“When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school It’s a wonder I can think at all.“

“When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school. It’s a wonder I can think at all.“      Song: Kodachrome      Artist: Paul Simon

This weekend I am driving into Pittsburgh for my 36th Canevin High School  1974 Class Reunion.   To tell the truth I have never attended one of my reunions before.   I passed the offer to meet after five years it just did not seem like enough time had passed.  I was still in contact with a few of my good friends from high school. In 1979  I was married one year and pregnant with my first baby.   

Ten year reunion in 1984 was more tempting.  That time I actually sent the check to make my reservations then later called to cancel after giving the entire event more thought.   Kara was an infant I was nursing without a bottle or baby food @ that time.  Still totally in love with being a mom more than needing to check back in with people I never see from high school I opted out of that reunion also. 

I didn't know what happened to many of my high school class mates until a few years ago when everybody and their grandmother joined face book.  Through the magic of technology I have been reunited with a few school classmates from Canevin.   One guy, Dan Blankowski found me on face book in  Jan 2009 then told me he was planning a 36th reunion would like to be on the planning committee.  YES !!!  How fun would that be???  Imagine having a non reunion person think of things that might appeal to the other non reunion going segment of our class of 1974.

Dan went on the plan a POWER HOUSE of a Reunion http://www.bishopcanevin1974.org/reunions.php

Thank you Dan for all of your hard work !!!

Honestly, most of the people I went to high school with never saw me in unless they hung out in the art studios too.  

So we have a date & a website for the reunion. 

http://www.bishopcanevin1974.org/index.php   Isn't technology wonderful ???

They asked for pics of us then http://www.bishopcanevin1974.org/gallery.php?galleryid=1  

 I never went to a prom so the best I can offer is this image of me at the Greentree Nature Center a place I enjoyed hiking in the woods that was pretty close to my home.  

and the website asked for an image us now

 http://www.bishopcanevin1974.org/gallery.php?galleryid=2

   I uploaded this image of me @ Niagara Falls one of the best producers of negative ions in the world (with approximately 600,000 US Gallons of water going over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls per second).

" Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy."

   Two of my favorite movies are Peggy Sue Got Married http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091738/
and Romey & Michele's High School Reunion   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120032/
 are about high school reunions.


Those movies are as close to a high school reunion as I have allowed myself to get, UNTIL, this weekend.
  I am going to drive into Pittsburgh to attend the Unofficial Brunch that a few of the ladies planned for Saturday morning around 11:00 am.    Someone insisted we meet at the
 IHOP   Robinson Twp.   1002 Sutherland Dr   Pittsburgh, PA 15205

http://www.ihop.com/    Ihttp://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1444450/restaurant/Robinson/IHOP-Pittsburgh

I voted for their other option @ the Eat & Park which is a Pittsburgh intuition and has a big salad bar of veggies, but that was over ruled so I HOP it is. 

I can't wait to see who show up for this Unofficial Brunch.  What will we all look like now after 36 years away from Canevin?  What does everyone do with their time now?  Are they grandparents? Volunteer for great charity work ?  Did any of us invent or create anything to make this world a better place?
Are they retired or plan to keep working until they drop...  

Can't wait to see who shows up for Saturday Brunch ;~)

Maybe next time we  have a Canevin Class of 1974 Reunion I'll attend the Official Functions ???
Maybe not ;~)

 For now this is close enough ;~)   I'll post images in a later blog

Do you attend your high school reunions??? Why or Why not ???  Was it different than you expected ???

A Taste of HONEY - Nectar of the Gods

“Nectar” is derived from Latin nectar "drink of the gods", which in turn has its origins in the Greek word (néktar), presumed to be a compound of the elements nek- "death" and -tar "overcoming".

"Honey, a pure, natural sweetener prepared by bees from nectar collected from wild and cultivated flowers, was the first sweetener known to man. It is frequently mentioned in the Bible and depicted in cave paintings from prehistoric times. Early civilizations, like the Greeks and Romans, called honey, "the nectar of the gods". It has been said that honey bees were not native to North America; and that early settlers brought bee colonies to the East Coast States. Native Americans termed them the "white man's fly".
http://resources.alibaba.com/topic/157799/HONEY_Golden_Sweet_Healthy_and_Natural.htm


How does a trip to Quebec City end with a plate of Baklava & Espresso in Clarence, New York???

Outside of Quebec City when you cross the bridge over the St Lawrence River going north east to visit the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupr%C3%A9  make sure you stop at the Musée de l'Abeille.
                                               http://www.naturoney.com/english/default.htm

                                           

 

The museum has a nice collections of bee hives from around the world.

 Products made from honey or bees wax.  and

My favorite, a classroom surrounded with glass walls that allow you to see the live bee hives in action.

We were told these are Italian bees. The Queen bee, you can see her in the center, was marked with a white dot on her wing.  Unfortunately, this hive too was affected by the infection that has been depleting the bee population around the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disorder

To support Musée de l'Abeille, I bought large jar of honey with the intent to make Baklava when I got home.

As always I began by researching the history of Baklava.

Read numerous variations on recipes for Baklava then make my own version, this one is not easy to make into a health version so just make the tray, cut it into small pieces and share the bounty with friends and family.

http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Baklava.htm

I just bought the frozen Phyllo Dough in a one pound package. Thawed one half lbs and keep the other half frozen for another day... 

Melt 1 cup fresh, unsalted butter. Paint the bottom of the pan with butter then begin by layering one sheet at a time of the phyllo leaves onto the pan surface quickly painting each layer with butter between each layer until you have eight layers down on the pan.  Important to keep a clean, tea towel that has be dampened with water over the remaining phyllo leaves at all times until you are ready to coat it with butter. 

Don't follow this directive and good luck with your broken, cracked, dried out phyllo leaves.

 " Two principal ingredients, the pistachio and honey, were believed to be aphrodisiacs when taken regularly. Certain spices that were added to baklava, have also helped to fine-tune and to augment the aphrodisiac characteristics of the pastry, depending on male or female consumer. Cinnamon for females, and cardamom for males and cloves for both sexes. "

I used fresh, chopped Walnuts, better still if you can find the pistachio nuts. 

 Add spices to the ground nuts.  Repeat layering process, Phyllo, melted Butter, Ground Nuts, HONEY... 

until all of the ingredients are consumed.  

I like to finish the top layer with a final painting of butter and dusting of the nut spice mixture. Cut into small pieces, drizzle with a mixture of more honey, fresh lemon juice and spices into all of the cut sections.
 Place into a 350 degree oven for around a half an hour until crispy and browned and the fragrance of the sweet honey, nuts, spices and butter blossom into a delightful pastry.

Be sure to call a friend to enjoy this lavishly rich pastry with you.

                                          Enjoy with a fresh hot Espresso capped with Frothed Fresh Milk.
                                                                                Bon Appétit !!!
                              
                                      Please leave a comment. Tell me your favorite recipe for Baklava.

“Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

“Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

St. Francis of Assisi

Finding beauty in simple things brings great pleasure. 

Look closer among the leaves just above the flowers to the left.

 A mother robin selected my Trumpet vine growing next to my deck as the perfect place to make her nest. 

Safe inside the hanging basket trimmed with a bow I made from wire and paper pulp she found it the perfect place for her nest filled with three small eggs.

Everyday I look to see when they will hatch.

 http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/lifehistory

 I'll post pics of the babies when they are ready to greet the world.

New Addtion ;~)

The babies are here !!!

August 3, 2010   three new baby robins are alive in their nest.

ONE

TWO

THREE HUNGRY BABIES ...

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/search/RobinNotes2.html 

 Sunflower that a frog uses as a Lily pad.

The deer stripped the Sunflower from the stalk.

 It had been eating the leaves away bit by bit everyday until finally the flower was hanging limp on the stalk.

I could not watch this beautiful flower go to waste so I dropped it into my little pond.

A few days later I awoke to find this frog using my Sunflower as a place of rest early in the morning.

http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow9/jun99/toad.html

I am very appreciative of nature making a home in my backyard ;~)

Fashion is a tyrant from which there is no deliverance; all must conform to its whimsical " ~ French Proverb

The itinerary for our Quebec City/ Montreal tours were as follows;

Quebec City Tour – Old and Modern Cities

· Tour of Chateau Frontenac
· Montmorency Falls
· Sainte Anne de Beaupre Basilica
· Musee De L’Abeille (Bee Museum)
· Isle D’Orleans
· Place Jacques Cartier
· Montreal City Tour
· Notre Dame Basilica
· Montreal Botanical Gardens

 I  promise to share images and our experience of the tour in  a later blog.  

First busniess at hand Trend Spotting...

 Out on the town after dark we are hot on the trail of what is new in fashion trends with women or men in Quebec...

   Nothing really exciting for Fashion Trend Spotting on the people in the streets so I focused on the windows of fashion boutiques in the Old City of Quebec.

  These fashions are for the young or aleast the very young at heart ;~)

I was RIGHT ON following trend research fashion hue for Spring/ Summer 2010

Turquiose is IT !!!

Turquoise added to grace almost every fashion vignette.

LOVE the Turquoise and soft tints of yellow in this window ;~)

        

                         Now here is a top & jacket I would totally enjoy wearing.
                                 Love the vines and plants in this window display.

 Another splash of Turquiose in case you did not get the hint.  
     I'm just saying, add a dab of Turquoise to your wardrobe this year.
 All the vines & illumination of this store window are as exciting to me as the fashions.

Large chucky jewelry makes a statement when worn over the most neutral garments.

Have you visited our Etsy Shoppe on line lately ???

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/ricerafferty

We added a new Statement Necklace.

Today was a good day ;~)If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one. ~Cavett Robert

You know how you wake up in the morning some days with a faint idea of how the day is going to be?
 Well this morning was the first of three workshops I was invited to teach to adults with developmental disabilities.  During the 90-minute workshops, local artists will teach basic skills in various media including painting, photography, printmaking, and paper making to people with developmental disabilities served by Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara and interested community members. http://www.opportunitiesunlimited.org/PressReleases.htm    

Hope to add images soon, privacy laws need to be respected here.

It was the responsibility of Marcia Ross, coordinator of fine arts, to select artists and projects that she felt would enhance the clients already wide range of art experience offered through the centers.
http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/06/04/1070713/opportunities-are-indeed-unlimited.html

 I met with Marcia before leaving for Quebec check our equipment and to make paper samples to show the class.   The only thing different today was actually working with the class.
 
The plan was to get there by 9:30 so I left my home following the directions on the GPS. It was a different route than I would have taken on my own still I followed the directions as spoken by my Australian man Garmin voice companion.

All was going as planned until I looked down to see my check engine light on as I was driving the 190 to Niagara Falls, New York. Minor annoyance Carol, you will stop at the mechanics on the way home.  I tell myself stay focused and keep driving...

The students were so anxious to get started that Marcia had to redirect them out of the  room until we got all of the supplies set up.  At ten o'clock on the dot this morning I was greeted by eight of the most enthusiastic students I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. 

To get over the fear of the unknown I compared grinding paper to a pulp in the high speed blender with making a milkshake.  They all agreed, smiled and nodded their heads.  While I poured the paper slurry into the large pans of water I made the analogy of the paper pulp to oatmeal.   Everyone liked oatmeal so they were eager to step up to pull their first piece of paper with the deckled moulds.

 After everyone pulled one sheet of even paper we were ready to add dried flowers, glitter and pureed bits of recycled orange and purple paper into the pans.  I compared these additions to putting raisins and cinnamon into your oatmeal.   Again smiles then a ambitious round of pulling a sheet of both orange and purple paper.  Lastly I add in shredded paper with printed works that we pretended were secrets we were adding into the last mix of paper slurry.

All too soon the 90 minutes were up but not before we had stacks of paper made by each person in the class.  The students had worked hard and were more than ready to get out the door for their lunch. 

Awe Yes !!! Today was a good day ;~)    Their apprehension in the beginning turned to laughter, clapping, cheers and pride of being able to make a sheet of paper all by themselves.  Sharing my knowledge with the consumers of Opportunity Unlimited brought joy to my heart.  I can't wait until next week when I teach two more workshops in paper making.

Down off that "Mountain Top" experience Carol and back to reality you have a check engine light to attend to if you are going to drive to Lockport for the paper making workshops next week.  

My 2004 Toyota Corolla has given me no troubles since I bought it six years ago.  I figured, okay, let's just get it checked out, get the part ordered and get this problem fixed.   Even though I pulled onto the lot already full of people picking up their automobiles at 2:30 Noel was kind enough to look at my problem if I just waited a few minutes.

Noel Tucciarone owner of the shop by the same name on Main St. hooked the diagnostic computer up to my dash.  Joy of Joys ;~)  It was something to do with evaportation from not having the gas cap on tight enough.  Hubby was nice enough to fill my car with gas while I was in Quebec last week.  This was the first time I drove it any distance since I returned home. How blessed to have an honest mechanic I can trust ;~)

Today was good day indeed; share my knowledge with a group of happy adult, developmentally delayed students then finding out my check engine light only needed the gas cap to be put on tight.

I hope your day was a fulfilling as mine.  If your day left you with something to be desired ponder this quote.

If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one. ~Cavett Robert

Quebec City Je t'aime beaucoup

First evening in Quebec City we ate at the Cafe de Paris http://quebecweb.biz/cafeparis/introang.html

 It is actually an Italian Restaurant with a French name.

Everyone was happy with their meal. I selected the Veal 'Marengo' referring to meat dishes cooked in a combination of onions, tomatoes, wine and mushrooms. Named for the village of Marengo in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, this dish treats tender veal with a rich but not overpowering sauce.
I am going to make this dish very soon. http://www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/6283

Kara chose le blanc de poulet, a tender Chicken breast with a dark sauce made with wine & sliced mushroom that was something like this recipe.

http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/22714/chicken-breast-cog-au-vin.html

Our meals were served with a cup of fresh vegetable soup, sliced cabbage, carrots and browned potato wedges, fresh breads and cups of hot coffee.

 When the cake slices arrived we decided it was too pretty not to have images. The atmosphere is intimate, not a really good place to take out a camera and start snapping without making the other patrons feel uncomfortable.
We manage to take a few images to remember the ambiance of our first meal in Old Quebec City.

Good meal wine helped us get acquainted while an accordion player welcomes us with laughter and French songs the group can sing along.

Here a member of our travel tour joins in the fun playing wooden spoons.

 

Everywhere we went it hard to leave however there was always new things to see just around each corner.

                                            Final look back as we went back down the stairs.

Renewed and ready for an evening of exploring the streets and shops of Old Quebec City.

View from the top of the hill on Saint Louis just inside the city gates. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_City

The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec) are the only remaining fortified city walls that still exist in the Americas north of Mexico, and were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 as the 'Historic District of Old Québec'.

A vacation is like love - anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort, and remembered with nostalgia.

"A vacation is like love - anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort, and remembered with nostalgia. "

-- Author Unknown

 

Traveling with a group is an exercise in the fine art of negotiation skills. My first experience was in 1972 with a group from Canevin High School to Austria and Germany for two weeks.  In 2006 I traveled with college students and Professors to Slovakia and Poland for an Artist workshop.

 

Booking a trip with a group of totally unknown individuals can be an adventure in itself.   Last Sunday, Kara and I boarded a bus bound for Quebec City at 7:30 am with a group of strangers.   By the end of the adventure it was like leaving a group of old friends.

 

Thankfully, the bus was less than half full so we had plenty of space to move around until I found the perfect place to set up  my nest.

Kara my faithful travel companion set up her nest too ;~)

 

First stop,  across from Bolt Castle @ 1000 Islands, NY for a lovely lunch by the St.Lawrence River.

http://www.1000islands.com/alexbay/

We've been here before in 2004 when we toured Bolt Castle, Singer Castle and a weavers museum in Clayton, NY.  We also had lunch during that visit at the Thousand Island Inn where the famous dressing was first served. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_Island_dressing

 1000 Islands, the playground for the wealthy families of Manhattan to escape the heat of the city in the summer is still a lovely, relaxing place to visit.

Kara getting back on the bus.  Here are Dan our tour guide and Lee the best bus driver in the whole world. 

We traveled for hours over many bridges past Montreal until we arrived in Quebec City sometime after 6 pm

Here is a pic of our room before we started nesting in here too.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g155033-d185639-Reviews-Hotel_Chateau_Laurier-Quebec_City_Quebec.html

Set up our room quickly, then out on the streets of Old Quebec City for dinner with the group.

I have to stop here for now as I need to attend the Opening of the Fiber Art Show @ Impact Women's Gallery tonight     

stop by if you read this blog in time   then on to a Three Dog Night concert @ Lockport Canal Fest ;~)