Hello!!! Family and Friends- I must apologize for my absence on the web. We have been in the depths of winter, which is not so motivating- especially since our internet connection is in the hallway- the unheated- uninsulated hallway- I am shivering just thinking about it. Despite all this- I thought it was about time to fill you in on the running commentary going in my head. Yes, I constantly think about updating my blog, but lately the words have not been making to cyber space. Since the days are getting longer and it’s not pitch black when I leave for work in the morning and come home in the evening, I have a bit more spring in my step and a bit more energy to share with you all.

One of the highlights of the last month was when I realized my Keniston baking gene. One of my work mates organized “The Great Choccy Bake-off” between some of the teams in the office. It was a competition to see which team could bring in the best chocolate cake. I stepped up to represent my team. I had just discovered a recipe on http://www.celiac.com for a wheat-free chocolate cake called Black Magic. I was advised that the judges liked dark chocolate; the recipe seemed perfect because one of the ingredients is coffee. Everybody loves coffee- especially Darrel. I actually made two cakes, since Darrel was complaining that I make sweets and then give them away. I made one with Wheat flour for the competition and another one with a rice flour mix for the gluten-free people at work and to keep heaps at home, so Darrel wouldn’t feel left out. Darrel helped by teaching me how to make the frosting. I layered it with raspberry jam. It wasn’t the prettiest cake, but it WON! I got heaps of compliments and my cake got devoured.

For Queen’s birthday weekend, Joy and Brian came to visit. We enjoyed showing them our house and the neighborhood. And, of course, we put them to work! Joy and Brian totally cleared out some nasty ivy that was threatening the grapes and just looking messy all over the back fence. Joy and I checked over the roses and smushed caterpillars from my broccoli plants. Darrel and Brian moved a citrus tree, a rose and another shrub that were all super close to the house. They were all growing in the same place while blocking light in to two rooms of the house.

As you can imagine over the last few weeks most of our free time was spent working on the house. It’s rewarding to see the results, but the cold and lack of sunlight has slowed us down a bit- just not the most motivating conditions. We have made some time to have a little house warming and we went to a “good and evil” party (Darrel went as a “dirt devil” he brought the vacuum hose and wore his VT style- insulated carhart overalls).

Day to day, we are both biking to work- even in the below freezing temps. It usually only gets to freezing at night, but when your house has barely any insulation and the teeniest wood stove- biking to work is quite a feat.

And finally, I was tagged a while back by Karole-Ann. So here are the 7 things that I would like to share about my self.

1. I love to knit.
2. I love the movie Amelie, I have seen it 6 times and could probably see it again and again and again.
3. I am secretly writing a book, well, it is still a secret, because no one on earth knows what it is about- except for me.
4. I am actually enjoying working in an office- who would have guessed?!
5. I want to go to Antartica.
6. I like biking to work, especially when I am going faster than the cars stuck in traffic. It makes me laugh out loud and yell- “see ya suckers!”
7. And the big news is I love spending time with ZOE! We have a new member of the Hannon Family Tree. She is a very well-behave 5 ½ year old dog. A workmate was heading overseas, so we took her in. Can you guess what breed(s) she is?

About the tag: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves.

People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

So, I am tagging:
Danny, Shelby, Bonnie, Richard, Erin, Amanda, James
(most of these folks don't have blogs, so I am using it as an excuse to get them started)

Take Care,
Josie