Welcome to Lee, Zee and Kathee's World

Happy Holidays 2011

2011-11-17T15:06:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that we are once again nearing years end. So much living has been lived this year, and as my 10 year keeps telling me, "Mummy this year has gone by faster than I remember any year". I can relate to what he is saying, but wish that it were not his reality, he's too young to feel as though time is flying by.

I managed to get ten wreaths made to adorn the windows and door of our home. the wreath on the front door has a set of snowflake lights that I picked up at Ikea last week. They require two AA batteries, making them easy to incorporate into free standing wreaths or windows. I'm using my rechargeable batteries, I would have been really excited if these ones were solar like the set I have in my garden.

Christmas music is playing all day long compliments of galaxy music. DD and I picked up Michael Buble's Christmas CD to add to our line up.... crooner he is! I've made a place for the Bodhi/Christmas tree to go, hopefully we'll have it up by the weekend, in time for Bodhi Day and giving the kids plenty of time to make paper cranes and snowflakes to decorate it. I wrote a little blurb about Alternative Christmas Trees at Squidoo, I've come up with a tree design to take to the "Dragon's Den", so stay tuned ;)

If the weather cooperates a little snow will help me along. I'm saving Christmas baking until the beginning of December, concentrating on any shopping and decorating I want to get done. The gardens are laid to rest awaiting a blanket of snow to insulate them from the cold. The water barrels are in need of emptying after this last rain fall, a must get done project this week. It hasn't been cold enough for the wood stove yet, mabye next week. I'm looking forward to having my perpetual cup of tea, hot off the stove, and warming up lunch with little or no thought to preheating any electric device.

Kids are ready and waiting to skate and toboggan, seeing the baby's eyes light up and hear him squeal with utter awe at the sight of a dusting of snow definitely makes my day and reminds me to stay in this moment with him. This is my update, over and out.

Zee

Soulful Singing & Apple Butter

2011-10-01T22:46:00.000-05:00

Friday night was our first soulful singing circle welcoming fall and winter. Wendy's theme was "Turning", many of the songs we shared were connected to the idea of turning.... turning into a new season, or way of looking at ourselves and life in general. Wendy Luella Perkins is a real treasure, her song "What Am I Rushing To" on her newest CD "This Very Moment" is one of my favourites.

Among the many songs we sang was an old Shaker song by Joseph Brackett,

"Simple Gifts"

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.

It was a great transition into song after discussing the fall harvest and adventures into preserving the bounty for winter. Being part of such a wonderful circle of womyn is inspiring and nurturing, something I've neglected for far too long.

I spent the afternoon preparing apples for apple butter, hoping to have them done before I set out to sing, no such luck! I returned home around 11pm and spent a few hours canning before heading off to bed, I did manage to get 16/250ml jars of apple butter finished and ready to stash away.

Tonight, Chi and I hunkered down after dinner, along with a few helpers and managed to put up almost 8 litres of salsa. I've gone through two bushels of Roma tomatoes, I could easily have made use of another two. I do have 12 litres of tomatoes sauce done and will be able to do about 6 litres of canned tomatoes with whats left over. Next year I'll make sure my tomatoes are in better shape and supply so I can make more sauce and have more canned tomatoes on hand.

It's late, I'm off to bed
Night all!

Zee.. Z z z z z

Up, up and ready for wet laundry!

2011-09-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

With some help from the big kids, we hoisted the drying rack into the ceiling and finished the project. It will need to be tweaked, I would like it higher up (ladder not high enough) that can wait until we are ready to paint and have scaffolding. The plan is to do laundry in the evening to benefit from the lower hydro rates, and dry the clothing overnight while taking advantage of the cookstove heat.


Drying Rack Loaded With Wooden Pins

I have a beautiful garlic braid to hang in my kitchen! It's been years since I had a garlic braid, nothing this substancial. It's only a fraction of what we use as a family for cooking and medicinal purposes, but doubles aa beautiful piece of garden art. As I get a bulb or two of organic garlic from our CSA share, I dry it and stash it away, same goes for the white onions. After the herbs are all settled in for the winter, my next project will be working on the cold room space.


Fish Lake Garlic Braid From Pathchwork Gardens

La La, La La la la.....

2011-09-09T14:16:00.001-05:00

Bonjour!


South Facing Window

Been busy, not with anything overly exceptional unless you call living exceptional. I'm on track with almost all the need to get done before the snow falls list, like south facing window winter ready for herbs, sprouts and wheatgrass, you can't see the whole window but there is two more shelves, one in the transom and one in the windowsill below the last shelf (5 - 33" shelves)

Kids Stuck In The Drying Rack

Almost finished the clothes drying rack that will go up with a pulley system, just need some more rope to launch it into the ceiling (catapult?) It's approximately 8' x 4' should be ok for 3+ loads of laundry. I'll attack a string down the centre that will be used for little tings like socks and undies.

I told the kids I'd make them a basket on a pulley so they can send it down for snacks, wipes and lego?

My LEM Dehydrator

I'm trying to rely less on my freezer and more on ways to preserve foods that don't rely on good ol' hydro.

Cauliflower, Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Potatoes and Zucchini

I have many jars of organic veggies dehydrated and ready to make some tasty soups like cauliflower & cheddar soup, minestrone soup and hearty garden vegetable soup/stews. Tones of zucchini for lasagna and muffins... and they make great chips for munching on, seriously they really taste like chips! I've got a few bushels of organic tomatoes coming in the next week or so to put up pasta/pizza sauce and salsa. Apples will be arriving next week for apple butter and apple pie filling for Christmas and into early new year. Fruit leather is always on the go I manage to make enough to last for three or so days, would be nice to get ahead of the kids and stash some for a rainy day.

Soup Mix, Eggplant, Garlic & Onions, Basil

Life is Good!
Zee

Jack Layton died :(

2011-08-22T14:51:00.001-05:00

In a letter to Canadians,

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world."

Jack Layton

Fruit of the Spirit

2011-08-10T17:18:00.002-05:00

I've seen this around..I don't know who put it together so simply.

Love ~ Joy ~ Peace ~ Patience ~ Kindness ~ Goodness ~ Faithfulness ~ Gentleness ~ Self control.

I would like to paint it somewhere in our home...such a great reminder of what qualities we could possess.

simple

2011-08-08T11:52:00.006-05:00

"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify."

~ Henry David Thoreau

I love to live simply..it's something I am constantly striving for. I like being quiet...I'm a great listener. I like to observe and try to not judge. Live and let live. I am trying to borrow more books from the library and friends and if I feel I need it forever, then I'll purchase it...I need to do that with movies and tv series on dvd! I like real, whole food..mostly because its healthiest. I have no desire to shop and try not to have a list of wants. I like feeling grounded..(I don't really know what that means but I think I know how it feels). I don't want to over consume. I am generous with my heart. I often brag to Chris and the girls that I could live out of a back pack and I'm fairly certain that I mean it. I try to stop myself from saying things that don't need to be said...don't ask my teens about this one. I am enjoying starting my day with an hour long walk at 6 am.

Oh My Goodness!

2011-08-03T17:33:00.002-05:00

Look at the new format!! Thanks Grace! It's so new and fresh!

Bonjour!

2011-08-03T09:36:00.003-05:00

Well.....it's well into August already ;)

August 2010 Me and my Chi

This summer has been marked by many things that inspire, so many I can't possibly list them all but the ones that stand out the most for me concern relationships and the positive effects a couple/people have on a their community and individuals who surround them, even folks unknown to them. Chi and I were invited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of dear friends of ours last month, what a day! They renewed their vows to each other, acknowledged a life so far that has been full adventure and the potential for so much more. Marg and Stew, I know, just by association have laid a foundation for more compassion, peace, empathy and love in this world. Even if you don't know them personally, you know them because that energy has be passed on and has imprinted on someone who I'm certain has passed it on, kinda like the Wella Balsam commercial from the 70's you nurture two people and they nurture two people.... an so on, and so on.

This weekend Chi and I will be off to celebrate with Alvin and Donna, 40 years married! I am so looking forward to many more years with my Chi and I think in 17 years, we'll throw a 40 year bash of our own! Keep on, keepin' on Chris & Lee, Greg & Kathy, you too inspire!

Life is Good!

Look at the date!

2011-03-06T14:42:00.002-05:00

Its been a while hasn't it! We are using a lap top as our computer at the moment and I need to figure out how to get my photos over here.

Well, I am really excited that it's march finally. February was difficult for me for some reason..next year I need more of a plan. I had anticipated January being difficult because I really enjoy the Christmas holidays, but that month was fine. I should plan something really fun for Feb next year! No wonder folks go on vacation!

I have been taking pottery class and am very excited for wednesday evenings. I have a really laid back instructor which is what I need. I have made a few little bowls and will take photos of them when I can. My plan is to have a little stash of things I have made, for myself and for Christmas presents. Who wouldn't love a little hand made bowl!

I just read the book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" about Aron Ralston. He was trapped in a cavern for 6 days without food and water and freed himself by cutting off his hand. Pretty amazing. I am really going to try to see the movie based on the book...."127 Hours". Its not playing around here anymore and I don't think it ever did, but it's still in Toronto...maybe Chris would like a little road trip!

Its a quiet sunday afternoon and I am happy to be hanging out at home. I plan on posting more soon:)

Still knitting here....

2011-01-21T00:31:00.002-05:00

My pictures are lost.... I'll post one of the finished had when its done, I wanted to show you the before picture because it looked like a hat covered in cow utters... no seriously!

I'm waiting for this hat to finish up in the wash. I'm hopeful it will turn out the way I imagine it might. Of course I could be way off base and this could be a real disaster, but that's the fun part. Someone will wear it right? It's a little on the bright side, but it reminds me of the red angora sweater I had when I was 18.

I was telling Thuy the other day I remember when my Baba passed away I flew out from Toronto to Ottawa to meet my family for her funeral. I thought upon arriving I would be able to change clothes before heading to the funeral home, not the way it went.... I was wearing my new gear for my mom because I knew she would enjoy the secret messages in the clothing and I wanted to cheer her up a bit by putting myself way out there.

I had a bright red angora sweater, the same colour as this hat. I was sporting a pair of wool, red plaid clamdiggers and bright red socks to match my top... oh did I mention the red beret? My Scottish mum met my amazing get up with laughter and horror once she realized it was the outfit I would be wearing to the funeral home. Although I felt extremely self conscious obviously out of place, I held my head high and said a proper goodbye to my Baba.

Oh the secret... as a little girl I was not allowed to wear red, only green. I remember always wanting red everything, especially shoes. Red was banned from my wardrobe because it was not proper for red heads and would clash in the worst way. I was living on my own and could wear what I wanted, and red it was going to be! Also the plaid pants were to inject a wee bit my Scottish heritage :) m Wish I had a picture to show you, I was quite the sight! Blinding sight...

I always think of my Baba when I see this particular colour of red, knitting this hat brought back so many fond memories.

Life is Good!
Zee

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHEE!!!!

2011-01-16T14:12:00.002-05:00

I hope you are having a great day and getting tea brought to you all day long!
xoxoxoxo

Annie's sewing project

2011-01-16T10:36:00.003-05:00

Lee here...on a snowy saturday Annie asked me to drag out the dusty sewing machine..she had seen some purple material in my stash and thought it would make a great Joker jacket...as in the Joker from Batman. She literally worked on it all day...figuring out how to thread the machine with my help, and experimenting with different sizes for arms, way to attach the pieces etc. Please excuse the sideways photo!
Here is the finished project..the clothes were a little tricky but she made it work. The hair is green material sewn on. This was a real learning experience for her..she thought of other things she could have done...for next time:) She really has the brain of an artist. She can visualize something and make it happen..

The sewing machine is staying out for a while..we will have to do school work around it. I have some things I would like to make and I know this is a great creative outlet for Annie..and its nice to have it at the ready for when the inspiration hits!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-12T18:17:00.005-05:00

Lee here:) I feel that we haven't quite got back into the swing of things since the holidays...I am still watching too much "food network" since we got more channels for the kids over the holidays....I haven't called to cancel them yet. Annie hasn't started back with homelearning..we are still playing games and playing with lego. Maybe after this weekend.

This box is a cool .49 cent find from the Sally Ann when I was out with Zee. It is made from some sort of mache..similar to an april cornell box I used to have. I love the color and pattern..the inside is black.
I made gift tags with the Christmas cards from last year...for next Christmas.

Annie and I have been going to the gym....here she hopped on the treadmill for a photo op...she had already finished on the eliptical. Its a small gym but we go and crank the tunes, work up a sweat and have fun!

Thats all for now:)

EGGS!

2011-01-12T17:21:00.002-05:00

It's Official! The Girls are a layin'

Well today was the lucky day, 11th of January ~ more action in the hen house. I though they might hold off until spring, but the -12 weather brought these on. I wonder what's it's like for a chicken to lay her first egg? What must have come over them.... Bob! Terry! (our roosters) Something's going on down below, my lady parts are about to explode! I'm sure Bob and Terry grimaced at the thought and just stood back. I'm sure the coop dynamics will change as the rest start laying. Life is Good

Chantecler Chicken

Zee

Gnome Hat

2011-01-11T19:20:00.000-05:00

It's finished!

I did a li'll copper plate that I want to attach to it, that will get done later. Here's a few pictures of the clan donning the "Hat"

Gnome Hats

2011-01-11T16:17:00.001-05:00

I'm having tons of fun whipping up Gnome Gear. I'm going to do a few more hats and then try some socks with a curl at the toe. This is my wee gnome modeling my wears.

I've got one in the wash right now, hoping to felt it up just proper and end up with the perfect Gnome Hat for a medium size head. Might be small actually, time will tell!

Here's what I've done so far

Almost finished knitting the hat.

Before washing and felting.

I'll let ya know how it turns out when it comes out of the dryer.

I want to sew copper tags on them that say Gnome Gear or something Kitchy, I was hoping for Gnome Domes.. but alas its already spoken for by two other sources. According to the Urban Dictionary it's a sexual reference roflmao.. who'd a knew!

Zee here, and gone again!

FBW's

2011-01-11T15:35:00.003-05:00

A.K.A Flannel Bum Wipes

Just a decade or more in the making. Talk about procrastinating. One of my New Year's resolutions was to get them done and in service asap. So here they are.. drum roll please

I have more than 100, and can make some more up in a pinch! My septic is so excited, trees are happy.. and nothing beats a squeaky clean arse IMO

Zee here, over and out!

New Years Eve!

2010-12-31T12:52:00.002-05:00

Lee here...my big plans...a glass of wine and pizza with Chris and Stef. Bed by 10ish to read and up early January 1 to leave the house at 5 am to take Stef to work. I haven't thought about resolutions this year...I am currently working on my weight loss goals and will just be carrying that through to 2011. To health and happiness! Cheers!

FOOD!

2010-12-24T12:10:00.004-05:00

Lee here. My neighbours just brought us a beautiful gift basket full of different cheeses, hot red pepper jelly, yummy crackers, guacamole, grapes, and chocolates. NOW I'm hungry! I have been really watching what I eat so having a few treats this holiday have been so great. I feel in control and happy to not have to resolve to "start" losing weight and getting into shape on January 1st.

We are going to inlaws tonite for dinner..I am bringing a huge salad with black olives and feta cheese so I will mostly have that. Later tonite though, Kate and I are planning on making nachos and watching "A Christmas Story"! Big Hugs to Kathee and Zee...you are awesome friends!

First day of winter

2010-12-21T12:30:00.002-05:00

Lee here...sometimes I am thankful for needing to get up and walk the dog. The first day of winter was so crisp and quiet at 7:30am...and look at this moon! This is the shortest day of the year which means from here on in, we get a bit more daylight everyday!

5 more sleeps

2010-12-20T16:23:00.002-05:00

Lee here..I am really excited that its the holidays...I love Christmas! The music, shows, tasteful decorations, getting together to eat yummy food....ok I guess visiting with family is ok too. I really enjoy the story of the Nativity. I like being able to actually take "time off"..and sleep in etc. Annie is super crazed about Christmas as usual..and has been counting down for the past 45+ days. This week is too full of last minute things..I have already put a date on the calender to start Christmas cards and baking for next year....the last week of November. Some night this week we want to go for a drive and look at lights...with a hot chocolate in hand. I really miss seeing Zee and Kathee! We will have to plan something for after the holidays..I picture yummy snacks..tea and knitting.
Merry Christmas!!

The Christmas tree is up!

2010-12-12T11:27:00.007-05:00

Lee here...now it really feels like Christmas time! The girls always decorate the tree after I put the lights on. We pull out the bin of ornaments and have a fond memory for most all of them. I got these 3 wise men from Chris's parents...they used to go on their tree...they are about 30 years old I think.

Annie wanted to make a star for the top...I was skeptical but thought, why not...and I think it is perfect! Kate got the ballerina from Yaya when she was 4 years old...and the spirally, delicate glass ornament was from when my parents were first married and decorated a tree...so 48? years old?

This is Annie's Charlie Brown tree...ok, its actually rosemary and was just a photo op....She didn't want to kill the poor plant.

I think the tree is perfect!

Things that make me happy at this time of year....

2010-12-08T07:48:00.015-05:00

My collection of vintage Christmas treasures!
my "boy"chopping wood....and then filling the wood cubby!

Christmas baking......

My poinsetta...

How happy my hubby is when we get the Christmas tree!

and how amazing it looks when it's branches have fallen and it's all decked out!

and a few other things........Christmas cards, the smell of the Christmas tree, surprises in the mail!, the birdfeeding 'station' that we have set up, making Christmas gifts!, picking through the Christmas fabric bags and scraps to 'wrap'the gifts in, sitting on the couch with a hot cup of tea and watching the snow fall.......... happy days!

My favourite quilt...

2010-12-03T07:45:00.002-05:00

My mom made this quilt many years ago and it is one of most favourites! I am fortunate enough to have several quilts that she made and I love them all for different reasons. I have a few reasons why this one is the best. First of all, I LOVE the pattern. It's traditional, old fashioned and basic....hmmm, sounds a lot like me...... I also love the colours of the squares and how there IS no real pattern to how they are laid out. The weight of this quilt is so great too! It has a lot of stitching to it, so that adds to the weight and when you cover up with this quilt it feels like it's hugging you. And now, after all these years, it is SO soft. I have it covering this little wooden chair at the moment, but it tends to be the first quilt I grab when I need one. It's perfect to cover up with when it's a bit chilly in the morning waiting for the woodstove to get going, or when I'm on the couch in the TV room. It's also perfect to lay on the floor when I want to warm up nice and close to the woodstove...

Silversmithing/Goldsmithing

2010-11-27T17:01:00.002-05:00

Finally, I'm taking Silversmithing classes. Even though it'ssilver I'm currently working with, really it's Goldsmithing I'm doing. I do intend on making some flatwear in the new year, and create other Hollowware, maybe a baby cup (silver is not so cheap, I can't afford to make a tea set yet). I've been sawing, filing, soldering, polishing and designing, what a great time suck this has been.

Tag for DH

My Ring Collection.

Pieces of a soon to be pendant.

What it might look like.

I guess I'm also becoming a Bench Jeweler as I'm working on Lapidary skills, wax casting, lost wax casting and stone setting. It's hard not to get lost in the stones/rocks. I was such a rock hound as a child, I even mounted my specimens lol, I could cut and polish stones all day. Silversmiting is giving me something to do with them after I'm done. Faceting is something I'm going to give a try in the new year along with Chain Maille.

Cabochon in the works

My first stone in silver setting.

Cabs I made, Thai made the wee black one and Minh made the round green one.

Now how about some Blacksmithing!

Cheers
Zee

More art work

2010-11-26T09:02:00.005-05:00

Lee here...not much going on ...or maybe too much but nothing of interest to blog! One thing that always brings lots of joy is Annie's artwork...she is always creating something. She has a long time interest in ocean life. Sometimes her drawings are whimsical like this one. Our friend Peggy that we do ceramics with, is going to take her outside in the warmer weather and draw with her. Annie has no interest in art classes but just likes to chat, watch and explore. After our last ceramics session, she told me she wishes everyone could learn the way she is learning with Peggy....just sitting around with an artist, being shown some things, seeing everything as an experiment and just going to it, making mistakes and learning.

Hangin with my Gnomies....

2010-11-18T18:08:00.003-05:00

Lee here....Annie made me this gnome!! Yup, just whipped it up in no time..she is so creative. I am going to have a house full of little gnomes...all tucked in amongst the books, plants, dishes, toilet paper, etc etc. This little guy is made from wool felt and needle felted wool.
You know you have too many cats when.....

..there is a line up at the water bowl!

ps..the floor is dirty and dusty from some bathroom reno.

Making Christmas Fruit Cake

2010-11-18T07:24:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favourite Christmas traditions! I first started by choosing an apron ( I have a THING for aprons!) This one I bought in a little collectables shop in Guelph. It was to be my last visit to Guelph before Emma left for BC. SUCH a cute shop and so fun to look through all the retro stuff...and so many laughs, right Lisa? “Golly” that was fun!

Once the apron was chosen I dug out my mom’s old Kenwood mixer. I usually do the mixing by hand, but I figure it will be a new part of the Fruitcake tradition now, seeing as this is my mom’s recipe. Actually, it’s HER mom’s recipe! The machine is cool, but the bowl is not so big and I had to finish the mixing in my big stainless steel bowl, by hand. Still, I think the mixer definitely goes with the apron!

The dried fruit- Thompson raisins, sultanas, currants and candied peel- were mixed in a separate bowl, doused with some Brandy and left to soak for a bit.

The flour is mixed with the lovely spices...cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice..........all the rest of the ingredients are added along with the brandied fruit...

The past couple of years, I have poured the batter into one large and three small loaf pans. We keep the big one for Christmas visitors...SO yummy with a hot cup of Earl Grey....and the other three are usually given as gifts. (This year, I will be sending one out west to Em)
After the cakes are cooled, a bit of Brandy is drizzled over each cake and then they are wrapped in foil (or muslin) and stored in a container in the fridge. Once a week, they get another drizzle of Brandy. That is done for three weeks and then they sit for another week to let the flavours really come together. Then they are ready for tasting! (or mailing)This year, the cakes will be ready by December 6th...so if you want a taste,let me know when you're coming and I'll put the kettle on for tea!

Woot Woot! Zee here.....

2010-11-11T20:12:00.000-05:00

Wow time is just.. well gone by so quickly.

I've been busy, no more than usual, just competing for time at the computer these days. Having teens in the house, online school.... It's no longer first come first using the computer, it's all about priority first, which makes me last to log in...lol.

Christmas is just around the corner, Bodhi Day even sooner. The house is getting revved up for down time, oxy right? My High School attending kids are looking forward to hanging out and having to go no where slowly. I agree, winter is my time to sit back and just be. Meditating, hanging out and getting jobs done seems to be much easier, I'm defiantly more productive during the winter months. I'm looking forward to getting together with family and friends, catching up and making even more memories.

I've been busy baking bread every day. I really, really, really missed my Kitchen Aid mixer {{big hugs}} I don't "LOVE" my mixer, that would be wrong on many levels, but I do like it a lot ;) I can't wait to get a hold of Andrea's Organic Spelt flower. I'm going to get started on our ginger bread house soon, a grand homestead this will be! We are also going to do a ginger bread house for a charity fund raiser at DH's workplace. You buy the kit, make the house.. they will be displayed in the hotel lobby, then auctioned off with proceeds going to our local Food Bank :)

I'm going to log off for now, be back in a bit with an update on my rock and silver stash. Oh yeah, maybe the beginners spinning class in the new year :) And.. of course pottery ;)

Christmas traditions...?

2010-11-09T07:43:00.002-05:00

It’s going to be a very different Christmas at our house this year. Emma will be in BC and Jen has a limited time off work (which is a good thing really, because we are SO HAPPY that Jen’s job has been extended and that she will still be working at that time...) But it does mean that it will be just ‘me and the boys’ this Christmas.
Change in a family is inevitable; I know that only too well. It begins as soon as your kids start to grow up. But it gets harder as they become young adults. When Jen left to go away to school, that was really the beginning of big changes. Then Emma left. At first they were just away for the school year. Then Jen’s life included her hubby’s family and now they have to fit both sides into their Christmas holidays. (Of course the up side of that was that we got to have her hubby join our family!) Fortunately, we will get to see them at New Year’s. The hardest change this year is that we won’t see Emma at Christmas. That’s a tough one. Needless to say, I’m a bit sad about it.
Part of my problem is that I LOVE hanging out with my kids! They are so much fun to be with. Aside from the fact that they GET me (well, for the most part), they are wonderfully funny, incredibly smart and just really great people to hang out with (and so are their partners!)
The other thing is that I LOVE traditions...translation: I DON’T like change. I think that’s why I love Christmas. It’s all about doing the same things that we’ve done every year....the Christmas baking (fruit cake, cookies, chocolate fruit balls, biscotti, and pannetonne!) the Christmas foods (the Christmas Eve meal, the Christmas day dinner, the special snacks), the Christmas lights that Greg and Aidan put up on the house (although they seem to do that earlier every year and something new is usually added. This year it’s a 3 ft wreath adorned with lights that now hangs on the wall between the upstairs windows, facing the driveway.YUP, it’s already up there, although I’ve been told they won’t actually turn the lights ON until Remembrance Day is over...)
There are also the Christmas cards, the Christmas music, (which by the way, Greg starts playing as soon as it snows...) and the Christmas tree and indoor decorations. For me, all of that- all the prep work, the decorating, the cooking and the baking is really all about one thing...that we are going to have this very special time TOGETHER. So now what?
I’ve been thinking of this for some time now and have come up with a few thoughts. First off, we have so much to be TRULY thankful for. Yes, my heart breaks a little thinking that we won’t all be waking up together on Christmas morning, but compared to what some other people have to deal with this year, we should be grateful. It’s not like learning that your partner just got diagnosed with cancer. It’s not like trying to get used to living with the death of your spouse. We have our health and we have each other. I know it’s a part of life; everyone’s kids grow up and move out and make their own lives. I know that it’s a good thing. And I am thankful that my girls have such wonderful young men to share their lives with and make their own traditions with.
So I guess it’s time for some new traditions around here. Here’s what I have planned so far:
1) I’m going to start by mailing out some Christmas treats to Emma. Some Fruit cake and Christmas cookies, maybe a couple of stocking stuffers. I will be sending her a little bit of home (and a whole lot of love)
2) I will plan on more than one “Christmas Dinner”...a cosy one on Christmas day with my ‘boys’ and Grandma, and a second one when Jen arrives the following weekend.
3) I will just have to finally learn how to “Skype”, so that at some point over the holidays we all still can be ‘together’.
4) I will treasure the fact that I still have Aidan at home and continue to share some of our special traditions with him (as well as LOTS of Christmas cookies and treats that I know he loves!)
I know I won’t be the only one finding the changes at Christmas difficult. But for the girls, I hope it will be a wonderful time too. It’s a time to start building their own traditions with their partners. And they will become as special to them as mine are to me.
And now, I’ve got some Christmas baking to get to!

Fall Garden and the art process.

2010-11-07T07:02:00.007-05:00

The garden is mostly finished...some stuff will be tucked away till next year...asparagus will be covered with straw...newly planted garlic too. Manure and compost have been added...and some leaves. The compost bin has been placed in the new bed where strawberries will be planted in the spring. This picture was taken in the early morning. I bought some bulbs to plant this week...10 daffodils (5 each of 2 different kinds) and 5 little grape hyacinths. I planted some last year and for the next few years would like to plant more..hoping everything comes back and starts to multiply. Annie's artwork....first she draws with pencil...

then inks it in with a fine tip permanent marker..sharpie I think....

and sometimes colors it in...I love the vibrant colors and recommended she start drawing on the walls:)

Lee

Fall Back

2010-11-07T06:53:00.003-05:00

I love when the mornings are light again...at least for a little while. This picture was taken around 6:45am.... its usually still pitch black at this time .... Lee

2010-11-05T06:59:00.002-05:00

Today, November 5th, is the start of Veteran's week; a time of commemorative events and ceremonies honouring our veterans, and then ending on Remembrance day. This week always holds a special place in my heart...my Dad was a veteran and my Mom is too. I am truly thankful , but my heart breaks a little more every time I think about what my Dad (and other veterans) went through..what he had to do, what he saw... My sister, The-Keeper-of-All-Things-Family, has not only all our family tree researched, recorded and stored, but she has my dad's Military History too. She has a copy of his Military record- a huge binder of every document that had anything to do with my dad's life in the army. She also has a collection of books written about the First Special Service Force that my Dad was a member of. My sister lent them to me this past week, and I have been rereading them. Unbelievable stories, brutal stories. And impossible to believe that my dad was one of these "Supercommandos". My dad was a gentle soul. Don't get me wrong, when we were kids he could give you that "look" that had us shaking in our shoes. But that was the extent of his fierceness... He was a quiet man, a man of few words. He had a difficult life as an only child and learned early on, to be careful what he said and to who. Maybe that life was what prepared him and got him through the horrors of war.
I have to say here that I don't believe in war. I believe that there has to be another way...but remembering the veterans on Remembrance day is not about what I believe. It's about what those men and women believed; what they did because they believed they were doing the right thing. Every time I think about my Dad's experience at Anzio beachhead in Italy, living in a foxhole for 99 consecutive days of battle under heavy artillery fire, I think, how? How does a person get through that? And how does a person get past that? Somehow, he did. And he went on to be there for his wife and all his children and his grandchildren. So on Remembrance Day, I remember and am thankful. Thankful to my Dad who, no doubt, gave up part of his soul to do what he believed to be the right thing, thankful to God for bringing him home, to my mom for doing her part and then helping my dad get through his, and to my sister who keeps our family story alive. Lest we forget.

Totally my cat

2010-11-03T21:07:00.002-05:00

Lee here....This is my cat Kovu. We usually call all our pets "family pets"...except for the adult cat Annie just adopted...but Kovu has really claimed me as his own and is always so demanding of my attention. Here he is right beside me while I'm on the computer. I'm the only one he actually sits on and he follows me around like a puppy..actually our dog follows me around too.

Halloween

2010-11-02T09:02:00.006-05:00

Lee here. First off, thanks Kathee for posting those pictures! They are lovely! We will have to have a hypertufa workshop at your house in the spring!
Here is Minh dressed up as a nice sweet character from the TV show, Adventure Time.

Here is Annie as a ninja zombie. I worry about that girl!

They had lots of fun gathering candy:)

Sempervivum

2010-11-01T05:59:00.002-05:00

...otherwise known as Hens and Chicks. For some time now I have wanted to grow some hens and chicks in a trough and I want to make a hypaturfa one. In the meantime, I decided I could still enjoy these little succulent plants this winter if I planted them in some clay pots. This spring I want to make the trough and maybe a couple of small pots and will transfer them into it.
-Kathy

Halloween cookies!

2010-10-28T15:44:00.005-05:00

Look at these owl cookies that Annie made today! She has some wrapped up to give to the librarians and to our friend Dee at her store in town. They are a simple sugar cookie decorated with little candy corn for the wings and mini m&m's for the eyes.....held on with orange royal icing.

Lee

Art Display

2010-10-26T05:44:00.002-05:00

Lee here....So, I bought this little shadow box that was on sale at Michaels..not as big as I wanted but the larger ones were too pricey and weren't as plain and simple as this one... but I think it works. I glue gunned them in place and had to pick these ultimate favorites out of about 50. The white blotch has Annie's name and the date. I'm not sure where this will go but it is definetely a keepsake for me! I really love how she has the parents holding their children, whether they are babies or older kids..and holding hands if not being held :) Kate is the dancer in mid centre.

On a side note..it is supposed to get very windy today so I plan on going out this morning and bagging some leaves that I need for the compost and new strawberry bed. Otherwise they will blow away and I will lose all that free organic matter!

fall soup

2010-10-25T18:09:00.003-05:00

Lee here..my little nephew had thrown together a soup with the help of his mom (my sister) and it was delicious. I called today to ask for the "recipe" and Annie and I whipped this up. Looks so nice in the new bowls I got from IKEA...and the white bowls off to the side are from value village.

~The Soup~

a couple of white potatoes

a couple of sweet potatoes

roasted squash

onion

garlic

carrots

veggie broth

a big bunch of leeks

an apple

a bit of oregano, pepper and 1 tsp cumin.

cook till soft and then puree with submersion blender

SOOO GOOD on a cool fall day......

The weekend

2010-10-24T10:22:00.010-05:00

I had such a busy weekend driving 2 girls around..waiting for hours and hours in town, that I am amazed that I got a couple of jobs done at home and pleasantly surprised that we got to have fun as well! Annie raked leaves to jump in..and will eventually make it into my compost...the leaves, not Annie.

Found a stick bug to observe...as well as a giant grasshopper that took off before I could take a photo.

Annie helped me plant a bed of garlic. We also planted 2 heads of "music" garlic to try something different.

Working on jack-o-lanterns... Annie still insists that we buy 3 pumpkins. Its one of those traditions that is difficult to let go of.

AND....to top of the weekend (that felt way more rushed and busy than fun)....Kate, Annie and I went out for breakfast....my favorite meal out!

Lee

a few more pics...

2010-10-20T06:47:00.002-05:00

These are the photos of the Dam at Jones Falls.

A Day Out

2010-10-20T06:09:00.002-05:00

On Aidan’s day off last week, we decided to go on a road trip. Just a day trip, but we were going to take the map book and head out and see where we ended up. I wanted to start by popping into the Stedman’s store in Athens. I love that little store. It’s a little department store that has everything from rubber boots to dishcloths, eco-wood toys to greeting cards and bird seed to books. After picking up the few things I needed there, we headed west. We stopped at the Forfar cheese factory, where sadly, they don't make the cheese there anymore, but do sell some. They also have some other really cool items...local art for sale, funky kitchen items, lots of high end condiments etc. We bought some apple wood smoked cheddar, some herb crackers and a couple of raspberry turnovers...yum! The coffee that they serve is Fair Trade Organic and their drinks come in glass bottle...this , in the middle of nowhere! I love it.
After our snack we ended up on HWY 15 and decided to stop at Jones Falls Locks. I remember stopping there once before, but don’t have a clear recollection of the locks and Aidan had never been there. It turned out to be the most incredible day! The weather was perfect- it was already 20 degrees, the sun was shining and the fall colours of the trees and trails were beautiful. The locks are truly amazing! There are 4 locks here and the height from the lowest to the highest was also amazing...and slightly scary...I couldn’t get too close and my knees weakened when Aidan did. There is also a Dam and of course the Falls themselves. So incredible! I always feel so bad for poor old Colonel Bye and the difficult time he had trying to build that canal system. Especially since this incredible accomplishment was never fully recognized while he was alive.
After walking around the locks and the trails, we ended up on Hwy 32 just north of Gananoque and stopped at a random diner (one of Aidan’s favourite things to do) for a club sandwich. We were only gone for a few hours but it really felt like we had been on “holidays”. Such a lovely day...the perfect season, the perfect weather and the best part...the fact that my 18 year old son still likes hanging out with me!

This is Hotel Kenny. It is over 130 years old. I think it would so lovely to stay there overnight sometime!

a few more pics...

2010-10-19T06:24:00.004-05:00

The heron has spent a couple of weeks in the pond...eating our frogs I'm afraid! Another sad sign that Buddy is not around...

The sunflowers are the Mammoth variety that we grew in the vegetable garden and the gourds came out of the compost that I had used in the lasagna beds! The pumpkins are my favourite variety- Rouge Vif detemps....the "Cinderella" pumpkin. They get a LOT bigger than this...I want to plant more next year, this time in a real sunny spot with lots of compost and water and hopefully they will be bigger.

Fall....on Blue Mountain road.

2010-10-19T06:05:00.003-05:00

Where did the summer go?? Well Fall has arrived and now the cooler temperatures...this morning it was 0 when I got up and there is a very heavy frost. I'm posting some pics of what we see around here these days...

The Staff Room

2010-10-15T18:03:00.004-05:00

Lee here...Kate has a role in the play "The Staff Room" playing at the community theatre. She is one of 4 teens amongst a dozen or so adults. This is the first play she has been in that isn't marketed towards children. She has had many long rehearsals and on show nites, we don't get home until almost midnite and then she needs to get up for school at 5:30 the next day. I know it is way worth it but I think she will be happy to get more sleep soon. 1 show down, 12 to go! I really enjoy the character she plays and I am truly amazed that she can get onstage in front of so many people! I could not do it!

Here she is with the producer, Bill Petch, who had many nice great things to say about Kate:) (proud mommy moment!)

Kate and her cohort. They both enjoyed saying Lying Bastards.

The actor's photos displayed in the greenroom.

I know Kate is going to miss her new friends!

Fall Happenings

2010-10-09T16:34:00.005-05:00

Lee here:) Annie and I have gone on a few group hikes with a naturalist. This one took us to Ferris Park and the Rainey Suspension Bridge. Its over the Trent River and of all the times I've walked across, I've never felt it sway like it did this time! Must have been because there were quite a few people on it and it was a windy day! I really enjoy hiking and it was fun to go with someone who knows what he was talking about. Annie didn't like it as much and prefers to not be with a group of strangers.

...some of Annie's art work. She made dozens of characters like this and a theatre with seats and a stage. I'm not sure how they should be displayed so they don't get wrecked over time...maybe a shadow box to display a few of them?

Today, Kate and Annie and I went to a store down the road from us that had an open house. They had a free bar-b-que (for Kate the carnivore), a free family photo, apple cider, and a corn maze. We bought some cheese curds and some maple syrup candies.

It was such a beautiful day today!

Keep on keepin' on

2010-09-19T14:09:00.004-05:00

Lee here...I have not been the most cheery person lately and many times, Kate or Annie have done something, made something or taken a photo of something "blog worthy" and wondered if I was going to make a post here. I explain that I'm just not in the mood right now and sometimes don't feel "authentic" if I only post positive thoughts and ideas. I don't need to share what is going on in my life. Its not like I post when I am in a foul mood (ok, right now I am) so is that really presenting who I am? The past couple of days however, having passed up a few good blog opportunities, I've considered that this blog isn't just about me..but a way of highlighting the good, fun and productive things we do...a scrapbook of sorts. It is a way to share accomplishments, reflect on what we have done and plan what we want to do. I love being about to show Zee and Kathee a yummy meal I have made or all the weeds I've pulled from the garden and something silly the dog did. It's a way for the kids to look back and see some pretty neat things they have done. So, I think I will keep blogging for now:)

One Reverb

2010-09-05T18:05:00.004-05:00

Lee here...One Reverb, the band that Stef's boyfriend created and she sings in, played at the Zwicks Island Bandshell. This was a very small "mosh pit" that was quite frightening and Annie and I backed away...we did not want to be involved in that nonsense!! You can see Kate smiling in the background but also standing out of the way! Rob...a great guitarist and a fabulous singer too.

Stefanie...I never tire of her singing! I like the band but I really enjoyed when Stef would play the guitar and sing by herself...

I miss having Stef in the house...She was always singing and playing guitar. She'd teach herself a new song in an hour or two. I didn't realize how much an influence Stef was on Kate with singing and guitar...Kate doesn't do it very much anymore. Learning to play guitar was high on my list of 'to-do's" at one point...its not as high now but its still on the list!

Bear the Tinker

2010-09-05T09:14:00.007-05:00

Lee here :) Zee arranged a visit to Andrea Cumpson's farm where Bear the Tinker was visiting. He travels and lives in a caravan pulled by his horse Callum. He is a musician, singer, storyteller and folklorist. It was an incredible day and especially nice when he was just standing around chatting about things. You could talk with him for hours and be entertained the entire time.
Sitting in the shade on a really hot day!

Bear coundn't find his guitar pick so Thuy lent him one. It was a Tinkerbell pick....Bear is a Tinker and told stories of Faeries...I thought that was hilarious! I wonder if she got it back.... I like to think of him keeping it and using it when he plays his guitar next time. The songs he sang all told stories...accompanied by instruments like the fiddle, a celtic drum called the bodhran, a bag pipe I had never seen before since you don't blow into it, and whistles. It was a great afternoon!

bittersweet goodbye

2010-08-23T05:59:00.004-05:00

This morning our Em leaves for BC...a seven day road trip with R and B and then a new life in a new city. I know it's nerve-wracking and exciting for them at the same time....lots of new doors opening and new experiences. So we are happy for them.....but with that, comes some sadness. I will miss them. Thankfully we have phones, email and I'm seriously thinking of getting skype! So keep a good thought for Em and R and B and I will say a little prayer to keep them safe and sound as they venture off...

here's some pics of the 'adventures'

we had with them just before they left......

Bon voyage...safe journey...

tomatoes......

2010-08-19T09:40:00.004-05:00

Lee in the garden:) I am appreciating every single tomato that our plants produce. Winter will be here all too soon and a fresh, yummy tomato will be difficult to find! Eating warm tomatoes straight from the garden is such a treat! The tomatoes and basil in my hand are going into a pasta salad for lunch.

This juliet tomato plant is as high as the swing set that it is trellised to. This is the most prolific variety I have ever had. Sungold comes in a close second!

A little picnic that we enjoyed at a playground by the library. Annie is volunteering in the morning and then has an hour off before she takes part in a program for older kids. More homegrown tomatoes in the form of salsa, cheese and crackers and oranges.....a perfect, light summery lunch.

Pick blueberries...check

2010-08-15T16:49:00.003-05:00

Lee here...the girls and I picked 6 quarts of blueberries the other day and plan on going back for more. We ate them all fresh but I would like to put away a couple of freezer bags full at least. I'm not sure if that will happen. I really want to plant 6 bushes in the spring...I think that would be plenty! Imagine going out to our own back yard to nibble on some berries!

August

2010-08-12T06:42:00.003-05:00

The month is flying by...I have been picking loads of veggies from the garden...mostly zuchinni and cukes and beans right now...and freezing and pickling as much as I can fit into the day. I LOVE being able to pull a jar of mustard beans off the shelf when Thanksgiving comes around. It's been a great garden year for some things and absolutely terrible for others...I'm getting tomatoes, but not as many as we usually do, thanks to the beds we put them in. (At the top of the list for garden jobs this fall is to renovate the garden beds/dig trenches for better drainage next year.) I have melons this year though! Canteloupe that is just about ready to pick, and some little Sugar baby watermelons. The peppers are starting to turn red and I am harvesting a few eggplant at a time...enough for some batches of baba ganooche! I thinned carrots yesterday and filled a 4 litre basket. They're not really big yet, but SO tasty! I want to start another planting of greens and chards for the cooler weather ahead. Here's a photo of the first batch of pesto I made along with a mix of sweet tomatoes...we made pesto pizzas with them...pitas with pesto, grated mozzarella and chopped fresh tomatoes; red and yellow and green ones...THAT for me is the taste of summer.

To Do

2010-08-09T13:41:00.003-05:00

Lee here...summer is going by fast!

August To Do List..

*go on a few picnics..even just along the canal in Campbellford..watch some boats go by
*walk around the Peterborough Zoo and go for a ride on the little train
*Meet friends at Charleston Lake
*do an outside craft like cement poetry stones..I bought the kit years ago and its under my bed, unused!
*water balloons with the girls
*spend more time reading in the hammock
*pick blueberries
*take out paints or pencils and do some artwork outside
*appreciate being a stay at home mom and having time to do whatever I want

my stash....

2010-08-08T11:23:00.004-05:00

of dried oregano from our garden. I am moving the oregano to another spot in the yard since it is taking over an entire 4x8 raised bed.
Annie up in the tree... Chris has a little tent that fits perfectly on her platform for when she wants a little shelter..it's too bad it doesn't have a window on the side facing out.

Lee

Annie in her treehouse

2010-08-07T07:49:00.003-05:00

Lee here. This is such a pretty plant but I can't remember what it is...help!
Annie decided to leave her "treehouse" as a platform. It's not a huge space and she likes being able to see all around. She can pull the bucket up with a pulley thats up in the tree. FYI, the cat will not go into the bucket so he can be hoisted up. This is sturdy and high enough for her liking, and her dad is going to build a little perch so she can sit in the "crotch" of the tree that is about 5 feet higher. We would like to scout out some sort of net climbing rope thing for the side...just to provide some variety. We still have to clean up under it.

I'm really impressed with it and plan on using it myself even tho it's high and I can't look up!

Royal Ontario Museum

2010-07-30T10:13:00.006-05:00

Annie and I went to the ROM with my sister and her kids yesterday. I haven't been there for years and it's been remodelled since. Annie and I are going with Chris and Kate in the fall so we can spend a little more time and include things like the Warriors Terra Cotta Army exhibit and maybe get to China town or Kensington market as well. Annie in a tomb....Egypt.

We passed by a LuLulemon and saw these really cool crocheted fruits and veggies in their window display...I think they are probably easy to make and I love the way they are packaged in paper bags. A good idea for Zee don't you think?

Lee

Veggies and Eggs

2010-07-25T14:01:00.003-05:00

Its me, Lee, again...it's sunday and my family is away for the day. I had wanted a lazy day but it's turned into a very productive one..getting lots of little things done that have been on my list for a while. I put CBC radio on the computer and have been busy busy. Kathee gave Annie and I these plants a few years ago.....they were little cuttings that she had rooted for us and now they are huge and have had many cuttings of their own. Today I finally made a little support for the vines to grow on instead of trailing to the floor for the cats to play with. I stuck some willow sticks into the soil and tied them together at the top and then wove the vines up them. On top of the numerous chores I've done, I drove down the road to a neighbours organic farm and bought some yummy, fresh, healthy food. Things I dont grow such as cabbage, beets and potatoes. I have been meaning to buy eggs from them for a long time but always pass by knowing I only have my debit card, would have to go home for cash and then end up forgetting about it until I pass by again. So now I am committing to purchasing eggs from them and their free range hens, instead of the store. Except for the eggs which are in their house, the veggies are fresh picked and sitting under a shelter with a price list and a covered container for you to pay. The potatoes were picked just as I was pulling in. You can't get any more fresh than that! I am really happy to buy from them.

Treehouse

2010-07-25T12:16:00.006-05:00

It's finally underway!! The treehouse is against this tree with supports on the ground but is being designed so she can have a platform higher in the tree as well. Annie and Chris and with Kate's help too, have been working on it almost every day. The floor is almost done so Annie can actually get up into it and hang out....before the house part is built. Not quite as big as what we had initially thought but I've decided to step back and not criticize, but let Annie and her dad figure it out...be creative and enjoy the process too.

My expression of creativity..a new little arrangement for the bathroom shelf. I really enjoy having fresh flowers around.

Lee

Hey Kathee and Lee!!

2010-07-22T00:24:00.002-05:00

Khai wanted me to show you gals the garden! These were taken a few weeks ago so things are much larger and taking over any available space.

Hosta, Rhubarb, and a grape vine!

Lillies surrounding the bird bath.

Khai holding my Mother's Day Gnome, he thought he would be smart and have the wee fella pointing at him, the source of his laughter..lol

STRAWBERRIES!
Did I ever say I really like raised beds!!!!

These beds are full now, I've been negligent in my trellising of the beans :(

Khai, being Khai :)

Thanks to Sue and Jeff my garden paths are covered in glorious straw. You should see the picture of Jeff in the EMC "Local farmer goes to jail for Prison Farms at the G20 summit"
That would be Jeff being tackled by 3 police officers. http://tinyurl.com/25ov57z

Perennials Lee gave me that still need to be rooted in soil.

Ok all done now, I could post like a bazillion more, still have eggplant, tomatoes, OKRA and kale.. cucumbers and so much more!!! OH yeah and the funky composter :)

Follow the yellow brick road...la la la

The Girls Have Arrived!

2010-07-21T23:27:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to post these pics for a while now, a month to be exact. Time seems to escape me more these days!

We have settled in 8 Chantecler chickens, hoping one is a rooster. The gals were picked up on father's day and brought to their new digs. If all goes well in the fall we can bring another eight home.

DH, the kids and I have been renovating the old coup. We used old skids to side the house, and make a front porch. I've used more recycled wood inside and hope to use mostly recycled wood to make the stairs and a cute li'll flower box for their window.

DH picked up these nifty slider windows at the Habitat Re-Store! Lots of natural light now, I'll be adding a solar light later.

I haven't covered this side yet, because I'm thinking of adding a little addition, a rooster condo maybe? I still need to extend their outdoor run. If all goes well we will expand the coup next spring, and bring them up closer to the garden.

Cobourg Eco Garden

2010-07-20T17:48:00.014-05:00

Lee here...The Cobourg Eco Garden is one of my favorite places to visit...I'm pretty sure I've posted about it before. Cobourg is such a nice town with a fabulous beach on Lake Ontario.
The main entryway...hollyhocks in the corner with the split rail fence.

Such a casual, cottage type garden....lots of pathways mostly lined with the smooth river rocks from the beach.

Annie likes the little berries..I wish I new what they were!

A butterfly landed on Chris.

Lake rocks as plant markers

Lots of mulch everywhere keep the weeds down for the volunteers and make a clear walkway for visitors.

I don't remember this garden being here....it's a simple veggie garden with stones in the pathway and everything in rows...so great!!

Check out this bird bath...looks like some sort of big leaf that was pressed into hypertufa....and of course surrounded by more beach rocks.

This garden is such an inspiration to me!

Garlic Harvest time

2010-07-20T12:50:00.003-05:00

This is what I've been up to...I pulled these 350+ this morning and they are now washed, trimmed and hanging on the porch to dry. I have done about 1000 so far, but a lot of the first two varieties did not do so well.........between the leek moth infestation and the excess water that they were laying in a few weeks ago, it has not been our best year. This variety (Czechoslovakian Broadleaf) is my favourite though and it is really good! I've got another bed and a half to pull and then I'm done. This is my set up for the garlic wash station this year. We've set it up in the screen room, which is perfect because the mosquitoes have been brutal, and if it rains I can still work at them. I also have the radio out there and the portable phone.

A taste of summer...

2010-07-20T12:43:00.002-05:00

Last night we had a delicious dinner with stuff from the garden. Yesterday I picked a 4 litre basket of basil leaves and made a couple of batches of pesto. So for dinner we had pasta with pesto sauce, with a squeeze of fresh lemon, chopped up tomatoes for on top of the pesto noodles (here we have a mix of red, orange and green tomatoes!) and some freshly picked sliced cucumbers. We also had beets that I bought from the Lansdowne farmer's market, since my beets got planted late and aren't quite ready yet. It was all SO tasty! especially after eating on the Fairgrounds most of the weekend....

more photos of the Fair....

2010-07-20T06:36:00.002-05:00

This basket won Best Arrangement of the Fair...I knew that old picnic basket that I found at our church sale would come in handy...

This category was called "Green with Envy"...you were not allowed to use any flowers, just foliage This one was called "Tinkerbell". It had to be no wider than 5 inches and no taller than 10 and had to be silver and white....it's hard to see, but the container is a little silver swan

These two are: "Circus" (which is a dumb name) but it just has to be an arrangement that is viewed from all sides. The tall one in the jug is called "Scentimental Journey" and it had to be an arrangement of scented flowers and herbs.

This category is called "R's" and has to be made from a recycled object. I covered a can with moss and a piece of raffia to make the container.

Lansdowne Fair 2010

2010-07-20T06:20:00.002-05:00

Just thought I would post some photos of my floral exhibits that I entered in the Fair. It's one of my favourite things to do...even thought it is a LOT of work.

Wool Felt

2010-07-16T12:14:00.003-05:00

Lee here....not sure how to turn this photo:( I bought some beautiful wool felt this spring..online, since I can only find the acrylic stuff around here. This felt is so nice to work with...so soft and doesn't make me cringe to touch it! Annie made a little cat and has since made 2 more. She is reading a series of books, "Warriors", and the main characters are cats. I want to look up some little felt sewing projects...maybe a gnome, some toadstools, little books etc. It's always been so tempting to use expensive craft supplies carefully...and then things end up not getting used at all. The kids were always careful not to be wasteful and I gave Annie the go ahead to, well, just go ahead and dig in. She is so creative!

Peas Please!

2010-07-14T13:28:00.004-05:00

Before.... After......ok they still have lots of flowers and some little peas but they are getting bigger everyday! I'm hoping to have lots of sugar snap peas really soon!!

Annie's hair is getting long enough to put into a high pony tail. She doesn't like when I say she looks cute or pretty or try to take a picture of a cute hair do..just as well that this one is more of a silhouette..I had to chase her around the house to get this pic!

Lee

Flowers

2010-07-09T14:48:00.005-05:00

Lee here..It was so nice out this morning...hot but not crazy hot. We were getting ready to go for a swim and it looked like rain, so we wanted to pick some flowers before it did. We gathered up some perennials like baby's breath, daisies, armeria(?), tiger lilies, evening primrose and some verigated grass and bergamot...and some wild things like queen annies lace (I know its queen anne's lace but since Annie was little and would make road side bouquets, we called it queen annie's lace) wild daisies etc. Here, Annie is arranging them.
Voila! Pretty nice...it will look great on our table:)

A little one I made for the bathroom.....I always love how Kathy has fresh flowers throughout her house. I made it in a little vase I got from my grandparents..notice the little gnome pot/cup I also got from a box of their stuff!

Happy Birthday Kate!

2010-07-08T19:20:00.003-05:00

Lee here...I think Kate had a good day..Stef and Rob came out for a swim and bar b q and tonite she went for another swim with her youth group and another bar b q after, at their house:) 16 years ago today...she had such an easy birth...wish I could say the same for our breastfeeding experience! Her little baby gums felt like a stapler! (my fault..bad latch!) She is studying for her learners permit so she will be on the road any day now!

Canada Day..yup a little late:)

2010-07-07T15:54:00.009-05:00

Lee here...we went to the Peterborough zoo on Canada Day. Here we are riding the famous Peterbough express...The zoo is so great for little kids...fabulous playgrounds, a water splash park and the train..and a few animals too! I brought the kids here all the time when they were little...we would bring a picnic and just hang out. Pictures are out of order...opps! Chris and Annie went fishing in a few different spots..always exciting to get a catch, no matter the size!

Popular photo op in front of the camel exhibit...you can see how well worn he is!

Back to the train...leaving the station with seats at the very back.

This is what I like to do while Chris and Annie fish:)

A gentleman was kind enough to offer to take our photo:)

We spent a couple of hours at the zoo and went fishing and ended the day in Cobourg at the fire works..it was a great day!

Toronto Zoo

2010-07-07T15:31:00.006-05:00

Lee here...The zoo is one of my favorite places to go..in the fall when its nice and cool, the leaves are changing color and its not as crowded. Here we are on a very hot, busy day! It was lots of fun...and very pricey! Here is Stef petting a stingray...they feel wet and soft and sort of squishy.

A nice way to cool off!

This tent was in the African part of the park...I really really really want one of these in my yard! Its basically a deck with a frame and some canvas...think yurt but square. I would move a futon out and have some lighting..a great hide out!

A baby gorilla was born last fall...lots of babies at the zoo this time:)

I am so drawn to gardens...

This is a hut overlooking the above garden...I really like the intertwined branches.

I'm really glad we got to spend the day together. Kate will be at school in the fall but Annie and I are planning a "not going back to school" field trip to the zoo.

Summer time:)

2010-06-27T09:56:00.003-05:00

Lee here...it's pool season! We are so blessed to have such wonderful neighbours that let us use their pool, sometimes twice daily! We have known them for about 4 years...I just call them up and they say come on over. It takes about 3 or 4 minutes by car or a longish walk over big hills. I really enjoy chatting with Shirley..she is the most popular 79 year old I know! We met Shirley and her husband Bill through another friend/neighbour and I wish I had of met them years ago! It is a beautiful pool...its inground and about 9 feet deep at the deep end and it's huge...and the best part is that it is in a greenhouse type buidling so we can swim in the rain and the swim season is extended a bit because it seems to stay warm longer. We help out a bit by vacuuming around the pool and tidying up the tables etc that they use for entertaining. I also try to do little things for them as well since we are so appreciative.
Stef is in the photo since she was visiting for a couple of days..I think she is really going to miss the pool this year.
Kate got new glasses the other day...they are "nerd" glasses apparently and are very cute.

Tree House fund

2010-06-27T09:49:00.002-05:00

Lee here...Annie has been saving some of her allowance and her pay from getting her grandparents groceries and we have put in some of our spare change....she has over $200. So, its been put off for far too long....must get started on her treehouse. The problem is, we are not at all handy and I have no idea where to start...I'm completely overwhelmed. Something that should be fun is one of those things I've been putting off and Annie is worried we will never do it. I don't blame her for being concerned! I want it to be what she wants and safe and it needs to be started and finished within a reasonable amount of time. Wish me luck!

My Garden Girl

2010-06-18T14:29:00.004-05:00

How do you like this year's outfit on my Garden Girl? The dress was actually mine and was a favourite, but I'm past wearing it, and the colours seemed perfect for the garden. I think the hat is a perfect match (for the garden...) and was alucky find at our church's yard sale! (The mask was made by Jen when she was 9) There is a Garden Boy as well, but he doesn't have a new outfit yet, so I will post a photo when he does.

Stuff:)

2010-06-17T18:20:00.006-05:00

Lee here:) This photo was taken at the Relay for Life in Kingston..it was fun as usual! A great time for us to hang out together.
Katy made me eggplant parmesan...oh my goodness!! I had a small portion but the next day (after weigh in) I had more!

Zee came for a visit and I made this for us for lunch..so much healthier than the above food!! Its a black bean, tomato, red onion, lime and cilantro salsa/salad...I forgot to add the hot and red peppers!! I picked some young romaine lettuce leaves from the garden for us to make little wraps.

Yummy!!

Me and Zee...we've been friends since grade 10!

It was so great to have Zee and kids come for a visit! Too bad it wasn't longer!

Potato Wars........

2010-06-16T06:29:00.003-05:00

Although it may seem that I, like Napoleon, have "met my Waterloo", I am NOT admitting defeat just yet. Here's the scenario...I totally love the 'lasagna' method of gardening, (see Patricia Lanza's book, "Lasagna Gardening" for details), and have successfully turned two huge areas of my veggie garden into lasanga beds. This not only cuts back on all the tilling that needs to be done evey year, but the beds are always ready to go. It just requires me pulling back some of the hay, adding a bit of soil or compost and planting! I have started a beautiful new flower bed this way, right in a patch of grass, without having to lift the sod, or dig at all. I have another flower bed started and am seriously thinking of laying out a wide border garden down near our creek.
Anyway, back to the Potato Wars story....So I read in my book how this woman grows potatoes with this method. She lays the potatoes right on top of the bed and then covers it with hay. The plants are supposed to grow right up though the hay and voila! no continous hilling with soil, no digging the potatoes out, you just lift the hay and there they will be......Unfortunately, NOTHING in my potato beds has come up through the hay. In the meantime the 'boys' in my household took out the tiller, tilled a bed up, made a furrow,planted the rest of the potatoes, then hilled them up. Needless to say, a little 'competition' emerged and so the "potato wars" were on. Things are not looking good on my front.......the boys' potatoes are 10 inches tall and thick with lovely green leaves...mine is a big wide bed of hay....So I decided that maybe in my zeal to cover them enough so the potatoes would not turn green and be inedible, I put too much hay on. Maybe the shoots couldn't make it through the hay. So I removed all the hay, found the poatatoes, (which did have roots and shoots on them) and recovered them with, this time with a lot less hay. As they grow (I say, optmistically) I will continue to cover them and hopefuly I will be harvesting a lovely batch of clean, soil-free,easy to pick, tubers! I'll keep you posted, and in the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for me.....

lazy afternoons

2010-06-01T16:25:00.004-05:00

Lee here...
Its been hot and sunny, but breezy and cool under the maple tree. For the past couple of days, Annie and I have gone outside mid afternoon, with a book and a stuffed animal or two, and we've even fallen asleep!
I appreciate the freedom to be able to have a siesta! How cozy does this look?

I'm back....

2010-06-01T06:35:00.002-05:00

It has been quite some time since I have blogged and I want to thank you Lisa, for keeping the blog going....and hope to hear more from Zee too...
Most of my vegetable garden is planted and that feels so good! I have a few pickling cukes to get in and a couple of rows of bush beans, but last week I was able to get the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zuchinni, squash, melons, carrots and beets in. I also finished my little bean arbour and planted two kinds of pole beans. The second block of greens has already popped through the soil and we've been eating our way through the first batch. SO TASTY! The lettuce seedlings survived the 32+ temperatures last week (barely) and the new lettuce seeds that I started are also up. I am anxious to be able to eat more out of the garden...especially the sugar snaps! The lovely rain we are having today is badly needed and will give the plants a good deep soak.
I really enjoyed our annual Plant swap last weekend and was so happy to see people that I don;t get to see often enough. It was a wonderful day of family, friends, plants, food and chatting. What more could you want! Next year is our tenth year of hosting the Blue Mountain Plant swap....we will have to think of a special way to commemorate it!
In my next blog I hope to share the story of the ongoing "Potato Wars"....

Blue Mountain Plant Swap

2010-05-30T08:41:00.006-05:00

Lee here...Annie and I headed up to Kathy's house for her annual plant swap. We saw some familiar faces and I got to meet the writer of a blog that I read frequently. http://www.andreacameron.blogspot.com/ She seems like such a gentle mama!

I like this picture of Annie. She is such a happy kid...most of the time anyway.
Kathy sells veggie seedlings and these are some of the left overs. I picked out a few for my sister.

Folks come and look at all the plant offerings and then at 1 o'clock sharp, you take as many plants and you brought. I don't have alot of garden space ready so I took 6 plants. Kathy's sister also gave me a couple of plants that I had been looking for which was so nice of her! I will plant them today in a spot until I can find a better, more permanent home for them.

We packed a yummy, healthy lunch for ourselves...and brought a treat to share.

..."worms in dirt" cupcakes was the most accurate description of the treats we made!

Thanks for a great day Kathy!

I love planting!

2010-05-21T18:39:00.006-05:00

Lee here...so nice to be finished with the initial weeding, adding manure, and tidying up the beds. The fun part is all the planting of seeds and plants! I moved my swingset over to the tomato garden and planted 6 tomato plants...tying them with string as a stake. We have 12 tomato plants in total, 6 of which are sungold which is our favorite!
Kathy gave me some netting for my peas. It was a challenge putting it up but I think it will serve the purpose. I planted a nice thick row of sugar snaps that I saved from last year. I hope they grow! I have assorted seeds on each side of the pea trellis...carrots, purslane, some cilantro, lettuce..

I dumped all the winters compost into this bed and covered it with leaves, some peat moss and manure...I will add some soil if I get some. Its looking really good! I was going to leave it covered with straw to "cook" over the season, but I think I might put some squash in it.

I planted aspargus last year. I was really thinking it wasn't going to come up this year but it is....not all of the plants but half of them for now. I just took the straw off of it today and noticed more coming up out of the soil....maybe I should have taken the straw off sooner?

I am going out with Annie tomorow to pick out some annuals for her garden, maybe some cutting annuals for spots in my beds, and some lavender. I plan on finishing the planting this weekend. I still will grow some more greens later and another planting of beans. Happy growing!

So Sad:(

2010-05-15T08:46:00.001-05:00

Kate's kitten died:( We are all so sad. She just started having a seizure or something and then stiffened up and stopped breathing:( It all happened in a couple of minutes.
Lee

Spring flowers

2010-05-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

Lee here...not a very good photo but these lilacs and tulips really brighten up the room and smell lovely! I wish I had lots to say about all the gardening I've been doing but there hasn't been much going on in that department. I think there is just so much to do (and becoming more everyday!) that it is overwhelming to get out there and get started! I think I need to make myself a smaller, more doable, to do list.

New kitten for Kate

2010-05-04T17:40:00.002-05:00

How cute is she! We had promised her a kitten for a while and then saw this one at the Humane Society. Her name is Scout (from the book "To Kill a Mockingbird"). She needs more shots the end of this month and then will need to be neutered as soon as she is old enough. She is so small and cute and playful :)
Lee

This was a surprise!

2010-04-27T06:54:00.003-05:00

Just a little bit:) I was on my way to hang out laundry which I will still do...its melting fast with the sun shining!
Lee

Working in the garden...

2010-04-25T10:10:00.009-05:00

Lee here....The list of things that need doing is soooo looong!! I haven't put a dent in anything. I'm not sure why I'm not motivated to do things right now...I'm excited about gardening but I also have things that need doing inside. I would love to cross some thing off my list. I started uncovering some perennials..slowly...and then my rake broke :(
Look at this little tiny patch of iris....I pulled some grass from it and a few weeds between the rocks....

Half done.....I pulled back some soil, put down some leaves and some compost from the bin,covered it with more leaves and a bit of peat moss, covered it with the soil I pulled away and covered it with straw. Another thing on my to do list is ask my neighbour for more straw (I hesitate because I always offer to pay for it and he always says no but then I feel bad asking for more!)....I have the other half of the bed to do..where the composter is sitting. I need to lift it off and it will not be pretty...full of winters kitchen waste that hasn't broken down yet...I may plant some greens in this bed to give it a try, but otherwise I will let it sit until next spring. I will move the composter to another bed..maybe a new one I am building at the back, so I can do the same bed building in the fall.

Annie made some natural lip balm from a kit she received from us for her birthday. It turned out really well and made lots to share!

Kate and Annie goofing around on a scooter. Sometimes when we need to stay in the city for some reason, we go to the waterfront trail and go for a walk..and Annie brings her scooter. Its all paved and beautiful.

I was so excited to see this!! Random acts of knitting! I've heard of querilla knitting and gardening but have never seen it in action. It really brought a smile to my face, so I came back the next day (because we had more time to kill in town) with my camera. I would actually like to have a new cell phone that has a camera built in.

And then Kate spotted this!!

I would love to know who did it!! I guess thats part of the excitement and mystery and joy!

So, thats what we have been up to. Today is sunday and I have been doing so great on WW. I feel like sunday should be a day off, not from WW but from the to do list, so I am blogging instead.

Things that need doing asap:

*TODAY...Empty out girls bedroom so we can paint and set up new shelf that has yet to be built. I hesitate in doing this because it means cluttering up the living room for a few days and its a huge job but once its done, its done.

*clean out the remainder of the garden beds

*build pea trellis and plant peas

*take down bird feeders and move swing set back over the main garden for tomato support

*plant more spinach, chard and other peas, and lettuce.

*I had cleaned out and trimmed a pine tree in the yard and some stumps still need to be cut lower to the ground so I can keep it clean, and then rake out all the brush under it

*pull up the numerous thistles that keep growing in the yard..find puller to do that!

*mix some clover seed with soil and put it in that yard in hopes of it taking over the thick, tall grass that grows(way too quickly) over the septic bed...

*build Annie a treehouse

*stop writing anything else on the to do list!

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed!

How many points in a box of cookies?

2010-04-15T19:17:00.002-05:00

Lee here...I attended my first weight watchers meeting today. It is all fairly common sence stuff..its a good reminder though on portion sizes and healthy choices. I need to be held accountable, so tracking food, weekly weigh ins, and attending a meeting are all excellent for that! If I can pick up where I left off and resume losing a pound a week, I will be very happy! I hesitate to mention that I weighed in at 10+ lbs more than my scale says! Time to throw out this very old scale and get a new one!

First garden of the season:)

2010-04-13T17:47:00.002-05:00

This little garden is planted with corn salad, new zealand spinach, turnips, romaine lettuce and a few peas....I'm hoping the twigs will support the peas a bit..the seed package said they grow to about 30 inches tall. The other peas I plant have 6 ft vines and need a major trellis to climb. This is a start. I will make another planting of the lettuce, corn salad and spinach in a couple of weeks. I have other greens that need to get out and more peas but that will have to wait for another day this week.
Lee

Pizza birthday cake!

2010-04-10T06:43:00.002-05:00

....Annie's idea, but she wasn't here to make it so this is Kate's creation! How fabulous is this pizza cake! I think she could sell them! I rented a big round cake pan from the bulk barn and put less batter in it than was called for. Kate hollowed it out a bit, making the edges look like the crust..cherry pie filling for sauce, pieces of white chocolate for cheese...marshmallows for mushrooms and assorted gummy candy for pepperoni, green peppers and black olives. I'm totally impressed by this! I suggested whipped cream in little containers for dipping sauce.
Lee

Now this is happening....

2010-04-09T13:49:00.004-05:00

Annie had the boyz over for her birthday....we totally ambushed her with silly string...a spray streamer typ of thing. It sure is messy stuff!

Spring Happenings......

2010-04-06T18:29:00.009-05:00

Things growing.....do hens and chicks look this good all winter? I didn't check. This time of year is so great...I enjoy cleaning up the gardens and my arms aching from all the raking. It's good exercise right? Only the odd mosquito and no blackfies yet.
Chives are popping up all over the place. I'd really like to get some flat leaved chives...yo, Zee, any to share?

Kathy gave me some hepatica a few years ago....they get flowers before their leaves.

I planted a bunch of bulbs this past fall that I had gotten on sale. I wasn't sure if they'd come up but at least this one did. I'm hoping the little grape narsissus' come up!

We have April birthdays! Chris, Stef and Kate. Annie decorated this cake for her dad.

I snapped this photo of my daughter, when she wasn't looking, doing her new job as shift manager. She has a new shirt and bandana typ thing, a new name tag that is on order, and doesnt need to wear a hat but her hair needs to be tied back tight. It is a very difficult and challenging job with tons of responsibilities and I often wonder if she'd prefer to go back to crew member some days. It is a great experience for her though and she will do great I'm sure.

Last, but not least...the almost 12 year old going for a ride on her scooter. Our roads are perfect right now, but many times during the summer, they get grated and new gravel dumped on it, making even bike riding tricky.

Basil seedlings

2010-04-01T20:30:00.004-05:00

Lee here.....Annie started these basil seeds a while ago and it was time to move them into their own, larger pots. Time to set up the grow light and plan what else will get a head start by planting it inside.

Road Trip!!!!!

2010-03-30T18:51:00.004-05:00

This was so fun! My sister and I headed to Toronto to see "My Mothers Lesbian, Jewish, Wiccan Wedding" at the Panasonic Theatre. It was great to be in the car, just us....something we don't get to do often. We had a leisurely dinner at "Spring Rolls" and then went to the show a few doors down. This show was so fantastic! I am a really big fan of this musical and would love to see it again! It was funny, sad, so witty, and felt so sincere. It is based on a true story and the man who wrote the story is the narrator (and himself) in the show. They started out at the Fringe Festival and then got spotted by Mirvish Productions and moved up to the Panasonic. I really hope they can take it even further. The actors were all incredible...especially the main actor playing his mom, from Ikea commercial fame..."start the car..start the car!".

Lee

Hazzards of Homeschooling

2010-03-30T18:47:00.003-05:00

As soon as Annie sits down with a pencil, whether she is doing art or doing some homeschooling, Baxter has to be in the middle of it! He flips and flops all over the paper, grabs the pencil and demands to be the centre of attention. It is usually a battle until, after about the 10th time of being put to the floor, he retires to the bedroom for a nap..it must be exhausting!

Lee

Kathee and Zee...memory lane!

2010-03-25T19:13:00.002-05:00

Wow this was a few years ago...a blessingway for Zee. I can't remember who you were pregnant with!! Ahh that was a good time! Remember that belly carrot cake I made...I wish I had a photo of that...with the cupcake breasts lol. I didn't want to cut it in front of anyone! I would choose a Blessingway over a babyshower. I love that the focus is on the mom and the journey she is on.
Lee

New energy

2010-03-25T07:37:00.005-05:00

This photo cracks me up..my dad is always so playful. This is from a few years ago...he is in his late 70's here and riding around on my kids plasma car....

It was so nice having march break to just hang out..not big plans other than Kate's play...time outside since it was so beautiful out. But now I feel the urge to spring clean, do some projects that need doing, really get Annie into some new school work, get Kate all set up for school in September (dh's department!), get the gardens ready and some seeds started (soon)...I feel like there is lots to do...things I want to do and things that just need doing. I feel that if we are really productive, then later towards summer, we can really enjoy the time "off".

Lee

Remember when...

2010-03-21T13:53:00.002-05:00

a grocery store employee would carry your groceries to your car? It still happens in the small town I am close to! Now if they would just come home and put it away.....and then make lunch.
Lee

Tea Biscuits...

2010-03-20T17:22:00.005-05:00

....or scones? (are they the same thing?) I prefer the name tea biscuits...they sound so simple and homey and comforting. These turned out really well..the kids like them with jam or honey and a cuppa tea. Good as a sweet with tea or savory with a yummy pot of stew. We use the same recipe for making cinamin rolls...and for putting a crust on our veggie pot pie.

Basic biscuit recipe......
2 cups of flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp sugar (or more)
dash salt
cut in 1/4 cup veggie shortening or butter
add 3/4 cup water or milk
bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

Lee...

The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon!

2010-03-19T07:31:00.006-05:00

Lee here.......This play ran for 5 shows during march break..the last show being today. Kate was so happy to get into this play. Its such a great opportunity for her to do what she loves. She really liked her costume and her role as "The Enchantress" but wished she had more time on stage. She plays an evil role so well, its spooky!
This year they had a new director. Many things were different and one of the fun, positive changes was they had someone come in to do their hair and stage makeup..(I thought of Thuy, Zee!)

There were many kids in this play...so many different characters from many different stories. Kate is signing autographs here which is why she is holding a pen:)

A group shot of the cast. Kate has made some fabulous friends from the 2 plays she has been in at this theatre. She also ushers so she gets to enjoy other plays as well. She is happy to be part of this theatre! The theatre director approached me and said how great she thinks Kate is at acting and she is so mature, friendly and she really appreciates her help. So nice to hear good things about your children when they are outside of the home. (fyi she isnt always mature, friendly and helpful at home;) These plays have been really positive for her.