If I could belt it out like Alicia...

This is what I'd be hollering:



This tune will be my anthem this weekend. Alvin & I are off for a long weekend in New York to visit Alvin's family & see the Big Apple. I can't wait to post photos of our adventures...starting from taking the red-eye Friday morning- *eek*.
Until then I'm humming along to New York- dah dah dah dah dah daaahhhhhh.

Self Professed Writers

It's the oddest thing: of late, I have met several people who tell me that they are writers. They write all the time. They develop special bonds with people because they have writing in common. And I never know how to react. They make writing sound so romantic & lofty. How does one respond to that? These are some thoughts that run through my head during that awkward silence after one informs me of his/ her writing prowess:

a) Are you published? (That sounds so pretentious)
b) What do you write? (Really, I'm curious- poetry? Stories? Research papers?)
c) How do you do it? (At the computer or old school with pen & paper? Maybe you have a coil bound notebook that you carry everywhere with you?)
d) Where do you find your inspiration?

I am a self-professed reader. I'll read anything (once anyway). One of my secret dream jobs is to proof-read for people- or for a big publishing company- because I hate picking up a book (or reading an article on-line) that has spelling or grammatical errors (but please excuse the errors you find throughout this blog- I know they're there)! But mostly I'd like to proof-read because my desire to read is insatiable. I have been dually inspired to post something about writing up here because, funny enough, I've just picked up a book about writing (Aunt Julia & the Scriptwriter, a required read from way back in high school by Mario Vargas Llosa). Maybe I don't call myself a writer because as I re-read this message I realize I've got no 'close'- all of these coincidences about writing have led me nowhere. Except inspired to post a blog about writing nothing. And to enjoy a quiet evening filling the lines on a page of loose leaf with news to an old friend that will have to get mailed the old fashioned way.

39 Years

We decided to host my folks to celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary. I was humming & hawing about what to make for such a celebration. Alvin suggested a smorgasbord...& what a smorgasbord is was*smile*





























The centre piece of the meal was Thai Salad Rolls- inspired from a colleague's recipe & the question: why not try something new after 39 years? Congrats Mom & Pop - 39 years is no small feat!

Even more fun than all the eating was the match of cribbage post-feast. It has been years since I've played crib & knew that I wouldn't be able to remember all the rules to teach Alvin- I can't wait to play again.

Tom's Harvest

Tom & Dev have a lovely garden. The other day Tom took a quick photo of (one of his many) harvests.















I thought about trying to show him up but with a balcony & no garden patch that's virtually impossible. I'm going for size here, not quantity- check out this monster; I am quite proud of my first pot-grown fruit of the season*grin*. And it was quite delicious in the tomato sauce I made last night.

Cherry Platz

The other weekend Pop & I picked cherries from Tom's backyard. We pitted, packaged & planned how we would use them. Alvin complained that they're too sour for muffins (for him maybe- I love them); but still, I considered other ways for enjoying these sour cherries. I looked through some of mom's Mennonite cookbooks looking for a platz recipe- that's what I decided I wanted. Gran used to make fruit platz (pronounced plautz) with an almost sugar-cookie bottom, fruit filling, and a sweet brown sugar topping. None of the platz recipes I could find were exactly what I was looking for. Undeterred, I baked without a recipe. A little daunting at first, but it turned out just as I had hoped so now I feel a bit like a seasoned baker- or like a Granny - to heck with measurements! I brought some over to the folks & after some of mom's input I would change the topping up a bit next time. But doesn't it look scrumptious?















When I was uploading my platz pictures I found some shots from one of my fave Edmonton festivals- Heritage Days. It was great to have Candra back too because her family always gets us free goodies from the Caribbean tent*grin*- gotta love Jamaican beef patties.

To Each His/Her Own

I rarely write about when I don't reach a goal, or when I cheat on my morning runs. I feel like it's time to come clean. The other morning when I set off for my 5:15 a.m. run it was pretty darn chilly. It was also not sunny and bright. Out came the fleece vest and thoughts of a looming Fall. Drat, I will have to come up with another exercise program because in the coming months morning runs will not be so enjoyable. The very next morning when the alarm clock went off I rolled over & stayed under the warm duvet.

But it turned out to be a gorgeous Friday and I made up for it in the afternoon when I went for a glorious run in the full afternoon sun. I chose a route down by the river (feel free to cue Neil Young- it is Folk Fest weekend in Edmonton) where the blue sky contrasted against the glistening green leaves. The river is so full from all the rain - it felt positively lush.

As I trundled along - enjoying the colours, the red-winged blackbird atop the highest branch, and the robin who's lunch I interrupted (he flew off into the bushes and left a writhing worm) - I noticed an older man out enjoying the trails as well. He had his book open in front of him as he walked along the trail. At first I judged- seriously? You need to read a book out on this glorious afternoon? And then I thought- if that's what it takes to get him out, or if that's how he enjoys his strolls- so be it. I will enjoy the colours, the birds, and the exercise in my own way...he can enjoy it in his.

Cheating on my early morning Friday run turned out to be a great thing- my weekend surely started out on a bright note.