Baking

My cinnamon currant loaf and some of th ecupcakes I made using Martha Stewarts recipe - all her recipes seem to work for me thankfully :) Martha is a 'good thing'!!!

The cup cakes are going to be served with a whipped cream frosting and fresh raspberries - for dessert tonight......

Actually I have been so busy baking today that I haven't bothered making dinner! Oh well :)

Update on Mum

I just phoned my Dad to ask for an update on my Mum and....... she answered the phone! So she is home - has to go back in about three weeks to have her gall bladder removed which is an overnighter - but should be fine and back to normal soon and can still come over in June!!

So thats good news!

A true hero

What a wonderfully selfless man. I'm not sure I could be that selfless. Good for him!


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6231971.stm

for some reason when I use the link button it isn't working grrrr

Sam - my little artist.....

My love......................

No words needed.....

cookin' up a storm..................

So the workman showed up at 2pm......only 5 hours late lol!

Ah well - I have baked up a storm - as well as the fruit loaf I baked earlier, I have also baked a dozen rock cakes and 2 dozen cupcakes.......

This Kitchen Aid Mixer is just so BAD for me lol because all I want to do is bake and eat ;)

Old Homestead

an old homestead in Strathcona County.......such a shame the one on our property is no longer there.......but its nice to know there was one here once......

Old friends...................

These are two of my good friends who sadly died a few years back......Julie Rothwell, pictures here with her husband Howard and family was a dear friend of mine from Stockport. She died from cancer in Spring 2003. I can still hear her voive saying 'Hi-ya Jane' as I arrive to her house for coffee! Julie looked after my children while I was in hospital having Susannah and she was our first visitor..........I loved going to her house - it was so comfortable and welcoming and I always spent the whole time laughing! Christmas reminds me of Julie because she always put her tree up so early and spoiled her children with endless toys - she LOVED Christmas.

I miss you Julie!!!

My other friend pictures here is Pam Melena - a friend I met online but who I got very close to - we supported each other through marriage break ups and relationship crises.........then one day - two days after chatting to her about Matt Le Blanc and kitchen paint colour!!! I got a phone call from Colorado police, telling me she had killed herself - and amongst the papers she left for her husband was a poem I had sent her.........

Pam - I miss your common sense and your shoulder to lean on...I'm sad that you felt this was your only way out......I miss you.

Hmmmmm the pic of Julie didn't work - so I will have to scan on one of my photographs instead......ok have attached one of Julie but its not great because I took a picture of a picture on my computer screen!!! But you can see her and thats what matters :)

last ones for now...................

a few more pics of Scotland......

Oh and in the last post there was a pic of Susie by the Christmas tree and she is holding a Barbie Birthday cake - that is all she asked Santa for that year and so he brought her one ;) She was very happy :) I wish they sold cakes like that here - the cakes here are useless :( Although that has encouraged me to start making my own again!

more pics from the past.....

Some more pics of Scotland and our life before we came to Canada......Lynne do you remember my little white car? I would be scared to drive that here as there are too many HUGE trucks ;)

pics from the past

Here is a whole bunch of pics from Scotland.....Abigail at L
och Ness with Lloyd, again with Lloyd at Linlithgow...............her first swim (with Lynne and Luke - hi Lynne!!!!) soem pics of Susie in her dance performance in Livingston, Scotland.....some of Abby in her Tigger bouncer.....Susie dressed up and a Highland cow....and also one of Abby and Lloyd at a local childrens farm in Livingston.....Mill Farm..............do you still go there Lynne?

My class

This is class at school when I was 11.........I am in this picture and soi is Lloyd - as I have known Lloyd since I was 8 :)

Through the years..............

While I was hunting for the pic of me and the shark, I found a few other old pics of me through the years ;)

Filling time.....................

The workman is still a 'no show'.............so I have utilised my time by baking a cinnamon and currant loaf!!! The house smells good and I got to play with my Kitchen Aid Mixer :)

I will add a picture of the inside later when I slice it - its still hot right now as it just came out :) You serve it sliced with a little butter and a drizzle of honey :)

HELP!!!!

Lol this is me being eaten by a shark at the Weymouth Sea Life Centre...Dorset, England......this is for Susan who posted about the turtle who farted in the tanks at that very same sea life centre :) You can read it on her blog 'Its My Blog' - link to the right!

Weymouth was my local 'beach' growing up - my family still live in that area...I used to catch the train with friends (waving to Louise who came with me once!!!!!) to the Radio One road show and to swim in the sea and just enjoy the beach as teens :)

Donkey rides, riding the big swings.........the fairground...the stores.....my Dads favourite ice cream....fish and chips from newspaper with lots of salt and vinegar....

Weymouth - thanks Susan for bringing back lots of good memories!!!

Christie

I just want you to know I am thinking of you this week.....on Sunday when you pay tribute to little Ayla.....and on Tuesday when you have your assessment for the adoption. I hope this next week isn't too much of an emotional roller coaster for you.

Its been weeks since I saw you! I hope you can come over for tea next week and we can catch up!

First Thursday

The first Thursday of 2007. I am so fed up with having workmen here - and yet this is just the start of it......the renovations started before Christmas and will continue for a long while (years????) but this morning I am sooo NOT in the mood.....especially for waiting for people - our drywall guy hasn't shown up again grrrr - his work is FAB but his reliablity is NOT :(

And then there is the dust from the sanding and mudding and scraping and everything YUCK.....the basement is almost done - and the hallway where we removed the closet.....the ceiling throughout the hallway is being redone next week......and Lloyd hopes to have the basement of the extension dug at some point and then Derek will rame and get it to drywall finish.............

The furnace guy is coming tonight so he may be done before we go to Florida....

When we get back we have to tackle the windows and main floor bathroom...

I want to move some place warm......I want to be sat outside watching my Hummingbirds.....Arizona is actually looking pretty good right now - there is a job possibility there for Lloyd - I said no way at first but today I am thinking Arizona might suit me ;)

My mind is all over the place today......

I hate winter......I can't wait to feel that Florida sunshine on my face....I need a holiday in the sun - I need to feel the waves rushing against me and the sand through my toes............

McDreamy hadn't signed the divorce papers last night - we watched two episodes last night and then Lloyd was tired - I am tempted to watch the next episode without him to see what happens but I won't.....

Last night was date night but we didn't want to go out for dinner so we just headed into town and sat in Starbucks chatting for a while - I saw Nady which was nice - she's so pretty and seems so nice! She was bargain hunting in Please Mum....

I stocked up on baking goods so today I plan to use my kitchen aid mixer again......

Chris is at work - I was going to take him and then head to MP but then the workman was supposed to be here at 9am and never showed so I am still sat here twiddling my thumbs.....

I still feel at a stand still in my life - things don't start until next week - if we are all well maybe we can finally have our lives back next week - it has been months of NOTHING!!!! And we are all tired and bored with it - so next week we begin....Abigail starts preschool on Tuesday.....my new group starts Friday.....Sams group Monday......Sams birthday Sunday.........

Lloyds friend left his wife last night...........thats sad.......

I read an article last night that changed my life - literally - it was like a HUGE lightbulb moment. I am trying to come to terms with it.......

I was not supposed to use the computer at all this week but for one reason or another I have had to check Email daily.......and then I find myself here rambling and adding pictures...and I still have the pictures of Laurie Susie and Abby to add.....

2007 is turning into an interesting year.......nothing like I had planned.....