Be - from Strawberries to Nanaimo Bars

FYI - Cathy, Patty and I were talking about Nanaimo Bars and I recalled a receipe I took from Mom called Chocolate New York Slice which was the only name I knew to call these delicious bars - I had never heard of Nanaimo Bars until I tasted one and realized Mom used to make them but called as per the above - so I checked the recipe I took from home Patty, and the bottom is made with cocoa, graham wafer crumbs, nuts and coconut and the filling is with butter, custard powder, and icing sugar. So it sounds same as the more popular name of Nanaimo.
Funny that on the news they had interviews with the Strawberry Pick Your Own places around this area and they say it is poor this year and very late and likely will not be a good crop. The one place lost all their crop, and the other more popular place says they lost their early berries and that the mid summer berries are all they will have and that picking is taking place now but not very good. We may not get very many if we go on Tuesday??
Accomplished a fair amount of work today outside including finishing the new wooden lawn chairs with bright green paint and placing them in the picnic area - they look great but so bright it puts the other stuff to shame so I may have to freshen up the picnic table or smaller table in order to complement the chairs. Deers are finding their way into our yard - the other day found the tracks but no damage but tonight I spotted our tomatoes and the tops have been eaten off. So I have put more Downey sheets all around - apparently they are a deterent to deers ( but not too good by the looks of it haha) Oh well - nothing like the wild life enjoying a good feed at night!
Well, tomorrow it is to Mothers so I better get to bed now and rest up!
Cathy, hope your visit with Amber is good - did you have a nice supper at Legion?
Take Care.

Strawberries

Talking about strawberries brought back memories of the Findlay's 50th wedding anniversary. She wanted to serve strawberries and angel food cake for dessert, so she took us all out picking strawberrries. ( That is Father, me, David and both Amber and Loren) She was not well by then, and looked unwell, so the people at the strawberry farm brought out a lawn chair and umbrella and she sat at the end of the rows and provided direction to those of us picking. We picked a big( read big) picnic cooler full of them. Now we had driven from the lake to the farm north of Hadashville, picked all of these strawberries, and then driven back to the lake. Then they had to be processed for the freezer, because the party wasn't until about 2 months later. So at about 3:00, she and I sat down to process the berries. In the end we had two five gallon pails of strawberries. I was so tired I wept. She was convinced that we needed that much to feed everyone who would be at the dinner. The kicker came when David and I had to transport the strawberries to the dinner--in the trunk of our car. One of the pails fell over and half of the strawberries ended up in the trunk of the car. We stopped in a parking area and cleaned them out through the hole where the spare tire usually sat. We took the other pail into the dinner and everyone had lots of strawberries, and Mother never knew the difference. BUT since then, I refuse to clean more than about 5 baskets of strawberries at any one time. Even though we drive out to Portage to pick them, I would rather go twice than have to clean more than 5 baskets.

Be - Finally some decent weather

Well, decent enough to be outdoors but not without a coat as was cool. Ran the roads yesterday a bit, and then received a call from some of Harry's relatives from Hamilton who have a place on the Lake in Sundridge - so then after a quick supper went there for about two hour visit. They have property on the waterfront and had three camping trailers set up for the weekend - two cousins of Harry and a friend of one of the cousins with wifes and kids and dogs etc. The one cousin owns the property, and plans to construct a cottage but so far that is just in the drafting stage.
Today is sunny and looks to be a clear day so it will likely be another outdoors day with lots of jobs lined up for me to do in the yard. On Wednesday this week we are driving up to Kirkland Lake for the day only. Harry's brother made him a wagon /trolly to use outside to carry dirt/plants etc so we will go to pick it up. Monday will be to Mothers as usual, and Tuesday will be picking strawberries to take some up to Kirkland Lake. The rest we will take some to Mothers and do down in the freezer, and then I expect the remainder will be ours? Harry bought a book - What to do with Strawberries - and was reading off several recipes etc so perhaps that will be another task for me to complete? Anyway......take care

Pati here

I would have thought that your union contract covered call backs on holidays--mileage if nothing else. Bummer! I know a union rep if you need one.



I have bought ribs, and I'll make them up and freeze them ahead of time. Dianne says she'll bring a big thing of potato salad, but with dressing on the side, so that we can use it over a couple of days. Salad makings are always welcome. Dianne is diabetic--not that she is too fussy about what she eats. She will be bringing her own breakfasts, as we usually have porridge and toast, and she says she avoids carbs. I don't plan on buying "snacks". If anyone needs snacks they have to bring their own. But I will make some cookies. I think I'll hard boil some eggs, so we can make egg salad or devilled eggs, maybe for lunches. We'll have lots of bottled water, and some Crystal Lite, but you may want to bring your own, if you have a favourite. You may also want to bring your own pop, as I will only have caffeine-free diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper--but I'll have lots.



I had set a deadline of July 1st for having all of my show stock done. I've worked full out for the past few weeks, and did the last little bit Wednesday evening. Now I only have three collages to mount and matt, but can't do them until I get the matts (ordered and paid for). So--now I don't know what to do with myself. I'm sure it will work itself out, but I seem to be in some sort of doldrum. Again I'm at a crossroads. I've not sold any of my serious ( IMHO) work, despite several high-profile exhibitions. People around me are selling, and I just got the invitation to a gallery opening for 5 acquaintances, as well as an invitation to a one-man show for another acquaintance. Oh S--t! More navel gazing and self doubt! Time for coffee.

Time off

I have signed up to get July 31 off work. Jim & I are planning on leaving early on Friday and getting there early afternoon. I figure it will be about a 5 hour ? drive for us. What can we bring. I can offer ribs for Daddys ribs. I still have your pork tenderloin, Pati, but I hesitate to bring it to you there. I could bring anything we need to cook. Basically, I can bring just about any meat you want, and the new potatoes should be more than ready then. Any other garden things? This should be so much fun. I am on holidays for one more day. I had to go into work today because they just couldn't balance. So, I jumped into the beast (jim had the car in Brandon); drove into town: walked into the office; looked down; and said this is wrong.. this is the number you need. Time to solution ... 7 seconds. Time I will be credited with after being called into work from holidays? ZERO! Oh well. I hope you will be able to be there, Beth. If Harry comes with you, I think he and Jim will get along fine. If not.... I can play cards with the best of them. Amber says she will be in Neepawa next week. I am looking forward to seeing her. I told her there is a steak dinner at the legion on Sunday. If she makes it... great. I also told her that she and her co-workers are more than welcome to come here for a fire/bbq while they are in town. I think that she feels she will be imposing if she brings strangers here, but they deserve some downtime while they are in town, and we have the fire and bbq whether anyone is here or not. We'll see what happens. It is early to hit the sack, but I had a bad nights sleep again last night. I see the Doctor again tomorrow. i had a couple of tests last week and get the results tomorrow. Worst case.. antibiotics.. just before a legion work party with free beer! Oh well... after working Ice water is even better than beer. Have a good weekend!

Be- Crazy weather

I know they forecast rain for most of week but it is so crazy - off and on rain and then clearing, and then rain again. And in very separate areas eg raining in Sundridge but then up the highway in next town is clear and sunny! Going on the highway you can see the cloud just sitting in the sky waiting for you to drive under it and drench you.
We were to Mothers today - had to fix her fridge which was leaking water into main fridge area - turned out to be blocked tube running from self defrosting freezer down to tray at bottom. Harry and I worked on it for about two hours but got it working OK. He called his brother on the phone (appliance repair man) only two times! There are always little "repair" jobs to be done every time we go - or on several occasions a telephone call to us eg toilet not working, and we are off to her place immediately. I hope I will never live to be 97 years old - Mother gets so upset with her inability to do things anymore - she tells me "its an awful state to be in at this age- can't see, or hear or able to help yourself....." One thing though in her favour - she has a great appetite and we don't have to worry about her not eating well. It is apparent that I shall have to prefill her dosette every time we go - she has been doing it on her own but really can't manage and is so appreciative when I am there to do it for her.
I even got some of my own housework done this afternoon before we made a quick trip to North Bay - had to go to Mike's- he called us from Petawawa with a little thing that had to be done for him at his house that had been forgotten in his rush to get packed yesterday. we drove him to Pet yesterday as I mentioned, and had a fairly good trip inspite torrential rains at times.
Well must go - Take care

Wexford St.

Sandy and Laurie McIntyre. Laurie was Grannie's niece(?), but they were of an age,and very close friends--so were more like sisters. Lorraine was named after her, and was much closer to her than Dad, but I remember visiting when I was about 15. She served sherry to everyone, and I tried to help. There was one glass on the tray that someone almost got by mistake, and Laurie had to step in quickly. It tuned out to have cold tea in it. Although Laurie always served the stuff, she, herself, was a teetotaller. She lived to quite an age--over 100. Her daughter Catherine--familiar name--was my mentor as an OT. She was the one who worked at the Municpals hospitals during the polio epidemic of the early 50's, with Eileen Nordstrom as her assistant. Catherine married one of her patients--Ian Cochrane--who became a prosthetist here in the city and, at one point, one of my instructors at University.