of a golf ball. On a floured surface use a rolling pin to roll out the small ball of dough into an oval shape. Put it aside and cover it with a tea towel while you continue to do the same with the remaining dough.
Heat approximately 4 inches of oil in either a deep-fryer (375 degrees) or a wok or a Dutch oven. Before placing the flattened dough into the oil, stretch them into ovals and thin them and enlarge them (to resemble the tail). Place the tails in the oil one (or two) at a time. Fry in the oil, turn them once until the tails are a deep brown. This process usually takes about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Carefully remove the tail from the oil and let it drain on a paper towel. Place left over sugar in a large bowl and add the cinnamon. Toss the beaver tail into the bowl while it is still hot. Shake off any extra sugar and cinnamon mixture.
You can also add another topping of your choice (i.e. chocolate sauce, jam, cheese).
Enjoy!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

February Blahs

I came home today with a headache. Thought a cup of tea would be the ticket. Filled the kettle and went to change into a pair of comfortable jeans and out of those damn panty hose. Wondered why the kettle hadn't boiled. Back into the kitchen to find the kettle still sitting in the sink. Sigh....
Went and got a couple of Advil while the tea was brewing. Drank the tea forgot to take the Advil.
It's not Alzheimer's really...really

I am knitting a baby sweater, as a favour, out of (shudder) acrylic, the tale of which really belongs on the other blog. It has not been a joy. Everything that could/has gone wrong. We are not experiencing joy in
"Knit Ville." Not when I have 4 oz of silk and 5000 beads calling to me. But that, as I said, is another story.

It snowed AGAIN. My car looked like a marshmallow AGAIN. We are not amused. My renewal notice came from the car insurance today. In honour of my 43 years driving (with one little fended bender in 09) they are delighted to inform me my monthly insurance rate has been decreased by...wait for it....Three dollars.
That wouldn't buy me a packet of stitch markers for the love of.......

I bought a lottery ticket. I am sure it is rigged. I didn't win. Totally will have to re think my retirement plans.

Monday, February 07, 2011

I have a very long memory...

 ...I distinctly remember when she did this!
Never Forgive A Traitor
For those of you too young to remember, Hanoi Jane AKA,
(Jane Fonda), is a bad person and did some terrible things
during the Vietnam war.  Things that cannot be forgiven!!!!

And now OBAMA wants to honor her...!

In Memory of LT. C. Thomsen Wieland who spent 100 days at
the Hanoi Hilton.

IF YOU NEVER FORWARDED ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE FORWARD
THIS SO THAT EVERYONE WILL KNOW!

She really is a traitor.

A TRAITOR IS ABOUT TO BE HONORED KEEP THIS MOVING
ACROSS AMERICA

This is for all the kids born in the 70's and after who do not remember,
and didn't have to bear the burden that our fathers, mothers and
older brothers and sisters had to bear..

Jane Fonda is being honored as one of the '100 Women of the Century.'
BARBRA WALTERS WRITES:
Unfortunately, many have forgotten and still countless others have
never known how Ms. Fonda betrayed not only the idea of our country,
but specific men who served and sacrificed during Vietnam .

The first part of this is from an F-4E pilot. The pilot's name is Jerry Driscoll,
a River Rat.

In 1968, the former Commandant of the  USAF   Survival School was a POW
in Ho Lo Prison the ' Hanoi Hilton.'

Dragged from a stinking cesspit of a cell, cleaned, fed, and dressed in
clean PJ's, he was ordered to describe for a visiting American 'Peace
Activist' the 'lenient and humane treatment' he'd received.

He spat at Ms. Fonda, was clubbed, and was dragged away.  During the
subsequent beating, he fell forward on to the camp Commandant 's feet,
which sent that officer berserk.

In 1978, the Air Force Colonel still suffered from double vision (which
permanently ended his flying career) from the Commandant's frenzied
application of a wooden baton.

From 1963-65, Col. Larry Carrigan was in the 47FW/DO (F-4E's). He spent
6 years in the ' Hanoi Hilton,' the first three of which his family only knew
he was missing in action.' His wife lived on faith that he was still alive. 
His group, too, got the cleaned-up, fed and clothed routine in preparation
for a 'peace delegation' visit.

They, however, had time and devised a plan to get word to the world that
they were alive and still survived. Each man secreted a tiny piece of paper,
with his Social Security Number on it, in the palm of his hand.

When paraded before Ms. Fonda and a camera operator, she walked the line,
shaking each man's hand and asking little encouraging snippets like:
'Aren't you sorry you bombed babies?' and 'Are you grateful for the humane
treatment from your benevolent captors?' Believing this HAD to be an act, they
each palmed her their sliver of paper.

She took them all without missing a beat.. At the end of the line and once the
camera stopped rolling, to the shocked disbelief of the POWs, she turned to
the officer in charge and handed him all the little pieces of paper.

Three men died from the subsequent beatings. Colonel Carrigan was almost
number four but he survived, which is the only reason we know of her actions
that day.

I was a civilian economic development advisor in Vietnam , and was captured
by the North Vietnamese communists in  South Vietnam  in 1968, and held
prisoner for over 5 years.

I spent 27 months in solitary confinement; one year in a cage in Cambodia; and
one year in a 'black box' in Hanoi My North Vietnamese captors deliberately
poisoned and murdered a female missionary, a nurse in a leprosarium in Ban me
Thuot, South Vietnam, whom I buried in the jungle near the Cambodian border.
At one time, I weighed only about 90 lbs. (My normal weight is 170 lbs.)

We were Jane Fonda's 'war criminals....'

When Jane Fonda was in Hanoi , the camp communist political officer asked me
if I would be willing to meet with her..

I said yes, for I wanted to tell her about the real treatment we POWs received ...
and how different it was from the treatment purported by the North Vietnamese,
and parroted by her as 'humane and lenient.'

Because of this, I spent three days on a rocky floor on my knees, with my arms
outstretched with large steel weights placed on my hands, and beaten with a
bamboo cane.

I had the opportunity to meet with Jane Fonda soon after I was released. I asked
her if she would be willing to debate me on TV. She never did answer me.

These first-hand experiences do not exemplify someone who should be honored
as part of '100 Years of Great Women.' Lest we forget....' 100 Years of Great
Women' should never include a traitor whose hands are covered with the blood
of so many patriots.

There are few things I have strong visceral reactions to, but Hanoi Jane's
participation in blatant treason, is one of them. Please take the time to forward
to as many people as you possibly can. It will eventually end up on her computer
and she needs to know that we will never forget.
RONALD D. SAMPSON, CM Sgt, USAF 716 Maintenance Squadron, Chief of Maintenance
DSN: 875-6431 COMM: 883-6343

PLEASE HELP BY SENDING THIS TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. IF
ENOUGH PEOPLE SEE THIS MAYBE HER STATUS WILL CHANGE..

Visit Marotta Controls at the Surface Navy Association National Symposium, January 11-13. 
Hyatt Regency, Crystal City , VA, Booth #1202


Sunday, January 23, 2011

Good bye Punta Cana

We came, we saw, we conquered....

... and yes faced with an unending supply of intriguing foodstuffs my resolve went out the window and I indulged.
The scales are up the tummy is bloated but the clothes aren't tight. Go figure that? I was probably a day away from total disaster, we came home just in time. A week back on my normal lifestyle and I will be O.K.
The weather was postcard perfect. Sun, the odd puffy cloud, temperature that never went below 30 C during the day and cooled of to 20C in the evening. No cooking, cleaning, no problem. I swam, read, played in the sea and have come home sporting a toasty tan. I never even got a sun burn!  A good time was had by all. Two weeks was perfect and hopefully we will do it again next year in another locale. We will have to start saving our pennies now!
Flying into Toronto and hearing the temperature was -15C was enough for us to want to hide on the plane and sneak back to the island ... lol
I missed having peaches on my cereal, 2% milk, Canadian coffee. It was a small price to pay for 2 weeks of respite from the cold.
last day on the beach
view from the balcony
very clean resort....I wondered how they kept that dust free
view from my lounge, was it really 2 days ago?
7am
beach shopping
the "Travelling Bug" has one last cervesa at the airport

oh poo, time to go home

Monday, January 03, 2011

We are at the serious countdown...

Absolutely everyone I talk to, including myself, is hacking coughing and sneezing. We survived the holidays only to herald January with an infestation of the common cold. Too much over indulgence - raise your hand with me if you are guilty - and a deluge of icy rain, "Voila."  While I feel a little crappy I have decided that nothing will keep me from that plane on Saturday morning. If I have to drag my body across the tarmac by my bloody fingernails... OK, OK, I over exaggerate but you get the idea.
Today marks 5 more sleeps before we leave. If you want me to be completely accurate it is really 4 sleeps and a nap because we leave London at 1:00 AM Saturday morning to go to Toronto to catch the plane.
a teaser
I have downloaded books and magazines (and paid for same, after having a talk with my daughter about the morality of pirating literature off the web, bastards steal her books, Hurrumpf) onto my e Reader and the ipod is loaded with cd's and podcasts. Sunscreen, after sun, deodorant and hand sanitizer have been purchased. Paper has been cancelled and the mail is being held. So I guess once I do the laundry and pack we are "outtahere." By the time I pack the battery charger, batteries, assorted cables, digital camera, e reader, and ipod I will be lucky to have enough room for clothes....lol Carl has to worry about the computer plus "accoutrement."
...off to the laundry room