I can't believe its still here. I haven't given blogging any thought in the last year, but for some weird reason, I began to think about it again. I guess its a little like a diary and excercise for my writing. Yes, I write. I am currently writing a book for young adults ( or kids around 9 or 10 really). My last effort is being sent out to publishers (5 rejections so far), its about an ant who defies his reason d'etre. As soon as I get a bite, I will reveal more details. But for now I will content myself with writing on my blog and continued writing of my book.

I have moved (or we have moved) and we now live in a lovely little cottage which, although still in the city, feels as though we are tucked away in the countryside.. Our lane or driveway is between two homes and the house itself is hidden from view. The garden is a story book and the very best part is that I now have my own studio. I have a place to create and create I do. I have completed one gorgeous quilt which now is on our bed and looks spectaculr. I am half done another quilt which is for my Mums 80th birthday and I have made her a pair of flannel PJ's.

Apart from sewing, I have begun another oil painting titled "The Camel Traders" and I have run some beading workshops. My studio is the best place I know. Its where the imagination flies freely and where the journey is far more important than the destination.

I will make a better effort to blog about life here on Edgehill. Its such a wonderful place. I want to share it with you.

I really don't know where it goes but time truly evaporates. I haven't been here for a variety of reason and I just had to see if anyone was still checking in with me. We are trying to sell our house and things have to be done virually every day. Aging parents require constant attention, as do the "offspring" (if you can believe that). Broke my hand getting off a train so just now learning to type whilst wearing a cast..........I could go on but won't.

The worst news is that BB is leaving for 6 weeks and abandonning me to my own PC illiteracy. I must be most vigilant. I must not push buttons I don't understand. I must obey PC laws and never, ever test the patience of the PC Gods.

I have an entire 30 minutes to blog this morning. Not enough time to clean the fridge (something died in there, but as long as the door is closed, its all good). Not enough time to start laundry (OK...enough time, I just can't face the DEEP FREEZE of my basement right now), and not enough time to start any new drawings as I just get frustrated when I can't finish things. Not enough time to clean the bathroom as I need a blow torch and a commercial vacuum to do the job properly.

So, after a few minutes chatting with my brother and girl friend on the internet, I am here. I am not here nearly often enough. I find this place a truly creative space. I can ramble uncensored, pretend I'm someone I'm not, or just blow steam like I have in my last two entries (for which I was chastised for sounding too depressing). Thankfully, with some chemical intervention, the blues are at bay and I am feeling a lot more like myself again. Thanks for the tip BB. I was told a few times by others close to me, but I thought they were just bitching. You know how things are, life just gets a hold of your nickers and won't let go until you have a wedgey rash.

I have to leave in a minute but puppy has been walked, run, played with and loved up so I can leave without too much guilt. He has eaten way too much exhaust infused snow and is feeling a wee bit sickly at the moment. Is it any frigging wonder our dogs die of all kinds of cancer these days? In the summer it's pestsicide, in the winter it's poison snow. Well, this boy is my prize. He is damn well going to live to be at least 15. I take VERY good care of him and give him the best of everything. He deserves it.

Gotta run. I know this wasn't the most inspired blog but I will try harder later. Just wan't to keep in practice and keep these old fingers from ceasing up.

And so it begins... A NEW YEAR YOU SAY! Wanna know what I say? Too bad...I'm going to tell you anyway. A new year means nothing. Its a day, just another f---king day folks. The numbers changed by a digit, but that's about it. Maybe you see it as your chance to make new promises that you probably won't keep, or maybe you "resolve" to try harder at things you just sucked at last year. In any case, you could do that on any day...say how does February 15th sound? That is going to be MY official new years days. AND on that day I resolve to look back and feel NOTHING about the last 12 months, feel no remorse, no sadness, no ill will...NOTHING.

I am not a sentimental person, I am not gushing with good will and I am no fool. I know what I suck at and I know I'll probably find another dozen or so reasons I just can't improve. But I do know this. I like the person that I am now. It took a while but I figure I'm OK. Another lousy year like the last one ain't going to change me except to make me even stronger.

So here's to you and another day...another month and yet another year. Hope I'm here to blog about it for some time to come.

Okay...I will stop after this...

Its just that he is so damn cute and cuddly and is always posing in these ridiculous ways all over the house. What do you think of this pose?

This is my boy Chester, a 2 year old "English Cream" Golden Retreiver. His favorite toys are balls and sticks but he doesn't like to share. No matter what we try he will not return a ball so it can be thrown again for him. He prefers it if we chase him, tackle him to the ground and forcefully remove the ball from his mouth. In this photo, my son Josh tried to make him look vicious but he closed his eyes and refused to play along.

There are a few people in this world that I hold as dear as my dog. They are usually the ones who, like my dog, just like my company. I think that we should all be like our dogs. I know I am.

No one gets near my sweet pea ususally but while we were on holiday in Cuba he let it all hang out. A very conservative, gentille sort, he allowed me to snap this one of him being "LOVED UP" by the local ladies. It is weird to spend this kind of time with each other as our lives are normally so work and family focused that we forget how to just have fun. Simple stuff sometimes seems so difficult to acheive.

This is in Old Havana, Cuba. A holiday that Canadians can afford and one I would recommend.

Be sure to befriend a local and you will see alot of the country side from the inside of a 1950's Lada.

This is the life. This is what I flog my ass for year after year. No more working for the kids, the relatives, the pension.

I want to live by the beach, Pina Colada in one hand and sketch pad in the other.

I want to run around in my bare feet, wear shorts and a tank top, get up when I wake up and eat when I'm hungry.

I want to be inspired by the life around me, not suffocated by it.

I want to have enough to live on and not so much that it consumes me.

In short, I'm getting older and wiser and less ambitious with every passing day.

After several drive throughs at various Tim Hortons around town I said to myself, "Self, no more buying their stupid cookie. You can do much better". Not only is a cookie 95 cents but its just a stupid cookie, not a culinary masterpiece.

I tried a few recipes that I had in my cook books and finally decided to wing it. I have discovered that it is not the ingredients that make a cookie chewy, its how its cooked. Instead of the usual 375 degree oven, I used 370 and cooked them for 12 minutes THEN (and this is the part that makes them chewy), turn off the oven but leave those little buggers inside for 3 more minutes. And VOILA... yummy, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies.

Heres the recipe;

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tspn baking soda
1 tspn cinnamon
1/2 tspn salt
2-2/3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins