Cranberry Nut Stuffing

Today, we are picking up our free range turkey from the butcher. No butterball for us. These turkeys are wonderful. We always go to the same butcher and the turkeys have never failed me. I love making turkey, it is so easy. Wish other meals were as easy. Now the turkey is easy but I need to start on the cabbage, cranberry sauce today and also the the stuffing. I do not make a stuffing that goes into the bird it is done in a casserole dish, much easier clean up. I recommend this: (part of the my first cookbook again).

CRANBERRY NUT STUFFING

(Makes 6 servings)
Note: this is a rich, moist stuffing to be baked in a casserole, not roasted in the turkey cavity.
1/2 cup butter 125 ml
2 medium onions ,chopped 2
2 celery stalks, chopped 2
6 cups small bread cubes 1.5L
1.2 cup sliced hazelnuts 125 ml
(any chopped nuts
may be substituted)
1 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning 7 ml
1 tsp. salt 5 ml
pepper, freshly ground
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen 375 ml
cranberries
3 eggs, beaten 3
1 cup milk 250 ml

Sauté onion and celery in butter; stir in bread cubes, hazelnuts and seasoning. Add cranberries, tossing just to mixture. Mix lightly until all bread is moistened. Spoon into greased 6-cup (1.5L), low casserole dish, or loaf pan. Bake at 325o F (160oC) for 45 minutes.

Cranberries are still in season in December and make a popular accompaniment to the Christmas turkey. usually as a sauce or jelly. This unusual recipe puts them right in with the stuffing. The unique taste makes it an excellent dressing to be used with other types of meat as well.

Red Cabbage

All of us have foods that we associate with celebrations. One of my favourites is red cabbage. I love it with turkey or chicken and have fond memories of having red cabbage at Christmas and Easter both times of celebration.
Today, when we were returned from picking up groceries for our New Year's Day dinner (we are having 7 people over, our neighbour asked if we are making red cabbage. Apparently, over the years the aroma of the vegetable cooking has wafted outdoors and the neighbours could smell what we were cooking. She has often wanted to ask for the recipe. That is easy; I just printed it and will make sure that she gets some of the cabbage to enjoy. I will start cooking tomorrow so that I am not cleaning and cooking like a fiend New Year's Day.
Years ago, I made a cookbook of some of our favourite recipes and it includes all the recipes for one of our Christmas dinners. I might include some other favourites over the next few days. In the meantime, hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday season.

Sweet-and-Sour Red Cabbage

This is a family staple that goes well with poultry and can be made a week ahead. Reheat in covered pan in oven or on stove top.

1 medium red cabbage about 8 cups, sliced
3 tbs. bacon fat or vegetable oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tbs. brown sugar
3 cloves
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Remove core from cabbage, cut in quarters and thinly slice. Heat fat in heavy pot on medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add cabbage and sauté until cabbage is coated with fat.

Add apple, wine, vinegar, sugar, cloves and thyme. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Season well with salt and pepper. Reheat when needed. Serves 8 to 10.

After Christmas

Now, that Christmas is over and New Year's celebration are a few days away, it is time to run some errands and visit places that we do not always have time for. One of our favourites is the Soup Nutsy http://www.spotlighttoronto.com/musings/?p=390 and the actual website with location etc: http://www.soupnutsy.ca/index.html( I think that the idea definitely came from Seinfeld's Soup Nazi skits. The staff are very nice and very helpful unlike Seinfeld's skits.) I always choose the Sengalese Chicken soup which is very tasty. Today, I might be adventurous and try something new on the menu. I checked the website but today's offerings are not listed this early in the morning. If I worked downtown, I could even order my soup and arrange to have it delivered to my office. Now that is service.

After lunch, it is time to move to the 21st century and get Blackberries. Michael will need one for the consulting work that he is starting in two weeks and I would like one so that I will be able to communicate with him. We have credits on the cell phone accounts because I did not want new phones last time our contracts came up. Our cell phones were satisfactory, serving our needs just fine. Who needs a phone for pictures, I usually carry a camera with me.

Tonight is an important night. All the members of my family will sit down for dinner together;I have two brothers and of course Michael, my husband will be there. This does not happen very often. I had decided that it was time that we break our pattern and get together. After this, I will try for twice a year. Who knows, anything is possible.

All in all this will be an interesting day. Hope that yours is too.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. Hope that everyone is enjoying this Christmas despite the snow. This is the first Christmas since 1971 that the whole country has experienced a white Christmas. Not sure that everyone is pleased about that statistic especially those travellers stuck in airports.
Time to run some errands and make sure that Christmas gifts have been distributed to neighbours.

Time of Joy and Sorrow

The past few days have been mixed bag. Friday afternoon during the storm, I went over to a neighbours to take pictures of her flowers. She wanted me to photograph them for the photo cards that I make and give as gifts. If you are one of my friends, you have a pretty good idea what you are going to get: the options- a scarf- the variety continues to multiply; photo cards so that you can also stay in touch with friends, or a cookbook- I am working on having one ready for Christmas 2009. I was proud that my friend who I play tennis with likes my cards so much that she is looking for subjects for me to photograph. She was also proud of her amaryllis. Problem with the photos will be the fact that I had to shoot through the window, not usually a good thing. Here's hoping that the photos turn out.

Last night, Michael and I went to a dance recital. One of my former students had asked if I would attend. It was a wonderful evening, from the littlest dancers who got confused and one of whom loved the audience so much that she had to be lifted off the stage when she would not stop waving at the audience from the corner of the stage to the mature and skilled dancers who offered dances from the many regions of China. I have already thanked the student and asked that we be invited to the next recital (we paid for the tickets and they were worth every penny.)

Yesterday, very bad news. A friend who was the first teacher I met when I started teaching over 30 years ago had very bad news. Her husband died shoveling snow on Friday evening. What a terrible blow at any time of year but this must be one of the worst. We are going to the visitation and funeral. I can not imagine how she must feel when the death was so unexpected.

Hopefully, the rest of the week brings good news and the snow stops. It stopped for a couple hours today and the sun was shining but the sky is grey again. Going out to shovel, no worries- tennis and exercise have helped me to be ready for this.

George Carlin's Stuff

As I start to consider the shopping that needs to be done this weekend, I think about that famous essay by George Carlin about Stuff. We have so much and I know that companies and economist and the companies that build storage lockers do not want to hear this but do we need more stuff? Something that I ponder as I move things around the house and from place to place trying to figure out where all the stuff came from and what to do with it. I know that some of my friends have good answers.

George Carlin on Stuff

Actually this is just a place for my stuff, ya know? That's all, a little place for my stuff. That's all I want, that's all you need in life, is a little place for your stuff, ya know? I can see it on your table, everybody's got a little place for their stuff. This is my stuff, that's your stuff, that'll be his stuff over there. That's all you need in life, a little place for your stuff. That's all your house is: a place to keep your stuff. If you didn't have so much stuff, you wouldn't need a house. You could just walk around all the time.A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane. You look down, you see everybody's got a little pile of stuff. All the little piles of stuff. And when you leave your house, you gotta lock it up. Wouldn't want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff. They always take the good stuff. They never bother with that crap you're saving. All they want is the shiny stuff. That's what your house is, a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get...more stuff! Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house. Why? No room for your stuff anymore. Did you ever notice when you go to somebody else's house, you never quite feel a hundred percent at home? You know why? No room for your stuff. Somebody else's stuff is all over the goddamn place! And if you stay overnight, unexpectedly, they give you a little bedroom to sleep in. Bedroom they haven't used in about eleven years. Someone died in it, eleven years ago. And they haven't moved any of his stuff! Right next to the bed there's usually a dresser or a bureau of some kind, and there's NO ROOM for your stuff on it. Somebody else's shit is on the dresser.Have you noticed that their stuff is shit and your shit is stuff? God! And you say, "Get that shit offa there and let me put my stuff down!"Sometimes you leave your house to go on vacation. And you gotta take some of your stuff with you. Gotta take about two big suitcases full of stuff, when you go on vacation. You gotta take a smaller version of your house. It's the second version of your stuff. And you're gonna fly all the way to Honolulu. Gonna go across the continent, across half an ocean to Honolulu. You get down to the hotel room in Honolulu and you open up your suitcase and you put away all your stuff. "Here's a place here, put a little bit of stuff there, put some stuff here, put some stuff--you put your stuff there, I'll put some stuff--here's another place for stuff, look at this, I'll put some stuff here..." And even though you're far away from home, you start to get used to it, you start to feel okay, because after all, you do have some of your stuff with you. That's when your friend calls up from Maui, and says, "Hey, why don'tchya come over to Maui for the weekend and spend a couple of nights over here."Oh, no! Now what do I pack? Right, you've gotta pack an even SMALLER version of your stuff. The third version of your house. Just enough stuff to take to Maui for a coupla days. You get over to Maui--I mean you're really getting extended now, when you think about it. You got stuff ALL the way back on the mainland, you got stuff on another island, you got stuff on this island. I mean, supply lines are getting longer and harder to maintain. You get over to your friend's house on Maui and he gives you a little place to sleep, a little bed right next to his windowsill or something. You put some of your stuff up there. You put your stuff up there. You got your Visine, you got your nail clippers, and you put everything up. It takes about an hour and a half, but after a while you finally feel okay, say, "All right, I got my nail clippers, I must be okay." That's when your friend says, "Aaaaay, I think tonight we'll go over the other side of the island, visit a pal of mine and maybe stay over."Aww, no. NOW what do you pack? Right--you gotta pack an even SMALLER version of your stuff. The fourth version of your house. Only the stuff you know you're gonna need. Money, keys, comb, wallet, lighter, hanky, pen, smokes, rubber and change. Well, only the stuff you HOPE you're gonna need. All material written and owned by George Carlin.

Chocolate Cookies

Here is the latest recipe. Treats are good because they can be made at any time and if they are not served right away no problem. Apparently, these cookies are Christmas dinner worthy! Will make more.
I remember my mother baking dozens of wonderful cookies at Christmas time. She would bake for at least 2 or 3 weekends. My job would be to use the manual grinder to grind hazelnuts, or dip almond cookies in icing sugar. Most of the steps were beyond my expertise at the time. Once baked, she would have to try to hide some of the cookies or they would be gone before company and the big day arrived. These cookies are not in the same league but I will keep trying.

Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

Prep: 20 minutes Total 45 minutes
Do not bake the cookies to a crisp, they are meant to be soft and chewy. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three days.

Ingredients
Makes 2 dozen
8 ounces semisweet chocolate roughly chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour s, spooned and leveled
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave- safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted, do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.
Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely.

First baked, December 17, 2008.
Martha Stewart recipe from her e-mails

Christmas Cards

This is certainly the busiest time of the year. I did some baking-today- still trying to work on the new recipes.Banana bread next. I have never made a banana anything because I can never wait for the bananas to get ripe enough for baking. The resident tester will have to check if chocolate cookie recipe is worthy of being posted and included in the cookbook that I have been preparing. I collect recipes that are guest worthy and for special meals. They must be tested first and the resident tester must have sampled the wares. 41 pages in the current cookbook.
It isn't the baking that has kept me away from the blog; I try not to bake too much or I will need to sign up for Jenny Craig and I am not sure that I am ready to sample someone else's cooking. The good part is that you would not have dishes from the mess of preparing food. Now, that is a plus worth some thought.
No, I am busy responding to cards that I did not expect. There are some people who I have not seen for years but it seems that I am still on their radar and I have received a card from them. Nice to be remembered and the cards do bring back memories of trips and work, both good memories. Thank goodness for computers, I can print off more copies of my Christmas letter which as some of you might remember, I composed at least a week ago.
Hoping to post the chocolate cookie recipe tomorrow and now it is time to print off some more newsletter.

Chocolate Pudding

For those of you who love chocolate this recipe is excellent. I decided that I needed a fix and it was time make pudding. I have made the recipe in the past, the first time April, 1997 and each time I found that I had stir the pudding much longer than 5 minutes nearly 20 I discovered today when I timed the process. After whisking that I long, I will not feel guilty about having a treat tonight.

New-Style Old-fashioned Chocolate Pudding

4 servings

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons (packed) cornstarch
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 cups cold low-fat (1%) milk
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Mix first 5 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Add 1 cup milk and whisk to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in remaining milk. Whisk mixture over medium heat until thickened and beginning to simmer, about 5 minutes. Simmer 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla and almond extracts.

Divide pudding among 4 custard cups. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover, keep chilled.)

Per serving: calories 200; total fat 3 g. saturated fat 2 g; cholesterol 8 mg

Bon Appetit , April 97

Kissing: Is it Dangerous?

There are days when the newspaper is just a gold mine of fascinating information. I know that politics are important and I am certainly aware of the economy and sinking stock market and interest rates. Should we help those car companies that were the masters of their own fate and so arrogant about what they were doing that they ignored the competition? But this was too interesting to not post:

A young woman in southern China has partly lost her hearing after her boyfriend ruptured her eardrum during an excessively passionate kiss, local media reported. the twenty something girl from Zhuhai, in southern Guangdong province, went to hospital completely deaf in her left ear, the China Daily said, citing a report in a local newspaper. "The kiss reduced pressure in the mouth, pulled the eardrum out and caused the breakdown of the ear," the newspaper quoted a doctor as saying. In about two months the woman's hearing likely will return. "While kissing is normally very safe, doctors advise people to proceed with caution," the paper said.

Now that will make some people think before they pucker up!

The Greatest Carols?

Without carols, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas, BBC Music magazine notes, "But what are the truly great carols of all time? For this, we turned to the experts, those whose knowledge of the carol book is second to none. We asked over 50 choirmasters, and choral experts in the U.K and U. S. to each name their five favourite carols and Christmas motets." In a ranking of the top 50 carols, the top 10 are:
1. In the Bleak Midwinter (the Harold Darke setting, not the Gustav Holst music)
2. In Dulci Jubilo- I love this carol's melody.
3. A Spotless Rose- I taught music for 32 years and have sung and performed many carols-I have never heard of this one!
4. Bethlehem Down-Ditto for this one
5. Lully, Lulla- beautiful but so mournful
6. Tomorrow Shall be My Dancing day- a beautiful choral work- I love the Rutter arrangement
7. This is no Rose
8. O Come All ye Faithful
9. Of the Father's Heart Begotten
10. What Sweeter Music
At least of half of these carols are not in the carol books that I own. I am sure that the choral arrangement must be beautiful to be worthy of this list. Would be interesting to find out what the results would be even the general public was polled.

Italian wine is tap water?

Ontario's Liquor Control Board is recalling an Italian Wine, but not for the usual reasons.
Some of the 1,500 ml. bottles of 2007 D'Aquino Pinot Grigio delle Venezie are nothing but water.
George Soleas, the board's vice-president of quality assurance, said yesterday there is not risk to the public. ( No just surprise and embarrassment if you give a bottle of this Christmas item as a gift and the recipient opens it and discovers that he just been given tap water as a gift. I'm sure that he would not know what happened and unless he saw this article in the paper would have no reason to know why there is tap water in the bottle.)
"Basically, the chemical testing we have done, that was quite extensive, shows it is just tap water."
Apparently, the problem was the bottling plant where the bottles are flushed out with water.
"The only reason we decided to do the public recall is because we stand behind the quality of our products 100 per cent." Soleas said. (I am surprised that he feels that he needs to explain the need for a recall. There should be no discussion that customers who paid good money for water would receive a full refund. Now, the problem is how is the recall being managed? How does a customer discover that they have purchased expensive tap water?)
Wonder if the customer who first discovered the problem had trouble proving his case to the Liquor Control Board?

Crosswords

Everyday as soon as I go outside, I take a couple sections of newspapers across the street to a neighbour's house. About two years ago, she asked if I would give her the crossword section from a daily newspaper that she no longer subscribes to. Since I did not have time to consider tackling the puzzle, it was all hers. I have an addiction to newspapers, I get three a day, I give her two sections. This past summer, I decided to find out what these puzzles are all about. I am good with words or so I thought. Each day, I give myself some time to attempt the daily crossword. Today marks a special day, I completely filled in a crossword. I must admit that I needed some help from the internet to find out what the longest river in Europe is and what is Libya's neighbour but most of the other words I figured out on my own. Will have to figure out what special treat I deserve. Thinking of making chocolate pudding today- I make my own, not from a mix.

Dictionary dumps nature words

The Oxford Junior Dictionary which is aimed at children around the age of seven dropped nature words like "beaver" and dandelion"
In the latest edition of its dictionary for schoolchildren, Oxford University Press cut nature terms such as heron, magpie, otter (one of my favourite mammals- the other is the manatee), acorn, clover, ivy, sycamore, willow and blackberry (the fruit but not the Phone).
The electronic Blackberry was one of the words that was inserted instead, along with Blog, MP3 player, voice mail and broadband.
Canadian wildlife artist and conservationist Robert Bateman, whose Get to Know Program has been inspiring children to go outdoors and "get to know" their wild neighbour for more than a decade, said the decision is telling kids that nature just isn't that important.
"This is another nail in the coffin of human beings being acquainted with nature," Bateman said.
"If you can't name things, how can you love them?"
Vineeta Gupta, who heads children's dictionaries at Oxford University Press, wrote that changes in the world are responsible for changes in the book.
"When you look back at older versions of dictionaries, there were lots of examples of flowers for instance," she said. "That was because many children lived in semi-rural environments and saw the seasons. Nowadays, the environment has changed. (Don't we see the seasons anymore? If we don't maybe, we need to step back and reflect on why we aren't seeing the seasons. I am certainly aware that it is winter out there!)
I am do love the benefits of technology but we need to remember to live in harmony with nature and should be encouraging children to do the same.

Winter Curry Soup

Winter is here and this is the time of year that calls for this recipe. As soon as I log off, it is time to make this, wonderful comfort food when it is cold outside and snowing.

Curried Winter Vegetable and Bean Soup

Warm up a frosty winter evening with this low-fat, nutrient-loaded broth. For the beans, a canned or frozen mixture is convenient but any cooked beans can be used (red, white, pinto, romano, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, etc. )

1 tbs. (15 ml) vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. (5 ml) minced fresh ginger
1 tbs. (15 ml) curry powder
4 cups (1 L) chicken stock
1/2 cup (125 ml) drained canned tomatoes, crushed
1 each medium carrot and potato, diced
1/2 cup (125 ml) frozen or canned corn kernels
1 cup (250 ml) drained canned or frozen mixed beans
2 tbs. (30 ml) chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until softened but not browned. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder, cook, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes and carrot. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until carrot is slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Add potato, corn and beans. Return to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in parsley. Add salt and pepper is needed. Makes 6 servings.

Homemakers December 99

Made December 5, 1999 - excellent, flavourful, hardy

Orange Cornmeal Cake

Finally, I found the time to try another new recipe. This one is definitely a keeper. Simple and tasty, all the requirements for any recipe especially a cake. Enjoy:

Orange Cornmeal Cake

Prep: 10minutes Total 1 hour 10 minutes

For an even crunchier topping, you can use sanding sugar in place of granulated sugar in step 3. Look for it in the baking section of your grocery store.

Ingredients:
Serves 8
½ cup olive oil , plus more for pan
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar, plus, 1/3 cup for topping
½ cup dry white wine, (or orange juice)
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Orange segments for serving (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan withoil; line bottom with a round of wax or parchment paper, and brush paper with oil.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, 1 cup sugar, and wine until smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and orange zest; whisk gently to combine.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1/3 cup sugar (topping will be thick). Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a tester inserter in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

4. Cool in pan 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert gently onto a plate and remove parchment paper. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely. Serve with orange segments, if desired.

Martha Stewart- Website December 3, 2008
First baked December 6, 2008-
Excellent flavour and texture.

Happiness is contagious!

Good news, being around happy people is contagious! And misery does not love company and does not spread as easily. It does matter who we spend time with and what kind of mood they are in. Another interesting fact about this is that happiness spread more easily through same-sex as opposed to opposite sexes.
Wonderful to know that we can have an affect on others; so let's try to to keep it positive.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wlhappy05/BNStory/lifeFamily/home?cid=al_gam_mostemail

Neil Diamond

Yup, I was one of many people who was at the Air Canada Centre last night to see Neil Diamond. I had not even known that he was coming but when I was offered 2 free tickets by the Volunteer Department of Toronto General Hospital in recognition of the work that I do helping organize concerts at the hospital for the past three years, I jumped at the chance to get tickets. I was happy to have a chance to see the ACC, the concert was a bonus. I must admit that I did not know what songs he was known for.

On Tuesday, I happened to mention that I was going to the concert to my tennis buddies and one of them had such a twinkle in her eye when I mentioned Neil Diamond that I had to replace my husband with her. Thank goodness, he understood that someone who still has his albums and can sing the songs needed to go to the concert.

I must say that Neil Diamond is a real showman. His show is well done and orchestrated; the members of his group, one of whom has been with him for 38 years, obviously enjoy what they are doing. The audience members were serious fans, when Caroline started, they were on their feet ready to sing and wave their arms in time to the music.

I hope to be as energitic and enthusiastic when I am his age. He loves what he is doing and cares about his audience.

You tube Orchestra

Classical Musicians will finally get their chance to shine and show that although they might not be able to "Dance with the Stars" or show that they can dance, survive in the wild or get along in a large house with many strangers, swap families or have someone redecorate parts of their house: that they can play their instrument.
Video conferencing simultaneously from New York, London and San Francisco, world leaders in classical music and internet technology outlined their plan for a You Tube Orchestra. http://www.youtube.com/blog?entry=qwTiF0HMrog The plan is spearheaded by Google product managers Ed Sanders and Time Lee.
"Our idea is a collaborative orchestra," said Sanders from New York. "Musicians will be auditioning online from all over the world through our new site(youtube.com/symphony). The winning players will then gather in New York next April to debut a piece for orchestra at Carnegie Hall. This is a new kind of opportunity for musicians.
The audition process is simple. Players learn an orchestral part, downloading the written music directly from the site. Then the musician records his or her performance, while following along with a video of the conductor (also online). The results are then uploaded directly to YouTube for the panel's consideration.
Renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun wrote YouTube Symphony #1-Eroica for this event. It's a modern take on Beethoven's third symphony.
"This project is a chance to reconnect with what classical really means," said the San Francisco Symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. "It's still much more entrenched in everyday lives then we realize. I saw here in New York, some boy playing stick ball on the sidewalk, and when one fellow got a big hit, he ran off singing "Duh, da duh, da duh duh da da DAH (from Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachmusick).
I wonder if the creators of the Internet who were trying to share scientific ideas and research could ever have imagined this kind of exchange?
Should I practise and download a bassoon part?

Please don't touch the art

Many of the 52,000 visitors who visited the Art Gallery of Ontario during its free to the public opening weekend came to check out the building and as an after thought the art. Unfortunately, some of them did not read the "Please do not touch the art" signs because a piece by Yoko Ono needed to be "touched up". The piece-called Forget It. At one point during the weekend, the needle was bent over; it was later replaced. "We actually keep a bag of large embroidery needles," Susan Bloch-Nevitte, the AGO's executive director of public affairs, told the press. Bloch-Nevitte said the AGO is "aggressively" trying to lure new audiences,"and we know that not all of them have a lot of experience with art galleries, and may not be as clear on what the protocols are." She added the gallery may develop a short video that explains the impact of touching the art. "We're not worried about it. We're seeing it as a good challenge."

I have a feeling that conceptual artist, Yoko Ono might delight in the attention that her art is receiving and that members of the public are so interested in the piece. She is the artist who once produced a video of people's backsides! Also did a performance piece which asked people to cut a piece of her clothing while she sat posed. The process was filmed and is sometimes presented as part of her exhibits or retrospectives. Her art does provoke and make one reflect- in the case of the art under discussion- what is it that should be forgotten?

Japanese Senior Citizens turn to crime

History is being made on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan; in 2006 the total arrests of elderly people exceeded arrests of teenagers. The elderly accounted for 880 arrests mostly for shoplifting while teens were arrested 642 times. Crimes among the elderly have continued to surge; for every two teenagers arrested on this island, police arrested three people 65 and older.
The elderly in Japan are committing crimes-nearly all of them non-violent, mostly petty theft-because of loneliness, social isolation and poverty, according to a recent Justice Ministry study.
The trend echoes across Japan, where crimes committed by the elderly are increasing at a far faster pace than the elderly population.
While the 65-and-older population has doubled in the past two decades, crime among the elderly has increased fivefold, according to government statistics released this month. Japan's overall crime rate always low by world standards has fallen for the past five years.
Around the world criminologists have found the propensity to commit crime peaks in the late teens and early 20's and falls off steadily as people age. But Japan, with the world's oldest population and lowest proportion of children is heading into charted territory for criminal behaviour.
A desperate desire for human contact or for novelty in their lives leads many elderly people to shoplift, experts say.
"They want somebody to talk to,"said Hidehiko Yamamura of the National Shoplifting Prevention Organization, a non-profit group in Tokyo. "If they get caught, they talk to the police. They are very easy to catch."
To slow the growth of elder-crime, the Justice Ministry recommends financial and social programme to stabilize the lives of the elderly.
Wonder if Japanese elderly will join the ranks of bingo players and shuffle board enthusiasts?

Christmas Newsletter

It is that time of year again. Time to review the past year and decide what exciting details should be included in the Christmas Newsletter. Yes, I write a newsletter. You would think that people get enough news reading this blog but as hard as it is to believe there are friends who do not read my musings. Those are the people who will read about trips taken, fun activities like regular tennis, music groups that I play with and even some achievements- hope that there have been some and what ever else strikes my fancy. As some readers may have noticed I have varied interests which keep me amused and busy.
I buy some nice Christmas stationary and print the letters on the note paper which makes them special. Because I use the word processor I am able to customize my letters beforeI include them with my cards.
Time to start the cards since I received three yesterday. Wow! I knew that December had arrived. Because I am not in a school this year, I am sure that I will not receive as many cards as I have in the past. There are still many friends who are not in Toronto who I want to touch base with. I even bought extra stamps on my way home from picking up my free tickets for the Neil Diamond show tomorrow night. More about that later. Letter writing is waiting.

Tapestry Line

Over the years, I have been privileged to work with and meet a number of people who have gone on to develop talents and careers, we could no have imagined when we first met. One of those talents people is Line Dufour of Tapestry Line. We first met another lifetime ago when we both worked for Chargex. Yup that was the name at the time, not VISA . This was before we both moved on to post secondary education and found creative endeavours that fed our souls and allowed us to explore many aspects of the arts.

Line became an outstanding fibre artist. Today, I had the privilege of helping at her booth at the One of a Kind Show. I actually sold some things. Friday, when I return to help her again, I will do a much better job of preparing her sales invoices. I have not worked in retail for a long time. I am good on the sales part, just have to brush up on the invoicing. If you have a chance to visit the show, visit booth X5 and have a look at Line's wonderful fibre creations.

In case, you are not sure, that is Line on the left beside Jeanne Beker of Fashion television.

Visit her website www.tapestryline.com and then her blogs. You might even consider taking her weaving classes. She is an outstanding teacher as well as artist.

(If you visit One of a Kind Friday morning, I will be at the booth. Come and say hi. )

Cards

Many of my friends know that the postal service is my friend. I love getting mail and also send a great deal of mail. It is unusual for a day to go by without sending at least one piece of mail and it is very rare for the post person to pass our house without something to drop off and most of them it is a bundle. I have the elastic bands from the mail to prove it.

I buy cards but the past few years, I have started to make my own cards using my photographs. The positive comments have which inspired me to continue making the cards and then sending them or sometimes giving cards as gifts and hopefully brighten some one's day with a card(s).

I was reminded how much cards mean when I went out for dinner with my husband at a Kelsey's. We chatted with our waitress and the end of the dinner not only did she drop off a bill but also a card wishing us a nice evening and commenting on the activity we were going to be involved in that evening. I know that the card was from the restaurant and there is probably a campaign on the part of the restaurant to have the staff chat with patrons but the card works and indicates that the wait staff listened and paid attention to the patron. Nice touch. I would go back and the food was good as well.

I know that postage costs but try it send a card or a note and brighten some one's day, let them know that you are thinking of them. I am always surprised and pleased when someone tells me many months and sometimes more than many months how much my cards meant to them. It encourages me to keep it up.

Nursing Homes

The events of this summer have made me more aware of the level of care available to those in need in Ontario. Nursing homes are funded to the tune of $3.5 billion a year and this still only guarantees 3 hours of care per day. Think of your day and how much time that means. Based on the level of care that a person needs, feeding and bathing are part of the three hours. The question is what happens the rest of the day? Who is observing the resident? What level of care is being given? Is the time spent sitting in a chair in front of a nursing station part of the three hours? Time to start thinking of the future. There is much planning to be done.

CFL's

I am a firm believer in trying to be environmentally friendly; I recycle, compost and reuse. One look at my wardrobe will convince you that I try to wear things until they are well and truly worn out. Long ago, I gave up trying to be in style, if it fits, is comfortable and clean it works for me. Yup, some of the clothes that I wear are very old!
My many attempts to be a good steward of the environment have taught me that it is important to examine all sides of issues. For example, CFLs, compact fluorescent light bulbs are not living up to their claims of lasting a great deal longer than regular bulbs. CFLs cost 6 times what regular bulbs do and some have lasted half as long as incandescents! Apparently, the tests on CFLs were only done on table lamps not the many uses that people have for lights. Turning CFLs on and off speeds up their demise. What are we to do? Keep the lights on? CFLs emit frequency harmonics and its infared light interfere with many electronics. You have to wonder what they do to computers!
In Europe, CFLs are branded dangerous waste because they contain mercury which is something that has caused me concern and wonder about the claims about their environmental impact.
Let this be a reminder that we must examine products carefully and their impact through their complete life cycle.

Many facets of people

Again, I am reminded that there are many facets to the people we meet. We know them in one capacity but they are often involved in other activities that can sometimes be most unexpected. Yesterday, I found out that one of the people who I play tennis with belongs to a theatre company that we have a subscription to. The East Side players has been putting on plays for many years at Todmorden Mills and are an excellent community group with some excellent productions. My friend is auditioning for Noel Coward's Waiting in the Wings, hope that she gets a part.
Another tennis player is an avid concert goer and visits art galleries regularly. She has been to concert with performers who I wish I had heard. I usually just picture her as a very athletic person but did not imagine that she had an appreciation for the arts.
On Friday, I am attending a pottery show that another friend is taking part in. She teaches ESL at a community college and was in management before that.
This reminds me that there is more depth to the people we meet than we assume at first encounter. Pealing away the layers takes time but is the enjoyable part of relationships with others. . We must take the time to get to know them and learn about them and their interests. People can be very fascinating and are in turn engaged in many activities in their various communities.

Health

For many reasons, I have been more conscious of good health lately: I appreciate my good health physical and mental. On Monday, I met some new tennis players who commented that I hit the ball hard and noticed that I do not seem to have any injuries; it is true so far all my joints are pain free. No sore elbows, knees or shoulders and not torn muscles. Don't know if my peasant stock is saving me from these problems. Most of my tennis buddies have complaints or have had to stop playing.

Yesterday, I went to a workshop about getting your written work published. I have managed to have a number of articles published and was actually paid for one. I must keep working at it and hope that I will be able to have more work completed and get paid. During one of the breaks at the workshop, I spoke to some of the people at my table and was surprised at their comments about aches, pains, headaches. Now one of them should be examining her diet: potato chips, chocolate milk and a muffin a meal do not make. I think that Country Style donuts offered a bagel which would have been better for her. The chocolate milk was probably not too bad but there are better choices.

After all is said and done, we must all do all we can to maintain good physical and mental health. Some problems are not of our making but others might be avoided with care.
Enjoy your health and do everything you can to maintain it.

Six Million Trees

This is community involvement!
Thousands of Macedonians took to the hills and forests yesterday to plant six million trees in a single day as part of a mass reforestation drive in the Balkan Country. "Our goal is to make Macedonian 'greener' and make people more aware of the needs of this plant." said Macedonian opera singer Boris Trajanov, who initiated the project. Thousands of people were bused to the planting sites, including more than 1,000 soldiers who planted some 200,000 seedlings. Trajanov said he hoped to spread the campaign across the whole Balkan region next year.
Wonder who donated the trees or if a fundraising campaign as well as awareness campaign was held. This is an outstanding idea. More ideas like this which involve people would be ideal.

Money

Recently, I had a conversation with a friend whose son who is in university told her that money would disappear in today's economy. An interesting theory which I had difficulty accepting. There was a reason that money developed. We have difficulty carrying the goods that we might want to barter and the exchange process for the house or car might be very difficult. We do not all have goods that the next person wants to trade.
Money has a long history. Humankind started out with barter. What do you have that I need? It went with specialization of labour. If someone makes arrowheads all day, how are you going to get the arrowhead from him? You're probably going to trade something you've just hunted with an arrowhead he made. Money comes into the picture as a way of solidifying the power of the state. That's why the Sumerians, the first agricultural urban society, were the first to adopt a concept of money. In other words, I've got a lot of stuff stored, I 'll give you something that says you now own it. In effect, it's a form of deed.

We come forward from coins to paper money and finally the thing that enables all modern economies, the concept of fiat and credit currency, which was developed in late medieval Europe, in which letters of credit and letters of mark allowed us for the first time to bank on the power of the state itself rather than on the value of the coinage.

Money will not disappear completely but the use of debt cards, credit cards, and the Internet has allowed us to complete transactions without the presence of physical money. It will be fascinating to see what the present economic crisis does to the value of money and our understanding of its value.

Obama's Arts Platform

Now that Barack Obama has been elected, he has the difficult task during this challenging economic time of delivering his promises. He writes poetry, has contact with Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z and had a far reaching arts plank as part of his platform.
He advocated for increased support for arts education and the National Endowment for the Arts to changing the U. S. federal tax code for artists.
Echoing a comment in today's Globe and Mail about possible cuts to the arts in Ottawa, Elizabeth Currid, an expert on urban policy and the economic impact of the arts at the University of Southern California's School of Policy, Planning and Development said "In a time of economic turmoil, the arts is the last thing on any one's mind and yet it's the most important time to support the arts."
Obama began forming his culture plank in the spring of 2007, long before winning the Democratic nomination. He brought together a committee of artists and arts professionals, headed by Hollywood writer, director and producer George Stevens Jr. and Broadway producer Margo Lion.
The Committee's members include novelist Michael Charbon, Broadway director Hal Prince, musicians Eugenia and Pinchas Zukerman ( music director of Ottawa's National Arts Centre Orchestra), Museum of Modern Art president emerita Agnes Gund and Lynch of Americans for the Arts.
The committee developed a program that advocates: the creation of an "Artists Corp" of young artists trained to work in low-income schools and communities, the expansion of public-private partnerships to increase cultural-education programs; increased funding for the NEA; a commitment to "cultural diplomacy"; attracting foreign talent to the arts; and providing health care to artists.
While he was developing this plank, our present prime minister was and continues to find ways to cut support to the artists and all its support structures. What stark contrast!

Modern Houses

During these challenging economic times, some of us start to examine many aspects of our lives more closely. Recently, I read that people are looking at cheaper cuts of meat- no more filet mignon? Another thing that is being examined is the large monster homes that many people covet. A major change from the 1950's when the average home was 1000 square feet. Now homes are over 2000 square feet. Families were large in the 1950's but we managed.
I grew up in a 1950's bungalow as did many of my friends. We did not seem to suffer at the time. We had one television that we all watched. At the beginning of the hour or half-hour, we would agree which show we were going to watch together. There was no remote so once the choice was made we settled into our various spots and watched the black and white screen-remember trying make the horizontal hold work?. There were no arguments despite the fact that sometimes we hated the choice that our youngest brother made. He wanted to watch the Bishop Sheen Show each week and we would agree in return for our choices. Yes, there was a show with a Bishop on prime time, each Thursday at 7 p.m. if I remember correctly.
My brothers shared a room with bunk beds and there were no major complaints. There was a recreation room to escape to but it was not a private room.
People were more energy efficient because they were using less room and they did not have the large appliances that many people have today and not as many.
Guess there were some good things in those days and there were some happy moments. It was not all as bad as the media would like us to believe- not everyone was a Mad Man.

Writing and technology

Apparently the blog-cyber-mediashpere is making us stupid. A study published in 2005 by the King's College London suggests that the distractions of e-mail and text messaging effectively rob your functional IQ of 10 points. Another, conducted at Kansas State University, suggests that watching "the crawl-the stream of headlines scrolling across the lower portion of the television screen-reduces memory retention by roughly 10%, and a brain imaging study at Carnegie Mellon showed that when performing two tasks at once, a person's brain activity is 56% of what it was when that person focused on the two activities separately. ( Wonder if the distractions of e-mail and text messages cause permanent loss of intelligence?) Memory retention is serious; I have reached the point when I do worry about seniors' moments. No more watching the scroll.

If we want to be writers, there is another perhaps more important consideration for writers: the loss of creative space. In his book Hare Brain, Tortoise Minda: How Intelligence Increases When You Think Less (Ecco 1999), Guy Claxton cites several studies that point to an "unconscious intelligence" that works while our mind is disengaged or working on something else entirely. Ideas emerge from a kind of creative womb, one that works while we are focused on mundane physical task, like walking, or riding a train, or staring at the ocean. Just letting the the mind run.
If simply staring at the ocean and allowing your unconscious intelligence to do its work is difficult in this age of too much information, there is another state beyond that, which has become even harder to obtain: flow. It's a state of mind in which your are so engaged in an activity that you lose track of time-even lose track of yourself. You forget about everything around you and wake up kind of surprised to find yourself back in your room. The state of flow is when your best work gets done and when writing becomes really fun.
Right now, I am going to engage in the really mundane- laundry. Not sure if it will get me into flow but I will try and hopefully get some ideas for the writing that I enjoy doing. Avoiding the distraction of e-mail is hard. The phone with call display is easier, at least I am able to avoid nuisance calls. (Please if I do not answer you call, it is not because I am screening the call; I might be practising or writing.) TV is not a great hardship since I find less and less that I enjoy watching. Time for that load of laundry and hopefully I will get some ideas. Not sure about the flow but aim to reach that state.

No Failure

I guess teachers and administrators in one school in Saskatchewan have not heard about the self-esteem study. Nutana C. I. which celebrated its centenary is about to embark on a new philosophy about achievement.

"Failure may no longer be an option at a Saskatchewan high school. To spare students' hurt feelings and damaged prospects, Nutana Collegiate in Saskatoon is considering no longer issuing failing grades starting at the end of January. Instead of grades below 50, students would receive "incomplete" or "no mark" on their report cards and transcripts ( How is this not a failure?) said Nutana principal Shirley Figley. If the school makes the change, which is still under discussion with the school division, parents and students, Ms. Figley believes it will be the first high school in the country to do away with failing grades on a school-wide basis. "Failing marks do not encourage student engagement with school," she said yesterday, pointing to the permanent scar on a student's transcript, as well as negative effects on motivation and self-esteem. ( There it is the self-esteem word.) Teachers are also demoralized when they hand out failing grades because many see it as indicative of their own efforts, Ms Figley said. " Just like doctors don't want patients to die, teacher don't want their students to fail." The death of a patient is beyond a patient and doctor control but failure is not necessarily beyond the control of the student.
This is staggering that the principal actually buys into to what she is saying.

Self-esteem vs. achievement

My career as an educator started in the late 1970's, the same time that the self-esteem movement emerged. I was very old school and believed that self-esteem would develop with real and measurable achievements. Every one is capable of achieving realistic goals which help create a real sense of self worth. Over the years, I encountered many students who had been praised for being. Because of past educational experiences, they did not believe that it was necessary to achieve anything, the mere fact that they had arrived at school was enough and they did not always have to be on time. These praise junkies could be very belligerent if criticized for lack of real achievement and accomplishment. A adjunct to the issue of self-esteem was the practise of project centred learning at the elementary level. Students would be praised for working well with others, cooperating- both good skills but there seemed to be a failure to asses the final product. Process is definitely important and students need to be taught how to create the final product and with out parental help but the final assessment should consider the product and also that is was actually completed with real and definable goals.

Friends who had just arrived from Europe did not understand the self-esteem movement when I discussed it with them. They believed self-esteem would come from achieving and producing real results.

Researcher, Ellen Greenberger, ( has found that most students at the university level who have been taught under the auspices of the self-esteem movement do not understand that actual achievement is the most important measure of what their marks should be not just attendance and that the mark is not just a reflection of effort.

It is surprising that this research has just been done. I guess that it has taken time for this movement to spread across the continent and for its impact to be felt at the post-secondary level. Hopefully, educators examine the impact of the self-esteem movement and will start expecting children and others to actually produce results, encourage them to enjoy the process of learning and achieving at what ever level they are capable of reaching, and have them realize that not every one's results are the same despite the same effort.

We are different and have different skill levels which can be modified with time and effort. 10,000 hours of practise of a skill are needed for a level of excellence at any skill; time and dedicated effort are needed.

Do Good

This week, the Toronto Star continues to focus on the aging population and the challenges, the aging population faces and the care givers who want to help them. An article this morning mentions a east Indian scholar who says that his reason for living is to do good each day.

Recently, a Venezuelan choral scholar and director and woman who does a great deal of good, Maria Guinand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Guinandvisited Toronto to spread her gospel of music. Guinand brings hope to children living so far below the poverty line that they do not even show up in official stats. She does it with music and her foundation, Construir Cantando based in Caracas.

She set up a choir, the Schola Cantorum and many satellite groups in the slums and hinterlands of Venezuela, Columbia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. Her belief is "We are here to push them to the highest of their possibilities artistically. Full stop."

Guinand and her organizations aren't just training future musicians and teachers but are helping to raise "human beings who are certain that they can reach places they thought that could never reach. Her choirs travel the world proving that even lives can be changed and not just the lives of the choiristers but whole communities.

I hope that she will be able to continue to illuminate the lives of her choristers for many years to come and to demonstrate that having high standards and goals is not a negative.

Planning

As I work my way through the documents that I need to file as executor and also as Power of Attorney which I am going to invoke in order to fill out the documents that I know that my friend's wife is not capable of understanding and filling out, I am amazed at how organized we should be in order to aid others. One of the booklets that I was given by the funeral home should actually be given to people when they pre-plan their funeral and to people when the prepare their will. Lawyers and homes should give them out or charge a small fee for them. The booklet outlines very clearly what information will be needed and how to insure that your wishes are carried out.
Sad to think about this but I guess since I just found out that another friend has terminal cancer and is going to discuss how many months she has left with her oncologist , I am thinking about this.
I am also thinking about making sure that life is lived to the fullest. There is a great deal to enjoy. I won't bore you with a list and each of us has our own list but we should make sure that we enjoy the time we have-complete your bucket list.

Quick Curried Chicken

In case, you were wondering about the main course for last night's dinner, I made one of our favourite a Quick Curried Chicken with fresh tomatoes and coriander. Best to make this when there are lovely fresh tomatoes but it is so aromatic that it is hard to resist any time of year. Love the Cardamom and cinnamon. .

Quick Curried Chicken with Fresh Tomatoes and Coriander

Ingredients:
2 tsp/10 mL Curry Powder, medium
1/4 tsp/ 1 mL each Ground Cinnamon and salt
1/4 tsp/1 mL Ground Cardamom (optional)
Pinch Ground Nutmeg
4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
Cooking Spray
1 tbsp/15 mL Fresh Minced Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 or 4 Plum Tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups/500 mL)
1/4 cup/50 mL Water
2 tbsp/30 mL Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp/5 mL Lemon Juice

Method:
1 Combine spices and pat into both sides of chicken. Spray and heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side reducing heat if necessary (it doesn't need to be completely cooked through). Remove to a plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds, adding a little water if sticking. Stir in tomatoes and 1/4 cup (50 mL) water, and simmer until tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes.

3. Return chicken and any juices to pan. Cook, uncovered, turning chicken in tomato mixture until chicken is no longer pink in the center and sauce is thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir cilantro, lemon juice and salt to taste.

Serves 4
per serving/ calories 179/protein 31.4 g/ total fat 3.1 g/saturated fat 0.7g/carbohydrates 5.9 g
Ontario Chicken Lover Wing Magazine- Made July 16 2004

Happy cooking.

Harvest Grape Cake

We have a friend who loves Amaretto and sometimes we try to find recipes that includes Amaretto which means most of them are desserts, not a bad thing. Yesterday, we had a friend from France over for dinner before the concert that I performed in. I have been baking again now that it is cool-weather wise. Made one of our favourites: Harvest Grape Cake.

Harvest Grape Cake

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
5 tbs. sweet butter, melted
5 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
zest of 1 orange
2 tbs. Amaretto
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups small wine grapes, stemmed and rinsed plus cup (pinot noir or cabernet)

Butter and flour a ten inch cake pan. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar to thick golden ribbons, 20 to 3 minutes. Add butter, olive oil and milk. Add flour, orange zest, Amaretto and baking powder and stir together (do not over mix). Stir in the grapes, breaking a third of them with forceful strokes, leaving most whole. Pour batter into prepared pan, place in oven and cook 40 to 50 minutes, until pierced toothpick exits clean. Cool, carefully turn out right side up. sprinkle with powdered sugar and with remaining grapes.

Mario Batali - Food Network

Enjoy this easy to bake cake.

Graduations

Yesterday, I was honoured to participate in a high school awards assembly and in the evening grade 12 graduation. During the awards assembly, it was my honour to present an award to the outstanding grade nine student from last year who was the best musician. The award has been named for me. It is an honour to be recognized while still a live. Usually, this happens when you are no longer able to enjoy the moment. I told my husband that he will have to attend when I am not longer able to be present.

A little while ago a fellow blogger and friend posted some information about high heels and their extremes. Well, we saw them in action at the actual graduation- one young girl fell- not hurt. She did not land on the bottom step properly and leather soles are very different from athletic shoes. Another young lady, landed on a step with the edge of her heel and it broke off, the presenter had to get the heel for her and help her down the rest of the stairs. One more young girl tripped by no serious problems.

I used to tell my students to practise walking in their shoes because they would feel different and they are not so easy to walk in and proved by many models who fall on runways. Non of the staff fell, we are more cautious although I did notice some of the young women had very high narrow heels. I think that they probably changed their shoes as soon as possible. I can not imagine spending all day in them.

Looking forward to next year's graduation and seeing many students who I first taught in grade 9 go across the stage.

Memories of cooking

Found a course that would suit me: " Stories from Your Kitchen". This weekend, there will be a workshop which combines recipes and writing. The recipes are a launching point for memories and I would agree that certain foods take me back to the kitchen of my youth. Weekends baking cakes, my mother made a cake every weekend and no mixes for her and most of the time no recipes- she just knew what was needed by sight, touch and texture. It was amazing and helped make me a good baker. I know when more liquid or dry ingredients are needed by sight, touch and texture. Also, we did not use any electric mixers-you can develop very strong arms baking without today's appliances. I miss her strudels, Christmas baking which would start in November and take a couple Saturdays to complete because she made a wonderful variety. It was necessary to hide the cookies or we would well before Christmas.
Picnics or visits to the a beach which she loved included chicken schnitzel and potato salad and the cake of course.
I don't think that I need the course to get me started but it is interesting to reflect about the memories that emerge.

Tango for exercise

Now that we are all watching Dancing with the Stars (sad that Cloris Leachman was eliminated-but I was not watching or voting so I did not help her), and You Say you can Dance and other similar shows- I have lost track), the Tango is becoming a craze for seniors who would like to regain lost balance.
Lack of balance is a problem for seniors and some of them are turning to Tango lessons for help. After reading an article in yesterday's National Post, it seems that taking Tango lessons is much more fun than regular exercise which is just as beneficial. Women attending the tango lessons replaced their sweats and sensible shoes with dresses, jewellery and heels. That counts me out. I gave up heels many years ago when I first started working and found that I preferred comfortable shoes to aching feet after a day of standing.
Many years ago, I tried dancerize for exercise when it first came out and found out that it really was not for me. I could not figure out the routines quickly enough. Hi or low impact fitness classes are my speed. When this warm weather ends and I can not get out everyday for some tennis- yes you read correctly, still playing tennis outdoors, I will head back to the gym. A group of us are making sure that we enjoy everyday in the fine weather that we are experiencing.
Guess the message from the article is that you can Tango or walk or as Nike says Just do it but make sure that you keep moving so that you don't loose your balance and fall.

History

Another lifetime ago, I studied history and yesterday history was made! There were comments last night that we will all remember where we were when we found out that yes we can- people can create a movement. We know this from the past and other grass roots movements but there were people who worried that the Bradley Effect might take place or that the polls were not accurate and that McCain who was Bush's man might actually win.

I must say that McCain was gracious in defeat, a wonderful example of how to acknowledge your opponent's achievement graciously and to move on. McCain has given much to his country even if I do not always agree with all his principles but he does have principles.

There was a striking contrast in the crowds that gathered for McCain and for Obama. Obama as he acknowledged in his speech, ( yes I stayed up that late!) has many challenges ahead of him. His transition team will hit the ground running today. I do not envy him and the others the work ahead of them. I think that Obama is hoping to establish some kind of Peace Core and also national core- I do not remember what the organization that works within the United States boundaries trying to help U. S. citizens is, I am sure that it will experience a revival.

We are going to experience interesting times and have a window on history.

Fast Food Slows Down

Have you ever wondered what would happen to a MacDonald's hamburger is you just left it on a shelf? Karen Hanrahan did just that. She bought a a hamburger at a Chicago area McDonald's in 1996. Consumer awareness of environmental issues and organic foods have grown at the cost of fast food's esteem. Meanwhile, the number of Internet users has expanded exponentially. what has not changed much over the past dozen years is Hanrahan's hamburger.
Recently, Hanrahan posted her favourite prop for her nutrition lectures, the hamburger from 1996 on www.bestwellnessconsultant.com.
When she bought the hamburger, she took it home and put it on a plate without the bun and then stored it in her cupboard. Later she transferred the hamburger to a plastic sandwich box. She has done nothing to preserve the hamburger! She uses the hamburger in her presentations to prove that McDonalds is serving food that has no nutrition. Mcdonald's is not amused.
Wonder how long it will take for some scientists to discover her website and decide to study the hamburger. (Maybe McDonald's will consider doing the study.) I am not a fan of McDonalds anymore which does not mean that I don't crave a quarter pounder once in a while but I also realize that the many calories that it offers are not good for my figure or health. Like to spread my calorie intact out over the day and stop my hips from spreading more than they are. However, McDonalds is serving food with too many calories! Those are not the only issues that I have with McDonalds but that is another entry.
Hanrahan is a Shaklee product sales person-personally, I question the use of vitamins that are not in food. We should attempt to eat foods that provide our dietary needs and if possible not use vitamin supplements.
Some food for thought!

Crickets for lunch?

I love to try new foods and will try most things once but having tried blue cheese- sorry never again. I also have quite a collection of recipes and cookbooks but one that I do not plan to add to she shelf is The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook http://www.olympus.net/dggordon/EatABug.htmby Seattle entomologist David George Gordon who believes that omnivores should open their minds to what Gordon euphemistically calls "charismatic micro fauna". Occasionally, David George teams up with chef Meeru Dhalwala to cook and preach the Eat-a-bug gospel, most recently at the Vancouver bookstore Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks. (Wonder if my friend Krista attended?)
"We have an real inordinate distaste for insects," Gorden says of North American consumers. Bugs, he points out are packed with protein, amino acids and vitamins. And while it takes 100 pounds of grain to produce 16 pounds of steak, the same amount of grain will produce 50 pounds of crickets. In terms of environmental impact, "Eating a bug is the equivalent of riding a bicycle," Dhalwala says, paraphrasing an article from The New York Times, "Eating beef is the equivalent of driving a big SUV?"
Wonder how many of us will be convinced to eat a beetle for the environment?
November is prime time for grasshoppers, katydids, saturniid moth pupae, termites, ants cockroaches, scorpions, meal worms wax moth larvae, sow bugs and by crickets! Yum! You don't have to hunt the bugs- there are companies that raise them commercially: Grubco; Waxworms Inc; Hatari Invertebrates and Hot Lix. Have to watch for the IPO for these companies, their time will come.

Want to live longer?

Want to know what research has revelled is the secret to a long life? Good old fashioned hard work. "I was right- hard work never killed anyone!' According to a study published in the September issue of Health Psychology and conducted by Howard Friedman and Margaret Kern at the University of California at Riverside, highly conscientious individuals live an average of two to four years longer than their sedentary, unmotivated counterparts. Top achievers, such as Olympic athletes, corporate executives and world leaders, have the highest life expectancy, followed by the well-organized and reliable.
Why are conscientious people living longer? Because they make better choices in most areas of their life-from better health habit to less risk taking. Conscientious individuals are less likely to smoke or drink to excess; they're the type to insist on a helmet( yes, I have a yellow one) and avoid swimming with sharks.
Not only do they have healthier habits but they also gravitate toward healthier psychological environments and therefore tend to have more stable jobs, more stable marriages and the kinds of social relationships that are known to protect health and promote longevity.
Being a Type A personality is not bad. Those who tend to live longer are people who are able to take control of their lives and accomplish the things they want, are motivated, and can form stable relationships in doing that- it doesn't really matter who much work they have.
Have to get back to work.

Saffron Museum

If you read yesterday's Toronto Star, you saw article about a Saffron Museum!http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/travel/Saffron_is_mountain_village_s_spice_of_life.html?siteSect=415&sid=5293362&cKey=1220517614000&ty=st Purse Museums -Saffron Museums-what next?

135 saffron growers in Mund Switzerland, a tiny village in southern Switzerland spend time on the steep hillsides growing and harvesting the world's most expensive spice. Saffron has been grown in Switzerland since the 14th century but today it's grown only in Mund- the northern most place in Europe where saffron flourishes- in a canton known for other superlatives like the Matterhorn, and Visperterminen-Europe's highest vineyards.

In Mund, you get saffron risotto, saffron bread, and creamy saffron soup at the Restaurant Jagerheim.

A saffron museum opened in October 2007 in a 15th century wooden house here.

"Does it pay off? No," Rohmeder: a pharmacist who now makes Munder Gold, a saffron liqueur, says candidly.

"Nobody is rich here, nobody is poor. Everyone makes as much money as they want and as most have sheep. It's an ideal pre-Marxist society There's no reason to accumulate capital."

Interesting, making as much money as they want. Something makes me think that the accumulation of material wealth is not high on the list of their priorities since they spend their time painstakingly collecting the stamens of the flowers for saffron. 130 flowers result in one gram of saffron, that is a lot of work. Most of the saffron is produced for the village.

I think that someday, I will visit museum's of the world the great ones in terms of size but also the quirky.

Tassen Museum or Purse Museum

Many people are definitely collectors and I just discovered a wonderful museum in Amsterdam which I would love to visit next time I visit this delightful city. The museum was started by Sigrid Ivo who inherited her passion from her mother who devoted half her life to creating one of the biggest walk-in closest in the world. The Museum of Bags and Purses is inside an elegant, five-storey home that houses more than 1,500 bags dating back to the 16th century. http://us.holland.com/e/45245/Evening+bags+and+purses+.phpThis museum would complement Toronto's Shoe museum. Women often buy bags and shoes with the intention of having them coordinate.

I don't think that Michael will be as eager to join me in a tour of the museum but I think that I can arrange for him to sit at a lovely cafe or restaurant and have an ale of some kind.

The article in today's Toronto Star feature some wonderful examples of purses from the museum. They put me to shame with my back-pack bag that I use nearly everyday. I can not be bothered transferring all the things that help me get through a day. I like to know that I have them even if I don't always use them.

I am inspired to think about being more creative and imaginative in my choice of handbags. Dull works but these are more fun.

Local Food

As I continue to discover, we must research environmental decisions carefully. The use of ethanol and growing crops to produce it has demonstrated that our best intentions can have a negative effect when we divert what was a crop for cattle and people to fuel for our vehicles thereby causing farmland to be allocated for other purposes. The other negatives are that the cost of food increases and the actual amount decreases especially in areas that are already experiencing difficulty producing enough food for the local population.

Our 100 mile diet does not always support economic efficiency or best farming practises in. New Zealand researchers have found that the country's natural abundance of clover-filled fields mean it can ship its lamb 24,000 kilometres to Britain and still only produce one-quarter of the carbon footprint of local British lamb raised on manufactured food.

Canada's Atlantic halibut is obtained by using the highly destructive practise of bottom trawling which other nations (not all I will admit) have banned.

What these examples point out is that we must keep examining our assumptions about the 100 mile diet and other practises. Things are not as clear as they might seem at first glance.

Executrix

In case, you are wondering why I have not posted for a couple days- actually only one but it feels like a few days, I am busy focusing on my duties as a executrix and relearning what needs to be done. Unfortunately, I taken care of more than one estate prior to this.

Probate: must be done if property and assets are not held jointly- something to be said for joint accounts but then again there are good reasons for not having joint accounts!

I just contacted the cemetery where my friend's ashes were buried last week. I wanted to make sure that all the details had been taken care of. Well, apparently my friend had been sold two identical headstones! Who would do that?!? The cemetery claims that they can not refund the cost because they make the headstone immediately upon payment and store them. Well, I want to see the storage facility and since they are not refunding, I want the metal which can be melted down and some money retrieved. No really, I think that if they do not refund we are going to Small Claims court. Who would do such a terrible thing to a nice old man. My friend, Charlie was already 75 when he purchased the two headstones!

Hopefully, everything else will go smoothly and there will not be any major problems. Just the methodical process of applying for survivor's benefits and closing and cancelling accounts.

Oatmeal Bread

It is getting cool outside, not downright cold yet but we are migrating to colder weather and it is time to start making comfort food. One of my favourites is this oatmeal bread which I made yesterday. My goal is to bake something old or new each week. This was the start. Love this recipe, the leftover cheddar cheese will be used for Macaroni and Cheese later in the week. No waste, although we could use the cheese for sandwiches; cheese does not go to waste here.

Oatmeal Bread

To sour milk, use 1 tbs.. white vinegar for each cup of milk. Put the vinegar in the cup before measuring.

1 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cups buttermilk or soured milk
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg beaten
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350o F. Grease a 1 /12 quart casserole well. Combine oats and milk in a medium bowl and let stand 30 minutes. Beat in sugar, egg and oil. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into oat mixture to blend. Turn into casserole and sprinkle cheese over top. Bake until a toothpick stuck in centre comes out clean. about 55 minutes. Cool in casserole 5 minutes, then turn out a rack.

Good, coarse flavourful bread, excellent toasted
Canadian Magazine

THomas Jefferson and the Economy

The first dire warnings about the U. S. Banking system was issued 199 years ago. "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties that standing armies... if the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporation that will grow up around them will deprive people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent that their fathers conquered. Thomas Jefferson, 1809 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson

(http://www.economyincrisis.org/)

If this concept was there 199 years ago, why was it ignored?

Side-walk artist

Many of us have seen his work. It is often passed around in e-mails. He is Julian Beever, the sidewalk chalk artist who has become known for his 3-D art and illusions http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/pave.htm He is in Toronto! I hope that his work is still at the corner of Eglinton and Yonge after the rain we had. I am planning to get there and have a look. His work has always fascinated me and obviously many others.

Mr. Beever is from Dover, England. Toscano Pizza has hired him to draw on boards brought in for the occasion. This is the first I have heard of the pizza; will have to look it up. Riocan which owns the building and the square where he is working has not helped make his work easier by placing a giant yellow Dumpster next to the artist. Sometimes people lack understanding of the impact of events. Beever has commented that the area is not particularly attractive and it would be hard to disagree.

Beever left art school and started his career in York, England where he was a busker for a Punch and Judy puppet show. He pioneered 3-D drawings and his career took off when his girlfriend took photos of the 3-D images and placed them on the Internet. Last week, he was in Montevideo drawing a Ballantyne's scotch bottle, next week he is in Bangkok drawing Piper's whisky bottle. Nice life.

Wonderful what images on the Internet can do for some careers.

Facts and Arugments-the Last Goodbye

Recently, the Facts and Arguments section of the Globe and Mail posted an essay that caught my attention. I often glance at the section and wonder what the day's essay is about. The topic this time was " One last goodbye party", the story of a woman who knew that the end was near and arranged to have a garden party with friends. She was discharged from the hospital for the day and brought to the party where she hosted the event for friends and good-byes were said. I often find that many people are upset about some one's death not just because the person has passed away and they will not longer be part of another person's life but that the survivor did not have a chance to say good bye and express their feelings to person once last time.

We regret lost potential when person dies too young. With older people, we regret the fact that they are no longer a part of our days. We miss their conversations, words of wisdom, jokes or whatever made them unique to us.

Yesterday as I was leaving Charlie's house after spending time with his widow and her daughter, I met someone who knew my friend Charlie who passed away on Thanksgiving Day. This man who was walking two beautiful dogs was upset that he had not been part of Charlie's memorial and had not known that about his death. This man had known Charlie for nearly 50 years. Charlie had been his milk man during the 1950's! Unfortunately, Charlie's wife did not know how much Charlie was part of the community, taking walks around the neighbourhood and stopping to pass the time with neighbours and getting to know them. These walks had been part of his time and he had not explained who he met and socialized with.

It is interesting that we can not know everything about the people we live with. Hopefully, we can try to say what we need to, to the people who are part of our lives and not have regrets when our time or theirs comes.

New appliances-Catch 22

Environmentalists constantly encourage to us to buy new appliances and save energy. I am firm believer that there is a good and bad to everything and you have to weigh decisions carefully to make sure that the best decision has been made. The appears to be true as far as appliances are concerned. Apparently, new appliances do cut energy consumption but they don't last as long as our older and more durable appliances. Your old washing machine lasted 20 years, mine did but my new one wish is certainly quieter and does not use as much water according to studies will not last as long. Manufactures are driven to have us consume more and to insure that we do they are building obsolesce into their products. Life expectancy is half of the previous products. Another explanation is that we like gadgets in our products and do not demand quality.
I have often commented that you get what you pay, a saying that my mother lived by. She was willing to pay a little more for something that would last. She was not part of the disposable generation, she wanted things to last and to be built well.

Not far from the tree

Often I fear for the planet and what we are doing to the environment, and then I am reassured to see that there are people who are looking around their community and trying find ways to act in responsible manner. One such group is: Not far from the Tree: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/community-fruit-harvest.php

This group supports the local food movement by looking around the community and finding those sources of food especially fruit trees that offer fruit which is usually left to squirrels that could be a source of food for local citizens. The squirrels are going to have to find other sources of food as the groups searches for fruit bearing trees and maybe even nuts. The groups picks the fruit: 1/3 for the owners of the trees, 1/3 for the volunteers and 1/3 to community organizations that can use the fresh fruit.


Apparently these kind of projects exist elsewhere and Toronto is a little slow to start but with the leadership of people like Laura Reinsborough many parties are benefiting. The group also visits Spadina House which has a historic garden and orchard-the same orchard that my trio plays in during the spring. Every Saturday, Suzanne Long, the volunteer in charge of the Spadina Saturdays receives a note from the museum's head gardener letting her know which trees are ready for picking. Her crew arrives picks the fruit for distribution.


Jamie Kennedy recently bought a bushel of heritage apples from the group and pears culled from the backyards of Ward 21.


This fall, the group plans to learn about canning and preserving and next year host public preservation workshops.


What a wonderful initiative!


http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/