The Mattheis'

Simple Things

2010-04-29T15:12:00.000-06:00

Maybe it comes with getting a bit older, or more mature, shall we say (it's hard to believe 30 is looming large), but I'm beginning to notice that there are certain things in this life that I really enjoy. I've also noticed that most of them are rather prosaic. That's alright, though--I wouldn't really want my greatest earthly pleasures to be great, extravagant things...hardly achievable or likely to come by.

I derive a sense of calm and accomplishment from a clean and organized home, softly lit, candles burning, Norah Jones humming in the background, and that particular absence of sound that signals a contentedly slumbering baby boy. Ahh.

Hot tea, and I mean hot, with steam that curls your eyelashes as you hover your lip over the rim of the mug for that first, tentative sip, and the slightly scalding sensation that follows the first swallow. A good magazine and a piece of really dark chocolate complete this trinity of tranquillity.

Natural fibres, wood, stone, earthy colours and streaming sunlight...slightly imperfect items, repurposed objects, and furniture and household items with history or a good story behind them. All these combine to create a calming yet energizing environment for me. I would love to combine them all into my ideal home someday.

Pottery. Any kind, all kinds, especially mugs, for that really hot tea.

Cooking a good meal, following a recipe using delicious-smelling and fresh, healthy (and preferably organic) ingredients.

There are lots of others, but I will stop there, so as to enjoy my tea whilst it still burns my gizzard. :)

Inspired

2010-04-08T21:52:00.000-06:00

So, I went to all the bother of "privatizing" our blog, then never really blogged again. So, I've UNprivatized, and will attempt to make some kind of regular post here, although I will stick to FB for pictures and such, since I find technology to be a bit of a time suck, and the fewer applications that I use to broadcast my life to the masses, the more time I have to live my life. :) I truly believe one could spend more time documenting daily life than actually experiencing it, what with digital cameras, texting, twittering, FB status updating, and, yes, blogging. And here I sit. Everything in moderation. Well, almost everything.

Random Fact, By Request

2009-09-18T11:33:00.000-06:00

Termites eat through wood two times faster when listening to rock music.

Happy Friday and crank the AC/DC!

New Template

2009-09-15T12:32:00.003-06:00

I am not a big fan of change. Looking at my life thus far, you might not guess that.

However, I have switched up the template for the blog, and in the process lost my blog roll (whoops!). Not sure if I will bother with it again, since there are not too many regular bloggers around these days...we'll see.

I am kind of interested in finding out what my readership looks like lately...so, if you don't mind...if you are reading this, leave a comment so I know who's out there!! Thanks!

Lincoln and his Zoo Train

2009-09-15T00:10:00.006-06:00

Just a little video of our boy, getting bigger and more "grown-up" every day. What happened to my teeny baby?!?

He does some pretty cute things, and some things that would be cuter if they weren't actually not very good, like putting remote controls and cordless phones in the toilet. You just have to laugh...

Ahh, Fall, how I've missed you...

2009-09-11T11:43:00.002-06:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I really miss the "traditional" Fall season as I knew it. While looking for a quote about Fall to update my Quotables box here, I found this poem by John Updike. It not only reminded me of why I love Fall, but also of how much I love and miss a good English Lit class. Enough to make me want to go back to school. Almost.

September
John Updike

The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze.

Another quote that drifts to mind this time of year, from perhaps a slightly less prestigious source, is this:

Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.

-Joe Fox in You've Got Mail

Rainy Day Rambles

2009-09-08T11:01:00.003-06:00

Well, I guess I was not as inspired as I thought I would be. A couple of months have rolled by, and I guess I was "too busy" to blog. Priorities, I guess.

Lincoln is napping for the moment, and I am hoping the kettle boils and I get a cup of tea before he wakes up. The weather here in FN has gotten much cooler, it's around 8 degrees this morning, and raining. The rain has been pretty steady over the last few days. I like it. It started off with a thunderstorm so intense, it really felt like the ground was shaking. It must have, actually, because it made our car alarm chirp.

Fall is such an itty-bitty season here, just a slight pause on the way to winter, really. A far cry from the gloriously coloured and moderately tempered autumns of the Maritimes that I grew up with. Fall remains my favourite season, but had I grown up here, I doubt it ever would have been. Spring is certainly the darling around these parts! Understandable after 8 months of darkness and -40.

With winter pending, I've been contemplating how I will fill my days, well, I know my little Lincoln will be keeping me on my toes, but in my "spare" time I am hoping to work on a few hobbies. Some that I've been mulling over:

Quilting: I even have a scrap pile started thanks to Tyler's Aunt Ruth, and a book of patterns, and inspiration and motivation from Kelly, my newly quilting friend.

Card Making and Scrapbooking: this is an ongoing interest, I have been going to a Stampin'Up club and accumulating some stamps and papers, punches, etc. The scrapbooking project I want to finish is Lincoln's 1st year baby book. I have just four pages done...

Bread-making and Baking: again, an ongoing interest, one I hope will not contribute too much to my waistline.

Reading: I really didn't read a lot last winter, and I already have a stack of fiction and non-fiction accumulating that I would like to get through.

Knitting: a love-hate relationship for me. I have very few finished projects to my name, although I love the idea of being "a knitter," and it's such a cozy activity, but I sometimes lack the persevering spirit required for larger pieces. I currently have a cable-knit coffee sleeve on my needles, but I am not sure where I left off back in MAY. Ugh.

I suppose that is a bit of a laundry list of ideas, however, it will be interesting to look back and see what's happened come the mid-winter blahs.

Light Reading

2009-06-22T23:33:00.002-06:00

So, it's been a while since I've blogged...it seems that the phenomenon known as Facebook has all but swallowed up blog popularity. My list of frequented blogs has filtered itself out to a few faithfuls who still write for their readers. I like Facebook, it's an easy way to keep in touch with folks, but I occasionaly get nostalgic and scroll through the annals of my blog, and think "I should really keep blogging." Tonight was one of those nights, and here I sit with a cup of tea, reminiscing about many a late night spent in front of my old desktop, basking in the ambient light of the monitor while updating friends and family on our lives, or just rambling about nothing of consequence (deja vu all over again).

Living "Up North" has some interesting qualities (Yes, that does sound a tad euphamistic. I'm too tired to think of another way to say it. ) One of the interesting qualities that I actually like quite a bit is the long summer days. Sunrise at 4am, sunset at 10:30pm. That's eighteen and half hours of daylight! For someone like me, who's a bit of a night owl, it's fantastic. It's also a little dangerous, since I can be puttering away thinking 8pm, when really it's 11pm, and mornings come early with a 10 month old setting the breakfast schedule! These long days almost make up for the ridiculously short winter days. Notice I said almost. You know you live up north when it's June, the last of the snow has finally melted, the mosquitos are just getting into psychotic feeding frenzy mode, and you are already dreading winter and thinking you won't bother taking the snow shovels off the deck. At least we took our Christmas lights down. (Although, given the thought of putting them up again when it's -35 and snowing, I am questioning the wisdom of that decision.)

Well, that's it from me tonight. I have a feeling I will be back sooner rather than later.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T23:59:00.003-06:00

Hi Everyone...

So, I have just made the blog readable by invitation only, as you probably noticed! I did my best to include people I know read the blog, but I probably missed a few, so email me or leave a comment if you know of anyone I left out. Thanks!

Here's a little video of Lincoln chatting away in the tub:

Exclusive Membership--Act Now!

2009-03-25T10:52:00.002-06:00

Well, I like to think of it as INclusive...

I'm going to make the blog viewable by invitation only, just because of all the weird things you hear about these days.

If you are a regular reader, an occasional browser, or an under-the-radar-checker-upper, let me know your email address so I can add you to our list of "permitted" guests!

Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Just Me and My Dad

2009-03-13T10:35:00.000-06:00

Happy Heart Day

2009-02-14T02:47:00.001-07:00

Lincoln thinks Mummy is Funny...Part II

2009-02-13T09:36:00.003-07:00

Again, my little boy finds me saying "oops" very entertaining...

Laughing in the Bath

2009-02-09T14:01:00.004-07:00

I was saying "oops", which Lincoln thought was just hilarious, for some reason!

It's 3am, I must be...the mother of a 5 month old...

2009-01-16T04:28:00.004-07:00

Hi there...well, what better to do at 3am than blog and post pictures, right? I can't sleep...oh, the irony of it all. I had a mocha this evening, and I guess it has a bit of caffeine in it, so I am paying the price. I might need another one in the morning!!

These are some pictures of the snow around here...it sticks to everything, and stays, because there is very little wind. We drove around on Sunday and took pictures of snow on posts, trees, etc. :) Great entertainment. I said to Tyler "we've gone postal!" haha.

And, of course, our sweet little boy...who was very good today, but made up for all his angelic-ness tonight by screaming for an hour or so in protest when we put him to bed. Thus me leaving the house and getting a mocha and driving aimlessly around Fort Nelson and doing some retail therapy at the grocery store (for lack of anything else being open) while Tyler stayed home with babe. I couldn't handle the crying...I think it has a direct line to my brain/will...like one of those red phones you pick up and are immediately connected to...whatever...taxi, Batman...

Anyway, he's sleeping now, and probably going to want to eat in about half an hour, so I am having a hard time resigning myself to go to bed. For half an hour? If it were not so counter-culture, I would seriously consider adopting a nocturnal lifestyle, or perhaps just one of naptime/waketime, peppered with eating-time. It works for him...

Vintage 80's

2009-01-11T01:39:00.001-07:00

Here's our little man sporting a nifty retro sailor's suit that Daddy used to wear! He looks pretty cute in red polyester!

Loving the Jolly Jumper!

Our big little boy!

Tyler's Birthday

2009-01-08T00:06:00.003-07:00

Tyler had his 29th birthday on Monday, and we went out for dinner to celebrate...

Lincoln living it up at Backroads for Daddy's birthday dinner and bowling.

We did some bowling with my dad, and our friends Wes and Hillary and baby Carter...Wes cleaned up with a few strikes and spares!

I made Tyler a Black Forest Cake--note to self for next year: "What kind of cake do you want?" is a dangerous question!

Lincoln is 5 months old!

2009-01-06T00:32:00.001-07:00

Our boy is growing like a weed! He loves to play tickle games, pat-a-cake, and is enjoying his Jolly Jumper, too. He loved the wrapping paper at Christmas time. He's getting pretty good at putting his soother back in his mouth, he just hasn't figured out that he has to let go of it once it's in there!!

Today when I put him down on his tummy, he immediately flipped onto his back, twice! He's enjoying having rice cereal at suppertime, and eats really well. He talks to himself a lot, and sounds something like the Tazmanian Devil. We are trying to get him into a bedtime routine, with hopes of soon eliminating his nighttime feeding. Sleeping through the night still seems like a bit of a pipe dream to me, but I know it will happen someday! He especially enjoys his bathtime, and gets a big kick out of splashing around in the water.

Lincoln is a really good little guy, and we enjoy him and his cute little grins and giggles every day.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T15:21:00.004-07:00

We had a great Christmas in Alberta, at Tyler's parents' farm, with his sister Kimberlei, her husband Rick, and their girls--who were very excited to meet their cousin Lincoln for the first time! Kelly and Jonathan also joined us from Edmonton for Christmas, which was so wonderful!

Shayla helping Lincoln open his gifts with Grampa

Mummy and Lincoln opening his book

Lincoln opening his presents with "Auntie" Kelly

Lincoln in his new outfit from Auntie Kimberlei

Happy New Year everyone!

19 Weeks

2008-12-16T20:40:00.005-07:00

Lincoln had a checkup today. He weighs 18 lbs, 10 oz (97th percentile), and is 26.2 inches long (90th percentile). I knew he was getting heavy! He is set to get his second round of vaccinations on Thursday, hopefully that won't be too bad for him, he did pretty well last time.

The Doctor also recommended that since he's such a big boy, we start giving him a teaspoon or two of rice cereal before bed. Hopefully he'll like that and maybe even sleep a little longer between feedings (fingers crossed!).

Fort Nelson Food Follies 2008

2008-12-16T00:46:00.002-07:00

Lincoln, Tyler, Me, and Dad at the Phoenix Theatre, taking in the performances by local talent--including a visit from The King!

Mike, the town's Electrician, is also a talented singer/songwriter and musician.

Lincoln really enjoyed the show!

Four Months

2008-12-05T12:32:00.001-07:00

Our little boy will be four months old tomorrow!
He's starting to grab things, loves sitting in his Bumbo chair and taking in the action, and is completeley fascinated by the t.v. (uh-oh!). He eats a LOT and just finished up a little growth spurt. He likes "standing up", and chomping on his fists. Once we finish off the size 2's we have, he's moving up to size 3 diapers! Chubby little legs he has! He laughs quite a lot and smiles easily, he also "talks" to us and loves attention. He still can't sit on his own, but I don't think he'll be much longer perfecting that skill.

Still not a big fan of tummy time

Daddy packed Lincoln up in a box on moving day!

Contemplating the meaning of life

Getting Big...

2008-11-19T16:25:00.004-07:00

Couldn't resist posting this one, showing off his little milk-belly!

What's for Dinner?

2008-11-15T17:23:00.001-07:00

Ah, yes, every woman's favourite question. But long before anyone asks her, you can guarantee she has asked herself already. Do the beneficiary diners realize how haunting this conundrum is, how it pervades every aspect of the day until the moment "Dinner's ready!"?

"Did I remember to take the meat out of the freezer?"

"Do I have a can of mushrooms and 3 tablespoons of cream of Tartar?"

"Is two and a half hours at 350 degrees long enough to cook a two pound partially thawed roast?"

All drama aside (although I'm really not exaggerating, much), I sometimes find myself frying pork chops for the second time in a week, or rummaging in the freezer for yet another frozen pizza. That being said, I quite enjoy cooking when I have ingredients on hand for a simple recipe and have remembered to thaw the meat.

Here's a recipe I tried this week. It's from the IGA calendar. It's surprising how many of those recipes I've tried, probably because I've stared at the picture for a month straight!

My test: Tyler liked it!

Hawaiian Island Pork

(I doubt this is very Hawaiian...but perhaps a tad more Hawaiian than that frozen pizza.)

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 15 mins Makes: 4 servings

Pineapple chunks in juice, 1 can (213 mL)
Cornstarch, 1 Tbsp
Heinz Chili Sauce, 2/3 cup
Brown Sugar, 1 Tbsp
Cinnamon, pinch
Boneless pork loin chops, about 4
Vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp
Raisins (optional), 1/3 cup

Rice (4 servings)
The recipe recommends instant rice, but I am a bit of a rice snob, so I used my favourite Basmati rice. Mmmm...

1. Drain pineapple chunks, reserving juice. Stir cornstarch with juice until combined, stir in the chili sauce, sugar and cinnamon. Combine pineapple chunks and raisins (if using). Reserve.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook pork chops for 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned. Drain off fat.

3. Pour pineapple mixture over pork and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes or until pork is cooked through.

4. Serve on prepared rice.

Happy Three Months, Lincoln!

2008-11-08T14:11:00.003-07:00

Lincoln turned three months old on Thursday, November 6th. Wow! Time flies...and he's grown so much! He's close to 15 lbs now, can sit with a little help from Mom or Dad, rolls from his tummy to his back (still not a big fan of tummy time!), laughs, coos, and smiles a lot.

I made a cake for the occasion (good excuse for cake!), and we even lit the candles and let him blow them out. OK, so we blew them out. And ate the cake.

Louisbourg, Sept. '08

2008-11-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

More pictures of our trip home...a daytrip to Louisbourg and the Fortress...

Dad and Lincoln at the Lighthouse

At the Fortress

The gardener at one of the homes, who gave us some beans to try growing in Fort Nelson. They were a heritage variety called "Jacob's Cattle", and he thinks they might do well with our short growing season.

A soldier who gave the rifle demonstration. This guy fired the gun in English, then they did it again in French. I thought that was pretty funny. Something tells me that in an actual war, gunshots are bilingual.

Happy Hallowe'en!

2008-10-31T09:32:00.001-06:00

Brier Island Whale Watching

2008-10-28T16:49:00.003-06:00

While we were home we took a little side trip to Digby for a vacation within our vacation. I had never been down that way before, and we had a great time. We stayed at Mountain Gap Inn, where we had a cozy cabin, and went on a whale watching cruise from Brier Island. The humpbacks were so close to the boat, we could almost touch them!

A whale doing some people watching

Whale Tail!

So close we could almost touch them

On the boat...it's a lobster boat when it's not being used as a whale watching/research vessel.

If you ever get a chance to go whale watching, we highly recommend it!

Fifteen Minutes

2008-10-27T17:30:00.004-06:00

Tyler has been involved in a project with BC Hydro to bring electricity to Toad River, a community that is a couple hours "up highway" from Fort Nelson. He was there over the last weekend, and now has his picture on the front page of the Fort Nelson News!! Who knew we had to move to northern BC to get our name in lights...or at least in the local rag...

Check it out:

http://www.fortnelsonnews.ca/index.html

Back from Nova Scotia!

2008-10-21T10:54:00.001-06:00

We had a great trip home! Tyler, Lincoln and I had two weeks in Halifax and CB, and Lincoln and I stayed for two more with Gran in Sydney. We had a great time, and now we're glad to be back with Daddy in FN.

While we were home some highlights for us were smelling that salty air, introducing Lincoln to friends and family, his baptism, staying with the Barretts in Tantallon, getting together with friends we hadn't seen in a long time, crepes at the Market, a side trip to Digby and Whale Watching, Fortress Louisbourg in CB, Point Michaud Beach near St. Peters, my trip to Inverness and Mabou with "Gran" and Lincoln, "Girls' Night Out" at Don Cherry's and Cheryl's place, and just generally enjoying ourselves! (Oh yes, and Napoli Pizza. Mmm.)

Here are a few pics to get started, stay tuned for more!

At the Farmer's Daughter in Whycocomagh

At Two Macs gift shop in Margaree

Lincoln looking tough in his camo and new shades

Point Michaud Beach

Smiles for Mummy?

2008-09-09T17:23:00.000-06:00

Lincoln was smiling and laughing, but refused an encore performance for the camera:

More Pictures

2008-09-09T09:46:00.001-06:00

Lincoln is now a month old (on Saturday); I can hardly believe how time flies! He's sleeping a little less in the daytime, and (sometimes!) a little more at night. He still eats about every three hours, loves to be swaddled, and smiles and chuckles occasionally. We are looking forward to our trip to Nova Scotia in just a couple of weeks, complete with a stop in Calgary to finally meet Granddad!

He loves to lie on his side

"Yikes! A bear!" Hanging out, watching the slideshow on the digital picture frame from "Uncle" Adam

Earth-Friendly Lincoln, sporting his environmentally responsible cloth diaper

Loving the vibrating chair Mum & Dad got at a yardsale (and wearing the cutest little bunny slippers!)

Lincoln Daniel

2008-09-03T23:56:00.005-06:00

I'm a little slow doing a blog since Lincoln joined our little family!

Lincoln was born on Wednesday, August 6th, 6:55pm in Fort Saint John Hospital, BC.

He weighed 8lbs 5oz, and was 20 1/2 inches long.

All swaddled up

Ready to go!

Grampa Mattheis

Grammie Mattheis

Getting Chubby!

Lincoln and me...looking a little tired!

Gran and Mum out to the Fort Hotel for breakfast with Lincoln

Cutie!

Lincoln on his refinished change table

Andy Bailey

2008-09-01T16:57:00.000-06:00

This is a test post, with picassa2.

Time to Guess!

2008-08-01T09:55:00.003-06:00

Hi Friends!

Well, since I could not figure out a good scoring system, I am making use of this online Baby Pool for you all to make your predictions!

Can't wait to see what you think! May the best guesser win!

Haircut!

2008-07-29T15:21:00.003-06:00

I finally got a hair appointment...something I wanted to do before baby gets here. I was pretty excited when the hairdresser said that a side bang would "work"; I've generally been discouraged from bangs of any kind due to my curly hair, but a flat iron is a girl's best friend...

Yay for bangs!!

Belly by Popular Demand

2008-07-22T14:21:00.006-06:00

Only when you are pregnant is it socially acceptable to be asked how big your belly is and to take pictures of it and post them for all the world to see.

At 35 weeks...

Today, at 36.5 weeks...

Some say my belly's not very big, some say I'm carrying high...you might as well throw your opinion in the mix, since I'm not really sure. I will say that I think my belly is very big, as you might if you were carrying it around all the time!

I think I will take a page from Sarah's book (or blog, I should say) and get a guessing game going for baby's arrival date and time, boy or girl, and all the other details. Stay tuned and start fine tuning your intuition.

National Aboriginal Day

2008-07-03T10:24:00.007-06:00

The "Spirit Pole" made a stop in Fort Nelson for National Aboriginal Day. This totem pole is being transported and carved all over BC, and will be displayed at the 2008 North American Indigenous Games. Tyler signed up and carved part of the pole.

The Spirit Pole platform, which is also the truck trailer that it is transported in.

Signing up to carve...

Tyler gets some quick pointers.

Carving the cedar with the slide.

Souvenir shavings from the Spirit Pole.

The Buzz (and SWAT!)

2008-07-02T14:18:00.003-06:00

Well, a month and a half left to go! I finished work on Friday, which was bittersweet for me. I am really glad I don't have to be on my feet all day, but on the other hand, six weeks is a long time to keep myself amused! I will have no excuses if I don't have the baby's room ready and the house all cleaned and organized. :)

Baby has figured out where my ribs are. This morning I felt this little foot (I'm guessing it was a foot...) reach up and give my lower rib a good shove. And I thought I was ticklish from the outside!

Yesterday was Canada Day, so we went to a pancake breakfast and the official Fort Nelson Canada Day parade. No fireworks, though, since it doesn't get dark enough to see them in the summer, they have fireworks on Halloween instead.

It's been pretty hot here the past few days, something I am trying not to complain about since I was complaining all winter that it was -40. I just don't do well in the heat, and baby is making me extra warm...so we have all the fans going in our apartment and I've been having a LOT of slushies and cold showers. Another summer phenomenon that I do not really enjoy: mosquitoes. There is an above average population of these little pests here in FN. I have taken to carrying bug spray in my purse (forget the perfume, ladies), and I am seriously considering wearing a head net next time I venture out.

Pictures to come...

Pregnancy Brain and Pictures

2008-06-04T20:24:00.006-06:00

OK, so my mental acuteness hasn't been what it normally is lately. Not that I was a whiz before getting pregnant, but I could claim to know where most of my possessions (keys, shoes, the thing I had in my hand five seconds ago) were most of the time. Now Tyler is enjoying my short term memory loss. In that sense pregnancy has been a bit of an equalizer. hehe. It gave him a great laugh when I brought the salt and pepper shaker into our office to put them away.

However, I have a very good excuse for not being able to find the memory card with our Kelowna/Lake Okanagan pictures on it. Tyler had it with him in Calgary. So I haven't completely lost my marbles.

Here are some pictures of our vacation "Down South." Funny how in other parts of Canada that might mean Florida or Cuba or something like that, but here in Fort Nelson it means nothing more tropical than Fort Saint John, Grande Prairie, or the VERY exotic Vancouver...

The very twisty but scenic road to Lake Okanagan Resort where we stayed on our vacation with Tyler's sister Kimberlei & her hubby Rick, and our two nieces Danika and Shayla, and Tyler's parents: Gus and June.

The view from our bedroom balcony: tennis courts and the lake.

The girls had a blast playing in the backyard on the rope swing with the "neighbours." They look like little princesses!

Danika and Grammie making playdough baskets outside.

Kimberlei, Tyler, and I enjoyed a night out at a local pub where Rebekah Higgs, a friend from Halifax, was playing.

We took tour of Mission Hill Winery, it was so beautiful, I felt like I was in Italy. The fountain in the foreground on the right was brought over from Austria, where the founder's family emigrated from. It dates from the the 1600's.

The Mission Hill bell tower. The red wine cellars are directly underground, 30 feet below.

The oak barrels used to age the wine. Each barrel is made by hand by a cooper and takes about a day to make. The numbers allow for tracking, and the R stands for red.
At the end of the tour, the "wine educator" (tour guide) taught us how to properly "taste" wine--swirling, smelling, and slurping. They sampled four wines and served them with a locally made cheddar cheese. I smelled the wine but baby and I enjoyed some sparkling apple-raspberry juice. We took home lovely crystal wine glasses etched with the Mission Hill family crest. It was a memorable experience, and even if you aren't a wine drinker, I recommend a tour of this winery to anyone visiting the Okanagan area! Thanks Gus and June for taking us!

My husband, Knight in Shining Sunglasses, perched proudly atop his slain dragon, or Ogopogo Monster, as the case may be. At a waterpark by the lake in Kelowna.

Phew. That took quite a while. Hope you enjoyed these pics, more to come, but I have a sink (and counter) full of dishes waiting to be done. And I just noticed I put the soya sauce on top of the bookshelf...

Where did May go?

2008-06-01T23:33:00.005-06:00

We've had a busy few weeks, and I can't believe it's June already and I'm 29 weeks pregnant!

I just got back from a conference for work (Early Childhood Educators of BC), which was a good conference, held in Richmond (so I got to ride a plane, woo hoo!, and shop at a mall, YAY!!). As you can see, the returning plane to Fort Nelson was a little on the small side, with the copilot serving as the "flight attendant."

Tyler is also away, at the Oil & Gas tradeshow in Calgary, it will be good when he gets back home and we can unpack our bags for a while!

Last week we enjoyed some time at Lake Okanagan with Tyler's family. It was a wonderful vacation, a beautiful place, and so nice to have family around. We also got to do some "baby shopping"; we have to take full advantage of being near stores like Babies 'R Us and WalMart, since we don't have those things in Fort Nelson! (Pictures are coming for this trip, I'm not sure where that memory card is at the moment.)

Tomorrow is the first day of my last four weeks of work! The daycare closes for the summer, which coincides nicely with my belly getting bigger and bigger. Some days I get down on the floor for circle time and wonder if I will ever get up again! Baby is very active and I think is practising Tai-Bo moves. Today I had a little foot or elbow or some appendage poking way out--it's so strange and wonderful to have this little person with me all the time!

Well, I am off to slumberland...

First Slushy of 2008

2008-05-02T22:35:00.008-06:00

So, today was the first slushy of 2008. And, like anyone who has been in Fort Nelson for long, we went to our discerning Corner Store - Juices. We could have gone to the Northern Store, but at the late hour (9:10pm), the Northern Store is closed. We could have also gone to Fas Gas, or to the Husky station, but Juices just has that "flair" lacking at other establishments. We pull up next to one other vehicle in front, get the desired slushy (layers of cream soda and pepsi), pay after waiting for a while (despite the estimated 150 square feet of store, you usually have to wait at least for a minute as there is only one cashier and there is ALWAYS someone there), and step out of the store. Now, instead of one vehicle beside ours, there is two cars, a 3/4 ton truck, and a 4x4 complete with a quad and motorbike on the back, and a van - Fort Nelson traffic Jam!

Also of note, Margaret received yet another compliment on her new "Zooper" rubber boots. As a compliment to the 70's, Margaret's new boots are very bright, very trendy, and compliment-magnets. Soon Margaret will have accepted compliments from all the fashion-savvy population of Fort Nelson (well, those whose wardrobe consists of 90% camouflage may prove un-phased by the exceptional trendiness of the boots, but how many people can there be like that here?)

A slushy was a fitting end to a watery walk in the community forest - as you can see Margaret had fun snapping pics of mushrooms, and I had fun splashing around.

Hello spring, hope you stay a while!

The Bump

2008-04-12T14:25:00.003-06:00

Well, I am 21 weeks now, so I guess it's about time I posted the much-requested "belly pic"!

March

Our baby! (Profile of head, and a little arm)

Cute little foot

Baby is busy bouncing around, and frequently gets the hiccups. It's a funny feeling having someone inside me practising for the Jolly Jumper !

First Comes Love...

2008-03-15T13:58:00.002-06:00

In case you haven't heard...We're very excited and can't wait to meet our baby!

Picture Potpourri

2008-03-14T16:52:00.004-06:00

A few odds and ends...

Tyler decided he needed to shovel out his office window...

The new view...

Fort Nelson Parking Lot

A local resident

Product of my arts and crafts time...I dragged those shells all the way across the country

Valentine's Day

2008-03-14T16:28:00.003-06:00

Still catching up on February events...

My hunny surprised me with flowers on Valentine's Day, as well as with wall sconce-style lamps for above our nighttables. Note the wrapping job on the presents, he did it himself, including the paper flower "bows" with chocolates in the centre!! I'm soooo spoiled...

Dad Visits Fort Nelson

2008-03-14T16:02:00.003-06:00

In February, my dad came to check out the true North, strong and free. He got good use out of his new parka, and we took him "up highway" to Tetsa River, Toad River, and Liard Hotsprings. Tyler even went for a dip...a perfect day for it with balmy temperatures of -30 or so.

Tetsa River Outfitters & the "Cinnamon Bun Center of the Galactic Cluster"

Dad enjoying the warm weather at Liard Hotsprings

"You know, Tyler, I think I'll just watch you take a dip, thanks..."

Lucky he didn't freeze to the stairs

Some buffalo just off the highway. These guys are part of the daily traffic report, no kidding.

I know, I know...

2008-02-28T22:09:00.003-07:00

It's been too long. I have pictures to post, and I will! Promise! Our internet is a little sluggish, so I keep procrastinating. My excuse specific to tonight is that Tyler is in Toad River and I think he took the camera with him, because I can't find it! This filler is basically to keep me out of Sarah's blogger doghouse. :)

Stay tuned...

Cold Comfort

2008-01-29T19:48:00.001-07:00

The week we moved to Fort Nelson, I thought it was as cold as it could be at around -30. Apparently, I was wrong. This morning the thermometer outside my window read -41. I didn't know the mercury could get down that far. The air looked white, like fog that rolls in off the ocean, only frozen. At these temperatures, it hurts to breathe in, and exposed skin will freeze in less than 5 minutes. A great day to walk to work, or at least that's what my husband thinks. I had to get groceries and run a few errands, otherwise I would have stayed in, or hopped a plane to the Caribbean. For goodness sakes, even Polar Bears hibernate in this weather!!

Tyler put our new BC plates on the Echo the other day. He took my hairdryer out to "unfreeze" the screws in the back, and warm up the front bumper for the drill...it was the Echo's first experience with a front plate and we had to drill holes. Now we can't speed coming or going! This is our third licence plate in two years...our Nova Scotia ones aren't even expired yet...but we are starting a unique collection of wall decorations.

Anyway, being inside a lot leads to boredom, and my cure for boredom is usually found experimenting in the kitchen. Tyler doesn't object much to this philosophy! So far, I've made Mustard Roasted Chicken, Cheesecake Brownies, and Lady Baltimore Cake with Seven Minute Frosting. Mmm...

Tyler's Trip to Toad River

2008-01-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

So, any blog entry from this neck of the woods should emphasize the fact that it is cold here. The thermometer shown at left is the best kind of thermometer to have here; it allows you to channel emotions triggered by the cold to the fact that the thermometer shows the same temperature all the time: bloody cold. As an added benefit, discussion regarding the actual temperature cannot be prematurely headed off by some wise-ass who eagerly says, "look guys, its minus X degrees, get over it." Traditionally in Toad River, if you got over it, there would be significantly less things to discuss, argue about, and fight over therefore eliminating one of the primary forms of social communication and entertainment (the others being buffalo on the highway, Texas hold 'em night and who fleeced who, conditions on the highway, and the inadequacies of various governments). Recently, thanks to the Toad River Electrification Project, that looming fear is less ominous to local citizens.

Simply put, the local community of Toad River, BC Hydo, and the Northern Rockies Regional District (who I work for) wish to bring an electrical grid to their fair village. Though the end product would certainly reduce citizens' annual energy costs significantly, the up front cost of the distribution line and individual home upgrades would be the responsibility of citizens - a thorny issue.

To that end, three representatives from BC Hydro Rural Electrification Program, and three from the NRRD headed to Toad River this weekend to discuss the progress made, the plans from here, and what information will be available when we ask the residents to vote on the issue. We had a pretty good time, and I was able to take a few pictures. Though we're grateful for the use of a borrowed HP digital camera, my colleague from BC Hydro significantly out-gunned me in the equipment department - therefore increasing the possibility of a subsequent follow-up entry on this topic.

Toad River Lodge (my accommodations for the night), is still early on Sunday morning (well, about 7:30am). Toad River is nestled in the Northern Rocky Mountains so the limited Northern daylight is limited a bit more due to mountain shadow there.

I think that the lodge has been featured in previous blogs, and here's a few more pictures. The hat collection (num
ber in the 7000 range if I remember correctly) is a well known feature of the Alaska Highway, and you can pick out your favourite wolf-skin too!

Toad River, similar to most communities in this area, is very friendly to dogs. RV travellers also travel with dogs that are, shall we say, more accustomed to city life and the "plumbing" available there. Toad River Lodge strives to make tourists, and their dogs, feel at home.

Our BC Hydro colleagues and one of my fellow NRRD employees stayed in a little more luxury at Stone Mountain Safaris Lodge (www.stonemountainsafaris.com), a local guide outfitter and B&B. Leif and Kelly served dinner (sweet and sour buffalo on rice) and breakfast (french toast with locally made cranberry jam) for us there, what a treat! As you can see in the picture, they have impressive displays of past successful hunts located in their foyer (as well as a shadow of me showing my photographic ineptitude).

We also saw some wildlife still alive during the trip. In addition to elk and moose, we saw some sheep (stone sheep for which the area is famous - a part of the North America "Grand Slam" of hunting).

This raven was also interested in the power grid, and as he flies off so do we. Unlike most Canadians, we actually do live in an igloo, and I have to put the laptop in the unfreezer before I go to bed.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

2007-12-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

Frightfully cold, anyway! It's about minus 28 or minus 38 with the windchill right now. On that note, here is an indoor tour of our apartment (excuse the mess, I wasn't expecting company!).

Hallway...kitchen to the left, living room to the right, bedrooms down the hall.

Master Bedroom, and our nice new bed!

Another angle...

And another...

View from the entryway of the livingroom and window and door to the balcony.

Livingroom, complete with napping husband.

Eat-in Kitchen

Our mini-nativity set (thanks, Mum!).

So there you have it! Our cozy little place. It's snowing out now, so I'm glad to be holed up inside for the night with a pot of tea and the George Canyon Christmas Special on CBC.

Bye for now!

Fort Nelson: Some Highlights

2007-12-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Fort Nelson and the surrounding area, for you to get an idea of where we live, and what's around!

This is the first sign along the Alaska Highway for Fort Nelson. So far, this is the only bear I've seen here...fine with me!

Here we are, filling up at the Husky station. Gas is a little more expensive here than it is in Edmonton. In the background, you can see the Shangri-La, which is actually closed now and being renovated. It's under new management; we are looking forward to trying out the new Chinese restaurant once it's open!

One of the several hunting supply stores here. It's always surprising going in these places. Often they have quite a selection of high-end designer clothing, too. $90.00 mitts, anyone? We got our skates sharpened at this place before we headed out to Parker Lake.

This is my favourite: the Trapper's Den. They have everything in there, from pelts to woodstoves, camping gear, camo lingerie (!!!), moose leather moccasins, painted feathers, antler carvings, books, gold nugget jewellery, you name it!

This is "Town Square", where the movie theatre, library, and town and regional offices are located. This is where Tyler works!

This quilt depicts some various local sights: the "Old" Fort, the Northern Lights, the town's churches, and the Rockies. It's hanging upstairs in Tyler's office building.

These are the only Polar Bears in the region (you wouldn't find any here naturally!). Pretty big! The town square building used to be a hotel (the Polar Inn, I think?), and these bears were in the lobby, so they are there to this day. They look kind of cool, if not a little creepy. The wall behind is made of wood and is a giant carved map of the North.

Hope you enjoyed the virtual tour!

Skating on Parker Lake

2007-12-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, Tyler and I headed out to Parker Lake and went skating. It was pretty nice, we had the whole "rink" to ourselves!

NB: Thanks to Dad for lending us his digital camera! Look forward to more frequent and picture-ful blog entries!

Fort Nelson, Mile 300

2007-12-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away!

Our move to the snowy North went much more smoothly than our move from NS to AB did last year about this time. I still haven't found that shoe, by the way.

It's pretty cold up here...I had to laugh at the forecast the day we arrived: "The low for Sunday is minus 28, and the high will be minus 27." Ooooh, a whole degree. It's gotten much warmer since then, settling at about minus 10 ish, which, oddly, doesn't seem that cold. Today it was minus 13 and I went out with a sweater and a vest, and eschewed my boots in favour of lighter footwear. I'm getting used to the small town convenience of everything here being within a 5 minute drive, and it would be very hard to convince me to move back to Edmonton. (Note: population of Edmonton 1,040,000; population of Fort Nelson 4,871.)

Tyler is enjoying his new job with the Northern Rockies Region as a Community Development Officer. Check out the new tourism website: http://dev.tourismnorthernrockies.ca/, and then plan your trip to come visit!!

From East to (Even MORE) West

2007-11-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back from the East Coast! I had a great visit. It was sooo good to be home, see family, hang out with friends, and breathe the salty air. I was there just long enough to get un-used to the dry air of Alberta, and I now feel like I have alligator skin...

Highlights, in no particular order:

Getting off the plane in Halifax and smelling the salt air
Bumping into friends randomly
Halifax Farmers' Market (so sad about it leaving the Brewery!)
Doing the Trail with Mum, Cheticamp and watching Out of Africa in our chalet
Meat Cove :)
Dock Y'ur Dory in Port Morien
Shopping dowtown in Sydney
Having (good!) tea at the Bean Bank on Charlotte and eavesdropping on the hilarious conversations of the "regulars"
Don Cherry's Cajun Chicken Nachos. Mmmm...
Staying at Sarah's and hanging out with Naomi. The smartest, cutest cookie!!!
Ordering tea in restaurants and not getting asked "what kind?", or looked at like I have five heads when I ask for milk....

I took a pile of pictures, and I will scan some and post them when it's not midnight and I am not comfortably sunk into the middle cushion of the couch listening to Diana Krall Christmas. Promise.

And as some of you Facebookers and otherwise well-informed folks may know, we are moving to BC in a few days!! Tyler had a great job offer in development (his degree from Dal was in IDS), and so, we are off to the wilds of the Northern Rockies Region where he will be taking on the roll of Economic and Community Development Officer. We are both very excited about this opportunity. The town we are going to is Fort Nelson, which is at mile 300 of the Alaska Highway (mile 0 is at Dawson Creek. Not the TV series.) I have never been there, so it's quite the adventure for me. Hope I like it. Haha! I think it will be great, I'm looking forward to a small town and the beautiful surroundings of mountains, rivers, and TREES!! Alberta can be a little flat by times. So, please plan your northern adventures, pack your snowshoes, and come visit! I'll have the tea on.

Coming Home

2007-10-24T08:30:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been far too long, and it's time to replenish the salt in my blood with a trip home to Nova Scotia.

I'm sooo excited, I leave on a red-eye flight Friday night, and arrive on home soil early Saturday. I'll be around for about two weeks, so if you are reading this in NS, I'd love to visit!!!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2007-10-03T11:59:00.001-06:00

Today's the big day--my Dad's birthday!
Hint: if you can read backwards...take a good look at the candles on his cake...hehehe.

Love you, Dad!

Cross-Country Check Up

2007-09-10T13:02:00.001-06:00

Well, I don't know about where you are, but it has been rather fall-ish here in Edmonton. Dad was here from Calgary this weekend and snapped a couple of pictures with his digital camera (we have yet to cross the line into modernity and are still among the dwindling remnants of techno-peasants who use 35mm and get pictures developed...)

So, here we are, NOT at the beach, in our jackets, and--quite frankly--enjoying the cooler weather! (Dad's new CRV in the background.)

Our second fireplace fire since the end of summer weather.

Yay! Fall! My favourite season, its arrival brings excitement dampened only by the knowledge that about seven months of winter will follow.

How to be Annoying on the Bus

2007-08-16T09:36:00.000-06:00

Let me preface this by saying that all my bus experiences are not negative, and I do appreciate the availability of public transit, the convenience of not having to drive or park my vehicle downtown in the early morning, and the general cheerfulness of most bus drivers.

Some days, it just drives me nuts.

How to be Annoying on the Bus:

1. Practice these annoying habits before 8am to ensure irritability of other passengers.

2. Wear a large, protruding backpack. Pivot in the aisle; see how many people you can hit.

3. Talk very loudly in a foreign language.

4. Talk very loudly in English.

5. Talk very loudly in English about your carpal tunnel surgery and/or you ex-boyfriend's skanky new girlfriend.

6. Talk to yourself. Look crazed; shift your eyes from passenger to passenger. Make eye contact.

7. Listen to music on your ipod. Use earbuds, but make sure the volume is high enough so at least the half of the bus you are sitting in can also hear Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under.

8. Set your cell phone to have a grating, overplayed song as the ringtone (example: Smack That by Akon). Ensure ringer is set to Loud. Arrange to have all your friends call you during the period you will be on the bus, and ask you where you are. Reply, "I'm on the bus." Proceed to continue the conversation, very loudly, in the language of your choice.

**Note**

To be an Annoying Bus Driver, follow this formula:

1. Ensure it is pre-8am, as in point one of How to be Annoying on the Bus, Passenger Version.

2. Say "Hello!" very loudly and cheerfully to every single person who gets on the bus.

3. Pretend you are Pollyanna for the duration of the bus ride (example: Smile widely and comment on how fantastic the weather is, especially if it's not that great. Repeat same line about the fantastic weather ad nauseam to every single person who gets on the bus.)

4. Say "Goodbye! You have yourself just a fantastic day now!" to every single person who gets off the bus (special effort required to reach those exiting by rear doors: crane your neck, look in rearview mirror, twist around in your seat, etc.)

Rodeo and Rockies

2007-08-10T09:46:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we went to Strathmore Rodeo with Kelly and Jonathan and my dad. It was a big small-town Rodeo, complete with the only Canadian Running of the Bulls!! A Nova Scotian won, by the way. Crazy Easterners! We also drove through some of the Rockies that weekend, via a trip to Kananaskis Country. Beautiful!

Dad showing his Western Spirit, sporting his new cowboy hat at the Chuck Wagon Races. Yee Haw!

Me and Tyler by a "point of interest" on the road to Kananaskis. It was a missionary church site complete with parson's cabin and (functioning!) outhouses.

The mountains...

It was a beautiful drive, and a great weekend!! Can't wait to go back.

Things to Come

2007-08-08T08:58:00.000-06:00

It's one of those rare gray days in Alberta.

I caught a glimpse of Winter leaning in heavily, arm and shoulder pressed tightly between hulking body and flimsy door, eye trained on the seam of summer, impatiently waiting f0r the last glimmers of long light to fade.

In his other hand, he has Fall by the scruff, ready to shove him through the door--an obligatory offering before his own massive presence fills the frame and resumes his reign. It was a short reprieve.

Morning Commute

2007-07-31T09:24:00.000-06:00

Maybe it was the rain.
I found myself perhaps a little wistful, gazing through the murky window of the ETS bus, catching the blur of green and white street signs, traffic lights, and pedestrians unaccustomed to inclement weather hugging close to buildings and gravitating to doorways and awnings.
Jasper Ave was believably an overgrown Barrington Street, without the pungent smell of the harbour hanging in the air.
Swiftly jostling past the below street-level Tim Horton's, I was transported for a heartbeat back to downtown Halifax, the TD Building, Parade Square. I half expected the Freak Lunch Box, not the Wok Box and EPCOR.
Jerking to an abrupt halt, the bus, my thoughts...I stepped out and into the rushing tide of morning foot traffic, was swept along, and swallowed by the tall Telus tower.

The Land Before Time

2007-07-09T10:15:00.000-06:00

This picture is pretty bad, due to some overhead lights, but here we are at the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, where we went with my Dad for Canada Day.

Dad and Tyler in the "Time Tunnel", being transported back a few million years, or so they say.

This guy is a for-real fossil, that is partially uncovered and mounted on the wall in one of the museum exhibit halls. It was pretty cool to see all the fossils and bones of animals that were so HUGE and some that were just weird.

Drumheller is the place to go if you are a dinosaur fan, they are everywhere (well, not living and breathing, but some interesting portrayals). Drum is also home of the world's largest dinosaur, a T-Rex that you can go to the top of (a la Statue of Liberty) and look out its mouth.

Another highlight: Drumheller is the hometown of Canadian Idol famed Jaydee Bixby. I didn't get any pictures, but there were signs everywhere and almost every restaurant's marquis sign said something along the lines of "Go Jaydee!" Let me say that his persona fits right in with his hometown. Yee Haw!

Are You Watching?

2007-07-03T14:15:00.001-06:00

I am.

I don't usually watch much T.V., but Canadian Idol has me glued to the screen three nights a week. Yikes. I will be glad when it gets down to the top ten and just a two-night-a-week commitment.

As of last week's performances, I feel the guys have a lot more going for them than the ladies...hopefully the girls pull up their socks tonight.

The guys are an entertaining bunch. My personal favourites are Greg, Liam, and, of course, Lake Ainsley native Tyler Mullendore. The guy is completely crazy and a natural performer. And a Cape Bretoner. Need I say more?

I haven't voted yet, but my husband, who would not admit a Canadian Idol addiction, has been voting for our favourites. So far, our picks are the same. Until we no longer see eye to eye on the crowning of the next Idol, I will let his fingers do the walking.

Can't wait for tonight's show!

Come Fly With Me (but leave your digital meat thermometer at home)

2007-06-27T15:38:00.000-06:00

We have friends who are flying home for vacation in a couple of days. We were talking about what you can and cannot take on board in your carry on luggage, and I was curious, so I looked up the "Permitted and Non-Permitted Items" list on the Transportation Canada website. Leave it to the government to create a month's worth of reading material to inform the public of what they can put in their purse before they get on a plane.

Some interesting tidbits:

You can bring your whip, but leave your gun-shaped belt buckle at home, please.

Razor blades are a no-no (of course, you say...but wait..), unless they are in a cartridge. That's peachy.

Solid food products are allowed, and forks and spoons, but you'll have to pack the butter knife in your checked baggage. Why bother? Not like it will do you much good if it's in the cargo hold!

Feel free to bring a lighter and some matches, but a bowling ball is far too dangerous. (What are they worried about? An air strike?)

Did you know lip gloss is a security threat unless it is in a Ziplock baggie? Wow, it's a wonder you don't see the bomb squad decked out in ziplock from head to foot.

Anyway, I could go on, but I will restrain myself. Ridiculing air safety measures is one of my favourite rants. I'm all for reasonable and common-sense precautions, but some of the rules leave me scratching my head.

Rook

2007-06-25T13:47:00.001-06:00

This is my new addiction...I think I had played once before, long ago, but we played last weekend with Kelly and Jonathan, and now I'm hooked. We played again Saturday night--I made a few bad moves that hopefully Kelly will forgive me for, but--we had a great time.

Sarah probably remembers how long it took me to master "President", hopefully I will pick up on Rook a little quicker. ;) In the meantime I will have to avoid partnering up with anyone of a highly competitive nature.

2007-05-30T14:25:00.000-06:00

I’ve been getting away with filler posts for a while now. Here’s the skinny on what we’ve been up to:

May Long Weekend Camping in Jasper: a perk to living in Alberta—the mountains are not far away! We went with Kelly and Jonathan and had an awesome time. Highlights: Campfires and S’mores; Miette Hot Springs; lots of wildlife, including mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, and even A BEAR and her cub; poking around Jasper with Kelly while the guys went hiking; and of course, the majestic mountains and blue water of the Rockies!!

Pictures*

Quick Trip to Calgary: we visited my dad and checked out his new office. Tyler also set up dad’s new digital camera for him. So, Dad, if you are reading this (and I know you will end up reading this, because Auntie will tell you to), send some pics so I can post them!

Small Group BBQ: we attended a backyard BBQ with a bunch of folks from our new church on Sunday. We had a great time meeting new people, roasting hotdogs, and roasting our white skin in the sunshine. I have my first and (hopefully, but not likely) last sunburn of the season.

South Cooking Lake: this is not even blog-worthy. Its very un-blog-worthyness, ironically, is why I am even mentioning this body of water. Call me a spoiled Maritimer, but a slimy duck and goose filled oversized puddle surrounded by muck doesn’t really classify as a recreation destination. Where’s the ocean when you want it?? Tyler waded in past his ankles, but Jonathan was afraid of getting pond itch, so he contented himself by trying to hit birds with rocks (I apologize on behalf of Mr. Hart to any avid birders who may be reading this, and Greenpeace, and PETA, and the WWF. I note that I was non-supportive of this activity. I will also note that Mr. Hart was unsuccessful in his attempts to hit any bird. He came closer to hitting the squirrels in Jasper. I will refrain from commenting on the participation status of my husband in any of these activities.)

Hockey: I think there is an important series going on. I will leave expansion on this subject up to "The Other Half".

*Pictures are credit of Kelly and Jonathan, hope you don’t mind, guys!! I’ll get mine developed someday soon, and we’ll see if Jonathan got close enough to Momma Bear.

2007-05-28T08:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday

2007-05-18T16:19:00.000-06:00

I will probably never be famous or important enough to grant everyone a holiday in honour of my birthday. The Queen, bless her heart, is both.

Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth!

(Note the rain in the picture. I think it always rains on May Long. Maybe I just notice this because I am usually in the rain, camping.)

A Good Command of the English Language?

2007-05-02T16:17:00.000-06:00

If you have been reading my blog for long at all, you will know that I am not what you might call a "Political Blogger," nor do I get very fired up about world issues. (If my husband took a more active roll in this blog, it might look a little different.)

I am occassionaly struck, however, by a major news item that extends past the scope of Elizabeth Hasselback announcing her pregnancy on The View.

The article below further confirmed my already assured beliefs that Mr. Bush, while I respect his position as president, must be either A) not the brightest crayon in the box, or B) a very intelligent man who is just painfully inarticulate. You decide.

May 2, 2007, 5:11 pm

Bush: “I’m the Commander Guy”

By Sheryl Gay
Stolberg

WASHINGTON, May 2–And you thought he was still “the decider.”

President Bush coined a new nickname for himself — ‘’the commander guy”
— on Wednesday, as he criticized Congressional Democrats in a speech to the
annual gathering of the Associated General Contractors of America, a
construction industry trade group.

The man who last year proclaimed “I’m the decider,’’ in response to a
question about whether he would fire Donald Rumsfeld as defense secretary, came
up with this latest moniker in explaining why he vetoed an Iraq war spending
bill that dictated a timeline for troops to withdraw from Iraq.

“The question is, ‘Who ought to make that decision, the Congress or the
commanders?,’’ Mr. Bush said. “As you know, my position is clear – I’m the
commander guy.”Mr. Bush issued the veto Tuesday; on
Wednesday, the House failed to muster the two-thirds majority necessary for an
override and Congressional leaders went to the White House to talk to the
commander guy about a new spending measure.

Both sides said afterward they believed compromise was possible. But if
Democrats try to tie his hands in prosecuting the war, Mr. Bush has vowed to
exercise his veto power again.

Would that make him “veto man?”

The Good Stuff

2007-04-26T22:13:00.000-06:00

Just a little list of random good things.

Freshly updated blogs (sidelight: trendiest thing to blog about today: your newborn babe. If you don't have one, puppies are a close second. The uber trendy, both. You know who you are.)

Finding an April Cornell tablecloth at the thrift store for $7.00.

2 for 1 dinner coupons. So I like saving money, ok?

Sunny days. Hello, serotonin.

Not having to put a jacket on to go outside. Hello, Spring.

Cranking a good song and driving fast with the windows down (note: said good song must have ample levels of bass to vibrate speakers and/or doors of car) (another note: by driving fast I of course am not implying speeding. Just fast enough to blow the dust off the dashboard.)

Good service at a Tim Horton's. You have to move to Edmonton from Nova Scotia to truly appreciate this.

Comments on my blog. Ahem.

A Reel Deal

2007-04-18T16:45:00.000-06:00

Since moving to Edmonton, we have discovered a delightful thing--cheap movies. After movies have been on the big screen for a while, before they die and are reincarnated as DVD's, they spend a little time in the limbo land of cheap theatre.

What this means for us is that if we wait long enough, we can see a movie in the theatre for less than the cost of a rental! Pretty good, eh? I think so. For instance, the other night we went to see Astronaut Farmer (more on this later) for the low, low price of $3.50. Or, if you are feeling especially frugal, you can go on a Tuesday (Cheap Night) for a toonie. The only problem with the movie being so cheap is that you can hardly justify paying five times as much for snacks...or maybe you can justify it because you paid five times less for the movie! (Depends how much you want that popcorn.)

So, the Astronaut Farmer--a great movie! It's about a farmer who builds a rocket in his barn and attempts to launch it into space and orbit the earth. Will he succeed? I leave it up to you to find out. If you don't live in cheap-theatre-land you may have to wait for the DVD release. Sorry. But really, it's worth the wait, and I wouldn't want to spoil a good story. The farmer, by the way, is Billy Bob Thornton, and he plays a pretty convincing one, at that.

Easter on the Farm

2007-04-10T12:33:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of pics from the weekend:

June's B&B "AB Cottage Rest A While" a cute little '50's farmhouse

Tyler and Gus looking dapper down on the farm

We had a great long weekend visiting Tyler's parents. It's calving time at Charfords Acres, so a pretty busy and exciting time for this city girl to be experiencing life on the farm!

I witnessed a calf being born, with some help from Gus and Tyler. This is called being "pulled", and it's a pretty accurate term. I won't get too detailed for those with vivid imaginations and weak stomachs, but it involves chains and a pulley system. The good news is, calf and mummy are healthy and happy. :) I think somewhere around 10 calves were born while we were there.

Moooving along, I also got to ride along on a calf tagging adventure. Tyler had the priviledge of chasing down the calf while being chased by an unimpressed mother cow. It ended well with the calf sporting some stylish yellow tags in his ears and Tyler avoided being butted, trampled, and kicked by Mom. She did, however, give him a piece of her mind. I was happy to be sitting safely out of hoof range in the back of the truck.

We also got to go to a neighbour's birthday party, had our best man Wayne over for a visit and board games, dyed eggs for Easter, went to church in Castor (Tyler was born there many moons ago), watched a good rootin' tootin' western--Last Stand at Sabre River with Tom Sellek, and ate out at the Endiang restaurant "Our Home Kitchen", mmm. The Easter Bunny (aka June) was also very busy this year, and left us a paper trail of clues which lead us all across the farm and back to a bag of goodies and treats. Thanks Gus and June for a wonderful visit!!

Easter Thoughts

2007-04-07T11:54:00.000-06:00

These verses are a great reminder for me of the reason we celebrate Easter. Good Friday is a day that we remember what Jesus went through for us. I never really appreciated the extent of humiliation and torture that he endured until I saw The Passion a couple of years ago. It was very graphic, and I don't think I could watch it again, but it did give me a deeper understanding and thankfulness for Jesus' love for me and what he did for me.

Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…” (NIV)

Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ was sacrificed
once to take away the sins of many people, and he will appear a second time, not
to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
(NIV)

1 Peter 1 18-19, “For you know that it was not with
perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty
way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (NIV)

And Easter is, of course a time of great celebration, too, because Jesus conquered death and rose again! The time of year seems to reflect that too, as we see snow melting and new life beginning all around us.

Happy Easter!

Jasper

2007-04-03T21:33:00.000-06:00

No, not the Family Restaurant. (Now closed, I hear. Sigh. Good memories!)

One thing the two Jaspers have in common--a good chance at a bear sighting.

We took a daytrip to see some mountains and get out of the city a couple of weeks ago.

Our trusty little Echo.

One of the mountains we saw on the drive--in "Charcoal" thanks to the photo editor.

Mr & Mrs

2007-04-03T21:24:00.000-06:00

Just changing our profile picture. I just discovered a neat cropping tool on our scanner program...so here we are, sans background! This was taken on the shores of some big lake in the US on our Western Voyage. As I recall, the camera was precariously perched on a post in the park (say that ten times fast!!).

Spring Things

2007-03-27T15:15:00.000-06:00

Well, there's a first time for everything, I guess. After six weeks of hoping things would get better at my job, I conceded defeat and...resigned...quit...! While I liked many aspects of my job, like wearing jeans every day, there were too many trade-offs. I am not cut out for super early morning, 9 hour a day, five day a week, stressball boss jobs. The decision to leave was a good one for me.

We've had our friend Dave MacLeod staying with us the past week or so while he gets set up here in Edmonton--he has joined the ranks of transplanted Nova Scotians in Alberta. It's been nice having company and our plan is to bring as many folks from home out here as possible so we'll have some friends!!

In other news, we've done a bit of weekend adventuring, including a couple of visits to Calgary, to visit my Dad, and we also got to see Kent and Giselle and their beautiful new home! Thanks for the visit!!

Dad & Giselle

Dad, Me, & Tyler on Kent & Giselle's nice new couch!

It seems Spring comes a little earlier out west than at home, and we've been enjoying LOTS of sunshine and mild temperatures. Edmonton doesn't get the Chinooks like Calgary does, but it's still really nice weather. Hopefully we'll be heading to the mountains to do some camping very soon!

Next to Fall, Spring is my favourite season. It's a real boost to the spirits! I love going outside and seeing all the dirty snow melting away and hearing the birds sing a little more energetically. What's your favourite Spring Thing? (and I don't mean Roll Up The Rim!)

Finally

2007-03-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

It's a toss up--who's happier that I've finally updated the blog--you or me? I think me, since I've been waking up in cold sweats in the middle of the night, pangs of guilt over my neglected blog plaguing me and stealing my sleep! (I may be slightly exaggerating.)

Why have I taken so long? Well, first it was just a time issue. Looking for work and then starting a new job took up a lot of the time I had devoted to my little blog. After that, it was sheer exhaustion. Starting a new job, early mornings and long days are not conducive to coming home and tapping out interesting stories on the computer. Then, it was the very fact that I hadn't updated in so long that was putting me off. Where to begin? What to say? Anywho...now that I have explained my long neglect, I will attempt to fill you in.

Tyler and I are both working now, a fact we are very thankful for. Alberta has so many employment opportunities, the choices can be overwhelming, but it's always a challenge to find a good job and hard "waiting to find out" about interviews, etc. We both have jobs that are different genres than we are used to, good experience for both of us. I have traded in my heels and dress pants for steel toes and a reflective vest, while Tyler has donned a blazer, tie, and briefcase! Role reversal for us! Strangely enough, I find wearing jeans to work every day a pleasant change!

We spent a weekend on Tyler's parents' farm, and had lots of fun with Kimberlei (Tyler's sis) and her girls who were visiting from BC. We hadn't seen our favourite neices in well over a year, and of course they have grown up so much. Shayla was just a few months old the last time we saw her, and now she's a very smart toddler! We went tobogganing, climbed the mountain of hay bales and went sliding down, fed calves, and generally had a grand old time. Danika (4 yrs.) and I also had great fun with Play-Doh while Tyler and his mom and dad played with their new laptop.

Jonathan and Kelly were over this weekend, and we started a game of Monopoly that never did get finished, although I think Jonathan would have cleaned up given the chance. Thanks for coming over!

We've been watching 24 (a struggle for me to keep my eyes open that late!) but we aren't as into it this year as we were last year. Maybe it's that the plot is a little "done", or that we aren't over at Mark and Lauren's with Bryan every Monday night like we used to be, but it's not quite the same (we miss you guys!).

Anywho...my tea is cold now, and I really should get going...'til next time!

Blog Stalker?

2007-02-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

I opened my email account the other day to find this mysterious and rather threatening message:

SORRY TO TELL YOU THIS, BUT I HAVE OFFICIALLY REPORTED YOU TO THE BLOGGING ASSOCIATION OF CANADA. I UNDERSTAND THAT IN DOING SO, THEY CAN & WILL INFORM ALL THE OTHERS BLOGGERS TO WHOM YOUR CORRESPOND WITH, TO DELETE YOU FROM THEIR BLOG LIST.
IT BOTHERS ME TO HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT NO MORE THAN IT SADDENS ME TO KEEP CHECKING EACH DAY TO FIND OLD NEWS FROM LAST YEAR.
SOME OF US ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO KNOW A LITTLE OF YOUR WHEREABOUTS ETC., BUT OTHERS ARE STILL WAITING FOR A REALLY NEWsey UPDATE.

I WILL NOT SIGN MY NAME BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT WAS ME WHO REPORTED YOU.
GET WITH IT OR LOSE YOUR BLOG SPOT.

YOUR DEVOTED BLOG CHECKER.

My "devoted blog checker" may have given away his/her identity by the consistant use of ALL CAPS in the email (shouting, if you check the netiquette). At any rate, please disregard any requests from the Blogging Association of Canada to delete your links to my blog, and rest assured that I will post a "NEWsey" update very soon.

Thanks. :)

Pictures from Home

2007-01-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

We spent our last week in Nova Scotia at my home in Cape Breton. We had a wonderful Christmas. Mum took some pictures, and I thought I'd post a few. I should have done this a while ago, but I was preoccupied by my missing shoe.

Mum and I in front of the Christmas tree

Tyler, Me, and Nanny at her place--she also had a tree this year! Her first one in a long time.

This last one requires a little explaining. That's me, more or less in the middle of Christmas Dinner, climbing a ladder to take the batteries out of the smoke alarm.

Now before you go thinking my dear mother burned any part of the said dinner, let me elaborate. Mum has a knack for setting a very attractive formal dinner table, including lots of little touches and candles. One particularly nice feature of her current dining arrangement is a chandelier complete with real candles, conveniently located directly below the operational smoke detector. I think the rest explains itself.

Anyway, while the piercing alarm was going off between bites of juicy turkey, instead of simply extinguishing the candles, in order to preserve the Spirit of Christmas Dinner, Mum thought it better to decommission the smoke alarm. Rather than allow her to climb the eight foot ladder in her (very stylish) heels and skirt, I volunteered.

It's moments like these that parents feel compelled to capture on film, it seems.

Cinderella Story?

2007-01-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

You may recall from my last post that I was less than pleased with the condition of the boxes we shipped to Edmonton by UPS. Not only were some things jumped on by giant apes, these apes also lost a few things.

I made the lastest discovery of loss yesterday, when I (finally) sifted through the rubble in the last duct-taped box. My shoe. Somewhere out there, between Dartmouth and Edmonton, there lies a lonely black high-heeled sandal. Sigh.

When I was in about grade four (it's all a blur) I wrote a short story about a bunch of shoes that were friends and living in a closet together...Lea Ther, Pat Tent, and Sue Ade. The climax came when their owner had a yard sale and they were being separated--how traumatic! I can only imagine how disturbing this experience must be for my poor shoe (not to mention me. I just bought them!).

If you see a shoe hitching a ride along the side of the Trans-Canada highway, have a closer look, it might be mine.

The Pony Not-So-Express

2007-01-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

That's right! I'm back! I hope you were sitting down when you checked the Mattheis' Blog, probably out of habit and despite a hopelessness that has grown over the past few weeks..."Will she ever post again? Did they make it to Alberta? Do they have internet out there in the Wild West?"

Well, we did make it. It was a long drive, but an interesting one. We drove mostly through the States--Maine, Massachusets, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, surfacing in Saskatchewan and going left to hit Alberta. We arrived at Tyler's folk's place in Hanna and stayed there one night before the last drive to Edmonton and our new apartment.

Tyler in the driver's seat, where he was for most of the 5 days we spent on the road.

The view, for many hours.

The city is good so far, we survived some REALLY cold weather (-33 with wind chill. That will freeze your nose hairs), and now it's not so bad, hovering around zero. Balmy! Everyone here seems to be used to the frigid temperatures, and they drive around with extension cords wrapped around their driver's side mirrors, ready to plug in when they park.

Our apartment is taking shape, thanks to a couple of trips to IKEA (one of my favourite things about Edmonton so far!). The boxes we shipped via UPS arrived, though just barely...they look like something chewed them up and spit them out. They had quite the ride, and appeared to have been re-taped somewhere along the journey. Quite a few items were damaged, some were smashed to smithereens, and I think a few are missing altogether! We did gain a Toronto Maple Leafs toque along the way somehow. It doesn't quite replace the curling iron that I swear I packed...

Moving in...

The lovely dining room table that was Tyler's grandparents, and the flowers his parents sent us as a housewarming/happy job-hunting gift!

Our new bouncy IKEA chair and side table (not bouncy).

The picture quality is not fantastic, this is due to me running around taking pictures with the webcam that is attached to the laptop, which involves me ducking out of the way while balancing the computer on one hand and clicking "Take New Picture" with the other...a new talent! Anyway, it gives you, my (our) loyal readers an idea of our new surroundings here in the big city.

Hopefully I'll post again soon, with more exciting news from the Alberta side of Canada.

2006 on the way out...West!

2006-12-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in quite a while. I could spare you the litany of legitimate excuses and say we've been busy, but, what's a blog for, anyway? Here's what we've been up to in the last couple of weeks:

1) Packing our entire house into 9 boxes, 1 Echo Hatchback, and 1 room in the basement, dispensing the rest with several trips to the Sally Ann, finding adoptive homes for some furniture and tossing out many, many bags of garbage. (Why did we keep all that junk anyway?)

2) Travelling to Cape Breton to see my mum and Nanny as well as many friends who were "home for the holidays". Mum surprised us with a huge and beautiful Christmas tree!! And we had planned on taking her out to a tree lot and getting one! It is a great tree, smells wonderful, and is covered with that lovely tinsely stuff that clings to everything for months after Christmas. The way a tree should be!

3) EATING. Turkey dinner. Chocolate. Roast beef dinner. Chocolate. More Turkey dinner. Pie. Apple Crisp. Chocolate. Napoli Pizza (the best in the world. I don't have to try every pizza in the world to know, either). We are generally stuffed at any given time of the day.

4) Relaxin'. We've been really enjoying our "downtime" in CB, and are getting all rested up for our long drive to Alberta. It will take us 55 hours (that's no pee breaks) to drive out there, so we had better bring along some good tunes! (And a bunch of maps.)

Those are the highlights, hopefully I'll post again soon.

To everyone we saw over the holidays, it was so good to get together like old times! We'll miss you out West. To everyone we wish we could see, if we don't see you on New Years' Eve in Hali, Happy New Year! Let's not say goodbye--as trite as that line may be, I mean it.

"Lest old acquaintance be forgot...I'll tak' a cup o'kindness yet, for auld lang syne."

All the best for 2007!

There Really Is A Santa Claus...

2006-12-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, my Dad got an urgent call from the North Pole. It was Santa.

"Paul, I know this is short notice, but I really need a favour. I was supposed to make an appearance at the Salvation Army's Santa Shuffle fundraiser run, but I just can't make it. Things are crazy here at the Pole, I'm training a new reindeer, the elves are behind toy production deadlines, and Mrs. Claus is not impressed that I haven't spent some quality time with her lately. Do you think you could cover for me?"

"Gee, Santa, I don't know, those are some pretty big shoes to fill...and that belly that shakes when you laugh like a bowl full of jelly...I'd have to practice my Ho Ho Ho!"

"Paul, you know the kids would be so disappointed if Santa wasn't there; you'd be perfect. And this is a chance for you to get back on the Good Boys and Girls List. HoHoHo!"

Seasonal Sounds

2006-11-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Since tomorrow is the first day of December, I think it's appropriate to start the Christmas Season off by playing some of my favourite Christmas music. And no, it's not too early.

Right now, I'm listening to Superstar Christmas, a favourite album of mine, with the likes of John Lennon (Happy Xmas/War is Over), Bruce Springsteen (Merry Christmas Baby), and Frank Sinatra (Let it Snow).

Some of my other staple Christmas albums:

1) Mariah Carey Merry Christmas (Esp. "All I Want for Christmas is You"--This is my FAVOURITE, guaranteed to get me in a gift-wrapping mood.)

2) Bing Crosby Merry Christmas (Very original titles, hey? They worked overtime on those, I tell ya...catchy.)

3) Diana Krall Christmas Songs (Way to break the mold, Diana! Edgy.)

4) The Elf Soundtrack. "Baby, it's Cold Outside" is my Ultimate-All-Time-Favourite. And if you haven't seen this movie and are in need of a good HoHoHo, I highly recommend it. (Will Ferrell in an elf suit. Need I say more?)

So, what will you be listening to while decking the halls this December?

Riding off into the Sunset, and Other Tales...

2006-11-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Before I commence my Western novella, let me say "Thanks!" to everyone who left me birthday wishes on my previous post and/or email and sent ecards! You are all very sweet and made my day a special one. *Warm Fuzzies*

We had a great trip to Alberta, Tyler's home province. We spent some time in Edmonton, exploring the city and staying with friends, and visiting with dear friends and displaced Cape Bretoners, Kelly and Jonathan Hart--recent transplants to the rich and fertile soil of Alberta. We also had a great vacation-within-a-vacation with Tyler's folks in Fairmont, BC, where we enjoyed soaking in the hot springs and soaking in the beauty of the surrounding mountains and sunsets. Then, it was on to Hanna, or more accurately Scapa, or even more accurately, Special Areas #2--to the home farm--Charfords Acres. There we spent the remainder of our vacation relaxing, hanging out with Tyler's old friends, and helping out a bit on the ranch.

I made a list of things I noticed while in Edmonton:

1) Snow.

2) Waiting for service is normal (line-ups at Timmie's esp. long).

3) Every store I walk by has a "now hiring" sign in the window.

4) You can tell which way you are headed by the name of the street you are on.

5) It's dry. I'm going through lip balm and hand lotion like mad, and I'm thirsty all the time.

6) There are a lot of people. Halifax is NOT a big city.

7) Everything is new; none of the buildings downtown look older than 1970.

8) Trucks, the vehicle of choice.

9) Cowboy boots, the footwear of choice.

10) It is socially acceptable (and perfectly normal) to wear a cowboy hat to the mall.

11) You have to drive more than just one block to find a Tim Horton's.

12) Magpies, not seagulls.

13) Did I mention it's dry?

Highlights--Fairmont, BC:

1) Soaking in the mineral hot springs. Ahhh...

This is the hot spring we went to. I didn't take this picture, and when we were there, it was a little more wintery-looking.

2) Eating some amazingly yummy AAA Alberta Beef Steak at the Hoo Doo Lounge

3) Exploring the "Dickens' Village"-esque Banff on the way back to Alberta.

On the Farm:

1) Finding Meow. A very tenacious little kitty who was skin and bones and a very good climber. She especially liked perching on people's heads. She calmed down somewhat after we got some food into her. You can guess how she got her name.

2) Processing calves. I "helped" with this...feeling like a city girl but I think I did ok. Tyler would chase the calf into the press (like a little cage with adjustable sides and a head lock), June would secure the back of the press with a pole to prevent the calf from backing out or kicking Tyler, Gus would administer vitamins and such (aka: a needle or two), and while all this was going on, I would squirt some anti-parasite stuff on the calf's back. Then they get to go. Usually all this is done under much protest and a lot of kicking from the calf. They aren't nearly as cute and cuddly as they look from the side of the highway, and are generally thoroughly unimpressed with the whole process. MOOOooo!!!

And now, I come to the close of our vacation, but the beginning of a new chapter for us. We have decided to pull up roots (at least for a while) and move West. It's a bittersweet decision for us, we are sad to leave our family, friends, and beautiful, salty Nova Scotia, but also excited to discover a new city, find new jobs, meet new people, and of course be a little closer to Tyler's home and family, too. We are both happy that Kelly and Jonathan are already out there, and Kelly and I have plans for Saturday nights already!

We'll be living in Edmonton, right downtown off Jasper Ave., so if you are ever "Out West", you know where to find us! Friends and family will be very welcome to visit! We'll be in Nova Scotia over Christmas and heading West early in the New Year. Our New Year's Resolution is going to be to fit the contents of our house into our Echo Hatchback and drive for 5 days or until we hit Edmonton, whichever comes first!

We'll miss everyone here so much, and we hope to visit lots before we go.

A Whole Month!

2006-11-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

All of you frequent checkers must be utterly dismally sure that I would never update again, however, I am attempting to redeem myself...a new post! I have an excuse for my blog neglect, too. We've been on the other side of the country for the past two weeks, and although the West is not in a technological stone age as a whole, the places we were spending most of our time were, shall we say, rural, and not conducive to updating the dear old blog. I was actually in quite a state of internet withdrawal upon my return home, and while I didn't actually have the DT's, I did spend several hours last night voraciously reading blogs and catching up on people's lives. Amazing what can go on in two weeks!

Now that I have rambled on, I'll confess that this is just a stop-gap measure (a "lick and a promise" as Mum would say), a mere crumb to stave off the mutinous thoughts of my readers...please check back soon for exciting tales from the wild, wild west!

Had the Biscuit

2006-10-19T19:19:00.000-06:00

So, a few of you are already priviledged to the information that I am not a great biscuit-maker. I don't know how this happened, although I have pretty much concluded that biscuit-making skills are not genetically inherited, since both my Nanny and Mum excel at coaxing dry and sticky, crumbly batches of dough into hot, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits.

It is not for lack of trying, though perhaps lack of practice, that I can't replicate these savoury sensations. I will recount for your entertainment the following tale:
Back in the day when Sarah and I were roomies, I attempted (with a few phone calls home) to make Mum's biscuits. They turned out OK, definitely nothing to write home about or enter in the County Fair. Sarah sampled the goods and agreed with my mediocre review. A few weeks later, pressed for time and perhaps lacking motivation, I threw some Pillsbury biscuits in the oven. Sarah arrived home shortly after I removed the steaming hot biscuits from the oven. Sarah (probably with a bit of biscuit in her mouth, and thinking I had actually MADE them): "Mmm, oh yeah, these are MUCH better than last time!" Right. Well, it took me a while, but I accepted the fact that some people (ie: me) cannot make good biscuits.

Anyway, lately I felt I should take another stab at the whole thing, but this time, without Mum's recipe. While it works wonders for her, maybe it was holding me back. I pulled my favourite Nova Scotia Cookbook off the shelf, flipped to the first biscuit recipe I saw, and dove in. While I may have departed from Mum's recipe, her voice still echoed in my head: "the secret to good biscuits is not to handle the dough too much!" So, playing shy with the dough, and otherwise following the recipe EXACTLY, I managed to produce some actually very good biscuits, if I do say so myself. Not at the level of Mum's or Nanny's--yet. But I felt this recipe and I could go far--given some time, practice, familiarity--standing in my kitchen that day, I had a flash to the future, seeing the page of my cookbook become almost translucent with shortening splotches, opening automatically to the break in the spine...but I digress.

Back to today.

I was warming up stew for supper and thought, "Mmm, wouldn't biscuits be lovely with this!" I pulled out my cookbook. Since I hadn't actually made biscuits since that last good experience, the book did not fall magically open to the recipe, so I resorted to the index. It's one of those indexes that list the recipes according to the made-up name of whatever-it-is, not by what it actually is. For instance, if you want a hamburger recipe, you must have the presence of mind to remember hamburger is beef, and you look up "beef". Then the recipe might be called "Nellie's Scrumptious Burgers", so if you can't remember Nellie, you might as well go Google a hamburger recipe. All that to say I couldn't find the recipe I had used, so I used another one. "Marion's Mile High Biscuits." Kind of appropriate, I thought, since Mum's name is Marion. Well, I went throught the whole hoopla of messing up all the measuring cups, getting flour all over the counter, etc., etc. I popped them into the hot oven, and waited expectantly. Being the attentive baker that I am, or so I thought, I peeked in on them near the end...they hadn't started rising yet. Strange. I began to recite in my head the ingredients--what had I put in to make them rise? The closest thing I came up with was Cream of Tartar. I had a sinking feeling...I checked the recipe. Baking Soda. I forgot the baking soda. 4 1/2 teaspoons of it. Forgetting the baking soda in the biscuits is far more devastating than, say, forgetting the pepper in the stew. You can't just go back and add it in. It's rather unfixable.
I turned off the oven and removed my tray of anemic hockey pucks. "Marion's Mile High Biscuits"--oh, the cruel irony. They smelled good, at least. Tyler tried to console me by eating part of one. I wouldn't let him finish it.

I conclude, therefore, that I am under a biscuit-cloud, and shall be plagued with biscuit problems for the rest of my life.

Friends, Fairs, Food, and...Art

2006-10-11T08:08:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. My "long weekend" started a little early, on Friday, when I got to spend the afternoon at Sarah's with her beautiful daughter Naomi. Sarah slipped out for a bit to get her hair cut, which looks great, by the way!

Naomi is fascinated by the outdoors, and especially the leaves blowing in the wind. This is one of the only shots Sarah got where she'd actually look at the camera instead of the trees!

Look at those leaves! Wow!

My mum arrived later that evening for the weekend. We had a great visit, kicking it all off with a visit to the Maritime Fall Fair. We saw all kinds of livestock (*achoo, sniff, wheeze*), horses and some cute piggies. There was also a midway, and Mum was begging to go on the Zipper, but we said no. A personal highlight was the Dog Show, with obstacle courses, races, and some very cute doggies.

This place is not Baaa-d...

The "Paws for Fun" Dog Show

We also took a drive out to Peggy's Cove where we soaked in some Fall sunshine and expored some of the shops and an art gallery. The gallery is in an old house perched on one of the massive boulders the Cove is famous for. The paintings and other art forms by various artists were wonderful, and rather inspiring. Some of the photographs and sketches made me want to get my camera and go tromping about the shoreline and forests in quest of that magical shot. Barking outside the gallery was Lulu, a large golden lab, who, according to the gallery owner Jo Beale, is not a "gallery dog." Probably Lulu's joyously swinging tail had a lot to do with that decree.

Sunday we went to church, where, in addition to the regular service, we had the baptism of Claire Lilly Ramsey, the newest addition to GraceHalifax. After church, we headed over to Gregg, Adam and Jeremy's for a huge Turkey Dinner. The Thanksgiving Feast was an organized potluck--a buffet of sweet potato casserole, squash, spicy roasted potatoes, salads, and biscuits. And don't forget dessert! Apple Crisp, Gingerbread & Applesauce (thanks, Mum!), and fruit. I'm getting full just remembering it all. We are truly blessed to have such an abundance of food, and friends and family to share and enjoy it with.

And Now a Word From Our Sponsor...

2006-10-05T21:43:00.000-06:00

Dad wanted me to send out a big "Thanks!" to all the birthday commenters.

He had a great birthday, and really appreciated hearing from you all--friends and strangers!

(Next year, Dad, I'll have a better picture, promise!)

On this day in 19??

2006-10-03T07:37:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Dad!!

Today is Dad's birthday, so he gets a post all to himself. Leave him a birthday comment, even if you don't know him. He'll love it!

A Woman's Work

2006-10-02T19:24:00.000-06:00

Cleaning is one of those things I don't really enjoy, but I love the feeling of having it done. Company is a great motivator for me to clean the house, or at least make it look clean. Observation: "Dust Bunnies" sound a lot cuter than they really are. The one thing I really hate doing is scrubbing the tub. Tyler sometimes does this for me.

What's your cleaning peeve?

Wide Awake and Wondering

2006-10-01T00:10:00.000-06:00

It's 3am, and I'm more wide-awake now than I know I will be when my alarm goes off for church later this morning. It's one of those nights...I woke up at 2 feeling like I'd slept the whole night through.

I guess if I lived in another century, I would have searched around for a tallow candle and penned some lines in a leather-bound parchment journal with a quill pen dipped in a jar of sooty black ink. But, here I am in the 21st, so I flicked the mouse to wake the computer up and am tapping away, quietly as possible, on my ergonomically correct keyboard by the light of the computer screen. How romantic.

Hey--it's October now! The summer is definitely gone. Nothing says Fall like OCTOBER on the Calendar. Next weekend is Thanksgiving, and I am thinking about what to cook for Thanksgiving dinner. I know, you are all thinking: Hey, Margaret, here's an idea---TURKEY! But we have a very nice Alberta Beef roast that's been in the freezer, patiently waiting for its day to shine. I could make up for the lack of festive bird with pumpkin pie, corn, maybe even some Stove Top...what would the pilgrims think?

I think I will leave that burning question with you, my readers. I'm of to catch those few hours of sleep before the dawn.

Mama done raised me good...

2006-09-30T15:19:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Stephanie who had this revealing little quiz posted on her blog...here's my result:

You are 60% Lady

You Are 60% Lady

You're part lady, part modern woman.Etiquette is important to you, but you brush aside rules that are outdated or silly.

Are You A Lady?

She's Got the Look

2006-09-28T17:45:00.000-06:00

So, here it is! What do you think? I slogged through some pretty decent instructions on getting background images to appear with the new template, and voila. But I'm not sure if I like it. I get a little dizzy with the static background and moving text, and my "Fellow Bloggers" list is a little smooshy. I did, however, learn something new and expand my html horizons.

On a completely unrelated topic, I was Krazy Gluing tonight. Anyone who knows me well (or has lived with me--Sarah!), knows that I have a tendency to break (smash, dash, crack, shatter) things. I'm not clutsy, I don't think, just a little enthusiastic when washing dishes, putting away, etc. Anyway, all that to say that I have become rather handy with a tube of Krazy Glue.

Marvelous stuff. If you are careful and plan your reconstruction step-by-step, checking the fit (careful not to grind the edges), you can really put Humpty back together again quite convincingly. This evening I salvaged my favourite elephant teapot for the second time--his trunk is the spout--and it still pours without dripping, even with an eensy weensy missing bit of trunk. I also repaired the porcelain handle on the bathroom taps. That one actually wasn't broken by me, but the breakee shall remain unnamed to protect his identity *wink*.

So, if you've broken your favourite plate or Grandma's heirloom china doll, don't be too quick to turf the shards in the trash. Get a tube of Krazy Glue and see what magic you can work. Just watch your fingers--there's nothing quite like peeling your thumb off the bathroom tap...

Looks and Blooks

2006-09-27T13:26:00.000-06:00

Please excuse the stark appearance of the blog today. I am messing about with new "looks", and as yet have been rather unsuccessful. This one was supposed to have a black and white photo as a watermark, with the text scrolling over it. Instead--harsh white glare. Ah well. I will continue to tinker and consult my more web-wise friends until I come up with something more aesthetically pleasing and less technologically convoluted and FRUStrating.

Here's an interesting word that someone out in cyberspace coined of late: Blook. Meaning a book written in installments on-line (blog + book = blook). I kind of like the idea of a blook. I also like saying "blook". Although, if I go around saying "blook" too much, people may begin to wonder if I think I'm a chicken--or the Cadbury Bunny.

Just as a side note--I ran the spell check on this paragraph, and, among other non-errors, it picked up "blog". No suggestions to correct it, either. I suppose I can't accuse a spell-check program of not having common sense, though, since many humans don't seem to, either.

Norah, Me, & Tea

2006-09-18T19:19:00.000-06:00

Here it is 10:30 at night, and I find myself basking in the eerie artificial glow of the computer screen. I'm sipping tea (my fourth top-up) and munching a chocolate chip cookie that I baked earlier. Emphasis on baked--that's all I did. I was completely uninvolved in the actual making of said chocolate chip cookie. Thank you Sobey's brand slice & bake. No matter how culinarily challenged, or (in my case) just plain lazy you may be, you too can fill your home with the aroma of freshly baked cookies.

My hubby is out this evening; he's playing Risk with "the guys". I hate strategy games, so I was quite content to send him on his merry way while I stayed home with candles, Norah Jones, tea, and cookies. Attempting to be a thoughtful and well-liked wife, I also sent a plate of these cookies along with dear hubby to said guys' night out. I know, not homemade, but a step up from a bag of ketchup chips, right?

To be honest, I have no big news worthy of the blog. I was getting tired of seeing the "What Kind of Blogger are YOU?" thingy, and decided to do a post for the sole purpose of bumping it down. I will say, though, that my readers (commenters and non-commenters alike) being human and thus fairly interested in themselves and what others say about them (even when "other" is a computer-generated personality test), liked the little quiz, and I have found that a few have even added it into their own blogs. I feel "popular", in the junior high sense of the word. I think. I say "I think" because I never actually went to junior high, but that's another story for another day.

What Kind of Blogger are You?

2006-09-08T17:56:00.001-06:00

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary.If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Pictorial Appendix A

2006-09-07T13:54:00.000-06:00

As promised, some pictures!

Giselle and Kent dance at their wedding...

Tyler and me (in my new Tilley hat!) at Uisge Ban Falls, Baddeck

Uisge Ban

Tyler by a logger's cabin in Sherbrook Village

The Bell View B&B, where we stayed for our anniversary

Plays of the Week(s)

2006-09-06T10:00:00.000-06:00

Well, as "they" say, time flies when you’re having fun!
It’s been a while since my last post, so here’s a quick summary of life for the T. Mattheis’:

-Kent and Giselle tied the knot on August 26th! Congrats, K&G, it was a beautiful wedding, and we had a great time in Baddeck celebrating with you.

-We had our 1 year wedding anniversary on August 27th! We can’t believe it’s been a year, the wedding feels like yesterday—but we feel like we’ve been married a long time, too. We love it!
To celebrate, we stayed at the lovely Bell View B&B, overlooking Baddeck Bay. We also enjoyed a delicious seafood feast—chowder, mussels, and lobster—at Baddeck Lobster Suppers, and went hiking to Uisge Ban Falls. Tyler surprised me with a Tilley Hemp Hat for our anniversary, which I’ve been wanting for a while. It’s an awesome hat, and I feel quite ready for any sort of adventure wearing it.

-On the way back to Dartmouth, we took the old highway from Antigonish, stopped and toured the historic Sherbrook Village, and got a taste of what it was like to live back in the "olden days."

-Tara and Aaron Spencer came and visited with us for a couple of nights—it was great to see you, T&A, and get "all caught up."

-Jessica and Jon got married, English Style, here in Halifax on September 2nd! Jess and I worked together at the Franklin Graham Festival, where she and Jon first met. It was a beautiful wedding, the bride was stunning! Congratulations, Jess & JT !

-Sunday after church we enjoyed a fabulous pancake lunch at Gregg, Jeremy, and Adam’s…pancakes, mmm…then Tyler and I headed out to the Ovens Natural Park (near Lunenburg). We camped overnight—it was a beautiful spot and a great place to camp! Our last hurrah of summer camping on the labour day weekend…

-Monday we came back to the city to unpack our very packed car and de-woodsmoke everything. After a long soak in the tub, I even smelled sophisticated enough to go out to dinner with my darling husband of just-over-a-year! We dined sumptuously at the 5 Fishermen, thank you Kimberlei and Rick for a wonderful anniversary gift!

-On a VERY exciting note, after you have so kindly read this rather lengthy entry, I have pictures of most of these events/happenings/moments! Stay tuned for a mini-album post...

-And, of course, my little commentary on Canadian Idol. Basically, I can’t believe that the talented-but-less-than-entertaining 16 year-old Craig Sharpe is competing for the Idol title against the stupendously amazing Eva Avila while the charming (if not for his somewhat irksome habit of riding an invisible horse continuously) and very entertaining Tyler Lewis had to pack his bags and go home. He will go far. And I would buy his album.