Weekend Captures

~2 Dozen White Roses~

~85 Chocolate Cupcakes~

~8 Bowls of Punch~

~(unlimited) Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese icing~

~106 Strawberry Shortcakes~

Added up...

made for a busy and yet beautiful Weekend.

~~~~~

My problem is this:

I have too many of these leftover.

If I could, I would ship them away! 

But alas  I cannot.

And so...

I believe this means I am in for a very 

Sweet Week.

Temporary Art

Amazing snow sculptures I came across this weekend at 

a college campus.

I cannot believe the work that went into these, 

the time and patience.

I'm truly impressed that someone has such a skill for this.

Our talents in this world are so varied and can be so original.

Each of us have been given some sort of talent...whether realized yet or waiting to be discovered.

{The trick is finding it, and then putting it to use.}

Doing what we love and were created to do, 

is what brings a peace and contentment.

~~~

How much time do we spend in our lives,

 on things that, in the long run- 

 don't matter?

I prefer Snow Flurries....

....to a Flurried Season!

It's here again.

A ~December weekend~

and not sure if I want to attempt it.

A concert in the city (which means a 2 hour drive one way).

A party (which means a rush back from the city and a meal to create).

 A family reunion of sorts (which means family dynamics!).

 A Ball to attend (which means money and the stress of the dress).

Makes you sometimes wish the lazy days of summer were still around.

~~~

My son took this picture - my coffee sitting (probably forgotten) on the table.

Trying to remember the joy for this season as I get caught up in the work.

Picking out the little things to make me smile.

Laughing at silly things.

(example.....

Asking my son why he kept a ruler under his pillow.....

" I wanted to measure how long I had slept for."

:)

~~~

Enjoying my walk views

 (and coming upon fat-free Frosted Mini-Wheats;)

Of course I stop every morning before my bedroom window and grab my favorite time of day.

Getting through my weekend will be pretty easy.

{But I am looking forward to sitting down on Sunday evening once it's all over.}

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

~~~~~~

Instead of textbooks....

....we tend to do things a little more "hands-on" for our subjects.

This weekend we went to my sister's place~
they've been studying England and wanted to present what they learned.

Of course we had to play the part.....

Queen (Dawn)Victoria and Princess (Molly)Anne

(I'm pretty sure I was yelling

 "Off with their heads!")

~~~~~~~

 My sister's place~ where she was part Owner of 

"Charlie's Fish and Chips".

Chef(s)

Homemade Fish and Chips

Eton Mess

~~~~

Guests started to arrive....

Queen Elizabeth and Charlie Chaplin

~~~~

English Schoolgirl and Oliver Twist

~~~~

~~~~~~~~~

After Guest Introductions and English fare.....we were presented with a Power Point presentation my niece and nephew put together on England.

~

Of course...no English party would be complete without an episode of MR.Bean....

and listening to music by English artists.

~~~~~~

{My kids and I are studying Thailand this month.

I'm hoping my sister realizes our presentation won't be quite so elaborate.

She's amazing.}

~~~~~~

Thanks for showing us all you learned about this country guys~

We had a jolly good time!

~~~~~


Recipe for 
ENGLISH BEER BATTERED FISH


2 cups flour
1 egg
1tsp. baking powder
salt/pepper
(mix the above together)


Add:
1 cup beer
1 cup soda water
(stir well and let sit for 20 minutes)


Dry fish with paper towel
and then dip the cod fillets into rice flour, 
followed by the above batter.
Drop into deep fryer until cooked.

Any time it's possible to learn without a textbook I'll take it.

Especially if it involves food.

:)

Weekend Shots

(coming over a hill just as the sun was rising....this was our view:)

This was one of the busiest weekends we've had in a long while.

Between Row Practices and a hometown Regatta, 

2 football games for 2 different boys in 2 different towns, 

a trip to the mountains to finish up this season of racing...

it seems I didn't even have a weekend. 

And now...another week begins.

It's late, and there are so many things to show and share...(was that called "Show and Tell" in Kindergarten?)....but for now, I'll post a few pictures of the views we encountered driving out to Canmore for my/our last race this season.

For how we seemed to run in all directions these past few days, 
it was like a deep breath and happy sigh to get to see all this today.

It truly makes me appreciate where we live! 

We get such a mix of the prairies, 

the mountains,

 lakes and rivers, 

cities and small towns and farming-

... beauty everywhere:)


Holding on to these images to get us all through another even crazier week.


Happy day to you all!
~~~

Saturday's Trail Race

(My good friend taking off from the start to begin her 29km distance...

and her view from the top!)

(Me and my new dirty shoes:)

This race was amazing for many reasons.

For one- it was my first Trail Race ever.

It sure beats pavement and being surrounded by hundreds of runners as in a "regular city race". I ran alone for most of the 16km...just me and the rocks, roots, trees, streams, and scenery!

Secondly- I got to be in the race because of my good friend- the one who inspired and still motivates me to keep running. Just when I think I cannot possibly run any farther...I sign up for the next distance because

 She Thinks I can:)

Third- I got dirty!

For those of you who know me...I am a clean freak. Absolutely!

I fell in a bog up to my knees...and loved it. I don't think I have ever been so proud of mud before.

And lastly- I finished. 

And I want to do another one.

~~~~~

Makes me realize any one can do something they truly think they can't

...especially with a good person standing behind to motivate and inspire.

Saturday at the Market....

(local resident grows these in his backyard-in RAINY COLD Alberta no less:)

-showing more of these tomorrow-

(we need our honey:)

(Corben was drawn to all the wooden creations- a ton of talent!)

(I offered to buy the largest pair of Slipper Sneakers for my teenage son- he turned the offer down:)

(my favorite lemonade)

-my favorite Turtle Fudge....and Peaches to can-

(German Sausage with a TON of onions!)

(my favorite German-Pretzel man:)

~all shopped out...until the next Saturday~

~~~

(except for the ones of the kids....pictures are courtesy of Corben:)

 He bought a new camera before I did.