Whasup? LOL~

The weather..that's whasup.:(
Yes I have even had time to paint..that's how bad.
If you know me you know that gardens come first hobby wise in Spring Summer and Fall.

So..

The LOTV happened regardless♥
Finally the right tulips showed up after the wrong colors:(

The Apple trees are in full bloom at last..

Our porch has been destructed..to rebuild anew.

So nice having a friend that is a builder too..



After Luc left early one day..Jacques mowed..I weed wacked and all of a sudden the sun came out and it looked like home.
So much has died..
Perennials..clematis..
C'est la vie.Mother Nature.
But for a moment I saw the light♥

Moving on..

I've had time to try new things..

Below is sooo good..
We like plain avo..or w/ tomatoes ..pesto etc..
well J said more people would love avo..if they tried this;)

A Diane Morrissey recipe...Go to instagram and check her out..dinner tonight is even her recipe..

I like trying new things..

This is easy..

Cut your avocado..flour..beaten egg..panko( I season mine)  on a baking sheet and spray w/ Olive oil..my way is a bit different..I like that Evoo spray..coats everywhere and assures crunchy every where.
425 oven for ap 15 mins keep and eye on them.
My dipping sauce is not home made ..it's delish..
Mayochup. W/ a few hot sauce splashes...parsley.

I also picked up Ghirardelli brownie mix..for last minute kiddie snacks..

Tuesdays with Oli who loves Cookies and Cream bars.
By the way he has one and a grilled cheese and clementines and chips.

The rest he brings home.
I don't mind doing that because they eat healthily all the time and gogogogo.

You put the pieces on after they are baked and crinkley..not right away but while still warm.
He's so appreciative..and funny.
Instead of a movie after Dictée..he said:"Can we paint instead"?

Helloooo?♥
We talk..we're quiet..
I love these moments.
I drove Max and Oli to football practice and let me tell you..my Fiat felt like a sardine can.
:)

My car and I were happy♥

Have a great weekend.
Fingers crossed things warm up soon for all my seeds trying to germinate~

Mostly Baking;) Gardening too but it doesn't show~

Oh my gosh Call the Midwife this past Sunday..I wanted to become a midwife ..a nun..adopt Mae..
None of which is remotely possible.
None.
None none.
Goodie One Shoe..could have never been a nun..I have had way too many detours..let's say..a Midwife?No but if I had to go back and had the talent to become a doctor and the drive..count me in.
Adopting? I'm 65..way to late.
I shed tears galore.

The daughter..the dance..
Reggie and Jane..
Mae.
♥♥♥
Jacques says this show was made for me..I have news for you all..y'all;)  It is made for him too;)
I made delicious rhubarb strawberry shortbread crumble tarts..
you can find the recipe..here at Sue's wonderful professional blog.
I used cornstarch.
I made half the recipe and it made 2 4 inch tarts.♥

Also we had the boys Friday so I made duffins  aka Dirt Bombs....the original recipe is from Sol at Memories In The Baking..
I found the recipe a few places..it's in a book I have somewhere too:)But where?
 I cannot find a direct link to hers..nevertheless..this is a direct link in a way..It's from Lori..we were all in this together at one point.Both lovely girls..I made minis  you can half the recipe.

I made a knock off..because I couldn't find Sol's ..Link to Lori,that's the right recipe.

The winner of this week's Tuesdays with Oli..
these..



Big Fat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies..mine spread out a bit more..but I assure you..Oli said :"Make thses again next week Nana:)From Sally's Baking Addiction~

As for GOT..I watched because Jacques wanted to all those seasons ago..maybe a season or twon..or a handful of episodes were interesting to me..

The last season was probably the worst for me and others have been as bad.
Not into fantasy and dragons and gratuitous violence on that extreme level.
I give it a total thumbs down.

Started soaking and seeding..

4'O'clocks that are dear to me♥Please pleasee please grow:)

Today..the 22nd of May..I planted yellow nasturtium seeds..gaura seeds..some tomato plants..some geraniums..and some pansies..some trailing things in my head planter..I need my ferns  and a yellow wave..for the she shed flower box.
The new mailbox and bunting are up..waiting for the almond and apple trees to bloom.
The Serviceberry is full on since this aft..but the skies had clouded over..we're in for rain rain rain..rain..almost all week:(

Hmmm..see anything wrong with this picture?Below?

AS if our season was moving along swimmingly.
These will be cut and vased..so unappealing in front of a hanging pink geranium basket:(

I want to footnote this post with a thank you to Deb  at Mountain Breaths..
She wrote and mentioned to me that when you clicked on my blog..  a non secure warning appeared in the toolbar above..I had seen this for a long time..but I don't do ads..don't sponsor..no pop ups..so I thought..what a joke.;)

Anyway with her mentioning it..I researched and in a matter of minutes it was all good in the world of my little blog again.
It's an easy fix if you need it..

So thanks Deb..for having taken the time to point it out and in such a discreet manner:)

And that's about it in my little country world:)


Look what's happening Sept 20th:)

Downton Abbey Movie♥

Tuesdays with Oli♥

J'adore.
No mood uplifter like a boy after school happy for a grilled cheese,chocolate milk,clementines ,chips and cookies:)
We try and do math(J) and French dictées(Moi)..I am telling you the stuff you learn in school can be tedious..and do I remember what les déterminants indéfinis..définis..possessifs and démonstratifs are? I know them all but to assign a name to them is quite by heart heavy.I also know which is which..but in the mind of a 9 year old football player..this is tedious.
This Little makes me laugh so much..at least once lately he sneaks up on me and scares the living daylights out of me..yes..I find that funny..:) Lucas did that too..and Lucas used to come after school but now he could teach me things .
Max came for a bit but he was just so fast at learning everything..that he didn't need us.
And darling Noah doesn't live across the street.

I have to give the French in France..their beautiful language.
My family is not a slang French family and it irks me when the French from France mock the Québécois French because we're not all slangers LOL.
They do admire many Québécois artists..
And in Provence we were constantly told how they loved our accent.
Not so much in Paris.
I must say Paris people are different from Provence people.
Like any big city vs the countryside.

However..literature and spelling etc..is important and it shows in France.
So..this is what we try to do w/Oli..on Tuesdays.

The eraser says FOR BIG MISTAKES lol..it's huge.I buy the books that are supposed to help during the year..but it doesn't seem to be their curriculum.
I love how he wrote Olivier et Nana last yr..we're still using that one for when I ask him things or give him his vocabulary words:)

Oh and see those orange and green things?
Oli has always had a distinct and never seen by me way of holding his pencil..this ad popped up on IG for these contraptions and I thought..Ideal.
Poor Little tried to make me happy and tried..after 2 tries I said you know what Oli..I love the way you hold your pencil..let's ditch these..I kept them..I may find a use ..;) Lol ..not..

The cookies this week were Marie's original PB cookies..every Tuesday I make new and he leaves w/ the rest for his family.

Here is her recipe..they are the ones of my youth.. that the neighbour made:)

I went cross border shopping with those two fun girls above..and bought the Reeses pieces bag w/ everything you see in them:)
I bought skinny cheddar popcorn..Jif crunchy PB..not that our Kraft isn't excellent but I love US and Euro food shopping..here too.

We went toTarget and TJ's and Home Goods and Walmart and Panera and The Plattsburgh Brewing Co..
Slept over .
Lovely tradition..
Oh and Michael's  .I had a US gift certificate..and Hobby Lobby.
Love that ceramic palette:)
New brushes and a smaller Mixed Media  pad.2.

After lessons he likes to start a movie or a show w/ us..
the crocs are mine..my loving Mario Batali days after I met him:)

Tradition..lol..put some crocs over your socks..they often don't last the whole time;):):)
When we say it's time to leave he ends up on the floor:)
he's 9.
Let him be a kid.

Finally buds and blooms..not many..trilliums..my tulips are coming up looking paltry..
my garlic is stellar except one patch.
I brought my tomato seedlings up into the garage to get them used to outside..

It's a really paltry Spring to be honest.

Another thing I love and please forgive the paltry pic..I am just full of paltry today:)
But I pasted it to my Carol wall of fame and it's been dark ever since apart from today for one bit!My wall is an INSPIRATION.
These are Carol Gillott's Letters From Paris~
You can go here to read about them:)Or to subscribe:)

They come w/ goodies and even the envelopes are adorb.
This one..has Notre Dame♥
I'll never forget.

Have a super week ..we've got projects galore.
And did I mention our grass is so paltry this year?
Well it is.
Paltry.

Mother's Day~

So..to all of you who are mothers..or have mothers..or are married to mothers:)Or arried to someone who has a mother..

Have a lovely one.

Mothers of Dragons?Well..no.

I had fun painting this card w/ the eye trick

Jacques gave me..

Then..lo and behold I was able to make an even better galette than in the last 45 yrs w/ a layer of Bonne Maman jam over the crust:)

Easiest almost a pie pie you will ever make:)

Then..

Rita mentioned a book I might like which led me down the rabbit hole and I saw THIS.

I had to..Amazon Prime has virtual carts where things just jump into carts.

The next day I had the thickest ..cutest..idea packed gorgeous book.

Listen..it has recipe cards to paint..a little art journal..tracing paper..color paper and watercolor paper..a poster..a house you furnish and a doll you dress up.

Here..in Canada..$20.00

Just the first 2 pages were delightful.

Easiest explanation to draw a teacup EVER.

See his review here..it's great because you see INSIDE.

I really like his reviews.

Perfect gift for someone who wants to learn..

Art is not only about perfection ..This books shows that.

Also a great journaling tool.

Cute..whimsical..inspiring.

It pulled at my artstrings:)

My tomato seedlings are doing..so well..too well..

It was so cold here the earth will take a century to warm up.

The seeds Susan sent me..they are even BIGGER.

When I water my plants..they smell like tomatoes.:)

I gave my first one away to my gardener hairdresser.

I had my streaks touched up..who am I kidding? Touched up?

I know she will look after it.

She's so busy with her college horticulturist full time classes and her own salon.

Only works nights and Sat. at her salon now.

I admire her.

45 and a new career.

Have a lovely weekend.

I inadvertently pressed publish yesterday and it's showing up so I am republshing..early..like me..the always early for everything me.