Life's a Stitch

Stripes and scales

It's a stripy week here at the Northvanage, starting with the arrival of B's girlfriend from England.

She was given a difficult time at security upon departing from her first stop in Canada, with multiple scans of her hair and a thorough going over under each braid with explosives detection wipes. She's a creative one, this child, a costume designer and mermaid model by profession. Here's her tail, hiding her socks, striped of course.

 

My encounter with stripes balanced hers colourwise. This week I painted zebras:

My next project will be dog. Not striped, but who knows what could happen with all that young creativity floating around here.

 

 

This calls for comfort food

My house is awash in packing boxes. Thought I'd get a head start, but it doesn't feel like it's making much difference. And just as we're getting rid of stuff, this shows up in my driveway:

You remember past inhabitants of my driveway: the green school bus, the French band's touring bus, the pink school bus and the Coupe de Thrill, all products of Bryant's creativity? Introducing HarV the RV. B and girlfriend S, are enamoured with the idea of tiny housing. One on wheels, all the better. He doesn't have a driver's license, mind you, and her's is British. But this 1982 leaky Winnebago is their dream. Oh to be young again. 

The weather turned cold and wet, the international news was full of horror and our surroundings are feeling out of control. A little art therapy, these were the dismal colours of that day:

Then came the comfort food. I submitted this years ago for the Knitting Blogger's Cookbook. Time to actually get it on the blog. It is so easy and delicious.

"Not a drive by" Pot Roast

Two or four lbs of blade roast, rubbed with garlic and browned in oil. For each two pounds, mix together one packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix and a jar of junior apricot baby food. Place roast in dutch oven, and cover with "sauce." Cover and cook in 325 degree oven for two hours for 2lb roast, or 2.5 hours for 4lb roast. Don’t peak! It makes its own beautiful gravy. OR cook it on low in a slow cooker for 7-8 hours. Serve with steamed veggies and potatoes. Try it, it's definitely not a drive by.

Here's the meat ready to be cut:

\

and ready to eat:

 

Onboard cuteness

On the family reunion cruise the youngest Boesen progeny shared a common attribute - cuteness. Of course I'm the grandmother of the little boys and grand-auntie to the girls. Pure bias here:

Ear worm of that day in Sitka? The Wheels On the Bus Go Round and Round...

That's Auntie Ellen's Dirty Martini. OK I ate the olives.

Every night another cookie was added to her dessert plate. Can you tell how well the NCL staff catered to the little ones?

She's my budding artist:

 

 

 

 

The Boesencruisers

Who'd have thought that a floating family reunion for those descended from the Danish family of Boe, plus spouses, could go off without a hitch? You can't imagine the details involved in getting 22 people, ages 9 months to 82, from five states and two provinces, on one vessel enroute to Alaska. How to choose the pictures? Let's start with these:

All 22 looking at the camera:

The five siblings:

We hoped for two family afternoons together onboard, and two dinners, but with the help with Norwegian Cruise Lines' Group Services Director and the dining staff, we had many more opportunities for quality family time. We played Left, Center, Right (thank you to my sister Jane, for introducing us to the best easiest family game ever and a special thanks to her from Mari, who won $60), Head's Up, Catch Phrase, and the Not So Amazing Race - daily installments devised by Ellen. And we really didn't queue the whales that appeared alongside the private dining room, the bear on the shore, the birds following the ship or the calving glaciers, but who could ask for anything more?