A Red Letter Day - Rednesday Nov 9.11

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Today I'm feeling very pensive. Everywhere I look, I see touches of red.
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When I rose this morning at 6:45, the sunshine was streaming in my bedroom window and making a magnificant backlight to the leaves that are still on the trees.November 9th and there are still leaves on the trees! Their colors are dull and muted, but they seem to be holding on until they absolutely have to go!
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Without realizing it, I myself added splashes of red to my outfit: the red in my earrings and shirt; the poppy on my coat and my favorite tote bag containing the all-important water bottle, lunch and personal papers; my morning tea in front of our local "Breakfast Television"; and the local newspaper for mid-morning break..
Friday Nov 11th is Remembrance Day. I sometimes go to the cenotaph for the laying of the wreath and the service; if I can't make it, I always turn on the TV and observe the 2 minutes of silence. My grandfather served in WWI; my uncles in WWII; I know young people who have served overseas. I think they do a brave and honorable thing when they fight for our country and our continued freedom.
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Rednesday may be the last day I see the sunshine (and perhaps the leaves on the trees) for a while: we are in for heavy rains and winds the next couple of days.
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But for today, I'll sit at work and luxuriate in the sunshine on my back, the soft sounds of my favorite online radio program, and the quiet of my daily routine. And during break, I'll catch up on your blogs, including SueLovesCherries at It's A Very Cherry World!
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Simple pleasures are always the best, don't you think!
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Rednesday Jul 20.11

My red for todays edition of Rednesday .............

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No 1 =

Oops! No ... these are still green!

Now they're red (and soooo delicious).Surf 'n' turf dinner at home for the Schulers. (I could take a hint!).

No 2 =

This beautiful Naturalizer bag I bought at Value Village on June 30th; gorgeous lining too.

I love red, so I'm off to see what else is highlighted in todays REDNESDAY - RED HOT SUMMER! with SueLovesCherries at It's A Very Cherry World!

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Ruby Red Rhubarb Syrup

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I had accumulated quite a collection of frozen rhubarb. So, I decided to try my hand at Rhubarb Syrup.
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For every 4 cups of diced rhubarb, I added 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water (plus a little grated lemon rind. Simmer for 15-20 min until the rhubarb has completely broken down. Then strain through a fine sieve.
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(The strawberry fields will soon be open for picking; so I'm saving the solids for Strawberry Rhubarb pies!)
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Pour the syrup into clean containers; you can refrigerate the syrup for 1-2 weeks or freeze for later use. I'm going to give some of mine as gifts at Christmas.

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You can drizzle the syrup over vanilla ice cream or poke holes in a plain vanilla or lemon cake with a skewer and pour the syrup over until it soaks in. But my favorite way to use it is to mix it with club soda -- about one part syrup to 3 parts club soda -- over ice with a lime wedge. It's sooooo delicious and refreshing. .

And it's a nice addition to REDNESDAY! with SueLovesCherries at It's A Very Cherry World!

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Yummmm! Elixir of the Gods!

Rednesday Jun 15.11

It's Rednesday over at It's A Very Cherry World! with SueLovesCherries. And I had forgotten to show you my newest splurge.
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I went out seeking yellow sandals, one of my current challenges. And do you think I could find a pair in Lunenburg County? No! Nor have I seen a pair in the many stores I checked out in Halifax. Oh dear! But I did find a double-whammy treat -- comfort and redness. I bought a pair of my very favorite brand of shoes, Naots from Israel. They are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn, and I was tickled to find these on sale.Add a little summer-time toe polish (and please ignore the red blotches on my pasty whites!), and Voila! I am ready for summer!
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Alas! The cool, damp temperatures these past few days are not very summery. So, I added some extra redness to the (literal) pot this week. I made a delicious, new-to-me spaghetti sauce recipe. Let me share it with you. I got it online from RecipeZaar.
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Jolean's Killer Spaghetti Sauce

3 Tbsp oil

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced green peppers

1 large diced garlic clove

1 1/2 lb ground sirloin

1/2 lb ground pork or veal

2 - 6 oz cans tomato paste

1 - 14.5 oz can tomato sauce

1 - 14.5 oz can stewed, undrained tomatoes

1 - 4.5 oz can undrained mushrooms

2 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp oregano

4 tsp sugar

5 Tbsp chopped parsley

7 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

In large dutch oven, saute onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in oil until partially tender; push aside in the pot. Add ground meats and brown; chop into rather large chunks - not too small. Mix meat and sauteed veg well. Add tomato paste, sauce and stewed tomatoes and stir. Add mushrooms with liquid and stir. Add all spices including the grated Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly.

Bring to a boil; stir and simmer for AT LEAST 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently. Serve over pasta with additional grated Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

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I didn't have sirloin or pork or veal; so I used mild Italian sausage. I didn't have celery so I left it out. And I was a little leary of the Allspice and Nutmeg, so I used half of what they called for; next time I'll use it all. And this wonderful mixture simmered on my stove for roughly 4 hours and made my house smell great.
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It was gorgeous! If this spaghetti sauce were a man, I would marry it. (Or have a hot, passionate, long-term affair!) It really was killer spaghetti sauce!
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I give this spaghetti sauce "9.5 granny panties and full-support bras out of 10".
It was red hot and soooo yummy!

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Yuck! It's another wet, drizzly day here in the Maritimes. Sure, it helps the flowers to grow. But it also means that we don't get out to enjoy them unless you're dressed like a duck!

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Oh well, the sun will shine again. In the meantime, I like to liven up my wardrobe with happy colors. Today is Rednesday; so reds (or variations thereof) are the choice.

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I'm wearing this soft, light-weight raspberry sweater with a Cloisonné enamel pendant, a Xmas gift from my hubby when we were just young.

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects, in recent centuries using vitreous enamel. The decoration is formed by first adding compartments (cloisons in French) to the metal object by soldering or adhering silver or gold wires or thin strips placed on their edges. These remain visible in the finished piece, separating the different compartments of the enamel or inlays, which are often of several colors. Cloisonné enamel objects are worked on with enamel powder made into a paste, which then needs to be fired in a kiln.

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And to prove that I'm a rebel, I'm once again ignoring what Stacey and Clinton say and I'm wearing my fairly matchy shoes. (And if I'd been thinking last night, I'd have painted my toenails a pretty color - perhaps not matching though!)

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My handbag of choice for the past 2 weeks has been this baby. Soft, sweet leather with lots of room and little pocket pouches. And besides my handbag, I usually have a tote bag with me to carry a book or magazine, an apple and other necessary items for the day. Again, this is the one I've been using for the past couple of weeks.
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I'm just a red girl today. Now, I'm off downstairs to have my breakfast while the girls finish their morning preparations for school and/or work. And while I drink my tea, I'll be looking through this book and continue my dreams of summer vacation.

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Happy Rednesday! And I'm joining Sue at It's A Very Cherry World! for more Rednesday posts.

Seeing Red on Rednesday Mar 30.11

. . I'm linking up once again this Wednesday to REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World. Today I'm wearing one of my favorite blouses -- in red -- and with it, I'm wearing one of my new Value Village necklaces. This blouse makes me feel energized and ready to work!. Colors can affect us in many ways. There are warm and cool colors, colors that can rev you up and colors that can calm you down. Red has always been a positive, "up" color for me. . But this morning, there's something that's making me see red. And that subject is bullying. . bull ying. . . There's been a report on the local TV and radio for the past 2 days about a young 15 yr old high school girl who killed. You can read a little about it here Bullied teen's death sparks campaign - Nova Scotia - CBC .... . Jenna was being treated for depression; she had her good days and her bad days; but she was working hard to overcome this condition. She was a good student and an accomplished musician who sang and played guitar; she even taped herself and put the clips online. But for the past year or two, she has been bullied relentlessly, so much so that she had left school -- at the school's suggestion! But the bullying continued. She received countless messages from school "mates" (for lack of a better word) telling her she was a loser, that she might as well kill herself because she was no good, etc, etc. She hung herself! . Jenna and her Mom had been working with the school system. After her death, Jenna's Mom went to the school, the school board and then to the local police with computer proof of this bullying. Need I say that all her efforts to date have been fruitless; so she's decided to go public with this story to bring awareness to this growing problem.

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I understand that we've tied the hands of our teachers and school authorities when it comes to discipline. But people, this is a young girls life! Dead at 15! Come on! If Mom has the messages with the senders names clearly in print, if all her friends and probably some of her teachers know who the culprits are, surely we can do something to hold the perpetrators accountable and bring justice to this child's senseless death.

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Bullying must be stopped. We are raising a generation of children who not only have a displaced sense of entitlement, but they also have little or no fear of authority. They're smart enough to know when we mean what we say; and theoretically smacking someone's hand doesn't frighten them at all.

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My children were never the victims of bullying, at least not for long. But I know kids who have been victimized. I'm angry! I'm angry with our school system, and I'm angry with our legal system. I'm angry enough that I'm entertaining thoughts of good-ole vigilante justice being a solution when the law falls short.

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We've got to protect these innocents!

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REDNESDAY Mar 2.11

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It's a cool but sunny Rednesday in my neck of the woods. I stood at my bedroom window to soak in some of that Vitamin D but someone wasn't happy. This little fellow complained quite loudly until I went back to applying my makeup. Hope he wasn't complaining about my looks!

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Shelagh at http://aliceinparislovesartandtea.blogspot.com had a 50% off sale on Valentine's Day which I quickly took advantage of: Shelagh's paintings are so sharp, bright and cheerful. The 2 prints arrived last week. Aren't they beautiful!

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Today is a perfect day to advertise your "rosy" outlook on life by wearing a splash of red. And may I be so bold as to stretch that to red hues .................. such as my gorgeous bordeaux colored boots, purchased last fall at a Toronto vintage shop.

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As well, I brought along some of my newest acquisitions from Frenchy's to wear at work -- these strawberry suede peep-toes, purchased recently for $4.00. They are very comfortable, and look at that wedge! My foot feels fine in it! .
I'm linking up with the rest of my Rednesday buddies today at http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com. Be sure to check out more red loveliness!
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Now, I'll publish this post and make some Red Zinger tea before I begin work for the day. Hope it's sunny where you are -- if not weather-wise then in your spirit!.
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Rednesday Feb 9.11

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Come to work with me today for Rednesday. This is what I'm wearing: the necklace I bought at Value Village on Monday and my favorite faux suede shirt.

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I work for a small heavy-construction firm where I "am" the office. It doesn't pay a lot, but I have the best boss. I can come and go as I please as long as my work is done. "May I have Monday off to go to Value Village's 50% off sale?" "Sure, why not." says my boss. (He has a thrifting wife, so he well understands a woman's need to thrift shop.)

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This is my desk. Note the splash of red on my computer and the color of the file folders I'm using for 2011.

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And although this is not red, it proudly states that I am "Proud to be an organising, resourceful, overseeing, interfacing, analysing Administrator!" All that ... and a bag of chips!.
Besides the pens and paper and staplers, there are other things that a girl needs in order to be all those things. She needs:

A good selection of hand cream -- so that her hands are soft and supple and amazingly aerodynamic when flashing across that keyboard! And she needs a pretty smelling candle -- for those days when one's mind is beset by accounting woes [aka Tax season!!!] and she needs to 'breathe deeply and release all stressors'.

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And then there's the need to keep fueled. Hence the large red Santa tin:

And the ever-changing selection of goodies inside!

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On this no-school day, I was able to come to work early. And that means breakfast from Tim's. Note the cheerful red on the Tim's cup, bagel wrapping paper, strawberry cream cheese, stamp holder, and the local newspaper.. .............. which will also be read!.

Enjoy your Rednesday everyone.

And please check out all the other posts at It's a Very Cherry World (http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com) .