I used these " birdcage tea light holders " in the summer in our sitting area in the back yard.
John was putting the last of the outdoor things away yesterday - so I grabbed them before they were buried in the shed
and thought I would Christmasify them using left over bits and pieces of garland that has seen much better days.............in fact they were in a " trash " pile
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas................
I decided to decorate a little earlier this year and take advantage of the warmer weather...........usually I'm working out there when my fingers are so numb and cold they're threatening to fall off
John says - This is ridiculous Suzan - it's November - no one else on the street has their decorations up
Suzan says - I know - but I can't do it the cold anymore - unless maybe this year you think you could do it?
John says - Well.......I suppose it's not that early.
There's nothing like getting John to see my way of thinking like asking him to do something.
When everyone else is out there battling the fierce winds and biting cold and blizzards - I'll just tsk tsk and open a switch ! ( although those weather forecasts seems to be starting later and later in the year - last year in December - Montreal looked like Texas ) but if it happens ............................I'm ready !
And the decor is crying out for a light dusting of snow all over them
I bought that plant at Home Depot............2 of them actually so that Christmas tree on the right side will be moved - it doesn't look " right " and I'll put the second plant in it's place.
I may even stick battery operated tea lights in the cages ( the ones with a remote )
Did I mention I'm in flip flops?
Ok - excuse me but I have windows - a lot of them - to hang wreaths on !
And then in December I can sing.............
Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the decor is so delightful
And because I did it long ago..............
Let it snow
Let it snow
Let it snow.
Have a wonderful day everyone
Hugs,
Me
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I've got the fire on..............the kettle's almost boiled - help yourself
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that creep who had raised the price of a pill from 13.50 to 750.00 dollars overnight
and this week I found this song on you tube
I giggled my head off - I just adore Willie ( and Merle too really ) take a listen - it's too cute !
What is the origin of " mooning " someone?
It's a disgusting thing - really really disgusting.
Upon doing a little research I discovered it's been around since the medieval ages !
Isn't that something?
It's the poor man's version of walking around Stone Henge !
Anyway...............while I was researching " mooning " ( dear God please let my browser history be cleared on the day I die - I have horrible nightmares of my children seeing all of this on my search engine ) there was an ad for Zulily with a top that I just fell in love with ...........so I clicked on the ad and it did NOT lead me to the top at all - I went through every single piece of clothing for women on their site and that particular top was nowhere to be seen.
False advertising?
I was so mad that had a Zulily rep been standing right in front of me I would have mooned them !
Instead I mooned John.
While he was watching Hockey
John says - What the hell are you doing?
Suzan says - I'm so frustrated I just HAD to moon someone..................
John says - If people knew what you did
Suzan says - Do you think I'm the only one who has ever done this ? It's been around since the medieval ages !!!
John says - I WOULD LIKE TO THINK WE'VE SOMEWHAT EVOLVED SINCE THEN
John says - Can you get your A$$ out of the way please? I'm trying to watch hockey.
The Montreal Canadiens lost their game - John crawled into bed quite depressed - but not before he mooned the t.v.
And of course that will bring us to song number 2 for this post - apparently mooning was a pastime Old Napoli too !
Now I know this is completely irrational but I want to shoot my t.v. whenever it comes on.
I H.A.T.E. it - it almost puts me in a rage.
I have a game I play with myself - as soon as it comes on - I time myself to see if I can change the channel before he opens his mouth.
The game is called " cookie jam "
My game is called " cookie wham bam get outta here Sam "
And rage is contagious - John now hates it as much as I do.
Last night we both reached for the clicker at the same time - and the converter fell from our hands - leaving enough time for the cookie to start talking.....................
Ruined the rest of my night.
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I've started decorating for Christmas...................slow motion type of decorating but decorating none the less.
I bought 4 wreaths for the front windows
Today John was going out and I asked if he could pick up 4 more.
John says - You're kidding me
Suzan says - No - I want to put them on the side windows too
John says - WE DON'T NEED A WREATH ON EVERY WINDOW FOR GOD'S SAKES
Suzan says - Just one side - so when we pull up we see them before we turn the corner
John says - You have to start sleeping at night - really - the ideas you come up just keep getting more and more ridiculous.
Suzan says - Some people even hang them on upstairs windows !
He picked up 4 more wreaths...................
But now I've decided I need yet another 4.
John says - Can you PLEASE blog someone and ask them if 12 wreaths outside is normal?
Suzan says - You don't BLOG people - it's not a verb for crying out loud.
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I have a dilemma.
I wear eyeliner on the top of my eyelids.
Have been wearing it for 40 years.
BUT it's hard to apply when you're starting to resemble a Shar Pei dog.
Trying to manipulate the folds is very difficult - especially when you're as blind as a bat.
Suzan says - I need a face lift next year.
John says - Don't be ridiculous - you look fine
How's that for making you feel like a beauty queen?
" DON'T BE RIDICULOUS .............YOU LOOK FINE "
Suzan says - I don't want to look fine - I want to look great
John says - So you look great...............do you think we can continue this after my movie's over?
Now you have to understand that John feels that's a compliment.
If I mentioned next week that he never compliments me - he'd say " I told you last week you look great "
Suzan says - I'm starting to look like a Shar Pei dog
John says- Maybe that's the next dog we should get?
Suzan says - God - you're so insulting
John says - I didn't say you looked like a Shar Pei - YOU did
I'm getting a facelift..................
Mark my words.
_________________________________________________________________________________
We had quite the dividing issue here in Canada recently -
Over Muslims right to wear a burqua while being sworn in as Canadians.
They won.
The world is changing - even our corner of it.
In Massachusetts a woman recently fought for the right to wear a colander on her head for her driver's licence pic.
She won.
I'm not into " burquas " I do - however - love a pretty colander.
But you wouldn't catch me dead wearing such a boring one.
I had a yellow one and added a little bling to it - I chose a smallish one so that it would be more like a
" cloche " hat - you know - sort of like the type Jackie O would wear if she were a Pastafarian.
It shall be forever known as my Easter Colander.................
Isn't it divine?
I excitedly put it on and promptly went to sit beside John while he was watching his hockey game.
John jumps back - WHAT THE HELL?
Suzan says - What?
John says - You outcrazy yourself constantly - you must stay up all night thinking of these whacko things
Suzan says - crushed - I thought you'd like it !
Suzan says - I'm joining the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
John says - HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE THINGS UP ???
Suzan says - I didn't ! It's a real religion !
Suzan says - You have to stay on top of the news John - these are important issues and you sound like an ignoramus when you don't know anything about current things !!!
I think I'll pick up a pink one too - I could probably wear this to a Royal wedding - wouldn't it make an adorable fascinator?
I have to agree with Willie.................
It's all going to pot ♪♪ Whether we like it or not ♪ The best I can tell - the world's going to hell ♪♪♫♪ and we're sure going to miss it a lot ♪ ♪
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Much love
Hugs - always hugs
Me
P.S.
John says - Please tell you did NOT put that picture on the blog
Suzan says - Yes I did, why?
John says - It's got to be the strain of losing Soda - really - that's the only way I can explain it.
John says - I'm going to start a " Go Fund Me " account for - you need help.........badly
Hey - looks I've gone from a furniture makeover blog to a food one - look out Rachel Ray LMHO !!!
Truth is I haven't had much time lately to work on furniture - but I DO happen to have to cook - often.
This used to be something one of my Grandmothers made ( Estelle - not Helen ! You can get to know them HERE )
Another quick recipe ( notice most of my recipes are quick? ) and a great way to used left over potatoes.
What you need :
1 tin of salmon ( red sockeye ) I have no idea why I pulled out 2 tins in the pic - it only takes one !
bread crumbs
1 cup and a half of mashed potatoes
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/2 small onion ( or shallots or green onion which I normally use but was out of )
pepper
Clean the salmon - removing all bones and combine in a bowl with the mashed potatoes
add your flour
and pepper
Add beaten egg and mix all together thoroughly ( I've been known to add a few chilli flakes in as well )
and form patties - placing them on a wax paper lined baking sheet
and then bread them - I find it easiest to sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top ( since these are quite soft )
and then carefully flip them with a spatula to do the other side.
Here's the thickness of each patty
and then fry them in either a little crisco - or for really decadent ones - a little butter
a few minutes on each side and serve them - with anything other than potatoes lol
Suzan says - OMG - aren't they great?
John says - They're ok
Suzan says - really? I love them !
John says - I think a tin of salmon is meant to be put in sandwiches...............
I think it's time he learns to cook...............don't you?
Please don't take his word for it - they really are delicious ( if you like salmon - that's really really important - you have to like salmon lol )
Have a wonderful day everyone -
I'm going to be spending mine with baby blue !
Hugs,
me
LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES !
I can't sew ( shamefully I'm the daughter of a seamstress )
But I CAN tie pieces of cloth together and create something out of fabric :)
I wanted to make a wreath for Evan's room and had no idea where to start - until I saw John destroying fabric swatches from our business
( we represent fabric lines from Europe and so we always have swatches )
Suzan screams - OMG - are you throwing those out?
John says - Yeah - why?
John says - They're little bits of fabric - you can't do anything with them
Suzan says - as I'm scrambling around emptying the trash bin - SHAME ON YOU ! These don't belong in the landfill !
John says - Are you going to go through the garbage every time I throw something out?
Suzan says - Well I'm certainly going to start inspecting it before it goes to the curb !
They're very small pieces so I cut each one into 3 strips
and tied them together
so each strip ended up having 4 " tails " which worked great for fullness !
I used embroidery hoops 2 sizes - small and medium - because I had a few on hand from a project long long ago and tied each strip on them
At one point my fingers started hurting a little
John says - You're going to ruin your hands permanently if you keep up with these " projects "
Suzan says - I want my hands to be completely used up when they bury me -
John says - You're the most morbid person I know
Ahhh.............but I can make a rag wreath.
Aren't all the little bits of cloth just perfect together?
They're my " wreaths of many colors "
I made them while watching t.v. in bed - repeats of Downton Abbey to be precise - the next morning John woke up with lint and threads all over his boxers - I burst out laughing
Suzan says - You look like a human lint brush
Suzan says - Wait I want to get a picture
But he threatened to break my fingers...............you know - the ones he was so concerned about the day before?
Suzan says - Wreaths are very expensive to buy - think of the money I saved !
John stops ...........
John says - Really? Why don't you make a ton of them and sell them?
Hmmmmmmmmmmm. My fingers John - think of my poor fingers
John says - Well YOU said you wanted to use them up.
Suzan says - You're what the Chinese would call a Capitalist Pig
John snorts - China's full of capitalist pigs - probably more than here
Have a wonderful day everyone
I'm off to google why a communist country is filled with capitalist pigs.
And then I may just make a few wreaths to sell !
( maybe I could sell them in China ? )
Hugs,
Me
LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES !
Good morning everyone.............. It was a rough weekend - actually it was a rough week but the weekend hit us particularly hard. It's the " firsts " that kill you - The first morning without her - the first time not having to walk her - feed her - cuddle her - kiss her and if that doesn't do you in - well remembering the " lasts " most certainly does. I tried to pack up her things ( and she had a lot of things ) but there are so many items you don't think of - you know - like dragging myself into the shower and seeing her shampoo sitting on the ledge - it's hard to wash your hair while choking - or pulling out something from the pantry and seeing a jar of her favorite cookies. For a small dog she filled up this house and her absence from it makes it seem cold and lonely. Somewhere in the midst of this and completely unknown to me - I reached the 2 million mark in " hits " and though I'm not so much in the mood for celebrating - I really do want to celebrate Soda and show my appreciation in some small way to all of you. Your comments and love touched John and I deeply - I read him every single one of them. While surfing the net for anything and everything dog related this weekend ( I was obsessed in my grief I tell you - you have no idea ) I came across this amazing site called I HEART DOGS - it's a California based company - and every product you buy goes toward feeding shelter dogs. When I came across this necklace and saw the paw print in the key I knew I had to have one
I bought 2 of them - one for me and one for one of you - as a give away - so Soda's love helps feed 20 shelter dogs - and because she herself was a rescue angel I can't think of a more fitting way to honor her.............and to say a heartfelt thanks to all of you. Just a small token of our gratitude - a paws for the cause so to speak. You all left so many comments on my last post that I feel a little guilty telling you that you have to leave one again................but you absolutely HAVE to this time so that you have a chance to win ! Whether it's in memory of a beloved pet or a current one - whether it be a cat or a dog ( sorry gecko and snake lovers ) or to give to someone as a gift if you'd like the chance to win just drop me a line.
Delivery can take up to 4 weeks but I'm sure it'll arrive sooner than that - I'll draw the winner's name the day I receive them.
Much love - more than you can imagine - to all of you
Thank you for being a friend
I know people say you can't but I swear to you - you can.
In our case love weighed 12 pounds 3 ounces of pure raw adoration and was never not by our side.
It weighed enough to leave a small indentation at the foot of the bed where she slept for 16 years.
We said good-bye this morning to Soda - our precious little side kick - our 3rd daughter.
We left the house with that love bundled up with 2 of her squeaky toys - the ones she used to frantically bite whenever we walked in the house. I held her while John drove - tears streaming down both our faces.
I opened the window because she so loved the breeze on her face - she glanced up but didn't have the energy to lean over and so I lifted her to it - letting it gently blow on her one last time while memories flooded through my system threatening to almost kill me. Dramatic? No..........it's how I truly felt at the moment. I think it's how we both felt at the moment.
Remember how she used to jump through the snow with all her paws in the air - I asked John
Remember how she used to bury herself under the blankets at night - John asked me
Remember?
The moments are tattooed on our hearts with indelible ink.
I was always telling her to " stay ".
In the mornings when John would get up to go the bathroom - she would get ready to jump off the bed to follow him
Stay - I would whisper - he'll be back.
She would rush to the front door whenever he left -
Stay - I would admonish her - he's not gone for long.
She would run off when we walked her - to the nearest tree stump - sometimes trying to cross the street
Stay - I would say loudly - it's dangerous.
Today - more than any other day - I wanted to cry out " Stay Soda - please sweetheart - Stay "
Instead I leaned down close and told her what a good girl she was and always had been and how loved she was and then I told her it was ok to go.
I'm so sorry Soda if my tears and my sobbing brought you any anguish - I tried so hard to be strong but you always were my weakness you know.
I'm not sure how I walked out of the clinic - but I know I couldn't stand once I opened the door - I fell in a crumpled heap on the sidewalk clutching her squeakies and her leash to my chest - heaving - wondering how on earth I was going to go home without that 12 pounds and 3 ounces of love by my side.
And I have a message to the people who left her in a sealed box 16 years ago in front of the SPCA - covered in her own feces - battered and bruised and starving.
Thank you. If you hadn't been as neglectful and cruel and as evil as you had been - we'd have never known the joy she brought to our lives.
You lost. We won.
12 pounds and 3 ounces of pure raw adoration - that you were not worthy of anyway.
I'll be eternally grateful she chose to share her life with us.
Wherever you are right now my love - please - stay - until we can be together again.
You CAN measure love - I feel its weight on my heart today and trust me - it's as heavy as a ton of bricks.
Thank you Soda
for everything.
All our love
An eternity's worth
Mom and Dad
xoxo
Cecilia - the first thing John did when we got in was put her painting on his end table by the bed.
I think I may have forgotten to you let you know that I'm taking a blogging ( well actually all social media ) hiatus.
I feel I need to get out there and walk in piles of leaves and listen to the crunch instead of just writing about it
I feel like I need to look around me with my eyes instead of the lens of a camera
And most importantly I just need a break to rejuvenate myself because believe it or not I'm running out of things to say -
I'm aiming for a 2 week break - it may end up being a month - so.................
You all have the most wonderful of Novembers !!!
Here's me stepping out into it in 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1...........................
It's one of my cold weather staples and we eat it quite often in this house in the winter................ for some reason it tastes especially good when it's miserable outside.
( and boy was it miserable yesterday - the skies opened up and poured down.................hail stones )
I'm also trying to do my bit with eating less meat.
For my health and the health of the planet.
It's made with beef broth - but I'm NOT a vegan or vegetarian so that's ok.
I'm still not throwing a pound of flesh onto the grill or in the oven so I feel like I'm doing my bit - if I'm not please don't tell me about it because I can't give this soup up.
And my warped reasoning works for me ( sort of......kind of )
French onion soup is also considered a cure for hangovers - unlike taking a swig of pepto bismol - not that I'd know if it actually works or not :)
I CAN tell you that it's a cure for cold weather blahs though !
These are the ingredients
Olive Oil - and a sliver of butter
1 heaping tablespoon of flour
1 onion per person
1 tin of beef broth per person
Worcestershire sauce ( a dash )
Browning sauce
Garlic powder
Swiss and Mozzarella cheese - gruyere if I have it in the house - but I didn't
Pepper
Heat olive oil and butter
Slice onions into thin rings ( separating them while in the frying pan ) and cook on low
I cook them for 20 minutes or so - caramelizing them - but you can just cook them till they're translucent -
While they're cooking I cut up small pieces of baguette ( relatively thin ) and place them in the oven to toast
Once the onions are ready I add the flour
Stirring constantly until it looks like mush actually
Next you add the broth and a splash of worcestershire sauce ( a little goes a long way )
Notice the Canadian stove in both languages - Hot - Chaud?
and then I add in my browning sauce ( the flour lightens it up which is the only reason I use it ) my garlic powder and black pepper ( a pinch of each )
I simmer it for 10 minutes or so and then fill the bowls partially - adding the toasted bread
You can use as much toasted bread as the bowl will allow - sometimes when I'm pretending I'm on a diet I only add a couple of pieces - tonight we were hungry
Pour the rest of the soup on top of that - and sprinkle shredded cheese over the entire bowl
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or so - and then put the oven on broil just long enough for the cheese to bubble and brown and Voila! Hangover winter blahs be gone !
It's absolutely delicious - oh my gosh - just writing up this post I'm ready to make it again lol
Winter does have its advantages after all :)
Have a wonderful first day of the week everyone !
Hugs,
Me
LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
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You all know that my brain works in correlation with songs, right?
Almost all circumstances will leave a song in my head with words that fit the situation.
But now? It's even happening when words sound like other words.............
This is a little crude but here goes.............
John walked Soda early this morning - came in and said
Wow - Soda went for a massive 2 shits................
And now I can't get THIS song out of my head............
( I swear to you I'm donating my brain to science - somebody HAS to figure this out )
I started writing a book last winter - rather earnestly - than stopped.
WHY do I do that?
Did I ever mention that I started writing one in my 20's - and had a publisher accept it in N.Y.C. ?
Got all of 5 chapters written and stopped.
I have the letter of acceptance from the publisher still.............it's my version of a Pulitzer's.
Anyway .............
John says - I thought you were writing a book?
Suzan says - Yeah........well............I'll get back to that this winter
John says- What's it about ?
Suzan says - Oh...........you know - this & that
John says - FINISH it - maybe we could buy a golf course or something
Suzan says - You're lucky if we can buy a golf TEE with my writing buddy.
BUT................I'll show you the " introduction " to it
The Consequences of an Inconsequential life
By Suzan Sweatman
Oh Wow - a reader !
THANKS for buying my book - you now belong to an exclusive club - there's 2 of us in it ! My advice to you would be to start my fan club before it gets too high in numbers - this book could easily hit 10 - 20 ( and dare I dream? ) 30 sales. I'd start the fan club myself but I'll probably be all over the place giving interviews and such - you know how it is when 30 people want to know all about you !
Just so you know - this book starts off where the last book ended except I haven’t written the last book yet.
You have to trust me – it’s a New York Times best seller – filled with adventure, mystery, intrigue and forbidden love - I just have to get around to writing the damn thing – for now you’ll have to be content with the sequel – which is NOT about mystery and intrigue and forbidden love ( are you intrigued yet? )
It’s just about me, a Suzan, living my daily life which may have you hanging off your seat in terror because my life could so easily happen to you - it’s a warning of sorts - never settle for mediocrity – it’s boring and mundane – and mediocre…………and I never wanted to be THAT person – I had grand dreams of being the girl who left her hometown and went on to become a famous actress – returning for events and such in a gown and heels while adoring fans fell to their knees at the mere sight of me. It hasn’t quite worked out that way. YET. There’s still time – I’m in my 50’s at the start of this tome – and I just may be 65 by the end of it but hey, 50 is the new 40 – so I may end up having 1 fabulous star studded year – or at least enough to have a face lift. I just need Oprah to read it Oh and I have to fill it with fake experiments ( just enough to get her a little miffed – I certainly don’t want her full wrath or anything because that could put a cinch in the works to say the least).
Book One will be available at some point or another - because I do everything ass backwards.
Now excuse me - I have to sort the laundry......................
There's a caterpillar up in the corner beside my front door - I've never seen one like it - it's black and super furry with a brown middle.
I googled it as soon as I saw it - apparently it's called a Wooly Bear Caterpillar.
Suzan says - OMG - We've got a Wooly Bully Bear Caterpillar
John roars
Suzan says - Laugh all you want but it brings bad news
John says - Harbinger of death I suppose?
Suzan says - No - it means it's going to be a severe winter
John laughs out loud
Suzan says - I'm serious ! I just read it !
John comes outside to take a look
John says - Oh those - we've got tons of them in the back yard.
OMG - tons of wooly bear caterpillars is very very ominous.
I knew it you know.
I just freaking knew it.
The Farmer's Almanac says it going to be a bad one too.
The enviromentalists - the scientists - the people who KNOW all about El Nino and it's affects say it's going to be a mild one. THEN HOW DO THEY EXPLAIN ALL THE WOOLY BEAR CATERPILLARS ON MY PROPERTY?
Uno, dos, one, two, tres, quatro Suzie told Johnny about a thing she saw. Had two big horns and a wooly jaw. Wooly bully, wooly bully.
And I'm ending my chat on a serious note because I've been outraged over this since it happened.
I'm a capitalist - there's absolutely no doubt about that - John and I are small business owner's after all.
But I'm a capitalist with a heart ( or so I'd like to think ) and I really do believe that socialistic aspects are fundamentally important in society.
So did Jesus.
Those of us who are blessed with wealth beyond our need have a responsibility to share generously with the less fortunate. We should view our wealth as a gift from God, entrusted to us, to carry out His work on earth.
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (NIV, 1 John 3:17)
So when I read about people like Martin Shkreli who increase a pill from 13.50 to 750.00 overnight I want to puke.
ANYONE ( and that includes all the corrupt pharmaceutical companies - because he's not alone in this - far from it ) who can justify getting rich off the backs of disease - well - they simply have no place in society in my humble opinion.
Their greed obviously knows no boundaries.
D.I.S.G.U.S.T.I.N.G. parasites - feeding off the desperately ill.
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You all have a wonderful weekend - relax if you can !
Me?
Hey..................I may back to Massachusetts
