Sylvia's Simple Shots

An early morning walk around Beaumaris Lake today. There were a few waterfowl about.  No pelicans yet.

Plenty of Canada Geese, Mallard Ducks and this Common Merganser duck with its rust colored head and red bill.

The wind was brisk and I was glad that I worn layers because it was cool and gusty.

My first time this year.

I had my replacement Tupperware order as well as my niece's order delivered by my sister.  We have been working on this for a while.  

Even back to Christmas we were looking for broken pieces so we could get them all into a large order. My niece delivered some a while back as well.

The blue lid was a purchase and it cost dearly as the original lid has been discontinued.  This lid works but is from another bowl. Glad to have it.

My sister and I head out for supper but the restaurant we wanted was closed so we had to find another.

I may have been to the Sicilian Pasta Kitchen once before.

We shared a salad and a pasta dish and it was super delicious.  We ate it all because there was not really enough leftover for take away container.

It was a great idea to share so we got veggies and pasta.

A nice visit on top of the great food.

The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak was the book I finished this week.

Autumn Divac has been searching for her husband for 18 months. He disappeared in Europe under some mysterious circumstances. Her teenagers need a break so she heads to the town she grew up in where her Mom and aunt run a bookstore on the beach.  She has great memories of the place.

There is great time for family but teenagers have their own ways so there is making friends and connecting with people their own age. The daughter finds a supportive friend to get her through her crisis and the son finds a man who can provide male role model that he is missing.

The ending was very surprising for all the parties. Autumn and her husband, the old boyfriend, the new teenagers discovered.  Great read.

I headed to the Legislature Grounds for an early morning walk. The first this year.

The morning was cool but less wind that early this week.

The Alberta Legislature grounds feature a Kwakiutl totem pole, carved by artist Oscar Maltipi and donated to the province in 1971. This pole is a visual representation of kinship and family crests, a common practice among Indigenous cultures. It's located near the lawn bowling pitch.

It was donated by British Columbia First Nations to mark the 100th anniversary of that province joining confederation.

Sewing Project - Food Storage Coths

I made another batch of food storage cloths as I found the very cute flannel at the ReUse Center this week.

With pizza on them there will be no mistaking them.

I use these in my veggie and fruit tupperwares in the fridge as well so now I have plenty for all my food storage needs.

They are 6x7 inches and I just cut it into 8 pieces and serged the edges.

Job done!

Sewing Project - Food Storage Cloths

I decided to make cloths specifically for moisture control when taking fruits or veggies to a pot luck.

They are cut to 6 inches square.

I serged the edges and tuck the ends into the seams.

I used paper towels in the past.  I have used some of my unpaper towels which are too big.

I decided to make a set that I know always are used with my Tupperware modular mates.  

I chose flannelette fabric in a snowflake pattern. The pattern makes me think fridge containers.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I dropped by a green house yesterday on my way back from a short morning of photography.  I managed only 10 shots before I was out of battery and I had not recharged the extra from my trip the day before so more more photos for me.

I walked around the botanic garden just to get the exercise I needed and the greenhouse did not open till 10 am.

I was at the door at 10am and wandered around to eventually find the Sansevieria / Snake Plant / Mother-in-Law Tongue plant.

It measures about 7 inches high so the price of $13 dollars was worth it.  This is not likely the final decorative pot for it but it will do for the photo shoot.

I did some investigation of the Pothos or Devils Ivy and it is soaking wet so that is why it is not doing so well.   I have to learn to water according to the plants needs and not just once a week.

I am learning and now I have 7 plants which a huge improvement over 0 when I worked.  Just did not have the energy and connection to handle it then.

We had several days in the last 10 which were what I would call heat wave days.  Above 30C in the day and the overnight temperature not dipping below 18C.  

I had to put a dark sheet in the dining room window to keep the morning sun out of my place.

Thank goodness it did not last as long as last year.

I made a bottle full of Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette this morning.  Love this dressing on almost anything.  I use it for salads, I put it on my fish for the bake oven fish dish, and just to add a tang of flavor to a whole grain dish.

You can find the recipe here in Jenn Segal's French Grated Carrot Salad posting.

I just store in a cleaned out Dijon Mustard plastic jar in the fridge.  I double the recipe.

I enjoyed this book a lot. The Road Home by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen.

It is a Naomi and Ruth story based on the bible but set in modern times.

The women are living in Las Vegas and have fallen on hard times.  They have both lost husbands in the last few years and Ruth is Naomi's daughter in law.  Naomi is now in her 60's and wants to go home to Pennsylvania where she grew up.  Ruth grew up in the foster system and has no real home so decides to make her home with Naomi. 

They travel across the country in an old Impala that Naomi's husband had both here years ago.  They work along the way to have enough cash to get HOME. 

Beautiful story!

I want to do some work on the kitchen.  

I painted the middle panel of the kitchen doors in 2017.  You can check out the improvements made then in this post. 

Now I want to paint all of the cupboards in order to freshen up the kitchen again.  I have chosen a light yellow and a warm grey in craft paint to paint paper which I will tack up against the cupboards to make a decision on a color.

I did investigate replacing the hinges but that was a no go as they have changed - the holes are not in the same place and the plates are not the same size so I think they will just be painted.

I want to had knobs or handles to the doors and drawers but I have not made a final decision on those yet.

I will post updates as they happen.

I played hide and seek with a Northern Flicker the other day.  They are a wood pecker which spends a lot of time on the ground looking for food. 

An enjoyable time.

Flickr Macro Monday was Miniature.

I got this miniature Tupperware Thatsa Bowl key chain in my prize from reunion raffle.  It is so cute and you can see the lid comes off.  I have a couple of the regular sized bowls in the Tupperware in the cupboards.

Love the color of this bowl as well.  The ones I have are white and red.

Have a great week.

Garage Sale Bonanza

During a visit with my sister and brother in law and niece on the weekend we attended a community garage sale.  What a hoot!  All outside, a good amount of walking, and a ton of interesting things to look at.

I had a Tupperware Ultra21 Quiche pan on my list because I dropped mine last weekend.  It lost a piece and gained a crack so it's days are numbered.

I managed to find a brand new one for 3 dollars with the lid.

I use this to roast root vegetables.  Just love this ovenware.

It is no longer made and in a search on line I was looking at over $50 to replace it.  At the last house we visited!

I had a silicone trivet on the list for camping.  

This one will do nicely.  No brand name on it but the right size and material.  Nice color and pattern.

I think it was .25 cents.

They had one place with lots of books so maybe it was books from the library along with others that were donated.

Books were fill a bag for $5.  The three of us share the bag and cost.

I have not been to a library since the pandemic started so I 

I have been using small free libraries to get my reading material.  I quarantine the books for a week.  

I return them to the free libraries when I am done reading them.  I am sure there are others in the same place that I am.

I am happy with this selection.

I have always wanted a miniature tea set but to buy new they are pretty expensive.  This one is blue and white which is my favorite colors.  The tray is 4.5 inches wide and holds the 2 teacup and saucers, the cream and sugar and the teapot.  

This was a good score. This is a Hallmark 2007 Gingerbread Ornament Set and Display Stand.  

All the pieces are still there in their original packaging so I don't think it was every used.  Each of the gingerbread layers has small hooks on the underside for the ornaments. I believe it holds 12 ornaments.  No doubt at the time you could buy additional ornaments in the gingerbread style.

The three ornaments - angel, heart and snowman cookie ornaments are included.

I am always in for Christmas decorations.

I bought a rain stick.  

Yes, it is designed for kids but it makes a great sound.

Primary colors are find with me.

  

A set of vintage miniature fluted metal moulds also came home with me.  They measure about 1.25 inches to 1.5 inches tall.

Today, they can be used for candy, cookies, fondant, pastry, soap, tartlets, petit fours and a bunch more for sure.

I don't know what their original use would have been.  It must have been something very special because with only a few tins making any amount would have been very time consuming.

Again, just the right size for macro photography.   I'm not sure I will ever bake something in them.  You never know I might get inspired.

Small bottle vases are wonderful.  The first set was a scented oil diffuser set with the small ceramic discs for the oil.  The three glass vases are great.  I will not use the oil.  The set on the right hand side have a very nice feel.  About 2 inches tall so will do again for macro photography. 

Another small flower vase in a gorgeous red color.

I believe it is handmade.

It measures under 2 inches tall.  

I did get a package of dried flowers as well which will work well with these small vases and bottles for still life photography.

I have used the solid brass business card holder on the left in my purse for the last few years.   Gold is not really my color so when I saw the shiny silver chrome one I decided I would prefer that one.

The cost for the silver one again was less than a dollar.  After a bit of research turns out the brass one maybe worth a few dollars so I will see about selling it.

This is a battery operated candle. I have several plastic ones in white and red for photography.   

I seldom burn candles just because of the open flame.  There are times where nothing but the real thing will do. I use a wax warmer rather than scented candles.

This one is the best of both worlds because it is made of wax so it looks "real" from that point of view and is also battery operated.

Again, the price was a song.

A tiny blue glass swan in perfect condition.

Can be used for macro photography, love cobalt blue glass, and a beautiful object.

I have been wanting something to write quotes or words for my photography.

This turns out to be a My Cinema Light Box which came with letters originally.  I did look for the letters but they were not close by.  Of course they were clear so the light would show them nicely.  I did put batteries in and that works.

Here I have used Scrabble letters and I have other wood ones I can used.  I may consider printing letters on acetate so I could slide them in the slots. We shall see.

I used to have a large and small whisk and a while back I made the decision to get rid of the large one.

I have since regretted that decision.

A Pampered Chef Whisk still in the packaging.

Yes, please.

It has a skinny handle so it fits into my utensil caddy nicely.

A useful tool to have during a pandemic.

It allows me to open doors with out touching them, to use the bank machine with the touch screen stylus, bottle opener, elevator button pusher, and will hold my keys as well.

I have not been doing a lot of shopping in the last year and half.  The drugstore and the grocery store primarily.  I had not heard of these tools but at my last visit to the drug store the teller was promoting such a tool for $13.00.  I did not purchase one at the price but this one was .50 and still in the box.

For less than $20 dollars and a morning spent with family this was a great.  Checked off a few things from my shopping list with out going inside a store. The weather cooperated and it did not rain. It was cool but we were dressed for the weather. 

Game Night 2 - CH - 1st Letter Game

I am headed to Compassion House to facilitate another 1st Letter Game Night where any resident can participate.  This gives the guys a chance to participate.

We start with a phrase that describes an object.  We take the first letter of each word and place them vertically on a sheet of paper.  Then those in the group try to guess what the object is based on these clues.

One little red wagon ornament. OLRWO.

I have prepared a 10 prizes for those who guess the right phrase to describe the prize.

A gift box of teas I am sure will be appreciated.


A box of greeting cards for all occasions is a prize most folks can use.

I have to thank my sister for her donation of this prize.


Below is a set of Micro Pitchers by Tupperware which was donated by my niece.










I appreciate the donation of good quality prizes from those around me. It offers those going through tough times a time of fun and relaxation.

Share Your Cup #240 - This Week

Veggie Salad

It's been a while since I have been making salad primarily with veggies instead of lettuce.  The ingredients are shredded cabbage done on the mandolin and grated carrots.  I love that I have this red Tupperware bowl so I no longer have to be concerned about the carrots staining the bowl.
With the main ingredients in place I add whatever other fresh veggies I have.  I have included at various times: red and/or yellow peppers, celery, red onion, and cucumber.
Other options would be small broccoli florets, bean sprouts, and nuts.

I enjoy this substantial salad.

Furniture Repairs

These chairs are from my original solid pine INGO dining set from IKEA over 20 years ago.  They had been set aside because they had become wobbly and needed gluing.  I had bought the glue but never worked out what needed to be done. 

My sister came to spend a couple of days with me which made me very happy. While she was here she decided we would look over the problem and solved it if we could.  Yes, the original front skirt had been glued and had become unglued.  With a stop at a hardware store to buy wood glue, check to see what I had from straps, we tackled the project We applied the wood glue in the right place, wiped off the excess when we strapped it tight and let it sit for 24 hours.  A solid chair to go with the more recent solid pine table.













The glider chair I bought a year ago at the thrift store developed a problem last summer. It was tilting forward and was no longer comfortable to sit in.

Once turned over we discovered that mortise and tenon joint in the base had become unglued.  We applied glue to the tenon and set it back into the mortise.  Upon further checking, we discovered an earlier repair had been made with screws to stabilize the top tenon.  So we decided to add screws to the bottom tenon which we had just glued for insurance that it would not come apart again.  With a small drill bit she made pilot holes then she put in the .75 inch screws.  I expect to be gliding on this chair into my old age.  Thank you sister T.

I had recently purchased this maple foot stool for use with the glider chair.  I brought it out, cleaned it up, and set it in it's place at the foot of the chair. I was concerned it would be too tall but it works well for me.
It has storage space in the top which will come in handy!

Welcome to my Kitchen

We had a great fellowship time this morning with the ladies who attend Welcome to my Kitchen.  We take turns hosting, providing snacks and doing devotions.

Our hostess this morning had a lovely table set with blue and white dishes, muffins, St. Patricks' day cupcakes, yogurt, cheese and fresh fruit.  It was all very yummy!

We were able to retire to the living room following our snack and spend another hours in fellowship, sharing, praying and in general have a great time.

We had 13 ladies in attendance with a tiny little girl in training.  This is the most we had so far but there was room for everyone.

Thanks Barb!!




I took this DVD from the library last week and sat down and watched it this week.  It is a story about a woman in the USA who swaps houses with a woman in Ireland.  They are both experiencing own life changing events and a summer in a different house and community helps to put perspective on their situation.  I need to read the book now because some of the events near the end of the movie need some clarification in my mind and I am sure the book will provide all the details.  Most will know that Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors.

Sharing with Jann at Daily Cup with Mrs. Olson who hosts Share Your Cup #240 linky party every week.

Share Your Cup - This Week

I was out for a meeting this morning so I took advantage of being outdoors to take a few photos.  There is a particular area that I go by often and have wanted to stop.  Today I stopped.  It was very cold on the fingers so I had to keep my gloves on.  I love the shiny look of the white bark on this tree.  It glowed from the little bit of sun shining.  I'm sorry I missed the top of the tree.

I love this Tupperware bowl to the point that I have 2 of them.  I love the color, the size and the quality.  As you can see in the small photo I melted the edge somewhere along the line. It no longer created a watertight seal so I was limited how I could use the bowl.  Since I wrecked the bowl I could not have it replaced on warranty.  And buying a new one would mean it would not be yellow. This week, I found a replacement for this Tupperware mixing bowl.  It did not have a seal so the price was good but I have one so I am good to go!

I read this book recently for the third time.  I think I should read it once a year.  It would help me to develop my attitude of gratitude. Ann Voskamp wrote the book after being challenged by a friend to write down 1000 gifts.  It changed her view of her life when she actively starting looking in her life for gifts from God.   The study guides arrived last week and I have started the bible study.

I bought this wooden cutting board last week.  I am quite sure that it is bamboo.  I have been wanting one for photography and this one fits the bill to a tee!   It has great surface texture from a lot of great use. I ran it through a good cleaning process.  I wonder if I should be oiling this?

I found this cobalt blue bottle at the thrift store for a great price.  It's sides are very uneven and there are bubbles in the glass.  There are wonderful crackles in the glass.  I'm going to use it as a vase in my photography.   It's going to go well with the few other pieces I have in my collection which I shared here earlier.

Sharing with Jann at Daily Cup with Mrs. Olson on the linky party Share Your Cup #237.

SYC - Couple of Weeks

I've been very busy doing craft sales, filling card and calendar orders and getting ready for an Art Show.  I have concerts, brunches and a community sing in my next few weeks.  Christmas gifts and cards have to make into the mix as well.

During a visit to deliver a card order to a friend I found this wonderful cut glass bowl filled with glass yellow lemons.  I love it!  It's right up my alley in color and medium.

It may take me a while to put something similar together.











My aunt collected these hydrangeas in the fall and they kept their color.  She had a great vase in a dusty rose color that really went well with the dried flowers.  I set up a bit of a vignette to capture the flowers.  Love it.

I was part of a tree decorating party at my aunt's house on Monday evening.  She has a lot of vintage ornaments and I captured a few.

I wish that there was a tree up a my house but not yet.  I have had too many craft commitments.











I captured these blue jays at the feeder in Mom & Dad's yard.  I guess it totally depends on the type of seeds you put out as to whether the jays come.  I vote to keep up the sunflower seeds to keep them coming.

I picked up this Tupperware cake taker at the second hand store.  I have a vintage one which I purchased just after high school but I find this one is better in the sense that the hand locks in.  The base is yellow so that was for sure a win for it coming home with me.


Sharing at Share Your Cup 227 hosted by Jann at Daily Cup with Mrs. Olson.