Start at the Beginning

I have been inconstantly blogging on clever&Lovely since 2009.  I started writing it, right in the middle of the downward spiral of my businesses, rolz&sassy, my Canadian Made fabric baby wearing company (2006-2010) and my brick and mortar baby boutique (2008-2010) of the same name.

 
I started both of my businesses on pure passion, drive, love and I saw a niche market.  I expanded too quickly and was super naive to the art of running a business and felt very alone.  I was running my businesses on pure fear and subsequently sabotaging the businesses and living a fear based life, that sadly trickled into a full time job itself.  To say it was awful is a gross understatement.  Don’t get me wrong, there were moments of heart and soul based moments throughout that time, but was exhausting with the undertone of fear.  (I will one day write a post about my rolz&sassy business and the beauty of the lessons learned)

However and furthermore (both said with a British accent) my clever&Lovely life is taking a long and jagged right turn to Easy Street!  Not really “Easy Street” per say. (if just really fit that sentence).

More like a nicer, calmer, kinder, heart centred Street.  I have been practicing meditation since January 2014, and have been a wayward practitioner of Yoga since 2000.   

My life is becoming more clever&Lovely since beginning my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training in January 2015.  At the tender age of forty-one, I am doing the work to heal myself from myself, breaking open, breaking loose, breaking free from my old self and my soul shattering thought patterns.  Moving my body through Kriyas and listening to the story that is unfolding through the movements and starting to live my life in the most Lovely way possible…as Myself.  A Kinder, gentler, heart focused, love centred ME.

  

Nuns Farts and Rhubarb

It's Sunday morning, my house smells like mine did when I was growing up.  Like fresh baked pies.  It smells glorious.  I am wrapped in nostalgia this morning.  How lucky we were to grow up in a home where fresh baked goods were the normal, everyday occurrence.  I remember being surprised when other kids never had a homemade butter tart in the their lunch.  How spoiled.  I was spoiled in love, attention, slow food and baking.  Spoiled in obtaining recipes handed down from generation to generation.  I am trying in earnest to give these simple, profound, memories of love, smells, sights to my kids, that one day when they are parents remember and think of me and inevitably their hearts warm and they too have this same nostalgic moment. Le sigh...I am a sentimental gal, I can't help it.

So, I was gifted a large amount of rhubarb this past week, this morning I baked 3 rhubarb cream pies, one of my moms best recipes.  And always my Birthday request instead of a cake.

The Pie Lady

Rhubarb Cream Pie

2 Eggs (Beat really really well)

Then add: 1 cup Sugar

2 Tbsp Flour

Beat Well

Then add: 3 Cups of diced Rhubarb

Mix thoroughly 

Pour into unbaked pie shell, cover top with pastry

Bake at 400 for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.

Enjoy warm or my favourite the next day cold from the fridge.

Now on to the NUNS FARTS

I believe this 'recipe' originates from my Auntie Judy's side of the family, so credits to name and baked good goes to her. 

You take the left over dregs of pastry roll it out.  

Spread butter all over the pastry

Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar

roll it up

slice it

bake it 

Enjoy the warm "cookie" type pastry.

NUNS FARTS

Have a lovely day, slow down, take it in the little things, enjoy the smell and taste of a Nuns Fart.

Love

Marcia

The King of Green - Lawn-Boy

Every spring for as long as I've been alive my Dad has a sacred ritual of starting his Lawn-Boy.  

Step 1.  Roll it out of shed

Step 2. Quick wipe down

Step 3. Push gas button

Step 4. Pull the cord. Wait. Starts!

Every year, one after the other it starts after the first or second start.  

Without fail his lime and kelly green Lawn-Boy fires into action and another season of lawn maintenance takes place.  

You may be thinking "Well, duh, isn't that what a lawn mower should do?" 

And to that I say "Well, Yes young chap." 

But what makes this so extraordinary is that my Dad's Lawn-Boy has just turned 40!!!

That's right the old boy is 40 this spring.  

The only thing my Dad has had to replace is his belt about 15 years ago.  

What a piece of machinery, Lawn-Boy sure knocks it out of the park on superior design and reliability.  

Not sure how Lawn-Boy measures up today as we've never had to purchase another lawn mower.

Here's to another 40 years, eh Dad?

Lawn-Boy gets my Clever&Lovely stamp of approval.

Marcia