This Moment {5} - part two!

A couple summers ago I was offered an opportunity to go on a fishing charter and bring my family.  I hesitated at first because we're not really fishing people (I find it dreary and boring and plain all over dull), we're not morning people (had to be up at the crack of dawn to get on the water), Eric's a vegetarian so I didn't think he'd have any interest at all in catching fish, period), and I get motion sickness from merely sitting in the passenger seat of my car.  A few things against the idea really, but it was a lovely offer (and rude of me not to accept) and it was FREE (when something like this goes for around 4-5 hundred buckaroos)!  Plus it was something for us to do with the boys and we'd make memories right?  So I agreed. 

This was the absolute, very first time I've ever fished in my life.  Yup, I pre-judged that shit.  My boys and Eric had been fishing (off the dock of the bay style) before but never on a charter.  We headed out at 6 a.m. onto the open waters of Lake Ontario on a July morning.  Still a little chill in the air but we knew it would warm up throughout the morning.  (I'm still pretty sure that fishing dock of the bay style is dreary and dull.)

This beautiful rainbow here is my very first catch ever!  She was over 15lbs and fought me for every last second of her life.  My arms were like a tube of jello after I reeled her in.  I honestly was so close to handing the rod over to Eric to finish her off but she was just that close to my grasp.  I'm so glad I persevered and finished the task myself.  It was a great feeling (aside from the dull, throbbing ache of my arm for an hour after). 

Throughout the day we all took turns catching fish and reeling them in.  When we left the open waters and headed back to dock, about 4 hours later, we had about 20 fish.  The captain filleted them for us and bagged them up so we could take them home.  We ended up giving a lot of the fish away but we did BBQ some up for ourselves (minus Eric) and it was even tastier (I think because we worked so hard to get it).  The boys had a great day and even Eric got wrapped up in it.  We'd love the opportunity to do it again some time.  If you ever get the chance you should do a fishing charter at least once.  It was a great way to kill a morning and some fishies. 

Get In The Picture

So I have been inspired by a blog post that a friend had shared on Facebook.  If you are a parent or will be a parent in the future please, please, PLEASE take the time to read Allison Tate's blog post. 

The gist of it is this;  our kids don't understand or get that we are so much more than just their parents.  It's time to put aside our vanity and make sure we are capturing all the moments, as best we can, that we share with them - the good, the bad and the down right ugly!  They need to see that we were once vibrant and young and beautiful in our own way.  They will see past the unkempt hair and the stained t-shirt or cellulite (and if they don't at the very least they will see where they've inherited it from!).  They will just remember you.   All the things we are hard on ourselves about, they love.  All the negatives we see, they are blind to.

I extend the challenge to you dear readers.  Somewhere (Facebook, your computer, photo albums, etc) create an album entitled Get In The Picture, and start capturing all those moments with your kids and STAY IN THE PICTURE!

This Moment {5}

If you're new to my blog (thanks to the October blogging challenge) and keep coming back then you'll soon learn that every Monday I have a ritual. **I've borrowed an idea from Janine over at Reflections From a Redhead who borrowed it from Thom at To Gyre and Gambol, who initially borrowed it from Cath at Just My Thoughts. So I too have started a Monday ritual.

One image will be posted. No words will describe it. It will capture a moment from my past - memories that I cherish. Then on Friday I will post part 2 of this new ritual where I will share the story behind the photo. This borrowed idea is called {This Moment}.

Bird's Nests

It's supposedly some sort of spinach lovers month so it would be fitting to post an awesome and tasty recipe utilizing said vegetable.  But I'm going to go ahead and buck the system on this one simply because I'm not that big a fan of cooked spinach and well...being predictable can get boring.  I will say I do love me a good spinach salad but that's an easy enough recipe for most people to figure out.  So today I'll share with you a recipe that I made for breakfast this morning that went over well with all three of my boys, and me too!!  (Frankly, I'm the most important part of that equation.)  And for that I am thankful (which is appropriate because it's the Canadian Thanksgiving). 

Breakfast Bird's Nests

Ingredients:
3 cups of frozen hash browns (shredded or cubed)
2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
4 Tbsp of oil (vegetable or olive)
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and a little extra
Bacon bits
Eggs (depends on how many you want to make, 1 egg per bird's nest)


Directions:

Blend your hash browns, salt, pepper, oil and cheese.  If you let them thaw a little it's easier to mold them once in the muffin cups.   Take some of the mixture and add it to each cup, filling at least 2/3 of the way full.  Push down in centre to make a little pocket.  Bake in the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes add one egg to each cup (I broke each yolk, but that's a personal choice), sprinkle in some bacon bits (we used the 'fake' bacon bits because we have a vegetarian in the house) and some of the extra cheddar cheese on top.  Drop the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees and put the pan back in for another 15 minutes. 

The above amounts yielded us 6 over sized muffin/nests.  You can easily adjust the amounts depending on how many you wish to make. 

Serve with toast or cinnamon buns, etc.  These were tasty, hearty and filling.  You can obviously change out the meat to sausage bits or ham, or just make veggie ones. 

 

 

Enjoy! 

 

Table Lamp Make-over

It's so hard to find a lamp.  Well a good, loyal, loving lamp is often hard to find.  I'm glad this kitty found one.

I'm a lucky girl myself!  Last weekend at my sister in law's fundraising garage sale I saw across the stretch of yard a sweet, little lamp hoping to make contact with me.  It was touch and go there for a while because he's pretty little and he was buried amongst a whole lot of goods and ware, but kindred souls we are, so it was meant to be.   The adoption fee was a mere two dollars so together we left it all behind us.  I brought him home and gave him a little makeover.  He's feeling useful again with his new lot on life. 

 

 

I was in need of a table lamp (or two) for the new den, I bought one at a garage sale a while ago for five bucks and covered the throwback to the 80's with twine.  But it's been sitting on a shelf in my craft area because I haven't found a shade that I'm satisfied with.  Since I still had some twine left over from this project I decided to do the same makeover with this little guy.  Now if I can just find a similar shade for the larger one, I'll have two matching lamps.  A girl can dream right?  I mean who doesn't long for a unified lamp family? 

This Moment {4} - Part two!

 

Roan had been bugging me incessantly about taking him to the Humane Society for a visit with the kitties.  So finally one afternoon I was able to scoot out of work early for whatever reason and take him.  I made sure to tell him I had no intentions whatsoever of adopting a new cat as we had three at the time and that was more than enough!  Eric also made sure that "DO NOT BRING ANY ANIMAL HOME." was the last thing he said to us as we backed out of the driveway.  (He tries so hard to be tough about animals....pfft) 

We got there and this little black cat with the worlds biggest personality immediately took to Roan.  Roan was bent over petting another cat and this black one jumped right up on his back and laid down, made himself right at home.  He's a smart kitty as in that moment Roan was smitten.  Roan begged me and pleaded with me to let him bring this cat home.  After all, I had a cat, Gage had a cat and Eric had a cat, it would only be fair right?  So I ask about the cat and was told that because we had three cats we weren't in the running to adopt this little guy as our town has a bylaw that only permits 3 cats per household.  Roan was heartbroken and on the verge of tears.  An immediate change in his character.  The girl at the Humane Society felt terrible and went to task on our behalf and got them to override the 'rules'.   So homeward bound we were. 

Eric immediately gave us his look of disapproval when he spotted the box in the backseat of the car.  And he guffawed at us that we adopted a black cat.  Black cats were assholes and stupid and no fun at all.  I assured him this wasn't the case with this little man, Shakespeare.  And the cat immediately proved me right.  Eric fell madly in love with this guy and stole him away from Roan. 

As I mentioned above he's got a humongous personality.  He's crazy laid back as you can see from the above photo.  He took to all of us right away with no weirdness or adjustments.  This was how he slept from the start.  Didn't seem phased that we were posing Bionicles on his body as he sawed logs.  He's a talker, he's a licker (and loves to have face love with us), he digs Eric's beard and often grooms us if we let him.  He sleeps with us, he shows up in the shower with us, he's playful and loves to go outside (we only allow him out with us while he's on a leash with harness).  He's a great hunter and makes sure that no mouse gets out alive (my hero).  He will reach up against us and put both his front paws on either side of our face and rub his head against ours (almost hug-like).  He's a great little find.  Just more proof that animals from shelters can wedge a place within your family and heart.  He's changed our stance on black cats forever.  He's truly awesome.  He's our Mitter Man.