Our Canadian grandson made this card for his parents -
I just had to share it...
Papa and Mama, I love you
Our Annual Valentine heart sponge cake:
this year we were very careful and put half of it in the freezer.
I know, getting cautious in our old age.
Tulips on our last visit to Canada, May 2013.
The Ottawa Citizen reports that last Sunday Ottawa was the coldest national capital on the planet! Overnight it was -25 C, with wind chill factor making it -38.
My daughter reports that Friday was -27 C in her area, wind chill -40.
On her way to work her car tyre blew out, plus 2 others went flat.
The car was towed, she organised a rental, and still made it to class for period 2. She is very intrepid, my girl.
Fingers crossed the flowers of Spring will arrive before we make our visit this year.
I bought a new iron - it is endless excitement around here..
The box says, to my amusement:
'Designed to help serious ironers achieve superior results, fast'
This would be because it has the same attributes as my first iron, acquired when I was about 16 - a decent bit of weight, a stainless steel soleplate, and it steams. I like to whip through ironing Mr C's shirts, perfectly, in about 90 seconds each, so no modern namby pamby lightweight teflon for moi...
Do you like ironing? I actually prefer it to most other housework.
That quirky, flamboyant fashion designer Zandra Rhodes was made a Dame the other day. She made gorgeous frocks for Princess Diana, and the Princess Royal, back in the day.
When we voted for our State Parliament recently, I gave hardly any thought to those who, in the past, have been denied this democratic right.
The indigenous people of Australia only achieved full voting rights in State and Federal elections in the 1960s, and our state, Queensland, was one of the last to remove any restrictions on Aboriginal voting rights.
Perhaps our nation was influenced by the Civil Rights movement in the United States, when discrimination was still practiced long after the 1964 legal desegregation in the South. It was very difficult for blacks to register to vote, and they were thwarted at every turn.
This is the topic of Selma, the Oscar nominated movie about Martin Luther King (David Oyelowo) and his followers, and their march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama in 1965 to fight for voting rights.
As a consequence of their efforts, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the movie ends with actual film footage of the demonstrators on their heroic walk. So moving, and a reminder to be thankful for our freedoms.
And what are we eating tonight?
Some very rustic pancakes I threw together while I have been writing this post..
Happy Shrove Tuesday, dear readers.
XXXX
What a sweet Valentine from your grandson! They are having a brutal winter back in Ontario. It's so strange, because out west here in BC winter has been a non-event. I just drove across the southern part of the province this past weekend and there was no winter to be found. It felt like late March. Hopefully some of that nice weather makes its way to Ontario before you visit!
ReplyDeleteThe winter sure does sounds brutal in the East. I am amazed our daughter has taken to living there so well, Kristie. We will be flying via Vancouver, so will enjoy a day of the nice weather in your area :)
DeleteTrish, I love the pink hat and the pink valentine cake, but pink hair? Really?
ReplyDeleteAh, Zandra always has pink hair, Linda. At least they don't miss her on the streets of London!
DeleteOh always such a joy to stop by and see beautiful snippets of your life!! xo
ReplyDeleteThank you Tamera, your blog brings joy to many of us, too! xo
DeleteLovely to catch up on your news! I hope that your daughter and the rest of the family will be safe and warm in that awful cold. Your cake is beautiful and must have tasted delicious I am sure! I have a heart shaped cake pan and keep forgetting to make a valentines cake! I hope that you have a good week! xx
ReplyDeleteHi Amy, I do think about our little family over there in that cold, which seems something like the north pole to me! You must make a heart cake one year with your cake pan - Valentines really is the perfect day for it. I inherited my tins from my mother. xx
DeleteIt looks as though your grandson can tell what one of your favourite colours is! I do like the pink cake as well
ReplyDeleteI always adored Zandra Rhodes designs as well.
Ironing - I have a big, serious iron - I don't like ironing much - but like you, prefer it to some other chores.
I can remember when we arrived in Australia (1965) that my parents were amazed that indigenous people were not citizens of their own country. Many discussions in our household, plus watching the changes in the U.S. Meanwhile the school I attended (prior to migration) in the UK took many boarders from Africa - and we were told quite simply they were ordinary people like us who were homesick, just like any other boarder. We had to behave with respect. Interesting how attitudes are formed.
Glad to hear you also have a serious iron. Very important for those of us who like to sew!
DeleteIf was a strange Australia in the 1960s when it came to human rights, and I can imagine your parents amazement. Not only were we a bit slow with the indigenous people, but women were paid only a little more than half the wage of men doing the same work. Thankfully equal pay began to come in around the same time as the citizenship changes. It is interesting how attitudes can be formed by what is simply government policy, and is often dressed up as morality or an ethical position.
Howdy Trica,
ReplyDeleteAs usually beautiful flowers! Can't wait for Spring to arrive in America.
I am sure I will enjoy Selma, though I'm sorry the filmmarkers felt the need to rewrite history. Historians who have been asked, all agree that President Lyndon Johnson was a champion of the equal rights moment, as well as, the Voting Rights bill, and he was the absolute right leader to get the legistation through Congress. Without him, who knows if it would have passed at that time. I realize that often filmmakers change facts for story reasons, but in this case, I wonder why they did so. It's a pretty big rewrite of facts. Nonetheless, I think the actors should be acknowleged for their wonderful work.
I love your little grandson's card. It's darling!
I don't mind ironing, but I don't need to do more than a shirt on ocassion. I like it less if it were a weekly chore. My mother seemed to do it on Sunday evenings, and there were many pieces to iron ... even curtains. I think she got smarter later in life. I haven't seen her iron curtains in decades. I remember before spray starch, she boiled a starch solution on a stovetop and dipped cotton shirts and things in it, then ironed them. Are I dating myself?
So sorry! I left a few letter out of words ... first to your name! Than I meant to type, "I'd like it less if ...."
DeleteHi Debra, Those beautiful flowers were in Canada - we don't have them here. I'm sure Spring in New York is lovely too, with similar blooms. Re Selma, I was surprised at the representation of President Johnson, which was counter to my understanding of him too, as a champion of civil rights. We visited his family home in Texas a few years ago, very interesting.
DeleteI remember my mother using the starch, too. It was called Silver Star and she also made it with hot water. She starched my Dad's shirts and our school uniforms, which were then ironed to a super smooth glossy finish. Those days are gone!
Oh yes, I'm glad you corrected my mistake ... "civil rights," not "equal rights" - which is the phrase used for women's rights. I don't know where my mind was yesterday. I had typos left and right!
DeleteHi Val, totally agree, the best Valentine ever, what with the pink beads, the French message - I'd have it framed!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a nice day with the photographers, who sound like a great bunch. Wow, how special to see Zandra's dresses up close - they were so special and unique. I love the pink hair, but I couldn't do it either...
Sweet card, you will have two bilingual grandchildren too. It is definitely an asset. My eldest granddaughter has just got into a music Conservatoire to become a classical singer. Her knowledge of languages has and will be a great help to her.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear the cardmaker speaking French, Rosemary - he won't do it for us on skype! How lovely your granddaughter is off to the Conservatoire, you must be so proud, and the languages certainly will be an asset to a singer. When I was young I went to our Conservatoire part-time at night while I worked in the day, studied piano there for five years and it was fantastic!!
DeleteEnjoyed your pink post from the beginning adorable card to the end with the pretty pink hat. I may be odd but I DO like ironing. Like you tho, my iron has to have some weight to it. I like the whole process from setting up the squeeky ironing board to the smell as steam and heat hit the cotton.
ReplyDeleteDarla
Thank you Darla, it was time for another pink post :)
DeleteI am glad to hear you like ironing, a very satisfying domestic task.. I like all those aspects too. Much better than dirt removal of any kind.
Once again, I am late in commenting.
ReplyDeleteHow terribly cold in Canada. We have once had -18°C, and after that around zeros. And I always thought that Finland is the only place recognized due to it´s cold climate.
Btw., I read a headline somewhere lately stating, that our aged women should not go on a diet!
Once again, you have gathered such a delightful post. Made me happy. Thanks!
Hello Mette, I love to hear from you! You are right, everybody thinks Finland is a very cold place, close to the North Pole :) Meantime, Canada just gets on with the shovelling of snow...
DeleteNo diet? I would be as fat as Mrs Santa Claus and have to go and live in Lappland!
Hi Patricia.....
ReplyDeleteI also love to iron....always have.....always will....
Cheers!
Linda :o)
Hi Linda, Three Cheers for the Ironers!! x
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