A Spooky Story For Halloween

Maud was running. Behind her the brook babbled innocently and the sun was shining. Just in front of her were her two best friends Gene and Sarah. They were dodging branches of pine trees in their rush to get away. The picnic basket bumped awkwardly against Maud’s thigh. If they could just reach the next bend in the lane then they would be safe, for there the lane turned away from the brook. Maud’s breath came in short rasping gasps. She wasn’t used to running like this. It was all right for Gene and Sarah. Gene had four brothers and she was always trying to keep up with them and Sarah - well she just was naturally athletic. She won all the races at CGIT camp.
Maud slowed and snatched a quick look over her shoulder to see if he was coming, but there was no sign of him. However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t following.
They reached the turn in the lane and slowed down to investigate the front of Gene’s dress.
“Gene, your mother is gonna skin you out for messing up your new dress,” said Maud ruefully. A big splatter of lemon dribbled down her chest.
Sarah bent over breathing heavily. “So much for a nice picnic,” she panted.
“Maud did you get mother’s plate? It’s bad enough that she’s gonna be mad at me for the dress but if I lost that plate I won’t be able to get the bike for a month.”
This was true. Gene’s family only had one bike for all five children to use and sometimes Gene’s dad would use it if he decided to go fishing, which meant that if Gene got in trouble it would be ages before she could get the bike again.
“Don’t worry Gene I got the plate. I even managed to wrap it in the cloth before we had to run.” Maud answered proudly.
“Did you see which boy threw the cow patty?” Sarah asked standing up slowly.
Gene and Maud shook their heads no. They had been sitting on a big flat rock by the edge of the brook about to start eating a nice lemon meringue pie when the first cow patty had been lobbed through the air from behind some pine trees on the other side of the brook. It had landed right in the middle of the pie splattering it all over poor Gene just as she had been about to cut it and serve it on plates. There had followed a hoot of laughter and then more cow pies had come flying threw the air in quick succession. Not wanting to be hit with something so fowl, they had scrambled to their feet throwing everything into the basket and sliding what was left of the pie into the water of the brook, dodging cow patties as they worked. Then they had started running, gaining the nearby lane in only seconds.
Maud had wanted to head for the main road and go home but she had been behind the other two and they had turned up the lane towards the dreaded Kitty Casey’s Hill and The Farm. Kitty Casey’s Hill had been the home of the infamous Casey Family. Maud wasn’t supposed to know but she had heard her granny talking about it to her mother. Kitty Casey had cut her throat fifty years ago from grief when her daughter had died of diphtheria. People said the old place was haunted and Kitty Casey would never find rest until a cure for diphtheria was found. Maud, not wanting to be left alone with a mad cow pie thrower, turned and followed the other’s in their bid to escape.
“I bet that was Jimmy Davis. He is always up to no good.” Sarah said with a frown.
“Well it did sound like his laugh.” Maud answered.
“We can’t go back that way or we’ll be dodging cow patties again.” said Gene.
“Now what are we supposed to do?” Sarah asked plaintively. “We can’t just stand here waiting for him to leave. He’ll just come after us again if we stay here.” They stood there looking at each other questioningly.
Maud thought about Kitty Casey’s Hill and the path beyond the old place that would lead them back to her father’s vegetable garden. It would work but she hated to pass that old place. The old house was gone now but the foundation could be seen through the grass, and rose and lilac bushes grew amok beside the old lane that had lead to the house when it used to be occupied. She had been through there a number of times with her father on their way to the berry picking patches on this side of the ridge but she always felt like someone was watching her. It was ridiculous of course because nobody was there and hadn’t been there for fifty years or so. Still it gave her an uneasy feeling. The problem today of course was that it was their only way to get home unless they wanted to brave Jimmy and his aim with the cow patties.
She was just about to tell her friends about the old path behind the Casey’s place when a cow patty came flying through the air and hit her square in the back. Maud yelped and grabbed Sarah’s hand since she was closest to her and began to run again.
“Come on Gene, I know a way to get home.” she called as she thundered up the lane away from Jimmy and his missiles. “We’ll follow Dad’s path behind Casey’s old place that leads back to our garden. It’s not far.”
All three girls ran quickly up the lane and veered up what seemed to be an old path. They passed a broken gate which was attached to a fence that leaned precariously and was grayed from age. Maud could hear Jimmy crashing though the trees behind them. Obviously he had found a place to cross the brook and was now in serious pursuit of them.
Maud let go of Sarah’s hand who was now partly dragging her along. Gene was right behind her but Maud was beginning to slow and she pressed her fist into her side where a stitch was starting.
“I can’t run for much longer,” she yelled.
“You had better keep going or Jimmy will get you.” called Sarah over shoulder.
Maud felt herself slowing down as Gene passed her.
“Go Gene, the path is beyond the old outhouse. It’s just left of the old foundation.” Maud had stopped now. The stitch in her side was hurting so much she couldn’t run anymore.
Gene turned back and said, “Let me take the basket. At least you can run easier without it.” She grabbed hold of the basket and Maud let go. Another cow patty landed at their feet between them. Where was Jimmy getting all the cow patties? Gene screamed and took off running again. Maud jumped into the bushes and felt her foot give way beneath her. She looked down and saw leaves sliding beneath her feet. A branch of an Alder tree whipped her face and for an instant she couldn’t see anything and then everything stopped.
She was lying on her back in a thicket of Alder bushes and the damp musty ground was sloping away from the old lane that lead to the Casey’s old place. She could see the lane above her head and behind her now. She heard the pounding feet of Jimmy as he belted after Gene and Sarah. For a moment she stopped breathing in case he might hear her and turn to come back to pester and terrorize her. Gene and Sarah would outrun him if they reached the path because not many people knew about the old path and with Jimmy being from the North Side, he probably didn’t have a clue about the old trail.
Maud’s shoulder hurt and her ankle hurt and her lip was stinging from the Alder branch that had whipped her face as she fell. Gingerly she put her hand to her mouth and it came away bloody. She sat up and looked around her. If she let herself slide down the slope she would just be getting into thicker brush. That meant that the only way out was to go back up the way she fell. She rolled over on her hands and knees. Nothing seemed to be hurting too badly. She slowly made her way up the bank to the edge of the lane where she had been running only moments ago. Very carefully she peeked out through the branches of the Alder bushes and peered up the path. Jimmy was returning back the way he had come. She ducked back into the Alder patch and waited, hardly daring to breath. Jimmy passed by muttering to himself.
That was good. He obviously hadn’t found the trail that the girls had taken. She watched until Jimmy was out of sight and slowly she got to her feet with the aid of several branches and pulled herself up the last few feet of the bank to the lane above. She brushed herself off and surveyed the damage. There was a mud streak down the side of her arm and her ankle felt stiff. Her shoulder would probably be bruised tomorrow but otherwise she seemed to be o.k. She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from her lip.
It wouldn’t do to stand here in the lane. Jimmy might come back looking for them if he thought they were hiding in the trees. She slowly walked up the lane toward the old Casey place. The lane got steep here and that’s why this place was called Kitty Casey’s hill.
It was quiet here with just a slight breeze whispering through the upper branches of the Spruce trees which surrounded the clearing that marked the garden which once had been tended so dutifully. Gooseberry bushes had grown high enough to dwarf the foundations of the cabin that had once stood in the clearing. The foundation was still there but grass had grown so that you had to look hard to find it. Maud walked toward a gooseberry bush so that she could make her way past the foundation to the old outhouse that leaned forlornly. She always wondered why the outhouse had been left when the old ruins of the house had been burned. It had been her father who had told her that Patrick Casey had returned years later and had burned the house to the ground. He had been a bitter old man by that time and had not wanted any part of the old place. So much sorrow here, Maud thought.
She was just walking past the gooseberry bush when the head of a woman came into view. The woman was picking berries and startled Maud so completely that she tripped but caught herself before she fell. The woman looked up and then standing said, “ Oh, hello. I didn’t realize anybody was here.”
Maud recovering from her first shock, said at the same time, “I’m sorry I didn’t realize anybody was here.”
They both grinned at each other. Maud couldn’t understand how this lady could not have seen Gene and Sarah being chased by Jimmy only a few moments ago. Perhaps this strange woman had entered the clearing just moments after Jimmy had retreated down the hill.
“I’m just looking for my friends who ran this way a little while ago. Did you see them?” Maud asked.
“That’s odd. I didn’t see anybody and I’ve been here all afternoon.” the lady replied.
Maud shook her head at the strangeness of the situation. She had to have seen Gene and Sarah. They would have run past this very spot if they were going to make it to the path. If they had run the right way. Perhaps they had not found the path and had hid in the trees. Maud looked away from the woman as if she expected to see her two friends walk out of the trees any minute. Everything was peaceful and nothing was moving. Still this lady must have seen Jimmy belting past.
Maud looked back at the lady and noticed for the first time the very odd style of outfit the woman was wearing. It looked old. Like something Granny Louisa would wear. Her boots were heavy and very worn and Maud had not seen boots like those in a long time. Yet this lady could be no more than thirty-five. She smiled at the lady and said, “It looks like you are doing well with the gooseberries.”
“Yes, they are plentiful this year. My daughter helped me to pick them. She is around here somewhere,” and the lady scanned the clearing as Maud had done only seconds before.
“Have you got a daughter with you?” Maud asked in surprise. Surely one of these people had seen Gene or Sarah or Jimmy for that matter.
“Yes, but she doesn’t like to pick berries and often wanders away when I’m busy,” the lady answered.
A voice from far away called on the breeze. It was Gene calling Maud from the direction of the path.
“I’m here,” yelled Maud turning in the direction of the voice. “I had better go and let them know I’m all right,” she said as she turned back speaking to the lady again. Only no one was there. Where the lady had been standing, was empty. Maud felt a cold shiver pass down her back. Her heart was pumping very fast now. She was scared. She turned toward the voices that were still calling to her and began to run.

The Results Of My Ramble In The Snow

Snow

Winter is here.... I might as well face it. (sigh) The whole world has turned white.

While I hate the frigid temperatures that come with living in the Northern part of Canada in winter, there is something that is undeniably spectacular about living where you get an eighty degree temperature spread between winter and summer. Daughter #2 is hoping that she will have a clear evening for Halloween and Daughter #1 doesn't care, she is having her friends over for a night of scary movies and snacks. For Hubby and I, we are satisfied to spend the evening apart, one to watch over the trick-or-treaters, while the other watches over the movie-watchers. I'm not quite sure what Daughter #1 has in mind for scary movies.... but I expect I won't get a wink of sleep. Daughter #2 has been diligently working on her costume and intends on being a dead teacher! I'm not certain as to how she will accomplish this and I'm not sure if this is some kind of comment on school. Her creative ideas are interesting though.

Right now the snow is coming down slowly and I look out the window and there before me is a picture that takes your breath away. The quintessential Canadian winter scene greets me.... evergreens reaching for an opaque sky with loads of snow built up on the branches and more falling all around. These are the kinds of days that beg for me to go out and catch a snowflake on my tongue. A ramble through the bush with a camera in tow is probably just what I need.... problem is Hubby and I have been caught off guard. I need to truck out to the storage shed and find all the winter gear. Boots, jackets, hats, scarves, and mitts, are all necessary items if I want to ramble in comfort.

Hubby and I got our first winter shock with our drive to Fort St. John yesterday. We left our house here in the river bottoms with no precipitation at all but going up the cut backs on the Bear Flats Hill, where the highway cuts back and forth to rise some 200 ft, we ran into snow enough that Hubby had to shift the truck into 4x4. FSJ was white. I'm still fighting the almighty sock and so I was wearing Crocs and bare toesies inside.... thank heavens Daughter #2 had left a pair of socks in the truck, I was able to put those on and suffer the early winter snowfall.... still it was not the best footwear for 3 inches of snow, I assure you. Never mind... I'll just have to get out my Bean boots.... and some warm woollies today if I intend on a trek through the bush.

Though this snow is not likely to stay I do believe that winter is here and Jack Frost is just starting. Might as well tuck in I guess. Stiff upper lip and all that... I'm off to find some socks before I ramble with my camera.

Bucket List

A friend sent me a bucket list via email today. The idea was to tick off anything that you've done and then answer the questions and send it back to the person who sent it as well as send it forward to a bunch of people so they can get to know you better. I did it and then started to think about what actually would be on my bucket list.

So here goes....
1. Go on a trip to Peru
2. Go on a trip to Scotland and Cornwall
3. Bicycle around the loop of Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, and Hudson's Hope
4. Lose 80 pounds
5. Become a Master Spinner
6. Write a really great book and have it published
7. Spend two weeks camping on a beach in good weather
8. Own a house boat and live on it on a Northern Lake
9. Spin and weave for a whole year with no obligations or distractions
10. Canoe the Peace from the head waters to the tail waters
11. Drive to Inuktituk then kayak the Arctic waters.
12. Take my girls and spend a summer traveling through Newfoundland
13. Go on a cruise up the coast of B.C.
14. Go on a cruise to Hawaii and then back again.
15. Learn to drive a standard.
16. Own a horse and buggy and actually drive it.
17. Manage to go into the MRI machine without panicking.
18. Sleep in a tree house.
I've shot a gun and gotten supper with it.
I've snared a rabbit and had to beat one over the head when it didn't die as it was supposed to.
I've had my ears pierced I've had my knees pierced and my head in four places when I had to live in traction for two months.
I've had more surgery than I wanted.
I've camped in every situation you could think of from the smallest tent... to the biggest RV
I've been from one end of the country to the other. I've lived in the biggest city in Canada and I lived in a community of 300. I've even driven a standard (I was learning) in the biggest city in Canada.
I've sung in front of hundreds. I've danced in front of hundreds.
I've graduated from three different institutes.
I've watched many sunrises and just as many sunsets.
I've sung to the Aurora Borealis and they have sung to me.
I've lived with cowboys and Indians not just played them.
I've lived on a forty-five foot yacht. I've watched a whale look me in the eye and had dolphins follow in my wake.
I've watched someone die and I've watched someone be born.
I've watched a lamb be born as well as a puppy and a kitten.
I expect to see an alpaca born at some time.
I've flown on several planes from the very small to the very large.
I've been in the U.S. and England and France and Canada
I've swum in the ocean and a lake and a pond, and a river, and a brook and a indoor pool and an outdoor pool.
I've body surfed.
I've been buried to my neck in sand.
I've been on a ferry.
I've kissed in the rain, and made love in the rain, I've danced naked in the rain.
I've even danced naked in the snow.
I've been on a ski doo, and a Harley, and a dirt bike, and a scooter.
I've fallen overboard.
I've taught someone to swim.
I've been to New York and went to the top of the World Trade Center... yes that one.
I've fallen over a cliff.
I've had babies.
I've miscarried.
I've swung on a gate.
I've been pulled over for drag racing.
I've had too much to drink and sat with my head in the toilet too.
I've seen love bloom and hate sour.
My favorite colour is plaid.
I've almost frozen to death. Really!
I've watched the moon rise and then set.
I've sung kareoke and then run for my life.
I've cut my own Christmas tree.
I've eaten bugs.
Never smoked or even tried and there's not too many who can say that!
Never done drugs other than those prescribed.
I've broken a bone.
Been stung by a hornet.
I've eaten ice cream without my hands.
I've walked up a mountain and carried a 40 lb pack.
I've lived without T.V.
I've gone off into the unknown and not had a safety net.
I've lay in a cargo net hung in the upper canopy of trees.
I've seen many things that have taken my breath away and heard things that have sent a chill up my back.
Held someone's hand while they watched their loved one being buried.
Been pierced by profound beauty.
Helped a homeless person have a meal.
Watched someone dig in the garbage for the french fries I just tossed away.
Had my purse stolen.
Fallen asleep sitting up.
Been stretched.
Been in a truck so big you could drive under it.
Been to Niagra Falls.
Had a snow wash.
Got married and am glad.
I've loved, laughed, and lived.

I can't think anymore.....

It's Only Going To Get Worse

It's really hard to get out of bed and it is only going to get worse. It is dark... just plain dark in the mornings now and it is really hard to get out of a nice warm bed that feels oh so cozy when there are no birds singing and no sun shining. The girls grunt when I call them and the only one who is enthusiastic is Tootsie the wonder chicken herder. We all eat breakfast like we are zombies and then slowly the sky lightens. The last of the stars twinkle and the sky looks pretty but cold... oh so cold, in that metallic blue that no one has a name for. As the sky lightens we perk up... but I know that that blue which I love will come later and later every morning until it's midmorning before there's light. This morning all the grass has a serious coat of frost and it looks almost like feathers sticking up out of the ground. It is pretty in a very cool kind of way.



I've always wondered why school couldn't start at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. I know my whole family would be a lot better off if we had that extra hour to wait for dawn before getting our carcasses out of bed. Think of it... 10 - 4 instead of 9 - 3. Oh happy day if that would ever happen. I would rather stretch out the work in the evenings rather than in the mornings. I'm up in the evenings anyway and I usually wake up by 8 a.m. even in the winter, so 10 - 4 would work a whole lot better for me and I'm not alone in this. Unfortunately I cannot make the time of school different and so we fumble our way through mornings in a fog bank.

This morning, the deck is covered in really cool frost that swirls and twists in feather like patterns.
This is one of those odd mornings where there is fog that has been locked down into the river bottoms but every so often the fog rolls in over the land a little further. That is probably why there is more frost this morning than is usual. Still all the fog and frost makes for a lovely morning even if it is a little on the dull side.
So there it is, as we make our way down into the depths of winter, I begin to see that I have to stop procrastinating and start getting work done whether I am awake or not... there is no time to lose. I'm off today now that it is actually morning, to spin, card, and do what needs to be done before it gets any worse!

Trippin' On Home

What a busy weekend! I was really glad to get home yesterday afternoon. Last night it was so nice to crawl back into my own bed. I just lay there and thought, there's no place like home. I had a great sleep. Sleep is an amazing thing. All weekend sleeping in a hotel meant for me that I wasn't really sleeping my best and so if I don't sleep well I don't function well. By Sunday I was starting to function in a red mist which means that I was not really thinking straight and I was getting angry about it. On top of it all I still am having dizzy issues which more and more I'm convinced is due to problems with my ear which is having shooting pains and a dull ache. Dizzy spells took the crispness out of my step. So after a weekend of serious fatigue, I am glad to be back in my space, with all my comforts right at my fingertips.

I did manage while I was away to knit a fair bit on a lace glove. I was happy to see it progress as well as it did. I am at the point where my lace glove will soon need fingers. It was made with a Rideau Arcott fleece and then dyed with Avacadoes. The yarn is a lovely ecru bordering on peach colour. Sadly though I have managed to break another one of my rosewood needles. So today I have to have a look through my Knitpiks catalogue and see if I can order more along with a really nifty needle protector. I made it to a very nice wool shop too while I was away and of course spent money on yarn. That's just too easy to do. Two yarns were brought for a component of my level three homework. Later this year I will have to spin several different commercial yarns and so I picked out two commercial yarns that I would like to duplicate. One is a novelty yarn with a thick single and a thin single. The other yarn is a four ply silk and merino worsted weight yarn. Both are lovely. I look forward to spinning them.

The conference that I attended was interesting and for the moment that is all I am prepared to say about it. I will have to take some time and ponder the things that were said both officially and in chit chat with other attendees. It certainly has given me much to think about.

Being the latter part of October means that winter is so close you can feel it breathing down your neck. The drive back from the conference only reminded me that snow is coming in the near future. The days are grey and dull even the grass is lifeless. There is a darkness to the days and so I begin to think of Christmas. On the drive home yesterday I saw my first Christmas lights in the window of a store that we passed by as we drove along the highway. Christmas must become something to enjoy instead of something to dread in our house. Last year Christmas was not what we would hope for with Hubby hurting his back and the daughters not interested in anything other than their books. I have decided that Advent will be a time of preparation with one Christmas thing going up each day, so that by the time the actual day arrives I won't be dead from the exhaustion of decorating.

It feels like only a short few days ago that I looked out my window and saw sun and warmth in abundance. So with winter hard upon my heals I am off for a day of spinning on my woven jacket commission.

Trippin'

It's gotta be pretty serious when I miss knit night... and twice in a row is next to unheard of. I'm not sick but I just ran out of time. Tomorrow I'm trippin'. I'm heading off down to PG for a religious conference for the weekend and tonight is my time to pack.... I had intended on packing today but things just got too busy. So here I am waiting for a load of laundry to come out of the dryer and then I will pack my bags for the Long and Winding road to prayer and learning. See you all when I get back on Sunday.... hopefully I'll have some interesting things to talk about.

X Support Spindle Sample

Today I have had a very big disappointment. I have been spinning on my Navajo spindle and have greatly enjoyed it. I finally felt yesterday, that I had spun a good amount and was satisfied that it looked pretty good. I plied the skein and washed it, expecting that it would be lovely especially when it came off the spindle plied, and nicely balanced. I washed it in some hot water with a little soap and rinsed it and hung it to dry. This morning I had a look at said skein and was very disappointed because the whole thing had bloomed and where I thought I was being so consistent in my grist and tpi, turned out to have slubs in it all over the place. So I am back to the drawing board with a commercially prepared top in Finn wool this time. So back to whorling around again. Mind you this does not entirely displease me since I really enjoy the Navajo spindle and find it almost as relaxing as my wheel.

I think I will go and watch a movie while I spin, spin, spin.

June

Once upon a time there was a farm that had chickens. The chickens were bad. Bad, bad, chickens. They were always freaking out the farmer's wife by hiding under the deck and squawking loudly when she came out to water her flowers. One day the farmer came into his wife's kitchen and said, "I am going to butcher the chickens... they are the worse chickens we have ever had! They eat way too many eggs and I can't break them of that habit. I'm not going to feed them if they are all eating eggs."

The farmer's wife was not too happy. She liked fresh eggs but she knew that there weren't enough eggs to keep them. Sadly she watched Hubby and her daughter cut the heads off each and every chicken.

The farmer came into the house and said that he would smoke the chickens in his smoker and so for a whole week there were eleven chickens soaking in a roaster with yummy marinade. The farmer's wife cut her losses and began to look forward to trying the smoked chicken. Finally when the chickens were smoked, the farmer and the farmer's wife were very pleased that the smoked chicken tasted so good. The farmer's daughters both said, "yum yum," to the smoked chicken and they all knew that it was very good.

The farmer's wife began to plan for next year's chickens and the joy of fresh eggs and more yummy smoked chicken. She began to look up websites where she could buy new chicks. One day, the farmer's wife was looking out the window and noticed something strange. Tootsie, the wonder chicken herder, was staring under the deck. The farmer's wife wondered what the chicken herding dog was staring at, when out from under the deck came a very smart dumb cluck. Dumb cluck because all chickens are dumb. Smart because she managed to avoid the ax and survive for a whole week with no food. So the smart dumb cluck was named June by the farmer's wife and lives happily ever after in the barn with the sheep. She is in love with the ram's belly and the ram seems to have taken to her. The farmer's wife saves scraps for June and feeds her tidbits from the kitchen. The daughters are happy to have a pet chicken and the farmer scowls at the chicken and says things like.... "I'm not hooking up a heat lamp for her," and, "she is going to have to survive on her own," and," I should cut her head off."

But the farmer's wife just smiles, knowing that the farmer will suffer the chicken through the winter with heat lamps and feed. And so the farmer's wife waits patiently for June, the month, to come at which time she will borrow a rooster in the hopes that June, the chicken, will have a brood of chicks yet!

Blank Page Syndrome

Sometimes when I sit down to write here I think, "what have I got to say that other people will want to read about". That's when blank page syndrome hits me in earnest. I sit here with my hands poised over the keyboard and suddenly I'm without a thing to say... at least of any value. One day of Blank Page syndrome doesn't bother me but when you run into three or four days of it... well, it makes you wonder what you are doing, or not doing to be so boring.

So, for the last few days I have had a serious Blank Page syndrome and thought I would fill the void with some of the photos that Hubby and I have taken over the years. Then a recipe thrown in was ok too. But this seems to be an ongoing problem, so when you see reams of pictures you know that my brain has gone south for a holiday.

So on that note and feeling like I really don't have much else to say that's humorous, or interesting, or of any known value in the universe, I will post a few more pictures today.

The Annual Chili Cook-off

We didn't get as many as we hoped for but we did have our annual chili cook-off. St. Peter's Church hosted a Chili cook-off which we hope to have every year. The idea is to have people make pots of Chili and bring to the event to be judged by those who buy tickets to our event. The tickets were $10 with kids eating free. You receive a bowl and two pennies at the door. The bowl is yours to take home and the pennies are your vote. We had a hoot and the pots of Chili were great. I didn't think it would happen because I was up against some pretty stiff competition, but I won.... hands down. Here's my Chili recipe... which really isn't a recipe at all.... Mom made chili when she was young and put frozen corn into it by accident and I've been doing that ever since.... I throw a whole lot of whatever in my chili.... as you will see.

Frankie's Chili
Two small packs of Ground beef and two sirloin steaks cubed into 1/2 inch squares (this is best done when still a little frozen)
The sirloin helps to add to the flavour
2 beef oxo cubes or packets
two onions (best when garden fresh)
brown meat and onions at same time
salt to taste and pepper to taste.
chop red and green peppers 2 of each (substitute a yellow one for a red one if you want more colour)
two cans of mushrooms or the equivalent in fresh (fresh are better)
two cans of tomato paste
two sm cans of tomato sauce
two cans of red kidney beans
1/4 bottle salsa
1/4 bag of frozen corn niblets
Now this is where I have fun!
chili powder to taste (I used a lot but mine was old and had lost the flavour... about a 1/4 c. You may want to tone it down if you are using fresh chili powder)
honey 2 tbsp (use more if you are using lots of chili powder it helps take the edge off the bitterness)
cinnamon very small amount..... 1/2 tsp-ish
a little garlic crushed 1/2 tsp-ish
a smidge of lemon juice
cayenne pepper (don't want too much of this as it will burn your lips) 1 tsp-ish
1 1/2 tsp tobasco
sometimes I'll throw in a few chopped tomatoes (better when skinned)

Let this all simmer for a few hours and voila.... yummy!

More Inspirational Photos

Here are a few more pictures that Hubby and I have taken over the years.

Inspirational

Over the years Hubby and I have played amateur photographer. These are some of my favorite photos taken in the last five years. I hope you find them as inspirational as I do....

Dust Bunnies

I have dust bunnies. I'm sure this is really not all that astounding as I'm also sure that most of the people who read this blog have dust bunnies too. I have always lived with dust bunnies and no doubt will continue to live with them all the rest of my life. However, every so once in a while, my dust bunnies grow teeth and start biting at my ankles. That's when I have to liberate my house of some of the dust bunnies that tend to indeed enjoy living under my table, my stove, my china cabinet, and any other dark corner they can find their way into.

I think I have a pretty good relationship with my dust bunnies and am quite content for them to be there if only they will hide away when company comes to call. But recent events are leading me to believe that my dust bunnies are rebelling and mocking me behind my back.

Now it came to pass that a friend, who doesn't come to call very often and is the epitome of a neat freak, came to my house in an effort to be friendly. While visiting, I had the horror of all horrors as the furnace cut in and one of my dust bunnies, who was in a rebellious mood, decided to creep out from under its hidey hole and make its way across the floor with my forced air furnace helping it drift along. Luckily, my neat freak friend was back on to this episode of dust bunny frivolity. That's when Daughter #1's kitten decided to make its entry into the living room via the steps leading to the upper regions of our domain. It spotted the rebellious dust bunny and decided that this was something good to play with. The dust bunny would drift along slowly with Kitty pouncing on it every so often. (The cat does not have a good relationship with dust bunnies and tries to eat them regularly). That's when Toots, the wonder chicken herder decided to investigate. Meanwhile I was quite content to keep my friend engaged in conversation so that she wouldn't notice the drama unfolding behind her. Toots as you know loves to play with his chicken and even more loves to play with felted woolen balls that I make for him. I knew what was about to happen. Toots took it into his head that the dust bunny that Kitty was playing with was his old ball. Meanwhile Kitty thought that the drifting dust bunny was his. This led to a fight as Kitty and Toots tried to lay claim to what should have stayed under the cabinet where it had been. With a screech and a yowl, all attention focused on Toots, who by this time had had his nose ripped, and Kitty, who was licking his claws, and a somewhat wet and mangled dust bunny lying directly in the middle of the floor. I quickly grabbed a napkin from the table and acted like I couldn't believe where a ball of fluffy dirt would have come from. How on earth could this have happened!


Leave it to dust bunnies to inform others of what a poor housekeeper you are. Toots is most upset that the dust bunny that he thought was his ball is now in the garbage and Kitty well he doesn't give a damn....

I wonder if there are any other dust bunnies feeling rebellious.

The Long And Winding Road

I love paths. I always have. I remember as a child I would spend hours in my backyard making paths in newly fallen snow, then, when it snowed again, which it did quite frequently in Newfoundland, I would spend hours following the indentations in the snow where I had made the path in the first place. Yesterday, while I was making my bed I happened to glance out the window and saw a path winding away into the bush. This path is not an unfamiliar path to me, I have walked it many times. But yesterday it looked so inviting that I thought I would take a picture of it. (The ongoing dizziness prevented me from following it). I love the look of winding paths and I love the way it feels to walk down one. There's always a sense of the unexpected around the next turn.

When Hubby and I moved here we were delighted to find that the original wagon trail that the pioneers used to get to HH wound it's way through our property. To the east, the trail is covered with other people's property and is hard to find in among the fields and streets that cover it, but it is there. To the west though the trail is very distinctive. The old wagon trail has become a new quad trail and I walk it frequently. However the trail that you see in the picture is nothing more than a deer trail that my kids follow when they are going to their fort. It is a happy little trail that winds its way through our property and ends up at the fence of our neighbour's property. From there you can follow the fence line and somewhere in the bush down there we have a little spot with a firepit and a nice place to stop.

I can't help thinking that trails are rather like life. There is the main one that you follow every day of your life but then branching off are all the little trails that have the potential to become the main trail. If you look behind you can see all the little trails that you didn't take and kept right on going past. They are all winding and sometimes they connect with other people's trails. Sometimes several people follow the same trail. It's cool (did I just date myself using that word?) to see the trail ahead of you and know that there are others following the same trail, but sometimes it is nice to get off the beaten path and follow the road less traveled.
I think that is why I like paths because there is so much opportunity to see what lies ahead, to share the path with a friend, and ultimately to walk down the path without hesitation, whether it be the path of life or just a path in the woods.

My path, the one that I took the picture of, was never so clear as yesterday with the newly fallen snow making it more apparent. And though I've walked that trail a hundred times I never really saw it before. It took looking out the window and seeing it from a different vantage point to realize how wonderful it actually is.

And so you see, when I see the opportunity to take a picture of a winding path, I take it. It is because they are so inviting to me and a little bit of a curiosity that I love them so. Next time you see a trail or path, maybe you will think, "Ah here's a trail like the one Frankie was taking about", and with any luck, if you follow that trail you will be led to something interesting, something that ultimately makes your life a little nicer. Because sometimes its the little paths that you don't see so well that lead you to the great things in life.

Happy trails to you.....

Happy Birthday YOB

Good morning all and once again I'm sitting behind my computer screen. This has become a common trend in the last year as this is the one year mark since the creation of this blog. Blogging has become a way of life for me it seems. My goal when I set out on this momentous undertaking was to have fun with a journal of sorts and try to practice my writing skills somewhat. I didn't know if I would enjoy blogging and I was a little scared about what I wrote being appropriate and interesting enough to entertain folks who happen to read it. My thought was to write about the things that I do with wool. But I very quickly realized that it would become so much more than that. I have had people tell me all the time that they read my blog, which is good, but it kind of leaves a hole in your conversation because you really don't want to keep repeating yourself. It also has been marvelous for those down East who keep up with our lives through the blog. I am a terrible letter writer (and Hubby doesn't write at all) and so for all the family back home it is a great way to keep up with our lives. I hope I have done that in an entertaining and light hearted way. I also wanted to provide information to those in the same boat as me. I wanted to let them know how to start up a small hobby farm and small business. I'm not sure I have done this but if you keep following along I'm hoping that it will come as I continue to learn. A huge part of the last year was taken up with renovations on our house and all that goes with it, and while we are not yet finished with that we are still working on it. (I'll keep posting pictures from time to time).

Recently Hubby was able to help me add a counter on my blog. It is really cool (though freaky, I'm told by one of my blog followers) and with it I am able to see how many people follow my blog and where they are from. It doesn't tell me (so don't worry) what their name is or any personal information just how they accessed my blog and what part of the world they are accessing from, (so ISP and the previous page from which they joined YOB). It tells me what pages were accessed on my blog and how long they stayed on my blog. The statistical information that I get from that is really helpful. Yesterday someone joined my blog from Italy.... but their visit was very short lived. I would say they were just surfing. Still it is cool for me to know whose reading here. Speaking of statistical information regarding YOB, I have written 182 times in the last year which works out to be once every two days on average. I think that is pretty good.

Blogging has become a part of my life like washing my face or brushing my teeth. I wake, I get the family breakfast and out the door to school, and then I sit and blog. Sometimes it is really easy to write but sometimes I just don't have anything to say because the reality is that my life is not all that interesting at times. Daughter #1 says I have a talent for turning the mundane into something interesting but I'm not so sure. Still though I like blogging and most of the time I sit here and it all rolls out easily once I get started.

I want to especially thank all my followers, for staying with me this year and I want to welcome any who actually hit here and think well maybe I'll follow what this gal has to say. I also want to thank the blogging gods (yes there are some) for this outlet for public journaling. What an interesting world we live in.

Whorling Around

Unfortunately every so often I have this wonderful (yeah!) problem in the form of dizziness. Not just your run of the mill dizziness but down right holy-cr-p-stop-the- world-going-around-dizziness. Sometimes it lasts a day and sometimes it lasts a few days. I generally stay in bed and get up only to crawl to the bathroom. This morning I woke up and went to go through the normal morning routine and woosh the room started moving at about 90 km an hour. I was back on the pillow in a nanosecond. After an hour of trying to get this under control I managed to get my carcass out of bed and downstairs.... here I am sitting in front of the computer and I am not ripping my head around a lot at all... and I have a headache. Argh!

Thing is, this really ticks me off. Well of course you say. But I live with this problem so it doesn't usually bother me too much as I like to use a day like this to just rest and catch up on sleep, but last night I started working on my level 3 homework and I was looking forward to continuing that today. A little time on the computer and then back to bed. So no spinning today. : (

Yes... I started on my level 3 homework and I love when I see good progress. Since I still don't have my cotton cards and don't expect to tet them for 6 weeks, I thought I would have a look at my level 3 books and see what other question would interest me right now. I decided to have a go at the support spindle, and so I gathered some silk /merino blend and tried out my new Navajo spindle. It didn't take very long before I realized that my new one has not got enough weight to make it a good spindle. So out came the guild Navajo spindle and away I went. I have to spin a 10 Metre skein and it can be singles, but I was having so much fun that I decided, to heck with that I will do 10 metres of plied yarn. It's fun.

Meanwhile Tootsie is enjoying his chicken... we call the chicken Bob.

Well now that I've caught you up on my doings... I'm off back to bed, and while I'm whorling around...... my spindle is not!!!

Time Management... Not!

Hubby and I are not the best at time management. Here, it is cold... real cold. I look out my window in our office where I'm sitting, and there's nary a leaf to be seen. They all turned yellow and then orange last week and overnight they fell to the ground and just like that it was winter. Hubby and I were up quite late the other night with guests for dinner and when our guests left a 3 a.m. it was -14 degrees C. I think that is an anomaly and that we will get warmer temperatures again, but then in the North, you never know. As a result of this quick decent into winter, Hubby and I have been caught with our pants around our knees. (Not literally!) We should have had everything ready for winter but somehow here we are and nothing is ready for the inevitable cold and snow. The tent trailer is still standing in the yard. It's up and not cleaned out. The trampoline has not been put away, some of the house supplies are still outside, and we are far from ready for snow. Yeesh! How did that happen?

Today, Hubby is butchering the chickens. We have had it with the bu--ers since they are the worse chickens we have ever had! They lay their eggs and then promptly eat them. Once a chickens starts doing that it's hats off for them, or I mean, heads off for them. We've tried catching the bu--ers in the midst of their egg eating habit, but they are just too quick. Out comes an egg and they're on it like a bunch of starving Ethiopians at a Thanksgiving buffet. So with the price of chicken feed as high as it is, it is just not worth it to keep them.... besides, they always looked like they were trying to place bombs under the house anyway!!!

Everything has a light dusting of snow and so begins the dark days of winter. I dread it. I went outside a little while ago and just about froze my buns off, but the great thing is that I found a lovely picture. So I went back in again and grabbed the camera in an effort to capture the image in digital form.

Later I was cleaning up some things that had been in the shed for the last few months because I didn't want to leave them out there over the winter months and in the box was a stuffed chicken that someone had felted for me. I think it was supposed to be a pin cushion but I never used it as such. I thought, "I bet Tootsie would like to play with this, now that he won't have chickens to herd anymore". And sure enough he loves it and takes it everywhere with him.

Saturday was a good day for renovation doings too. Hubby got my closet done to the point where I can hang up clothes and so I have been putting clothes away all yesterday and today with a little time out for Turkey with the parents and some time on the tri-loom yesterday. I started a small shawl last week as an experiment and so far it is looking good.

Meanwhile the things that we need to do linger and languor. I sure hope this weather is an anomaly because I'm really starting to wonder if it is. One thing is for sure, I'm starting to think that I need to work on my time management!

Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving...