Checking in....

I'm well past the 6 month, mid-year mark for my 2010 To Do List and I'm sad to report I've got very little of it crossed off. The conference planning took a great deal of my time from January to June and now from July to December I'll be playing catch-up. Of course, there really isn't any pressure. This is just a list for the sake of making a list and a goal to work towards. Okay so what progress, exactly, have I made....

2010 To Do List:

1. Print digital pictures and put them in photo albums. No progress at all. Except I've taken more pictures that will need to be printed off and put into albums. Sigh. I think to make this task a little more manageable, I'm going give myself a smaller target - Big/Little photos (that is photos of my Little and I doing things). This actually spans 2.5 years, but I've already got the digital images organized and can probably easily select the good ones to print, identify and put in an album.

2. Knit a pair of socks. Oh dear. I've failed miserably at this one, for the 2nd year in a row. In fact, I abandoned knitting almost entirely during the busy-ness of conference planning. It wasn't until after conference that I picked it up again...and then I finished one project and started and finished two more: fingerless gloves and a hot water bottle cozy. I'm not going to give up yet though. I still have a few months. And I've found a pattern that looks simple enough. Now I just have to get started!

3. Buy a GPS and go geocaching. I'm happy to report that I DID buy a Magellan Explorist GPS, but still haven't tried it out yet. I've heard conflicting reports on how well it works in the woods, and the quality of maps (Garmin are reported to have better maps). But I'll give it a try. I'm hoping to have a chance to take a geo-caching course in September (that's a whole other blogpost!), so I may actually be able to check this one off my list.

4. Make a fabric/ribbon memo board. Uh. Yeah. Haven't started this one either. Sigh.

5. Read Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Started. Got 30 pages in and couldn't get any further. It's not exactly a light summertime read. This one may actually take years for me to check off the list.

6. Get involved in my church in September. Haven't looked into this, but I'm sure there will be areas where I can help - there are always are in church!

7. Frame my gerbera print. This has been low on the priority list, but really ought to get done. Framing is so expensive and the print is good quality, but not exactly worth the $100 + it would cost to get a frame made for it. It's an odd shape but I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a frame at Wal-Mart or Zellers that will work. I can think of other places to put my money.

8. Buy a headboard for my bed. I've been scoping out Kijiji Halifax, but haven't seen anything. I've had a couple offered to me from family and I may take them up on it, provided I'm allowed to paint them first.

9. Attempt a pie crust (again!). Okay, it's too hot to fuss with pastry in the summertime so I'll save this for the fall/winter season. Apple pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie......

10. Become a Host in the YMCA's Immigrant Host Program. I need to contact the organizer and get myself on the training list for the fall. Hopefully I'm not too late.

I guess I've got a lot of catching up to do. Oh, and I meant to add one more thing to the list. Give kayaking a try. And this one is looking like it's entirely possible! Yay!

Delicious!

I'm out of the habit of blogging. I have lots of lovely pictures to post, but keep forgetting to do so. Maybe this will get me started!

Last week I made a delicious summery salsa and I wanted to share it. I'm not even sure if anyone is following my blog anymore, where I've been such an infrequent poster!

The original recipe is from Whole Foods, one of my favourite sources for recipes. Almost every recipe I've tried has turned out perfectly and is delicious and full of flavour!

The following is copied directly from Whole Foods's Recipe website. I didn't do much measuring. I chopped up about 3 tomoatoes and 2 nectarines, and added more cilantro and lime than was called for, just because I love cilantro and lime. :) I served the salsa on top of pan-fried haddock (which you can't see for all the salsa in the picture above). Also, I don't have the patience to cube everything so neatly as Whole Foods did....but it still looks delicious.


Fresh Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

Salsa has lots of advantages: It seems indulgent, but it's actually a healthy choice, fat free and loaded with flavor and vegetables. It's inexpensive, especially when the ingredients are home grown or in season. It's versatile because you can make it hotter with more peppers or make it sweeter with fruit. And it's easy!

Ingredients

2 cups chopped tomatoes (or a combination of tomatoes and fresh peaches, nectarines, mangoes or grapes)
1/3 cup chopped yellow or white onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method

Put all ingredients into a bowl, toss well and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 4oz/1/2 cup/116g-wt.): 25 calories (0 from fat), 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 6g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 1g protein

Phew!

I'm done! The conference was a success - or at least the reports I'm getting suggest it was. And now I'm free to enjoy the summer. It's surprising how something can really consume every waking moment (and even some of my sleeping moments too!). I hadn't quite realised what I was getting myself into when I agreed to chair the Local Arrangements for a 3 day conference for about 250 people. It was a big job - much bigger than I expected! But everything worked out well, and ran much more smoothly than I expected. Even the weather cooperated. At the beginning of the week the forecast was calling for 70% rain on the two nights we had weather-dependent activities planned....and both days the weather turned completely around and really couldn't have been better!

After the conference I took some time off to escape to the cottage. Knowing that after a full and busy week of being "on", I knew I'd need some time to be "off". I booked the cottage for the week immediately following the conference figuring that would be the best way to shut down and reboot. I guess this defines me as an introvert, eh?Ahh, the cottage is so wonderful! Peace and quiet, no routines, no obligations or responsibilities or rules. I slept when I felt like sleeping, read when I wanted to read, ate when and what I wanted to eat, watched movies, and listened to CBC Radio almost constantly. Such luxury!

My list of 'accomplishments' during my week of solitude:
1. Started & finished "The Secret Life of Bees"
2. Started "Anna Karenina"
3. Watched: "I've loved you so long", "Slumdog Millionaire", and "Everything is Illuminated" - three lovely movies for the cottage.
4. Also watched: Anne of Green Gables and the Sequel...because it's hard to knit and read subtitles (for 2 of the movies in #3)....and because it's also a perfect movie for the cottage.
5. Finished the strangling vines lace scarf I've been working on for far too long. And started & finished a pair of handwarmers from Joelle Hoverson's "Last Minute Knitted Gifts".
6. Went to the Annapolis Royal Farmer's Market bright and early on Saturday morning and came back only with a loaf of brioche.
7. Saw a beaver swimming in the lake and startled it (by accident, I promise) which made it slap it's tail on the water and then dive under out of sight.8. Kept the wood stove going on the one damp chilly day I had while I was there.9. Slept!

Now I'm back in the city, back to work and back to routine. After spending such an extended time planning for this conference, I'm actually really looking forward to getting back into my actual work. The question is....where to start!

Thank you Queen Victoria!

....for the long weekend!
It was a glorious one! We had perfect weather all three days, and I did my best to take advantage of it.

On Saturday, R. and I went to Mahone Bay. We took the long route, Hwy #3, and made a few stops along the way. As it turned out Mahone Bay was hopping this weekend due to the Mussel Festival (who knew?!), but we still managed to find the a super quiet spot to enjoy a delicious picnic lunch of brie + artisan bread + tomatoes and carrots.

The neighbours were very quiet, needless to say!...but we enjoyed their company, particularly Sophia's.
Mahone Bay really is a perfect daytrip for a sunny Saturday. I wish I had taken more photos. It's such a pretty little town. We wandered through some of the shops. I had gone with an idea of finding a pair of shoes at the Mahone Bay Trading Co., but didn't find what I was looking for. It's a little surprising that in this tiny little town, you'll find a HUGE shoe store. It's largest shoe store stocking Clark's I've ever been in (even in Toronto!). All I bought in Mahone Bay was an ice cream (from a new ice cream shoppe and was having a 2 for 1 sale), and a rhubarb custard square. Yum!
Sunday was an eventful day, not so much for me, but for a dear friend who was running the Blue Nose Half-Marathon. Personally, I can't imagine running 21 km, even if I was being chased by someone/something, so in my mind this is really an accomplishment to celebrate.Her fan club wandered around the city to cheer her on, and after it was all said and done, we enjoyed a feast at the Mongolie Grill where you pick your own ingredients for a stirfry. It's a pretty fun concept and delicious too! Afterwards we went back to my place to relax and catch-up and later enjoy a dinner together. I love having people over because it's so much more fun cooking for other people than for just me. I made a moussaka with Greek salad and served pita & roasted red pepper dip with it. And for dessert, inspired by the treat I had in Mahone Bay, I made super decadent rhubarb custard bars. Wow they were good....but you don't want to eat too many of them, that's for sure. They are rich, rich, rich!

Rhubarb Custard Bars

Base:
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Cold Butter or Margarine

Filling:

2 Cups Sugar
7 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 Cup Whipping Cream
3 Eggs, beaten
5 Cups Finely Chopped Fresh or Frozen Rhubarb, Thawed and Drained

Topping:

2 Packages (3 ounces each) Cream Cheese softened
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Whipping Cream, Whipped

In a bowl, combine the flour and sugar; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Meanwhile for filling, combine sugar and flour in a bowl. Whisk in cream and eggs. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour over crust. Bake at 350 F for 40 - 45 minutes or until custard is set. Cool.

For topping, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over top. Cover and chill well. Cut into bars.

Yield: 3 Dozen

After a game of Dutch Blitz, everyone went home and I went to bed.

And here we are, today, the last day of the long weekend! After such a busy Sat. and Sunday, I was in no rush to do anything this morning. I enjoyed a slow morning with lots of CBC radio and dozing and not much of anything. Stupidly, I saved all the hard work for the heat of the day - and whoa! was there heat! It was 29 C in Halifax (33 w/ the Humidex). But the sunshine was nice, and I'm not complaining. Even when it's hot Halifax is still waaaay better than Toronto in the heat. There's hardly any smog, and being so close to the ocean means that the evenings cool down nicely. I love Halifax in the summertime!

This afternoon I bought some plants and got my patio garden started. I decided to forego with vegetables this year. For the amount of produce my little garden yields, it's hardly worth it. Especially since I can raid my mother's garden for delicious things! ;)





So this year I've decided to go with flowers and greenery. I want a lush, pretty garden this year, rather than practical. The problem is, I'm not sure I know what I'm doing. So today I just bought a few things that looked nice and planted them in my planters. We'll see how they'll do. I did plant a 'salad' box of romaine lettuce and an herb box with parsley, chives and basil.

I still have a little more to do - I want to pick up a hosta and I need to plant another hanging basket, get my scarlet runners planted, and add a couple more plants to my railing planters - but most of it is done now. Soon, I'll be able to sit back and enjoy the greenery and pretty flowers. I hope.

Well, that's it for me. I'm going to sign-off now, and maybe go to bed. The sun and the activity has left me a little wiped.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend as much as I did!

Mentally packing

For the last 6 months my time and thoughts have been consumed by a conference I'm helping to plan. It's been pretty much all-consuming, in fact. And now we're down to the wire. Only a few short weeks left before it's go-time and all the planning has to come together. It's mentally and physically exhausting and I am so grateful for such awesome people on my committee who have helped so much.

Here's the thing though....I'm ready for it all to be done! I'm nervous about all the details I haven't thought around yet and all that will come up last minute that are guaranteed to throw me into a tizzy. But these things are to be expected.

So what is getting me through it all?
I've booked the family cottage the week immediately following the conference to relax and be reclusive. Some think a week is too long to be reclusive, but I'll argue that it'll be needed after such a busy week of networking, and coordinating, and trouble-shooting.

And now, whilst all the planning is happening, I'm also mentally packing my bags.

• What books do I want to read? I'm thinking a book or two, or four, that will be light, but engrossing.
• What movies do I want to bring? Something that I've been meaning to watch, but haven't had the time + a few old standbys (BBC's Pride and Prejudice anyone?)
• What knitting project/s do I want to start? And which skeins of wool should I bring?
• What comfort foods and treats should I plan to bring with me?
  
• And should I tackle on of the projects in my 2010 To Do List while I enjoy the free time?

As crazy as it sounds, I'm actually considering pulling out a bag and literally starting to pack. I think it may help keep me grounded while all the craziness is happening.

If you have any suggestions for any/all of the above, please feel free to share them.

Sunset at Peggy's Cove

April in Pictures

Because, once again, I don't really have much time to elaborate on all that I've been doing lately.

First, there was a trip to Peggy's Cove with friends to watch the sunset. It was a little overcast, but such a lovely evening to hang out on the rocks. I never tire of this spot - it's one of my favourite in Nova Scotia. And it's great to go before the tourists arrive....
Then there was a trip to Shubenacadie Wildlife Park with the "Little" where we were entertained by various species of foxes...

Some were active...Some were not!

And then there multiple trips to Two If By Sea to indulge in what is possibly the best pastry I've ever eaten. Those pain au chocolat are huge and buttery and delicious, and best enjoyed with friends.

There was also some beach exploration. It's such a treat to have such warm, sunny weather in April - and what a perfect way to celebrate an early spring by going to the beach to watch the waves!

And that's about it. I will try to do better at blogging in May. Maybe.

Obligatory post for March.....

Phew! I'm getting in my March blog post at the very last minute. I've been intending to post for awhile, but haven't really much to say. That's not to say that things haven't been busy, and I haven't done much in March - because nothing could be further from the truth. March was certainly jam-packed with fun of all kinds.

But rather than try to catch you up, I'm going to post what I was working on tonight:
Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt clues!
I'm hoping this will be a hit with the Little tomorrow night. I thought it might be a fun after-dinner activity that will also celebrate Easter (well, the chocolatey-side of Easter anyway).
Each clue leads to something that the Little is familiar with. I hope they're not to easy or not too hard.

Okay, I've posted in March. Now on to April....
I fear if I don't try to get at least one post up a month, I might give up blogging altogether until life quiets down. I shall try to prevent that from happening.

Finally! I figured out how to upload photos from my new digital camera. Apparently all I had to do was download the software. So now I can actually share some pictures from the last week. Here are a couple highlights:

We had a big snowstorm a week ago this past Wednesday, and Halifax got a lot of snow. The most I've seen in one storm since I moved here, I think.

So, what do you do when you get a lot of heavy, wet snow? You build a 4 ft snowman! That's what!
My "Little" and I built this awesome snowman the day after the storm. He was a sight to be seen. But you would've had a very short time to see him, because no sooner had we built him then the miscreants in my neighbourhood demolished him. (Within the hour he was built, actually. Jerks!). I was livid, but also thankful we got a few pictures and also thankful the "Little" didn't see him destroyed before she left for the night.

Another great thing to do when it's cold outside, is to eat hearty foods, like mashed potatoes while taking advantage of a good deal! That's what a few of us from work did on Friday - we took advantage of Seasons' (the restaurant in the Atlantica Hotel) potini Friday!. What is "potini Friday", you ask? Well, it's mashed potato served in a martini glass with about a dozen different toppings that you load onto your potini. Like this work of art:
I can't take credit for this masterpiece. It was not mine. I stuck to the fried onions and mushrooms (which were delicious!).

Well, that's pretty much it. I could post more, but I'm pooped. It's been a long week with lots going on, and I've got a busy weekend ahead. I'm actually considering going to bed early, maybe even now, at 9pm!

Soup is served!

I made the most delicious soup today and had to post about it. I found the recipe on another blog, Alice in Paris Loves Art & Tea, and was thrilled to see that I had all the ingredients already. No shopping required - I like that! I'd post a photo if I could figure out how to download photos from my new camera. For some reason the program launches, but won't download. Ah well, I'll figure it out.

Here's the recipe:

Jamie Oliver's Spicy Parsnip Ginger Soup (adapted)
2 T olive oil or coconut oil
knob of butter
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala ( Optional, an Indian spice)
6 parsnips, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 litre vegetable stock or chicken stock
500ml milk or coconut milk (2 cups)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
OPTIONAL:fresh red chili, deseeded and finely sliced
OPTIONAL: handful of fresh coriander leaves
crusty bread, to serve

Heat a splash of olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, ginger and garam masala. Gently fry for around 3 minutes, until fragrant. It will stick to the bottom of the pot a bit but don't worry, when you add the broth you scrape it up.
Drop in the chopped parsnip and stir together so that everything gets coated in the oil and flavours.
Pour in the stock, season well and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on.
Add the milk at the end and if you don't want to that's ok, it's fine without:) I didn't add it.

After half an hour, check that the parsnips are cooked by sticking a knife in. If you’re happy, remove them from the heat and carefully whiz up using a hand blender or liquidizer. Taste the soup to see if it needs a little more salt or pepper.

Serve with a sprinkling of sliced red chili, a few coriander leaves if you like, and a good chunk of crusty bread.

A treasured gift!

I'm in the midst of a very hectic week, slowed down at first by a head cold that has caused me to sneeze non-stop for the better part of three days. The cold is abating, and I have a moment to breathe (literally and figuratively) and post a quick note.

I've been intending to post this since Christmas, but as you can tell, I haven't spent much time on blogger these past few weeks. Here is one of the treasured gifts I received this Christmas, from my grandfather.
I expect you'll have to click on the image to make it bigger to read the text. It's a poem titled "A Plant That You Cannot Kill", written entirely by my grandfather. You must read it!

So here is a little context: Every year before Christmas I'm asked for my "Christmas List" and every year I try to comply. Usually I can produce such a list easily as I tend to write things down as I think of them throughout the year. This list is not specifically for Christmas; it's more to keep track of what I want and why. I tend to like to give things great consideration before buying and by keeping a list I can watch for things to go on sale, or consider alternatives. It's sort of a way of maintaining a little self-control when it comes to shopping. But I digress....

This year I've had a miserable time with houseplants. For some reason, they keep dying! Now, I've never really had a good track-record when it comes to plants, but this year was particularly bad. I killed a spider plant (who kills spider plants???), an umbrella tree, an aloe vera plant and my thai basil. Now, arguably, Thai basil is not a hardy plant, and it's time came and went. The aloe vera became too top-heavy and when I tried to transplant it into a bigger pot, it protested by dying. The umbrella tree was fine for well over a year, but then last August it started dropping it's branches (umbrellas?) one-by-one until there was nothing left. Observe Exhibit A. (right). If you look closely (or click on the image to make it bigger) you will see a few of the limbs that dropped at the tree's base, in the plant pot. You'll also see my rather scraggly aloe plant. So sad.

But I digress again....

So I kill plants. Or so it seems to me. I have one houseplant that's survived the carnage of 2009, and I'm hoping against hope it survives 2010. So, on my Christmas plant I was hoping to re-green my apt with something so hardy, it would survive my neglect or black-thumb. And apparently my grandfather knew of just the thing! As you can see in the picture at the very top his creativity knew no bounds. Not only did he find me a plant i could not kill, but he wrote a poem to go with it! My grandfather is not usually the poem-writing sort. He's a story-teller, yes, and a genealogist (the two sort of go hand in hand), but the poem was definitely a treat and a treasure! I will safely care for this plant so that in the years to come, at Christmastime, I can put it on display without having to worry about it dying over the holidays due to lack of watering, or worry about poisoning Millie (because we all know poinsettas are poisonous for cats).

Thanks Grampie!

*** PS. To my shock and horror I thought I almost killed this plant too when I lifted it out of the box I had it in and one of the branches pulled out of the foam. Fortunately it went right back in place, without any permanent damage. Phew!

2010's To Do List

2010 is here? What???? When did that happen?
How is it possible for time to pass so quickly?
Sigh.

Every year I try to set some goals. Not resolutions, but things I'd like to accomplish throughout the year. There is a difference, right? I think of resolutions as long-term, indefinite goals like eat better, exercise more, etc. These are more definite tasks with a tangible outcomes. Anyway, I like lists and I especially like to check things off my lists.

So here is my list for 2010:

1. Print digital pictures, label them, and put them in photo albums. Sort and back-up digital files. I've had my digital camera since 2006, or was it 2005? and I rarely print any of the photos. Not good! This must be rectified.
2. Knit a pair of socks. Emphasis on pair. One sock won't count, because I know if I stop at one, I'll never move on to the second. I think it's called "second sock syndrome". I have a lot of wool, particularly fingering weight wool that would be perfect for socks. I see this as the best possible way of depleting my stash. *This was on my 2009 list, but didn't get done.
3. Buy a GPS for geocaching. This is another goal for 2009 that didn't get done. I'm thinking about getting The Magellan Triton 200. But if any of you have any other suggestions, feel free to let me know.
4. Make a fabric & ribbon memo board, like this one.
5. Read Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I've had this book on my shelf for a long time, but am somewhat intimidated by the commitment it will take to read it. Time to get over that!
6. Get involved in my church. Up until this point I've been adherent and little more. I'd like this to change, but probably not until September after the big event I'm planning in June.
   
7. Frame my gerbera print.
8. Buy a headboard for my bed. I've been looking for one for a little while, but keep putting it off because I can't make up my mind what I want. Ultimately though, I'd like to sit up in bed and read, without having my bed rolling away from the wall when I lean up against it. Hmm...maybe there are brakes on the wheels. I should check that first.
   
9. Attempt pie crust again. I did this a couple of years ago and it didn't work, but haven't really tried since. Well, that's no good. I can't just give up. I'm up for the challenge again!
   
10. Volunteer for the YMCA's Immigrant Host program. This is where you are partnered with a new immigrant and help them get orientated to Canadian culture and the city and also just be a friend. Plain and simple. I had planned to do this back in 2008, but then I began my commitment to my Little and felt I wanted to concentrate on that before committing to something else.
    

I think that's a pretty good list for now. I reserve the right to change it, of course :D. We'll see how well I do next time I check in on my progress.

EDO Monday: A day of productivity

I have much to do today and figured the best way to get it all done is to make a list, and tick things off as I get them done.

1. Sweep patio + put up lights & wreath (again!) + move all my balcony furniture back out onto balcony. (Last week my building super replaced my balcony, which meant I had to move my BBQ + planters + bistro set inside, where it's been taking up all the space in my dining room for the better part of a week.) Done! 8:30a.m.
   
2. Chase cathair (ie. clean the floors).
3. Finish Christmas shopping. I have 3 people left to shop for now. And I think I can get at least one done today.
4. Take recycling to depot.
5. Make a quick trip to work to pick up something I left in my office on Friday. Sigh.
   
6. Make a trip into Big Brothers Big Sisters to drop off the child car seat I borrowed and no longer need; drop off a form; and pick up a 2 For 1 Coupon for the Putting Edge for Saturday
7. Set up sewing machine again and finish project#1, pin and cut fabric for project#2.
8. Work on project #3
9. Pack up parcel for friends in TO and mail.
10. Finish remaining Christmas cards and mail.
11. Start Christmas baking.
12. Plan crafts to make for Big/Little Christmas party on Friday. (ie. How to entertain 9 year olds for 3 hours +).

Okay, so that's all the list-making I'm going to do for now. I hope to update as I go along and get things done.

A few thoughts on studying the Bible.

I had an occasion, recently, to enter into a theological discussion about a "hot topic" in some of the more conservative churches. I have no intention in getting into the meat of the matter here, but I did come to some interesting conclusions.

First of all, we make a lot of assumptions. We assume the translations are accurate. We assume that what we are taught is right. And we assume we understand everything. We tend to let things we're taught go without challenging them, or without finding out for ourselves. We get confortable with what we understand and resist being unsettled.

So this discussion I mentioned before, it unsettled me. It challenged a my understanding of the Bible in a way I'd never been challenged before. My reaction? Find out the truth for myself by going back to the source, in it's original form in as much as I can. The problem is, the original form of the New Testament is Ancient Greek, which I've never studied. HOWEVER, I just discovered a fantastic resource available online, that does just that - it takes each and every word from the Bible back to it's original Greek or Hebrew origins. Not only that but each word is linked to its reference in Strong's Concordance; AND it also shows the passage in comparison with the various English translations. In case you're wondering, the website I'm referring to is: bible.cc. If you're the Bible-studying type, you'll want to check it out!

While I realise it's incredibly geeky to confess that I've spent hours doing this kind of study lately, I'm not ashamed to admit that it's been incredibly rewarding. If there's ambiguity in the translation, the original text can provide some clarity. This kind of study is really much richer and deepr than I had ever expected. I've learned so much! For example, in many cases, the gender-neutral pronoun used in the original text is replaced by masculine pronouns by Bible translators. Or, when a pronoun could have more than one meaning (gender-neutral or masculine), masculine becomes the default for translators. Interesting, eh? Ha. Or maybe it's not interesting at all. But it certainly has been enlightening for me.

The resources we have at our disposal in these post-modern times is unfathomable. And it's all at our finger-tips! We should consider ouselves privleged not only to have access to these reources, but also to have the freedom to use them.
...And that will be the final conclusion I leave you with tonight.

It's music monday!

So much for my plans to have a handmade Christmas this year. I have been so busy that I've not spent any time at all on my knitting, and so have nothing to present to family and friends for Christmas. I do have a plan to make something for my Little, but that will be the best I can do this year.

And what has been keeping me so busy? Conference planning. That's what. Phew! It's a big job but I have a great team helping me and it'll all be worth it when it's all said and done.

What else? Well, I had a little fun too.

Last week a friend from work had 2 tickets to the Rose Cousins CD Release in Halifax, and I happened to be the lucky recipient of the the 2nd ticket! We had 2nd row seats and were treated to a fabulous concert. I've listened to Rose Cousins on CBC Radio 3 (and she gets played frequently on CBC Radio 1, too), so I knew I'd enjoy her music. I will say this, the entertainment isn't just in the music; Rose Cousins has a great stage presence and knows how to get the crowd in stitches. She's quite the entertainer. Oh, and of course her new CD is fantastic! Buy it as soon as it becomes available! Afterall singer/songwriters need nice shoes too.


The opening act was also a pleasant surprise for me. I wasn't as familiar with Royal Wood as I was with Rose Cousins, though I know now that I've heard his music on CBC Radio 3 fairly often (I just couldn't put a name to the music). But I came out of the concert with both in my head, and CDs from both artists in hand. You should buy his CD/s too. Now my biggest problem is deciding which to listen to!

In the meantime, while you're waiting to get the CD, go to CBC Radio 3 and add their music to your playlist. They're so delightful!

And since I'm on the topic of music, I thought I'd share this with you:
Yes, yes, I was one of the many who waited in line for a looong time to get Anne Murray to autograph her new book for my grandmother. Now, I'm not much of a fan, though I do appreciate her music and find her quite easy to listen to. Afterall, she is a Canadian music icon who helped to put Canada on the music map. So, all in all, this was an errand I did not mind doing for my grandmother. And, though I was completely unprepared for the signing (no knitting to keep myself occupied during the long wait, and no camera document the occasion), the woman next in line kindly offered to take a photo and email me a copy (turns out she knows folks at my workplace). So here it is, evidence that I'll do just about anything for my grandparents...and came within 2 feet of a Canadian icon. ;)

I've spent far too much money on music lately. Between concerts and CDs (I also picked up another kids CD to mix it up a little in the car with the Little; and in Toronto I found a Taize CD that's alright, but not quite what I was hoping for). I will stop music shopping for now, and instead start compiling a list of CDs for my Christmas wishlist.



Hmmm... In the time that it took for me to write this, I've eaten about 7 clementines. Is that too many? Sigh. I'm fighting something, so perhaps I can hope it's not too late to up my Vitamin C and kick the bug! By the way, Clementines are on sale at Sobeys - $3.97 for a 4lb crate! Go buy some!

Ho hum, I'm in a slump.

I'm in a knitting slump at the moment and don't quite know how to get myself out of it. I've spent the better part of a good 2 hours surfing Ravelry and find all sorts of patterns that are lovely, but none that really jump out at me. Also, I'm determined to use up some of the yarn in my absurdly large stash before buying anymore yarn. Sadly, most of the patterns that catch my eye require more skeins of yarn than what I have already in my stash. What to do, what to do.....

Suggestions?

Cafe Aroma Latino

A couple weeks ago I had dinner at Cafe Aroma Latino for the first time. I had heard it was good, but was pleased to have an opportunity to find out for myself. First of all, I was impressed and more than a little thrilled to find pupusas on the menu. One of my favourite stops in Kensington Market was always the Central American grocery where you can get pupusas freshly made. And now I know where to find the same Salvadoran 'street' treats here in Halifax!

There are all sorts of delicious things on Cafe Aroma's menu from all over Central America. And it's relatively cheap (most menu items are $2-4 ea.). You pick and choose what you'd like to order and end up with a plate of tasty treats. I ordered a bean pupusa (bottom left), a tamale wrapped in a banana leaf (top) and a beef taco (bottom right). The tamale was new to me - I'd never had one. It was okay, but more mild than I was expecting. It would've been nice with something especially spicy. The pupusa was a little different from those I'm used to from Toronto. I don't remember bean pupusas being made of beans like these were (I remember them being filled with refried beans instead), but they tasted the same and were just as delicious. The taco was also delicious and maybe even my favourite of the three; the beef+sauce was especially tasty.

And if you're looking for any Mexican-type groceries, you should check out the little grocery next door that sells all sorts of things from that region of the world. You can find all sorts of things to make your next Mexican theme night more authentic.

So there's my little review of this place. Check it out for yourself. We want to keep this restaurant in business for a long time!

Checking in

It's been awhile and I thought I might just post a note about my progress with my short To Do List. I am pleased to report that there has been progress, so that's a good start.

• 1. Compost more consistently. Check! I've been composting since January. There's not a whole lot of enthusiasm for composting in my building, and up until this Spring, I hadn't ever seen the compost bin emptied. Evidence of this: the lobster shell I put in the bin in Feb. was still there in June. Sigh. I think I single-handedly managed to fill an entire bin with my own food waste. I guess my next "to do" item should be waste less food. Anyway, I managed to convince property management to arrange for regular pickups, and they're starting to encourage other tenants to also compost.
  

• 2. Get new glasses. Check! Not sure what I think of them, but I've got them and that's the most important thing. Here are the glasses - mine are brown and gun-metal grey. I have some lovely photos with my eyes open, however they're almost all photos with my Little and I'm not comfortable posting her picture online without permission. So no photo to show off the new specs.
  

• 3. Invest in a used GPS & go geocaching. Fail. Sadly, GPSs are expensive and this was a low priority for this year. I still love the concept and I think it would be A LOT of fun with the Little. If I didn't have other things to save for, I'd for sure get one. Alas, there ARE other things to save for.
  

• 4. Knit a pair of socks. Fail, for now. I've kind of set aside my knitting over the summer. I've got a scarf on the go, but that's it. My shawl didn't progress very far. I made far too many mistakes and the black was too hard to work with a complicated pattern. BUT I have a lot of sock wool and everyone loves handknit socks, so I still hope to learn before the end of the year. Maybe over Thanksgiving?

• 5. Read at least a book a month. Check! Well, so far anyway....I still have 4 months to go. Most of the reading this year has been non-fiction, but still all good. Of course the highlight of all the books I've read this year (and perhaps ever!) has been Uncle Tom's Cabin. If you haven't read it, I strongly encourage you to pick it up at your library or bookstore and give it a try.
  

• 6. Shop smarter and better: fair trade, handmade, local, and natural. Fail. I'm actually not doing much shopping these days (in an effort to save $$), and when I do, I have to confess that I usually shop for the sales and these are not usually the best option quality-wise. For produce lately I've been doing all my shopping in my mother's garden and I'm committed to buying local produce whenever it's available. I will always choose local over imported, when local is available.
  

• 7. Sitesee more. Visit more museums and galleries in the HRM. Check! I'm getting out more around the city. I finally got to Pier 21 and was blown away by the exhibits. If you haven't been, you should go! And then there was my trip to York Redoubt and several other parks and sites around the city. Oh, and I got a MacPass, so I'm gradually venturing more and more over to the Darkside (ie. Dartmouth).
  

• 8. Stargaze more & learn a handful of constellations. Check! Sort of. I'm gradually learning the constellations, but seem to forget them almost as quickly as I learn them. Being the International Year of Astromomy, I had hoped to attend the Astronomy Nova Scotia events. There's an event on Oct. 1st that I plan to attend with the Little.
  

• 9. Stop using plastic grocery bags. Check! In fact, I've gone through my stash of plastic grocery bags for garbage and now have to consider what to use for garbage. Do I buy or do I just use the pail itself? Afterall, most of my garbage isn't terribly messy after composting and recycling. I'm also saving all the small plastic bags that dry goods come in (pasta bags, bags from frozen peas, rice, etc. I used to throw these bags out because they were too small for garbage, but now I use them for kitty litter bags and they work perfectly.

So I'm considering what to add to my To Do List. I've got a few ideas. I'd like to learn how to kayak and become a member of my church, and organize my photos (which have been piling up for years) in albums and on my harddrive. These are just a few that come to mind.

I don't want my 2010 list to be too long though. I'm committed to a big project for 2009/10 and it's going to take a lot of my time. I don't want to set myself up for failure.

Be still and know that I am God.

You know how there times when you crave to hear certain kinds of music? It could be the season or the mood, the need for energy or relaxation, but whatever the reason there's just the right kind of music for that particular moment in time.

Lately, for me, it's been the songs of Taize.

Taize is actually a very modern ecumenical monastic order in Taize, France (founded in the 1960s). But what is distinctive about this Christian community is its meditative style of worship that combines silence with sacred choral music and short readings that are intended to calm the soul so that you can experience a moment with God. It is prayer without words. And yet it is also not prayer in solitude or isolation. The Taize experience is actually built around the community, a shared experience, even in silence.

My church in Toronto practiced Taize once and awhile, as the part of the worship during our Sunday services. It was incredibly refreshing, albeit often much too short. We'd sing a Taize song, read a prayer, and sit in silence for a while. But then the service would continue on and the busy-ness of life would pick up again.

I guess right now I crave silence and meditation because life has gotten pretty hectic for me and I've had a lot on my mind. While I like being busy and having things to do, checklists to cross off and tasks to accomplish, I also enjoy quiet times. Unfortunately, when life gets busy like this, my quiet times often turn into wasted down time, either in front of the TV or puttering about while listening to the radio or to music. I don't actually take time to be silent. I guess this is why Taize has been on my mind lately. Silence is a very hard discipline to practice. You have to be intentional about it, and set aside time and energy (because sleeping doesn't count) to practice silence. And you have to stop talking.

I really like what the Taize website says about the value of silence:

Sometimes we are apparently silent, and yet we have great discussions within, struggling with imaginary partners or with ourselves. Calming our souls requires a kind of simplicity: "I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me." Silence means recognising that my worries can’t do much. Silence means leaving to God what is beyond my reach and capacity. A moment of silence, even very short, is like a holy stop, a sabbatical rest, a truce of worries.

Read the whole article here.

I know that a lot of my friends who may follow my blog aren't the churchy type, and that's fine. I still think there is a lot of value in taking time to be silent and for meditation in whatever form you may see fit (introspective, retrospective, or maybe even extrospective).

I close with this last thought, again from the Taize website:
When words and thoughts come to an end, God is praised in silent wonder and admiration.

A weekend in pictures

I went to the Valley this weekend, and enjoyed a 24 hour vacation in the countryside. So much got done in that short period of time: I did a few loads of laundry and hung out on the clothesline, G. replaced my brake pads and rotors, I went to the Wolfville Market with Mom for lunch and got my hair cut (3.5 inches and still most people don't notice it's been cut *sigh*).

I dipped my toes in the brook, which most years has dried up by this point in the summer. As you can see, there's lots of water in it this summer.

I did my produce shopping for the week in Mom's garden: beets, carrots, green beans, waxed beans, kale, Thai basil....did I miss anything?

And then I went up the road and picked 5 pints of raspberries at the U-Pick, and mashed them into this delicious sauce, perfect for my yogurt in the morning!

When I got back to the city, I decided I needed to find my way to Lawrencetown Beach. I've promised a certain 9 year old (The Little) to take her to a beach and I haven't quite decided which one we should go to. Suggestions are welcome. I'm leaning towards Lawrencetown because they waves are just plain fun, but there beach is actually pretty rocky and not conducive to playing in the sand. Queensland or Cleveland Beach might be better for that.

I had fun in the waves while I was there and managed to get soaked. But what would you expect when you stand in the water waiting for waves daring the waves to crash into you! :) I have to say, the water was really cold! It took a little while to get aclimatised (read: numb).

Afterwards I found a spot in the sand and watched the surfers while the feeling came back to my legs.

It was a beautiful weekend. Perfect in almost every way - a good mix of fun and productivity, of exploring new places and visiting the familiar.

Oh, and I'm over my obsession with the "dream house" in Berwick. Having a realtor stand-you-up for a viewing will do that to you. In the end it's probably better this way. The likelihood of loving this house even more after seeing it in person was pretty high, and yet it's still too far away. The message was clear: the house is not for me. I can move on now.