Graduation Day

Today was a very special day in our lives our oldest grandchild James graduated High School.

As those who follow the blog will know James has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and now at the age of 20 he has decided to end his High School education and move on to other adventures. 

His parents planned and executed a surprise graduation party for him at our home.  With the support of the school board James received from his High School principal a certificate of completion and principal’s honour roll certificate.  Also included in the school board presentation were letters from the local member of provincial and federal parliament who acknowledged his dedicated to learning in the face of adversity.

At the BBQ were teachers, educational assistants, a school superintendent and his family and friends.  What you will not know is that James has been home schooled for the past four years as the process of getting ready for school and being bused etc. was too much for him.  So the presence of so many from the school and school board was extra special.

As his grandparent we are very proud of him and though he was not able to complete the required number of credits to graduation we echo the words spoken today of his principal.

“James has shown a level of dedication and enthusiasm for learning that is rarely seen, he will continue his education now on his own terms”.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Asparagus soup Vegan

Many years ago on some food network the name of which has been long forgotten we learned that in preparing asparagus you bend each sprig until it breaks.  The breaking point is where the  asparagus is beginning to get tough.  And we could just not bring ourselves to throw the bottoms on the asparagus away for we froze them until we have approximately 6 cups.

This weekend we pulled the asparagus end out of the freezer and put them in a large soup pot to cook slowing for about 6 hours.  We then whipped the ends as best we could and strained everything through a sieve.  What you are left with is a very flavourful asparagus broth and this became the base for our soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups asparagus broth
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 small head of cauliflower cut into medium sized bits
• 1 lb fresh asparagus cut into medium sized bits
• coconut oil
• 6 shallots chopped
• 4 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 lb fresh asparagus cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Clean all your vegetables 
2. Pour the vegetables broths into a large soup pot add the cauliflower and first lb. of asparagus cook until tender
3. While the vegetables are cooking saute the shallots and garlic in the coconut oil until they begin to caramelize (this flavour adds to the soup)
4. Add the shallots and garlic to the cooked cauliflower and asparagus and blend with a hand blender until you have a smooth soup (keep this warm on low heat)
5. Steam the second batch of asparagus until they turn bright green do not over cook
6. Add these to the soup 
7. Add the lemon juice stir well
8. Salt to taste

From our table to yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Crocheting The 2015 Sky

May 2015 

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The Merry Month of May

By Thomas Dekker

O, the month of May, the merry month of May,

So frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green!

O, and then did I unto my true love say,

Sweet Peg, thou shalt be my Summer's Queen.

Now the nightingale, the pretty nightingale,

The sweetest singer in all the forest quire,

Entreats thee, sweet Peggy, to hear thy true love's tale:

Lo, yonder she sitteth, her breast against a brier.

But O, I spy the cuckoo, the cuckoo, the cuckoo;

See where she sitteth; come away, my joy:

Come away, I prithee, I do not like the cuckoo

Should sing where my Peggy and I kiss and toy.

O, the month of May, the merry month of May,

So frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green;

And then did I unto my true love say,

Sweet Peg, thou shalt be my Summer's Queen.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

The Birdhouse

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Mindfulness

Young children understands this! 

Look on the face of a child at play,

the world is theirs and they are alive in that moment.

Now as I enter my senior years,

Again I can get lost in joy and in those moment

I want for nothing,

Take a moment to find joy right now 

and in that moment you will have all that you need.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015twosnydergirls

I Wait For The Lord

This week two wonderful men, brothers, husbands, uncles, fathers and grandfathers transitioned from the realm of impermanence to permanence ~ they died. 

From the family of the oldest man we heard stories of his desire to once again be with his long dead wife to know the joy of her spirit close to him.

The other a much younger man the family spoke of knowing he was now in a place of spiritual rest, of love and that someday they too would join him.  They grieved for the time that they thought they still had with him and they found comfort in knowing he was at home in Heaven.

Great Grandma Katharine was in her 104th year when she transitioned to her heavenly home. In the years leading up to this what she wanted for her birthday was to sit around the heavenly table with her family members long since arrived and sing praises of love to God. 

She was waiting for the Lord.

For many the transition to heaven will take too long, there being little value left in their human existence and for others it will come too soon before anyone is ready.  Yet for all the knowledge of a house built by God where we will reside for eternity bring comfort.

I desire to have many more years to spend here on earth with my family and friends and at the same time...

I wait for the Lord

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls