Usually, pictures say more than words.  And, in the age of digital photography, it’s hard to resist the urge to snap most everything in sight.  Here are yet more favorite photographic memories from last year.

ONTARIO, CANADA

After Labor-Day beach-goers, Saugeen Shores

Early fall, Algonquin Park

Chainsaw Carvings, en route to Algonqin Park

In-town fishing,  Gravenhurst

Not-Quite-Picadillly Circus:  Dundas Square, Toronto

Pollution in paradise:  steamboat, Muskoka

Striking juxtaposition:  satellite dish and barn/house, Southampton

Typical Northern Ontario lakescape:  Killarney

Other favorite photographic memories from 2008 are included in: What to See and/or Do in 2009. Photos, Memories, Ideas, and Surprises from 2008. PART 1 (January 26, 2009) and What to See and/or Do in 2009. Photos, Memories, Ideas, and Surprises from 2008. PART 2.

Usually, pictures say more than words.  And, in the age of digital photography, it’s hard to resist the urge to snap most everything in sight.  Here are some more favorite photographic memories from last year.

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

Fish-like kites, Ocean Drive

Man-made coastal walk:  The Cliff Walk

Quaint architecture:  Castle Hill Inn

Beautiful blue:  Hydrangeas

Evening sail with golden glow

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Clever Pigeons, Central Park

Joan Miro self-portrait (MOMA)

Memorial:  To John Lennon, in Strawberry Fields, Central Park

Today Show Set after-hours

Other favorite photographic memories from 2008 are included in: What to See and/or Do in 2009. Photos, Memories, Ideas, and Surprises from 2008. PART 1 (January 26, 2009) and  What to See and/or Do in 2009. Photos, Memories, Ideas, and Surprises from 2008. PART 3 (January 31, 2009).

Usually, pictures say more than words.  And, in the age of digital photography, it’s hard to resist the urge to snap most everything in sight.  Here’s a small sampling of favorite photographic memories from last year.  

BOSTON

City improvement:  Copley Square restoration

Farmer’s Market, Copley Square

Painter’s Statue:  John Singleton Copley, Copley Square

Peaches:  Copley Square Farmers’ Market

Peppers:  Copley Square Farmers’ Market

Wildflowers explained (Old South Church)

Wildflowers in the city (Old South Church)

CHICAGO

Friendly Policeman:  River North

Fun way to see a city:  Chicago by Segway

Picture postcard waterfront

Pretty pink sail boat at sunset, Lake Michigan

Smile-provoking city-wildlife: ducklings on Lake Michigan

Unexpected skyscape at sunset, Grant Park

Other favorite photographic memories from 2008 are included in:   What to See and/or Do in 2009. Photos, Memories, Ideas, and Surprises from 2008. PART 2 (January 29, 2009) and What to See and/or Do in 2009. Photos, Memories, Ideas, and Surprises from 2008. PART 3 (January 31, 2009).

Chanukah’s well behind us, but sometimes it takes a while to type things up.  Also, this dish is a fun “side” year-round. Usually, latkes are made from potatoes, and served with apple sauce and sour cream.  My version is a little different.  I use mixed root vegetables, with pineapple/pear/raspberry compote, and probiotic yogurt for toppings…

In Toronto, we’re fortunate to have a year-round local supplier of organic vegetables —a little more expensive, but worth it for quality, taste, and longevity.  Cookstown Greens has been around since 1988, and has growing clientele and fresh produce selections.  I enjoy the root vegetable combinations, cooked as are, or as the chief ingredient for recipes like Latkes.

 

Others might not like to admit to creativity lulls or feelings of let-down.  But, as my blog evinces, throughout, I think it’s important to be real and not sugar-coat.  Information sharings can be helpful all round:  affirm we are not alone and others have been there too (and got through).  If we don’t acknowledge all our mood-shades (blacks, as well as whites and grays), appearances risk being deceptive.  Life is seldom as perfect as it might be thought for anyone, and authenticity matters.

I am still on a hiatus from painting.  By the close of 2008, I’d participated in three big shows and series (07 - 08), directly after art school graduation (06). Also, as is familiar to most other "emerging artists," the cumulative run-around from a variety of solicitors (galleries, dealers, agents, businesses, and organizations) who’d proved less reputable and reliable than hoped and assumed, was straining.  End result:  a loss in momentum— the need to take time for the "Three Rs," Rethink, Relax, Reboot.

My slow-down really began when I was too sick (medically/physically) to paint. Until I’m properly well, it’s not wise to resume. That said, it’s not something I’m rushing to do…  A dear artist friend recently shared details of her own time-out.  Her example and perspective were inspirational. A wonderfully talented individual, I was in awe of her insight and understanding (journey and recovery) and lack of competitiveness. 

There is always light at the end of the tunnel, but we need to be kind to ourselves (and have others be kind to us), and not push.  At least that’s the advice I tend to share in other contexts…

My studio isn’t empty.  The last painting that I finished (in October 08) jumps out on entry.  It’s a 60 x 40 inch oil on canvas abstract that became a horse:  a beautiful, calming soothing creature who looks like she’s confident and peaceful.  This piece was different in style than what’s been typical for me, over the past few years.

Thinking back to when I painted this last piece, I realize I sensed that something was going on. (The art therapist in me kicked in.) What I was trying to paint wasn’t coming out as I’d planned.  But, when does it ever, really?  I gave in and let happen whatever wanted to manifest on the canvas. 

This Horse piece followed on from a Duck, a Bird, and a Deer/Fox.  All four paintings will appear in the DocSusan artwork galleries, eventually… with stories about them.  In the meantime, please be patient—with me, yourself, and othewise.  Though we seem to live in a "quick-fix society," real life doesnt work that way.  All good things are worth the wait!

Earlier blog posts on artistic challenges include:

▪ Torrit Grey and Regenerating Creativity (October 11, 2008)
▪ Art Shows: Business Priorities Versus Exhibitor Satisfaction (July 23, 2008)
▪ #20. PRECIOUSNESS/VALUE (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 30, 2007)
▪ #19. SHARING (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 29, 2007)
▪ #18. LIMITATIONS (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 28, 2007)
▪ #17. MESSAGE(S) (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 27, 2007)
▪ #16. (SPECIAL) GIFT(S) (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 26, 2007)
▪ #15. ARTIST PLUS (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 25, 2007)
▪ #14. TIME (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 24, 2007)
▪ #13. THE PUZZLE (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 23, 2007)
▪ #12. SERENDIPITY (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 22, 2007)
▪ #11. ORGANIZATION (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 21, 2007
▪ #10. PRICES (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 18, 2007)
▪ #9. SUPPORT, PATRONAGE, GRANTS (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) 
(November 16, 2007)
▪ #8. “JK ROWLING SYNDROME” (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 14, 2007)
▪ #7. PAINTER’S FATIGUE (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!") (November 12, 2007)
▪ #6. NOTICING THE DETAILS (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 10, 2007)
▪ #5. STRATEGIC/CONSCIOUS PAINTING (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) 
(November 8, 2007)
▪ #4. CREATIVE PRESSURE/RELEASE (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 4, 2007)
▪ #3. SACRIFICE (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (November 1, 2007)
▪ #2. STAMINA (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (October 28, 2007)
▪ #1. ENDURANCE (Reflection While Painting “Buon Appetito!”) (October 24, 2007)
▪ Candid Artistic Ramblings: Reflections While Painting “Buon Appetito!”—Preparing for the Florence Biennale (October 19, 2007)
▪ INSTINCT, EXPRESSION, and CREATIVITY—in WRITING, PAINTING, and MUSIC (July 31, 2007)
▪  PAINTING and PERSEVERANCE (July 27, 2007)
▪  Entering PAINTING COMPETITIONS Can Be Disheartening (July 16, 2007)
▪  Stages of My PAINTING PROCESS (July 5, 2007)
▪  PAINTERS and WRITERS: Survival Tips, Cautions, and Experiences (March 30, 2007)
▪  PAINTING: Getting to the heART of why we do it (January 5, 2007)

 

 

This is an exciting day and land-mark occasion world-wide—the swearing in of President Barack Hussein Obama as 44th President of the United States!

For those of us not in the US, some ways to connect and/or participate:

• Television:  BBC live Coverage will begin at 4:00 pm Greenwich Mean Time
• Social Networking:  CNN on Facebook, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (US)
• E-Bulletins and Links: CBS’s Couric and Co’s Inside Scoop
• On-Line Newspaper: TimesOnLine
• On-Line Broadcast Links:  CBC.ca

Question:  A New Media Inauguration?  The BBC asks who will triumph on the day, new or old media?

Watching the Clock…  Obama’s Inauguration Schedule Highlights (Eastern Standard Time, US)

• 11:30 a.m. Obama announced at West Front of Capitol
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Inauguration Ceremony
• 12:35 p.m. Departure ceremony for outgoing President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney
• 12:45 p.m. Signing ceremony in the President’s Room in the Capitol
• 1:05 p.m. Inaugural luncheon at Statuary Hall
• 2:20 p.m. Review of troops on East Front
• 2:25 to 6 p.m. The 56th Inaugural Parade travels down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House
• 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Obama to appear at 10 inaugural balls

Connect how and whenever you can—and enjoy in the moment!

For a very quick reminder of election night 08, please see: A Night to Remember: US Elections From Canadian Side of the Border—Best, Worst, and Unsurprising Details (November 6, 2008).

I took the flag-shot at the start of this post in Fort Williams Park by Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Portland, Maine.  Well worth a visit!

There’s a beautiful walled garden, in Reynolds Park, Woolton (a Liverpool suburb).  Yesterday, perhaps because there weren’t any flowers in bloom, we were struck by the number of benches there.  Benches given in memory of those who’d enjoyed the garden previously.  Soon, it seemed, there might not be room left for any more.  Sad, satisfying, sweet, and significant…

  

Earlier “in memoriam” blog posts include:

• IN MEMORY of Tim Russert, and Others Less Easily Remembered (June 14, 2008)
• DEPRESSION ALERT! and Heath Ledger’s Unfortunate Death (January 24, 2008)

An interesting coincidence:  BBC News Morning News has just advised it’s Blue Monday today, the gloomiest day of the year. However, the benches in Reynolds Park look anything but!

The Today Show, January 2nd, discussed Relationships, and their significance for 2009.  2008 having been a difficult year for most of us, psychiatrist, Gail Saltz, in a "New Year, New You" segment, stressed how important is is to be able to focus on the positive, for oneself, and with others.  Her main points (and advice) included:

1. The number one source of happiness is relationships, not material stuff.  
2. When you think negative thoughts you’ll think more negative thoughts.
3. Jot down the small things that made you happy today to help shift you towards a more positive attitude.
4. The more spiritual you can be, the better you’ll cope.
5. Give to others (think outside of yourself).
6. Just changing perspective can make things easier for you.

Most human beings thrive on love, affection, and connection but are afraid to ask for it, especially if they’re alone or isolated (by chance or choice).  Not matter how much someone protests that they don’t need help or consideration, they usually do.  Awkwardness and pride get in the way.  Real friends ignore protestations and act anyway:

TO DO

1.  Don’t know what to say to those experiencing loss? You don’t have to. Call/visit anyway. Better that than to do nothing at all.  "Being there" is the greatest gift and doesn’t cost.

2.  Don’t know if those who are sick need help?  Don’t ask, just do.  When we’re weak it’s not always possible to speak.  Everything’s an extra effort, and no one likes complainers.  Those surrounded by loving and kind others (close relatives, or strangers) make speedier recoveries.  Phone calls, food packages, rides to the hospital, and get-well cards all count.  There are a variety of ways to "be there" even if you’re far away, emotionally or geographically.

3. Celebrate others year-round, not just occasion-round.  Don’t overlook those who don’t reach typical milestones (births, marriages, engagements, anniversaries).  Birthdays, new jobs, new homes, and "just because" acknowledgments are important too.  It’s not only the attention received at extra special times that counts, it’s the attention that’s shown day-to-day.  Everyone likes to feel worthwhile, no matter how little fuss they make!

4.  Transition from "me-" to "we-" thinking.  Self-absorption is a disease of the 21st century.  Don’t fall victim to it!  Most relationships seem to happen (and last) on a needs basis, but they don’t have to.  Just because you’ve married/had kids and your friend hasn’t, don’t desert him.  Just because you’re a girl seeking a guy, don’t be jealous/angry when a girl pal meets a guy before you do.  Sticking around for someone else, and/or being happy for them, even if your circumstances aren’t as favorable are point-scorers.  Walking or fading away, and silences damage once-good bonds and histories beyond repair, and the collateral damage (depression, hurt, and beyond), whether it’s recognized or not, after-the-fact, can be devastating.  

TO THINK ABOUT

1.  Savoir-faire matters (know-how, or knowing what to do)  Health, connections, happiness, and good fortune are all gifts.  Some of us have more opportunity for, and access to, them than others.  Even if we are not in control of the bigger picture, we may have the ability to influence smaller happenings:  help make difficult situations easier for those with whom our life intersects.  Knowledge is power, and denying what you know, when you could do something to help make things easier (for someone else), is unfortunate.  Good Intentions, even if they backfire, reflect well.  For those who are responsible and upfront (show good intent), no games/guises equals no regrets!

2. Sad, but true, circumstances change in moments.  Life can be humbling, emotionally as well as physically and materially/financially.  Some can’t relate to negative circumstances.  Others know little else.  Cliché as it might seem, seeing the cup half-full and putting yourself in another’s shoes are important.

Earlier related blog posts include:

• New Year’s Resolutions for 2009: Forgiveness Tops Many a List (December 30, 2008)
• Reflections on “The Season of Giving”: Who Cares? Doers, Takers, Nosey-Pokes, Nothingers (December 28, 2008)
• Veterans Day and SHARING (November 11, 2008)
• Secondhand Stress: Breaking-Up and Making-Up, “Frienemies,” and “Used-to-be-Friend” Types (November 16, 2008)
• MANIPULATION (August 9, 2008)
• No “PLEASE,” No “THANK-YOU,” No HAPPY (May 30, 2008)
• RECIPROCITY (February 8, 2008)
• CONFIDENCE (Februrary 1,2008)
• DEPRESSION ALERT! and Heath Ledger’s Unfortunate Death (January 24, 2008)
• GIVING: Give to Give (September 5, 2007)
• Keep Your Word (July 25, 2007)
• The COURAGE to Speak Up—Use POETRY (July 10, 2007)
• “A” and “B” List FRIENDS (July 8, 2007)
• COMPARISON-MAKING, ENVY, JEALOUSY (June 23, 2007)
• ABUSE Checklists (May 26, 2007)
• TRUTH Matters (May 8, 2007)
• Make Things CLEAR—Avoid MISUNDERSTANDINGS (April 17, 2007)
• A “NO” REPLY is Better than NO REPLY (April 13, 2007)
• REJECTION Protection (February 25, 2007)
• TIME is Precious (December 15, 2006)
• FRIENDS Help Friends (December 7, 2006)

 

Thanks to a News Alert e-mail landing in my in-box at 3:57 p.m. (eastern standard time), 8:57 p.m., UK time, I found out about US Airways Flight 1549’s crash almost right away.  After clicking on the link in the e-mail, live-at-the-time MSNBC video footage appeared.

Today’s plane crash was, allegedly, due to a double bird-strike by Canada Geese. Perhaps, as a result, more attention will be given to city birds and how man and nature can often end up as unfortunate accidental obstacles for each other.

Ironically, fighting jet lag (after an overnight transatlantic flight), I was in the midst of resizing imagery of Canadian migrating birds for a future blog post. Birds are too often taken for granted, and I was planning to show a wonderful personal in-city (Toronto) sighting.  The shots that follow were taken from my bathroom window one late fall/early winter morning:

Birds collecting in the trees

Birds moving between trees

Birds close up

Birds taking off

It’s a shame there’s no audio with these photos. It was the sound the readying-to-depart birds made that alerted me, and was the most memorable.

MORE IMPORTANT NOW:  Thankfully all passengers and crew from the downed US Airways plane were rescued swiftly and efficiently, with medical experts close by almost immediately.  What an impressive operation!  A true Manhattan miracle.  Kudos to all involved, especially the pilot! A "good news" story!

 

 

Every moment with my dogs is special.  And, as they age, I realize, all the more, what a gift it is that they’ve had reasonably healthy lives, so far.   When they do get sick, which seems to be more frequently of late, it’s very distressing…  Old age and health challenges come to us all, no matter our species or status.  It’s all in how they’re handled:  our own attitude as well as that of those who stick around and how they help see us through.  Earlier blog posts about this include:  Hat-Tricks and Hospital Waiting Rooms (November 5, 2008), Sick Pets and Veterinary Waiting Rooms (November 6, 2008) Home for the Holidays! Sick Puppy Alert: When Two Dogs are Better than One. (December 25, 2008).

Not to outdo Sage and myself, Lev had emergency surgery yesterday.  I’d noticed “the sneeze” for a couple of weeks.  It was intermittent and not like Sage’s—more like a human’s (she’s a bigger dog). It came in series, usually earlier in the day or later at night.  Her playing, eating, barking, walking/running, and bossing were unchanged, but her eyelids, especially over the last few days, started to look swollen (patches of flesh evident between her hairs)…

Sage and I had taken attention away from Lev, over recent months, with our own surgeries, and she had been our “rock.”  This gave me a niggling fear that Lev might not be indestructible herself.  Sometimes you just know…  Once Sage and I were more alert and able to resume semi-normal activities, I observed Lev more closely, taking her straight to the operating theater.  Something wasn’t quite right! “The Sneeze” was the signal…

Please be aware that vets who aren’t certified in animal dentistry can’t always be sure where sneezing can come from.  But, that said, and after-the-fact, even as a lay person, I’ve come to find this hard to comprehend…  In Sage’s case, Dr. Mason jumped to do an elaborate (and expensive) battery of general tests that could have been avoided.  If he’d followed Dr. Kneebone’s referral note’s suggestion to do dental XRays, we could have been saved a lot of grief.  After all, Dr. Kneebone’s deduction came as a result of numerous visits to her office, and homeopathic remedies (again, all at a price—financially and emotionally).  In retrospect, I fear that the “dance” may have continued, had I not screamed for conventional emergency help…  

After an unnecessarily drawn out and frustrating experience like the one Sage endured, you do not forget easily.  We paid Dr. Mason (heftily), but Pet Care did not reimburse us.  This had something do with the way in which Dr. Mason filled out the insurance claim form. It also had something to do with Pet Care’s policies and practices. (There will be more about this in a future blog post.)  We canceled our pet insurance and we won’t go back to Dr. Mason…

This time around, because of the Sage-experience, I bypassed "referring vets" (and related expenses) and went straight to Dr. Sharon French.  She is as kind as she is professional and considerate.  She understands how vet bills can mount up, unnecessarily, delaying appropriate and expedient treatment, and only did the essential.  Once Lev had had the dental Xrays, confirmation was given of what was wrong.  And, when the surgery began, it was even clearer what needed to be done.  Six abscessed teeth were extracted!

Yesterday afternoon, I made another batch of home-made dog food in anticipation of Lev’s homecoming.  She wasn’t ready till nine last night, and a very sad and sore little girl…  Sage is still wearing his lampshade.  (His post-surgery health issue will be discussed in a later blog post.)  He  came with me to get her, wagging his tail, a mile a minute, after a very mellow day.  He greeted her lampshade to lampshade, but she wasn’t interested.

Lev’s nose bled and her tail was down. I held her in my arms and she couldn’t look at me.  Just whimpered.  The drive home, I had her on my lap, lifeless.  Only when we turned into our street did her head pop up and she started to cry.  I lifted her from the car and she walked into the house.  Remarkably, she made it to her favorite spot, climbing tentatively onto the kitchen table, from where she didn’t move.  And, as for the homemade dog food, she wasn’t even interested in that…. With difficulty, I let her be.  

Taking her to bed with me, I held and stroked her through the night.  Her breathing was congested and the snoring kept me up.  Finally, she managed to pee this morning.  And, when I shed a tear, she licked my face.  Sage has backed off in the attention-seeking department.  He’s stable, for now.  Lev needs all our love, and she’s going to get it!

Other blog posts about Lev and Sage, and the canine-human bond and health matters, include:

• Lessons from 2008: Canine Confidence and Coincidence Cure (January 1, 2009)
• Home for the Holidays! Sick Puppy Alert: When Two Dogs are Better than One. (December 25, 2008)
• Homemade Dog Food: Synchronicity, Health, Quality (November 22, 2008)
• 48-Hours of Caring for Sick and Elderly. Sage Makin, Little Wonder-Dog’s Recovery in Images (November 10, 2008)
• One to One at Apple: Customer Satisfaction and Doggies Included (July 26, 2008)
• Older Dogs’ Health Watch (July 10, 2008)
• Artists Need Moral Support—and Caninekind Offers the Best (May 5, 2008)
• Veterinary Emergencies (April 2, 2008)
• Every Art Studio Needs a Watch-Dog (April 10, 2008)
• Sunbathing DOGS (March 12, 2008)

 

 

Last winter season, I posted a blog piece, Fake, Recyclable, and Decorative Winter Florals (March 14, 2008).  This winter season, I reused the recyclable parts from that arrangement, achieving a quite different look.  The new version will, likely, be 100% recyclable.  The mini-Boxwood, acquired for the center, can be planted in the garden in the spring, and the Eucapyptus branches (which had been coated) will, probably be intact for next year, even if they don’t smell as potent as they do now. (Lovely aroma after a snow or rain storm!) This year’s arrangement is posted above, last year’s below.

 

 

Under the weather and housebound can have pluses!  At the end of 2008, I gave myself permission to indulge and rediscover old (but not sufficiently explored hobbies, like cooking and sewing. Usually, with a rigorous work schedule there’d be no time…

Lev and Sage agreed to assist me with projects—new designs for their dog clothes and matching beds:

Getting going with sewing, I found out that Toronto is quite a hub for those looking to learn more about this craft.  There’s a bunch of facilities and teachers to suit all interests and budgets!  Here’s what I came across, more or less accidentally, not far from home:

• The Sewing Studio
• Sew Be It, Studio Workshop
• The Workroom
• Creative Sewing School (Barbara Hobbs, 416 483 6102, Avenue and Lawrence)

Denise, from the Sewing Studio, provided motivation with easy assignments, like the beds above!

Also, for supplies and equipment, I discovered a variety of options:

• For equipment and accessories, there’s the Sewing Centre (416 487 4438, 2144 Yonge Street).  Great customer service and lessons from Joe Murphy!

• For fabrics, Designer Fabrics on Queen is recommended by the trade, with the best prices, and most interesting offerings, off sale.

• For the best one-stop shop and discounts (with membership) Fabricland seems to dominate—though shopping there might be a fun experience.

• The Dollerama on Queen (close to Designer Fabrics) has some interesting accessories and tools.

 

Toronto isn’t known to be the most aesthetic of places.  But occasionally, there are surprises.

 

Recently, a beautiful morning sky followed an all-night winter storm.

 

 

For those who don’t live in snow-habituated climates, clean-up coordination and machinery might be considered an unusual sight. 

Just before New Year’s, Toronto’s snow-cleaning team did a fine (and surprise) job on neighborhood streets.  Here is some of their equipment in action.  

THANK YOU to the city for making it easier for locals to get out of the house, and navigate streets and sidewalks safely, before the next snow fall comes (and builds up)!

 

In as much time as it takes to run to the corner and pick up a scone (with latté), it’s possible to produce a baking tray full that can be enjoyed all week. New Year’s morning, I gathered together left-overs from Christmas-week: some crème fraîche, the last two over-ripe bananas, and a small basket of softened blueberries. These proved interesting additions to ever-versatile scone ingredient options, enhancing a moist, buttery texture and taste.

Ingredients (alternatives, as well as the ones I used)

• 3 cups of four (I.5 mixed all purpose unbleached, 1.5 oat)
• 2 - 3 tablespoons of flax seed
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 cup of crème fraîche, sour cream, yogurt, or milk
• 2 bananas or a half a dozen dates (minus pits)
• 1 small container of blueberries or a cup of dried cherries
• Few pinches of salt (ok if you forget them—I do)

Baking Instructions

Mix ingredients and firm together. Roll on floured board. (Also remember to flour your baking tray.)  Cut out to size required (3 - 4 inches diameter).  Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and bake touching each other for 12 - 15 minutes, till lightly browned and cooked through.  Separate and remove from tray and leave to cool on wire rack. (yield:  24, depending on size).

For more of DocSusan’s spontaneous recipe creations, please see earlier posts:

• Comfort Food, Comfort Mood:   Self-Care and Cooking for One that’s Nutritious, Delicious, and Easy (December 15, 2008)
• Homemade Dog Food: Synchronicity, Health, Quality (November 22, 2008)
• The Cooking Gene—No Exact Recipes, Wholesome Cuisine 2: Cookies and Scones (September 25, 2008)
• The Cooking Gene—No Exact Recipes, Wholesome Cuisine 1: Soups (September 22, 2008)

 

As fate would have it, my little dog, Sage, (Editor in Chief of the DocSusan website) fell ill around the same time as I did. His fight for survival and bounce-back over the last few months was inspiring, when making sure I was well enough to take him to veterinary appointments became an interesting dance.  On the many days of bed rest between hospital procedures, we cuddled and snuggled and helped each other through.

Please check out my poetry about hospital waiting rooms and veterinary waiting rooms.  It shares experiences that most people will go through at one time or another—for which there is usually no preparation or easy way to cope.  Then there’s the waiting for the surgery to be over, and anticipation…

I am sincerely grateful to those who have been there for both Sage and myself through our challenging days, especially Lev (Editor in Chief of this blog)!  A happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year to everyone. Look forward, not back!  Better times ahead…