Meet the Weiners!

It is a bBIG day in "Dog Blog" world!  DebbieDoo has a very special guest host.  Lucy! is the guest host for the "Pet Party"!

Lucy, meet the "weiners",

"SOPHIE"

&"BUDDY"

Linking here:

Paintbrush Preservation

I have a secret.  My last paintbrush was 9 years old!  The only reason I had to replace it was because I loaned it to my parents when they were painting my brothers house, and it was not cleaned properly.  I figure a tutorial on my technique is pretty important because good brushes can be expensive.  First, the secret to successful restoring, are good paint brushes.  Inexpensive brushes tend to leave those nasty bristles behind in the fresh paint...ugh...I hate those.  So get good brushes, and make them last.  It is an investment.
Step #1:
Rinse the paintbrush with water until the water runs relativley clear, and most of the pigment is rinsed off of the brush.  Be gentle on the bristles throughout this whole process.  I drag the brush back & forth on the bottom of the sink very gently.

Step #2: 
Put a couple of drops of soap - I use Murphys oil soap, or in a pinch I use a good dish soap - on the brush, and lather on your hand gently. 

Drag the brush back & forth on your hand gently.  You will notice the lather will have some color to it from the paint left in the brush.  Keep lathering up on your hand.  Rinse thoroughly, and repeat the lather up step until the lather seems clean.

Step #3:  Rinse the brush thoroughly, until there is no more soap in the brush. 

Step #4:  Gently dry your brush on a clean, lint free cloth.

It will still be damp, and that is OK

Step#5:  If you are not going to be using your brush for several days or more, this step is for you only.  Just take a bit of the soap, pure, put it on the brush, and shape it so the bristles are perfectly in place.  Leave the soap in the bristles until your next use.  Keep your brushes wrapped in a clean cloth, or in the original package so it will not get full of sawdust.  Just remember to rinse the soap out of your brush before you use it the next time.

If you follow these steps, your brushes will last a really long time.

Smelt / Fish Batter

This post is not Vegetarian or Vegan Friendly!
Does anyone know what "smelts" are?  Has anyone gone "smelting" before?  Well, there is a GREAT Northern tradition, and it is not a Canada thing, it is specifically more like a Northern Ontario thing.  Every spring, as soon as the ice is off of the Great Lakes, swarms of these little fish, called "smelts", leave the lake, and swim upstream.  This is when the "Great Northern Smelt Hunter" appears, equipped with big rubber boots or hip waders, a net, a flashlight, and a pail, to catch these little fish.  No fishing rod required!  You just scoop them into your net!!  The only trick is to swoop your net in the same direction as the water is flowing!

It is very important to have the proper equipment:

Oh, also, these "Great White Hunters" must hunt these fish in the wee hours of the night, like midnight or later.  The smelts are shy, and like to "run" at night. There are bon fires along the shores of the rivers, and people everywhere.  They usually arrive early in the evening, and "await" the arrival of the smelts.

I am sure my SIL will be very happy I posted this on my blog!!

Here we all are!  My "Great Smelt Hunters!" (and me)

We didn't stay late or long, but we got our "feed".  EEEEEeeeeeeewwwwwwww!

OKOK, time for the Smelt Fry!  A lot of local restaurants have "smelt frys" during "smelt season", so if you ever get up here in April....give it a try!

Fish Batter:

2 cups of flour

4 Tbsp corn starch

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups of water

This is also the only time of year I make fresh cut fries!  I like to fry them up on the BBQ, in a big cast iron pan, so we don't stink up the inside of our house!

I joined these Linky Parties:

Wordy Wednesday - Rain

Well, I see "Wordless Wednesday" in my travels in blogland, so I thought I would have my own personal "Wordy Wednesday"! We are experiencing a tonne of rain in my "neck of the woods"! It is good for the flowers, the grass, ducks, the lakes, and fish....but really?? This much?? Should I build an Arc?? I am thinking of collecting animals 2x2! The kids are stuck inside, and so are the adults. ugh...The days are dark and gloomy.  And, I even like rain,...normally!! Warm rain after a hot summer day....thats my kind of rain.  We have had the odd nice day, (usually a work day) but it seems to be followed by 5 days of heavy rain.
Colourful rubber boots and umbrellas are the upside.  The kids coming home from school with mud up to their "bedonkidonk" - *sheesh*

I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

~by: Shel Silverstein

The Trunk full of my "Junque"!

Believe it or not, we found this trunk in our attic after we moved in.  It was in pretty good condition, but was BUTT ugly!

There he is, so cute  :)......but the steamer trunk in front of him....not so much.





before



after

I'm A Linky Party Girl!

Liberace Tub

My friend, and his partner bought a house in Toronto, and they have been working very hard at fixing it up.  (And doing a fabulous job)  I was bursting at the seams to show everyone this creation!  He gave me the go-ahead to post this on my blog...I hope you all are ready for this, because it is amazing:

I joined these parties:

Phenomenal Woman

In Honour of ALL Women for upcoming Mother's Day!

I love blogging, and read many blogs in a given week.  I have noticed that most of the blogs I read are created by women.  "Horah for women!"  Phenomenal women, with phenomenal talents.  So many creative thinkers, and doers.  So many very busy people, with very busy lives.  So many intelligent, and brave women.  Brave to venture out there into the unknown world of blogging, for all to potentially see! I seem to learn something new about creating a blog almost every time I log on.  The good thing about blogging, is there is no right or wrong way to do this.  We are our own Boss!  We can not fail!  We welcome complements from our followers, and they are always so kind.  I seem to get excited with every new follower.  I notice every one of you, and visit all of your blogs too.  I admire other "bloggers" with hundreds of followers, but I am very happy  I hit lucky #13! 
Here is another mystery about me about to unravel...I love poetry, but I don't seem to read enough of it.  Here is a poem to celebrate all of us women!  It is also a boost of self-esteem. (which we all could use)

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

 by Maya Angelou

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