Memories of Grandad

 

Now Dad's parents I only saw three times in my life.  They came to visit when I was nearly 5 at the house we lived in before we moved to our home on the highway.  The second time we went to England when Mom was pregnant with my sister and the last time was about when my sister was 2.  

We did hear from them through letters and parcels and magazines from England but to actually speak to them and get hugs, sadly that was not to be more than those times.  Overseas long distant calls were very expensive and not an easy thing to do either.    

Grandad thought it was funny that I would say 'Hi', each time I saw him and he would reply with 'Low', and smile.  He was a master carpenter and learned his trade from his father, Samuel.  Strange tale was that Grandad had no middle name because when his older brother was born after several sisters, they thought he would be the only boy and so gave him all the boy names they thought of.

I heard he had at least three middle names, and then his mom had another boy and neither parent could think of another name besides James and so that was his name - James Broomfield.  He worked his whole life for a funeral home in Enfield, a suburb of London, where he made coffins with all hand tools.  When we visited England I got to see his workshop there where coffins in all the stages of construction were standing along a wall.  Grandad was wearing his work suit, grey pants with a white shirt, his tie and jacket were hanging on a peg and his sleeves of his shirt were rolled up and had those silver sleeve holders that made sure they didn't slip down at a bad moment.  He also always wore a vest, either beige or grey, which had two pockets.  Over that his carpenter apron made of a heavy material such as a soft leather.   His vest held his silver cigarette case and his matches.  He always rolled his own cigarettes, and because Grandad was so very frugal they were the thinnest cigarettes you ever saw, Dad would remark there was only a strand of tobacco rolled in a paper.  Of course though, Grandad had see both the first and second world war as well as the depression too and both he and Gran were very careful with their funds.

Grandad, when we visited England took me out for an Walls ice cream each day after he finished work.  It was the best and richest ice cream I had ever had to this very day. 

This picture was the last time we saw them in 1969.  It was a pretty hot summer that year that they came and Grandad actually took off his tie and vest, but not to the point of wearing sandals or shorts.  There were limits to modern styles - thank you very much.  

To me, Grandad was a very quiet man, steady, strong and firm in his beliefs in life.  He loved his family and had a quiet sense of humor and smile.  I knew that he loved us, loved his wife with his whole heart and could always be counted on when needed 100%.  I may not have seen him often, but he was always in my heart.  

      

Recipes - My Baked Beans

 

Now first off with this recipe the beans are not made from scratch, I wouldn't even begin to know how to do that but I did get this recipe from a dear friend who has long past away and although I have made a few changes to his recipe to make it mine I do remember him when I make it.  He was very set in his ways about his recipes and never ever shared the full one and how I ever got it from him is a mystery to me.  He did regret passing it on and got angry thinking I had already shared it with others, which I didn't until he had past and so here is my version of Bob's Beans (not my darling hubby but another Bob)

4 cans of beans in tomato sauce (but not Heinz as it is too ketchupy)

1 cup Heinz ketchup (this makes a difference as others make it taste differenct)

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 bunches of green onions, chopped (white part only)

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 pkg of regular bacon (not maple flavoured)

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp HP sauce, regular

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix all together and baked covered for 2 hours at 350F. Remove and stir well at 45 minutes 2Xs and once at 30.

Have a great day!

Grey Cup and Christmas Cards

 

So last night was the Grey Cup (like the Super Bowl for Canada) and although neither of the teams were a favourite and the Eastern one the most disliked of the bunch, Eastern one - The Toronto Argos won the cup and really they did deserve it.  Their playing was excellent and even with their main QB injured, the second QB really stepped up and did a great job.  So, well done Argos!

Usually watching the Grey Cup is my time to do my Christmas cards but this year, for the first time in about 40 years I didn't.  I didn't for two reasons and the first one is the postal strike. 

Now I think they are shooting themselves in the foot, considering that their business has fallen completely to a all time low between the internet, computers, etransfers, cell phones and of course Amazon, who uses other companies to ship their stuff.  Yes, remote places need the postal service but being remote I am sure they have done with less in the winter when it comes to deliveries.  Sure, I send Christmas cards and some do send a few out but really not too many do anymore.  It is becoming a lost art, so what will happen is that people will make adjustments and whatever they use mail for they won't for a time until it is up and running again and life will go on.  End of my little rant on postal strikes.  

The second reason is my arthritis, although I manage to push through lots of things, my hands are not as strong as they were and they really cannot manage a lot of writing when it comes to cards, so I am sticking to writing a Christmas greeting letter here on my blog, emails to those who are not on Facebook, lots of Facebook Christmas posts and really, leave it at that.  No cards this year!  I am done or at least my hands are.  

So have a great day, my friends!

   

Weekly Musings on the 15th

 

Yesterday morning's walk the sky looked on fire - heard in my head 'red sky in morning sailors take warning'  and since the day got pretty rainy it was true.  

Another pretty quiet week which was okay by me.  We did have to head out to fill up the car at the Reserve and found out that at a certain point the car starts to flash on the dash - fill car now.  We knew we had enough for the last mile to get there but it still made you wonder if you would make it.  It was the lowest we had let the car get since we got it - LOL but a trip to London and back twice will do that I suppose.  

In the morning walk I see some have started putting up their Christmas decorations now and they are glowing in the early morning light but the temperatures are still nice for the morning walk, some mornings cool and some still pretty warm.  

That morning picture I thought was pretty cool.  Clouds above and cloud below with a strip of sunshine between.  

So, doing a bit of exploring and errands today with DD.  Her cat and ours are still separate as we are just not sure if they will leave each other alone.  Good news is that DD's cat still seems pretty content in their room and Tigger... well, Tigger is happy to be left alone.

A couple of funnies for a smile today.

Oops - LOL

Well, thank goodness for that and I think too old to be kidnapped either - LOL.

Have a fun weekend!

Books - A Coffee House Mystery

 

Second to the Miss Fortune series in my favourite series is this one, The Coffee House Mysteries.  Where Miss Fortune is lots of fun, the coffee house collection are more of a puzzle and has really various plots and twists with a lot of New York and coffee history.  

The first charming mystery in the New York Times bestselling Coffeehouse Mystery series—where caffeine and crime are always brewing...

Clare Cosi used to manage New York City’s historic Village Blend coffeehouse, until she opted for quieter pastures and a more suburban life. But after ten years away she’s back in action and back to the grind, serving up steaming hot caffeine one cup at a time.  

With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the coffeehouse, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of redecorating ideas, Clare is thrilled to return to work—until she discovers the assistant manager dead in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere.

NYPD Detective Mike Quinn finds no sign of forced entry or foul play and deems the whole thing an accident. But despite the attractive investigator’s certainty, Clare isn’t convinced. Now, if she wants to get to the bottom of things she’ll have to do some sleuthing of her own—before anyone else ends up in hot water...

The latest one is book 20... 

When a film crew's location shoot delivers an actual shooting, Clare Cosi finds herself at the scene of a true crime in this showstopping entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

Only Murders in Gotham, the smash-hit streaming program, is famous for filming in authentic New York locations and using real New Yorkers as extras. For its second season, they've chosen to spotlight the century-old Village Blend and its quirky crew of baristas. Shop manager and master roaster Clare Cosi is beyond thrilled, especially when her superb bulletproof coffee lands her a craft services contract for the production.

Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the landmark shop, reveals an old kinship with the star of the show, comedian Jerry Sullivan. Now a Hollywood legend, Jerry frequented the Blend during his early years performing in Greenwich Village comedy clubs. But the past may hold more than nostalgia for Jerry. Suspicious accidents begin plaguing his shoot. Then a real bullet is fired from a stage gun, and Clare becomes convinced something sinister is afoot.

While Jerry's production moves to exciting new locations, Clare keeps the coffee flowing—and her investigation going—even as a murderer lurks in the wings. But can she root out the rotten player in this Big Apple production before the lights go out on her? Includes a stellar menu of surefire recipes.

And in the wings is book 21, slated to come out April 1st, in the new year and it is, of course on my wish list. 

In my case it is my morning tea, but I appreciate the love of coffee too.  

Have a great day and happy reading.

Statues Around Ottawa video

 

One thing I really loved to do is find interesting or just weird statues in the places that we explored.  Ottawa has some pretty interesting ones and over time they kind of come and go as different people in charge feel the need to take some away and put something different out.  

My three most favourite of all time is Tree, Bush and Shrub girls at the British High Commission building.  If no one has moved them you can find them tucked behind some bushes on the right side facing the building.  They kind of remind me of minions.  

So, thought I would share again my love of interesting statues around the city of Ottawa.  

Have a great day!

Today's Anniversaries

 

Today is the date of our parent's anniversary and although their marriage had a rocky ending I still like to remember it because if it wasn't for mom and dad meeting and marrying my sister and I would not be here.  

So, I remember my mom and dad and their lives together.  There were good times and in the end some pretty bad ones but the good must be remembered always and not drown out by the end.

Remembering Lucille and James Broomfield with love. 

The other anniversary of this day is the date for my baptism in Delhi at what is now Our Lady Queen of Martyrs. 

This picture here was taken that day.  Of course, the date on the picture was the next year but, in those days, pictures sat in cameras until all the pictures were taken and you could afford to have them developed.  

I thought it was pretty interesting that I was baptized on my parent's anniversary.  

My godparents were my grandmother - Joanne Verhaeghe and my godfather was Bobbie Osaer, who was a friend of the family.  November 12th a special family day. 

  

The 11th Day of the 11th Month in the 11th Hour

 

I have many memories of Remembrance Day.  Dressing in first my brownie uniform and then my guide's and taking my place with my grandfather and my father and walking in the parade to the park to put the wreaths.  

Papa was in the first world war but other than the one story of his escape from a prison work farm he never spoke of it at all.  Dad did a tour in the British air force before he came to Canada.  

I remember when the government decided kids had to stay in school and take part in school services instead of with their family because they thought we would forget and it would just become a holiday.  I missed walking with my family on Remembrance Day.  

I remember Bobby, our doctor's son playing the trumpet over the PA in our high school at 11 o'clock.  It wasn't the same though.

I remember standing on a snowy day at the war memorial in Ottawa, shivering and being there for the ceremonies in our capital city.  It still was not the same as the those moments spent with father and grandfather in my little uniform walking from the legion to the memorial park to place wreaths.  My girls never had those moments and I wish they had.  Sure they were at school and they took part in ceremonies in their gyms but it wasn't the same as three generations walking together.  

Today we shall watch the ceremonies from the War Memorial in Ottawa on CBC Gem because standing in the cold wind isn't something hubby and I can do anymore and I will remember my grandfather and his story of escape and the sad look in his eyes as he remembered people that he lost and memories he would never speak of and I will not forget. 

Weekly Musings on the 8th

 

There was a lovely fire-glow sunrise one morning this week.  I tried to get a picture of how amazing it looks but phone cameras on early morning walks just don't seem to be able to capture it.  

It was mostly a usual week with hubby feeling better and able to come with me and that was great.  I really miss his company when he is stuck at home with a cold.  It isn't like we do anything different it is just that we are together.  

I read on my facebook feed this morning that a dear friend of many years is at the heart institute to have more tests in order to be put on the heart transplant list and that the heart trouble has lead to kidney trouble and they are working to try to keep her from needing a kidney transplant.  As I read her morning post I prayed for her and added my gratitude to the good Lord that it is only my hands acting up.  My friend has always been matter-of-fact about her heart troubles to the point that you nearly forget that anything is going on in her life but then she hits another bump and you realize how amazing she is to handle this with hardly a word. 

 I drove DD the 1st to London yesterday and will have to go and pick her back up on Saturday.  She doesn't drive, you see, but then when we took her driving back when she could take driving lessons she was so nervous that it would have been not only awful for her to drive but everyone around her would be at risk too.  She is way too nervous to drive.  It hasn't really changed over the years and sometimes she talks about learning to drive but it is never the right place or time.   This, of course does make it difficult for her to go looking at apartments and jobs in the nearby city of London, where she does wish to live but we shall do what we can to help as we can.  I am adding in my prayers that she finds a great place to live and a lovely job as well but then children always stay in our prayers no matter their age or ours. 

The Eastern and Western Finals in the Canadian Football League are this weekend and both hubby and I are looking forward to watching both games.  Next week will be the final game - The Grey Cup.  We are looking forward to seeing our two favourite Eastern and Western teams play each other, they are not the favourites to win according to the experts on the teams this weekend but they have been wrong before.  

I saw this funny this week and it made me laugh, thought I would share it with you too. 

 It might work - LOL

Have a great weekend.

Books - The Hannah Swensen Mysteries

 

Now I am pretty sure that most cozy mystery readers know of Joanna Fluke and her cookie shop mysteries but just in case you have missed them, I thought I would post my first series that I picked up when I started getting into cozy mysteries. 

Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you've got the recipe for this mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her comments and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up.

While dodging her mother’s attempts to marry her off, Hannah runs The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden’s most popular bakery. But after Ron LaSalle, the beloved deliveryman from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery—with Hannah’s famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him—she’s determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, so she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn’t watch her back, Hannah’s sweet life may get burned to a crisp.

Now believe it or not we are now up to the 27th in the series and Hannah's decision to finally just pick Norman over Mike is getting pretty dragged out and for a small town of Lake Eden there sure are a lot of people dying there.  It seems that this is where you go when you want to get rid of someone in your life and get caught by the lady who sells cookies.  

The recipes, and I have made quite a few of them are very good and really worth trying and I still enjoy a fun read but I am getting to the point that I think Joanne Fluke should just wrap them up and say farewell to Lake Eden, after all Hannah is no longer that young and the whole two guys in her life is getting tiresome. 

Although I have read 26, I haven't picked up this one yet and perhaps the author might just wrap this up in here and I don't know about it yet. 

As Lake Eden’s Harvest Festival sends The Cookie Jar into pumpkin spice mania, Hannah splits her focus between scrumptious treats and sharing her tiny condo with new roommates: Norman Rhodes and his cat, Cuddles. It’s an awkward but necessary solution after Norman’s dream farmhouse burned down over the summer, torched by a criminal desperately trying to conceal a terrifying secret . . .

No one has a clue about the arsonist, the body found among the ruins, or the old class ring from a local high school partially melted by the flames. But when a celebration leads to the discovery of another murdered graduate, Hannah realizes someone might be seeking violent revenge against former classmates—and must whip up a last-minute plan to find out who . . .

Now, with the help of her family, it’s on Hannah becomes a makeshift event planner to arrange an all-class alumni party at the school gym and tempt a vicious killer out of hiding. But if the true culprit RSVPs, can Hannah blow their cover and still live to slice another chiffon pie?

So as you can tell, Lake Eden is certainly the place to bump off someone who just ticks you off (by the way the first sheriff and the mayor have been done in so far.)

Oh, and if you have enjoyed the Hallmark movies with the actress that looks nothing like the description of Hannah, you will find the books pretty different.  

Memories of Papa

 

Papa and I were buddies.  He always had time for me.  Mamie was busy in the house with cooking and stuff I wasn't even sure of and her programs but Papa, he worked out in his workshop and in the garden and I was right there with him.  He would talk about the garden and his fruit trees, most of which I didn't get but I knew it was the reason his fruit and veggies tasted the best.  

He would fix stuff in his workshop and talking to me the whole time as I watched him.  

In the afternoon and evenings he would play cards with me.  Teaching me how to play rummy and crazy 8s.  We would share a 7Up and he would help me add up my cards and keep score.  

Papa was also the one who would take me and my friend Lee to the corner store to buy us Smarties.  No matter where we were when we saw his car we would start running and yelling "Papa, papa, papa!!!"  He would pick each of us up and swing us around, happy to see us.  

Papa and Mamie were the ones who got me a tricycle for Christmas in just my favourite colour.  Every five years Papa would change the trim of their house from blue to red and back again, he also painted the lawn chairs that they had to match as well, the garage door was part of it too changing it's colour from blue to red.  When we moved to our home next door to them when I saw my Papa in his workshop or garden I would fly over as fast as my legs would take me to spend time with him.  When I was older I would help mow the huge lawn that both our homes had, he was very careful to care for his lawn mowers and when he was reaching the end of his time to care for the outdoors he made me promise to not let my father use his machines as dad wasn't very careful when it came to lawn mowers.

I do miss my best buddy Papa.

  

Recipes - Dad's Pancakes

 

Now, according to Dad (who was great at spinning a tale) when he came to Canada he was rooming with other cyclists who also came from England.  One Saturday morning they told him that it was his turn to make breakfast and since he had never cooked in his life he was not too sure how do to that but thought that pancakes would be filling and easy.

He thought back to his mom making pancakes and although wasn't too sure of all the ingredients he came up with this one.  

2 cups flour

4 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups milk ( 2% or richer as skim or 1% make them too thin) 

Mix all ingredients well with electric mixer. Cook both sides in hot fry pan coated with butter until golden.

Needless to say, the guys were impressed with his cooking skills.  I can't swear that he made this up himself but it does make a good story.  

Tigger Video

 

Well, we can't do an old Bear video without a Tigger one.  She is over 11 years old now and not as quick as she was but she is still as clever as any cat we have ever had or seen.  She will still get you with teeth and claws if you annoy her which can happen at any moment but she is still our girl.

We were also remembering when Tigger got surprised when her tail grew out.  It was such a stubby little one and then one day it swung out and touched her nose and she jumped a foot and tried to see what touched her and could not believe that it was her tail... at least until she bit it.  

Have a lovely week!

Books - A Quilting Mystery

 

Another series I very much enjoyed was The Quilting Mystery.  There are 9 in the collection and no sign of any more to come, at least as far as I can tell.  

“Mary Marks has stitched together a very clever plot with a cast of engaging characters in this funny, fast-paced debut mystery.” —Laura Levine, author of the Jaine Austen Mysteries

Welcome to San Fernando Valley, California, where Martha Rose and her coterie of quilters are enjoying life on the good side of retirement—until murder pulls a stitch out of their plans . . .

Martha and her besties Lucy and Birdie are set to expand their Quilty Tuesdays by inviting newcomer Claire Terry into their group. Though at forty Claire’s a tad younger than their average age, her crafty reputation could perk up their patchwork proceedings, especially as they prepare for the fancy quilt show coming to town. But when they arrive at Claire’s home and find her dead inside the front door, and her exquisite, prize-winning quilts soon missing, Martha is not one to leave a mystery unraveled. Especially if she wants to stop a killer from establishing a deadly pattern . . .

Just a reading fun read with lots of information on quilting and life in general as one gets older with great characters from different walks of life. 

And the last book in the series tying all the back stories up that happen throughout the series. 

The ninth installment in the hit Quilting Mystery series by Mary Marks finds sleuth Martha searching for her fiancé’s ex-wife.

One loose thread threatens to unravel Martha’s wedding plans: the groom-to-be married a pregnant teen to save her from scandal thirty years ago—and the marriage was never annulled. Now Crusher’s wife Hadas is coming to LA, along with his sister Fanya. But soon after she arrives, their houseguest goes missing, with her room ransacked and a chloroform-soaked cloth left behind. Could her apparent abduction be connected to her brother’s unsolved death from a hit-and-run six months ago? Martha and her quilting cohorts must find the pattern to solve the twin mysteries and determine if Crusher is still married—or now a widower . . .

I really enjoyed every one of the books in the series as each was very different from the last.  

Have a wonderful day and welcome to November!