On this date, one hundred years ago, the bells rang out across many countries. The armistice had been signed and the fighting was officially ended but not before Private George Lawrence Price was killed.
In the setting of the sun we will remember them.
He was one of “them” Continue reading
10 wooden crates and 5 soldiers in uniform on the stage. It doesn’t seem like enough to transport you to the hearts and minds of those Continue reading
There is a downside to technology. There are numerous items that are awesome but there are times where it can fail. I had one of those moments this afternoon but there was an upside to it. Continue reading
Some things just speak to your heart, encapsulating what fills your soul up. Today’s post does that on many levels.
I knew when I was given this gift that it would eventually become a blog post. I just needed the right story to accompany the message. Today I saw and recorded living proof of the words below. Continue reading
I saw these words and they resonated in my heart. On many levels and for many reasons. 
Food for thought because sometimes the way ahead seems hard: so cherish what is here now.
Bernie
Across the crowded dance floor my eyes fell upon a man. I knew, at that moment, he would complete me. My life would be intertwined with his forever.
But this story isn’t about him. It’s about the Continue reading
I spent the weekend surrounded by music; most of the hits from the 70’s and 80’s. Songs we could sing along to or that brought back crazy memories. I’ve never been a huge music person, perhaps because I am tone deaf. Don’t ask about my time playing a flute because it’s not a pretty picture. Don’t ask me what band plays what song as I fail that game quite spectacularly.
But every once in a while I connect deeply to a song. Which is guess is, for musicians, is what it’s all about. Just like writers want the words to resonate within the soul of the reader.
The lyrics of this song absolutely speak to my roots. The musical notes actually pull my feet to move and inspire me to sing, although that’s not a good thing.
Plaid dirt, white shirts, blue collar roots
Still runnin’ through my veins
I was born small town, deep roots
Mud on these boots
I wouldn’t change a thing
It’s how I was born and raised
(born and raised, born and raised, born and raised)
Born and raised
It’s how I was born and raised
The connection that I feel stems from the fact that this family group are farmers from southern Saskatchewan. A skip and two hops from where I grew up. The shared backgrounds, work ethics and love of county music means I feel a powerful connection to their work.
Bernie
Ps. Pretty stoked we have tickets to see these young lads sing!!
Every once in a while there are some particularly funny social media posts. A particular one about domestic goddesses, in which I was tagged, cracked me up. I truly forget that not everyone has the cooking, preserving, baking and gardening gene or even likes to do those things. I’m quite sure, whether you are a non kitchen person or an old hand at canning, this post below will crack you up!! These are Mar’s on words and hashtag.
A little advice to the NEWBIE CANNER…
1)when your friend offers you 10lbs of beets and 10lbs of carrots RUN!… not having a canner won’t wash as an excuse because I guarantee that one will show up at your doorstep … my best advice is to say you hate carrots and beets…… Brenda you a smart cookie !
2) when experienced canners say” it will only take an hour or two … bank on 10…. we don’t know the shortcuts yet!!
3) warn your hubby that you are cooking beets…. otherwise it will appear to him that you have had a meltdown in the kitchen and killed something or someone with your bare hands… from the fridge to the sink to the stove and even the ceiling( that one took some talent) ….beet DNA is everywhere!!
4) Peeling garlic sucks ass
5) Once you have successfully converted quarts to liters and concocted your brine TRIPLE IT!!…recipes lie!!!
6) don’t get oversized jars because you need 10 gallons of water to cover the bastards …. and if you do, I suggest you start boiling the water before you even remotely think of canning anything because it takes forever!!
7)make sure you stay awake for 24hrs just to hear the lids pop otherwise you will always wonder who you will be poisoning next year when you give them as Xmas presents😳😳😳
8)be thankful that you didn’t also accept 10 lbs of tomatoes and a great salsa recipe🤪🤪🤪
9)just because your mother was good at canning doesn’t mean you will be… genetics don’t count!!
10) appreciate the domestic goddesses you know who do this stuff and like it!! Beverly Pavelich, Jasmine Asselin,Marilyn Gerwing,Bernie Cruikshank I am definitely humbled by this experience and am not canning worthy!!!😔😔😔😔
#fuckthisshitgotothefarmersmarketandpay20abottletheydeserveit
Now I’ve never thought of myself as a domestic goddess but I do love food. I’m particularly fond of home made baking and of garden produce whether it be canned, frozen or enjoyed fresh. The weekend hit high on both those fronts but the garden produce came at a cost.
That of cold fingers and icy chills down the neck. I always wonder why we wait till such a cold day to go dig carrots, beets and any other goodies left in the ground. 
I can’t say that cleaning the harvest is my favourite thing to do but as I said, I love to eat it so it has to be clean.
There were no bumper crops except maybe the pumpkin and squash. Which are still sitting in the snow.
The carrots as you can see are tiny. We were shocked to see that the 3 foot tall corn had actually produced cobs. Not a lot but enough for a thanksgiving feed so it’s now frozen and ready to be turned into creamed corn.
I’ve already made 2 batches of borscht and there was still lots of beets left so they got cut up and roasted. I will pull them out in the winter and use them up. There was no beet juice anywhere but on the cutting board!
On the baking front it was time for a new recipe trial. I love pumpkin and had some smoked pumpkin in the freezer from last year that needed to be used before we harvest this year’s. So I saw this recipe for pumpkin spice cinnamon buns that looked delish! 
And now you can see why I’m not a food blogger. I just do a basic flat lay picture, usually on my butcher block cupboard, and maybe edit it a bit for brightness. I might go so far as to find a nice backdrop but not very often. So while mine don’t look this good they sure tasted good! 
Perhaps too good, for my own good.
Bernie
It’s amazing how doing something once makes it a tradition. Although this time internet research was done and yet we ended up back at the same place. Because you know, it’s tradition now. It’s one of those Continue reading
It’s a gray cold windy day which would usually make me a titch cranky but not today.
Today I am grateful for a health system, that despite huge issues, can deliver timely care to Continue reading
