Saturday, December 18, 2010

Nova Scotia Storm

On December 13th, we received an unexpected storm called a weather bomb.  With hurricane force winds.  We lost out power at 8 pm Monday evening and didn't get it back until Wednesday at 11 pm.  If you didn't have a generator you got a little cold by then, which we did.  Luckly we have a wood furnace in the garage and eventually went there for warmth.  We normally don't get storm like this.  You sure learn in a hurry what is important.  Like your family, are they safe.  No water, power, our phone was knocked out until Thursday.  I can't imagine how they did it years ago.  I lasted until Wednesday at 8 pm, my daughters power was back on in Port Williams so I went there for the night.  But I no sooner left and the power came back on here at 11 pm.  I almost outlasted it.  But survivor and Hells Kitchen were coming on, whats a girl to do!
Me trying to get to work the next morning.  Didn't realize the devastation until we discovered it the next day.


On my way back home, I could not believe my eyes.  This just doesn't happen around here!

A house just up pasted my moms place.  Two poles were broken.

Over at our local University.

The Valley View Trailer Park was hit quite hard.  Trees falling right on their homes.  It was evacuated.

Over in our town on Summer Street.

Up on the Mountain.  A cottage did not fair so well.

The roof collapsed on this new home.


At Blomidon Nurseries.  Our local, beautify Nursery.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Transforming to Christmas

I don't know what others do, but I empty my shelves and replace everything with a Christmas theme.  I can't wait to get the tree!
Some people may call me cheap, but I choose to call myself smart and frugal.  Everything on this shelf was a gift at some point.

Yes I have changed this around already, the bear has a picture of me when I was a little girl.

These are my ceramic snowmen.  A gift quite a few years ago.

I put my swag on my lamp.  I seen it in a magazine.

Peters sister gave me this a couple of yrs ago.

No real theme here.

The card is from one of the cookie parties.  I love it.  I have our very first Christmas picture together, and all three of my children.

My ceramic Christmas tree Peter gave me probably 25 yrs ago.  Jen gave me the angels, I love them.  I left my star just because it reminded me of a Christmas star.

I took my glass dish and took the rocks off of it and replaced them with some beads and candles and threw in a couple of fake flowers that glow in the dark.

I am quite proud of my Dickens villiage.  I got the whole thing at a yard sale for $10.  Normally I wouldn't pay that high price, but I thought it was a real deal. haha.

They all light up.

I first spotted these in a magazine last week.  Place cards holders, I was so excited when I was at Stokes on the weekend and they actually had some!

Fun with my grandsons

We have two grandchildren, and they love coming to grammie and grampies house.  We get lots of hugs and kisses.  Who knew you could love anyone as much as you love your own children.  But wait until your grandchildren arrive.  Jen brings Morgan up to our little community church to go to Sunday school.  They get a visit at grammies because it is on the way by.  So we decided to make some rice krispie squares, and do they ever like to get right in there and help out.

Cole got a hair cut from grammie before we got started.  But I think he needs to go to the hair dresser next time.

Morgan getting in from Sunday school.

Who's up for making rice krispie squares? ME

We were trying to get 40, grampie had to step in and count, boys were getting in a bit of a hurry.

Melting the margarine.

Morgan found out the pan was hot.

Measuring out the rice krispies.

They make sure they get their turn.

Okay Cole, this is the first time you are allowed around a stove, supervised of course.

Putting the marshmellows in.

The santa oven mitts had to come out.

Pouring them in.

Stir Morg stir!

I was trying to hang on while they unloaded.

A little hard.

I showed them the trick to pressing them down without getting in a mess.  You rinse your hands under cold water, and go to it.  They liked that part.

Grammie trying not to give orders.

The look of satisfaction.

And to taste test the finished product.  What do you think Cole?  Ticky, he says, ticky grammie :)

Saturday, November 27, 2010

My first born

Today is a happy day.  It is my daughters 28th birthday.  I have always like to tell the birth stories to my children, every year!  I know they like to hear it. haha.  Now that I have my own blog, I can tell it and not be interrupted.  Well here goes my story.  When I was a child I had a silly childish wish, I always asked God to keep my parents around so they could see at least my first born.  So I was around 4 months pregnant when my dad died.  So I guess he kept his side of the promise.  And my sister was also pregnant but didn't know it at the time.  So at least we have something to take our mind off of the last year, with this wonderful blessing.  My husband decided to go on a hunting trip on my moms birthday that year and I went to stay over at moms for the night while he was gone.  I wasn't due until December 19th and it was  only Nov 27th.  Lots of time, so I wake up at my moms the next morning, and go in my moms room and say, "mom I think my water just broke"  haha.  So my mom calls her sister to come and give me a drive to the hospital, it was snowing!  So my mom and her sister take me, mom walks in with me and she is from the old school, she left!  And says "Do you want me to call your sister to come down?"  Oh lord, so my sister came down, pregnant herself and had to watch me all day.  My husband calls my moms to check in on me and she tells him, well we just took her to the hospital, and he said thats not funny, you are pulling my leg.  He was 3 hrs away.  So him and his uncle Bill started for home.  I was in the labour room, and of course things didn't go well.  They were calling in Docs from Kentville, the room became full of nurses and docs.  Then all of the sudden I felt my dads presence right beside me, and I heard a soft voice say "Don't worry, it will be okay."  Everything changed, I went calm, my labour pains stopped, my husband arrived, rushing through the door putting those pretty blue slippers on.  And they put me asleep.  My poor sister was sitting out in the hallway watching everyone running past her, I told our doc after that, my sister is scared to deliver now,and he says "To late for that now, isn't it, haha"  Everything worked out fine, I had a 7 lb baby girl.  Fell in love instantly.  She is the only one of the 3 that never did the sports thing.  But she was in the girl guides all the way through, took swimming lessons, and piano.  Found school hard, but with some pushing never to quit, she graduated with honors.  She is still with Tyler who she met in high school, over 10 yrs together.  And they have given us our first grandchildren, 5 and 2.  I could never imagine being so blessed.  But I am.  Now I can't wait for my other childrens birthdays so I can tell their stories.  They all like to be treated equal you know, and I don't mind sharing the love.  Even if no ones reads this, that's fine, I love writing it.  Until next time!

Friday, November 26, 2010

My baby brother

I just wanted to have my own little rememberance of  my brother, who was 3 years younger then myself.  There were 4 of us and we were exactly 3 years apart.  I am sure my mom had her hands full.  My brothers name was Kevin, he was quiet and shy, a head full of red hair.  All 4 of us had different color hair.  They were all left handed, I was the only rightie.  Kev was a good kid, who didn't get into trouble.  Well maybe had a little part in my Uncles barn burning, when all of us kids would gather there and plan in the old cars and climb all over that barn, until it burn't down, haha. Kids will be kids right? Kevin decided to move out west at maybe 17 or 18, not quite sure.  He was determined to follow his older brother and make a life for himself out there.  He became a security guard, and met someone and fell in love.  His life was set.  We wrote back and forth quite often.  In one letter he told me how he loved life and being alive.  Then one day out of the blue on my moms birthday 29 years ago today, we received a call that my brother was found hanging in his apartment.  When you say there are moments in life that are forever in your mind, well that is one of them.  My mom is the strongest person I know, she has weathered that storm, which would have destroyed most people, and believe me it wasn't easy for her for quite awhile.  But she pressed forward.  We don't know if our brother was doing this thing called the choking game or he meant to do it, but it doesn't matter how.  I have forgiven him and want to cherish our memories we had together.  My mom has survived more that any mom needs to survive, with my dads passing 6 months after my brother.  Then my older brother passed with cancer only a couple of years ago.  But life is for the living and we have a lot to be thankful for.  She turned 82 today and I am so proud of her for being a great role model in my life.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

My coffee table after the change.
Some people decorate alittle, some a lot.  I usually empty my bookcases, china cabinet, tables, and replace it with Christmas.  I am trying to do a little at a time, time permitting.  I have my lights up outside, just waiting patiently for hubby to help string cords, since I have to use his.  But I won't wait very long, I am a little impatient about certain things.  I constantly change things, so what you see today may be different tomorrow.  My pictures aren't lining up right so I will have to leave them as is.

My Coffee table before.

This is my little fireplace display before.
After.  Most of these things were given to me.  I am very frugal.
My daughter gave me the flower last year.  And I added a set of red lights on it.  It is so pretty.


These were all gifts also, I love my hurricane lamp from my daughter, and I was given a whole box of Christmas magazines that someone was savng through the years for the recipes.  I love it.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

My version of Lasagne

This is my homemade lasagne recipe, easy to make and a joy to eat!

9 or 12 noodles
1 lb hamburger
1 med onion, chopped
salt & pepper
28 oz tin plain spag sauce
5 1/2 oz tin tomato sauce
5 1/2 oz water
450 gr soft cheese (I use lasagne style cottage cheese)
2 large eggs lightly beaten
450 grams mozzarella cheese grated
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook lasagne as package directions.  ( you can use oven ready, but I prefer to cook mine first).  Brown meat, onion in frying pan.  (You can add some garlic, but I don't).  Season with salt & pepper.  drain fat, combine spag sauce, & paste & water with meat, simmer 20 minutes.  Blend soft cheese (cottage) with eggs.  Spread thin layer of meat sauce on bottom of pan.  Top with 3 strips of lasagne length wise, close together.  Place 1/3 of  following in order:  meat sauce, soft cheese, mozzarella.  Top with 2nd layer of noodles.  Continue layering.  On the very top put the meat sauce, mozzarella & parmesan sprinkled on top as the finishing touch.  Bake 350 degrees 30 minutes.  Let stand for 10.

What's even better is to have it with garlic bread and cesear salad!