A Domestic Weekend

I was on my own with our son for much of the weekend. With a very busy week ahead, it was kind of nice to fall into a domestic rhythm. A staff meeting, parent-teacher interviews, an improv show, and our Matthew Barber concert all await me this week. It's going to be crazy. Did I mention that Nanny and Poppy are coming too? So, over the past few days, I did the things I know I won't have time for until next weekend.

cooking and baking (soup, bread, apple-blueberry sauce)

gardening

(even though our yard is a construction zone, spring bulbs have managed to reveal their splendor)

hanging laundry on the line

(thanks for all the wonderful responses to my "On the Line" column)

Earth Day Clean-up

Kieran constructed this garbage monster at library program. He named it "Moppy" but refused to put any garbage in it. Instead, he filled his mouth with sand. Moppy had a rough day and after losing one of his eyes, concluded his short life with this somewhat horrifying grimace.

And don't forget...

BIG NIGHT THIS WEEKEND

Friday, April 30

An Evening for Shari Mulville

The Brockville Yacht Club

Door open at 6:00pm

Admission $20

Matthew Barber (Juno-nominated musician)

Silent Auction

All are welcome!

In a Blue Room

I'm loving this picture book right now. The story is rich with imagery and the language is poetic in its simplicity. This is Jim Averbeck's first book. The illustrations by Tricia Tusa capture the drama and imagination of childhood. Like with Goodnight Moon, the colours fade as the story progresses. I always find myself yawning ( in a good way!) on the last two pages" "And Alice, fast asleep in a blue room." This is a great book with which to close storytime.

Walkin' in the Rain

Things learned on a walk in the rain:

• rain makes things smell fresh
• worms come out
• robins search for worms
• flowers perk up
• rain sounds nice on leaves
• little boys get stuck part-way down the slide

And to think I suggested we go inside when the first drops fell.

Matthew Barber Concert

We're having a concert to support the Mulville family. Several months ago, I wrote a column about my friend Shari's battle with breast cancer. Well, she's recently completed her chemotherapy treatments and is getting ready to move onto daily radiation. This concert is to celebrate Shari's strength and to provide her family with the support they need as they move into another intense phase of treatment.

Come out to see Juno-nominated Matthew Barber at the Brockville Yacht Club on April 30th at 6:00pm. Admission is $20 and there will be a silent auction.

www.mathewbarber.com

Mouse Craft

Nobody here but us mices...

We got this from Chirp magazine. Just take a triangle of paper, fold it so it looks like a mouse and secure with tape. Add some ears, some googly eyes, a nose, and a pipe cleaner tail.

Oh...and Glee is on tonight...can't wait...

Mommy's a Quitter

A mother and child are at the library. Perhaps it was last week. Perhaps I was the mother and perhaps my child was, well, the child.

Mother: [heaving a pile of books onto the librarian's counter while her child twirls recklessly into other patrons] Okay, now it's time to go upstairs and find mommy a book.

Child: Okay...okay...okay...

They ascend the stairs.

Mother: Look, a Sophie Kinsella book I haven't read. Mommy loves pink covers. Pink covers mean that the only real conflict will surround an unpaid Visa bill or an aloof boyfriend. Since you were born, Mommy can only handle books with pink covers. Mommy doesn't like books with sad things...

Child: [pulling a thousand page historical novel off the shelf] Oh, Mommy. This is just what you've been looking for. This is just what you need.

Mother: Thank you sweetie, but Mommy's happy with her pink book. That book looks a little long for me right now.

Child: rolling eyes You give up too easy, Mommy.

Mother: sighs

Native Plants

Two weeks ago, I wrote about my intention to incorporate more native plants in our garden. Native plants attract native species of insects that feed insects, amphibians, and mammals. I found a great website that outlines invasive plants and suggests indigenous alternatives.

http://www.nativeplants.evergreen.ca/

Easter Weekend Goodness

I went on an adventure today to Wendy's Country Market. Having ordered through their mobile market for a few years now, I'd never had the chance to visit the shop. I've mentioned them several times on this blog and also have a link to their mobile market. They deliver local (and mostly organic) foods and other products directly to people's kitchens. This operation has changed the way our family eats by making local foods so accessible. Now, we know we can take a little road trip to this beautiful shop.

www.wendysmobilemarket.com

Wendy's Country Market can be found in a schoolhouse built in 1860. Several generations of Wendy's family attended school in this building. Her daughter is the seventh generation to live and work on this land.

Several local meat producers sell their products here. Beef, pork, fish, and poultry are available but more adventurous souls can find wild boar, elk, and bison.

preserves, honey, and maple syrup

home-baked treats (there are a number of gluten-free choices!)

I nearly wept when I saw the greens and hydroponic tomatoes. We had a great salad for dinner.

EASTER!

I love the person who, many years ago, filled my front garden with hundreds of bulbs.

This morning, we decorated our Easter eggs. We used all-natural dyes. Here are some of our experiments. We used white eggs to get this effect.

Red Onion: With string, wrap the eggs in the onion skin and boil for 5-10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water before boiling. Results in a reddish-purple colour.

Beets: Chop 2-3 beets. Place beets along with desired number of eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Add a tablespoon of vinegar and boil for 5-10 minutes. Results in purple (I only had one beet left since the rest were of the candy-cane variety).

Turmeric: Cover desired number of eggs with water. Add 1-2 tablespoons of turmeric to the water depending how dark you want the colour. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water before boiling for 5-10 minutes. When taken out early, eggs are light yellow. Leaving them longer results in orange.