My Hero..excerpt from "Thoughts from the Talons"

My Hero

Not a man with medals or wearing tights and a cape

Not putting out fires or nabbing thieves on the take

My hero is charming and caring

Enjoys the world and thinks nothing of sharing

 

A man of convictions, intelligence and grace

Who doesn’t really care that he has a messy place

Laughs at my jokes and wipes away my tears

Embraces me tight when I tell of my fears

 An ordinary man just trying to fit in

Not looking for love but my hearts he doth win

Traveling hand in hand throughout the days

Similar in interests and still different in ways

 My hero is my friend, my confidant and my lover

Shares my hopes, my dreams but hogs the covers

I give of myself and thank the stars above

For once a stranger is now my hero to love

  

Sher B 11-07-2006 (c)

Living Within the Chains of Chronic Pain

It's been a very hard and long road to get me this far. Hundreds of doctor appointments, countless exams, x-rays, medications and blood samples to figure out I suffer from Chronic Pain Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. On top of those, I am already contending with Meniere's Disease, Osteoarthritis, Hypoglycemia, IBS and chronic depression.

Having to stop working full-time in 2007 was a huge set-back and an even harder mental adjustment. I still struggle with the fact that I can't do the things I used to do years ago. I was an avid dancer, a jock who enjoyed tennis, football, baseball, volleyball (you get the idea) and now I'm relegated to the sofa or bed because the pain is so bad.

The constant intake of medications for everything makes for an interesting morning cocktail. 15 pills to give me the ability to get out of bed and be somewhat functional.

Functional these days, is being able to wash my own hair or stand alone in the shower. My constant dizziness and frequent falling makes bathing alone difficult at best. Even the heat of the water can cause me to fall and pass out.

I struggle with mobility the most. Getting around is extremely painful and walking just to my mailbox can be insurmountable task. I use a cane and have a walker for when it's really bad. Lately, I've been looking at scooters and wondering when that is coming.

So many people just look at me weird when I say I have 'Fibro'. Most don't understand how negatively it can impact your life and the lives around you. My husband has been beyond supportive and I'm sure that my inability to do things as easy as being on the back of his motorcycle, concerns him greatly. Never mind the disappointment when we can't go somewhere because I'm bed ridden.

After fighting so long, I'm forgetting what life was like before I fell into the pit of perpetual pain and anguish. I wish there was more tolerance and understanding for those of us who suffer from Fibro and certainly wish there was a cure.

Who knows, maybe the cure will come before my daughter gets afflicted too.

For now, we just keep struggling along and making people aware that a healthy life should be cherished and encouraged.

Sher's Severed Finger Cookies..just in time for Halloween

Severed Fingers Halloween Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons red food coloring (optional green, blue, purple)
• almond halves
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (also optional extracts to use: almond, rum, peppermint)
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

·       Heat oven to 350°. Use either silicone mats, parchment paper or non stick pans (I use 'Wilton's Baking flour/shortening spray')

·       Place food coloring in a shallow bowl. toss food color and almond halves. The longer they are in the food color the darker they will get.

·       Separate 1 egg. Set aside the white. In a small bowl, whisk together yolk, remaining egg, and vanilla. Set aside.

·       In the bowl of an electric mixer combine butter, sugars, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add egg mixture, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.

·       Divide the dough in half. Work with one piece at a time, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Divide the first half into fifteen pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece back and forth with palms into finger shapes, 3 to 4 inches long. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Score each knuckle lightly with the back of a small knife. Transfer fingers to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.

·       When all fingers are formed, brush lightly with egg white. Position almond nails; push into dough to attach.

·       Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool completely.

The fatter the fingers the less spooky they will look. I've also tinted the dough in red and green to give them a really disgusting look. Using different color food colors for fingernails will give it a more modern look.

These are great for any halloween party and go fast so make lots. Freeze very well.

Lost Girl..Television Review

"Lost Girl" Review

Sundays on Showcase or SyFy

starring

Anna Silk, Kris Holden-Ried, Ksenia Solo,

K.C. Collins, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Zoie Palmer

Rick Howland and Paul Amos

            Filmed in Toronto and the surrounding areas, this fantasy show is about a beautiful succubus named Bo (played by Anna Silk) and her quest to find out about her true beginnings and her parents. Partnered with an amusing and whimsical human Kenzi (played by Ksenia Solo) they solve 'Fae/human' crimes while searching for the truth. Flanked by an amazing supporting cast of K.C. Collins, Kris Holden-Ried, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Zoie Palmer, Rick Howland and Paul Amos. This show delivers action, romance, drama, humor and the on going battle between good and evil.

            Shows usually contain violence, strong language, sexual content and is geared to the mature audience. If you are tired of just vampires and zombies, Lost Girl will give you a supernatural dose of steamy sex, and a myriad of supernatural's each week.

**RAVEN RATING** 5 out 5 claws

You can check out Lost Girl on the following links:

"Lost Girl" (2010) - Full cast and crew

Lost Girl - Home - showcase.ca

http://www.syfy.com/

On Twitter

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The Real Anna Silk

The Real Anna Silk

Oh so Proud

Being a writer has always been fun and rewarding but never so much as right now. I wrote an article about my hubby's passion and love for volunteering and hockey and this is how it turned out.


Thanks to David Murray @PittMeadowsToday.ca for publishing it for me!

Priest my movie review

PRIEST

Movie Review

by

Sher

Directed by Scott Stewart

Starring Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q and Christopher Plummer

In a futuristic society where the Catholic church wields even more power then in previous centuries. The church created 'Priests' that specialized in vampire killing. Based on the graphic novel. Humans are told 'to go against the church is to go against god'.  they are under the guise that the priests have eradicated the vampires until word comes of Priest's brother (portrayed by True Blood's Stephen Moyer) that his wife is dead and his daughter has been kidnapped by a different type of vampire.

 I give a **RAVEN RATING** OF 4 out of 5 claws

PRIEST - Own it now on DVD & Unrated Blu-Ray™, Blu-ray 3D™ & Also on Demand, PPV & Digital Download

I love to bake

Baking has becoming a cathartic release for me over the years. As a chef, I served hundreds of people a myrriad of different food but I always come back to my passion of baking.

This time of year is amazing for me. All the fresh BC fruit to choose from, I chose 3 of my favorites and created this pie.

Blueberries from Fraser Valley, Apples from Pitt Meadows and Cherries from Chilliwack. To make it even better, I used a 2008 **Twisted Tree** Rosado to macerate the fruit in first.

Served with a strawberry ice cream, it made the end of the season just perfect!

Next is prepping for my Annual Christmas Cookie Tray Orders. (pricing to follow soon)

Another Day excerpt from 'Blood Stained Talons'

Another Day

As a blanket covers the bed

So to do the clouds shroud the skies

Light fades sending the day a bed

Darkness engulfs the terrain below

Echoing in the loud silence

The cries of the wild sing out

A symphony to Mother Nature

Hailing her beauty and strength

The moon exudes its ominous luminosity

Playing hide and seek within the heavens

No glimpse of celestial brilliance

The stars fall silent in the shadows

With a final puff on to the flickering candle

Resounding goodnights exclaimed to all

All memories of the day diminish into slumber

The only voice is the whispering wind

 

Earth’s inmates sleep as an innocent baby

Comforted in the bosom of dreams

The blanket swaddles the soul

As Another day falls into eternity

Sher  June 18, 2010 ©

Mega Fruit Muffins

SHER'S BC FRESH FRUIT MEGAMUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 c. flour
1 cup sugar [1]

 5 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs [2]
1 1/2 cup milk [3]
1/2 cup shortening

1/4 cup blueberries [4]

1/2 cup diced apples [5]

1/2 cup diced peaches [6] optional

1 tsp cinnamon

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; make a well in center. Combine eggs, milk, and shortening, and add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Makes 9-12 Texas muffins or 18-24 muffins.

You can also use chopped walnuts, coconut, almonds, dried cranberries, raisins as well as changing up cinnamon for nutmeg or all spice to make it seasonal.

Freezes well.

LINKS

http://www.bchoney.com

http://www.msbfarm.ca/

http://www.peachfest.com/

http://www.findfamilyfun.com/applefarm.html

http://www.haneyfarmersmarket.org/

---

[1] can substitute honey instead of using sugar * 1/2 cup of BC fresh honey

[2] free range Maple Ridge organic

[3] I use 1%

[4] Fraser Valley fresh

[5] BC fresh gala or empire work best

[6] Okanagan fresh

Thank You is Never Enough..excerpt from 'Written in Blood'

A Thank You Is Never Enough

For Standing proud day or night

For wearing the Uniform that some may hate

For sacrificing friends and family

A Thank You is Never Enough

 

For cold lonely nights in far away lands

For having MREs instead of a home cooked meal

For early morning PT in sub zero temperatures

A Thank You is Never Enough

 For staring down the barrel of a gun

For facing your own mortality day after day

For countless nightmares that haunt

A Thank You is Never Enough

For coming home battered or bruised

For not coming home at all

For finding peace within the loud silence

A Thank You is Never Enough

For yearly holidays taken for granted

For parades and ceremonies and medals adorned

For being a SOLDIER

A Thank You is Never Enough