Happy Anniversary, Sebastien! (a haiku)

leaves grow, change, fall, grow

just as we go through the same.

many more to come.

What a Ridiculous Place I Live

This weekend was wonderful.

Saturday we went to Playland (the oldest amusement park in Canada, by the way) for my friend's birthday. We all rode the roller coasters and had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect (not too hot/ not too cool), and it was a great group of people. Happy birthday, H!

I have to admit that I am not the biggest roller coaster fan out there. I can ride spinny/swoopy rides all day (think Teacups), but coasters aren't my thing. Especially not my thing is the wooden roller coaster, inventively named "The Coaster," built in 1958. The huge bruise on my knee says it all (I was out of my seat and on my feet a few times), and every time I've ridden it (yes, I've been dragged on a few times now), despite my best efforts, the pictures at the end of the ride always tell the same story: my head is once again in Sebastien's lap, as we go over the biggest drop. It is a scary ride. That is why people go on it, I guess.
Sunday was a great day as well. Sebastien was in class all day (archery), so I was able to have some good Hope-time, and take care of some things. I cooked a little at home after church, did some laundry, and then I rode my bike out to Jericho Beach, to hear the music from the Vancouver Folk Festival.

Sitting in the warm sun, listening to good reggae.... There is nothing like it.

Marry My Son (Please!)

Last night I was at a dinner party with some of my great girl friends, and one of them told a story about how her parents once set her up on a date with a guy (who will remain nameless), mostly because he, too, is Jewish, and was their friends' son. Well, she went out on the date, and soon after she gave her parents two options:

1)they could try to set her up again and never have her as a dinner guest at their house again, or 2)they could not EVER try to set her up again, and maintain a good relationship with her!

Mr. Obvious says it wasn't that great of a date*.... It was a great story, and we all laughed about the circumstances.

Imagine my amusement when this morning I opened one of my favorite blogs, A Cup of Jo, and found a post about this very thing! The New York Post also wrote an article about it! How hilarious! And what a great idea too....

Would you ever set up one of your kids (grandchildren/nieces/nephews, etc.) on a date, or would you be okay with your parent (grandparent/aunt/uncle, etc.) setting you up?

Thank you, S, for such a great story! Thank you also for organizing such a relaxing, entertaining, and tasty evening. I love you gals!

*There was, of course, more to this story, but I am not one to hear kiss & tell stories and then tell again!

The Little Monsters Finally Got Those Little Monsters

So sweet!!!

My sister-in-law just received her package with the "those little monsters" for my nephews, and wrote a really sweet blog post about it! I am so happy they like them! These are some cutey-pie little boys! I love them so much. They deserve the stars!

Anyway, I thought you might like to see them, actually being played with, and not just by me, around the city (those are to come, now that Chris and Chip got the package). Enjoy!!

Long Walks, Long Links, Long Weekend, Part 2

Saturday morning started out at 7:30am, when we woke to walk to the ferry dock, arms full of groceries we bought for a ship full of kids aged 13 to 16 (and a few adults too).

Our friend Stephen (you've heard of him before - he was the professor we taught with this past spring) is volunteering on the Pacific Grace, a tallship owned and operated by the Sail and Life Training Society (SALTS). He has worked with them for years, and asked us to help him gather supplies for a delightful* paella. (Stephen's very charming use of "delightful" never fails to make me smile.)

We were lucky enough to join the crew and the students aboard for breakfast, and a quick sail around Burrard Inlet. This is their first trip of the summer, and we feel very lucky to have joined them, even if it was just for a few short hours.

When we got home, we made a nice Spanish chorizo, and had a lot of time to hang out, listen to music, drink rum punch, and cook. It was a lovely afternoon, and turned into a very relaxing evening.

Yesterday after church we came home and got ready for the week, making date bars, doing laundry, cleaning up the apartment, getting packages ready for sending (!), etc....

I made some shortcakes for a sweet 4th of July barbeque with our good friends Sarah, Joy & Ted, and served them along with mixed berries (of the straw-, blue-, and black- varieties) with mint, rum, and just a touch of sugar. Delicious. It was a wonderful wrap-up to a wonderful weekend.

Yup - it is official - I am a lucky, LUCKY girl.

I hope you a great one too!

Long Walks, Long Links, Long Weekend, Part 1

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Long weekends make it all worth it.

Thursday July 1st was Canada Day, and because we are living in Canada now, we took advantage of the day off! Seb and I also took Friday off, to make the weekend especially luxurious!

We were busy little bees this weekend, but in the best way possible. It wasn't that we had much planned; we didn't. It was busy in the way summer days should be.

For Canada Day, we took a long walk around town, to stretch our legs a bit. We walked just a touch over 8 miles, and ended our walk at the Yaletown Grand Prix, to cheer on our friend Ted and his cycling team. We went home for a while, and left soon after because Sebastien represented Acadamie Duello in the Canada Day Parade (along with 53 other swordspeople)! After that we were thoroughly exhausted.

Friday we did another long walk (this one 12 - 1/2 miles), picking up groceries and lunch along the way, and chatting about all the different neighborhoods we passed through.

After our lovely walk and delicious lunch (near mile marker 6), we made sure to take off our hiking boots (!). We headed off to watch our friend Anil's passion project for the last year - a documentary series pilot (the two episodes we watched were about Jodhpur, India). It is splendid. I can't wait for it to get picked up by Discovery or TLC (any of you out there reading this work for Discover or TLC?)!

It was a relaxing couple of days, even more so because we would normally have been at work!

This Weekend: Invitation Design!

This weekend, I have to admit that I was at work a bit finishing up with some graphics for a report, but I was also working on a really fun project too.

I designed the invitations to my friend Leanne's engagement party. She and her fiance are having their wedding at a resort, and they don't get the fun of sending out their own wedding invitations (it was fun for me, at least!), so they wanted to create something special for their engagement party. She asked me to do it a while ago, and I have been working on it in bits and spurts.


It was quite a fun design challenge for me, because Severine (Leanne's fiance) wants to incorporate paisley into their wedding design, and Leanne is using different feathers for the event. I decided to combine the two, and came up with this motif for them. This is the pattern that is used sparingly on the front of the invitation, and also on the backside, to reinforce the theme. I think they eventually want to get label stickers with this pattern on them too! I am so happy they like my design. It was great to see Leanne so excited about it!

I will post the final results (the front of the card) soon - it is missing their picture right now.

Upping the Cuteness Factor

Well, my readers have spoken, and I am listening! "More cute puppies!" you said (that's a lie - no one said that). "We want to read about things, little and furry!" you urged (another lie on my part).

Well, dear readers, for you....

photo by Juan Castaneda

Sebastien and I are puppy-sitting this weekend for a friend of a friend. His name is Beethoven, and he is 2 and a half years old, and very sweet. We went to the farmers' market this weekend, and then to the dog park.

yet another beautiful photo by Juan Castaneda

I wish you a great weekend, filled with many things, cute.

Another Step, Almost Finished!

Today is Wednesday. For the past 15 weeks, this has meant that I will not see Sebastien after work until after 10:pm, because he is taking a class. Specifically, he is taking the Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wine and Spirits, from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET).

Tonight is his final class, and next Wednesday he is taking a really daunting exam. Even before he started taking these classes, I was amazed by his knowledge of wines, and his capacity to remember minutia, but now....


Let's just say that, as I review flashcards with him for his exam, I am frequently blown away by ability to remember the tiniest details about soils, and climate, and production, and wine regions, and wine law, etc. He is amazing, and I am so proud of his initiative in taking these courses (he took the intermediate course last year).

I have little idea what this certificate may mean in the future, but I know whatever it is, will be great! Way to go, Sebastien! You give me inspiration every day.

-And after you are finished next week, let's go out for some BEER.

Whew!

I am a lady with many missions these days. I have many (fun and exciting) things on the burner; things that will be spoken of soon enough.


I am working on a tablecloth for Tamara, some wedding shower invitations for my friend Leanne, adding some things onto an apron I got as a birthday gift, and I still need to send out those little monsters (sorry Chris and Chip - they are coming!!!). Things are also pretty busy at work, and I just got home from softball practice, and.... and.... Well, like I said, there are many more things on the burner.

Take care. I hope you have a wonderful week.

You Can't Catch Me; I'm the Gingerbread (wo)Man!

Every year for Valentine's Day, I make Sebastien some gingerbread cookies. Don't ask me why....

What I do know is that the first time I made them for him, he literally ate so many he got sick. So I took that as a compliment and have been making them since. This past weekend (I guess in honor of summer?), I made them again. They aren't very summery, but they are tasty, and there were no complaints.


(Extra) Ginger Gingerbread Cookies (adapted from allrecipes.com)

1c. white sugar
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg (I use fresh, and it is really nice, but you can use the jar too)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt (I use kosher, because I like getting bites with more "bite," you know?)
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

1c. melted butter
1/2c. evaporated milk
1/2c. maple syrup
1/2c. unsulfered molasses
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. lemon extract

4c. all-purpose flour

1/4c. chopped dried candied ginger (this is the secret!)

1. Preheat oven to 350'F and grease cookie sheet

2. Find some cute cookie-cutters that you have tucked away (this time I wanted a summery theme, so I made bees, hearts, and starfish). Set them aside

3. Mix the first 6 ingredients (all dry ingredients except flour and chopped candied ginger)

4. Mix in the next 6 (wet)

5. Stir in the flour. If it is still sticky (mine usually is), add 1/2 to 1c. more. Add chopped candied ginger.

6. Roll to 1/2" thick.

7. Cut and place on baking sheet.

8. Bake at 350' for 9-11 minutes.

The frosting, I am almost embarrassed to put online. I feel like I need to justify it. It does have corn syrup in it, and I adamantly avoid it when I can. It is unfortunately very bad for you, and even more, it is in virtually all prepared foods at the supermarket. So, I think I may have put on sunglasses when I actually bought a container at the store. BUT, I am very careful about my corn syrup intake, and I seldom make these cookies, and it makes the frosting SO lovely and shiny, like a nice glaze. *If any of you know of an alternative to using it that will still result in shiny little cookie gems, please let me know.* So - ahem - here without further ado:

Lovely Glazed Icing

1c. confectioners sugar

2 tsp. milk

2 tsp. light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. lemon extract

whatever food coloring you would like (this time I opted for white)

some lemon zest, if you have it on hand

1. Mix sugar and milk.

2. Add everything else.

3. Dip cookies in, or I like to paint it on with a kitchen brush.

4. Enjoy!

To Umbrella, or NOT to Umbrella?

I am a "NO umbrella" girl.

For some reason, I get bothered when I walk around this grey city in drizzle, and people here are buzzing around with cute shoes, perfectly coiffed hair, and huge golf umbrellas, completely not noticing as they nearly poke one another in the eye. In my head, I am thinking, "C'mon people - this is a rainy climate! Embrace it!" I want to see the sky, and be immersed in the grey-ness of it.

I know, I know - this is my own deal.

I think it has something to do with my time living in Portland. People there don't use umbrellas; they just get wet (as a side-note to this mini-rant, the 2003 movie The Hunted was filmed in Portland, and they had quite a few street scenes. Portlanders kept pointing out how inauthentic this movie was because the people on the street all carried umbrellas in the rain).

However, and here it is a little confusing, but if I still lived in New York, I would own an umbrella (although there, you never know when to use it, because the storms come out of nowhere). Strange, I know.

(This picture was taken immediately after we got engaged, after standing in the rain for over two hours drooling over Radiohead, and is not a good indication of how soaked I am on a given "normal" day of work, etc.)

The other day, I heard the clouds open, and I looked out the window to a full-out (ain't holdin' nothing back) downpour. It was the same type of rain I grew up with, that used to come at 2:30 in the afternoon, in the middle of the summer. This is the kind of rain that makes the heat and humidity of New York bearable.... It was nice. And I thought, "Okay. Umbrellas make sense here, for the moment." Twenty minutes later it was all over, and the sky "cleared" to a lovely grey again. --The "almost sun" we are used to here in Vancouver.

Do you like umbrellas? Don't worry - I won't judge you (much).

Bucket List

I am sure you have had this experience:

One day, you hear the word "dystopia" (or some word equally obscure) and you think, "Hmmn.... I haven't heard that word in ages!" --And then the next day, you are sitting on the train, and someone says, "What a dystopia we are living in." --And then the day after that, you are at work, putting your bagged lunch into the refrigerator, and one of your co-workers mentions that China is in such a dystopic state, and there must be something that can be done. At this point, I usually think to myself, "Have I been in a cave, not noticing this word, or is it that I just happened upon it three days in a row, by random chance?"

Over the past few weeks, this has been the case with the "bucket list."

I always have a "to do" list, at least in my head, of things I want to accomplish. So even though it was never formalized, I guess that was my "bucket list." I just didn't know that at the time.

Two years ago, my friends told me about a friend of theirs, who had been dating a woman for over 7 years. The woman wanted to get married, and their friend dragged his feet about making the commitment, saying he still had things he wanted to while he was single (in the legal sense of the word). One day, his girlfriend sat him down and said, "Okay. We are going to make you a bucket list of things you want to do while you are single, and you can put anything you want on this list, but after you finish doing everything on the list, we are getting married." And that is exactly what happened.


Well, in the last few weeks, I have been thinking (and hearing) a lot about bucket lists again. People have been talking about what they want to do before they move from their apartment, or what they would like to accomplish at their current job, or finish before they die.

Here are a few things that are on my bucket list (although not all of them - a girl has got to keep some things to herself!). These are (it will be obvious in a moment) in no particular order, and may be added to (or subtracted from), at any time. I reserve that right.

• quilt a duvet cover (from my beautiful Marimekko fabric!)
• start a design firm
• camp (in Hawaii)
• make more time to sew much, much more than I currently do
• travel to many more places (there are too many to list)
• hike the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, from France to Spain
• see the Grand Canyon
• buy a house and restore it
• design my own house, and help build it
• stay out all night clubbing in Copenhagen again
• help people plan and pull off their weddings
• take a class in sewing
• take a class in pattern-making
• write a children's book (about chickens)
• write a follow-up book (!)
• visit family more
• volunteer at a retirement community
• rescue a dog/cat
• get my PADI certification for scuba-diving
• teach classes at a college or university
• travel to give lectures
• learn French
• become fluent in Spanish

There are probably many things I've forgotten.

What is on YOUR list?

Even Monsters Love Photo Booth

Well, I was home from work this afternoon (with a stomach ache), so I put my time to good use, and finished the three little monsters I started a bit ago!


Like l.o.m. (little orange monster), these little buggers are more than a little lively!

Maybe they are taking after me a bit (or maybe this is just monster-nature), but the first thing they wanted to do was play around with Photo Booth, and - well, I'm a pushover. These are the results. Yikes! I hope Christine and Chip are willing to put up with goof-balls! OK - I'll admit it - I joined in the fun, too!

I will try to get them sent out this weekend, along with some other treats, but first we may tour Vancouver together (they are insisting). Cross your fingers for some sun this weekend!

Dinner Date

My favorite part of just about every day is the time I get to sit down with Sebastien for dinner. We are both busy, busy people, so on those crazy nights, frequently we prepare something quick (usually a stirfry or burritos). Every night, one of us sets the table and puts on "dinner appropriate music" (what that is, is debatable - sometimes even Hot Chip is okay dinner music; sometimes not). We hold hands across the table and say the following prayer (by Satish Kumar - although I didn't know this before just now):

Lead me from death to life;

From falsehood to truth.

Lead me from despair to hope;

From fear to trust.

Lead me from hate to love;

From war to peace.

Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe.

Amen

After we say this prayer, I feel quieted, and we can continue on with a lovely dinner. Even though it is sometimes a much quicker meal than I would like, I really appreciate the time we have to gather our thoughts, join our hands together, and give thanks for all our blessings.

33 (!) Years Ago....

Far, far away in Upstate New York, a mother and father had a baby girl. They named her Hope, for their expectations for this young one were great.


She went off into the world, and had many adventures, and expectations and plans of her own.


I appreciate so much everything you, my family and friends, did along the way for this little girl (if you haven't figured it out, it's me). Your love is very apparent, and I am so lucky for it!!!

Gosh darn it, I love birthdays!

(The top picture is with my dad; the bottom one, with Chip and Grandma Telford [I would love to do a Young Me / Now Me of it, if Grandma T were still with us!].... I looked for photos of me as a baby with my whole family, and didn't find any! Next year, perhaps.)

Have a wonderful day!

We've Come a Long Way, Baby!

I am writing this post in response to my sweet, intelligent, and wonderfully creative friend Jenn. She is always doing fun projects around her house, and with her kids, and recently she asked, "So what is your favorite thing in your house? Something you or your child has done or something thrifted/bought out and about? I love sneak peeks into everyone's special spaces!" So, I thought I would give her (and many of my friends and family who unfortunately haven't been able to visit Vancouver) a sneak peek at my favorite part of our little home.

When Sebastien was away this past fall, I was pretty down in the dumps for a while. I was very busy: studying for a really big exam, going out a lot with my friends here, taking walks and having dinners, and using every opportunity I had to talk with Sebastien. --But I was still sad. I considered moving to a different apartment in a different neighborhood (just for kicks), but then thought it would be too much work, on top of my already busy schedule. I decided to put my energies into positive changes around our apartment that would be a nice surprise for him, when he returned. In a day of cleaning, I found some picture frames, and then I went out the next day to find 3 more matching frames in the alley (if I haven't told you about our "magic alley," I would be shocked - it has given us the most interesting stuff we have in our apartment)!

Anyway, I wanted to feel some productive creativity, and finally inspiration struck. I spent over a month arranging and rearranging all these frames on a table in the middle of our living room (I had been listless around the house, to say the least). Finally one Sunday, I wanted to turn my mood around, so I went to the hardware store around the corner and got a few new bottles of paint, and went to town on the frames. My idea was that I wanted a whole wall that would complement the paper poppies I made, and that would cheer me up a bit. The paints I bought were magenta with glitter, fire engine red, basketball orange, some light hard red, and some french grey (I already had yellows, black and white).


It definitely took me WAY too long for this whole project, but I am STILL cheered up every time I look at the fun frames and photos of family and friends. I think it is nice in the context of the rest of our bedroom too - it definitely brightens it up a bit!



Thinking back on the many projects that Sebastien and I have taken on in our three years here, we've definitely come a long way. I am very happy with all the work we've done, and look forward to more fun projects like this (although I hope they go a little quicker!).

To conclude, I will repeat Jenn's question: "So what is your favorite thing in your house?"

Whistler Weekend

Here are some pictures from last weekend, my not-so-secret getaway with Sebastien:

First Things First

Get Our Bearings a Little - We are Basically Staying Between Whistler and Blackcomb

Forecast For the Weekend? High in Spirit, With a Chance for Relaxation Throughout the Day

Happy to be Out of Town for a Couple of Days

The View of the Mountains Through the Binoculars

The Biggest Surprise, a Few Hours in the Scandinavian Baths

I Fell in Love With the Chairs - I Think I am Going to Have to Find Some for Me!

As Always, I Made Sebastien Go Watch Skateboarders

I Was Sick the Whole Time, so This Is Pretty Much as Active as I Got the Whole Weekend

Some Skunk Cabbage on Our Walk - Right Near a Picnic Spot

The Beautiful Quilt in the Beautiful Whistler Library

I think I am ready to go back again!

Secret / Not-so-Secret Getaway

Sebastien and I are going away for a getaway, just the two of us, this weekend. I am super excited.

This is a trip I thought about a lot when he went to California to work at Saintsbury winery for three months, three weeks after our wedding. If this is the first you are hearing of him working in the Napa Valley, my apologies. Let's just say that it was a great learning experience for him. For me - well, let's just say that I am happy he is back, and we aren't going to do that long of a stint again (at least not right after the high, high emotions of getting married!).

While he was gone, I thought a bit about the two of us going away to reconnect a bit, and have some relaxation time together. As it often goes, though, we put off the weekend because there were so many things to catch up on, around the house, with our friends, and in our lives.

So suddenly it is Christmas, and so I give Sebastien a weekend away voucher.


And so this weekend, as a "Welcome Back from California"/"Merry Christmas" present, I am taking him on a secret (not so secret) weekend vacation. He knows we are going away but doesn't know where. He did figure out we will be in Canada, though.... He was nervous about me leaving the country (I am waiting for renewal work-papers right now), and I didn't want him to worry about it, so I told him that yes; it was a lie when I said we needed passports.

I will tell you though - I think it is going to be nice and relaxing. I am very excited for the down time. Life around here has been hectic lately, to say the least!

I will be sure to upload pictures when we get back!

Holy Meatwad, Batman OR Very Busy Weekends

Disclaimer:
If you are vegetarian, you may want to wait until my next post to read my blog.

If you aren't vegetarian, I will share with you a few facts, and a conclusion.

1. It would be an gross understatement to say that I like sausage. I adore it, really. That also sounds a little gross to me, but so be it. It is out in the open now: I LOVE (definitely in caps) sausage.

However, there is a bit of a rub. I don't like to buy it in the store, because I have no clue what the $*@% is in the stuff you buy there. Use your imaginations, folks. Whatever gross thing you are picturing in your head is probably in most of the sausage at the store. Sorry - it is true. I would be a total liar if I said I don't eat the stuff though every once in a while. I do. (In fact, one of my favorite food venders here in Vancouver is called Japadog, and though I don't go there often, I do go there.)

2. Sebastien and I love to travel, and we love to cook, and we love trying new recipes. When we were in South Africa, we got really excited about boerwors, literally "farmer's sausage," that was served at every braii (barbeque) we attended. We had a really hard time locating some when we arrived in Vancouver from Cape Town, so we thought, "Hmmmn.... Maybe we could get our butcher to make this for us! We'll just give him the recipe." Then our thoughts changed to, "Why don't we just do it ourselves?"

3. For Christmas, Sebastien's sister gave him a sausage attachment to use on our Kitchen Aide (thanks, V!), so now there were no excuses.

In CONCLUSION, we are now sausage-makers. (The strange part about all this is that I don't think we cook meat more than once every two weeks, if that.)

We've done about 4 batches so far, and each one has been totally different from the rest.

We made a classic Italian sausage first (because it was pretty basic), and then moved on to boerwors (free range organic pork & beef, a little bacon, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, garlic, and some chilis), then did a merguez, and the most recent one we made was pork with apples and leeks. All have been delicious, and all of them I can stand behind.

What has caught me by surprise is how excited people got when I told them what we were doing! So many co-workers were interested in getting some, and so now we are having a hard time keeping up with the demand! That isn't a bad thing at all. It seems like other people were also looking for quality sausages!

Because we've been making so much, this is an (almost) all-day process. We purchase the meat and other ingredients from the best suppliers we can think of (without a car, which makes bringing home 12-15lbs of meat home more interesting), and then prep the ingredients, chopping and grating (in the case of the boerwors, we had to grate a few tablespoons of nutmeg - you could totally taste the difference).

First we partially freeze the meat, to make it easier to cut into cubes and then grind. Then we season it all (which uses every large bowl we have, to make sure the seasoning is dispersed evenly). We put the ground, seasoned meat back through the stuffer, and load the casings onto the "nose," being careful not to tear it. After the casings have been filled, we make links and then dry them, in the refrigerator. The following morning is when we are able to cut them apart and bag them for our friends!

Here are some photos of the process (these are from the italian sausages):

Some ingredients - garlic, fennel, parsley, chili flakes, and casings.


Sebastien looking very intent on grinding the meat - this takes a couple of hours usually


Cutting apart the links - after putting the seasoned meat into the casings


The finished products

We've been making one batch per month so far, giving most of it away (well, not giving it away, but...). I am sure we will keep it up, experimenting with different recipes and ingredients. If you have any recipes you've tried, let me know!