bugsy's thoughts

tonight i am going out to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday
getting together with a few people for a nice dinner and visiting
my nine-year-old turned her nose up at that
"that's not what i am doing when i'm forty!"
"well, what would you want to do when your forty?"
"hmm? i think i would want to go to the pool, wear a dress, play games and have a pink cake. even though a pink cake is, ... you know!?"
(not cool at nine, even though it was at seven, and apparently will be again at forty!)

belated wishes

My mom just receieved her rather late Mother's Day gift!

I have been working on it for awhile and it took me a little longer than intended to finish it off and get it out the door.

I used the pattern Simple Yet Effective Shawl from Cosmicpluto knits.

Instead of knitting it in the Noro Kureyon sock yarn, I used the Noro Silk Garden sock yarn. I really liked the feel and colour of the yarn. The pattern calls for one ball of Kureyon but I used two balls of the silk garden. The shawl turned out great, was a little smaller than I would have liked but will still be very useful in warding off the chills when needed.

Hope you enjoy it Mom! I love you!

mower therapy

So when all else fails, can I recommend a little therapy?

Run a tub, grab a book and then don't forget the chocolate!

Even better, do all three at the same time!

I tried it! I liked it! Much, much better than fixing cranky lawnmowers!

admitting defeat

my afternoon was one etched in frustration

i admit that i like quilting, sewing, reading (my quiet hobbies)

i participate in kickboxing (my out of character sport)

i am good in the kitchen (cooking that is!, really!)

but i absolutely positively have no inkling about small engine repair

i think that i am pretty handy around the house in general

i will pick up a drill, screwdriver, hammer and tackle a project

it comes partly from my need to get things done

and partly that my hubby is gone alot of the summer for work

i either wait or learn how to do it myself! most times it works okay

so today when our gas lawnmower decided to be tempermental,

i thought i might give it ago and get it going

problem was it started and then dies again right away!

yes, the answer is yes it has gas in it!

i may be a red head, but i did check that!

after that, the next thing was the air filter...but nope that didn't work!

SO, i cleaned out underneath where it gets junked up from all the lawn clippings

thinking maybe it is slowing the blade down...nada!

okay, i have never ever done an oil change in my life, but why not i'll try?!

so i managed the oil change and thought i had done pretty well, until my daughter's friend knocked over the container with the old oil on the grass and herself! ugh!

but still the lawnmower won't stay on!

my neighbour offers the kindly suggestion "maybe it is bad gas!"

okay (i am really frustrated at this point), i will deal with that!

i pump all of the gas back out of the mower into the jerry can!

that's great but now what?

i don't have a spare jerry can!

i just put what could be bad fuel back into the can with what could be good fuel!

what do i do with it? put it in the van? my hubby might not like that!

dump it? we already did that with the oil!

ugh! it was then that i gave up!

packed up the mower and moved on to greener pastures!

or so i thought!

all i wanted to do was water the flowers! you know, get a job done?

that shouldn't be hard should it?
apparently nothing was easy today

i couldn't get the hose out of the reel! really!

i was yanking, pulling, pushing , shoving!

ugh!

think my gardening is done for the day? yep! lets try tomorrow!

and when i am out there i might be able solve one problem by teaching my four-year-old perpetual flower waterer a thing or two about rolling up the hose again!

straight shooting

This is today! Just a glimpse! Lots of today was work but we snuck some down time too!
These photos are SOOC! Which means "Straight out of camera", no editting!

Garden Shots
Kid Shots

i'm back

Well we are back! So good to sleep in my own bed last night.

Our family had quite the adventure for 3 1/2 days away! When we left on Wednesday we didn't manage to get to our bush camp until 10 pm in the evening, once we had the girls settled I didn't crawl into bed until 11 pm. Needless to say, 4:15 am wake up the next morning was a little hard to take. Because we got into camp so late I never even got into the kitchen to get fully detailed. I just knew I was making egg mc'muffins. Thankfully the first morning, my hubby came into the kitchen and helped me assemble them as I fried dozens and dozens of eggs.

The in's and out's of being in a bush camp and cooking for 55 very hungry people are too great to detail. I will say that my girls were real troopers and played hard and well for three days. It was a delight to see them outside and keeping themselves entertained. Mommy had a few squirmishes to solve, but not many. They found a pond with frogs and tadpoles and had an absolute blast!

As for me, here is what I made for supper while I was away. This doesn't include breakfast etc.

Day One

Pork Chops with Ginger Orange Sauce
Tofu & Carrots with Ginger Orange Sauce
Steamed Rice
Lentil Vegetable Soup
Green Salad with Honey Dill Dressing
Oxaco Bean Salad

Day Two

Chicken with Mushroom & Onion Sauce
Garlic Bread
Green Salad with choice of French Dressing or Parmesan Vinagerette
Tuna Provencal Pasta Salad
Vegetarian Minestrone Soup

Day Three

Perogies
BBQ Farmer Sausage
Julienned Vegetable Salad with Balsamic Walnut Vinagerette
Caesar Salad
Cuban Black Bean Soup
Broccoli, Tofu and Sesame stirfry

After hanging up my bush apron about 13 years ago I never really thought I would cook out there again. However, being out there made me realize a few things:

• It is hard work and long days! I was in the kitchen for about 17 hours a day. Given another shift I probably could whittle that down to 13-14 hours.
• I am not as young as I use to be! I am sure that I was making supper for kids, or at least they looked like it!
• I realize why I enjoyed cooking in camp all those years ago....it is gratifying to feed a camp of planters well and having them satisfied, content and thankful!
• Even though I am glad I went for these three days, I am grateful for my desk job back home that keeps our business running from behind the scenes!

Well that my friends is a wrap. I need to find a pillow, lay down my weary head and look at my seriously filthy pile of laundry tomorrow.

ahh!

I just received a call from my hubby that I am needed in our bush camp. Our cook is apparently very ill and cannot do his work. So I will be pinch hitting. My husband needs to come into town and get me, the girls, the trailer and get us out there (2 hours away) for a 5:00 breakfast! Right now it is 5:00 p.m. Needless to say I am a little nervous. See you in a day or two, maybe three.

a four year-old fascination

Boo-boo seems to think that picking worms
is much more fun than picking rocks!
This morning while we were doing yard work
we kept losing her attention to the poor cute worms.
"Aw, look-it Mommy, aren't they cute?"
Hmm?? Nope!
I can handle picking up worms and slugs with my gardening gloves,
but there isn't anyway I am going to hold a pile of slimy wriggly ones in my bare hands.
Yuck! Aren't things like this suppose to be left for the boys?
Here is our yard work. We had a whole section of dead grass. My hubby had shovelled the snow off of it this winter and consequently there was a lot of winter kill. I raked out all the dead grass and moved a whole pile of soil to cover it. Unfortunately it was full of rocks and was a way bigger job than I intended.

At least it is done now and ready for grass seed. Our dog likes it too!

in our house today

In Canada it is the Victoria Day long weekend.
Usually that doesn't mean much for our family because my husband's business is in full swing. However, this weekend we were going to try and go out to camp in our trailer and join him. Yesterday the weather decided to be difficult and it poured rain for most of the day. It was finally decided that we would stay home, even though we were all packed and ready to go. The bush roads/logging roads can get really messy and slick (not fun for pulling a trailer) and it just wouldn't have been fun to be freezing, wet and cold all weekend. We still can't quite convince our oldest daughter of that rationale however. As of this morning she has still been spontaneously erupting tears.

As a cure all for ailing emotions and slow weekend mornings I occassionally make Overnight Cinnamon Buns! Yes, I can and do make regular CB's! However, when I want them tomorrow morning I don't feel like staying up late to get them ready. These however take 5 minutes to put together and are ready for the oven in the morning. I love that! Enough time in the morning to put them in the oven, put coffee on and take a shower!

If you interested here is the recipe:

Overnight Cinnamon Buns

20 frozen bread rolls (2 pkgs)

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. vanilla instant pudding

1 T. cinnamon

1/4 c. melted butter

raisins

Grease bundt pan, place rolls inside.

Sprinkle with sugar, pudding, cinnamon and raisins.

Pour melted butter over all.

Cover with damp tea-towel and leave on counter over-night.

In the morning, preheat oven 350 C

Lightly cover with foil, bake 20 min.

Remove foil and bake approx another 5-7 min.

Don't underbake or it won't be cooked in the middle!
Let sit for 5 minutes and then turn out from the bundt pan.
Pour a coffee, put your feet up, grab a book and enjoy!

Not necessarily in that order!

One last note, since it was raining yesterday there was no chance of outside play! No gardening! No housework because I had already tidied up! So, I walked into my sewing room, pulled fabric from two of my cubbies and started to play. Pretty soon the girls followed me in and we all spent the afternoon creating. I will tell you that I pulled yellows and greens and hopefully soon I will have something to show.

kids say the craziest things

I was tucking my girls into bed
At the door I stopped and said
"Don't let the bed bugs bite"
One of my girls replied with,
"Don't let the pillow pandas paint your panties pink and purple!"
My goodness!? Where do they come up with this stuff?
Sometimes they just make me laugh!

in my garden

Our spring is slowly beginning, here is a glimpse

the games girls play

it amazes me at times what can keep my girls busy
the younger two devised this game the other day
it has kept them busy several days in a row
the basics are, well basic
up...

catch...

down and catch...

and up again....

repeat over and over

laugh alot

until the time has come to be done

the fairies were spotted

I have had two fairy spottings today. One was in the garden when I was given a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
The second was in our office. I had only a momentary sighting, when she landed to draw something. Then in a blink of an eye she was gone again! Crown, gold box and all. The only remaining thing was a pencil rolling on the desk that helped me be sure she had been there at all!

complaining about her BFF

Today my oldest daughter had a complaint about her BFF.
"Mom, Jesse isn't being any fun today at all! I made us a fort and he doesn't want to play! What's the matter?"
I am not sure how many of you have a golden retriever. If you don't, you might not understand the love of their life. Their BFF my just be a plain old tennis ball. It can keep our dog happy and distracted for a very long time. If he is chewing it, I wish you luck trying to get it. Unless you are wishing to play fetch until your arm is ready to fall off.
It was when Jesse was in the middle of loving his tennis ball that my daughter thought a fort might attract him. All set up, ready to go! Yet she can't convince him to move an inch. I personally think he has gone into selective hearing mode.

I thought I would try to get his attention. For one moment he stopped chewing and checked out what was up. Just one brief moment.

Because the next second, he was sinking his teeth back into that yummy, wet, slobbery tennis ball.

Like really can't you just taste the goodness! I need to close my eyes and just soak it in!

Now I am sure that he has gone to a far away, happy place and is just loving the moment. Poor dog he really does have a rough life!

Look I can chew laying down!

Even upside down! Oh yah!

After realizing her BFF was still completely ignoring her, someone thought a little love and kisses might change her dog's mind!

What? You are still there? You still want me to play fort? Oh man, do I have to?

Guess who won? And who looks happy now?

my 3 little blessings!

today is mother's day
with the business that we own our spring and summers are very busy
so my husband wasn't even home today
that's okay, he gave me a little something yesterday
this week though the girls have been scheming and making things
i was instructed where i couldn't look during the week
sometimes i honestly forgot and i would have someone screeching
"don't look in there"
this morning i was happily sleeping and all 3 of them got up early to get things ready
i guess it was too early for me (before seven) because when bugsy opened the blinds and yelled "happy mother's day", i told her to close the blinds and let me sleep! not exactly a very motherly response! oops! to put it in perspective i went from fully asleep to fully awake in 2 seconds!
they then graciously waited another 45 minutes and i awoke to my face being stroked and all three of them on my bed staring at me in anticipation! "wake up mom" they cooed and for some reason i could hardly get my eyes unglued
this time they were determined and got me sitting up right, even if i wasn't seeing straight
then they showered me with handmade gifts and love, papaya gave me a back rub (i was tempted to fall back a sleep) and bugsy made me breakfast!
after church this morning , they played happily all afternoon
helped with clean-up after supper
and we had time for a family game before bed
i feel so blessed that God has given us our 3 girls
i have learned, grown and been stretched by them in so many ways
i am so glad that i am a mom and that i can be at home with them!

happy mother's day

to my mom

hope you have a great mother's day

wish we could be closer

thanks for being you!

to oma

happy oma's day

we love you and are so glad we could spend time with you in march

see you in the summer

love you!

j,t and k

sieze the day

so we went to the park today! the weather wasn't exactly perfect but sometimes you realize that if you wait for perfect you could be waiting along time

i brought a book, intending to read for a while and instead started snapping pictures

it was a very nice trip out of the house

today i have had my fair share of caffeine which probably accounts for being up at midnight

8:30 am - a friend brought by a coffee

11:00 am - i picked up an iced mocha when running errands, felt a twinge bad

9:00 pm -hubby brings home a chai after a long day of work

12:00 midnight - i am awake! hmmm?

booga bag

so here is the booga bag that i made for my very wonderful niece in Winnipeg
this was her pay it forward from way back here

i finished the bag back in march,

but didn't get myself organized to send it in the mail until last week

i now have confirmation that she has received it and it likes it

hope she gets miles of use out of it
used noro kureyon color 102 because it makes me think of her fun and bright personality
i used cascade 220 for the trim and i-cords
really liked how it turned out, super fun and easy to make

quality

i distinctly remember being in grade 5

being in a new school, having a new teacher

i remember before parent-teacher conferences

that our teacher had a pre-conference with each one of us

i remember the little cardboard desk cubicle that was designed so that she could talk privately, without distraction in admist a classroom of busy 10 year olds

but what i remember the most is her telling me

"you are a great student but you would do better if you slowed down a bit,

i am not looking for your fastest job but your best job,

think quality over quantity"

for some reason that conversation,

the feelings that i had at that moment,

stayed with me for all these years!

i remember her having confidence in me,

instead of pulling me down,

she was pulling me up to be better than i was allowing myself to be

tonight i found myself having a very similar conversation with my oldest daughter

wanting her to know that her best is within her reach!

hoping that she will strive for good things

hoping that she will see the potential in herself....

does that make sense? have you ever felt like that for your child?

just as cute

Someone is just as cute today, as she is dirty!

What a fun day of outside play it was!

Thank goodness for a laundry tub and a quick wash!

i'm happy

last week i felt like i had dropped right off the face of the earth
and i didn't totally know what happened
i just knew that i couldn't handle much, was sick with an infection, was really teary eyed,
unbelievably tired and maybe even PMSing

my weekend was pretty much a write-off

today, one week later

i feel rejuvenated and so content

i'm wearing shorts, doing gardening and soaking up the sun and all that vitamin D!

i am sure that blue skies and warm bones definately have something to do with it

our trees are even showing proof to this as they are finally deciding to unfurl their leaves

not quite, but almost

i love spring, i love sun, i love being outside today!