Date Night

Z and I haven't been out together (alone) for ages. He spent the day skiing with the boys again today, and called me on the way home from the hill to propose dinner and a movie. I spent the morning at my doc's after-hours clinic for a teeny problem I needed attended to, then did errands, and finally a nap and more of my current book. By 5:00, I was ready to step out into the craziness that is our post-Christmas local mall.

We had a light dinner at Moxie's and then saw Charlie Wilson's War, a very entertaining and though-provoking film with a stellar cast (Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Julia Roberts). I admit shameful ignorance of all things Afghanistan, and this kind of brought me up to speed, all wrapped up with dabs of Southern glamour, whisky, and attractive women. An entertaining way to be educated. Z completed my education, from where the movie ends up to today.

Date Night

Z and I haven't been out together (alone) for ages. He spent the day skiing with the boys again today, and called me on the way home from the hill to propose dinner and a movie. I spent the morning at my doc's after-hours clinic for a teeny problem I needed attended to, then did errands, and finally a nap and more of my current book. By 5:00, I was ready to step out into the craziness that is our post-Christmas local mall.

We had a light dinner at Moxie's and then saw Charlie Wilson's War, a very entertaining and though-provoking film with a stellar cast (Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Julia Roberts). I admit shameful ignorance of all things Afghanistan, and this kind of brought me up to speed, all wrapped up with dabs of Southern glamour, whisky, and attractive women. An entertaining way to be educated. Z completed my education, from where the movie ends up to today.

Board/Ski Day

The boys had a great day yesterday at Mount Saint Louis Moonstone. There was lots of well-groomed snow, and Alex and Michael boarded from 9 to 4, just before closing. Z did some work in the morning and then rented some skis and took a lesson in the afternoon. He enjoyed it so much, that he and Alex are off to hit the boxing day sales to pick up some skis.

My brother and his family headed up to the cottage around 1:00 pm yeserday in something of a snow storm, but he managed to get a good deal on a 4WD Highlander, so he likely won't need the sand he packed in the trunk to help him over the cottage road. I finished up a library book that's due back shortly, and napped in the afternoon before the guys returned.

Today, I'm working my way through seven loads of laundry that has piled up over the past week, and plan to watch some old movies with my mom while I fold. This morning, I cooked and milled some old-ish apples into applesauce and made a pie with some exceedingly tart granny smith apples that Z picked up yesterday afternoon. They are really too sour to eat, so they will likely get baked or milled over the next few days. We've pretty much finished up all the holiday leftovers (except for excessive amounts of chocolate from all the corporate gifts Z received,) so I may possibly have to consider cooking dinner tonight.

Laundry Status:

Table Linens
Whites
Light Colours
Colours
Dark (1)
Dark(2)
Towels

Board/Ski Day

The boys had a great day yesterday at Mount Saint Louis Moonstone. There was lots of well-groomed snow, and Alex and Michael boarded from 9 to 4, just before closing. Z did some work in the morning and then rented some skis and took a lesson in the afternoon. He enjoyed it so much, that he and Alex are off to hit the boxing day sales to pick up some skis.

My brother and his family headed up to the cottage around 1:00 pm yeserday in something of a snow storm, but he managed to get a good deal on a 4WD Highlander, so he likely won't need the sand he packed in the trunk to help him over the cottage road. I finished up a library book that's due back shortly, and napped in the afternoon before the guys returned.

Today, I'm working my way through seven loads of laundry that has piled up over the past week, and plan to watch some old movies with my mom while I fold. This morning, I cooked and milled some old-ish apples into applesauce and made a pie with some exceedingly tart granny smith apples that Z picked up yesterday afternoon. They are really too sour to eat, so they will likely get baked or milled over the next few days. We've pretty much finished up all the holiday leftovers (except for excessive amounts of chocolate from all the corporate gifts Z received,) so I may possibly have to consider cooking dinner tonight.

Laundry Status:

Table Linens
Whites
Light Colours
Colours
Dark (1)
Dark(2)
Towels

Even more peace.

The stars are aligning today. I will be alone in my house for a few hours of sweet solitude. Z and the boys left at 7 am to go snowboarding for the day. My brother and his lovely family are heading up to the cottage late morning to spend a few days with friends. So from 11 to whenever the lads return, I will be utterly alone.

I will admit that my plans include vacuuming up pine needles and laundry as well as eating leftovers, knitting, and reading. But it will be in silence, which has been a scarce commodity these past couple of weeks. And desperately needed.

Even more peace.

The stars are aligning today. I will be alone in my house for a few hours of sweet solitude. Z and the boys left at 7 am to go snowboarding for the day. My brother and his lovely family are heading up to the cottage late morning to spend a few days with friends. So from 11 to whenever the lads return, I will be utterly alone.

I will admit that my plans include vacuuming up pine needles and laundry as well as eating leftovers, knitting, and reading. But it will be in silence, which has been a scarce commodity these past couple of weeks. And desperately needed.

Christmas Peace

The last few days have been, at the same time, busy and peaceful. My brother and his family arrived a week ago and it's been great spending time with them.

We had a good crowd out to our Christmas Open House on Saturday evening. Family and friends, lots of mingling. We totally forgot about all the hot appetizers in the freezer, but we had a ton of food and drink, and no-one left unsated.

I sang with the choir on Sunday morning. We did Comfort, Comfort (Text: Johann Olearius; Tune: Geneva 42) and The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came during the offertory, and Balulalow by Peter Warlock during Communion (lovely version on YouTube here.)

Monday was filled with a little last minute shopping and wrapping. My brother and his family and Michael went to the children's liturgy in the afternoon, which was packed to the walls and out the doors. When they got home, we had lentil soup with leftover appetizers, bread, and cheese.

The choir was singing at midnight mass with an 11 pm call, so Z and Alex came with me. We started carol singing at 11:30 pm and then mass began at midnight. The church looked lovely and was very full. During the offertory, we did Oh Holy Night with a visiting tenor soloist, and the most beautiful O Magnum Mysterium (Tomas Luis de Victoria) during Communion.

Sunday morning, we opened stockings and gifts from each other, and then I headed off to mass to sing the Christmas Day liturgy. We did O Magnum Mysterium during the offertory and then The Wexford Carol (arr. by John Rutter; audio clip here) with a beautiful solo by one of our young tenors.

We had Eggs Benedict for lunch with mimosas, fruit, and sweets. Naps and more gifts in the afternoon, and then a relaxing dinner of burritos and fruit (with more sweets, of course!)

I intended to go to mass this morning, as I find it somewhat difficult to focus on the mass when I'm in the choir loft, but I started talking with my sister-in-law and the time slipped away. I've got some break baking in my new Zojirushi bread maker (thanks to my very generous brother and his family). I may have another nap....!

Christmas Peace

The last few days have been, at the same time, busy and peaceful. My brother and his family arrived a week ago and it's been great spending time with them.

We had a good crowd out to our Christmas Open House on Saturday evening. Family and friends, lots of mingling. We totally forgot about all the hot appetizers in the freezer, but we had a ton of food and drink, and no-one left unsated.

I sang with the choir on Sunday morning. We did Comfort, Comfort (Text: Johann Olearius; Tune: Geneva 42) and The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came during the offertory, and Balulalow by Peter Warlock during Communion (lovely version on YouTube here.)

Monday was filled with a little last minute shopping and wrapping. My brother and his family and Michael went to the children's liturgy in the afternoon, which was packed to the walls and out the doors. When they got home, we had lentil soup with leftover appetizers, bread, and cheese.

The choir was singing at midnight mass with an 11 pm call, so Z and Alex came with me. We started carol singing at 11:30 pm and then mass began at midnight. The church looked lovely and was very full. During the offertory, we did Oh Holy Night with a visiting tenor soloist, and the most beautiful O Magnum Mysterium (Tomas Luis de Victoria) during Communion.

Sunday morning, we opened stockings and gifts from each other, and then I headed off to mass to sing the Christmas Day liturgy. We did O Magnum Mysterium during the offertory and then The Wexford Carol (arr. by John Rutter; audio clip here) with a beautiful solo by one of our young tenors.

We had Eggs Benedict for lunch with mimosas, fruit, and sweets. Naps and more gifts in the afternoon, and then a relaxing dinner of burritos and fruit (with more sweets, of course!)

I intended to go to mass this morning, as I find it somewhat difficult to focus on the mass when I'm in the choir loft, but I started talking with my sister-in-law and the time slipped away. I've got some break baking in my new Zojirushi bread maker (thanks to my very generous brother and his family). I may have another nap....!

Pioneer Woman - hear her voice

Ree has got to be one of my favorite bloggers. Check out this interview with CNN.

Pioneer Woman - hear her voice

Ree has got to be one of my favorite bloggers. Check out this interview with CNN.

Snow, beautiful, snow

Well, it's beautiful to me because I have done nary a second of shovelling.

We've been hard hit, here in Toronto, and there is no doubt that winter has arrived to stay. We declared yesterday a "family snow day" since our only obligation (mass) was impossible to get to given the weather and state of the streets. Even a 15 minute walk to a neighbouring parish was out of the question with the high winds and blowing snow. So we stayed put, did personal devotions, and a lot of house organization in preparation for the holidays.

Late afternoon, although the snow was still coming down, Z and the boys did the shovelling. It was hard work....we got probably 20-30 cm of snow (8-12 inches for my non-metric readers). We have a large deck, driveway, and long sidewalk (we're on a corner lot) so the three of them were outside for over an hour. The snow-plow went down our street last night but pushed snow onto the other side of the street (blocking in street-parked cars and driveways), but kept our side of the street clear. Whew! That would have meant a lot of shovelling this morning again.

For the first time in my memory, we ran out of milk and no-one felt like walking to the store last night, so it was eggs, toast and applesauce for breakfast this morning instead of the usual cereal.

I've gotta hit the street today and get groceries. I need milk to bake, plus we're out of fruit. I also have another load of stuff to take to Goodwill, and a gift to exchange, a duplicate that I just found out about.

The boy are continuing with exams this week. Alex has four down and four to go, and is writing French and Religion today. Michael has three down and three to go (writing French today). So they spent much of their time this weekend hitting the books and having Z and I quiz them. They'll both be relieved at the end of the week when the exams are done and holidays begin.

Menu Plan Monday

My brother and his family arrive this evening for the holidays, so we're planning for 6 adult-equivalents plus one toddler (who eats pretty much anything vegetarian).

Monday: Galician Garbanzo Soup with homemade herb bread and cheese.
Tuesday: Shrimp stir-fried with asian veg and scented rice
Wednesday: Burgers (veggie or meat), salad, potato chips
Thursday: Cheesy tuna casserole (double recipe), peas, salad.
Friday: Order in
Saturday: Christmas Open House!

Snow, beautiful, snow

Well, it's beautiful to me because I have done nary a second of shovelling.

We've been hard hit, here in Toronto, and there is no doubt that winter has arrived to stay. We declared yesterday a "family snow day" since our only obligation (mass) was impossible to get to given the weather and state of the streets. Even a 15 minute walk to a neighbouring parish was out of the question with the high winds and blowing snow. So we stayed put, did personal devotions, and a lot of house organization in preparation for the holidays.

Late afternoon, although the snow was still coming down, Z and the boys did the shovelling. It was hard work....we got probably 20-30 cm of snow (8-12 inches for my non-metric readers). We have a large deck, driveway, and long sidewalk (we're on a corner lot) so the three of them were outside for over an hour. The snow-plow went down our street last night but pushed snow onto the other side of the street (blocking in street-parked cars and driveways), but kept our side of the street clear. Whew! That would have meant a lot of shovelling this morning again.

For the first time in my memory, we ran out of milk and no-one felt like walking to the store last night, so it was eggs, toast and applesauce for breakfast this morning instead of the usual cereal.

I've gotta hit the street today and get groceries. I need milk to bake, plus we're out of fruit. I also have another load of stuff to take to Goodwill, and a gift to exchange, a duplicate that I just found out about.

The boy are continuing with exams this week. Alex has four down and four to go, and is writing French and Religion today. Michael has three down and three to go (writing French today). So they spent much of their time this weekend hitting the books and having Z and I quiz them. They'll both be relieved at the end of the week when the exams are done and holidays begin.

Menu Plan Monday

My brother and his family arrive this evening for the holidays, so we're planning for 6 adult-equivalents plus one toddler (who eats pretty much anything vegetarian).

Monday: Galician Garbanzo Soup with homemade herb bread and cheese.
Tuesday: Shrimp stir-fried with asian veg and scented rice
Wednesday: Burgers (veggie or meat), salad, potato chips
Thursday: Cheesy tuna casserole (double recipe), peas, salad.
Friday: Order in
Saturday: Christmas Open House!

Nina Conti and monk

I normally do not like ventriloquists at ALL, but this one is something special.

Nina Conti and monk

I normally do not like ventriloquists at ALL, but this one is something special.

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

Almost a million views of this video, so it's not new, but a great piece of work!

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

Almost a million views of this video, so it's not new, but a great piece of work!

Canada Reads 2008

The books have been announced for this annual CBC book-fest in February. I've joined a Book Club through iRead on Facebook to get through these before the battle begins February 29. I've only read one of the books already, and it's on my shelf, so I'll start with that one.

They are (in no particular order):

• Timothy Findlay's Not Wanted on the Voyage (this is the one I've read)
• Paul Quarrington's King Leary
• Nalo Hopkinson's Brown Girl in the Ring
• Thomas Wharton's Icefields
• Mavis Gallant's From the Fifteenth District.
  

Canada Reads 2008

The books have been announced for this annual CBC book-fest in February. I've joined a Book Club through iRead on Facebook to get through these before the battle begins February 29. I've only read one of the books already, and it's on my shelf, so I'll start with that one.

They are (in no particular order):

• Timothy Findlay's Not Wanted on the Voyage (this is the one I've read)
• Paul Quarrington's King Leary
• Nalo Hopkinson's Brown Girl in the Ring
• Thomas Wharton's Icefields
• Mavis Gallant's From the Fifteenth District.
  

Baking for Boys

My teenagers are constantly foraging for food. They are both lean and active, so the calories aren't really a problem. It's the empty calories and sugar rush that worry me. I bake every three days or so, but stuff just disappears. I tried freezing half batches of cookies to stave off the tide, but it didn't really slow them down.

So I decided to go high fibre.

I pulled out an old cookbook called The Oat and Wheat Bran Health Plan that has recipes for what the authors term "breakfast cookies". With a glass of milk, a couple of these are equivalent to eating a bowl of cereal but without all the additives. Each cookie typically has about 5 grams of fibre and are quite tasty, although without the sugar/fat rush of typical cookies. The boys go a little slower through these, I don't mind if they eat them for breakfast, and they're filling.

I've made the Double Chocolate and the Banana recipes and both were good. Next up will be Applesauce cookies.

Baking for Boys

My teenagers are constantly foraging for food. They are both lean and active, so the calories aren't really a problem. It's the empty calories and sugar rush that worry me. I bake every three days or so, but stuff just disappears. I tried freezing half batches of cookies to stave off the tide, but it didn't really slow them down.

So I decided to go high fibre.

I pulled out an old cookbook called The Oat and Wheat Bran Health Plan that has recipes for what the authors term "breakfast cookies". With a glass of milk, a couple of these are equivalent to eating a bowl of cereal but without all the additives. Each cookie typically has about 5 grams of fibre and are quite tasty, although without the sugar/fat rush of typical cookies. The boys go a little slower through these, I don't mind if they eat them for breakfast, and they're filling.

I've made the Double Chocolate and the Banana recipes and both were good. Next up will be Applesauce cookies.

It's that time of year....

....time for It Came Upon a Midnight Weird, aka Cavalcade of Bad Nativities, 2nd Edition.

If you need more of this kitschy goodness, links to her previous collections are in her sidebar (Angels We Have Heard Are High, to name one.)

It's that time of year....

....time for It Came Upon a Midnight Weird, aka Cavalcade of Bad Nativities, 2nd Edition.

If you need more of this kitschy goodness, links to her previous collections are in her sidebar (Angels We Have Heard Are High, to name one.)

Get your elf name!

Christmas Elf Name
My Christmas Elf Name is

Get your Christmas Elf Name at JokesUnlimited.com

Get your elf name!

Christmas Elf Name
My Christmas Elf Name is

Get your Christmas Elf Name at JokesUnlimited.com

Flashback

I burned toast this morning, something that I have not done for years. It was the thin little top of a loaf fresh out of the breadmaker.

As I pulled it out of the toaster, I got this incredible flashback to my childhood home. The question is: did we burn a lot of toast back then? It was a very strong sensation, like the smell of crayons, or of a certain type of soil that takes me back to (likely) a cottage we rented when I was a child.

On top of this, I pictured my mother's hands breaking burnt bits off the edge of a piece of toast, into the garbage disposal in our uniquely shaped matte stainless steel sink.

It's her birthday today. And my first thought of her is scraping burnt toast.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Flashback

I burned toast this morning, something that I have not done for years. It was the thin little top of a loaf fresh out of the breadmaker.

As I pulled it out of the toaster, I got this incredible flashback to my childhood home. The question is: did we burn a lot of toast back then? It was a very strong sensation, like the smell of crayons, or of a certain type of soil that takes me back to (likely) a cottage we rented when I was a child.

On top of this, I pictured my mother's hands breaking burnt bits off the edge of a piece of toast, into the garbage disposal in our uniquely shaped matte stainless steel sink.

It's her birthday today. And my first thought of her is scraping burnt toast.

Happy Birthday Mom!

This leaves me speechless....

Bratz Advent Calendar.

Why???

Kudos to Toronto Hydro

Our power went out this morning around 8:40. This was a fairly common occurrence in Altanta, but the outages typically lasted 5-10 minutes. So I went about my non-power consuming business this morning, waiting for the lights to come back on. It's a grey day, so there wasn't too much I could do in the way of reading or knitting, so I sorted laundry :).

After about 15 minutes, I decided to call Toronto Hydro to report the problem, as I heard a leaf blower fire up somewhere down the street so thought perhaps my problem was isolated. (The existence of gas-powered leaf blowers escaped me momentarily.) After pressing my way to the "Report an Outage" line at the utility, I was informed that I was in an area for which there was an outage, the reason for the outage (a fire), and the approximate duration (half an hour). Within 5 minutes, the lights were back on.

I have to say that I was very impressed with the (automated) service. I was also reminded that I need to keep my cellphone charged up as I was unable to place outgoing calls on any of our landlines, given that they require AC power. I was able to find a Hydro bill in my filing cabinet using the light on my cellphone, and then give them a call.

Back to my power-consuming tasks now!

This leaves me speechless....

Bratz Advent Calendar.

Why???

Kudos to Toronto Hydro

Our power went out this morning around 8:40. This was a fairly common occurrence in Altanta, but the outages typically lasted 5-10 minutes. So I went about my non-power consuming business this morning, waiting for the lights to come back on. It's a grey day, so there wasn't too much I could do in the way of reading or knitting, so I sorted laundry :).

After about 15 minutes, I decided to call Toronto Hydro to report the problem, as I heard a leaf blower fire up somewhere down the street so thought perhaps my problem was isolated. (The existence of gas-powered leaf blowers escaped me momentarily.) After pressing my way to the "Report an Outage" line at the utility, I was informed that I was in an area for which there was an outage, the reason for the outage (a fire), and the approximate duration (half an hour). Within 5 minutes, the lights were back on.

I have to say that I was very impressed with the (automated) service. I was also reminded that I need to keep my cellphone charged up as I was unable to place outgoing calls on any of our landlines, given that they require AC power. I was able to find a Hydro bill in my filing cabinet using the light on my cellphone, and then give them a call.

Back to my power-consuming tasks now!

Mark Shea on Purity

Mark Shea has a short but excellent two-part series on purity in the National Catholic Register.

Part 1 - Pharisaic Purity
Excerpt:

Uncleanness, sin and defilement were more powerful influences than cleanness, sanctity and purity.

In the old Law, sin was the superior power. When someone afflicted with some ritual uncleanness that symbolizes sin touched someone who was clean, the “flow” of power went in one direction only: The clean person was defiled but the unclean person was not sanctified.

But when Jesus touched the leper something astounding happened: The leper became clean and Jesus was not defiled. The flow of power was, for the first time, reversed.

Naturally then, the Pharisees simply do not know what to do with him and are motivated by their pride to misunderstand him.

Part 2 - A Christian Approach to Purity
Excerpt:

It is the realization that we do indeed live under the New Covenant and that our primary mission as Catholics is to make the world holy, not to keep the world from defiling us. We have to learn that the Church ultimately has the upper hand against sin because we have the power of Christ. [emphasis added]

Mark Shea on Purity

Mark Shea has a short but excellent two-part series on purity in the National Catholic Register.

Part 1 - Pharisaic Purity
Excerpt:

Uncleanness, sin and defilement were more powerful influences than cleanness, sanctity and purity.

In the old Law, sin was the superior power. When someone afflicted with some ritual uncleanness that symbolizes sin touched someone who was clean, the “flow” of power went in one direction only: The clean person was defiled but the unclean person was not sanctified.

But when Jesus touched the leper something astounding happened: The leper became clean and Jesus was not defiled. The flow of power was, for the first time, reversed.

Naturally then, the Pharisees simply do not know what to do with him and are motivated by their pride to misunderstand him.

Part 2 - A Christian Approach to Purity
Excerpt:

It is the realization that we do indeed live under the New Covenant and that our primary mission as Catholics is to make the world holy, not to keep the world from defiling us. We have to learn that the Church ultimately has the upper hand against sin because we have the power of Christ. [emphasis added]

Menu plan adjustments

I didn't get out to get groceries yesterday because I had a chance to rake leaves. Yay. Seriously, this is the last week that yard waste will be picked up and the leaves were really late to fall this year. Plus, we had icy snow a few days ago, so I needed to wait until most of that melted. I got half the yard done yesterday and the other half will have to be done today. On the plus side, the exercise helped my weight drop down into the lower "decade" so that was a nice bonus.

So, I had to switch my plan around and made lentil soup yesterday. Dear Michael walks in the house after school and exclaims "Mom! What smells so great?" (Truly, the house DID smell good.) He ate a huge quantity of soup for dinner. This morning, I pulled out the thermos that Michael had expressed interest in using and, again, he became quite ecstatic at the thought of taking more soup for lunch at school.

Alex, on the other hand, was quite tentative and started by asking what ELSE he could have for dinner. I suggested that he would have to figure this out for himself, but would he please TRY the soup first. He ended up having two bowls as well.

Here's the recipe:

Lentil Soup
	1 cup lentils ¼ cup olive oil 2 med onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 med carrots, sliced 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced 1 small turnip or parsnip, peeled, diced (optional) 8 cups broth 2 bay leaves ½ tsp cumin, ground 3 sprigs parsley salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 Rinse lentils several times. Set aside to drain. 2 Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Add onions and garlic, and saute until onions are tender. Add carrots and celery, turnip or parsnip if using. Cook 10 minutes over low heat. 3 Add drained lentils, broth, parsley, bay leaves, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer over low heat 1 to 1½ hours or until lentils are soft and broth is slightly thickened. Remove parsley sprigs and bay leaves and discard. 4 Add lemon juice just before serving. Servings: 6 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes Recipe Source Author: Rose Dosti Source: Middle Eastern Cooking

Menu plan adjustments

I didn't get out to get groceries yesterday because I had a chance to rake leaves. Yay. Seriously, this is the last week that yard waste will be picked up and the leaves were really late to fall this year. Plus, we had icy snow a few days ago, so I needed to wait until most of that melted. I got half the yard done yesterday and the other half will have to be done today. On the plus side, the exercise helped my weight drop down into the lower "decade" so that was a nice bonus.

So, I had to switch my plan around and made lentil soup yesterday. Dear Michael walks in the house after school and exclaims "Mom! What smells so great?" (Truly, the house DID smell good.) He ate a huge quantity of soup for dinner. This morning, I pulled out the thermos that Michael had expressed interest in using and, again, he became quite ecstatic at the thought of taking more soup for lunch at school.

Alex, on the other hand, was quite tentative and started by asking what ELSE he could have for dinner. I suggested that he would have to figure this out for himself, but would he please TRY the soup first. He ended up having two bowls as well.

Here's the recipe:

Lentil Soup
	1 cup lentils ¼ cup olive oil 2 med onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 med carrots, sliced 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced 1 small turnip or parsnip, peeled, diced (optional) 8 cups broth 2 bay leaves ½ tsp cumin, ground 3 sprigs parsley salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 Rinse lentils several times. Set aside to drain. 2 Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Add onions and garlic, and saute until onions are tender. Add carrots and celery, turnip or parsnip if using. Cook 10 minutes over low heat. 3 Add drained lentils, broth, parsley, bay leaves, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer over low heat 1 to 1½ hours or until lentils are soft and broth is slightly thickened. Remove parsley sprigs and bay leaves and discard. 4 Add lemon juice just before serving. Servings: 6 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes Recipe Source Author: Rose Dosti Source: Middle Eastern Cooking

Knitting Redux

My sister and I learned to knit as youngsters. Our housekeeper, Thelma, started it all off with a knitting spool, or corking, making long wool tubes using a spool with some nails hammered into it and scrap wool. This wool would then be sewn into spirals to create circular or oval...well...things. While I had dreams of making a carpet, I believe I got at least to the teapot trivet size. Then someone taught us to knit....not sure if if was Thelma, my grandmother, or my mother, but I generated a few multicoloured scarves. Over the years, I've made a couple of sweaters and some baby clothing, but the slow pace kind of wore on me. So I switched over to needlework, mainly cross-stitch and tapestry work.

Then hit my early 40s and my eyes started to blur. I've been wearing bifocals for a few years, but they don't quite give me the vision I need, unless I work under a really strong light. My last project (still undone) is an asian-style picture of blue and white china with red poppies, and there are multiple red wool colours that are driving me crazy. So I set it aside.

With the advent of cold weather these past couple of weeks, I started to crave some cozy socks, big fat ones to wear around the house, and possibly in bed. (How elderly does that sound?) So I popped into a knitting store a few blocks from home and picked up a Sirdar pattern and basic supplies for some thick, yet oddly lacy socks. I churned those puppies out in under 12 hours of focussed knitting over 3 sessions (okay, I watched a lot of TV at the same time). They are a little large...I think the sizing for the socks was listed in men's shoe sizes, not womens. Oops. So I'm going to try washing them (by hand) to see if they'll shrink up a little.

I had to head back to the store to get a wool needle to sew these up and a stitch holder so that I could move on from the twist tie that I had used for the first sock of the pair. Feeling a little like a crack addict, I also walked out of the store with 12 more balls of the same wool (but in grey) to make a roll-neck sweater (the one on the left.) My dealer is an older European woman, the owner of the store, who was very helpful, although she DID use the word "addicted" in discussing my second trip to the store in 24 hours. She has a gorgeous selection of wool, and I should have no problem feeding my new habit.

The wool I'm using for these first two projects is also from Sirdar and is called Hug, a 50-50 wool/polyester blend that is very soft. It knits up (in stocking stitch) kind of like fleece...a bit fuzzy on the right side and soft but not fuzzy on the wrong.

I've started on the sweater, and am about a third of the way up the back. It's much easier than the socks as it is straight stocking stitch with no increases/decreases or pattern until you get to the shoulders. I'm hoping to get the sweater done in a week.

Menu Plan Monday

For various reasons, I didn't get menus planned in advance last week as I had a migraine and it was a little chaotic around the house. So this week I'm back on track. I need to clear some space in the cupboards and freezer, so we're going to try to work our way through some of my stockpile this week.

Monday: Cheesy tuna casserole, salad
Tuesday: Homemade lentil soup with herb bread and cheese tray
Wednesday: Shrimp and veg stir-fry with rice
Thursday: White cheddar and spinach ravioli, edamame, and garlic bread.
Friday: Eat out at local chinese buffet. (Z is not big on buffets but he's travelling on business this week, so the boys and I will get our fill!)

Knitting Redux

My sister and I learned to knit as youngsters. Our housekeeper, Thelma, started it all off with a knitting spool, or corking, making long wool tubes using a spool with some nails hammered into it and scrap wool. This wool would then be sewn into spirals to create circular or oval...well...things. While I had dreams of making a carpet, I believe I got at least to the teapot trivet size. Then someone taught us to knit....not sure if if was Thelma, my grandmother, or my mother, but I generated a few multicoloured scarves. Over the years, I've made a couple of sweaters and some baby clothing, but the slow pace kind of wore on me. So I switched over to needlework, mainly cross-stitch and tapestry work.

Then hit my early 40s and my eyes started to blur. I've been wearing bifocals for a few years, but they don't quite give me the vision I need, unless I work under a really strong light. My last project (still undone) is an asian-style picture of blue and white china with red poppies, and there are multiple red wool colours that are driving me crazy. So I set it aside.

With the advent of cold weather these past couple of weeks, I started to crave some cozy socks, big fat ones to wear around the house, and possibly in bed. (How elderly does that sound?) So I popped into a knitting store a few blocks from home and picked up a Sirdar pattern and basic supplies for some thick, yet oddly lacy socks. I churned those puppies out in under 12 hours of focussed knitting over 3 sessions (okay, I watched a lot of TV at the same time). They are a little large...I think the sizing for the socks was listed in men's shoe sizes, not womens. Oops. So I'm going to try washing them (by hand) to see if they'll shrink up a little.

I had to head back to the store to get a wool needle to sew these up and a stitch holder so that I could move on from the twist tie that I had used for the first sock of the pair. Feeling a little like a crack addict, I also walked out of the store with 12 more balls of the same wool (but in grey) to make a roll-neck sweater (the one on the left.) My dealer is an older European woman, the owner of the store, who was very helpful, although she DID use the word "addicted" in discussing my second trip to the store in 24 hours. She has a gorgeous selection of wool, and I should have no problem feeding my new habit.

The wool I'm using for these first two projects is also from Sirdar and is called Hug, a 50-50 wool/polyester blend that is very soft. It knits up (in stocking stitch) kind of like fleece...a bit fuzzy on the right side and soft but not fuzzy on the wrong.

I've started on the sweater, and am about a third of the way up the back. It's much easier than the socks as it is straight stocking stitch with no increases/decreases or pattern until you get to the shoulders. I'm hoping to get the sweater done in a week.

Menu Plan Monday

For various reasons, I didn't get menus planned in advance last week as I had a migraine and it was a little chaotic around the house. So this week I'm back on track. I need to clear some space in the cupboards and freezer, so we're going to try to work our way through some of my stockpile this week.

Monday: Cheesy tuna casserole, salad
Tuesday: Homemade lentil soup with herb bread and cheese tray
Wednesday: Shrimp and veg stir-fry with rice
Thursday: White cheddar and spinach ravioli, edamame, and garlic bread.
Friday: Eat out at local chinese buffet. (Z is not big on buffets but he's travelling on business this week, so the boys and I will get our fill!)

Sunday Music Report

Today was the feast of Christ the King, and the smell of incense as I entered the church was wonderful. The priest at our previous parish incensed at every opportunity, but his was the first time I'd smelled incense since we moved to Toronto.

I know that in general, choirs don't appreciate incense, but in my current parish, the choir is in a loft at the back of the church so it was very non-offensive. This was the first Sunday that we processed. We sang Good Christians All, Rejoice and Sing/Christ the King (386 and 387 in Catholic Book of Worship III).

During the Offertory, we sang A Time for All Things by Douglas E Wagner. During Communion, we were supposed to do Salvator Mundi by Thomas Tallis, but we only had 2 sopranos this morning, one of whom was here for the first time, so we did a quick switch to Elgar's Ave Verum which apparently was known to most choir members.

The recessional was Crown Him with Many Crowns, a favourite from my Pioneer Camp days.

More clearing out

We finally got rid of 5 doors that I had posted on Craigslist 10 days ago. Four were actually one item, 2 pairs of sliding closet doors that we removed from the boys' rooms. They made the closets very difficult to access, and our long term plan is to replace them with bi-folds. But the boys are fine with no doors for the time being. A young couple picked them up Saturday afternoon. The wife told me that their son had just smashed a mirror door on a closet and they were looking for a replacement.

The other door was a narrow (24") passage door from our master bedroom closet. The closet is a small walk-in, and when the door was open, it covered half of one side of the hanging clothing space. We just decided to remove it and forgo a door completely. At some point, we'll remove the hinges and re-do the door frame trim, but it's just fine for the time being. A guy who is renovating his house picked it up, saying that is was perfect for his master bathroom.

The frustrating thing about these transactions was the number of people who emailed to express interest, and then when I replied with my phone number, never called or emailed back. These were free items. I just needed them out of my house. I tried to donate them to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, but they were completely overstocked with doors, so I decided to just offer them for free on Craigslist. At least half a dozen people expressed interest in each of these two items, and with one exception, nothing ever transpired. The two people who actually took the items contacted me on Saturday, promised to pick up the items that day, and followed through.

Anyway, they're out of the house. Now I'm trying to sell a Queen size mattress, box foundation, and metal frame. I hope that these will go this week, and then I have sold wood bunk beds to sell.

Sunday Music Report

Today was the feast of Christ the King, and the smell of incense as I entered the church was wonderful. The priest at our previous parish incensed at every opportunity, but his was the first time I'd smelled incense since we moved to Toronto.

I know that in general, choirs don't appreciate incense, but in my current parish, the choir is in a loft at the back of the church so it was very non-offensive. This was the first Sunday that we processed. We sang Good Christians All, Rejoice and Sing/Christ the King (386 and 387 in Catholic Book of Worship III).

During the Offertory, we sang A Time for All Things by Douglas E Wagner. During Communion, we were supposed to do Salvator Mundi by Thomas Tallis, but we only had 2 sopranos this morning, one of whom was here for the first time, so we did a quick switch to Elgar's Ave Verum which apparently was known to most choir members.

The recessional was Crown Him with Many Crowns, a favourite from my Pioneer Camp days.

More clearing out

We finally got rid of 5 doors that I had posted on Craigslist 10 days ago. Four were actually one item, 2 pairs of sliding closet doors that we removed from the boys' rooms. They made the closets very difficult to access, and our long term plan is to replace them with bi-folds. But the boys are fine with no doors for the time being. A young couple picked them up Saturday afternoon. The wife told me that their son had just smashed a mirror door on a closet and they were looking for a replacement.

The other door was a narrow (24") passage door from our master bedroom closet. The closet is a small walk-in, and when the door was open, it covered half of one side of the hanging clothing space. We just decided to remove it and forgo a door completely. At some point, we'll remove the hinges and re-do the door frame trim, but it's just fine for the time being. A guy who is renovating his house picked it up, saying that is was perfect for his master bathroom.

The frustrating thing about these transactions was the number of people who emailed to express interest, and then when I replied with my phone number, never called or emailed back. These were free items. I just needed them out of my house. I tried to donate them to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, but they were completely overstocked with doors, so I decided to just offer them for free on Craigslist. At least half a dozen people expressed interest in each of these two items, and with one exception, nothing ever transpired. The two people who actually took the items contacted me on Saturday, promised to pick up the items that day, and followed through.

Anyway, they're out of the house. Now I'm trying to sell a Queen size mattress, box foundation, and metal frame. I hope that these will go this week, and then I have sold wood bunk beds to sell.

My Office persona: Pam!

Which Office Character Are You?
	You are Pam. You are sweet and likable, but your shyness makes it hard for you to express yourself sometimes. Regardless, you are always there for your friends and will usually come out of your shell to help anyone.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

My Office persona: Pam!

Which Office Character Are You?
	You are Pam. You are sweet and likable, but your shyness makes it hard for you to express yourself sometimes. Regardless, you are always there for your friends and will usually come out of your shell to help anyone.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

No music...just for a day.

Yesterday was No Music Day in Britain. An idea long overdue. Great commentary over at Salon.com entitled "The divine sound of silence".

I love music. I sing, play the piano, and enjoy most genres of music. But I hate music being foisted upon me everywhere I go. The last straw was the music piped into the outdoor parking area at the self-described "upscale European-style mall" near our previous house in Atlanta.

Unlike many of my family and friends, I don't typically have the radio (or television) on when I am at home by myself. I find it difficult to read the paper with the radio on. I crave silence. It lets me think. I am constantly turning off noisemakers in the house. The only time I regularly reach for the radio dial is in the car....perhaps because I can't read or surf while driving.

I love iPods because my children can listen to their own music in the car while I play classic rock through the car stereo. Or nothing at all.

Thankgiving blessings to my US friends!

Up here in the Great White North, it's just an ordinary Thursday. This meant that I had time to fool around with my ice cream maker again!

Today's experiment was no low-cal, fruity dessert, but the real thing. French Vanilla Ice Cream. The recipe came from the instructional booklet for this appliance of gluttony. To make 8 cups of ice cream requires 5 cups of cream (an equal mixture of whipping cream and half-and-half), 8 egg yolks, some sugar, salt and vanilla. Now, the recipe booklet says that any type of milk/cream can be used but I decided, in the name of science, to stay true to the recipe. My only nod to low-fatness was substituting table cream for whipping cream.

The process was similar to that for gelato: the ingredients are mixed and heated to almost-boiling, chilled, and then churned. And then packed and frozen for a couple of hours. In this case, I had to beat the yolks with the sugar, heat up half the cream, add it slowly to the yolks with the mixer running, and then put everything back on the stove and heat to almost-boiling. Then add the rest of the cream, salt, and vanilla.

It's in the freezer now, firming up for dinner. I had a taste of the almost-finished product and could feel the arteries hardening in my chest.

There's a recipe for Caramel Pecan Ice Cream that's calling my name....

No music...just for a day.

Yesterday was No Music Day in Britain. An idea long overdue. Great commentary over at Salon.com entitled "The divine sound of silence".

I love music. I sing, play the piano, and enjoy most genres of music. But I hate music being foisted upon me everywhere I go. The last straw was the music piped into the outdoor parking area at the self-described "upscale European-style mall" near our previous house in Atlanta.

Unlike many of my family and friends, I don't typically have the radio (or television) on when I am at home by myself. I find it difficult to read the paper with the radio on. I crave silence. It lets me think. I am constantly turning off noisemakers in the house. The only time I regularly reach for the radio dial is in the car....perhaps because I can't read or surf while driving.

I love iPods because my children can listen to their own music in the car while I play classic rock through the car stereo. Or nothing at all.

Thankgiving blessings to my US friends!

Up here in the Great White North, it's just an ordinary Thursday. This meant that I had time to fool around with my ice cream maker again!

Today's experiment was no low-cal, fruity dessert, but the real thing. French Vanilla Ice Cream. The recipe came from the instructional booklet for this appliance of gluttony. To make 8 cups of ice cream requires 5 cups of cream (an equal mixture of whipping cream and half-and-half), 8 egg yolks, some sugar, salt and vanilla. Now, the recipe booklet says that any type of milk/cream can be used but I decided, in the name of science, to stay true to the recipe. My only nod to low-fatness was substituting table cream for whipping cream.

The process was similar to that for gelato: the ingredients are mixed and heated to almost-boiling, chilled, and then churned. And then packed and frozen for a couple of hours. In this case, I had to beat the yolks with the sugar, heat up half the cream, add it slowly to the yolks with the mixer running, and then put everything back on the stove and heat to almost-boiling. Then add the rest of the cream, salt, and vanilla.

It's in the freezer now, firming up for dinner. I had a taste of the almost-finished product and could feel the arteries hardening in my chest.

There's a recipe for Caramel Pecan Ice Cream that's calling my name....

A little piece of history

As I brutally sort and purge all the stuff in the basement, I come across a few gems. This was in a pile of framed photos, most of which will be scanned and the frames given away as we just don't have wall space.

The photo is of me, my brother John, and my sister Frances, in our backyard in Ottawa, circa 1969.

A little piece of history

As I brutally sort and purge all the stuff in the basement, I come across a few gems. This was in a pile of framed photos, most of which will be scanned and the frames given away as we just don't have wall space.

The photo is of me, my brother John, and my sister Frances, in our backyard in Ottawa, circa 1969.

Gelato! I made some!

Have I mentioned before how much I love my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer? Yep, just like the one Oprah gave away on her Favorite Things show yesterday.

A couple of years ago, I received an ice cream maker attachment for it for Christmas. You stick it in the freezer for a day, make up your ice cream/sorbet/gelato recipe, attach the bowl to the stand mixer, and let 'er rip.

I made some yummy pineapple sorbet when I first got it, and then the freezer got too full to keep the bowl inside, so it was relegated to a back shelf of a kitchen cupboard. I recently got it out again, and yesterday made a triple citrus gelato (the recipe was adapted from Gelato, Sorbet and Ice Cream.)

Wowzie!

I used some grapefruit, oranges, and a lemon that were past their prime. You bring the juice, some sugar (okay, a LOT of sugar), and zest from the fruit to a boil. Then let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. Add a couple of beaten egg whites (optional) and then churn. Then freeze it for a few hours.

I don't think i chilled it enough before churning because what was supposed to be a 12-15 minute churn took an hour. But it finally "converted" (the technical ice-cream making term for turning slushy).

It was very intensely flavoured. Half a cup was plenty to get that after-dinner sugar rush and cleanse the palate. The kids were a little overwhelmed by the flavour, but then they tend to go for quantity over quality (being teenage boys). Z thought it was great.

Once we've finished up the leftovers, I'm going to try my hand at some vanilla ice cream.

Gelato! I made some!

Have I mentioned before how much I love my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer? Yep, just like the one Oprah gave away on her Favorite Things show yesterday.

A couple of years ago, I received an ice cream maker attachment for it for Christmas. You stick it in the freezer for a day, make up your ice cream/sorbet/gelato recipe, attach the bowl to the stand mixer, and let 'er rip.

I made some yummy pineapple sorbet when I first got it, and then the freezer got too full to keep the bowl inside, so it was relegated to a back shelf of a kitchen cupboard. I recently got it out again, and yesterday made a triple citrus gelato (the recipe was adapted from Gelato, Sorbet and Ice Cream.)

Wowzie!

I used some grapefruit, oranges, and a lemon that were past their prime. You bring the juice, some sugar (okay, a LOT of sugar), and zest from the fruit to a boil. Then let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. Add a couple of beaten egg whites (optional) and then churn. Then freeze it for a few hours.

I don't think i chilled it enough before churning because what was supposed to be a 12-15 minute churn took an hour. But it finally "converted" (the technical ice-cream making term for turning slushy).

It was very intensely flavoured. Half a cup was plenty to get that after-dinner sugar rush and cleanse the palate. The kids were a little overwhelmed by the flavour, but then they tend to go for quantity over quality (being teenage boys). Z thought it was great.

Once we've finished up the leftovers, I'm going to try my hand at some vanilla ice cream.

Video of the day.

This Guy Has Hit The Big Time Now!

Video of the day.

This Guy Has Hit The Big Time Now!

Big Birthday Weekend

Today was both Alex and Z's birthday. We started the celebrations on Saturday with a Dim Sum lunch at Cha Lui near Yonge and Eglinton. The food was very good, although it was not typical Dim Sum in that you had to order from a menu (rather than choose dishes from roaming carts.) My boys have become very adventurous eaters so we tried lots of different dishes.

I got a massive headache that afternoon and it's still hanging on, two days later. So I rested most of Saturday afternoon and through the day Sunday, skipping mass and choir. Finally, early this morning, I succumbed to taking my prescription headache meds. The problem with these beautiful blue capsules is that I get a big ugly red lesion below my lip every time I take them. So I am always balancing vanity with the severity of my headache. The balance tipped at 3:00 am this morning and I popped two. By dawn, I felt well enough slap on some coverstick and head downtown with my sweetie for a birthday outing to the ROM (as he took the day off from work today.)

We decided to leave the car at a station close to home and take the subway downtown. We purchased a family membership to the ROM and then headed upstairs to C5, the chic little dining establishment on the fifth floor of the new Lee Chin Crystal addition to the museum.

The meal was fabulous. I can't even begin to describe what we had...the only way it could have been better would have been if I was feeling up to drinking wine (with my meds) and if for some reason they hadn't seated most of the guests very close together, even though the room wasn't very full.

After lunch, we wandered through a few of the exhibits in the museum, in particular the ones on Cyprus and Egypt. I found these items to be particularly interesting.

This is an Egyption sculpture of a calf being born:
And here are a selection of mummified animals, including cats, a hawk, a duck, and a crocodile:
And this grimacing head:
We left the museum and popped into Remenyi House of Music so that I could pick up a copy of the vocal score for Handel's Messiah. There are a couple of "Sing-Along Messiahs" coming up in the next month and I hope to get to one.

While we were on Bloor Street, I got this shot of the Royal Conservatory of Music. I lived at Bloor and Spadina for a year when I attended University of Toronto 20-some years ago and never noticed what a beautiful building it is. There is a lot of construction going on there and it will be even more lovely when complete.

By 3:00, we hopped back on the subway, grabbed the car, and made a quick stop at Costco before heading home. Sadly, my headache returned so I'm back on the meds. But it was a peaceful, enjoyable day out with my sweetheart,

Big Birthday Weekend

Today was both Alex and Z's birthday. We started the celebrations on Saturday with a Dim Sum lunch at Cha Lui near Yonge and Eglinton. The food was very good, although it was not typical Dim Sum in that you had to order from a menu (rather than choose dishes from roaming carts.) My boys have become very adventurous eaters so we tried lots of different dishes.

I got a massive headache that afternoon and it's still hanging on, two days later. So I rested most of Saturday afternoon and through the day Sunday, skipping mass and choir. Finally, early this morning, I succumbed to taking my prescription headache meds. The problem with these beautiful blue capsules is that I get a big ugly red lesion below my lip every time I take them. So I am always balancing vanity with the severity of my headache. The balance tipped at 3:00 am this morning and I popped two. By dawn, I felt well enough slap on some coverstick and head downtown with my sweetie for a birthday outing to the ROM (as he took the day off from work today.)

We decided to leave the car at a station close to home and take the subway downtown. We purchased a family membership to the ROM and then headed upstairs to C5, the chic little dining establishment on the fifth floor of the new Lee Chin Crystal addition to the museum.

The meal was fabulous. I can't even begin to describe what we had...the only way it could have been better would have been if I was feeling up to drinking wine (with my meds) and if for some reason they hadn't seated most of the guests very close together, even though the room wasn't very full.

After lunch, we wandered through a few of the exhibits in the museum, in particular the ones on Cyprus and Egypt. I found these items to be particularly interesting.

This is an Egyption sculpture of a calf being born:

And here are a selection of mummified animals, including cats, a hawk, a duck, and a crocodile:

And this grimacing head:

We left the museum and popped into Remenyi House of Music so that I could pick up a copy of the vocal score for Handel's Messiah. There are a couple of "Sing-Along Messiahs" coming up in the next month and I hope to get to one.

While we were on Bloor Street, I got this shot of the Royal Conservatory of Music. I lived at Bloor and Spadina for a year when I attended University of Toronto 20-some years ago and never noticed what a beautiful building it is. There is a lot of construction going on there and it will be even more lovely when complete.

By 3:00, we hopped back on the subway, grabbed the car, and made a quick stop at Costco before heading home. Sadly, my headache returned so I'm back on the meds. But it was a peaceful, enjoyable day out with my sweetheart,

1000 Gifts: #8-12

8. Dim Sum with my family to celebrate Z and Alex's birthdays.
9. Beautiful new carpet.
10. Seeing my boys, who are typically in argument mode, playing together while raking the leaves
11. Z bringing me home a chicken shawarma plate from our local middle eastern restaurant
12. A chance to read and nap and nap and read this afternoon.
    

1000 Gifts: #8-12

1. Dim Sum with my family to celebrate Z and Alex's birthdays.
2. Beautiful new carpet.
3. Seeing my boys, who are typically in argument mode, playing together while raking the leaves
4. Z bringing me home a chicken shawarma plate from our local middle eastern restaurant
5. A chance to read and nap and nap and read this afternoon.
   

I'm younger than I thought!

In a recent post, Alexa reminded me of the Real Age test. I watched Drs. Oz and Roizen on Oprah a couple of weeks ago touting their new book You: Staying Younger. I have both of their previous You books (You: The Owner's Manual and You: On a Diet) and think they're great. The two part show on staying younger was very informative.

Now, I'm not someone who is in any way looking for the fountain of youth. I have no anxieties whatsoever about the end of life, and am looking forward to eternal bliss. But for the time I'm here on earth, I want to be fit and energetic, two adjectives that have not always described me well.

The docs have a Real Age test on line that covers a bunch of health and fitness questions, and then calculates your "Real Age", or, where you are statistically relative to the expected life span of someone your age. They also refer to it as "biological age")

I took the test and was pleased to find out that despite a calendar age of 47.4 years, my "RealAge" is 43.8. The test results come with lots of ideas for improving your Real Age, none of which I've implemented yet. But I'll get on it...

10 pounds of fat

That's what I've lost in the 2 months I've been going to Curves. Well, actually, it's 2 months elapsed time but probably only 5-6 weeks of actual workouts due to a cold, visitors, and then sore hands from the big carpet clearout.

On the scale, my weight-loss was only 5-1/4 pounds, but when they measured body fat percentage with their nifty electronic device, mine went down by almost 5%. That lets them calculate actual fat lost, not just weight lost. And they calculated that 10 pounds of fat has been shed. The difference is muscle mass gained.

I lost inches everywhere except for my waist, darnit. But they differentiate between waist and abdomen (what they refer to coyly as "the largest part of your tummy") and I'm down 2 inches there.

I'd still like to lose another 12-15 pounds on the scale, but just being able to get into normal sized clothing is my goal. I'd like to drop a dress size which would put be back on the rack in most stores.

But it was heartening to see progress like this because relying on the scale really doesn't tell you what's going on behind the scenes, so to speak.

I'm younger than I thought!

In a recent post, Alexa reminded me of the Real Age test. I watched Drs. Oz and Roizen on Oprah a couple of weeks ago touting their new book You: Staying Younger. I have both of their previous You books (You: The Owner's Manual and You: On a Diet) and think they're great. The two part show on staying younger was very informative.

Now, I'm not someone who is in any way looking for the fountain of youth. I have no anxieties whatsoever about the end of life, and am looking forward to eternal bliss. But for the time I'm here on earth, I want to be fit and energetic, two adjectives that have not always described me well.

The docs have a Real Age test on line that covers a bunch of health and fitness questions, and then calculates your "Real Age", or, where you are statistically relative to the expected life span of someone your age. They also refer to it as "biological age")

I took the test and was pleased to find out that despite a calendar age of 47.4 years, my "RealAge" is 43.8. The test results come with lots of ideas for improving your Real Age, none of which I've implemented yet. But I'll get on it...

10 pounds of fat

That's what I've lost in the 2 months I've been going to Curves. Well, actually, it's 2 months elapsed time but probably only 5-6 weeks of actual workouts due to a cold, visitors, and then sore hands from the big carpet clearout.

On the scale, my weight-loss was only 5-1/4 pounds, but when they measured body fat percentage with their nifty electronic device, mine went down by almost 5%. That lets them calculate actual fat lost, not just weight lost. And they calculated that 10 pounds of fat has been shed. The difference is muscle mass gained.

I lost inches everywhere except for my waist, darnit. But they differentiate between waist and abdomen (what they refer to coyly as "the largest part of your tummy") and I'm down 2 inches there.

I'd still like to lose another 12-15 pounds on the scale, but just being able to get into normal sized clothing is my goal. I'd like to drop a dress size which would put be back on the rack in most stores.

But it was heartening to see progress like this because relying on the scale really doesn't tell you what's going on behind the scenes, so to speak.

One Thousand Gifts

I have discovered a lovely blog called Holy Experience, subtitled "laundry...listening...liturgy". Today, the author continues her list of One Thousand Gifts with numbers 924 through 934.

A number of years ago, I kept a gratitude journal for a few months. It was during a time of small children, work outside the home, and the usual strained relationship that comes with too much work and too little time to connect. The act of picking up my journal and pen each night forced me to look beyond the annoyances and trials of the day for the small bright spots.

Life is fundamentally different now. The children are teenagers. Being at home. A faith that in some weird way celebrates suffering, lifts it up as sacrifice. My outlook on life has taken the proverbial one-eighty. And I have so much more to be thankful for.

So I begin my One Thousand Gifts list.

1. A blanket of yellow leaves on the lawn being covered by snow.
2. Fresh coffee each morning, brewed on a timer.
3. A warm dog on my bed when Z is away.
4. Seeing my children change and grow in unexpected ways.
5. Fresh, drinkable city-supplied water.
6. Singing in my parish choir.
7. The ache that comes from physical labour.
   

One Thousand Gifts

I have discovered a lovely blog called Holy Experience, subtitled "laundry...listening...liturgy". Today, the author continues her list of One Thousand Gifts with numbers 924 through 934.

A number of years ago, I kept a gratitude journal for a few months. It was during a time of small children, work outside the home, and the usual strained relationship that comes with too much work and too little time to connect. The act of picking up my journal and pen each night forced me to look beyond the annoyances and trials of the day for the small bright spots.

Life is fundamentally different now. The children are teenagers. Being at home. A faith that in some weird way celebrates suffering, lifts it up as sacrifice. My outlook on life has taken the proverbial one-eighty. And I have so much more to be thankful for.

So I begin my One Thousand Gifts list.

1. A blanket of yellow leaves on the lawn being covered by snow.
2. Fresh coffee each morning, brewed on a timer.
3. A warm dog on my bed when Z is away.
4. Seeing my children change and grow in unexpected ways.
5. Fresh, drinkable city-supplied water.
6. Singing in my parish choir.
7. The ache that comes from physical labour.
   

How to make a grilled cheese sandwich something special.

Try one of these.

Yum-ola.

How to make a grilled cheese sandwich something special.

Try one of these.

Yum-ola.

Front Hall Closet Makeover

As I have mentioned before, we don't have a lot of storage space in this house so every bit has to count.

Our front hall closet will the be repository of every winter boot, glove, scarf, coat, slipper, etc used by the four of us, so it needed to be well-organized.

Here are the "Before" pictures. Note the jumble of miscellaneous stuff on the upper shelf.

And the floor was crowded with shoes that haven't been worn recently, brooms and mops, a gym bag, etc.
After: I started by moving the brooms to a basement closet where I installed hooks to hold them all. I purchased four clear plastic bins and labeled them with their new owners' names.

The hanging shoe rack will be limited to slippers or other indoor shoes, and dog walking apparatus (leashes, bags, and paper towels for cleaning his feet after a walk).The shoe cleaning stuff (that was in the cardboard box on the top shelf) is now in it's own bin on the floor at the back of the closet. The rest of the closet floor will be **strictly limited** to outdoor shoes.
[Hard-assed mother anecdote: Alex tends to leave his shoes directly in front of the door upon entering, rather than taking the, oh, 6 seconds to put them in the closet. On at least two occasions in the summer, after warning him about this, he "lost the privilege" of using said shoes for 24 hours. He had to run in his "back-up" running shoes, poor boy. I may need to resort to this again as the effect seems to be wearing off.]