better

 My best one…

Note to self - the photography tipsters really mean it when they say “Bring a tripod”

Happy 4th to all my friends below the border!! Don’t forget your tripod :)

not quite 

as reserved

as you thought …

*grin* 

Have a wonderful day my friends! 

_{PS
Firework photos tomorrow - to join in the celebrations south of the border!} 

Happy Canada Day!!

Food, friends and fireworks tonight. 

Whether it is the 1st or the 4th, how are you celebrating your nation’s birthday this year?  

oooh…

This email came just in time!

How to Photograph Fireworks Displays

Photos tomorrow

hopefully!

but 44 fragrant blossoms!

The whole Island is in bloom. 

but

you know how it is,

when you want something, you just can’t put your finger on it.

But I did find some sweet pictures

My mom and Dad - probably early 1960’s. 

A picture of me, probably my third birthday, reaching up to taste one of the wonderful birthday cakes mom baked for me every year - angel food with seven minute frosting.

I love this picture of mom. It was taken in the summer of 1963 during a trip to New Brunswick. I was 6 years old and it was my very first trip off the Island. I was so excited. I can remember driving off the ferry. I was wide-eyed. I can still hear the gentle teasing in my dad’s voice as he said “Does it look any different?”

 Nannie and my two oldest boys - 1983. They loved her cookies!

Mom died  17 years ago on June 22. I still miss her. But I feel blessed to have such sweet memories.

Hope this day will be a sweet memory for each of you, my friends.

PS 

*sniff* 

I need a kleenex :) 

Does anyone else get melancholy looking through old photos?

Cookies, cakes, biscuits, brownies, sweet breads and squares were all goodies that we “had on hand” for morning coffee, afternoon tea or an evening snack. They were never counted as dessert.

Desserts were puddings, cobblers, pies, or a special creation like rhubarb torte, pineapple upside down cake or maybe gingerbread with whipped cream.

And we had dessert for every supper. The meal was never complete until we had something sweet. If Mom didn’t have a home-baked dessert ready, then ice-cream would do, but only in a pinch.

I was the only one of the three girls who inherited my mom’s love of baking. I remember sitting on the stool by the stove, regaling Mom with all my school stories and watching as she stirred the batter in her big yellow mixing bowl or lifted the cookies onto the cooling racks. She always wore a pretty apron when she baked. There was sure to be a spatula to lick or a bowl to scrape after the mixing was done.

As I grew a little older, the Saturday baking became my chore. My brother was a great encourager and always ate everything I baked - even though some of the results were less than successful. One batch of cookies that I made were so hard that even my brother was challenged. I was gratified that he took them to school in his lunch though. It was only later that I learned he was having contests with his friends - seeing how many times they could throw them at the ceiling before they broke. 

Despite a few such mishaps, I still love to bake.

Although we don’t have dessert with every meal, the cookie jar is  always full and every family celebration includes a special sweet creation.

I not only inherited a penchant for baking but also a love of cookbooks, cooking magazines and especially food in literature whether it is a description like the sumptuous breakfasts in Farmer Boy or my latest acquisition from the library,

On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking In A French Town  by Susan Herrmann Loomis - the reviews are mixed but I am enjoying her description of life and cooking in rural France.

And of course…

let’s not forget to mention food on the web

it is endless!

My new favourite?

Mennonite Girls Can Cook by Lovella and friends! This site came just in time for me as my “More With Less” Mennonite cookbook is falling to pieces.

What about you? Do you like to read about food?

What is your favourite cookbook? Recipe website? or food description in literature?

Don’t worry girls…the calories don’t count when you are only reading about it.

*grin*

and… 

Jody and Tonia - are the winners!

(and of course, I’m delighted to include Tonia’s girl, M13. I’ve been rooting for her all along. With her love of good books, and her beautiful hair, she is the obvious winner for an Anne of Green Gables give-away!)

Oh, I have the perfect gift for our grand winner Jill.

What else could I send someone whose blog is called

Jill’s World of Research, Reactions and Millinery?

The famous Anne of Green Gables hat

Here’s Sarah wearing it for Hallowe’en 1992 

Of course…

We’ll be expecting a picture from you too Jill!

Happy Monday my friends! 

We’re celebrating 100 years of Anne.

The draw is tonight!!

Enter by naming 3 favourite books -  here.

Grand prize winner Jill  - book sleuth extraordinaire!

Two more winners announced Monday June 23.

See, even Anne loves books :) 

Our fifth, and final, High School Graduation.

Each graduation  brings a lot of memories because my five children graduated from the same High School that I graduated from 32 years ago. They were raised here in Belfast, but attended High School in the little town of Montague where I grew up - a  20 minute drive away.

It was a memorable evening. The teachers and staff of Sarah’s school, as well as the whole community, know how to honour their graduating class.

The evening begins with a procession leading from the High School to a little Presbyterian church where a  service is held. Only the grads and staff can attend as the church is just large enough to seat the class of over 200 students.

 
I wish I could have been there, especially this year, as my preacher husband gave the message and my daughter sang. It was bittersweet, as the song was sung in memory of one of her dearest friends who died last Sept. The whole evening was shining with memories of Martha with her winsome smile and contagious laughter.

After the church service, the RCMP block off Main Street and the whole town lines up to take pictures and cheer the graduating class.

A piper and two RCMP officers, in dress uniform, lead the way.

The procession marches through the town to  the community rink - the only building large enough to hold the class and all the family members, friends and neighbours who turn out to celebrate.

A little wave and a grin for us! 

Best friends since Kindergarten!

So proud of you sweetie! 

gets to join in the Anne of Green Gables celebrations on PEI! 

 Island Morning, the radio show that wakens me every morning, is featuring a special radio broadcast from the Green Gables homestead tomorrow.  

”One Hundred Years to the Day,”  celebrates the day LM Montgomery received her first copy of her book through the mail at her home in Cavendish.

Lucy Maud Montgomery

You can tune into this special broadcast by clicking here

yes…

It is early - we are on Atlantic time and the program runs from 6-8:30 AM.

But there will be interviews of Anne fans, scholars, authors, book club members and even Lucy Maud’s grand-daughter, Kate MacDonald Butler, will be there to honour the occasion. I’ve also heard that there will be prizes and give-aways - available to listeners as well as those Islanders and visitors who drop by the Green Gables farm during the show.

If you should happen to miss the live show, you can still listen to the program in the archives.

In the meantime….

Don’t forget to enter our own little give-away right here at A Sparrow’s Home!

If you’ve just joined in, check the two previous posts for the guidelines.

I’m waiting to hear about your favourite books.

Two more prizes to be drawn tomorrow night. I’ll announce the winners on Monday, June 23.