The sky is blue ...

...the sun has riz, I wonder where the birdies iz?
Here is the little film clip I took last year of our own little birdies. I couldn't remember how to add the music, so it's accompanied by the sound of the wind and some chirping instead (please feel free to turn down the volume if it becomes irritating!)

I love this time of year, everything is looking so springlike and fresh, while the hummingbirds are quenching their thirst on the sugar water, the blossoms are out and looking exceptionally pretty having opened up 10 days earlier than usual. Amber took a walk and snapped a few pics for this post.I am on the hunt for a couple of hanging baskets full of blue lobelia this week (as seen above), they have become a standard summertime fixture that works well and gives the hummingbirds a little nectar variety, which they seem to enjoy.Archie, such a typical puddy-tat took full advantage of a sunny spot on the front veranda this morning. I have decided to reduce my working hours at Wheaton's to just a couple of days a week for a while. This will give me the opportunity to keep busy at home through the summer, which I am relishing, especially being able to spend more time with the girls again when they come home from school and during the school holidays. A young student has taken on some of my shifts and is happy to get the hours in before going back to college in September.
Back on the familiar tractor mower it felt quite rewarding as I eradicated all the bright yellow dandelion heads that had shot up, neatly mulching them row by row. It didn't however take very long for the black flies to find me. Even wearing long sleeves and protective netting over my peeked cap they managed to find their way inside and give me no less than 8 little itchy bites on my first mowing session!! I have tried everything in the past from regular bug spray, to a diluted spray of Listerine mouthwash! The latter just gave me icky sticky fresh minty hair! This week I am going to try a new product called No-Bite-Me , a soap, which is a popular seller at work. I shall report on the outcome next week. The black fly frenzy should die down a little in a week or two as the weather gets warmer.

I also wanted to share this lovely blog with you, Daisy Pink Cupcake

I was thrilled and honoured to have some of my own home photos featured on one of her colourful posts a few weeks ago. Every week she manages to find some wonderfully diverse eye candy, which I enjoy browsing through when I have the time.

With Jemma's AP calculus exam out of the way, her thoughts have turned to the fast approaching graduation prom dance. She has decided to design and sew her own dress. I admire her determination and work ethic and look forward to seeing what she comes up with. Even Amber was spotted on the sewing machine recently, completing a home economics assignment, recycling a discarded top and turning it into a cute little bag.

Happy thoughts and wishes :)

Hazel x

HAPPY MUMMY'S DAY

Today is Mother's Day here in Canada and also where my Mum lives in South Africa. I'm not sure why but it's a couple of months earlier in the UK . I feel quite special today and perhaps slightly more deserving this year than previous years, because I'm feeling a bit 'fragile' right now.

Yesterday I took a 'tumble' at work whilst sorting out shelves in the back stock room. I missed my step coming down a ladder, lost my balance and stumbled backwards into an unsuspecting piece of very hard wooden furniture, which I involuntarily whacked with the back of my head!!! Getting back on my feet pretty sharpish, hoping nobody would come rushing over wondering what on earth all the racket was, I carried on as normal. About 10 minutes later the stock room took on a sort of surreal appearance just as my boss called me to the front of the store on the intercom. Walking through the rooms they all looked a little unfamiliar. Needless to say after the staff and customers took one look at my pasty white face and saw the growing egg on my head I was promptly whisked off to the emergency dept. at the local hospital. Bumped (excuse the pun) up the waiting list due to the growing 'egg' and my oddly uneven pupils I was quickly assessed and seemed luckily to have only sustained a concussion. Jemma stayed with me the whole time and Craig was given instructions to monitor me closely for the next 72 hours and wake me up every 2 hours during the night to make sure I knew who I was and could speak coherently (does anyone at 3am?)
I woke up this morning to a lovely cup of tea in bed and the biggest hangover ever! A couple of Tylenol tablets seem to have both the headache and whole pummelled-body feeling under control, for now at least. I think I am over the worst and am getting back to normal again.
My girls have been so sweet today, helping with housework and giving me extra hugs and kisses. Snuggled up on the sofa this afternoon we watched the romantic comedy 'Ghost Town' a very funny movie that had us all in stitches and tears. I love Ricky Gervais's sense of humour.
I spotted this new little visitor outside after the movie, well camouflaged amongst next winter's wood supply. (middle top) He was such a brave little chap coming right up to the back door, sniffing around he even stood on his hind legs and turned around to say "hello". Mr Groundhog, Woodchuck or Gopher
The hummingbirds have also returned, right on cue, they arrive every year after a long and tiring flight, around the 10th May. I haven't managed to capture one on camera yet, but the girls saw them yesterday feeding hungrily on the sugar water outside the kitchen window.
The leaves are almost out on all the trees this week and summer is not too far away :)
Hazel xx

Hands on deck

It's been almost a year since we built the deck on the back of the house and the wood has had plenty of time to cure. Craig started painting the trellis panels, whilst I tackled the spindles. After whizzing into town with Amber to pick up her boyfriend, I returned home to find Craig had been doing a little 'experimental painting', using a quick method of spray painting the trellis (bad idea!) Spray painting trellis can be a messy business he discovered. I offered to take over, with the meticulous but tedious stippling approach instead. After finishing two panels my arm felt like lead and the sun was going down, so I decided to call it a day. I will endevour to try to pick up where I left off in a couple of days or so. Both girls are off to a school Toga party tomorrow, so will be dancing the evening away in white dresses or sheets.

I may delay publishing this post so I can upload a photo of them before they leave. Next day....

The girls opted for white dresses

I can report this week that our raccoon visitors it seems, will NOT be taking up residence in our barn this year - Yay!! This is mainly due to some advanced planning by Craig. He put a radio up in the roof, which constantly plays the local station. The station's current promotional jingle is "We play..... everything" I personally think 'anything' might be a better word to use! I wonder where they dig up some of the songs, and am embarrassed to say that I remember them all so well too!! They seem rather fond of what they refer to as the 'lost' eighties (hmmm, perhaps a few of those 80's songs should stay 'lost'?).

Anyway, the volume got cranked up after we spotted a couple of furry friends perched on the roof about two weeks ago. They were waiting for dusk to break into one if the cupolas. We have seen them using their ultra sharp claws to prize the wooden slats off like matchsticks before. Just to make it quite clear that they were not welcome we aimed a hose pipe as high as possible and gave them a quick shower - this may sound a bit cruel, but it didn't actually reach them with the water, but managed to unnerve them a little. After the huge stinky mess they made last year, it was necessary . You might remember the story of the evacuation of all their babies, which had us all frantically placing duvets and pillows underneath in case they fell!

It has now been two weeks with no sign of them, so we can only assume that they scampered off to someone else's barn with a bit of luck!

Advance apologies to all raccoon lovers reading this blog, and anyone who's favourite music is from the 80's :)

Hazel x

First walk of 2009!!

Things are finally coming alive outside. I have been longing for the snow to melt away, one of the reasons is so I can get back into my early morning walking routine. You see spending 30 minutes on the treadmill whilst staring at a blank wall is not quite the same! I love the fresh country air in Springtime, especially at around 7am.

Today was the day for my first 'outdoor' walk this year and I was looking forward to it.

Wearing my old faithful sneakers, sweatpants and a hoodie I stepped outside and turned on my Ipod...

Heading alongside the towering apple crates, stacked high ready for the Autumn harvest.

Passing by the pond, which no longer resembles a skating rink, all it needs now are a few ducks, dragonflies or possibly some Canadian geese that have returned for the summer. Up the hill in the distanceI could see a herd of deer, they quickly scattered in all directions when they spotted me, leaping and bouncing (the deer, not me!) Not a chance of getting a photo I'm afraid.

I paused at the top of the hill anyway to take in the view (catch my breath). It doesn't look very steep, but my legs told me it was!

Walking along the ridge, swiftly and cautiously bypassing the beehives I headed towards home. Surprisingly I found my own two 'busy bees' hard at work preparing a new veggie patch! Craig and Amber digging and edging a nice bed for some tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and courgettes.

Next week, painting the deck railings?

Hazel x

Spring Cleaning - Yay!!!

I do 'enjoy' Spring cleaning! This week I made a start and hope to tackle a room a week this month.First it was time to open up the front lounge again after it had been closed off for the 3 coldest months of the year. Opening up the double wooden doors from our cosy winter lounge was like a breath of fresh air. That was until I discovered the amount of dust that had accumulated all over the window sills and skirting boards! I also found more than one little spider had set up home in the chandelier during our absence! I was soon lugging all the furniture back to it's rightful place and it felt great to be able to use the space again.The sun has been shining for most of the day, it was quite warm as we stood in line to register Amber for the girls under 16's soccer team. Soccer is the sport she has decided to give a whirl this year (couldn't possibly have anything to do with her boyfriend being an avid player now could it?) Well didn't Keira Knightley look cute in a pair of shorts for the movie Bend it like Beckham! Some of Amber's friends are quite horrified at the idea of her kicking a ball around a field. I'm sure she will have fun and I think she looks just as good in a pair of shorts as Miss K :)Craig seems to have caught the Spring cleaning fever too. He had sanded and repainted all the door thresholds while we were out! We have to step over them for a few hours until they are dry (Hmmm, has anyone remembered to tell Archie I wonder?) Two pretty additions to my kitchen this week. Couldn't resist this set of 5 cotton tea towels and the cutest bluebird mini salt and pepper pots. I have actually filled them with cinnamon and nutmeg to sprinkle on my morning oatmeal and apple slices. Hope nobody shakes them over their fish and chips by mistake!

Well I shall be off now with a spring in my step until next weekend.
Hazel x

Time for Tea?

That's precisely what Craig and I made time for last weekend. We called in at the Telegraph Tea Room. Good friends of ours Terri and James, recently opened the doors of their new business. Having emigrated from England like ourselves, they fell in love with Nova Scotia and decided to set up home in a beautiful old house and have been working hard over the past few months. With the custom built extension (take a look at this link) and the arrival of the furniture on the slow boat all the way from India it was 'show time'. Their products are fair trade and organic! I have mentioned Terri before in a previous blog post, a Horticulturist by trade with years of experience under her belt, she spent a long time choosing the perfect location, which has wonderfully rich soil. They have exciting plans for the garden, which sound amazing. She is already running gardening talk classes in the evenings.Drinking organic tea in real English bone china cups, it was such a treat to relax and chat in a cosy, relaxed homely environment. Already a popular spot, frequented by newcomers and impressed regulars, their tea room is quite the talk of the town. I hope we will be able to visit again soon as we head into Spring. Hazel x

First 'official' day of Spring in Canada!!

It's true Spring is here! At least according to the radio station this morning as I was drinking my early morning cup of tea. Of course this date does not have anything to do with the weather and I don't think we will see a daffodil or even a crocus for a few weeks yet in Nova Scotia, though I will keep my eyes peeled and shall try to have my camera at the ready :)

Archie is perky though and so keen to get outside and investigate as the patches of grass gradually get bigger as the snow melts away.

Here comes the green grass!!

It is now light when we have breakfast and the girls are enjoying a few days off school on March break.

Jemma is, as of yesterday, properly registered at St Mary's University and will be studying for a Science Degree as well as introductory Japanese, a huge passion of hers for quite a few years now. She is so excited at the prospect of living in the City, being independent and going to Uni.

For the past couple of weeks I have been a little pre-occupied with my own health. Born with a rare genetic liver condition 'Glycogen Storage Disease' Back in the 60's and 70's not much was known about the disease and after being diagnosed at 18 months old the Doctors at that time could offer no help or treatment and my Mum was told that I wasn't likely to make it past 10 years old! I was monitored up to the age of 11 when we moved to Norway. Since then I never managed to find a Doctor who was interested and coped with the symptoms by myself by carefully watching my diet. Just a few weeks ago I had a slightly worrying routine blood test and decided to 'google' GSD out of curiosity and was amazed to find a number of people on line with this rare condition. I have joined GSDlife as well as a group on facebook, for people with type 3. I have been intrigued and uplifted by the stories I have read and the support available. Babies are now being treated 'properly' with cornstarch and there is on going research being done to help the younger generation. This is such wonderful news and something that I just had to mention this week. There is still no cure, but hopefully in time there will be.

Not only is it Spring but I also have a Saturday off work tomorrow so am taking the girls on a long overdue visit to the Mall. We may have a nice bit of girly time checking out the new Spring fashions. It will be nice to see some pretty pastel shades in the stores again in anticipation of those milder days to come.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend :)

Hazel x

Back from Cuba!!

I am so lucky to have been able to visit Cuba for the second time, I just love the place! We arrived back home at 6am Friday morning after a week away. As it was our 20th year together and also my birthday, Craig and I took a holiday on our own for the very first time since the girls were born! Kind of a second honeymoon. I admit I had my worries about leaving Jemma and Amber home alone, which is why I didn't write a blog post before we left. You can't be too careful on the internet, or is that paranoid? We kept the number of people we told to a minimum. Even though they are 15 and 17 and very sensible, the neigbours kept an eye on the house and it was a regular school week for them, with just one snow day. Archie was well looked after, the house was tidy and they are now experts at keeping the woodstove going. We were told on our return that they had both been poorly for a few days. Amber even had a fever, but Jemma was a good nurse and took good care of her little sister :)

Our holiday was wonderful, most days were warm and sunny. Staying on Cayo Coco in an all inclusive 5 star resort meant that the food and drinks were in abundance with just about everything you could imagine available. Fresh tropical fruit, salads, vegetables, grilled seafood prepared right in front of us, special cheeses etc. For those wishing to indulge the selection of sweets was spectacular too, including the flambe bananas, just watching the chef cook those was a form of entertainment in itself! We were fortunate enough to get a 'honeymoon' upgrade with a special room actually opening out onto the beach!

The view from our room!

Friendly waiters and bar staff made for a romantic, fun and memorable trip. Walking on the beach first thing in the morning was like being in a different world and just a 3.5 hour flight away from home.

Now we are back things have quickly returned to normal again, with a ton of laundry to catch up on I decided to take the bedding and towels to the local laundromat for a hot wash this morning, taking the pressure off our septic system!

Craig was back at work within a few hours of being home, driving all the way back into Halifax for an emergency meeting! I had a busy full day at work yesterday, now the cafe has re-opened the customers have been flooding in despite the still falling snow :)
We both feel refreshed though and well rested after a good dose of sunshine and romance.

Hazel xx

Flurries in February

The last couple of weeks haven't been very news worthy, so I didn't update my blog last weekend as there wasn't very much to report really. The snow flurries are still hanging in there, with the occasional wild storm keeping the kids home from school and the buses off the roads for safety. Most of us still make our way into work, for me that means greeting the few and far between customers with a friendly smile, some chit chat and offer of a hot cup of tea or coffee on the house :) Just one more week before the Wheaton's cafe re-opens and things get busy again.

St. Valentines day came and went and Craig surprised me with a bottle of my favourite perfume 'Angel', secretly bought on his business trip to Atlanta, he was going to wait until my birthday, but decided it was more appropriate for the 14th instead, very observent of him to notice that there was just a smidgen remaining in my current bottle! We joined our friends Greg and Tina for a lovely lunch while Jemma and Amber spent the afternoon with their boyfriends' and were each presented with dinner, flowers and chocolates. The girls were walking on air when they came home and couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the evening :)

Earlier this week Jemma booked a tour of St Mary's University in Halifax, which is likely to be the University she will attend later this year. It was an in-service day at high school so Amber and Takuto came along too. Takuto is hoping to be accepted at St.Mary's as an International student.

Takuto puts a protective arm around Jemma

I liked that all the buildings on campus are linked by walkways, so there is no need to actually go outside during the winter months except to the gymnasium. We all followed the guide as he almost sprinted through each department, up and down stairs, it was quite exhausting! We ended the tour by having a quick peek at the rooms in residence. 'Compact' is the word that springs to mind, with barely enough space to swing a cat (not that you would want to), but I guess that's all a student needs, a place to sleep and study away from the hustle and bustle of hectic student life. I got ever so slightly choked up at the thought of my little Jem moving into her own place in the big City, but she will soon be 18 and it's time to let loose those apron strings a bit. On exiting the University the predicted snow storm had hit hard and fast with a good 20cm's of snow now covering the ground. It was a very slow and careful drive home on the yet to be ploughed highway. The journey home took almost twice as long as usual but we made it safely and got the fire going in time for dinner.

Hazel x

Thinking of the people in Victoria

I'm sure at the forefront of every ones minds right now are the victims in the State of Victoria, Australia. It's hard to imagine such horror as terrible fires have raged through vast areas taking numerous lives causing awful injuries and leaving many mourning the loss of friends and loved ones. I cannot comprehend that some of these fires have actually been started deliberately! It is unthinkable, cruel and so vicious.

The brave firemen who have risked their own lives in selfless acts of courage, deserve so much praise, they do a great job.

That being said I shall be thankful that we have the cold climate and shan't complain one bit this week.

This is a photo of a 4ft long icicle (you will have to take my word for it) outside our back door, with the sunset in the background, taken by Craig as he came home from work the other day.

Over the weekend Craig was asked to join some guys on an impromptu snow mobile jaunt. The conditions being just perfect for outdoor sporting activities; lots of packed snow, little wind and a clear blue sky. His initial reaction was that he didn't really fancy it, but he decided to go along for the first time, grabbing a few necessary items, including waterproof gloves and a balaclava! Leaving at about 9am and only returning late afternoon, stopping half way for a lunch of fish and chips at a bistro. I believe they clocked up 90 miles in total! He absolutely loved it I am happy to say! Just a little sore the following day from the intense concentration and balancing required, aching muscles not normally used I suspect :)

He will definitely join the gang next time they ask him along. One of the group members was a chap in his mid 80's, fit as a fiddle, belting along at top speed with a sharp sense of humour to boot!

No such excitement in my life! I am still enjoying February though. The girls will be seeing their respective 'friends' on Valentines day and are looking forward to that. Craig and I will most probably join some of our friends for lunch in the village. The orchard looking quite naked in the pristine snow.Footprints 'to' the school bus and 'from' the school bus :)

Til next week

Hazel x

February is here - Yippee!!

It's the month of February and that makes me smile :)
Here are a few reasons why...
1. I'm almost over the flu :)
2. The mornings are going to get significantly lighter :)
3. There will/should be fewer snow falls, slippery roads and frozen fingers and toes :)
4. Valentines Day is in the middle :)
5. My birthday is at the very end :)
6. Archie finally gets to go outside and play :)
7. Exam pressure is over for Jemma and Amber, for a while :)
8. We might just see a groundhog, or perhaps a 'real' chipmunk :)In fact, even though we are still snowed under quite literally, it's not so bad. This morning I had a little rummage through some old photos and came across this one: Little Jemma aged 2, happily playing in the snow, so proud having built her very first snowman!!

And now all these years later, some things never change :)

Also, I am happy because my wonderful hubby Craig came home safely from his trip to Atlanta and I realised just how much I missed him :)

Hazel x

It's just too cold!!

We are experiencing the coldest temperatures here in Nova Scotia for about 25 years and I am not exaggerating!! The past five days have been bitter, with windchill temperatures of -30 degrees. Having now closed off the front room, dining room. The downstairs hallway is only just bearable (when walking on the treadmill or running quickly up the stairs). It is the main topic of conversation amongst the locals from the village post office to the girls at work. Now if another person tells me to 'embrace' the winter I shall scream!!! Embracing winter is really not possible for me, I am definitely a summer person, in fact this picture taken from the 'out of bounds dining room' is currently my computer backdrop to remind myself that Spring will be back in a few months :) .While we are freezing our bums off here in Canada, my friend Kathy living in Sydney is cooking in the Australian heat! In fact so are my Mum and sister in SA and my good friend Keriann in NZ (I am just a smidgen envious I have to admit).

Off the weather topic, Jemma has recently been accepted into two local Universities and is growing up so quickly it's unreal. I popped into her bedroom to check on her and see how her studies were going yesterday and took a snap of her tastefully decorated walls.

The huge mirror is a recent addition, her main Christmas gift. She is contemplating whether or not we should re-paint it or keep it the current bronze colour. Her own dress designs are multiplying now that she has discovered that her creative side is a calming and fun break from the books occasionally!
This is what her room looked like when we bought the house.Grey walls and bottle green carpet - not very girly!My own fingers have been creating a few more felt tinies this weekend with a group of 8 heading off to Texas tomorrow.Signing off now as my fingers are numb and blue and I am struggling to type - I do believe the coffee pot is calling me!

Hazel xx

20 YEARS !!

Just a brief post from me this week as I sit here nice and cosy in my winter woolens. Another snow storm has hit Nova Scotia today, sending down about 15cm's of snow this afternoon! I predict a day at home for the girls tomorrow, as the roads will be too dangerous for the buses to run.

This weekend it is an incredible 20 years since Craig and I set eyes on each other on board an overnight KLM flight from Cape Town to London on Jan 10th/11th 1989! I am a great believer in fate, since neither of us were looking for a serious relationship at the time. It was just meant to be that we were allocated seats beside each other for the duration of the journey. With Craig on his way to England for the first time on a visitors work permit to stay in a shared house in Clapham North (the dodgy end!). I lived south of the City in a village called Purley. Both of us worked long hours in downtown London so our dates were usually after work on a Friday, where we met up at a restaurant or club. On holiday in Greece in May Craig 'popped the question' and we were engaged on the romantic, unspoilt island of Poros. The rest is history as they say and our journey together so far has been exciting, emotional, sometimes stressful, but mostly loving and fun as we have moved from country to country with our two daughters'.

I can't imagine cramming as much into the next 20 years, but who knows?
Hazel x

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

I hope that 2009 brings all my friends and family good health and happiness.

I can hardly believe how quickly 2008 went by. They say that time goes by much faster the older you get and how true that has been for Craig and I over the past 12 months.

Taking down the Christmas decorations and packing them away for another year is something that I usually do alone and I find it a little sad I admit. This year I asked the girls if they would help me as they were at home and we had a chuckle at some of their hand made ones from years ago like the gold 'reindeer and sleigh', a masterpiece of margarine tubs and paper mache, carefully copied from the English Children's TV program Blue Peter, as well as a few hand sewn creations too.

We have closed off the front room for the remaining winter months making it feel much cosier and warm in the family room adjoining the kitchen. Craig also surprised me by painting the front hallway one afternoon before I came home from work. I had been procrastinating for the longest time, always finding an excuse to delay it even though I am usually quite happy to have a paint brush in my hand. The mustard yellow has now been painted a Dulux shade called 'combed cotton'.

Things will return back to normal tomorrow when school resumes after the 2 week holiday. Everyone up at 6am, packed lunches, fighting over the hairdryer and a mad rush to get out the door and on board the school bus by 12 minutes past 7!!

This coming Saturday it will be exactly 20 years since Craig and I met each other! We celebrate it as our anniversary every year, instead of our wedding date which is sometime in June. As I am scheduled to be working on the 10th Craig took me out for lunch at a new restaurant called 'The Tempest' a week early. The lunch was delicious and I was particularly impressed by the little 'towel pods' found in the washroom. As I had my camera in my purse I took a quick snap of them!Hazel x

Merry Christmas 2008!

Merry Christmas to all my friends, family and blog readers.

My sister Heidi calls it the 'Silly Season' which I think is very apt. Amber had a few of her friends stay with us over the weekend and they enjoyed playing in the snow.Christmas eve saw a steady stream of customers rushing into the store to buy those last minute gifts. Plenty of them men I might add - funny that :) Many with their young children giving them advice on gifts for Mummy.

There had been no friendly visit from the jolly man in the red suit when we awoke this morning. We had overslept by an hour to find that we had no electricity! Quickly racing down the stairs at 7am, torch in hand Craig and I surveyed the damage. We live in a very old house with its own well and sump pump which, when the power goes off ceases to work and it's amazing how quickly the water builds up. During the night the rain had come down in buckets plus the snow had melted. Our basement was on the verge of being seriously flooded and the actual pump was completely submerged while the contaminated water was rapidly seaping into our well. Not a good start to Christmas day at all. The next plan of action was to wake the girls so they could help bail out some of the water and move everything to higher ground (you can imagine how two rudely awoken bleary eyed teenagers felt about that). Actually they were a big help, lighting candles, phoning the electricity board and moving stuff upstairs all the while giggling, can you believe it?

Luckily we have a really good friend Greg, who lives fairly close by and came to our rescue with his portable generator, we managed to pump all the water out of the basement before it did too much damage.
Finally the panic was over and the daylight streamed into the house and I looked sadly at the forgotten Christmas tree with no presents beneath it. I don't think we would have got away with that a few years ago somehow! No, the days of Santa quietly visiting in the middle of the night, leaving his footprints and nibbling on the mince pie so carefully chosen and placed alongside a glass of milk or wine are long gone for us :(

Heidi take note, enjoy them while you can, they are truly precious and innocent years.

On the bright and less nostalgic side, Craig and the girls were all pleased with their gifts, which did eventually find their way under the tree and the giggling carried on until this afternoon when we were all a little too full of home cooked turkey dinner and terry's chocolate orange. The electricity was thankfully back on by midday and all is well again, we will just be drinking bottled water for the next few days.

So here I am typing away and planning on going downstairs to watch a movie 'Love Actually' a little later this evening with Craig and girls and possibly a glass of mulled wine :)

I got a few special little treats myself under the tree this year including a sweet little Christmas heart in white emboidery anglaise with red trim from my friend Keriann in NZ and arriving in the post from England just yesterday, the Judith Glover 2009 Note Nook Calendar which is adorable and will adorn the wall in my kitchen for a whole year.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Hazel xx

Another special birthday celebration

Last weekend we celebrated Amber's 'real' birthday. I say real because she tried an experimental 'half birthday' in June to see what it would be like not so close Christmas time. The outcome was that although she enjoyed the day it just didn't feel quite right. So, with Dec 1st falling on Monday (a school day) we had a special lunch together at Boston Pizza on Sunday. Her present was a long awaited and well deserved Ipod nano chromatic, or is that a shuffle? Anyway it's a pretty nifty looking gadget. I have a lovely green Ipod that has, wait for it..... a total of 50 songs downloaded and no photos (how embarrassing). Amber's already contains over 500 songs !!! as well as videos, images and photos. She absolutely loves music, all kinds from Indie and jazz to the current pop sounds. This is the child that likes to get up and dance as we are yawning and ready for bed!

My other little girl who is heading swiftly towards her 18th birthday in the summer is suddenly seeming very grown up too. With the upcoming semi-prom only weeks away she began a little project and turned this.......

Into this! I would like to call her a 'chip of the old block' but I'm not particularly fond of the word 'old' . She is most certainly creative in her own right and very determined, not needing a stitch of help from me, as she created a sweet little dress that is unique and was admired by her friends on the night.

Both Jemma and Amber had a great time at the school semi-prom dance, Amber wore a pre-loved black taffeta number that had been altered to fit perfectly by her big sister too!

Today it's 6.30 am. as I write this and I have a Saturday off work - yippee!! Why am I not having a lie in you may well ask. I just have too much on my mind and don't want to miss a minute of the day I suppose. Also I was feeling in the mood for writing a blog post :)

My Etsy orders are doing fine considering the little time I spend working on promoting! I have had a few local orders through word of mouth. My friend Mel requested a couple of tiny Westies with the initials BFF embroidered on them for her young daughter and best friend to remember each other by. They are soon to be moving to another part of Canada. I was so keen to give them to her that I forgot to take a photo, so perhaps I will make a couple more and list them as a pair in my shop. Also had a cow request to complete a farm set locally and a custom brown bunny using my guinea pig pattern!

Traditionally the weekend following Amber's birthday is decorating time! This morning Craig is going to collect the tree they picked out last weekend and after a quick shop for groceries I shall return for a family tree decorating afternoon, which I shall endeavor to report on next weekend if I get the chance.

Hazel x

Any sign of Mr Tumnus?

This weekend we woke up to a land resembling Narnia! It would appear that Winter has arrived a little early for us here in the Maritimes. Icicles on the roof. Driving home from work in blizzard conditions on Thursday I was very glad to have had my snow tires fitted in time. Everything came to a standstill as the snow had drifted into such deep dunes by Saturday morning that we couldn't get out of our driveway to go anywhere.
Having been very excited about my appointment with the hairdresser on my day off, it didn't look likely that I would make the 9am slot! Sure enough, I phoned to discover that I wasn't the only one trapped by a giant snow drift. Most stores and shopping malls were only going to be open by lunchtime at the earliest.
Well this did mean that we had no choice but to remain indoors keeping cosy by the wood fire. Actually that is not not entirely true. Amber had an invite to her friends house for a sleepover and as we had 'promised' she could go I volunteered to do the driving (kind or mad - I'm not sure). A local farmer showed up by lunchtime and ploughed the driveway so we could at least get the car out on to the road.

It took a little longer than usual, cautiously driving through 'mashed potato' type snow is interesting, guessing where the road, ditch, fences etc merged with my nose practically pressed against the windscreen! Needless to say I managed to get Amber delivered to her friend's door and make the trip back safely, with only a couple of dodgy manoeuvres along the way. Some of the roads had been ploughed, but on one side only, not that I encountered many fellow drivers crazy enough to be on the road! There were however plenty of cheery folk out shovelling and blowing snow, all sporting rosy cheeks and cute bobble hats! - keep in mind that this is early in the winter season and still somewhat of a novelty. Grinning doesn't come as spontaneously as the weeks of snow go by, unless they are frozen ones :D
This afternoon the sun is shining and the girls are home from school and already wearing their snowsuits and giggling as I write. Archie on the other hand is quite perplexed by the whole snow deal and would like some answers please.

Archie gazing out of the window, looking a little puzzled. 

Hazel xx

Ships in the night ....

At least that's what it has felt like over the past couple of weeks. Between my erratic working hours the girls with their various after school commitments, volunteer work and Craig's full time job almost an hours drive away. So last Sunday Craig decided that we should go on a 'family drive' forcing us to spend 'quality' family time together. This was met with groans, rolling of eyes and slumped shoulders, and that was just me! Only kidding, we all went along with his special request and meandered around the back streets of the valley for a couple of hours, only getting lost once, which after a quick group study of the map set us in the right direction again.
Our unplanned route took us past this place Tangled Garden

Run by a friendly lady called Beverley who chatted to us whilst preparing some herbal concoction behind the counter. Her business and premises are quite enchanting and we will most certainly be going back for a visit in the summertime when her gardens are looking their best. If you are into gourmet food then it's a gem of a find, some of the jellies looked yummy and the bottled vinegars quite intriguing!

I can see myself snuggled up by the wood stove on a snowy Saturday evening sipping one of her new liqueurs too :)
The girls disappeared outside with the camera to take a few snaps in the now out of season garden which still looks delightful. You can see from Beverley's website link that it does look stunning in the summer.

Jemma amongst the 'tousle bushes'

All in all, our spontaneous drive went very well, with a more than a little reminiscing taking place in the confined space of our car. Remembering what, when and where funny and memorable events have taken place over the many years and several countries on our travels can be quite challenging but between the four of us we came to realise what a huge catalogue of memories we have built up and it was a great afternoon.
Thanks to Craig's persistence I might add ;)

Hazel xx

Orange is not my favourite colour

Both Jem and Amber had fun dressing up for school today. Amber for the second time this week as she also went to a Halloween party on Wednesday night and had a great time.

They are both a little too old to go 'trick or treating' this year. Thank goodness we don't live in town where the residents apparently get close to a hundred groups of children/teens visiting them, many armed with a big black garbage bag which they expect to fill with treats by the end of the evening! I probably sound a bit mean and grouchy, sorry. I think the younger children are very cute all dressed up going door to door, but not the ones with facial hair, who look like they are pushing 20 years old!

This afternoon I prepared a stress free quick and easy family meal. I am the first to admit to NOT being the greatest cook in the world, but Craig and the girls seem to like my home made turkey burgers. There should even be enough left over for tomorrow, so I won't need to do any cooking when I get home.
Ingredients:
1 pound extra lean turkey mince
2 large eggs (whisk with a fork)
1 large carrot (grated)
1/2 apple (grated)

1 medium courgette/zucchini (grated)
4-6 fresh sweet basil leaves finely chopped (dried leaves can be used) 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp sea salt
Mix all the ingredients together well, with the mince added last.

Spray a wok or non-stick frying pan with a little oil, when hot drop in tablespoon sized portions. I do 3 at a time, flattening them down with a spatula. Cook for about 3 mins each side until golden brown. Turn onto some absorbent kitchen paper before putting on a plate. Voila! Served with wholewheat rolls and a baby spinach, peach and toasted almond salad - oops I seem to be out of almonds today!

I think it's the Sweet Basil that makes them extra flavourful :)

Finally, I shall share a sad little foxy tail....

A customer contacted me a few days ago with a special request for a tiny felt fox with a 3/4 length tail! He is to represent a little fox cub called Fitz from a family of foxes, which Annika has been photographing since April. The poor little guy showed up a while ago with a third of his tail missing :( OUCH! To make matters worse he now seems to have vanished and hasn't been seen for several days. I really hope that he does show up, I will be sure to let you know if I hear any news from Annika.

Hazel x