Coffee, yum!

There is nothing nicer than a fresh cup of (strong) coffee in the morning.

Lately I have been buying coffee at Super Store, called "Pride of Arabia", it comes in beans, nice dark shiny roasted beans, yummy! That means I have to grind it myself, which is the best part, and the aroma is out of this world! Some coffee's smell better than they taste, not this one. I make a special trip to the store only for that. (For the rest I find the store too big for what the two of us need!)

I have a sister-in-law Connie (her English name), she was born in Brazil. Henk, Ted's younger brother picked her up when he became a missionary there and she was his language teacher. They came to visit us for the very first time in the early 70's. She remarked how come with all the fancy coffee machines we, the Canadians, were not able to make a good cup of coffee. Hahaha, she nearly flipped when we took her to A&W for their concoction they call coffee.

So she explained to me (in broken English) how they make coffee in Brazil.

First we grind the coffee until it is almost a powder. Very important, the finer the better tasting!

We fill a pot with water and bring to a boil.

Add the measured amount of coffee to the water and take of heat immediately.

Strain the coffee through a fine woven cloth bag (flannel is great).

Drink the coffee right away!

Coffee is not fresh after five minutes.

Of course our coffee makers have greatly improved since then. But those eight cup coffee makers would not be your best choice, unless you plan to drink it all within five to eight minutes.

Hang-ups

I don't know if there is anybody else out there who has certain hang-ups. I wouldn't mind hearing about it!

Mine stems from my youth. I have mentioned earlier that I come from a large family as was very common those days. You hear about the famous stars, such as Oprah, who grew up being poor. They grew up in an era where everybody was poor and we just did not know any better.

Especially during the war in Holland when all furniture etc went into the furnace to heat our living room. (Other parts of the house were so cold (including the toilet where the small window was always open, guess why? Clue: Ten people!) Cold beds with scarcely any covers, something you'd never got used to).

After the war we slowly got some furniture. I can't remember how or where it came from since I was only five. Clothing came from churches in America and Canada, looking very odd. All I remember is that we had an assortment of dishes and cutlery. As a matter of fact we each got a new fork, spoon and a knife when our birthdays rolled around. And because setting the table was my job I knew who they belonged to because they were all different. (No the plates were not as cute as the picture, hahaha!)

Now here comes my hang-up, I refuse to use different dishes and cutlery, I have one kind of dishes and it is glass.

We have various kinds of teaspoons, but when Ted and I have tea, the teaspoons

will be the same.

Even for eating yogurt I like to use a plastic spoon, guess what, the bowls and the spoons are going to be the same.

Pots that have been on the stove will NOT appear on the

table either. Well, you get my drift.

Oh, and yes. I light candles every evening, which is odd since we must have used them during the war.

Us (at the doctor)

Today Ted had an appointment with the doctor. He needed some prescriptions filled and if there are concerns, that would be the time to mention them. (We always have a lot of laughs with the doctor).

With all the different medications he has to take, he needed a refill for this and that. She asked Ted if he had enough of one particular pill. He said: "Yes I think I do!" "Are you sure or are you coming back here before your next scheduled appointment?"

Ted said: "Hahaha, do you want me too?" She started laughing, boy she said: "You are funny!"

He said: "I got my girlfriends all over the place you know!"

She also gave him a requisition for some blood work (his sugar is a bit high). She also mentioned to him the lab will want to do a urine test. To which Ted replied: "That's no problem, I'll bring some!" Dr Henderson than asked if he needed a small container (for that purpose). Neh, he said: "I'll bring some, I have a reservoir!"

Tip

Give Roses a Boost

Sprinkle new or used tea leaves

(loose or in tea bags) around your

rosebushes and cover them with mulch

to give them a midsummer boost.

When you water plants, the nutrients

from the tea will be released into the soil,spurring growth.

Roses love the tannic acid that occurs naturally in tea.

Your used coffee grinds do wonders for your ever greens.

I collect them in a container under the sink and treat my

trees.and they all get a turn.It is amazing how much I collect in one week.

Have a look!

Concentrate on the four small dots in the middle of this image for about 20-30 seconds.

Then move over to the right of the screen blink your eyes and what do you see?

For a more dramatic show look at a single light colored wall near you.

To my husband Theo

Happy Birthday to my dear husband of 49 years.

He will be 77 tomorrow Sept 17th

The Brussee sisters

From left to right, me, Bertie, Coby and Lijdia

Us (going to the Mall)

Yesterday Ted and I went to the Mall. We seem to do this more often now that he has the scooter. We found two side by side Handicap parking places, which on a Saturday is rather unusual. Ted parked the car on the end. But I commented that he'd better move over a bit. "No", he said: "Now there is just enough room for one car on my left and a motor cycle on your right!" "A motor cycle? This is Handicap parking!" "Exactly", said Ted, "for an invalid motor cyclist!"

Since I did not have time for my usual walk in the morning, I thought it would be great to do that in the Mall at least for a while. That means no shopping. I would start walking and Ted would adjust his speed so he'd be behind me (so I thought). Okay it was time to turn around but he had disappeared. Since I had left my purse with cell in his basket I could not even call him.

Well I started looking for him.(Without looking too annoyed to other shoppers). Oh, good, there he is way up ahead, as I came closer, shucks, that wasn't him. (I am so glad I'll be getting a new prescription tomorrow!)

But finally we found each other. According to Ted I had taken "a turn somewhere" because all of a sudden I wasn't there anymore. I did?

Re: "Us" Sept 6th

On Sept 6th I mentioned that I'd thrown bread (a whole loaf) on the field behind our house. It was gone the next day. Now this was "a heavy on the stomach 100% whole wheat" kind of a bread. We must have quit a zoo out there.

Did I smell a skunk?

Mean Daddy

This is Sammie and the hand? Well that is Paul's!

There is no sound to this clip.

Room deoderizer

I have made my own room deoderizer and it smells very good.

When I am cooking something like Cabage etc. I love to simmer Cinnamon sticks in a small pot on the stove. Now I've had a container full of those sticks on the shelve for years, can't even remember where I bought them but I am sure any Bulk Barn would sell them I am sure. One or two sticks lasts me a few weeks, depending of course how often I use it.

As I looked at that "Cinnamon tea" in the pot I thought I might be able to put that in a spray bottle, which I did and to perfect it I put a little bit of mouthwash in it as well. (I have cool blue mint).

I bought small spray bottle that almost makes a mist and I kid you not, it smells really good, even Ted said so.

So give it a try and let me know what you think.

Us

I made some bread that did not turn out all that great. We ate a couple of slices but after having it in the freezer for a few days I figured I might as well throw it out on the field behind our house. I have done that before and it disappears within a day.

I told Ted I'd thrown the bread away behind the shed and I questioned what animal would eat it.

Ted said: "Any animal with some common sense would realize it is some kind of food!"

Us

As you recall I had a cataract operation on both my eyes. The past week I went to the specialist Dr. Rao and everything is going great. I should have my eyes examined and get new glasses to match the new prescription he told me. (Now some people are fine without glasses, but with my eyes he warned me won't be possible).

Sometimes I seem to be managing okay without glasses so I bought a couple pairs of reading glasses. On other days (in some situations) I even feel better with my old ones on and for outside all I need is sunglasses. I bought several different kinds to suit my moods and the occasion. It is a bit frustrating to say the least!

Now my eyes are still changing. This morning as I was watching TV with my old glasses on they bothered me and took them off. I was trying to focus my eyes and noticed that if I looked straight ahead my eyes work the best.

I said to Ted: "You know sweetheart, from where I am sitting, watching TV is not a good place, because now I have to turn my 'whole head' in order to focus and that gives me a sore neck, isn't that strange?"

"Yep", he said, (with his usual blank stare): "Can't get any stranger than that!"

Us

During the night I heard Ted talking in his dream. He has done that before and the following morning I would comment on it. He'd tell me that he had a bad dream. I mentioned to him may be I should wake him up!

So last night, I heard him again, now it was very unintelligibly, nevertheless, I said to him: "Het geeft niet joh!" (It does not matter), no reply from him, I followed with: "Laat maar gaan!" (Let it go)

I did not hear any more talking and I fell asleep again.

This morning Ted looked at me with a funny look and said: "Do you know you were talking in your sleep?" "Is that right!" I said, "and what did I say?"

Ted replied: "You said: "Het geeft niet joh" and "laat maar gaan!"

Me: "Really!.....(Now I gave him a funny look). Well, let me tell you who really was talking up a storm!

First day of school

All ready for first day of school!

But it seems Aila changed her mind a bit,

it just means away from Mommy ALL day.

Once in class she had a great day!