Tips For Making Fresh Fruit Salads

I love making fresh fruit salads to enjoy as part of my meal, a dessert or a snack! There are endless combinations! You can create a rainbow of colours, various shapes, an array of textures and mouth watering flavours all in one bowl!

It always amazes me when I see recipes for fruit salads. Do we really need them? Well, maybe some people do, but I like to just look at what is available in fresh fruits at the store or a farmers market and go from there.

There doesn't have to be a set way of making any fruit salads BUT there are a few things to keep in mind as you mix and match your ingredients.

Maybe I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to a fruit salad, but I don't think that they should contain anything other than fruit. Preferably fresh fruits! The only exception to the fresh fruit rule for me is to add canned unsweetened pineapple tidbits and perhaps mandarin orange segments for additional colour or texture.

Personally, I've never liked trying to cut a fresh pineapple. If you can do it and you find a good one on sale - go for it! I'll use my canned pineapple any day! I also use a bit of the juice to keep fruits such as apples from turning brown once cut. You only need a couple tablespoons of the juice and the remaining juice can be used for a beverage, sauces, made into ice cubes or just frozen for later use. Whatever you do - DON'T throw out the juice from the pineapple or the canned oranges if using them!

So, what else shouldn't be added to a fruit salad? Well, in my salads, you will never find marshmallows, nuts, dried fruits or dairy products.

Why? Well, I'm not a fan of marshmallows, but they tend to go rather mushy and ooze into the rest of the salad if not eaten immediately. It makes any leftovers look very unappetizing. Nuts will also go soft and lose their crunch. Dried fruit is just plain unneeded when there are so many fresh options throughout the year. There are any number of dried fruit (cold) soup style recipes on the web if that is what you are looking to make. Dairy products look good for the first hour but then they start to go runny and will even go sour with the juices from the fruits. Dairy is better left as a per serving add-in.

If you think these things are a necessity, then create a condiment bar beside the fruit salad bowl so people can add their own "extras".

There are also some fresh fruits that should only be added at the last minute or for what you KNOW will be eaten that day. Fruits that are soft and can go mushy fairly quickly once cut, such as strawberries, raspberries and bananas.

A very firm strawberry may look and taste okay on the second day of a fruit salad but the riper ones will be mush. I'm not a fan of raspberries which will also go mushy after a day (can't stand the seeds and flavour is a bit too strong for my liking so never add them anyways). Bananas tend to go mushy very quickly and the flavour can permeate the whole salad very fast - leaving the whole thing tasting like bananas! Like marshmallows and dairy, bananas also tend to ooze and looks unappealingly murky after awhile.

By now, you may be asking what DO I put in my fruit salads? At least three of any of the following:

- grapes (red, green or black - halved and seeded)

- mango, (peeled pit removed) cut into bite sized pieces

- cherries, halved and pit removed

- honeydew or other melons cut in bite sized pieces

- peaches or nectarines, peeled pit removed and cut in bite sized pieces

- kiwi (just ripe), peeled and cut

- pears, peeled cored and cut (YA or Asian pears give a great crunch to a salad!)

- apples, unpeeled cored and cut into bite size pieces (I personally prefer Fuji, Gala or Red Delicious for pretty much any apple use)

- pineapple tidbits, with a bit of the juice for the dressing and to prevent other fruits from browning

- mandarin orange segments

- berries as a last minute addition and only enough for that days salad.

The cut fruits are loaded with liquids that will create a bit of its own dressing so I never "make" a dressing. Other than adding a little of the pineapple juice or perhaps a bit of orange juice or even five alive (both high in citric acid) to prevent the browning, I just stir them all together and let the flavours blend on their own. Granted, I have occasionally skipped the pineapple juice in favour of a more adult salad and added a very light splash of Amaretto or Frangelico.

If I have an abundance of fresh fruit, then I sometimes make a large batch of salad such as the one pictured here. It contained about 1 pound each of cherries and green grapes, 4 nectarines, 3 mangoes, 2 apples, pineapple tidbits and mandarin segments. 

Once mixed, I transfer to Rubbermaid or Tupperware containers and keep it in the fridge for several days. 

The colours of the fruits will darken a bit and will even take on shades of the redder fruits such as the cherries but the flavours and textures will still be distinguishable for up to a week as long as you haven't added any of the "extras" or softer fruits listed above. This particular one lasted me eight days - delicious flavours and textures to the end!

What do you serve a fruit salad with? They don't have to be served with anything as they are a refreshing snack or dessert all on their own. But, many people want to have a little "something" with their fruit salad.

Like the yummy fruit salads themselves, the "side" possibilities are endless! How about:

- with a spoonful of whipped topping or a scoop of your favourite ice cream, sorbet,sherbets or ices

- spooned over a serving of pudding (lemon or chocolate are my faves!)

- alongside a slightly warmed muffin, a slice of loaf or homemade cookies. (lots of recipe links for these on my recipe page!)

- alongside a scone - maybe even a chocolate scone!

- over fresh pancakes or waffles

- with a good old fashioned Peanut Butter sandwich or PB on toast

It's all about mixing and matching! Be creative. Savour the mouth-watering flavours of fresh fruit!

Enjoy!

dn

Baking For The Fair

When it came time for the summer fair in my home town, much attention was paid to what could be entered in that year's fair.

There were many divisions and hundreds of categories. Something for everyone. There were numerous divisions for livestock and horticultural. Divisions for sewing, knitting, crocheting and needlework. There were crafting, woodworking, carving, pottery, photography, painting and much more! There were all kinds of categories for school kids to enter.

I never really ventured into any of those things. They weren't my forte!

My heart and youthful skills were in the kitchen!

The areas of baking that could be entered were vast! There were age divisions for 12 and under, 13 to 18, adult and those over 70. The adult, which also included canning, was pretty much open to anybody regardless of age but competition was STIFF so you really had to have a great entry to even attempt any of the dozens of categories there! The seniors division could also have some amazing entries as those people had decades of experience to hone their kitchen skills!

That being said, even those under 18 had some really good competitors! You'd see many of the same names every year!

I was about 11 or 12 when I first started entering a few categories in my age group. I won small cash prizes for a few things and entered a bit more the next year. It didn't take long till I was entering every baking item in my age group. Occasionally I even entered something (and sometimes won a prize) in the adult division if my attempt turned out exceptionally well!!

There were about 15-20 items in the teen division. Some of these included: baking powder biscuits; buns; angel food cake; white cake, iced; brownies; bran muffins; banana loaf; rolled cookies; drop cookies; rolled oatmeal cookies, filled; shortbread; baked pie shell; fruit pie with top pastry crust; baked dainties; unbaked dainties (2 kinds); candy (2 kinds); cup cakes, iced.

I was very confident in my ability to make baking powder biscuits. In fact I still use the same recipe and now make several versions from that recipe! I was also pretty good with the cookies, loaf, brownies and dainties.

The buns were either a hit or a miss. Since this was back in the 1970's, it was well before instant yeast came into general use. Having to proof the yeast before starting to mix the dough always concerned me for some reason. Even if the dough felt good while mixing and kneading by hand, it didn't always guarantee good buns. Then there was trying to shape uniform buns so that your entry looked suitable for presentation. The good part of making a batch of buns was that you'd have at least 3 dozen buns to choose from for the half dozen you entered - assuming that the dough rose and you didn't burn any!

The cakes from scratch could be a challenge. There were times I had to make more than one angel food cake or layer cake before I got one that looked good enough to enter!

In those days, my candy making skills were pretty limited. We didn't have access to many of the things or had even thought of the flavour combos that we have now! The candies that were the most common were fudge, brittle and caramel or sugar candies. I burnt more than my share of peanut brittle! I tried to avoid any of the candies that had to be boiled to specific temps as they were a major challenge for me to see the temp on the candy thermometer and rarely worth my effort.

A couple of years, there was a category that had you use a white cake mix, then divide it into three to create different flavoured varieties of cupcakes. You entered two of each of the three varieties. They had to be iced and you couldn't use paper liners in the muffin tins. The flavours I came up with one year were mocha, cherry mint and an orange coconut. I won first prize!

I recently came across 3 of my old winning recipes. I haven't tried them in years so can't verify if they would still be prize worthy today! BTW, I have no recollection of what the frostings were for the cupcakes!

With the exception of the cupcakes above, everything had to be made from scratch! Everything had to be fresh - no mixes or frozen pastries. So all items had to be made within a few days of the actual submission. That meant marathon baking for about 3 days to enter about 20 categories! It was all about timing. What could be made first that wouldn't go bad or stale. What had to wait till the last minute. And you HAD to allow time to remake at least a few things that didn't turn out to be worthy of entry! 

It didn't matter if the weather was hot or humid. If I wanted to enter all the items in my division or others, then I just had to deal with it! It was a lot of work - and admittedly, more than a few tears were shed and there was a meltdown or two as I strived to do the best that I could! Entries had to be all mine which meant mom could only supervise and answer questions for me. She was a rock though and also kept me in a fresh supply of paper towels, clean dishes and Kleenex. My favourite radio station played through the days as I baked my heart out! I always felt SO bad when a recipe flopped. I felt like I'd failed and more importantly that I'd wasted all those ingredients - and time!

We rarely threw things out though. There were family and friends who were always willing to eat the rejects! Granted, they always wanted to sample the "good stuff" so "DO NOT TOUCH" signs had to be placed on several things and there were times that fingers were slapped!

Entries had to be displayed on disposable trays such as paper plates, foam trays or foil covered cardboard. Pies had to be in foil dishes. Everything had to be covered with saran or clear plastic bags - with the entry label attached. The entries had to be in the display hall for judging fairly early on the day before the fair. Packing all the entries into the car - without damaging any of them was a job in itself! We didn't have the fancy containers that are available now for transport - just a few cardboard boxes to hold all those entries.

The last couple of years that I entered, there were also open judging for a few items. Once submissions were closed, a few categories from various food and hand crafted divisions were picked to be judged in front of anyone who wanted to stay and watch. It was interesting to see. For food categories, they'd look at overall presentation (appearance, colours, uniformity) then cut a slice or open items to see the inside density and texture. Were there air pockets in buns or cakes? Were there doughy parts in loaves? Were any fruit or nuts evenly distributed? Were pies evenly baked? How did it smell? What was the taste? Then they'd narrow it down to a few and choose 1st, 2nd and 3rd. I was thrilled to see my biscuits win 1st at one of those sessions!

On the first day of the fair, we'd go to the display hall to see which of my entries may have won prizes!

The prize money wasn't much - maybe a $1 or $2 for first. It was more the prestige of knowing you'd done well. The baking divisions also awarded a small prize to the person who earned the most points for entries in that division. In 1974 - 40 years ago this summer, I won the Junior division (I was 16). I had entered a few of the adult categories as well and in all won 7 firsts, 5 seconds and 7 thirds! I was thrilled!

My reward was about $20 or so in prize money! (A fair bit for a teen then!) and a really nice pen and pencil set! (I still have this set!)

I didn't enter much after that as I was busy with working at summer camp and other things.

But every summer - about a week or so before the hometown fair, I get to thinking about those summer days of endless baking and how fortunate I was to have learned those kitchen skills from my mom and grandma. Those skills have served me well through all these years and continue to guide me in my recipe creations.

Bravo to all of those who continue to spend those long hours preparing entries for local fairs!

Good luck and happy baking!

dn

These Bells Should NOT A-PEAL!

I've lived in the same building for almost 21 years now. For the most part, I like the neighbourhood. It’s an eclectic mix of businesses and people. It can get congested at times but has great bus service.

It can also get noisy. Most of it is incidental noise from traffic and people out and about. Of course there are also the late night reveller's making their way home from local watering holes seemingly oblivious to the nearby residents trying to sleep. There are also the sirens of emergency vehicles that fade in and out as they rush to their calls. These are all part of any densely populated neighbourhood though and at least to a degree, one generally adapts. 

However, there are times that I wish I could live somewhere else. Somewhere quieter! Finances and mobility issues prevent that. Barring unforeseen, I'm here for the long haul.

Shortly after I moved here, a bell tower was built at the end of my street. Nearby residents were promised that it would ONLY ring between 10AM and 10PM.  

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for that promise to be broken. 

Almost from the start, the bells malfunctioned. The chimes were out of sync. Some didn't chime at all. Other times they’d chime nonstop! I detailed some of the bell issues in a July 2010 post called "Will Someone PLEASE Stop Ringing The Bells!!" (Scroll down to the pic of the bell tower and read from there.) 

To be honest, I've NEVER liked them. They grate on my ears – and nerves – like fingernails on a chalkboard! They always sound loud, harsh and tinny to me. As someone who is visually impaired, I rely on my hearing to get me from A to B safely. The ringing of the bells never fails to disorient me. They overwhelm my senses and leave me feeling vulnerable till I can regain my bearings after they've quit ringing. This isn't a safe feeling - especially if I am attempting to cross the intersection when they happen to ring!  

Carrying on a conversation anywhere near the ringing bells becomes a shouting match! There are two bus stops within a few feet of the bell tower - one going north (services 5 routes) and one east (services 3 routes). Many buses have a pre-recorded route number and name that is announced when the front door of the bus opens. If the bells are ringing, it is next to impossible to hear it - let alone if a driver is trying to call out info to me or other enquiring riders!  

Whenever possible, I try to avoid the intersection if the bells are ringing as it leaves me unnerved and felling vulnerable to the elements. Unfortunately avoiding isn't always an option. 

Admittedly, there are those who think the bells are charming. However, the ones who claim to like them don’t tend to live within earshot of them. They also weren't aware of how the sound could affect the visually impaired or those with auditory sensitivity. I've heard more than a few otherwise calm infants start to scream as the bells chime! (Not to mention a few howling dogs!) I've also had several people tell me that they (and others nearby) have covered their ears! 

It should also be noted that when the bells have rung in the last few years, not all of the chimes have sounded. Only 3 of 4 chimes per 1/4 hour actually sound. (A common occurrence through the years!) 

The worst though, is when they ring during the night. It’s happened several times! For those of us who live within earshot of the bells, it is a torturous way to spend the night – especially if you are a light sleeper like myself! 

I've always slept with the window open at least a bit at night – even in winter unless there is a strong north wind. I don’t have, nor can I afford, AC so I can’t close the bells out if they are ringing. I've tried earplugs, but that blocks too much sound out and I am unable to hear the building fire alarm (checked that method while alarms were being tested) so that is NOT a safe option. 

Over the years, I've made several calls to the neighbourhood BIZ to voice concerns, complaints and lack of permanent resolution to the issues. The various BIZ reps that I've spoken to haven't always been appreciative of my opinions and concerns. Then again, most people aren't reliant on audible cues for safety/orientation.

I've had varying degrees of success and speed of temporary resolution through the years. 

I've also heard a number of explanations for why the bells aren’t ringing as they were intended to:

- timer malfunction

- mechanism tampered with

- weather effected (too cold or too hot and humid setting them off)

- inadvertently left on after a performance at the adjoining stage (almost always happens during Canada Day Festival)

- hydro is working in the area and required the power box be left on

- the locked box to the power has been broken into 

Whether any or all of these explanations were actually true or used to pacify an unhappy caller doesn’t change the fact that there are hundreds of apartments/homes – many with light sleepers) within a block of the tower that are having their sleep disrupted by the untimely ringing of the bells. 

The bells rang for a couple days in January. A tweet to the BIZ got no response. I finally called and was assured it would be turned off within the day. It took two days before finally being silenced.  

Just over two weeks ago, the bells began ringing at odd times - the 1/4 hour chimed (3of4) at 5 past the hour, the 1/2 hour (6of8) at 20 past, the 3/4 hour (9of12) at 35 past and the hour (12of16) at 10 to the hour!  

Oh and the actual hours? They started at 3:50AM – chiming for 10:00 and finished at 3:35PM! 

SERIOUSLY?  

The first night I heard them, I didn’t have a number handy to call so in an attempt to block some of the noise, I turned on one of my large fans that I use to try to cool the apartment on the hottest of summer nights – even though the apartment was cool enough to sleep without it! It was the only way I could get even a little sleep! I used the fan again the next couple of nights. On the Monday, I tweeted to the BIZ but got no response. I made a note of the phone number.

At 3:50AM on the Tuesday morning I was awakened by the bells. I grabbed the phone and dialed the BIZ office number fully expecting to get a machine so I could leave a message. 

A woman’s voice answered. The conversation went something like this:

I inquired if this was the BIZ and when confirmed, asked why the bells just chimed 10:00.

The bells?

The bell tower in the village.

Oh, why are you calling me?

The bells are a responsibility of the BIZ aren’t they?

Yes but why call now?

Well, thanks to the bells I’m awake. 

Well, she wasn't impressed but neither was I. She said the lock box had been broken and she’d take care of it in the morning. I asked why they were even allowed to ring at all given that they’d never worked properly in 20 years. She said they trying to get them fixed. I said they should be permanently disconnected. She claims that can’t be done. I said that was ridiculous and hung up. 

Okay, I’ll admit, I could have been more polite and I don’t recall if I apologized for waking her – sorry. But if you are going to be that devoted to your job and technology that you answer a BIZ line in the middle of the night, you should also be that diligent in resolving the issues! 

The bells continued to ring.

On Wednesday, I tweeted the BIZ again – along with the city councillor and the police twitter account. 

No response from any of them!

Not to mention little sleep for me – even with the fans running.

I tweeted again on the Friday morning and finally got a response from the councillor. She contacted the BIZ and learned a new lock had been purchased and was being installed. 

The bells were finally silenced during the noon hour.

That should settle things down for now, but it is only a matter of time till that lock is broken or some other reason is given for the bells ringing at all.

As to the possibility of the bells actually being fixed? Given that they haven’t worked properly in 20 years despite numerous attempts to fix and who knows how much money spent – the odds of them EVER working properly are about as good as winning the lottery and being struck by lightning - on the same day! 

The claim that they can’t be permanently disconnected also seems absurd. Yes, they may well be connected to the sound system of the nearby stage, but any electrician or audio technician worth their salt could reset that panel in no time.  

So why continue to throw good money after bad in an attempt to fix the unfixable auditory blight? Surely there are better things to spend the money on and better ways for the BIZ representatives and politicians to spend their time.

We’d all be able to move about more safely and freely,

And heaven knows we’d all sleep a lot better! 

dn

Cocoa Piggies

A few years ago, I started seeing a number of cookie recipes with bacon added in. I thought the concept was interesting but just never got around to tasting or trying it.

I don't eat a lot of bacon but do enjoy an occasional BLT - or versions thereof. I also like it as a topping on a pizza, done crisp and chopped to add to a salad or on top of Mac and Cheese.

Generally, I don't buy a lot of bacon as it can get rather pricy - especially if you are trying to find packages that are more meat than fat!

However, a few weeks ago I hit a good sale on bacon and managed to find a few packages that looked relatively meaty.

I looked at a number of bacon cookie recipes and also checked out reviews. There were two specific types that piqued my interest: 1) the chocolate, chocolate chip and bacon cookie and 2) the peanut butter, chocolate chip and bacon cookie. Both sounded good and I contemplated making both varieties.

Then it hit me. Why not literally combine both types into one cookie recipe! I could make both recipes at the same time in the same bowl! I redid my search and looked for recipes with almost identical ingredients and similar quantities. They also had to be ones that baked at the same time and temperature. The only major differences would be that one would call for peanut butter and the other for cocoa powder.

I do have a chocolate, peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe already in my collection and I suppose I could have just added crispy bacon to that (I will try that eventually) but I really wanted to attempt to combine two recipes. I hadn't done that before.

I finally settled on two recipes: Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies (which I would cut in half except for the cocoa powder) and Peanut Butter BaconChocolate Chip Cookies. The ingredients, quantities, methods and baking were similar enough that I figured it would work fairly well. I eliminated the salt from both recipes as there is more than enough salt in the bacon, peanut butter and even the margarine! I also upped the bacon slices from 6 to 8.

The batter came together quite well - even though it was a bit greasier than I anticipated it would be once all was said and done. I contemplated adding a bit more flour but decided to bake up a pan first to see how they came out.

Thankfully, I didn't add the extra flour as it definitely was NOT needed! The dough was easy to work with and baked up beautifully on the parchment paper lined pans! The second time I made this recipe, I let the bacon drippings cool a bit more and the dough was not nearly as greasy.

I hadn't flattened the first dough balls as I wasn't sure how much they would spread. In fact, they spread very little so for the remainder of the pans I rolled the dough into balls and flattened them slightly once I put the dough on the sheets.

Needless to say, the aroma in my apartment as these baked was amazing! Waiting till they cooled enough to eat wasn't easy! Would they taste as good as they smelled?

Yup! These were delish! Very chocolaty thanks to the cocoa powder and the chocolate chips. The crunchy peanut butter added flavour and texture. The bacon wasn't overwhelming but just about right! A taste in pretty much every bite and thanks to the drippings in the batter, a hint of bacon flavour in every bite.

Everyone who got a taste of these thought they were fantastic! I asked for name suggestions from the taste testers and my online friends and finally chose this one!

Cocoa Piggies

8 slices bacon, chopped (you will need 1/4 cup of the fat/drippings reserved after it is cooked)

3/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup softened block margarine

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (I use Skippy!)

2 eggs

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups chocolate chips

In a pan, fry bacon over medium heat until very crispy. (Note: that while it easier to cook bacon in the oven, for this recipe, it is advised to cook on the stovetop as you are also using the drippings) Reserve the brown drippings and fat - allow to cool completely before adding to the dough. It does not have to solidify but must be cool. You will need 1/4 cup. (If you have a bit more, you can discard or save the extra for another purpose. If you have a bit less than 1/4 cup add a bit more peanut butter)

Chop or crumble cooked bacon and set aside. (I got 1/2 cup once crumbled)

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat together butter, peanut butter and bacon fat (*note if you don’t want to use bacon fat, you can just use 1 cup of margarine and omit the bacon fat all together but it does give a better flavour with the bacon fat/drippings in it).  Add sugars and beat for an additional minute or two.  Add eggs and vanilla then beat for an additional minute.  Add flour mixture and beat until almost combined.  Lastly, fold in chopped bacon and chocolate chips. Dough may seem a bit greasy/oily at this point but it bakes out nicely and does not taste greasy in the end.

Form dough into medium walnut-sized balls, place about 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets and flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on your oven and size/thickness of cookie). DO NOT over bake!

 Allow to cool in pan for a minute then slide the parchment paper with the cookies on it to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 7 dozen cookies. They can be frozen - assuming they last that long!

Note: The cookies will harden up a bit as they cool and set. If you want a slightly softer cookie while eating, place them in a single layer on a plate in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.

Enjoy!

dn

Spring Has FINALLY Sprung!

This past Winnipeg winter was the coldest in over 100 years. It also felt like the longest!

If you believe the calendar, it has been spring for the past two months. Yeah, right!

Spring has been trying to come for weeks but winter has tried to thwart it's every attempt to proceed.

Oh, the snow was ever so slowly melting and the temps seemed even slower getting warmer. Even April was several degrees cooler than normal. More than a few of us were starting to wonder if our beloved prairie landscape had somehow been transported to the land of Narnia! Every time we'd start to see bare ground, the Wintery White Witch would send more of the white stuff to cover it - if only temporarily!

By early May the tides seemed to finally be turning towards spring. It was cooler than normal, but a glimmer of hope was on the horizon as the daylight hours grew longer. Even city street cleaning crews began the annual spring cleanup!

Sadly, we were not yet fully there, For the most part, temps remained a bit below normal. Then, just over a week ago (Wednesday May 14) we were disheartened to wake to wet flurries and a dusting of the white stuff!

Thankfully that was mostly gone within a few hours! We've since been inching closer to more seasonal temps.

It now seems that it may truly be safe to finally put the winter things away!

 Actually, I put the heaviest outerwear and boots away May 1. I never do it before then - regardless of the weather as that just feels like daring Mother Nature to throw more winter at us! That being said, I have always kept out a heavy spring jacket that can be layered with a heavy fleece for the really nippy days.

Alas, I was still wearing that heavy spring jacket till about a week ago. This past week, I finally decided it was time to move the summer clothes to the front of the closet and the winter clothing to the back! Fingers crossed I won't regret that decision!

Last weekend was the Victoria Day long weekend - or as we here in Manitoba call it "May Long"! That is traditionally the weekend when people open up the cottages for the summer season and/or start planting the gardens. Now, that doesn't mean that we won't still be getting some frost. That can still happen - it's just a calculated risk as to when and what you plant. It also means that you may be covering baby plants at night in the coming days/weeks to prevent them being killed/damaged by frost.

I've never been a gardener. I can't keep plants alive no matter how simple the care is. Despite coming from generations of a farm family and talented gardeners on both sides of the family - I have always had a brown thumb. I can't even tell the difference between the weeds and most things that were intentionally planted. Oh wait, odds are the weeds would be the ones that would thrive if I had a garden!

So, I wisely leave the gardening to those with the patience and the green thumbs to nurture.

Truth be told, I don't tend to notice much of the spring growth. Well, at least not until it truly gets green. My low vision doesn't allow me to really see those baby buds on trees or the tiny sprouts shooting out of the ground. I've seen pics from friends showing the tiny bursts of green and heard tales of their beloved gardening this season but hadn't really noticed the true greening until this past week.

We got a good dousing of rain on this past Monday of the long weekend (rain almost always happens on a long weekend in these parts!) and the rain continued well into Tuesday.

That rain has truly set the spring growth into full swing! The leaves on the tress of my street are starting to open. Lawns are greening up and I expect to hear lawn mowers and smell the fresh cut grass almost any time now. Even the temperature has been above normal the last few days!

On Thursday morning, I took my camera with me when I went for a walk.

The wind was light. The sun was shining warm and bright with not a cloud in the beautiful deep blue sky! The signs of spring were everywhere! Lots of people out walking, cleaning yards and working in their gardens! The baby leaves on the trees, bushes and hedges were opening and reaching for the sky - preparing to give us a canopy of shade through the coming heat of summer. The plants - both perennials and the newly bedded were lush and green in the freshly worked soil. I didn't take a lot of photos but I thought I would share just a few:

 Happy Spring! And as this lovely little message says: 

dn

I Am A Work In Progress

A few weeks ago, a long time friend made a comment along the lines that they were impressed that I was always reinventing myself.

Really? Hmm.... I'd never thought of my life in that way.

When I think of reinventing - I tend to think of a physical product being reformulated, repackaged or renamed. Something being marketed in a new way.

In human terms, I think of a complete makeover in appearance to better reflect the person inside. Or perhaps to reflect ones personality or maybe a career change. Such as someone taking on a new persona to achieve success in another genre or walk of life. And sadly. in some cases, to avoid or escape from their own reality.

Personally, I think of myself as a continuous work in progress.

I don't like being pushed or forced into change. Whenever possible, I prefer to make a gradual adjustment. Somehow it feels more natural and not nearly as stressful or disruptive that way.

Unfortunately, we don't always get a say in when or how the changes in our lives happen. Circumstances can force us into change in a heartbeat. Those tend to be the hardest and most challenging changes we make.

Looking back, I think the hardest thing I ever had to adjust to, was losing so much of my eyesight in 1990. It forced me to relearn many skills using more of my other senses to get me through daily life situations safely.

Learning to use a computer was a challenge that I delayed for many years. I knew it could potentially improve parts of my life, but I just wasn't ready to commit the time to learn about it or the money to buy one. When a friend of a friend offered me a free used computer, I realized it was an opportunity to expand my horizon and embrace the ever growing world of technology. There are days, I barely touch the computer (or the tablet) but learning to use this particular new fangled technology is one I will never regret! It has opened new worlds and possibilities to me that I had never dared to dream!

Truth be told, I tend to overanalyze or research the heck out of something before I even go near something new! Not just the big purchases or changes! I even research and compare small items and products before I try them! I'm not cheap, but my income is limited so I want the best value for the money I do spend.

It's not that I am set in my ways. Well, not completely anyways. I adapt as needed. Sometimes it is a bit more grudgingly as some things are harder to change than others.

I am not one to jump on bandwagons or fads without considering the pros and cons. I tend to wait a bit and see the reaction of the masses before I take a dip into the latest in trends. I like to learn about the newer options and make a careful decision as to whether whatever this new thing is would be a good fit for me or if I want to adapt to it.

Under certain circumstances, I will try new things. However, I have to ask questions first. Such as: Does the product contain anything I may be allergic to? Will this improve the quality of my life? Can I afford this change - and the upkeep that may go with it?

I moved numerous times in my young adult years - some were financially motivated and some were pure circumstance. I always researched the area before I chose a new place. Some moves worked out better than others but each offered new experiences and the chance to meet new people.

There are also parts of my life that I am quite comfortable with and have seen no real need to make major changes.

For instance, I've never walked into a salon and given carte blanche to the first stylist I see. My hair styles changed a few times in my younger years, but I now love having a short "wash it, comb it and ignore it" style!

I've never done a total 180 on fashion. My fashion sense has changed little. I still prefer comfortable classic pieces that don't really go out of style. The basic designs and solid colours that can be mixed and matched as needed - then dressed up or down with jewellery or other accessories.

For the most part, the changes I've made are more in lifestyle and on the inside.

Changes in eating habits (healthier), daily stretches and workouts were key to getting in better shape, My physical health is still not great but it is far better than it was 15 years ago! My mind and heart have been opened to new ideas, opinions and beliefs. The friends and relationships that are part of my life now are stronger and more mutually supportive than those from my younger years.

There are more areas of my life that will inevitably evolve. Some areas, I know could use an overhaul of sorts - and I'm working up to making those adjustments. I'm just not ready to act on them yet!

As we grow from childhood to youth then adulthood and into our later years, it is inevitable that our lives evolve. We learn to adapt to new circumstances, surroundings, technologies and people. If we don't, then our lives become stagnant and one dimensional.

Failing to adapt and evolve, also means missing out on new experiences and so much of what life has to offer. We don't necessarily have to "like" or "love" all the new things but we have to at least acknowledge that there is more to life than our own little world.

The strength and resilience of the human spirit that allows us to evolve and adapt never ceases to amaze me.

Life is full of opportunities as we adapt and evolve!

To survive and thrive in this world, we must each continue to be a work in progress!

dn