Afternoon Light

I Hope You Surprise Yourself

Christmas Day

May your day be filled with blessed peace and merciful quiet ♥

Mimi Is Finished!

Here she is!

 I hope they like it.  Now to get this girl wrapped and under the tree!

Home Town

Do you watch these two on HGTV?

all pics courtesy of the web

It's one of my favourite home improvement shows.

Not only because Erin and Ben create spaces that are full of charm and personality, but also because I appreciate the fact that they restore beautiful vintage homes to their former glory, oftentimes re-using found materials to build stunning pieces of furniture destined to become heirlooms for the new homeowners.

Trends come and go but charm never goes out of fashion.

Do you love old homes?

Christmas Crack

I found this recipe on YouTube and the name is very fitting because this stuff IS addictive.

Here's what you'll need:

40 Saltine crackers
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (or topping of your choice)

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Line crackers in a single layer.

In a saucepan, melt butter and add brown sugar.  Bring to a full boil stirring constantly.

Boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly.  Immediately pour sauce over crackers and spread completely.

Bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let chips sit for 3-4 minutes then spread over the crackers.

Top with pecans and let cool for 10-15 minutes, then put in fridge until cold and chocolate is set.

Break into pieces and enjoy.

Store in fridge in airtight container (like there'll be any left, lol).

I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

It is with barely one eye open that I write this post on this overcast December Monday morning.

You see, we had the grandbabies for a sleepover. If you have grandchildren, you know how exhausting that can be, and how little 'sleep' it actually involves, lol.

We also attended a Christmas concert this week.

my choir angel

can you spot her?

And did some baking.

All in all it was a wonderful time of memory making and way too much sugar!

Planning an afternoon nap at this point.

Cheers! 

My Potluck Go-to

Our annual Christmas potluck is coming up.

It's an extended family get together with aunts, great-aunts, cousins, great-cousins, grandmas, dogs and grand-dogs ... well, you get the picture.  We are a large bunch and we enjoy our food.

The recipe I'm about the share with you is a crowd pleaser (always the first to go), it's cheap, and it's easy to make. 

Need I say more?

Here it is:

Deliciousness

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

·        6 mashed sweet potatoes

·        1 cup sugar

·        2 eggs, lightly beaten

·        1 teaspoon vanilla

·        1/2 cup milk

·        1 stick melted butter

  Topping:

·        1/2 cup brown sugar

·        1/3 cup flour

·        1/2 stick melted butter

·        1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Combine first 6 ingredients and blend thoroughly with and electric mixer. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Return to oven for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

My Thoughts On Forgiveness

That quote on my sidebar over there is by Maya Angelou. I live by it and it has served me well.

But let me explain because it can be a tricky thing, this forgiveness . . .

Forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.

it does NOT mean forgetting, condoning or excusing the offence.

It's a process that has to be intentional and voluntary and requires a shift in feelings and attitude.

Again, Maya says it best:

'You are relieved 

of carrying that burden

 of resentment 

You really are lighter 

You feel lighter'

It really is a gift . . . from you to YOU.

Yuletide App

Since it's party season and you'll probably be hosting a few over the next couple of weeks, I thought I'd share an appetizer that I make all the time and everybody loves!

Artichoke dip:

pic courtesy of the net

It's ridiculously simple to make and like I said, always popular.

Here we go!

1 6.5 oz. jar artichoke hearts, drained

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

1 clove of garlic

Blend ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serve hot with crusty French bread!

Let me know if try it ♥

Dog Heaven!

I've been dog sitting/walking for three years now.

To celebrate my love of dogs, I thought I'd share images of some of my most memorable charges with you.

Here they are in no particular order:

Jack

Pumpkin

Harley

Indy (my Ben in the background)

Zeus

Caramel

Peanut

Zeto

Cody

Dogs are the most exquisite beings on earth and I've been blessed with the privilege of caring for them when their humans are away.

I hope their images will bring a smile to your face.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mimi

I'm working on a new project this morning; actually it's a Christmas gift for my daughter and her family.

It's a portrait for their new family member, Mimi, a rescue from Costa Rica.

Here's Mimi in 'real life'. She's sweet and affectionate and very elegant. I hope I can capture her gentle nature in my painting.

Are you working on your Christmas list?

Winter Storm

We are in the middle of a nasty winter storm that started yesterday afternoon as is still going strong.

I had to run a few errands this morning and it's nasty out there.

Think I'll defrost by the fire for a little while and do some reading.

Have a wonderful day and stay safe.

Christmas Tree Lighting

This is where we'll be tonight! The high predicted is 0 Celsius, that's 32F. Brrrr ...

Can you believe Sunday is December 1st?

I'll be taking down the Fall wreath and putting up the Christmas one.  No tree yet, way too early for me.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Good Morning!

This was my view this morning as I was working out.  How motivating is that?

I'm off to do a little Christmas shopping and then meeting a friend for lunch.

What are you up to today?

How Was Your Weekend?

Mine was good! I finished working on this for my five year old granddaughter, Emily who is (currently) obsessed with German Shepherds.

And I enjoyed a walk through the newly-refurbished (and absolutely gorgeous) Tannery Park here in Oakville.

It is breathtaking!

I'm so annoyed at myself for having missed the Grand Reopening Celebration earlier this month.

Ah, well.

Saturday night we had dinner at one of my favourite Greek restaurants, Adonis, a short distance from our house.  It would have been nice to walk over but it was too cold.

Other than that is was pretty low key.

The Daily Round

Hello friends,

It's been a while, I know.

I've just returned from a glorious week in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  It was my first time there and had I known how much I'd love it, I would have booked a longer stay. But ... next time.

Isn't it wonderful to get out of our daily routine, to do something different than we did yesterday, to get away from all of it? It kind of wipes the slate clean and forces the mind to open itself up to new possibilities.

I had the usual 're-entry' issues or what you might call the 'post vacation blues' at first but pretty quickly found myself relaxing into my old routines.

In fact, I found comfort in them. And started wondering if you feel the same?  Do the daily rituals that create your life bring you satisfaction?

Do you take comfort in your day unfolding as planned?

Let me know.

Estrangement

Hello dear friends, me again.

Seven years ago my son estranged himself from us. Everything I've read since says I should let go and move on. That they seldom 're-engage' and if they do, it's not for the right reasons. It's to do with some sort of perceived financial entitlement; their 'due'.

But I hold on. I fantasize that one day he'll knock on my door (with grandchildren I've never met in tow) and explain/apologize ... and all will be well again.

My family says I'm delusional. 

They're probably right.

So I've been thinking about 'talking to someone'.  Of finding a kind therapist who will take me by the hand and lead me out of this funk I find myself in.  

It's possible I'm fantasizing again.

I don't know.

What do you think? Should I give it a shot? Have you ever felt the need to seek help in mending your broken heart?

Tell me.

16 Months ...

The transition continues! It's been 16 months since I last coloured my greys.

Growing out the dye is a long process that tests my patience on a daily basis ... talk about delayed gratification!

But I know the day will come when all the unhealthy, brassy stuff is gone forever.

Until then, here is the BEFORE

February 2018

... and the DURING

June 2019

Looking forward (more than I can say) to the AFTER.

Osteopenia ... cont'd

It's been about a month since my last post so I thought I'd update you on what's been going on with me and my osteopenia.

When my doctor's advise fell short as to what to do moving forward, I decided to take my health into my own hands.

So ... I've been scanning the Internet, gathering information and learning, learning, learning.

There's a lot of information out there, but the best source I've found so far is the Better Bones blog written by Dr. Susan Brown. Here I found everything I needed to know, from supplements to diet and exercise, meditation, and stress management.

I feel better.

I feel hopeful.

Osteopenia

A recent bone density test (DEXA) showed that I have osteopenia.  A pretty significant loss of bone in just one year has taken me to the borderline for osteoporosis.

My doctor suggested I start taking less calcium from supplements and more from my diet. I'm thinking of getting a second opinion.

When was your last bone density test? What did you doctor recommend?