Thérèse Neelands

beach detritus, petri dish

Awhile ago I got these petri dishes from Active Surplus and was making coasters out of them. Now they make a perfecting nesting spot for all my various collectables.

part of my collection

I look at these and imagine I’m far away

somewhere in the water

probably Malta.

I actually haven’t watched this yet, because I’m at work! But last night as I was washing dishes and listening to ‘As It Happens’ on the CBC, I heard the interview and just had to google it this morning.

Let me tell you about these pancakes. I aim to make pancakes every Sunday or Monday. They are so fast to make and the pleasure I get from eating them is so worth getting out of bed and putting the coffee on. This pancake recipe is adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Feast.

Measure in a bowl and whisk well:

110 g. flour

about a tbsp. sugar or less

1 tsp. baking soda

cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

Measure in a bowl and whisk well:

1 egg

1 tbsp oil (veg/sunflower/olive. I use olive because I always have it, and I can’t taste it in the cakes)

150 ml yogurt (I use vanilla. You can halve the yogurt with milk if you want a runnier batter)

splash of good quality vanilla

lemon zest

Whisk the two mixtures together, taking care not to mix too well, just until the flour is mixed through. Already, because of the yogurt, the batter will start to puff up with bubbles.

In a pan, heat a bit of butter and oil. Spoon out your batter. This makes 6 small pancakes. I’ve had to play around with the temperature – my gas stove is super fast and hot, so I put it on medium low. When you start to see bubbles on top, flip over. Will cook in less than a minute on the other side.

My pancakes were topped with:

butter

homemade strawberry jam

lemon curd

real Canadian maple syrup

fresh sliced strawberries.

And some love.

Happy Weekend.

Lucy Dog.

Finally getting my logo done. But in the meantime, here’s a little something to remind us that we just need to play sometimes.

After Charles Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

I can’t totally credit myself for these watercolours. Steph has Charles Van Sandwyk’s handmade book Sketches from the Dream Island of Birds which I totally found inspiring. I figure if I do enough of these, I’ll get myself familiar with the anatomy of birds, fish and other animals enough to do my own. I’ve made my own modifications, changing colours and making embellishments, but not sure if I can actually put them on cards to sell.

Therese Neelands, watercolour, ink on paper

This next one (above) I can totally credit myself, however you can see the hesitation in it, I think.

After Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

After Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

I’m pretty happy with this guy (above). I changed him quite a bit to give more character.

After Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

Gave him some character too.

After Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

After Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

This guy (above) is one of my favourites. Somehow I managed to make him look slightly concerned at how ridiculous he looks.

Heron from Graeme Gibson's The Bedside Book of Birds, watercolour, ink on paper

After Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

After Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

After Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

After Van Sandwyk, watercolour, ink on paper

Friday, July 23rd, around 3:00 pm

The ferry ride to Wolfe island was gray with low visibility. Weather muggy with a light drizzle, though started off cool enough to wear a wind-breaker. Was slightly nervous about the coming weekend not knowing what to expect.

A step outside our cottage, at Shanti.

Was one of the first to arrive with C unloading her bike as we parked. Dropped off my bags at “Rumi”, cottage #4 near the cow field. Had a quick look at the grounds after Colin & Steph left. Had some time to kill before and as people started to arrive. Class at 6:30.

Began to meet people. Took some pictures. Sat on the dock and drank tea. Drank in the area.

6:30 – Excellent class. C (instructor, Yoga for Runners) felt so familiar, later I realized she reminded me of my favourite drawing & painting instructors at OCAD. Class was a de-stresser though not easy work. Built up a bit of a sweat. Exhilarating. At the end of class, on chanting “Om”, Marley, a lassipoo (C’s dog), wakes from a nap and comes downstairs, trotting through the studio and greeting everyone, wagging her tail and downward dogging. She apparently does this at the first sound of “Om”. She is the sweetest, happiest dog with a wonderful smile.

Got to talking with K. Started running and Yoga at the beginning of the year and is whole-hearted in it now. Runs every morning, practices Yoga twice a week. Very determined with an extremely easy and happy disposition. Had dinner with her and C (my roomies).

8:30 – Dinner was Veggie Burgers. Toppings were sliced tomatoes, whole grain dijon mustard, red onions, a wonderful soft, young goat cheese. Buns were from the Wolfe Island Bakery – extremely substantial. A little too filling. A chickpea salad, also delicious and a cucumber, cherry tomato type salad. The tomatoes were to die for. Juicy, ripe, fresh, sweet and pungent. Beet salad as well. Dinner was excited and noisy.

Dessert – vanilla ice-cream and fresh raspberries. South American music. Everyone happy, chatty, standing and moving about. Really cool people genuinely interested in each other and good at remembering my name.

Late by the time we finished dinner. Tired. Sat in the lounge a bit and perused their excellent book collection. Went to bed around 10:00. Couldn’t fall asleep. Too excited about the next day.

The main house, Shanti.

My spot, Shanti.

July 24th, Saturday

Up at 7:00 am. Everybody with plans to either go for a run, walk in groups or alone. Washed my face, brushed my teeth.

7:30 am – Coffee, water, banana.

8:10 am – Started our walk – P, A, K, W, T and I. Walked along Hwy 96 – opposite direction of the ferry. Gray, very muggy and hot. All farmland. Cows. Lots of windmills (apparently just under a hundred on the island).

W, T and I quickly moved ahead. Fascinating women in their 70s. Grew up on Toronto Central Island. Travel everywhere. Costa Rica, New Zealand. White water rafting. Walked 8.4 kilometres. Lots of squished frogs on the road (or so my impression).

Got back at quarter to 10:00 am. Immediately got into my bikini and had a cool, refreshing swim. Lovely. (Forgot – swam on Friday evening just before 6:30 class. Water was calm like glass. Beautiful.)

10:30 am – Ashtanga Yoga. Class lasted for almost 2 hours. EXTREMELY strenuous. Exhilarating. Did some poses for the first time. Was proud of myself. Realized determination. Endurance. Strength. C is very informative about each pose and what is happening in it. Is excellent at correcting with one press of the hand. At the end of class, felt like an elastic band. Healthy. Open. Corrected.

12:30 am – Brunch after class. Sat outside for that. Scrambled eggs with zucchini, onion and red pepper. Multi-grain toast again from the Bakery. Fresh cut fruit – papaya, pineapple, melons, I think. Yogurt, granola, tamari roasted almonds, plump soaked raisons.

1:00 pm – Free-time. Sunned on the dock. Swam. Weather was sunny but cloud covered at times. Hot. Got quite red. Read from my e-reader. Bram Stoker’s Dracula. T and V came and swam and sun-bathed. V asked me if I was meditating before she made a big splash in the water which I thought was so great. Where else does one ask you that??

Our cottage, Shanti.

Back of the main house, Shanti.

4:30 pm – Yoga Workshop. Fantastic. Nothing like the intimacy of Yoga to make strangers fast friends. Energy is chatty, happy, easy, and playful. Learned how to stand on our heads in several different ways. C likes me because I will try just about anything and have lots of endurance. She singles me out and I feel proud. The class claps.

6:30 – Dinner. Sometime in between class and dinner, I think I shower. Read in my favourite spot or in one of the yellow “Muskoka” chairs. Feeling exhilarated, healthy, happy, open, proud, happy, exhausted, satisfied, happy.

The best vegetarian lasagna I have EVER had. Excellent consistency. Filling. Cheesy. Ceasar salad with a vinaigrette dressing instead of a creamy one which I prefer. Multi-grain baguette, green-bean salad. FAT green beans. The smell was intoxicating. K brought a bottle of red wine. We sat with C and C. Dinner was LOUD and ruckus-y and hilarious. Wine and beer (our class is exempted from abstaining). Politics, religion, arguments, laughter, celebrating, exhilarating (again).

Dessert – what on earth did he call them?? Cookies straight out of the oven – gooey, soft, chocolate chunks, nuts? Oats? Served with a walnut, caramel something ice-cream. Evenings reserved for gathering together. Some on the deck at the tables, sometimes in the lounge sprawled on the floor, pillows, sinking couches. Listening to people’s stories (so many interesting stories!) Laughing, asking questions.

10:30 pm – Tired. Slept.

July 25th, Sunday

Didn’t want to get out of bed. A bit sore (in a good way). Planned on taking it easy and reading by myself.

7:30 – 8:00 am – Wolfed down coffee and a banana wheat bran muffin. Very good. Coffee very good. Organic fair trade. (Heck, all food was local and mostly organic).

Ended up getting convinced (not very hard) to go for a walk with P, A, K, C – W and T caught up with us. Went towards the ferry. GORGEOUS perfect day. Clouds lifted. Blue skies. Sunny. Farm land. Cows. Bales of hay. Puffs of cumulus clouds in stunning romantic shapes. Windmills, pastoral farmland scenery. Interesting conversations. Wished I had my camera. Walked at a good pace – W and T out-paced us of course. Amazed at how interesting these people are.

9:30 am – Class. Was expecting C would go easy on us – No! We were exhausted. Didn’t know my body could give me more. Could feel my muscles tiring out. Had lots of pictures taken. Am happy and thankful that J has taught me so much (back in Toronto). Took a few moments now and then to say hello and thank you to her (from afar).

11:30 – Brunch – The smell was INTOXICATING. The best pancakes I have EVER eaten. Blueberries so fresh and big and juicy, cornmeal, spelt flour, lots of lemon zest. A recipe from Darin (the owner). Don’t forget the Canadian maple syrup. Multi-grain toast. Orange juice, hard boiled eggs, cheddar cheeses and grapes, fresh papaya, pineapple. Yogurt, granola, tamari roasted almonds, plump raisins, peanut butter, jam. Sat outside with K and chowed down.

1:00 – People started to depart. Goodbyes said. Hung around in my favourite spot and took pictures. Showered. Washed hair, clean clothes. Most everyone is gone. Went off in my spot to take lots of pictures. Read. Relaxed.

Butterflies, ants, lady bugs. Gulls sunning on the dock. Din of Nature. Always moving, always chattering. The earth was LOUD. Water slapping, Gulls squawking, grass crunching, twigs snapping, small animals swishing, insects munching, grasshoppers rubbing their legs.

2:30 pm – Heard Steph’s voice but couldn’t see her. Was cross legged behind a mound of plants.

3:00 pm – Went to meet K and Steph and Colin at the front of house. They were looking for me for half an hour. Said good-bye to Wendy and Darin. Was embarrassed they were looking for me for so long.

3:30 pm – JUST made the ferry (busy line-up). Ferry ride was AWESOME. Weather was stunning. Sunny. Dry. Blue skies, Simpson’s clouds (as in, The Simpsons) dotted here and there. Sail boats, visibility excellent. K and I on top deck.

4:00 pm – ish – Dropped K off  in Kingston. Colin, Steph and I had a quick lunch in a pub there. Had a hoegarden and breaked my two week “meat fast” .

side notes: drank ginger, fennel, lemon? tea all the time. Swam more times than I think I mentioned. Everyone ate with gusto and ate a lot without shame. I am no longer the ‘bottomless pit’ in this crowd. Love that. Lots of in-between moments alone staring at the water. Will most likely take C’s Monday class along with J’s Wednesday class.

piquant baby arugula

fresh sweet peas

fresh blueberries

strawberries

peppered goat cheese

lemon juice

pinch salt, pepper

toasted multi-grain pita rounds, olive oil, salt, pepper