Jun

29

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Everyday Life Stuff

All’s Quiet. Not Literally, Obviously.

Hello, Internets.

Have you missed me? I’ve been quiet lately. It’s been quiet around here, so there’s really nothing to tell you.

Okay, not really. It has been BUSY, and we have been doing ALL THE THINGS. One can hardly ever say it is QUIET, especially around here, given the full-throated living out loud that That Girl tends to do. But it has been somewhat… boring.

And nobody wants to read boring on the intertubes. Well, I am sure SOME people do. Goodness knows there are enough websites and blogs and tweets and message boards out there full of the boring minutiae of people’s lives.

“Today I had a chicken sandwich for lunch!”

“Hot enough for you?”

“My speshul snowflayk child pooped rainbows and fairy dust!!”

There’s enough mind-numbing nonsense out there. My noise does not need to be added to it.

And what would I say, anyway? Work for BDH has been very busy. That keeps the rest of our little family busy as well. And then we are keeping tabs on the health and happenings of friends and family and that keeps us busy too.

Busy busy busy.

But even the busy stuff is just ordinary, everyday life stuff. It’s go here, appointment there, cook this, clean that kind of stuff.

“My garden has been neglected because the weather is lousy.”

“My crazy neighbours have gone on vacation.”

“I did some knitting.”

See? Boring. Not even funny stuff, because my crazy neighbours are away.

But it has not been bad, and it has not been hot and humid, and that is nice. Although BDH has been working like a maniac, for Stinkerbelle and me, life has been passing slowly, and mostly pleasantly. And while it has been without fanfare, it has been without drama. And that is quite alright with me.

“That Girl is learning to catch.”

“We are starting speech therapy this month.”

“We are healthy and happy.”

Yep. Boring. But boring, although not blogworthy, has been quite lovely.

You’ll just have to take my word for it.

Jun

25

By CinnamonOpus

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Categories: Daily Photo, That Girl

Protected: Saturday Smile: In the Gym

Jun

24

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Fun Stuff

Confession Friday

I am glad it is Friday, I can’t lie. I like Fridays.

I confess:

…that I am glad it’s Friday because that means the weekend. And that means two days of backup on the childcare. Not that Stinkerbelle is a tough kid to mind — far from it — but it’s just been that I’ve been tired this week from being sick, and therefore probably not as patient and nice as I usually would be with her. So it will be nice to have someone to share the task with for a couple of days.
…that my head cold is lingering in my lungs. And, for a person with asthma, that means I am out of breath a lot more and more tired than normal.
…that since I was sick, I have been indulging my love of my favourite food: ICE CREAM. What? It’s THERAPEUTIC.
…that I did a bit of knitting this week. And that was nice.
…that this mail strike has been VERY inconvenient. Not only will bills be held up, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE STILL SUPPOSED TO PAY THEM WTF IS THAT WHAT AM I A MIND READER OR SOMETHING? But also, CHEQUES are out there. I want my money. And I have things to come from online shopping, and things to send to friends… I HATE YOU MAIL STRIKE YOU ARE MY SWORN ENEMY.
…that this week was Stinkerbelle’s last class at the Little Gym. It was nice — they had a little award ceremony (everybody got a ribbon), and grandparents and such were allowed to come and take pictures, and like that. So that was good. But I was sick and fuzzy-headed, and I didn’t have the presence of mind to ask That Girl’s little friend Isla and her mom to see if they wanted to get together this summer for some play dates. I suck.
…that it has been nice to have some time off the internets this week. I haven’t blogged or spent much time on my usual virtual hangouts. But if I am completely honest, I HAVE been on Teh Interwebs, just not in the usual places. I’ve been indulging my Christopher Eccleston love and watching some of his shows online, and listening to a couple of radio shows he’s been on recently. Well, he IS my Virtual Internets Boyfriend. I couldn’t just NEGLECT him, now could I.
…that I have been lying to my daughter. My daughter, who has eating issues, DOES love her some birthday cake. So… I made her some mini-muffins this week. Banana flavoured (so neither I nor BDH would be enticed to eat them ourselves.) And, to get her to eat them, sight unseen, I asked her if she wanted some BIRTHDAY CAKE. If I had asked her if she wanted a muffin, or showed it to her and offered it without her thinking it was something familiar, she would have rejected it out of hand. But now, thinking it was birthday cake, she ate one without thinking. And she’s been pounding them down all week. So… I DID lie to her. But it was for her own good. And now, we have one more food and one more food shape to add to her meal and snack repertoire. It’s a small step, but now I can make muffin-shaped things with good things in them and she’ll be eating that much more. Now, I need to find vegetable-filled muffin recipes. Hmmm.
…that we put in a lot of hard work on our gardens in the past couple of weeks, and we’re pretty proud. I’ve neglected the gardens over the past couple of years because it’s just not been possible to keep them up AND take care of Stinkerbelle to any great degree, so one of them had to fall by the wayside. Now that she is older and able to faff about on her own for a bit while we work, we’ve been able to reclaim our gardens. There’s still a fair way to go, but we’ve made a great dent in it and for the first time in years, our gardens are looking quite nice. We’ll just keep plugging away at it. Next year, we’ve got to do some structural work on at least one of the gardens with retaining walls and more dirt and the like, but that takes money. For now, we’re happy that they will be weed-free and look tidy.
…that I love radio. I have since I was a little girl listening to my dad’s shortwave in our basement. And while I can get a lot of good radio on the internets these days, there is a dearth of good radio in this area for listening to in the car. So BDH got us set up on XM satellite radio this week, and it has been SO. MUCH. WIN. There’s not as much as is available in the US or the UK on satellite, but still, it’s pretty excellent. I can listen to BBC1 and BBC World Service whenever I want. I can listen to genre-specific stations. AND… there’s a retro alternative station that is so awesome it’s like I MADE THE PLAYLISTS. So I’ve been enjoying that a lot.
…that it is a rainy day, on and off, today. And Stinkerbelle and I are indulging our love of Pocoyo on the Tubes of You all morning. Yep, I’m a grown woman, and I love Pocoyo. I also love Pingu. Whatchu gonna do about it, huh?

Jun

20

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Everyday Life Stuff

Don’t Get Too Close

I have a cold. A nasty head cold.

I’m well medicated. But sneezing my brains out. Stinkerbelle had it first, of course. And since she couldn’t say “Mother, I believe I have a head cold” to me, I was all OMG WHY ARE YOU SUCH A CRABBY PANTS GET YOUR FINGER OUT OF YOUR NOSE HEY… DO YOU HAVE A COLD?

PARENTING FAIL. So it serves me right.

Anyway I am going to go curl up with some NeoCitran and a movie in which elaborate costumes are worn and people say things like “I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men” and, especially for me today, “Nobody can tell what I suffer! — But it is always so. Those who do not complain are never pitied.”

And I may sulk. If it’s not too much of an effort.

ETA: Instead of me today, you get… NEW MARU!!!

Jun

18

By CinnamonOpus

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Categories: Daily Photo, That Girl

Protected: Saturday Smile: Showtime

Jun

17

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Fun Stuff

Confession Friday

I’m glad it is Friday. It has been a busy week.

I confess:

…that I’m glad we got our roof reshingled, even though the expense is a big one and the debt has me stressed. It’s better to have it done now than to put it off and risk damage to the roof and house if we had let it go too long. So, score one for being proactive.
…that I am really, really stressed out by confrontation and conflict. Even relatively mild confrontation like when our nutty naked neighbour was complaining at us about our roofers. She’s been acting a little unhinged all week, actually — yesterday she came out to berate the street sweeper because his machine was too loud, and then got pissed at me because my car was on the street so they could not sweep in front of her house — so I’ve been on edge all week.
…that I had our first meeting this week with Stinkerbelle’s school and her community and support workers. It was really good and really positive. I feel really excited for her to start preschool in September, knowing that they will be aware of her speech delays and her eating issues and are capable, ready and excited to support her.
…that I am excited for the prospect of Stinkerbelle going to preschool because I want her to have friends. I feel I have let her down because I have no friends or social network and consequently she has no little friends to play with regularly. She spends so much time with me, and she wants to make friends so much. When we go outside, she says hi to every single kid she sees in the hopes they will play with her. When we go to the park, she begs to go play with kids, most of whom are way too old and I have to tell her no. It makes me so sad to see her so lonely.
…that I am finding it really challenging to get our gardening done while tending to a three-year-old. If I can get an hour done, a couple of days a week, it’s a good day.
…that while there is a lot to love about Three, it is an age that can pass quickly, thankyouverymuch. Anyone who thinks the Twos are terrible is in for a big surprise when Three comes along. Fortunately, our kid is pretty mild and happy, so the annoyance mostly comes in the form of the ENDLESS REPETITION of one phrase over and over until you want to explode. And the OMG DRAMA. And the WHINING. And the NO. Oh, the NO makes me want to punt some days. But you know, as annoyed as I get — and some days, it can be quite a bit — I look at other parents with more challenging kids and thank my lucky stars for our generally happy, pleasant kid.
…that my days are busy these days because I have started a book — actually both BDH and I have — in which we make a “to do” list for every day. On the one hand, it keeps me organized, and I DO get a lot more done in a day because the list keeps me accountable. But on the other hand, I tend to overschedule my days with all the things I want to do, and inevitably some of it doesn’t get done and pushed off to the next day or week. I have to find a good balance. It’ll take time.
…that I have had little time for knitting this month. Sorry Tova!
…that the mail strike has made sending my finished knitting off impossible. Sorry Carmen!
…that I kind of miss being a lazy bum and taking time for just sitting and knitting.

Jun

14

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Random Thoughts

Random Tuesday: Spending Money Edition

The place is crawling with workmen, who are re-shingling our roof. It is noisy and busy and chances are, when you are reading this, we are not actually here, but rather someplace quieter and where Stinkerbelle can play without fear of stuff falling off the roof and landing on her head.

Note to self: When planning for the big expense of having your roof redone, also remember that a giant, heavy truck full of roofing supplies with likely come the day before to drop off your shingles and whatnot. And, if you have an asphalt driveway, be prepared that the heavy giant truck is more than your little asphalt driveway was constructed to bear. And there will be ruts and heaves and a big crack or two in the driveway when they leave. So in your budget, plan to pencil in “driveway repair and/or resurfacing” for the next year or two.

Note to self, part 2: Be aware that your nutty naked neighbours will complain. To me, and the roofers, and probably anyone else that will listen. About the OMG MESS AND NAILS EVERYWHERE AND DID YOU KNOW THEY ARE THROWING SHINGLES OFF THE ROOF. Even though these are THE TIDIEST ROOFERS IN HISTORY. Because they are throwing shingles off the roof and it startled one of her dippy students who was coming up the walk and apparently MISSED THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS EVERYWHERE AND THE ROOFERS SIGN AND BY THE WAY THE GIANT REFUSE BIN IN THE DRIVEWAY. And because the wind may catch some of the shingles being tossed off the roof and they might miss the bin and lay on your lawn for the 10 minutes it takes a guy to come down off a 3-storey house and tidy up. And because in Nutty Naked Neighbour Land, roofing is done silently and individual parts are walked up and down ladders and placed in padded soundproof bins and roofing jobs are done with magic and fairy farts.

Note to self, part the third: A gift certificate from the local nursery is a good way to apologize to nutty neighbours for the imaginary trauma of your roof being completed, with the added bonus of making them feel bad for complaining. Even if it was only 20 bucks. Hee.

This morning, we decided after Gym class to take a trip out to Corn Parking. This has several benefits, the first being we replenish our fruit and veg supply. But it also provides a bit of amusement for That Girl which is away from the noise and hubbub. So off we went to buy some local produce. When we arrived, there was a tractor trailer on the southbound side of the highway near the store. I would not have taken much notice of it, except for the fact that, as we were parking our car, the driver of said tractor trailer decided it would be a good idea to TRY TO DO A U-TURN ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY. Which ended, as you might expect, with the cab of said tractor trailer in the ditch on the northbound side of the road, and the trailer across and completely blocking the entire road. So, we finished our shopping, and then stood outside Corn Parking to have a little snack. It was then, TEN MINUTES LATER, when the driver of the tractor trailer comes ambling up the road and stops in at Corn Parking, I think hoping someone there would be fixing to do something about this here predicament he done got himself into. Nice. And when we left, ten minutes later, he was still there. He may STILL be there, because the only people at Corn Parking were the two girls who were stocking the place and working the till, and I doubt either one of them can tow a semi out of a ditch. Although you never know — farm girls are known to be strong.

You know how I am Sleep Disorder Woman, and I sleep with a CPAP mask on? Oh you didn’t? Well, I am, and I do. Except sometimes, in my sleep, when I am completely dead asleep… I will take my mask off for some unknown reason. It happens from time to time, and when it does, it means I spend a period of time sleeping in full-on sleep disorder mode. And that means, bad sleep, combined with allergies, results in me waking at some ungodly hour with sinuses jam-packed full solid, and sneezing my brains out. And, were you here, this is how you would have found me at four a.m this morning. Now, here’s the thing: did you know that the sun is already starting to peek up over the horizon at four a.m.? Oh you didn’t? Well that is probably because OMG NOBODY SHOULD BE AWAKE AT FOUR AM IT IS JUST WRONG. But I am here to tell you that it is. And at four a.m. and change this morning, I was PISSED. I was all REALLY SUN? I AM STRUGGLING TO GET BACK TO SLEEP BECAUSE IT IS THE MIDDLE OF THE FRICKING NIGHT AND YOU ARE COMING UP NOW? I HATE YOU. So, yes. This could be another reason why I am somewhat cranky today.

Jun

13

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Relaxation Nation

Relaxation Nation: Jammie Days

You know what some of my favourite days are? Jammie Days.

Jammie Days are days when you leave your pajamas on all day long. Maybe they are rainy days. Maybe they’re days when you can sit out on the patio with a mug of coffee and a book in the morning. You can do whatever you want to, really. Just do it in your jammies.

I find that sometimes, it’s just nice to take a day, all day, and make it about comfort. That doesn’t mean sitting like a bump on a log on the sofa all day — but if that’s what you want to do, then by all means. A jammie day means you’ve got your most comfortable pajamas on and, by virtue of your attire, your choices of things to do are similarly limited to the more comfortable things in life. And that means, mostly, staying close to home. Because most of the time, people don’t want to be seen out in stores or the mall or cutting their grass in their pajamas.

What it also means is that, generally speaking, you are staying home and spending time with your family, or your spouse, or your dog. And that’s kind of nice. And silly, when you think of it, all walking around in jammies all day. And silly? Is good.

But that doesn’t preclude getting things done, if that’s how you want to spend your time. There’s no saying you can’t do laundry while wearing your pajamas, or vacuum, or clean the windows. But I’ll bet if you do it in your pajamas, you’ll be a lot more relaxed and have more fun doing it.

The point is, wearing your pajamas all day forces a little rest time upon a person, because they can’t rush about and DO ALL THE THINGS because they are wearing their pajamas. (And those teens who wear pajamas AS CLOTHING? I’m sorry, NOT THE SAME THING. Go put some proper clothes on. Sheesh.)

And that also doesn’t mean jammie days should happen EVERY day. Then it’s just laziness. Or, you know, first year university. NO. Jammie days should definitely be a treat. Maybe one Saturday a month works for you. Or maybe every couple of weeks. Maybe your birthday or a special holiday is your jammie day. Whatever. You know yourself best, so you know how often you would need a day to just decompress, and relax, and hang out in your jammies.

When I was single, jammie days were usually a Saturday, when I used to make a big pot of coffee, and sit and listen to the radio and read the massive Saturday paper. FOR HOURS. Just me and my cat, chilling. It was excellent. And then maybe in the mid-afternoon, we’d take a nap. Possibly in the evening, there would be a movie or a game on the TV. It was one day where we didn’t have to see anyone or talk to anyone or dress up. It was like a mini holiday. It rejuvenated my spirit.

Around here, now that we have a family, it’s less about solitary pursuits, but that’s okay. Jammie days usually mean a big lazy breakfast is in the offing. And, because we need to stick to routine around here to keep the procrastination monsters at bay, even on weekends, we generally speaking do some of our regular chores. Cleaning, sweeping, vacuuming. But beyond that, we take it easy. Maybe there is a movie to watch. Or bubbles to be blown. A dance party may even break out. Who can say? There might even be take out. And perhaps even family nap time in the afternoon.

The best jammie days often mean breakfast for dinner. Yummm. OMG I LOVE BREAKFAST FOR DINNER. Pancakes. Or bacon and tomato sammiches, Maybe bacon and eggs and hash browns. (Sometimes, if you can’t have a FULL ON jammie day, just having breakfast for dinner, and making sure you put your jammies on to do it, can be a treat. And they you’ve all got your jammies on to curl up on the sofa and watch a movie afterwards.)

My daughter loves jammie days already. We had some while we were on vacation. There’s nowhere to go, nobody to see, and you can just hang out and play and relax.

And I guess, that’s the point, really, for adults. Jammie days mean there’s no place you MUST go and nobody you HAVE to see and nothing you HAVE to do. Except to cut yourself a little slack for the day and spend some fun, restful time with your family, or with your spouse, or by yourself. Your way. In comfort.

A little flannel vacation.

Jun

11

By CinnamonOpus

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Categories: Daily Photo, That Girl

Protected: Saturday Smile: Cinderella

Jun

10

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Fun Stuff

Confession Friday

Be forewarned. I am feeling SHOUTY.

I confess:

…that normally we love thunderstorms, but we have had one almost every night this week, most of them noisy and violent enough that we’ve been awakened. And if it happens again this week, I am going to be pissed. And I will send someone a VERY STERNLY WORDED LETTER OH YES I WILL.
…that normally we love thunderstorms, but the storm on Wednesday night was SO violent that BDH considered getting us all into the basement, just in case.
…that the cats are all sitting here in the room with me, staring at me like they’re on high alert, watching my every move, and it is FREAKING ME OUT. Which, given the week’s weather, has me wondering if they are sensing yet ANOTHER storm coming this way. Could be an ECLIPSE. Maybe a BLIZZARD. Or a VOLCANO. You can’t tell with weather. Or cats, for that matter.
…that the weather forecast for today is sunny and only 20 degrees, so I no longer have an excuse NOT to go out in the garden. Be careful what you wish for, as the saying goes.
…that although I bought my body weight in yarn a few weeks ago at the Going Out Of Business Yarn Store, I need to buy MORE yarn to finish a blanket I am working on. And the problem? Is that one of our local stores is having a TENT SALE. Of YARN. This? Has disaster written ALL OVER IT.
…that I have discovered that I have an uncontrollable love for lemon squares with coconut in them. Specifically from Corn Parking. This, too, has disaster written all over it.
…that I have agreed to enroll Stinkerbelle in a dance class come the fall, with her little friend Mibby. Except something makes me think this might be one of those “Mom & Me” sort of dealios. Which might require me to PARTICIPATE. And, you know, DANCE. Once again, I say unto you: disaster. Writ LARGE. ALL OVER it.
…that at least once this week, I have eaten Cheerios for lunch.
…that I’m letting my kid run around in her jammies this morning, even out in the backyard. She has comfy jammies on, and sometimes it’s just nice to wear jammies. I’ll change her before we go out into the world. Probably.
…that tonight is soccer night, so it is just me and That Girl. So I foresee a supper of burgers followed by cuddling in the rocking chair reading storybooks and giggling, and then after she is in bed, I may just crawl into bed my own self and read. Or just go to sleep.YEAH, SLEEP. SLEEEEEEEEEEEP.

Jun

8

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Movies

Virtual Chick Flick Comfy Couch Night — June

Alright, virtual movie night peeps. We got a few suggestions, not tons, but it looks like our movie for June will be…

Whip It!

(By dint of the majority of votes. Or at least, the most people who said they wouldn’t mind seeing it.)

Here is a link to the IMDB page so you can check out cast, trailer, etc.

So, something fun and new to most of us to chat about! I’ll post the discussion page on the first Wednesday of July — so you have about a month to check it out.

Enjoy!

Jun

7

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Random Thoughts

Random Tuesday: It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity Edition

.

Help me. I’m melting. Once again, it’s humid like an armpit outside. But with a kid, you have to go outside, forsaking air-conditioned comfort so your kid can run and play. Thank goodness it’s only going up to 31 (near 40 humidex) today.

Mind you, when it gets worse, and the air quality warnings start, it’s a good excuse to stay indoors.

I have purchased good things for my garden. 3 varieties of tomatoes, a cucumber plant, some sweet onions, one pot of basil (still have last season’s pesto in the freezer). I also have seed for carrots and green onions, which are going to be a little late but I don’t care. And some dirt to top up the garden. BDH found a bag of eggshells in the basement to mix into the soil, too, hopefully to help fight off tomato blight and rot — but at the very least, it will keep the slugs at bay. Now I just need to find the time and cooler temperatures to put it all in.

We had to buy some flowers for our garden. Generally it’s fun for Stinkerbelle, who trots around under the shaded greenhouses and picks up stones and generally amuses herself while I buy plants. She’s all into being bossy and will randomly say THIS ONE or GO THAT WAY or ALL DONE WE GO HOME NOW. Occasionally I will look up to find her carting a coreopsis or some petunias my way, which I then have to take back from whence they came. But the most fun is to have conversations with her about what to buy. Because she likes to have conversations; she just doesn’t have the vocabulary or receptive language to do it terribly well yet. But we have a running commentary nonetheless as we browse. Yesterday she was helping an older fellow choose tomato varieties. He ended up taking her choice, “THE YELLOW ONE”. And I feel kind of bad about not telling him that her favourite descriptive adjective du jour is YELLOW. Oh well. Possibly he will discover a heretofore unknown love of yellow tomatoes. I also like to get her to say plant names because they can be HILARIOUS. Today I got her to say “portulaca”. Which came out, very loudly and with great enthusiasm, ‘PORCHUSMAGA!” Which caused most of a greenhouse full of patrons to laugh heartily. And maybe even buy some porchusmaga, who knows.

It was considerably cooler in the Gym today for Stinkerbelle’s class, which is good because OMG INVASION OF THE SMALL PEOPLE AND THEIR CAREGIVERS! Seriously, today the class size must have instantly DOUBLED. A whole bunch of parents were there with their kids doing make-up classes, or trying out a class to see if they wanted to join, and it was busy and crowded and chaotic. Stinkerbelle, who LOVES a crowd, was even a little put off by the sheer number of people. She’d go to participate in something and then get to the apparatus and pause, because there was just a crowd of people surrounding it. So she mostly spent her time on the opposite side of the gym to where all the action was, usually following her little friend Isla, and so they had a lovely time on their own, swinging and jumping and playing. And she was tired at the end and just wanted to come home, which is always good.

It cost me FIFTY DOLLARS to fill up my car today. FIFTY! And that’s just where I stopped voluntarily; I probably could have filled it more. FIFTY! For a CAR! Gas prices are insane. I am lucky that I only have to putt around town a little bit in the course of a tank of gas, so I usually only have to fill up twice a month. What BDH spends on his daily commute, with an SUV, is starting to get ridiculous. But fifty dollars — do you KNOW how much ICE CREAM that could buy me? And I’m not even talking the cheap stuff; I’m talking PREMIUM like Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry’s.Or a ridiculous amount of yarn! Or a half a pair of really really nice shoes! Makes me want to cry just thinking about it. Did I mention… FIFTY!

We had major thunderstorm action come through here in the wee hours of the morning. Not the torrential downpour, wind-and-hail-and-fury thunderstorm action we normally get, wherein we go out on the porch to watch and get soaked to the skin like some freaks in a stormchasing reality show. No, this was more of a traditional old thunderstorm. Rain and thunder and lightning. Which I normally LOVE. I can sleep so well in a thunderstorm. I hear the rumbles of thunder and I roll over and snuggle down in bed and sleep like the dead. But not this morning. OH NO. This morning, the storm PARKED OVER OUR HOUSE and would periodically do a massive clap of thunder, weather’s way of saying “WAKE THE FUCK UP!!” So I was getting progressively more awake and pissed off when, around 4:30 or so, there was this earth-shattering CRACK! BOOM! of really bright lightning instantly followed by a HUGE clap of thunder. And I was all OKAY OKAY I AM SORRY I CUSSED YOU OUT I AM AWAKE NOW YOU BASTARDS. At which point, the storm was apparently satisfied and went merrily on its way. So now, not only am I hot and sweaty, I am sleep deprived today. And to add insult to injury, it’s too damn hot to make tea. NO CAFFEINE FOR YOU. The weather, it hates me.

Jun

6

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Relaxation Nation

Relaxation Nation: Cool Food

It’s hot here. It may not be hot where you are right now, but it will get hot soon enough. Summer is on its way. And summer is when, around here at least, we begin to think about Cool Food.

No, I’m not talking about eating at the latest, hippest restaurants — although if you have the disposable income then by all means, do your worst. I’m talking about food that is easy, requires little cooking, and helps you stay cool in the heat.

Salads. Sandwiches. Fresh fruit and veg. Barbequed goodness. (Okay, that’s not so much cool food as it is food that is cooked outdoors, thereby keeping the house cool. But I think you can follow the way that I have drifted.)

What I really like about cool food is that it’s often made from fresh stuff, local produce hopefully, and that means getting out and enjoying your local farm market during the week. Ours is called Corn Parking. That’s not its ACTUAL name — it’s got a proper local Farm Market name. But when you drive by Corn Parking, there is a big white sandwich board sign out front, and in big red letters it says:

CORN

<– PARKING

So, over the years, we’ve just taken to calling it Corn Parking.

Anyway. Bit of a segue there. My point is not so much about Corn Parking, but rather that in our very short growing and harvesting season here, you can go out and take advantage of the fresh local produce, which can sometimes be fairly economical, while supporting your local growers and producers, and also enjoying a nice day out.

(Also, they have great baked goods. I’m just sayin’.)

So, yes. Cool food. As soon as the weather warms up, we start looking at our meal plan and finding ways to eat cool, or at least, keeping the cooking and heat to a minimum. We grow things in our little kitchen garden to help us eat cool. And, being as lazy as we are, the less effort, the better.

We start to have corn on the cob with some fresh bread as a meal. CORN ON THE COB IS SO A MEAL SHUT UP. Or maybe baked potatoes, with various toppings, if it’s not too hot to cook them. Wraps have recently come into favour here, with ham and salami and provolone and roasted red peppers. And all with or without the option of a fresh green salad with ingredients from Corn Parking. Fruit is always good (for me at least) — already today I’ve eaten half my body weight in cold watermelon.

Two of our favourite things in summer are pesto and feta tomato salad.

************

This is something BDH just made up one day of a bunch of things he likes. That’s the good thing about salads — you can mix ‘n’ match your fave things until you find a combination you like. This one was actually kind of inspired by an appetizer we had at the restaurant in the ACC one night while we were waiting to watch Eric Clapton in concert.

The ingredients are kind of… general… because we put in what we feel like. More of some things some days, less on others. And it makes a LOT. Do what you want. You know we trust you.

FETA, TOMATO AND BOCCONCINI SALAD

a decent-sized hunk of feta (we use the stuff from the deli counter packed in brine), drained
1 tub of bocconcini (mozzarella) pearls, drained
1 pint container of grape tomatoes
1 medium vidalia or sweet onion, sliced
1 medium English (seedless) cucumber, sliced
fresh ground pepper to taste
basil leaves, torn (if you’re feeling Fancy)
dressing to taste (BDH goes with straight balsamic vinegar; I prefer Newman’s Own Italian)

Combine the tomatoes, onion, and cucumber in a big-ass salad bowl. Pour the bocconcini pearls over top. Crumble the feta overtop of that. Give it a good grind of pepper, if you feel inclined. Sprinkle your Fancy Schmancy basil on top. Lookit that, a pretty layered salad. (Or you can mix it all up. Whatever.)

Dish up and drizzle the goodness in your bowl with whatever dressing floats your boat.

Goes well with a nice bread and some balsamic and olive oil for dipping.

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I’ve posted the pesto recipe before, three years ago maybe, from Canadian Living’s cookbook, but here it is again.

PESTO

2 c. packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1/4 c. pine nuts
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced

In food processor, finely chop together basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, salt and pepper. With motor running, add oil in thin steady stream. Stir in garlic (I just blend it in using the food processor, myself).

Makes about 3/4 c. I always double it to make a batch to freeze. Use in pasta, pasta salad, on pizza… whatever works for you.

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Nothing like fresh local stuff to make you feel like summer is here. And when it gets to be as hot as Satan’s underpants out there, the last think you need is the stress and aggravation of cooking. So start digging out your cool food recipes. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be healthy, and easy, and help you stay cool.

And so, if you will excuse me, I’m going to go prepare a salad, and then go sit in Stinkerbelle’s kiddie pool until dinnertime rolls around.

Jun

4

By CinnamonOpus

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Categories: Daily Photo

Protected: Saturday Smile: Princess

Jun

3

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Fun Stuff

Confession Friday

It’s a beautiful day in the neighbourhood, fellow babies. Oh yes it is. We went to the park today and everything. So you know I loves you, for I am inside posting instead of outside enjoying the sunshine.

I confess…

…that going to the park today was not as enjoyable as I had hoped. I didn’t know before we set out that today was a PD day for the schools around here and so the park was teeming with kids. Older kids. And while they were all good kids, they were all being KIDS — 8-10 year old boys, mostly — and that means a lot of racing around and climbing the wrong way up sides and leaping off play structures and pushing past the littler kids on stairs and such. And that makes it harder for moms of smaller kids — like me and Stinkerbelle — to have a good time and play safely.
…that it’s been 15 years since we moved here, and BDH and I finally agreed today that maybe it’s time we got out and explored and got to know our city a bit better. FIFTEEN YEARS. Oy vey. But to be fair, we are the types who get to know our neighbourhood really well, but don’t often venture further afield. Like when I lived downtown, I walked everywhere and knew all the little shops and places to eat and loads of people… but I never went down to the south end, let’s say. And now that we’re south-enders, we know this part of town well but don’t venture further out very often. So we’re going to start exploring a little, and find parks and walks and libraries and such so we can take That Girl out and have some fun this summer. Or, at least, we will try.
…that I am finding it hard to get yardwork done while minding a three-year-old. If she’s amenable, she’ll dig in the dirt or drag a rake around or whatever, but if not, it’s a whinefest. And whether she is having fun or not, she has the attention span of a soap dish and so you are constantly watching out for her, calling her back where you can see her, telling her to put something on or put something down… I swear I will never get the gardens done this year.
…that I really don’t mind the distraction, because I have not been much in the mood for gardening. Read: DON’T WANT TO FACE THE WEEDS IT’S TOO MUCH OMG.
…that I am going to put mulch on the gardens this year to keep the weeds down. This is big for me because EARWIGS LIKE MULCH. And I HATE EARWIGS. I think this is very brave of me, don’t you? The brave cancels out the lazy, don’t you think?
…that we’ve started to make a concerted effort to get our lives in order. We each have a book, and the books contains LISTS. Lists of things we want to get done from day to day. And we are trying to use it to help us get more on top of things and improve our quality of life from day to day. Things like tracking our eating and exercise, or helping beat down some debt, or keep the house tidy and organized, or get yardwork done, or keep appointments. It’s all a good way to keep organized and keep procrastination at bay. Will it work? I dunno. We’ll see if we’re still at it a month from now.
…that I am not enjoying this season of Doctor Who as much as I had hoped. (Okay Who non-fans, now is the time to skip down to the next point.) I am finding the stories very hit and miss so far. And I really, really, really loathe Amy and when so much of the story is wrapped up in her, I find it brings the whole thing down. But I still love Eleven and Rory so I keep watching in hope that The Moff will pull off an awesome last-half season.
…that I ate my body weight in watermelon at lunch today. And it was fab. First watermelon of the summer WOOT WOOT!
…that I quite enjoyed watching The Princess Bride in preparation for our movie club discussion. It has been a long time since I have watched it, and it is just as good now as it ever was.
…that given my choice, I would love to sit out in a comfy chair with a big tasty cold beverage and knit. Or maybe a nap. But my to do list tells me otherwise.

Jun

2

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Movies

June Movie Night: Suggestions?

All right Virtual Movie Night Peeps… May’s movie was a good comfy couch night. So what are we watching for June? Anyone have any suggestions?

I have a couple in mind. The one I really want to watch is a classic, way, way old… but I think it was tafel who said she wouldn’t watch a black & white movie, so I will have to check and see if it’s available colourized!

Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Jun

1

By CinnamonOpus

Categories: Movies

May Movie Night Discussion: The Princess Bride

Alright, peeps. Let the Virtual Chick Flick Comfy Couch Night Meeting come to order!

May’s movie was the classic family flick The Princess Bride. Well, I think it’s a classic, anyway. And I think it’s a family flick, too, although some would argue it’s not so much. Perhaps you didn’t? If you didn’t, I don’t want to know; just sleep well… I’ll most likely kill you in the morning. Possibly you are next in line to be the Dread Pirate Roberts? Perhaps you have strong feelings about rhyming? I hereby open up the discussion.

(And, don’t forget, I need your suggestions for our movie for June.)