i love jim cuddy

today was a very long day.
the hours dragged on and on...
i had a date with jim and i was so excited to see him!
(oh and a date with my friend and dad too)

he could sing to me all. night. long.
hello jim :)
he did not wear a shirt like this tonight...
and his back pockets were a little low for my liking...
but other than that he was perfection.

they played a nice selection of old and new songs...
everyone went home happy
and full of music.
my sensitive heart is still beating double time.
it's a side effect...
he just does that to me.
xox

2 amazing nights & 2 lazy critters

saturday night
mike was left with no other option
but to
read.
...this was a first...

...and then the next night
this happened....

it was a jaw dropper...
i took 117 photos of it.
amazing.

i played around with this photo a bit...
handsome pupper.
i love oliver.

happy friday

do not adjust your monitor.
i "antiqued" today's photos...
just trying to add a little warmth to my world.
it. is. cold. out.

too cold for me to ski.
(i'm sure many crazy folks did though)
i have been keeping myself busy...
focused.
drawers have been emptied,
magazines have been banished,
old clothes have been bagged to give away.

oliver has given up on trying to follow me wherever  i go.
even with a list of things to do
i still find myself
criss-crossing my path...
back and forth, here and there.
it's my system and so far it's working...

i've had my greek yogurt every morning.
lots of cinnamon and flax.
big green salads for lunch.
i'm taking my vitamins too.

it wasn't hard to focus on my chores yesterday...
since i couldn't even see outside at times.
things are supposed to warm up soon.
have a good weekend :)
xox

more snow is on it's way...

this morning is a very typical january muskoka day...
it is very cold and another dumping of snow is on the way.
it's our 6th winter here.
i was raised a norther girl,
so i know the drill.
warm coat, good boots, hat, scarf, mitts.
my girls have always been wrapped up,
kept cozy and safe from the elements.
but something happens when they hit high school.
it's just not cool to dress this way.
today i watched as emma hit the trail to catch her bus...
in a skirt.
light jacket.
no hat.
at one point she turned around and saw me.
i opened the door just in time to hear her yell...
"THE SNOWWW IS TOOOOO DEEEEEP!!!!"
seventeen (and a half) years old.
suddenly she's 3 again.
 

i know she'd rather be on a beach...
we all would.

have i ever mentioned that emma must have been
a disney princess in a past life?

this is a photo from a few years ago.
i was comparing it to the one from yesterday.
see how all of my baby evergreens are just little
bumps in the snow?
oh how i love how my trees are growing.
xox

wordless wednesday...i went for a very short walk.

saturday night...

brrrr...it was cold when i went to bed last night.
it was cold all day today and colder now this evening.
the kind of cold,
that when you go outside
your lips can freeze to each other...
and your eyeballs sting.
so us girls didn't go out there.
mike did though...he had to go find our driveway
under the week's worth of snow.

today i left my comfort zone...
elsie wanted a pineapple upside down cake.
we had to make it from scratch.
i have NEVER ever done that before.
i do not bake.
i don't own a mixer...
we just went ahead and did it anyway.

we got to it...
did our best.
i helped her and she helped me.
i gave up control.

i focused on our time together.
didn't worry about it being imperfect.
chose to make a mess...

it looks good to me.
if i'm going to have sugar, it has to be this yummy.
(recipe is in the comments)
xox
i also needed to document another important first.
mike and elsie are watching FOOTBALL together.
they are cheering and laughing and everything!
completely elsie's idea...
:)

happy friday's mac n' cheese n' butternut squash recipe ;)

while oliver and i are in hibernation mode...
allie cat went in and out approximately 11 times today.
it's cold tonight...
and elsie is on the hill.
silly girl.
just like her mama at that age.

i started to write this out a few times... in the end decided a quick photo would do the job.(click on the photo to enlarge it)
now, i made a few changes from the recipe,
because i always do...
i did 4 cups of uncooked macaroni.
i cooked a frozen pack of butternut squash.
i used marble and mozzarella...
and probably more than a cup each.
i did not use the cayenne...black pepper instead.
also, i used plain breadcrumbs and ground flax seed on top.

no one knew it was squash...
they guessed the flax seed though.
it was very creamy, buttery and cheesy.

good luck!

happy friday

it was a positive week.
both girls had check-ups with the doctor...
resulting in some further tests for things
that have just been "bugging" me.
this mama's instinct is pretty bang on.
so "check" that off my list of things to do.
***
i made this yummy mac n' cheese....
no worries, it's a healthier version.
they had no clue it's creamy goodness was butternut squash.

i'm already feeling my symptoms fade away.
today i rewarded myself
with an added drizzle of maple syrup.
(just a little makes a big impact)

today's salad was whatever i had on hand to throw in.
greens, leftover bean salad and lentil salsa...
a sprinkling of trail mix.

i emptied my kitchen's book shelves...
sorted and organized.
only half the stuff is going back up.
yesterday i re-filled all my spice jars
and cleaned out my pantry and fridge.

i'm on a roll...
listening to new jim cuddy...and old journey.
dancing around whenever the music calls me to.
last night i was in the hot tub during freezing rain...
i love to sit under the partially removed cover...no jets on.
it's like a little fort....
it's quiet except for the sounds of the weather, the trees
and the occasional snowplow grumbling down the road.
it makes me happy.

have a cozy little weekend friends...
xox

cinnamon

i've known about the magic of cinnamon...
but of course having knowledge is only half of it.
we actually ran out sometime ago
and with the rush of december
i kept forgetting to pick up more.

well,
it's back.
cinnamon is a great tool for lowering blood sugar.
we add it to our coffee...
i add it to cereal, yogurt, french toast...

i've done more research lately
and so now i will add even more cinnamon to my life.
it's that good.

*breakfast*
greek yogurt
a heaping spoonful of cinnamon
another heaping spoonful of ground flax
drops of vit D
raspberries
(mix it and eat it)
***
then go dance
xox