Always Paddle Your Own Canoe

Patty cake, patty cake . . .

2011-02-01T19:56:00.008Z

This afternoon Mr Seb woke up from his nap early. Not good. But it gave us time to do some baking together. Good!

We made this recipe for the Canadian classic, banana chocolate chip muffins (a double batch with an extra splash of milk at the mixing stage because my spidey sense told me the batter was a bit thick.) As a longtime fan of My Daddy Cooks and pretty much everything related to Baby Led Weaning, I am delighted that Seb is now old enough to stand in his Fun Pod and cook with me! This afternoon he was really enjoying pouring in all the ingredients and stirring them together . . . AND as a bonus we didn't end up with a bag of flour dumped all over the floor! (I am thinking this is a very real possibility when baking with a toddler.) After a while admittedly my apprentice's attention wandered and he just began eating the chocolate stars I had measured out for the muffins but we got there in the end. And the muffins tasted good too!

Come to think of it, I am a fan of bananas when it comes to baking. There's banana chocolate chip bread, banana pudding and banana pancakes a la Rachel Allen and let's not forget my bro-in-law Matt's best banana cake ever (not an overstatement!) So yes, a bit of a recurring theme?? Anyhow, bananas or otherwise I am determined to do more baking this year and have even contemplated trying to bake my way through The Great British Book of Baking (kindof in the fashion of Julie and Julia) but so far I haven't really moved beyond leafing through the cookbook at bedtime . . .

Beef Stew and Other Stories

2011-01-30T20:04:00.006Z

Howdy peeps! It has been (gasp!) well over a year since I last posted and longer still since I was a true regular here at Always Paddle. Now that the dust has settled after having a baby (ahem, almost two years ago!) and Mr Seb (pictured above) is well and truly a toddler I feel like I am regaining time and space in my life for other bits and pieces. Important things . . . link t'internet! Truth be told, I have been thinking about returning to blogging for a good while but ideas for a re-design etc that I am going to get to sometime have kept me from posting and in the end I have done nada. So nevermind all that, the new plan over the coming weeks is to just start sharing some odds and ends, from our world to yours.

And tonight I bring you . . . beef stew! I made a big pot yesterday afternoon with Woman's Hour and a cup of tea as my cooking companions. The freezer is topped up (this brings me immeasurable joy) and we had some tonight with mashed potatoes and peas for dinner. It was a great winter warmer for a Sunday night in January. This recipe is from Stuart's Auntie Helen from Fermanagh who is a very talented cook and a lovely lady too.

Auntie Helen's Beef Stew
1 1/2 lb stewing steak
4 tbsp flour
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
4 carrots, sliced
handful of button mushrooms
about 250 ml beef stock (I used Marigold veggie boullion)
about 250 ml red wine (more or less depending on how you like it)
a good squeeze of tomato puree
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard

Toss the beef in flour and some salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in heavy bottomed pot and brown beef. Remove beef from pot and set aside. Heat a bit more oil and saute onions and garlic over medium heat. Add carrots and saute for a few more minutes. Repeat with button mushrooms. Tip in beef and stir together. Add stock, wine and remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a bubble and then turn heat down low and simmer slowly for as long as possible . . . All measurements are very approximate! With the latest pot I used sundried tomato puree and grainy mustard because they were what we had and it was vay nice indeed.

Vavavoom

2009-12-01T20:44:00.004Z

I am fully in love with this One Day Beret Recipe! Finished last night, just in time for some frosty-ish weather here in London. You can use any yarn which is so handy (because, let's face it, we knitters do tend unleash our inner packrats when it comes to wool.) All in all, very easy, quick and rather stylin' if I do say so myself . . .

Think there's some kind of important game on this weekend?

2009-11-26T22:52:00.002Z

Booky Wooky

2009-11-26T10:40:00.007Z

Was thinking back over the past several months and happily realised that I have managed to do enough reading to do a little round-up post for book lovers. In my sleep deprived state (on which I conveniently blame everything these days) I make no promises about the incisiveness of my reviews, but here you go . . .

BB who can always be counted on for great recommendations (book and otherwise) gave me The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. Historical fiction set in colonial Canada? Yes please! An engaging story so good I read it by the glow of Seb's nightlight in the wee small hours.

Along with stacks of baby gear, I packed a few novels for our trip to Sasky in August. Luckily I included Heartburn (thanks Dwd!) by Nora Ephron, the darkly comedic story of a cookbook author whose husband cheats on her when she's pregnant with her second child (interestingly based on Ephron's real life - poor thing!) Sounds a bit tragic, but it was just the right amount of funny and fluffy for the summer hols. While in Saskatoon I enjoyed seeing Julie & Julia also by Ephron which combined two of my favs - rom coms and cooking! Can't go wrong.

Shortly after moving to the big(ger) smoke, I indulged my yearning for all things Belfast by finally reading Number 5 by Glenn Patterson, local Norn Iron author who we used to spot frequently on our beloved Belmont Road. I really enjoyed this story (ready Selfy's review here) of one house in Belfast spanning five decades and five families. I was particularly impressed how the story spans and touches on the Troubles without being exclusively about them.

Later in the fall I turned to a little bit of crime fiction by devouring Kate Atkinson's mini series of Case Histories and One Good Turn. I must confess here to developing a little crush on super sleuth and all round cool guy with hard luck, Jackson Brodie. Excited to have read something that Stu might actually enjoy, I excitedly passed them on but I think he found them kindof blah.

Not sure what this reveals(!), but lately I seem to have read a few angst ridden, slightly depressing books about marriage including The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller (yes, DwD the ending was weird), The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller (do you think she gets tired of being described as daughter or Arthur and wife of Daniel D-L?) and The Family Tree by Carole Cadwaladr. I think I would describe all three as good but definitely not great.

And that brings me to now, where I am unusually in the midst of reading some non-fiction. Stu enjoyed A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller so much that I had to give it a try. Perhaps best described as a kind of 'spiritual memoir' this book makes you think about the kind of story you're living. Deep stuff man.

Of course, an Always Paddle blog post wouldn't be complete without a food reference (or two!) and so I bring you our cookbook of the autumn, China Modern by Ching-He Huang. I have had it on repeat loan from our local library for several weeks now and have enjoyed several good dishes.

So that's the run down! Now on the hunt for titles for the Christmas season and 2010 - leave me a comment with your top tips . . .

Cool Dude

2009-11-26T09:15:00.002Z

Big news - I've rediscovered my knitting mojo! I know it's obvious, but my new revelation is that teeny tiny baby knitting is speedy speedy - fun to see a project come together quickly, especially when I only have a bit of time each night to put my feet up with a cuppa and do some stitching (I know, queue new mom sympathy violins here).

So anyway, I now present to you the oh so handsome Sebbie modeling his new Kiddie Cadet! Cool pattern and very easy, save perhaps the wrap and turn which took my sleep deprived brain a while to cotton on to. Now on the needles is the One Day Beret Recipe (ahem, taking me more than one day) which can be done with any yarn so seems like a great way to use up those wayward extra skeins.

We interrupt this programme . . .

2009-11-19T21:52:00.004Z

As I was drifting off to sleep last night, I suddenly realised that it has been the guts of half a year since I've blogged! Crikey . . . I hadn't intended to take a maternity leave from blogging (I guess you could call it that) but somehow computer time has dwindled between giving birth, moving countries, traveling to Canada and just generally learning to be a parent. Oh, and did I mention the several hundred diapers and night feeds?

But anyway, the lull in posts was always meant to be temporary and I'm feeling ready to re-enter the blogosphere, this time accompanied by the amazing Seb who is now just over five months! We'll make more of an effort to find some time to post in between enjoying our days together in London while Stu's out earning our keep. And just in case you haven't seen the gazillion pictures of him on Facebook (I use having grandparents in two countries as an excuse to take ludicrous amounts of photos), here's one of him from this morning, modelling his Child's Placket Sweater which I just finished last night. Toodle pip!

Sir Noblee has arrived!!

2009-06-21T10:55:00.008Z

Seb and Mommy a few hours after his arrival

Family photo before leaving the hospital

Seb just after birth - love the hair!

Seb - 4 days old

Introducing to the blogosphere the gorgeous Sebastian John Noble!! Our Seb was born at 3:42 am on Saturday, 13th June 2009, weighing 6lbs 15oz! We had a water birth which was an amazing experience (will spare you the details!) and I can hardly say enough positive things about our time at the Ulster Hospital's 'Home from Home Suite' and the wonderful mid-wives and other staff who looked after us.

The days have gone by so quickly since Seb's arrival - it is hard to believe that he is already a week old! We have had a couple of sleepless nights (I turned to Stu at 5am the first night home and said, 'So people really weren't joking about the no sleep thing!') but overall the breast feeding, sleeping and diaper changing routine is going really well. Stu's mum and dad are experienced grandparents who have been total angels in providing support - feeding us and ensuring we've gotten extra naps during the day as we are adhering to the 'sleep when Seb sleeps' philosophy at this point! Grandma and Grandpa B land this afternoon in Belfast and the introduction to their grandson is an event that we have all been anticipating for a long time! A friend described their arrival as 'the icing on the happy family cake' which I thought was rather nice :)

We think Seb's a wee star and about a billion times cuter than we ever imagined so we are spending any downtime just having fun gazing at him (I think 'besotted' is a good descriptor of us at this point)! Snap happy Daddy Stu has been giving his camera and our new Flip a good workout and Stalkerbook has been working overtime with all our pics. Should also mention that already in just one short week the main man has acquired some quality nicknames including Seb, Sebbie, Baby Seba (a Spanish feel compliments of his Auntie Ninny), The Sebinator, Sebastiano, Sir Noblee and Baby Seabass (as suggested by rugby fans BB and Rickshaw!)

I am guessing my already neglected blog might become a bit more neglected in the weeks ahead, but will do my best to post again soon (realistically more baby pics!)

Drama drama drama

2009-06-03T21:57:00.003Z

Who knew parliamentary politics would ever get so exciting!?! My (somewhat fuzzy) poli sci brain has been enjoying ongoing analysis of week upon week of shocking expenses stories. Now in the latest twist the Labour Party is fixing to devour itself with a beleaguered Gordon Brown as the main course. Commentators like the BBC's bespectacled Nick Robinson are busy, busy, busy (and thanks to Stu since being off I have also discovered Simon Mayo's afternoon show which features great political interviews and analysis.)

As if that weren't enough, politics junkies will have more fun tomorrow with local and European elections across the UK - here in NI it's just the EU elections (which don't seem to be about Europe at all) and after managing only just to control my blood pressure while watching the Northern Ireland Politics Show earlier this week, let's just say I know who I won't be supporting!

Hello Sunshine

2009-05-31T16:32:00.002Z

How awesome is this weather? In a shocking turn of events, we have been having a run of gorgeous sunny days in Belfast, with each day improving upon the next! I have to say, after many months of Irish rain and darkness, it's really delightful to see blue sky and feel warmth in the sun's rays.

People get positively giddy when the sun shines here. Was contemplating this earlier, and I think the Northern Ireland reaction to the arrival of warmer weather is slightly different from the reaction of Saskatchewanians emerging from the long months of snow and ice. While Canadians are so filled with relief and joy to come out of the deep freeze, in Northern Ireland there is a special phenomenon where people go absolutely 'buck mad' indulging in summer-ness, knowing (fearing!!) that these meager handful of hot days might actually be the only ones we get. I shouldn't even type that thought, but after two consecutive wet wet wet summers, I consider myself a realist.

Should also mention (at the risk of sounding mocking - all said in love of course!) how fantastically British people do summer - women do well with the rays bringing out lots of lovely summery dresses and skirts that usually only get their airing on hols in Spain or France - but have to say the men take the cake! Around Belfast yesterday we spotted lots of examples of unfortunate tattoos on show (mad props to Stu for the cracking shot!) and also the eternal sin of the dreaded black socks with shorts. Wrong on so many levels!

So anyway, keen to make the most of the balmy climes, we headed to Stu's parents' back garden for a lovely lunch and requisite lounging with the Sunday newspapers.

Blog Interrupted

2009-05-30T22:48:00.003Z

It's been a while huh? Sometime several weeks ago life got in the way of my blogging and then surprisingly, despite the two and a half satisfying years with APYOC, I got a bit shy. Was trying hard to think of something good to re-launch the relationship, and well, the pressure just got too much . . .

So what's the update then? I can hardly claim that I haven't had time, as I am now officially on maternity leave and leading the luxuriant life of a lady of leisure. I think this period would be aptly described as the 'calm before the storm' and, while I know that soon and very soon the (baby) sh*$ will hit the fan (in about two weeks actually) it is lovely every morning not to have that obnoxious alarm clock sounding telling me to get up and att'em. It's been a great mix so far of napping, coffeeing and lunching with friends and nesting (aka organising and cleaning our house, which, let's be honest, was long overdue!) People keep asking me if we're 'ready' for our new arrival - not sure if we ever will be, but the good news is that we now have a place for the little person to sleep, and even some clothes and diapers for him or her to wear. Game on.

There now. That wasn't so hard. Promise to write again soon x

Sunday Night in Belfast

2009-04-26T22:40:00.002Z

Listen!

That's Bull

2009-04-26T22:35:00.001Z

I especially like the shot of the farmer being chased down the aisle!

Credit where credit is due

2009-04-18T22:40:00.005Z

Had a quality experience at the cinema tonight. Stu and I went to Flash of Genius starring the excellent Greg Kinnear at our beloved QFT. Based on a true story, it tells the tale of Dr Bob Kearns, inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper and his long battle with Ford for proper credit for his creation. It was both sad and inspiring to watch as Kearns' becomes obsessed with seeking justice in his case - sad as his quest became his highest priority eclipsing his family and previously happy life, but inspiring as we felt ourselves rooting for the underdog in this David and Goliath type tale. Kinnear is very good at playing a tortured soul and other strong cast members include Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls fame, an appearance by my favourite, Alan Alda and also Dermot Mulroney who has a nice voice.

While we're on the topic of movies though, I should mention that the pre-movie ads were particularly unpleasant tonight - a hateful (and misogynistic as usual) Lynx ad was sandwiched by two gruesome public service announcements which I think are unique to Northern Ireland (if you've seen any of these, you'll know what I'm talking about . . . queue creepy ghost child voice, 'You forgot the battery Mommy . . . ')

Anyhow, there are a few goodies coming up on the QFT programme that we hope to get to - gotta get in those cinema visits now before Baby's arrival and we are sequestered to the house! In the Loop has gotten good reviews, and I am also keen to see the documentary American Teen. The amazing Waveriders and delightful Son of Rambow are both showing again and we'd be tempted to give them a second look.

This made me smile :)

2009-04-16T20:22:00.001Z

Not being a regular Britain's Got Talent watcher, it took me until tonight to watch this - warm fuzzies abound!!

“The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.”

2009-04-16T19:10:00.006Z

If I had a penny for every time people have advised us in recent weeks to take advantage of every piece of free time for relaxing and enjoying ourselves now, well, I'd have a lot of pennies. Because apparently, after D-Day (which is, ahem, actually approaching quite quickly) life as we have known it for the past six years together, will officially end!! We are bracing ourselves as reading, cinema going, eating out and the extravagant luxury of sleeping are on the list of things that don't really jive with a teeny tiny Baby . . . Oh, and obviously a weekend getaway at a nice hotel.

So when we went trawling on the internet for a little vacay deal, Easter weekend at the Knockranny House Hotel in our beloved Westport (pics compliments of Stu of course) seemed like the perfect solution. And it was. We had a lovely time really chilling out and even were treated to some lovely spring sunshine. The deal also included a spa treatment for the mom to be (yes, I've apparently started referring to myself in the third person) which was an added bonus. By the end of the trip I was so relaxed, I was bordering on comatose! Remind me of this in about three month's time would ya?

Mon Mome, I love you

2009-04-06T19:34:00.002Z

I am generally clueless when it comes to organised sports. I am something of a disappointing Canadian as I don't really know anything beyond the very basics about hockey, football or baseball. And I have to confess to being even more daft when it comes to sports in Ireland and the UK - highly significant events in the annual calendar of football (soccer) and rugby pass me by, and I am even worse when it comes to Gaelic football. I once asked a woman at work who mentioned that her daughters were into camogie if that was a martial art . . . errrrr, that would be no.

So, not being much of a sports fan (or a gambler for that matter) it will come as no surprise then to you that I don't follow horse racing all that closely! However, when the envelope comes around the desks periodically at work with the chance to throw in a pound to draw a horse for the chance to win, I just can't resist. Recently for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, I tried my luck on Barber Shop who was a loser in the end, despite being owned by the Queen! And on Friday for the Grand National, when I drew a horse with odds of 100-1 I was disheartened and thought that once again I had wasted my hard earned pound.

But luck was a lady for me on the weekend and I was delighted when my Mon Mome won me a windfall of £40!! The only annoying thing is that I've always said I'd like to go to one of the seedy betting shops seemingly on every corner around East Belfast to place a bet, just for kicks, and I was sooo wishing I'd gotten a bit crazy and put a bit of dosh on Mon Mome! Baby on the brain, I promptly spent my takings on this lovely changing bag by Pink Lining that I've been eyeing.

A little knitting humor

2009-04-01T22:08:00.000Z

Credit Crunch April Fool

2009-04-01T05:49:00.001Z

Do you trust me?

2009-03-31T19:13:00.003Z

Last night was girls' night at the movies as edunny and I went to the cinema to see Duplicity. (Stu, being skeptical about the romantic comedy element of the film and otherwise engaged with a meeting anyway, gave it a miss to his detriment.) Both edunny and I being long-time Julia Roberts fans, we were keen to see the starlet's much feted return to the big screen after a few years of momming it. (And I'm not going to lie to you, Clive Owen's dark good looks certainly didn't hurt either - I saw one article where the two romantic leads were referred to as 'on screen eye candy'!) The film also features great contributions from character actors Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti who is most memorable to me from Sideways.

Anyway, all that to say that this slick story of CIA (Roberts) and MI6 (Owen) agents who get involved in intelligence for private companies treated us to a fast moving and entertaining film. It was one of those twisty plots where we didn't really know what was going on for most of the movie, but in a way that kept us paying attention and engaged rather than frustrated. Roberts and Owen's relationship and their difficulties trusting each other which is expressed in almost 1940s style sparring dialogue also plays a big part.

After watching the tale of corporate espionage, we commented to each other that it was pleasingly kindof like a Bourne movie without all the covert killing. I was interested but not surprised then today to read a couple of reviews that identified the director as Tony Gilroy who is responsible for the Bourne Trilogy and Michael Clayton (which I loved and not entirely because of the George Clooney factor!) There is also a definite parallel to be drawn with Oceans 11 in terms of music, tone and pace of dialogue. Is it okay to describe it as a quick, light thriller?

Having a laugh in Dublin town

2009-03-29T13:55:00.012Z

Yesterday Dublin didn't even know what hit it!! To celebrate the return of edunny to Ireland, we set out bright and early to catch the crack of dawn Enterprise train deal. It was Stu and the ladies as we were joined enroute by downwithdigital (newly christened popomoresara) at the bustling Portadown stop.

Despite a rather windy and wintry feeling day, we managed to stay warm and have a great time eating (any suggestions on how to get BB to forgive us for going to Waga without her greatly appreciated!), drinking (worry not, no Guinness for moi), walking around, snapping lots of photos, laughing very hard, talking quite a lot and just generally soaking up the fair city. We also had the unique pleasure of visiting the National Gallery of Ireland with our own resident art expert dwd!

And the best part?? We still have tomorrow off!

Don't mind me . . . just growing a human!

2009-03-23T20:47:00.004Z

Fear not and do please keep reading - I'm not going to turn this into a pregnancy blog! But, twenty-eight weeks in (my how time flies when you're having fun) I feel something like an investigative journalist who's eating/breathing/sleeping my topic and I would like to share a couple of observations . . .

One - I can confirm that the pregnant women do indeed need to pee every three minutes. Funny man that he is, Stu recently suggested that I change my Twitter handle to 'AlwaysPiddle'. Hardee har har. At least Dooce knows my pain.

Two - I can confirm that pregnant women do indeed lose their sense of balance. I realised this most recently on the weekend as I bit it big time tripping over a curb while dutifully waiting for a pedestrian walk light. A friendly Belfast cabbie, after enquiring to ensure that I was okay (don't worry, I was!) told me that he usually does this when he's drunk. If only.

Top o' the mornin' to you and all that . . .

2009-03-17T10:12:00.004Z

I, apparently, will go to great lengths for a day off - including moving to a different country!! Today everyone in Northern Ireland (except of course those poor Protestant school children and their teachers) get to enjoy a day off to be green! So far this morning my festivities have hit the dizzying heights of sleeping in, drinking some decaf tea and eating a toasted bagel . . . Stu's doing his utmost to hold me back from the gallons of Guinness :)

Tweet Tweet

2009-03-13T22:22:00.004Z

Well, I've gone and done it! Joined the Twitter verse . . . my identity is (surprise) @alwayspaddle so come and follow me if you dare! Stu has been twitting for ages and, despite my Stalkerbook addiction (don'tcha just love the new format?) I didn't entirely get it. But alas, after my bro recently signed up I decided to take the plunge as I do like to keep track of my peeps!

I'm not going to lie to you - I am well and truly glad it's Friday evening! At the end of a tiring week I made a relatively early exit from work this afternoon which was certainly the way forward. After much discussion about what to do tonight (the world was our oyster!) we ended up hitting Boojum for dins (predictable I know, but I am of the view that if it ain't broke don't fix it!) The intention was to watch the The Lives of Others but instead have ended up half watching Comic Relief, just generally hanging out and spending a good lot of time swapping online sarky comments with friends! I am well and truly wired.

Let me entertain you

2009-03-10T20:22:00.004Z

It's been a while since I've highlighted any books or movies on APYOC so thought I'd just go big or go home and hit the goodies all in one go.

People have been asking me if I've been knitting for my little Mars bar (who really isn't all that little anymore at about a foot long and just under 2lbs!) Truthfully I haven't done all that much. Even though I'm not dead set on pink or blue, I wonder if perhaps knowing the sex would've spurred me on a bit more when it comes to picking colours and patterns. Anyway, all that's about to change, because when I was home my Auntie A thoughtfully gave me a new knitting pattern book Baby Beanies by Aussie knitter and photographer Amanda Keeys which is full of darling designs! Can't wait to get started (and yes B, book is soon coming your way for some juicy new KD ideas!)

The one positive of all the time spent on planes during the last week was that I was afforded the luxury of some uninterrupted reading time! My top pick (which, come to think of it, I actually read before I left) is a short story collection titled Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. Really amazing - even though I don't usually go for short stories, each one quickly drew me in with empathetic characters and unexpected plot turns. I loved reading Lahiri's The Namesake during my summer hols and don't know why it took me so long to get around to this collection! Mad props to DwD for the recommendation :)

So what did I actually read during my travels? I am nearly finished The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff which is a murder mystery set in a polygamous sect in Utah which skips between the 1800's and the modern day. Although it hasn't exactly rocked my world, it satisfies a weird fascination I have with polygamy (don't take that the wrong way) and while being a fictional account, it details quite a lot of history about early Mormonism. While mooching about in airports, I also picked up The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry which has received rave reviews and Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner because every girl needs a bit of chick lit now and again!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my travel time included a significant amount of film watching. Good old Air Canada must be upping its game because for the first time I had an individual screen on my long flight and, as you might have guessed, a movie watching binge ensued!! A couple have been on my list for a while but I hadn't managed to drag Stu to the QFT to see them yet. Rachel Getting Married is the story of a recovering drug addict who leaves rehab to attend her sister's wedding - while I think the film in general perhaps went on a bit, Anne Hathaway is fantastic playing this character which is so different from the sparkley and pure personalities of The Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada.

I also had a chance to see Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (I've loved you for so long) which earned Kristin Scott Thomas a best actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of a woman released from prison after 15 years for the murder of her young son. Both of these films are harrowing, but manage to portray humanity in the midst of their dark subject matter.

So, there you have it - some of my picks! Have you knit, read or watched anything good lately??

Bizkit the Sleep Walking Dog

2009-03-10T20:13:00.001Z

After a week with my family's fabulous dogs, Oscar and Cleo, I appreciated this clip!! Poor Bizkit :)

Dazed and Confused

2009-03-09T20:33:00.003Z

Well, here I am - back at my Mac in Belfast after a very quick visit home to Sasky. Was told by some of my *fans* (you know who you are Dr Nico) when I was home that I should get back onto blogging so figured there is no time like the present!

Had a wonderful time catching up with family and friends, lunching and coffeeing my way through the week! Time flew - and my suitcase came home a little bit heavier with some gorgeous gifts (including two fabulous handmade blankets - thank you!!!) for Baby BN :) Among many good days at home, other highlights included family dinner at my sister and bro-in-law's new place, visiting my bro in the Leg and celebrating International Women's Day by going for a truly luxurious pedicure with my mom, sister-in-law and sister. It was awful as usual to say goodbye but was somewhat comforted by the thought that my mom and dad are headed this way in June to meet their first grandchild! Some pictures from the week will be forthcoming but I was (*sniff*) without my personal photographer so the collection will be a bit sparser than usual!

Tonight I am waiting for Stu to get home (returning to an empty house was a bit of a bummer) and feeling slightly more human after some sleep and a shower - funny how after travelling for nearly 20 hours it's the little things that make all the difference! On my flight from T dot O dot to London I sat beside a lovely young woman and one of the cutest babies eva who were travelling to Pakistan - I decided I shouldn't complain about the length of my trip and I was also emboldened (sortof) about the not-to-distant future prospect of travelling with our own little one!

Nothing says love like banana pancakes

2009-02-15T19:40:00.004Z

I am not going to lie to you - Rachel Allen's Fruity Pancakes from Rachel's Food for Living makes for a seriously delicious stack. In the spirit of all things lovey dovey, I made them for Stu yesterday morning (an no, I didn't even think to attempt the heart shapes!)

Fruity Pancakes - makes about 12 pancakes

Ingredients:
150g plain flour (about 1 cup)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
25-50g caster sugar
2 eggs
125ml buttermilk (I add about 1 tbsp lemon juice to regular milk. I also added a bit of extra milk at the end to get the batter to the right consistency.)
25g butter, melted
fruit of your choice, about 150g in total, or 2 small bananas, mashed
sunflower oil

Method:
Step 1: Sift the floour, baking powder and soda together in a bowl. Add the caster sugar and mix.
Step 2: In another bowl whisk the eggs, then add the buttermilk and melted butter. Pour this into the dry ingredients, whisking as you add it in. The batter is ready to use now or may be stored in the fridge overnight.
Step 3: If you are using mashed banana, fold it in just before you want to cook the pancakes.
Step 4: Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and oil it very lightly. Drop large spoonfuls of pancake batter into the hot pan. Leave plenty of space between them as they spread while cooking. If you want to add other fruit, such as berries, do so now. Don't mix it in, just place it on top of the cooking batter.
Step 5: Cook for 1-2 minutes on the frist side until bubbles appear on the upper surface, then use a fish slice or something similar to turn the pancakes over and finish cooking on the second side for another couple of minutes until golden brown. Cook all the pancakes this way. Serve wisth sliced strawberries, maple syrup and bacon!

While we're at it, I would also like to give Rachel (I'm a bit of a fan) mad props for the Mediterranean Pasta Bake in her new book Bake. I made it last week (extra points for getting all the right cheeses and some nice chorizo from Sawers) for dinner one evening and it was very tasty, not to mention super easy.

Mediterranean Pasta Bake - Serves 6

Ingredients:
100g chorizo, finely sliced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
500g penne pasta
2 x 400g tinned tomatoes, chopped
175ml boiling water
175ml double cream
50g chopped spring onion
2 tbsp chopped basil
50g capers
100g olives, pitted and chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
1 tsp caster sugar
75g soft goat's cheese, crumbled
150g Gruyere cheese, grated
75g cheddar cheese, grated

30cm x 23cm oven proof dish

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven 200c
Step 2: In a frying pan set over a high heat, cook the chorizo with the olive oil for 2 minutes and drain.
Step 3: In a large bowl, mix together the dried pasta with the tomatoes, the boiling water and cream. add the chorizo and then the spring onion, basil, capers, olives and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and the sugar.
Step 4: Place the mixture in the ovenproof dish and scatter over the three cheeses, making sure the pasta is completely covered, then bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the pasta is cooked and the sauce golden and bubbling. Cover with foil after 30 minutes if it begins to dry out.

'The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.'

2009-02-05T18:56:00.008Z

BIG NEWS folks . . . it snowed in Northern Ireland last night!!!

I just watched the evening news, and I quote, 'Let's take a look a the blizzard like conditions that turned people's journeys to work into HELL . . . ' At the risk of sounding all Canadian and superior-like when it comes to weather (which I do all the time and drives Stu nuts!) . . . errrrr not so much. Despite my light-hearted mockery, I will 'fess up to joining my colleagues in watching the flakes from our office window throughout the day and this morning I opted for the very late (even more than usual) bus rather than drive to work on the slippery roads (but in truth that's probably more due to the fact that I'm still a bit R-plate shaky!)

Breath Icy

2009-02-01T20:46:00.002Z

As I type this Stu is watching Ice Road Truckers. He thinks it's a nice way to stay connected with Canada but as you might guess if you've seen it, it's not really my cup of tea. I think it's scary (because of the expanse of the frozen Arctic and the crazy rednecks who star in it.)

I am reading Digging to America by Anne Tyler on the recommendation of a friend from work. So far I am really enjoying it. The only other Anne Tyler I've read is Breathing Lessons a few years ago which I thought was excellent. I think she describes the complexities of family relationships very well.

A few friends have tagged me lately challenging me on Facebook to write 25 interesting things about myself. I wonder if I can come up with that many things that would actually be interesting without sounding poncy. Being extremely nosey I love reading other people's entries so will have to give it a try myself.

I have gone on another cooking spree this afternoon - somebody might have to step in soon as my nesting/domestic streak seems to be in overdrive!! On the bright side our freezer is now well and truly stocked with beef curry, fragrant chicken spinach curry, spinach dahl, two (yes, two) lasagnas and a batch of oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies.

Today

2009-01-28T21:57:00.003Z

Today wasn't what you'd call a good day for Northern Ireland.

Today we discovered that more than a few mice have moved into our office and I am not loving the idea of a bunch of rodent office workers tap tap tapping on the keyboards a la Ratatouille . . . although it does bring new meaning to the phrase 'stuck in the rat race'.

Today we were privileged to visit another gorgeous baby. My friend N's little imp Oisin is now over a stone and almost three months old!

Today we had hardshell tacos for dinner. 'The baby' loves Mexican food.

I wonder what will happen tomorrow?

23 hours old

2009-01-27T21:50:00.004Z

Meet the beautiful Emily - our brand new niece, born yesterday evening to the delight of her grandparents, aunties, uncles, excited cousins and champion older brother! (Less than one day old and Emily thoughtfully bought her brother a new fire engine as an 'I'm here' gift which we thought was very clever of her!) Our house continues to be all abuzz with excitement about all things baby as we had the pleasure of visiting the hospital to meet her tonight and she is just gorgeous! (Meanwhile, Stu and I will try not to freak ourselves out too badly over the thought of having one of our own to care for!) Mom and Dad are doing well too so good news all around :)

My little Mars Bar

2009-01-26T19:55:00.005Z

I had a great Monday!!! This morning we had our 20 week scan and I am still smiling thinking of the amazing experience. Slightly nervous and very excited, Stu and I looked intently at the computer screen trying to decipher different body parts from the grey and black lines and curves wiggling about on the screen. During the scan the sonographer kindly took lots of time while measuring and checking around to explain different aspects of our baby to us - she pointed out facial features, thigh bones and arm bones and four ventricles in the little heart which was pumping away (but no gender hints which was good with us because we do love a good surprise!)

When I asked how big the baby was, she said, 'about the size of a Mars bar' which struck us both as funny! In addition to a kidney bean, a size 5 shoe and a honey dew melon, we have now added that sweet descriptor to the whole host of great comparisons that have been drawn to describe the baby's size at various stages!

The Seventh Day

2009-01-25T21:45:00.003Z

For all you LemonLyman.com fans out there I thought I would post this story about the inspiration for Josh and the official new White House hottie (as if there was ever any doubt . . . ) Hey, who you callin' shallow? And, in the event that you're not completely Obama'd out after last week (I'm not), check out this fantastic slideshow that Stu found of Obama's people.

Have had an absolutely vunderbar Sunday - truly full of rest. After church we indulged in our usual ritual of coffee, toast and newspapers where upon I carefully purused the Observer Food Monthly, somehow managing to not tear the magazine into tiny pieces after reading this article which for some unquantifiable reason I found intensely annoying (recurring theme with the Guardian, I have to admit, even though it's hands down my favourite paper!) Anyway, I was pleased to find this lovely recipe for White Chilli which I made tonight. Very flavourful (not to mention easy and cheap) - perfect for winter's evening and, I have to say, kindof fun to start a recipe with a bottle of beer!

Stream of consciousness

2009-01-24T18:28:00.005Z

Oh, but I do love a good weekend.

Last night we went to see Frost Nixon and give it two thumbs up. It's really well done with very good character and plot development. I know Watergate is one of the epic scandals in American political history, but you can't help but think probably every president has done things as dodgy but old Tricky Dick just got caught. I didn't know anything about David Frost before watching the film and Stu remarked that Frost interviewing Nixon is kind of like Jonathan Ross - lovable rogue that he is! - interviewing George Bush, which is a funny thought.

Maybe I'm overly empathetic these days, but I left the theatre feeling kind of sad for Nixon but that is probably just because the film does such a good job of portraying him as something of an outsider who fell so far from glory. I am sure also I share a different perspective as I am many decades removed from Vietnam and therefore don't share the anger of that age. I would be interested to hear what people who lived through the Nixon era think of it. Come to think of it, I suppose Nixon is partially responsible for some of the cynicism within the American electorate that people have been so ecstatic to take a breather from with the arrival of Obama!

Have just been out for a walk this evening around East Belfast in the crisp Northern Ireland winter air (we're talking 3C here people.) It was lovely. I did have a sad thought on my trek though - walked by a really nice little bungalow on Circular Road that was bought by a developer obviously during the boom. Now that we are well and truly experiencing the bust (no matter what Gordon says) the windows are boarded up, the grass is overgrown and the local hoods (didn't know there were many of them up in those posh parts) have grafittied the front of it. It's sad because it was a perfectly lovely 1960's era family home with a nice big yard that quite frankly didn't need knocking down to be replaced with 10 squishy over priced flats in the first place. Okay, rant done, but I just thought it was sad.

The Boss(es)

2009-01-18T19:22:00.004Z

This morning after church Stu and I headed to out for our weekly dose of coffee and newspapers (we know this DINK-esque ritual will probably come to an abrupt end in the spring, but for now let the good times roll!) As a big fan of both Springsteen and President Elect Obama, I was delighted to read this interview (complete with free download!) which was the cover story for Observer Music Monthly.

Thinking ahead to Inauguration Day on Tuesday (believe it or not Dunny got a ticket!!), I was interested (and yes, inspired) by this excerpt from Springsteen's Cleveland speech during Obama's campaign -

"I spent most of my life as a musician measuring the distance between the American dream and American reality. For many... the distance between that dream and their reality has never been greater or more painful. I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and work. I believe he understands in his heart the cost of that distance in blood and suffering in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president he would work to bring that dream back to life.

"So I don't know about you, but I want my country back, I want my dream back. Now is the time to stand together with Barack Obama and Joe Biden and the millions of Americans that are hungry for a new day, roll up our sleeves and come on up for the rising."

In other news, January semi-frugality continues . . . I seem to be border-line obsessive about having a well stocked freezer (not sure this is a pregnancy thing or just a me thing) so yesterday afternoon while listening to the fantastic Imelda May on Dermot O'Leary I went slightly overboard and made ratatouille, sweet potato curry, oatmeal raisin cookies and banana bread. This afternoon my slow cooker has been dusted off for beef bourguignon which I'm quite looking forward to - any good recipes or bits of crock pot wisdom out there gladly accepted!

Cheer up!

2009-01-11T20:51:00.003Z

At the risk of people thinking all I do is watch movies, I have another recommendation for you! Happy Go Lucky is a wonderful film and completely refreshing compared with the usual fare in the video store (can you still call it a video store?) these days. Set in London, the film follows Poppy who is an irrepressibly happy primary school teacher. It's hard to describe (I find I often say that when 'reviewing' movies and books!) but I can say that Stu and I found it both funny, touching, and even thought provoking. As the blurb on the film's website asks, 'Just how hard is it to be happy?' (Deep thoughts for a Sunday night!)

Having recently passed my driving test, I especially appreciated some of the moments between Poppy and her driving instructor (although I should quickly clarify that I drew no comparison between my great teacher and her crazy one!) Interestingly, a bit of online background reading revealed that the film is shot in director Mike Leigh's style where the director and actors improvise the scenes before they are shot and this made for very natural dialogue and great comedy timing. Sally Hawkins is both hilarious and lovable as Poppy - I notice that she's up for a Golden Globe award tonight for best actress in a musical or comedy and I'm rooting for her!

Must see

2009-01-09T21:57:00.005Z

Stu and I celebrated the arrival of Friday with a visit to Boojom (drool!) followed by a night at the movies - thought we'd better get out there since cinema visits are one of the many things people have been telling us to do before the kidney bean arrives in the spring (because apparently as parents we will never ever have the opportunity to - among other things - read, sleep, eat out, go out for coffee or watch a film again!)

We saw Slumdog Millionaire which was really amazing. Definitely one of the best films that I have seen in a very very long time - the story follows Jamal as he grows up in a Bombay slum and goes on to become an unlikely competitor on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The movie promo poster above is very mis-leading actually - while it is certainly a 'feel good film' there are parts that are very gritty and I actually had difficulty watching several scenes (blame my delicate constitution), especially those that displayed the harsh reality of life in the slums for children (but then come to think of it you wouldn't really expect anything else from the director of Trainspotting!) Anyway, without giving anything away I will say that it is a wonderful story which is beautifully shot with fantastic, empathetic characters. How refreshing after a long drought in movies worth watching!

Failte!

2009-01-08T22:29:00.002Z

The Irish immigration officials are the friendliest I've ever encountered. Wait - let me re-phrase that. The Irish immigration officials are the only friendly ones I've ever encountered.

We flew into Dublin last weekend and as usual I had to part ways with my beloved Stu in order to go through a separate immigration line to be asked what I was doing living in Belfast and why (good questions, come to think of it.) As I stood waiting with a bunch of other people who'd journeyed a fair distance, mostly from Africa it seemed, I watched as the officials interviewed weary travelers through perspex glass. Wait a minute . . . while scanning a passport and looking up details on a computer, one official and a man from India were 'bantering' about something and let me tell you, judging from their shared laughter, the craic was indeed mighty.

Moving up in the line and pulling my little suitcase behind me I smiled to myself, thinking how this moment contrasted sharply with my usual encounters with officials of this ilk. Take, for example, the time my university friend's car was impounded by the friendly Canucks at the Canada-US border in the middle of the night during a snowstorm (reason still remains a mystery to this day.) Or I personally like the story of when Stu was unceremoniously thrown off a train traveling from America to visit me and was 'officially denied entry to Canada' which, as you might imagine, leads to all kinds of pesky questions each and every time we travel home.

But my rant, I think, is inspired by a more recent experience. Just this past autumn upon arriving in Toronto, the very first Canadian we talked to was the rudest immigration official ever (think doberman Mountie.) It broke my little heart to have my precious notion of the 'friendly Canadian' shattered by an unnecessarily harsh interrogation (perhaps I'm overstating the case somewhat but it's my blog so bear with me.) And come to think of it, while we're on the subject, can I ask why exactly (apart from an extreme need to intimidate) these officials were all wearing bullet proof vests seeing as we'd just come off a transatlantic flight (I, for one, was hoping that none of my flightmates were packing heat on the way over from London!)

So, while I tend to whine and complain about quite a lot of things related to being an 'innocent abroad' (Stu's gently mocking term for me), for that brief moment in Dublin airport I will 'fess up to feeling all warm and fuzzy for the shamrock.

Booking it

2009-01-07T21:17:00.004Z

Did you do any good holiday reading? Over the break I read The Story of Marriage which was kindly passed on to me by Beth. Truth be told Ms B gave it me a long time ago, but I am a horribly sporadic reader and lately have found that any time I might have normally spent reading before bed gets subsumed by the seductive lure of sleep.

Anyway, this won't be much of a review as I don't want to reveal anything from the story (there are a few key unexpected elements!) but I will say I really enjoyed the story and found it very engaging. If you're interested, it's reviewed here by Mr Self (but be warned as he didn't like it!)

All booky recommendations gladly accepted as I am hoping that there will be more reading to come. After a busy busy December (is it ever not?) I am quite looking forward to bit of nothing this January. So far our new year spirit of simplicity and frugality (credit crunch meets impending maternity leave!) has included mining the depths of our freezer and using up all kinds of delightful leftovers.

Happy New Year (six days in!)

2009-01-06T21:23:00.007Z

Well, it's 2009!! As we turned a corner to another year, while others made resolutions left, right and centre, for probably the first time in a long time I didn't think about revitalising (or for that matter embarking on) a fitness regime. In fact, I can say with near certainty that from here until late spring I am actually going to gain weight - get this - on purpose :) *lol*

Still somewhat groggy from the night before's shenanigans (par-tay at Anon's and then Skyping with the rents until 3am!), on New Year's Day we headed down to Dublin to catch a flight to Bournemouth to visit Stu's lovely sister and family. I am pretty confident that we are blessed to have the three bestest nieces in the whole world so it was exciting to get over and spend some time together in their rural paradise on the South Coast. We got good and muddy walking in the New Forest, played a whole lot of Wii (Stu's officially addicted and I am officially crap), sat cozily by the fire with hot chocolate and a bonkers game of Clue/Cluedo and did some pretty mean light painting in the expansive darkness of the countryside. A good way to start an exciting new year!

Chillout

2008-12-29T21:12:00.009Z

Hope all have had a good Christmas and you are enjoying this season of love, joy and eating chocolate! We have been 'offline' for several days, enjoying the B&B Chez Noble in Lisburn which has been highly relaxing. We're both amazed how quickly time flies when you're chilling out and doing quite a lot of not much :)

Christmas itself was great (apart from a nasty Christmas Eve cold) with a goodly amount of scrummy turkey with all the trimmings and then some compliments of L Noble chef extraordinaire! Gifts included a lovely watch from the ever thoughtful Stu, Bake by Rachel Allen (drool) and some gorgeous clothes in those very thoughtful packages that arrived from Canada a few weeks ago. And yes, as if all that was not enough, I am now trolling the internet for a January sale on a sewing machine (advice gladly accepted!) and looking with great aspirations at Amy Butler patterns. Boxing Day (and truthfully, the few days following it!) was traditional in that fantastic all-day pjs and watching tv kind of way.

We grudgingly decided we should eventually go back to being grown up so today made the long trek back to East Belfast in time for the highlight of meeting up with some of the Belmont Road Bloggers for lunch! You might think seven people who have never met getting together could be slightly awkward, but it was really good fun and conversation. This afternoon we ventured into town (humming with credit crunch shoppers greedily pilfering the sale racks) and I picked these swishy new specs (purple!) to replace the ones that I broke with impeccable timing right before Christmas.

Hitting the highlights

2008-12-20T23:43:00.008Z

Can you believe Christmas is in five days!?!?

Sometimes I go quiet on the blogosphere because I feel like nothing has happened in my life that's worth sharing but my most recent silence is explained by a wholly different situation - believe it or not, so much has been going on that I just haven't had the time (or perhaps the ability to focus) to sit down and post! I must also admit to falling to the hurdle of trying to cover too many topics in one post and then giving up because it's turns out to be just a big jumble - Stu insightfully likened this to the 'Christmas letter syndrome' which afflicted my dear dad one year when he tried to write a Christmas update on our family and felt compelled to go back to 1980 - needless to say he didn't really get past the first paragraph!!

So then, what's the story? Brief re-cap is that we had a fantastic, if somewhat exhausting, time in London last weekend - shopping, catching up with lots of dear old friends and eating scrummy food was on the agenda. Extra unexpected highlights included happening to meet Cath Kidston (yes, the Cath Kidston!) at a book signing for Make. This was quickly followed by a sighting Gok Wan (yes, the Gok Wan!) who was shopping for baby clothes in House of Fraser. I got a picture with Cath (evidently we're on a first name basis now) and we did our darndest to snap a sneaky pic of Gok on the mobile but we gave up after we saw shop security closing in (and we realised that maybe, just maybe, we were being a bit sad!)

Later that evening I recounted my brushes (plural!) with celebrity to two different male friends who looked at me blankly without the faintest hint of recognition on either count but I was not dissuaded, knowing my story would make for hot news on APYOC! Other London highlights included ogling sewing machines in John Lewis (I think I want this one but am still researching), some mean burgers and fries from Ed's Diner and a visit to the fabled IKnit. You can see from my description that big chunks of our weekend were driven by yours truly and here's where we all pay tribute to Stu for being such a good husband!

Okay, so what else has been going on you ask? The other big news in my world is that last week I passed my driving test!!! This folks, is a BIG DEAL!! I was surprised and super pleased to have succeeded on my first attempt (brag brag) as, truth be told, I was bracing myself for a few go's. But miracle of miracles occurred in the season of advent! I felt relieved and pleased with myself, although in practice I will likely continue doing a lot of busing, walking and availing of Stu's taxi as that's just the way my life is structured.

So, that's the scoop with me. This weekend we have been getting organised for Christmas and basking in the thought of only two more days of work before a nice break. To get into the spirit, today I channeled Nigela and made multiple batches of chocolate chip banana bread, fifteens and rocky road squares and tomorrow I intend to crank out some gingerbread loaves, all to the chilled rhythms of Merry Mixmas which I downloaded on Dooce's recommendation and have been love love loving.

Feels good to get caught up!

Market Mania

2008-12-08T21:46:00.005Z

A big thank you to everyone who came down to the Market on Saturday to visit Knitwear Deli!! We had a really fantastic day with a unexpectedly high volume of sales (hurrah Christmas cash) and lots of very positive responses. The Market was absolutely packed with people and there were lots of interesting stalls with some really beautiful crafts. For us, the satisfaction of selling our wares was added to by opportunities throughout the day to catch up with all the friends that came by for a visit!

Be there or be square!

2008-12-05T18:38:00.006Z

At the risk of invoking the wrath of the lurgi gods, I am willing to declare myself pretty much . . . cured! Well, my head still feels like it's stuffed with cotton balls and I'm tired (what's new you say?!) but other than that I'm aight. I even enjoyed being in work today - a surprisingly welcome change from mooching around the house in my pjs feeling completely miserable. And with that, I'm sure you (or at least poor Stu) will be relieved to know that I have resolved to stop all this whinging and complaining (at least for now!)

So then, I promise not to sneeze on you if you come down to what I'm confident will be an amazing Christmas Craft Fair at St George's Market tomorrow 6th December! The Knitwear Deli elves (all two of us!) have been busy busy busy knitting, cutting and gluing in anticipation for the big day and we have some pretty nice stuff, if we do say so ourselves. Even if you don't fancy some of our fine wollen goods, hopefully we'll see you there for a chat!

Deck the Halls

2008-12-04T21:18:00.005Z

I think it's safe to say that APYOC's new look makes me appear more than slightly obsessed with all things Christmas. After getting my oh so nifty Christmas countdown widget, I came this close to getting one counting down to Baby's arrival but thought that perhaps it's a bit early, or perhaps just a bit intimate (still not entirely accustomed to talking about activity inside my body!) Watch this space.

I set up our Christmas tree on Sunday night (30th November yes - but at least it was after American Thanksgiving so I think I'm okay!) Being only three feet tall, the whole process took all of four minutes.

When I was young we always went and got a real pine tree from a stall outside Safeway or the Co-op (don't worry, I'm not going to pretend we were uber-Canuckian and chopped it down in the forest ourselves.) Following the exciting occasion of picking the tree - and the mostly stressful experience of bringing it home and getting it to stand up straight (no mean feat) in the wonky tin stand - there was always the agonising experience of waiting for it to warm up and spread out so the decorating could begin. You see, a tree that's been bundled up in minus 30 weather does need a chance to acclimatise before it will spread its boughs. I remember this day long wait (yes, a whole day!) as being more than a bit torturous. You probably won't be surprised to read that I was an impatient child.

Converse to my happy childhood memories, our modelle plastique was purchased at the soon to be no more Woolies a few years ago for the admirable sum of £2.99. We sortof contemplated upgrading to a bigger one this year but then credit crunch sensibilities prevailed. Ended up sticking with the mini tree because we like the cosy glow it casts across (let's be honest) our small room and also next year we'll have a wee Kidney Bean crawling around (well, maybe not quite crawling) but no doubt at least threatening to pull any tree over no matter the size and we'll probably have to put all decorations up on a table anyway. (Interesting to note how my pregnant brain cannot stop planning/obsessing about life in the baby era!)

Oh, and I'm still sneezing, in case you're interested.

Sniff

2008-12-03T09:03:00.003Z

I think my recent baby announcement has saved APYOC! Haven't had this much traffic in ages.

I am home sick today (that's sick at home rather than sick for home, but come to think of it, that too.) Along with growing a human being, my body has been busy busy busy working overtime fostering a diabolical new hybrid strain of stomach flu and head cold, which I think is pretty innovative. I'm doing my own small part during these dark economic times by purchasing an unholy amount of Canada Dry and Kleenex. And all this without resorting to my usual beloved cocktail of Lemsip and cocodemol!

Okay, back to bed.

This just in!

2008-11-24T22:00:00.005Z

It's been a while since I've posted and I guess it would be fair to say I've been a bit . . . er . . . preoccupied! The word is out about the big news in APYOC land . . . wait for it . . . Stu and I are expecting a baby at the end of May/start of June 2009!! It's all very exciting/scary/overwhelming (in a good way) and lots of fun to finally share what has been 'our little secret' for a good while now. When I told my dear friend DwD she asked if I was going to go into knitting overdrive now. This is entirely possible.

Cut and paste

2008-11-18T22:36:00.004Z

Have had a lovely therapeutic night. Stu was out at a groaner of a meeting, so glue gun in hand I happily settled myself down to do a bit of card making in preparation for the fast approaching Christmas Craft Fair. My yuletide craftiness was well accompanied by a few installments of the most excellent Vinyl Cafe podcast. And there you were saying my life was getting a bit dull . . .

Many happy returns!

2008-11-16T18:05:00.004Z

It's a very special weekend in blog land. Stu's demonstrated his mad skills by moving his cyberhome to a swishy new address, while I'm celebrating APYOC's 2nd birthday!! Happy birthday little blog! By my count, we've had 287 posts to date, giving me a platform to chat (and yes, sometimes rant) about, well, pretty much everything! We've laughed, we've cried . . . yada yada.

In the words of my new (and he wouldn't be offended for me to say somewhat crazy bro-in-law), paddle hard and enjoy the ride!

The art of rhetoric

2008-11-13T23:15:00.001Z

Milk 'n Cookies

2008-11-11T22:08:00.003Z

The ever clever DwD just sent me this link to Gourmet magazine's favourite cookie recipes from 1941-2008. Drool. I think some holiday baking might just be coming soon to a kitchen near me.

Are you getting in the Christmas spirit yet? It certainly feels like proper winter out there (granted, not the Sasky minus thirty version) what with the pitch dark nights and the cold wind. Being that we're well into November now I have been tentatively considering becoming Christmas-y, mostly because I've recently been enjoying making felted greeting cards in preparation for Knitwear Deli's long awaited return to St George's for the fantastic Christmas Craft Fair on December 6th. See you there? :)

Also, last week we did our annual Secret Santa gift draw with Clan Noble which always elicits queries about what each person is hoping for in the area of gifts. That, of course, got me thinking during my recent visit to Waterstones. One nice treat that is definitely on my list is Rachel Allen's new book Bake. I was pleased to see, when leafing through it while sipping a latte at my favourite coffee shop in the bookstore (how great is that?), that there are lots of savory recipes as well as some scrummy looking cakes and cookies. Any other must have cook book suggestions (or otherwise!) for my wish list?

YES WE CAN!!

2008-11-04T20:55:00.002Z

Obama fever has even made it to Belfast! Here in our little living room, Stu and I are hunkering down with some Ben and Jerry's for some late night election returns. And, if my friends' FB status updates are anything to go by, I'm thinking the Democrats have got the Big Mo (ode to Josh in season 7 . . . sigh) in a mighty big way. Have to say, the world seems excited today.

Cuture in Peril

2008-11-01T22:46:00.001Z

Meant to post this weeks ago prior to the non-event that was the Canadian election 2008!

Smile :)

2008-10-31T09:06:00.001Z

Prodigal Blogger

2008-10-26T21:49:00.008Z

Not even a bit sure where the time has gone since I last posted! Well, just in case you've been dying from suspense to know if Eminem (that's N and M, har) actually got hitched, I'm delighted to report that they tied the knot on a sunny autumn day in beautiful Saskatoon. Our bride looked AMAZING and everything was just perfect from start to finish. Highlights included a canoeing bride and groom, lovely speeches, scrummy Thanksgiving dinner and a packed dance floor the whole night long! It was a true celebration!!! Handily the wedding presented us with a unique opportunity to see lots of friends and family that we don't usually get to connect with which was really so wonderful. Click here to see many (many!) quality photos of the main event by Stu.

After the nuptuals, there was much cleaning and returning of rented tables etc to be done and then finally some well earned relaxation for us two weary travellers and my parents up at the cabin which was just lovely. Stu poetically calls the cabin 'the spiritual home of Always Paddle' which I kinda like, since I'm usually wishing I was there whenever I start blogging lyrical about home. We fired up the cookstove, lounged around, went for walks and just generally chilled out. My dad and I enjoyed watching the non-event that was the 2008 Canadian election together, yelling and throwing popcorn at the TV as the commentators completely ignored reporting any races outside of Toronto!

After cabining there was a bit more time for catching up with friends and family in Saskatoon and then it was time for goodbyes which I won't dwell on now as they are truly awful and seem to be getting more so as time goes on. Sigh. We had an uneventful trip home (which is good) and then it was time to go back to work and life as we know it. I managed to be only somewhat zombie-ish at work but definitely enjoyed my after work naps (excused by jet lag I would like to think) this week while Stu had to go to London for work which meant more lack of sleep for him. Sad to think that already a week has passed since we were home.

Demain

2008-10-11T15:20:00.004Z

Nancy and the MJ are getting married TOMORROW! We've had a busy and fun week of list checking, errand running, detail discussing, thanking our lucky stars for Kate and yes, there has been partying as well! Soon it'll be time for the main event (and we won't mention the possibility of snow!)

Paparazzi Stu (who, judging by his FB activity of late, clearly doesn't have all that much to do in Sasky!) has been chronicling our adventures with some fun photo journalism available here (and he has been warned of dire unnamed consequences if he publishes one more photo in my pj's!)

Sleepless in Saskatoon

2008-10-06T15:14:00.003Z

We made it! After a smooth trip over it was fabulous to arrive to warm and sunny Saturday afternoon in Saskatoon.

Some things I liked about the trip included really fast connections (horrah for not sitting in LHR or YYZ for hours at a time!) making the trip a mere 18 hours instead of the usual 24 (queue sympathetic response here). Also, we had personal movie screens from TdotOdot to S'toon which was great. Watched What Happens in Vegas which was surprisingly funny! Oh yeah, we also had a flight attendant that reminded both Stu and me of francophone version of Al Pacino circa The Insider which was a definite highlight.

Some things I did not like about the trip included Air Canada's inability to seat us together on any of our flights! This made me feel grumpy. We had to play a serious game of seat chess (I traded four times!) to end up together. Also, the movies were absolutely dire on our long flight - Sorry Beth, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I completely don't get the whole Indiana Jones thing. Having never watched one before (yes, it's true) I thought I will give the new one with old Harrison (sad sad earring and all) a go. Totally passed me by! It was made only slightly better by the fact that I was able to knit a hat for my nephew for the entire journey as my bamboo needles seemed to slide by the crack airport security teams undetected!

All in all everything's grand except perhaps the minor annoyance of being wide awake at odd times in the middle of the night. There is no time for nursing jet lag as straight away yesterday we went to fantastic wedding shower for my sister hosted by our kind and generous aunts which was lovely (and had the added handy benefit from my perspective of gathering many relatives and friends together all at once.) It's vunderbar to be home with my family!

Pack yer bags

2008-10-03T22:14:00.003Z

I try to plan ahead. I really do. But alas, despite having known about the big trip home for a good six months now, here we are doing our late night packing and tidying the house ritual. Thankfully we're nearly done now which explains why I'm on the internet rather than scurrying around.

Thankfully I managed to get the requisite wedding gift, dress and shoes (very pretty imho) well in advance. Nonetheless, the family will be glad to hear that tonight we found ourselves scrambling to Sainsbury's to buy large quantities of Namosa and Jaffa Cakes!

Could do with fast forwarding 24 hours now and just getting straight to the arrivals gate!

Free your blog, the rest will follow

2008-09-28T12:19:00.003Z

The lovely L and C sent me a link to these marzipan knitting cupcakes. Yes, you read that right. How much do I love these!? Just looking at them made my day!

It's the weekend again, and excellently in exactly five days from now we are heading home for Nancy and Matt's wedding! On top of getting together with friends and family to celebrate these two wonderful people, I also just can't wait to see everyone and be in lovely Saskatchewan for Thanksgiving (turkey dinner at the wedding reception!) Btw, if you're interested, here's the gorgeous pottery they have had commissioned for wedding gifts - great idea!

It's been a very lazy Sunday morning for us - I've been pottering in the kitchen, drinking tea, making soup and a curry for dinner tonight while listening to the very hilarious Jon Richardson on BBC Six Music. Hmmm - once a colleague told me that I was pre-maturely middle aged (I was probably talking about cookbooks or something.) Maybe she's right.

Too Funny

2008-09-26T19:56:00.001Z

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Clever clever internet

2008-09-16T21:19:00.000Z

Hilarious!

2008-09-16T16:42:00.001Z

Home Truths

2008-09-15T18:17:00.004Z

I am watching the evening news and have basically concluded that the world is falling apart, what with all the collapsing banks etc. This, combined with the fact that we basically had no daylight today (and no, last time I checked this is not the Land of the Midnight Sun), has made for something of a morose Monday!

When in doubt . . . knit! For all you craft-skeptics out there, check out this story just to find out how hip and happenin' all we knitters really are. If, on the other hand, you are not averse to enjoying a bit of cake with your stocking stitch (who doesn't really?) you might also enjoy this article (as spotted by the Curly Singer) which applies a bit of high brow typically Guardian-style analysis to the recent trend toward domesticity. Don't panic though - I'm a good ways off from starting my own WI!

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”

2008-09-12T21:00:00.002Z

What fun do you have planned this weekend? I think Friday evening is quite possibly my favourite time of the week.

I made this Aubergine, Potato and Chickpea Balti for dinner tonight (and there you were saying I don't know how to have a good time . . . ) It was really lovely (despite the couple of omissions in the recipe, like when to add the chickpeas!) And yes, I know what you're thinking - everything I blog about cooking is 'lovely' and 'turns out wonderfully' but rest assured, that's only because I can't be bothered to highlight the so-so's or the bombs! ;) I am, by the way, loving the UKTV Food website - free recipes galore!

Oh yeah, and check out Stu's post to see why Belfast and I will never be a match made in heaven. (We manage to live in an uneasy harmony most of the time.)

Lights, camera . . .

2008-09-11T21:35:00.003Z

We saw Man on Wire tonight - so wonderful - go if you have the chance! Visit Stu's blog for his review which I endorse wholeheartedly.

Every morning after checking Stalkerbook, me and my cup of coffee peruse CBC Sask and the Globe and Mail to get all caught up on the news at home. Lightweight that I am when it comes to hard hitting news first thing in the morning, (next to all the Palin stories of course) I have been enjoying all the TIFF coverage. (Yes, it would seem that I'm back on my favourite topic of movies!) I have compiled a little list of flicks to catch whenever they finally get around to showing here. I didn't, however, enjoy this story which just oozes with romanticized misconceptions. (For the record, Stu, a real live Irish person, shared my indignation!)

Karate Chop Chop

2008-09-10T17:45:00.001Z

I am just recently home from my BodyCombat class and am still laughing. I had a new instructor tonight who, for some reason that to me still remains a mystery, felt compelled to shout little pearls of pop psychology wisdom into the microphone against a background of very loud dance music. Jab, cross, hook . . . 'You must love yourself!' . . . Roundhouse, sidekick . . . 'You must believe in yourself!' . . . Scissor kick . . . 'Let's count our blessings ladies!' Seriously. Now, don't get me wrong, I love this workout. And well, as funny as a room full of 30 sweaty women kicking, punching and hiya-ing (okay, well, I don't really hiya) might look, it's certainly therapeutic after yet another frustrating day chained to the desk. It certainly makes you sweat and yes, it clears away the cobwebs. But the earnest Dr Phil exhortations were, perhaps, a kick too far.

What's in a name?

2008-09-09T21:06:00.006Z

People so do not get my double name. I say this because I got a letter today at work addressed to Julieanne Broten-Oble. (Didn't mind, truth be told, as it evoked a fond memory of of our friends' son Sam who used to call Stu and I collectively 'the Oble's'.) The other day as I signed for a recorded delivery the postman (who, incidentally, is a dead ringer for Sean Connery - not a word of a lie) remarked that he wouldn't like to write my name out out after a few pints. I often get Julie-Anne Broten-Noble which I think looks like I've been blessed by the hyphen fairy. And that, ladies and germs, concludes my mini rant for the day.

I had a driving lesson tonight after work and, well, it wasn't a disaster, so that's promising . . .

A few of my favourite things . . .

2008-09-05T20:59:00.003Z

Stu and I love going to the movies. After a hard day's work I can think of few finer combinations than Boojum and the QFT. Last night after scrummy fajita burritos we saw the film Paris which, despite what this uppity movie reviewer says, was really well done. I really like movies that weave together a bunch of individual stories. Juliette Binoche is beautiful and magnetic as usual in her leading role and the soundtrack added a lot too. As you might guess from the title, the city itself is one of the film's best characters. I left the cinema daydreaming about how we could fenangle a Parisian weekend getaway!

So yes it's true, if you did a credit crunch analysis of our cash flow, you might find that we spend a fair wee chunk on things like movies . . . and coffee! To our delight (or peril?) some great new cafes have opened recently in and around the hood . . . In picking my hot spots, my two key factors to consider (apart from the coffee quality) are atmosphere and, it has to be said, the selection and goodness of the tray bakes! And so, without further adieu I must blow the trumpet for the splendid (and dangerously close to our house!) 'Eat etc' on the Belmont Road. We are also really liking 'Ground' which has opened up on the top floor of Waterstones in city centre - it is perfect for a Sunday afternoon newspaper reading session, although (at the risk of sounding like a grumpy DINK) during our visit last week the nice vibe was marred ever so slightly by two small children who screamed and yelled about the place the whole time we were there.

'I'm ginger and I'm proud'

2008-09-05T07:27:00.003Z

Check out these links - despite scare mongering, I'm pleased to see that ginger power is going strong in Wolverhampton . . .

Stranger than Fiction

2008-09-03T20:42:00.006Z

As you might have noticed, we are West Wing addicts. But somehow I don't think even Aaron Sorkin could've come up with the recent storyline of the Republican VP candidate! (Speaking of which, did everyone catch this story about Sorkin's upcoming movie about Facebook? Here's hoping Josh is in it - swoon!) I actually happen to agree that politician's children should be off limits so please don't think me irresponsible for posting the graphic compliments of this guy - I just thought it rather clever . . .

Very little else is new in the hood. Here in Belfast it's officially fall and right on queue the temps seem to have dropped significantly. Now instead of it being rainy all the time it's rainy and cold all the time. Charming. On the plus side, the arrival of autumn might give me an excuse to do some 'back to school' shopping and order these beauties.

Oh, and I must mention this upcoming gig announced this morning - Stu and I were seriously bummed when we realised that we can't go due to an unfortunate calendar clash which calls into question my fabled status as a dedicated JR groupie.

Mardi soir

2008-09-02T21:27:00.002Z

Me and an enthusiastic customer at the ever colourful Knitwear Deli stall on the weekend

Oh, pity the neglected blog! This will be quick, but I promise, more to come soonish . . . If, in the meantime you need a laugh (as I often do these days) check out Dooce - she's delightful (mad props to net savvy edunny for the tip!)

I am on my way to bed, reflecting on the profound realisation of just how many people from West Wing have gone on to be big hitters in other shows . . . Tonight the Chief from Grey's turned up! Who knew?

Family Tree

2008-08-26T22:03:00.005Z

Was putting together some pics for my mom in preparation for a family reunion this coming weekend and couldn't resist sharing these happy looking snaps . . .

Saturday night and the gentle art of domesticity

2008-08-23T21:13:00.004Z

Just was flicking around on Ravelry and discovered this gorgeous pattern for February Lady Sweater. How lovely. There is simply not enough time for my ever expanding queue of projects!

I love Saturday nights. Even a weather whiner like me is willing to admit that (yet more) August rain is not entirely depressing when you're warm inside with good food and good company. After being out on the town last night it's nice to take it easy. Tempted by the glossy photo in the cookbook, I made this Bill Granger recipe which was delicate, tasty and yes, fragrant . . .

Fragrant Chicken and Spinach Curry
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp tumeric
pinch cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
750g boneless chicken thighs, cubed (I used 4 chicken breasts, cubed instead)
400g tin chopped tomatoes (I added an extra tin to make it go a bit farther)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
90g baby english spinach, finely chopped
large handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the spices, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Add the chicken and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is browned.

Stir in the tomatoes and salt and bring to simmering point. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the sugar, lime juice and spinach and stir until the spinach has just wilted. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with coriander and serve with steamed rice.

Lovely.

At the risk of sounding like a Delia wannabe, in terms of speedy cooking I can heartily recommend ginger, garlic and chili's in a jar (as recommended by my savvy sister-in-law R.) Is that a boring thing to devote blog space to? Don't answer that.

I like the way you work it

2008-08-20T17:07:00.006Z

Well, Stu's recent foray into the world of Photoshop inspired me to give lil' ol' Always Paddle some snazzy new duds - ain't she purdy? Thanks to the wild and wonderful templates available free from - brace yourself- Suck my Lolly and the very user friendly Picnik haut couture blogging is easy as pie.

Things are just ticking along in my world. Back to work after hols is never (ever) fun, but thanks to a lovely evening out last night at the swishy Cloth Ear with the Curry Club to celebrate Anon's big 3-0, I think we might just make it through the week. (And before you comment, yes, Tuesday night is a very respectable night for cocktails thank you very much.)

Right this very minute (in addition to bloggin' that is) I am making dinner for the in-laws (expected momentarily) while listening to BBC 6 Music - it's the bomb.

Anymore relaxed and I'd be in a coma . . .

2008-08-15T20:21:00.009Z

The bottom picture is from my favourite time of the day on our holiday - after spending literally all day (nearly every day!) under our beach umbrella reading, napping and reading some more (how good is that?) we lingered on the beach into the evenings to watch the blazing sun set and take in the happy vibe as families came down for a dip.

So yes, we had an incredibly relaxing and wonderful time - more by luck than planning, truth be told, our apartment turned out to be perfectly located in Juan les Pins, only a minute's walk from the beach, train station, grocery store and cafes. The coastline, while humming with Parisians en vacance, is stunning and the warm water of the Med actually is turquoise. We did some sightseeing to Nice (very cool) and Monaco (kindof weird) by train but the plus 30 temps meant that for us sun-starved folk la plage was our favourite destination.

Hightlights were many - morning coffees in the sunshine, visiting fabulous food markets in Antibe and Nice, using my mad French skills to save the life of a pigeon (there's a story there, oh and it's a goodie!) and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention our mid-afternoon granitas on the beach.

Stu and I burned through paperbacks like they were going out of style and I can proudly boast that I read five books during the week! I absolutely loved these three -

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant has been on my list for a long time and I am glad I finally went for it. The book tells the story of Dinah, Jacob's only daughter, who gets only a passing reference in the Bible. I got into the story immediately and loved hearing the story of Jacob's clan (including the tale of Joseph) from another perspective and to learn more of the role of women in that time.

Next I read The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahari as recommended by the illustrious Down with Digital. DwD has flawless taste in pretty much everything, so I knew this would be good - the emotive andengaging story follows Gogol, the son of parents that immigrated from India to America in the 1970's. Great characters and I can't wait to move on to Lahari's short story collection.

I was on a serious roll as far as good reading went because I then started Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. Totally wonderful redemptive story of through the eyes of children set in the American mid-west in the 1960s. I loved Reuben the narrator's voice and his younger sister Swede (great name) made me think of To Kill a Mockingbird's Scout.

Well, that's probably enough book reviewing for me for one night! If I were responsible I would go put my wet beach towels in the washing machine and shake the sand out of my suitcase . . .

Away with the fairies

2008-08-07T21:54:00.002Z

Having had quite enough of real life, what with its unending drizzling rain and the whole having to go to work five of seven days thing (excessive if you ask me!) we're taking a very welcome hiatus for a week in the sun.

I might be back.

Brangelina and other stories

2008-08-06T20:56:00.005Z

This blog entry will not be long because I have the honourable intention of getting to bed early tonight . . . Unfortunately I keep getting distracted with other pressing and important tasks like reading a Vanity Fair article about Angelina Jolie (who I generally find really very annoying) which is how I spent the last 15 minutes . . . Speaking of, I had a peak at the much sought after family pics while grocery shopping yesterday, and let's just say imho while all six(!) of the children are lovely looking I'm not entirely convinced that the snaps are worth the rumored $11 million!

Anyway, Hello magazine tells me that the new Jolie-Pitt twins were born in Nice and what do you know, that's where we're off to tomorrow night!! (How's that for a tangential link huh?) Only one more day of work to go before the week off which, if you ask me at this moment, is one day too many . . .

On a completely random side note, if you're a fan of a good homemade curry, try this completely scrummy Chicken Tikka Masala recipe which I enjoyed all the more because it was made with TLC by the Stu the other night. While the recipe's not exactly French (okay, not at all), the chef John Burton Race has a cookbook called French Leave so there you go.

The Dubliners

2008-08-04T21:09:00.006Z

We're smiling in these mug shots because we're at the wonderful Wagamama. Our late lunch was a great ending to a lovely day out in Dublin with Stu's parents, Derek and Lesley. Never one to sniff at a bargain, I had booked us some killer cheap train tickets on the Enterprise (the promo's on until the end of August!)

On the sightseeing front, we have often thought of going on the tour of Kilmainham Jail and were really glad that we made the effort this trip - Visiting friends and family be warned, I will now be adding this to my list of recommendations as it's very good for modern Irish history. We also managed to cram in breakfast at Avoca (I know we're predictable but really, why mess with a good thing?), a bit of shopping on buzzy Grafton Street (a sundress for me and crime fiction for Stu in readiness for our fast approaching hols) and even time for some mid-afternoon refreshments at the lovely Cafe en Seine.

All in all the big day out was only marred ever so slightly by having to share our very crowded train home with many - shall we say - 'enthusiastic' football fans, not to mention their requisite air horns and tins of Harp. Charming.

'She's like a fox - she kills for fun.'

2008-07-30T20:41:00.006Z

The title of this evening's post is brought to you by the novel I was reading in the cafeteria at lunch today. Sometimes I take my tuna sandwich and my book and eat there all 'Norman no mates' because I think it's only right to leave the desk at mid-day.

Feels like Friday night ce soir. After work I did some errands and got some groceries on the way home and then prepped dinner and made it to BodyBalance so came home feeling all chillaxed, as though all is right with the world. We watched a dvd while drinking tea and I rediscovered my love for cutting felt, all crafty like.

It's been raining a lot this week, but I've been unusually zen about it. We were treated to the most amazing, gorgeous day on the north coast last Saturday and ever since I've been okay with the rain. I think getting a healthy dose of Vitamin D reminded me that sometimes it's a good idea to stop worrying about things and just live a little. Anyway, as long as I'm in the right state of mind, I actually love hearing the rain coming down in the early morning through the open window - a feeling inevitably and tragically spoiled by the dreaded alarm clock.

So here's what put me in such a good mood (for a change) . . .

Saskatchewan summer

2008-07-23T21:01:00.003Z

While browsing an old friend's random pics on Facebook, I was delighted to come across these two snaps. Taken in 1994 and 1995 respectively, they are truly the stuff memories are made of. The first pic is on a Pioneer Saskatchewan Camps canoe trip where we giddily decided to give ourselves 'mud baths' on the banks for the North Saskatchewan (don't ask why - we were 14!) The second picture, also on a Pioneer trip (but of course), we had just finished swimming in rapids in the Churchill and I can still vividly recall that exhilarating feeling, evidenced in our smiles! The best part? I still count those lovely faces as dear friends.

Denial is a river in Egypt

2008-07-20T20:46:00.004Z

I ask you, how could nine whole non-work days have managed to zoom by so quickly? I demand a recount . . .

So we're home from Sligo after a great (very busy) week away. Stu and I were well and truly wrecked (read tired) when we got home on Friday evening but a fairly restful weekend has managed to remedy that for the most part. Skillfully ignoring the laundry and housework, I spent yesterday afternoon trolling the sales trying on many a little black dress for the Ninnygoat's October boda. Happily I found one in Monsoon that I love love love (and it was reduced - even better!) so that's fun.

Am planning an early-ish night tonight in the hope of being all bright-eyed for work (not likely) as the scintillating task of culling emails after being off awaits. Come to think of it, peppermint tea and a chapter of The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets might also be in order . . . Par-tay.

Cha Ching

2008-07-17T16:04:00.004Z

Greetings from Sligo! The sun is shining this afternoon for nearly the first time all week, but the even the drizzle hasn't stopped us from having a great time with our fellow New Winos . . .

Heard a really interesting and inspiring presentation yesterday from an amazing organisation called Christians Against Poverty. CAP has 72 debt counseling centres in local churches across the UK. They have provided high quality, in-depth debt counseling to over 17,000 people since starting eleven years ago. CAP stands between the debtor and the person in debt and develops re-payment plans to help most clients become debt free within five years! I was glad to hear that the UK has quite robust laws to protect an adequate level of living costs from creditors (the only problem being that most people who are being harassed by lenders don't know about them!)

It's intriguing (but not really surprising) to think that the service has been so well-used over the past decade which has been one of the most prosperous in the UK. How much more relevant will this charity be in our current credit crunch?

When there is nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire

2008-07-12T18:03:00.003Z

Must give proper credit for my post title today - it is just the best line from a Stars song. Heard it on Dermot this afternoon and was struck by blogspiration . . .

While flames crackled across Belfast (including, I would furiously note at the Woodstock Road Library - sorry B!) we were thankfully oblivious. The lovely Stu had booked us into the Culloden for a getaway which included a most scrumptious dinner at the Bay Tree - long renowned for their cinnamon scones, it is now my new favourite place for an evening meal . . . After such a chilled evening, not even the discovery of melted pavement bearing witness to a fire for a bit of craic on our very street(!) when we arrived home could distrub my zen-like headspace (okay, well, if you know me at all you'll know that's not true!)

We are getting ourselves organised tonight to head to Sligo for the week to volunteer at a Church of Ireland conference. Randomly our living room is currently well stocked with some serious candy for the conference tuck shop! Many a lovely folk from Willowfield are heading down, so we're looking forward to a fun week with its fair share of madness and late nights.

Oh Happy Day

2008-07-11T07:13:00.005Z

Stu and I got married five years ago today! This is a very short note as I'm dashing out the door to work (last morning before a week off - hurrah!) but wanted to post a pic on this special day to commemorate half a decade together (and yes, typing that is making me feel old!)

Me likey

2008-07-08T20:38:00.003Z

I have a bit of a short attention span. No sooner am I two sleeves into a project than I spot the next must have (hmmm - the language of addiction ringing any bells?) Knitty is such a great (Canadian!) resource for free funky patterns. So anyway, who wouldn't agree that the Shetland Shorty is really gorgeous? I even have some purple cotton yarn I got on Freecycle (three cheers!) that would do the job I'm thinkin'. It would be perfect for summer so I'd better get going if I'm to wear it this season . . . drool.

You are my sunshine

2008-07-06T20:29:00.007Z

Here's a post about a few totally unrelated things that I've been diggin' lately. And, these days when it seems to rain most of the time, I'll take a little sunshine where ever I can get it . . .

Last week I finished reading The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon. (Yes, even though Richard and Judy make me cringe something fierce I read their book picks - so sue me!) It took me a little while to get into, but once I got to know the characters I really enjoyed this book. I like historical fiction and this story is set during the Crimean War in the mid nineteenth century and features the story of the war's nurses including Florence Nightengale, about which I previously knew nothing. Now I know something so that's good. And there's a bit of romance too which I like.

Incidentally, if you've got a bit of time on your hands during one of these rainy nights in, get yourself on Iplayer (by the way, I absolutely love Iplayer - it is the future) and watch a little Mary Queen of Shops. It's like Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares for the clothing industry (and without Gordon's sexy voice over - aww.) Slightly sad and painful to watch sometimes (as in, what were they thinking?) but compelling TV. Mary's cool too.

And finally, true to my word we've been Rebar-ing (is that a word?) Maybe not every day in July so far, but quite a lot. The other night I made this truly amazing chickpea cashew Indian spiced hummous - fragrant and delicate (can I describe it that way without sounding totally annoying? Probably not.)

Bombay Hummous from Rebar
1/4 c canola oil
1 ince piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (Incidentally, I am totally into ginger in a jar and garlic in a tube these days - very handy.)
1 540 ml can chick peas
1/4 c cashews, roasted
juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
pinch turmeric
pinch cinnamon
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped mint

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor, and pulse to blend. Blend to a rough puree and season to taste. Get yerself some carrots, get dippin' and wait for the clouds to clear x

What's goin' on . . .

2008-07-05T17:16:00.004Z

We saw Smart People at the cinema earlier this week. It was really good - quite like The Squid and the Whale I suppose (which I also liked.) Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker were good, but I know I am not alone in love love loving Ellen Page and of course Thomas Haden Church who is just wonderful. The whole movie night outing coupled with a trip to the amazing Boojum (drool!) was arranged by the lovely Stu in an effort to console me after having to say goodbye to C and R at the airport. I'm so not a fan of the goodbyes (but then, who is really?) Few too many of them in my life for my liking!

Today I marketed which was good - continuing to have really good reaction to the wonder that is Knitwear Deli :) and sold quite a few knit kits which was fun. There's really no predicting what will sell and if things will be busy or not, but it's always interesting to see how the day unfolds. The only downside really is having to get up at bloody half six on a Saturday morning - I was especially unimpressed as it was absolutely chucking it down (an apt expression in this case!)

While at the market I bought some coriander/cilantro and basil plants to keep my rosemary plant from R company! Have to say, I am thrilled to bits at the idea of having herbs out my front door. (Here's hoping the neighbourhood lovelies don't see fit to abscond with my planters.)

Tonight we are chilling which suits me just fine. I am drinking wine and listening to Duffy which I just bought with the help of Itunes. I also, but the power of text, got dear Beth to buy me a pair of to die for Camper shoes at the shop in Dublin. Amazing how proficiently I can spend money without even leaving my living room! Genius.

Freecycle it

2008-06-30T21:09:00.002Z

So I joined Freecycle Belfast a few days ago. I had read/heard about the Freecycle concept in the newspapers on various occasions, and being (1) hopefully earth friendly at least some of the time, (2) a lover of free stuff and (3) nosey about what fun and curious items people might be trying to get rid of, I finally got in gear and signed up to the local message board.

What fun!! I have somehow managed to subscribe to the instant email notification which means that whenever somebody posts, I get a message. (Yeah - fun and slightly annoying in terms of email overload!) Anyhoo, so far I've many a message for all manner of baby and kids stuff (toys, car seats . . . ), garden stuff (pots, cacti . . .), broken down bikes, computer bits, appliances in all manner of disrepair, spare windows, worn out furniture, pieces of wood . . . you get the picture. And yet, everytime my email pings (I am a slave to the ping!) I can't resist rushing to the Mac for a quick recky. Who knows, maybe this will be the time when the sewing machine I covet so is offered? You can't win if you're not in.

I shouldn't be facetious - Even as a new member, so far I have managed to score myself some yarn from a lady who lives just up the street. Being a hoarder of all things yar, this made me happy. I also was able to donate an old bike that's been collecting spider webs in our back yard for too long to a man called Maurice (pronounced Morris here, I am told) who refurbs them and sends them to Africa. Not bad for a few emails.

Eat yer greens

2008-06-29T16:46:00.003Z

Along with her winning smile and staggering aptitude for organising a spice cupboard and planting a window box, my sister-in-law R kindly brought the Rebar cookbook to Belfast.

Oh, veggie goodness! It's full of fresh and healthy recipes, and Stu and I are contemplating going all Rebar all the time for July (all or nothing I say), just for a summery change. This afternoon in an effort to console myself as it's Canada Day long weekend and we're here in the rain doing nothing remotely Canadian (which should involve a lake) I cooked Monk's Curry. Picked for its good name and the fact that I had most of the ingredients in the fridge already, it was a tasty dinner. All in all, I enjoyed being in the kitchen just for the fun of it and when all's said and done find myself moderately consoled (in case you were worried.)

Snippet

2008-06-28T17:29:00.004Z

Stu got back to Belfast after a few days away in London yesterday. I'm glad he's home to distract me from the fact that IT'S STILL RAINING!!! I was also glad it was Friday evening - probably my bestest time of the week. Wild child(s) that we are, we had stir-fry and watched West Wing (we've gone back to the very beginning, and don't think I'm too sad, but it's better than ever!)

What with all the rain and requisite sitting on the couch, I'm knitting this cardi in what is best described as periwinkle. So far so good. I've done the back and am on sleeve number one. In my humble opinion as a yarn snob, sometimes Sirdar can be a bit granny-y (no offense to the grannies!) but I think this will be nice. Got the pattern and yarn in Annie Twaddle's shop (yes, really!) in Ballymoney.

I like weekends.

Duvet Day

2008-06-25T20:37:00.003Z

I had to go to Scotland on Monday for work. That sounds fun, but in practice it just meant a very early morning and too much time spent on planes, trains and automobiles. One perk, I have to admit, was getting a chance to quickly duck into John Lewis in Glasgow to visit their lovely haberdashery department to get myself some lovely Cashmerino. Mmmmmm.

To be fair, I suppose my normally eager traveling spirit was more than a little bit dampened by a serious case of the sniffles. (Which, incidentally, was how I justified taking myself out to dinner to Glasgow's Wagamama for some spicy noodle soup.) After dragging myself halfway through the work week sustained by some serious amounts of Sinutab, I ended up spending today in bed sneezing, sleeping, reading and yes, knitting.

This afternoon I dug into some of my newly acquired stash and made this tomato beanie pattern that I've been eying for sometime. Think these fruit and veg hats will go down a treat at the Knitwear Deli stall when the weather gets cooler (or, come to think of it now, since autumn seems to have arrived already!) Sorry that my pic's a bit wick - must borrow a baby to model the wares!

Blown away

2008-06-22T08:32:00.002Z

It was warm and sunny here for about two and a half (okay, three) weeks in May. Now, as gale force winds threaten to hit the UK today, apparently summer was over before it officially began. Shoot. Me. Now.

Okay, I'm over it (and looking very forward to our week in the south of France in August!)

Despite the weather, we've been having a wonderful time with our company. It's been so fun to have C and R here, and we've enjoyed just hanging out, cooking meals together and exploring Belfast and further afield. (As an aside, we love visitors, so don't be shy!) I think they've managed to hit most of the highlights in the Fromer's Ireland guide, and after extensive investigation, I think we're all agreed that The Spaniard is our pick of the pubs in the Cathedral Quarter.

je suis, tu es, il est, elle est . . .

2008-06-18T21:00:00.002Z

Argh!! You might know from reading this thing that from time to time I have the ability to leave things to the last minute. I was of course full of good intentions as always, but malheureusement, such a time is now . . . !

The clock is ticking as I study for my French exam which is on Friday afternoon (just where did the time go anyway?) And no, I haven't done a whole lot before now, apart from listen to the odd bit of RFI, just to be all cultural like. Anyhoo, I've spent a chunk of my night ce soir refreshing myself on the wonders of the subjunctif and trying desperately to cram vocabulaire from a year of night classes into my lil' ol' brain (that, let's face it, would rather be watching old episodes of West Wing.) Motivation level is not high as, you guessed it, French is an essential requirement to be an employed in Belfast! Come to think of it maybe I should take up Ulster Scots . . . ?

Page Turner

2008-06-17T21:22:00.004Z

I am a bad blogger and, shamefully, an even worse reader. As with the blog, I am a sporadic literary - when I hit one good novel I usually then go on a roll but I must admit that long periods of time can go by when only magazines and newspapers manage to grab my attention for a few minutes before my head hits the pillow . . . My love of the Amazon DVD club might have something to do with this and, come to think of it, what I really need to do is master the skill of knitting while reading . . .

Anyhow, my new O Magazine arrived through the door yesterday (yes, I subscribe, yes, I love it and no, I am not ashamed so all you Oprah skeptics sit tight!) and the theme of the magazine (yes, the magazine has a theme) is 'A good book' so I am looking forward to a whack of new recommendations!

All that to say, what are you APYOC readers into this summer? Drop me a comment and share your top titles for the beach or the couch (chick lit welcome!)

Yawn

2008-06-10T03:47:00.003Z

It's ten to five in the morning and for some as yet unexplained reason I'm wide awake! Argh. Just had a good catch up on the phone with Mom though, so that's a plus.

After a bit of Stalkerbook and browsing Ravelry, in the wee small hours of the morning one ends up reading stories like this on the net. Time well spent. I will be no doubt be fresh as a daisy at work tomorrow . . .

Viva weekends!

2008-06-08T13:32:00.003Z

Yeah, the comic has nothing to do with the post.

Anyway, thought I'd take a break from my frantic house tidying (regretfully I tend to leave it 'till the situation's serious bordering on critical and then freak out with a major overhall!) to blog a bit.

Yesterday was a good day with lots of nice time spent with quality folks. In the morning we went out for breaky with Stu's parents - they were just home from a sunny two weeks in Tenerife and it was their 40th wedding anniversary (wow!) After the family time, Stu headed down to the Dub to see Radiohead - I'm not really cool enough to want to get in on that so I spent the rest of the day with friends which is, of course, time well spent. In the afternoon I met up with my friend Sara (aka to me as the Original Domestic Goddess) for a cuppa and lots of catching up with was lovely. Then in the evening I got together with The Celtic Angel and Anon (hehe - I do love the nicknames - makes it all sound more exciting . . . ) for an evening of wine, laughter and talking 'absolute rubbish' (as we are not ashamed to admit!) It was great. Stu thankfully made it home in the wee hours of the morning without incident and by all accounts the concert was great, if a bit chaotic what with the thousands of drunk people.

This afternoon I am tidying (and soon to start some baking!) in anticipation of the arrival of my bro and sister-in-law later this week for a visit :) Here's hoping the uncharacteristic Irish sunshine holds!

Groovy

2008-06-07T17:15:00.001Z

Loadza news!

2008-05-26T20:27:00.006Z

The past couple of weeks have been busy and full of good stuff. Where should I start?? The biggest and the best news of all is that my dear sister Nancy and her main man Matt got engaged!! We are so very delighted for them - wedding planning is all go and I'm doing my best to chip in from afar (boo hoo) which mostly involves surfing websites for pretty dresses :)

Phew! What's next? Feel like I'm trying to cram a bit too much into one post (that'll teach me for being a delinquent blogger!) I must mention that last weekend we spent a lovely couple of days in the idyllic countryside of Fermanagh with clan Noble toasting my in-laws who are forty years married next week! It was a special highlight to spend time with our lovely and often hilarious nieces and nephew.

The next big thing was kicking off work early one evening last week to head to Dublin to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band live in concert - it was absolutely amazing night with a crowd of 30,000 strong outdoors at the RDS. Bruce (as I like to call him) was really incredible (the fact that he's pushing sixty doesn't seem to be of any consequence) and I am now a devoted (read completely and totally smitten!) fan!!

And with that, I come to this lovely bank holiday weekend. While it pissed down on rest of the UK it was gorgeous sunshine here (that literally never happens!!) which was most excellent. We got all energetic yesterday and headed to Newcastle where we went on a 'walk' up Sli ev e Donard, Ireland's tallest peak. I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I have to relay a very funny moment when I was determinedly (and yes, slightly red-faced) trudging up the last steep bit, only to be met by a smiling six year old on his merry way down! The view was lovely and the wild sea wind at the peak blew all our city-living cobwebs away. Today was spent sorting piles of paper and stuff (needs must!) that seems to accumulate so quickly in our wee house and then sunbathing in our local park. How lovely. I have come to the conclusion that every Monday should be a holiday . . . just sayin'.

Ribbet

2008-05-13T21:08:00.003Z

I have a knitting desk calendar (evidence that, among other things, my Stu is a pretty dang good gift buyer!) Anyway, my tip of the day this morning was to be willing to give up on something when you know it's not working. In short when it comes to all things yarn there is no shame in frogging!

I have been working on Green Gable for a few weeks now and gave it special effort over the week away. I finished the body tonight and eagerly slipped it on only to discover that a few of the misgivings I've been feeling while working in the round are sadly true. It's slightly big and the pale green colour, while nice and summery, shows every stitch (or mis-stitch as the case may be!) Trying to be frugal, I had used some stash yarn (apologies to non-knitters - this post is plumb full of the stitchy jargon) and I had kindof suspected that it wouldn't quite be right. Lessons learned include trust your instinct and don't be afraid to splurg on the right yarn(!)

Anyhoo, I still have to finish the sleeves and I am hoping to decrease size in blocking (I am such a blocking novice so not sure how that will go!) so I may yet be delighted with the finished object - fingers crossed!