RANDOM: This Is For Lindalee

This is for Lindalee @ Flipside. She was asking for her martini glass to go with my olive spoon.
Hey I am all about my guests. Here you go Lindalee. Enjoy.

RANDOM: Rules To Live By

1.Be nice to your children for they will choose your nursing home.
2. Sex is like air. It's not important unless you aren't getting any.
3. No one is listening until you fart.
4. Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else.
5. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
6. If you think nobody cares whether you're alive or dead, try missing a
couple of mortgage payments.
7. Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
8. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
9. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish,
and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
10.. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was
probably well worth it.
11. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
12. Some days you are the bug; some days you are the wind screen.

13. Don't worry; it only seems kinky the first time.
14. Good judgement comes from bad experience, and most of that comes from
bad judgement.
15. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
16. There are several methods of arguing with women. None of them work.
17. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are
moving.
18. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
19. We are born naked, wet and hungry, and get slapped on our arse ...
Then things just get worse.
20. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative
on the same Night

COOKING: Gadgets

Did I tell you that I love gadgets for the kitchen? I did? Well here is another one. Sorry about the picture quality. You see I am very short and the flash ends up too close to my subject. My shiny, shiny subject.
Do you know what it is? Of course. It is an olive spoon. I have a special spoon just for scooping olives out of the jar.
See the little slots in it? That lets all the brine drip out before you put it on the plate. Brilliant.
Of course you need one don't you? You think that is something wait until I show you my pickle fork.

COFFEE GROUP: You Can't Please Everyone

GOLDEN EARS BRIDGE

This beautiful bridge is going in not far from where I live.

It will take about 45 minutes to perhaps 1 1/2 hours off the drive to the other side via a different bridge depending on the traffic on any given day. You will have to pay a toll but it will be so worth it.
This morning at coffee while talking with RR, the person who runs the toll end of things good ol' IZ grumbled that this is a 6 lane bridge that ends up down to 2 lanes at either end when you come off the bridge.
I quickly informed him that he was more than welcome to get off in the middle if this was going to be a problem.
Point taken.

COMPUTERS: I Learned How To Make Footnotes

In the "learn something new every day" category here is some thing else I have learned that will be so helpful in my blog especially in the genealogy category. I first saw this being used on the Flipside¹ site. Linda advised me on where to look for the answer. I can now put in footnotes.² You know those little numbers just to the right and at the top of a word that directs you to another spot on the page where you can list your sources etc. Try it here by clicking on the number above next to the words. If I have done it correctly you should be taken lower down on the page to where I have listed my source for this information. Of course this must be exact and I had to go over it three times before I found where I was missing a quotation mark but once I found it I was back on track.
Being the newly created genius of this whole process I changed my sources to a numbered list so that there was some meaningful connection to the numbers above.
Who knew?

Source:

1. http://lindasflipside.blogspot.com
2. http://fbbootcamp.blogspot.com/search/label/footnotes
   

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY: Front Yard

This Wednesday at my home will truly be an Outdoor Wednesday. The sun will be shining and I don't have to go anywhere. My yard is calling my name. Here in South West British Columbia we are 3-4 weeks behind with the weather. The sun has been shining but it isn't that warm yet. We can't set out bedding plants for a couple more weeks at least.

This bed is beside my front porch and is a dry, full sun area. I struggle with the plants there but every year it gets better. There is a lavender and muscari right at the edge which would be along my driveway. The dry tuft above that is a Gaura which becomes quite large and sprawls out over the edge and into walkway. There is a Calla lily, some Lucifer montbretia which will grow 6 feet tall and are bright red. Just a hummingbird magnet. The Autumn Joy sedums love the dry heat and the perrenial sweet pea, although not fragrant is a real trooper and will climb and sprawl over everything. Add in a clematis or two, some ajuga, and a couple of things I don't know the name of and the birdhouse below should feel right at home.
Please visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer to see the rest of the Outdoor Wednesday posts.

THREE OR MORE TUESDAY: Old Records

Let me start off by saying I don't speak French although I am French/Metis. I have trained myself to read these French records and it has been quite a learning process. Some of them were so poorly written at the time that almost no one would be able to read them but I have found them especially challenging. I have gone through many thousand in doing research on my family and the families of my clients. And hey...I'm getting better at it.
This first record from the Drouin Collection of French Catholic records is for the baptism of my 2nd. Great Grandfather, Emmanuel Beaugrand dit Champagne¹ (1799-1872) and is from 1799. Or so it would appear. When dealing with these records you are not always sure whether is was written out on the dates specified or if is a transcription done many years later.
This one here is for the burial of Emmanuel's father who would be my 3rd. Great Grandfather Jean Baptiste Beaugrand dit Champagne (1737-1817). One way to tell if the pages were trancribed is to look for signatures on them of the people involved like parents, godparents etc. If there are no original signatures but only the same one of the officiate over and over it may be a copy of the original.

Transcription or not without the Drouin Records I would have never been able to trace my family back to the early 1600's like I have.
The record below is a 1880 census record showing my Grandmother, Rosana Pinard (1877-1946) from Manchester, Hillsboro, New Hampshire which would seem totally out of place from my Quebec records except that her uncle Edmond Pinard had started a little place called Pinardville in New Hampshire. I talk about him in a previous posting here.

UPDATE: I am trying to learn how to insert footnotes so I am adding to this post.

SOURCES:
Quebec Vital Records, Drouin Collection, 1621-1967, ancestry.ca online [http://www.ancesty.ca

Well I have a computer class to teach and I must get going but in the mean time please check out the other Three or More Tuesday posts over at Tam's at The Gypsy's Corner. Thanks for stopping by.

CABIN STORIES: Moonscape

I don't know who would plant something in the dry, dusty lifeless soil between the roots of a large tree. This rhubarb plant was here when we bought the cabin. We just left it there the first year and do you know what. This sucker gets to be about 5 feet tall without being taken care of in the slightest. I am not usually up there so it is up to my BB guy to handle it and he gardens on the "ya whatever" school of thought. I have told him that this year he needs to pick some before it is the size of a grown man's thigh. Then I can use it in some of the yummy recipes I have seen on your sites.

MELLOW YELLOW: Food As Art

This spectacular cake was done by pastry chef Linda Glegg. She lives in the lower mainland, Vancouver area and is often featured on my sidebar. When she is not creating these beautiful cakes she has been known to be a guest poster on my site. Her trip to Italy and the story of the wonderful wine she brings into Canada brings a smile to my face. (not to mention she shared some of the wine with me) I can just imagine what a special celebration this day was."

This great Mellow Yellow Monday is brought to you courtesy of
Drowsey Monkey
Make sure you share the follows with the rest of
the blog geniuses out there on her site.

SUNDAY FAVORITES: Something Old Is New Again

This post is part of Sunday Favorites, a rerun of a older post. This is a great idea. Weekends can be so busy and some of our new readers may never find their way back to our older posts. Enjoy and please feel free to add your lists in the feedback section.

I would really like it if you would post your own lists here too. I stole this idea from Michelle and Malissa. Okay, a list of 10 things would be good too. Thanks.

1. I am claustrophobic
2. I was caught stealing a piece of bubblegum when I was very little
3. I was sent to prison for that crime, just kidding. I have never been in prison
4. I have been living with my husband since the first day we went out together (33 years ago)
5. I like tequila
6. I don't have any tattoos
7. I sing like a bird...the crow is the closest example
8. I used to go dancing in nightclubs 6 nights a week
9. I have never danced with my husband (okay maybe one time only)
10. I dance to very loud rock and roll at home by myself (see # 5)
11. Monkeys and primates are my favorite animals
12. Sometimes I look like I am listening to you but really I am not
13. I dropped out of school in grade 11
14. I think I am smarter than many people who went on to university and got degrees
15. I underestimated how hard it would be to come up with 25 things about myself
16. I think I am a good friend
17. I like to feed people (I don't mean by hand I mean by cooking for company)
18. I hate taking classes and like to learn stuff on my own
19. I would have liked to have gone to med school (instead I just learned it on my own..see previous note)
20. I grew up in the projects
21. I hate camping
22. I work best under pressure
23. I have held a hummingbird in my hand
24. I don't care if your house is messy
25. I don't care if my house is messy either

Drop by Happy To Design and link up with Sunday Favorites. Have a look at the other sites who's "people" are taking a break this Sunday. Thanks for stopping by.

GADGETS: Egg Rings

Why on earth would anyone need egg rings you ask. I have a perfectly good reason...In my mind anyways. These silicone rings are good for a few reasons.
First they contain the egg in a circle so it doesn't spread all over the pan. This maintains an even thickness of the white so the edges don't become crisp.
Secondly by keeping the egg in the even circle shape it will now fit perfectly onto that toasted bagel or English muffin you have waiting for it.
You can also use this with scrambled eggs/omelet style if you are not stirring too vigorously. Once again a perfect fit on the baked goods. (No not a jelly doughnut)
I had this big breakfast yesterday to fortify me for my foray into the garden. No that is not all pepper on the eggs, some of it is parsley. Great photo work eh?

RANDOM: You Learn Something New Every Day

Well I learned a new word today. The word for today kids is "vomitory". I know. You never heard of it either. Sounds like a made up word for a room in a frat house.
I was checking out the floor plan at a new sports complex where I am going to a basketball game tonight and there they were....VOMITORIES.
See the red arrows I put in? There they are.
Of course I had to go and look that up. Didn't sound like something I wanted to sit near.
The definition from The Free Dictionary is:
vom·i·to·ry (vm-tôr, -tr)

adj.

Inducing vomiting; vomitive.

n. pl. vom·i·to·ries

1. Something that induces vomiting.

2. An aperture through which matter is discharged.

3. One of the tunnellike (sic) passages of an amphitheater or stadium between the seats and the outside wall or passageway.
So there you have it. Something delightful to talk about at dinner tonight. I want you to work the new word into your conversation once a day for 3 days. You can do it. Post them here so we can all improve our vocabularies.

• So dear I was going to bring you back nachos and a hot dog but I dropped them and they spewed all over the vomitory.
• So dear I was going to bring you back nachos and a hot dog but I thought there might be a vomitory effect due to your sensitive stomach.
• So dear those curse words are coming out of your vomitory again. Potty mouth.
  

FOODIE FRIDAY: Maple Roasted Vegetables

This recipe if you can call something so simple a recipe is a variation of the one from The Noble Pig site. She had posted a carrot recipe at Easter time. I added the other vegetables that we liked to change it up a little.

Basically I seared the veggies in olive oil, added salt and pepper and then doused it with a bit of Maple Syrup. Into a very hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Delish. Sorry I didn't get a photo of them after they were cooked. The guests were about to attack and I forgot to take the final picture.

We had a houseful of guests and it was a big hit. It is surprising how many people have never had the little patty pan squashes. Of course there was asparagus. We eat it about once a week at least. This is what is so great about cooking. You start with one thing and adapt it to what you have on hand whether it is more of something or less.

Join in on Foodie Friday by going to Designs by Gollum and visiting the blogs listed there.

GENEALOGY: A Call To Arms

Hider, Arthur H. (1870-1952)
This recruitment poster was made in 1915 calling men to enlist in WWI although the reference to de Salaberry goes back further to the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States when Major Charles de Salaberry was given command of French Canadian soldiers.
Once again they were being asked to fight for Britain.

Source: http://www.wdl.org/en/item/281/

ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS: I Don't Eat This Sushi Either

I made these candles last year to add to some gift baskets. I needed a box to ship my last giveaway in so I emptied out the sheets of bee's wax that were in them and decided to whip some up real quick to share with you. The pictures don't do them justice that is for sure. The colours are very light on here but in person they are quite different.
This is what you need according to the list I found in with them. I do have some wax leftover so I may have purchased too much. I don't remember.
For 30 candles:

• 4 sheets of black bees wax
  
• 8 sheets of white bees wax
  
• 1 sheet cream
  
• 1 sheet light green (cucumber)
• 1 sheet red
  
• 1 sheet pink
• some 20/0 wick
  You will also need a hair dryer and a ruler.
  

1. Working on a cutting board first cut the green, red, cream and pink into strips that are about 2" high. Then cut these into pieces that are about 4" long. Starting with the shorter edge roll them up tightly into sticks. If the wax is hard to work with gently heat it with the hair dryer to make it more pliable. Not too much though.You decide if these are thick enough or if you want them a little bigger.
   
2. Lay two different coloured logs down side by side and gently squeeze them together. Lay a piece of wick that has been cut a 1/2 inch longer than the length of the rolled pieces. Take the other two rolled pieces and firmly lay them over the wick. Gently squeeze and compress the four rolled filling pieces around the wick trying to maintain a generally round shape.
3. Take the white wax and cut it into strips that are the same height as the filling and about 8 inches long. These will be left at 8 inches for now. Starting at one end roll up the filling in the white wax until it has enough "rice" around the fillings. You decide how much/thick. Looking back at this photo I didn't use enough white wax/rice
   
4. Cut the black wax into strips that are the same height as the fillings and then roll this around the white wax rice.
5. Make sure you are rolling very, very tightly. You can then roll it back and forth between your palms to round it out more. The wax is very cooperative.
   
6. If the black is looking a little pale you can heat it with the hair dryer until that blush disappears. You can also wipe it with some rubbing alcohol to get rid of it.
   

If you like you can set these on a little Asian style plate and then wrap it in cellophane. It makes a great little gift.

COOKING: I Love Gadgets

I love kitchenware and gadgets. I have and I use lots of them. My kitchen is quite small but I still keep finding something that I have to get. I hadn't used my asparagus steamer in quite a while although we eat asparagus weekly.
I used it the other day and you know what? It does not do as good a job as when I toss them into a shallow pan in the oven drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper or when they lie down in a saute pan with a bit of water, a squeeze of lemon and a lid over top.
I think this one may have to move on out so I can fill the space with something else...any suggestions?

BLOGS: Email Your Post

Hey bloggers. Did you know you can email your post into your blog at blogger?

Well this is my first try. Let’s see if it works.If it does then here is the link

to find out how to do this yourself.

http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com

Update: Note that when this came in it did include my anti virus info at the bottom which I have since deleted and it did not put in my signature. Lots of white space too but in a pinch it could really save you.

MEME: I Have Been Tagged

Dear, sweet Lola has tagged me for the "Meme of the Moment". I don't know how she has time for this with her work, her young son plus keeping up on all her blogging friends.
I haven't done this before but will give it a try. After all who doesn't like to talk about themselves? Here we go:

1. What is your current obsession? I would have to agree with her and say blogging. There is just so much new stuff to learn and people to meet. Inspiring people.
   
   
2. Which item of clothing do you wear often? Blue jeans without a doubt.
   
   
3. What is for dinner? Steaks. No vegetarians here. That will come with a Greek style salad of tomato, cucumber, red onions, peppers, feta, balsamic vinegar and olive oil laid on a bed of bronze leaf lettuce.
   
   
4. What are you listening to? Unfortunately it is traffic. My street is a busy one.
   
   
5. Say something to the one that tagged you. Lola at AGLIO, OLIO & PEPERONCINO is a loyal blogger. She takes the time to respond to you and shows a genuine interest in the blogs she follows. Her site is filled with delicious foods, sights and thoughts.
   
   
6. Favorite vacation spots? Well I haven't been yet but Italy tops the list. The food the wine the people the vistas. They take my breath away. Trip planned but cancelled. One day for sure.
   
   
7. What I'm reading right now? The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb and Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama.
   
   
8. Four words to describe myself. Smart, funny, friendly, helpful.
   
   
9. Guilty Pleasure? I don't acknowledge guilt. It's like sitting in a rocking chair...it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere. But a piece of dark chocolate once in a while might be one.
   
   
10. First Spring thing? Roaming the garden centres (Canadian spelling)
    
    
11. What do you look forward to? Short term-sitting on our deck on warm summer evenings with some nice wine and some fresh tomatoes, breads, a hunk of cheese, olives etc. Lola knows what I mean. Long term-a trip to Italy see #6

I now need to tag 8 of you to continue on. You then answer these questions on your own site and then tag 8 new people. I know you are all busy but if can find the time then give it a try. If you don't have the time then no worries. Just know you were thought of.

Chandy @ http://mathewsmemorylane.blogspot.com/
and she is also @ http://whatnowtablescapes.blog/
-Chandy has fabulous taste and her tablescapes inspire me.

Lindalee @ http://lindasflipside.blogspot.com/
-Lindalee makes cemeteries seem inviting, no really she does. She is a great researcher.

http://nutshellberry.blogspot.com/
I see you have just completed a meme. Her site is full of interesting things. Her love of
birds is unmistakable.

Libby Murphy @ http://www.twirlandtaste.com/
-Libby has that wonderful sense of style and the most amazing photos of
different adventures and dinners.

Cass @ http://cass-thatoldhouse.blogspot.com/
-Cass lives in a haunted house. Really. And if you are looking for a guy named Pierre
she probably has a spare one around.

Terri @http://terri-thetiesthatbind.blogspot.com/
-Terri tells a great story and the interest she has in her ancestors is more than
just making a list of names and numbers. She wants to really know who they were.
Not to mention she has 3 blogs on the go.

Cathy @ http://www.thestylishhouse.net/
-Cathy has a real sense of color, design and architecture. A real artist's eye in her photographs.

Bill @http://westinnewengland.blogspot.com/
-Bill has an obvious passion for research and genealogy.

DOGS: We Have Been Invaded

Did I ever tell you about the time an alien came down in a UFO. It looked like our beloved Maxine but if you looked closely at the eyes you could see the difference.
Something just wasn't right.
The gray muzzle was the same. The collar and tag were the same (but easily duplicated).
Oh the breath, the breath was definitely the same.
It was so eerie. The eyes were empty and soulless.
One day in a flash the impostor disappeared, never to been seen again. Now that I know how to correct this problem in photo editing that is.