My 89 year old mother arrived safely from Vancouver yesterday and we took the long tortuous drive through fog, rain and long weekend traffic congestion to arrive safely at my brother's home.
Last year in California (in the Olive Capital) I purchased a jar of muffaletta olive and vegetable mix. Yesterday morning, I assembled my first muffaletta. After arriving at my brother's home for dinner, I meant to take a photo, but we all scarfed the muffaletta down before I could act! The mix had lots of olives and pickled vegetables - I thought it was a little too salty and oily, so I drained it very well all morning. I had roasted some red peppers a day before and stored them in balsamic vinegar. I drained the red peppers and added the olive mix and added lots of oregano.....From the farmer's market in Hamilton I purchased sliced meats and provolone cheese and two large round Italian loaves.......and.....presto - a muffaletta.....
But that isn't what I wanted to write about today......I wanted to tell you that Miguel is now a Permanent Canadian Resident. After being together for 12 years, we decided to take action a few months ago....It took us days (weeks) to get all the documents prepared - Miguel had to list everywhere he has lived or worked since he was 18 years old. Considering that Miguel was in the airforce and was stationed in at least 8 or 9 states, that added to paperwork. Once the paperwork was completed, we waited.....waited.....
A month or so again we learned that we had to attend an Immigration Interview - and that made little old worrier me, even more worried-er... On October 2nd, we drove to Detroit (that is where one goes for Immigration Interviews) and both Miguel and I were grilled on why it has taken us this long to apply, why we had never married, what we had been doing sitting idly all these years (and other questions).....and at the end....presto - not a muffaletta, but Permanent Residency in Canada for Miguel!
What does this mean? It means that we never have to worry about what to do if Miguel gets sick again.....it means that we can stay together without worrying.....it means that crossing the border will be easier.... If we had known we would be so elated when this process was completed, we would have done it much earlier.... On this Thanksgiving weekend, it is one huge thing that we are thankful for.......
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thanksgiving.....
This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. Not the same kind of family reunion time as the American holiday, but a time to stuff the turkey and eat pumpkin pie. The fact that our family is going to be together (except for my first-born) for the first time in probably 40 years is quite a remarkable feat.
I haven't been blogging, mainly because I haven't had reliable internet connections and I failed to get a word-processing program on the new laptop. I can't figure out how I could blog from the blackberry, so things are quiet on the quidnuncblogging front.
But - the things we have seen, the places we have been, the people we have enjoyed over the last few weeks have been amazing. We have mostly been centred at my older meaner sister's home - helping her paint, clean, repair and purge junk from her home. But we have spent lots of time visiting with friends - we spent a weekend at Georgian Bay with my friend Cheri (who I have known since I was 7 years old)...we had brunch with two highschool friends, we shared Rosh Hashanah dinner with two sets of friends from law school and their families, we toured vineyards in Niagara on the Lake with two dear law school friends (and had a terrific brunch at Hillebrand Vineyards), we had a second delicious Rosh Hashanah dinner with my friend Wendy and her family, I got to catch up with my old neighbour from Vancouver who has moved to the Niagara region, I spent an afternoon at the spa with my sister and her adorable friend Jan (pedicure and manicure, don't ya know). Our lives have been rich here in Ontario......
Today my mother flies in and we will head up to my brother's home for Thanksgiving weekend. My mother is 89, so this is a big trip for her. I coerced my older meaner sister into making cabbage rolls for the weekend (we always had them on special occasions when we were young) and we will take them to my brother's house. Even the idea that we could plan such a Thanksgiving and all be together makes me happy. We are lucky to have this chance to be together. It will be busy and noisy and undoubtedly frustrating - but we are blessed to have the opportunity - and for that I will give thanks.....
Have a great weekend my Canadian friends.
I haven't been blogging, mainly because I haven't had reliable internet connections and I failed to get a word-processing program on the new laptop. I can't figure out how I could blog from the blackberry, so things are quiet on the quidnuncblogging front.
But - the things we have seen, the places we have been, the people we have enjoyed over the last few weeks have been amazing. We have mostly been centred at my older meaner sister's home - helping her paint, clean, repair and purge junk from her home. But we have spent lots of time visiting with friends - we spent a weekend at Georgian Bay with my friend Cheri (who I have known since I was 7 years old)...we had brunch with two highschool friends, we shared Rosh Hashanah dinner with two sets of friends from law school and their families, we toured vineyards in Niagara on the Lake with two dear law school friends (and had a terrific brunch at Hillebrand Vineyards), we had a second delicious Rosh Hashanah dinner with my friend Wendy and her family, I got to catch up with my old neighbour from Vancouver who has moved to the Niagara region, I spent an afternoon at the spa with my sister and her adorable friend Jan (pedicure and manicure, don't ya know). Our lives have been rich here in Ontario......
Today my mother flies in and we will head up to my brother's home for Thanksgiving weekend. My mother is 89, so this is a big trip for her. I coerced my older meaner sister into making cabbage rolls for the weekend (we always had them on special occasions when we were young) and we will take them to my brother's house. Even the idea that we could plan such a Thanksgiving and all be together makes me happy. We are lucky to have this chance to be together. It will be busy and noisy and undoubtedly frustrating - but we are blessed to have the opportunity - and for that I will give thanks.....
Have a great weekend my Canadian friends.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sunday in Toronto.....
Yes, we made it......we drove through the Northern United States and have arrived safely in Toronto. Just in time for Swine Flu..... On the road we have encountered many people in public places and now we are in Toronto we find that many friends or their children have had Swine Flu.... Everyone swears they are not infectious anymore.... I'm counting on that.....
The road trip was quite wonderful. Except for a day of rain in Washington State, we had sunshine everywhere else we traveled. I had a huge case of bloggingresistance on my trip. We weren't always able to get free wireless and we often had long days and I was just too pooped to be communicative. Those are my excuses and I am sticking with them....
In my mind, one theme reappeared throughout the road trip - vision. My first overwhelming state of awe of someone`s vision was when we arrived in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is a huge expanse of land, the first National Park in the world. Someone thought that this spectacular landscape should be saved - someone had the vision. Many years later, we were able to see bison roaming (and even crossing the road in front of us), other abundant wildlife, spooky and smelly sulphur spurts and the scariest terrain and roads through canyons and cliffs. Vision - someone had vision to think that this park needed to be created for all people.......
Then another outstanding example of vision - Mount Rushmore. I know that if I had been a common citizen in South Dakota in the 1920`s I would have thought that creating a monument from the natural beauty of the Black Hills was the stupidest, most wasteful use of money I could ever envision. But....someone had a vision. Local labourers worked tirelessly and fearlessly to chip away the mountains....the architect spent all his last days trying to finish the project...and an impressive monument was created. Don`t get me wrong - the surrounding area is a mess of schlocky attractions - but the creation of Mount Rushmore helped the economy of the community and it has attracted many from all over the United States. And even cynical, no-vision me realized that creating Mount Rushmore was worth it.
So there you have it - outstanding examples of what happened when citizens of the United States had great vision. I was in awe....... AND THEN.....WHOAAAA..... REALITY CHECK COMING UP..... throughout our trip we were caught in the small-minded fight about universal medical care. We couldn`t avoid the news and the discussions - we couldn`t avoid seeing the crazies.... The funny part is that the US isn`t in the forefront here - it is the last first-world developed country to adopt universal medical care. Who could possibly deny every citizen the right to get medical care without financial ruin. I had a few heated discussions with Americans on my travels - people who had only heard terrible things about Canadian health care. I met the most suspicious and racist of citizens. In South Dakota we saw a bumper sticker:
I will keep my money, my guns and my freedoms - you can keep the `change`
Yep - no vision was anywhere in sight.
The road trip was quite wonderful. Except for a day of rain in Washington State, we had sunshine everywhere else we traveled. I had a huge case of bloggingresistance on my trip. We weren't always able to get free wireless and we often had long days and I was just too pooped to be communicative. Those are my excuses and I am sticking with them....
In my mind, one theme reappeared throughout the road trip - vision. My first overwhelming state of awe of someone`s vision was when we arrived in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is a huge expanse of land, the first National Park in the world. Someone thought that this spectacular landscape should be saved - someone had the vision. Many years later, we were able to see bison roaming (and even crossing the road in front of us), other abundant wildlife, spooky and smelly sulphur spurts and the scariest terrain and roads through canyons and cliffs. Vision - someone had vision to think that this park needed to be created for all people.......
Then another outstanding example of vision - Mount Rushmore. I know that if I had been a common citizen in South Dakota in the 1920`s I would have thought that creating a monument from the natural beauty of the Black Hills was the stupidest, most wasteful use of money I could ever envision. But....someone had a vision. Local labourers worked tirelessly and fearlessly to chip away the mountains....the architect spent all his last days trying to finish the project...and an impressive monument was created. Don`t get me wrong - the surrounding area is a mess of schlocky attractions - but the creation of Mount Rushmore helped the economy of the community and it has attracted many from all over the United States. And even cynical, no-vision me realized that creating Mount Rushmore was worth it.
So there you have it - outstanding examples of what happened when citizens of the United States had great vision. I was in awe....... AND THEN.....WHOAAAA..... REALITY CHECK COMING UP..... throughout our trip we were caught in the small-minded fight about universal medical care. We couldn`t avoid the news and the discussions - we couldn`t avoid seeing the crazies.... The funny part is that the US isn`t in the forefront here - it is the last first-world developed country to adopt universal medical care. Who could possibly deny every citizen the right to get medical care without financial ruin. I had a few heated discussions with Americans on my travels - people who had only heard terrible things about Canadian health care. I met the most suspicious and racist of citizens. In South Dakota we saw a bumper sticker:
I will keep my money, my guns and my freedoms - you can keep the `change`
Yep - no vision was anywhere in sight.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Rapid City......
Yes, there is a Rapid City in South Dakota. We have traveled through Montana, Wyoming and have arrived in Rapid City. Tomorrow we head to Mt. Rushmore. We have seen beautiful scenery, charming places......and I will write tomorrow and tell you all about them.............
Yes, I will................
Yes, I will................
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Never blog while tipsy.....
That should be a rule - but I have always been one to question rules.....
Today was my birthday....I should mention that all day long I worried that I might succumb to senior citizen specials again.....the siren call, the siren call....... I am mightily ashamed of yesterday's breakfast special....it only saved me $1.40 cents, but it made me feel 20 years older.......
And today I am one year older....56 years old.....
After a day of rain and mountains and slippery roads today was a day of....rain and mountains and slippery roads. My sister and Miguel bought me a blueberry muffin complete with birthday candle this morning....and after hotel room coffee, we headed out from Spokane....
Even though it was raining, we loved driving throught Idaho - Coeur d`Alene is a lovely city and the countryside was stunning through Idaho even though there was an occasional hydro-plane event. We moved into Montana and when we passed over the Continental Divide I was giddy with excitement. I love the idea of the Continental Divide....now we are really moving eastward......
We had a few stops throughout the day and have ended up in Livingston, Montana... Jeff Bridges, Meg Ryan, Whoopie Goldberg all have ranches near Livingston. Here is a fun fact about Livingston.....if, after driving all day and ending up at Montana`s Rib and Chop House for a great dinner, and after consuming a 27 ounce Margarita (it is my birthday after all), the waiter will offer you a margarita to go.....yes, this is true..... and so, in margaritahaze, I tell you that I love Livingston.... I love Montana....what a country!
Today was my birthday....I should mention that all day long I worried that I might succumb to senior citizen specials again.....the siren call, the siren call....... I am mightily ashamed of yesterday's breakfast special....it only saved me $1.40 cents, but it made me feel 20 years older.......
And today I am one year older....56 years old.....
After a day of rain and mountains and slippery roads today was a day of....rain and mountains and slippery roads. My sister and Miguel bought me a blueberry muffin complete with birthday candle this morning....and after hotel room coffee, we headed out from Spokane....
Even though it was raining, we loved driving throught Idaho - Coeur d`Alene is a lovely city and the countryside was stunning through Idaho even though there was an occasional hydro-plane event. We moved into Montana and when we passed over the Continental Divide I was giddy with excitement. I love the idea of the Continental Divide....now we are really moving eastward......
We had a few stops throughout the day and have ended up in Livingston, Montana... Jeff Bridges, Meg Ryan, Whoopie Goldberg all have ranches near Livingston. Here is a fun fact about Livingston.....if, after driving all day and ending up at Montana`s Rib and Chop House for a great dinner, and after consuming a 27 ounce Margarita (it is my birthday after all), the waiter will offer you a margarita to go.....yes, this is true..... and so, in margaritahaze, I tell you that I love Livingston.... I love Montana....what a country!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Grape Jelly Across America and Special Senior Citizen Discounts....
Today was the official start of our Road Trip. We woke to unsettled weather and as we pulled away from home, the rain started. We drove south to Seattle and then turned to the east to head across the country. As we started to climb up the Snoqualmie Pass the rain turned into a downpour....thick heavy rain that made the road slick and slippery....A bad start to a road trip if you ask me......
And as we passed over the summit and headed down, the sun started to shine and the highway was dry.....and the rain was over. And then something momentous happened....we decided to stop for a very late breakfast (and some much needed coffee)....and the menu included special items for "Those 55 and over"......and by golly, didn't we order from that menu. Yes, I did it - I ordered from that menu....
Now to the full, plain, true disclosure part - I am 55....but I have never actually considered I am eligible in fact or in spirit for a senior citizen discount. What next? Early bird specials?
And so we drove on, fortified by our breakfast deal.....over the Columbia River and through the valley......
And as we passed over the summit and headed down, the sun started to shine and the highway was dry.....and the rain was over. And then something momentous happened....we decided to stop for a very late breakfast (and some much needed coffee)....and the menu included special items for "Those 55 and over"......and by golly, didn't we order from that menu. Yes, I did it - I ordered from that menu....
Now to the full, plain, true disclosure part - I am 55....but I have never actually considered I am eligible in fact or in spirit for a senior citizen discount. What next? Early bird specials?
And so we drove on, fortified by our breakfast deal.....over the Columbia River and through the valley......
Friday, September 4, 2009
Road Trips and Plum Tortes....somehow they are connected.....
Tomorrow Miguel and I (along with my older meaner sister who is in charge of the itinerary) are leaving for Road Trip 2009........ This will be our third road trip together........ This year we have cross-country plans - plans for being bi-coastal........it is a big mother of a road trip.
There is a mission statement for Road Trip 2009 - well, not really a mission statement - but we do have some objectives:
1. Help my sister repair and renovate her home
2. Visit with friends and family in Ontario
3. Satisfy my urge to visit some great American landmarks - Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore....and Ogunquit, Maine
So tomorrow we embark........heading south a few hours and then turning left to drive through Washington State. I have my shiny new laptop and I will be bloggin........
But before I leave I had to say goodbye - my mother (who is complaining bitterly about me abandoning her) and my ex-inlaws came for lunch..........and what better time than to make a Plum Torte. Now this is not a recipe blog - there are too many great cooking blogs out there. But I have to share with you a beloved Plum Torte recipe. Ida was the grandmother of my ex-husband. She was an opinionated, lively, alert and spunky friend. I greatly enjoyed her company and I enjoyed being with her..... I admired her because she kept a youthful outlook all through her life - she liked young people and new ideas. Imagine me, a grand-daughter of Polish immigrants marrying into a family of.....you got it....Polish immigrants...... Imagine me inheriting a delicious Plum Torte recipe..... No wonder I adored her......This was one of her recipes - and every fall I make it and think about her fondly. It is so simple .........
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.......
Cream together:
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
Then with mixer on, add in:
2 eggs
When you have mixed in the eggs and things are smooth, add in:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
You will have a thick batter - spread the batter into a greased pan (I like to use a spring form round)
Press prune plums that have been cut into half into the batter. Keep the cut sides down......
Sprinkle the top with sugar
This is what your unbaked Torte will look like:
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees......when cool you can remove the cake from the pan. See how delicious it looks??
It is perfect with slightly sweetened fresh whipped cream or with ice cream......
Luckily there is some plum torte left for breakfast tomorrow morning as we head out on Road Trip 2009.........if you see us driving by, please wave.....
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