Love

It seems like a very risky thing to blog on the topic of love. 

First of all there are so many interpretations of what love is. Secondly, I am no expert on love.  Thirdly, its hard to write about love and not sound sappy or preachy (and I am not a big fan of sappy or preachy).

So if I had any brains I would post a photo of a heart now and wish you Happy Valentines and sign off.  But that would feel like a cop out to me and one of the goals I had for writing a blog was to be somewhat transparent about me and my life (My family is starting to break out in hives about now) so here goes........

I have been loved very well in my 41 years on earth by a diverse group of people.  It started with my parents who thought the bald, round blob that was me was the most beautiful thing they had ever set eyes on and therefore sent photos of that bald blob around the world that still exist today (no I am not posting them).

It has continued with family, friends, my husband and my children and more friends.......

I have experienced many types of love...... I remember the first date I ever went on, that high high of infatuation which fizzled so soon.  I remember falling in love with Allan, the preoccupation of my mind and heart with him and the dawning on me that this was not a fizzler.... that this relationship was going somewhere serious.  That this was a sustaining and sufficient love.  That love you feel when you first lock eyes with a baby you just pushed out grips your heart in an indescribable way.  The love you feel when a friend does something that touches your heart, a warm , connecting feeling.

I first loved my parents for all they did for me and now I love them for that and for who they are and what they have shown me through their example about how to live life with integrity and perserverance and love.  I love my sister and sister-in-law and their families and my aunts and uncles and cousins and Allan's cousins - an extended family can be a great gift.

I love my own little family too.  I love my children with a fierce protective love and a proud, heart-filling love.  It's almost terrifying to love another human so much - it puts so much at stake.

I love my husband too. With all my heart.  It is a love that has been tested by fire, fire I did not want or choose, but fire that proved that love can win out if you choose it.  My marriage has taught me that love is not a feeling every day, some days it is an act of will and some days its plain, unlovely, unrewarding hard work. 

BUT I choose to love.

And that is really the greatest thing I have learned over the years is that I have a choice to love or not to love. 

I have discovered that the big winner when I choose love is not only the one I love but me too. (maybe even me more).

And all this comes from a God who first loved me and chose me.  If I choose to be like Him then the first thing I need to do is love.

I am choosing love today.

Baking Marathon

SPOILER ALERT  FOR SOME OF YOU!

PHEW!!! Lindsay and I have been baking ALL DAY!!  The heart cookies were easy but the volume nearly killed us.

A well used baking sheet

Heaps o' Hearts

Ready for Icing

Icing started out well - ended not so well - oh well

I found these cute boxes for my staff

Happy Heart boxes of cookies

And then there were the Cake Pops.  I got the link to bakerella from a friend and was inspired to try and make the basic cake pop.  I was feeling very intimidated but Lindsay and I toughed it out and made a couple dozen!  Super happy!!  We delivered a few tonight already... the rest tomorrow!

You start with a crumbled cake.

 Add in cream cheese icing

 Red Candy Melts

 Decorations

Make the cake/icing mix into balls and put them in the freezer for 15 minutes before inserting the popsicle stick and dipping in the red melted candy melts and sprinkle with decorations.

 VOILA!

 A dozen cake pops on their custom made cake pop stand my husband whipped up in 5 minutes flat!

 Packaged and ready to go!

Pretty and tasty!










I am all done now but still have my craft project to finish  and cards to write....... more on that tomorrow.

Ahhhh Saturday

It was a busy but lovely Saturday.

I was so tempted to snuggle in bed rather than get up and go to Jazzercise but  I got up and went. I met a lady I know who was new and needed some encouragement so I was glad I went.  After last nights Fab Abs and Inner thigh class I was certainly aware of where those muscles were!!

Came home after class - driving by Allan and David on Steveston Hwy heading off to soccer in the horizontal rain - it was really torrential.

I had a shower, had a couple of important phone conversations, ate an omlette Lindsay made which was fantastic and then headed to pick up some items for my Valentines craft project!  And then on to my credit union in Ladner to buy an RRSP.

I love my credit union - they are so friendly and helpful - my fear of financial institutions has evaporated - they really are so easy to deal with and treat us with what seems to be genuine warmth and interest. Hats of to Envision Credit Union!

Headed to the Mall with Miss L to buy rugby gear...... I have lost the battle - she loves rugby although she is in alot of pain in the upper arms and quads from 3 practices last week.  So new cleats and the all important mouth guard (they come in pink!!) and some new shorts and she is all set.  Please Lord protect her teeth and face and brain and bones........ At Junior Youth last night we watched the Karate Kid and that Mom watched that kid get beaten to a pulp in Kung Fu.  There is NO way I could watch Lindsay get injured and not run onto the field (I already did that once with David at soccer and the Ref had a fit)....... I think Allan is going to lock me in the car!!!

Back home to start a few Valentines projects - I wish I could show you but some of you will be recipients of my work so I can't spoil the surprise!!

Had to dash into Steveston for some supplies mid-afternoon so I popped into the new bakery the "Sweet Spot" on Chatham and 2nd(?) and got some goodies for tea. 

 I think it is always a good idea to sample a few things when trying a new bakery - then you will know what to focus on in the future :).  There is something very lovely about a little white cardboard cake box filled with yummy stuff - in this case - blueberry/blackberry/frangipani tarts , an almond croissant and a giant macaroon.

On a wet and  stormy afternoon,  a pot of tea and some munchies with my little family was a wonderful gift.  We enjoyed everything! And we will return for further investigation........








I worked away on my Valentines projects but stopped to make dinner of Prawn and Pea Risotto.

I have been craving both Prawns and Risotto so it seemed perfect when I found a Jamie Oliver recipe that combined both and added peas to assuage my conscience about the lack of vegetables.
Risotto takes both skill and patience to get right - neither of which I possess in much quantity and certainly not in the culinary arena so I find preparation is key!

Lovely juicy prawns (on sale at Safeway this weekend!)

Alot of butter and some unsalted, low fat chicken broth - I know its a contradiction but at least its not a double dose of fat and salt.  A little onion and garlic and the baking smells from earlier today were banished!

 In go the prawns after 30 minutes of adding broth slowly and letting the arborio rice cook.

 I love watching the prawns turn pink (just wish I had peeled them first!!!)

A few handfuls of parmesan cheese and a yummy dinner eaten with my favourite peeps in candlelight.






I hope you had a good Saturday...... I have lots to do tomorrow but for now I am am calling it quits (taking off Martha's mantle) and heading to bed with a book and glass of wine.

Hellooo Martha are you in there?

I really want to be Martha Stewart.
At the very least I want her craft room, her staff and her supplies!!!  Ha ha......
AND
days and days to create beautiful things!
This has been brought on by Valentines Day and the millions of crafty things crafty people can and do make that are lovely and inspiring.
Like this blog here that Richmond's Janice N does.  Scroll down a bit for some great links she has and check out all the ladies who linked to her on their Blog Hop today and the Valentines ideas will make your head spin!  I found it inspiring!
And then I came home today and Lindsay and her buddy Meghan had been baking up a Valentines storm with mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with peppermint crunch on top and sugar cookie hearts with pink icing.  They packaged them up for their school friends for Monday and they look wonderful.  Great way to spend a damp Pro-D day!

Beautiful Buddy's and Bakers too!

Quality Control

So......... with a little over 48 hours to go I need to get busy if I am to join this crafty lot.  I know I can't be Martha or even Janice N but I do have a couple projects up my sleeve and if the planets align and the weekend turns out as expected I might just get a couple of them done!
Watch this space!!

Light

Or more specifically sun light....... I grew up under mostly sunny skies.... lots of sunlight and not alot of variation day to day.  Not much seasonal change.  In my memory - 10 months summer, 2 months winter when the mornings were frosty but by midday it was often warm enough to shed layers and usually sunny.  I'll tell you the big difference was there was no central heating and the buildings were mostly brick or concrete so we huddled around heaters (often asbestos!!! YIKES) and sat at our desks at school wrapped in blankets.  I was colder there at 5 degrees C than I am here at -5 degrees.

Anyway... back to the endless months of sunlight..... and then moving here, in a January, and adapting to the reality that sunlight is often in very short supply especially in winter. And the amount of sunlight in any given day changes so radically with daylight saving changes and the seasons.  It really takes some getting used to.  I don't mind going to work in the dark but I hate coming home in the dark.

What I really love is the dramatic seasonal changes - very distinct :
Summer (all too short but often very warm with loooong light evenings - relaxed ),
Spring (a wonderful freshness and lengthening days but still nippy and damp - expectant),
Winter (cold and grey but with the occasional benefit of snow - alot of darkness - cherished sunny days - cozy) and
Fall (vibrant colours and shortening days, a nip in the air, a bit of melancholy about what is ahead, soft light).

Here on the West Coast ("affectionately" called the Wet Coast) one can get quite glum from all the grey wet days or one can get the gortex on and carry on!  As they say in Norway - there is no bad weather, only bad clothing!!  So at this time of year, when you get a sun shiney day, the world seems new and fresh and you can sense the expectancy in everyone.  One sunny day and it seems everyone is out walking or biking or running - you suddenly see your neighbours again...... and Summer is just around the corner.

So the sudden increase in sunrise and sunset photos filling my camera will soon come to an end until the Fall when my communte will once again coincide with these breathtaking moments.  So here are some sunset and sunrise photos from the Spring of 2011.

Sometimes dramatic

A stormy morning with the sun pushing through

A very Spring sunrise

A "sunny break" - I love the soft blues

Sunset this week - we have had some dramatic ones

Red sky at night........ from my front yard.....

Wordless Wednesday - A year ago

Time

I am taking the night off blogging - I could have used the few minutes I had "spare" tonight to blog - I will even admit I really wanted to blog and thought about it several times (can this become an addiction of sorts?? I hope not) but I ended up choosing to communicate with my family and friends who were over tonight instead....... and good and thoughtful (and somewhat provocative) things were said and heard.  And I enjoyed it all and gave up the notion that a blog post of any note would happen.  Investing in relationships is almost always worth it!
I am off to read in bed for a few minutes before this day is over.
Chat soon blog world - sleep tight!