I went shopping with my parents...

and discovered that now that they are in their 70s they are officially in that special group of super annoying old people who block the walkway in the mall by walking painfully slow, stopping abruptly with no consideration of those coming behind them and walk in the middle of mall traffic.    Sigh..it was torture to be a part of it. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJwb_wEaW2M&feature=share

Even this clever Japanese idea wouldn't help the situation...my dad is too deaf to hear the bell!!

bah humbug

Our family did a name draw for a gift exchange.     My great-nephew got my name.   The boy is only 2 years old.   That meant that his parents had to buy a gift for him to give to me.  But did they?  NO.  Not that I was expecting much but kind of awkward when in a family gift exchange and you discover nobody bothered to get you anything.   So thanks for nothing.   ...bah humbug.   

Today I'm stuffing and cooking a bird and preparing homemade chopped liver (not to be eaten in the same meal, lol)...oh the complexities of celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas! Happy Hanu-mas and Merry Christmakkah to one and all!

Fondue party tonight...should be fun!

The Library Phantom Returns! : Krulwich Wonders... : NPR

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/11/29/142910393/the-library-phantom-returns
I've been meaning to post this link all week. I'd love to stumble across a little paper sculpture like this the museum or library! Very cool.

Vote for Tilly. Help us win!

http://www.wonderfurwinter.ca/vote.aspx?pet=439#
Tilly is my beautiful dog. An Australian Shepherd mix, I'm tr;ying to get her on the Purina packaging in a contest. Please vote for her! No registration required - just a quick click. You can vote as often as once an hour! Thanks!

National September 11 Memorial, New York City

I didn't want to go.   In discussion about it this summer I emphatically said "NO!"   Somehow my mom convinced me that we HAD to go.  To not go would only make us feel worse.  So reluctantly I agreed.  

It is free to get in but you must make a reservation well in advance.   I booked our tickets for October 21st way back in August.   By the time of the anniversary celebrations and grand opening of the memorial on September 11th they were saying that they were booked up until December so I guess it was a good thing that I booked the tickets when I did.

Our visit started with a long queue.    That was when I realized I'd forgotten our printed reservation back in the hotel.   duh.   Guess I'm not the only one to do that since they had a booth where you could show ID and get them reprinted.   

The line up to get in was really long and winded back and forth across a big city square  6 or 7 times.    From there you were herded down alongside a construction site and inside a security building.     All bags, coats, belts and watches had to go through an x-ray machine and then you had to walk through a metal detector.   Security was pretty tight, but nobody complained. Once through security there was a narrow  fenced in area about a block long to walk until you got to the memorial and there were with multiple security checks (tickets and ID) along the way.  

   

In the line I wasn't sure how I felt about being there.  How was I was going to feel inside the memorial?  Would I be upset?  Would I feel a connection to the horrible event that took place here and the thousands who perished?  What if I didn't?  Would that make me a bad person???   I really wasn't sure what to expect from myself and from the experience.  

In the end, I'm not sure how to describe how I felt there other than to say I was moved to tears and beyond.   We stayed in the memorial for over an hour.  We didn't talk much.  We walked around the footprints of both of the WTC buildings.   We read the names of all the people who died.  We cried. We hugged.   This is pretty much what everybody else was doing too.    

Views from the Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is a cheap-o way for tourists to see the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline.   It is FREE!!!!!  

We took the subway to the South Ferry Station and then boarded the big orange ferry.  They leave the terminal about every 30 minutes, more often during rush hour.   I was advised to go in the morning because in the afternoon the sun is behind the Statue of Liberty and it can make pictures difficult.  

As I was boarding I kept thinking about the documentary I saw about 9/11 and how the ferries and other private boats were used to evacuate people fleeing Manhattan that terrible day.   People were so terrified and panicked that they were jumping off these very piers.   O.k. enough sadness...

It was a beautiful but cool day.  The ferry was so filled with tourists that I was afraid that it might list to one side, but I guess they are used to that!  We all wanted to be on the right hand side in order to see the "green lady."  And here she is  ========>

It also gave us a great view of both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.  

The new World Trade Centre Building is still under construction.  It is the tallest building you can see on the right hand side.  The top 1/3 of the building does not yet have windows, that is why it appears so dark at the top.  

Once we arrived at the Staten Island terminal we had to disembark the ferry.  We didn't want to do anything in Staten Island so we quickly ran through the terminal (with all the other tourists too) and back to the departure lounge to re-board the same boat for the return trip. 

It was kind of fun to do! 

 

Afternoon Tea with my Mom in Manhattan

 I always try to take an afternoon tea when I travel with my mom.  I knew I wanted to find the perfect tea for our trip to New York City so after much research and debate we settled on tea at the Pembroke Room in the Lowell Hotel.   What can I say....excellent decision!!!!   

The Lowell Hotel is located in a townhouse in the Upper East Side (East 63rd between Park and Madison Avenues).    One night in their cheapest room was equal to the cost of our entire 5 day 4 night trip to New York City travelling by bus and staying at an economy hotel.   LOL!  What can I say but it was pretty "swishy!"

Everything about the afternoon tea at the Lowell was delightful.   It was a relaxing respite in our hectic NYC itinerary.  A heavenly oasis in the middle of the chaotic city. 

  
The opulent room is beautiful and well suited to afternoon tea.  The walls are covered in antique mirrors imported from France.  There were fresh roses on the table and the meal was served on fine china.  There were only two other tables in use which meant it was quiet and private too.  

We each chose Earl Grey Tea to drink and were glad to see that it was loose leaf as it should be with any proper tea.   I think our server's name was Vernon.  He was friendly and attentive, always quick to bring us more hot water or fresh tea leaves when we needed it.  .   

We started with sandwiches such as quail egg, lobster salad, smoked salmon and cucumber.   They were lovely.    Then we were on to the warm cranberry and blueberry scones with Devon cream, lemon curd and strawberry preserves.  The lemon curd was a really nice touch as it is not always offered with afternoon tea.  It was delicious! 

  

   

If I had to find a complaint it would be that I had indicated in our reservation and again to our server in person  that I was allergic to strawberries and as such the strawberry preserves should never have been offered.    Some of the empty tables were set for breakfast with mini jars of jams and I'm sure they could have found raspberry or currant or any other flavour to offer us.   We moved the strawberry preserve away from my side of the table and my Mom ate some on her scones but made sure not to contaminate the Devon cream by accidentally getting some strawberry on the spoon.     This was disappointing but a minor problem in the grand scheme of things.  

We ended the tea with a variety of tiny petit fours.  Each time I bit into one of them I'd say "Oh 
is my favourite."  Then it would be "Oh this is my new favourite," and so on...  Though they were small, we simply couldn't eat all the sweets and we ended up with a little take out box, elegantly housed in a fancy Lowell Hotel shopping bag, to take home with us.

    

We were not rushed out the door, in fact I think we were there for about 2.5 hours.   We had a nice chat with the Food and Beverage Manager, Patrick,  in which I indicated that I had researched where to have tea and had looked at several web reviews before deciding on the Pembroke Room.  He had an interesting comment that he tries to impress on the staff the fact that with websites such as yelp and chowhound every customer is now a potential reviewer.   Quite right!

We reluctantly departed feeling thoroughly rested and relaxed.  My Mom and I both agree that it was quite possibly the nicest afternoon tea we had ever had (and we've had lots).      

Afterwards, we strolled down Madison Avenue and my mother was quietly singing to herself.  "It's De-lightful, It's De-lovely, It's De-Lowell!"   

It really was delightful.  A special tradition with my Mom and a perfect ending to our trip to New York City.   

Muskoka Lakes Museum Pumpkin Muffins

Description:
Thanksgiving has always been an important weekend at the Muskoka Lakes Museum. Being in cottage country, this was the weekend when the summer visitors came for one last hurrah before closing the cottage for the winter. When I worked there the museum would celebrate the end of the season by offering visitors free admission and hot apple cider and pumpkin muffins. The volunteers would bake hundreds of muffins. This is their recipe. I think the original recipe had raisins in it but since I think raisins are evil, I've omitted it.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 brown sugar


Directions:
Cream together eggs and sugar, add oil and stir well. Stir in pumpkin puree. Blend together with flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and pie spice. Stir well. Spoon into baking cups. In another bowl combine chopped walnuts and brown sugar. Decorate top of muffin with a spoonful of the walnut mixture. Bake at 325 F for 20 minutes.

Kona Inn Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 bananas, ripe and mashed
2 eggs, well beaten
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:
Cream together butter and sugar. Add bananas and eggs. Sift dry ingredients. Blend wet and dry mixtures but don't overmix. Bake in a loaf pan at 350 F for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Description:
I was given this recipe about 30 years ago. It is still my favourite chocolate chip cookie. They are deliciously soft and chewy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 6oz package chocolate chips (scant)
1/4 cup walnut pieces

Directions:
Mix together oil, sugars, egg and vanilla. Sift in flour salt and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips and walnut pieces. There will be so many chips you will probably have to mix them in with your hand. Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake at 375 F. for 8 to 10 minutes.

A new flavour of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream

...Schweddy Balls...

In honour of my favourite SNL skit ever...

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/09/07/schweddy-balls-ben-jerrys-newest-vermont-export/

mmmmmm, you balls taste great....

A trace of a face in Moira - Belleville Intelligencer - Ontario, CA

http://www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3280892
Check out this satellite image of Belleville Ontario. Can you see the image of Jesus in the river???? Let the pilgrimages begin to the holy waters of the Moira River ;-)

8 weeks until my vacation in New York City. I can hardly wait!

Today I picked the very first cherry tomato of the season!

Zombie Warning!

Just when you thought it was safe to commute to work...the zombies invade Canada!

Lychee Bubble Tea is yummy!

There must be a thunderstorm brewing as the dog is practically hyperventilating and trying to climb on top of me with fear.

What have I ever done to the staff at Subway....

...to make them hate me so much.   

Last time I was there I ordered my sub and asked for only 1 veggie on it.  Green Peppers.  The girl literally took 1 ring of green pepper, broke it into pieces and gave me 2/3 of it.  When I asked for more I was told no because there was a shortage.  Meanwhile the guy beside me gets 3 entire green pepper rings on his sandwich!!!!   

O.k. so today was their promotional day of a free breakfast sandwich and coffee.   I went in with the attitude that I'd be super pleasant and blow them away with my kindness on what was probably a chaotic morning for them.   

I politely ordered my egg sandwich.  An acquaintance of mine arrived at the same time and ordered her sandwich too.    They asked what I wanted on it I said "Tomato and Green Pepper, please."   

She put on two slices of cucumber and the greenest slice of tomato I'd ever seen.   

I said " You might as well remove that tomato slice, it is not in the least bit ripe and will be rock hard, nobody would eat it."  She grimaced and chucked the tomato off the sandwich (not offering to replace it with a proper one).   Then I said "and I'm sure I said green pepper not cucumber but I guess you can leave it now."  She looked at me with complete and utter contempt and plunked on 1/4 of a green pepper ring on top of the cukes.  With a dramatic sigh she wrapped my sandwich up and turned away as I stood staring at her with my mouth wide open.....   She was sooooo rude. 

Then I watched as she assembled my acquaintance's sandwich.  She asked for tomato and the subway girl fished around in the bin and found her a ripe one!!!!  As she placed it on the sandwich she stopped, turned and looked me right in the eye to make sure I saw her giving the other lady the ripe one.   It was very awkward!

My acquaintance skipped the coffee and left.   Did I? No, you'd think I would since I rarely drink coffee but instead I signed up for more punishment.  

I got my coffee cup and went over to their coffee dispenser.   At this point they had a line up of customers coming for free breakfasts that stretched right out the door and their one and only small coffee dispenser was empty. 

I went over to the cashier and quietly stated  "oops, you are all out of coffee...."  and returned to the coffee station to wait.   She hollered to the back "WE NEED MORE COFFEE."  Then turned towards me and yelled across the store "WE CAN ONLY MAKE IT AS FAST AS THE MACHINE CAN GO, YOU KNOW," in such a snotty, petulant voice that  I was embarrassed for her. 

Finally I got the coffee, but wait no lids.   I discreetly said to the cashier. "Excuse me, but have you no coffee lids?"   To which I got an eye roll and a response of "Well if you'd just open your eyes and look they are there."     Excuse me??????   Could she be any more rude about it?????    I did find them, hidden behind a stack of cold drink lids.   There were only 3 left so I am sure some poor soul was going to ask that question again shortly, only to be spoken to like they were a complete idiot too.  

End result...

Subway Breakfast.....mediocre  - the egg was pre-cooked and the warm cucumber was disgusting

Subway Customer Service.....non-existent

Subway Customer...never again, as in not on your life!

Sorry Subway, your little free breakfast promotion backfired!

What have I ever done to the staff at Subway....

...to make them hate me so much.   

Last time I was there I ordered my sub and asked for only 1 veggie on it.  Green Peppers.  The girl literally took 1 ring of green pepper, broke it into pieces and gave me 2/3 of it.  When I asked for more I was told no because there was a shortage.  Meanwhile the guy beside me gets 3 entire green pepper rings on his sandwich!!!!   

O.k. so today was their promotional day of a free breakfast sandwich and coffee.   I went in with the attitude that I'd be super pleasant and blow them away with my kindness on what was probably a chaotic morning for them.   

I politely ordered my egg sandwich.  An acquaintance of mine arrived at the same time and ordered her sandwich too.    They asked what I wanted on it I said "Tomato and Green Pepper, please."   

She put on two slices of cucumber and the greenest slice of tomato I'd ever seen.   

I said " You might as well remove that tomato slice, it is not in the least bit ripe and will be rock hard, nobody would eat it."  She grimaced and chucked the tomato off the sandwich (not offering to replace it with a proper one).   Then I said "and I'm sure I said green pepper not cucumber but I guess you can leave it now."  She looked at me with complete and utter contempt and plunked on 1/4 of a green pepper ring on top of the cukes.  With a dramatic sigh she wrapped my sandwich up and turned away as I stood staring at her with my mouth wide open.....   She was sooooo rude. 

Then I watched as she assembled my acquaintance's sandwich.  She asked for tomato and the subway girl fished around in the bin and found her a ripe one!!!!  As she placed it on the sandwich she stopped, turned and looked me right in the eye to make sure I saw her giving the other lady the ripe one.   It was very awkward!

My acquaintance skipped the coffee and left.   Did I? No, you'd think I would since I rarely drink coffee but instead I signed up for more punishment.  

I got my coffee cup and went over to their coffee dispenser.   At this point they had a line up of customers coming for free breakfasts that stretched right out the door and their one and only small coffee dispenser was empty. 

I went over to the cashier and quietly stated  "oops, you are all out of coffee...."  and returned to the coffee station to wait.   She hollered to the back "WE NEED MORE COFFEE."  Then turned towards me and yelled across the store "WE CAN ONLY MAKE IT AS FAST AS THE MACHINE CAN GO, YOU KNOW," in such a snotty, petulant voice that  I was embarrassed for her. 

Finally I got the coffee, but wait no lids.   I discreetly said to the cashier. "Excuse me, but have you no coffee lids?"   To which I got an eye roll and a response of "Well if you'd just open your eyes and look they are there."     Excuse me??????   Could she be any more rude about it?????    I did find them, hidden behind a stack of cold drink lids.   There were only 3 left so I am sure some poor soul was going to ask that question again shortly, only to be spoken to like they were a complete idiot too.  

End result...

Subway Breakfast.....mediocre  - the egg was pre-cooked and the warm cucumber was disgusting

Subway Customer Service.....non-existent

Subway Customer...never again, as in not on your life!

Sorry Subway, your little free breakfast promotion backfired!

Just finished giving the dogs a bath. Let them out to dry a bit in the sun and when I came back 5 min. later Tess had been rolling in the dirt. Back to the bath tub for you Tessie!

Tonight my 60lb dog has decided to be a lap dog.

So I had my interview with the Ministry of Culture. It went well. Now I wait!

Ever since the rabbit incident in the backyard, my dog Tilly has become obsessed. She now barks at the TV everytime the Cadbury Easter Egg Bunny commercial is on. KOOKY Dog! :)

The radiator on my car "blew" today...another $450 down the drain.

o.k. I did it....gulp....I applied for a big job with the Ministry of Culture.

Barney's Version

Saw the movie Barney's Version tonight.  Wow, it was really, really good!!!

Paul Giamatti plays Barney and deserves an Oscar.  Dustin Hoffman plays his father and was excellent too!

It is based on the novel of the same name by Canadian author Mordecai Richler.

It tells the life story of Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti).  He is an ordinary man, he drinks too much, smokes cigars, likes hockey, and was married 3 times.  In his later years he is the subject of a book that implicates him in the murder of his best friend who mysteriously disappeared years earlier.   So this is his opportunity to tell his "version." Through flashbacks we discover the highs and lows of his life -  his marriages, his one true love, his mistakes, his regrets and finally, we discover the truth about what happened to his friend.  

www.barneysversionthemovie.com

Mom's Crunchy Granola

Description:
My Mom has been making this granola for over 40 years. There are lots of optional ingredients. In fact you can add just about anything you want. In recent years I have adapted it a bit further by adding ground flax seed (good for your cholesterol) and pumpkin seeds (to boost metabolism). Head to the bulk food store and pick ingredients to suit your own tastes!

I gave jars of this to friends last Christmas and the recipe was requested, so, here it is! The batch I gave as gifts had the main recipe plus apples, cinnamon, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, dried blueberries and dried cherries.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts - walnuts, almonds or pecans
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (shelled)
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup (scant) liquid honey

Directions:
Stir dry ingredients in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
Whisk oil, water, and honey together and add to dry ingredients. Stir well to ensure dry ingredients are evenly coated.
Spread out on two cookie sheets and bake (stirring occasionally) at 200 F for 1 3/4 to 2 hours until golden brown and slightly crispy.
Cool and then salt to taste (don't skip this it really does need a bit of salt).
Keep in a sealed container (in the fridge if it lasts that long).

Variations
1. Add 1 cup peeled chopped apple and 1 tsp. cinnamon before baking.
2. Add 1/2 cup each of raw sunflower seeds and sesame seeds before baking.
3. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips when completely cool.
4. Add 1/2 cup raisins when cool.
5. Add 1 cup dried fruit after baking (apricots, currants, cranberries, blueberries, or cherries).

Dramatic Rabbit Rescue ;)

Never a dull moment in my life...

Tonight my dog Tilly chased a rabbit across the yard.  The poor little rabbit tried to escape by going through a link in the chain link fence.  IT GOT STUCK!   So there was Tilly with her nose up this bunny's arse and the poor thing couldn't get away.  

Thankfully Tilly was gentle with it and seemed only interested in playing not eating the little guy.  It was probably stuck for about 10 minutes before I noticed my other dog Tess barking excitedly.

  In order to get to it I had to climb a 5ft snowbank of snow cleared from my back patio and then make my way through the overgrown raspberry canes to get to the fence-line. Tess is too old and couldn't manage the climb back to the fence but Tilly was back there with the Rabbit. I was struggling to hold her back from the rabbit while working to get its hind legs through the fence.  I tried for about 15 minutes to get it free.  Finally I left it and Tilly for a minute, climbed back through the raspberry canes and over the snowbank  and ran to my neighbour's house to ask for assistance.  

Steve came out with  wire cutters and we had to cut the fence in order to get the rabbit free.   Instead of going forward through the fence the rabbit turned back & scrambled behind my legs and hid there. As he hid behind my legs from the dog, I had some sort of "one with nature" moment!   Eventually he took off and made his get away!

Tilly and I are pretty scratched up from the raspberry canes.  Steve says he can fix the fence.  The rabbit seemed unharmed, though it shed an awful lot of fur during the struggle.  I think his pride was the only thing injured. 

 

Unbelievable snow day blooper!

Apparently this Toronto news reporter had to learn the hard way that he shouldn't stand at the bottom of a toboggan hill on a snow day.  

http://www.youtube.com/embed/kea_-8oZIBw

 

 

 

Bah! This weather is sucky!

Just got a summons to appear for jury panel at the hastings county court...dang, I know it is a civic duty but I really hope I don't get selected.

Brought to you by the letter "F"

The letter "F" was sticking on the keyboard of my laptop.   Foolishly I removed the key and cleaned out the fluff.  It then took me a full two hours of fiddling to get the f***** key back in its place.  I have floundered, fussed and fumed for what seemed like forever.  I felt very frustrated and foolish.  The f**** thing had me fully flumoxed.   Finally I finshed.  Fortunately, I fixed the f and now I am finding ways to use it.