The garden at home

Hello everybody,It's been hectic round here lately with me trying to settle the house down and get ready to switch countries.For that, I spent several days getting the garden ready for my absence.We've been having lovely sunny days and that's really helped in the garden.Our little resident humming bird has been eyeing the crocosmia and visiting the blossoms every day.It's been a fabulous season in my garden for raspberries. I managed to freeze several bags for Chloe so when she comes back from Japan in the New Year, she'll have garden raspberries for her smoothies.The lavender is heavenly right now. I wonder if I have some time to make a few lavender bottles before I leave.I'm sure that this early summer and me feeding the bees is what's responsible for the bumper raspberry crop.The peas in the garden have come thru. I was really worried about the seeds I chose for this season. There was an abundance of green growth with only one or two blossoms, but suddenly the plants erupted in a massive bloom and there are peas for miles and miles.The kale, chard and celery root are all doing really well too, and I spread the rest of last year's straw on the ground to help with the moisture and keep the weeds down while I'm away.Oh, also, the little row of pollinators is a big hit. It was supposed to be sunflowers, poppies and calendula, but has turned into mostly calendula. That's ok though, it's working brilliantly to bring in the bees. I think I'll do this again next year.The early tomatoes are also coming. They will all be for my house sitters though.And the last thing I did was repot all the houseplants and stick them all outside where they will be easier to water and care for.My little cactus has so much new growth on it. Even the one branch pod leaf round segment that I managed to break off during repotting (it's the one in the middle leaning up against the larger part), has rooted and sprouted new round bits. This is one of my first ventures into cacti. My grandfather loved them and so do I, but I just haven't grown very many before. This one is deadly though. Just a quick brush against it and tons of invisible barbs stick in and stay there irritating for days and days. Next time I'm going to chose a much friendlier cactus!And lastly, Morgan is doing much better. If you are my friend of FB then you'll know the trouble Morgan has had, if not, why not? Come be my friend.Her asthma is under control and she seems to be having less pain in her knee, so I feel much better about leaving her in the capable hands of my house sitters while to go back to England.But first, a quick little visit out to see Kerstie and our little girls.

Having fun painting this week

You know what it's like when you look forward to an art challenge week from your favourite art store Opus Art Supplies, and then Monday comes... aaand....then it's Tuesday!Yes! That is me this week.Miss Butterfly Brain! ("So what else is new?" you say)So Tuesday morning I grabbed my sketchbook, (yes, you know me, it's an early 1900 music book), and caught up.Monday's prompt: FOCUSYeah, V! Painted a crazy secretary bird. It felt right...lol.Tuesday's prompt: Spice.Painted some pepper and an Indian butterfly, (I looked it up on Wiki).Today's prompt: NostalgiaI thought about it for a nanosecond.My grandfather and I used to keep a vigil every spring to see the first swallow of the season. That was one of our special rituals I remember. I put these little guys on the In The Merry Month of May song.Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow's prompt.

Hello from Sunday night..with the Megababy

Here's a beautiful update on our Megababy Asher.I had a chance to drive out to visit my son Jonathan, Chantal, and our little Ash baby.He's now three months old.This is Butters, Jon and Chantal's dog. He's a puggle (pug beagle). Since there are some beaches...most actually...where dogs aren't allowed from May to September, we went for a walk on a beach where dogs were allowed so we could take him. He was so excited in the car, but on the walk he was such a good boy.The tide was out and there were dozens of great blue herons fishing for little creatures. I always feel lucky when I see one or two, but it was so amazing to see so many.See where those dark clouds are? That's where I live!!! Under those cloudy mountains. I'm so glad I drove south today. Jonathan lives in the sunniest Lower Mainland spot.Hi Butters. Good little puggle!Here's our beautiful Chantal wearing Asher.I was really surprised to see so many sea shells on that beach.We met this little five month old puppy. Isn't she the cutest thing ever? If you look in a dictionary under the word cute you'll see this picture.We had the best walk. It was quite windy and after an hour or so we got a little chilly so we turned around and headed back for home.It was so wonderful getting to cuddle my little grandson and catching up with my children. :D

At the Shipyards Friday night market

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRyA2nUqPqUThis Friday, the Shipyards Friday night market wasn't as busy as usual, and probably because of the rain we had in the day, but by the evening the shore dried up pretty nicely and the sun came out.I love walking down tot he market...it's only nine city blocks from me...but the downhill is fine; it's the uphill return which I try not to think about...lol.I live in a wonderful neighbourhood with a great mix of houses and duplexes, and just a little below me are apartments and townhouses, and just below that, at the shipyards, are stores, hotels, businesses, restaurants, and large skyscrapers. And I get to walk thru all of it to get down to the ocean. On Friday nights there is a market set up with at least fifty food trucks, artisan stalls, farmer's stalls, and children's activities. There is always a live band and a sectioned off "beer garden" (alcohol isn't allowed in outdoor public spaces in BC).I stay for as long as I like...when Robbie is with me we end up staying way into the night...and then I walk back home.

Patrice's Art Challenge: Blue

Patrice's art challenge: blue, was a fascinating study for me.Because, you see, it was my depressed mood that the blue all revolved around.So a little not so good news from my doctor, (nothing serious, and I'm probably making way too big a deal out of it, but no yoga or bending down or picking things up for another 10-14 days), combined with Morgan's knee, was enough to set me over the edge of all I can take into the biggest funk.But like always, painting pulled me thru.Late Thursday night I had enough and went up to the studio in my pyjamas, grabbed a clean canvas, and squished out some sludge onto it.Then a bunch of acrylic paints, swirled the whole mess around till I felt a bit better......and left the whole mess outside over night in the rain.Then yesterday I took the canvas back up to the studio and painted.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_S9g2JLydghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66RIDPNJxZ4And then I went to the Friday night market feeling loads better. :DCome pop over to Patrice's and catch up on everyone's blue.

After a week of rest...loving life!

Hi!Hi.I'm back and out and about and over the Bride of the Mummy stage.Actually, truth be told, it hasn't been a completely restful staying at home in bed week, and part of that was this nonsense with Morgan and her leg, but both of us are feeling better now.Oh, I just remembered, I didn't mention it on my blog but it was all over my FB, Morgie came in a couple days ago...well, she didn't actually come in because she couldn't get herself up the stairs to the patio...and this facilitated an emergency trip to the vet, a small fortune in vet fees, and the certain proof via x-rays that she didn't break, crack or sprain anything, doesn't have arthritis, doesn't have any bite marks from a fight, and is probably just a clumsy carp and sustained a soft tissue injury. (read bruise) She still doesn't put her weight on her hind leg, but is interested in eating her meals and watching the garden birds, so that must mean she's better...I hope.So we've been convalescing together! But it's all good because we had a few days of heavy rain.Good for the general well being of the garden, but the rain did flatten the peonies and broke a couple blossom heavy rose boughs from this beautiful climbing rose.I left the broken stems hoping that more of the buds would open, but a couple days after the break it didn't look like enough stem tissue was left to make that happen, so I cut them down to bring into the house.You know, I always wonder, why do I grow these roses? FOR ME! So why do I feel so guilty for cutting down great big boughs of them to bring into my home to enjoy?Honestly? Do I have to wait for a natural disaster to have an excuse to bring them inside?No, I don't.Don't they look so beautiful in my red crystal vase? I brought this vase back home from Prague (home from home...lol) about 25 years ago and I love this vase so much. It's just that absolutely perfect size for larger bouquets. All flower arrangements in it, especially white lilies...and red roses, look so spectacular.Speaking of deluge, the Canterbury bells were also flattened, so I put those in a vase too.Oh, look at my glass. Those huge containers were a lucky thrift store find. I'm trying to do away with all plastics in my life and trying to house everything in my pantry, like flour and sugar and rice, in glass, so I'm excited about these containers.Today mom and I were out for a lunch and a walk by the sea, and the best place for that locally is West Vancouver's Park Royal mall. Loads of shops restaurants and a few lovely kilometres of sea wall to walk on.So we had our walk and our lunch and afterwards I stopped in at Lush for a couple bath treats.I love Lush, don't you? The kinds of perfumes I love are single florals like jasmine, or orange blossom, or rose, which is why I've been in love with perfumes like Channel No 5 since forever, and I like sweet smells like coconut and vanilla. And, while my sense of smell isn't back to 100%, I still hate the smell of patchouli, or any kinds of grassy-brassy smells so, for my bath, I chose the milky bubble bath bar, the yuzu and cocoa bubble bath bar, and the razzle dazzle bath oil.And I was going to stay at home, I really was, but then it was Friday night and the Friday night market was calling to me.Oh the night market was too much fun, and I had a lovely stone baked organic pizza for supper down there, but I really didn't do a terrific job with my nutrition today.Part of my excuse is that I've been on some super strong antibiotics and pain killers which have been making me feel somewhat queasy and that feeling is quelled with heavier, greasier foods.But it is my last day on this treatment.Actually, if I think about it, I did do a good job because all the lovely food I ate was high quality and real food, not processed or fast food, but going out for a pub lunch with mom was probably not the best nutritional choice. But then...life, right? It's a little like chocolate, only once in a while.Also, I bought myself a little lemony coconuty square to take home and eat for desert.Speaking of good nutrition, I did buy some sweet local cherries for later.So since today was my last day with the antibiotics, and since antibiotics play havoc with good stomach bacteria, I do now have to recover from the antibiotics with a good cleanse and a strict microbiotic diet, so no more pub lunches and lemony coconut bars.But just for today, it was good fun.:D

Recovery week

So this is me this week!As a matter of fact, in my Quo Vadis I wrote:POSITIVE THOUGHTSGOLDEN LIGHTDO NOTHINGRESTAnd I wrote it across all the pages of the week.I wrote that because last Friday I had some facial reconstruction surgery to repair some of the radiation damage.Yup, it was unpleasant. Yup, it hurts. Yes it was a risk with the real possibility of dying tissue, but everything seems to have gone well and I'm Okay. <3Today my little note to myself says: "What would someone who loves themselves do?"Rest. Rest and more rest.But today I also had to visit my plastic surgeon, so while I was up and about, I decided to bake myself a little treat.Last week when I drove through Keremeos and stopped at the fruit and veggie stand, I bought a little pundit of apricots. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I should have known better because apricots so out of season very rarely taste very yummy. Actually, that's my usual rule for all fruit and veg so no, I don't know what I was thinking. Anyway, here I had these not so nice apricots at home.My grandmother used to make a lovely fruity type coffee cake called a bublanina. Roughly translates to bubble cake. She made it every week and used all sorts of fruit in it. I decided to bake myself a bublanina as a treat (because right now I'm a poor baby so deserve fattening sugary treats...lol)I took out my grandmother's cookbook and found the bublanina recipe.Yes, a very well used page!I wish you guys could read Czech recipes. The language is so friendly. It's as though the directions include you instead of being directed at you. For example, a line of this recipe reads: "Our mixed sugar, eggs, lemon and vanilla, we cream them together for 30 minutes." This is how we do it. Oh yes, by hand...with a wooden spoon! Actually, truth be told, in the Kitchen Aid.So I mixed up a little buttery, sugary dough, topped it with those apricots and a little sprinkling of blueberries, and popped it into the oven for 35 minutes.That's incidentally the time it took for the lawn service to finish making a racket at my neighbour's next door.Then I had a lovely, warm slice of my bublanina, and now it's back to bed with me.Bubble cake adapted from my grandmother's recipe to bring it out of the middle ages.1/2 cup organic cane sugar1/4 cup softened butter2 large eggs1 cup plain flour1 tsp baking powder1 cup yogourt1 tbsp Grand Marnier (because, why not?)1/2 tsp vanilla extractthe tip of a knife worth of salt (seriously, that’s what it says)what have you of fruit. I used a dozen apricots and a handful of blueberries. My grandmother’s best bublanina was always with cherries.Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.- Mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between, add the Grand Marnier and vanilla.- Sift in the flour and baking powder, and the salt, then mix well.- Finally, add the yogourt to create a thick dough to support the fruit on top.- Pour the batter into a greased and lined baking tin of some kind. I used 9-inch springform tart tin.- Prepare the fruit: slice the apricots, stone the cherries, halve the strawberries, etc.- Scatter the fruit into the top of the batter and press lightly.- Bake for 35-40 minutes, grandmother’s book reads “until rosy”.

Home again, and the mango bread recipe

I'm home from a fabulous few days away.On some crazy whim/inspiration I drove 1070 km from Saturday to Tuesday and loved every minute of it.I loved my visit to my cabin, loved my visit with my darling daughter Kerstin, Adam and our little girls, and loved the drive back including a visit with my sister-in-law Sheryl.I stopped er route back home at the end of Lake Okanagan in the little town of Penticton where Sheryl lives, and we walked to the beach to have tea and a little lunch. We chose a little table just outside Prague Cafe, and just as we sat down, a great big black truck parked in front of our view!!!Happily for us, the proprietor said it was just fine for us to take our lunch across the street to the beach. I had the most delicious roast beef sandwich, Sheryl had a beautiful fresh baked cake, and we had a lovely visit. I loved the little Prague Cafe and will stop there again next time. Sheryl was so sweet. She sent me off with a massive bag of fresh spring produce from her garden.Then on the road again and stopped in the little town of Keremeos where there are tons of fruit and veggie stalls and got myself some tomatoes and sweet potatoes and a red garlic.Finally home, and I took my goodies out of my treat bag from Sheryl and just look! Tons of herbs and fresh lettuce, kale and beautiful garlic scapes. Last night I baked an organic chicken with sage, thyme and fennel from Sheryl's garden stuffed into the cavity, and had a fresh salad with the lettuce, herbs and chive flowers. Oh supper was so good.I've had a few requests for the mango bread recipe Adam made so I texted him to please send it. He was happy to share.Here it is:Mango BreadIngredients1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cinnamon6 tablespoons granulated sugar6 tablespoons brown sugar1 large egg1 cup buttermilk1/3 cup olive oil2 tablespoons honey1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest1 cup frozen mango, thawed, and Adam pulsed the chunks in a blender for a few minutes to break them upInstructions1. Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Butter or spray with non-stick spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan.2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add sugars and mix until combined.3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk, oil, honey, vanilla extract and lemon zest until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in the mango. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan.4. Bake for 45-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the bread comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove the bread from the pan and move it to a wire rack to cool completely.Actually, never mind the cooling completely part. Just eat it as soon as you can bare to touch the hot loaf! That's what we did. It was a lovely treat. :D

With Kerstie, Adam and our little girls; a long weekend round up

Little girls in the morning!That's always so wonderful for me.There's nothing like the pitter patter of little feet, and believe me, with our three it really is nothing like pitter patter. It's more like a mini elephant stampede. Lol, but we love it.Soon they settle into breakfast and a some serious play with the Playdough.This is Mouse.This is Charley.Kerstie was showing me her little garden and telling me how much she loves growing a few veggies for the girls and I suggested we recover an area of grass by the side of the house for another little vegetable bed.So off we went to the closest garden centre for some manure and a few veggies. (One more tomato, because you can never have enough, an eggplant, two peppers, two zucchinis, and an African basil plant.It didn't take long to remove the grass and clover and enrich the soil and soon we cleared a good sized area as a start to the new veggie bed. (And we saved a lovely rose there as well)By the time we had enough gardening, Adam came home, the little Ziglet went down for a nap and Kerstie and I decided to drive out to their property and have a hike over their land.They just had the road put in and the road company placed this beautiful boulder at one side of the drive as a marker and future house number sign. Also, Adam is Irish, so loves having his own Blarney Stone.We walked up the new road to a large cleared area where their camper is for now. Right now they come to camp on their land. This will be eventually replaced with a small house, possibly a mobile home, while they rent out their current home and build their forever home on a beautiful plateau above.I'm so happy for them that they managed to buy this beautiful piece of land. They have 180 degree views of the lake and orchards and vineyards below them while only being about 15 minutes out of town, on 20 acres of privacy and tranquility.With wild flowers!Kerstie and I started hiking up.My word 20 acres is a long stretch!And here we are. The perfect plateau for the house.With wildflowers!On the way back home we stopped by the neighbourhood winery for a bottle of wine.This is Gray Monk Estate Winery.A seriously award winning boutique winery.Kerstie and I stood out on their patio looking out over their land, (also 20 acres, almost next door), and imagined how her future home and gardens would look like. :D And, while she may not plant a field of vines, lavender at the entrance and spilling down the slopes is a definite possibility.We got back home to a wonderful surprise. Adam baked a beautiful loaf of mango bread.Fortified with a slice of hot, buttery, and sweet mango bread, we started supper.And after supper, and after we put the children to bed and I read them several bedtime stories, we got into our comfies, turned on the original Ghostbusters movie, and played a game of Jenga.We played that game to the finish. To a standstill. We played till absolutely no more blocks could be be moved.And we stayed up way too late into the night catching up.

Got even further out of town, the drive from the cabin to the Okanagan

It's funny to think, you know, this British Columbia of mine is so huge, and there are so few road thru it that you can't really take a wrong turn, (unless you're really talented like me...lol).Before I even left the cabin I decided to not go back to Vancouver in order to go to the interior.The problem with the whole Lower Mainland is that no matter what you do, to get to the interior of BC, you have to cross the coastal mountains somewhere, so I decided to take the back roads. From the cabin back to Mt. Currie, and then the Duffy Lake pass to Lillooet, to Lytton, to Merritt, to Kelowna. Charming old towns, each one special and unique.Don't worry, the back road wasn't this bad. :DI climbed up into the coastal mountains; into the dense woods, cold lakes,and then descended into semi-arid land, warm lakes, sparse vegetation.Then into fields and fields of wild flowers and sage.I love sage, don't you? And just today the air was so humid and fragrant that everything was so beautifully perfumed.I cut some sage to bring home and make a sage wand. It's powerful medicine.Then I met up with the mighty Fraser River and followed it for a while.Then I got to the little gold rush town Lytton and stopped to watch the Thompson River flow into the mighty Fraser.You can see the clear, black waters of the Thompson mingling with the silty Fraser.And with cornflowers and cacti by the side of the road, I turned left at the Nicola River and followed it to Merrit.And over the mountain alpines and down to the chain of lakes which is the Okanagan where my children were waiting.