Eclecticvae

August is for reading

2010-08-29T14:13:00.004-04:00

Reading for recreation or research is what I do all year long, actually. But this August, I managed to read more books than any other month this year.

When the garden is at its best, I take a rest & read a book. When it's raining, I stay in & read a book. When it's too humid, too hot, or too buggy outside to do anything constructive, I go back in and....you guessed it...read a book.

Whereas some people I know may have a few books in various stages of being read (one in each room in the house, for example) I don't do that since I am trying to simplify my life, after all. (OK. I have picked up another book before I finished reading another only because the first book was left behind in London.)

That was then. Now, I listen to an audio book when I "do" laundry; I don't mind folding 4 loads of laundry at all. When I am outdoors gardening, I listen to another book via an iPod shuffle (which I inherited from Valerie). During a particularly buggy day, I've become oblivious to the mosquitoes because I was so engrossed in the "book"! Not a good thing to discover those red, angry bites when I came in. I think I'd better listen to nature when I'm outdoors.

But, there is something comforting in holding, smelling, and looking at a real book; then, to read and pause in one's own time which one cannot experience when listening to an audio book is part of what it's all about. I guess I am old-fashioned that way,after all.

So, here's my (eclectic, what else?) list for August 2010:

Austen-Leigh, James Edward, Memoirs of Jane Austen (LibriVox)
Alcott, Louisa May, Hospital Sketches (LibriVox)
Demille, Nelson, Spencerville
Evans, Nicholas, The Loop
Follett, Ken, Jackdaws (spy thriller)
Hill, Lawrence, The Book of Negroes (a Canadian historical fiction)
Grant, Jessica, Come, Thou Tortoise (a humorous Canadian fiction)
Princess Der Ling, Two Years in the Forbidden City (audio book)

I am now reading The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham by Selina Hastings which will be on September's list since it is a rather hefty book (549 pages) and I'm just on page 75!

I hope you are all enjoying your summer reading as well!

Life glimpses

2010-07-16T11:27:00.011-04:00

Gardening

July is half over and my garden has had its share of garden troubles!

Slugs & snails feasted on the Hostas and perennial tender shoots in the early summer. Then, there were itsy bitsy black insects chewing on the maturing leaves. I am too busy weeding to identify these little rascals. Now, the Monarda are plagued by the mildew. Last night's rainstorm bent the bamboo cane support for my (only) grape tomato plant & snapped the stem right at the base. One heritage tomato plant succumbed to the juglone wilt (walnut tree evil poison). Another heritage tomato plant was attacked by some kind of a borer; now half of that plant is wilted. And other garden troubles too many to mention.

Looking at the macro side of my garden (bird's eye view!) it looks beautiful!

The plants in this part of the front garden was transplanted this spring. Aside from the Iris 'Starship Enterprise', all the other plants are division from my existing plants.

Sunflowers volunteered throughout the garden as I have been planting these North American native 3 years ago. The birds & squirrels just snack on the seed heads all summer long & reseed all over the garden.This is the tallest they've ever grown!

The staked plant on the right foreground is one of the 4 heritage tomatoes ('Brandywine') I sowed indoors. I've already harvested 2 tomatoes off it.

This is the middle of the north facing garden which is on its third summer.

Previous plants have taught me a lot about garden pests & diseases but I need a reminder calendar for all these garden chores in order to have a healthy garden. That will be my project this winter.

Cycling

Bob & I are still with the Roaming Riders. We have done a few out of town rides this year including the Greater Niagara Loop. The first day was approx. 80 kms from Welland to Pt. Colborne to Ft. Erie to Niagara Falls. We stayed overnight here and finished the (50 km.)loop through Niagara-on- the-lake to Thorold and back to Welland. Those were 2 hot & humid days & the group gave me all the moral support to survive the course! Click on this link for the Niagara Loop photos.

Visitors

Kilian's first visit to Ontario was in May. What a beautiful boy! He had tripled his weight since the last time we saw him. His personality is certainly showing through as he progresses through his development. This is the time when I wish that we lived closer! Richard and Valerie have excellent parenting skills; as Bob would say, "They're naturals". I have posted some photos in Facebook.

My cousin Jeanette & her family (hubby Randy & children Cameron,11 & Jaclyn,8) came at the end of June as tourists from Indiana. They visited some popular Ontario spots (Niagara Falls, African Lion Safari, Royal Botanical Gardens, Canada's Wonderland); we had supper together for visits. They managed to go to a Master Gardening garden tour the day they arrived and a Grand River rafting experience with me on their last day in Brantford. Did I have all that energy when my kids were at that age?

We are here and there for the rest of the summer. Give us a call when you are in the area; we'd love a visit from friends & family.

What a wonderful Spring!

2010-04-06T17:46:00.009-04:00

One of the nicest things about having a garden is watching what pops out of the ground in spring or sometimes, at the end of winter. With Brantford's temperature in record highs last week, some of my spring bulbs literally just popped out!

Starting from the top, clockwise: Galanthus (snow drops), crocus spp.,daffodil, anemone, scillia.

This rhubarb was a baby plant given to me last year in the middle of a hot summer wave. Had it not been for all the rain we had, it would have been a struggle to keep it alive. Two days before this picture was taken, I couldn't even tell where I had planted it!

You must be able to tell me what these are: they are my asparagus! Granted they are only pencil thin, I dare not harvest them yet. I started them from seeds 3 years ago and they've been struggling in their present location- along the south-facing fence where the rain is minimal and the weeds are plentiful (the neighbors leave it on the wild side). Hopefully, next year will give me more shoots to munch.

Sometimes, I wonder what it's like to be dormant all winter & burst into a new life in the spring!

Disturbing

2010-03-24T13:42:00.002-04:00

I was recently made aware of Canola oil's nasty reputation. After reading some of the articles, it seems that I am years behind in getting this information. Better late than never.

For years, heart-healthy canola oil is supposed to be one of the oils of choice (second to olive oil) for cooking & baking. But some of the reports out there had been published since 1996 (not to the general public, obviously). This was disturbing because olive, canola & coconut oils are what's in my cupboard! I use them a lot for cooking since organic butter is so expensive (so I save it for baking where taste counts).

This link is informative; rather lengthy but an easy, convincing, read. But then, I tend to be gullible. Then, I go on to read Snope's version that states that this type of information (described in previous link) is just a myth. Well, let's look at what the Canola Council have to say about that. The answers to the FAQs are convincing but then the council, after all, represent canola growers. Aaahhhh..that explains their position.

So, my friends, what do you believe? Comments/suggestions are welcome . Meanwhile, I may just keep that canola oil on hold?!

Getting ready to spring

2010-03-12T16:19:00.002-05:00

Yes! the days are getting longer, the temperature getting warmer and the sun had been shining upon us for about 9 days straight until the rain finally came today.

I have been to a gardening seminar in February and a garden show in Strathford this month so it wasn't too difficult to think about gardening.

This is the time when the seed catalogues are well scanned & dog-eared for most gardeners. As for me, I have enough seeds collected from last year to keep me busy this Spring. Both my seed germinator hold heritage tomatoes, basil, marigolds and Swiss chard. They have all germinated & so I got busy making newspaper pots today for soon-to-be-transplants.

As one of the "new blood" in my garden club, I am slowly being oriented to the different machinations of the club. Besides being an executive member (board of directors) I am now one of the coordinators for our annual summer flower show in July. This event includes horticulture and floral design competition, plant sale, vendors, raffles and a tea room. This is not really my area of interest but I want to be able to support the club's events and grasp the opportunity to learn new things.

Spring means cycling as well. Bob & I attended a planning meeting with 2 other couples. Monday rides (out of town trips) had been planned by one person and he is retiring from the responsibilities. He was there at the meeting for consultation but the rest of the members are asked to lead a trip or two. With a 4 day trip to Quebec, a possible overnight trip to Pt. Dover and Niagara area, I am more than ready for Spring!

Winter wonderland

2010-02-23T09:57:00.005-05:00

The inevitable has come. Yesterday's snow storm is today's winter wonderland.

This is the view from one of the back rooms. (Is it the library, the TV room, the room with the deck access? Hmmm. We are stifled with the usual indecisiveness when "things" hardly matter.)

Well, it is rather pretty to look at. This is the moment when I can look at the landscape to see if there is enough winter interests amongst the perennial beds. There is one stick between the deck posts in the middle of the picture. That is my native Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) that I planted last summer. It is nothing to look at now but it has the potential of being the focal point when it matures. (in 5 years)

While the snow slowly filled the landscape, I was indoors having a cooking marathon. I had a 2.5 kg of turkey breast thawed out & I had a mission!

There are 4 dishes in this photo. top L>R : turkey pasta with Thai basil sauce, veggie chili with tempeh, jambalaya; L corner: turkey barley soup. Still in the slow cooker & not shown is the turkey savoury stew.

I had a coworker who did this batch cooking with 2 other friends. The menu for 4-5 dishes & shopping were planned ahead. They met each Saturday when the spouses minded their small kids; they cooked everything from scratch. Then they split the fruits of their labor into 3 ways with each person packing her share according to her family size.

Cooking in large batches make sense for us because now that there are only the 2 of us, I don't feel like cooking all the time. Of course, I do this almost every week, snow storm or not.

Love at first sight

2010-02-21T15:02:00.014-05:00

The anticipation of going to Halifax to witness the miracle of birth of my first grandchild is indescribable. It was just as well that I had occupied my time finishing projects that needed to get done before my departure! I gave myself lots of time to be there in order to visit with Valerie & Richard, to offer any assistance...and distraction as we waited for baby's arrival.

Newborn Kilian (5 minutes old)

My experience of witnessing Kilian's arrival was emotionally overwhelming, needless to say. And I wasn't the one who was hormonally-frazzled and in labor for more than 36 hours with minimal sleep! It was an Amazonian effort for Valerie and it was a proud moment when Kilian was presented to her: truly a God's child.

From that moment, I could not help loving this child as I had when I held Valerie (& Michael) for the first time.

So, here are some more photos of Kilian for those who are not in Facebook:

Proud parents holding 10 minute old Kilian

Grammy & Grampa going ga-ga over 5- day old Kilian.

Rushing into the new year

2010-02-02T13:39:00.002-05:00

Time comes and goes no matter what one does or does not do. Somehow, the new year came and I had a good reason to be industrious: the arrival of a grandchild in Halifax, Nova Scotia- a little less than 2000 kms. away.

Firstly, I had to finish a quilt that I had started 2 years ago for Valerie & Richard. It was meant to be a Christmas present but having arthritis in one's thimble finger is not at all conducive to any handiwork. While I could have machine-quilted this queen-sized project, I cringed at that prospect so, I hand-quilted during the day; then, pampered my hands with massages & anti-inflammatory medications at night.

The pattern, called "Ragged Robin", was appliqued into a block and the blocks were pieced together.

Here is the finished quilt on Valerie's bed. Yes, that's Valerie B.C. (before child).

Secondly, the perennial and annual seeds I harvested from my garden and seeds from friends had to be sown: about 2 dozen varieties. The last couple of winters, I experimented with indoor sowing. While I had an overall success with this method, I was up for another horticulture challenge: winter sowing. I am not posting any photos because all it will show is rows of plastic 2L juice containers and plastic salad tubs with growing medium in them. How interesting is that?

So, with those 2 things accomplished, I packed my bags to go to Halifax.

Twoonie bargoonie

2009-12-29T13:26:00.004-05:00

What, you may ask, was I doing shopping this time of the year? Well, not for Boxing Week specials! I was looking for scrap yarns for future projects. There weren't anything interesting but I did find this fabulous hand-knitted shawl for $2! (I am calling it a shawl because of the yarn used.) I have to consult Valerie about this.

Someone had put in a lot of hours making this. The person who was pricing it at Value Village obviously didn't recognize that. And neither was the person who gave it away!

Well, that trip sure made my day!

Craft distractions

2009-12-17T10:24:00.009-05:00

Plunging into an online gardening course can be easily done but it isn't much fun sitting in front of the computer all the time. I can't multitask, for one thing. (Snacking & sipping tea are not tasks.) So, this fall I had attempted several projects while I sit with Bob flip through the channels. (Oh, OK. We do follow "The Mentalist", "Heartbeat", "The Midsommer murders", the occasional NCIS and CSI.)

Crochet: I haven't picked up a crochet hook for years! Here is the triangular "prayer shawl" I took with me during the fall Halifax trip.

This is a rectangular "prayer shawl" that I started in Halifax and almost finished crocheting it while on the train heading home.

Knit: aside from knitting socks, this is a major knitting project (seen here while it was being blocked). The pattern was borrowed from Valerie. It is called "Lake of the Woods" but I couldn't find a suitable lake color (when Valerie & I shopped in one of the LYS.) It is a capelet which keeps me warm & cozy. I have used it several times for different holiday luncheons & suppers.

This is my first cabled hat I've ever knitted just for me! The color is "Bordeaux" but this photo shows more pink. I love the challenge of cable stitches but at the same time the repetition is ideal when one is watching TV.

Of course, I am continually looking for easy patterns to use up my existing years worth of yarn collection - mostly leftovers from different projects. For example, I found some cotton yarn the other day so, I am experimenting with circular knitted dishcloths...Oh, so many things to do..so little time!

What happened to October?

2009-11-25T14:28:00.007-05:00

Here it is, almost the end of November. And what have I been doing? Not keeping this up to date, obviously. So, here is the synopsis for October & November.

Cycling
Indeed, this is the best and longest cycling season since we joined the Roaming Riders group. Although the season officially ended at the end of September, some of us took advantage of the snow-free, 2-digit temperature cycling weather. Although the wind is definitely autumnal, putting on the layers resolved that problem. Brantford had paved a new rail trail which will eventually connect it to Waterford and all the way to Pt. Dover. The trail is wider and hill free so it became one of the favorite routes this fall. It looks like last Monday's ride is the last ride of the season.

Gardening
The growing season was extended as well so I had more time to enjoy the fall bloomers.

These are some of the backyard photos in October. Blooms include: native Rudbeckia (brown-eyed daisies), the starry flowers of Nicotiana (top RH), purple Salvia (middle RH- I bought a tray of 18 for a dollar at the end of July at Home Depot), Sedum (bottom LH), marigolds (in the raised bed with the green pepper & basil plants).

The front garden still provided colors and texture: artemesia, blue Salvia, mums, and cosmos. Ignore the stressed-looking juniper in the bottom picture (RH corner). Bob gave it a buzz cut (that chain saw is my nemesis).

Distance Education
I am now taking the third course (out of 4) of the Master Gardeners Certificate from the NSAC.
It's called "Maintaining the Garden" which is much easier on the brain than the last one (Soil Science). The modules I've just covered included weeds, insects and diseases which I seem to have an infinite exposure in Brantford in my short gardening career. Now that I have some idea of the diagnoses of infections my various plants get every growing season, it doesn't mean that they'll go away any sooner. I have only learned a few other new cultural practices since this course since I am already applying most of them. Disease symptoms get eradicated one year for a particular vulnerable plant but only to acquire another. It is a never ending battle! In any case, I about to learn more and am hoping for a better year next year!

Crafting
I finished 2 crocheted shawls. I am going to donate them to a local CWL (Catholic Women's League) group who collects them for distribution as "Prayer Shawls". I've purchased more yarn on sale and dusted off some of my shawl patterns for future projects. I made 3 pairs of ankle socks and I am eyeballing a slipper pattern that I might make for Michael.

Reading
Well, this activity is getting harder to accomplish since I started my course. I did read mostly recommended books by the local library: Bob Katz's Elaine's Circle (my favorite Canadian non-fiction this period), Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild (about Christopher MsCanless), Janice Lee's The Piano Teacher (historical novel in Hong Kong/ China), Susan Fraser King's Lady Macbeth (from the character's perspective), Sue Miller's While I was Gone (strange mystery/psychological thriller) and Richard Wagamese's Ragged Company which was another favorite because it had a happy ending. Now, I am reading about weeds, pests and diseases!

East coast adventure

2009-09-27T15:38:00.010-04:00

We celebrated the end of the summer by driving to Halifax to visit Valerie & Richard. Bob, Michael & I loaded up our bikes & away we went at the end of August.

Predictably, we stopped by Cornwall and Grand Falls & stayed at the same B&Bs we used the first time we drove to the east coast! The accommodations in Grand Falls was quite comical if not memorable. We took over "The Loft" which is the fancy name for the attic room. It had a queen sized bed and 2 single sized beds along the sloping part of the ceiling. The minuscule shower is in the center by the chimney, the sink is on the other side of the chimney, and the toilet was located in one of the cubby closets on the other side of the shower! We had to practice going back & forth to find the safest route as it was easy enough to hit the sloped ceiling even for my height! Nobody sustained any head injury. The full breakfast was worth staying, though.

Anyway, we got to Halifax safely. We had a short visit with Richard before he left for Victoria, B.C. .

After 3 days on the road, we were more than ready to hit the trails; so we rode for about 60 kms. on the BLT the following day. Here is a description of the trail by the "Found Locally" website:

Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea Rails to Trails (the "BLT Trail")
902-876-2055
This mixed-use trail follows several streams and winds through a "Granite Uplands" ecosystem, with a mixed second-generation forest, along lake shores and past inland bogs providing access to the narrow lake. Vegetation is tolerant of poor drainage, and includes black spruce and larch, while drier areas are home to spruce, hemlock, and pine ecosystem. There is an amethyst vein in the granite at Six Miles Falls. The trail is popular with pedestrians, cyclists, skiers, ATVs, and snowmobiles.

After about 20 kms, we stopped at the Train Station Bike & Bean for coffee and some delicious carrot cake. A wide multi use trail with scenic views, Richard highly recommended this trail.
One of the lakes on the trail: time to admire the view while we have a water break.

The next day, we brought lunch & headed towards the St Margaret Bay to cycle the rest of the Rails to Trails route. The trails narrowed and not as maintained as the BLT but it had beautiful views. That was about 50 kms.

This is one of the streams we crossed while we were on the trail. Click on the picture to magnify.

The Labour Day weekend was spent with some friends in PEI at their bay-side cottage in St. Georges. There were 13 adults and 3 children (not counting visiting friends and relatives). Where did we all sleep? There were 2 cottages, 3 trailers and 2 tents. A lot of reminiscing, eating, listening to guitar music by the campfire, and playing board games like Scrabble. With the temperature on the chilly side, we declined swimming, canoeing and sailing. It was a good visit that Richard missed.

While the boys headed back home, I stayed with Valerie. I rediscovered my walking muscles using the trails around their neighborhood. The Bulk Barn also become my favorite destination. I learned a few crochet pattern (great crochet books borrowed from the library just a block away from V&R's apartment.) I also learned how to use the Wii Fitness. Now, I sort of miss that instant feedback. It was a privilege to be with Valerie when she had her ultrasound so that was really the best part of staying longer. The technology to view this living being while it kicked its legs and wave its hand just blew me away. (I'm using "it" here for simplicity; I don't mean to offend anyone.)

We visited the LYS (local yarn shop), relished a Mediterranean platter for two, feasted on the excitement of the Farmers Market visually & audibly and generously sighed our oohs and aahs at the Dahlia display at the Public Gardens. Halifax has always something to offer, anytime.

Check out the size of that Dahlia; it's almost as big as Valerie's head!

The choice to take the train back home was mine. Beside minimizing my carbon footprint, I wanted a train adventure. It took 29 hours from Halifax to Brantford so when the vistas became monotonous, I was able to finish reading a book and progress my crocheting project (a prayer shawl) to almost completion. Still, I'd have to think twice before doing this again in the near future.

What makes a trip unforgettable

2009-08-19T12:21:00.004-04:00

We looked pretty cheerful at the beginning of the ride, didn't we?

Several factors came into play which made the Roaming Riders' Monday ride this year's unforgettable cycle ride:

The drive to Aylmer, Ontario was just under 95 kms., about one hour, 15 minutes to the meeting place.
I brought my camera..but no batteries! Cliff, one of the members who brought his own camera had "spares".
The ride was approx. 52 kms. long- the longest we have ever ridden this year.
The temperature reached 28 degrees Celsius with the Humidex at least at 40 degrees! Probably the hottest riding day.
There were several hills, all sizes, crossing the same creek along the route during the second half of the ride when the sun must had been at its highest and hottest.
The vista through the small towns of Sparta and Jaffa were interesting if the sweat off one's brows haven't clouded one's vision.
A beautiful beach at Port Bruce to have a nice rest.
A country folk art store called "Winter Wheat" is a whimsically unique place but Marianne and I got separated somehow. So we totally missed the opportunity for this interesting stop.
The plans for lunch changed without our knowledge (we got separated, remember?). I did have a copy of the map route so we went straight to the parking lot where we were to meet at the end of the ride.
Nobody was there so we rode to Tim Horton's to replenish our zapped energy level.
Bob and Michael came to the rescue.
We loaded the bikes and went to the Pinecroft Green Frog Tea Room where the rest of the group were already halfway through their lunch. A very nice location but I was either having a near heat stroke or a hypoglycemic episode by that time that my perception to the surroundings were greatly affected. The proprietor is a potter who sells her pottery ware onsite so I was able to appreciate that after I had some nourishment.

These factors certainly made this trip a very memorable one indeed.

Sometimes, TLC is not enough

2009-08-10T17:42:00.008-04:00

The fate of tomato plants are not entirely up to the gardener, I found out.

I chose to grow some heritage tomatoes which are supposedly both hardy and very tasty. Half of them got frost bitten despite wrapping them in plastic bags. Then, my friend Ed, a fellow gardener and our fearless Roaming Rider coordinator gave me some tomatoes he grew from seeds as well. Despite the mole-proof, safe-from-the-Walnut-wilt raised bed, the triple mix soil, the organic fertilizer, the straw mulch, the companion planting technique(inter planted with basil and marigolds to fend off nasty bugs), it is heart breaking to see them die one by one.

First, the case of tomato wilt (Fusarium or Verticillium- it doesn't matter). I was hoping that it was just the heat so I gave them water even though the soil looked moist. But even after the heavy rains, they were still as limp as rag dolls. I uprooted 2 plants: did a post mortem which confirmed that the vascular stems were "plugged" as the fungal disease set in. (This tomato plant in this photo is one of the first ones to go).

Second, the case of too much water. Yes, we've had a lot of it. Just as the leaves started to perk up again, the lower leaves turned yellow, the branches were getting snapped off because of the weight.

Third, the case of blossom-end rot which describes what it looks like rather the process. This is apparently caused by wet conditions as well.

Fourth, the case of early blight. Just click on the link if you care to know what blight is all about..or not. Nothing like learning all the tomato disorders in one season!

What this means is that I probably won't have to worry about harvesting any tomato this year! But this was a great learning opportunity which, hopefully, I will tuck away for the future.

Like an experienced parent, I fretted for a while but I got over it. I haveto keep in mind that despite all the TLC, there is no dealing with the natural elements when it comes to plants.

Organic eatery right in Brantford!

2009-07-28T17:30:00.005-04:00

Last month, I wrote about discovering Meme's in New Hamburg. Imagine my big surprise when I discovered a similar eatery right in the heart of downtown Brantford!

It took a visit from my friend Ann from Orillia to try Stir It Up! (Thanks, Ann.) I heard about this place just 2 weeks ago from one of the vendors at the Garden Club's flower show. Her store, Just Shabulous, is situated next to the eatery. She had me drooling since then.

The first thing we noticed was the most delicious aroma (if that is a valid olfactory description) coming from the kitchen. If that wasn't enough to stimulate the salivary glands, the menu's description of any of the food item would do it. Do click on the link to experience the latter.

Ann ordered the Curried Veg Delight while I ordered The Creole dish from the Rice bowl items and bowls- big bowls- they were! Fortunately, this means another meal to take home!

This place is also perfect for those hot, lazy days, perhaps after a bike ride, to have a power juice or smoothie as their juice bar menu is quite extensive. Definitely a destination which requires no excuse whatsoever.

So, friends, anytime you want to have an Organic Cafe experience, I will know exactly where to take you!

Rainy Days

2009-07-23T16:51:00.007-04:00

It's a lovely day today- if you are a duck or a gardener. I love the rain because it gives me a very good excuse to do indoor things.

Gardening time is very limited once the cycling season starts because Bob & I ride on Monday and Wednesday mornings. By the time we come home (after coffee or lunch with the gang), it is way way too hot to water or to weed. So, then, I have to wait around 4:30 PM or later: it is shaded enough in some parts of the garden that I can comfortably do some tasks. I prefer evenings after 7:00 PM when it is significantly cooler and more shades. Unfortunately, more shades mean more mosquitoes are on the hunt for something warm and juicy. Behind the ears or knees or right for the jugular are some of their favorite spots. What to do? Spray with DEET?- which is supposedly the only effective product on the market. No, thanks: I opted for covering up. But I digress.

So, today, while it rained on & off, I have organized some "parked pictures" in my computer. I created an album on the Picasaweb for the last cycling trip with the Roaming Riders. I've caught up with my e-mail. I enjoyed Youtube videos of a taleented14-year old Filipina named Thia Megia (as shared by my brother Marvin). And I am posting this blog. I would say it had been quite a productive day.

So, there. I love rainy days!

Early Summer Blooms

2009-07-05T20:01:00.006-04:00

I decided to group my early summer blooms in colors. So, I went wild with the Picasa collages!

These are some of the purple-colored blooms found in my backyard garden. The pansy (upper left corner) are prolific self-seeders as this one did. Unfortunately, the blooms are not as huge as the ones I had planted last year (which was a hybrid).

Notice that the one in the left lower corner: this is a "petal-less" Zinnia! The one above it is a Calendula which is a self seeding annual. I wish I had scattered some of the seeds for the front garden as they bloom all summer long.
The pink flowers come in various shades; some with a hint of lavender or just a blush. The Echinacea (bottom left corner), for example, is very pale, almost white. This is the first bloom but there are more to come!
These are the true blues. I had more but they are categorically not summer blooms. Besides, the Picasa only allows me to use pictures in the same folder. I had originally wanted blues and whites as a "calming" palette for the gardens but I found that they are not that showy at all. The colors blend in the shadows so, one really needs to be up close to view them properly.

This collection, of course, is not all inclusive as I discover much later that some of the photos I had taken were not focused. I will have to be more diligent in organizing my photos.

I hope you enjoyed viewing them as much as I had fun creating them. You may have noticed that I opted not to label the plants this time. (That was an exercise meant for me to remember their names!)

More Gardens to view

2009-06-30T20:10:00.008-04:00

In my last posting, I mentioned viewing 9 gardens in a week. The remaining gardens are shown here.

Master Gardeners of Brantford held its annual garden tour, in conjunction with a plant sale, last Sunday. All members are assigned to a location for half a day or the whole day. There were 3 gardens just around the corner from me so it was quite handy that I was assigned to one of them.
This garden, as it happens, belongs to one of the Brantford Garden Club members. It has a water feature, a custom designed "log cabin chalet" shed. It has several mature spruce trees at the upper level. When a tree dies, the owners cut it down leaving an 8 or 10ft stump and have someone do a carving!

Do click on all the pictures to maximize. There are details that you would not want to miss!

This garden is a regular sized "subdivision lot". In 30 years, the owners had converted it into a sanctuary with a water feature featuring ornamental grasses and pond ornaments. What is not shown is the gardener's Hosta collection which occupies the adjacent side of the lot.

It looks like there's a face on top of that water fountain, doesn't it?

This home garden featured several themes, one of them being this bench made of cedar branches. Note the placement of ornaments, rocks and plants. Its zen quality makes this corner of the garden one of my favorites.

A young couple banished their steep graded backyard lawn with a "water fall"that hugs the contour of the land. This was one of the 3 homes around the corner from me in this year's garden tour. The man of the house happens to be the gardener as well. He hauled every single one of those stones/concrete slabs up the hill because the space between the homes was too narrow for any 4 wheeled machine!

There were 3 more home gardens listed but I have no adequate photos to justify their unique features.

There is always something that I "take away" every time I view a beautifully created garden. It is the perfect exercise for anyone wanting to learn about gardening.

Not all gardens are created equal. A garden's personality is developed by its gardener. And like the gardener, it always evolves. My garden will be evolving for a long time.

Garden Tours and more

2009-06-29T15:12:00.019-04:00

How many gardens can a person take in a week? This past week, I counted 9 gardens for me!

Monday, June 22nd, was the RBG's first bus tour which took a full load of gardeners to the Shelburne/Orangeville area where country gardens are usually very expansive.

The Taylors are perennial plant collectors. They banished their lawn in favor of plants show casing flowers, foliage or both throughout the year.

The Knowles are both avid gardeners who turned their 2 acre property into a show piece. Every corner finds one into another garden "room". This one is one of the smaller strip of a garden.

This is the Morning Glory B&B: gardens in a rolling 2 acre property by a lake. Every window from the house has a beautiful view.

This garden setting is atop the Niagara escarpment with the Hockley Valley View. The host is a Hostas collector.

Having to set my alarm for 5:45 AM in order to catch the tour bus at the RBG Center in Burlington at 7:30 AM was all worth it. The long ride meant getting to know a fellow gardener (my seat mate), a delicious lunch at the Grey Stones Inn and a nap during the ride home.

What about the 5 other gardens? That's another posting, of course.

Discovering Meme's Cafe

2009-06-19T20:43:00.002-04:00

I just have to share this amazing discovery! Yesterday, my trip to the big city (of Kitchener) included a visit to my ole ER buddy, Glenda. She took me for a wonderful culinary experience in New Hamburg's Meme's Cafe: a warm and inviting place with an eclectic menu and decor.

As soon as I stepped inside the door, the sight of freshly baked pastries distracted me but only for a minute or so. The daily menu was written on a blackboard, featuring local and/or organic ingredients. Oh, I just salivate thinking about it. Glenda had a huge bowl of asparagus soup with one of those whole grain home made bread. I was particularly hungry by that time so I went for an entree-Vegetarian Mediterranean stew on a bed of basmati rice. It was as colorful as it was delicious.

So, my Ontario friends, if you ever pass New Hamburg on Hwy. 7&8, this is a place you must visit. But you don't have to go on my recommendation alone. Click on the link above to see what other people have to say about it. You only have a few minutes? Try the fair trade coffee. Well, you might as well have that mango coconut muffin to go with it.

Challenging myself

2009-06-12T20:01:00.008-04:00

On the Ottawa River pathway.

Bob & I took our first bicycle trip to Ottawa on the first weekend of June, missing the World Naked Bike Ride by a week. Whew! Ottawa has over 170 kilometers of pathways: a paved network linking parks, gardens, museums etc. throughout the city for walkers, cyclers, roller bladers and even mobility scooters.

Michael just arrived back from Spain on June 1st and was already missing his cycling. So, he came along for the ride after replacing a few bicycle parts on his bike.

We met some of our friends from the Roaming Riders our cycling group from Brantford. Saturday, June 6th, was travel day and a bit of scouting the pathways close to the hotel where we stayed.

On Sunday, June 7th, our group followed the pathway to the Experimental Farm, a national historic site right in the heart of Ottawa! Naturally, I had to visit the gardens where the columbines, irises, peonies (just to name a few) were in bloom. Some of the photos taken are posted on the Facebook.

Monday was left open to "do whatever you want" day. There were a lot of directions to choose from. Michael wanted to go to the Gatineau Park. Originally, I thought I'd take it easy but the opportunity to challenge myself presented itself, so, to Gatineau we went!

At the Champlain lookout

The challenge was twofold: cycling up & down the winding hills and staying alive as this is a two lane parkway for motorists. The latter was not too bad to overcome as it was on a Monday and so not too many drivers on the road. Each sustained ascent, even on the lowest gear, was truly a test on my endurance. I think I utilized every tip people had told me every time I'm cycling up a hill: concentrate what's in front of you........right, left, right, left........keep pedaling, keep pedaling......you can do it, you can do it.........,etc. I tried to distract myself by looking for the wild flowers in bloom at the roadside. Michael kept coming back to see how I was getting on several times. On the other hand, the bug smashing, breath taking, goosebumps-producing descent after each ascent was as euphoric as bungy jumping (although I've never tried that one). Perhaps, that was what kept me pedaling about 66 kms. (linear).

Bob going back to cheer me on to the top of one of the ascent

With perfect cycling weather, good company, lots of exercise, fresh air and a bit of "touristing", it was a memorable trip and because I challenged myself, it was also rewarding.

Sanctuary vs. Obsession

2009-05-28T19:34:00.007-04:00

Am I obsessed or am I offering a sanctuary to plants that are headed for the compost? I have to admit it seems wrong for any cultivated plant species to end up in the compost heap just because someone decided that it is no longer needed.

This is how I get a lot of my "freebies". Plant sale leftovers always have them although I can afford to be picky once I already have that particular plant. At the RBG the other day, we were to pot some "heritage" Sedum spectabile 'Meteor' taken from an on site heritage cottage at the Laking Gardens. The plant list indicated that we already have a few so the plants were heading out to be composted! So, I took a clump home and it has settled nicely in my front garden, looking like it belongs there.

Last Saturday was the big "clean up" at the manse (Glen Morris United Church) for the Master Gardener group. I brought home an Eastern Redbud tree sapling (Cercis canadensis) which is only about 45 cm. tall; more white trilliums, Camassia spp. and some Asiatic lily bulbs. They look half dead now but hopefully next year will give me new surprises.

Today, I helped out at the Bell Homestead herb garden (another MG volunteer project). If you click on the link, the garden is beyond the white picket fence. I came home with more herbs: Egyptian onion, Garlic chives, Purple fennel , Rue, to name a few.

Shown above are the plants I brought home today. The potted ones are grown from seeds & given by Kay, the MG who is the coordinator for this annual volunteer project.

It is just as well that it rained on and off today as I found new homes for these plants. Obsessed? Guilty as charged.

All Gardened Out

2009-05-17T21:21:00.013-04:00

Yes, I do realize that I just made the noun "garden" to a verb. But it is how I felt after a week of helping out with two Plant Sales in one week!

At the RBG, I was overenthusiastic: not only I did I help out with the Perennial plants, I had to be involved in the Native plants as well. I could not possibly pass up such a learning opportunity.

The bottom picture : part of the Native Plants table; just inside the hoop was the "shade plants". We did well in this category alone: $3,000 worth of sales!

The top picture: part of the perennial tables. A whole greenhouse had the annual plants including herbs (no veggies).

After spending 3 half days helping out at the RBG, the rest of the week (Friday & Saturday) was spent helping out with the Garden Club's Plant Sale. Those 2 days were more intense and were full days because there were less volunteers involved.

Both events were exhausting but enjoyable. I was able to use my gardening knowledge as I helped out fellow gardeners with their inquiries. From what I learned at the RBG Native Plants, I was then able to convince people to buy my native plants at the Garden Club Sale.

All gardened out does not mean I am not in my own garden, however!

Beyond Raisins

2009-05-08T21:32:00.002-04:00

Call me Ishma-weird. I love porridge for breakfast. But more than that, I love putting in the toppings which are usually the organic Jumbo Thompson raisins, nuts (used to alternate almond, pecan & walnuts) and flax meal. Well, ever since I've been going to the Green Living Show, I have discovered a whole new world of superfoods: chia seeds (Salvia hispanica), golden berries (Physalis peruviana) and cacao nibs (Theobroma cacao).

Chia seeds (yes, these are the same seeds used for Chia pets) are not particularly tasty but they are crunchy and they turn gelatinous when added to a liquid. Adding 1/4 cup of chia to a cup of soy milk or a tropical type of fruit juice and then letting it soak for an hour will turn it to a tapioca pudding consistency: yummy snack!

The golden berries are tart and seedy (crunchy) which adds an interesting texture & flavor to the porridge. These berries are related to the ground cherries that we received in our Food Box (Community Supported Agriculture) in Kitchener and the Chinese lantern plant!

The cacao nibs are my favorite: aromatic, chocolaty and crunchy. The more I chew them, the more flavor I can get from the nibs.

Of course, these superfoods also make their way to the ice cream, yogurt and smoothies. I have also tried them in my granola bars and gorp snacks. I am open to any other suggestions!

So, next time you have a bowl of porridge, go beyond raisins and make your mouth sing ...

Growing too fast!

2009-05-01T13:44:00.001-04:00

Okay. One would think that I would have learned from last year about sowing seeds indoors too early in the year. Unfortunately, the propagation paper I had to do for my course had precipitated it. Although, at the time, I only had to grow 3 annuals, I thought I would toss them out after the observation period was over. But... how can one throw those babies that I nurtured and coaxed for 3 whole weeks!

In the foreground are the marigolds planted in late January while in the background are the green peppers planted in mid February.

German chamomile in the background and Garden sorrel in the foreground which I had to start harvesting while under the lights!

From left to right, this tray has the Menthol Mint (part if the Tea Time Herb Collection) on the left. the Pansies in the middle, and the Clove Pinks on the right. All sown at the beginning of March.

There are heritage tomatoes "Brandywine" that are about 45-50 cm tall; they had to be repotted about 3 times as they grew a lot quicker than any of the other plants.

Most of the perennials had been planted in the garden: Anise-hyssop (Agastache foeniculum, Bergamot (Monarda didyma), German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Salvia 'Purple Volcano' (S. lyrata), Speedwell (Veronica officinalis).

The world is bright and it is joyful to get up every morning (no matter what the weather) when there are living things to be nurtured.

Earth Week

2009-04-25T21:19:00.006-04:00

Brantford had a few events to celebrate Earth Week: School ground greening, Gateway to the Green Belt greening, various tree planting, trail and other community clean up, speakers for the "Solar & Wind Power for the Homeowners",etc.

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend any of them. I celebrate the Earth as part of my life. On Earth Day, Bob & I went cycling for recreation and went to the Annual Book Fair (held by the Brantford Symphony Orchestra). We donated books but we bought books as well! That's reusing/recycling!

Check out the book titles I brought home. The second from the top is Herb Gardening.

We also attended the "Green Living Show" in Toronto where there were tons of information about Solar & Wind power. A few hybrids to test drive: Bob took a Smart car for a test drive. I was only able to see less than half of the exhibits because I was too busy sampling all the organic & healthy foods and beverages! Next time, I'll have to bring more cash as I found out that the merchandise you buy here are not only cheaper but also tax free.

When I'm not voulunteering, one can always find me in the garden: weeding, cultivating, dividing, transplanting- nurturing the Earth.

Bicycling season, at last!

2009-04-19T20:44:00.004-04:00

The Roaming Riders had planned to start cycling at the beginning of the month. Then, it rained...then, the temperature dropped... and the snow fell... and, heck, we were all getting too old for that kind of abuse. So, our first official day as a group was on Easter Monday when the sun was shining and the temperature was fairly decent; 16 of us attended.

In this picture, Bob is getting the bikes ready by "dusting" it with the air compressor. My bicycle actually rides like brand new (except the chain will need to be replaced soon).

Last Saturday, our group and the Saturday group called Blood, Sweat & Gears went for a 38 km ride with a half way stop at a local Pancake House in Villa Nova: all you can eat pancakes, bottomless coffee or tea plus a glass of apple juice and 3 locally made lean sausages with all the pure maple syrup one wants! The first part of the ride was fairly easy on paved country roads but the ride back was challenging when the wind speed picked up, not mentioning the lethargy one feels after having a heavy meal!

Having followed an exercise plan as suggested in the book Muscle Your Way Through Menopause...and Beyond by Judith Sherman-Wolin, I can really tell the difference in my level of preparedness for this cycling season. I did not have to struggle riding the inclines this time. So, now, I am ready for the cycling season!

Volunteering: the best job

2009-04-03T20:03:00.008-04:00

The happiest and friendliest people I run into are volunteers. While I was working, most of my volunteer jobs were church-related; you can not meet any friendlier people. Now, the only volunteer job I have at our church is scheduling coffee hosts after Sunday Worship Service. Of course, in the past I had given my fair share of work with Suppers, Bake Sales & Garage Sales. We won't be having any of those at this church (since we are selling the building). I am sure I will always be involved in this kind of volunteering no matter where I'll be.

Now, I've expanded my horizon to mostly gardening activities. The Brantford Master Gardener group requires that each member including the MGiTs (Master Gardener in Training) put in at least 100 hours of volunteer work per year. We have clinics, maintenance of a public garden or two, public education, garden tours, etc.

Garden Clean up at the Manse 2008

The Brantford Garden Club provides flower shows (within the club and also one for the general public), plant sales, maintenance of a water-wise garden & other fund raising events. Besides volunteering for various activities, I am also one of the board directors this year.

Annual Plant Sale 2008

Then, the RBG has its wide range of volunteering opportunities throughout the year. I intend to try each one of them! Commencing in February, we are potting up bare roots, seedlings and re potting of leftover plants from last year's plant sale. There are several greenhouses in the property where we do all the work. Within these greenhouses, one can work with perennial and/or annual plants. I am now working with the Native Plants group: waiting for the seeds to germinate, transplanting seedlings, digging up dormant plants for potting, etc. This beehive of activities is preparing for the Annual RBG Auxiliary Plant Sale on May 7 & 9. Oh, it is a lot of fun. The passion and enthusiasm is very contagious. The greening of all the plants as I go in every week is euphoric. If I were living in the city (of Hamilton or Burlington), I'd probably be here 5 days/week!

I guess volunteers are happy people because we love what we do so we choose to be wherever we are. As Bob would say, it's the best job I've never had.

Spring Delights

2009-03-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

These crocuses are the only one brave enough to show their sunny faces this Spring.

I miss the snow drops that I had in Kitchener. I guess I have to plant more in the Fall.

The tulips from the RBG have peeked and they are about 5 " tall. Ahhh. Anticipation.

Murder & Mayhem in the Basement

2009-03-21T16:07:00.000-04:00

I discovered that I love to start plants from seeds indoors when there's still snow covering the ground & I can't get that chill off my bones just yet. It's the nurturing instinct in me, I suppose. But plants are similar to people that the more one knows how to look after them, the better they respond to that treatment. And visa versa.

It is fun to watch them sprout from these dehydrated looking seeds to something green and growing. I have learned that the seed's viability is not 100% guaranteed so when sowing them, one has to keep this in mind. As it happens, there was a 100% viability among the 'Brandywine' heritage tomatoes I sowed & the task of "eliminating" half of them took getting used to. OK, a few seconds, but still...

Here are the tomato seedlings waiting to be "chosen" to live.

Body parts, on their way to the compost bin

As you can see, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this lot. They were as hearty looking as the ones I have transplanted. On the other hand, I did not have room for 20 tomato plants!

So, as the weather warms up, my basement garden will soon overflow and then I have to set up my little portable greenhouse on the deck to harden them off. I can hardly wait.

Rediscovering quilting

2009-03-18T22:14:00.006-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Valerie introduced me to Geta's Quilting Studio, a quilting blog by a self taught quilter with an interesting history. It is easy to be inspired by this passionate quilter! Her quilting projects are just beautiful. Click on the link and see them yourself!

When my finger joints started to protest, I decided to put my quilting on hold. I had planned on teaching myself to machine quilt last winter to the point where I had borrowed the books from the library, made notes and actually made practice blocks ready to be machine quilted. I had forgotten all about it until Valerie gave me the link to this quilting blog.

Here's one of the practice block showing one of the techniques that I did.

Value Village is a good place to find something to quilt for the right price. Here's a cotton table cloth I found with a beautiful design just ideal to practice those techniques I had learned.

There are 4 different kinds of machine quilting technique used here. It turned out to be such a fun and easy project.

So, thanks for pointing me to the right direction, Valerie!

Spring beckons

2009-03-06T14:03:00.015-05:00

With Environment Canada forecasting a 12 degree Celsius weather, I decided to venture out in my new rain boots. I put on my gardening duds, dropped a pruner in one pocket, a camera in the other pocket, and grabbed a rake from the garden shed.

Ahh...Clearly spring is just around the corner. Despite that pile of snow (that white stuff in the background), the south-facing part of our backyard is actually dry to walk on. So, patches of the garden & the lawn had a good de-thatching. I hope it felt good for them as it was for me!

These are bulbs that I had planted in the Fall of 2006 when we moved down here. (Are these my scillia?)I labeled them but the following Spring, the letters faded and I am left with these poor things with no name.

I only learned a handful of spring bulbs in my "Plant ID" course so I have to pay close attention & take their pictures when they are in bloom.

One of the benefits of being a volunteer at a Botanical Garden is that we usually get a lot of "handouts" such as "used" tulip bulbs. These are cultivars that are dug up from the public gardens to make room for the annuals. The Auxiliary sell them for $4.00/baker's dozen & what didn't sell are given away. I had inherited a few this way last Fall. I planted some randomly in my front garden so, it was a surprise to see them.

Deer-proof and squirrel-proof, I planted Daffodils in my front garden as well just in case the squirrels run away with all the tulips!

The rest of the week promises more mild temperature. Just like any activity, though, one has to pace oneself to avoid any injury.

Oh, happy days!

I'm ready for Spring!

2009-03-04T15:36:00.003-05:00

The sunrise appears earlier and earlier; I know because our bedroom window faces East. Although the blackout curtains are doing their job, the sun rays sneak up around them anyway. This is definitely a good sign and when I say, "Rejoice! This is the day that the Lord has made" there is a definite Oomph.

But what have I done since I posted that hiking adventure in Backus Woods? Well, I went to another hike this morning (somewhere in the Dundas Valley) with the Happy Hikers, the informal group of hikers from Hamilton. The sun was bright and the temperature was almost tropical compared to the previous hikes with this group: less layering, fingers thawed out quicker, and no wind. A blessed day for us!

We've had some friends visit us as well: Marie & Barry from Prince Edward Islands. We were neighbors way back during our 4 year residency in Mississauga. They were on their way to Mexico. Then, our "co-parents" & friends Sharon and Dave from Cannington visited for a day to catch up. (We visited Valerie & Richard with them in the Fall of 2007, so, it has been a while). So, if you haven't seen our "retirement home", come for a visit; we'd love to have you.

My last assignment for my Master Gardener was submitted last week: what a relief! Now, I'm indoor sowing my herbs from Richter's , "Tea Time Collection" and "Aromatic Indulgence Potpourri". I wanted to experiment in making my own herbal teas & potpourri.

Then, there's the RBG volunteer work every Tuesday or Thursday. We are busy potting "bare roots", dividing and/or re-potting last years' inventory. It's the best way to "shorten" the winter because we are under a huge greenhouse where we work with no coats while the sunshine just pours in and we are surrounded with green living things. The spring plants are actually in bloom already. So, all these activities are in preparation for the Annual RBG AuxiliaryPerennial Sale in May.

In the next few weeks, it will be more of the same. By the time I'm finishing up with the Winter Hikes, the Roaming Riders will be on the road again. I am definitely ready for Spring!

Hiking a Carolinian Forest

2009-02-17T16:08:00.007-05:00

The sky was blue, the sun brilliant and warm, so it was a good day to visit Backus Woods once again. Ever since I picked up a book from the library about this Norfolk County woods last Fall, we've been there 3 times!

Off we went last Sunday after lunch. By the time we arrived, the cumulus clouds rolled in and light snow sprinkled this winter wonderland. (This is not a good hike to take during the warm weather because it is grossly protected by the mosquitoes.)

This is one of the pictures we took last October. This tree is about 100 ft tall according to Bob's guesstimate. I believe it is a tulip tree.

We meandered by the creek trail where some of the snow had completely exposed the rich, dark, wet loam - otherwise known as mud. In the process, we were awarded with these water crystals hanging from plant debris in the creek. I felt like a kid discovering something new and exciting. The water crystals have strange formation; unlike the typical icicles, they are round or oblong. Click on the photos to maximize. They are simply beautiful!

Two and a half hours later, the soles of my feet were burning, my bladder needed to be relieved but thoroughly satisfied that we had witnessed another of Mother Nature's surprises.

Backyard Monsters

2009-02-08T20:00:00.001-05:00

The Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) opened its first exhibit "Backyard Monsters" at the opening of the recently added atrium. As members, Bob & I (with Michael tagging along) were invited to the opening gala last Friday, February 6th.

Besides refreshments, goodies included wormy chocolate chip cookies and tempura-style crickets and scorpions. The line up for the latter was long so the three of us settled for the cricket tempura dipped in tempura sauce. We really wanted the scorpion as the chef convinced us that it was "meatier". Yum. The ant chocolate fudge lacked the crunch of the cricket but still , it was sweet.

These backyard monsters are robotic and truly gargantuan in proportions compared to the real creatures in our backyard. Fun for the kids and adults alike. Click on the link above for more details. If you live in Ontario, do visit these animatronics that came all the way from California.

Here's a tomato caterpillar picking on Bob or maybe it wants a sip of Bob's drink. Click on any of the picture to see the details.

That's Michael looking dwarfed by that huge caterpillar!

This tarantula is a popular stop for the kids. The real ones in (locked) terrarium are just as furry.

Looking down from the main level to the atrium, one can see the back of this wasp.

There are 2 Atlas beetles fighting in this exhibit. They are the only bugs with eyelashes amongst the display.

These are just a few specimens on display. There are lots more "monsters" and real bugs on display but I don't want to spoil it for those who want to see the exhibit themselves. And if you're passing by Brantford, do stop by and visit us.

Getting creative

2009-02-07T19:06:00.003-05:00

My third item in my New Year reflections was "getting creative". In the back of my mind, I was thinking of living simply in creative ways. I cited gardening as an example and I have been writing about gardening since I started this blog. Therefore, I'll write about hiking.

While some people had gone south for the warmer climate, some of us had stayed and took advantage of what winter has to offer. Bicycling is out for us (unlike my son-in-law Richard who bikes all year around). I've taken up winter hiking instead.

I now belong to the Happy Hikers group, a Hamilton-based group who goes hiking from Fall to Spring throughout Hamilton/Burlington/Dundas conservation areas. Once again, an informal group of mostly retired people (not a lot of early retirees out here). The leader offers 2 hikes each week, Tuesday and Wednesday with the latter offering the more challenging hikes which I prefer. I've gone to one Fall hike and about 4 Winter hikes so far. Bob even came with me a couple of times. Unfortunately, hiking in a -15 degree weather going up and down hills, through thorny bushes and thick snow did not make Bob a happy hiker.

Although this 1 1/2 hour winter adventure seem longer some days, seeing the beauty of the woods as they hibernate for the season still boggles my mind knowing that signs of new growth start appearing in the Spring. Not as colorful as a Summer or Fall hike but just as exhilarating. One thing I notice, however, is that my hips tell me that they do get a lot more of a workout tramping through the snow. I've done some hiking in challenging terrains before but I've never felt sore! Hmmm.

We still have other winter "toys". I have taken out my snow shoes once this year but too much snow means too much work! The cross country skis still need to be dusted. Alas, we had to toss out the inflated tube thingy and other tobogganing stuff when we downsized. Besides, I'd feel strange going tobogganing with no kids in tow. Perhaps I can borrow my nephew Jediah when he gets old enough.

So, to complain about this winter weather is not going to make it go away any sooner, one just have to be creative.

Giving Thanks

2009-01-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

Saying grace before a meal, appreciating some one's action or being glad that the weather turned more comfortable are some ways to be grateful for. But if one writes them down on a regular basis, its therapeutic value magnifies exponentially.

Having a Gratitude Journal is one of the "tools for the healing journey" I started using since I learned about it through Hope Spring, a cancer support center in Waterloo, ON. It is also advocated in the book Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. This is an activity that one can start anytime- today or tomorrow with the minimal equipment: a writing tool and paper. Start by writing 5 things you are grateful for...everyday.

There are so many things for which I am grateful for: family, friends, situations, things. But I did not realize how much until I started writing them down. I remember the time when I went back to work in ER after my surgery, there were some rough days when I was both mentally and physically exhausted. But as I wrote down the things to be thankful for that day, I immediately started to feel much better.

When I do this daily exercise, my awareness to my surroundings heightens. I notice people who do the most inconspicuous random acts of kindness or situations that make my day a little easier. We take a lot for granted that we sometimes forget the value that something or someone holds.

It's been a year since I started this blog as a means of sharing my life's journey with family and friends. For those who have chosen to accept this open invitation, I am grateful.

Feeding the Spirit

2009-01-20T20:03:00.005-05:00

January just rolls along insignificantly for most people as one recuperates from the Christmas holiday binging to get back to one's routine. Not for me: the month unfolded with a series of opportunities to feed my spirit.

I just had a milestone birthday. First, Michael took me (and Bob) out for lunch at Sushi Jack's to satisfy my craving for a Japanese cuisine. It did. I drool just thinking about it. Later, I had a nice long chat with my daughter Valerie who is in Halifax. I must have done something right when my kids remember my birthday!

Then, I attended my very first Gardening conference in Cambridge: "Dream Garden". This was my birthday treat from Bob. Despite the previous night's snow storm warnings (15 cm accumulation) , a group of us from the Garden Club attended. Besides several speakers, there were vendor booths tempting the attendee gardeners with gardening books(what else?), potted plants, crafts, garden tools and "must have" accessories. There was a continuous supply of coffee, tea or juice and the highly acclaimed luncheon spread did not disappoint us. A number of door prizes were handed out and my name was picked first! I received a beautiful Gardener's Journal which I've already put into use. It was a very enjoyable day indeed.

But it didn't end there; I was invited by my sister Mayette so I drove straight to London. The next day, a trip to the local farmer's market, the Covent Gardens, was another feast to feed the spirit: I had a back massage followed by a Thai cuisine lunch as a birthday treat. (thanks, Mayette). I think that market shopping/strolling is a totally mesmerizing experience as one's senses get overwhelmed; I loved looking at fresh produce, flowers, coffee beans, tea products, etc.

Back at home, I made a cup of Matcha tea and found a comfortable spot; I finally had the chance to look through the "stuff" I got in my conference grab bag. By the time I finished my tea, the seed catalogues were already dog-eared. I have drawn a list and ordered the seeds from Richter's online today. Aahhh. This exercise never fails to uplift my spirit. And it brings Spring that much closer.

Reflections

2009-01-10T16:44:00.003-05:00

New Year's Resolution. Here's Wikipedia's definition:

A New Year's resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until fulfilled or abandoned. More socio-centric examples include resolutions to donate to the poor more often, to become more assertive, or to become more economically or environmentally responsible.

I have never heard of New Year's resolution until I came to live in North America. When I was at school in Michigan (High school & school of Nursing), I "went with the flow" as my friends, teachers, etc. made their list of resolutions. The annual habit did not stay with me but lately my lifestyle has changed significantly; I call it living the good life.

Here are some of my reflections on living the good life:

Feeding my spirit. A lot of self-nurturing activities (without guilt) like drinking a cup of the latest green tea flavor while reading a book or having lunch with a friend.
Giving thanks. I have a "Gratitude Journal" where I write at least 5 things I'm grateful for per day. It has increased my awareness of the good things in my life. God is generous.
Getting creative. This is not about arts & crafts. It's doing something...something that allows me to have a 'quiet time'...to turn down the 'head noise':Like gardening.
Getting more energy. Yes, I love my ZZZZZs- no alarm clocks- just letting the circadian rhythm do its thing. I'm eating more foods that give the least amount of allergy-induced symptoms. An afternoon meditation or a nap to decrease the cortisol (stress hormone) level.
Expanding my horizons. So, I thought I'd just jump right into learning something new such as taking an online course, creating this blog and organizing photos for my bicycle group in an internet website called Flickr.
Making fitness fun. Gardening, bicycling, hiking, besides my rebounder, lateral stepper, aerobics, Pilates, Qi Gong and the latest-an anti aging workout system by Judith Sherman Wolin's Muscle Your Way Through Menopause and Beyond. I love it. Slight OCD in this department because I can get bored easily.
Minimizing my environmental impact. Well, there's plenty of organic gardening activities around here. I have let go of a lot of clutter when we downsized but this is a lifetime project; one cannot be creative without any clutter. I am discovering places to get organic and sustainably made products. I'm trying to increase my awareness & involvement. Check out Environmental Defence. Another lifetime project.

Another year, another opportunity to improve myself to be the best that I can be; my lifetime journey.

Christmas at Home

2008-12-31T13:40:00.000-05:00

Since Valerie & Richard were not with us for the Christmas gathering in London, we hosted another gathering at home. Unless people had visited them in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I suspect the last time that these folks had seen them would be at their wedding in May 2005!

Here is our first "family portrait" since the wedding.

Posing with my sister and brother-in-law: Mayette & Oliverio. Not wasting O's talents, I had him make us some delicious noodle ("misua") soup.

Here's cousin Karen & Dan from London, ON; Aunt Ruth & Uncle Bill from Lucan, ON.

My brother & sister-in-law: Marvin & Mona from Woodhaven, Michigan. Marvin looks more alert & definitely sober this time!

My youngest sister, Chalkie, aka Marissa from Toronto, ON, looking very photogenic as usual.

My cousin Fleur & Teddy from Toronto,ON. It looked like Teddy was a little "jet lagged"- lost some sleep between the London & Windsor festivities and back this way again over a period of 4 days, I imagine.

Last but not least, a pose with my mom and my son, Michael.

I thought that the "Open House" was a success. It allowed Valerie & Richard to catch up with some of the folks with no loud music nor a videoke to interrupt the flow of conversation. For all those present, thanks again for coming.

London Christmas Celebration

2008-12-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

Christmas means a family get together. Here are some photos taken in London, Ontario at Mayette's & Oliverio's on December 25, 2008.

Left to right (standing): my son Michael, my brother Marvin, my cousin Fleur in red, my sister Mayette, my sister-in-law Erichelle, my brother Jonas. (sitting): my sister Chalkie, me (behind Chalkie), family friend Liza, my sister-in-law Mona, my mom Martha, and nephew Jediah.

Our host and resident chef, Oliverio, who was rarely in the pictures because he was always in the kitchen!

My husband, Bob, sous chef de jour.

As usual, we celebrated with much filipino food, Yellow Tail Merlot, & Zinfandel followed by much videoke singing & dancing with our own star "rocker", Marvin.

What is a bris ceremony?

2008-12-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

Recently, our dear friends, Gerry & Linda, became grandparents to a beautiful baby boy, Rhys. His proud parents are Jonathan & Christine Hannon.

Eight days after he was born, we were able to meet him at his bris ceremony, the Jewish ritual circumcision.

This was a family/community-celebrated event which we felt honored to attend.

Christine & Jonathan with the "Mohel".

Linda, the happy grandparent, with Rhys soundly asleep in her arms.

A tribute

2008-11-28T13:35:00.004-05:00

Mom, Jediah, Dad- taken May 2008

My father, Juan Fiesta Asuncion, died peacefully at Parkwood Hospital, London, Ontario on November 15, 2008 , nine days after he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. He was 84 years old.

I wrote this letter for him.

Dear Dad,

Celebrating your life at a Family Mass at St. Michael's Church, complete with a Filipino choir, was just the beginning. Respecting your wishes, we had a luncheon at one of your favorite Chinese Buffet Restaurant: we shared our grief and special memories with family and friends. But, Dad, it did not end there. Mom and your children celebrated for the rest of the week in your honor. I know that you were there with each one of us: in our hearts, in our memories.

You were remembered as one who embraced life with gusto. At work, your leadership and your honest work ethics were highly admired and commended by your co workers and staff alike. You worked very hard, sometimes working with 2 jobs to provide for your growing family: food, shelter, clothing and education. Of course, you balanced this with regular social activities like playing tennis or mah-jong and parties. Oh, we recalled how you liked to party!

As we became older, it became more important for you to have family get togethers. When you can no longer host dinner parties, you discovered Chinese Buffet Restaurants. So you gathered us around you as often as possible perhaps to remind us that life becomes shorter as one grows older. I am glad you did.

You enjoyed your senior status, unlike many seniors I know. Your "Senior Day" shopping became as much of a routine as a Sunday Mass. No doubt your impoverished relatives back in the Philippines had enjoyed receiving all the goods that you generously sent them regularly as a result of your senior-discounted shopping spree!

I remember the time you made your daily walking circuit to include the public library to get a free copy of the local paper. In return, you supported the library's appeal for children's programs; this I didn't know then.

As your arthritic knee threatened to slow you down, you upgraded your cane to a "Rollator" walker complete with a basket and a seat- just perfect for those shopping stops. And when that became too slow or too dangerous to cross a 4 lane busy intersection, a mobility scooter was your answer. Yes, you accepted these "problems" but found your own solutions anyway. I read once that "the greatest gift a parent can give his children is his independence". For this gift, I am thankful.

I understood how important it was for you to be mobile; this was your link to your "social networking". You befriended people everywhere you went: other seniors in the mall, the store cashier, the librarian, the pharmacy assistant, the butcher. They called you by your first name as you made your "rounds". Dad, this was a wonderful gift; it made you happy.

Now, each time I see a crossword or a Sudoku puzzle or pass by a Chinese Buffet or see Jediah (calling for his "wo-wo"), I'll think of you. More than that, for the love of gardening and cooking from scratch, I'll always have you to be grateful for.

Your daughter,

Vae

Freebies

2008-11-01T21:00:00.004-04:00

Well, Hallowe'en flew in with 3 sets of trick or treaters (5 kids in total) with Bob at the door clucking the right words to compliment each one of them. I was busy baking sweet breads (to take to church for coffee tomorrow). And that ended our month of October.

Today, we started the month of November with a trip to the big city of Toronto for the Zoomer Show. As CARP (Canadian Advocacy for Retired Persons) members, we got in for free! This is one of those times I don't mind being one of "them".

There were various "lounges" and park benches to rest one's feet so, we frequented these spots as we enjoyed free lattes and Chai tea as we browse through our pamphlets, brochures and freebies. Before long, there was someone with sesame crackers and roasted pepper dip. Every hour, there were scheduled entertainment; we enjoyed Toronto's own jazzy Elise LeGrow, Ron Moore's Songs in the Key of Elvis. Also, cast members from We will Rock You, the Musical "Queen".

The exhibits were divided into different groups: Education, Health, Lifestyle, Money, and Travel/Real Estate. I looked at electric bicycles (as mode of transportation, not for exercise), Brain Fitness Program (computer based), Me to We Volunteer Adventures and wave machines to increase bone density to name a few. I supposed we could have taken the posturepedic beds for a "test drive" but I was afraid that type of comfort might really induce me to sleep!

Being in its first year, there were only a few exhibitors so it didn't take long for us to see what we wanted to see.

On our way home, we stopped by Whole Foods in Oakville. This is a foodie's mecca: the products are esthetically displayed, the aisles are wide, and lots of product samples to taste. Had we timed our visit a little later, then supper would have been taken cared of.

It was a relaxing and enjoyable day; a day full of freebies. For that, I am grateful.

Acts of Green

2008-10-26T18:44:00.003-04:00

Did everyone get a chance to be part of the "Greening of Canada"? If not, be sure to register at the website One Million Acts of Green and get counted!

Now, I'm interested in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as one of my "green acts". In fact, when we lived in Kitchener, we joined a CSA program the summer before we moved to Brantford. Not only did we support the local farmers but we also enjoyed drug free (organic) fruit and veggies. Some of them were even "firsts" in our limited knowledge of local food: ground cherries, kale and swiss chard. The latter had become one of my favorite leafy green vegetable; that's why I grew them in my garden this year.
My very own organic Swiss chard, harvested this summer.

The above CSA site provides interesting tid bits. If you don't have the time to browse just now, here is a sample:

Interesting Facts About Imported Food in Canada:

- Most imported food is not inspected in Canada
- No processed food is inspected unless a complaint has been received
- The country of origin is not mandated on food labels
- "Product of Canada" doesn't necessarily mean "grown in Canada"
- Less than 10% of imported food is inspected and it is not mandated to meet Health Canada Guidelines for food production in Canada

Enough to make you think twice about those "exotics", eh?

Distraction

2008-10-15T21:20:00.005-04:00

Well, it's been a while since I posted something in my blog. There were and still are several distrations.

One is that 3 weeks ago, Michael had decided to cycle to Halifax by "tenting it" along the way, usually finding a spot behind the bushes (if no camping parks along the way). He did manage to find some motels every 3 days or so to shower, do laundry and give us a call then. We did most of our communication by sending text messages via our cell phones. This piece of technology is very cost effective but it can give one a false sense of security. Michael was very good in letting us know his location at the end of the day. Except for those 3 nights when we failed to receive any messages from him! I did what any mothers would do: panicked. He finally called to let us know that he had been sending messages (but we never got them). So, exactly 3 weeks from the day he left Brantford, he safely arrived at Valerie and Richard's on October 15th.

Another distraction is that another Master Gardeners course, "The Science of Gardening" has started this month. A more difficult study "to get into" compared to the first course "Plant Identification and Use" .

Then, yet another garden project was started beginning with 5 cubic yards of triple mix that was delivered on the front boulevard; that had to be wheeled- barrowed and distributed to more perennial bed in the backyard! (I'd say about 4 times bigger than the front yard). Bob did the wheel barrowing and I did the rest including planting/transplanting more than 30 plant species. Some species have 3-8 individual plants!
This North facing garden in front of the Spruce trees shows only 1/4 of this Fall's garden project.

Of course, there is the usual "Fall Cleanup" to be done around the house. Bob has his share of cleaning the roof, draining the rain barrels, raking & (still) mowing the lawn, etc... but cleaning up the garden and preparing it for the winter is my sole responsibility.

So, don't let all these activities make you think that I'm working full time (but not getting paid in the general sense) but I am really having fun, too!

River Rafting down the Grand

2008-09-30T10:52:00.024-04:00

What else do I do besides gardening activities? Well, I've invited my family to go down the Grand River river rafting but received a lukewarm response except for my sisters. So, we made it a "Girl's Outing".

This particular trip stretched from Bean Park in Paris, Ontario to Brantford. Do check out this very interesting link.

Roger, the proprietor of Blue Heron Rafting, is the guy with the hat above.

Here's the truck that hauled the trailer.

The adventurers: Liza (family friend), Chalkie (my sister), Mayette (my other sister), and Judit (Mayette's friend).

All aboard! All outfitted with an adventurous spirit and ready to roll.

This is a geological example of the riverside (Stuff to make the plaster of Paris, hence, the city of Paris is named). There is a stream flowing on top of that rock above the shoreline but too shallow to get a good close-up.

Here's our tour guide and master paddler/steerer, Terry who is Roger's brother, setting up this portable table for our picnic on an island. He states that this table is about 100 years old that's been with his family for generations.

Potluck lunch included egg salad & tuna wraps, grapes, pears, homemade pastries & squares. To drink: roasted coconut juice, ginger ale or water.

We passed by the Brant Conservation Area camping ground with a few people still have their trailers & tents up. (it closes in the winter.)

With the Brantford Golf & Country Club in the horizon, our trip was completed.

After we retrieved my car, we continued our adventure (on foot) downtown Paris to shop.

So, a Fall morning on an inflatable raft , a friendly tour guide with a sense of humor while one sits back & enjoy what nature has to offer, to be entertained with bits of local history & moments of heart thumping water-maneuvering paddling... a picnic on a deserted island in the middle of the Grand River....what else can one ask for?

End Season Blooms

2008-09-22T21:35:00.002-04:00

Is it really time to relinquish summer?
Here is a mosaic of my garden blooms in September. Although most of the plants look raggedy & spent, they are still smaller blooms soaking in the last warm sun rays of the season.

Just as I was slowly tucking some of the plants in for hibernation, another new bloom surprised me: a toad lily! (Trycirtis 'White Tower')-below.
This is a woodland plant that was given to me by one of the Master Gardeners. A 3" plant with 3 stems which was constantly being dug by the squirrels and trampled on by some mammal (neighbor cat, I suspect) all through summer! So you can imagine how surprised I was to see it in bloom! The diameter of the crown is less than an inch but the petals look as sturdy as an orchid.

Just to show that nature is always full of surprises and one never knows what's there unless you poke around a little bit!

More rights

2008-09-18T19:00:00.000-04:00

These are my week's worth of garden gloves that go through the wash (and hung to dry as seen in this photo).

Michael uses the same type of gloves when he goes out West tree planting. However, he only uses the left hand glove. After 2-3 years, he finally unloaded his "leftover" right gloves to me! As it happens, as a right hand dominant, I wear out my right hand gloves a lot faster than the other hand.

So, who says your gardening gloves have to match?

A gardener's bag

2008-09-14T20:40:00.003-04:00

When the Brantford Garden Club had its Plant Sale this summer, it also had a table with used gardening items. This handy bag was by big purchase ($3.00). While I just use a good old pail for my hand tools around the garden, this bag is the one I tote around when I volunteer at the RBG. Look at how much it holds! My lunch, a reference book, camera, cell phone, wallet,etc. all fit inside this spacious bag. Now, that is worth the investment!

Harvest pictures

2008-09-14T19:21:00.011-04:00

Vegetable gardening this year seemed almost effortless after all the rain we've had and the fact that I chose to plant a limited amount.

As the end of summer draws near, the Roma tomatoes struggled with the weight of its fruits.

Initial scallop squash harvest: bite-sized, ready to steam & devoured with or without butter.

Beet greens were ready to be harvested all summer but the beets themselves took their time to mature.

Peas, of course, are cool weather veggies, so they were the first harvest to grace our table. We were able to freeze a little bit as we enjoyed the sugar snaps at the same time.

Swiss chard is one of my favorite leafy vegetable because it is jam packed with nutrition for such a mild tasting veggie (compared to the beet greens which taste like beets).

While I sound obsessed with gardening ever since I started with the winter's indoors sowing, I feel just utterly satisfied and gratified with each garden visit. Writing it down helps validate this feeling of gratitude.

Garden projects completed at last!

2008-09-05T20:54:00.000-04:00

There are two important outdoor improvements in the garden this summer.

One of Bob's projects was installing the rain barrels which he purchased last May. This is a state-of-the-art rain barrel installation. The PVC pipes are removable for winter storage and reconfigured to attach to the underground drain pipe.

But before he could even begin to install these, the brick walkway had to be put in place first. This walkway leads to the tool shed at the side of the house. Note the herringbone pattern of the bricks as it curves around the deck.

Not only does the walkway go around the deck, it also bifurcates (Michael really likes this word) towards the compost bin behind the garage.

As these areas are the most heavily traveled, it sure is a welcome improvement!

The rain barrels will prove their worth in the years to come as well.

Discovering Rosamunde Pilcher

2008-09-02T21:10:00.006-04:00

I finished reading Rosamunde Pilcher's novels, back to back: September and Coming Home. What a refreshing style of writing! Her descriptions of Scotland and England transported me to these magical countrysides. This is one way of traveling vicariously.

It looks like Coming Home was a TV mini series which I obviously missed. I have to look that up in the library.

While I get the flower beds ready for Winter, I am getting my book list ready at the local library. What fun!

Other authors I've enjoyed is Jennifer Chiaverini who writes Elm Creek Quilt series. She has a few books out since I last checked the library. Then, there's Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series which are on the hilarious side of crime fiction.

Yes, I am getting a break from Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series which I had been reading since my aunt from Michigan introduced me to his writing in 2004. While I like his style of writing, the subject matter gets a little heavy, dark and "unhealthy". So, off I go on the lighter side.

Then and Now

2008-08-30T18:30:00.000-04:00

August is near its end; it's a good time to browse though my garden photo collection to view the changes that happened in my garden. I share with you some of the result of this summer's incredible record precipitation, along with persistent weeding and cultivation, and ongoing battle with the mosquitoes who love the moisture as much as my plants!

Then: Here is my front perennial garden planted in the Fall 2007. This picture was taken on May 19, 2008.

Now:This photo, a south-facing garden, was taken today. It is a sunny day so the colors are a bit washed out despite much editing. The annuals: pink & white cosmos, golden yellow annual rudbeckia, dazzling fuscia zinnias, delicate pink and white cleome. What the photo doesn't show is the variety of textures and shades of green and gray-green.

Then: My Spring garden as taken on May 19, 2008. The foundation plants (evergreen) and the iris came with the house. The bits of green growth are the perennials planted from last fall.

Now: The self-seeding Impatiens balsamina came with the house as well and they are great for filling in any extra space in the flower bed. They come in as pale pink, dark pink, red and dark purple so they blend well with the rest. This salvia 'May Night', which has become one of my favorites, has been flowering all summer although the spikes are not as showy as the first blooms. The yellow marigolds in the foreground and the yellow bidens to the left of the photo complements the dark purple of the salvia.

All corners of the backyard garden have been providing me a glimpse of panoramic colors which I hope will enlarge as the years go by. Also, it's been a delight to see the veggies survive despite the constant onslaught of snails, slugs and whatever bugs that decide to feast on them.

Now: From left to right, Heliopsis (false sunflower), pink Coreopsis, Rudbeckia hirta (black eyed susan), Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush), Delicata squash, Heliopsis,Coreopsis, Zinnias, Buddleja, Rudbeckia, Heliopsis, Physotegia (obedient plant), 'Sprite' Astilbe, 'Pumila' Astilbe, Helianthus annus (sunflower), Roma tomatoes.

Sunflowers - finally!

2008-08-14T15:09:00.005-04:00

After being away for about 5 days (wedding/reunion in Minnesota), I came home with a surprise: my sunflowers (Helianthus annus) are in bloom! (Well, OK, I only have 2 blooms).

About 4 months ago, I joined San Francisco State University's "The Great Sunflower Project". Please click on this link as it explains the project without me repeating the information.

While the warmer climes had been submitting data since April, I can finally start submitting. There are certain criteria to follow so I just need that window of opportunity to do the bee counting. Yeah!

For my gardener friends, you may want to consider joining this project next year or please let others know about it.

Minneapolis Family Reunion

2008-08-11T14:35:00.001-04:00

The Soriano-Asuncion reunion was prompted by the wedding of my cousin's son in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The wedding was on August 9,2008; the celebrants: Ed and Kellie. The day was auspicious: clear, sunny weather, impeccable wedding ceremony and the reception at the bride's parents' home went smoothly as well.

The common denominator between the Soriano and the Asuncion families is on the maternal side: our mothers are sisters. The Sorianos are as spread apart as we are (Asuncions): 2 siblings from California, one from Washington state, and another from British Columbia.

This ratio is reversed in my family. While I am the only one in Brantford, my parents, a sister (Mayette) and brother Jonas with his family live in London,ON; my oldest brother (Marvin) & his family live in Woodhaven, Michigan, and a sister (Chalkie) live in Toronto.

The reception was held at the Brandt's (the bride's family home): Beautiful gardens, well-decorated and well- coordinated tables and delicious spread followed by dancing music.

Butler Reunion 2008

2008-08-03T20:00:00.005-04:00

A marriage can bring in four different family ties: the bride's maternal & paternal family ties and the groom's maternal & paternal family ties.

Last July, we attended a family reunion on my paternal side. Today brought together the Butler side of the family-Bob's maternal ties.

It was held at Bob's cousin Ted & his wife Frances' farmstead in Thorndale which they have generously shared in the past.

As usual, the food fare was generous & delicious! The "catching up" was certainly stimulating for me as I struggle to remember everybody's names (especially the children's as they grow up quickly in a year). The children were entertained with Uncle Lloyd's Gator, a John Deere utility vehicle, and Uncle Bill's two-men water balloon slingshot (see last picture frame). The latter had always been popular among the young and old.

Next week: yet another reunion on my mother's side.

July Garden

2008-07-30T23:00:00.004-04:00

The month of July provided more magical moments and photo opportunities in my garden. I am still struggling to learn the features in my camera. It is user friendly enough but retaining information is another matter!

Impatiens balsamina is a self seeding annual bestowing bright purple, dark and light pink flowers until Fall. Rather than having terminal blooms, the flowers are at the node (base of the leaf). I seem to recollect seeing these flowers growing in the Philippines.

This Easter lily (a type of an Asiatic Lily) was planted from a potted lily last year. I was not sure if it would be hardy enough for this (planting) Zone so it was a pleasant surprise to see the blooms just as the other lilies had their show. The bulbs are generally shipped from a southern U.S. State but grown in green houses here in Ontario.

This cosmos is one of my favorite annual because it provides interesting foliage color and texture besides providing a steady supply of color throughout the summer. There are white and light pink ones as well.

My friend Arlene had given me a clump of her Chinese lantern (Physallis franchetii). The flowers are not showy but it does demonstrate an example of a flower with fused petals.

Last Fall, I had planted some bulbs with interesting characteristic such as "fall bloomer" or "late spring bloom". This beautiful 2 toned periwinkle blue, however, bloomed for about a week, in mid July, almost all at once. Unfortunately, the label faded and I haven't the chance to research its identity!

The bright, dazzling zinnias are the tropical flavor in my garden. Grown from a seed packet given out at the Green Living Show last April, each bloom is like a Christmas gift when it finally reveals its color: raspberry pink, apricot orange, mango yellow (my flavor colors). Yumm.

This bonus plant came with an acquired clump of Rudbeckia; I'm still reluctant to name it. It looks like it belongs to the genus Rudbeckia (black-eyed susan) but it also looks like a Helianthus (sunflower).

The pale lavender Hosta blooms are usually insignificant but this year, all my Hostas are just begging to be recognized!

When I found out that Coreopsis have a poor seed germination rate, I splurged and purchased 2 species: C. verticillata (yellow blooms) and C. rosea (pink blooms).

Here is a Coreopsis cultivar that I had acquired from the Garden Club Plant Sale in the Spring; I think it is the 'Early Sunrise' variety. Notice the difference between this lanced-leaf with fluffy golden yellow blooms and the one above.

This is a Canadian native plant that was given to me by Ed, a fellow gardener and the leader of our bicycle group, the Roaming Riders. It is the Queen of the Prairie (Filapendula rubra). Ed assured me that this plant will readily multiply by roots (and most likely, if I don't disturb the soil around it, reseeds itself generously just by looking at the inflorescence. The bees just love this.

One of the few perennials that was already here in the garden when we moved in, is this Asiatic Lily. There were a few plants clumped together last summer so I separated the bulbs last fall and ended up with about 8 plants with 3-5 blooms each plant this summer. Blooming before the zinnias, they were the garden brighteners during the height of their short blooming period. Definitely a keeper.

Trail surprises

2008-07-23T15:26:00.011-04:00

Today's bicycle trip to Paris, ON offered panoramic views of Ontario's wildflowers. The substantial rain we've had since the beginning of the summer has provided us (trail walkers and bicycle riders) with endless samples of wildflowers. Although my knowledge of wildflowers is very limited, I am learning more (and actually remembering the names) this year.

Besides the purple flowers of chicory and mint, the tall, white aromatic Queen Anne's Lace are also predominant this time of the year; but, the yellow flower heads of tansy and Rudbeckia really outshine them all.

As I started focusing on the Rudbeckias or the Black-eyed Susans, I discovered that there are many species out there in the wild!
The above species are less than 30 cm (1 ft) right by the trail.
These lemon yellow coneflower-type of Rudbeckia are about 60 cm. tall About 4-5 ft., these have wider leaves; beautiful with the purplish thistle in the background.
Another coneflower-type; golden yellow with a darker band towards the center
Two short varieties shown here; the wider petaled one is the most common in this trail

As we headed home, a soft rain began to fall so my attention quickly changed to pedaling harder to get home quicker. But Mother Nature had another way of slowing us down: 3 deers crossed our path!

Only 2 deer of them were within the camera's range

Mystery Plant: Solved!

2008-07-21T18:32:00.006-04:00

I have a habit of rescuing plants from Plant Sale leftovers or from people's garden "thinnings" and divisions or even the trash can at one of the RBG greenhouses!

Well, the latter happened as I stopped by to see what the volunteers do at the Potting Shed for the annuals (plants) as opposed to the perennials where I volunteered at the beginning of the year. Annual seedlings were being potted but as a certain number is reached, the rest of the seedlings are discarded. That's when I came to the scene.

A handful of seedlings with 2-3 leaves as long as half my thumb, they grew rather mysteriously as the picture collage shows. They didn't look anything I've ever grown in my garden. In fact, they look absolutely alien to me: the wavy leaves, the winged, hairy stems, the flower buds. All these parts developed painstakingly slow. Making an identification wasn't apparent to me until the flowers blossomed into these papery clusters of purple flowers, spotted with white flowers.

These plants are called statice (Limonium sinuatum): the same flowers the Mennonites sold at the St. Jacob's Farmers' Market and that's how I recognized them. They make great cutting flowers and dried flowers.

This was a fun project . It was fortuitous that I had known the flower from previous exposure so the identification was not too difficult at the end. With the use of the internet, confirmation and learning the botanical name was a cinch.

Party time! (aka Family Reunion, Filipino-style)

2008-07-08T15:46:00.021-04:00

The Asuncion/Coloma Family reunion was a three-day affair commencing on 4th of July at my cousin Roy's residence in Plymouth, Michigan. It was his birthday. Cousins (first, once- removed, second cousins), aunts & uncles attended by the dozen. They came as far as Georgia, Indiana, Ontario. It was a magical day held by the poolside: continuous sun, food, & music.

There were some serious card and mah-jong games happening with the older generation. My generation vied for the highest Karaoke score , ate and visited and ate some more. The youngest generation hanged (hung?) around or in the pool. There was some line dancing by the poolside but somehow I missed that. The heat and the grapefruit Bacardi Breezer must have prevented me from joining that particular activity.

Day 2: Belle Isle Park, Detroit, Michigan on the Detroit River. More sun, food, games, excursion to the Botanical Gardens. Several collections are housed in the greenhouse: palm, ferns, cacti and succulents. We did a lot of oooohhhing and aaaaahhhing: the specimens were spectacular. Free admission, too!

Still Day 2; GM Renaissance Tour, Downtown Detroit. A whole new and interesting way of looking at the classic Downtown Detroit is taking the monorail tour for 50 cents. A very reasonable type of entertainment for young and old alike.

The party continued on the following day by celebrating cousin Myrna's 25th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, we did not stay for that celebration. My body was calling for a time break by that time.

This type of family reunion is only held every 2 years so I always look forward to attending in order to catch up with who's who and what's what.

Spring/Early Summer Colors

2008-06-27T22:30:00.005-04:00

Here are Mother Nature's color palette - seen in my perennial garden this Spring and early Summer.

This is the only color of iris that exists in my garden this Spring. It's of an unknown cultivar since the plants came with the house when we moved here. En masse they looked fabulous! With the cooler weather, they lasted longer than usual as well. Since then, I have inherited a cultivar that is of light mauve. It will be interesting to see the difference next year!

This was labeled as "White Bleeding Heart" which, I think, is a misnomer because it is not a bleeding heart at all. It is Corydalis lutea or Yellow Corydalis. I thought that I have the wrong plant at first because the tubular floral base bloomed first but the greenish "mouths" were closed. It was about a week before they opened up to reveal the yellow with a hint of green "tongues". The leaves are lacy and light which will provide some texture when it is finished flowering.
This is a`native plant, Cranesbill or Geranium macrorrhizum - one of the easiest plant to grow. Back in Kitchener, I had these growing under a huge Norway Maple & they thrived. Because it multiplies by stolons or "runners" (like a strawberry plant), one only needs a plant and it will keep on multiplying throughout one season! They are great ground covers especially when establishing a perennial bed. No bugs will come near it either.

This is a columbine (Aquilegia), believe it or not. It doesn't have any spurs, only a single color, and it has double petals! The cultivar is called "Clematis flowered columbine". I am hoping that this cultivar will self seed as easily as the native species. With that deep purple and yellow stamens, it will make a stunning display en masse.

The lupines (Lupinus) is another native plant. I have a large plant with this color bloom. The smaller one is a red bloomer but the flower spikes are not as large as these pink ones. This is one of the plants that came with the house. It self- seeds and I have actually succeeded in transplanting about 5 seedlings this Spring. Of course, I can't tell what color the blooms will be.) The leaves are beautiful on their own. I love watching the rain drops on the leaves- they are like diamonds!...They are growing just below our deck, an East-facing location.

May Night Sage (Salvia nemerosa) blooms from mid May and it is just winding down. The spikes grow at the same time but each spike has at least 2 opposite branches. The highest flower spike in a stem open first with the flowers opening from the bottom as this picture suggests. It is a beauty of a specimen. Unfortunately, I had planted it in front of a Juniper bush (with a bluish foliage); so, from a distance, the flowers don't show up as well. I will have to move it in front of the Golden Euonymus, I think.
The leaves are dark wrinkly (like a sage!) forming a rosette base so it will be a ground cover after it flowers.

Lamb's Ears (Stachys) flowers are not very showy but the inflorescence or flower spikes are tall & exotic looking. Notice the little lamb's ears sticking out. The name actually refers to the leaves which have the same texture. This is a soft textured specimen that begs to be "petted". They are the second easiest plant to grow. My next door neighbor gave me a spadeful from her garden last Fall and they had pretty much taken over the flower bed!

Moonshine Yarrow (Achillea taygatea) is a drought-resistant plant. This delicious color just stands out from quite a distance, with its lacy, frilly grayish wooly leaves. This is another one of those plants that can be divided year after year (that's what I'm hoping!). The bees & butterflies are attracted to the flowers. Some cultivars have cream colored or pink flowers. I am seriously considering a "collection" of this genus.

Meet my Beard Tongue 'Husker Red' (Penstemon digitalis) (Where do they get these names?) . Not a digitalis at all but the reference is to its flower form. This is planted just beside the Yarrow in order to showcase each others' attributes. This one has dark green leaves with dark red underneath. With its buttery yellow buds and the small bunches of white flowers, the combination is an eye-catcher.

If you're thinking that this is a blue flowered Geranium, you are correct. This is the 'Johnson's Blue' cultivar. Unlike the wild geranium, this one stays in "clumps". It will take a few years before I can divide it or I can start collecting seeds so I can start may own seedlings. Apparently, the problem with collecting seeds from a cultivar is that there is no guarantee that one will get the same plant!

When I took this picture & the ones above last May 31, this is the only flower of 'Stella d'Oro' (Hemerocallis). Today, it has multiple blooms. This cultivar is one of the hardiest & longer blooming cultivar among the day lillies. I had planted this beside the May Night Sage as contrasting colors. Unfortunately, I failed to note the bloom times!

This peach-leaved Bellflower (Campanula persicifolia) was one of the plants I inherited from the Brantford Garden Club Plant Sale back in May. It is the same variety I had in Kitchener so I was quite pleased to see it bloom. There is only one flower stem this year since it was just a seedling when I got it. The leaves form a rosette at the base so once it flowers, it is easily forgotten. As this picture shows, the Stachys is doing a good job replacing its spot in the garden already!

Last year (our first summer) the flower beds at the back were covered with yellow flowers from 2 different kinds of stonecrop (Sedum). They are the best plant to have in a stony flower bed with poor soil: drought tolerant with an aggressive growth. This worked for the previous owner but not for me! I retained a patch of it under the Purple Sand Cherry bush but they grow anywhere plant parts just happen to drop! Very invasive indeed.

Pansies are the first annual plants I purchased last year (before I had the perennial bed). Of all the colors, this is the only one that managed to reseed itself: Pale mauve with darker veins, it is enough to make a dark corner brighten up in the early Spring!

Just to give you an idea how invasive that Sedum was, this Spirea was completely smothered! I didn't even realize that this small bush existed until I was weeding last year. This particular weed just happen to have a rather old woody stump which I recognized as a Spirea because I had one in Kitchener. I didn't clear out the flower bed until last Fall. So, this year, I amended the soil around it, gave it a couple shots of fish emulsion, and voila!

Lysimachia punctuta or Yellow Loosestrife is another Garden Club purchase. The flowers circle the plant stem as the link will show you. There are only 2 stems that came up this year but someone from the club assured me that it is an aggressive grower (if planted in moist condition). It is a dry spot where it is planted so I guess that will control its growth. The Purple Loosestrife and the European cousin Lysimachia vulgaris which also has yellow flowers (but they don't circle the stem) are considered noxious weeds.

The following flowers are annual plants.

Annual Rudbeckia (I failed to note the cultivar) is a surplus from the RBG. They were being given away one day because "they had too much". I now wish that I had gotten more because they are just spectacular! Tall & showy, one cannot miss them. The plant is multi stemmed and each stem has multi blooms. That corner of my front yard just perked up when this first bloom showed up one morning. I will definitely learn how to collect the seeds to grow more next year!

The first Cosmos bloom. I bought a "mix" so it will be a surprise to see what the other 5 will be. I tucked them in behind some low growing perennials so they make a perfect backdrop with their delicate airy leaves. Other than starting them from seed years ago, this is the first time I bought the seedlings. I was surprised how fast they grew. Perhaps I will collect the seed heads as well!

Pisum sativum: Interesting white flowers with green veins...notice how this picture captured 3 views! OK. I confess this is not an ornamental plant but the leaves are lovely green and has the same water repelling characteristics as the lupines...Yes, it the common legume, the pea.

There you have it: the colors in my garden this Spring. It is certainly an enchanted moment when I discover a new bloom when I visit my garden.

What's growing in my vegetable garden

2008-06-23T19:39:00.015-04:00

The abundant amount of moisture we've had so far this month is certainly conducive to a substantial growth in a short time. Of course, I'm not talking about a weight gain due to water retention here.

As you can see in my cubic meter raised bed, the peas are growing past the chicken wire structure. (Yes, that is Bob getting chummy with the peas.) The Roma tomatoes, on the right, are almost half as tall and the branches are beyond the supporting cage. The basil & parsley planted in between are just swallowed up by the foliage!

The "upper deck" of this plot includes:(L>R) cherry tomatoes, onions, beets. The basil is hiding between the tomatoes. Not shown is the lower deck which is another row of peas.

One variety of these peas is supposed to be the 'Sugar Snap' but it's difficult to tell the difference at this stage.

An herbal bed had to be quickly dug up after I had herbs inherited from the Bell Homestead Herb Garden. It was a volunteer job for the Master Gardener Group. We were thinning out the perennial herbs so the volunteers took home anything that was not destined for the compost heap. My acquisition: Tenacetum vulgare (tansies), Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke) and Artemesia dracunculus sativa (French tarragon). I added some annual herbs: curly & Italian parsley, oregano, marjoram, mint.

From the Garden Club plant sale I already have Symphytum officianale (comfrey), Borago officianalis (borage), Allium sativum (garlic) and Allium schoenoprasum (chives).

At a snail's point of view, you're looking at the scallop squash, less than 2 inches in diameter. That is supposed to be the normal size for harvesting. And harvest, I did. This type of summer squash tastes like a zucchini. Yummy in stirfries. I only planted 2 of this variety, not realizing the plant is compact (I envisioned long vines).

So, I have yet to learn a lot about my own micro climate in my backyard: the soil, the bugs, what plants do well, etc. I'm learning from my mistakes in some cases but I sure am having fun!

Stranded!

2008-06-11T22:00:00.006-04:00

One hot & humid Sunday, June 8th, we met our fellow Roaming Riders in Ruthven, On (just outside of Leamington) and rode part of the Chrysler Canada Greenway (approx 27 kms). The heat & humidity was relentless. Fortunately, we planned on staying overnight in Leamington where our hotel offered a salt water pool; it was soothing & refreshing.

After supper at the local restaurant by the harbour, all 15 of us went for a stroll & enjoyed the gardens and harbour views.

The gardens were in raised flower beds, mostly labeled, so, needless to say, I had to check them all out. But I was not the only gardener in the group so I had some company.

Bob identified the irises (background) correctly so he got his picture taken.
The water feature utilized the natural slope of the harbour; there were concrete benches nearby to enjoy its tranquil & zen features.

The heat, exercise & then the full meal lulled us to an early evening back to our rooms. We had to be at the ferry dock by 7:30 AM all packed & breakfasted to catch the ferry to Pelee Island the following morning.

Our "cruise" lasted an hour and a half; it was pleasant & we had time to socialize. The views from the ferry is limited to the Leamington harbour, Point Pelee, and Pelee Island. Other than the change in perspective I didn't think there was any purpose in taking those pictures.

That Monday turned out to be more of the same: hot & humid. On the plus side, there was more breeze, few traffic, no hills.

There was no itinerary for the day: we just stopped at different locations when there was enough people interested to do so.
Here's a botanical interest: a shoe tree!
On the northeast section of the island, there sits an old lighthouse (built in 1833). The only way to get there was through this narrow foot path. Feeling adventurous we rode our bikes instead. We thought that we could outrun and outsmart those mosquitoes. It worked as long as we were moving but as soon as we reached the beach, we had to abandon the bicycles to walk towards the lighthouse. The pests were as clingy as the humid air so I turned around and headed back towards the trail head!
Our last stop was the Pelee Island Winery. No tours were scheduled as the season hadn't officially started yet. However, there was a free wine tasting corner where one can sample the local wine up to a maximum of 3 varieties.

We headed to the pub/restaurant across from the ferry dock. We had a leisurely lunch; the return ferry was scheduled to depart at 4:00 PM.

When we tried to purchase the return ticket, we were informed that the ferry was not departing until 8:00 AM the following day primarily due to the high wind speed.Gone was our hope of going home for a shower and spending a quiet evening at home!

After the initial shock & denial wore off, we accepted that we were truly stranded in an island. No contingency plans by the ferry nor the municipality for those strandees so, we had to scramble & find accommodations for the 15 people in our group.

Fortunately, the pub where we had our lunch also operates a motel at the back of the property. And there was enough room for everybody. Yes, we can shower but no change of clean clothes.
A laundry facility was available but what does one wear when one's only set of clothes are in the laundry? Nobody wanted to wear any toga.
The morning of departure outside our motel room: Bob is 2nd from the left. The two couples are the trip coordinators for the Roaming Riders.

This is Leamington Harbour as viewed from the returning ferry. Remember I said earlier that there were only limited views from the ferry but not worth picture-taking? Well, after that unscheduled adventure, there was nothing more welcoming than to see the "mainland".

Too hot, too humid, too soon

2008-06-06T11:58:00.001-04:00

With an outdoor temperature of 28 deg C , humidity of 70% and a very high UV index, nobody has to convince me to stay indoors!

Even the lupine is droopy

When these African Daisies were transplanted 2 days ago, the weather forecast this weekend was cloudy with a 40-60% chance of rain. Now, they are getting cooked so I had to quickly do some creative thinking to protect them!

Under a burlap canopy

Bidens 'Radiant Yellow' is one of those exotic annuals I also transplanted a few days ago. It has a soft,fern-y foliage with the bright yellow flowers. I guess I'll have to wait and see how it does this summer.

This annual plant has a fleshy, velvety, yellow and green variegated leaves called 'Golden Globes', Lysimachia procumbens. Another low lying plant which, I hope, will grow aggressively to create a living mulch in my perennial bed.

The tomatoes and peas are flourishing! The warm weather and some rain we've had early this week is just what the garden doctor prescribed for these Roma tomatoes. There are basil, onions and marigolds in this square meter of raised bed as well although they aren't too visible in this picture.

A Plant Sale & Garden Tours

2008-05-25T21:30:00.001-04:00

It has been a very busy month as far as gardening goes. The Brantford Garden Club had their Perennial Plant Sale on Saturday,May 17th. With a $5.00 budget, it was tough deciding which ones to buy: I bought 3 perennials but came home with 7 more. In about 3 hours, the sale was over and whoever brought plants for sale had the choice of taking them home or giving them away!

That was one very damp day ("spitting rain all morning") but what a learning experience that day was: identifying the plants when they are just in their early stages of growth or before the blooms come out! The Club made a little less than a thousand dollars that morning so it was well worth the effort.

That afternoon, I finally transplanted my tomatoes and basil together with the newly acquired plants. Of course, with the possibility of frost, they were tucked in snugly.

The peas (climbing the chicken wire trellis) like it cold but the tomatoes needed special handling. Bob had the pleasure of tucking the Romas in.

The cherry tomatoes were also covered with bags while the basil snuggled inside the juice jug (bottoms cut off)

Then there were 2 scheduled garden tours at the RBG for the new members like me. Instead of working in the greenhouses, I played hookie and visited the gardens instead.

The Rock Garden: tulips, Japanese Maple, water feature

Just a sampling of the Tulip garden at the Rock Garden.

Laking Garden: perennial beds including irises, hostas, peonies, herbs

The Laking Garden: a replica of the farm cottage at the site when the lands were acquired by the RBG

The cottage garden features "period" perennial plants before 1930

Aren't gardens fun? If you don't have one, visit one soon and often because it soothes one's soul

Toughing it out

2008-05-19T20:26:00.010-04:00

Today was one windy& wet day, but it was good enough for the hardy Roaming Riders! Our scheduled out-of-town excursion was at the Dofasco Trail with its trail head at Devil's Punch Bowl Conservation Area in Hamilton, ON. Please view the highlighted links as I cannot do a better description of this place.

This is Devil's Punch Bowl with a shadow of a falls in the center of the picture.

View of the Hamilton Harbour from the lookout

Most of the Roaming Riders with our fearless leader in red jacket

At the end of the ride, we only encountered a little bit of rain and wind but an enjoyable ride just the same. We all headed for the nearest Tom Horton's/ Wendy's location for lunch and more socializing to get re-energized.

Going native

2008-05-12T20:15:00.001-04:00

The more I read about native plants, the more it makes sense to have them in my garden. Last Fall, when I put in my perennial garden, I had "drought-resistant" in mind so, I promptly bought some in my list. However, I should have extended my research to include "native" as well.

The acquisition of native plants (or wildflower) is not as easy as it sounds. One can't just pull them out from the wild or any public trails, conservation areas, etc. One can rescue them from any place being developed or the possibility of being destroyed by other means. If a nursery has a native species, "be cautioned about its provenance".

Friends who are willing to share their "stock"is another way of acquiring them. I was lucky: with the generous donation from Bill and Carole's woodlot trail. (friends from our Roaming Riders bicycle group), I now have new native plants in my garden. Bill said that he almost mowed them down!

I just have the right home for these beauties - under and between the Blue Spruce trees in the north-facing part of the back garden. I hope they grow and multiply.

Here's Jack in-the-pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum.

This beautiful red trillium, Trillium erectum, is also called stinking benjamin.

Ontario's provincial flower, the white trillium, Trillium grandiflorum.

The Evil Garlic Mustard

2008-05-10T22:00:00.003-04:00

For those of you who are unaware of garlic mustard , read this link NOW!!! It is evil and will take over the garden overnight if you let it.

It didn't exist in my Kitchener garden. I've first noticed it last year in our new Brantford location. Curious as to what it was, I let it mature and now has reseeded by the thousands. (Those innocuous-looking pods must split and self-broadcast)!

Last week, there was an urgent request for volunteers at the RBG to weed the Rose Garden and the adjoining woodland trails: the garlic mustard has invaded the entire woodland floor!

I joined forces last Thursday but still, the ground is covered with this invasive species as far as anyone can see.

SO, please check your garden now and don't let any of them go to seed. The roots are long; wait until a good rainfall so that it makes the job of pulling them intact that much more effective.

Remember, never put any perennial weeds which has gone to seed, in your compost as normal sized backyard composters don't get hot enough to destroy them.

Of course, if you really like the taste of mustard greens, this is another option of getting rid of these pesty weeds: eat them! There are actual recipes available on the internet. I must admit, being somewhat of a foodie, I had to try it in my stir fry. I was hoping for more of a garlic taste but got a bitter, mustard taste instead.

Revisiting Roma Tomatoes

2008-05-09T20:42:00.007-04:00

I thought it's a good time to revisit my mini greenhouse tomatoes I seeded way back in March. I will be giving some away to Dad and Mayette & Oliverio this weekend so this will be the last documentation about this year's experimentation with indoor sowing.

Last April 4th posting , I had this 24 day sprout, a Roma tomato, measuring almost 5" - the tallest among them all.

I started to harden the 35-day seedlings off when the weather turned almost to summer temperatures around April 15th. Knowing that the weather will not sustain those balmy days, the only reasonable and practical thing to do was to move them indoors in the evenings when frosty mornings were predicted and then set them out in the outdoor "greenhouse" during the days when it was at least 7 deg C.

Three re potting later, these Roma tomatoes at 52days are feeling the constrained space. Hopefully, they will be transplanted in their permanent beds by next weekend which is deemed frost-free in this region.

A quilting retreat

2008-05-04T18:00:00.000-04:00

From left, Sandy, Judy, Sharon, Jeanette, me, and Doreen.

On May 2-4 weekend, I joined my St. Mary's Hospital Emerg buddies at "Ladies at the Lake" quilting retreat held at Brentwood on the Beach. While some of us in our group had been coming to this annual retreat for several years, this was my 4th visit here.

After an afternoon of driving from Kitchener and shopping at various Quilt Shops along the way, we arrived on time for a "Happy Hour" in the screened-in porch. From left, here's Sharon, Judy, Jeanette & Doreen .

The sewing room is set up at the lower level which is the same level as the indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, guest kitchen and several bedrooms.

Meals at this B&B are culinary adventures which sometimes makes it difficult to concentrate on sewing when the aroma wafts down our way. Shown here is just a sampling for this particular meal; there were breads, beverages and desserts, too!

Besides the camaraderie and continuous "grazing", we did manage to be productive and worked on our perspective quilting projects. The pictures above were the "show'n'tell" items. Unfortunately, the photographer (me) couldn't take pictures when I had a "show'n'tell".

The facilities include an indoor swimming pool (windows in the sewing area looks into the pool), a hot tub and a sauna; a group can prebook spa treatments (massage, facial, manicure, pedicure) as well. One can work on a quilting project as much or as little as one wants and just do "nothing" and still have a good time.

The views are always terrific: The first picture was the view from where I was sitting in the dining room. (We usually have sunset views but not this weekend.) The middle picture is the beach "down below". The last picture is the view from the balcony off our room.

If you want to know more about this place or the retreat, make sure you click on the link above.

Going Ga-ga over plants

2008-05-01T20:20:00.000-04:00

Only the serious gardeners come on the first day of a 2-day annual sale held by the Auxilliary of the RBG. It was pandemonium when the gates opened at 9:00 AM today. I was still parking my car in the middle of the field about 1/4 km away and the queue was almost as long!

The perennials were either in the "Hoop house" or outdoors, all alphabetically labeled by their botanical names. In the permanent peaked greenhouses, the annuals were housed in a heated environment.

While an outdoor temperature hovering around 10 deg Celsius is considered balmy when the sun is beating down, it's another story when the sun decides to hide behind the clouds for an indeterminate period. The hoop house (where I was assigned) got too cold for comfort so, I sometimes visited the greenhouse to warm up or get more warm beverage or goodies or just milled around. I discovered that if one bought at least 5 kinds of herb, one can get them potted for free! I might try that next time. (potting, not buying)

It certainly was a very happy and interesting day!

A busy, busy week

2008-04-28T20:07:00.004-04:00

Last week was a full slate of activities. Monday's bike ride with the Roaming Riders took us about 8 kms south of Brantford to the little village of Mt. Pleasant with The Windmill Country Market as the final destination. "A touch of Europe" according to its ad, has a breakfast, lunch and a coffee bar with freshly baked goodies that are difficult to resist. Cinnamon bun for Bob, a date turnover for me. I have no resistance whatsoever....The ride back was relatively easy with the wind behind us but Bob managed to have a flat tire to make the trip more eventful. Two couples stayed with us; the guys pulling out their tools while the ladies took turns telling previous flat tire stories. One lady actually kept the piece of glass that blew her husband's tire! Where was my camera when there's a photo op?

The local Diabetes Association chapter, along with various pharmaceutical sponsors, had a public symposium entitled "Diabetes Management and Stress" one evening. The 2 keynote speakers were both effective and provided an excellent program. I've been out of nursing for less than 2 years and I was quite impressed with the new information that's out there!

As members of the Royal Botanical Gardens, we were invited to a presentation about the newest garden featuring native species at the RBG. As it happens, the major donor for the Helen Kippax Garden is a Brantford resident and niece of Helen Kippax. Coffee and hor d'oeuvres convinced Bob to come with me but we both enjoyed the evening.

Who says there aren't free entertainment?

A Taste of RBG Sanctuary Trail

2008-04-17T18:54:00.007-04:00

What a gorgeous day! After being indoors for an Auxiliary meeting at the Nature Interpretive Center at RBG this morning, I came prepared to take advantage of the 20 degree weather: I hiked part of the Captain Coote's Trail. The trailhead is right at the NIC so I just traded my clipboard for my hiking shoes and off I went. The pictures here are just a taste of the wildlife sanctuary at RBG.

Vivid yellow

2008-04-16T20:00:00.007-04:00

The weather had been perfect to clean up the garden today. Wouldn't you know two daffodil buds finally opened up and provided a perfect photo op! The yellow just brightened up the north side of the garden.
First blooms among the daffodils this Spring.

After checking the Brantford weather, I felt that it was safe to set the seedlings out overnight in their transient home: a portable "greenhouse" from Home Depot. I had been letting them soak up the real sunlight when the temperature was conducive to do so. Like a mother hen, I'm worried that 4 degrees may be too cold tonight. I might just throw an old sheet over the greenhouse
A cozy little greenhouse for the seedlings.

Work and Learn Adventures

2008-04-14T21:10:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of opportunities out there to volunteer one's time and talents. Sometimes one doesn't even have to look for them; they just fall in one's lap.

Bob and I had our share of work and learn adventures in our previous church, FHUC, for example. Bob chaired the Property Committee and Annual Auction. I chaired UCW (United Church Women) for a couple of years, taught Sunday School with my hiking friends Shirley and Glenna, convened Chicken Barbecue Dinners, Turkey Dinners, Apple Pie Making, Gift Boutique with my friend Judy, and assisted my friend Marg with her Church banners. For me, those years were most productive and rewarding: learned a lot, laughed a lot, met some incredible people and made a lot of friends while my self-esteem greatly improved . How I miss those friends! But a new church offers just those same opportunities so, off we go again.

Being a Master Gardener in Training has also opened up lots of new adventures for me. Besides being a member of the Brantford Garden Club, I also joined the RBG Auxiliary. (View the Quick Time video at this website.) For starters, I help in the Potting Shed to pot perennial seedlings and bare root species once a week under one of the huge greenhouses. (I can't help but drool over some of them but I exercise self control.) We are getting ready for the Annual Plant Sale on May 1st and 3rd, so, there are lots to do!

As a keen hiker, I joined the Trail Watchers as well, conducting basic trail safety inspections and educating the public about the nature sanctuaries. With more than 23 kms of nature sanctuaries throughout the RBG grounds, I'm looking forward to hiking the trails and invite my family and friends to come and join me.

Being exposed to nature and the camaraderie of other gardeners is like having a mini vacation so I absolutely love being involved in these new endeavors.

Gardening is a Crime

2008-04-05T10:00:00.003-04:00

Our local public library has a number of recommended reading lists in different genre. I picked one up the other day; it's called Gardening is a Crime. I couldn't resist so I investigated. The list consists of authors including Susan Wittig Albert, Kate Collins, Kathy Lynn Emerson, Anthony Elgin, Janis Harrison and Ann Ripley. I have taken out 2 books of the latter author: Mulch and Death of A Political Plant. Whoaa..with titles like that I just had to check them out.

I just finished reading the second book; both are light, fast-paced and definitely for the gardeners. Instead of a dictionary, I had my little red book called What Grows Where in Canadian Gardens- 1,000 tried-and-tested plants for every site, soil, and usage at my side. It's incredible how much I learned about plants just by reading the 2 books. Mulch was first published in 1994 and this author has written others in this series (check out the link above) so, I'll start reserving the rest today. The stories have uncomplicated plots with recurring characters so, they are perfect when I start getting busy outside. Two days later, I can easily follow the story without backtracking who's who- for me, that's a bonus!

Rainy days are fun days

2008-04-04T21:00:00.000-04:00

For a change, no Easterly sun crept around the curtains to wake me up today so, naturally, I slept in!

After a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal and raisins with lots of cinnamon (yummy!), I headed down to the basement to check on my seedlings.The little pots are drier than than the larger ones as expected. Then, I noticed that the beets didn't look too happy: they where spindly and flopped on their sides. (This reminds me of Michael when he was a kid- he flopped around when he was throwing a tantrum as well. But, I'm digressing...) So, then, I had to transplant them to 3" pots....

To date: the Roma tomatoes are the tallest - almost 5" tall. For comparison, the bottom picture shows the cherry tomatoes on the right . The rest are just lagging behind because they are not as close to the light source as the Roma tomatoes. Note the aluminum foil "awning" I've added behind the plants to reflect the light.

Three hours later, I was still in my PJs. (I just quickly put my coveralls on over it!) Bob had been to & from Hamilton to buy a part for his model airplane from the hobby shop, then went out again to find out about his CPU's prognosis which he took in to the computer hospital yesterday.

Ahhh, see? when it's raining out, there's no rush to go out anywhere. There's no shortage of fun things to do around here: indoor gardening is just one of them.

Simple Abundance

2008-04-01T17:00:00.001-04:00

Way back Christmas 1998, my children Valerie and Michael gave me Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance, A Daybook of Comfort and Joy. I must confess I didn't make it beyond the March chapter (the bookmark still sadly wedged in place). At the time, Bob and I were a part of the sandwich generation as we struggled to look after his ailing parents long distance. One would think, with the stress and ongoing distraction, that I would have embraced what Simple Abundance had to offer. Well, I discovered that it doesn't work that way. To experience it, one has to be present; I was obviously "somewhere" else.

Now that I am exploring my authentic self once again, I reclaimed this fascinating book. I am trying to adapt as much of the joyful simplicities as I can cram in a day: a cup of hot ginger tea, enjoying a bite of dark chocolate and letting it just melt in my mouth, curling up to read a book, going for a stroll, sitting out just watching nature that surrounds me, or watching a child play... The trick is not in the "doing" but in the "being", I learned. It is this self nurture- without hesitation or guilt or fear that lifts my spirit and "stay connected".

Perhaps some of you have been enjoying simple abundances all along. If not, why not?

Something's fishy

2008-03-28T14:06:00.000-04:00

I am behind schedule with my seedlings (again). My Roma tomatoes have been growing their first true leaves for almost a week and I am supposed to feed them with half strength fertilizer. Luckily, my very good friends from Mississauga, Linda and Gerry, had given me some organic fertilizer the last time they came down for a visit. Shown here- see background- is the fish emulsion I used to feed these seedlings. And yes, it does smell like fish!

The bottom picture shows the 'Tiny Tim' cherry tomatoes. Note that the hand made newspaper pots are holding their shape and haven't self-composted yet. The taller containers are the "losers" Roll-up- the-Rim cups.

Spring Training

2008-03-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

Bob cleaned and prepped our bicycles yesterday. It was a sunny 2 degree C weather plus the windchill factor. We dressed warmly and braved the chilled air. We chose a route with a long incline to train those quads that had gone soft and perhaps encased with a few layers of adipose tissue! That was approximately 8 kms both ways. The goal is that we have to get ready for our Roaming Riders bike trips which average 30 kms./trip, in 3 weeks.

A little bit of a background. Bob and I joined a bicycling group, The Roaming Riders, last year. Almost all the members are retired, anywhere in their 50's (us, for example) to their 80's. Most of them have been doing this for a few years, some go for 100 kms./week ride instead of walking, the oldest member goes for an extra spin at a velodrome after riding with us! Our scheduled rides are on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Mondays are usually out of town; Wednesday rides are trail/city combination.

With our organizing/renovating last year, we basically winged it. This year, I hope to be able to ride those hills without slowing anybody down.

Heading for an Early Spring

2008-03-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter to you all! Spring is just around the corner but with a greenhouse, I am heading for an early Spring.

I have been quilting the last few days while listening to a digital book: David Baldacci's Camel Club. The suspense got to me and I couldn't "put the book down". By the time I checked on the plants, the Roma tomatoes are 2'' tall and the beets are even taller! So, I had to scramble for supplies to transplant them. I had to get some potting soil, made some labels out of a coke can and an old plastic membership card by cutting them in strips, and made pots from newspapers.

Betty, a friend (way back from nursing school) had mentioned about a "Potmaker" tool to make her own pots. I think it's meant for seed starters but I made 3" pots from newspapers using a soup can. Sitting on a tray, it's manageable moving them around. Will they last until May 17th (our official last frost)? I hope so; otherwise, I'll have a big mess to clean up!

There were different reusable containers I saved from the recycle box: cookie packaging, take-out roast chicken container, milk cartons cut to about 4" tall (not shown). The individual round & square ones I bought from the Garden Club's sale table-about50 pots for 75 cents.

My total transplant inventory count: Roma tomatoes 29, 'Tiny Tim' cherry tomatoes 30, Beets 8 (all the seeds were viable but I decided to discard them & direct sow more when the time comes), Basil 41, Lavender 14, Zinnia 2/12, and Coleus 0/12. The 2 annuals were old but I thought I'd see if they survived being in the fridge for years!

Getting greener

2008-03-22T23:00:00.000-04:00

I'd like to think that I am more environmentally conscious now than 10 years ago. There are more opportunities to "go green" beyond recycling nowadays: Reuse- check. Reduce - check. Decreasing fossil fuel dependency- well, this is an ongoing contentious subject as we continue to hang on to 2 vehicles: the Jetta TDI's fuel efficiency is canceled by the mini van. Energy conservation-we replaced 95% 0f the incandescent with fluorescent bulbs & all our appliances are tagged with Energy Star. Supporting organic, sustainable and/or locally grown foods- the Farmer's market is open all year round but I also plan to check out any CSA in this region.

What does a pair of ankle socks have to do with this? Well, I just demonstrated how some leftover yarn can make another pair. (Note the 2 kinds of yarn- color print + beige yarn used for the toes.) All the bits of yarn (not enough to make anything) that remain I save in a plastic mesh bag (the ones onions come in) ,with my dryer lint, bits of quilting thread, you get the idea. I leave this outside where the birds can use them for their nests.

A bit much, you think? I think our world needs and deserves every thoughtful gesture on our part.

Finding time

2008-03-19T12:42:00.000-04:00

It's been said many times how important it is for one's well-being to set aside a little time for oneself. And that includes unemployed people like me.

Although I no longer get up in the morning with an alarm clock (except for those times I have to be out of town), I still have to manage my time if I want to accomplish anything. So, once again I find myself engaging in the art of" multi-tasking".

When we lived in Kitchener, Ontario, I used to belong to a wonderful quilting group at FHUC . Since we moved to Brantford, I haven't found a quilting group so, it's been lonely quilting on my own. Then I discovered the wonderful world of digital library where I have novels, self help books, etc. downloaded right in my computer! That's how I found time to "read" and quilt at the same time. When I reach my maximum of 5 books/2 weeks (I usually go through them in about a week), I switch to CBC audio podcasts...But I still miss visiting with my quilting buddies.

Knitting is another activity when I can listen at the same time.... I tried reading a book while I was on my stepper but I found that too wobbly. I guess there's a limit to multi-tasking after all!