Vacating in Quebec City.

This is flowering in my garden right now... maybe in Quebec City too.
Have you vacated recently?  I hardly ever do it myself.  It's hard for me cause it feels weirdly surreal. You know,  my life goes on hold while I go to this other place where I don't have a life and live in that new place for a few days even though I don't know what the hell I'm doing in that new place but it's new and there's lots to see so I get over it.  
So last year we went to Montreal.  We often do.  It's our default place.  We lived there for so long and loved it so much...  This year we went to Quebec City... and then Montreal.
It was hard leaving my garden and the canning that I've become so addicted to but I managed to pull myself away from the canner for long enough to go.  We drove through Quebec with hurricane Irene - cause that's how we roll.  That aside the trip was wonderful and Quebec City... well, what a city it is.  It inspired me:
a.  To do some french courses again 'cause DAMN I'm rusty.  
b.  To always remember that not all cities are cement monstrosities that have a short history.
c.  To trust that my kids (yes, small kids) can handle 'fancy' restaurants.
d.  To try to get away more often.

I guess that most people would want to take pictures of the special buildings and stuff... I liked the old rusty gate.
What can I say, there is art and beauty everywhere.  And there is no work to go to.  Unless you call getting up late and getting to the breakfast buffet before 10 a.m. work.  Oh yeah, and I did get to the gym each day.  Yeah... work.  Then we would walk.  A lot.  Take pictures of randomness that hit us and eat and maybe take an afternoon nap.  Bliss.  BTW, if you haven't taken an afternoon nap since you were about 4 yrs old then you might just want to try it again.  I wouldn't choose mine at 1pm like when I was 2 or so but given the choice mine happens at about 3:30 in the afternoon and lasts for about 40 minutes.  If you try it and don't like then let me know and I'll be sure to give you a full refund.  
So here are some random shots of the last 5 days of my life.


That's me holding Kid #2's hand going down, down, down the stairs
My favourite shot, courtesy of D.  Beautiful.
Of course we had to bring back large quantities of stuff that we can't get here... 

Grape Juice made EASY.


So I mentioned in my last post that I made grape juice.
Don't get all tied in a knot about it though.  It just made two jars.  If I'd had more grapes then I would have made more though cause it was easy.  Stupid easy.  So easy that I could've done it in my sleep.  So easy that it's almost embarrassing putting it on my blog.  But here's what happened.
I love some farmers markets more than others.  We have one near us and it's small and fine for regular stuff to fill in the gaps.  There is one that is a little bit farther away though (still very much within short biking distance) which has a great selection of almost anything you could need.  I love that one.  I also love talking to the farmers.  You don't always get to do that.  Sometimes they're just too busy and/or not interested but that's cool.  I went to the market I love to get my peaches.  I talked to the farmer who was this totally cool guy.  We could hang - you know.   Have a beer, put some music on and shoot the breeze.  Once he found out I wanted a whole bushel and then got over his surprise (he told me very few people in my part of town buy in big quantities like that) he started telling me which peaches will taste best once canned even though I'll hate him for it because the pits are hard to get out (and yeah I cussed him a couple of times the next day, I'll admit it).  That's cool though because now he was my bud and giving me useful info. I kinda felt like it was a challenge too.  My new farmer bud seeing just how hard core the city slicker is going to go - wondering if we really could be buds.  I totally went in for the delayed gratification option (pain in the ass now better taste later).  So he just let me behind the table to fill my (very ridiculously large) basket up.  Like I said, he was cool and by this time we were buds.


So I'm done filling my basket and ready to transport it to my car ('cause it's too far with that much fruit) and he starts throwing in some grapes.  I thought he was joking and that he'd take them back.  Not only did that not happen but he started piling some more bunches on top.  So I'm thinking Wow, That's so nice, what a cool bud AND What in hell am I gonna do with these things.  All at the same time I'm thinking this - the brain is so amazing.
So, this looked like the easiest thing to do with the grapes.  I didn't have a lot of time or patience by the time those peaches were canned.  It was the best option.   Plus, they look kinda pretty with the grapes all at the bottom of the jar.  Who knows, maybe I'll go back and get some more.  Thanks to my new farmer buddy.


Grape Juice adapted only just a little from 'Simply in Season'

1 cup washed concord grapes
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups boiling water

1 1 litre jar and sealing lid

Sterilize the jar (wash in hot soapy water - dry - put on a baking sheet and in the oven at 300 for about 10 minutes)

Place a room temperature fork or knife in the jar if it's just out of the oven.  This prevents cracking.

Add in about 1/2 of the boiling water.  Then add in the grapes and the sugar.  Mix it around a little bit, letting the sugar dissolve.  Add in the rest of the still boiling water.

Seal the top of the jar.

Place under a towel and let the seal do it's work.

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St Michael's Choir School is celebrating it's 75th anniversary year of service to St Michael's Cathedral. Part of the school celebration is a trip to Italy where our boys from Grades 5 - 12 will be performing and celebrating Mass. This blog will be chronicling our adventures. Wanda Thorne is the Vocal Coach at St Michael's Choir School. Gerard Lewis is the Grade 7/8 Homeroom teacher at the Choir School.

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Wanda Thorne
St Michael's Choir School is celebrating it's 75th anniversary year of service to St Michael's Cathedral. Part of the school celebration is a trip to Italy where our boys from Grades 5 - 12 will be performing and celebrating Mass. This blog will be chronicling our adventures. Wanda Thorne is the Vocal Coach at St Michael's Choir School. Gerard Lewis is the Grade 7/8 Homeroom teacher at the Choir School.
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