ooohhhhh oooohhh you look like a little monkey

NaBloPoMo #30

Sure, I think I cheated once or 3 times and post dated my posts, but who's watching? Just my mother, my aunt, my sister and my cousin.

Seriously.. doesn't anybody else read my blog???

NaBloPoMo #30

The first 3 people who leave a comment identifying themselves as a regular reader of MKP will get something special from me.

NaBloPoMo #29

I really like Pomegranate's. Especially now, when they're in season. You can get ones that are as big as a baby's head at Granville Island.

Here's a few funny facts:

- Native of Iran, immigrated to California in 1769
-grown on a rounded shrub or tree, typically 12 ft
-varieties can live as long as 200 yrs, but tend to be a bit bunk on production after 15
-seeds in guacamole are exceptionally a good idea but there are a zillion things to do with them
-high in Vit C, potassium
-some scholars put the pomegranate in the Garden of Eden instead of the apple. (But then you'd have to believe in the creationist theory. I'm an evolutionist.)
- The Q'Uarn lists the pomegranate the fruit that grows in the the Garden of Paradise.
-it's easier to get the seeds if you peel them under water, but not nearly as much fun
-the juice will permanently stain a white tshirt. Tested and true
-Cleopatra used the seeds for lipstick- apparently and ancient Egyptians were buried with them
-there are 760 varieties

NaBloPoMo #28

colored in, originally uploaded by jilly71.

NaBloPoMo #27

The H1N1 is a controversial topic, isn't it. Now that I have achey bones, a sore throat and a head that feels like a cast iron balloon I'm getting the "are you gonna get it" question.

I have to say that the answer is no. And I'm going to put up a few videos and links because I'm really not feeling well and would rather be back on the couch with some HaggenDaz and the remote control.

There's this one that talks about the controversy behind the immunizations for the "Swine Flu Epidemic of 1976"

Swine Flu 1976 & Propaganda
Uploaded by Dianequiose-4. - See video of the biggest web video personalities.

Then there's this more recent one of a cheerleader (isn't it always them?) who got the immunization and had a severe neurological disorder that caused her to loose her ability to walk and talk unless she was moving backwards. Kind of sounds like something out of a science fiction horror movie.


Moving on, there's the fact that a Baxter- a major drug company, applied for the patent on the immunization 10 months before the news broke about Swine Flu. Call me crazy, but that's crazy.

See the patent application here..

I wonder how their stock is doing..

I read this here:

"Companies working on swine flu vaccines include Sanofi- Aventis SA, based in Paris, GlaxoSmithKline Plc and AstraZeneca Plc, both based in London, CSL Ltd. of Melbourne and Novartis AG, based in Basel, Switzerland. And of course, Baxter International Inc. , based in Deerfield, Illinois, has contracts with five countries for 80 million doses and has stopped taking new orders that it may not be able to fill….The swine flu pandemic will be a boon to the company this year and mutations in H1N1 and other strains may create a lasting new business for the company"

Really, a boon you say? Sounds like 'good business'. And then this..

"Baxter’s stock is performing well even though ,”Baxter sent vaccines contaminated with deadly live H5N1 avian flu virus to 18 countries before someone caught the mistake and the vaccine got injected thousands of people. Baxter just missed creating its own pandemic then by mixing deadly H5N1 virus with a mix of H3N2 seasonal flu viruses, or did they? By possibly creating the pandemic, maybe Baxter already has the cure and that is why WHO has deemed them the appropriate pharmaceutical company to lead the way for a swine flu vaccine. Keep in mind- Just 50 miles from the H1N1 ground zero outbreak in Mexico City, lies Baxter’s manufacturing plant in Cuernavaca, Mexico."


I think you get my point. I think I'm only left to follow the good advice of my mother.. get alot of rest and eat your fruits and veggies..and maybe this..

NaBloPoMo #25

I live with a cat named Ruby and a relocated Brit named Michael. Michael and Ruby have a special bond. I think they have a past life connection. Ruby will be all "whatever" and Michael comes home and she's perky and races around, running over to him and will stand there with a wistful look in her eye. Then, she'll lift one paw up and mew gently as if to say, "hello lover, pet me." It's kind of weird, really. She does it alot so its no coincidence. The cat really does have a fondness for Michael.

So, Michael has this theory about Ruby- that she thinks we can control everything. We turn off the lights, we open the door, we leave for long periods of time and its dark and then we come back and its light again. We are the gods of her world. With the 3 possible exists to the apartment, he's convinced that it is a different reality for each one for her. The fact that we can provide access to these portals enhances our god like existence in her life.

So, he believes that Ruby thinks that we are in charge of what he calls the rain machine. When it rains, Ruby goes to her kitty door ( the one she can control to gain access to the outside world), comes back, looks at Michael and goes back to the door and does this repeatedly. He thinks it's Ruby's way of saying, "please turn off the rain."

It's kind of funny. Poor kitty.

pink nose, originally uploaded by jilly71.

NaBloPoMo #24

I'm back to writing lists...

10 places I would like to live

1. House boat
2. House boat in Amsterdam
3. Paris but only in Montparnasse and only with shuttered windows and red begonias.
4. Edinburgh but only with a mountain of sweaters and a sunny disposition.
5. Hostel anywhere in the world as long as I owned it
6. The Farm
7. The Chelsea Hotel
8. one of those really cute one bdrm houses in the river valley of Edmonton
9. Havana but only if I could speak Spanish.
10. Here.. (Rue due Lac no.6, Brussels. Built in 1904 by architect Ernest Delune. The stylized facade is one of the most original examples of Art Nouveau in Brussels.)

NaBloPoMo #23

My mother is going to Cuba. Albeit, she's going to Varadero and staying in a resort, and that's as far away from Cuba in Cuba as you can get, but at least she'll be on the island. Rumor has it she'll leave her compound of all things familiar in North America and venture to Havana. She'll wish she got off the white sand beach, tourquise waters, toilet paper and swan towel sculptures sooner for the old cars, crumbling architecture, street artists, wafting Spanish guitars from parks and plazas and sad but calm resolve of Fidel's Havana.

I've asked her to bring me back my treasured Cuban Honey.

NaBloPoMo #22

All these years I thought I had Shepard's Pie in the bag. I'd made it so many times before, it was a no brainer. So, I tell the boyfriend, that's what I'm making for dinner and he just about falls out of his chair. I'm going to cook lamb? He thinks incredulously. Ya, that would be incredible. But I say, no of course not. Then he's all like.. well you're making cottage pie not Shepard's Pie and then and politely, with accent, explains the difference.. Did you really think Shepard's Pie didn't include the flock of the Shepard? Um no, I guess not. Why the hell do they call it Cottage Pie then? I guess it refers to the scraps in the house.

Oh well.

Brown a 1/b of lean ground beef. I buy ground beef only from a butcher. I don't trust grinding facilities in Safeway or any other major grocery store and neither should you.

Add 2-3 carrots, and an onion chopped

Brown for 5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink

Add 1tbsp flour, 1tsp allspice and 1tbsp mixed dry herbs (thyme, basil, marjoram, etc..)

Mix 1 1/2 cups beef broth with 1tbsp tomato paste, add to beef and simmer until fluid almost absorbed.

Meanwhile.. boil potatoes, drain and mash with butter & milk

Spoon meat into casserole dish, add a can of corn, top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with a bit of cheddar cheese.

Bake in 350'F oven for 30 minutes or until the boyfriend comes home.

NaBloPoMo #21

Today I went to Bowen Island on the water taxi from Granville Island. It's a $25 return trip. Quaint. The boat trip was the best bit. It was kind of a covered speed boat that bounced and swerved through the choppy water, swerving to miss the logs. Through False Creek, under the Burrard bridge and up along West Van, around the corner from Lighthouse Park and we were on Bowen.

There wasn't too much to see without quite a hike up the hill. A few shops, a soap seller, an antique shop, a bakery and a restaurant or 2. I wandered around, chatted with people and bought some soap and a handknit hat.

It rained and was cold. I left early. Pictures later.

NaBloPoMo #21

Today I went to Bowen Island on the water taxi from Granville Island. It's a $25 return trip. Quaint. The boat trip was the best bit. It was kind of a covered speed boat that bounced and swerved through the choppy water, swerving to miss the logs. Through False Creek, under the Burrard bridge and up along West Van, around the corner from Lighthouse Park and we were on Bowen.

There wasn't too much to see without quite a hike up the hill. A few shops, a soap seller, an antique shop, a bakery and a restaurant or 2. I wandered around, chatted with people and bought some soap and a handknit hat.

It rained and was cold. I left early. Pictures later.

NaBloPoMo #20

don't toy with me, originally uploaded by jilly71.

NaBloPoMo #19

20 bath items in my bathroom...all from Lush.. (if you know me you know why)

1. Aura Suavis Shower Gel 2 bottles
2. Olive Branch Shower Gel
3. Be Never to Busy to be Beautiful Shower Gel
4. Prince Shaving Cream
5. Razorantium Shaving Cream
6. Karma Shower Gel
7. Jasmin & Henna Fluff Eaze
8. Butterball Showe Gel
9. Rehab Shampoo
10. Dr. Peppermint Shampoo Bar
11. Karma Soap
12. Demon in the Dark Soap
13. Gentil Lentil Solid Conditioner
14. Star Melt Bath melt
15. So White Bath Bomb
16. Big Blue Bath Bomb
17. Ego Massage Bar
18. Into Thin Air Massage bar
19. Sunny Citrus Soap
20. Schnuggle Body Butter

NaBloPoMo #18

ochre, originally uploaded by jilly71.

Did I mention it's raining. Let's put something sunny up.

NaBloPoMo #17

10 books on my bookshelf in no particular order and a bit on how I came to have the book...

1. Do It- Jerry Rubin- I used to babysit for a couple with 2 kids when I was in Grade 7 or 8. The man worked for the Edmonton Journal- they had been hippies in the 60's and I revelled in their record collection when left in their home. They had Do It on a book shelf and I vowed to have a copy one day. I was fascinated with the 60's for good chunk of my teen years.

2. The World Encyclopedia of Cheese- Juliet Harbutt- I worked in a deli with approx 300 variations of cheese. In the downtime, I read the background stories and around my late 20's was pretty interested in it. I still am when I'm within sight of a good cheese counter. I think they're the "brand new antique".

3. Strathcona Composite High School yearbook 1987-88- It's what you did. You got the yearbook and got it signed by your friends.

4. On Photography- Susan Sontag- I had a thing for a local photographer who once worked for National Geographic. I thought he was interesting. He had a yard sale and was selling the book. I bought it to impress him. I didn't.

5. Confederacy of the Dunces- John Kennedy O'Toole- I was tricked out on New Orleans for a while and wanted to go to the Jazz and Heritage Festival (I've NEVER wanted to go to Mardi Gras). I used to talk to someone who worked in the Wee Book Inn in Edmonton who told me if I liked New Orleans, I should read this book. When I did go, I had to get a photograph of a Lucky Dog vendor. Read the book.

6. Janson History of Art- 5th edition- One of the only subjects I've ever enjoyed studying. I've lugged this 20 lb bible around for nearly 15 years.

7. Tachen- Art Nouveau- I love Art Nouveau. I've stomped all over Brussels, Paris and Prague in search of it. My boyfriend bought me this one Christmas.

8. The Bodacious Book of Succulence- Sark- It was a gift from my sister. I look at it every now and then. It's uplifting and Sark is a genius.

9. Weegee's World- Miles Barch- Year ago, I spent a bunch of lonely nights looking up master photographers and found the work of Weegee. I was in NYC and looking through all the gallery listings and there was a rogue gallery tucked away in a tiny basement showing original photos. Weegee is great- He was a crime scene photographer in NY in the 30's. He got his name for being the 1st one on the scene, but really he had a police radio in his car. His photos are of the off to the side scene often overlooked by usual eye, but overshadowing the crime scene he snapped. Brilliant brilliant stuff. He was a voyeur and preceded Diane Arbus. I shat my pants when I saw this book for sale in a record shop in Toronto.

10. The Poetry of Cats- various- Inscribe by my mom on 04 Sept 1990

NaBloPoMo #16

There's a flood warning for the lower mainland. I rode my bike through a puddle that turned out to be a small pond, 2 feet deep and over my pedals. It rained all day Friday, all day Saturday and Sunday. I don't think it's stopped raining today. Yup, it's still raining.

But I vow to not be a fair weather rider this week. It's a 30 minute soaking wet trek to work each way. But it's always better than standing at a bus stop and then standing on a sweaty, stinky bus full of H1N1.

Today when I got home I discovered the following thought rolling over me...

I may procrastinate about getting up the hills, I never regret doing it, but I always regret not riding.

Onwards and upwards has such an ironic ring to it.

If I ride each way this week, I will ride 100k by the end of the week.

The reward? I'll ride my bike to Granville Island on the weekend and put my bike on the water taxi to Bowen Island and spend the night in a B&B. Ideally one with a big bathtub.

NaBloPoMo #15

Tea for you and tea for me..Today I'm make bread, you'll see...

Honey Tea Bread.

A copy and paste from the website...

* 225g (8oz) raisins
* 75g (3oz) set honey
* 300ml (½pt) freshly made strong tea
* 2 eggs, size 3, lightly beaten
* 275g (10oz) whole-wheat flour
* 2.5ml (½tsp)ground mixed spice
* 15ml (1tbsp) baking powder

Place the raisins in a bowl. Stir the honey into the tea and pour this over raisins. Leave to soak for 2 hours. Stir the eggs into the raisin mixture.

Pre-heat oven to 180oC, 350oF, Gas Mark 4. Mix the flour with the spice and baking powder then mix these dry ingredients into the raisin mixture. Transfer to a greased 900g (2lb) loaf tin and bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Cook on a wire rack and serve sliced and buttered.

Makes one 900g (2lb) loaf.

NaBloPoMo #14

roads less travelled, originally uploaded by jilly71.

NaBloPoMo #13

Bacon from the butcher- 7 or 8 slices
trim the white bit
chop up and fry in large soup pot with a bit of olive oil
chopped onion and garlic
s&p to taste
while frying, chop 2-3 carrots and add to soup pot
set heat on low and cover slightly
peel or scrub 4-5 small potatoes, 2-3 yams/ sweet potatoes
add a yellow beet for fun
1 red pepper chopped fine for color
add everything to pot and cover with water
add a teaspoon of 'better than bouillon'
bring to a boil
add 1/2 cup of cream
simmer
add dash of dried tarragon
enjoy

cool left overs overnight and skim off cooled oils
roast corn niblets in a dash of nutmeg and butter and add.


Creamed potato and bacon becomes bacon corn chowder.