Busy Beaver

 At the park where I walk there is evidence of a busy creature at work. Some very large nice trees have recently been surrounded with wiring by some concerned soul, but the beaver, not to be easily discouraged, is still finding lots of options. Did you know that a beaver's teeth never stop growing and that chewing wood helps to keep the teeth from getting too long?
They are made to chew wood.

It has struck me again that in the busyness of life, as has been said,
 the most important thing is to remember the most important thing.
I was reminded of the experiment of putting rocks into a jar and finding out that if we put the big rocks in first, more will fit into the jar.
That beaver could look at that tall tree and figure that it's way too big of a project to take on, but it is in using what he has been given, and sticking to it, that he finds success.

One of the beaver's big rocks is to find a way to build his shelter
and he has been given teeth to do it.
What are my big rocks?
And what have I been given to get the task done?

There are days I feel like all I'm doing is filling my jar with sand -
leaving no room for the rocks.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33
 

Back at the Little House on the Prairie

We got home late last night, or early morning depending on which time I choose to use, and this morning I woke up to a wet, growly windy day.
 I can almost see why prairie people would prefer their very cold, but sunny, days.
Ben picked us up at the airport in Saskatoon last Thursday morning and we got to the house at the same time as the girls did with their car full of groceries for the weekend.
Kari prepared lunch, while we all caught up with the joy of just being in the same space.



Late afternoon we drove into town for dinner to celebrate an upcoming Birthday.
The next morning the young parents left us in charge.
We had a weekend of finding out what it's like to be in their shoes
while they had some much needed time away.



Getting dressed to go outside is a feat in itself,
especially with little fingers that don't quite know where to go,
but it's routine for them by now, I can tell.

The chariot is a great way to get around on the wide open roads!

The sun was bright enough to wear sunglasses!

 

One morning the girls wanted to join Papa on his early run,
still in their pajamas but, dressed in their winter gear and covered up, they rode.
Who knows what clothing other people are hiding under their big coats and boots?
 

We made play dough and played ...

 

and of course, real dough too!

We played again

. . . I'm not sure which dough she liked more.

You know where you are at when a highlight is a trip into town
listening to "I like to eat apples and bananas!"

to spend some time at Walmart!
I came away from this trip into the young parents world with a new appreciation for all the love poured into our grandchildren's lives by their mom and dad.
 A mom that will get up as many times as need be to soothe a crying child . . .
one who stills the hunger of her little ones before thinking about herself
and one who, oh so patiently and gently, teaches them about life.
 I love seeing a new generation dad's pride in his girls and desire to balance
spending time with them and providing for them.
I am so grateful for the ability to be a part of our children's world
in the different stages of life.
And this too is by the grace of God.

 

Maybe Not

That's what she said, when I put her on the potty and there was no tinkle.



We flew over the Rocky mountains early this morning and descended upon a
wintery scene.

Arriving at the house,
the snow was piled high on either side of the driveway.
And tonight, as we drove into town for dinner,
this was the landscape flying by us.

A few days ago, at home,
I thought Spring was just around the corner.
Here?
Maybe not.

Simple Pleasures

I love the fact that spring blooms are starting to appear
and that tulips can be purchased for a small price.
Last week we enjoyed red.
This week pink.
I wonder what color will stand out in the bunches next week?
I think my favorite is white  . . . still kind of wintry
but clean and fresh!
One month till the first day of Spring!
But who's counting?
 

New Orleans Style

A friend and I had a Christmas gift to put to good use
when we attended a cooking class by Chef Dez.
For me it was a treat to sit on the student side of the counter!
Stress free and fun! 
But in it all, I hope I learned how to make the other side of the counter
 less stress free and fun as well.
One thing he kept repeating was,
 "If something is difficult, keep doing it and it becomes easy!"

He began the evening by mixing up a batch of biscuits -
which I could have done for him. Smile.
But it was still fun to watch. While they were in the oven,
he whipped up a Hop'n Shrimp Gumbo.
I must say that even if you do not like shrimp - this was very tasty!
 Next we watched him prepare
 Louisiana Red Beans with Rice and Cajun Chicken for our main course.
 Since I'm consciously trying to get more beans into our diet,
I plan to make the red beans and rice soon.
Deleted the pictures ... oops!

With dinner done, we had our eye on the dessert coming up.

The biscuits were out of the oven and Chef Dez began preparing the Flambeed Bananas

The anticipation of just how big that flame will be is why I will probably not try making these. . .

but I sure don't mind if someone makes them for me.
It was a great way to spend the evening with Marie . . .
another "girl" who loves to cook.
 

A Valentine's Day Story

I picked her up from school and enjoyed listening to her chatter

while she was looking through her cards from her classmates. 

 

Turning one over, she said, "Oh, it's from Andre. . .
he wants me to be his girlfriend."
"But . . . he’s not very nice” she adds.
 

"That’s good," I tell her, "because when you get a boyfriend one day,
you want him to be the nicest in the world!”
 

"Well, I already know who that is," she says.
Something tells me we've had this conversation before . . .

but I’m caught off guard once more!
 "Who is that?" I wonder out loud.
 

“Oh, it’s Isaac S. He’s so nice!”
(could she have forgotten about Owen and Neil already?)

After repeating several times how nice he is,
I asked her what it is that makes him so nice…
 

She said, “Well, when he sits beside me he says,
 Oh, am I disturbing you?”

She kind of giggled,
 her body language telling me that he did not even do anything!



And that was the answer of the moment.
Maybe not her final one, but for that moment.
 Funny girl!

Something about that
and watching her roll, shape, cut and sprinkle,
 made my Valentine's Day special!
 

More Celebrating

Valentines is being spread out over the week this year.
It began with a small package for two, dropped off at the post office.
On another day Papa took Makenna to the new Walmart for a treat while
Tehya came over for another episode of Anne of Green Gables.
We also baked a cherry tart / platz.
 

Tehya learned how to use the pastry cutter for the pastry and the crumb topping.
She liked taking handfuls of the crumbly mix, squeezing and dropping it on the cake
before it went into the oven.
 

It was still warm when the taste testing began.
The next "grand" baking date is coming over tomorrow . . .
and we will see what comes out of the oven,
when Valentines continues.
 

Happy Family Day!

 

The last family picture we took was about a year ago. As you can see . . .
it is not an easy feat to get everyone co-operating.
When the babies are being good, the big kids may not be . . .

but I love the scene.
It's family. . .
a kinship needing no special day,
but to seize the days we have been given.

Dear Lord in heaven, creator of life
and family,
You know the things that threaten
family relationships today . . .
You see the silent tears
of hearts breaking - walls built . . .
We pray that we will remember
that You, who made us,
knows how we are made, that we are but dust.
And because of this, You also know how to fix us.
Help us to turn to you as families,
to receive Your forgiveness and healing.
May the gift of family be an extension
of Your love to the world . . .
an example of grace and mercy
in daily life.
Amen

 

Make Your Own Breadcrumbs

My mom once told me that she cannot bear to throw out bread.
I know she will if it's absolutely necessary, but I think I know what she means...
and it's funny how I've been reminded of that.
I remember when we were living in Brazil, beggars coming to our gate
and asking for old bread. They did not ask for money,
they were truly hungry and had nothing.
In many countries, bread is symbolic of life.
It's the staple around which other meals are planned . . .
be it a loaf, a flatbread or a tortilla.
Our grandmothers quickly learned that stale bread has valuable use.
Did you know that French toast and bread pudding taste better, using stale bread?



I wanted to use up these frozen hot dog buns -
 a reminder of  the last outdoor wiener roast, months ago.
Not a good quality for either of the above.
 

So I decided to toast them up for breadcrumbs. I put them in the oven at 300 F on convection
( if you do not have a convection oven, just bake them up  350 F)  for 20 - 30 minutes until they are dried out and brittle - just beginning to brown on the edges.

 

I put them in my blender  

and had fine crumbs in no time.
Once the blades are covered with fine crumbs,
 it is best to remove the large pieces and pour out the fine crumbs,
to start it up again.

I keep dry breadcrumbs in the freezer.
It is one of those staples that is needed when least expected . . .
to top off  a casserole, add to meat dishes such as meatballs and meatloaf
or quickly bread some fish fillets or country fried steak.