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Thursday, May 11, 2006

goodbye party

Last weekend, in their infinite kindness and corporate grace, the folks at my former company held a goodbye/ good luck/ don't go 'way mad party for me. It was held at the suburban McMansion of the Business Affairs Manager, who had multipurposed the affair into a benefit poker tournament for a benefit relay race for an umbrella charity group. Call it a two-tier trickle-down party with positive ramifications for everyone in the community. Except the neighbours.

When I showed up, ferried there by a cabdriver so good-natured that I suspected some kind of brain trauma lurking in his past, it became clear that the party was shaping up differently than I'd expected. The driveway and garage were packed with strangers, smoking and drinking from broad red plastic cups. They were all young, tanned, at least ten years younger than me,* the men with fitted shirts and faded jeans, the women with most of their breasts scooped out of their blouses and suspended for display. Having spent the last few years of my life downtown, I never ran into these kinds of people. I always wondered where they went for their cannibal sex orgies parties.

I waved at them in passing, shook a couple of hands on the way in, and found my former colleagues around the kitchen table playing Texas hold 'em. At least that's what they called it – I have absolutely no schooling in the variations of poker, knowing only that higher cards and lots of them are good. The host pointed at the fridge. “Aidan. Aidan. Go open the fridge and take a look”. I cracked the door open and witnessed what must be every frat boy's Friday night aspiration – a fridge crammed with cans of Coors Lite, silver cylinders at every available angle tucked around pizza boxes and bottles of white wine. “Go ahead there, buddy” called the host, “Take one. Have as many as you want”. I cracked one open and took a swig, wondering just how many I'd have to knock back to actually get drunk.

The drink situation seen to, I sat down at the table with the poker players. For food there was a mostly eaten shrimp ring, a few swiped-at daubs of cocktail sauce at the centre, shrimp tails littering the gutter along the rim. According to Jeff, the real food was supposed to arrive at 10:30 when Angela came. At least I knew that nothing was going to get between me and the precious alcohol locked away in these cans of light beer. I tipped most of the rest of the can down my throat.

I joined the poker game. My understanding of the rules had grown so vague that I kept on throwing out terms in hopes that one of them would fit the situation. I would throw in two chips and say “I bluff!” or hit the table twice, which may or may not have meant something. I held fast to two rules: keep saying poker-related words and never fold. This lost me all my chips repeatedly, but I figured that sooner or later pure chance would keep me in the game for two consecutive hands.

At first the table found my style endearing, but after twenty minutes or so it was clear that even the most even-tempered of them were losing patience. “What are the face-up cards in the middle of the table for?” I asked, rightly deducing a relationship between them and the pair I held carefully to my chest.

Anita, who was a lot drunker than I'd thought, lost it.

“Aidan!” she called out. “You're a loser! You're a loser at this game! I've never played it before and I'm way better than you!” Later that evening she announced to a roomful of coworkers and strangers alike that obese people made her angry, but for the moment my non-mad poker skills served as the object of her anger.

“Where did you learn poker?” asked the guy sitting next to me, who'd been giving me advice like 'Don't hold your cards out' and 'No, the white chips are yours, those ones are mine'.

“I played a few rounds in 1989,” I answered.

“Dude!” he scoffed. “How old were you in 1989?”

“Eighteen,” I said.

The guy's face seemed to turn colour slightly. If he hadn't expected to end up seated next to such a lousy poker player, he definitely didn't expect a certified grownup to be so bad at the game. I watched his eyes refocus, scan my face, trying to reassemble a picture of me that accorded with the data.

“I look young,” I said.

“Yeah. Yeah, you do,” he said.

“Am I supposed to show my cards now?” I asked.

I caught a brief creas of confusion across his brow. “No," he said. "You don't show your cards in poker”.

“You never count your money either,” I added. The guy nodded and went back to his cards, satisfied that I was a moron.

I took another beer and went in search of food. A brief search turned up some bottles of vodka, a stack of bibles and a weight set in the basement, and a room that contained nothing but a laser strobe and a stereo on the floor blasting rap music. “Bitch, please!” the stereo screamed. “You fuckin' with some real O.G.s!” True dat, I thought. But I couldn't help wonder why a song trying so hard to be hardcore sounded kind of bitchy and gay. Was Snoop Dogg trying to reclaim a saying from the argot of urban gay culture? Was it negative capability? Or blatant appropriation of voice? Then the shuffle function dipped further down the intellectual register and started up a Toby Keith song.

Every party has its preferred spot, a piece of carpet or linoleum or asphalt where all the smartest conversation, the loudest laughter, the best drugs, are located. The best parties have several spots (the worst have no spots, just a few people sitting on a couch playing video games and staring blankly at everyone who shows up). I found the first spot of the night at the foot of the driveway, right between a Honda Civic and a Z-28. My colleagues from the poker game had gathered to smoke and escape the rap-country blend being pumped through the house.

Anita was barefoot, flicking her skirt back and forth and sloshing a martini around. Her body seemed consumed by a jittery greenish energy that only increased as she dragged on her cigarette and threw more vodka down her throat. I gathered from her conversation with Chad that she had just finished a strict exclusion diet and discovered, to her great delight, that it was wheat gluten, not alcohol, that had been plaguing her digestive and nervous systems for years. If ever there were reason to go and get absolutely hammered, this would be it.

As Anita danced back and forth, my former assistant director – let's call him Mike – was telling me what I thought was an elaborate joke.

“Okay, Aidan. I started dating this girl a few weeks ago. Last weekend, we go to this party but I'm getting over the flu”. Mike was always somewhere between catching and recovering from the flu. “I don't feel so good so I tell her I have to leave. She gets mad at me because she thinks I'm ditching her. Which couldn't be further from the truth. So I go home and she sleeps with two of my best friends”.

He took a drag on his cigarette. I waited for the punchline. “And?” I said.

Mike gave me a blank look.

“That night?” said Chad.

Mike nodded. “That very night”.

“What a slut,” said Chad

“She doesn't know I know,” said Mike.

“What, you're serious?” I asked. “I thought you were making a joke”.

Mike shook his head and swigged his beer.

“She slept with Rob right after I left, and then they went to Charlie's and she had sex with Charlie later that night. That's how she got revenge on me for ditching her”.

Which couldn't be further from the truth, I thought. “How's it revenge if you're not supposed to know about it?”

Mike shrugged. “I don't know. Now she's really mad because I haven't spoken to her since. She thinks I'm just avoiding her. She doesn't know I'm actually disgusted with her”.

A car pulled up and disgorged a group of teenage girls with improbable heels and glitter spangling their faces and chests. Mike recognized one of them and waved her over. As Mike talked with a couple of sparkly girls, Chad wandered over to me and laid his hand on my shoulder.

“Aidan, Aidan, Aidan,” he said. “I'm going to miss you”. Then he flipped open his cellphone and turned the screen to my face. “Take a look at what I was doing a few days ago”.

I looked at the little screen. In a bathtub two girls covered in suds were soaping each other and laughing. Chad flipped through several more photos of the girls grabbing at different parts of each other's bodies and throwing handfuls of suds at each other.

“That's my girlfriend,” Chad announced. I resisted the urge to ask which one he was referring to.

He flipped the phone shut and dropped it back into his shirt pocket. “The rest aren't suitable for public viewing,” he said, and wandered off to find more beer. I was missing the room with the stereo.

Mike leaned towards me. “I used to date that girl,” he intoned. “She's filthy. Really”.

I realized then that I was fucking with some real O.G.'s.

schmutzie said...

And to think I felt bad for staying at home that night.

Aditi said...

What's an O.G.? I've plunged the depths of my country-rapper jargon and come up with, well, nothing.

me said...

sounds like, oh, perhaps one of the worst possible evenings ive heard about in a long time- a brief view into an ironic bastard's version of hell? or suburban living!? whichever is worse.
possibly makes you glad that you have left and can move on?! good going.

blackbird said...

Working From Home Today said...

Wow. It's like I can picture it exactly. Did you get The Lunch, too?

mathew said...

"original gangsta"

i love texas hold-em but i'm sure if i was drinking i'd be trying to eat the chips or something.

btw, i love the little handicap sign on the word verification on the comment section.

marian said...

"I bluff!" That was hilarious.

Well, good riddance, eh? On to bigger and better things.

I don't know what O.G. means either, but then there's so much that I don't know the meaning of.

Funky Finds said...

I think the only appropriate response is "Wow!" or "Seriously?" Where did this group of people come from? Actually though, it does sound familiar...perhaps like one of the many parties I made it through in college. Hmmmm...

dreadmouse said...

The worst part about that party and others like it is that's where the relationships that get you "ahead" in life are often forged.

Outside of a few select industries it doesn't really matter how competent or knowledgeable you are, it only matters whether you can successfully schmooze (as opposed to schmutz) at said gatherings.

palinode said...

Aditi: As Mathew pointed out, O.G. means "original gangsta". Ice-T may have been the one to popularize the term.

WFHT: I got The Lunch. I picked the restaurant and made the reservations, just to make damn sure we didn't all end up at a Pizza Hut.

Fuh-Fuh-Funky Finds: Here's the strange thing. Most of the people at the party were old highschool buddies of the business affairs manager. Most of them seemed to work in call centres. The people whose conversations I rendered in detail were, amazingly enough, coworkers of mine. They were all set crew, who are by nature a rowdy bunch.

Dreadmouse: Fortunately for me, there was no one at that party whose favour I needed to curry. After I left around 1 am, though, the owner of a rival production company showed up, having heard that I was freelance. He emailed me the next day.

Anonymous Midwest Girl said...

Yeah, I echo Blackbird: Oh. Gee.

I've been to exactly those parties...and they never fail to leave me feeling drained and just a little bit dirty. Sometimes not until the next day when I get a chance to reflect on what I heard and saw.

Speaking of poker newbies...I was playing with a group of people and one of the girls, who hadn't ever played before, laid down her cards at the end of a hand, saying, "Well, I lost, but at least I got a pretty hand. All hearts!" We didn't know whether to point out to her that she won or just agree, yes, that is a pretty hand and give the winnings to someone who actually deserved it.

Awesome line: "...nothing was going to get between me and th eprecious alcohol locked away in these cans of light beer."

Gaunilo said...

Oh My God. No wonder you wanted out of that job. I love that I'm not the only "loser" in the world who doesn't know how to play poker, though. That's roughly my strategy: say words that sound related, hit the table occasionally, and act knowledgeable until I get kicked out.

What happened to the note* in the second paragraph anyway?

palinode said...

Gaunilo: The asterisk referred to a dropped footnote acknowledging that I'd used an object pronoun in place of a subject pronoun, but that it was my weblog and my prerog* to do so.

LynnieC said...

This makes me glad of a few things.
1. I work in the office and not the studio.
2. I didn't go to your going away party (but I did have fun at your lunch and helped pick out your card, so please don't hold it against me)
3. I wouldn't warrant a party if ever I were to leave work. I don't think I could handle it.

maarmie said...

I'm glad I don't work with people like that anymore. I would dream of murdering them all in their sleep.

Gaunilo said...

I love fellow grammar nerds.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Glad I missed this one. However, some how this seems to be exactly as I thought it would.

Chris said...

I pictured you downing a silver bullet, looking at your cards and saying to the guy next to you, "Got any 8s?"

savia said...

I'm so glad you got out of that toxic place. It's hard for me to imagine you associating with those people - you are worth so much more.

We should get together sometime soon for drinks and perhaps a rousing game of "Go Fish." I know how to play that.

Anonymous said...

OH-geeze. What a cynically jadedly snobbish bunch of comments. Your passage was amusing and well worded but these comment posts have taken this tale of discomfort and turned it into a "toxic place" fit for "an ironic bastard's version of hell? or suburban living!"

These free-loving poker-playing cross-generational multi-genre-country-to-rap-listening silver-bullet-sipping party-goers seem like a fine bunch to me.
Lets not forget the free drinks (though these lite-beers may have contained scarcely trace amounts of alcohol within used strictly for the purpose of marketing, akin to the food-colouring in Twinkies.)
Let’s also not forget all the pretty girls undoubtedly gleefully giggling as their heaved cleavage jiggled in-tune, or has your monkish years left you sterile to the aesthetic charms of the human-form happily housed in a harlot smile or the nipple of a nun.
Let’s not too quickly also gloss over that even your red nose was allowed to play in their reindeer games. Poker is the popular pastime at present for a fair portion of the populous, even at parties. So don’t lift all your glowing noses up at it, but Texas hold-em, for it is merely a happy game of chance where luck surpass skill allowing even the basest novice a chance at the chips.

I would hope that if I hobbled into that house, invited as you dear guest-of-honour, I would have been able to infect myself with that jittery greenish glow of glee, like that lass you encountered, rather than standing against a hot-house wall with these pompus finger-pointing poo-pooing pretentious party and clique critics.

palinode said...

Anonymous, don't insult the people who comment here. I don't care if you don't agree with them or detect in their words a snobbery that angers you. Just respectfully disagree. I write for your pleasure and theirs alike, and I won't put up with someone pissing on the crowd. Put your alliterative skills to better use.

Anonymous said...

Palinode please pardon my pernicious post. I perhaps picked, poked, and pushed too far. I thought only that the comments above seemed to be straying too negatively towards the party and its goers. In other words, I meant merely a parry and not a lunge.

Alliteration does seem to have that effect of intensifying a statement, regardless of how playfully placed the phrase is put in.

palinode said...

Pernicious post pardoned. Palinode placated, pleased. Film at 11.

maarmie said...

Don't you mean "philm at 11"?

palinode said...

I actually mean 'pilm at peleven'.

Sheryl said...

Your coworkers sound like charming people. Too bad you switched jobs.


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Thursday, June 18, 2015

Do guys care for their beards?

The subject matter is a genuine query, because I really want to know.

The whole "lumbersexual" look is really hot right now. Everywhere you look you see men in lush beards, and on a lot of them, yep, it looks HOT. I mean, just look at the fine specimens below. (Fanning myself...)

I have two friends with very lush beards, as in, their beards contain SO MUCH more hair than what is on top of their heads. And it seems like they both are of the opinion that their mojo lies in their beards. Anyhoo, I've never actually asked them myself, but I will. In the meantime, out there in the whole wide world internet, I was wondering if any of y'all know if:

  • guys shampoo and condition their beards like girls take care of their hair?
  • they trim their beards without losing volume and lush the way women trim and dust theirs?
  • they use leave in products or if they're just wild men?
If there are any gents out there sporting a lush beard, kindly inform us. If there are any ladies out there whose significant other sports a lush beard, drag some answers out of them, lol.

Anyhoo, that's my curious question for the week.

Have a good one y'all!!!!

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Not sure how long WordPress has been doing this, but there is a check for duplicate comments. If the same user/email posts the same exact comment on the same post, the user will get a message like:

Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though youâ€™ve already said that!

This is great actually, and keeps people from submitting the same comment twice if they get impatient waiting for moderation or otherwise click that submit button twice.

As a blog owner and WordPress developer, there may be situations where you want to allow people to post the same comment. If you want to enable duplicate comments on your blog for some reason, you can use this code here. Just add it to your theme’s functions.php or put this in a .php in your plugins folder and enable it.

function enable_duplicate_comments_preprocess_comment($comment_data)
	//add some random content to comment to keep dupe checker from finding it
	$random = md5(time());
	$comment_data['comment_content'] .= "disabledupes{" . $random . "}disabledupes";
	return $comment_data;
add_filter('preprocess_comment', 'enable_duplicate_comments_preprocess_comment');
function enable_duplicate_comments_comment_post($comment_id)
	global $wpdb;
	//remove the random content
	$comment_content = $wpdb->get_var("SELECT comment_content FROM $wpdb->comments WHERE comment_ID = '$comment_id' LIMIT 1");
	$comment_content = preg_replace("/disabledupes\{.*\}disabledupes/", "", $comment_content);
	$wpdb->query("UPDATE $wpdb->comments SET comment_content = '" . $wpdb->escape($comment_content) . "' WHERE comment_ID = '$comment_id' LIMIT 1");
		add your own dupe checker here if you want
add_action('comment_post', 'enable_duplicate_comments_comment_post');

For reference, here is the dupe check code in wp-includes/comment.php. A newer version should probably have a hook above and/or below to allow people to override the dupe checker more directly.

// Simple duplicate check
	// expected_slashed ($comment_post_ID, $comment_author, $comment_author_email, $comment_content)
	$dupe = "SELECT comment_ID FROM $wpdb->comments WHERE comment_post_ID = '$comment_post_ID' AND comment_approved != 'trash' AND ( comment_author = '$comment_author' ";
	if ( $comment_author_email )
		$dupe .= "OR comment_author_email = '$comment_author_email' ";
	$dupe .= ") AND comment_content = '$comment_content' LIMIT 1";
	if ( $wpdb->get_var($dupe) ) {
		do_action( 'comment_duplicate_trigger', $commentdata );
		if ( defined('DOING_AJAX') )
			die( __('Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!') );
		wp_die( __('Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!') );


text: Well bred Welbz t-shirts from $13.40 (£8.60). As they have to be shipped from America, the p&p takes the total price to around £17 for deliveries to Europe. The shop ships to: UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, China, Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Japan.


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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Book Review: Sorrow's Knot

Sorrow's Knot
By: Erin Bow
Reported by: Julianna Helms
Source: ARC via Scholastic (ugh I love you guys thank you <33)

In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders.

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants.

-Summary from Goodreads
Purchase: Mrs. Nelson's (support my local indie store!) || Barnes & Noble || Amazon || Book Depository

Sorrow's Knot is a woeful, poetic tale with a dew-dazzling quality to it, hypnotic in rhythm and unrelenting in emotions. Erin Bow's writing is beautifully quiet, with words stringed together like charms on a bracelet without ever stealing the story away from its original purpose: to give us some sense of hope, of peace and serenity, even when we know that not all is well.

I think what Sorrow's Knot does exceptionally well is its delicate balance of romanticizing sacrifice and spearing freedom. It raises such profound questions, and in a way that never makes you feel as if its suffocating you with its morality. How free is freedom, and how far are we allowed to go to protect freedom before we've gone too far? Is sacrifice a smudge of weakness or is it heroic and insurmountable?

Besides the phenomenally crafted themes and writing of the book, the worldbuilding is superb as well. The world is reminiscent of Native American culture, and some parts of it reminds me of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart (Evil Forest, etc.). But that's not to say the world is a parody; if it is based on any sort of Native American or African culture at all, it is safe to say that Sorrow's Knot is more of a corollary, a refining of such traditions rather than an imitation. And the world is rich and believable and immersive, and it's almost impossible to not forget yourself when you're wallowing in lakes with Otter or hiking through mazes of crooked branches.

The characters, finally, are commendable for their depth and realism. Though they live in a world so completely different from ours, there never was a doubt in my mind that they weren't fleshed out. Every character had its own identity and even the most seething, hateful ones had qualities that allowed us to glimpse their humanity. It is truly remarkable, how incredible each character is developed.

Read this book. There's nothing else I can say but ask you to read it. It is, quite simply, breathtaking.
starred review
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Happy First Birthday

I needed to make a card for my great niece, Anya's first birthday and I was inspired by Jo's card. I don't own the the So Swirly Jumbo Wheel (or any wheels) but once again it reminded me of designer paper.

Originally, I wanted to put Anya's name like it says baby on Jo's card, but that didn't work out so I decided to switch the star to a "one" to personalize the card a bit. I think a large scallop would look better on the bottom of the Regal Rose paper, but I don't own the Scallop Border punch and I'm having issues with the Cricut Design Studio so I didn't want to fiddle with that.

I think that the designer paper is the best deal if you don't own a lot of stamping stuff, especially if you can get in on a paper share. It gives you lots of variety and you don't need a lot of paper to create a cute card. Here's the above card without the "one". I think it would make a nice note card, or you could add a sentiment on the bottom to use for a birthday card.
Thanks for looking,

SU Card Stock - Pink Pirouette Textured C/S, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie,
SU Designer Paper - Sweet Always
Accessories - Fiskars Mini Scallop scissors; Cricut to cut 2" RD size Regal Rose scallop circle, 1 1/2" RD Pink Pirouette scalloped circle, 1 1/2" RD One from Mini Monograms; paper piecing tool, SU Mat Pack; ribbon from Wal-Mart?; Stampin Dimensionals


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Toddler Meal: Oscar's Green Gross Popsicles

Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness SmoothieFor some people, popsicles are strictly a summer treat. But not for toddlers, especially mine. They would eat them all year round, even on the coldest days of winter. Last weekend, when the temp barely touched 60, my kids considered summer officially here and were begging for frozen juice on a stick.

Personally, I consider popsicles a decent treat -- if you buy the ones made from 100 percent juice or make your own -- avoiding added sugar and food coloring.

And if you can come up with a marketing hook, even better!

shivasgirl developed her own popsicle recipe called Oscar's Green Gross Popsicles that appeals to her twins' sense of gross, as well was her desire to get vitamins, minerals and antioxidants into their diet. Read on to find out why they are "gross" and "green" ...

Oscar's Green Gross Popsicles

Prep time: 5 minutes

You'll need:

One small bottle or 8 oz of Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness, or the green versions of Odwalla Super Food or Naked Juice (in the produce or healthy juice section of your supermarket)

8 oz of strong decaffeinated green tea

Popsickle mold or ice cube trays

Make it:

1. Mix the juice and tea in a pitcher, and pour into popsicle molds, or into ice cube trays.

2. Assemble popsicle molds, or cover ice cube trays with plastic wrap, and poke tooth picks or small popsicle sticks into the plastic in the middle of the cube.

3. Freeze until hard.

Tip: This looks disgusting! The shade of green it freezes to is like a muddy pond, but the kids LOVE it!

Tip: If you use the Bolthouse Farms juice, your kids will be drinking wheat grass, spinach, broccoli and blue/green algae combined with fruits like kiwi, mango and apple. How awesome is that!

C'mon, don't make me come up with these toddler recipes all on my own. I want to know what YOU feed your toddler's for lunch and dinner. Send me a PM and share your recipes so I can feature them here!

Past Toddler Meals:

Turkey Burgers with Sneaky Veggies

Red Noodles from the Hillbilly Housewife

Confetti Potatoes

Mini Meatloaves

Alex Guarnaschelli's Homemade Granola

Happy Face Baked Pancakes

Yogurt Fruit Salad

Vegetarian Chili

Fruit Salsa With Cinnamon Crisps

Taco Cups

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Italian Goulash

Parmesan Risotto

Chicken Sausages

Easy Quesadillas

Barbecue Cups

Healthy Ketchup

Cinnamon Raisin Roll-Ups

Hot Dogs with Mashed Potatoes

Read More >


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Monday, March 21, 2011

Friday Stitching

Good morning all-I wanted to say what a fun time I had on Friday night-what a great group of gals (but then again it always is a blast!)...thank you to Linda R for the recipes-it took all of my power not to make the banana pudding (I knew I would eat the whole dern thing!) but now that the week has started I can make it and bring it in to share!! We had a couple of new faces (Donna's not a new name though-it was nice to put a face to you, Donna!) and many old ones (not age wise!!)--we had all sorts of discussions and sharing and fun!
What a gorgeous weekend of nice weather we had too-My Nemo has become obsessed with some chipmunks that hang out in my yard-he really wants to get ahold of one-yikes! It certainly doesn't help that they squeek when they run! That is one of the tough parts of Springtime is the wildlife that become oh so interesting!
The above is Bunny & Co that is now in cross stitch-and will be available soon! I started one of the carrots from Harried Hare from Samsarrah-it is ADORABLE! I will get a picture up tomorrow!
I hope you all are doing wwll and had a good weekend-keep stitching!
:) Molly

1 comment:

  1. Hey there Molly!! Sorry I couldn't make it Friday night! My house was first priority that night :) I will get pictures up as soon as I can so you guys can see them :) It was great to see you all while I was at the shop! Hopefully you'll see me more often since I'll be living closer again!! :)


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Bright and Bold Family Room

By Karin Brosnan - Monday, May 05, 2014

Bold and bright colors are just plain fun!

Have you ever wondered what colors mean?

I found some fun information on the internet about what colors mean from this site. Orange is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. It represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

No wonder I love Orange!

Bright and bold family room, what colors mean, orange family room
Bright and bold family room
Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. I found this beautiful bubble glass vase from Target.
Bright and bold family room, target bubble glass vase, what colors mean
Bubble glass vase

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, and purity. It is considered to be the color of perfection.

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.

Bright bold family room, white sofa bright colored pillows, orange fluffy pillow
Bright orange pillow

What colors do you surround yourself with?

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  1. Suzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home

    Love the information on colors. So interesting!
    Your family room looks like it's ready for a fun and vibrant Summer!
    I change my colors with the season. I have noticed that I love shades of greens and blues. They're calming to me. I add touches of pink, red, indigo, and black - depending on the season.
    Thanks for the fun post. Karin!
    Have a great day,


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Thursday, April 2, 2009

After the flood

We’ve had storm after storm for a few weeks now. The forecast has rain heading this way next week as well. Currently the Blackwater River and its tributaries are flooded. Many homes are being flooded. Last week my garden at the farm where I work was under a foot of water. I was worried about the beans. They had only been up about four days. The corn was about eight inches tall. The potatoes were well established so I wasn’t as concerned about them. When the water receded I could see that I didn’t lose much at all. Some of my bush beans and lima beans were washed away or covered with mud, but the majority still stood. I lost some squash and cucumbers and peas. The potatoes and corn are fine. Below are some pictures of the garden after the water receded.
Click the photos to enlarge.
Bush Beans and Lima Beans

Red Pontiac Potatoes

Water was up a little more than a foot over the garden

A survivor

Silver Queen Sweet Corn


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• TEAS

  • Gift packs

  • HOW TO.....

    HOW TO…

Hi and Welcome to The Tea Catcher.......

OK, here’s the dirt…

As a one man operation, uploading all of our 70 plus teas has proven to be difficult..

I have hence posted the current retail price list

If you are interested in samples or bags of any teas, please get in touch and we will sort you out…!!

Thanks for your understanding while I sort it all out (and hopefully re-launch the whole site next year) have a sniff around,

until then-

head straight to the shop

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(don’t forget the seasonal gift giving thing….what better than tea and tea toys….?)

for more information on teas, preparation, prices etc

contact stu- theteacatcher@gmail.com


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Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Blueberry Cheesecake Slice

One of my bestest friends in the whole, wild world is having a baby soon, so on one ridiculously hot day in early Februray I held a baby shower for her.
Em is having a little boy, and I'm super-excited by the prospect of being Aunty Ness. SQUEEEE! I'm totally going to be that cool "aunt" that bakes cupcakes and pays Lego and climbs trees and teaches him to use firearms drive a 4WD and takes him base jumping hiking and teaches him how to treat girls (although I'm sure his parents will have that one covered. Yeah, and in case you couldn't tell from the strikethroughs, Em is probably reading this... hi, Em! *waves*). Of course, before all that happens he will probably throw up on me more than a few times and possibly even make a habit of crying when I pick him up, but I'll try not to take that personally. Phht, kids.
Sorry, just had to get all that excitement out of my system. (Side-note - I've been doing a fair whack of online dating of late, and a few of the guys have successfully stalked Googled me despite my poorly-disguised fake email address, so this is a public service announcement to those ones who may have found my blog: Please don't freak out that I'm excited about my friend's baby, or that I love my housemates' squishy li'l pudding of a kid. Yes, babies are cute and yes, I do want kids... but I don't want them this week, so you can chill out! ;) )
Anyway, one of the ways in which my excitment manifested itself - and you should probably know that it has manifested itself in several ways - was to make everything for the baby shower blue. Blue lollies, blue cake, blue ice cream, blue cheesecake. Em's brother Heath did a fabulous job with blue decorations, too. The savoury food was obviously not blue, because that would have been disturbing, but thanks to Other Ness for providing the delicious, normal-coloured savouries!
I took the base recipe from Taste, but decided that it was nowhere near being blue enough, and the quantities were wrong, so I doubled it and changed the topping. I also made it in a slab pan with quite square sides (which I think is about 22 x 32cm), because I wanted nice, square/oblong servings. Now that I think about it, it's basically a denser, cheesier version of the Aussie classic jelly slice, and gosh it's nice!
Note that, using the tin I used, I ended up scraping about 1/4-1/5 of the mixture out (so, a heaped cereal bowl's worth) to make room for the jelly layer, so you could probably make do quite well with a 3/4 batch of this mix. Even doing a 1/2 batch (which is the whole, original batch) would work, although I'm not certain that the base would be robust enough to hold up.
500g plain, sweet biscuits (i.e. two packs of milk arrowroot biscuits)
250g butter, melted (i.e. one block)
3tsp gelatine powder
1/4c boiling water
1kg cream cheese, softened (i.e. four Aussie blocks of Philly)
1c castor sugar
2tsp vanilla bean paste
600mL thickened cream, whipped (i.e. large container of Pura/Bulla cream)
(Note - I had intended to fold some blueberries through the batter, but forgot to buy them that day, so the batter was plain. Feel free to add some here, though!)
500g-ish box of fresh or frozen blueberries (I recommend roughly chopping at least half of them up, to make it easier to cleanly slice the cheesecake later. Note also that you may not use the whole box if you don't like the look of it, so start by dealing with half and then add more if it feels right)
2tbsp gelatine
200mL boiling water
4-600mL cold water (note that I'm basing my quantities on hazy recollections of the gelatine tin saying 1tbsp of gelatine, 100mL boiling water, top up to 400mL mark with cold, but you should obviously follow the directions on whatever packet you end up using)
Blue food dye
Blueberry essence
(Alternately, you could just puchase blueberry jelly crystals from the supermarket, but apparently I'm not that smart!)
Grease and line tray with baking paper (make sure you get the corners and the sides of the pan where the paper doesn't extend to nice and greasy).
Process/crush biscuits until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Mix in melted butter until just combined and press into tin. Refrigerate until firm (20mins).
Sprinkle first lot of gelatine over boiling water in heatproof jug. Whisk with fork until dissolved. Set aside to cool (15mins).
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in gelatine mixture until combined. Fold in whipped cream (this is where I didn't fold any blueberries through and should have, but it turned out fine). Pour most of the mixture into pan, leaving enough room on top for 5-10mm of jelly, smooth top and refrigerate.

Pour boiling water into heatproof jug (I actually used 2 separate, 500mL jugs as I don't have a 1L one), sprinkle gelatine over the top, let it soak for a minute and whisk with a fork until dissolved. Continue to whisk and add 4-600mL cold (room temperature) water (depending on how thick and rigid you want the jelly layer to be), then colouring and flavouring to taste. Leave to cool fully.

Lightly roughen the surface of the refrigerated cheesecake with a fork.

Lick the fork clean and then put it in the dishwasher so you don't accidentally use it again. Sprinkle cheesecake with blueberries (some chopped, as mentioned above).

You don't want a solid layer of blueberries as it will be difficult to cut and compromise the integrity of the cheesecake layer. You only want just enough to have a couple of whole ones and several chopped bits adorning the jelly on each slice. Gently pour on jelly mix, squash any floating blueberries into the cheesecake so you get a nice, smooth finish, and refrigerate until set.

Cut into oblong slices (I got 30 slices out of this tin), lift carefully out (you might as well know that the corner slice will be totally buggered and the biscuit layer will probably fall off it, but hey, you need to eat the "ugly one" anyway in the name of quality control!) and serve.

Notes - Don't do what I did and add a bunch of frozen blueberries to the jelly - the jelly immediately around the berries will set almost instantly and make it quite tricky to make smooth.

I also recommend cutting the cheesecake with a hot, dry knife (you'll need a jug of boiling water and a tea towel to make that happen).


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Sunday, June 1, 2014

The Fabulous Flashback

Hello my lovely readers!

As some of you may have recognized, the image above is from the movie The Help. The fashion in this movie is to die for! This film is set in the early 1960's when classy elegance was the norm in the Southern states of the US. The 60's are my favorite years in fashion because of the classic length dresses, the lovely patterns used in them, and the amount of spice people had back then! Some of my favorite outfits from the film are:

Aren't they just so cute? With the puff in their dresses and the sassiness in the romper! It's all just perfect!

One way I try to incorporate a little 60's class into my everyday outfits is to keep them modest. I would not wear a very short dress or a skater dress to pull of this 60's look. One current store that does a great job at this style is Anthropologie.

Here are some of my favorite dresses from their current collection:

These dresses are perfect examples of revamped 60's style. I recently purchased the Matilde dress and I'm in LOVE with it. I feel so elegant and chic in it! So the next time you're planning an outfit for afternoon tea or maybe just a nice summer dinner don't forget to look back into the 60's for a little classy and sophisticated inspiration!

Is this era one of your favorite fashion eras? If not, what is your favorite era?

And as always,

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5 Q&As With Birthday Boy Choi Woo Shik!

Just like Choi Jin Hyuk in “Emergency Couple” and Park Seo Joon in “A Witch’s Romance,” Choi Woo Shik is now the newest member of the leading actor club with “Fool’s Love.” We had a feeling he was headed for stardom after last year’s breakout role in “Fated to Love You” as Lee Yong, Gun’s (played by Jang Hyuk) at-first-scheming-but-then-hilariously-supportive-brother. At the Busan International Film Festival in 2014, he even won Actor of the Year for the movie, “Set Me Free.”

It seems only fitting that we celebrate his 25th birthday on March 26 by playing our version of the 20-questions game (but really only five) to learn more about how he got here and why you should be a fan!

Question: Can He Speak More Than One Language?
Answer: Yes!

Joining G.NA, Yuki Furukawa and Godfrey Gao on the list of celebrities with ties to Canada, Choi Woo Shik spent 10 years of his life in Vancouver. This means he can speak English! However, if you decide to communicate through the language of love, we expect there to be no problems either.

Question: Is He Signed by a Well-Known Agency?
Answer: Yes!

Choi Woo Shik’s cute apple hairstyle in ‘Rooftop Prince’
When JYP Entertainment has your back, it can’t be a bad thing, right? For Choi Woo Shik, the decision to sign with JYP in 2012 really helped catapult his career. Shortly thereafter, he landed a supporting role in “Rooftop Prince” as an adorable eunuch! Not to mention, we bet he’s grown his circle of K-pop friends by being in the same agency with Miss A, 2PM, 2AM and GOT7.

Question: Do You Think He Looks Like Henry Lau?
Answer: Yes!

Henry Lau (“Real Men” and “We Got Married Season 4”) really does look like Choi Woo Shik’s brother from a Taiwanese mother. They both grew up in Canada, were selected by major entertainment agencies (SM vs. JYP), and are rising industry stars. Do you agree? Regardless, you can’t go wrong rocking a suit and tie, which Choi Woo Shik does for his role as a young prosecutor in “Pride and Prejudice.”

Question: Does He Only Specialize in Comedic Characters?
Answer: No!

Surprising twist! While Choi Woo Shik acted as lovable characters in “Fated to Love You” and “Fool’s Love,” Choi Woo Shik actually had a cameo in “You’re All Surrounded”as a frustrated, unlucky guy having a bad day. He got fed up with how things were going in his life and held everyone hostage in a restaurant, including the detectives played by Go Ah Ra and Lee Seung Gi.

Question: Is He Pregnant?
Answer: Yes ... And No

We know that it’s not possible for guys to get pregnant, but in Choi Woo Shik’s case, he’s technically pretending while hanging out with co-star UEE on the set of “Fool’s Love.” How do you think he looks with the baby belly? Does he carry it well?

Happy 25th birthday, Choi Woo Shik! Send him some birthday love by leaving a comment on his Celebrities page!

Some titles on Viki are not available in certain regions of the world. But Qualified Contributors (QCs) can view and contribute to most titles. Read this blog post to learn how to become a QC.


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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

I forgot about this picture... When I put these guys in the car I realized that they were technically the first purchase for my new place... I think I forgot to document that day on here... Anyway, they were $1.00 each at the St. John's Festival. Turns out they belonged to Rick's friend. He could have gotten some big bucks for them elsewhere. I would have paid A LOT more for them!

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Thursday, September 17, 2009

On Solitude

A few summer's ago I was alone in Prague for a couple of weeks. I was staying in Jana's apartment - a place I'd rented before. It is a small apartment, but with a terrific view of the Castle, especially at night, and a roof terrace where I sun and dry my clothes.

From Jana's apartment I can gaze down at the roof tops of Prague. At night during other summer's I've spent here, I drifted off, gazing at the Castle, illumined until midnight when the lights went out and the city darkened. But this summer it was stinking hot and I was alone. It was in fact the hottest anyone could remember in Prague.

I had work to do so my days were busy, but in the evenings I was alone. Neither Larry nor Kate joined me this time and the few friends I had in Prague weren't around. Normally this would be all right. I'd hang out on the Kampa with all the dachshunds and Frisbee players or sit by the Vlatava, sipping prosecco and writing in my journal. But these activities on this particular summer had lost their appeal. In the evenings especially I found myself at a loss with what to do. Time seemed interminable.

After dinner or whatever I did that evening, I made my way home. But the apartment was boiling. It was unbearable really. And there were no screens (which I often find in Europe) or fan. In order to get any air I had to open all the windows wide. But then, if I had the lights on, the bugs flew in. Thousands of bugs. Big ones, little ones. They took over the entire ceiling. There was one bug in particular, a huge winged flying thing that looked like the alien from War of the Worlds, the first film that terrified me, and it would bang its head into the walls. So I would read as long as I could stand it and then when the insect population overpowered me,

I turned off my lights and sat in the dark, just staring at the Castle. I'd sit up for hours, until the Castle lights dimmed. Somewhere in the building almost every night a woman was making love. (It turns out she was rather famous in the building) I listened to her cries.

I am a person who once prided herself in traveling alone. I went to remote parts of Mexico and Latin America where I stayed for years. I traveled from Beijing to Berlin alone. I wrote about my solitary journeys for years. I never really minded not sharing a meal or walking city streets unaccompanied. I was content just to watch the world passing around me. But now I did mind. Something in me had shifted. I thought these weeks would never end.

I was a different person when I made those other journeys. My DNA wasn't the same. I didn't want to be alone anymore. This was a hard truth to admit, but I didn't want to. I had a daughter, a husband, a dog. A parrot, for god's sake. While I was happy to be away, I couldn't bear the lack of companionship. I wanted my solitude, but was not enjoying my loneliness. And it took me a awhile to make this distinction.

Solitude implies a choice. But loneliness is imposed. It's a kind of stealth emotion. Time moves slowly. Boredom settles in. You find yourself engaaging strangers in conversation like the crazy women back home. Writers, of course, are people who need to be alone. We need that time to ourselves, to stoke up, fan the flames, whatever you want to call it. But I'm not drawn to around-the-clock aloneness.

I like my solitude, but at the end of the day I want to share a glass of wine with someone I love. Prophets in the desert, a tree dormant in winter, the writer at her desk. These are all portraits of solitude, but it is also when the work is getting done. Moses needed his time in the desert, the same way the oak tree in my back yard needs to winter over. The artist needs his or her solitude. But I'm not sure we need to be alone.

I recall hearing once that Shakespeare couldn't bear to write in a room. He had to be out in the world, among people, in the pubs. I've written before in this blog about writing in cafes. How one has solitude yet you are in the world. The solitude of the writer isn't exile exactly. We need it, but it must be self-imposed.

The weeks in Prague, as I pulled the sheet over my head at night to avoid the insects that crashed into my pillow, were endless. And too many nights I found myself, sweating, sitting in the dark. Even after the Castle lights were extinguished, I was awake, listening to that woman's cries.


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The Wild Beasts, after their single "We Still Got The Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues" from their fantastic 2009 full length album Two Dancers got nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, are now releasing a new 10" and it features a few remixes and a Japanese b-side titled "Through the Iron Gate," which you can preview and download below.

Wild Beasts - Through the Iron Gate

Another great news - Domino is offering a free download of the EP for this week only! Don't miss it! Go HERE! Buy their EP over at Domino.

Thanks to Stereogum!

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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Weird Word-of-the-Day Wednesday

In honour of Canada Day, today's weird word is "wenis." I kid you not. It's apparently Canadian slang for "a stupid or intolerable person," as in "Don't be such a wenis." Apparently, to the rest of the world, it's part of your elbow. Either way, it's weird.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

I Hear Voices

We all have an inner voice. I’m not referring to my conscience though. For me, that’s an altogether different inner voice, one that sounds a little like my Dad and it rarely talks but it does shake its head a lot. I mean a different inner voice. (Confused yet? Sorry.) At the risk of sounding screw-loose, I mean a voice that just talks in the background periodically. This inner voice helps humble me but lately, it’s become quite bad-tempered. Is this happening to anyone else?

This inner voice used to be too quiet. During my youth, it often let me blather on and on like a windbag know-it-all. Well let’s just say it’s louder now and it’s cantankerous. Here’s a recent talk I had with myself.

The conversation was about nothing. Obviously, I enjoy meaningless conversation (nod to the majority of my columns). Anyway, my inner voice grew weary of a ten minute discussion I was having with two guys about the importance of buying decent quality shoes. Things got weird when it said, “Dude, shut up! I repeat. SHUT UP!”

Surprised by its use of the upper case, I asked my inner voice, “Why?!”

“No one cares about expensive comfortable shoes. You sound like an idiot. And old.”

Insults? Puzzled, I weakly replied, “I’m not old.”

It persisted, “Dude, you’re talking about shoes.”

Getting a little offended, “Yeah, so?”

“Seriously? In your discussion on shoes, you referenced a documentary you saw about the coca-cola company. Only old farts talk about their shoe woes and only old farts watch documentaries about the history of coca-cola.”

“And speaking of coca-cola, you actually told your son the other day you were excited about ordering a root beer because you rarely drink it anymore. Do you think he cares? Do you think he thinks that makes any sense? He was probably thinking just drink the flippin’ root beer Dad. There’s no need to talk about root beer and caffeine and insomnia for ten minutes after you order a root beer!”

“Maybe not but—”

“Seriously. What’s the next discussion topic going to be? Are you going to share that you’ve walked home then realized you drove to work? Or will you discuss how you drift off during conversations to talk to your inner voice?”

Yup. I am. And here it is. Suddenly my inner voice has become the voice of everyone in my life who ever said I was stupid. Message to my inner voice: zip it. Because in the words of Dr. Seuss, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Weird Word-of-the-Day Wednesday

My friend G-rant and I like to challenge each other to work weird words into the conversation unbeknownst to other listeners. You guessed it--we're geeks. Inspired by that, I bring to you, "weird word-of-the-day Wednesday." Appropriate considering that Wednesday is one freakin' weird word. Today's word:

Tittynope (noun): refers to a small quantity of anything left over, a measly morsel.

Work that into the conversation folks. Straight face required.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Patting my Pate

Since shaving my head as part of a cancer fundraiser, I have noticed something that I suspect is similar to what pregnant women experience. Instead of rubbing my belly though (which might be somewhat appropriate considering the current state of my belly's bulge-ness), people like to rub my head. Yes indeed, people--even strangers--enjoy patting my pate, caressing my crown and okay, enough with the excessive alliteration. Sorry.
Anyway, I sort of love this. A group of people surrounded me recently and one person rubbed my head forward and said, "kitty," then rubbed it back and remarked "porcupine." Back and forth, back and forth, this went on for a while and I just waited and smiled. This is what pets experience all the time I guess.
And who wouldn't want to be a pet? Adopt me. Feed me. Scratch me. Pet me. Tell others how much you love me. Take excessive photos of me and include me in your updated status. Let me put my head out the window while you drive. Hold news conferences when I am treated poorly. Thrown me a bone every once in a while. Isn't this like every guy's dream?

Monday, June 7, 2010

What's Little Red Riding Hood got to do with it?

Did you know that Little Red Riding Hood's first name was likely Blanchette? I didn't know that. I assumed it was "Little." Although a few sources confirm this, I can't really prove it and that is precisely my point. How much do we really know about what we think we really know?

Socrates said, "The only real wisdom is knowing you know nothing."

The older I get, I wonder sometimes, why do I know less and less? Shouldn't I have the answers for everything by now instead of more questions? I just don't know what I know anymore. Can anyone ever know anything with absolute certainty?

I guess there are a few things I still know with all my heart and soul.
  1. Poutine should not be consumed by humans.
  2. Poutine is delicious.
Drat! Yet again, I've established I know nothing.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Make cancer just a word.

Today, my wife and son and I and a lot of other locals had our heads shaved to help fundraise for cancer research. Someday cancer will just be a word. Do what you can.

“I'm not a dreamer, and I'm not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.” ~Terry Fox
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Summerdance, Nelson Ledges

by Good Sign on September 14, 2015

By Kevin Alan Lamb

Music is my moral muse. It has been a rare constant in an inconsistent world. Life is hard; laced with struggle, dissonance, and doubt; but it is also precious, fleeting, and necessitates the prophetic paradigm provided by the love, dedication, and permission to believe everything is going to be alright. We must seek those who will provide a faint flicker of light when darkness lingers and illumination eludes. Darkness will endure if you let it chase you: light will awake your soul if you listen to its call. #thisisagoodsign

Mas Bubbles Moon Hoch 3 Wide Moon Hoch Mitten ink Chicago C S Water Leap ledge Chris air Chris Ledges Sara Ledges Squak KP Cloud puff Shimmer Chris and Sara Nelson Ledges Barefoot Boarding Quarry Camp Sticky Carl Phun photo Back Stage 2 Guitar BW Drummer Backstage Back Stage Lasers BW AJ fire Singing in the rain Pittsburgh Fam Lake Guy and Moon Hooch Fire pit Sheriff Moon Hooch crowd Sun burst woods The Beach Pong Investor Colombus Bubbles Lake Jelly Fish Mary and Josh James 1 Whale James and I MH Crowd Bubbles Group Shot Moon Hooch Mr Bubbles Chicken Hawk Ripples Group Chill Clouds Flying V Storyteller Couples Yoga Ledges Quarry Shaman I am Batman Secret Window Forest Sun Josh Chest Bump Lady Puddle Moon Hooch 2 Moon Hooch 1 MH Bubbles Beach Sunrise

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Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
Photo by Emma K Morris.

Say hello to the SUPERSTAR of your next brunch spread! This Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust is a real show stopper with its mile-high crispy hash brown sides and silky smooth spinach and onion laced quiche interior. It’s the type of dish that elicits ooh’s and ahh’s as you bring it to the table and will surely be met with rave reviews once your guests try a bite.

Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust being sliced

I love this recipe for so many reasons, but here are my top 3:

  1. It’s another crossover recipe, which basically means it is a welcome addition to the table at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or in this case brunch!
  2. This Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust is completely customizable. So while I chose spinach and onion you could totally go with bell peppers and onions, sautéed rainbow chard and roasted garlic, or even a simple cheese filled quiche. You get the idea, spice it up or fill it up however your heart desires…you literally cannot go wrong!
  3. This is one of those dishes where the leftovers are better the next day…that is if you are lucky enough to have any!
Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

  • Author: This Mess is Ours
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 75 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings
  • Category: Brunch
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Brunch

This quiche can be filled with any type of fillings your heart desires and is great warm or at room temperature.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cups baby spinach

2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for greasing pan

1  (20-ounce) package of hash browns, I use Simply Potatoes from the refrigerated section. Alternatively, use frozen hash browns and thaw them.

12 large eggs

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 teaspoon aleppo pepper flakes, or you can substitute with red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. When heated add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until they are translucent. Add the baby spinach a cup at a time turning with tongs to wilt the leaves. When all of the spinach has been added and the leaves are wilted down turn off the heat and set the mixture aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 2 1/2-inch spring form pan with butter. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with strips of parchment paper and grease the paper with butter as well.

Place the hash browns into a kitchen towel and squeeze tightly to remove any excess water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl then use your hands to mix the hash browns with the 2 tablespoons of softened butter, 1 egg, aleppo pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. When thoroughly mixed place the potatoes into the spring form pan and pat gently into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. *A measuring cup, slightly dampened, really aids in this process. When the hash browns start to stick to the measuring cup dampen it again. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the crust has set. Anywhere from 15-20 minutes.

In a blender combine the sour cream, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, Parmesan cheese, and the remaining 11 eggs and blend until the mixture until smooth. Add the cooked spinach and onion mixture to the blender and pulse a few times to incorporate then pour the egg mixture into the prepared hash brown crust. Bake until set, 40-50 minutes. Remove quiche from pan and allow to cool slightly before peeling away the parchment paper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving. This quiche is great warm and at room temperature.

If using frozen hash browns: You will have a lot more liquid released from the potatoes when you drain them in the kitchen towel.

You can make the hash brown crust a day ahead of time to make prep easier.

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Meg van der Kruik is the writer, mother, photographer, designer, cook and creative spirit behind This Mess is Ours. After her infant son was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, she dedicated herself to learning to make meals the whole family would love. It’s a bit of a mess – cooking for a vegetarian and three meat-eaters with a range of gluten + dairy sensitivities, but she manages to bring them together every night around their little family table.


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Genesee County

Situated at the half-way point between Buffalo and Rochester Batavia is the County seat, the location of the Genesee County Courthouse.  The New York State Thruway is spread across Genesee County with exits in the City of Batavia, (exit 48), Town of Pembroke (exit 48-A), and Town of LeRoy (exit 47).  Darien Lake theme park is located on the west side of the county and Tom frequently appears in this court representing clients charged with DWI offenses, drug offenses, public intoxication/disorderly conduct offenses , assault, and other penal law violations.
The Batavia City Court serves as the “hub” Court for the Veterans Court, DWI Court, Drug Court and Mental Health Court.  Cases from local criminal courts may be transferred to that court for disposition and may offer improved dispositions for those charged with Penal Law and Vehicle and Traffic Law misdemeanors and violations.
Courts located within Genesee County include:
     *Darien Town Court
     *Batavia City Court
     *Batavia Town Court
     *LeRoy Town Court
     *Stafford Town Court
     *Bergen Town Court
     *Oakfield Town Court
     *Pavilion Town Court
     *Alabama Town Court
     *Pembroke Town Court
     *Alexander Town Court
     *Corfu Village Court
     *Byron Town Court
     *Genesee County Court (in Batavia)

Related Websites
New York State Thruway


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July 31, 2012

On the Grill Potato Packs

I have been a little AWOL....but I have been loving my break from blogging!

As I have mentioned before, my boys have been swimming....and
swimming...and swimming!

It has, by far, been the most exciting summer of swimming!
They each made it as far as they could in their individual events, placing 9th and 11th!

While I have not felt like blogging, I have been doing a lot of summer cooking
on the grill.  It has just been TOO hot to turn on the oven!

Here's a quick and easy side dish that you can make on the grill....

This is one of the easiest side dishes to throw together and can be
made a variety of ways!

The first thing that I do is slice the potatoes and cook them for about 5 minutes
in the microwave.  This decreases the cooking time on the grill and insures
sure that the potatoes are cooked through.

Here is what I put in my first packet:

I've also been know to throw in some mushrooms!

After assembling the packet, you can add pats of butter of the top
or I drizzled some olive oil over this version.

My kids don't like all the veggies, so I made a simpler version for them, leaving
out the "extra" veggies!

After you add and season your ingredients, just seal your packet and put it on the grill.  Cook it for about 10 minutes until it's steaming and smelling delicious!

You could make these on the grill or over a camp fire....it's one of my favorite summer sides!

Bliss said...

My husband makes his taters in foil packs on the grill but he has never added parm cheese. I'm telling him next time I want that in mine.

Congrat's to the waternauts.

Jensamom23 said...

These look wonderful! I think I will make them for camping soon. Thank you!

ThriftyGirl51 said...

Ha ha, that looks like what my son would want, potatoes only! Both ways look really good and I will definitely be doing this soon, too hot to turn on the oven is right!

Joey Bailey said...

Looks yummy! You have such great ideas! I nominated you for the Sunshine Award, come over and check it out, created inane.blogspot.com!

عبده العمراوى said...

شركة ماسة لمكافحة الحشرات بالجبيل

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Say Whaaaaaa?

The darling Kim at {Blending Beautiful} posted this today and I had to share it.

theOutnet.com is having its one year anniversary and YOU are invited to help celebrate! RSVP here and you can purchase 1 item for $1 on April 16th.  After you sign up, theOutnet.com will send you an email on April 16th, and you can then purchase your item.

theOutnet.com is "the most fashionable fashion outlet" featuring a long list of designers including some of my favorites: Alice + Olivia, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Derek Lam...I could go on, and on, and on.

And did I mention that one lucky golden ticket winner will get to purchase 5 items for $5!!!

 You are probably thinking, "Doesn't this only apply to last season's winter coats, or off-brand, ugly wrap dresses?"  Nope!  It applies to the whole store!

So sign up now and on April 16th, you will have your very own designer piece for just a buck (or maybe even 5 for $5)

Happy Shopping!

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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Aurie at 6 months

Aurie is 6 months. She currently has her first cold and although I hate her being sick I love how cuddly she is! At her 6 month appointment she weighed 14 lbs 5.8 oz. and 26 inches long. We knew she was thinning out in the belly but thought she would weigh a little more. We have to get a scan of a cyst she has right under her right eyebrow to make sure that its nothing more. Aurie refuses to take a bottle and so will only breastfeed. Aurie is very close to sitting up by herself and she rolls all over the place.
I have been watching another baby that is only a couple weeks older then Aurie during the week. It's nice to bring a little money in and still be a stay at home mom.
What has really been keeping me busy, though, is buying and selling cloth diapers! I LOVE cloth diapers. I tried to convince my sisters to cloth diaper but they are SO not on board. Haha. I have been able to make a bit of money off of reselling them, not to mention all the cloth diapers I use for Aurie have been bought very cheap and saving us TONS of money. I also use cloth wipes which saves money!! I even enjoy the diaper laundry! There are so many different types of cloth diapers its insane! Anyways, that's all the news from me. I really haven't been up to anything but those things
Oh, except, we started watching the Blacklist on Mondays and that show is AMAZING! Anyone else watch it and love it?!? And the new episodes of parenthood are awesome and so real!
Aurie playing  with our daytime buddy!

 Aurie's Halloween costume! I picked it up for $3 at a consignment sale. Isn't she the cutest cheerbear
 This is Aurie today. I made these baby legs out of my old knee high socks.
 This was today too. I wanted to snap some photos of Aurie in the ukulele case and hat we used as props in her newborn photos to compare size!
 She is a MAJOR finger sucker! Always sucking on those two fingers. Grrr.
 This picture is hilarious. She woke up from a nap with her hand imprinted on her face. With fingernail indents and all! I was laughing so hard.
 Aurie and her daddy!
 Aurie and grandpa at the balloon festival
 This is what the front of my house looks like sometimes! Sunning and drying diapers.
 These are all the diapers I use for Aurie! Did I mention I LOVE them and want so many more :)
That's all for now.


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The Transformation of Pain

nov 05, 2011 No Commenti da

Sendai, Japan, 5 November 2011 – His Holiness went out into a grayish morning in Sendai, his seventh full day in Japan, and drove for an hour or so the 30 miles that lead to Ishinomaki, the area most devastated by the tsunami of March 11. As his car approached the area, the scene took on an air of unutterable sadness: houses sat like empty sockets, their first floors shattered and ravaged by the storm (while their second floors sat untouched); telephone poles stood at 45-degree angles, and cars could be seen still floating on the water. His Holiness’ car passed crumpled gas stations, houses that were just gaping holes, huge boats keeled over in the sea. What was once clearly a busy neighborhood was now a ghost town, rows upon rows of houses buckled over and crumbling, cars piled up in mountains of scrap meal.

Roughly 12,000 people died on a single day here, and only 4000 of their bodies have been found.

In the middle of the desolation–there was rubble everywhere, graves were crushed with their headstones falling over, pieces of washing still hung out in front of skeleton houses, and a chair sat in a hollowed-out living-room–His Holiness got out of his car and walked right over to the people who had gathered in the street to see him.

“What do you feel?” he asked them, extending a strong hand and arm. “Are you still sad?” Women broke down weeping in front of him, some sobbing, “Thank you, thank you.” In this scene of high emotion, His Holiness said, “Some sorrow befell you here. That’s all finished now. You can’t change what’s happened. Please change your hearts, be brave. Please help everyone else, and help others become more okay.”

The people in the crowd fell quiet and nodded as he spoke. “Too many people died,” he said. “If you worry, it can’t help them. Please work hard; that is the best offering you can make to the dead. I’m so happy I could come and see you.”

As he turned around, His Holiness took off his glasses and wiped away some tears.

Then, in a long procession of black-robed monks, to the sound of solemn chanting, His Holiness walked in from the road and slowly up the path towards the local temple, Saikoji, past wreckage on every side, more gravestones crushed or tilted over, greeting a group of kindergarten children, all in blue uniforms, who had been at school the day of the calamity and so survived. Around him trees were torn into stumps and a line of small stone Jizos (the Japanese god of children) sat with red bibs around their necks, protecting the living and the dead.

Walking between the long lines of people seated on chairs outside the front entrance, His Holiness entered the temple, prostrating three times before its central Buddha. Then a packed audience within recited the Heart Sutra in Japanese, and His Holiness led some Tibetan monks in chanting the sutra in Tibetan.

His Holiness began by speaking about how he had come to share the pain of the people here, “particularly those who lost one of their dear friends or relatives,” and reminded them how, as the tragedy unfolded, “many people in all parts of the world, as soon as they heard of the situation, thought, `You are not alone.’

“As soon as I heard of this tragedy, on the BBC news, I instantly felt, `How much pain!’ And remembered my many trips to Japan since 1967.” Beside him, next to the altar, were fifty or more colored packages neatly lined up, with the bones of the dead inside them, and in front of them framed portraits of the deceased, both young and old, with bottles of tea or keepsakes to remember them. “On the way here,” His Holiness went on, “I asked the driver if the tsunami had come here. Then I noticed, suddenly, everything was completely different. I was very much moved. When I shook the hands of the people here, tears came to my eyes.

“But, it already happened. And as humans, we have intelligence. When such a thing happens, we must think. With our intelligence, combined with self-confidence, we can overcome all these problems. So tragedy certainly, naturally, brings sadness and demoralizes us; but now you must transform it into enthusiasm an self-confidence and work hard to rebuild your lives, your country. Particularly with these young children here: provide them with education and let them lead another happy new generation.”

As he went on, in front of hundreds in the temple, and many hundreds more seated outside, and standing at the back, following his every movement on screen, His Holiness recalled how, in his own life, leaving Lhasa in 1959, he had left behind many friends “and one small dog” and then heard, two days later, that many of them were dead. “Of course I felt a lot of sadness. But, as I mentioned earlier, I had my intelligence, and also my belief in truth. So the tragedy could be transformed into a source of inner strength. Now, 52 years have passed, and I always keep determination, enthusiasm.”

He remembered, too, how Japan, through hard work, had rebuilt a new country from the ashes of war, particularly through “your very good sense of co-operation.”

Then, walking to the front of the temple, he addressed directly those sitting outside. “Whether we are believers or not, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “We must be realistic. So one Buddhist teacher, in the 8th century, explained: `If a tragedy happens, look at that tragedy holistically. Then you can overcome it. So don’t worry. Work hard. Try to work things out. If there’s no way to work it out, there’s no need to worry.”

For those in theistic traditions, he said, “all these mysterious events are actually God’s creation. So there must be some meaning. So look at it that way. And in non-theistic traditions, such as Buddhism, everything is due to its own causes. Karma may come from this lifetime, but it may even come from previous lifetimes. From the Buddhist point of view, we must make forceful positive karma, which can be stronger than the previous negative karma. This can reduce or even eliminate the previous negative karma.

“So look forward. Lead some kind of new life, full of determination. Lead your life in an honest way, a truthful way. By truthful acts, by compassionate acts, increase positive karma.

“This is not the time for worry, for sadness. But with determination, and a Japanese sense of co-operation, you must rebuild this town; this is a good chance to show the world Japanese efficiency, Japanese ability. And, after rebuilding a new happy town, please send an invitation to me, and I will come and we will have a big festival.”

Everyone in the large audience was clearly moved, and after five children presented His Holiness with flowers, one after another, he asked them to pose for a picture with him, saying, “Smile, smile” to one shy little boy, and tickling him on the cheek. By the time he emerged from the temple, it was possible to see the scenes of destruction in a different light, as His Holiness walked slowly back, holding older people who reached out for him, for a long, long time, comforting women carrying framed pictures of their lost ones.

In the afternoon, in an atmosphere of sonorous bells and dark lanterns, His Holiness spoke inside Koushoji temple, at the center of the city of Sendai, and delivered a Buddhist address about overcoming suffering to a large audience, many in monastic robes and suits. “If some tragedy comes,” he explained, “you must look at it carefully. And you must try to transform it, even though you can’t change the event itself. I met many victims today: at first their pain was perhaps on the outside, but now it’s inside, invisible. For external pain, you can take medicine, see a doctor. But for inner pain, you must practice and make it better yourself.

“If you only think about your loss, for example, it increases the pain. But if, when your house is gone, you think about making a new, beautiful home, you can transform it into a positive. If you think, `Why is this suffering coming to me?’ that, too, increases the pain. That kind of thought is a delusion. See things in a wider perspective, and you can make you pain smaller.”

In the morning, before sobbing crowds, he had spoken from the heart and reached the hearts of many; in the afternoon, he gave the complementary, and more analytical Buddhist teaching, of how we must look at suffering realistically and transform it into possibility. He might have been a doctor, first offering sympathy and then, a diagnosis. In the diagnosis lay the cure, and the sense that in each of us is the capacity to begin to heal ourselves–in part by tending to others.

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Monday, April 6, 2009

Day approaches the nearest to perfection this side of the Blue

Of a Spring Afternoon, Laurie and I walked in Bidwell Park.
Gorgeous Laurie on the amazingly beautiful trail on the fantastic day. Really it was the very zenith of spring afternoons. This was taken slightly before I broke out in singing "Poisoning Pidgeons In The Park." You can tell by Laurie's face not yet saying "Oh no, he's doing something horrible again."

I seem incapable of hiking without climbing things. In this case it was the tree stump where I proposed to Laurie about, what, like almost 3 years ago.

Me on the trail.

Here is Laurie at the One Mile Pool.

Here is our Tulip Tree which I planted in our front yard.

  1. You should always climb the stump where you proposed to Laurie and shout out your love for her!

  2. I agree! I like your tulip tree too.


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Indians are known for their easy life style and exquisite tastes. Indian cuisine is characterized by its aromatic combination of herbs and spices, which create the distinctive taste of so many of their dishes. Cultural and religious differences among Indians resulted in the development of many cooking methods unique in style and taste.

From that tradition we bring you some of the finest dishes
authentically prepared for your dining experience

After 10 years of searching, I finally found a place where the food tastes like home! love this place!

Farah Hossain

My husband and I went to grab dinner here tonight and I can say we both loved it! We walked in to the aroma of Indian spices, it pretty much made us even hungrier than we had anticipated. The husband chose to try the lamb dosa and I had the veggie thali and a soup on the side. The husband thought the lamb dosa was good, the portion of meat generous, but he did miss the gravy that is found in traditional lamb "curry". Although you have to note that it wasn't a curry he was getting. It's more of a minced filling! I loved the soup I got! Perfect combo of spices and lentils. It was very chilly today so I appreciated the warmth. I loved the veggie thali. Everything I tasted was great! Fresh, yummy and hit the spot, I didn't even miss the meat! Can't wait to go back!

I  just had dinner here with my wife. Delicious food and the owners were a very nice couple (at least, I think they're a couple). I had the Non-Vegetarian Thali which was a steal. Wife's Masala Dosa was spot on. Would definitely come here again if I was in the area.

Dylani Shea

Excellent, authentic South Indian food made with love by an adorable couple! We had the energy salad, curried lamb dosai, and the chicken vindaloo. It was all fantastic! The best I've had in Toronto... I will definitely be back! They have gluten-free and vegan options as well. Great addition to the neighbourhood!

Rick Conroy

Nice people, with good food. Simple south Indian fare, at a reasonable price. A great addition to the neighbourhood. Please try it!

Menon Dwarka

Food is always of the highest quality, and the proprietors are always friendly and accommodating.

Nayoko Ventila

The staff are helpful, patient, and incredibly kind. The food is absolutely amazing with good portions for the cheap price. You're looking at prices between 2$ for appetizers and 13$ for the highest food item on the menu.

Karan P

Nice homely place! The owners are very sweet. The food is all under $10 and you walk away full . I'll be back soon for sure 👍

Scott Misirlis

After moving to Toronto from Vancouver, we had been searching for dosas like we used to get out west. After a few different tries we discovered The Tiffin Box right around the corner from our home. While it's not a huge menu, I think it's a good thing as everything we've tasted has been delicious. The prices are also very reasonable, especially for the quality that you get. If you're in the Bathurst / Bloor area and have a hankering for quality South Indian food, The Tiffin Box is definitely worth a visit.

Joseph Gabriel

For the price of a forgettable fast food meal, I got a delicious, freshly cooked meal that was flavourful and filling. Dosas run about 8 bucks with chutney on the side. The squash as well as the lamb dosas were excellent, as was the chana chat to start (which only cost 3 bucks!) Really enjoyed our meal.

Louann E.

Excellent little spot and I'm so glad it's in my neighbourhood.  Very flavourful and healthy food.  Seems lighter than much Indian food I've had.  Has a home-made quality about it.  Nice to have this quick, healthy alternative.

Raumil P.

This place has amazing service. I went with 4 friends and we all enjoyed the place. I went with the vegetarian thali and I was very happy. My friends went with the lamb chicken, butter thicken and chicken vandaloo and they were very impressed.

Wednesday to Sunday – 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM
Monday & Tuesday – Closed

938 Bathurst Street, Toronto, M5R 3G5
(Between Dupont St. and Bloor St.)

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Monday, August 13, 2012

Our Barbeque

Let's go back in time a little and do a little recap of our annual 4th of July Party.

The end of June was a little crazy. We left the last week for California and after spending 10 fun-filled days in beautiful San Diego we drove back just in the nick of time to pull off our barbeque. As in, we pulled into our driveway at 11:30pm on the 3rd of July. (Lots more about the trip later..)

Luckily, Justin flew home that morning so he had time to mow the lawn, weed the garden and clean off the back patio. Because I didn't have a ton of time, I didn't make any new games for the party. (My plan is to make one game each year until I have a variety of things for everyone to do).

And you know what? I took like 5 pictures of the whole event.

I did manage to get a pic of the red velvet cupcakes I made to celebrate the summer birthdays in our family.

I was running a little late, and the cupcakes weren't decorated when everyone arrived, so after dinner I talked some of my cute nieces into helping me decorate them. I love the little star sprinkles.

We also set up the bean bag game I made last year. There are three different colors of bean bags (4 each), so you get 4 throws and add up your points. After everyone has had a turn, you can either decide a winner or go as many rounds as you'd like!

After I took the pictures the kids complained that we hung the tarp so the middle holes were being blocked by the post, so we had to move it, but you get the idea. :)

I love fireworks. And although I like having pictures of fireworks to enjoy after the fact, I decided to take three pictures and then set my camera down to just be there and enjoy it all for real. Not just from through the lens. It was great!

I know I'm way late, but I hope your holiday was fabulous!

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Thursday, 24 February 2011

"ALLEZ!" by Yann Faucher

ALLEZ! by Yann Faucher
Yann was introduced to be by Pascal Renoux. He had originally modelled for Pascal but then was inspired to become a photographer and he is very good indeed.

He asked if he could come down to our house and stay overnight, which he did, and then take some photographs along the way. He had an image very similar to this on his website and l thought it was so good that I wanted to repeat it. Often, it can devalue a project such as mine to repeat a photograph but I think this sufficiently different to warrant it being chosen to represent Yann on my project.

It is taken in our third reception room at home (known for historical reasons as the Playroom). I feel that it is almost as amusing that I hoped it would be and it has the message imbedded in it - go for it! It is your last and only chance! It also says something about my condition - inside
I am pedalling away but outside I am not quite making the progress I used to. When my mother moved us from North London to West Wittering in May 1964, she bought each of us a brand new bike. Mine was dark green and I cycled everywhere often making up imaginary bike races to which I added my own commentary - it was usually me who won, of course.
Yann Faucher

IN TIME Was @ Jane and Tim’s place. First time I’ve been out of London since i’m here. Meet those “2 lads” at their beautiful house with flowers, trees and those birds singing that i can’t match. I have been photographing Tim who has Parkinson and taking part in his own process/project… Once again i think i was closed to that kind of feelings/sensations of everyday, the things that you do believe/trust in… your inner forces.
Had this tough and serious discussion with Jane about ourselves, religion, human relationships, art… whilst having red Anjou, smoking (too much) and swearing quite a lot. Amazing time, i’m feeling great :)
The night there was fully dark, I got a star for Lily and made a wish for her, i think it was Venus star…

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ACWA Power signs agreements for extending licence
November 18, 2017 | 5:23 PM
by Times News Service
Times file picture used for illustration purpose.

Muscat: ACWA Power Barka has signed three agreements with government entities to extend its licence until December 2021, the company said. These amendment agreements are for power and water purchase agreement, water purchase agreement for the second phase and natural gas supply agreement, which have been finalised with revised terms and conditions after negotiations with Oman Power and Water Procurement (OPWP) Company, ACWA Power Barka said in a disclosure statement posted on the Muscat Securities Market website.

Earlier, ACWA Power stated that the company’s total revenue for the first nine months of 2017 increased to OMR54.04 million, from OMR49.64 million for the same period last year. The growth was primarily attributable to higher power dispatch, higher capacity revenue from the existing plant, incremental revenue from the second-phase expansion project and the recognition of receivable from OPWP on account of a government risk event/material adverse change due to the change in tax laws.

However, the company’s net profit declined to OMR6.15 million for the first nine months of 2017, from OMR8.37 million for the same period last year. The fall in the net profit was mainly driven by one off impact of additional deferred tax liability, partially offset by higher power capacity revenue as explained above.

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