tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214054682024-03-14T08:46:51.042-03:00Ann's Unfolding LifeAnn Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.comBlogger614125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-32036328092966426102013-07-10T18:11:00.000-03:002013-07-10T18:11:28.762-03:00Taiko Drums!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here's a short clip of an AMAZING performance by <i>Shozuidaiko</i>, the Japanese Training Mission's Taiko and Brass band, on their recent visit to the Port of Halifax. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mRejYiPPbYI" width="480"></iframe></div>
Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-70800002015597910852013-05-16T13:07:00.001-03:002013-05-16T13:07:53.588-03:00Lila-dog's sudden illness and departure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Note: I've wanted to post this for a while, but I never had it quite the way I wanted it. I wanted more pictures, better pictures to capture her joie-de-vivre, but circumstances have forced my hand. Yesterday morning, our other dog, Casey, died of a sudden illness. Both dogs in six months. We are pretty devastated here, but at the very least, I have to get Lila's memorium up now so I can make way for Casey's as well. What a horrible problem to have.<br />
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A couple of weeks before Hallowe'en 2012, I wanted to get Lila's shots up to date, so she could go to the park for walks again. She had developed a small squishy area on her tail 2 weeks prior, so I mentioned that as well when we went into the vet's. The vet said to wait on the shots, because the tail lump looked suspicious - I truly had no idea, it just looked like water retention. The doctor took a biopsy, but said he had to send it away for further tests - it didn't look like a fatty deposit under the microscope. It turned out it was cancer, and she needed surgery. She had a tumor within a tumor - a small malignant one surrounded by a large fatty benign one. The post-op examiners had never seen one like it.<br />
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But as awesome as the surgery went, and as clean as her wound recovered, she never did. She shook all the time, had difficulty eating. We tried pain meds, and mood meds to calm her, and appetite increasers - nothing really worked well, she ate sparingly and kept losing weight. She stayed in this state for about a month. And always, in the back of our minds - had the cancer already spread? The margins still had cancer cells in them, it was possible. Then she finally took an upturn and started eating more. We thought she'd make it! Definitely to Christmas. I bought her a special Christmas collar with bells on.
But a week after that, one week before Christmas, she took a terrible downturn. She couldn't even take in water. It was over. It was the weekend, the hospital was closed. I wanted her regular care doc to see her, so we had to wait until Monday. Give her till Monday, and maybe she'll turn it around again? But that Sunday night I stayed downstairs with her all night. She was at the end, and we both knew it. She refused even the water I tried to put on her lips with my fingers.<br />
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Monday morning we got her in, and her regular care doc was able to send her on her way, with Dave and I gently rubbing her body as she faded away. Her doctor was just so awesome throughout this whole thing - he has Jack Russells himself, and he understands their moods and how to deal with them. All the reception/tech girls were really pulling for her too, and all were sad to hear she couldn't make it. The girls used their casual day monies for an "angels with fur" charity, and they made a donation to that charity (which helps animals in need), in Lila's name. So sweet!<br />
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Lila and Dave and I tried so hard, but it just wasn't enough. I'm still having flashbacks the grocery store - I made so many soups and cooked strange meats and things to try to get her appetite going, every aisle reminds me of her.<br />
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But I wanted this post to celebrate the good things about her life - for most of it, she was a very happy puppy!
She loved to flop on her back at the top of a sunny, grassy hill (flower-filled was even better still), and wiggle her way back and forth slowly down the hill, belly to the sun.
She loved the summer - the hotter, the better. Sitting in the grass, out in the hot sun of a summer's day, she looked perfectly content and at peace. Winter - she hated. Couldn't wait to get back inside after a quick pee outside. Hated to wear her little sweater, too, which she was very cute looking in, regardless. She did enjoy a short game of 'catch the snowball', however.
She shook when she got excited. Or scared. Or hungry. Or happy...
To Lila, every time we left felt like she'd never see us again (a result, we think, of us being her 3rd owners). She greeted us with an effusive abandon I've never seen before. It was darling. We called her wiggle puppy sometimes, and that's why - she'd shimmy and twist her whole body in delight, jumping up and down and wanting to give kisses each and every night we came home.
We also called her football, because she was built like one, LOL.
She loved peanuts.
She honked when she was happy. She snored adorably at night. She barked almost constantly during play. It was a habit she picked up early in her life and despite our best efforts, she never overcame. We got her a mini soft frisbee to hold in her mouth during outdoor play time so she would carry it around and growl through it instead of outright barking.
She was a picky eater! We went through many different brands to find something she'd love. They stopped making her favorite brand (Alpo soft beef) and we never found it's equal.<br />
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She was a dear, sweet puppy who died young for her breed, only 10 1/2 years old, and deserved a far better life than she was given. Rest in peace, wiggle puppy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ann.learnpysanky.com/blog/LILA2/IMG_0902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ann.learnpysanky.com/blog/LILA2/IMG_0902.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She loved the kotatsu almost as much as the cats. No pics of her
underneath as she liked to do on cold winter nights, but here's a couple
of her on top, enjoying the sunshine through the window - having so
little fur, she was a big fan of all things warm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every now and then, we'd take off her collar, she found them itchy. Here she is 'naked' on the back hill enjoying a warm summer day.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying her new doggie bed a couple of years ago. When Casey got a new, bigger one, Lila tended to hijack that one, and Casey was left fitting into this tiny one, just big enough for her butt. Dogs...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-50479209151585277752013-04-22T15:11:00.002-03:002013-04-22T19:25:14.459-03:00Spring is coming...slowly!Over at my parents house with Casey today - the crocuses are in bloom! Bees are out pollinating, the sun is shining - it's a nice day!<br />
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<br />Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-68270307751347297952013-04-21T16:10:00.005-03:002013-04-22T19:26:13.902-03:00Gardening officially begins!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This year, most of the seeds I bought are early spring starters, so since it was a lovely sunny day earlier this week, I went for it!<br />
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Its hard renting a home and not being able to make a proper garden. :/ But I'll have to continue to be content with container gardening, as long as I've kept my goals realistic. I chose mostly flowers this year, but I'm sure to end up with more veggies as the spring progresses - my folks always buy extra and give me some. :)<br />
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I wanted to plant Bachelor's buttons last year, but I didn't get seeds until it was quite far into the season, and when they sprouted, they were devoured almost immediately by bugs. There's a reason for following the planting times on seed packets - not only the weather is appropriate, but the bugs that would feast on particular plants aren't around until the plant is properly established. So this year I bought them in February :D.<br />
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I'm planting a display of Bachelor's Buttons interspersed with California poppies. The mostly blue buttons and mostly red poppies will make a gorgeous combo. They're the same growing height too, so they go together naturally.<br />
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My mother's mom (my Baba) used to grow Calendulas. We had them for many years growing up, it was one of the first flowers I was able to identify because it was so common at home. Their unique, large, curved seeds were fun to gather as a child. I chose some large Calendulas to grow this year, a lovely pale yellow. They'll be grown in the back of the same pot as Night Scented Stocks. I grew them as a teenager at home and never forgot them. How delightful to go out in the late evening and smell their amazing perfume!<br />
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For veggies, I still have my garlic that I planted last fall (the best time to plant--mulch well and they are ready to pick in early summer!). I planted quick growing crops this year - green onions (scallions) and radishes. I still have to plant the potatoes I have sprouting in my kitchen right now though! I think I need another pot... :)<br />
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Should make a nice display, and leave me some little things to add to my diet. :)<br />
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Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-61198160119753090662013-04-06T13:00:00.000-03:002013-04-06T17:55:35.848-03:00Wonderful news for Hope for Wildlife!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I've <a href="http://www.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-8118700565871442%3A5pvnyx-b0qz&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=hope&sa=Search&siteurl=annmorash.blogspot.com%2F&ref=&ss=243j24585j4#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=hope%20for%20wildlife" target="_blank">mentioned before</a>, Hope Swinemar is pretty much an angel on earth for animals of all stripes. And thanks to an enormous donation from a person watching their reality show in Ontario, they got a huge piece of equipment they really needed! It's super news for this group that will help them get animals diagnosed much faster, leading to better survival rates.<br />
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Read all about Mitchell Fenton's 43,000$ (!!!!) donation so they could get a new digital x-ray machine, at the <a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1120951-society-gets-a-ray-of-hope-for-wildlife" target="_blank">Chronicle Herald</a>.<br />
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Congratulations to <a href="http://www.hopeforwildlife.net/" target="_blank">Hope for Wildlife</a>!</div>
Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-53424599701819840992013-04-02T22:16:00.001-03:002013-04-02T22:23:58.972-03:00Clearcutting affecting Broadfork Farm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Having just read that farmers should leave patches of land for <a href="http://annmorash.blogspot.ca/2013/03/local-bees-best.html">natural habitat</a> so local bees can stay healthy with a varied diet, it was heartbreaking to read of what's happened to these poor farmers in River Hebert, NS. Broadfork farm sounds like they've been really trying to keep stewardship of the land foremost in their minds as they grow their crops.<br />
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And then this happens next door.<br />
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A New Brunswick company apparently was given permission to clearcut the nearby property to this farm; and the results, as you can see, are devastating. I won't go into more detail here, the letter the farmers wrote eloquently puts all of the facts down in a succinct way that I'm sure I couldn't if I were in the same shoes. How they can contain their rage and devastation over this is beyond me - they're better folk than I.<br />
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So, read the link below, and see what they have observed, and their fears for the ecological future of the area.<br />
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<a href="http://broadforkfarm.com/2013/03/28/clearcuts-affect-farms/" target="_blank">Clearcuts Affect Farms!</a><br />
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Thanks to John van Gurp (of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/7740422940/?ref=ts&fref=ts" target="_blank">Halifax Chickens</a> - someday, John!) for posting the link on Facebook.<br />
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Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-20790035519464007902013-03-26T22:55:00.000-03:002013-03-28T19:59:01.048-03:00Upcoming Easter Menu, Mark I - with recipes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This year, "regular" Easter and Ukrainian Easter are the farthest apart they can be--five weeks. So Ukrainian Easter won't be until May this year! I'm saving the more traditional Ukrainian items like bitter beets for Ukrainian Easter. Except for the mushrooms. Can't hold those back! <br />
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I got a lovely <b>pork picnic shoulder</b> for the ham this year, going to bake it in the slow cooker, then glaze it in it the oven. Your typical brown sugar, Dijon mustard glaze. And I'm going to do that cross-hatching the fat and studding it with cloves thing, too. Yum! (An example is here, using maple syrup too! <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/classic-baked-ham-with-maple-mustard-glaze-10000001598619/" target="_blank">http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/classic-baked-ham-with-maple-mustard-glaze-10000001598619/</a>)<br />
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<b>Potato and mushroom bake</b> is a fantastic side for a baked ham, a delightful combination of flavours that's really different from regular scalloped potatoes. My only change is that I only use 1% milk, I find if I use cream it makes it too rich to eat as much as I want. :) I also use Swiss Cheese instead of Gruyère. <a href="http://www.muminawe.com/recipes/potato-and-mushroom-bake.html" target="_blank">http://www.muminawe.com/recipes/potato-and-mushroom-bake.html</a><br />
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My <b>pidpenky</b> will be prepared as I always do, according to my recipe on my learnpysanky website. I'll be using mostly Portobello mushrooms this year, because I want this dish to be a little more robust this year. <a href="http://www.learnpysanky.com/recipes/pidpenky.html" target="_blank">http://www.learnpysanky.com/recipes/pidpenky.html</a><br />
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And I'm going to try this delicious-sounding recipe for <b>Bourbon mashed sweet potatoes</b> I haven't tried before. I might end up simmering the bourbon a bit longer than stated, as I do find sometimes when cooking with whiskey that the alcohol doesn't burn off enough and the dish ends up a bit harsh. <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/bourbon_mashed_sweet_potatoes/" target="_blank">http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/bourbon_mashed_sweet_potatoes/</a><br />
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<b>Uncle Steve's pickled eggs</b> (see my recipe: <a href="http://www.learnpysanky.com/recipes/pickled-eggs.html" target="_blank">http://www.learnpysanky.com/recipes/pickled-eggs.html</a>) and my Habitant mixed pickles (<a href="http://mtpearl.colemans.ca/habitant-sweet-mustard-pickles-750-ml/" target="_blank">http://mtpearl.colemans.ca/habitant-sweet-mustard-pickles-750-ml/</a>)will round out the meal. <br />
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Dave's family recipe for <b>pineapple whipped cream squares</b> will be our dessert. I buy canned whipped cream now, because I found it hard to use a whole container of it before it separates. I know, talk about your first-world problems...<br />
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<u>Super Simple Pineapple Whipped Cream Squares</u></h4>
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Make a graham cracker crumb crust (you can buy the crumbs in most supermarkets, or buy the crackers and squish them up yourself). About 1 1/4 cups of crumbs to 1/4 cup melted margarine or butter. Press into 9" pie plate or equivalent square bottom dish.<br />
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Drain a can of pineapple chunks or bits well. Mix about 2:1 or 1:1 ratio of pineapple with whipped cream (enough to make the pineapple stick together nicely). Spoon onto graham cracker crust.<br />
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That's it! SOOOOO good, too. :) <br />
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Have a great Easter, everyone!</div>
Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-71010321431253173762013-03-21T19:22:00.001-03:002013-03-21T19:28:28.401-03:00Local bees best?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://ann.learnpysanky.com/blog/2008-07-12-bees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://ann.learnpysanky.com/blog/2008-07-12-bees.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I've heard several theories regarding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder" target="_blank">bee colony collapse</a> - a fungal infection, bees having an adverse reaction to GMOs, and the common practice of packing up and moving bees between fields and farms for mass pollination of one crop at a time leaving the bees with severely weakened immune systems (because it's natural to take pollen from several types of flowers -- you'd get sick too if all you ever ate for 3 days was asparagus, then candy for 3 days, then bread for another 3, etc.).<br />
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Connecting with this last point, they've done a study that says the "wild" bees (as opposed to the bees brought in for the mass pollination described above), actually do a better job of helping the plant reproduce, as "imported" bees tend to result in more plant inbreeding. <br />
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They're now recommending that farms leave more untouched wilderness around their fields for "local" bees and other pollinators to live in, get a balanced diet in, and stay healthy.<br />
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Bees are a vital link in the food chain, their importance cannot be overestimated. <br />
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We've certainly enjoyed watching the many different type of pollinators, mini and bumble bees and more, since we let our backyard go "natural", it's full of long grasses, bluets and strawberries in the spring, clover and thistle in the summer, and goldenrod in the fall. <br />
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Read more about wild bees and this latest study on the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2013/03/01/science-wild-pollinators-honeybees.html" target="_blank">CBC</a>.<br />
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Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-6330335356947257502013-03-06T22:41:00.002-04:002013-03-06T22:42:22.791-04:00Stompin' Tom has passed on...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Reported on the CBC, Canadian music icon Stompin' Tom died today. He wrote some really awesome, down to earth songs about Canada, and Canadian topics, like hockey, and PEI potatoes. All catchy, all easy to sing along to. I think every Canadian knows at least one or two of his songs, if not more. He will really be missed, as a minstrel of Canadian life. :)<br />
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From the CBC: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/03/06/stompin-tom-obit.html" target="_blank">http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/03/06/stompin-tom-obit.html</a><br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/TNEg65rlnu4" target="_blank">Bud the Spud</a> - about PEI potatoes! And <a href="http://youtu.be/qFYV0P5f_t4" target="_blank">the Hockey Song</a> - the good ol' hockey game.<br />
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Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-1423544218404635302013-01-19T19:18:00.001-04:002013-01-19T19:31:36.879-04:00Oops...lobsters and crabs CAN feel pain, after all...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There's a growing body of evidence that means the food industry needs to come up with a more humane way to kill shellfish before they are prepared for human consumption. It turns out that shellfish like lobsters and crabs can not only feel pain, but will seek to avoid it if they can. We (try, mostly) to humanely kill our other animal food sources -- at the very least we acknowledge they feel pain. One is not allowed to be cruel by tearing the legs off a live animal, for example. But this is a practice that is done every day in the shellfish industry and in the food preparation of shellfish around the world. I wonder what world culinary and fishing reaction will be...considering the complete lack of action on the <a href="http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-overfishing/" target="_blank">almost extinction levels of tuna</a> (it's not cuddly, so its hard to get people to care it might go extinct shortly), I'm not very hopeful... :(<br />
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Read one of many articles surfacing about this latest study <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2263712/Lobsters-crabs-feel-pain-action-avoid-happening-again.html?ito=feeds-newsxml" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Edit: This is <a href="http://www.trevorcorson.com/old_blog/2005/12/how-to-kill-lobster-dedicated-to-david.html" target="_blank">a great post</a> from a while back on Trevor Corson's old blog, discussing humane ways to dispatch lobsters when preparing them in your home. An interesting read!</div>
Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-15492919645184636222012-04-15T23:30:00.000-03:002012-04-15T23:30:00.102-03:00Amazing World we live in now...<b>Wow.</b> Technology will continue to allow us to do the most amazing things, improving our lives in ways we can't yet see. This story is incredible, about a little boy who got lost, ended up being adopted out to another continent, and then, miraculously, was able to find his hometown and his family again once he grew up, thanks to Google Maps!
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From the BBC: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17693816" target="blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17693816</a>Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-71167123320797463002012-04-08T12:00:00.000-03:002012-04-08T16:57:39.204-03:00Happy Easter (dinner)!Hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful Easter weekend. I'm working, of course. :) Hotels never close! But I still made a nice meal for us to enjoy, albeit separately.
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I tried <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Easter-Ham-with-Golden-Breadcrumbs-and-Madeira-Sauce-395032" target="_blank">this recipe</a> for ham, but left out the sauce (I just used a little toupie ham, so the drippings weren't really existent). So basically, it was a steaming, then glazing with Dijon and brown sugar, followed by a packing on of toasted bread crumbs baked on high heat for a few minutes. It looks DIVINE...
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For sides, I went with <a href="http://mtpearl.colemans.ca/habitant-sweet-mustard-pickles-750-ml/" target="_blank">mustard mixed pickles</a> (a jar of Habitant in the fridge is a great memory of childhood, it always goes great with pork and ham dishes), my fave <a href="http://www.learnpysanky.com/recipes/pidpenky.html" target="_blank">pidpenky</a> (my own recipe, an amalgam of ones I found online) with garlic, wine and beef consomme, candied carrots (with a little butter and brown sugar, although <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/honey-glazed-carrots-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">this</a> sounds really good...), possibly vinegared beets (I'll share the recipe if I end up making it - its a symbolic dish for Ukrainians, with the red symbolizing the blood of Christ, and the vinegar and usually horseradish symbolizing the bitterness of the death Jesus faced), and for a starch we'll have Potato bread stuffing - I'll use <a href="http://www.recipesource.com/fgv/stuffing/potato-bread1.html" target="_blank">this recipe</a> as a base - instead of poultry seasoning, I'll likely use a lot of sage and a little summer savory, little minced onion, etc (check out more details on how I've made my dressing <a href="http://annmorash.blogspot.com/2007/10/thanksgiving-time-is-here-again.html" target="_blank">in the past</a>). No paska this year though, no time! (Here's <a href="http://www.learnpysanky.com/recipes/paska.html" target="_blank">the recipe</a> my family's used for decades). And no koubassa either :( you have to hunt in this city for decent stuff, we don't have a large Eastern European community like Montreal or Toronto. Although we are getting more ethnic cuisine from other cultures, slowly over time, which is great!
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Just a side note: I love <b>SOAR</b> (which is where the stuffing base recipe came from) - for SO many years in the early days of the Internet, that was THE place for online recipes. They don't show up high in the search engines these days, but there are a TON of great recipes there (and not a lot of repeats of the same ones over and over that you find on ALL the sites, this site was before those days!), be sure to take some time to <a href="http://www.recipesource.com" target="_blank">look around</a>! The ethnic foods section was especially amazing, you just didn't have access to these recipes unless you were brought up with them - it was really inspiring!
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So, that'll be Easter supper here in Halifax - hope you have a great Easter supper celebration wherever you are! Christos Voskrese!Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-11336593775034233162012-04-01T00:31:00.000-03:002012-04-01T00:31:00.564-03:00Speaking of bees - amazing bee evolution in Japanese bees!Speaking of bees, bees in another part of the world have come up with an AMAZING defence mechanism against their worst enemy, the very agressive giant Asian Hornet. Their stingers can't pierce its tough exoskeleton, so they devised a "hot defensive bee ball" - they all get together in a swarm around the invader, and beat their wings until they cook the hornet to death inside the ball, while remaining unharmed themselves!!!!
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AMAZING... Read more <a href="http://www.canada.com/technology/mess+with+Japanese+honeybees/6378837/story.html">here</a>.Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-84870485065151077982012-03-31T00:00:00.000-03:002012-03-31T00:00:02.640-03:00No Bees = No FoodAnother link in the chain has been discovered in the mystery surrounding the seemingly world-wide collapse of beehive colonies. A particular type of pesticide that was developed to be less damaging to humans and mammals apparently affects the bees so they are unable to return back to the beehive, reducing populations and making them extra susceptible to stresses that can collapse the whole colony.
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<a href="http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/29/studies-link-pesticides-to-plunging-bee-populations/?hpt=us_c2">CNN has an article</a> discussing the latest studies. Once again it's come to light that pesticides may save crops from one threat, but we are creating new problems in return...Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-44237203752337888952012-03-18T20:55:00.002-03:002012-03-18T20:55:20.107-03:00Spring must be coming!A sign of spring today - I saw evidence of a large bird being at our bird feeder when I took the girls out to play today. About 10 minutes later I heard the unmistakable "gobble gobble" of a ring-necked pheasant in the woods. So they've come out of the deep woods - and visited the feeder, yay! :) I loved seeing their babies a couple of years ago. And later on, a nuthatch showed up, so he's traveling through as well.
Spring can't be that far off!Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-69868076524520935352012-02-19T21:40:00.004-04:002012-02-19T21:40:56.283-04:00Sunset Tonight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gorgeous night. Had to edit out the power lines, but we do get a great view otherwise at the top of our hill... :)Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-85020971913159531102012-02-03T12:00:00.000-04:002012-02-04T13:59:53.631-04:00Kotatsu for world peace?<br />
Mainichi has a wonderful opinion piece on how <a href="http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20120128p2g00m0dm082000c.html" target="_blank">the world might be a better place</a> if the use of the kotatsu was more widespread. Personally, we can't imagine why on earth use of the kotatsu hasn't caught on more in Canada, and other northern areas. They are just the best! In brief, it's the way the Japanese stay warm in the winter, with limited central heating. Its a special, small electric heater screwed to the bottom of a square or coffee table, with a large duvet sort of blanket over-top, and a piece of board the same size as the surface of the table put on top. Its super warm and cozy, there's nothing like the feeling of having your lower half tucked in and warm while watching TV or playing games, reading, surfing on the laptop, etc.<br />
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I've written about our family kotatsu <a href="http://annmorash.blogspot.com/2009/04/kotatsu-time-is-quickly-coming-to-close.html" target="_blank">before</a>, its become an indispensable part of our winter-time life. We all gather around it come evening, the cats jostling for position on top, little Lila jostling for position underneath, with our legs in there too. Our old table was quite old and it broke, and the new one we have is smaller, so we all have to squeeze in a little tighter!<br />
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We joke about the "peace of the kotatsu" often at our house. But it really is true, it calms and soothes tempers, even amongst the cats! Cats that normally want to smack at each other, once they get settled down on top, will sleep close together, happy as can be.<br />
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For instance, Baby and Peepers:<br />
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And Peepers and Kuroi:<br />
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No clawing, no fighting, just everyone enjoying the warm cuddly nature of the kotatsu. So maybe that gentleman from Mainichi wasn't too far off after all! :)Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-76382060148372164632012-01-18T11:30:00.000-04:002012-01-28T16:13:36.498-04:00Oh no! Seagull Rescue!<br />
<a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/53013-photo-bird-wire" target="_blank">This happened </a>in Dartmouth yesterday, and Patrick Helliwell got some great photos of it. Poor bird, he looks so helpless, like he really gave up. Apparently he got in a fight with some crows and ended up in the position you will see when you click the link. Thank God NS Power were able to rescue him, and he didn't get himself fried!Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-40369808627750240762012-01-11T13:17:00.000-04:002012-01-11T15:53:10.087-04:00Horses!About 10 minutes ago THIS happened outside. This has NEVER happened before. At least not since I've lived here! Not something you see every day in the suburbs of Dartmouth, and as the cop said to me, not usually when it's this cold out either! But I guess the horses must get their exercise no matter the weather, so dutifully the police bundle up and go!<br />
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Edit: Coincidence? The force is looking to disband the horse unit, along with some others (the horse and rider on the left are pictured on the CBC page too!) <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/ns/insidethenews/2012/01/horse-sense.html">http://www.cbc.ca/ns/insidethenews/2012/01/horse-sense.html</a>. Hope they get to stay around! Its a nice touch of tradition, and a great way to get kids involved with the police in a positive way.Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-74135922954765523392012-01-08T17:18:00.001-04:002012-01-08T17:18:14.740-04:00Post Holiday Clean Up, HoardersHaving always had hoarding tendencies myself, I try hard to keep on top of the clutter level in my home. The biggest and easiest thing for me has always been to 'head it off at the pass' by carefully thinking about what I bring into the home in the first place - do I really need it, or will it just end up being garbage?<br />
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I love watching <a href="http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/" target="_blank">A&E's Hoarders</a>, because I find it very inspiring to get up and do a little cleaning. :) Its' back for another season, premiering last Monday. You can watch the<a href="http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/" target="_blank"> latest episodes online</a> (yay!) - look under "top videos".<br />
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Matt Paxton, one of the cleaning specialists they have on the show, has a great set of <a href="http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/matt-paxton-decluttering-tips/#/hoarders/matt-paxton-decluttering-tips/images/clothes-on-bed.jpg" target="_blank">tips for decluttering</a> BEFORE it becomes an untenable situation, check 'em out! Now's a great time, post-holidays, to reassess your stuff and get some cleaning in, pre-Spring!<br />
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<br />Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-33743208515337607032012-01-01T12:07:00.003-04:002012-01-01T12:07:49.099-04:00Happy 2012!Hope everyone had a fun New Year's eve! :) Thought I'd start the new year off here with a cute story from the BBC, how a woman in Sweden found her lost wedding ring 16 years later, in a most peculiar (and gardening-related) way!<br />
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<br />Find out here! <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16374283">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16374283</a><br />
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Happy New Year!Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-50195450177782157372011-12-30T00:00:00.000-04:002011-12-31T15:30:12.797-04:00Old Christmas Trees & Just for FunIf you're not waiting, like me, for "<a href="http://www.ukrcdn.com/2010/01/04/an-introduction-to-ukrainian-christmas/" target="_blank">Second Christmas</a>" to roll around (Ukrainians and other ethnic groups still celebrate Christmas on January 7th), you can donate your old Christmas tree (tinsel-free, as always) to <a href="http://www.hopeforwildlife.org/pages/home" target="_blank">Hope for Wildlife</a>. They will use them as habitats and cage buffers for their little and big creatures alike. If you don't live in the Halifax area, contact your local wildlife refuge and see if they could use this gift as well! Read more on the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/12/29/ns-hope-for-wildlife-christmas-trees.html" target="_blank">CBC</a>.<br />
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And also from the CBC today, the top 10 list of <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/12/29/wdr-chatham-kent-police-silliest-calls.html" target="_blank">ridiculous 9-1-1 calls</a> received from the Chatham-Kent police department in southern Ontario. Warning: they're pretty ridiculous! Enjoy!<br />
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I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and that 2012 will be a great year for you all!Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-46599981037784599382011-12-23T17:07:00.002-04:002011-12-31T15:30:22.359-04:00Hakodate Christmas TreeEvery year, like to <a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/38660-boston%E2%80%99s-ns-christmas-tree-%E2%80%98one-most-beautiful%E2%80%99" target="_blank">Boston</a>, we send a tree to our sister city of Hakodate - SMZ was traveling in the area this year, and did a <a href="http://mama.nuraina.com/?p=7972" target="_blank">great blog post</a> on it with lots of pics of our big tree! Check it out!<br />
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Merry Christmas Everyone!Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-67316228677525531242011-11-23T15:13:00.001-04:002011-11-23T15:32:32.536-04:00Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia...Well, they said it might be "rain along the coast" but I guess we're not "coast" enough! :) Crazy weather out today, yesterday was bright and sunny and only a little cool, but today we have been hammered with the first big snowstorm of the season.<br />
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It was very fun to let the girls out for the first time into snow this year, telling them "you'll be so surprised!" and they just stand at the door, confused for a second, then take off into the puffy snow and have such a great time! (This snow is very wet, perfect for snowmen btw!)<br />
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Glad to be snuggling under the <a href="http://annmorash.blogspot.com/2009/04/kotatsu-time-is-quickly-coming-to-close.html">kotatsu</a> right now, and really glad I didn't have to work today, wouldn't want to be on the roads right now! <br />
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<br />Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21405468.post-11359249418068860822011-10-29T16:06:00.000-03:002011-10-29T16:06:22.187-03:00Christmas Craft Fairs - 'Tis the Season!Well, almost! The biggest craft fair in our area, <a href="http://www.christmasattheforum.com/">Christmas at the Forum</a>, is next weekend already! This year has just flown by!!<br />
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I do sincerely hope one day to be able to sell my wares at one of these large fairs, but until that time, I eagerly read information about selling at craft fairs, so I can get a good idea in my mind of good display & selling tactics.<br />
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Here are some of the things I've noticed made a good booth display over the years:<br />
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<b>Do not overstock in plain view</b>: there was a booth I saw that sold small products (I won't mention what kind for anonymity) but they were in small packages that could be hung. Their display probably had 200 items all hung in neat rows and columns, but it was MASSIVELY overwhelming. I thought about going to look at the booth but it was literally such overload I just didn't want too.<br />
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One booth had all the booth attendants <b>wearing fun Christmas themed t-shirts</b>. That immediately put you in the festive spirit! <br />
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Lighting is really, really important. <b>If you have anything that sparkles, be sure to bring extra lighting to show it off!</b> I saw an herbal vinegar seller whose wares were all sorts of different colours, and they had spot lighting behind the bottles that made them all shine like jewels! Extremely appealing!!<br />
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<b>If you have a URL, be sure to display it prominently!</b> With the busy-ness of some of the fairs, some people may not even be able to get to your booth to grab a business card, etc. but still are interested in what you sell. If you display your URL prominently, people will be able to check it out later even if they couldn't look at your products as closely as they'd like this time around.<br />
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If you do an unusual craft (or even if you don't) <b>photos of the process</b> is always a great way to generate interest. Often people will become more enthusiastic about your product when they see details of how it is created.<br />
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The great people over at the Folksy Blog did a wonderful series on "Craft Fair Advice" - so head on over there to read some of their great ideas for selling at a craft fair: <a href="http://blog.folksy.com/category/seller-tips/craft-fair-advice">http://blog.folksy.com/category/seller-tips/craft-fair-advice</a>. <br />
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If you're selling this year, best of luck! And if you're like me, have fun at all the fairs out there! :)Ann Morashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10588814785440653664noreply@blogger.com0