Oh no. Oh no oh no. Home made 'Bailey's' changed my life.
   Oh Bailey's. My once favourite holiday drink, banished from this house along with all other grain alcohol. The story was a sad one, Christmases enjoyed with lowly egg-nog, until today. I was perusing my favourite site, Pinterest, and happened upon a recipe when I had a moment of realization; I could make it with Rum!
   So I did! I find making it with Rum sets mine apart from all others, thus deserving of it's own name. I was thinking Crowthers Canadian Rum?
   This stuff is so good I wonder why I ever paid good money for it in the first place! Firstly, you can make it with more alcohol if you desire. Secondly, it tastes like melted ice cream, far superior to the brand name. And finally, making it yourself means you get to drink more of it because it's more affordable!

   Don't try this. It's delicious, irresistible even.

Recipe as follows.

1 cup of whipping cream (not whipped)
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp of melted chocolate
1tbsp good vanilla extract
1/2 tsp good instant coffee
1 3/4 cup of white rum (you can add more if you want, silly.)

Blend well with immersion blender. I did heat everything except the rum just slightly to ensure the melted chocolate and coffee powder incorporated well. (I added the rum later so as not to affect the alcohol content.)

   Sometimes I feel as though life is just made up of many confusing codes meant to make me feel better at first, but once deciphered are really just designed to let me know how people really feel about me.

   Like the moment when someone gives you a big hug and smile upon meeting up with you, (an hour late) telling you all about how it has been too long since the last visit, while they proceed to incessantly check their phone and fill you in on what other people are doing...on Facebook.
 
   Possibly you have also experienced the bait and switch, wherein you have been invited to a splendid afternoon of fun and games, while upon arrival, you realize what they really meant. They really wanted to invite you over so you can watch their crappy T.V. program while they check their phone for something better to do.

   Since when has it been ok to plan a time to meet someone, only to call 15 minutes past that time to reschedule, and do The Same Thing an hour later!

   Some of you out there must have had this moment; someone asks you what you have been up to lately, you begin to go through your mental files and deliver your most excited recounting of this weeks adventures, when you realize the original question was meant as a "Hey-how-are-ya?". I always feel so silly, I really thought they wanted to know…

   Some people say they love you so much. So much they can't bring themselves to talk to you.

   Have you ever been cuddling, watching a movie with a loved one, when you hear a giggle, a snort, buttons tapping. You look over, encountering the blank look of a glowing face in the dark, hiding behind a tiny screen.

   I have been invited to dinner, only to have the host change the venue without letting me know. I drove half an hour to a different town for a dinner that was happening down the street from my house. Needless to say, we were late.

   I get it, people are busy, plans change. I only want to know, is it me? Am I the only one who feels this code is perplexing? Does easily accessible technology give everyone the right to abandon simple courtesy and manners? Is it the people I am choosing to have in my life?

   I miss just watching the hockey game with Grandma, eventually one of us thought of something to talk about, even if it wasn't groundbreaking. I miss the days when I could call someone, make a date, meet at the agreed upon time, and enjoy someones simple company. All the funniest things happen when I'm just wasting time with somebody special.
 
  I guess not so much has changed, except now the only special person I seem to be able to waste time with is myself.
   I think I may bring along some paper and glue, sparkles and pom-poms wherever I go. That way when everyone is "busy" on their phone, I will enjoy myself!

   Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh. My honorary Grandpa always listens (even if he doesn't always hear), and is always up for a cup of tea if he's not feeling like a glass of wine. My pets always give me all of their undivided attention and I'm sure they could write a whole blog of their own feelings of being ignored. Paint is so patient, my sewing machine is always there for me, strangers read this blog (thank you), my grocery clerk seems really genuine, and the ladies at rug hooking have always made me feel like I really am interesting and talented. My sister believes in me and takes the time to call almost everyday, even though she is the busiest person I know. My Mister commits to painting decorations and making Christmas cards with me, I am aware how much he would rather be doing almost anything else.   I would also like to thank the stranger in the grocery store who wanted me to know about the shorter line I could be taking advantage of. Thank you.

   The life of a hooker. As it turns out, I happen to be one of the slowest hookers around. If you thought we didn't keep track, well the truth is, we do. I didn't set out to be like this, it just happened. Before I realized it, I had been working on the same one for nearly three years!

   Maybe now is a good time to clear up any misconceptions; I'm talking about rugs and it's way smaller than you imagine (I'm sure). I enjoy how they start to take on a life of their own. Anything it was in the beginning, it has metamorphosed into it's peculiar character.
   I thought maybe six months, boy was I wrong. I should have listened to all the ladies at rug hooking when they told me not to use such fine yarn, and I didn't listen. My frugal brain was on one track to free materials, and so it was that this rug was made with mostly yarn, and a lot of acrylic. (Gasp!) The Edmonton Traditional Rug Hookers Guild ( http://www.edmontontraditionalrughookersguild.com ) just love wool and cannot comprehend why I would choose lesser materials. "Because it's Free!" I would exclaim.
   I now know the error of my ways, as it takes forever to hook a rug with tiny threads, even if they are free. I have learned valuable technique in fine detail as well as the importance of persistence. I think it wise to choose a tiny hot matt for my next project, with a wide cut wool.  Maybe then I could finish in one year!

   Yesterday, at the monthly Hookers meeting, I finally was able to stand in front of the group and show my nearly finished piece! (Finished enough, just need to complete the hot pink edge.) It felt really good to have the support of so many great people, very much the reason I keep going back.

   Now I'm free! Free to start a new project without the guilt of UFO's (un finished objects) haunting me.
 

   How cold is it? It's -36C with the wind this morning. If it seems like all I talk about is the weather, it's because I am currently trapped in my house and there is not so much to talk about. Not in the literal sense that I cannot open my door, (although that is almost true) more so trapped by the will to survive. We had so much snow yesterday and it is so cold that to go to the store may require a lot of digging, possibly being stuck, the high probability of a traffic collision, or being stranded in a car at frigid temperatures. Yesterday I had to shovel the snow just so I could close the door, it was trying to invade my house! This morning Francis had to go rescue the Chihuahua from the yard as he attempted to poo. The crying like a small child as he scurried through the door and ran to his warm bed made me laugh. That's the dog I'm speaking of, not Francis.

   We remain optimistic because we have to, we know that it could get colder still. So why do I stay? Why don't I choose a warmer part of Canada? After all it is a big country. I feel as though this picture will speak for itself.

 










 It was a very cold experience to get this shot, even with snow pants and long johns (and hat, mitts, scarf, sweater, coat, you get the idea). When the flakes are flying, who can resist? I wish you could all know the difficulty in capturing these images. I fear you could never really know until you are sitting in a pile of snow with your camera and cheeks literally freezing, slowly turning into blocks of ice. My Shih-tzu whom I lovingly refer to as the Snow Beast, found it hilarious to sneeze on my subjects, sending them back into the storm from which they came.
I can hear every relative who ever moved away telling me it's not worth it. All I can say is that I have no choice, I feel the calling, I dream about crystallizing water droplets, I cannot stop.

  As I watch the temperature drop, I wonder when it's safe to shovel yet. Is it even worth it? Will the snow drift three feet up the door by the time I finish? One thing I know for sure,  -29 C with the windchill is going to make photographing snowflakes very chilli. I almost hope they are all clumpy and broken. Here is a shot of some ice on the garage window, reminds me of delicate feathers.

   I managed to get a few more good flake shots. I'm starting to feel a bit crazy, every time my hand melts some snow as I steady my hand for another photo, I worry about what new marvel I am destroying. There were so many perfect flakes, the torture was not having the perfect conditions to capture them, I just need to get closer!

   New favourite thing: snowflakes. It's as if the other day while I was photographing the tiny miracles I was transported to another world, and it is all I can think about. Tiny particles of water arranging themselves into majestic shapes and sprinkling from the sky like confetti. Like confetti in a snowy windstorm…
   Today we went cross country skiing, on a grey windy snowy day. Weather was at a -27 if you are taking into account the windchill factor, which I certainly am. It's getting pretty cold outside but I was still just glad to be out there. The sun will be setting a 4:20 today and winter is letting itself be known.

    I found myself outside anyway, freezing in my ski pants, snapping pictures as natures cruel wind ruffled my subjects out of focus. After many nearly good pictures, I managed to get these two nice ones before I succumbed to the promise of warmth. Even now, knowing conditions are not favourable, I will attempt another outing, in the hopes of snapping a perfect unicorn. I mean, snowflake.

 Life is all about the simple things, like snowflakes. Anyone hoping to disagree with me need only to look at these beauties I snapped yesterday. As the tiny perfectly formed flakes were so softly landing on my cold head, I was crouched, my face within inches of the fence, my chilled fingers steadying the camera, my neighbours wondering what the heck I'm doing.  It seems to me that a snowflake rarely makes the journey all the way from the heavens down to our earthly plane unscathed, their majesty on display for all of us to enjoy, while we stomp all over them with our winter boots complaining of the weather. 

   I guess sometimes life is about having fun toys to express yourself, like this amazing camera. You would imagine to get macro shots like this I might need a huge camera with a fancy lens. These were taken with my beloved and trusty Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9, an eight year old model that is about the size of a deck of cards, and has been dropped a time or two. It has it's 'quirks' like sometimes it vibrates, which really make a picture like this tough. But it works, and the new cameras do not have great macro settings. If anyone does know of a currently for sale camera with a great macro setting that is not the size of a lunchbox, you must let me know, or gift it to me for being awesome. Trade for a picture? Or eternal gratefulness? 

I must read this Blog post tomorrow as I shovel an estimated shit-ton of snow, it seems we are under a snowfall warning. A forecast of -23 C for the weekend, which is getting pretty cold. I think I may invest in some wool underclothes this year.