This Or That

A couple weeks ago I picked Nolan up from daycare, paid Julie for the week and off we went. We returned on Tuesday. While Nolie hung up his coat and the beautiful red Calgary Flames ballcap that adorns his sweet little head everyday (I'm so proud; Paul rolls his eyes; mwahahaha), Julie mentioned that I had paid 5 dollars too much. I tend not to remember what I had for lunch the day before, so the overpayment was long forgotten.

She offered, "You can either have your five dollars in a bill or cheese curds."

Well, gee, that's tough. Not sure if I took one second or mulled it over for as long as two seconds before declaring, "Cheese curds please!"

I continued on into work with my treasure. As I put the bag in the fridge I noticed the label read $5.66. Good golly. I owed Julie 66 cents. 

Yesterday, I paid up. "Julie," I said, "I owe you 66 cents. Do you want it in change or two freshly laid eggs?" Her reply came in the standard one to two seconds. Nolan handed her the eggs. Some would call this the informal economy. The folks I know, call it country living.

Cheese curds and still-warm eggs

Yesterday, on the way home from the Remembrance Day ceremony in Oshawa, brother Enos and I stopped at the orchard and picked up close to a bushel of apples. We had a good chat with the owner who, it turned out, had grown up in the 'Shwa and went to the same schools that we went to from grades 7 thru' 13. And, if that wasn't coincidence enough, her sister's first house after she married, was next-door to ours. Enos got that far-off look as he reminisced about the beautiful, red '69 soft-top Camaro that they had. And I got that far-off look as I thought about the bushel of apples that I was going to be turning into sauce. Which is today's job. So off I go. Enjoy the day all! It's a beauty out there.

The Cenotaph in Oshawa after the Service

All On Board

The HMCS Fredericton is docked in the Oshawa harbour for a few days as part of their Great Lakes Deployment, so we thought we'd make the trek down for a tour around the ship. The Stalker of the Seas is a Halifax Class Frigate capable of deploying a Sea King helicopter to seek out and destroy submarines at long distances from the ship. (I got that from Wikipedia.) The crew recently spent six months in the North Arabian Sea - Persian Gulf region as part of the Canadian Forces contribution to maritime security against terrorism and in the waters around the Horn of Africa in counter-piracy operations. They returned in May of this year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Canadian Navy.

On board HMCS Fredericton

We had a good look around. I think the boys were most interested in all the missile and torpedo equipment. They had a good look at the rifles and guns on board, too. The mini-hockey sticks they use when they're playing soldiers don't measure up, now.  

The back of the boat ship's stern looking out onto Lake Ontario

Once we disembarked, we left the harbour and Paul got talking to a young guy in uniform who was selling raffle tickets for the Air Cadets. Paul told him he'd been in Air Cadets, 151 Chadburn. Sure enough, that was the group this fellow was with. They had a good chat about flying gliders out of Oshawa airport, training at Camp Borden and Trenton. Paul shared with us how they used to march up Centre Street from the squadron headquarters to City Hall where they practiced shooting in the basement. They don't do that anymore. The mayor probably got nervous. We paid up, collected our ticket, wished the young lad well and continued on our way. We wandered along the lakeshore and then spent some time at the playground. All five kids enjoyed themselves immensely...

Yes, that's right; there's Paul, the biggest kid, on the swing. Wheeee

Ribfest is on this weekend but the lineups were a little longer than we were willing to stand in, so we took the shuttle bus back to the GM parking lot and headed home. Cammy has no plans to join up (he inherited his dear ole ma's motion sickness gene) but thinks flying a plane might be fun. Riley still plans to be a hobo in Florida and Nolan's gonna play hockey.

Fresh From Niagara

One of Riley's best friends from school spends some of her time in Oshawa. On Friday, we invited her up for a couple days. And, guess what - the Oshawa Farmers' Market is held on Fridays. I know! What a coincidence.

After I did some running around here, Ri and I drove down to the 'Shwa and hit the market. We wandered around until we came upon a sign that read, "ask about our canning special." So, I asked about their canning special. Well, turns out, if one was to buy a flat of peaches - that's four baskets instead of one - one would get a bit of a deal. I bought two flats. Then we picked up Ri's friend and returned home.

Today, was a sunny, warm, humid one - perfect conditions for having the stove on all afternoon. After enjoying a morning coffee out on the front porch, it was time to get to work. So, I hung some sheets out on the line, poured myself another coffee, and enjoyed it out on the front porch; thus successfully delaying the chore that lay ahead. I love the results of preserving - I'm not so great on the getting-going part.

After dawdling awhile longer, I took all the canning equipment out, got the canner going, made some more coffee, started sterilizing jars and lids and put Ri to work peeling peaches. She was awesome and hardly complained after the first five minutes or so. Such a trooper. Fast forward to the end of the day, and we have thirty-two jars of Niagara-grown peaches cooling on the counter. Time for a shower.

See, Mum? I'm helpful.

Can't Beat These Chips

The boys and I hit the Farmers' Market yesterday and picked up another flat of strawberries for drying. After putting them in the van, we returned and wandered around. Eventually we stopped at the Allin's Orchard table for some apples. I suggested the boys take a look at the apples and pick one. Apparently I should have been slightly more specific in my instructions - they both picked a candy apple. The guy behind the table laughed and told them that the pickers get really sticky when they take them off the trees. By the look on the boys' faces, they weren't too sure whether to believe him or not.

Once we finished at the market, we stopped at a friend's house to drop off the manual for our tent trailer that they're borrowing for the week. As I spoke with my friend, the boys bounced on their trampoline. We wished them a good trip and then over to Kawartha Dairy to pick up a week's worth of milk and a little ice cream treat.

Yesterday was Dorito's birthday, so, later in the day, the kids and I loaded into the van and went down to the Shwa. We sang a rousing yet slightly out-of-tune rendition of Happy Birthday (the 'live in a zoo' version), visited for a bit and then popped over to Dad's. Dad has decided to join Facebook - no small feat for a computer newbie. He had signed up and then couldn't get into his account. Riley, the resident expert, was there to assist. In no time, she was through to his page, had sent out a couple of friend requests and had a profile picture - of his lovely begonias - all set up. High-fives for the eleven-year-old. Then home.

Today was strawberry day. I spent the afternoon slicing up berries and arranging them on the trays. Dorito was kind enough to give us a basket of plums from Cookies' over-producing trees, so they were sliced up and are drying in the dehydrator alongside the berries. We tried drying plums a couple weeks ago and Cammy and Nolan love them. They can't wait to get their paws on them when they get up in the morning.

Fresh local produce ready to become strawberry and plum chips.

(Thank you Cookie and Dorito for sharing the goodies!)

All Hallows' Evening

After counting down too many sleeps to remember, the day has finally arrived. All Hallows' Eve. The kids are stoked - especially the youngest who can't believe we would be so evil as to make him wait 'til after supper before we go out. But wait, he will. Paul's at work and won't be home 'til 3:30. We'll have a bite to eat, go out to see a couple of neighbours and then head down to the 'Shwa for some serious 'big city' trick-or-treating. The wait will be worth it. And, let's face it, we wouldn't want to disappoint Oshawa's biggest kid, Grandpa, who dresses up each year and will happily go house to house with my little monsters and backward superheroes.

Happy Hallowe'en everyone! Hope the ghouls are good to you.

And Back to School They Go

Lots going on. Friday, Dorito and I went in to Toronto for glass water bottles. We were lost for only a short time, took the (very) scenic route (I didn't know that's where Holland Landing is) and then made our way towards Uxbridge to go to Richters Herbs. We seem to manage a trip there every couple of years. This time I picked up a peppermint plant and a Vick's plant.

Saturday, I zipped into Peterborough for the Farmers Market. Must have been the great weather 'cause it sure was busy. Picked up some more strawberries (dried and in jars now), got a great deal on green peppers (still to be dried) and grabbed a couple dozen eggs. Then home, loaded up the kids and went to Oshawa. Ri was staying overnight with Elaine so I wanted to be down there before she closed the flower shop at 1. We made it. Dropped Ri off and headed out again. Stopped by the blueberry patch for one last basket of fresh blueberries. While I picked, the boys played in the nearby field. At one point, they both had blueberries in their ears, smushed on their noses and were saying to each other, "Roger that." They so remind me of their Dad sometimes.

Sunday, we had a wonderful visit from Paul's sister Margaret, who's up from down East. Yes, this would be wife of SCUMbaagg, who, I'm happy to say, is just boring ole SUMbaagg now. She and Paul's Mum and Dad were good enough to pick Ri up and then come out for the day. I think Margaret was surprised at how much flavour is in those strawberry chips and was astounded at how much useless information we provided. (Did you know that there's one silk for each kernel of corn?) It was good to have them all out.

Today I dried a few more herbs, baked a blueberry buckle (Ri's choice for back to school) and zucchini brownies (Cammy's choice, although he doesn't know about the zucchini part, and we'll keep it that way for now), and went for a walk (oh, the free apples! if only I could get at them!!). Nolan will be able to put pictures up in his cubby at school, so I wanted to get a nice picture of the kids together in the woods. I don't think it was poison ivy that they walked through to get to the tree.

And, tomorrow, the Tuesday after Labour Day, Cammy and Ri will be getting on the bus and heading back to school. Grades 2 and 5. And wee Nolan starts JK next Monday. As Cammy said tonight, "Why does summer go so fast?"

Peachy

Ri and I were in Oshawa yesterday so we dropped by the Farmers Market at the OC and picked up a flat of peaches. The vendor mentioned that I'm a regular. I told him I'm a regular in Peterborough and he said, "Yep, I've got a good deal for you." Must be the height. ;-) I paid up and he even carried the flat to the car for me.

Next, Ri and I found a backpack for school, had some lunch, and went over to Dad's place to wish Elizabeth a happy birthday. We had a nice visit there and then, much to Riley's delight (she says with great sarcasm), we hit the blueberry patch, where we picked two more buckets of berries. (I just know she'll appreciate it in January.) Then home.

This afternoon, I canned most of the peaches. In a few hours, we went from this...



to this...


Cooling on the counter are four 1 litre and six 500ml jars. We'll appreciate these in January too.

Vacation...at the Dentist's?

It's been a busy couple of days. I started a week-and-a-half vacation yesterday...at the dentist's office. Riley's last baby tooth wouldn't come out even though the adult tooth had already grown in, so she had to have it pulled. The tooth broke in two and she only had half to put under her pillow but I'm guessing that the tooth fairy took pity on her for what she had to go through to get it. Ri found a toonie and a loonie this morning - all other teeth have been worth just the two dollar coin. Lucky kid. (Although, come to think of it, she does owe me money.)

Ri was feeling okay after the appt, so we picked up a few back-to-school things. Nolan picked out a transformers lunch bag and a batman pencil case, Ri and Cammy found a couple of things that they needed and we added one more small thermos for Nolie to the lunch container collection for those hot lunches on cold days. Not sure I really believe that my wee Nolie is starting school in a few weeks.

Next, a few groceries and then home. The afternoon disappeared in a fog (I fell asleep in a chair) and last evening I was back into Peterborough for a meeting about the 2010 International Dragon Boat Festival. This was the first committee meeting we've had since January or February so it was a good chance to catch up and start to assign roles. Finally, we locked up and headed out in one helluva storm.

This morning, back to the dentist for fillings for Nolan and down to Oshawa to wish Dorito a happy happy birthday. (Happy Birthday, Dorito!) As the kids and I started the trip home, I changed our course and headed down to Lakeview Park. We went for a walk along the beach and out on the pier. The boys were pretty amazed at the size of a couple of the ships in the harbour. They had cranes! That's when I realized they'd never seen Lake Ontario before. I know. Sad. But we've rectified that now. We spent some time at the playground and then home we went.

No plans to go anywhere tomorrow other than the Farmers Market in town. Peaches are in season.

Four Seasons

My friend Elaine owns Four Seasons Flower & Gift Shoppe* in Oshawa. Every now and then she gives me stuff because, well, she owns the place. Last year she gave me a couple of plants that I've at times cared for and at other times forgotten about. I'm like that sometimes. Just with plants, though; rarely with kids.

Riley was at a friend's place in Oshawa on Saturday, so I spent the afternoon at the Flower shop. I told Elaine that my plant is alive and flowering beautifully. After she picked her jaw up off the floor - I don't know what that was about - she let me in on a little secret. She told me that she and the girls at the flower shop have no luck with these plants and have killed a few themselves. One day I'll let them in on my secrets.

Next weekend is Easter. If you're looking for an arrangement or a basket give Elaine a call. She and her gang put together beautiful arrangements and will take good care of you. I promise. And make sure you mention the codewords: 'backward leonard'. You won't get a discount, but Elaine'll probably laugh and, heck, that's just kind of fun.



* Four Seasons - 905.579.8858 or 800.365.4249

** Update ** - turns out this plant is called kalanchoe and Elaine says that I'm not supposed to tell people that she and her staff kill stuff so pretend I didn't say that, 'kay?

Scouting the Perfect Property

Way back when, before kids, we were living in Oshawa and dreaming of a place in the country. There was kind of an unspoken promise that, in exchange for me moving back from Calgary, we'd get the hell out of Dodge. Oshawa was a great place to grow up (and one day maybe I will ;o)) but I'd had enough and didn't want to spend the rest of my life there. So we started looking for a piece of property.

We weren't too picky but there were a few must-haves on our list. Like, oh, water. A reasonable commuting distance to the 'Shwa. Acreage. And, hmmm, I guess that's about it. I remember when we found this lot, wandering over to the neighbours' place and asking them about their well. Being city-folk and having limited knowledge of wells, we figured we'd better ask around about the water (limited knowledge, by the way, translates to not-a-clue). I should tell you that we pretty much live in the middle of a swamp. And there are bullrushes on our property. And I can just imagine what the neighbours thought about us but they kindly invited us in and told us about their artesian well. They also mentioned that years earlier, when they were raising cattle, they had hayed the property we were looking at. They knew the lay of the land intimately. And they knew we'd have no problem with water.

So here we are. When the well went in, they measured the flow at 13 gallons a minute; three or four times what we needed for a mortgage. The drive to work is within reason for both of us and we have the most wonderfully, if somewhat useless, rolling five acres along the road. The wee little pines and cedar that had seeded to the north of where the house now stands, have grown beautifully in the eleven years we've been here and form a perfect windbreak. The hills are winter playmates for the kids and their toboggans. And the people next door are the greatest neighbours anyone could hope for.

The best, though, is the surprises. The stuff you don't look for when scouting but end up making you really thankful that you found this spot. Running north and then east behind the house is a runoff. There's not always water there but it's wet in the spring, and we curse it. The kids love it. My floors don't. The lawn tractor's been bogged down in it a time or two and the kids have learned a couple new words. But every winter, there's a melt that's followed by rain, and we get this...the most fabulous natural slide any city kid could ever imagine. You can't skate on this one; the grade's a bit too steep but it sure is fun with boots on. And do the toboggans ever whip across it.

Out behind the property, on what we call the back-forty, is some swamp. And you just know, if the runoff looks like this, then there's a pretty amazing skating rink out back...

~Liz

Gingerbread, A Tooth Fairy and The Humane Society

Yesterday, we were in Oshawa for a pre-Christmas get together with Paul's family. With the exception of our nephew Ryan, all the Ontario-ites showed up. Unfortunately, the commute's a bit too long for the Nova Scotians in the family but we were thinking of them, nonetheless. The trips down the 115 and back were a little tense at times as the snow set upon us again and made for slippery roads but sooner or later all arrived safely.

As he does every year, Mike made a fabulous gingerbread house for the kids and they all nibbled away at it. And, thanks to an especially chewy candy, Cammy's first tooth finally came out. Yea! That tooth had been loose for awhile, but Cameron wouldn't let us anywhere near it. We figured he'd end up losing it in the snow or swallowing it in his sleep. Luckily, it didn't happen that way and he has a shiny toonie to show for it. (Thanks Tooth Fairy)

We had a nice visit with the family and supper, as always, was awesome. Thanks, Karen and Mike, for hosting. As we packed up to leave, Mike told us to take the gingerbread house home with us. I figure he picked us because of my exceptional personality; Paul's not so sure. No matter, though, we're awfully happy to have it. (Thanks Uncle Mike)

Mike has also picked up a new hobby - adding graphics to t-shirts. Last night he was wearing one that he made advertising a benefit concert for the Humane Society in Oshawa. As you've probably heard, the shelter has been closed because of that devastating fire last week. Perhaps, if you've got a little bit of cash left this Christmas season, you'd consider a donation to help them get on their feet again. We have. And Mike, maybe you could leave a note in the comments here reminding us when and where the benefit concert is.

Today, Christmas Eve, is rainy. Luckily, there's enough snow on the ground that we should still see a white Christmas. The forecast is for flurries tonight. Looks like a good night to stay in and relax by the fire with a rum and coke.

Hope Santa's good to you all. Don't forget to check in on Santa's travels today! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! It's the last sleep kids...

~Liz

There's Stars, Superstars and Then There's Bobby Orr

Last night the great Bobby Orr's #2 jersey was retired at the GM Centre in Oshawa. Kind of wish I was there. Bobby Orr was hands down the greatest player ever. I remember Mum talking about him when he played for the Generals. She was no hockey fan - as a matter of fact she knew nothing about hockey (must have been that British upbringing) - but she had been to a Gennies game or two. And she always mentioned Bobby Orr.

Paul is a huge Boston Bruins fan (note: the Bruins suck) and his all-time favourite player is Bobby Orr. His dingbat cousin, Calvin McBoink is a Bruins fan too (did I mention the Bruins suck? Go Flames!). Terry O'Reilly is his fave. I know. You can't account for other people's taste.

Two years ago, Paul's birthday fell on the Thanksgiving weekend. While he was outside cutting some grass, I ran around the house secretly packing up the kids' and our clothes for a weekend away. I had told him we were going to my Dad's in Oshawa for a little birthday celebration and we headed out. Except that when we got to the turn to go to the highway, I changed my mind and told him to go to Lindsay - "it's a surprise," I said. We grabbed a little something to eat and I showed him the Mapquest map with a couple of key words cut out of the directions - you know, like 'Parry Sound.' He finally figured out where we were going when the sign for Parry Sound presented itself.

We checked in at the hotel and settled in. We had a great time. The kids had a blast in the hotel pool and we had a wonderful turkey dinner at the hotel. On the Sunday, it was Paul's birthday. He opened a few gifts and I gave the boys their own Bruins caps. It was painful seeing them wear those ugly hats but this was Paul's birthday after all.

After swimming and lunch, we went to the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame. We looked around the museum and I smiled as I watched Paul grinning from ear to ear, explaining to the kids about the goal, the Cup and the knee. And I smiled as the kids pretended to understand his excitement. We went out to the gift shop after the tour and looked around. Paul got talking to a man and a woman, telling them about his birthday, about growing up in Oshawa, admiring Bobby Orr and cheering for his Bruins - then learned he was speaking with Bobby Orr's dad! My God, it was the ultimate birthday gift. Paul had his picture taken with Mr. Orr and I spoke with his companion. They were very sweet people. After they left, I went up to the till to pay for my purchases and learned that the woman had already paid for some of our souvenirs. What a day.

We spent that second night in Parry Sound and headed for home the next day. It had been a wonderful weekend and a birthday party that I have no hope of ever topping. That's okay, though. I wouldn't trade that weekend for the world and I know Paul wouldn't either. I can't wait for my next 'big' birthday. I'm sure Paul is planning a trip to the Lanny McDonald Hall of Fame. Or something like that.

~Liz