Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia

In the midst of all our Christmas preparations, I was going through my photographs and came across some of one of my favorite spots on earth, Butchart Gardens, on Vancouver Island, at Brentwood Bay in British Columbia.  Since I moved to the San Francisco area a little over thirty years ago, I've been to the Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria area at least twenty times and, many of those trips, have included a stop at Buchart Gardens.  While my favorite time to visit the Gardens is in late June when the roses are blooming, it is always spectacular.  

Butchart Gardens maintains an informative website with information about events, their different growing seasons, the restaurants, the gardens history, wedding planning, their online store and much more.  Check it out at: http://www.butchartgardens.com

Here are just a few of my pictures from one of my visits.  They do not really do the Gardens justice!

 

 

Warning from Police

In the midst of all the joy and celebration of the holiday season, there are those who prey on others and take advantage of every opportunity to avail themselves of the chance to commit

crime.  This information recently came to me and I thought I would pass it on.

Just last weekend, on Friday night,  friends parked in a public parking area.. As they drove away, the car filled with bags of Christmas gifts, they noticed a sticker on the rear window of the car. When my friend took it off after she got home, it was a receipt for gas.. Luckily, my friend told her sister not to stop and remove it at the time as it could be someone waiting for her to get out of the car.

Yesterday, I received this email from a police detective with whom I used to work:

  

WARNING FROM POLICE

 THIS APPLIES TO BOTH WOMEN AND MEN

BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR VEHICLE --

NEW WAY TO DO CARJACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)

Heads up everyone! Please, keep this circulating.  You walk across the parking lot,

unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift into reverse.  When you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.

And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car.  So now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys. Your home and your whole identity are now compromised!

BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED.

If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away. Remove the paper later. And be thankful that you read this e-mail. I hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to women. A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong hands.

ALSO, BE SURE TO DRIVE WITH YOUR CAR DOORS LOCKED.

Wordless Wednesday -Sensō-ji Temple and Pagoda - Asakusa, Taitō, Tokyo,Japan

Winter Romance

Winter Romance

Bundled warm and cozy,

We braved the cold and snow,

To join the ranks of skiers,

At magnificent Lake Tahoe.

After several lessons,

I bravely caught a lift,

And thanked my lucky stars,

When fate gave me a gift!

I hurtled down the mountain,

One ski left behind,

Until I crashed into you,

But you didn’t seem to mind.

We checked for broken bones,

Laughing all the while,

Even decked with snow,

You had a lovely smile.

We made it down the mountain,

And shared a nice mulled wine,

That was the beginning,

Of a winter romance divine.

As spring buds began to open,

Our feelings blossomed, too,

A romance that ignited in winter,

Grew and grew and grew.

In the warmth and heat of summer,

Under a brilliant moon,

On the blue shores of Lake Tahoe,

We exchanged our vows in June.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) 2009 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved. 

Missing You at Christmas

Missing You at Christmas

The house is full of Christmas cheer,
An angel tops the tree,
Cinnamon smells pervade the air,
But you're not here with me.

An eggnog glass is held on high,
And offered up in toast,
Gifts are piled beneath the tree,
But I miss what I want most.

The festive lights are sparkling,
Holly garlands are in place,
In the softly twinkling candlelight,
I always see your face.

In the joyful songs of carolers,
At this time when all rejoice,
My heart can't feel its fullest,
I so long to hear your voice.

As Christmas day dawns again,
My thoughts are far from here,
My love is festooned with a bow,
And sent to someone dear.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) 2007 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved. 

Original Nilla Banana Pudding

My three sons have eaten all sorts of gourmet desserts in restaurants around the globe - from tiramisu to creme brulee to more exotic fare.  However, when asked what they want me to fix for special occasions,  there is one favorite, which their grandmother always made when they visited.  Now that my mother no longer is able to cook, they ask me to fix this Southern staple.  The recipe used to appear on the back of the vanilla wafer box but, lately, I haven't seen it there.  I was able to find it online, however, and I just made banana pudding for them the other day.  I doubled the recipe so that it everyone would get at least two servings.  Since my middle son, Alex, couldn't come down from Sacramento, I photographed it for him and sent his fiance the recipe.

Original Nilla Banana Pudding Ready in: 60 mins. Layers of Nilla wafers, creamy pudding and fresh banana slices are the stars of this American classic. 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1/3 cup all-purpose flour Dash salt 3 eggs, separated 2 cups milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 45 NILLA Wafers, divided 5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided Additional NILLA Wafers and banana slices, for garnish 1. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. 2. Reserve 10 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2-quart casserole; cover with a layer of wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard. 3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading evenly to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges. 4. Bake at 350°F in top half of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly or refrigerate. Garnish with additional wafers and banana slices just before serving. Makes 8 servings NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION per serving 287 calories, 6 g protein, 50 g carbohydrate, 7 g total fat 2 g saturated fat, 117 mg cholesterol, 134 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber. Preparation Time: 30 mins. Cook Time: 15 mins. Cooling Time: 15 mins. Total Time: 60 mins. _________________________________________________________ This recipe courtesy of Back of the Box Recipes. www.backofthebox.com This recipe created by Nabisco.

Challenge Response from Inky at Inky's Poems

Very luckily, early in my blogging life, I discovered Inky's poetry blogging site, Inky's Poems. She has four other blogs as well: Inky's family, down home Recipes, Inkys part of the rock,  and My love of dance and The performing Arts ).

I can barely keep up with only one blog but I follow each of hers with much delight.  When I had the opportunity to issue the challenge, I was happy that she responded, in spite of the busy  holiday season.  She shared this information with me.

Seven Things You May Or May Not Know About Me

1. I am the third born into a family of 4 brothers and 4 sisters. I was born near the ocean in a small town hidden in little inlets, coves, hillsides, hide-away type places, on this lovely piece of the country of Canada, known as Newfoundland. The map itself is unique, and my little piece of heaven is is known as the "boot".

2. My first time on a boat larger than a small fishing boat, on a train and a plane, all happened within a short span of two weeks when I was only seventeen, leaving my home for the first time

3. My first paying job I was only 14 years old and I took care of two small children, I was paid the large sum of $2.00. I always wanted to be a nurse like Mum, but I have white coat syndrome. I worked for the government in the field of claims adjudicator. My last job I was bookkeeper and events decorator.

4. I met my husband 2 weeks after arriving in this big city on a blind date. On New Years Eve we will celebrate our first date that took place 38 years go. We have been married almost 35.

5. I have been blessed with two wonderful children ( adults now ) a son and daughter

6. I am involved in the dance world and now continue to do so as my daughter is passing on her passion and love of dance through her students , as a Ballet teacher.

7. I have a great closeness to my family one that blesses my life each and every day, I enjoy my family tree researching, blogging, friends.


The second part of the challenge was to answer these questions with one word only:

1. Where is your cell phone?… dead
2. Your hair?… blond
3. Your mother?… beautiful
4. Your father?… amazing
5. Your favorite food?… Halibut
6. Your dream last night?… none
7. Your favorite drink?… coffee
8. Your dream/goal?… Grandmother
9. What room are you in?… computer
10. Your hobby?… family
11. Your fear?… death
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?… alive
13. Where were you last night?… home
14. Something that you aren’t?… rich
15. Muffins?…blueberry
16. Wish list item?… peace
17. Where did you grow up?… Newfoundland
18. Last thing you did?… breakfast
19. What are you wearing?… PJ's
20. Your TV?… off
21. Your Pets?… none
22. Friends?… many
23. Your life?… blessed
24. Your mood?… calm
25. Missing Someone?… much
26. Vehicle?… car
27. Something you're not wearing?… undies
28. Your favorite store?… Costco
29. Your favorite colour?… black
30. When was the last time you laughed?… today
31. Last time you cried?… today
32. Your best friend?… Sissy
33. One place that I go to over and over?… sister
34. Face book?… often
35. Favorite place to eat?… mom's 

Inky is an incredible poet and I respect her opinion of my work.  It has been nice to learn more about her on a personal level.  I encourage all of you to check out her blog and profile at 

http://inkyspoems.blogspot.com/.

Challenge Response from magiceye at Mumbai Daily

This morning, I had this following email waiting for me from far off Mumbai:  

magiceye has left a new comment on your post "A Challenge from steviewren of "a little birdie to...":

since my Mumbai Daily blog is about my city and i post only photographs about mumbai, i will take up your challenge in your comments space. hope you don't mind :) 


I had asked Deepak Amembal to tell us:  Seven Things You May Or May Not Know About Me


1) am 56yrs of age

2) married with 2 wonderful kids (daughter 24,son 21)

3) love to travel

4) photography is a passion

5) love to write and hence try to weave a magical thread through travel,writing and photography

6) love to share whatever i learn through my experiences with all who wish to know

7) love to imagine what john lennon sang in his song 'imagine' 




The second part of the challenge was to answer these questions with one word only:
 
1. Where is your cell phone?… pocket
2. Your hair?… graying
3. Your mother?… wonderful
4. Your father?… heavenly
5. Your favorite food?… sandwiches
6. Your dream last night?… none
7. Your favorite drink?… vodka
8. Your dream/goal?… nirvana
9. What room are you in?… bedroom
10. Your hobby?… travel
11. Your fear?… dependence
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?… traveling
13. Where were you last night?… home
14. Something that you aren’t?… rich
15. Muffins?…none
16. Wish list item?… hasselblad
17. Where did you grow up?… mumbai
18. Last thing you did?… drove
19. What are you wearing?… lungi
20. Your TV?… off
21. Your Pets?… bozo
22. Friends?… dear
23. Your life?… journey
24. Your mood?… happy
25. Missing Someone?… yes
26. Vehicle?… car
27. Something you're not wearing?… trousers
28. Your favorite store?… music
29. Your favorite colour?… blue
30. When was the last time you laughed?… now
31. Last time you cried?… november
32. Your best friend?… ayub
33. One place that I go to over and over?… streets
34. Facebook?… sometimes
35. Favorite place to eat?… home

cheers! 

It is nice to get to know a little bit more about magiceye.  His photography is exceptional.  Besides, Mumbai Daily, Deepak blogs at Travel magic, Photings, and Instant Words.  Through his photographs and written work, I have come to learn more about the incredible country of India, a place I have grown to love.