Far Too Long!

               First, my apologies.  I have taken a long, long break from blogging.

At first, my break was legitimate.  It was just to be over the summer to allow me to enjoy the warm, Canadian season with no obligations.  In that time, I could build up some good blogging materials and ideas by doing some travelling and those only-in-the-summer type activities.  That actually did happen.  The summer provided great memories and wonderful fodder for blog posts.  (This is me in Chetwynd)

When the summer ended, I intended to start regular blogging but somehow true procrastination started instead.  I did begin going to the gym and pool regularly most mornings, which still left the afternoons and evenings available to write but somehow I kept putting it off. Maybe all my knitting was more compelling.


 Then the Christmas season was here and truthfully how do you fit in time to write when you are busy getting ready for Christmas--a perfect excuse to procrastinate? So I intended to start again in January once the husband went back to school.  But that plan went awry but not just because of procrastination. However now I am back.  This post is the first leap to get over the hurtle.


That's the thing about procrastination...once you put something off once, it is easier to put it off the next day, and easier still the day after that.  Then it becomes a game to see how long you can go without doing that particular thing--lots of reasoning and rationalization and excuses.  That could be my rebellious streak.  Soon, I would rather wash the floor than do the thing that I am putting off.  Once the task gets to that point it becomes a huge thing that seems impossible to do.  

A friend of mine sent an excellent link to a TED talk about procrastination that inspired some reflection upon my own habits, thought processes and reasoning around putting things off; especially things that I really want to do, that are important to me and things that make me feel accomplished or fulfilled or excited or proud when I do them. This long break from writing has lead to my New Year's Goal: to focus on taming my procrastination habits that interfere with happiness or doing things I want to do.  I need a new motto, maybe this one:

       DO IT NOW Before LATER BECOMES NEVER

I have more to say about procrastination but I'll save it for another blog...later.  I guess the motto can't apply to everything.

                              

Canada Day means Summer!

Happy Canada Day!  

Our wonderful holiday for Canada's birthday.  The first long weekend of the hopefully long, endlessly sunny summer.

This is Moe's last summer as a teacher so it's our last true summer holiday.  From now on summer will just be summer, a change of season but not a holiday from work.  So we get to practice being retired together for the summer.

It's time to change up our daily routines, no alarm clock for weeks, no reason to go to bed early.   We'll be getting out the beach reading including some new books, some already read books and piles of magazines.

Moe will be firing up the barbecue and meal prep will be easy. A lot less housework and lots more days at the cottage, and plenty of time in the sunshine.  Canadian summers are wonderful!

But best of all we will be traveling to gorgeous BC.

I bet your mind immediately went to visions of Vancouver or Victoria maybe Tofino and the Rockies.  That's not where we are going.  Remember the Friendly Giant?  How he always said look up, look way up as he arranged that fabulous tiny furniture?  Well, look way up on a map of British Columbia and eventually you can locate the Chetwynd near Dawson Creek, north of Prince George.

Why would we go to Northeastern BC, not even to the mountains but to the foothills of Peace River area?  What is there that would encourage us to take a flight across three provinces to Calgary and then transfer to a small plane to Fort St. John?

Family of course.

Our daughter and her husband will pick us up at the airport and I will get to do the annoying mom thing of wanting to see every mundane thing.  Like the grocery store where they buy groceries, the post office and the highlights like the schools where they work, the Powder King ski resort...everything in town.  They tell me it will take fifteen minutes.

I have nothing against Chetwynd. My daughter and her husband both have jobs there.  She has her own classroom, something that might not be possible in Ontario.   But it's just so far away.  Bring on Moe's retirement so we can visit more often!

Enjoy your Canada Day.  I will be happily packing!

  

The Story of My Piano

On my to-do list (could be called my bucket list or my retirement dream list) has always been learn to play the piano.  As I mentioned in my last post, I am more than a little musically impaired.  Can't even hum a tune much less sing in any key other than off or out of. At hockey games, I needed to watch other moms so I could clap in sync when we were doing some crazy clap and stamp your feet nonsense.  Thankfully when the boys get older they really want you to stop cheering like that.

But I still want to learn to play the piano.  In order to do that, you need a piano.  So for some years I've been sort of, kind of secretly hoping to get one.  None of the kids were interested in learning, so it didn't happen when they were at home.  In the last year, I started looking on various second hand sites but with no real luck.  So I retired with the plan to learn written down but no piano and no real leads to getting one.  Learning to play was taking on the shape of one of those "yeah, yeah, I'm going to do that someday" plans that never happen.

Then serendipity... my neighbour, Carole, (who was part of my nebulous plan as a person to teach me since she has taught piano,) decided to relocate to Jasper. This meant selling her house and much of its contents.  She invited me over for early dibs on some of her larger items before her yard sale.

There was already items missing in the house, things in boxes to be shipped to her new home and my eyes went right away to her piano.

"What are you doing with your piano? I asked, expecting the answer to be that she was shipping it or storing it or it was sold.  Instead the answer was,

"I'm trying to sell it but can't find anyone to buy it."

A deal was made, and I was on her deck calling over to ours to tell my husband I was buying a piano.  Just like that, the biggest part of the learn to play puzzle was solved.

Her deck to ours!

Moe was skeptical, where would we put it--I had an 25 year old answer for that.  When we chose plans for the house I always knew a piano would fit exactly in one spot in our living room.  It was empty enough, still waiting for the piano. Then he needed to know where his favourite chair would go. I had an answer for that.  How and when would we get it moved to our house since it required at least four people.  I had answers for that.  Have you ever noticed that if you really want something you can make it happen..eventually?

A couple of nights later, at my mother-in-law's 87th birthday celebration, I asked my two brothers-in-law, John and Robert if they were around the next morning to help move a piano along with my two boys and hubby, that way they would be five people.  They agreed and then, John suggested doing it that night instead of waiting to do it during the garage sale even though they'd be one less guy.

I hurried home with my sister-in-law, Denise to check whether that was convenient with my neighbour.  No problem, she wanted it moved. The birthday celebration was interrupted.

So in came the men, John appointed me as foreman which is really a joke because he sold and moved furniture for years and Cameron had worked a summer as a mover. The neighbour was sidetracked by my sister-in-law to sell her a bed perfect for her visiting grandchildren--so really no supervision at all.

The piano made it down the stairs, out the front door and across the driveway. The men needed to put it down to re-position.  A request for Carole to play was made.  So there on a beautiful early summer evening, half way on her lawn, halfway on ours she played a few bars of a remembered Beatles song. Ah, one of life's beautiful, unexpected moments.

Perfect for a concert

With a little more huffing and exertion and moving of items, the piano made it up the front steps and into the house to be maneuvered into the very spot I had picked out on the floor plans years before.

John asked me if I knew anything at all about playing a piano.  So I showed them everything that I knew...how to play the scale of C with my right hand. (Thanks Beth.)

I bought a book recommended by the instructor on You Tube that Cameron found for me. And now everyone in the house has soldiered through my hours of practicing so that I could "master" the scales almost and have  When The Saints Go Marching In be recognizable. I have hours and hours of practice ahead of me.

Carole came over before she left and played a piece. The house filled with beautiful music. How bittersweet for both of us.  The piano may never be played as beautifully again but the house can be filled with music anyway.

My new baby!

 


Thanks to Moe, Cameron, John, Robert and Carole for helping my plan become a reality.

If you're not doing it now...

If you are not doing it before you are retired you won't do it after you are retired.  I heard this caveat a long time ago and stuck with me.

It could be a play on the adage: Don't put something off until tomorrow because tomorrow may never come or it might be a different way of saying, work to live; don't live to work. Whichever, it's worth considering before retirement.

According to Zilinski's  How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free :

"Leisure consultants and pre-retirement planners state that if you are not spending any time pursuing these activities before retirement, it is unlikely that you will spend much time on these activities after you quit work."  P. 17    
( I reviewed this book in an earlier blog.   If you copy and paste this link you could check out that blog entry:
https://debslifeinretirement.blogspot.ca/2016/02/reading-to-prep-for-retirement.html

Zilinski recommends making a list of 10 favourite interests and activities that you would like to pursue in retirement and write how much time you are presently spending on these activities. His reasoning is that unless you have a variety of activities to engage in when you retire, you may become bored and even depressed so you should start cultivating and pursuing interests while still working. He contends that even the most enjoyable activity loses its charm if it becomes routine.

When you are really busy with your career and family there may be plenty of activities that had to be put on hold. Even if you haven't done something in years, you might be able to have time for it again once you retire.  The real issue is whether you start those activities again and if you will become involved in new activities when you have the time.

So I did a review of the activities that are taking up my time to see if I am the exception to the rule-- They fall into a few categories and I left off quite a few things that fall into I was doing them before--like exercise, reading, traveling, cottage, shopping.

Old but different; the unavoidable things that still need to be done because retirement doesn't make them magically disappear.

1. Housework including decorating and organizing--certainly did housework before retirement, definitely still doing it now.  The difference is I can actually enjoy it now.  I'm not saying I love cleaning but there is more enjoyment in having the time do a decent job and to enjoy the results.  A great thing about retirement is not needing to cram all that work into the few hours available at night and on weekends.

2. Cooking-  Thanks to the difference in our schedules I wasn't really doing this much before retirement, Moe was doing most of the daily cooking so I just did the same old stuff when I cooked. That's why I said I wanted to learn how to cook again in retirement.  I've certainly enjoyed trying new recipes especially when they turn out well.  Not a new activity but actually enjoying doing it is new.

Not new but with a twist

3. Baking--this is something I have loved to do since I was a kid.  However, before retirement I baked on demand (read only when I had to or if I had tons of time).  Now I bake more often and try new recipes and even ones that are a challenge.

4. Yoga--I was doing yoga before I retired.  At home, often from videos and apps and books but sporadically.  The twist here is now I go to yoga classes-regularly.  Classes are so much better.  Didn't have time for classes before.  Love yoga!!

5. Knitting--wasn't doing this before retirement because it is addictive and will keep you from going to bed when you should.  But not new since I have been able to knit since high school.  Now I am knitting again.  And it's still addictive and still keeps me up at night.  The twist is that I joined a knitting circle--we knit for charities and it is a once a week social outing.

Below are Actually New Activities.  Hah!!

6. Duolingo--it's an app that helps you learn another language.  I am improving my French, everyday.  Yes, I live in a French home and took French to grade 12 but I still have learned a lot from my iPad--I once said to kiss my neck when I really wanted to say kiss my butt--my pronunciation needs work!  C'est la vie!

7. Blogging.  Writing and publishing my personal writing--definitely new.  Still scary.

Below is Proof that I'm an Exception to the Rule of "if you didn't do it before you won't do it after you retire":

8.  I have no rhythm, I can't sing to save my life but I have always wanted to play so I bought a piano and am learning with lots of practice....

Thanks to my friend, Beth I was able to play the Scale of C with my right hand when we moved the piano into our house. It seems like thousands of years ago she tried to teach me on her grandmother's piano. That's as far as we got.  I now know all the scales with both hands and in unison, and a couple of songs.  I still can't sing or carry a tune, so my piano playing career will remain in the house.

So that may make me an exception to the idea that if you weren't doing it before you won't do it after however, as I said I am also not the exception. I was sure I was going to be doing these things but...

9. I still haven't made it to spin class or the pool, my garden doesn't exist and I've only painted one picture.

But then again, there is always September.

Layered Lemon

Welcome back to my blog.  Since it is the end of the school year and many people are probably looking for a recipe for the end-of-year staff party, or the volunteer luncheon or what-ever pot luck meal you are invited to, I decided to give up one of my favourite recipes for such events.

This is my go-to recipe for most pot luck lunches.  I prefer making dessert anytime instead of cooking for a large group.  This recipe is great because it makes a large pan and it is too decadent to make just for yourself even if you cut the recipe in half.  It travels well and looks pretty when displayed.

It is always a hit. People have dropped hints for me to make it again--sometimes someone will remind me that I haven't made it in a while.

The original recipe calls for a short bread base, but I switched it to a graham cracker crust instead. ( I found it in Desserts by Company's Coming, 1986)  Sometimes, I fancy up the top with decorative sprinkles or chocolate shavings.

My best tip:  always use Philadelphia cream cheese.  It's just richer, sweeter and better.

First layer: Crust

1/3 c. Butter (you can use margarine, not as good)
1 1/2 c.    Graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp brown sugar

Crust: Melt butter in saucepan.  Stir in crumbs and sugar.  Pat into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch pan (22x33cm)  It won't be too thick.  I usually bake 10 minutes in 350 degree oven.  Let cool.

Second layer:

2  8oz packages cream chees
1 c icing sugar
1 envelope of Dream Whip
1/2 c milk

Beat cheese and icing sugar together well.  Prepare Dream Whip topping with milk as directed on package.  Fold into cream cheese mixture.  Spread over cooled crust.

Third layer:

2 packages of lemon pudding and pie filling (each makes one pie)

Prepare lemon pie filling as directed on package.  Cool, stirring often.  Pour over cheese layer and spread to even.

Fourth layer:

2 envelopes of Dream Whip
or
2 c. whipping cream
2 tbsp of granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff or prepare Dream Whip as directed.  Spread over lemon layer when cooled.

Garnish with nuts, sprinkles, chocolate shavings or almonds.

Refrigerate before serving.  Makes 15 generous servings or 24 normal servings.

Shown below with the shortbread crust and nuts on top.  I have never decorated with nuts because of the potential food sensitivities or allergies.

The Other Side of the Bridge

I would not usually recommend a book that made me cry.  Life gives us enough opportunity and reason to cry, we don't need to go looking for sadness in books.  However, even as as the tears were pouring down my face I was thinking how much I was enjoying this book.  And that I would read it again someday.

Mary Lawson became my new favourite writer when I read Road Ends.  I also read Crow Lake, her first novel.  Although I liked it, Crow Lake did not enthral me the way that Road Ends and The Other Side of the Bridge did.

I like Lawson's writing because of her compelling characters but also because she so vividly paints time and place in her novels. The novel stretches through a lifetime from the Great Depression, through the war and onward. She catches the life in rural farming communities so realistically during those times that Struan could be anywhere in Northern Ontario.

The central character of the novel, Arthur is anything but a typical hero in a book.  Certainly not a romantic hero.  He's not good looking.  He is not smart or quick witted.  But his younger brother is.  In fact, Arthur doesn't have much going for him.  He certainly not mysterious, or athletic or particularly clever.  He struggles in school in a time when students repeated entire grades in high school so that his brother catches up to him.  He is shy and words do not come easily to him so he unable to be charming or humorous.  But in the end, he is endearing to the reader without being pitiable.  He is just a guy who puts one foot in front of the other to do what needs to be done.  He doesn't complain.  He's faithful, loyal and dependable.  He is everything his brother is not and his brother, Jake, is everything Arthur would like to be.

Arthur gets the girl, the one that he is in competition with his brother.  But there is a lot more to the story than that.  There is a good plot to this novel and several other storylines as well so that you do care about what is going to happen.  However, Mary Lawson creates such powerful characterization that the plot is almost secondary.  You are really reading to know what will happen to Arthur.  How will everything turn out for him and for the other characters who interact with him.

We all know Arthurs, perhaps even are Arthurs or at least some of Arthur.  The dependable, reliable person who is usually overshadowed by more outgoing, bigger personalities.  Lawson manages however, to make him not too moral and too good to be likeable.  He does make some questionable choices, he is capable of selfishness, and has enough back bone and stubbornness to to remain strong when pushed.  However always without fuss.

Speaking of being overshadowed.  There is another entire story within the novel about the farmhand Ian that is overshadowed by the story of sibling rivalry between Arthur and Jake.  Unlike Arthur, Ian is has so many choices available to him that he is struggling to decide what and who he will become.

Lawson swings chapters between Ian and Arthur, yet Ian's story always leads back to Arthur.  Which in the end is why this reader was crying.

Mary Lawson remains my new favourite author. And The Other Side of the Bridge is a book I will read again even if it made me cry.

About My Retirement Gift to Me

I had wanted a stand mixer like this for such a very long time but there was always a reason why that desire was unfulfilled.  The fact that I seldom found time to bake and had a perfectly good hand mixer did not justify the expense.  And then I was going to retire and I knew that I wanted to use some of my time to bake.

Stand mixers were on sale before Christmas along with a mail-in-rebate from Kitchen Aid. The time had come to fulfill that want.

The most difficult part was committing to which one to purchase.  Lift bowl or tilt-head, professional grade or home use, which colour, (probably the biggest and most important decision) how big a bowl or motor?  So many decisions!  I polled the bakers and cooks at school, sent e-mails to friends for their input that I took into full consideration. But in the end, I purchased the very one that I had been admiring for years; a beautiful fire engine red Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer with a tilt head.  It has a stainless steel bowl and comes with three beaters and a port for the attachments that I am sure to investigating soon.  

I brought it home the night before my last day at school. A perfect retirement gift for me. I've had it for six months now and every time I use it I think how I wish I had invested in this years ago! It works beautifully. It is easy to use, easy to clean and looks fabulous on my counter. 

It is a bit heavy to move so I had to find a spot that works to store it yet is also where it can be used. The heaviness is actually a bonus as it is solid while in use, so I can do other tasks. I'm looking forward to adding the glass bowl and after I tried making my own pasta dough, I know I want the pasta attachments.  I've used it so often already and I love it.  I highly recommend! 

It does make me wonder though... why do we so often put off what we really want until we can get a reason to give it to ourselves as a gift? 

My Mistake..sort of, kind of..

Our garage right now is beautiful--not quite a work of art but really rather nice for a garage that actually is a garage with a car in it and loads of stuff that needs to be kept in a garage.  That same garage was a disaster from January until just last week.  Which was really disappointing because in the last few years we have put a lot of work into organizing it and in the fall we were confident that this winter would be different and it would stay neat enough until spring.  Hah!  A few things foiled that plan.

First, in January, I went on my annual January craze of organizing and reorganizing. I love to start the year off right as so many other people do--that's why the Canadian Tire flyer is full of organizing materials in January.   This year with all those extra hours to tear apart closets and sort through drawers the pile of items to give away, take to the cottage or donate grew and grew.  And it grew in the garage, neatly against the wall at the bottom of the stairs.  Neatly but still in a guilt inducing don't look at me way.  A pile that was annoying and irritating every time you passed by it.

The second thing that destroyed the plan is that grown children sometimes need space to store their things while they go away or they because they don't have a place for their summer tires.  That kind of storage makes things really tight so there is no room to put anything else.

Well the grown children responsible for the storing of things were here last week collecting those things.  And as the wonderful adults that they are they cleaned and organized the garage after they reclaimed their things.  It was a way of saying thank you for the storage.  I painted a bench and spray painted planters while they worked in the garage.  A truly wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

That beautifully clean, organized garage inspired me to do some further upgrading of the space.  I had found a can of white paint to use on the bench, and there was enough left to use in the garage to repaint the door into the house and the door out into the yard.  That cleaned up some rather messy doors nicely.  Then I decided to paint the garage stair railings that managed to survive for twenty-five years without paint.  That turned out well and really brightened things up.

I was satisfied for a day or two but I still had some paint remaining.  Hmmm...maybe the actual stair threads could use a coat of paint.   Then they would match the railing and over time they would lose the paint but would take on that nice worn look.  That's what I was thinking.  So I did it.  I painted the stair threads with a nice thick coat of paint and planned to do a second coat the next day.

That was a mistake.  And it took only a little bit of time to figure this out.

I had left the garage door open so that the warm air could dry the paint before people needed to use the stairs.  However the cat from next door also came to visit.  He left his very dirty paw prints on my lovely dry white paint. Every footstep showed.  Every footstep is going to show.  My lovely white paint is already filthy.  Not in a timeworn shabby chic kind of way but in a nasty, non-glamorous, need to be cleaned kind of way.

I am not going to do another coat, I am not going to wash those stairs so I will need to live with the glaring dirt until the paint wears off.  Hopefully soon.   I will find a way to use the remainder of that paint.  And it won't be a mistake.

My Baking Challenge!

Cinnamon Twist Wreath

When I saw this picture in April's Chatelaine, I knew I had to try it. It meant I needed to clear an afternoon or a whole morning but I was so excited to give this a try!

I have made it twice now and will make it again with some embellishment to the recipe--mainly I will make the filling more sugary and more buttery, like really yummy cinnamon buns. The recipe is good as is but it is not decadent, yet.

 The first time, I organized it very well--to come out of the oven just before hubby came home from work so that the kitchen, actually the whole house would smell amazing!

I was quite proud of it and was allowing it to cool before plating it and taking a picture so that I could show the difference between the magazine pic and the actual first time attempt.  It was not a pintrest fail but the centre of my wreath was very tight.  Where I failed though was that I forgot to tell Moe not to touch.

When I returned from getting the serving plate I wanted to use there was a large chunk missing from the wreath and of course plenty of crumbs! It was still warm, and a bit gooey like warm bread...so delish!  We skipped the picture and enjoyed the wreath.

On this second attempt, I timed everything so that it would be out of the oven, cooled, on a plate and photographed before anyone else was in the house. This second attempt resulted in a better baked wreath and more even braiding but I still didn`t manage to affix the ends smoothly and my centre was less than perfect but it still tasted great.

Despite the need to practice my braiding and work on how I affix the ends together, the effect is good. This is one of my pictures.

Instructions

• COMBINE yeast with warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let stand until frothy, 10 min. Beat in warm milk, 1/4 cup melted butter and yolks until combined. Add flour, granulated sugar and salt (2). Beat on medium, until dough is smooth and pulls cleanly away from the bottom and sides of bowl, 4 to 6 min. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with a damp kitchen towel. Let rest until dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• PREHEAT oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Stir 1/2 cup butter with brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Beat egg with 1 tbsp water in a small bowl until combined.
• ROLL dough on a lightly floured surface into a 22 × 12 in. rectangle, trimming edges if needed. Spread butter mixture evenly over dough to the edges. With the long edge facing you, tightly roll up dough in jelly roll fashion (3). End roll with seam-side up. Use a sharp knife to cut the log lengthwise in half along the seam (4). Tightly weave the two pieces together, leaving the cut sides exposed. Gently transfer to prepared sheet. Brush a 2-in. portion of one woven end with egg wash (5). Form into a wreath, firmly pinching the egg-washed end underneath the other to seal (6). Cover with same damp kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, 1 more hour.
• BAKE in centre of oven until bread is deep golden, 35 to 40 min. Cool slightly. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
  

Buttery Pound Cake

I have been really enjoying and using my subscriptions to Chatelaine and Canadian Living.  Every month, I seem to grab a couple of recipes from each to try.  Usually baking from Chatelaine and cooking from Canadian Living.  However, this perfect Pound Cake recipe was at the back of February's Canadian Living.

It is yummy alone but even better served with jam, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce or berries.  I am planning on making it to serve with berries, instead of making a shortcake.

It does require lots of beating, but a wonderful recipe if you have a stand mixer to do the work.

• Prep time25 minutes
• Total time2 hours and 45 minutes
• Portion size16 servings

Ingredients

Preparation

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light, fluffy and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add 1 egg; beat for 2 minutes, scraping down side. Repeat with remaining eggs, adding 1 at a time. Beat in milk, vanilla and salt until combined (mixture may appear curdled).

Add half of the flour; stir gently just until combined. Repeat with remaining flour. Scrape into parchment paper–line 8- x 4-inch (1.5 L) loaf pan, smoothing top.

Bake in 325°F (160°C) oven until top is golden and cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack; let cool completely. Peel off parchment paper. (Make-ahead: Wrap in plastic wrap; store for up to 2 days.)

Great recipe for a weekend.  And my mom approved it enthusiastically at Easter.