eight ?!?!

dog breath

 

 

a rainy day after many rainy days...

 

already we have made so many cookies,

muffins, and human treats...

time for doggie snacks.

(a great way to use up a few odd ingredients in the pantry also.)

 

(and no, we don't have a dog.)

 

Dog Biscuits:

mix up in bowl:

1 C oats

3 C whole wheat flour

1/2 cup ground nuts

(whatever is on hand...I used toasted pumpkin seeds, hull on)

1/4 C wheat or oat germ

1/4 C flax seeds

~

cut in:

1/3 C fat

(I used bacon drippings...yum!)

1 beaten egg

1/2 C milk

~

when that looks like the mix is in even chunks, stir in 1 C boiling water.

 then when cool enough,

knead until a nice elastic ball of dough.

(add flour as required.)

~

roll out about 1/2 inch thick,

cut out with your favourite ironic cookie shape,

pop onto a cookie sheet and

bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.

to let them get nice and hard,

leave the snax in the oven after you turn it off.

pack in paper bags, and

deliver to dog households around your 'hood.

~

enjoy the love that love brings.

 



summah time

nothing like having a couple of the girls over for a splash in the driveway....

Garden community part one

it is allotment garden time again...

my plot last year was challenged by drought and weeds,

this year seems to be rain and flea beetles.

so far.

ok, let's face it. 

the wisdom of regularly driving 15 minutes one way, in order to dig around in the dirt, seems questionable most days. 

the tools, seeds and baby plants rattle around in an already chock-full vehicle,

and the hot sticky van interior is not the most inspiring start to a gardening adventure.

we also live in an area of town that has plenty of green space close by.  parks and small lawns, sports fields and large planter boxes dot our area with greenery.  we also have a small back garden with some herbs and hostas, and always plant a container or two of little tomatoes to savour.

downtown, even the cracks in the paving sprout life.

~

why, then, did I decide to tackle a 25x25 foot plot of clay and weeds so far away?

I can easily buy local organic veggies, either at a market, or through a CSA.

even the local big box grocers have a selection of Ontario produce this time of year.

~

well, I knocked the dirt off of a couple of this year's tiny flea beetle bitten radishes,

and found my answer.

~

it is simple. seeds are a bit of magic. 

 I never quite believe that those tiny little things contain a whole plant inside...every time I place a few in the ground, I fully expect them to fail.  and yet, without smoke or mirrors, a little green shoot pops up almost before my eyes.

so, those spicy little globes, pushing forth in spite of my inadequate ministrations,

the bugs and heavy soil,  encourage my feelings of hope and pride, and my belief in magic.

~

 if all other of my crops fall prey to hydration issues, weed competition or become bug snacks,

I have had my money's worth of magic already, as well as

a tasty little salad!

lemonade redux

it was summer-enough to break out the entrepreneurial spirit this weekend...

the kids had so much fun with last year's lemonade stand,

that at 8:00 a.m. of the second warm-enough day, the poster paints were out.

 

 



edgar filled-in the bubble letters, and disagreed with me about the price.

he figured a glass should cost $5.00, not 50 cents.

 



 

i figure no lemonade stand should ever offer the canned stuff, so we squeezed and squeezed!

i made up a simple syrup and mixed the juice up with that, plenty of ice, and cool H2O.

 

the resulting beverage drew good-sport neighbours and passer-by;

we met at least a dozen people from up and down the street,

and one couple who had just happened to take a wrong turn...

we were soon offering up our small kiddie ikea stools

 for rest and conversation while the sippers sipped.

the whole project took up a lovely portion of the day;

the street was reclaimed for commerce and camaraderie,

esther sang out her lemonade hawking song, even when there was not a soul in sight, and

edgar decided we should do this EVERY weekend.

 



photo op

 

 

grandpa and grandma swain recently had all of their grandchildren

in the same place at the same time,

and even managed to have them all seated in the same area at once!

esther, julian, alexia, lily-anna and edgar.

we missed having all of the of the uncles there though...

 



bubbles

as long as it has nothing to do with a bath,

the children find soap a very interesting substance...

 

 

bubbles are considered to be such fun, in fact, that some rainy-day times 

 I just fill a very soapy sink

and let the kids scoop out handfuls of foam

for free-form art projects, disguises, or just plain hurling about.

 

the best place to enjoy the world's best toy,

 though, is out in the street, where they shimmer and float like feathers,

and invite passers-by to stretch out a finger and pop a few along their way.