New Camera Pictures

Mama Mallard and her babies !!
Babies feeding on bread !!
Is this adorable or what !!!!





What can I say...... now your going to see more photos taken with my new camera !!
Not bad for a beginner eh?? So much involved now , its not just point and shoot like the old days.Many things to consider when taking a shot.Makes your grey matter work hard !!
That was taken last night just going for a ride around town, the little ducklings are Mallards,we have a lake in the center of town, I brought along a cut up loaf of 12 grain bread to attract them for the photos.
The sunset was taken in various places around town.Isin't it beautiful !!!

Lilacs Everywhere !!!!!!!!!

The lilacs are everywhere this year in abundance!!! I know I showed them to you before but they are still around can you believe it????

Aren't they beautiful !!! Can you smell them???

I think its our wet spring that helped them along, and the aroma this year catches you nose just about everywhere you go,its the best year I can ever remember for lilacs.

I just had to share more pictures with you !!

Breakfast is Blueberry Banana Muffins !!

How about having some breakfast with me?? I felt like having something else besides 12 grain toast ,so I whipped up a bunch of blueberry banana muffins and I EVEN made fresh ground coffee,so come on over sit a while, we will chat over some breaky !!



Get that coffee ground fresh and make the coffee quick ,
I need it to wake up and do some baking!!
Blueberry Banana Muffin Batter !!

Ready for the oven!!

First Batch hot from the oven !!

Second batch hot from the oven !


These muffins are the lightest you will ever eat,I don't like a heavy muffin. This recipe is originally my MIL's, she used butter but I found it made them greasy so I use Crisco instead works out a lot better.
Here is the recipe.

Banana Muffins

1/2 cup crisco
1 cup white sugar
Beat this together till fluffy
Add 2 large eggs
Beat this till light in texture
Add 3 med.mashed banana's ( I use ripe ones)
Sift and measure 1 and 1/2 cup (((Cake and Pastry Flour))) I can't stress using that flour enough do NOT use all purpose for this, they will be heavy.
And one tsp baking soda

Opt* I add 1 cup of blueberries mixed with a few tablespoons of flour
Or add some cinnamon about a tsp

Bake at 350% for 20 min, or till golden.

12 Ostrich Eggs and 2 Emu Eggs

Ostrich and Emu Eggs
Last year I had a conversation with my cousin who works as a head nurse in Saudi Arabia in the Kingdom of Ryadh Her stories about living over there would make your hair curl honestly, she has seen it all.( Stories for another day ladies)So.............................. back to my egg story!

She knows I love to make pysanky eggs and I was desperate as always to find goose eggs,this is how the conversation went between us, I said I wish I could find something other than chicken eggs, I wanted to work on something bigger than chicken eggs,living so far North in Canada we are limited to what we can get up here.And that conversation ended on that note.

On her next visit back to Canada to see her mother(my father's sister), she called me and asked if we could get together, so I went over to my aunt's home to see my little cousin.She handed me an ostrich egg, well I was floored, I was so amaized and happy to have this precious gift from her that she brought all that way( the other side of the pond she calls it),I could not stop hugging her and thanking her I was so happy and tickled !!!

She said Diane you know eggs come in a dozen !!!!!!!!! Then rolls over this huge suitcase with 11 more ostrich eggs and 2 emu eggs all wrapped in lots and lots of bubble wrap !!!!!!!!!!!

I was so surprised I was speechless !!
Imagine if you will travelling all the way from Saudi Arabia with 14 eggs in a suitcase to give to someone!
My little cousin she is special! No one other than my hubby and my children has ever done anything so nice as that for me, she actually listened to me, actually heard what I said to her, that alone floored me .My little cousin is special ,and I just love her to bits!

I have yet to work on them,my life has been turned upside down last year with my mother's illness and eventual death
I can't seem to get my normal back, do you know what I mean?? I miss my Mom so much,it took something away from me I may never recover, it occupies my mind more than my hobbies.

Doing my eggs was the furthest thing on my mind,and I still haven't done any since then,I need to make new and fresh dyes, then maybe the spirit will move me to do them again.

I thought you might like to see my ostrich and emu eggs, since then I have been given another emu egg from a cousin who lives out in Dartmouth in Nova Scotia, she is a little darling too!

Does anyone out there in blogland work on ostrich eggs I could use some pointers and hints ,where and how to begin.Someone.... anyone???

I Was Tagged by Brenda !!

I have been tagged by Brenda at The Brenda Blog !!!

http://thebrendablog.typepad.com/
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So here goes and try not to fall asleep from boredom ok ladies !!!

What Were You Doing Ten Years Ago? That was a life time ago,I am not that person anymore.I was working then,and I was going through the dreaded change (menopause)made me crasier than the mad hatter, I had several surgeries since then but today I am a survivor !!
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Five Things On Your To-Do List: Get the house in order , because I am having a significant get together in July,also I want to get more fit and start going to aquafit for my arthritic .Organize my craft products so I know where they are,(all scattered now).I want to start my son's afghan that I promises.

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Five Snacks You Enjoy: Ok don't anyone laugh ...............................My favorite all time snack in the world is................... Puffed Rice Cereal!!! Then I enjoy popcorn, thirdly I enjoy pears, then I adore a good coffee and tea with an oatmeal cookie or two.Pretty much that's what I snack on.

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Things You Would Do If You Were A Millionare: I would set my kids up so they would never have to worry about money.Then I would build a get away cottage.And I would travel a lot.

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Places I've Lived: I have lived most of my life in Timmins,Ontario,Canada, I went to school in North Bay, and I did live in Ottawa for a short time.

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Now that I have been tagged I must pass this onto 3 unsuspecting ladies.

First is Laura at My New Blog Journey

http://mynewblogjourney.blogspot.com/

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Second is Suzie at Suzie's Place

http://susie-sspace.blogspot.com/
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Third is Mari Nanci at Smilnsigh
http://smilnsigh.blogspot.com/


Ok ladies now its your turn ,...... go on let it all out!!!
Diane

Lilac Time !!

So many of you showing your beautiful flowers and I am so envious!! I live very north in Canada and flowers have to be bought at a nursery if you want them in your garden , our growing season is so short,one dear lady was showing pomegranate tree blooms in her yard on her post,wow, to me that is so exotic,if I see an apple tree in bloom up here I get all giddy........ no kidding!

So to one and all I am proud to announce the lilacs are in bloom and these are from the corner of my front yard........TADA!!!!!!!!
And I might add this year they are very aromatic!!

Relaxing by the Lake and a Day of Shopping

We are so fortunate that we have a small lake in the middle of our town, people walk and jog around it year round on the walking trails and they have picnic tables everywhere for people to enjoy, and let me tell you on a warm summer day its put to good use.I have always enjoyed going there with a nice hot coffee in hand from a local nearby coffee shop and just sit to soak in the fresh air and sun, today the Mallards were out in full force ,begging bread from the locals who are happy to oblige, and the baby goselings were out with Mama, aren't they just the cutest things.Some were barely a handful so fuzzy and cute!

Yesterday I went shopping !! I am soooo happy to say that we have a brand new Micheal's right here in our town finally!! I never in my wildest dreams think we would ever get a huge wonderful craft store like that, and yesterday was the grand opening,the specials were unbelievable so naturally I filled my shopping cart!!! ((Yipeeee)))

And .....................................I was very thankful that when I got home hubby was busy installing our 2 air conditioners so he was too occupied and didn't see all my bags!! (( Haha))He is always saying where are you going to put it all, oh trust me I will find a place even if I have to sleep on it!!

Then well I was way too tired to make dinner and got home so late ,we went out for dinner,I was a good girl and had the salmon but I did have a delicious ceasar drink to relax after such a big shopping expedition!! Talk about having a wonderful day!!!
I usually shop at Micheals in Ottawa when I go visit my daughter, I can't believe my lucky stars that I have one now too!! Yipeeeeeee!!

Did You Ever Get A Craving .............And Give In ???

For days now I kept thinking about carrot cake, I saw a picture and a recipe in a magazine, and I could not get that picture and taste out of my head,I could smell it ,taste it and well ...........I could not stop thinking about it !! Does that happen to you??

We don't eat a lot of sweets here, if I made a dessert its along the lines of fruit crisp or maybe some banana muffins,I use to bake alllllllllll the time ,I especially like making pies,I learned from the Pastry Queen my MIL, that little woman could make pastry so light and flaky it would almost float I swear,her apple pie is~~~~ THE Best I have ever tasted anywhere bar none !!

So I learned from the best, but............ ((BUTT))yes ((BUTT)) that's where to pies go and no one can afford to eat like that anymore,so desserts are rare but once in a while you must give into your cravings.

And yesterday it was carrot cake... yes its cake but((BUTT)) it had about 2 cups of grated carrots in it so I figured it was like eating vegetables and it gave us fiber, that's how I rationalize making the carrot cake, did I make sense ?????

The house smelled deeeeeevine and we each has a piece with tea ,yummm !!
Now that's it till the next craving !! I hope I didn't give you THE CRAVE if I did I apologize in advance (HaHa)

I Love Chickens !!!!!

A cluck cluck here ,a cluck cluck there ,here a cluck there a cluck everywhere a cluck cluck !!

I love love love my chickens and anything to do with chickens !!
Aren't my little peeps adorable??
I actually have more but they are in storage, when we moved I could not put everything out (know what I mean??)
Some are from my MIL some are from my son,some are from yard sales naturally,I have many of them in front of my kitchen window,I love the color of the glass when the sun shines through them,it makes me happy to see the colors, and the white ones go on a hutch which is very dark wood in the dining room, white looks great on dark wood.

I love anything with acorns too but that's another day!!!

Weirdest and Oldest Yard Sale Find !!

When you go to as many yard sales as I did, you come across some very strange things !!
The weirdest I would say are my two wooden carved Indians !!! Altho the picture dosen't show their true height, the one standing is about 4 feet hight, the sitting Indian is about 3 feet high,on both bottoms it says Girotti ,St Catherines.Aren't they gorgeous!!!

I have been offered money for them , but its never enough to part with my two fine friends,I just love them, we keep them in the playroom,some day if we get a cottage built that's where I would like to keep them.

My hubby and I actually found those and we offered $20.00 for the two, the lady accepted and so we strapped them in the back seat of our vehicle and off we went to more yard sales, we had people smiling from ear to ear when they would see us drive up with our guests in the back seat.
You just never know what you are going to find at yard sales !!

The oldest object I ever found was this book on Abraham Lincoln its written in Finnish and the year is 1883.This came from an estate sale, we bought many many old delightful things,such as jewelry ( are you surprised?) and an old sewing box complete with an old wooden darning thing I am not sure what they are called,I have several old sewing boxes now , they are so much fun to root through,always a hidden treat or two in there,my hubby was so happy to find vintage Heddon lures , oh he was just smiling that day.

You just never know what sort of wonderful treasure you will come home with when you go to yard sales !!
Do you have something different that you found on one of your hunts????

How It All Got Started

Many years ago when my daughter was a young teenager, she wanted to go to yard sales, being a young teen I could not get her up on a Saturday to save her soul.( I am sure you know what I am talking about!)

So I said to her set your alarm and get yourself up and then I will take you to yard sales.She must have really wanted to go because not only did she wake up but she had prepared the newspaper with all the streets and the best yard and garage sales to go to first.

I don't function well without a coffee ,so first to our local Timmy's and coffee in hand off we went, we had so much fun the two of us we decided to do it every Saturday from then on.We had a ball,driving around here and there finding treasures !!!!

Its on one of these adventures that I found an old cookie tin full of bits and odds and ends of vintage jewelry , all that gorgeous glittery stuff for the grand total of $5.00 I asked the lady would she accept $2.00 and she did!!!

Oh My Goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was the start of my love and collection of vintage jewelry.I was hooked for life and have the tubs to prove it.
See the flower pins in the picture , I have hundreds of them I always had a dream that one day I would pin lots to a straw hat and it would look grand ....... I haven't done it yet but I have a dream of doing just that.
Its glittery shiny and old and its all mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!