That's it..I've lost my sense of humour for April 1rst.

 

I mean it..every April Fool's joke is just too silly for me and I am gullible.

From a French Radio Station thinking they are interviewing Kiss that turned awkward and nasty..

to the Eiffel Tower having slides going down it..

I'll stay in and paint or bake..in an April Fool's safe space:)

After all it snowed yesterday and it's raining and daaark today.

I love this pottery Cuisine sign I brought back from France.. right below I have a kitchen hook with an apron hanging on it.. ..also from France from my friend Nancy..it was hers..

All the simple little things that I feel a wave of warmth when I see them.Little French plates..with a delicious Quinoa salad on top..(Don't buy Costco quinoa worst ever)..

Berets on French Littles.. love that.This Paris father and son was painted from a photo from a Substack called ..The Real Emily In Paris.

I don't get Substack..I signed up for free and what I get occasionally are feeds I never signed up for..this one is beyond me..Substacks..

Honestly..I can't believe Easter is in one week and that I can't find this painting I made..I wanted to have pages printed for wrapping paper for a wee gift..

I love Beatrix Potter:)

Loved painting this one too:)

Easter  is a religious holiday but I think its the cutest too..

I miss the Littles egg hunts..

All the baking..This year I am baking a carrot cake..the cute Nordic ware bunnies..and Angenetis a new recipe for me.

I still look back and enjoy remembering past Easters:)

Happy Easter everyone..I hope ..now that I have hibernated all winter like a mama bear..that gardening season is not too far off..

We still have mountains of snow..really ... but my garlic patch towards the garage is part bare and I see my little sprouts:)

And I still have last years garlic still fresh..Imagine:)

I should have planted tulips..these were exquiste that year.That was before every four legged creature started living here..Peter.. the squirrels..the groundgog..Alvin.. Simon..Theodore..Chip and Dale..

I wont even start on the rose chafers that found my plot too.

Kind of discouraged..visibly as I have started NOTHING indoors.

Again..Happy Easter:)

New for this year..You can find the creator  @miciammas on IG.

I love this town..

 A walk to the post office.. some cuties..

I'm about 4000 steps to my post office.. about a 20 min walk or less.. ap 3 kms.. there and back.Town is just a few blocks further..

We walk by the waterfronts which I have always loved..

Some are McMansions..but very few..most are from way back and they are my faves..no real mansions on our way and I love that.

Having been a realtor for ap 30 yrs..I loved my share of waterfronts and showed many to my husband..he's an inland guy...

Once you pass the village.. the properties become even larger and so do the homes..I am fond of the smaller charming ones..

I was lucky to see so many homes here in my 30 yrs career as a realtor.I picked up ideas.. I also couldn't believe how many people never used heir gorgeous kitchens..or lit their fireplaces..(Gets too dirty..messy)..

Showpieces.

Is this not the sweetest again? A card sent..Just because..These Signature Hallmark cards are just works of art.They pop open:)Snail Mail will never go out of style.Thank you so much.I wonder if anyone can guess who sent it?

If you want to make cute Mary Engelbreight style cherry cookies..  just make your fave cookies..cut with a scalopped cutter.. on half.. make cute little dot details and I used my macaron Wilton tip to make the holes.. the pastry chef I was inspired by is..LesAteliersToqués @lesatelierstoques on IG.

She made her own jam filling..I had some already.

I love baking what can I say..? My husband weighs ap 155 lbs.. super fit..eats everything in moderation..So I can't bake a lot..I wait until he finishes things:)

I'll be baking for the weekend.. a festive one..so not just for us.

Anyone else deeply admire and respect doctors who are human?Who care..who take the time with you?

I'm one of those people ..

I have sometimes hit the jackpot.

Many times not.

Sure makes you appreciate the gems even more.

Still painting my people.

I have quite a collection:)

I love looking back on them.

Not because they are Picassos lol but because I remember liking the photos of the people and enjoying painting them.

Have a very good week..It's brisk today..26F.

 

One of my paintings this week was of Jeannette..

Jeannette is a perfectly bilingual Montrealer.81 years young.She has lived in Vancouver,Paris,Boston,the South of France ,Hudson and Montreal.She loves yoga and walks every day no matter what the weather is like.She volunteers at a well known hospital on the palliative care floor.She reads to them,holds their hand,and listens attentively to their life stories.She never ever misses a day💕
Based on a true person.
@ericbranover a beautiful account I follow gave me permission to paint some of his people.
Thank you.

I apologize for the manner in which my texts of the stories show up but I copy and paste from Instagram..Here my background is black so my text is white..the opposite for IG.

TV wise..

Ted Lasso is back in town..Ill be craving shortbread again;)

I am still enjoying Daisy Jones and The Six..J not so much at all.

A Spy Among Friends..great acting but I have dozed off twice;)

Spring forward why don't we?

 

Today is the day..I almost wish we would just settle on a time and live with it..

Snow will start to melt with sunny days..longer days..and then the earth will laugh in flowers as the famous saying goes..

I have new seed packets to try..

 Outdoors..not indoors this yr..let's see how that goes..

I wanted to tell you about my newest favorite focaccia recipe from Cloudy Kitchen..

The pics speak for themselves..easiest..and I made her quickie version..both times..:)

Here is one of my Montreal peeps again and their story:)

Photo courtesy off Myriam @passionmontreal

Have a great weekend and ensuing week:)

Océane is a tiny pearl of a little girl.Her daddy,Lucas,adores her.Her independent vibe,like his,her curiosity,her giggles and kisses.What’s not to love?Many of us can remember those puffy snowsuits,kitten ear hats,mittens with strings.Now ,for some of us ,even our grandchildren have outgrown these days of our lives.The best of times n’est-ce-pas?

As close as it gets for now:)

 

I get funny around my birthday..I pull out the last card my mom bought for me..and I look at my little girl pics with even more longing.

:)

For Christmas I received delicious cookies..from Susan in Ontario..I have talked about them..I've since bought another box..but I make cookies right? So I started Googling the cookies..

This is the closest I could find and in a pinch ..or a budget friendly version of store bought ...I made these.

More than once:)

Found online:)CTV news.

Here it is..

Mary McCleod's traditional shortbread cookies

And here is another..

Here

Personally..I love them.. you can adjust to your liking..J still loves mine better..I am leaning towards these:)

Shortbreads are good all yr long.

Speaking of Shortbreads..Ted Lasso is coming back in March:)

1923 is done..Season 2 coming..

1883 still my fave.

We have had so much snow..  and it is still snowing:)

This is Gilbert..a retired school professor.He loved his profession.

He taught in McGill UniversityFrench Language and Literature.He never married but has a nie circle of friends with same interests...And of course his pup ,Molière.

Another in my series of Montreal people first captured by the talented eye of Myriam  .

She is a MONTREAL expert in all things..And an expert photographer.

Birthday Month..

  

Our home was beautified with Spring bouquets last Week..And of course they are still lasting..

I take pics of them all the time:)

We had a double celebration for my youngest daughter's birthday..46..oh lala..and mine.

We were invited to our eldest daughter's ..she hosts our double bdays:)

Generous Italian dinner.. so so so so good..

Lasagnas.. meatballs..arancini.. caesar salad ..garlic bread..so many apps..We were twelve and all the men are tall tall tall..Noah is catching up!

The next day I had soup for lunch and soup for dinner and went for a very long walk:)

I was in charge of desserts..

 

I made little tea cakes ..Now those turn out adorbs.. Tips..add mint LAST minute.. my mint would last but store bought wilts soon after..

Make sure you have a container high enough to keep these little naked cakes moist.

I do like brushing on a simple syrup to keep cakes moist but because these are naked all around..and you cannot put a Saran or the piped roses will squish...a good airtight container is a very good idea.

I made the recipe where I found the cakes..but would stick to my own versions of coconut cakes tried along the yrs.

American friends even have a cake mix that one reader said is ideal for these..Dolly Parton's coconut cake mix.

Who knew she cooked..Debbie at Mountain Breaths first mentioned them:)

The choco cheesecake is Preppy Kitchen's recipe.

Such a nice night..

I prefer giving gifts..

But who can resist receiving a watercolor of a bouquet I made years ago?

It was tucked into my birthday package from Susan..who never brags about her artistic talents..I know because I have some here..some watercolors through the years.

Even Jacques thought it was a photo it's so perfect and I love the cream paper.

I love it.

One sweet girl has  added to my  colllection of these sweet La Fermière crocks.I brought blue ones back from Povence..we don't have them here.. in the last couple of yrs Sarah has added so many to my collection and in many colors.She's a jar lover like I am.

I use them for many things:)

Mostly as vases:) For my garden flowers.

She lives in Austin and has beautiful gardens.

We exchange Valentines..  I mailed her card over 1 month ago and it's still not there.:(

How much pleasure does a gardener get in seeds? Let me tell you..gardening is exponentially more rewarding when something actually works from seed you have planted.

Last yr I discovered I could grow Zinnias..because of 

Susan..in Canada.

This yr I'll get to the rabbits before them for sunflowers:)

Susan and I were friends with our beautiful Linda..

She shared February with me..

Have a good week..

PS Yes I took out the last birthday card my mom ever bought me in 1973..Unsigned..I have kept it.

Found it in one of her drawers when I was sorting them..I was 19..

You really think you can never be happy again..

it takes so long..but you can..