Proof

The first pictures I have to show you are "proof" that we went on a trip out West in the first place. My sister-in-law wanted some more souvenir-like photos of the kids at all the border signs. Unfortunately, not all the provincial borders have noticeable signs.... so we only managed one good one driving there & one good one driving back.

First up: Manitoba. After over 12 hours of driving, we were finally out of Ontario. The kids lined up under the sign with their Nana & Papa (my sister-in-law's parents) ... and Uncle John (for some reason). Give us your best "gangsta" pose now guys:

We didn't see a sign for Saskatchewan & it was dark when we reached Alberta (plus, Pat & I split from everyone else in Regina, since we headed South to Calgary & they went on to Edmonton), so that was it for the trip out West.

On our way back home, we spotted this border sign almost right away:

Here's a good shot of my older brother Matt, his wife Terri-Anne & the kids:

I think we may have seen another sign after this one, but we didn't bother stopping again. Still, these 2 shots make a great souvenir!

More photos (maybe of some scenery) tomorrow!

Friday Five

I'm back! After nearly 2 weeks away, it feels good to sleep in my own bed, eat my own food & pull clothes out of a closet instead of a suitcase! I have tons & tons of pictures to show you over the next few days (we took over 1400!):

This is Lake Superior, as we traveled by Sunday afternoon. But first, here's what I was up to this week:

1. Sunday night, 1 of the 3 cars we were traveling with hit a moose. It was my brother Matt's car - my sister-in-law's dad was driving, her mom in the front seat & my little brother John sleeping in the back. The moose was HUGE! So big, the front end of the car didn't hit it, fitting through the animal's legs; the moose only smashed in the roof of the car & windshield. It also flew over the side of the car, smashing the driver's window & leaving a hoof-print in the door. Thank goodness for the following: no one was hurt, the car was still drivable, Matt works for a windshield company & Pat invested in CAA before we left. We had the car towed to Sault Ste. Marie, where Speedy Glass very quickly fit in a new windshield so that we could drive home. That moose cost us 12 hours on our trip home ... we were making really good time otherwise...
2. We arrived home late Monday night. What a relief - and just in time for Emily (John's girl friend), who started a new job at 8AM Tuesday. After nearly 3 days with very little sleep, I think we all passed out immediately.
3. Pat & I drove home Tuesday afternoon. I was ready to get home.
4. Groceries & sleep on Wednesday. There is nothing quite as tasty as a home-cooked meal after 2 weeks of eating out!
5. Now, I'm just recuperating - I caught a cold from my niece on the trip. Started with a sore throat, then sinus congestion. Now the congestion is in my chest. Awesome. TGIF!

Magazine Feature

I was featured in a magazine!

A few months ago, a writer for Country Style magazine (an Australian issue) emailed me, asking for a straight-on picture of my Soar cross-stitch piece (in my Sew Ulixis shop). I sent it to her & promptly forgot about it. That is, until I heard from someone who had seen me in the magazine! How cool is that?! I was lucky enough to get a scan of the piece from the author (I'm #6), but I'd love to get my hands on a hard copy too. Anyone have the June issue of Country Style magazine (Australian edition)?

Wordless Wednesday

Science Byte

Today's Science Byte is brought to you by Robbins & Cotran's Pathologic Basis of Disease, p.208.

Let's look at autoimmune disease - what exactly does that mean?

Immune reactions are very important - your immune system protects you against infections & disease. To do so, the cells of the immune system recognize specific antigens - structures on the surface of everything: our own cells as well as pathogens like bacteria & viruses. When an immune cell finds something that isn't supposed to be there - be it a bug, a transplanted organ or a tumour - an immune reaction occurs. Your immune system then does everything in its power to attack the foreign intruders.

But what if your immune cells think your own cells are foreign? Then an autoimmune reaction occurs. Destruction of your own, normal tissues result. Disease is usually progressive, with relapses & remission.

I've mentioned autoimmune reactions on the Science Byte before - in type 1 diabetes mellitus, pancreatic cells are destroyed by the immune system. This is an example of organ-specific disease, where the inflammation is targeted to one area. Another example is multiple sclerosis, where the myelin sheath of neurons is destroyed. Systemic disease is when the reaction is against wide-spread self-antigens. For example, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus are systemic diseases, with inflammation or lesions occurring throughout the body.

Have you had experience with an autoimmune disorder? I'd love to hear about it.

Mosaic Monday

Summer weddings!

1. Two Rings, 2. Summer Solstice Wedding, 3. Wedding Dress For Happy Couple in Love, 4. The bouquet – Wedding photography

Recipe: Homemade Granola

Mmmmm... granola. What better snack food to bring along for a road trip? It's so easy to make & customize to what you like & have on hand. Think you don't like granola? Making it yourself means you can controls the ingredients & flavour - give it a shot!

Homemade Granola

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats (not instant)

2 - 4 cups nuts, whatever you like - peanuts, almonds, cashews, or just go with a nut mix

3/4 cup seeds - I went equal parts sesame, flax & sunflower

1/2 cup coconut

2 tbsp vegetable oil (not olive - I used peanut oil)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup raisins

up to 1 cup dried fruit - apricot, craisins, mango, banana, etc

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 300F.

2. Mix together the nuts & oatmeal.

Stir in the seeds & coconut.

3. Measure the oil into the measuring cup you'll use for the honey. Swirl the oil around the sides so that the sticky honey will flow out easily.

4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry (not including the dried fruit) until everything is well coated.

Spread into the largest baking dish you have.

A cookie sheet with a substantial lip would work too. I used my largest glass pan. I've found that I don't need to grease it before hand (the oil in the mixture helps), but if your pan tends to stick, use a bit of oil to be safe.

5. Cook in 10 minute interval, stirring in between. Bake for around 35-45 minutes, depending how thick the layer of granola is in your pan. You want it to have a nice golden colour & start to lose its stickiness.

Don't worry if it still looks wet & sticky when you take it out - this will set a bit while cooling.

6. Meanwhile, chop up the dried fruit so they're all around the same size as the raisins.

Stir the raisins & dried fruit directly into the pan (if you don't think it'll fit, transfer it back to a large bowl). Don't wait for the mixture to cool, otherwise the dried fruit won't incorporate itself into the granola as nicely. You can stir it a few times as it cools to prevent it from clumping too much. The more you stir, the more broken up it will be.

Enjoy! Granola is great as a snack just like that, but it's also tasty sprinkled onto yogurt, ice cream, cereal or a bowl of fresh berries & milk.

Variations:

• Go nuts! Literally - feel free to increase the amount of nuts & use whatever you like. Just make sure they aren't salted. I went with pecans, hazelnuts (filberts) & peanuts this time because that's what was in my cupboard. I definitely would have included almonds - but those had already disappeared by the time I set out to make my granola.
• Seeds: flax, sesame & sunflower are only suggestions - why not try pumpkin?
• Wheatgerm is a nice addition to granola.
• Toasting your seeds, nuts & wheatgerm adds a nice flavour to the granola.
• If honey isn't your flavour of choice, try corn syrup or maple syrup (my favourite).

Already make your own granola? Let me know how your recipe differs from mine - I'm always up to trying variations!

Collections: Coffee Table Books

I love all kinds of books but especially beautifully illustrated coffee table books. I have a small collection of these treasured volumes & love flipping through them for inspiration. Since each of these books deserves its own blog post, I figured I wouldn't lump them all together like I usually do for my collections posts. Keep an eye out for future installments!

The first book I want to show you showcases the life work of one of my favourite artists, Charley Harper (I've talked about him before).

Charley Harper - An Illustrated Life by Todd Oldham

Even the inside covers display his vibrant artwork. Inside, there are pictures of the author too:

The book is broken into sections, starting with an interview with the artist, various books & magazines he illustrated, advertising, mosaics, paintings & posters:

The author, Todd Oldham, tried to compile as much of Charley Harper's work as he could - but even the artist himself didn't know where all of it may be.

I think my favourite section is the Giant Golden Book of Biology:

But the distinctive birds are spectacular too:

I was particularly awed by the murals:

Many of the advertisements & magazine illustrations were very recognizable (& beautiful):

One of the best parts is getting to see preliminary sketches of complete paintings & works in progress:

Really, this book is awesome. Each time I pick it up, I see something I hadn't noticed before. Charley Harper's work is truly inspiring.