Bah Humbug

Merry Christmas one and all. Not much in the spirit of things this year. Instead of putting up the Christmas tree we ended up throwing it out. I only wrapped one present. Making turkey tomorrow. I never have been a festive one and with the kids being older now I don't see much point in putting on the show. I just want to finish this year off. Maybe next year I will make an effort. As always the only gift I want is peace, love and happiness for all. Seasons greetings and a Happy New Year.

Brrrrrrrr

Is it a sign that it is time to give up the Ice Caps when you go through the Tim Hortons drive-thru and find out your window is frozen shut?

Naaaaaaa!

Karate Banquet Demos

I think I know someone who would like to see these, over and over and over. You know who you are. :)

Personal Trainer

After we finish all our Halloween treats we need this guy.

Here's looking at you

This is my sorry attempt to make Halloween treats...eyeball donuts. At least they taste good.

8' Grand Champion Trophy

Proud Grandma with Ben and his Grand Champion 8' Trophy from this weekends karate tournament.

Spending too much time on the computer

I was feeling guilty about spending too much time on the computer and not being motivated to exercise more. Here is my latest and greatest attempt to put in my time on that treadmill.
By rigging up a board over the treadmill arms to put the keyboard and mouse on, I am able to play on the computer and burn calories at the same time. The time passes quickly and I really enjoy my time on the treadmill now.

State Champion

Final tournament of the MSKC and Ben has successfully defended his title as Overall Underbelt State Champion. He was first in his division in forms and sparring and second in weapons for the year. At this last tournament he brought home a first in forms and second in weapons and sparring (DQ'd). Another banner year!

Trophy Room

We have now transformed this room into the trophy room. There are still some championship belts, poster and belt promotion certificates to find homes for but most of Ben's awards are situated. There are over 100 awards-trophies, plaques, belts and medals and probably another 20 before the year is done if he keeps up the good work. I am so thrilled with the metal shelving we found at Ikea. That had to be the most difficult of tasks to find what I was looking for.

Try this and see what kind of crazy list you come up with.

Go to Google.com and do a search. Type your first name and the word "needs" after it. Copy and paste (main part) what the top ten things Google says you "need"
Holly needs:
1-obedience to learn how to walk nicely on a leash
2-the loo
3-a Home
4-A Hero
5-voter approval
6-your vote to get organ donation on telly
7-to protect the football better
8-Help
9-Her own TV show
10-to know

Awwwww

Yes, I know I'm not supposed to be on the counter...but look how cute I am.

Tournament Circuit

Ben has been in fine form at his recent karate tournaments. He has brought home 6 first place trophies from the last two tournaments he has entered.
He likes to play with the videos we take by putting them to music and here is a sample from this weekend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WR1Z7Skx_U&feature=channel_page

My new toy

Here's my new toy. I've always wanted a food dehydrator. They look like fun. So on day 1, I filled it up with apple slices. Day 2, there were no apple slices. Next I tried banana slices. They too are disappearing quickly. I want to attempt some fruit rollup (leather) somethingorother. This dehydrator doesn't come with a special tray for that but I think I can rig something up with either saranwrap or parchment paper to line the trays.

Tim Hortons Contest

Please check out my Tim Hortons contest entry here http://www.everycup.ca/story/the-winning-combination. I would really appreciate you views, comments and ratings.
Thanx to everyone for their support.

Ready for the frames

Twisting Spiral Heart Quilt top is now completed and ready to be put on the frames for quilting.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen

Here is the latest in the series of Janet Evanovich's books that are so much fun to read. The characters are hilarious and adventurous. Once I pick up one of these books I find it hard to put down and I anxiously await the next in line. #15 comes out June 23.

Neverland

A great tribute to Michael Jackson would be to turn Neverland into a Themepark for all to visit just like Elvis's Graceland. Just think of the possibilities, his music could be playing throughout the park, memorabilia, video theatres and plenty of fun rides and petting zoos, all things Michael loved and all things people loved about him.

Jon and Kate plus Eight

Though I don't regularly tune into watch this program, I occasionally catch a promo or see a tabloid blurb about the Gosselin family. So the burning question is: What is the big announcement to be revealed on tonight's episode?
A. Jon and Kate are going to get divorced.
B. They are going to cancel the show and work on their marriage.
C. The whole family is moving into the Dr. Phil house.
D. Kate's pregnant.
What's your guess?

Karate Tournament

Today Ben won 1st in forms and 1st in sparring. Love the belts. I am glad each tournament has different trophies or belts or you might think I just keep taking the same pictures. Ben has won well over 100 trophies, belts and plaques since he started competing less than 2 years ago. Yay Ben!

Twisting Spiral Heart

Oooooh I like it. This is the first heart pieced today. If you click on the picture to enlarge it the colours show up a little better.

Twisting Spiral Heart

I anxiously await the arrival of this:

Twisting Spiral Heart - Paper pieced quilt block pattern.

I have been intrigued by this pattern for quite some time and finally broke down and bought the pattern from the very talented etsian bcheri's shop -piece by number. She has numerous quilt patterns for foundation piecing that I absolutely love.

Old City Hall

So who did kill Katherine Torn? We may never know. Why would anyone suspect it could be anyone other than Kevin Brace. Without giving away any details, Robert Rotenberg's first novel is a murder mystery you'll enjoy. It will keep you guessing to the very end. I enjoyed the very descriptive outlines of the settings and characters giving you a close connection, a feeling that you've been there and know them. Mr Rotenberg draws from his expertise as a criminal lawyer and Torontonian to make this story very believable.

Icecream Cone Cupcakes

They're fun to make and fun to eat. Make your cupcakes in icecream cones.

For Sale

Finally, I have completed the Blooming Stars quilt. It seemed to take forever. I love the way it turned out with the star motifs I used in the borders.

Tree roots in the sewer lines

For several years we were being visited and revisited with this plumbing problem. It seems that tree roots kept creeping into the sewer lines by the street and backing up into our downstairs bathroom. Either in late spring or fall we had to call out Mr. Plumber to eel out the pipes every year to the tune of several hundred $$$ each time. So last fall came and went without this usual routine event. I nervously anticipated the nasty event with every flush or shower. Spring arrives and is nearing its end as summer approaches. Still no need for our Plumber friend. Don't get me wrong, I am delighted that we can be rid of this ritual.

So without any scientifical proof or research I have developed a theory that coincides with the arrival of our recent family member. When we got Snickers back in July last year I decided to try flushable kitty litter for convenience sake. I have a sneaking suspicion that something in the kitty litter or in Snickers business is keeping those tree roots from growing into the sewer lines. Whether or not this is factual, it's my story and I'm sticking to it. Nice job Snickers.

Pool's Open!

From this:..............................To this:

The pool looks so inviting now that it is open. I'm just waiting now for mother nature to warm things up a bit before I jump in.

Hi Mom. It's me, Lily.

You came into my world the other day and instantly I knew that you were the human for me. I just couldn't imagine you leaving here without me. So here I am now, ready for you to spoil with hugs and kisses. Mom, you're so snuggly you just make me purrrr. Love Lily.

Karate Tournament Results

This weekend Ben adds three more trophies to his collection. First place forms, 2nd place weapons and 2nd place sparring and 2nd place in Grand Champions (that elusive 6' trophy!). He should be extremely proud of himself for another fine performance. He was up against alot of great competitors.

Sweet Smells of Spring

Childhood memories come wafting in my open window with the sweet scent of lilacs in bloom. Now that the weather is getting nicer, I love being able to let the fresh air in.

Tis the Season

The grass is growing, flowers are blooming and every corner you turn has YARD SALE signs popping up. Time to get in on all the action. I haven't had a yard sale in over 10 years. We started rooting through the closets and crawl space. Holy Moly. I can't get over how much stuff has accumulated. Here are a few things, brass knick knacks, movies, books, Archie comics, toys, clothes, mini trampoline and the list goes on as my livingroom gets taken over.



So hopefully the yard salers will come out in force on Saturday. It's supposed to be a gorgeous day.

Stars in Bloom

Here is the latest and greatest! Another challenging pattern that put me in to a serious bout of procrastination because of how time consuming the piecing was. Soon I will get this up on the frames for quilting. I really love the way the little stars spill out onto the border.

Trifle

Here is a light, easy dessert that is fun to make and the kids love. I've made these for my children's school classes when they have events, bake sales, projects or parties. I like to make them in the little plastic wine glasses so they are individual and easy to serve. Simply layer angel food cake, pudding ( I made some with chocolate and some with vanilla) cherry pie filling, then another layer of cake, cool whip, and a cherry on top. Voila, trifle.

Way down in Kokomo

This weekend's karate tournament took us to Kokomo, Indiana and as the song goes we got there fast and took it slow. Although it was one of the smallest tournaments Ben has competed at, his division was quite large as they grouped the brown and black belts together in his age group. This was a great experience for Ben as he gets closer towards the goal of achieving black belt status. He still placed at the top with a second in forms, 5th in weapons and 4th in sparring. Unfortunately we didn't get it on video. The rules were a bit different than Ben is accustomed to. He had to wear a face mask (which he never has done) and it was the kind that looks like a baseball umps mask...he couldn't see out of it. As well, the rules were extremely rigid with light or no contact. Ben is extremely aggressive in the ring and used to full contact. So, although it doesn't fly in Kokomo, he wowed everyone there with an amazing tornado kick to his opponent (would have gotten him 2 points on any other day) but got him DQ'd. He will always be the #1 karate kid in my eyes!

Another weekend, Another tournament

This weekend's tournament was a 2-day event. After a long drive Friday, Ben competed in the Weapons division and won 1st place. When we got back to the hotel we took in the feature cage match which was rather intense. Today Ben competed in forms and won another 1st place, sparring in his division gave him another 1st, and then he bumped up to the 15-17 year old division to find himself in 1st place again. Competing for grandchampions he was close but not to be this time. The competitors were all so amazing and the tournament ran quickly and smoothly. Way to go my karate kid!

A little gift for someone special

I thought it would be a nice gift to give this lovely Tea sampler from Teaman. It contains the following quantities of each: 5 teabags of each flavour Raspberry and Peach herbal tea, Blueberry and Blackberry herbal , Mandarin Orange and Mango herbal tea, Chai black tea, Earl Grey black tea, Sencha green tea , Strawberry black tea, Cranberry tea, Vanilla black tea, Gingerbread tea , Raspberry Black tea, Chamomile Herbal tea, English Breakfast traditional black tea, Apple/Cinnamon spiced green tea, and Orange Spice green tea. For a total of 75 teabags, packed in individual 5 packs. Sounds good. Maybe someone will invite me over for a cuppa.

Day of Champions Tournament

Great day for Ben. Here is one of his sparring matches. Today Ben came home with a 1st place sparring, 2nd place forms, and 4th place weapons.

Easter Bunny caught on camera

How cute is that Easter Bunny?!?

Tab's Poetry Corner

Tab has once again blessed us with another of her fine works. Check out her poem on the sidebar. Thanks my DDD.

The finished product:

I love this quilt motif and the rich colours. For different views click on the picture.

Ben's Tournament Weekend

Here's Ben (14-brown belt)in red/white, sparring a 17 year old black belt. He took a lot of penalties, missed out on a lot of points but gave the kid a run for his money.

Overall, competing against black belts this weekend, Ben ended up with 3rd place in weapons and 5th in sparring. He held his own against the big boys.

Ready to go on the quilt frames

Here is the next quilt top to go up on the quilt frames. It is going to have a beautiful quilt motif in the middle of each wine coloured block, wrapped in lovely ribbons of blue.

Government Services

Have you had a good experience dealing with government agencies or services. Today I went to apply for our passports. These will be required by June 1, 2009 for everyone wanting to cross the U.S./Canada border. Since our karate kid is competing almost every week at tournaments in the U.S. we needed to get this taken care of pronto. We have a small window of time before the next tournament so I thought if we had to surrender our birth certificates and be unable to cross the border, now was the time. So I went this morning, got a parking spot, paid for 2 hours parking and headed to the office. Let me tell you, they were so friendly, so fast , and so efficient. I forgot to fill out a part on one of the applications which required my hubby's signature, so we got the other two applications taken care of. Then I went to hubby's work (15 minutes away), got his signature, got back to my parking spot downtown, went back to the government office, and finished the application process. We even get to keep our birth certificates. I went back to my car and handed my parking receipt to an older couple who had just parked. I still had an hour left on that ticket! Wow, now that's service. Passports should be arriving at our home in a couple of weeks. I am very, very impressed.

Crazy for KD?

Great old Mac 'n Cheese has been a family favourite forever. I am perfectly content to eat it straight up, my son has to have the ketchup on it, my daughter likes to experiment with all kinds of concoctions.

Here is my entry to the Kraft Dinner contest. The draw is on Friday and you can win a year supply of Kraft Dinner, a case of 35. Actually that would probably be polished off in a couple months at my house.

Another Tournament under his belt.

Ben competed in another karate tournament after having a couple weeks off. He came back stronger than ever. He brought home four more trophies to add to his collection. He won 1st in Individual Forms, 1st in Team forms, and 1st in Sparring as well as 3rd in Weapons.

There was a bit of a scramble at the beginning, he was being called to 2 rings at the same time, so he was running back and forth literally between Team Forms and Weapons in separate rings. He signed in at each ring, ran back to Weapons and performed, ran back to Team Forms and performed, ran back to Weapons for scoring, ran back to Team Forms for scoring, ran back to Weapons to place and then back again to Team Forms to place all within a few minutes. It was crazy insane pressure but he did amazing. The day sure went by quickly.

Marley and Me

I went to see the movie Marley and Me yesterday. I had read the book a million years ago and remembered that I had enjoyed it, and it's been forever and a day since I had been to see a movie. The commercials looked funny and I really like Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson is pretty funny too. I thought, oh this will be a great light hearted show to see. I love Marley, his antics hilarious, unless you're the one who has to clean up after him. The one thing I forgot, I cried when I read the book. I found the movie to be even more intense, I couldn't just hit the pause button and step away from the screen when I felt the tears welling up, like I would set the book down when I got to the emotional parts. I must have teared up a dozen times during the movie. Wow, what has happened to me? I've turned into such a sap. Oh well, I know I wasn't the only one. Anyone who has ever owned a pet can relate to how attached we get and how emotionally invested we are in these creatures.