In My World

When I first began seeing the advertisements for the movie The Help I was tempted to find and read the book first.  The scenes that flashed across the television screen were so funny and surprising and I just knew I would love it. A few days later I saw the book in Shoppers Drug Mart.  I picked it up.  I put it down again.  I picked it up and put it down a few more times before deciding to leave it on the shelf.  I checked at the local library and they had one copy of the book and a huge waiting list to borrow it.  The next day I went back and bought it at the drug store. Here's what it said on the back of the book: Aibileen Clark is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, raising her seventeenth white child.  She's always taken orders quietly, but lately it leaves her with a bitterness she can no longer bite back.  Her friend Minny Jackson has certainly never held her tongue, or held on to a job for very long, but now she's wo...

According to Wikipedia . . .  Stott grew up on her family farm in rural Manitoba, her father was a saxophonist and pianist. She started singing in the church choir at Brandon Calvary Temple when she was just three years old. She first gained prominence as a country singer at the Dauphin Country Fest in 1994. In 1999, she signed with Warner Music Canada and her first self-titled album was released in 2000. This album prompted the single "Black Is Black" which quickly became a hit on country radio and television.  She was also nominated for a Juno Award for Best New Solo Artist. After a few years away from the spotlight, Stott returned with a more adult pop sound and her first single, "Paper Rain", reached No. 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart. On March 8, 2005, her second album, Chasing the Sky, was released. It included "Paper Rain" and follow up singles "Homeless Heart" and "She'll Get Over It".

I really like this sketch that I "borrowed" from GrandDiva's Creative Corner .  I hope you do too.

 According to 101 Interesting Facts About Canada, Canada has six cities with a population over one million. I checked with Google and Wikipedia and this appears to be true.  The six cities are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa-Gatineau.  

Corn on the Cob . . . I know its not good for me but I love it so . . . Selection Allow 1 or 2 ears per person.  Cobs should be well filled with plump, milky kernels.  The husks should be fresh and green. Preparation Just before serving, remove husks and silk. Cooking Cook, covered, in unsalted boiling water until tender. Serve Lift corn from water and serve at once with salt, pepper, and plenty of butter or margarine.

According to the Brooklyn Alternative "I was turning the pages so fast they nearly burst into flames." Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, nevertheless How I Became a Famous Novelist was definitely a great read.  The main character in this novel is a over-bright underachiever looking to make it rich as easily as possible.  His desire for fame and fortune peaks when he receives a bulk email from his ex-girlfriend announcing her upcoming wedding.  Determined to one-up her big day, Pete Tarslaw researches what is required for a best seller and includes it all in his novel.  Imagine Pete's surprise when his novel The Tornado Ashes Club  actually does become a hit.   This book is a total satire of popular writing and publishing.  The characters are totally unlovable, quirky, cynical, petty . . . and hysterical. Regardless, I stand by my position that you will laugh out loud at least once per page.  

  Amy Millan (born December 3, 1973) is a Canadian indie rock singer and guitarist.  Amy Millan grew up in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood of Toronto.  She attended high school at Jarvis Collegiate Institute, and later the Etobicoke School of the Arts where she studied drama alongside future Broken Social Scene bandmates Kevin Drew and Emily Haines. Millan and Haines formed the band Edith's Mission.  Although short-lived, Edith's Mission did play a sold-out show at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto.   She records and performs with the bands Stars and Broken Social Scene as well as having a successful solo career. Her second solo album, Masters of the Burial, was released by Arts & Crafts Productions in September 2009.  Her list of collaborations and compilations can be found on Wikipedia.

I see the same problem on so many groups and in personal conversations . . . I don't want to scrapbook anymore, I have no interest, I'm not feeling the joy . . . and on and on . . . So I'm here to tell you this is "normal" . . . but don't go selling off all your supplies yet . . . Here is a repeat of an blog post from 2010 because I think some people need to hear this. How I got my mojo back . . . MOJO: a slang word for self-confidence , self-esteem or self-efficacy (Wikipedia) Scrapbooking seems to have an ebb and flow in my life . . . trying to fit in my life no matter what else is going on. In fact, I've noticed that when I can't find time to scrapbook it has an effect on my mood and self-esteem. Life has been crazy, finances have been brutally tight and I've had to learn to scrapbook in a whole new way. In the store I could SEE everything. The different colours and patterns inspired me every day and creating a new and exciting layout se...

I vaguely knew this . . . now I know for sure . . . So if it is 11:18 a.m. in Eastern Standard Time it will be 12:48 p.m. Newfoundland Standard Time (GMT-3:30), 12:18 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4), 10:18 a.m. Central Standard Time (GMT-6), 9:18 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (GMT-7), and 8:18 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (GMT-8). GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time .

I really enjoyed this dessert . . . a lot! Quantity : 4 servings Preparation : 10 min Cooking : 25 min Standing : 30 min 270 calories/serving Ingredients 2 pears 300 g 2 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1/4 lemon 1 cup cranberries 100 g 3 tbsp sweetener Splenda 5 g 3 1/2 tbsp brown sugar 45 g 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 45 g 1/2 cup rolled oats 45 g 1/3 cup margarine non-hydrogenated 80 g 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 0.4 g 1 pinch salt 0.1 g Method Preheat the oven to 205°C/400°F. Peel, core and cut the pears into bite-size pieces (about 1,5 cm). In a large bowl, toss them with the lemon juice. Add the cranberries and splenda, then toss well. Transfer the mixture to the ramekins. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, rolled oats, margarine, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to obtain a crumbly mixture. Layer it over the fruit in the ramekins. Bake in the middle of the oven until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden, about 25 min. Take the ramekins out of the oven and let them ...

When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I had a struggle with understanding and incorporating the changes I was going to have to make to my lifestyle to cope with this condition. Cherie Burbach's book arrived in my mailbox at the moment I needed to see it. 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes offers very helpful advice for the friends and family of someone with diabetes. The author stresses how important it is to be informed and supportive. Chapter 1 hit very close to home for my husband. The only thing he knew about diabetes was what he had heard from me or others. One night I was frustrated and in tears because I haven't been able to get my numbers on target and didn't know what else to do. My husband suggested we get out the information package from the diabetes clinic at the hospital and do some brainstorming. He sat with me to watch the video, discussing each section until we had come up with some ideas to help get my numbers un...

  Amelia Curran is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The National Post describes her music as "a bit like Leonard Cohen being channeled in a dusty saloon by Patsy Cline."  She started playing guitar and writing songs as a teenager and eventually dropped out of university to busk on the streets of St. John's. Curran released her first album in 2000, and since then she has released seven more. Curran's lyrics have been described as "evocative" by Spinner Canada who, referring to Curran's song "The Mistress", wrote "like the best poets, Curran packs so much meaning into each line that the listener barely has time to register each clever lyric before the next zinger comes along." In addition to being a musician, Curran is also a playwright and actor, and has had her plays performed in fringe festivals.

This project is a great way to save and display ephemera from your events:  confetti from the wedding, tickets from the concert, etc.  Your shaker box can also just be plain, old-fashioned decorative. Here's what you need to get started:  double-sided foam tape, punch, cardstock, patterned paper, scissors, clear plastic, large punch and fill.  The fill can be confetti, bead, punchies or whatever strikes your fancy. Cut a square from cardstock and cut out the centre using scissors or a punch.  Cut a piece of clear plastic the same size as the square and adhere them together.  If you don't think you have any clear plastic just check around the house.  I bet you find some clear plastic packaging on something like . . . um . . . new scrapbooking supplies. Cut the square of patterned paper large than the cardstock. Put foam tape on the back of the cardstock piece. Pour in your fill.  I chose shiny black micro beads.  Centre...

Did you know that Canada has the 4th lowest population density in the world?  Thats what 101 Interesting Facts About Canada states . . . but I could find no proof of that.   According to Wikipedia, on the list of top 100 most populous countries, Canada ranks at 99th, making it the 2nd lowest density on the list. 99   Canada 9,984,670 3,855,103 38,260,991 4 10 November 29, 2020 According to Google, Canada's population is around 36.7 million @ Feb 13, 2019.  Approximately 80% of people live in cities and towns. We have so much space in Canada that our population density ratio is one of the lowest in the world. That translates to less than 4 persons per square kilometre! That's all I've got to say about that . . . LOL.

I always have trouble remember the difference between rutabagas vs turnips . . . and sweet potatoes vs yams. So here is what I learned from Healthline : Sweet potatoes are a starchy root vegetable originating in Central or South America. There are two main varieties. They have a long shelf life and are usually sweeter and moister than regular potatoes. True yams are an edible tuber originating in Africa and Asia. There are over 600 varieties, which vary widely in size. They are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes and rarely found in local grocery stores. Why do I get so confused between these two tubers? Confusion between sweet potatoes and yams arose when US producers began using the African term “nyami,” which translates to “yam,” to distinguish between different varieties of sweet potatoes. Thank you, Healthline.

I recently read  Jackson:  The Iron-Willed Commander  by Paul Vickery.  The book is extremely well written with a great deal of background to help you understand the context of Jackson's story.   Andrew Jackson rose from an orphan to the lofty heights in the White House as a result of his grit and ambition.  As a general he was strong-willed charismatic man, respected by his men.  In one incident he stopped a brigade's mutiny by himself.   Jackson had strong opinions about the British and Spanish, as well as the First Nations tribes, believing they compromised the new country's sense of nationalism and security and must be controlled or removed.  He never swerved from these beliefs, sometimes bringing him glory and other times causing scandal. Admire him or not, he was an extraordinary man for an extraordinary time.  I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book.

  Amanda Meta Marshall (born August 29, 1972) is a Canadian pop-rock singer. She has released three studio albums, the first was certified Diamond in Canada, with the latter two certified 3x Platinum and Platinum respectively.  She is best known for her 1996 single, "Birmingham", which reached number 3 in Canada and was her only song to reach the US charts. Marshall was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She grew up an only child, in her own words, "the product of an interracial marriage": her mother is from Trinidad, her father is Canadian. In several of her songs, Marshall has reflected on her racial identity "as a woman who looks white but is actually black".   Marshall studied music extensively during her childhood, including at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. While performing on the Queen Street West bar scene in her teens, she met guitarist Jeff Healey, who was struck by her powerful voice and took her on tour for a long time. In 1994...

Scrapbook a layout that means something to you. Don't scrapbook?  Journal about this or create a page in your art journal.  Just get creative!

Majestic Lake Louise is part of Banff National Park (Photo credit: Banff Lake Louise Tourism) How Many National Parks Are There in Canada? Everyone seems to want to know, how many national parks are there in Canada? There’s a whopping 48 National Parks and over one thousand Provincial and Territorial parks in the Great White North! National parks in Canada are focused on protecting the natural ecosystem of the park. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t wanted there. It’s the opposite, actually. People are encouraged to explore and learn about Canada’s natural spaces. If you’ve never been, here’s a list of all Canadian National Parks in alphabetical order. Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve (Labrador) Aulavik (Northwest Territories) Auyuittuq (Nunavut) Banff (Alberta) Bruce Peninsula (Ontario) Cape Breton Highlands (Nova Scotia) Elk Island (Alberta) Forillon (Quebec) Fundy (New Brunswick) Georgian Bay Islands (Ontario) Glacier (British Columbia) Grasslands (Sa...