Keeping On Top of Things

   Still  in the minus temperatures and only a couple of glimpses of sun, but no cold wind which is welcome. There's been a few snow showers, not amounting to much, but I put the car in the garage in case there is more overnight.

   Tennis this morning - Joan, Hendrina and Brian - we had two good sets and some fairly decent rallies. I felt I had a good workout. Home for just a few minutes before heading out with my packed lunch for Bridge class. That was over by 2:30 but I cleaned up the kitchen at the centre before leaving - it was in a bit of a mess so obviously someone had to leave in a hurry. At least it will be tidy when I am in there tomorrow afternoon. Picked up a new jigsaw puzzle and can't wait to get started on it, but I have another one on the go that I have to finish first.

   I have made an interesting version of one of my favourite dinners tonight. Tuscan chicken, but I skipped the chickpeas and artichokes and added green lentils to give it some substance. I was able to use  up some ingredients that had been lingering in the fridge which always feels good. Despite my small shopping last weekend I still have a very full freezer and shouldn't have to buy much again this week. My pension came today so I am feeling quite flush, but that will fade as the month progresses. I am saving up to pay for my river cruise in the Spring - more on that later!

More Like Winter

     Sunny all day but very cold. I think it was probably no higher than -5C but the sun did make it feel cheerier. I slept really well last night, not waking until 7:45. I had stayed up until after 11:00 p.m. watching a new episode of "Father Brown", so it was almost midnight before I put my head down. Right now I have the fire on and am sitting as close to it as possible - too cheap to turn up the heat as I was out most of the day and am going out again in an hour.

   Started off the day with my step workout tape - that warmed me up! Then a quick shower, packed myself a lunch and left for the Hava Java social at Calabria Bakery. I had a large cappuccino and a pastry, courtesy of RTO, and chatted with fellow members for an hour. Next stop was my Bridge group - one really good hand but most were not so great. Pinkie brought us each a slice of rice cake she had made for Chinese New Year, so generous of her. We all like treats. I had my lunch there and another coffee to drink with the rice cake. I think I will just have a bowl of soup for dinner but there will be tea and cookies after dancing tonight.

    Judy is taking the kids skiing at Brimacombe on Friday, a P.A. day for them and has invited me to join them. I am watching the weather  -if it's to be as cold as today I will give it a miss.

What I Ate Today

   A nice, easy day today - no rushing around, just a bit of kitchen clean-up and some ironing then a quick run to the store for fresh croissants where I also got some lemon ginger tea. Can`t wait to try it!

    Lighter on the food today - breakfast was a cheese and mushroom omelet, orange juice, toast and coffee. Later in the morning I put on a pot of vegetable soup for lunch. It had lots of chopped veggies (carrot, onion, potato and cabbage) and chicken stock, which I blended when cooked - no salt added! I ate that with a slice of cheese and a couple pf crackers. There will be enough to last me for lunches all week.

    During the afternoon I roasted a red pepper (they were really cheap this week) for my croissant lunches. I also used up a tub of sour cream (low fat, of course) to make an onion and chive dip which I had with celery and red pepper sticks and half a naan bread. Then dinner was a piece of salmon which I flavoured with honey and lemon - really tasty - with which I had corn and peas. No dessert but I might have a clementine later. I still have some chocolates left for a secret indulgence before bed!

More Busy, Busy

   I have been neglecting my blog mainly because I have been out for the past three nights at various Rabbie Burns events. Thursday was a demo at a retirement home and Friday was a roast beef dinner, complete with the `Address to the Haggis`, dancers, a sing-a-long of Scottish songs and a marvellous performer - a tenor with the most amazing voice who sang show tunes. I saw lots of old acquaintances and had a great time!

   Today I needed a rest from all that activity and also from overeating. I won a door prize at the Friday dinner - a box of chocolates, just the last thing I need after indulging all week, but I will eat them nevertheless!

   On Friday I had a meeting with Angela, the President of the Don Mills Tennis Club. I should have twigged I was being ambushed but didn`t have a clue until we had been talking for 10 minutes. Then it hit me that the executive of the club had decided to reduce the number of courts for Kaffeeklatsch, the program that I run. I protested vehemently but to no avail. It seems to be a done deal. Now I will have to cope with all the complaints from aggrieved members when they have to wait for a court! It`s a drop-in program and we usually have 6 courts. In the two summer months the Junior coach usually gets one court for his summer programs but now they have allocated him two courts. The Kaffeeklatsch members will not be pleased! When they complain (and they will) I will just refer them to Angela and let her deal with the flack.

   Just my usual Saturday activities (laundry, grocery shopping) plus a couple of household chores - I have really been neglecting things recently. My grocery bill was only $15 today, mostly fresh fruit and veg. I plan to eat parsimoniously this week and maybe lose a few pounds.

Busy, Busy

   I had a really good sleep last night after a couple of nights when I either had trouble dropping off, or woke up ridiculously early. Yesterday I woke at 5:00 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep. As a result I was nodding off in front of the TV by 9:00 p.m. So I headed up to bed and slept until 4:30 a.m., got up for a couple of minutes then went right back to sleep until 7:00 a.m. for a total of 10 hours!

   Just as well as I had a really busy day today, leaving for my first fitness class just before 9:00 a.m., then another half hour workout at 11:15 followed by my stint in the kitchen at the senior's centre. After I finished there I stopped off at my book club to mostly just listen to the others' comments even though I had read the book. It was "Punishment" by Lindon McIntyre. A good discussion.

   This evening I had one more demo and it went well although, again, I had trouble finding the location and then finding somewhere to park! I am really thinking about bowing out of the demo team - there're a few younger dancers joining so I won't feel I am letting the team down by leaving. We need 8-10 dancers for each demo.

    Now my feet are aching - I think I'll need to soak in the tub before I go to bed.

Disaster!

   I am such a doofus! I completely misunderstood the instructions from Muriel about cooking the haggis and it went spectacularly wrong. Suffice to say, it was like a rock instead of moist and juicy but people ate it any way so it can`t have been so bad. In the process of digging it out of its skin ( a tough job) the ladle snapped and the plate skidded onto the floor and broke. Luckily the haggis landed skin side down so I was able to retrieve it and refill the bowl. I am reheating the remains - the proper way - for my dinner tonight and hope it will taste better.

   Another doofus thing today - I was due at a demo this afternoon and left in lots of time but got completely lost. I saw a part of downtown that I had never been to before. I managed to arrive on time (barely, thank goodness I left early) but was quite shaken up with the stress of negotiating my way there. Luckily I didn`t have to do too many dances so pulled it off. Only two more demos this week and then I am done!

   Leftover haggis, mashed potatoes and cabbage for dinner and then a quiet time in front of the TV

Another Haggis Meal

    More haggis tonight - it's my Scottish dance group's Rabbie Burns night. After dancing for an hour,  the haggis will be piped in and addressed. Then it is eviscerated with a dagger and we all dive in for a taste. All very exciting!

"Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,

Great chieftain o' the puddin' race!

Aboon them a' ye tak your place.

Painch, tripe or thairm:

Weel are ye worthy of a grace

as lang's my airm.

    Another mild day - up to 4C and we had sun this afternoon. It was almost Spring like! I had to stop off at the library (a lost book to pay for) on the way to Bridge this afternoon, otherwise I would have walked there. Maybe next week.

    I have mashed potatoes to make to go along with the haggis and 'neeps (turnip) so better get going. 

First Haggis Meal

    We had a lovely meal at St. Paul's Church this morning before doing our demo. It was heavy on the Ceilidh dances which made it easy on us. Lots of youngsters in the audience and they were all keen to dance which is quite different from our usual audience in the retirement homes!

    On the way to the demo I picked up the haggis for Monday night - it was $50! I hope everyone enjoys it at that price. It is rather bigger than we usually get but we have some pretty enthusiastic haggis eaters in our group. We usually have about twenty attending Burn's night.

   Today's lunch was pretty substantial so I haven't eaten much for dinner tonight. In fact I heated up a bowl of soup but couldn't finish it, a first for me. Maybe some fruit or a cup of tea later.

This and That

   Not too many of the blogs I follow had an entry today but Elsa in Bulgaria can be relied on to always write something - and often with several photos. She`s snowed under at the moment.

   Meanwhile, in Canuck land we have mostly green grass and mild temperatures - it was 4C for most of today. Fitness class this morning, chatting with my friends and then a few items to pick up at the grocery store. I also had to pick up some disposable plates at the dollar store for Monday`s Burns Night supper. I  think we are all set as I dug up napkins and plastic knives and forks from my supply here at home. I will pick up the haggis tomorrow on the way to our next demo. All I have to do is make mashed tatties (potatoes) on Monday. Someone else will be bringing the `neeps (turnips).

   There was tennis from the Australian Open on TV this afternoon so that took up some time.  I watched the Trump inauguration as well but not for long. I also got started on typing up the Minutes from the last RTO meeting but will finish that on Sunday. Tomorrow will be a busy day.

A Meal Out - and I deserved it!

   I was out for most of the day again (saving on heating costs as I don't turn the heat up until I get home). It was another mild day but the sun we were promised failed to appear. Maybe tomorrow?

   Picked up a book from the library before going on to the Probus meeting. The speaker's subject today was "Does Canada Need a Defense Policy?" It was surprisingly interesting as he was an excellent speaker and there were lots of good questions after his talk, and the answer is: yes we do need a defense  policy but maybe not the one we have right now. Food for thought, for sure.

    A quick lunch and change into my demo clothes before heading over to the west end for today's demo. It was at Valleyview Retirement Home and, truth to tell, if I had known how far away it was, I wouldn't have volunteered to go! However, the residents enjoyed our performance and we had none of the problems at yesterday's show. In fact I think we were almost perfect!

   By the time I got home it was too late to take anything out of the freezer for dinner so, instead of trying to cobble together something from an almost empty fridge, I went over to Swiss Chalet for their Ribs and Chicken special. This was the last day - what perfect timing - and it was delicious!

On the Go

   No time for a proper post today as I am on my way out the last Petronella demo practice. The demo is next week! We had another demo this afternoon - not our best effort, the music was playing up and we got two dances mixed up. I doubt the retirement home residents noticed - one of them snoozed through most of the performance!

   Not much food today - a banana smoothie for breakfast, soup for lunch and half a dozen defrosted shrimp for dinner. I will make myself tea and a snack when I get home.

Miserable Day

   Everything coated with ice when I got up this morning although the freezing rain had been replaced by rain. The temperature never did get much above 1C all day. I went out in my jammies (covered with a warm coat) to put down some salt and had to hang onto the bushes to keep my feet! I made it to the garage and back again without falling and by the time I had to go out I was able to get the car out of the garage and get on my way without mishap.

    I left for the RWTO lunch just before 10:00 a.m. and once I got on the main roads the driving was OK as they had been well salted. I drove very carefully and was at "The Estates" by 10:30. I had to get the name tags laid out and stock the book sale table and the hardest part was lugging bags and boxes of books from the car in pouring rain. The next worst thing was getting everything back in the car after, in what felt like a gale!

    Book sales went well although quite a few people had decided to give the lunch a pass. A delicious salmon lunch with salad, potatoes and several vegetables followed by ice cream crepes and coffee - my first coffee of the day and I was really ready for it. The speaker was interesting and entertaining   despite the rather morbid topic - having someone reliable to speak for you if (or when) you become incapacitated. There were lots of questions so, obviously, it was a topic of importance to his audience!

   Still stuffed from lunch so will just have a light supper later on.

Blue Monday

.......and we had blue skies and above zero temperatures for most of the day so not depressing at all. This is supposed to be the saddest day of the year, a result of cold and overcast skies, weight gain due to overeating and the arrival of all the Christmas bills. However, none of the above are bothering me, so I am feeling quite chipper.

   I had some good hands at Bridge this afternoon and managed to make a few contracts. That's about it for today. I will be going out in about an hour so better get some dinner in me. Freezing rain forecast overnight so shall tuck the car away in the garage when I get home.

Light on the Food

    Still no sun but it did get above zero for a few hours. This week is supposed to be milder and not much in the way of snow. We are having a very easy January.

   I had a very light breakfast - half a banana, yogurt, coffee and a muffin - and just a bowl of my minestrone soup for lunch. In listing the ingredients for it yesterday I forgot to mention that I had fried up a couple of rashers of bacon and tossed that in at the last minute. It really enhanced the taste.

  Demo practice this after and I had to trail down to Grace Church on the Hill (yes, that really is its name!), a thirty minute drive. Usually it is 10 minutes. The practice was shorter today but I still felt exhausted when we were done. I think this may be my last year in the demo pool. Three demos this week and I really am not looking forward to them - another reason to give it up, but we will see.

   I have concocted a new recipe to use up the beans and tomatoes left over from yesterday's soup. I mixed them together, added some cheese and put some panko and parmesan on top. It's baking right now - I'll let you know how it turns out.

A Quiet Day at Home

   I've just checked all the blogs I follow and only a couple have new entries. I guess they are all busy with their lives. I like to keep up with my entries in case I have to go back and check what I have been up to.

   It was -7C this morning and, although it got up to -2 this afternoon, it was rather chilly and miserable. We haven't seen the sun for a few days which is depressing. However, I have managed to keep busy with errands and chores - my grocery bill today was almost $50, my first big shop since before Christmas. I really needed to restock! I got a lovely piece of salmon for 30% off which is now sliced into three fillets and in the freezer. Also chicken thighs were "on special" so that was another three cheap meals. Now the freezer is full again and should keep me going (apart from fresh fruit and veg) until the end of the month.

   I made a humungous pot of minestrone soup for lunch - it was very tasty with lots of veg (carrots, onion, celery, green beans and tomatoes), pasta and beans. After it was cooked I blended about a cupful to thicken it a bit. I used a can of mixed beans for the soup and picked out all the chickpeas to make hummus which I had with red pepper slices and naan. Very garlicky and lemony, just the way I like it.

   I decided not to go to the monthly dance tonight as demo practice is tomorrow afternoon and that would be too much dancing! So it's a night in front of the fire with the TV to keep me company - hope there's something decent to watch!

Friday the 13th.

   .....turned out to be a good day for me. The temperature was just below zero and the wind was from the north and quite strong, but I had good company over coffee at the Senior's Centre. Of course, we had to get through the Fitness class first!

    I stopped by the mall on my way home and got my hair cut. My hairdresser is so obliging, she took me almost right away - I had to wait 20 minutes so went over to the library and read magazines until she was ready. Then home for lunch (the last of the soup made from the carcass of the Christmas bird. Don't worry, it's been in the freezer since then). After a nap I organized the name tags for the RWTO lunch next Tuesday. This is a new job for me but turned out to be far easier than I thought - took me about an hour and a half. There will be 110 people attending and the speaker is our former Director of Education.

   Salmon for dinner tonight with peas and a potato which I will bake with cheese sauce. I broke down and had a cup of coffee and a muffin this afternoon (I don't usually have a snack between lunch and dinner) as a reward for working on the name tags. However, I mustn't make a habit of this as I still have a couple of pounds to shed from the holiday binge eating. Wish me luck!

Scalloped potatoes straight out of the oven - hope they taste as good as they look!

A Meal Out

     RTO meeting this morning so I had an early start. It was decidedly mild - more like a typical Scottish winter day although they are having significantly colder weather there this week. I arrived just shortly before 9:00 and was relieved to see coffee and muffins were already there! Later fruit arrived, making it well worth while to get there early.

   The meeting was over by 11:15 with only one contentious issue requiring a lengthy discussion. I had one errand to run immediately after, then met up with Donna and Bonnie for lunch at Remeggio's. Bonnie had minestrone soup and Caesar salad, Donna had the sole and I had delicious, crispy crab cakes with Caesar salad. Then we sat around with our coffees setting the world to rights before heading home.

    I picked up a package at the post office on my way - it was my new passport which I am relieved arrived safely. It was extremely easy to renew it by mail and, as I got the 10 year version, I probably won't ever have to renew it again.

   No need for dinner tonight - just a bowl of soup and some crackers and cheese - but I may have tea and a cookie just before I retire!

Back in the Kitchen

     Very mild this morning (3C) and the snow is more or less gone. It's so strange to see green grass at this time of year. Seemingly it was very windy overnight, trees down and power out in places - but I slept through the whole thing. There was even some sun this morning but it didn't last.

   I had a good workout at fitness class this morning and then it was an afternoon in the coffee shop. In between I nipped out to order the haggis for Burn's night at dance group on the 23rd. I got a 5lb. one as I think that will be enough for the 20 of us.

   My new passport is en route to me but I'm having trouble connecting with it. I got a note from the mail man that it was at the local post office - not there - he had tried to deliver it again today while I was out but I should be able to pick it up tomorrow.

   Petronella tonight to practice the rest of the demo dances. Carole is an excellent teacher but she has picked quite difficult dances so it has been a struggle and we only have two more practices. We will have to buckle down and really concentrate!

  

Shovelling Out

   Except for 2 hours (give or take) on the indoor tennis court, I have spent the day with a shovel in my hand. The snow is still coming down but I will now leave it until tomorrow as rain (or freezing rain) is forecast. The temperature has hovered around -3C all day so not too uncomfortable and the car is tucked away in the garage so that it`s not covered with a layer of ice when I want to go out tomorrow morning.

   The drive to Carol and Hendrina`s condo building this morning was rather sloppy but everyone was driving quite cautiously so I got there safely and on time. We had three good sets and I was able, with my partners` help, to be on the winning side in two of them. I had shovelled out the front path and a space for the car before I left so I continued with the rest of the driveway and the sidewalk when I got home. I had a big bowl of chicken soup (from the freezer) for lunch then a long nap - it was 3:45 when I woke up!

   More shovelling was called for - the rest of the driveway plus the part I had already shovelled which was covered with a fresh couple of centimetres. There was a lot of moisture in the air making the snow quite damp and heavy so my back has had a good workout. I should sleep well tonight despite my long nap.

First Day Back

   After a two week break the Senior's Centre opened today. I went there for bridge this afternoon and had some great hands. I will definitely choose the same seat in the future! Christine had some chocolates open on the sign-in desk - as if we didn't indulge enough over the holidays!

   A busy morning - step exercise video in my basement (almost an hour of exercise), some light chores and a trip to the library to pick up a new book and print off a couple of documents. Now I need just a quick meal (probably soup) before heading out for dance group around 7:00 p.m. We are expecting a dump of snow overnight so boots are called for. Not too cold today (around -5C) but quite a cold wind.

Short Days

    Still very chilly (didn`t get up past -8C) so the fire is on and I am home for the night beside it. I have been keeping track of the sunrise and sunset times and finally there has been some movement - we now have 5 extra minutes of daylight! It has been stuck at 9 hours since the winter solstice but, when I checked today, I found it is now 9 hours and 5 minutes (7:51 to 4:56). How does this compare to your part of the world.

   A few chores this morning and demo practice this afternoon. We are working on the dances for the Burn`s Night demos which are coming up in a couple of weeks. I`m looking forward to some delicious haggis! In fact I have to go and order one for the Monday night group as our noble leader is out of commission for the rest of the month.

   Chicken and broccoli casserole tonight and I found a good recipe on the internet, so must away and get it started.

Still Cold

    The cold start to the day didn't stop me from my usual Saturday activities. It got up to -5C this afternoon but was back down to -8C when I came home around 5:00 p.m. and is still dropping - could be down in the minus double digits again tonight. I'm presently watching a Peruvian cooking a guinea pig on the food channel. Yuk!! I had it when I was in Cuzco but wasn't told what I was eating until afterwards. It was very bony and didn't taste of much but it is a delicacy there.

    I had a ticket for the Verdi opera, "Nabucco", this afternoon - what a great production! It was part of the "Live at the Met" series and the best I've seen so far this season. The chorus of the Hebrew Slaves got an encore. Very moving - check it out on You Tube.

   I defrosted a few shrimp for dinner - I had them in a cheese sauce with vegetables left from last night. It was the easiest dinner I could think of at the last moment and it was very tasty!

An Indoor Day

   A very cold start to the day (-12C) and it didn't warm up much in spite of the sun shining. It's going to be colder again overnight (still no snow) but not quite as cold tomorrow. I didn't venture out, other than a trip to the composter, just kept myself busy indoors. A bit more painting, finished my jigsaw puzzle and got on with my current book. There's a book waiting for me at the library but I won't pick it up until later in the week. The gas fire's on and the family room is nice and cozy.

    I made soup for lunch today and there's a piece of salmon for dinner. I am cooking up some turnip although I don't think it's a perfect match for salmon, but there will be peas as well. Tomorrow I will weigh myself and see if I have lost any of the three pounds I put on over the holiday season.

So very cheery!

Braving the Cold

   Very cold today but still no snow, thank goodness! The wind was bitter and I had to sprint from the car to the community centre for Mah Jong. We played for a couple of hours (I`m finally getting the hang of it) then switched to Bridge when the others went home.

   Bonnie was my partner again and we really had terrible cards although I did have one good hand when I bid and made a 4 Spade contract. I also went down badly on No Trump. I hate playing a no trump contract!

   Home for 3:30 and have just been relaxing since then, reading and working on my current jigsaw puzzle. Will get stuck into some chores tomorrow and do some more painting. Back to my usual schedule next week.

Keeping Busy

   I don`t feel like writing today so will keep it short and sweet. After two mild but rainy days we are back in the ice box. -6C all day but now dropping fast into the minus double digits and very windy. I don`t feel like going outdoors but had to venture out with the recycling as it was overflowing.

   I finished my paint project this afternoon and now have to get bundled up to attend my Wednesday dance group. We are learning the dances for Burn`s night so I must get going. At least we haven`t had any more snow so it won`t be hazardous driving. Talk again soon!

Drizzling

    It was 4C, foggy and raining when I got up this morning and it stayed that way all day. It will cool off overnight with a strong wind so hopefully it won't be an icy start to the morning. I don't have anywhere I have to be until the evening so will just hunker down at home until the roads are safe to drive.

   Tennis this morning and I managed three sets and was on the winning side for two. But now I am quite stiff and sore so may have overdone it. I resolve to pace myself better next time.

   I went to a movie in the afternoon, "La La Land", very good, great music and dancing. I would highly recommend it. A much better experience than last week but still very busy as the schools are still out. The movie theater was almost full but I went a bit early and got a good seat. People were still streaming in even after the movie started. Now it's just an evening in front of the TV.

  

A Fresh Start

  Sunny again this morning and the snowbanks are receding. Water is running down the gutter so it is almost like Spring. It clouded aver around noon but I had already had my walk and had sat outside for half-an-hour. The sun really had some warmth to it.

   I spent the afternoon painting the baseboard in the basement. First the sanding, then a wipe with a damp cloth and finally the paint. I ran out of steam before I was finished (my knees were getting stiff and sore) but I will get the paint out again later in the week. There is another little job I need to do down there. I always feel the need to do something extra around the house as we enter the New Year. I think this is a holdover from my childhood when my mother would compulsively clean the house from top to bottom before the last day of the year so as to have a fresh start.

   Last night's brussell sprouts turned out well and the leftovers will go in tonight's chicken pot pie. This is an attempt to use up the last of the stuffing before it becomes too potent to eat. I have to be careful with leftovers as I tend to let them hang around too long. I've had a few tummy upsets as a result - not very pleasant!

Finally, Sun!

  Glorious sun today! I finally got the last of the ice chipped off the driveway and even sat out in the sun for half-an-hour. I also covered the outdoor air conditioning unit, a chore I should have done several months ago but...better late than never! It`s now protected from the elements for the rest of the winter.

   Apart from a trip to the grocery store yesterday and a half-hour walk around the neighbourhood today, I have barely been out of the house all weekend. Luckily I have a really good book on the go - `Òther People`s Children`by Joanna Trollope. I found it on my basement bookshelf the other day and hadn`t realize I hadn't read it. I probably picked it up at the Probus book exchange.

   Another surprise yesterday - I thought I had eaten up all the leftovers from the Christmas meal but found a container full of stuffing at the back of the fridge. Yesterday I fried some of it up with half an onion and today I will eat some more with a piece of salmon. I am also roasting some brussell sprouts in oil, cider vinegar and maple syrup, a recipe I found on the internet. It also called for bacon bits but I think they will still taste great without it.