Here are some more free or inexpensive ideas for some summer fun with your families: Check out the Virtual Tourist for ideas of places to go and things to do in your city.  Here’s the link for my city of London, Ontario.  There are some great ideas shared there – some wellknown, some more off [...]

I don’t really know what it was about this lamp with a little boy and dog on it that attracted me but I was captivated by it and just had to snatch it up.  I haven’t been able to find any information about it at all.  I feel like it might be made of chalkware [...]

“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”

My mermaid is coming along.  I’ve been working on the ocean background – a collage of blue and turquoise papers.

Lemony Potato Salad Ingredients: 5 med potatoes like Yukon Gold1 lemon2 tsp dijon1/4 cup olive oil1 garlic clove, mincedsalt, lemon pepper to taste1/4 tsp thyme1/2 tsp sugar2 green onions Instructions:  Boil potatoes until just fork tender but  don’t over cook or your salad will be mushy.  Grate 1 T lemon peel.  Squeeze 3 T lemon [...]

My take on a layered salad is to make it in individual cups rather than as one large salad.  It’s a fun way to serve it in clear plastic cups so each person can have their own to wander around with.  This recipe makes enough for just one cup – if you want to make [...]

On Sunday, Roberta and I took a botanical drawing class “What a Bee Sees” at a local historical site, Eldon House.  The teacher was Sally Glanville and she began by having us go out into the gardens to clip a few flowers to use as models for our work. (Originally the class was going to [...]

What’s a picnic without lemonade? Heat 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in pot over medium high heat until sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 12 lemons) and 6 cups water.  Strain if desired (you can leave the pulp in if you prefer) and [...]

Roberta (Robi Cohen) came down to spend the weekend here in London with me and we first headed out to the Home County Folk Festival downtown in Victoria Park. Booths are set up throughout the park displaying a variety of arts and crafts along with some musical, storytelling, and poetry reading performances. I don’t know [...]