Lapis & Llamas

This past week we had to put one of our cats down.  It was really sad and upsetting.  Dax was our black male cat that I had from a kitten for about 16 years.  He started dropping weight but was still eating and drinking water, then last Monday he started puking white foam all day.  When we noticed it was a bit pinky we took him to the Emergency Animal Hospital.  The doctor told us he had a large tumor in his upper ab.  With the vet's advice we decided to put him down.  It was an upsetting night. The house feels a little bit empty despite having four more cats and a guinea pig(who tends to be louder than all four cats together). This past weekend I decided to let Yetti out on the deck for the afternoon for some fresh air.   Even though we have been in this house for almost 2 years this the first time Yetti has enjoyed the outdoors. My initial  plan was to have chicken wire enclosure for her to be free to eat grass and clover, but we live i...

Summer(spring that feels like summer) time I find it difficult to focus on blogging and crafting.  I can't justify spending that much of my free time indoors.  Now that I work in retail I have to be inside, unlike the pass 4 years where I worked at a Garden Center and was outside everyday from March till October. But what I will try to do this year is take as many pictures of the time I spend outdoors.  From gardening(which do on a weekly basis) to family functions, and events around town.  So here is a few pics of me cleaning our deck and planting some of our veggies. Habanero Peppers Patio and Black Cherry Tomatoes & Red Leaf Lettuce  Last year we grew 2 varieties of Amaranth Plants to see if we could use them for cooking, but then I started reading that some types of the plants are not edible and others are, then another web page said that all types are....i don't know....so we really didn't eat any.  But they are beautiful plants, and d...

Just bought our tickets!! This Saturday night we will be watching and listening to some great Chilean entertainment. Thank you to Neruda Production who is wonderfully bring these three acts together.  First Proyecto Antiplano . Proyecto Altiplano (means“Highlands Project”) is a collective of Latin American/Canadian musicians. Blending  sounds of a combination of Latin American traditional, Roots music, traditional Andean, modern contemporary, rhythms of the Indigenous, African and Creole, with elements of Latin American Folk, popular music and Jazz. I have never seen them live and I'm really excited. They play songs from Chilean folk artist that I love, such as Violeta Parra, Victor Jara, Jose Seves, Second to perform is Freddy Torrealba. Freddy Torrealba Freddy is a Chilean charango musician.  The charango is a five paired stringed instrument, used in the South America and Central America. Originating in the highlands of Bolivia.  ...

After my dad passed away I started to feel like my last connection to my parents homeland was gone.  I started going through all the conversation that I had with him about places he always wanted to take us(his children) in Chile.  The towns where he had the best "mariscos" - seafood, or "empanadas".  Or the town his great uncle lived, where he spent one of his summers, eating and drinking the best food he have ever had.  He always joked that being in Valdivia for 3 months made him gain so much weight.  He told me that we still have family down there and to try to visit them one day. Along with trying to recall conversations with him I also started listening to radio stations from Chile.  It's something in the way Chileans speak that makes me feel like i am with family.  The one station I fell in love with is Radio Quellon 100.5 FM I have been listening to this station for about 2 weeks.  They play lots of old folk music and hav...

So Valentines Day was lovely. Thank you to my "Love" for the cute gifts of chocolate and sweet heart socks.  We exchanged homemade cards and dined on chocolate/ginger cake. Yummy.  I made my boyfriend a card with rats and a cat. I think it turned out cute. For the cake I used 2 different cake mixes (chocolate & ginger). I prepared them just like the box said to, then I took half of each mix put then in separate bowls and mixed vanilla pudding mix plus 1 cup of almond milk. Then layered all four mixes in a greased bunt pan.  The cake turned out so moist & chewy. I melted icing in the microwave and poured on the warm cake.  Add pretty sprinkles and done. It was such a nice, despite getting to filling done in the morning.  That was kind of gross.

Making tags with Cory & Tamara. Oh so much fun.

It definitely spring around here.  While at work on Saturday( at the garden center) I was talking to gentleman who, with his wife operate a website in Breslau. Breslau is area on the out skirt of Kitchener.  There they have a 24hour live camera feed of an Osprey family. Two different camera angle capturing all the action. Here is one of them. Live TV : Ustream Zeus and Hara are back in town to rebuild their nest and start there family.  It's actually pretty cool, the only action right now is them building there nest.  No babies yet, can wait to see the little ones. Check it out at Birds of Breslau