Who is LaraineRose?

I was the "twinkle in my pappa's eyes" as they say. Being the long, longed-for "girl" in the family after my parents had 3 boys, you might think that I would have been spoiled. Not so! I worked with or without my mum by my side. We had a huge garden in which we grew everything our big family needed. One of my jobs was to pick the raspberries and other fruit we grew. Weeding was another of my favorite duties. Ahaw, and if you believe me .. you are truly gullible!

I was the only daughter of my parents' 6 children and I was Mum's only helper. I kept asking, "Why wasn't I born a boy, they get to work outside with dad?" Mum always had a good answer for me. "If you were a boy, who would help me?" Or, "Who would wear all of those pretty clothes I sew if you were a boy?" GOOD ANSWER! Mum did dress me in pretty little dresses and I fondly remember one shortie coat mum made for me. It was red and had a pretty blue satin collar with wide, long blue satin ribbons that could be tied in a big, fat bow. I loved that coat!

I guess you could say that growing up I was a bit of a tomboy, having no sisters to play with. Dad, once a professional baseball player, taught me how to 'place' a ball to a spot in the field where nobody was and, when I hit the ball to run like the wind.

I won many races and my brothers used to tease me saying that if I kept that up, I'd never have a fella as none of them would be able to catch me. I still like to run, hike and generally be with the boys. Over the years though I have learned to love entertaining and all the 'ladyfide' things my mum taught me.

But, who is LaraineRose? Well, cast your eyes just a bit lower and I'll tell you a bit more about myself. I'm not famous, but I do hope that you might come to like me for, just being me.

Photo credit for all photos unless otherwise credited: Will Borden

Subtitle: Thanks to everyone who made this possible

According to the Purple Star Program, purple stars are awarded to Lenses that are:

~Masterpiece lenses.

~Lenses making a name for themselves.

~Lenses trying new things.

Our odometers keep rolling over, it is now 2014. Here is some very good advice written by Regina Brett, when 90 some years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me."

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion, today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

I am a gardener

Working outdoors in our extensive garden of vegetables, fruit and flowers is a favorite pastime of mine. A wonderful peaceful feeling comes over me as I plant bulbs, water and even weed. Since I no longer ski, winter seems long for me. I can hardly wait until the springtime flowers blossom and I can get my hands in the warm soil, digging another bed for more alyssum, clarkia and godetia. On the rare occasion when late frost threatens, I cover these young plants with paper tents.

Even the best of gardeners has had their share of poorly orchestrated vignettes and disasters but Cole inspires us to try again.

I found this to be an invaluable resource. A picture is indeed worth a thousand words and this marvelous book is a great visual aid which helped me to see how plants work in combination. After the introduction of each new combination Cole shares bits of wisdom about the cultural requirements of the various plants, points of fact that are missing in most books on perennials.

This is a "must have" addition to the library for the new gardener as well as the consumate professional.

I'm a nighthawk

I do my best thinking late at night (early morning). I remember nights while a wee one living at home, dad laying out a blanket on the lawn, for the whole family to watch for falling stars. Now, out in our beautiful flower scented garden, what wonder of wonders I dream while swinging slowly back and forth on our newly painted, blue, swing-for-two, gazing up into the star studded sky. I try to find the now famous formations which make up Orion, the Big Dipper, the Bear and others. Am I a dreamer? Sometimes, not always.

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field in 3D

I've recently discovered an animation that was rendered using the measured redshift of all 10,000 galaxies in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field image. This video ends with a fly-through of the Ultra Deep Field. Every galaxy in the image is in its proper distance as viewed from the telescope line of sight. As if this image wasn't amazing enough.

Animation Credit: Hubble Cosmological Redshift Animation Courtesy: Mike Gallis. Music Used in this video belongs to the Spirit Legends Collection.

Retired now.

No use talking about what I used to do, like skiing, working at a full-time, full-tilt job and keeping an immaculate house with lots of goodies available for the endless stream of company we entertained. That was fun!

That was then ......but now, I desire to talk of Will and I as a couple, because we are a "matched set." Especially since his retirement, we seem to be like two beautiful leaves waiting for the autumn winds to come and blow us off the tree. NOT SO FAST - don't be thinking I'm talking here of the end of life and living. I want to share the story of why Will took the picture of two, old, dried up leaves and then you'll understand me better.

Original

Fall came and went. The winds were extreme. All the leaves had long since fallen, been raked up and composted. One day, I happened to notice 2 leaves high up in our maple tree, still clinging to the branch, not yielding to the strong winds that whipped them back and forth. Every morning, while sitting enjoying my morning coffee, I would say to Will, "Well, they're still there" until it became a bit of a joke and Will's line to me. He would laugh and say, "Yup, they're still there," as he saw my glance upward.

Winter came in with a vengeance, with record breaking snowfalls. The raging icy northerly winds buffeted those two leaves.

All winter long the morning ritual continued. "Still there." "Yes, still there." As most of you know by now - Will, my husband, is a well-known, extremely talented photographer. One day, Will pulled out his camera and asked me to look at a picture he had taken, just for me. The picture was of these two brown, wizzled-up leaves still together and still stubbornly hanging on.

Springtime!

New lime green leaves started bursting forth along each branch of the Maple tree. Every day brought new wonders to the yard: primroses, crocus, snowdrops, daffodils, tulips, forsethia and rock cress. The 2 leaves were momentarily forgotten until one early evening, just before sunset I was enjoying a stroll around our acreage. I noticed that now our Maple tree was adorned with healthy mature growth. The leaves twisting and turning seemed to dance in the early evening breeze. I suddenly remembered, looked up searching and silently asked myself, "Are they still there?"

That's a lot more than three reasons!! You'll HAVE to love me!!!

~ She loves all of God's creation.

~ Has a kindly spirit.

~ Enjoys hiking in the wilderness.

~ Enjoys travelling (everywhere!)

~ Loves Squidooing and reading the Squidooing of others.

~ Enjoys needlework of all sorts.

~ Enjoys baking & entertaining.

~ Loves a good story!

~ Enjoys dancing.

~ She tells an interesting story. (Added by special request.)

Another reason to love LaraineRose

I just received this complimentary comment and wanted to share it with you.

"You need to add another line to the why to love Laraine section, she tells an interesting story. Love your sense of humor and enthusiasm - it shines through."

Posted in Guestbook June 05, 2008

by: BFuniv.com

My husband asked me ...

"If we practiced do you think we could do this???"

My response was - "Absolutely - if we were 34!"

Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko - Jive

Winners of the International Dancesport Championships - 2010

Will and I have taken dancing lessons and we became pretty good dancers but ... what I wouldn't give to dance the Paso Doble with Pro. Riccardo Cocchi. Yulia would just have to sit the dance out!

This is the GREATEST little YouTube I think that I have ever seen! No kidding! Have a look.

Once upon a time.. a little, black, orphan kitten found us. We named him Ziggy because he was a very nosey kitten. This book helped show us how to keep him clean, how often to feed him, housebreaking tips and so forth. I recommend it to anyone inheriting a new baby "Ziggy" into the family.

Best friends? You bet!

Welsh Corgi puppies ! Around 5 weeks old. Soooo soft and fuzzy ... just like stuffed animals. I just love them so much... !

I enjoy animals, small and large and tend to get very upset when I see or hear of cruel treatment of them.

Watch for the puppy who just wants the others to go away and leave him to sleep.

We have never purchased a dog - preferring to provide a rescue service instead. (Someday, I'll tell you about our Minnie, Bella Blue and Twiggie.)

New puppy owners are barraged with conflicting information from friends, neighbors, breeders, books and even veterinarians! It's overwhelming to try to make sense of it all. Here is a book, written by a professional trainer with many years of experience.

I strongly recommend that anyone considering a new puppy, first take the time to read these books before starting out the door to actually get their new puppy.

When a child, were you fortunate enough to have a pet in your home? No doubt you looked after it as I did. Not very well. Mum or dad were always making sure it was fed and exercised. I am curious what pets were more popular. Cat, Dog, Gold Fish or Other. Please take the poll if you have time.

"I'd like to do this." I said to myself and so I did.

With more than 850 parks and protected areas of year around resorts, British Columbia, Canada, offers hundreds of hiking trails. Every type of excursion is available, from short walks on well marked nature trails to thigh burning, multi-day wilderness backpacking trips.

Along the many paths in our protected forests and provincial parks you'll find the freedom to discover nature for yourself; an abundance of waterfalls, meadows, lakes and beaches - all reachable without guides, ropes or heavy packs.

A favorite hike of mine

(pictured to the right)

A lot of steps, all well built. The trail follows a staircase up the gorge to a set of tall but low volume falls. An easy hike in this small park. On the way down, use the stairs or take a trail by the rusty remains of on old irrigation pipe. Hard to miss, really. This is a 2 kms, 4 hour easy hike that can be done in the spring, fall and summer. Although I have never seen one here, it is a good idea to watch out for bear.

Directions:

Enter the Fintry Provincial Park off Westside road. The road follows the west coast of Lake Okanagan. Park by the old buildings, just inside the park gate. The trail leads past the building and to the right. It is very hard to miss.

In BC it is possible for the well-prepared backpacker to travel many days in rugged wilderness, trek through coastal and old-growth rainforest, along deserted beaches, alpine meadows and rugged mountains. Freedom in the wilderness is not the sole domain of seasoned hikers - guided adventures can be tailored to suit individual experience, limited only by your imagination and desire to conquer.

Hiking and Backpacking in British Columbia

A Guide to Parks, Trails and Campgrounds

Parks in British Columbia

Hiking Trails in British Columbia

Campgrounds and RV Parks in British Columbia

Here are a few hiking trails in Canada, U.S.A., Japan and Italy. Lots to choose from no matter where you live. My hubby and I have hiked a few of them.

Hiking is not an expensive activity. Just a few things are required to make it a pleasant and safe experience.

This is the best book! Geared towards navigating in the outdoors., it goes in depth into how to use bearings, orienting yourself, direction finding, and a substantial amount of info in navigating without a GPS by using a compass, paper topo maps, the sun, the stars, and so forth.

It is, by design, not an outdoor survival guide, but it does cover the basics for hiking and points to more detailed sources when necessary.

Brightly coloured store fronts and boarded sidewalks provide a unique ambiance that radiates fun, enthusiasm and excitement for the whole family.

Silver Star isn't just a skier's winter getaway. I hope that you will come check out Silver Star in the summer? There is an ever-growing selection of mountain bike trails but still loads of room to go for a solitary hike and let the little White-crowned Sparrows, Mountain Chickadees, Cross-bills, Whiskey-jacks, Stellar Jays,and Ravens put a song in your heart.

There are breathtaking hikes through the BEST wildflower meadows and berry patches, past an abandoned silver mine and to the most spectacular view points of the Okanagan Valley and Monashee mountains. For Will and I, these hikes usually start with a scenic chairlift ride featuring the unique wildflowers and wildlife of the mountain. On our hikes we take our time to enjoy the spectacular views and refreshing sub-alpine air.

At the end of the day we are attracted to the warmth and safety of the town where service and friendliness are as honored as the values of a time gone by. It's the size of your smile that counts at Silver Star.

A wonderful way to spend a summer day!

Photo Credit: Tim Fitzgerald

Layering clothes is good. I always like a soft sweater just to take the chill off early mornings. That wind-proof jacket always comes in handy if you find yourself by the ocean or if your adventures take you into an early evening.

This is a plantation we visited while vacationing on the beautiful Island of Maui.

I had my first taste of Guava Juice there. We drank gallons of it while on the island! When we got home to Canada, we had one of our grocery stores import it by the case. After introducing it to our friends we had trouble getting it .. the store was always running out of it. (Good intentions .. gone awry!)

No need to look dowdy when you go "out on the town." Sure, take that light pair of sandals and pink shawl as they don't weigh much and you'll feel like a princess when you go out on the town.

You'll look smart as well as protect your "fairness" with a great "topper" and you'll, no doubt, get to the head of that line-up faster. I'd recommend that when you are out hiking the trails, you don't need to be a fashionista so make sure you have one of these along for protection.

Going on a vacation? Just have-to take that laptop with you to watch the ratings of your Squidoo lenses!

Learn how to embroider. Discover how to thread a needle the easy way, how to use an embroidery hoop and how to finish off your work. More helpful information can be found at www.stitchingcow.com

It really is true. Many people believe that knitting is a hard thing to learn. My mum was good at knitting and she taught my brother and me when we were very young. She started us off by having us knit scarves for the winter. I wish that I had kept my first scarf. It had holes all over the place. I remember that my brother's was much better than mine. He had even put different colors together. It wasn't long though before I caught on. Getting the tension right was my biggest problem.

My favorite thing to knit is, baby wear (in the summertime). Next favorite, afghans (in the wintertime). Can you guess why? Well, I'll tell you why I like knitting afghans in the winter; it's because as I knit, the afghan gets longer and it keeps my knees warm. Now, you can probably guess why I like knitting baby wear in the summer. That's right! I certainly don't need something to keep my knees warm then!

It's really good idea to learn how to read a pattern. Here is a very good book that I can recommend.

The Irish fishermen used to, and some may still, knit Aran sweaters while waiting for the fish to bite.

Entertaining

Backyard Barbecue This year declare your independence from the kitchen and fattening fare with a cookout that's both healthy and crowd-pleasing. Some fireworks to wow your friends: a refreshing Icy Strawberry Kiwi-tini that's as vitamin-rich as it is zesty; a full-of-fibre Sweet Potato salad tossed with Dijon dressing; and skinless baked barbecue chicken that doesn't skimp on the flame-kissed flavor.

Icy Strawberry Kiwi-tini

Prep Time:5 min

Total Time:5 min

Makes:4 servings, about 1 cup each

~ 1 bottle (16 oz.) CRYSTAL LIGHT Ready-To-Drink Strawberry Kiwi, chilled 1-1/2 cups frozen strawberries

~ 1/4 cup cold ginger ale

~ 1/4 cup vodka

PLACE all ingredients in blender container; cover.

BLEND on high speed until smooth.

POUR evenly into 4 glasses.

SERVE immediately.

Jazz It Up: Garnish each filled glass with a strawberry and peeled kiwi slice.

Variation: For a non-alcoholic version, prepare as directed omitting the vodka.

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 3 hr 20 min

Makes: 6 servings, 1 cup each

~ 2 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes, cooked

~ 2 cups cubed peeled new potatoes, cooked

~ 1/2 cup chopped celery

~ 1/2 cup chopped green onions

~ 1/2 cup chopped Ham,

~ 1/2 cup Salad Dressing (I like Miracle Whip)

~ 3 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

COMBINE potatoes, celery, onions and ham in large bowl.

ADD dressing and mustard; mix lightly. Cover.

REFRIGERATE several hours or until chilled.

Prep Time:5 min

Total Time:51 min

Makes:4 servings

~ 1/3 cup Caesar Dressing

~ 4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

~ 1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce (I like Bull's-Eye Original)

POUR dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag.

SEAL BAG and turn to evenly coat chicken with dressing.

REFRIGERATE 30 min. to marinate.

REMOVE chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.

PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Place chicken on grill; cover with lid.

GRILL 6 to 8 min. on each side or until cooked through (165°F), turning and brushing occasionally with barbecue sauce for the last few minutes.

Cooking Know-How: Set the timer in the kitchen for 6 min. on each side so you don't forget to turn the chicken. Don't overcook the chicken - grill just until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through (165°F).

Use Your Oven: Don't know what to do if your grill runs out of gas unexpectedly or if it starts to rain? Just place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until cooked through.

Food Facts: If chicken breast halves are thick at one end, flatten thick end of chicken to ensure even cooking.

Some of the artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers.

You have to be a bit older to get a chuckle from these.....

They include:

-Bobby Darin --- Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.

-Herman's Hermits --- Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker .

-Ringo Starr --- I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.

-The Bee Gees --- How Can You Mend a Broken Hip.

-Roberta Flack --- The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.

-Johnny Nash --- I Can't See Clearly Now.

-Paul Simon --- Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver.

-The Commodores --- Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.

-Marvin Gaye --- Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.

-Procol Harem --- A Whiter Shade of Hair.

-Leo Sayer --- You Make Me Feel Like Napping.

-The Temptations --- Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.

-Abba --- Denture Queen.

-Tony Orlando --- Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.

-Helen Reddy --- I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.

-Leslie Gore --- It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To.

And Last but NOT least:

-Willie Nelson --- On the Commode Again

Will has generously supplied all of the photos for this lens. (Unless otherwise credited.) If you haven't already taken in the plethora of beautiful photos and inspiring digital artwork of this artist, I encourage you to do so.

View Will's work at: Will Borden.com

Lens of the Day

I am so proud of this lens. I do a lot of canning. Some homemakers call it preserves but I call it canning even though I use jars not cans. I have many canning books that call it "canning" also.

So canning/preserves .. this lens will show in detail how to save your garden produce and, set you on the road to tastier, less expensive and more nutritious food for the winter.

I was over the moon when this lens also became winner of the sought-after Purple Star.

What! A talking quail!!!!

Our quail family started with a mumma and poppa quail and multiplied until now we have about 100 wild quail skitting around our property.

This lens is written by one of the newest of our quail family. Come have a peep. I'm sure you will find what he has to say entertaining.

Getting a Quail's-Eye View of Things

Lens of the Day and Purple Star Awards

My most recent lens and much to my delight, it won a Purple Star and the Lens of the Day Award.

This lens was created to answer the Hot Potato Challenge. I hope that you find it interesting, educational and motivational. Canada's Boreal forest needs our protection.

If you haven't read it yet, please read this lens regarding a most important subject: Canada's Boreal Forest

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