Lise's Ramblings

Appetizers go by many names: - tapas - hors d'oeuvre/amuse-gueule/amuse-bouche - zakuski - antipasti Whatever you call them, I say they're scrumptious. They're a pre-dinner treat, but when you have a plate of them as a meal, well that's AWESOME! My fave would have to be either potato skins or loaded nachos. Yes, as usual, it has a lot to do with the accompanying condiment .

Yesterday, Britain issued its Gold Age Power List – the top 66 senior citizens who still make “significant social and cultural contributions to the UK.” It’s an impressive list with icons such as Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing (92), chimpanzee expert Dame Jane Goodall (77), the ever talented actress Dame Judi Dench a.k.a. M (76), and my favourite broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough (85). Society always makes much about the Top 30 under 30 and other young up-and-coming individuals, but it is refreshing to see the septuagenarians and octogenarians gain some kudos. Folks who still have the energy, the passion and the talents to make a difference well into their 80s absolutely wow me. AWESOME! Who would be on your power list?

After a cold winter and wet spring, the barn doors open up to free the knock-kneed colts, fuzzy lambs and wee piglets. The fox kits leave the den and birds fledge from the nest. These newly independent children waddle, squirm, stumble, splash, flutter and explore the world outside of the safety of their home. The fledglings in this picture are a curious kit I encountered late last week at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and one of three colts frolicking in a pasture near my home. AWESOME! Side note: Here in Charlottetown, a mama mallard named Lucy nested in a Superstore garden centre. She raised her ducklings there until yesterday when she was ready to march her young across the store parking lot, several lanes of traffic and into a pond behind the Farmer’s Market .

In and of themselves, flannel blankets rock. They're soft and their weight makes you toastier. The only way those "blankies" can get any better is when you're a patient and hospital staff heat up the flannel for you. Extra comfort to get you through rough times. AWESOME!

Last week, Canada celebrated National Public Service Week . Sadly, this week of appreciation coincided with a Crown Corp. (Canada Post) lockout and widespread news of cutbacks at federal departments. While I’m sure not many people rushed out to buy a National Public Service Week cake, we should still take a moment to recognize the work of the dedicated , professional and talented public servants we meet. Apart from a few exceptions, most of the public service employees who I’ve ever met are cut from similar cloth. They are responsible and have high ethical standards. They strive to exceed expectations and make a difference for their community, province or country. For example, in the past 36 hours, many nurses, doctors and other hospital staff took extra efforts to make my suffering hubby feel better. None of them had ever met him before, and yet each one worked tirelessly to help solve his health predicament. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital staff in the emergency room area and in...

Many years ago, my grandparents treated me to dinner at the Tablerock Restaurant overlooking Niagara's Horseshoe Falls. I was allowed to order anything I wanted from the menu, so I chose veal cordon bleu. I was a fan of veal and the French name sounded kind of cool. Imagine my delight when I first cut into my breaded veal entrée and found stuffed inside a bonus layer of ham and melted cheese. Maybe you experienced a similar delight at a childhood birthday party. You sliced through the icing and fresh cake, only to strike something solid. Hey, that’s money wrapped in wax paper. Oh yeah, jackpot! I recall that same element of surprise when I first fell in love with Ferrero Rocher chocolates at a party in Montréal. I thought the gold wrapper was lovely, but little did I suspect the treat in store for me. As if the crunchy chocolaty exterior wasn’t good enough, at the core, I discovered Nutella filling and a whole hazelnut. Finding something hidden inside layers of deliciousne...

How great is it when the world suddenly presents you with a Kodak moment? For my Gen Y / Millennial readers, think postcard- or Twitpic-perfect moment. Tonight, on my way home from a work function, I spotted a double rainbow over a road lined with lupines. It doesn't get any more Atlantic Canada than that. Sadly, my poor image quality cannot possibly do the picture-perfect scene justice. Before I could travel even a quarter of a kilometre down the same stretch of road, I pulled over to photograph the same double rainbow extending across Covehead Bay to touch PEI's famous red shoreline. How I wish that the second rainbow was as clear in this photo as it was in person. (Click on the images to see larger versions.) I should always travel with a camera that is superior to my Blackberry's built-in cam. Then I'd be able to capture those Kodak moments properly to readily share a good dose of AWESOME!!!

Rather than whine, people with can-do attitudes just get down to the task at hand. Despite stereotypes to the contrary, I’ve encountered many fellow public servants who are of this can-do mindset. These highly competent and dedicated colleagues can be found in my own organization, the National Research Council of Canada, but they are also hard at work in other government departments and agencies. Last week, I took part in a federal initiative called Collaborative Management Day. A limited number of people gathered at the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa while the rest of us participated by webcast from across the country. The goal: to share expertise on how best to work together to continue to accomplish great things in times of serious fiscal restraint. Tweets flew fast and furious and everyone committed to return to their workplaces to make a concerted effort to: • Connect via new technologies • Communicate more • Collaborate (collective input and thought) • Incubate (...

It doesn't matter if they are dandelions offered up by a toddler, lilacs snipped from the garden, wildflowers picked from the roadside or a bouquet from a florist. Most of the time, the flowers will droop after just a few days, but every now and then they seem to have a will to live. Simply top up the water in the vase and enjoy the flowers as they last and last. Shortly after Victoria Day, Mike greeted me at the airport with the flowers shown on my blog. Weeks later, the bouquet lives on. AWESOME!

This past week, I was amazed by the creativity behind two wedding invitations. Even before I opened the first invitation, it was clear that something was up. It arrived in bubble packing. Yes, my cousin and his fiancé, both of whom are avid cyclists, sent Specialized Purist™ water bottles as wedding invitations. Their ingenuity didn’t stop there. Apart from their names and wedding date, the water bottle sported a splash of the bride-to-be’s trademark pink, a hilarious comic strip and countless notes about awesome things. These are selections from the 250 notes my cousin’s fiancé wrote about him and then hid around their home. My favourites: “You are more awesome than wheelies.” and “You are more awesome than freshly sharpened pencils.” The water bottle’s insert featured plenty of humourous quips, such as instructions on appropriate attire , what not to throw (e.g., havarti, biscotti, confetti) and how to park a car. Thanks for the giggles, Chris and Gnat! When I shared that ...

Sweet. Colourful. Trendy. * Bite-sized yumminess topped with icing and sprinkles. AWESOME! * Cupcake shops such as Suzie’s Shortbreads  (Halifax) and Isobel’s  (Ottawa) have cropped up in recent years. Their creations are perfectly formed with buttercream peaks and fancy toppings. Even still, I prefer amateur creations like the ones shown on the right. Lauren and her roomies decorated dozens of these cupcakes with quirky and playful designs, including a few linked to NRC's research (e.g., a DNA strand).

There’s much satisfaction to be gained from successfully pulling off an event of any scale (e.g., a surprise party, a family reunion, a major fundraiser or a professional event). However, the larger events require skills galore. One must balance planning and project management skills with interpersonal savoir faire and in some cases even a solid understanding of workplace dynamics. A shout out to Cindy G. for so aptly juggling all of the above with the added pressure of protocols and heightened security for the Governor General’s visit to the National Research Council in Nova Scotia. His Excellency joined NRC president John MacDougall and researchers for a tour of a world-class facility to transform algae into fuel. A second ‘woot’ goes to Cindy G. and Lauren K. for organizing the 10th anniversary edition of Discovery Day, NRC’s largest science outreach event in Halifax. All that planning made for a smooth day of science fun for the students, teachers and volunteers. AWESOM...