Olallieberry

Still Waiting

Not a day above -8C this past week, and we still had more snow. Certainly manageable compared to what some have been experiencing mind you--spring blizzards on the east coast and painfully frigid temperatures on the eastern prairies that just won't let up. Still, we plunge forward with the certainty that even if fleeting, spring just has to arrive at some point.

At least we've had the sun, and my tomato seedlings are doing really great as a result. That is I think they are; I've never grown tomatoes from seed before and everyone assures me that I'll be disappointed with the result, especially since I'm determined to use only natural sunlight-- no complicated grow lights for this cat. Just as an experiment mind you, I do things like that. So anyway, I folded little pots out of newspaper, filled them with potting soil and planted three seeds in each. To my surprise every single seed sprouted, so now it's time to transplant them all into their own individual little pots after which they will take up most if not all of the shelf space at the window. I planted two short season heirloom varieties: Early Anne and Latah. The plants smell great, that hot summer green gardeny smell right inside my kitchen... Love! I just may be giving away tomato plants to a few deserving homes this year.

We've been having majorly frustrating internet troubles recently. A couple of weeks ago the internet stopped working properly right out of the blue one day. Our provider was honest and said our community is growing so fast that the service is topped out and they need to do upgrades in order to keep up with the demand. In the meantime, service during the peak usage times between 4pm and midnight is basically non-existent due to saturation. They say they're on it and gave us a significant discount which helps ease the frustration. Meanwhile our time spent on-line has reduced considerably, which has not been a bad thing at all. Remember those pre-internet days when you spent all your time actually doing stuff and being productive rather than surfing the net looking at all the cool things you would like to do? Good times. I miss them. I think we really have to be more conscious about how we spend our free time now, which always have been, but it just seems to creep up on you, you know?

Wishes

We celebrated a birthday this past week, the Mr is another year older. I whipped up a scratch strawberry shortcake and a version of his favourite soup as the meal of the day. Now normally I make this soup with leeks, but in keeping with my  current experimental spirit and what ultimately resulted in a barely mentionable shift in the end result, I substituted onions.

....Onions you say??

Well... I needed onion skins you see... I have after all, a Very Important Dying Experiment going on here. And go on it did. Pulling the contents out of the numerous jars that have been sitting on my counter over the past couple of weeks was exciting to say the least. And I was not disappointed.

I'm not sure why, but for some reason I feared globs of greyish brownish goop, each indiscernible from the other, to plop from the jars into a massive colourless wad gathered at the bottom of my sink. Okay, I admit the Experiment did posess a very slight but fleeting resemblance to this at first. But after a quick rinse, cotton flosses in the softest of pinks and purples began to emerge, and further transformed before my very eyes by a quick dip in an iron bath causing my heart to skip a beat. Very very cool. I'm hooked. Even the Mr commented on the softness and beauty of the colours: "You did that? Wow!"

Now to practice my stitches and actually think of something practical to make. In the meantime I'll be popping by for bloggy visits; however, my commenting ability on blogger seems to be compromised for the time being, so those of you affected please know I am there until the problem is rectified.

Have a fantabulous week!! xox

Early

I am up and at 'em long before dawn every single morning: rain or shine, work or play. I try to be quiet for everyone, but it's tough to tippy toe around for hours before the rest of the house starts to stir.

It's not that I can't sleep... it's that I can't sleep in. No matter how late or early I go to bed, my circadian rhythm takes over, too deeply entrenched for me to fight. So, I find myself quietly baking, knitting, painting, sewing... long before daylight hits the Canadian winter sky.

But never cleaning for some reason... no, never that ;)

January

Hello friends! I hope January has settled in for you in a good way. After celebrating Christmas with family and friends and ringing in the New Year, we have managed to move back into some semblance of routine. Balancing work and school with social engagements and household chores, I've been able to seek out my quiet, creative spaces again.

I've pulled celes out of the knitting trunk in an attempt to become re-aquainted. This is a lace project with a fairly complex pattern requiring no small amount of mental attention to work through. No luxury of memorized rows here people, particularly with the numerous distractions I find around me with kids and pets and chores, etc. The yarn is a beautiful lace-weight baby alpaca and literally feels like a buttery cloud, so it's worth the effort. 

The Mr has found his quiet space too...in our driveway...shoveling the massive amounts of snow we've accumulated over the past few weeks. I'm quite sure his project does not evoke in him the same feelings of "buttery cloud" warmth that mine does. 

Hang in there baby, spring is around the corner!

xox

Busy Little Bees

The weather has most certainly changed for the better, and Spring has definitely arrived! Blue skies dappled with soft, fluffy, white puffs of smooshiness; green grass; fresh breezes; the sounds of activity clamouring through the neighbourhood as the weather draws everyone outside. Sweet.

We haven't cleaned the yard yet, this wonderful weather has only just arrived. But the tree buds are green and ready to burst open. In fact I'm almost certain that after today the yard will be full of delicate spring leaves.

We have been very busy though. Remember this post? Well that, joined with the fact that our City is home to the Alberta Honey Producers Co-op, and with all the recent media attention surrounding the critical decline in the bee population, really got us thinking. Why not urban beekeeping in our own little backyard? So after extensive research (starting with our local municipal bylaws), in January we headed off to order our first package of bees. When we heard our bees would be arriving last Friday, we were ecstatic and and went to work in frenzied preparation.

And they have arrived. And we were ready. And after a nervous but successful installation process, they appear to be settled and organized. Whew!

Mr Mylo certainly seems to have gained a respect for the little critters. Initially he chased them incessantly, leaping and twisting in the air trying to capture them between his front paws. Although still intently interested, he now approaches with a slow and deliberate caution, I'm sure as a result of having received one or two unanticipated stings!

Easter Tradition

I've always loved and admired the naturally dyed easter eggs that everyone is blogging about. Onion skins, beets, rosemary... beautiful.

But there is something meaningful to me about the traditional (and potentially very messy) food colouring method. Memories of egg colouring with my mother and grandmother, and then with my own children when they were still young enough to partake in the process with enjoyment, fill my heart with pleasure.

After enduring the long dark greys of winter, beautiful brightly coloured eggs remind us of what is soon to come, filling us with anticipation and hope. And so, like an old dog I revert back to this tried and true method year after year.

Traditional Coloured Easter Eggs

Hard boiled eggs

1 tablespoon vinegar

20 drops food colouring

1 cup hot water

In a cup or jar, add the vinegar and food colouring, and top up with the hot water. Create separate dye mixtures for as many colours as you will be using. Bathe the hardboiled eggs one at a time in the mixtures until desired saturation is reached. Remove eggs and allow to dry on wire rack. Careful-- the wet colour will stain fingers and countertops just like it stains the eggs if not wiped immediately.

Display the eggs in visually appealing ways for a day, then eat them!

Happy Easter to you all. And thank you for your lovely welcomes, it is good to be back.

xox

I've Missed This Space

Easter symbolizes new beginnings. It's been a long time--too long. So many things have happened, where do I begin? I guess it's best to start with the most obvious, which is the new job. After being offered an opportunity that just seemed too good to be true, I made the difficult decision to leave my past "career" job and move into a completely different sector, which just so happens to be the best decision I think I've ever made. Quality of life is far underrated in today's world, but I do believe I've found it.

The change has taken some adjusting both for myself and for my family. Sacrifices and gains, losses and benefits. But now that I'm rediscovering my rhythm, I am planning on making regular appearances in this space again. Exactly how regular is yet to be determined: Regular as in no pressure... regular as in comfortable... regular as in just the right amount.

Hello dear friends, and Happy Easter. I have missed you.