Spring, Luxurious Spring

The past couple of weeks have been super busy. The school year is winding down, the track meets are nearly done, we just had the spring concerts, a wedding is coming up (FAST) and gardening is in the future. While all of this was happening, I found myself first dealing with seasonal allergies and then I developed a nasty cold, which I'm at the tail end of. I will be happy when it finally goes away. However, I don't let it bother me too much, as the weather has been fantastic. It is so nice to be able to have the windows open, to have fresh air and to not have the furnace on. Outside my window, I see green grass, leaves on the trees, lilacs blooming, peonies waiting to open and dandelions...everywhere!

A week ago, I was given a surprise wedding shower. It wasn't expected, but I did know that it was in the works. Although, it was a surprise, it was a nice surprise. My cousin organized it and she did a wonderful job. When I came home, after a nature walk with the dogs and the Mister, I found my aunts, sisters, cousins, mum, future relatives and my bestie all in my kitchen and dining room. The house was decorated with lots and lots of flowers. It was a wonderful time.

Little bouquets, held in jelly jars, were placed throughout the downstairs of my home.

They lasted for well over a week! It made me think of "Anne Shirley" who loved to overwhelm her home with wildflowers.

Outside, the flowers are everywhere. From tiny blue flowers....

To fragrant apple blossoms.

When I visit the lake, the loons are keeping a safe distance, but a close enough to observe.

Look at how much my plants have grown! I can't wait to start my veggie patch, if only the two local groundhogs would keep a respectful distance.....

So, that is what I've been up to, lately. Once things calm down I will resume my reading and I'll be sharing what I've read and my thoughts on the books, once I've read them. Well, once things have calmed down and the Orphan Black season finale airs. This season has been insane, I think it's the craziest season yet! Yes, once all of that happens, I can go back to being a summer book worm...the new season of Pretty Little Liars will begin soon, but that is just one show. I can work with that! :) I will keep you posted. Until then~ Toodahloo!

Getting My Baking Mojo Back

Fresh baked blueberry muffins, right out of the oven!

You might have noticed over the previous months a lack in baking posts. There is a very logical, if not sad, and slightly funny story behind the reason why. At least, in the end, there's a happy ending. Back in November, I was looking forward to the holiday season. I couldn't wait to bake Thanksgiving pies and I was anticipating all of the festive treats that I could bake in December. Thanksgiving arrived and I found myself baking pies the night before, then getting up early on Thanksgiving morning to bake homemade cinnamon rolls. It was all very delicious and I felt like I was finally making my kitchen my own. Then, the Friday after Thanksgiving, in the wee hours of the morning, something very strange happened. Around 1 o'clock in the morning, I woke to hear a faint beeping sound coming from downstairs. This is odd, because I am hearing impaired, however I can still hear high pitched sounds very clearly. I woke the Mister and asked him if he could hear it too. He got out of bed, went downstairs and discovered that the noise was coming from the oven.
I quickly shot downstairs to investigate. The oven display was showing an error code and the oven was very hot. (No, the oven had not been left on earlier in the evening.) The Mister tried to hit cancel, but the oven would not shut off. Strangely this very thing happened to my parents the year before. A few days after Thanksgiving, while my Mum was roasting a turkey, the oven shot up to 500 degrees F. The only solution that my Dad could find was to unplug the oven. I decided that we needed to immediately unplug the oven in order to prevent any sort of major problem. So, the oven was unplugged and it began to cool down. After the Mister returned to bed, I couldn't rest until I researched online any possible cause and/or solution to our problem.  I narrowed it down to either a problem with the temperature sensor or the control panel. Once I saw that there was at least a solution, I was able to go back to bed and get some rest.
The next morning, we plugged the oven back in, hoping that the problem went away, but the problem was still there. So, the Mister discovered that it was most likely (hopefully) a problem with the temperature sensor. So, he was able to make it so that the oven was no longer in use, but the stove could still function.
Christmas came and went, and we were able to improvise and had a lovely holiday meal with the family. However, January arrived and that month is full of birthdays, not to mention that February has my birthday and Valentine's Day. I really, really wanted my oven back. I went online and did some research, I found the type of sensor that I needed for my oven and ordered a replacement on ebay. When the Mister replaced the old with the new and oven was working again. I was beyond happy. Since then, I've been baking up a storm. I made homemade bread, cookies, birthday cakes, and the other day, I made blueberry muffins. Not to mention, that I can cook more versatile meals for supper again. Life is back to normal. I know that it seems like such a small thing, and compared to other much bigger problems out there, this is rather silly. I never saw this situation as a problem, I understood that it was nothing more than an inconvenience; nevertheless, I am very grateful to have my oven back. Now, You'll find more baking stories coming your way! Until then~ Toodahloo!

A Moment of Bliss

The view outside of my kitchen window. I love this view!

So, yes, it's been a while. I wanted to post yesterday, but I ran out of time. I do that a lot. However, I did sit down with my idea notebook the other day, and I did some brainstorming. Sometimes, I  find myself relying on the old tricks to writing that were taught to me by my English teacher back in the seventh grade. At the time, it was tedious and vexing. Now, I find that not only is it tremendously helpful, but that those lessons deeply embedded themselves in the parts of my brain that I take for granted.
Lately, I have been spending a good deal of my time preparing for the winter. As you might remember from my posts last year, the storm season started early and lasted a long time. The first huge snow storm happened the night before Thanksgiving and the final storm happened in the Spring. In between those months, we endured a few blizzards. So, it should be no surprise that I am in preparation mode.
I spent the first part of the afternoon preparing the meal for tonight- General Tso's Chicken in the Crockpot. There is something deeply comforting about a Crockpot. When I use one, I know that dinner will be ready on time and it will be good. Yes, I still have to make a dessert, that will happen after I take my time to post. Right now, I am enjoying the mellow quiet of the house before everyone comes home in the evening. I should say that I am not required to make a dessert, but I really, really need something chocolatey. Therefore, I shall make a chocolate pudding cake. It's easy to throw together and is insanely tasty. I was going to write a post about the lovely and easy dinner that I made last night. Instead, I find myself enjoying the moment of writing again. I will share that recipe on my next post.
It is gloomy and grey outside, but in here it is cheerful. There's the smell of a pumpkin spice candle and a Crockpot meal cooking on the counter. I'm listening to Gilmore Girls in the background. I've been watching a marathon, via Netflix, all day. there is something about the show that just relaxes me. Even though I've seen these episodes countless times, I still fall back on them for entertainment. The bliss that I am experiencing comes from the fact that tonight's meal is finally going, it will be ready when everyone is ready to settle down to eat and I won't find myself rushing to get it all together at the last minute. I have to make rice and broccoli. but that is easy to accomplish. I am also finding delight in finally admitting to myself that it is okay to not be Martha Stewart, or even Betty Crocker. I am only one person. A person who does not have a team of interns racing around to make my life function seamlessly. All the pretty pictures on Pinterest and the perfection displayed in magazines were mostly accomplished after many, many failed attempts, perfect lighting and Photoshop. Sometimes, the soup might need more salt, or the burritos might need a little less hot sauce. Everyone's taste is different, We do our best, and that is all you can do. That is all people desire, not perfection. Life doesn't need to look like it does in those carefully crafted magazine photos. Your friends and family are just happy that you care so much to try to make things nice for them.
Through this recent discovery, I actually enjoy myself in the kitchen far more. Now that I no longer pressure myself to make everything pretty, and just make things nice, life is so much simpler. That affirmation has brought forth total bliss.
Next time, I'll share the tasty recipe for the meal that I threw together last night. It was super easy to make and very tasty! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

The Evasive Loon Of The Lake and Wild Violets

Today was another fantastic day full of sunshine. Fred was eager to go for a mid-morning walk, and I was happy to oblige him. I took him the the lakefront and the loon was there, I didn't expect to see the loon, so I made the mistake of speaking to Fred. Then, I saw the loon get into the water and drift away. Before I had a chance to turn on my camera, the loon went under water. It is amazing how long they can go under and when they do come up, they are much farther away. I had the opportunity to get a great shot and missed it.

I tried to get a few more shots of the loon, but you can hardly see it in these photos. Hopefully, I can go back tomorrow, with camera ready and happen upon the loon again. Maybe, if I stay nice and quiet, I won't disturb it and then I can get some nice images. I'll try to go before breakfast, before all of the traffic and noise.

This afternoon, I was in the backyard, inspecting the garden. It appears that the irises with soon be appearing, the herbs are coming along and I have wild violets growing under my maple tree. This was totally unexpected; a first that I can recall. While I was taking photos of the flowers, I could hear a squirrel chattering away in the maple tree, above me. I guess the squirrel doesn't want me messing with "his" garden.
It is such a relief to finally be able to enjoy some nice weather. I was happy that we had a few days of rain, it was good for the garden. It gave me the chance to binge on Netflix. I wanted to watch some more episodes from season 3 of Moone Boy on hulu.com. Unfortunately, the rest of the season is only available on hulu plus. I'm pretty darn perturbed about that. All of the other seasons are available for free. I had hulu plus and I didn't like it. So, I'm going to wait for the season to be picked up by PBS. To quote Martin Moone, "BALLS!" That is all. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

When Running Around Finally Runs You Down

I really wish that I had a great photo to add to this post. Unfortunately, I do not have anything that would make the eyes happy to share. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been running around like crazy this past week. I was very exhausted yesterday. Today was a whole other ball of wax. Lately, my eyes have been itchy and easily irritated. I really didn't give it much thought. When I woke up today, I understood what was happening... my Fall allergies have arrived. Usually, when aspects of Fall trickle into my daily life, I'm very excited; allergies do not excite me. For some reason, I either have short term amnesia regarding my allergies or I'm in complete denial; because when the symptoms appear I'm always dumbfounded.

This morning, I tried to take it easy, I thought I'd get some rest; but then, the phone rang sometime around 7:15 am! Seriously, why would anyone of sound mind or any sense of propriety do such a thing? Then, I was awake, not awesome at all. Then, I was up, so I thought I'd take it easy on myself and slowly ease into my day. I took some Benadryl  and decided to take Fred for a lovely walk, thinking the fresh air would do me some good. Two minutes into the walk,  I realized that I had no energy for a walk. I wanted to turn around and go back home, but instead took Fred for a short loop around the block and returned home. I went straight to been and slept for over two hours.

After a nap, I decided to dehydrate some kale in the dehydrator. By the time I got to the second tier, I knew that I had to speed things up and go back to bed. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching episodes from season two of Hemlock Grove. Now, I'm taking a brief break before I clean up the mess from supper and then I'm going to sleep for the night. Well, for a few hours at least, then I'll probably wake up and channel surf until I stumble on something to watch until I can go back to sleep. Speaking of which, when I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, this morning, I stumbled on the new season of Haven! I had no idea the new season had even started! So, that is on Thursdays, and next week Sleepy Hollow returns and many of my spooky favorites are coming back. Between the new episodes of Doctor Who, The Intruders, Sleepy Hollow and Haven it seems as though I will be spooked for the whole of Fall, this thrills me!

So, before I go, I just want to write about the fact that I was over the moon, even though I'm feeling very crummy right now, when I saw a spike in readership today! This makes me very happy, Thank You very much! I hope to bounce back soon so that I may get back on track with my cooking, baking and crafting. Feel free to leave comments and check me out on Facebook! If you follow me on Facebook, you'll get updates on new posts and random extra nonsense. You can find me under my name Lady Toesocks, and you'll recognize the photo when you see it. :) Until next time~ Toodahloo!

It's Never Too Warm For Hot Cocoa

Over the past month, I have been very busy helping out various family members who needed an extra pair of hands. Needless to say, my hands have been very full. Now, I am back and focusing on preparing for summer. It has been very warm here, which has enabled me to complete many tasks that needed some tlc. 

Now that the temperature is warmer, I can finally open a window and let some clean air circulate throughout my room. It is nice to feel a little night chill, especially with a nice mug of hot cocoa sitting on my desk. Ever since childhood, I have been a big fan of hot cocoa. I enjoy the richness of the drink and the various flavors that one can add to it. Up until last year, I always added a lot of sugar to my mixture. I like my cocoa nice and sweet, maybe almost too sweet.

One snowy winter day, I made hot cocoa for myself and my nephews. Being that my nephews were so young, I figured that they would appreciate a sweet cocoa. My nephew couldn't finish my cocoa, because it was too sweet. That was a wake-up call to me. When a child thinks that something is too sweet, it's certainly too sweet. Now, I don't add any sugar to my hot cocoa. I just add cocoa powder to warm milk and whisk it into a frenzy. Oddly enough, I like it better that way...who knew? Now, I am experimenting with various cocoa concoctions, and developing my own wacky methods of hot cocoa preparation. I've even figured out a way to make hot cocoa with a banana! Wacky, wacky stuff! When I have perfected my technique, I shall share it. Until then...~Toodahloo!

Summer Goals

So, summer will officially begin tomorrow with the arrival of the solstice. I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately and I've decided on what my summer goals will be this year. Every year, a lot of us try to decide on what to do to maximize the summer weather. Some of us want tans, others want to shed a few pounds. Others hope to spend more time with their families and maybe have a nap, once in a while.

I think that all of the above options are great. I love the beginning of a new season, because with each new beginning is a sense of hope. Well, at the end of summer, when we look back on how we spent our time, we often think about all the stuff we wished to get done, but didn't. Then, we look forward to what the fall will bring.

I've learned that it doesn't really matter if we don't get everything accomplished. Most of us get eager and make our lists too long. As long as we have achieved, at least, some of our goals how can we be down on ourselves? As long as we take time to appreciate the summer, even just once, it won't be wasted.

So, this brings me to my summer goals. Today, while out with my dog walking, I enjoyed smelling the buttercup's scent wafting in the air and I took in the view of the green trees, the flowers, and the lake; observing how lucky I am. I have seen the same view for decades; and every summer when I see the green trees, or in the fall when I enjoy the crimson and bright orange leaves, it's as though I'm seeing it for the first time and I'm grateful every time.

I was grateful, today, to enjoy the summer experience with a new doggy family member, to be blessed with a new friend to love and to start anew.

Then I began to think about gratitude and blessings and what I wanted my summer goals to be. So, aside from wanting to read great books, having as much fun as I can, and being successful in the garden.. my biggest goal this summer is to do kind things for those whom I love. Random acts of kindness, in a way. I am one of those who believe that if God blessed you with a gift it's best to share it. So, I am going to use my crafty gifts and I'm going to make gifts throughout the summer for friends and family whom I feel very lucky to be blessed to know. Sometimes, I think I don't deserve such awesome friends or family and to thank them for their friendship, I'm going to do something random for them that will make them smile. It will be fun to surprise people too. I'll keep you updated on the process, and when I get new batteries in my camera, I'll post on the garden too. Until then~ Toodahloo!

Sunshine!

What a fantastic Spring morning this has been! It is so nice to open all of the windows and let the fresh air breeze throught the house. This morning, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping and it is so easy to be in a great mood.
Today is Cinqo de Mayo, so I'll be having homemade burritos tonight.Today, however, I'll be making lemon bars. Last weekend, I made delicious coffee bars. Have you ever had those? It is something my mother used to make when I was a kid and I always loved opening my Cabbage Patch Kid lunch box after a Bewitched re-run and finding a coffee bar. The moment brightened my, otherwise, boring day at the babysitters. So, Saturday, I found a good recipe online and made some. Lately though, I've been craving a lot of citrus food. On Sunday, I made a lemon meringue pie. That is gone now, and so are the bars. So, today the lemon bars will do.
So, this weekend is mothers day and I'll be celebrating with my sisters and Mum. I'm making my traditional fancy pants meal and dessert. I'm making an herb garden as a gift for my Mum. I'm putting it near the back steps. She'll love that!
Also, here is something exciting! The other night, I couldn't sleep. So, while channel surfing in the wee hours of the morning, I stumbled on a man on PBS who looked like David Tennant- but didn't sound like him. I looked at him for a while and it occured to me that it was David Tennant. That it was Hamlet that I was watching. I remembered reading that he spoke with an English accent for the role. So, I watched it. It was fanatastic- he's a great actor. Guess who else was in it....Patrick Stewart! Yes," Cpt. Jean Luc Piccard" and "Doctor Who" as "Claudius" and "Hamlet!" I giggle, snort, and shift my glasses as I speak! Well, the movie was long; by 3:00 a.m. there was an intermission, and I hoped the show would be continued until another night. However, it kept going and I knew that if I continued on I'd be up until 5:00 am. So, at 3:30 a.m. I turned of the tv, defeated. So- I preordered it on Walmart.com and it will be arriving in a few days. When it comes, Brandy and I will lock ourselves in our cave armed with coffee, a bowl of popcorn and an adult diaper and we won't be seen until sunset. We can hardly wait! Until next time~ Toodaloo!

Are You There Sanity? It's Me, Ladytoesocks.

This title has been whirling through my head for the passed few months. This week is vacation week. I am not going away for the week, exactly. Instead, I am going back to Me! Today, I have dedicated the day to cleaning. I mean, clearing away all of the laundry, dusting, wiping down dirty surfaces, sweeping and washing floors.

This doesn't sound like much of a vacation, I know. However, it is very uplifting to remove all physical and tactile debris in order to emotionally and mentally relax. The rest of the week will be free for me to do low maintanance work. That way, I can dedicate my week to doing what I love to do. I will read lots of L.M. Montgomery books, I'll paint, I'll make sculptures, I'll bake, and I have cappucino while watching Steven & Chris.

I don't have any particular images for this post. So, I'm showing some garden photos from my garden. I think these pictures are cheerful, and evoke the feeling of Spring and Summer.

Later this week, I'll be hosting a birthday party for my nephew. I'm going with a carnival theme. I'll post about that when the time comes. Until then.~ Toodaloo!

I'm a Lucky Girl

Yesterday was such a busy day for me; so I decided to enjoy this Labor Day by remembering to soak in the things that life that really matter. Brandy is my sidekick. We are very fortunate to have nice weather to enjoy a leisurely walk together.

Each time we take a walk, we try to stop and enjoy the nature which surrounds us. These walks together are about relaxing and taking the time to smell the roses, the telephone poles, and the tree trunks.

I think I'll make some crafts today and maybe do a little reading. More importantly, today I am acknowledging my blessings.