Wordless Wednesday- It's crystal clear

It's crystal clear

If ya can't beat 'em..

                        Sigh.. It's going to be a long one. Just as well to try to find the pretties of the season.

Quite the ballet move.. for a tree

Only the hardy and brave bundled.

Love pristine untouched snow

A punch of reds to pretty it up

Hope (and proof)  the great winter melt will happen again. 

And the secret ingredient is..

Google image

Most people collect things, be it salt and pepper shakers, saws, antiques, spoons, perhaps overdue bills or even bad friends.  Some collect to the point of being on a TV show ,grant you this is the far end of the spectrum. But you get what I'm trying to say.

I collect recipes. But just not any recipe, those that are 3 generations and older. Some times easy to get, other times not so much.

I was recently gifted an old Scottish shortbread recipe from my Aunt. I am of Scottish decent so you can imagine I was quite happy to have it in my possession. Truth be told, there's an art to making shortbread. Much like pie shells and I suck at those. I might never make the cookies but I have the recipe and that's what matters.

In getting this recipe I was reminded of a time last year when I tried to get one from a staff member. It was a generations old dessert recipe from Iceland. A fussy one at that,but it was a challenge I was willing to take on.
Problem was, she wouldn't part with it. Her voice dropped down to a near whisper as she toyed with her pen, stupefied at the request. She looked over her shoulder, she fidgeted, she stalled.
WTF? Were we being watched/tailed/recorded here? I swear she acted like I had just commited a breach of national security.
I asked for a recipe I could of googled if so inclined. I figured straight from the horse's mouth type of thing..
Never did get it but I can still see her facial expression, it was almost comical. The looked of a deer caught in the headlights. No way, no how, driving along the road to never would she part with it. Ok whatever then, keep it Secret Recipe Rita. < not her real name ;-) >

What about you my bloggy friends? Do you share your family foodie favorites? Can someone shed light on why one wouldn't want to? Is it not a compliment to be asked for a recipe that showcases your roots/heritage? If you do share it, do you purposely leave out a key ingredient? I've heard of that before. Are you a collector of things maybe different or oddball? What lengths will you go to get that elusive piece?

By the way, I was given a 5 generations old recipe from 'Na-awlins'. I got a right kick out of scoring that one. It's the oldest I have and again will probably never make it, (You may be sure I will tweak it if I do. Those Cajuns use mega amounts of oil to cook with. ) but I have it and that's what matters.

Wordless Wednesday- Bookstore Cafe

My Bookstore Cafe (when I win the lotto)

My Customers (Don't look for me, I'll be in the Cayman Islands)

For Today

For Today

Outside my window...

I see the shovel. It can stay there, screw it.

I am thinking...

I need to go in for a manicure. 

I am thankful for...

really good coffee.

From the Kitchen...

I am gathering my ingredients for a meal that takes 6 hours to create. Worth it.

I am wearing...

warm socks, my lulus and a five year old apron. I need a new one. Hint Hint family.

I am creating...

a tropical world in my mind. Stay off my planet unless you are invited to join. 

I am going...

to ignore my scale. I don't like it much these days. 

I am reading...

my magazine I just received in the mail I was supposed to get start of October. 

I am hoping...

this winter isn't a harsh one. 

I am hearing...

my hubby cursing and banging stuff around in the basement. I'm steering clear.

Around the house...

I am visualizing my Christmas decorations. Who's offering to put them up for me? 

One of my favorite things...

is flannel sheets right now.Northern Canada, it's c o l d, eh. 

A few plans for the week...

trying to find that perfect pair of boots. Getting my xmas tree.

Here is a picture for thought I am sharing...

My doormat. Not antisocial.. much. ha ha

Visual after approval. Ooopsy, rejected.

Ahh the blogging world.. a wonderful place to write, to share, to have creative power. And yes, a place to express.
Which is what I did on a post I read recently.
About a mother searching ( read raiding) a 17 year old son's room, after finding a crinkled up condom package in the laundry. She proceeded to search his room only to find oodles of condoms, ( that's a shocker) taking a picture of said condoms and posting it. ( had to laugh, he thinks ahead and often judging by the amount.)
Then blogging about how she caught her son in a lie. He stayed overnight at a girl's house when her Mother and sibling were away.
Mother threatened to tell the girl's mother about the evening.
Son breaks off with 'love of his life'.
Anger, heartbreak and misery. For son, for girl,for son's mother who was lied to.

Yes.. the right to blog about her upset over it, the right to express.

Which is what I did when I commented on it. I expressed in my humble opinion that perhaps it might not be her place to tell the girl's mother. (remember it's only my opinion here, I'm not talking for the masses)  That searching through his room was probably not the wisest thing either. (I was thinking more like invasion of privacy, especially over condoms)  That the end result would be to push her son into 'hiding'. I gave praise to the boy for being responsible and respectful of the girl by protecting them both. And I asked what the legal age for consensual sex was in her area. I was truly curious. It's 16 where I live.
I wasn't agressive in my response, I wasn't looking to stir. I was merely stating my opinion. Damn, I raised two teenagers, been there, done that. ( I thank GOD every day I'm done the teenage years, they are h a r d and they suck. period)

I hit post and was directed to a captcha, which is never required for posting on this person's blog. Ahh ok, she only wants back up responses. I knew there was NO way my comment was going to be posted.
Sigh.

I have to wonder what boy of 17, on the face of this earth, wouldn't lie through his eye teeth if he had the chance for a hot night of lovin', unrestricted?
And to be responsible enough to wear a condom? I say this because the boy who got my daughter pregnant 3 1/2 years ago said to her, upon learning of the pregnancy, 'I hope you die in childbirth, bitch'.
Yes.. miraculously he lives today and he's still not much of a 'father' figure in the child's life. However, I can see it was spoken out of fear and immaturity. Oh don't get me wrong, I'll never forgive him for it but I know where it came from.

I learn new things about the blog world on a weekly basis. Some good, some meh.. not so much, others not so surprising. This one falls under that category.

I mean no disrespect to her in this blog, on the off chance she comes a'visiting. She rarely does.
And yes, she had a perfect right to choose not to publish my comment, to raise her son as she deems fit but me thinks she's in for a change in her relationship with him.

How about you, my bloggy friends, do you add a captcha to your comments? (They drive me nuts by the way. But I do understand why some might need it.)  Would you have posted my comment if it was your post? Do you only want sunshine and roses on your blog? ( I am allergic to 'pollyanna' types so if you are that, I don't follow you, sorry ) Are you able to logically see another side and opinion to your own?

As an FYI, my kids take great pleasure these days in telling me what they pulled as teens. Things like my eldest taking my jeep for a spin at night, when I was fast asleep, without any sort of licence. Or her happening upon a boy youngest daughter was making out with in her bedroom, chasing him out of the house then down the street with said jeep. Or youngest drinking my vodka with a friend,straight up, replacing it with water then going out and puking their guts out in the bush.
Oh I can go on... and on... and on. Get my drift?
We laugh, sometimes I cringe but we all agree; those little turds of mine are lucky I'm only finding out about this stuff now.
However, we never did shy away from birth control. The topic or need for it. Yes, my lil Boo was an oopsy but always was/is/will be a blessing.

Wordless Wednesday (sort of) -Fungi Week

Silky Center

Mad Hatter's tabletop

The aliens have landed.

Mushroom or Sea Creature?

Looks fresh off the barby

Trend Setting among it's peers

The House of 'Shroom?

November's 'I Believe'

 

...I'm using spell check more and more as I age. This fact sucks.

...Paperwork is an aggravating waste of my quiet time.

...my town needs a kicked up bookstore cafe. I need to win the lotto.

...my dental hygienist is going to start hunting me down soon, can't seem to find the time to get there. Ugh typing that out makes me want to go brush my teeth I just brushed.

...I'm going to go for an iPhone 4 over a Blackberry Torch. GULP. I'm used to my crackberry.

...if I don't get rid of this cold soon, I'm going to hack up one of my lungs. On the bright side, excellent ab workout!

...I have to start wracking my brain to think of a kickass Xmas prezzy for my hubby. Hardest person to buy for. EVER. GULP.

...I would like to win the lotto. Did I mention that already? ;-)

...I'm getting withdrawals from my camera.Bad. :-(

...the Micky D's McRib commercials are gross.

What do you believe?

Musings of This, That and Other Things.

I know my 5'2 point five" ( yeah, I'm hanging on to the point 5) stature marks me as short but what part of me didn't you see standing there? I was next in queue when you waltzed right up in your filthy windbreaker, 80's style up under your boobs jeans and that lovely mullet. Even when I said something and you shrugged your shoulders.\ I should of dropped kicked you right then and there but I would of joined the 'People Of Walmart' ranks you obviously were trying out for. I might be short, sister, but do that again and you'll find out how mean I can be. 

Is it just me, my bloggy friends, that has a reoccurring dream? I'm talking for years now. Different people, same two events. I dream I'm back in my little house I used to live in. I really need to use the loo but I can't, it overflows every time. And bugs, lots of different creepy crawlies everywhere. The feel of bugs on me wakes me up, takes me several seconds to realize my skin's not crawling with them. Ugh. Why? Why do I keep having the same stupid dream?

Speaking of, I've a fear of overflowing toilets. Based on, you guessed it, another reoccurring dream I always had as a youngster. I'm in a bathroom with black and white checkered floors and walls, there's furniture stacked on top of each other. A table, a chair, a lamp.. you get the picture. The toilet overflows and starts filling up the bathroom only I can't get out, I'm locked it. The water starts swirling and creates an eddy trying to suck me in. I've got a death grip on the door handle but I'm losing traction... and there I go, caught in the eddy, unable to come out of it, slowly drowning.

Yeah, I'm afraid of overflowing toilets. 

Osgood Schlatters Disease. Pseudocholinesterase Disease. Paraphenylamine Diamine allergies, bordering hospitalization. Yup.. just a few of the weirdness that is my family. We're special, doncha know. :-)

Hubby and I decided to buy a village scene for under the tree this year. Complete with accents like trees, people, roads and the likes. Our claim to fame: the first building purchased was a red barn and an outhouse. Come on.. ya know you're thinking it... 

'Ya know you're a red neck when.." Love. It. muahahaha

As I sit here smelling the bacon I'm cooking for breakfast, I'm drawn back in memory to my dad's kitchen. He's making a grilled cheese for us. Not your ordinary run of the mill grilled cheese though. He takes english muffins, halves them and layers on the cheese slices. Taking it up a notch, he adorns all that lovely cheese with cooked bacon slices. Sliding those beauties in the oven he cooks all that goodness till the cheese is gooey and golden. Yup, that there fixes all the wrongs of day.

My first born 'baby' is turning 23. When the f*#k did that happen?? I gave that child life and this is how she repays me. Growing up faster than I'm ready for.  Sigh.  I love my adult children but at times I sorely miss my babies. 

What are your musings today?

Wordless Wednesday- You use post it notes, we use...

Hubby: Communications Specialist

Addendum (next day)

I want. Badly.

I've starting compiling my wish list. I'm lusting for these boots. Thanks to my daughter who introduced me to them and not a hope of getting a pair. You are cruel, daughter.

HOT 1

HOT 2

November's 'It's Okay'

It's Okay

...to wish some days away. No, I won't/don't treat every day with open arms and kumbaya cause, honey, some days are just shit. 

...to do a happy dance. Out in public. In front of witnesses.I'll never see them again. 

...to be told to 'embrace' my age, it's another thing to give it a big ol' hug and be happy about it. 

...to have both sexes on the Biggest Loser but typically the men on that show are heavier, ergo they lose more than their counterparts. It's rare a woman wins.

...to hang on to the oh shit handle in my sister's car. Her (indy style) driving demands it. 

...to hang on to the oh shit handle when my father drives. He, um, doesn't always notice stops signs or other drivers that are right there.

...to visualize taking the pillow and pressing it down on hubby's face when his snoring reaches a certain decible. It's not like I'm going to do it and thinking about it gives me pleasure.. if only briefly. However, poking him (hard) is quite satisfying too.

...to think the Big Bang Theory is one of funniest comedies out there. Love.it.

...tape shows. It's not ok to let them pile, unwatched, 20 deep. 

...to walk in a book store and pick up two new releases from one's favorite author. It's really ok. :-)

What are you Okay with?

Wordless Wednesday-Captivated

I'm envious of her. I want a good book like this.