Smile for The Day

Veronica: shew shew shew.

Ted: What is that?

Veronica: That is the sound of me deflecting your whiney complaining with my happiness shield.

From ABC's Better Off Ted

Prohibitions

Archery and Snowmobiles make this an interesting list of prohibitions!


Sign on the Wall of St. Paul's School. Burlington, ON, Canada

Carving The Turkey

My first time ever!

Christmas Eve

The Cream Cheese is enjoying her first Christmas!

At Least Jon Loves Canada

This is what you get when you visit www.thedailyshow.com when you are in Canada!

Rude Awakening

Seriously?!

Who knew that the moment you crossed the border to Canada you get cut off from your Netflix account!?

Sadness.

I Made It!

Hockey At Baggage Claim

Here I am waiting for my bags in Toronto ... and look there is a TV with the hockey game on ?!

Up Up and Away

Up and out the door at 3 am today.

Starting the journey home.

My goal -- to make it up Hamilton Mountain in time for dinner at Swiss Chalet. Wish me luck!

Corner of LJ Village Drive

Tonight on my way home I passed this Dude on the Corner of LJ Village Drive.

His sign says, "Will watch Fox News for Food".

Fox News For Food

Dude on the Corner of LaJolla Village Dr. Sign says "Will watch Fox News for Food. Peace :) "

Bug Reports in HD

Lovin' reading my bug reports on an HD Cinema Display!

Where No Monument Stands

I spent the evening in a beautiful old church enjoying a folk concert. The headliner was John Gorka - who I had never heard before. During his second song I had a bit of a Gordon Lightfoot flashback ... I swear I cold hear Gord singing "The Wreck of the Edumnd Fitzgerald" off in the distance. By the third song, Gordon was gone and it was all John. He is rather quirky in person but if you close your eyes and listen to the music - you can't help but be moved.




At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border
(from poetry180)
William Stafford

This is the field where the battle did not happen,
where the unknown soldier did not die.
This is the field where grass joined hands,
where no monument stands,
and the only heroic thing is the sky.

Birds fly here without any sound,
unfolding their wings across the open.
No people killed — or were killed — on this ground
hallowed by neglect and an air so tame
that people celebrate it by forgetting its name.

Tippie's Totally Awesome unChicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

  2 Tbsp olive oil
  1.5 cups diced onion
  1.5 cup celery
  5 carrots
  4 potatoes (small - med)
   Tbs organic wheat flour
  3 cups “unchicken” chicken stock or strong vegetable broth
  2 cups diced “Gardien” chicken scallopini or "Gardien" 7 grain crispy tenders
  1 package Pillsbury pie crust
  Melted vegan (or regular) butter as needed

---

Directions

• Cut heads of broccoli and cook in microwave in an inch of water for 3 minutes, let cool and then cut into bite sized pieces
  
• Puncture holes in potatoes and cook in microwave for 3 minutes let cool and dice
  
• Dice carrots and place in water and microwave for 4 minutes
  
  
• Using a small stock pot, heat oil and sauté onion and celery until translucent.
  
• Add flour and stir until well incorporated.
  
• Pour in stock and stir, simmering until filling has thickened.
  
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Add remaining cut vegetables and "chicken".
  
• Stir until mixture is well coated
  
  
• Roll out pie crust and cut it about 1/2 an inch larger than the ramekin/baking dish you are using.
  
• Place filling in ramekin and top with pie crust.
  
• Dab top side of crust with a little melted butter.
  
  
• Bake in pre-heated 420° oven for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown.
  

Inspired by this recipe.

Thought For The Day

Whatever you are, be a good one.

-- Life is Good

Thought For The Day

I can be changed by what happens to me. I refuse to be reduced by it.

-Maya

Give Thanks Every Day

• Start each day with the attitude "I am awake and have an opportunity to live a beautiful day"
  
• Look at everyday experiences and nature with fresh eyes and innocence
  
• Think of life as a gift and find the good in all situations
  
• Each night re-count the good things that happened that day
  

Know or Go

My friend is Canadian. What country is he from?

Look Who Is Hitting 50!

Veteran on the 10 Dollar Bill

If you have a Canadian $10 bill, look at the back right side of the bill. You will see an old veteran standing at attention near the Ottawa war memorial.

• His name is Robert Metcalfe and he died last month at the age of 90.
  That he managed to live to that age is rather remarkable, given what happened in the Second World War.
  
• Born in England, he one of the 400,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force sent to the mainland where they found themselves facing the new German warfare technique - the Blitzkrieg.
  
• He was treating a wounded comrade when he was hit in the legs by shrapnel.
  Enroute to hospital, his ambulance came under fire from a German tank, which then miraculously ceased fire.
  
• Evacuated from Dunkirk on HMS Grenade, two of the sister ships with them were sunk. Recovered, he was sent to allied campaigns in north Africa and Italy.
  
• Enroute his ship was chased by the German battleship Bismarck.
  
• In North Africa he served under General Montgomery against the Desert Fox, Rommel
  
• sent into the Italian campaign, he met his future wife, a lieutenant and physiotherapist in a Canadian hospital.
  
• They were married in the morning by the mayor of the Italian town, and again In the afternoon by a British padre.

After the war they settled in Chatham where he went into politics and became The warden (chairman) of the county. At the age of 80 he wrote a book about his experiences and on his retirement He and his wife moved to Ottawa. One day out of the blue he received a call from a government official
Asking him to go downtown for a photo op.

He wasn't told what the photo was for or why they chose him. "He had no idea he would be on the bill," his daughter said.
And now you know the rest of the story of the old veteran on the $10 bill.

On the left are Peace doves and the words to the poem In Flanders Fields