COFFEE WISDOM

Principle 1 - Reheating Causes Bitterness
About Coffee: Coffee should not be reheated. Every time you brew a cup, it needs to be fresh. Make only as much as you plan to drink.
About Life: Don't rehash the past. Your past is the reason, not the excuse. Let go of what is gone.

Principle 2 - Start with Fresh Grounds
About Coffee: Do not reuse grounds. You'll only end up with bitter and unpleasant tastes.
About Life: Learn from your mistakes, don't repeat them.

Principle 3 - Use the Correct Grind
About Coffee: Use the correct grind for your coffee maker. If you grind too fine, this will cause bitterness. If your grind is too coarse, the coffee will be watery.
About Life: Put right what you can, and accept what you cannot.

Principle 4 - Use High-Quality Beans and Fresh, Pure, Cold Water
About Coffee: Use fresh cold water. Water is around 98 percent of every cup; to ensure you get the finest taste, consider using a water filter or bottled water. Choose top-quality beans. For your cup of coffee to be top quality you need to make sure you get the main ingredient right. About Life: Celebrate your uniqueness.

Principle 5 - Get the Proportions Right
About Coffee: The proportion of coffee to water is vital. Experts recommend using tablespoons (10 grams) of ground coffee for each 6 fluid ounces (180 ml) of water. Regardless of how much coffee you make, you need to keep these proportions consistent. Proportions can be adjusted according to taste, but using less coffee makes for a thin, bitter-tasting brew.
About Life: Challenge irrational thinking.

Principle 6 - Boiling Destroys the Flavor
About Coffee: Boiling causes bitterness, so never boil coffee. It should be brewed between 195°F and 205°F (90°C-96°C).
About Life: Check your stress levels. Balance your body, mind, and spirit.

Principle 7 - Drink It While It's Hot
About Coffee: Drink your coffee soon after it is made. Coffee can be kept warm for only about fifteen minutes over a burner before the flavor becomes unpleasant.
About Life: Live in the present with an attitude of positive expectancy.

About the Book
Coffee Wisdom: 7 Finely-Ground Principles to Living a Full-Bodied Life By Theresa Cheung

WRAPPING PRESENTS WITH A CAT

1. Clear large space on table for wrapping present.
2. Go to wardrobe and collect bag in which present is contained, and close door.
3. Open door and remove cat from wardrobe.
4. Go to cupboard and retrieve rolls of wrapping paper.
5. Go back and remove cat from cupboard.
6. Go to drawer and collect transparent sticky tape, ribbons, scissors, labels, etc.
7. Lay out present and wrapping materials on table, to enable wrapping strategy to be formed.
8. Go back to drawer to get string, remove cat that has been in the drawer since last visit, and collect string.
9. Remove present from bag.
10. Remove cat from bag.
11. Open box to check present, remove cat from box, replace present.
12. Lay out paper to enable cutting to size.
13. Cut the paper to size, trying to keep the cutting line straight.
14. Throw away first sheet because cat tried to chase the scissors and tore paper.
15. Cut second sheet of paper to size by putting cat in the bag the present came out of.
16. Place present on cut-to-size paper.
17. Lift up edges of paper to seal in present, wonder why edges now don't reach, and find cat between present and paper. Remove cat and retry.
18. Place object on paper, to hold in place, while cutting transparent sticky tape.
19. Spend next 20 minutes carefully trying to remove transparent sticky tape from cat with pair of nail scissors.
20. Seal paper down with transparent sticky tape, making corners as neat as possible.
21. Look for roll of ribbon; chase cat down hall and retrieve ribbon.
22. Try to wrap present with ribbon in a two-directional turn.
23. Re-roll up ribbon and remove paper that is now torn, due to cat's enthusiasm in chasing ribbon end.
24. Repeat steps 12-22 until down to last sheet of paper.
25. Decide to skip steps 12-16 in order to save time and reduce risk of losing last sheet of paper. Retrieve old cardboard box that you know is right size for sheet of paper.
26. Put present in box, and tie down with string.
27. Remove string, open box and remove cat.
28. Put all packing materials in bag with present and head for lockable room.
29. Once inside room, lock door and start to re-lay out packing materials.
30. Remove cat from box, unlock door, put cat outside door, close door and re-lock.
31. Lay out last sheet of paper. (Admittedly this is difficult in the small area of the toilet, but try your best!)
32. Seal box, wrap with paper and start repairs by very carefully sealing down tears with transparent sticky tape. Now tie up with ribbon and decorate with bows to hide worst affected areas.
33. Label, then sit back and admire your handiwork, congratulating yourself on making good of a bad job.
34. Unlock door, and go to kitchen to make drink and feed cat.
35. Spend next 15 minutes looking for cat, before coming to obvious conclusion.
36. Unwrap present, untie box and remove cat.
37. Retrieve all discarded sheets of wrapping paper, feed cat and retire to lockable room for last attempt, making certain you are alone and the door is locked.
38. At time of handing over present, smile sweetly at receiver's face, as they try and hide their contempt at being handed such a badly wrapped present.
39. Swear to yourself that next year, you will get the store to wrap the darn thing for you.

Blog Break

School is out and we are looking forward to a great summer. Will try to get back at this in September. It's not that I have been overrun with readers (ya think!), but have found in my limited experience this is an interesting creative outlet. Too good to give up so soon.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy summer!

See ya!

Bronco

Here's Calgary's Mayor Dave Bronconnier and our Governor General at Calgary City Hall (pictured).

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, the Governor General of Canada

Our Governor General was a delight: smiling, vivacious, personable, and amazingly beautiful.

It was not known by the children from out of town competing at the Heritage Fair that Michaelle Jean would be making a visit to a pre-arranged and selected group of young adults at Calgary City Hall. As word of her arrival spread, the line-ups beside the red carpet laid out for her began.

I could not believe that most children did not have a clue who she was. They did not know anything about Canada's Governor General, her role, nor her name. They were more interested in seeing the Mayor of Calgary (Sigh ....) I'll post a picture of him later.

A Touch Of Royalty

Here is Caitlin waiting with her friends for a special guest, with whom she got to shake hands. Guess who?

Spirited

It was Spirit Week at Mitford Middle, dress from any era. Caitlin looked like a young "Jane" Lennon and Brett like the original Bono ... Sonny, that is.

Want A Hug?

Brett and Caitlin get a hug from Sophie

A Boa Necklace

We also visited the Reptile World Museum. It was amazing.
There were reptiles, amphibians, spiders from around the
world on display.

The kids had a chance to get up close and personal with the resident Boa, Sophie. I had never been so close
to such a large snake before, and it was cool to "pet" her.

Here's Caitlin checking her out.

Hoo Dat On the Hoodoo?

Caitlin and Brett check out a Hoodoo. This is the weekend Caitlin decided to grow out her hair, after hotel staff and restaurant staff referred to both she and Brett as "boys."

Hoodoos

During Spring Break we took the kids on an overnight trip to the Drumheller, Alberta, area. What an interesting place to visit! The kids had a blast exploring the Hoodoos.

Peace, Old Friend

I found out yesterday that an old friend of mine in Saskatoon has passed over from this life to the next ... Allene Becker.

I first met Allene when we were sitting in the same row at church at a Women's Retreat. You know how you get comfortable at these things and tend to go back and sit in your same row with the same people. We chatted a bit and I found her to be a very personable and fascinating person. As a result of the weekend, we met for coffee. At that time I was a single parent and Allene and I talked about how getting through Christmas was going to be both an emotional and financial struggle for our family that year.

A few weeks later, Allene came into my place of work and gave me an envelope. "God told me to give this to you," she said. I wasn't sure about her theology, but I was sure about her heart. When I opened it, there was $100 in cash.

That's the kind of person Allene was. I always called her "my angel." She had a very tough life with her health problems, but always kept her faith. She was an English teacher who spent time teaching in the Yukon, until health problems put an end to her teaching career. Although she had a couple of serious relationships, she never married nor had children. She considered her students to be her "kids."

Over the many years since I lived in Saskatoon, occasionally I would pick up the phone and there would be Allene on the other end. Recently, she moved into a care home in Saskatoon, and I am thankful I was able to write what I now know was the last letter she would receive from me.

I am thankful for this special lady being part of my life. I'll miss you, Allene. I imagine you laughing and dancing in Heaven, as only you can.

Explore Alberta

One of the many reasons I love living where I do ... just a short drive away from the beauty of Kananaskis Country.

Green Fingers

In recent years, when this nomad has come to rest for a spell, I have discovered I LOVE gardening. I think I must have come by this honestly from my grandmother, who always had a huge farm garden full of vegetables, flowers to cut, and lilac bushes. My mother was also a very good gardener.

Where we presently live, we have a small strip of raised garden across the back of yard. I have started a few perennials, a few of which have survived our winter. This year I am trying some wild flowers from seed ... I would love an English garden full of colours from flowers of all shapes and sizes.

I have discovered Alan Creech's wife, Liz, has started a gardening blog, doing things the organic way. Even though she is in Lexington, Kentucky, I have learnt a lot from her already.
See http://alancreech.com/lizard/gardenescapades

Some Day My Tattoo Will Come

I have always wanted a tattoo. I have in mind the Native American Kokopelli . Regardless of its meaning, I think it is very cute.

The mysterious Kokopelli character is found in a number of Native American cultures, being especially prominent in the Anazasi culture of the "Four Corners" area. The figure represents a mischievous trickster or the Minstrel, spirit of music. Kokopelli is distinguished by his dancing pose, a hunchback and flute. His whimsical nature, charitable deeds, and vital spirit give him a prominent position in Native American mysticism.

Kokopelli has been a sacred figure to Native Americans of the Southwestern United States for thousands of years. Found painted and carved on rock walls and boulders throughout this region, Kokopelli is one of the most intriguing and widespread images to have survived from ancient Anasazi Indian mythology, and is a prominent figure in Hopi and Zuni legends. Kokopelli is also revered by current-day descendants including the Hopi, Taos and Acoma pueblo peoples.

Kokopelli is considered a symbol of fertility who brought well-being to the people, assuring success in hunting, planting and growing crops, and human conception. His "hump" was often considered a bag of gifts, a sack carrying the seeds of plants and flowers he would scatter every spring. Warming the earth by playing his flute and singing songs, Kokopelli would melt the winter snow and create rain, ensuring a good harvest.

I like the above picture of a group of pastors who have supported each other with the same tattoo. I am guessing they are portraying what Scripture refers to as Jesus, the Vine and we, the Branches.

The words you can see on the wrists at the bottom of the picture mean "Hope" in Hebrew. Way cool.

Positive Reinforcement

Crafters Take Note

In spite of my best efforts, I have not been able to post Links. If anyone who blogs, ever reads mine, I would be eternally grateful if you would let me know how to do this!

In the interim, I have a special friend in Virginia, named Trish, who was born with an abundance of craft genes. These days she is creating and selling amazing jewellery. She shares her techniques and all kinds of tips via her newsletter.

Drop by here and then sign up for her tips: http://www.bentandstrung.com

Also, Trish now has a Blog at http://bentandstrung.dashdots.com/blog/

North Carolina Memories #3

Atlantic Beach on North Carolina's Coast

North Carolina Memories #2

Raleligh, NC State Fair -- I think these Giant Turkey Legs were actually Emu or Ostrich legs. Even a turkey on steroids couldn't have been THAT big!

North Carolina Memories #1

Before the Grand Old Opry, Nashville, there was the Grand Old Opry, North Carolina ... and CocaCola.