Back Home, Just in Time for Winter!

Now that I'm home and training is all out of the way for another six months, (yay!) 

it's time to get back into the home mode. 

A dab of peanut butter inside makes these irresistible!

Baking, cooking, packing lunches, the mountains, knitting, reading, getting cozy, the gym. 

And, you know all the catching up. Friends and family (those guys are the fun part) 

and all the paperwork and other types of things that stack up while you are away... 

Like a closet full of recyclable items.

There are 14 units on 4 floors, making 56 units in our building.

With 6 buildings in our condo village we've got about 336 households 

most likely producing just as much recycling as we do, which is all going directly in the garbage!!!

That's poor practice I think. It irks my citizen-of-the-world funny bone.

I really need to find out about recycling for our buildings.

Perhaps, if one resident organized implementation of bins, more than one household would recycle.

Hummm.... 

This afternoon we drove out to Canmore for a hike up Mount Lady MacDonald. 

A bit chilly, but my hands were warm in my thrummed mittens!

We started on the flat river bed, went too far up the river, wandered back and then managed to find our trail entrance. The aftermath of the 2013 flooding really ripped a wide girth through the area and the sign was so tiny - about the size of the palm of my hand - but it was there on the right all the same. 

We went up rather steeply for an hour and then came back down. 

Beautiful views toward Canmore and a lovely trail with just a light snow falling. 

We will return to finish this peaceful ascent another time. 

Today looked as if it would be the last snow free hiking day of the season - weather 

which I'm grateful lasted as long as it did!

We are pretty stoked about our couple's Halloween costumes :) It's about time we take out the Halloween box for some decorating and finish off our costumes for Friday. 

Pictures soon!

  I had to try the moist, fudgy and highly recommended BBC Chocolate Cake. 

All the batter was meant to be baked at once, and since my regular pan was too small, I thought, what a good opportunity to use this antique looking bunt pan. 

It's probably not actually very old since I got it from my mom.

But it feels antique. Especially with the olive green colour of the outside. And I like that!

It's got a thin ganache poured over it. Mmmmm sauce is delicious!

The recipe says to spread it between layers, which is fine if I'd used a regular round cake pan. 

I think pouring it on is tasty nonetheless and quite 
quick and simple. 

Half the recipe was plenty for drizzling.

This is chocolate-y goodness at the finest.

Everything is pretty clean around here by now, 

(a friend visiting told me it was like a hotel - just the standard I like!) 

though this keyboard I'm using could really use a go... and the towels could use the old vinegar/baking soda remedy... and I suspect there are dust bunnies behind the fridge... 

Aren't there always!

I have been reading. It helps commuting. A lot!

I read "Margot", by Jillian Cantor, a story of Anne Frank's sister had she lived. 

A nice story, but a little slow moving due to the repetitive, unhurried plot building, 

fair of a dreamy, suppressed young woman who'd survived unimaginable Nazi injustices. 

As well I read "Orphan Train", by Christina Baker Kline, which was a much more well rounded fictitious, yet could-have-been story involving the intriguing (over) one hundred year history of New York's answer to homeless youth. I was completely unaware of this part of American history. 

Now I'm reading this: 

My New Favourite Eastern City

Québec City! (...Eastern Canadian City)

Indian Summer gives any place a certain air, of loveliness, but the old city was very quaint and tidy and steep with of course a certain 'je ne sais quoi' in the environs. I'm not sure the Québécois would like their city to be described as European per say, but I think it is even more so than Montreal, in comparison to the rest of Canada. 

Just a little alley way...

Le Château Frontinac ... Is not our crew hotel. Too bad, eh?

I do remember being here once before, for a day when I was 14, but this refreshment was perfect.

I'd be happy if work sent me here all the time!

A view over the harbour. Cruiseships and Sunshine! 

I ate Poutine of course and a croissant and felt very pleased about that. 

This blue door's house number is 6 1/2... Funny! 

Although it looks just as old as the other houses on the street, 

so perhaps it wasn't as afterthought after all. 

I took this photo in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. 

This plane is one of our newest and has an extraordinary lighting system. 

As you can see through the windows it's all blue inside. There's many nice options for settings that provide lighting at night that is also gentle on the eyes. It feels quite futuristic ;)

I have waited my entire flying career to get this squawk code...!

So I had to take a quick shot and share it.

******

And a little about recent kitchen developments. 

There's some excellent growth in this sector of the business ;) 

The second photo shows the sizeable factor of difference.  

Same ingredients, same amount of flour - so much bigger! The trick? 

Poolish and a lot more water... I guess altitude needs special treatment! 

The result is an airy, delicious texture and maybe even more fresh bread flavour.

Yarn First, Pattern Later

Yarn-aholic. Indeed. 

Pick a pattern first, then choose a suitable yarn for the project. 

At least that's what yarn-aholics plan to do, and would suggest that someone else do. 

We just tend to go about that process backwards. 

It's an awkward journey in this direction, and though I know better - I'm addicted. 

I would tell you it's hereditary, but of that I cannot truly be certain. 

It's fluffy mounds of enchanting colour that can be tamed 

artistically into an array of useful shapes and items... 

This yarn was purchased last autumn in Ireland and I began knitting this past July. 

Deciding on the pattern was tough, but in the end I chose this pattern for the 

cables and the modern interest of the unusual shaping. 

The sweater is rather warm and cozy, big and draping. 

Great for cold nights and thawing out beside a fire, 

however not your most feminine and curve conscious sweater. 

The shape is so fun though! Like a flying fox! Don't you think?

I can't believe this Asymmetrical Woolly Wrap Sweater is finally finished, 

blocked and dried, and photographed :)

We were out with some cows, taking these photos. A wee nod to where we'd like to hang our hats. 

Out in the country, where a sweater like this would do me some good.

At the minute, just right to display some autumn knitting...

Pattern: Vogue Knitting, August 2013, #12 Asymmetric Pullover

Wool: Brown Aran Tweed, Donegal/Kilcarra Yarns, purchased in Co. Donegal, Ireland

Work-acation on Salt Spring

Vacation time from work was a lot of physical labour but I'm sure it was worth all the while for both my mom and our exercise. Especially since I sit and then sit some more all day at work...

What a view... Vancouver West to East

My mom is going to have a few bonfires!
I think we should get her some marshmallows and maybe a javelin for roasting them,
so she doesn't singe her eyebrows!

My sweetheart is a very hard working and strong man. 

I've got guns, but they just don't compare... I certainly have the motivation, enthusiasm, organization and an industrious nature to make up for that, but Jordan is all that, and he's tireless! 

We think we make a pretty awesome team. 

We hope our team effort will be put to good use for ourselves, soon!

If you didn't see this area earlier, its very tidy now.

The shed site is all tidied, too, as well as the surrounding area.

I wish I'd have taken before and after photos, but we were just so motivated and focused we forgot the camera until the last day and dug right in. 

These doors took a very, very long time to paint!
By brush, no spray paint for me...

The Playhouse got a little facelift with paint.
Next summer it'll get it's dutch door painted green and a new roof, too!

All these little details took quite some time to paint. 

The weather was entirely in our favour with sun and high temperatures 

allowing for lots of pressure washing and time for stain and paint to dry.

Learning to use the table saw...

Trying to take a photo of ourselves!

I also had the chance to seam a little of my new sweater, finish the last few chapters of my book and, of course, bake a cake for Jordan's birthday. But that was it. The rest was all work. 

Well... we did find some energy each night to play crib!

So the story behind this Electric Berry Cake is, I found a box of Neon food colouring when I went to tint the icing. I was so intrigued I had to use it! Maybe I shouldn't have, but whence came the name. 

Sweetapolita calls it Vanilla Blackberry-Mascarpone Cake for Two, instead. I doubled the cake part of the recipe, could have doubled the blackberries, and made everything else in the recipe's ratio, which worked out to be plenty. It was also enjoyed by more than two :)

Now we need a vacation from our vacation to mend all the aching muscles!

Northern Ireland...

...Oh how I've missed you!

The land is so green! Emerald is so easy on the eyes...

Folk are so friendly. It's a small place, but big enough people don't actually know everyone. 

For those who are from a wee place you know the virtues of that. 

There are even a few leprechauns. Ah so. I wouldn't lie. 

If a map shows a thirty minute drive, it'll take you over an hour. Tractor traffic jam.

Aachhh! - is that how you spell it? 

If you can see it from here, you cannot get there directly. Not a chance.

It's the only place where you'll find good craic for free, and it's legal, too!

Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone... You could be in all six counties in a single day for sure, though I'd take my time. Below, Ian's tractor. Farms are an interesting thing in NI. Take for example the area of NI: 13,843 kms square. That's 3,420,680 acres. A quarter section, if I'm not mistaken is 160 acres, so that's only 21,380 quarter sections, or 5,345 sections! Never mind though, they produce some of the best vegetables and excellent beef. Yes Alberta, you could take a few notes. Or perhaps blades. I think it's the grass. Just a hunch.

I actually felt like I was going home when we drove to Templepatrick from the Airport. 

As always I didn't really take any pictures. Or at least post-able ones, for the minute. I did chance a snap when we ate the delectable Topfen Knödel Martina made as a treat:

Since I was visiting over Monday and Tuesday I couldn't miss my two regular events. 

On Monday from 7-9 I was at Brown's in Ballyclare for an evening of knitting. Unfortunately, no regular knitters were there, but it was certainly nice to be remembered, even by name. Since green seemed to be an obvious theme, I started these wee mittens that very evening, though in retrospect I could have used more contrast:

They were a first for a few things. And the pattern was created to allow me to experiment with different skills before making big person mitts. (These are little person mittens - for a certain little four year old)

The 'things' included: the magic loop method for the first time, meanwhile attempting stranded colourwork and my first ever picot edge in the round. Two colour ribbing happened, too. 
All the while I really forced myself to knit with two colours in one hand, instead, you know, of just putting one strand down and picking the other up, over and over and over…

Tuesday night at the Empire hasn't changed much. The band takes its sweet time to set up. The place is basically abandoned until the first notes hit the air - and then it's packed. For just an hour - of dancing and the wonderful sounds of Motown and Northern Soul. Then it's over. Until next Tuesday. Wouldn't have missed it for anything! 

Visiting such good, old friends is a great pleasure. I stayed an extra day.

              Last year, near Templepatrick.

Well. That'll do.

The Benefits of Sleeping Poorly

At the minute, I am trying to keep a night schedule as work dictates only red-eyes during this current segment, and if I can maintain such a schedule I am much more myself at work. However, the human body, or at least my body, clearly isn't nocturnal. After a little over a week, sometimes as tired as I may be, I just cannot sleep during the day, even if it's not sunny. Like this morning when I was awake... but luckily I was able to hear a knock. And this is what arrived:

Inside that box, Just Because,

I found a number of lovely things:

Like a mug with my name on it! And it's not even kitschy! In fact it is über cute.

And some chocolate, which may or may not have eased me back into sleep...

How many interesting concoctions could I dream up with these? 

Many, I assure you!

The flavours are elderflower, passion fruit and habanero, and piña colada!

And a little book so fitting for the sadness am feeling...

What an amazing pick-me-up from the most thoughtful best-est friend ever!

I Miss You!

We often say, "I miss you" but I'm not sure I've ever said such a statement, truly, about anyone ever, before now. 

I miss you, Dad! 

It's not because I took you for granted, or because I didn't spend more time with you... In fact, I think we had more good times together than most parents and kids enjoy. It's just that I didn't know I had to rush, so I didn't.  I suppose it's true that it's only possible to miss someone once they are gone... 

It's completely unreal and unbelievable. 

Airplanes never take old people who've lived their whole lives out, and they've taken more than a fair share of people from me. But we fly them for the joy of it. And it makes me feel crazy to still love my job. It's a tug of war in my heart. However I'm sure my Dad would still want me to fly, albeit with two engines and at that, those with an excellent safety record. People say all kinds of weird things at a time like this. And it's such a weird time. Nothing makes sense and time is a completely abstract idea. Other people with more sense, or perhaps experience, say nice things though, too. I am certainly not a religious or spiritual person, but an acquaintance wrote me a note, suggesting my Dad would fly with me every time I flew. And I have to say, I like that. 

I have from time to time thought how terrible it would be to lose a parent, but it's not real until it happens and even if it weren't an accident, I don't think anything prepares you for it. 

Many people have passed along their kind regards and offered their help. I feel very appreciative of everyone's caring thoughts and words. They are some consolation in otherwise pure cataclysm...

I went home to be with my mom. It's kind of a peculiar thing to say, but he's in everything there. 

He built it all. Every little bit. I almost expected him to step out from behind a stack of wood in the garage, in shorts and suspenders, socks in sandals, to help me find something or lend some useful advice. Or make me laugh with a silly pun or a song. Oh, what I'd do to be yelled at for slamming the door or wearing my shoes past the mat in the foyer. Haha. I say that laughing and crying... I had thirty wonderful years, which were better than most gifts anyone gets in life, meanwhile that much harder to lose. 

I'm very lucky. My Dad was really the best I could have ever hoped to have. He knew how everything works and could build or make anything from fish hatcheries to houses, and well, airplanes - to the best bread and was happy to patiently teach me or answer my questions. He was a perfectionist, organized and neat, a workaholic and a committed Dad and enthusiast of beauty in the things he made, in nature, in life. Somehow he managed to create all he did and to have time to live a life so rich in experiences. He was friendly and kind and sensible. He taught me many valuable things and funnily enough taught me to make him a rum and coke before I even learned my own phone number, which he helped me to remember on the first day of kindergarten.  He always had time for me and could often sense exactly how I felt, even from the other side of the earth. He even found me my Jordan... 

With my Dad, went his best friend. A really wonderful person, who I will also dearly miss...