Another House Guest

   Another guest arrived today.

A Lizard. She is hiding under the large rock and doesn't seem to do anything. She eats live meal worms and crickets but I have yet to see her eat anything. Maybe she is more active at night.

   The family have gone to their trailer for the long weekend so it's just me, Holly and the lizard.

Heating Up

   Things muddle along with my houseful of guests. This was the grandkids last day of school before the summer break. They all got reasonably good report cards. It was a half day for them and a friend invited them for an afternoon at her pool (unlike me she keeps it well heated), and they got home around 5:30.

    Tomorrow they have no school but Judy has to go in for the morning to tidy her room. Then it will truly be vacation time!

    I had just over an hour of tennis this morning but it was blisteringly hot and I came home very red in the face and just a bit nauseated. We had a very tight match - played a tiebreak at 5-5 (we were all just too hot by then) and Kathy and Paul won 7-5. I was just relieved I was able to walk off the court!

    I had a nice cooling swim when I got home - the pool is in the mid 70'sF but still refreshing. Then I met some Probus friends for lunch, vegetable quesadillas, then home for a nap. Since then I have been reading my new book which I think I will thoroughly enjoy.

Fun With Friends

    Cat is using my new furniture as a scratching post. Scream!! We have a spray bottle handy to discourage her but it isn't really working. 

   I had a quiet weekend as the family were at their trailer. Now it's all steam ahead until Friday when they depart again for the weekend. The kids are still in school this week so I don't really see too much of them.

   My Bridge group was here for "Afternoon Tea" today as the Senior's Centre where we usually play is closed this week. We played two rubbers of Bridge then stopped for tea and treats, then back to the cards again. It was after 3:00 p.m. when we finally stopped. I am still stuffed as I overindulged as usual. Not much supper tonight.

Having Company

   One of my house guests. Her name is Holly and she is just under one year old. She is the perfect guest - very undemanding as long as you feed her and play with her occasionally!

I managed to distract her with one of her favourite toys.

Weekend chores

   Did my good deed today. I had a very full grocery cart this morning (family coming to stay tomorrow while their house is being renovated) so I let the next two people in line go in front of me. They only had a couple of items. The lineups at my grocery store, even on the weekends, are never very long so I don't mind waiting a bit.

   Gardening chores this afternoon. Trimmed the bushes by the front walk as all this rain has made them flourish unreasonably. I still need to buy some more veggies, perennials and plants to put in my hanging baskets but will wait until Monday as the Garden Centres are usually very busy on the weekends. 

Dinner on a Shoestring

   As suggested earlier, I sat on my hands and didn't volunteer for anything new at the RTO meeting today. It was decided that each member of the Executive would take a turn of recording the Minutes - we'll see how that works out!

    It has rained pretty well all day today with a brief thunder storm this afternoon. I did manage a walk between showers and it was nice and fresh. It's stopped now and, if it stays dry overnight, I should get to play tennis tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

   Here's tonight's dinner - just a light one as I stuffed myself with muffins at the meeting this morning - they were fresh out of the Cedarbrook oven and quite yummy. Dinner started with this rather unappetizing bacon from the freezer,

…….but ended up looking like this. I will have it with a salad.

First BBQ of the Season

   Spent the morning at the tennis club and cut the front grass this afternoon - that's about it for me today. I am reading a really good book at the moment so that filled in the rest of the afternoon - "The Death of Mrs. Westaway" by Ruth Ware. She also wrote "The Woman in Cabin 10" which I read and enjoyed last year.

   I got my little table top BBQ set up on my front porch later in the afternoon and will cook some chicken legs on it for dinner tonight. They are marinating in a spicy and sticky sauce and should be very tasty! On the porch it is handy for the kitchen and doesn't take up much room - perfect when cooking for one.

The chicken on the grill - can't wait to grab one and munch!

A Couple of New Finds

   Last week, on garbage pickup day, one of my neighbours had this lamp sitting at her curb. I wandered by and asked her if it worked - she was working in her garden - so now it is mine! It is perfect for when I am reading in my new chair.

   

     I had some books to donate to Value Village last week and received a 20% off coupon so bought a new (to me) toaster oven to replace my rather battered but well used one. It is so useful when cooking small meals. Tonight I will use it to broil a piece of fish for dinner.

An Indoor Day

   Miserable day, cold and rainy, but as I was at the Senior's Centre most of it, I wasn't too put out. I gave in and turned the heating back on this afternoon as I was just so chilled. Tomorrow is supposed to be more summery.

   I spent an hour this afternoon sorting through the bins of books from the RWTO used book sale. Some I am keeping to start us off in September, some will go to the Senior's Centre and the rest will go to Value Village. I will get a coupon to spend there so I will have a mooch around and see what's new. I am meeting Donna for lunch at "Rosemary and Thyme" on Friday and it's in the same plaza, so will kill two birds with one stone!

   Next week is the RTO meeting and I have agreed to make the arrangements as my (truly) last act as Secretary. No one else has volunteered to take over but, as the next meeting isn't until September, perhaps someone will be found over the summer to take on the job!

   I have been working hard in the garden this week and almost have a bed ready to plant the potatoes that Judy gave me. The soil is pure clay which made it such hard work, but I will add some compost and lighter soil to make it more manageable. It's where my raspberry bushes used to be - no wonder they didn't thrive! I have moved them closer to the fence so hope they like that location better.

The End of the Chicken

     Yesterday's dinner. I have finally finished the whole chicken I cooked last Sunday. Two nights eating the legs and wings, one meal of the breast in gravy, one chicken salad and two meals when I made chicken rissoles from the rest of the breast meat. Phew!

    I also made a pot of barley soup using the carcass and it is still on the go, so several more lunches. That's pretty good for an $8 chicken!

I usually buy the Halal birds as they are quite a bit less expensive than the regular birds and taste just as good. In fact, I think they are juicier.

   Having said all that, I don't think I will be cooking chicken again for a while!