One of my alltime favourites - sorry about the Christmas reference this early ;P

River - Sarah McLachlan (Wintersong)

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
But it don't snow here
It stays pretty green
I'm going to make a lot of money
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry

He tried hard to help me
You know, he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I'm so hard to handle
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I made my baby say goodbye

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on

40 Goals

My fortieth approacheth. I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry. Just kidding :P Actually, I've been making a list of all the things I want to do (or at least make an attempt at doing) starting on my birthday in 54 days - give or take an hour or two.

Suggestions are welcome :)

1. Buy a canoe
2. Keep in touch more regularly with friends
3 - 10. Catch the following live music / acts :
Kathleen Edwards
Blue Rodeo
Ari Hest
Buddy Guy
Wafik Nasralla
The Trews
Richard Thompson
Collective Soul
Sarah Brightman
Edible Rex
11 - 20. Travel to:
Quebec City / Ile d'Orleans
New York City (buy a beer on the subway!)
Calgary (visit Ange and my family )
Vancouver (visit Nyla and Lurch ;P)
Chicago for the blues scene (this one is a bit of blue sky dreamin')
Nova Scotia (Uncle Terry and the cousins!)
Newfoundland
Algonquin Park / Provincial Parks - Bonnechere, Murphy's Point, Sandbanks ....
Boston or eastern seaboard
Thunder Bay
21. Get a raise ;P (or even better, a raise AND a permanent position!)
22. Write more musings, maybe set one to music
23. More camping ! More fishing !
24. Go ice fishing for the first time
25. Road trip! Two weeks with a map of Canada and United States and just go ! Somewhere, anywhere !
26. Sing in a band 'professionally'
27. Not embarrass my kids so much (I'll hold off on getting the motorcyle until I am 41 ;P)
28. Bake more
29. Finish house renos
30. Throw housewarming party/ies !
31. Set financial plan / budget to save for my own business
32. Go to a Sunday jam at the Rainbow
33. Take music lessons
34. Notarize my will / living will
35. Take a cooking class
36. Try something I never have before (but not bungee jumping, you kidding me ??!)
37. Get my passport
38. Eat vegan for three weeks straight
39. Stop biting my freakin nails once and for all
40. This last one I guess I'll know when I do it :)

Crisp Rosemary Flatbread

Via: smitten kitchen

Crisp Rosemary Flatbread
Gourmet, July 2008

Nothing could be easier than making this cracker, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tell people you slaved all day over it because they’re going to be impressed, really impressed, and I see no reason not to milk it.

I think you could easily swap the rosemary for other herbs, such as thyme or tarragon, or punch it up with black pepper or other spices, but personally, I like it just the way it is here.

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon

Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces.

Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

I can't forget how you pushed me into something
Talked me into forgetting that I wasn't ready to choose
Said you were willing to take anything, told me I didn't have to,
So I didn't and you left me sitting alone in the dark
Watching the person I knew dissolve in the night to miss you,
You whose heart never changes, but whose colours do

Look up !

Then take a picture ! But wait until Friday :) Skywatch Friday, a really fascinating blog of pictures and videos that people from around the world send in of their skies. A simple but inspirational idea that produces some amazing photos. What a wonderful idea ! I love the Zen Moment pictures ...


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The premise is simple, the new round for submissions starts each week, Thursday at 7:30 GMT. Simply take a picture which includes the sky, post that picture on your blog, then come to the Skywatch Friday site and put your picture, link and name (or pseudonym) in the relevant place :

The Story - Brandi Carlile

http://new.ca.music.yahoo.com/Brandi-Carlile/videos/view/The-Story--Grey's-Anatomy-Version---42519789

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you

I climbed across the mountain tops
Swam all across the ocean blue
I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules
But baby I broke them all for you
Because even when I was flat broke
You made me feel like a million bucks
Yeah you do and I was made for you

You see the smile that's on my mouth

Is hiding the words that don't come out
And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed
They don't know my head is a mess
No, they don't know who I really am
And they don't know what I've been through like you do
And I was made for you...

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you

Oh yeah, it's true... I was made for you.

I tired of wearing my heart on my sleeve
To have it paraded around for all to see
Waited for you to make your move, tell the truth
Instead of hiding behind the status quo