Friday, May 5, 2017

40 days and 40 nights?











I'll start with the cake..
I made this..and it's just ok...maybe because mine took so much longer to bake..so much so that we left and I left the cake in the turned off oven..so I am not blaming the beautiful blog or recipe..some days are bloopers.

I don't know about your part of the world..but April was pretty awful here weather wise..and May is the wettest I can remember..apparently the last time flood waters were so high here..was 1974.

Max was here for a visit yesterday..and I said..":Do you feel like going to the park and I'll take pictures of you?"..~"Sure"..but with that sure I want to be nice to you nana sure..

Hmm..lightbulb moment.."How about I pack up one of my fave cameras..extra batteries..for you..and I do the same for me and we BOTH go out taking pics..?"
~"Sure"..a much better sure but not SURE!:)

So we packed up our camreas and set off for the park..Firetruck and road block and a darling fireman in those plastic fishing pants..so we could not drive down the road and a truck was there with sandbags..I motioned to the fireman..and he said no..

well he meant the car..so I asked Max if I should go ask him if we could walk down..oh the look of slight mortification..lol

so we left and went to another park..and I told him..a swing can be a great pic..a sign..a child piggy back on her dad..he really got into it..we wentured down ..and upon us was the yacht club:(
We met someone I knew yrs ago..I introduced Max to Greg..and told him we were out shooting ..he said you will have lots to shoot down there..well Max and I and our trusty cameras..didn't stop..

a house next to the yacht club..the basement is flooded and we are expecting 10 more days of rain..
Max saw first hand how water can devastate everything..

I loved my time alone with Max..I don't think either of us will forget yesterday..he is young a lot will blend into his background at one point..but my background is yesterday for now..



Coming home..he said.."this turned out to be a lot more interesting than I expected Nana"~

You can see his handiwork above..I told him his pics were so good he needed a copyright.
I am having a series of ap 30 of his photos printed for him to keep..they won't be ready fast enough for us LOL:)

For me too the experience was wonderful....the quiet joy of doing something I love with someone I adore..and sharing..a powerful event.
People are gearing for the worst..certain parts of our principal road by the water..are almost  at the water..adjoining towns on the water..flooded streets like our yach club and homes..
I did tell Max to always find interest in even the simplest of things..objects..because going out shooting is not always like this..

I've always wanted my blog to be about Flowers and food and gardening ,photography and family..
unfortunately this falls into sad photography:(
I sure hope it's NOT 40 days and 40 nights.

Ending on a higher sharper note;)

See that gadget..up there,w/ the knife?
I've had it for over 2 yrs..a Winner's purchase..
I hate dull knives..

the moment I sharpened my first knife w/ this..I thought..:"WOW"..

And now Canadian Living says the same thing.
Worth Every Penny.
It even sharpens those Tomodachi Cheapo Costco knives.

Have a nice weekend.





72 comments:

  1. what terrible are the floods Monique. We are in autumn but still dont much rain.
    The weather is crazy in all parts!
    I love yourgrandson, always I think they are really sweets.
    Send you hugs and love and hope no more floods!

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    1. It is terrible..the lady we met yesterday was in tears..I really do not know what I can do for her..:(
      The water is supposed to still rise..there are warnings..

      Thank you Gloria..

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  2. Morning Monique...and the rain continues...non-stop...
    What a wonderful day with Max...a treasure for sure♥️ .He will be thrilled with his own photos.
    We are ok where we live...glad that you and yours are safe and dry..I cannot even imagine this happening to me.
    I am staying put today...did my shopping yesterday...trying to clean up the blog...and put a post together...
    Cannot get my pics to load to GOOGLE photos...😤
    We are having Vivian for the day on Sunday...perhaps some more planting...or perhaps I will copy you, and give her one of my older smaller cameras and see what comes out from a 4 3/4 year olds take on life!!
    Enjoy your weekend...albeit wet and soggy...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Linda.. I used to upload my photos to post w/ Blogger and it's not necessary..I just go to My Pics..

      and upload from there..is that of help to you? It saved a step for me..and a lot of time..

      the water road is not nice..some properties are all in water..

      our house is built high..we are very very lucky in that respect.

      I wanted to buy the Littles cameras when they were small..were they Fisher Price? That worked? but I saw they wouldn't really get into it,maybe Vivian would:) She's a girl..girls are so different..

      Mac can have such focus on things..I mean really focused..so I tried..it may be a one shot deal..who knows..but it was lovely..very overcast..so his pics on auto turned out great..and it has a zoom..not like yours but enough to thrill him..his little expressions showing me his photos:)♥

      He told me yesterday if he doesn't get into Harvard for football he was going to go to Notre Dame..
      I don't believe in raining on someone's parade..but I did say you need top scores to get into those schools....period..;)
      I think winning the Provincials last yr has set him up for always winning..hope this yr they do well too;)

      Enjoy the day w/ Miss V:)♥
      It's always an unforgettable treat..doesn't your face just glow smiling at her?

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    2. Notre Dame? My husbands and Erikas favorite team!! And...they have the clothes to prove it!!
      I am sure that Max will excel at whatever he sets his mind too...he comes from great stock!!
      yes...smiling thinking about her...she called us last night...we laughed like crazy on the phone!!😂
      Not sure how to get the pics straight to blogger...will look into that...almost finished with a post...Pea Soup bubbling on the stove...

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  3. I love hearing about your experience with Max ~ you are so right, it will be indelibly imprinted somewhere in him forever...I don't have any grandchildren yet, but I'm really hoping :)

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    1. You will one day..
      Sue..it's funny..I never dreamt of ..having grandchildren..it all happened so fast..

      and I swear to GOD..you fall IN love instantly.
      Wait and see:)

      In the meantime keep making the glorious food and taking the awesome pics!

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  4. Wow! That is a shame all the flooding. We have had a really wet April and May has started out wet as well.

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    1. The Montreal Gazette showed a photo of a man rowing a boat to get to his house..a lot going on in QC:(

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  5. A lt of water.....my o my.!!...That cake look delicious ...mmmmmm....happy weekend love Ria x ❤️

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  6. Oh my, that water! Yes, it's been wet here too - with more to come! Sounds like a wonderful day with your Max. Life is short and precious, so happy you made these delightful memories!

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  7. The cake looks to be delicious!
    Have a great weekend,dear Nana.
    Xoxo

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  8. What a wonderful time with Max. Just watch. He'll grow up a photographer or do it as a hobby. It has been rainy here too and flooding. Not at my house luckily. Is it too much to ask for a few warm, sunny days? Well I guess not because it is supposed to come for the next week. I bought many cake molds from Martha Steward and the skinny parts always burned before the rest got done. I never could get the hang of it, but they are gorgeous. I love cake.

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    1. :)

      Not happy you are going through the same weather..but at least you have that newest Little to keep you in the pink!!♥

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  9. I'm sorry to hear of the flooding. We experienced that a couple of years ago. It's devastating. On the other hand, love that you and Max were making great memories.

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  10. The photos are stellar. Kudos to Max for such a successful shoot.
    Sad to see your community with such high water and more to come. It's devastating! I hope your home is on high ground. Stay safe!

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  11. Oh Monique how sad to see your beloved town looking this way. Hopefully you and Max will find some better subjects to shoot with your cameras in upcoming days. Here's to sunny days soon. Stay safe.

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    1. I was away this weekend..the army was here..loads and loads of volunteers for sandbags etc..we are fine..it is near the water that the situation is so sad..

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    2. PS..one of my calendulas..has a BUD..in the basemet..it's so cold here..sure;y we will not plant until May 23rd weekend:(

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    3. Good to hear from you. I thought you may have had power issues on top of the water issues in town near the lake. Good for you, a bud. I bought some marigold seeds and I have buds on some of them. I will let it flower so I see the color. I think the calendula varieties I sent should be pretty. I know the flashback mix was so pretty last fall. It is chilly here too so will wait to transplant till later in May. Have a good week!

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  12. This is something Max will remember forever. Sharing his Nana's passion and time with her.

    Bittersweet... the joy of sharing time and the sorrow for the folks affected. Prayers for your area.
    Your cake looks so good even though it took longer to bake. And, thank you for the sharpener tip!!
    blessings ~ tanna

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    1. It really is so sad..when we came home yesterday..the situation had gotten worse..plus it is only in the 30Fs😢She Max and I went out..we didn't expect this.At one point I felt like an opportunist..funny how situations bring out feelings!I know you know!

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  13. Wow! I live to someday hear this comment: Coming home..he said.."this turned out to be a lot more interesting than I expected Nana"

    What a wonderful, special day you shared. And perhaps, just perhaps, it will be the start of a new interest or passion for him. Certainly observing is so important. And I have to say, the photos you shared of Max's were very good. He has an eye and if he decides this is his forte, I think he could have quite a future! Ah, patience and observing. It makes such a difference.

    The water you have shown is frightening. I hope your home is high enough that it will be all right, but even so, seeing such destruction so near is a bit shattering. It reminds us once again how damaging something so life-enhancing as water can be. If weather moves east, you will be in for a bit more. Today is our first sunny day in a week. Cold but sunny. Longing for a real May day where it is warm and beautiful.

    Hope you are getting my emails and we got all that straightened out! I'm hoping to put some Vivian lessons to use today with a little painting!

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    1. You are such an active and fun person he will have a ball with you.
      I sure hope you are much better!
      The army was here yesterday..water levels up..evacuations..many volunteers..lovely caring town..bitter old for MY on top of it all!

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  14. I love how you turned your day with Max into one he will always remember. The day you turned him into a photographer :) What wonderful photos he took. The flood pics are so sad but the duck picture is wonderful! I'll bet he asks to go on a photo shoot with you again :) My littles are still a bit too young but one day I'd love to do the same with them - one on one.

    Too bad about your cake. I had a slight blooper yesterday myself. Had to make a cake for our gourmet group to bring tonight. Forgot a half cup of flour! Sifted 2 and not 2-1/2 :( Hopefully the curd filling and toppings I have planned with mask the cake - LOL.

    It is wonderful to have sharp knives but I have to be extra cautious - I've had a cut finger here and there :)

    Wishing your town dry weather soon, Monique!

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    1. Bloopers happen all the time..I hope we hear about this GD too..I still remember the first ones:)

      The army was here yesterday..sad when we drove back into town..but what an uplifting sight to see the Firestation packed with volunteers..
      I love this town♥

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  15. Hi Monique, we are having a lot of rain here now that I am in Oregon. I've always loved the rain but this year it's different. Anyway, looks like Max is a great photographer, so wonderful of you to have prints made.

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    1. Hope they are ready soon..would be nice..he was in a mishap this w/e..ran an Ironman type race..for Haiti..AFTER all the obstacles.. a freind threw him a water bottle and as he dodge to catch it his face hit a pole.. a big lip..a stitch..puffy face and teeth need xrays..would love to bring them to him todya..:)

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  16. So much rain! Hard to fathom its right outside your doorway. The cake looks lovely What an adventure for you and Max! Having a fun gran...he's very lucky.

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    1. Breaking records:( Army present..volunteers..not pretty rain..and cold..

      May is ..not good.

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  17. Such a sweet post! I have my Grandson all to myself for five days while his parents are off on a much needed vacation. He is down for a nap, which is the only reason I have my IPad to catch up on mail. The screen is a little sticky - oh well. We are having such a special time - so I can relate to yours. Fills ones heart up - these little treasures💕

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    1. Nana I bet you are having a beautiful time:) Jacques and I will have 3 to ourselves staring next Sunday until the following Friday..:)

      Yes..they FILL our hearts up..perfect words.♥

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  18. Very sweet post and spending time with Max. The photos are great. maybe following in Nana's footsteps. We have had tons of rain, but everything is so green. We really needed it, but I am ready for some sunny skies.

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    1. We need sun and evaporation..

      I think I would go nuts in your gardens taking pics:)

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  19. Wow the flooding is awful. So very sorry for your area. However, your time with your grandson sounds perfect. I bet he will always remember the floods and talk about it when he's your age! So glad you are sharing your talent for photography. Hope the rain stops soon. Take care.

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    1. The area is sad to see in parts..:(I hope all calms down for these poor people soon..

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  20. So much water... :( Glad you are up a bit and dry... xo

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    1. Have you been following?
      The army was here yesterday..very sad sights indeed..but you should have seen the firestation when we came home around 4/packed with volunteers..like most places w/ kind hearts..

      really unbelievable..I remember once before a very high water level..never like this..

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    2. Yes, the water levels are incredible...glad you are safe. Xo

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  21. Oh so sorry about all the flooding where you live.

    What a wonderful day you had with Max. When they get a certain age they want to be with their friends and not with grandma and grandpa, unless its something interesting. Maybe he will get into taking a lot of photos. They were very good.

    We are having some rain which is very unusual for this time of the year in SO CA. but we will take whatever we can get. I know my flowers will love it.

    Have a great week.

    Mary

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    1. I have bee warned that at 14-15..we will be dust in the wind:(
      I think I am storing up memories..as I know this is in our cards..

      The area..so sad..not used to seeing ..so much water..yet I was a realtor for almost 30 yrs..

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  22. You are right Monique, some days are diamonds and some days are dust. Your cake is very pretty nonetheless! Those poor people with the flooding. My heart aches for them. What a great day you had with Max though. I can see talent runs in the family as he sure has a photographic eye. Well done Max! We usually get lots of rain over here, but have had a few dry weeks now. Its such a beautiful green country, because of the rain, but when the sun shines I think it is even prettier! Hope you are having a lovely time with your girls! xoxo

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    1. PS - I hope you don't get 40 days and 40 nights!

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    2. PPS - I meant to also say that I have had that knife sharpener for about 4 or 5 years now and it is fabulous!

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    3. I jut read you love sharp knives;) Me too!

      What a cool tool.I find..
      Yes..I have to remember that quote..diamonds/dust.
      Quite devastating thses floods:(

      water IN the house.. so sad..I can't imagine:(

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  23. Oy the flooding is horrible...I hope that it recedes soon. Very rainy and gray here the past week too, but thankfully the basement is dry and no flooded roads near us. You are simply the best Nana...I love the duck. You will give him a love of photography...perfect age for him to start. There is nothing as valuable as the gift of time...
    Bisous xoxoxo

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    1. I hope it recedes soon too..it's so cold..nothing seems to be helping..fingers crossed for the next few days...

      Poor Max.. a stich in his lip and teeth need xrays.. :( Sat..
      Poor kid..

      I'll write later.. nt even 48 hrs away and I feel I have to catch up lol.

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  24. Well Linda was absolutely right! Your blog is lovely. I have had a wee visit, and can say that I am eager to come back. I shall be adding your blog to my roll, so as to be notified of future posts.
    I have a grandson named Noah too. He is in the fourth grade. I also have two grandgirls. Ages 10 and 8, called Hannah and Claire.
    xo Kris

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  25. I sure hope it's not 40 days and 40 nights. I just photographed gorgeous tulips in the rain. This too shall pass!

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    1. Everything is saturated and rigid here.. so cold Debbie ..The may that was the wost ever in my mind:(

      Your MC vignette on IG was super!

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  26. I think it's wonderful that you took your grandson out to shoot pictures and I believe he will remember it always. I remember moments like that with my grandparents far more vividly than with anyone else in my childhood.

    So sorry about the flooding. I always feel so awful for those that suffer through it. It's just devastating. I hope it dries up for all of you soon.

    Thank you so much for your visit :)

    rue

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    1. Thank you!

      Things are still chaotic here..but not our home..volunteers have stepped up as always..heartwarmimg!

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  27. Dearest Monique,
    That indeed is devastating all the flooding in your region.
    Let's hope it didn't get any worse.
    What precious bonding time with your grandson!
    Fond memories for him forever and for you as well.
    You teach him the right things, observing the little miracles around us and framing them into our memory, on photo or whatever.
    Wishing you all the very best for spring soon to enter!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  28. So much water...so sorry that the rain has turned into flooding. I will pray that it recedes and doesn't get worse.
    What a lovely time you had with Max. He has a master for a teacher..what a great beginning.

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  29. Monique, I've never seen so much water! Hope the damage is not too terrible. Max is quite a photographer, wonder where he gets that from. Love the photos! The cake looks beautiful! Hugs, Jody ♥

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    1. Hahaha he hasn't asked to take photos again..time will tell:)
      Oh it was awful the flood..the poor people..honestly..:( The towns were great..lots of help..lots of kindness..very inspirational..

      Hugs back Jody.

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  30. I hope that the flood waters recede soon…definitely too much rain. Max does have a talent with a camera and I think your day together will be remembered in a good way even if the subject was a sad one for many.

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  31. حرصنا علي توفير افضل خدمات تنظيف سجاد بالبخار بمكة و من اخلال اكفأ العمالة المدربة و الذين يعتمدوا علي احدث اجهزة التنظيف و الغسيل و التجفيف اللازم للسجاد و الموكيت تواصل مع شركة تنظيف الموكيت بمكة لتحصل علي الخدمة المتميزة التي تتمناها

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