A Piano

Not long ago we were blessed to get a piano for free:). I was so excited when we heard about it. All we had to do is move it, which of course is no easy task:). But thankfully, my husband and his brother were able to go and get it without too much trouble :). I'm happy to be able to play again!

The new piano:)

Gourlay Toronto

Strawberry Pie

Lately we've been getting delicious strawberries from the garden. I froze some and then decided to try and make a strawberry pie with the rest. I'd never made a strawberry pie before so I was excited to see how it would turn out. Well, this recipe was easy and quick to make and I loved the taste. I cut back the sugar from the original recipe (which called for a cup). This is one recipe I'll be making again:). Hope you enjoy!

Delicious Strawberry Pie

1 quart (about 2 pounds) fresh strawberries
3/4 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 unbaked pie crust

Wash and hull strawberries. Chop half of the berries into small pieces. Place chopped berries into a sauce pan and begin to cook over medium heat. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to pan with crushed berries. Add lemon juice and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Cut remaining strawberries into halves and mix with the cooked mixture.

Pour filling into baked pie shell. Chill in refrigerator until pie is set. Serve with ice cream, or whipping cream if desired.

Eager Anticipation

Lord willing we don't have long to go now:). Little baby is growing and quite active:) (and due next month!). So far we've gotten most of the baby essentials although there are a few more items we'll have to get. Here is a peek at a few of the things we have so far:)

The crib:)

We decided not to find out if we are having a boy or girl, thus to be prepared for either one I made up a......

A drawer full of little baby boy clothes

And a drawer of little baby girl clothes

And then, a either or drawer:), plus changing supplies. I also have a drawer of baby blankets etc:).

My sister-in-law lent me the clothes, I know how fast little ones grow and it's a blessing to be able to use what she had. I had a wonderful time going through the tiny outfits and picking the ones I wanted to use! I can hardly wait to meet and hold our little baby next month! Lord willing. :)

Independence Day 2010

Red, white and blue; I took this picture on Captiva Island last November.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

The signing of the Declaration of Independence July 4th 1776

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

While on our honeymoon, Graham and I visited Washington D.C. one of the places we went to was the National Archives. It was neat to see the original Declaration of Independence (I actually didn't get a picture of it because my camera battery went dead, so I thought I'd just post this one that I took of a copy:).

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." -The Declaration of Independence

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!


Happy Fourth of July! Most of the time, when I was still living in the States, my family and I would have a picnic and go to fireworks (or have our own show:) in the evening every Forth. Last year, my brother brought home a Traeger grill from where he worked and we had a picnic out in our yard with delicious grilled roast and corn on the cob. What great memories:).

July 1st

Happy Canada Day!:):)