Minipause

A friend who knows that I love puzzles gave me this little take-a-break present. Consisting of a mere 100 pieces (easy peasy!), it took only about 20 minutes to assemble it, but still, it demanded enough focus that it took my mind off other matters. 

There's something about doing a jigsaw that takes me to some other shore, a place where other concerns disappear. Even so, there's usually some kind of system involved in putting one together. 

Border pieces or 'edge' pieces are often an easy place to start. Their straight cut along one side makes them easy to find. 

Truly, the easiest part for me with this puzzle was the lovely little underwater fish. 

A lazy day, but still, a treat to have such a fun kind of distraction. 

This is a tool

...not a weapon. 

Yet, on July 4th Bailey McCourt, 32, was beaten to death with one by her estranged husband. Even though he'd been convicted of making threats to kill her, he was out on bail when he murdered her. What I'd like to know is why is this still happening?

There's a terrible irony in that today is a remembrance of Vancouver poet Patricia Lowther who was murdered (same choice of weapon) 50 years ago this September. Had she lived, later this month (the 29th) would have been Pat's 90th birthday. 

Another irony is the fact that today is the launch of a new book, Creating in Dangerous Times. I guess indeed we are still living in dangerous times. 

"To raisin or not to raisin"

On Saturday, for some strange reason, I decided to make butter tarts--a treat I generally only make at Christmas time. Not really sure why, though it might have had something to do with the fact that I defrosted the freezer and found some pre-made tart shells (lazy, I know). 

But when I went to make the filling, I realized I only had one egg in the fridge, and the recipe was going to need two. So, back to the drawing (dreaming?) board. 

Luckily, Sunday morning was another 'delivery day' from the 'egg lady' who delivers fresh dozens from her farm out in the Fraser Valley. So, as soon as I got home, I made sure the butter was softened and got to work. 

The strangest part, I am sure, is the fact that on Sunday, while I was cleaning up the kitchen, I turned on the radio and heard a feature on--you guessed it--butter tarts!

For years I've told people in my family that, if they wanted the recipe, they'd have to wait as "it's in the will." It's a recipe I was given by Betty, my once-upon-a-time mother-in-law, and she made it clear that it was special and to be kept private. So, imagine my dismay when I found pretty much the exact recipe in an old Canadian cookbook. Still, to be kind to the memory of Betty, I'm not saying which cookbook.  

My only question now is: why don't I make these more often?

This little flag has been hanging on our front door for a few months now. It was made by a longtime friend who happens to be an amazing quilter. 

If you want to see just how intricate her work is, you might want to click on the photo to look closely at the patterned stitching inherent in the design. 

The whorls and complex stitching aren't produced by AI or any program on her sewing machine--they're all her devising. 

Looking at these complex patterns, I think they serve as a good metaphor for the fabric of our country--a mix of so many cultures and people. 

This year, with the multitude of threats coming from the south of us, it seems all the more important to take this day to think about not only who we are, but who we want to be. 

O Canada, our home on native land...

Crumbling

No, I haven't gone to the Middle East to take photos. This is from what they call City Centre in Surrey. The name is an invention from a developer's mind; the location is nowhere near the geographic centre of the city, which is actually where City Hall was located some years ago. 

The overriding philosophy of late seems to be 'tear it down, build something at least 40 stories tall.'

I've been attending City Council meetings, and is it ever disheartening. 

Neither the Councillors in Surrey nor the ones in nearby White Rock show an ounce of respect for the wishes of the public, even though (they seem to have forgotten), the public is the beast that elects them. 

Thus, my feelings that democracy, as we once knew it, is crumbling--and not just here either. 

Regrets or no regrets

It's been a while since I've posted anything here--not for lack of things going on, only for silly reasons, including procrastination. 

But since this rainbow has been lolling about in my recent photos, it seemed like an omen that might get me going again. After all, something about it seems quite protective even if it does seem to be in the midst of a brewing storm. 

We'll see how the next few days pan out. 

Living salad bar

I've been doing my best to buy Canadian, and must admit it isn't always easy. So many US products have filled our produce aisles, too many of us have forgotten how to grow our own. 

One of the best ways I've found of working around the many varieties of lettuce from California has been the discovery of 'living lettuces' that are grown here. Not only do they last longer in the fridge, because they already have a well-established root ball beneath the leaves, they're super-easy to plant! All you need to do, once you've used the leaves is ensure there's still about an inch or so of greenery above the roots and stick the whole thing into soil. The 'salad bar' above is the result of just such 'recycling' and pretty much ready for harvest (at which time I'll do the same procedure again). 

But apparently you don't even need to find the pre-rooted kinds of lettuce for this to work. Here's a video that demonstrates how to start lettuce using only water (as well as further videos on 're-using' green onions and more). I have to admit that when these little plants are starting out, they remind me a lot of one of my favourite film characters, Groot, from Guardians of the Galaxy. 

Happy growing, along with heathy and delicious eating!