Good, Clean Fun

 Last weekend we went to the apple festival at the Spadina House in Toronto. It's an old, Edwardian house (I believe) that's stuffed with furnishings and objects from the past. It only cost $5 to get in (free for kids). Here, you'll see volunteers pulp-ifying apples grown in the sprawling orchard. 

 "You turn my crank - literally." Some random gentleman squeezes the apples until the juices run down into the bucket. You'll see the end product below. 

 Duncan signed on for an old timey sack race. 

 Ah, life before video games!

 Here's what's left of the apples. 

 And here's the juice. 

Sadly, it all ended tragically when the house wolf mauled Duncan. Fortunately, he was back to his old self the next day. Or was he?

Back in Action

Our dear little Lily - the newest member of our family!

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment regarding the death of Spook. I've been very busy over the past few weeks getting my classroom set up and of course, teaching. I've got a wonderful class this year and soon, we should be into our routines and I'll have more time (and hopefully money) to do a bit of thrifting. The yard sales really dried up in my neighbourhood this summer. I'm hoping that the Value Village near my school will give me something special to blog about soon.

Lily is slowly making herself more comfortable in our home. She's now having snug time on the sofa at night. We tried to make a little bed for her, but instead, she prefers to hang out in a bucket. Go figure cats. 

I'll be back much sooner next time. 
All the best,
Erin

Cats

Our beloved Spook 2003-2012

Last week, our cat named Spook suddenly became severely ill. He had been coughing for a few weeks, but we thought it was just a fur ball/digestion issue. X-rays confirmed that he had three tumours that were inoperable, so it was with great sadness that it was decided that the most humane thing to do would be to have him put down. It still breaks my heart looking at his picture and thinking about our final moments with him. We were all in tears. If you have ever lost a pet, you'll know what I'm talking about. Spook loved nothing more than sitting on your lap, nuzzling, and having his tummy rubbed. He was always at the door to greet us and just seemed like a happy cat. 

Spook was adopted from our local animal hospital nine years ago when he was a few months old. He was found on Gerrard Street at a busy intersection in Toronto and for some reason, never got adopted when he was a little kitten. As he kept getting passed over, he got bigger and less desirable for people wanting to adopt a cute tiny kitten. When I brought our other cat Kiko in to be neutered, I saw Spook sitting in a cage on the receptionist's desk. I asked why he was there and she told me the story. They were hoping that the increased visibility would make someone want him. Later that day, I brought him home on a cold, December day. 

After a week of warring, Kiko and Spook worked things out and became best buddies. In the past week, Kiko has looked a little lost around our house.


We knew that we'd never replace our wonderful purring lap cat, but we decided to go to Toronto Animal Services to look at the cats up for adoption. We went back for a second visit yesterday and adopted a small, two-year-old grey tabby that our son Duncan named Lily. She's still shy and getting to know the house, so I haven't been able to take a picture of her yet. Kiko's mellowing in his older year and has only hissed at her a few times. I think they'll be chums. On our way home, I joked that Kiko will have a younger foxy girlfriend to keep him youthful. We'll never forget Spook, but having his new little spitfire in the home has helped fill the void with happiness. 

More to come. 

Homemade Home

Two Christmases ago, I ordered Kirstie's Homemade Home for my sister Lise. Kirstie is Kirstie Allsopp, famed English television host, author and entrepreneur. We seem to get British TV shows long after the fact in Canada, so it's no surprise that you can turn on BBC Canada just about any time of the day and see one of Kirstie's shows when Top Gear isn't on. Homemade Home ran as a televised series before the book came out. If you'd like to find out more about Ms. Allsopp, click here for her website. You can tell her home smells good just by looking at her.  

 Lise offered to lend me the book, but I told myself I'd buy it one day. Well, when I discovered it at the local library, I cheaped out and checked it out instead. The book is all about encouraging people to get their hands dirty and learn how to make beautiful things for the home. I like the projects and Kirstie's not pompous like other do-it-yourself TV personalities - alright, I'm just thinking of one person right now. Kirstie's also loves to pay respect to England's craft traditions, such as its history in willow basket making, blacksmithing, etc. 

Above, Kirstie makes her very own fire poker in an olde timey blacksmith shop.  

 I'm inspired to learn mosaic after watching Kirstie make her own little table. In the centre of the heart is a piece of old pottery from the area she lives in. I'm hoping to take a mosaic course in the fall. Find out if there are courses where you live. 

 A master mosaic maker created this wall outside a door in England. I can't imagine how many hours went into making this. 

 Here's a multi-toned willow basket that Kirstie made with two of the very few remaining traditional willow weavers in the U.K. 

 Here's the rustic gate to Kirstie's rambling country family home. I love how the letter A has slipped down. It reminds me of Fawlty Towers. 

 Here's one project I completed already: a potted herb garden. My herbs were getting lost in the tomato plants, so I put a few together in an old tin tub that was rusting away in the driveway. 

Here's the "arial" shot. I'm growing parsley (from my dad), two types of basil, dill, and chives. The pot has filled out nicely since I took the picture and it's great being able to nip out to the porch for fresh herbs. 

Recipes That Really Cut the Mustard

I just noticed mustard making recipes on the Design Sponge blog. I think I'll try to have a go this weekend.

Release the Hounds!

I bought this delightful horse and hound dish at the not-so-great Value Village on Danforth yesterday for $4.99. It didn't come with a lid and I don't know who made it. Any ideas?

P.S. Thanks for all the comments on my recent posts. I'm soaking in the love.