Hallowe'en

   Another chilly day with a strong north wind. Forgot to buy Hallowe'en candy while I was at Walmart so will just turn off the lights and pretend no one's home Naughty me!

  Nothing much to write about so here are some more photos from my holiday.

The Cavtat boat heading for Dubrovnik. A view from the peninsula.

Looking across the harbour at Cavtat, the nearest town to the hotel. The water was very clean and clear.

Folk Dancers at the Folklore Festival in Cilipi.

On the Go

   Very cold and blustery today with a high of only 8C. There was a bit of sun in the morning but otherwise overcast.

   Out by 8:40 this morning for my dental appointment - just a cleaning - then straight to Hava Java. I was in charge of registering everyone as Donna is on a cruise. We had 23 participants and they seemed to enjoy the atmosphere and the coffee. Two new members.

   Straight from there to Bridge. It was nice to be back with my usual foursome and my partner and I had some good hands. Then home for a nap but I didn`t sleep so I should have no trouble dropping off tonight. I have managed to get hold of a copy of the book we are discussing at Book Club on Thursday but I doubt I will have it finished by then.

    Scottish Country dance group tonight. I hope Nigel teaches some of the dances we will be expected to know at the next dance as I have missed so many sessions. Just fish with spinach in a butternut squash and curry sauce for dinner tonight - one of my favourite flavours. It`s a nice light meal when I have to rush out and be active.

Kotor, Montenegro

   Cold and rainy today but I had several errands to run this morning so, needs must. The bank, the liquor store, the Bulk Food store, the grocery store and the drug store. I was home by noon and read and napped the afternoon away. 

   I found the photos I loaded to the computer yesterday and have picked out some from my favourite excursion - to Kotor in Montenegro. It was a longish journey complicated by long waits at the border, but the scenery was magnificent, lakes surrounded by mountains!

The Cathedral Square

The harbour from the city walls.

Rant

   I opened up an avocado today and it was completely rotten inside. I only bought it yesterday, shows how much I know about choosing avocados. That was a waste of $1.49!

   So have spent the afternoon waiting for the Enercare guy to come and give my furnace its once a year clean. The appointment was for 3:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. What's the chance he will come just before 7:00? Pretty good!

   It was a rather chilly day (high of 13C) and that is supposed to be the warmest day for the next week. I have put away all my lighter fall clothes and got out my winter woollies. The sun did shine for a while this afternoon but has already set behind the houses. It was great to get back to my Fitness class this morning and to chat with the other fit ladies over a coffee after. I had a lot of catching up to do since I have missed the last two weeks of classes.

   I spent some time loading all my holiday photos somewhere onto my computer so will post a couple today (if I can find them).

View from my hotel room over to Dubrovnik (centre left)

Dubrovnik old city from the cable car. The harbour on the left is where the boat from the hotel docked. I walked the city walls one afternoon - marvellous views!

Vacation's End

  Arrived back home after a long tiring day. We had a 6:00 a.m. wake up call at the overnight hotel near Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, left there at 8:00 a.m. for our 11:30 flight, and arrived in Toronto at 2:30 this afternoon. There's a 6 hour time difference in there so now it is well past my bedtime but it is still light outside! More news of my trip tomorrow.

A Tiring but Productive Day

  Too late and too tired for a real post so here's what I did today.
  
   7:45 - left for the tennis club to set up and run our final day and Pot Luck lunch. Played two sets.

11:30 - lunch, speeches and lucky draws (I didn't win anything)

1:15 - finished the tidy up and close down of the courts. Left but stopped in at the library to pick up a book.

1:45 - nap

3:00 - refilled the now empty bins with garden refuse

3:50 - left for the cinema to see "Victoria and Abdul". It is both funny and touching. Go see it!

6:30 - home for a meal of sandwiches left over from lunch and a bowl of soup.

7:00 - check my e-mails and blogs, TV and then bed. Tomorrow is packing day and I head to the airport around 3:30 p.m.

See you when I get back!

A BIG Disappointment

   Rain overnight but still very mild. It got up to 20C this afternoon.

   I had just got the roasted potatoes in the oven (my contribution for our holiday lunch) when I was struck with a stomach bug - so no Thanksgiving dinner for me today. I had to settle for soup and crackers instead. Steve and Alison came by on their way to Judy's and picked up the roasties. They looked so good I was tempted to sample one but decided that would not sit well in my stomach. Such a dismal day for me!

   I spent the rest of the morning reading and sleeping. I actually felt a bit better by the afternoon and was able to get out and bring in all the green tomatoes left on the vines. There were about twenty and will sit in the sun on a tray so they should be ripe by the time I get back in two weeks. I have also brought in some of the outdoor plants just in case there's a frost while I am away.

Getting Ready for Departure

   Didn't manage the third (hardest) Sudoku in the morning paper - had to give up after two tries. The first had a mistake I couldn't fix. Very frustrating. 

   I went over to the tennis courts early despite a strong wind and dark clouds. Luckily Stan arrived at the same time as me and we hit for at least half an hour. Later Kathy and Iona arrived so we were able to play a set. Stan and Iona beat us handily but I was too tired by then to make any effort against the wind. I was desperate for a coffee and had a soak in the tub and a nap when I got home.

    The rest of the day has been sunny and warm and I got a bit more tidying in the garden. The grass is cut and the bins are now full and ready for pickup. Donna came over ( so I had to tidy the house) with the binder I need to run the next Hava Java social on Oct. 30. She is to be on holiday but I will be back the week before so it will all work out.

   Salmon and peas for dinner. I had celery soup with crackers and cheese for lunch and a few cherry tomatoes from the garden. I will need to bring in the green tomatoes tomorrow in case there is a frost while I am away. There should be lots.

Something From Across the Seas

   A very late start, almost 9:00 a.m. before I surfaced.  I had a slow morning - laundry, batch of celery soup on the go and cleaned the kitchen. I did get out to the grocery store for some fresh fruit and vegetables but only spent $11!

   I found a reduced price lamb shoulder chop so that was dinner, and very tasty it was too, braised with a bit of marsala wine. Not only was it 30% off, I got 500 PC points as well to spend later. So, all in all, quite an inexpensive meal.

    A birthday card arrived yesterday from my brother in Johannesburg - their postal service is erratic to say the least. I have given up mailing things to him. But the card was very special so I'm glad it got here safely and just a wee bit late.

Summer and Fall Activities Clashing

   A little rain overnight, just enough to wet the tennis courts so it was a late-ish start today. I went to the Gentle Fit class first, really just to register and show that I wouldn't be there for the next two weeks. I did the stretching and warm-up exercises then left for tennis. I had two good sets with four good players and had some excellent shots. Overall, a satisfying morning.

    I had to take a drive down to Kingston Road this afternoon to deliver the name tags for the next RWTO lunch to Peggy. She is going to do my job while I'm away. The traffic was building up as everyone was heading home or out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend so I didn't stay long at Peggy's. Home by 4:15 p.m.

   Salmon and vegetables for dinner - I'm trying to use up perishables in the fridge and won't buy very many groceries tomorrow. I will have to make some soup but will freeze whatever I don't eat by next Wednesday.

Lunch Out, Zumba and Book Club

   Lunch with Judy today - a late birthday present and an opportunity to catch up on their news. We met at Red Lobster which is near her school and I had sole and broccoli and she had The Captains Catch which was a piece of fish and garlic shrimp.

  I went from there to my Zumba class but only stayed for the first half as this was also RTO Book Club. We had a great turnout and got to air our views on "Orphan #8". Not a book I particularly liked or would recommend but there were some interesting opinions on the subject matter.

   Another nice sunny day but it has now clouded over so I hope there won't be rain tomorrow for our penultimate Kaffeeklatsch. Sean and Angela are going to run things so I don't have to rush out and battle with the traffic!

   Just homemade minestrone soup and grilled cheese for dinner after my lunch out. Still trying to keep the weight down.

Getting Signed Up

   The Fall programs started this week at the Senior's Centre and I got into all my requests. Tuesday I have Bridge lessons, Wednesday is Stretch and Strength , Thursday is Zumba Gold (that one is very hard to get into and, right off the bat, I am going to miss the first three classes) and Friday is Gentle Fit. As well I play Bridge with friends on Monday afternoons so I am busy with something every day - just the way I like it!

   Overcast and rainy today but still very mild. I managed to walk to and from my job at the coffee bar without getting wet but I had my umbrella with me just in case. It was a bit busier today as the Line Dancing and Drawing classes were all going so the time went by fast. 

   We had rather a contentious AGM at the tennis club last night and, in a momentary lapse, I volunteered to be the clubhouse convenor! I hope it doesn't require too big a commitment. I thought that being on the executive might be the way to make some changes to the programs - we shall see! Plus no one else was willing to take it on so I was acclaimed. It is just a summer club so I'm sure I can make it through the five months the club is running.

   The trees have still not acquired their Fall colours but the leaves are falling fast. Soon it will be time to start raking.

October Begins

    Beautiful day although it started out cool - 8C. By the time I got to the tennis courts it was considerably warmer and it didn't take me long to strip off a couple of layers. We played for almost an hour and a half but Kathy and Ohm were the winners 6-4. I was just glad we didn't have to play a tie break!

   Another treat today - my breakfast present from Starbucks. I took my own coffee and had a sausage, cheddar and egg in a muffin, very tasty. My friend from dance group, Karen, came by walking her dog and caught me out front cutting back a bush so we chatted for a while. Her dog is so cute! Then lunch, a nap and a walk up to the library for my books, and I've been reading ever since. My kind of day!