Week ending rant

I have no way of actually knowing if it was a site problem or if it was intentional, but I strongly suspect my comments were deleted from a public forum.  My comments were in no way inappropriate, in fact I was trying to be helpful.  No bad language (like I would ever be rude!  hee hee), but honestly.  At least I could have been whipped a quick message to say "Hey, we took them out because...", at least then, I would know.  This has been done for me in the past, and I had no problem with it!  There was actually a good reason, and I completely understood.  I'm reasonable like that. 

Rant over.  Let the weekend begin.

Charity cheer

As we approach the Christmas and Holiday Season, I would like to take a moment to remind people to consider donating to a worthy cause.  Whether it's the gift of money or the gift of your time in a volunteer capacity, it doesn't really matter.  What matters is that we give of ourselves to help others who may not be as fortunate.  While the holidays are typically a very happy time filled with anticipation and wonder, others experience hurt and heartache or worse, hunger.  This is not an exhaustive list, merely some ideas that come readily to my mind when I think of our community here in Ottawa.

This year, our little family has decided to donate a toy or two to Toy Mountain.  We have our 4 yr old little man, so we think it would be a nice idea to donate one for a same aged boy and another for a girl.  I can't express enough how grateful I am for the life that we have, a steady income, and a warm home to live in.  There are families who have to make the choice between paying the bills and buying food.  It's that spot between a rock and a hard place that no parent should have to be in.  

The following are suggestions for charities you may want to consider.

CHEO Foundation
http://www.cheofoundation.com/content.php?doc=21

Roger's House
www.sensfoundation.com

Ottawa Children's Treatment Centre Foundation
http://www.octc.ca/foundation/index_e.asp

Ottawa Food Bank
http://ottawafoodbank.ca/donate/ 

Salvation Army - Ottawa Booth Centre
http://www.ottawaboothcentre.org/

The Caring and Sharing Exchange
http://www.caringandsharing.ca/index.php/en/donate.html

The Ottawa Mission
http://www.ottawamission.com/

The Snowsuit Fund
http://www.snowsuitfund.com/how-to-support-us.html

Toy Mountain
http://www.toymountain.ca/content/drop-off-loc.asp

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season.  Merry Christmas to all, hoping everyone experiences a little magic.   

A holiday recipe

I love this recipe, it's a great idea for a little giveaway for the holidays, relatively inexpensive and very easy to do on a Sunday afternoon.

Apple pie filling

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
5 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 lb granny smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced



Place a rack in the bottom of a large stock pot. Fill pot with hot water. Sterilize 5 x 1 pint canning mason jars, 5 lids and 5 rings by placing on rack, jars upright. Bring water to a boil.

Boil 10 minutes and remove with a holder and allow jars to air-dry.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and water in a large saucepan. Place over high heat and cook until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

Tightly pack apples into sterilized jars. Slowly pour syrup over apples, covering them completely. Gently tap jars on countertop to allow air bubbles to rise. Screw lids on jars.

Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Add more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water.

Bring water to a full boil, cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Remove jars and place on cloth covered surface until cool.

Once cool, press top of each lid with finger, ensuring that seal is tight - lid doesn’t move up or down at all. Sealed jars can be stored for up to a year.


Crumble Topping

3 cups brown sugar
2 cups oatmeal
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter

Combine brown sugar, oatmeal, flour and cinnamon in a bowl.
Cut in the butter until crumbly.
Package in cellophane bags.

Timewarp

Tomorrow is my birthday.  I'm feeling pretty ambivalent about it this year.  Turning 33 is not really that special.  In fact, I'm starting to feel old.  I do have all these fun plans, but it sure doesn't feel the way it used to.  I used to get so excited for my birthday.  I always hoped it would snow on my birthday, one year, it did, and that was extra special.  I would like to experience a time warp where I could just skip tomorrow and go straight to Friday.  I know, I know, I'm sounding crusty and grumpy, I KNOW!  It can't be helped.  Just trying to be honest.  Life just goes by way too fast.  I look at my little man and just wonder how he got to be 4 already.  It's impossible, we just brought him home yesterday, or so it seems.  Time is just one of those things you never have enough of...I'm so scared that tomorrow he will turn 18 or something and tell me he's leaving home.  Oh geez.  Now I have terrified myself.  OK, that's enough for now.  Grumpy out.

A time to remember

Today is Remembrance Day and I would like to salute all veterans living and deceased as well as all active duty Canadian Forces personnel. I am humbled by your sacrifices, your dedication to this country and your efforts to bring peace to those who are still living in war-torn, oppressed countries.

We are fortunate to live in a peaceful country and to have rights, freedom and protection from persecution that many can only dream of.

I remember. I will never forget.

“Year after year we gather and shout commands in the Square,
Wait for the Governor-General, say a few words of prayer,
Lay our wreaths in order, mothers and big shots first,
In memory of those who have made it to the other side of the worst.”

~George Johnston, Canadian poet, Remembrance, 1966

Toy hall of fame

The cardboard box has been entered into the National Toy Hall of Fame.  It's as wonderful as Lego and Mr. Potato head!   Enjoy this article.

http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/En/News/NewsAndFeatures/Pages/The-perfect-toy-the-cardboard-box.aspx

Truth # 8

What are your views on gay marriage?

I actually have only one thing to say in response to this question.

"The same as my views on marriage."

If further clarification is needed, let me know.

Mother's intuiton?

A quick follow up to my last post.  Mother's intuition, yes, it does exist.  I knew it was more than viral.  J's pediatrician found that he has a pretty nasty lung infection.  Both sides of his chest were rattly and so off to the pharmacy we went to pick up $150 worth of prescriptions and voila, the very next day, feeling 100% better.  Slept so quietly and peacefully for a whopping 12 hrs!  Unheard of for my guy who consistently sleeps 10 and no more.  His cough literally disappeared after the first dose of meds.  One antibiotic and another to open his airways.  Trying to get the meds into him is a different matter altogether, he needs cajoling, threatening, and finally bribery to get him to open his mouth.    I'm glad we went back to see his pediatrician who is wonderful with him. 

Feeling ick

My bug has been struggling for the last couple of weeks with some kind of virus.  Fever coming and going, a nasty cough and the occasional vomit.  I feel so badly for him.  He's a super star though.  He's sleeping a lot, eating not too badly, but his spirits are good.  He is still his usual happy go-lucky self.  We've been to see the doctor once who said it's viral, it will run it's course (I think doctor's say this a lot, it's almost like their tag line.) but here we are two weeks later, still not any better.  I am beginning to question their judgement at this point.  So we have an appt later this morning to figure out what the actual problem is.  I think he needs an antibiotic, it's been long enough he's had to suffer with it without any improvement.