Snowed In Again!

    Huge blizzard hovering over this part of the continent and we have already received about 30 cms. of the white stuff. It started snowing overnight and has continued all day so who knows how much of the white stuff will have accumulated by the time it stops? The wind is also very strong blowing the snow into immense drifts. 

    I went out with the snowblower this afternoon and cleared the driveway but it will need to be done again tomorrow. First I had to dig a path to the front and back doors before I could even get the snowblower out and my hands were already frozen before I even started. So, after a warm up I was out again, this time I got it done. I will plug in the battery before I go to bed so it is ready in the morning. Luckily I don't have to be anywhere tomorrow (my Bridge game has been cancelled) but I hope the snow plough comes round to clear the road as I would like to be out by Tuesday. 

   It is supposed to be cold all week, never getting much above -10C. With the strong winds it feels much colder but not as bad as some parts of Northern Ontario and the Prairie provinces who are experiencing extreme wind chill temperatures!

Digging Out

      After a few mild Spring-like days we got a double whammy - frigid temperatures and a huge dump of snow. The schools were closed and people were asked to avoid any unnecessary travel. I didn't have to be told twice as I was well and truly home bound!

   This was yesterday. The temperature was in minus double digits all day and it snowed and snowed. We ended up with about 30 cms. which my little snowblower has a hard time handling. In fact some of the drifts were even deeper. The snow stopped around 3:00 p.m. and I went out to make a start on clearing it but only managed a path to the driveway and back door. The driveway itself defeated me and there was no way I could drive through so much snow. So, today, the family came over to dig me out. 

   It took three of them less than an hour to clear my route to the street (Judy on the snowblower and the two guys with shovels) so I was able to get back on schedule. The side roads and highways were quite clear but still some slippery spots so I drove cautiously. I was surprised how many people actually made it to the Seniors Centre - my ultimate destination. Yesterday, seemingly, it was a ghost town. The only person who arrived for their class came by public transit. Those buses can get through anything!

   There's more snow in the forecast but, hopefully, not as much. And the temperature is a balmy -4C!

Hint of Spring

    It got up to 7C today, the sun was shining and the snow piles were melting (a bit). Tomorrow, more of the same but with rain. 

   More like a mid-winter thaw which we get from time to time, and the weather will revert to more seasonal temperatures by the middle of next week - an overnight temperature of -11C is forecast on Wednesday. I made the most of it by clearing the last of the ice from the freezing rain off the driveway and just enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. 

   I had a Zoom meeting this morning but managed to escape with a flimsy excuse just before noon. Then it was a quick trip to the electronics store as I am getting set up with a new cell phone that has all the "bells and whistles". lt will take me a while to get up to speed on all the new stuff. The sales person was very helpful and even got me a better price than my previous company which is always welcome. 

    Some boneless chicken thighs for dinner tonight which I will have with some eggplant parmigiana which I made yesterday - so tasty! I have restocked the freezer, just need to make some ready meals and I will be set for a month or two.

Happy New Year!

     I woke to a beautiful sunny day with a glorious white sparkling covering of snow, but......oh, so cold! This is often the way - when the skies are clear the temperature drops dramatically. Today started at -14C and only got up to -9C so it was mostly an indoor day for me. I did spend half an hour clearing the driveway and the exercise did keep me warm, but I was happy to come inside for lunch and a piping hot bowl of tasty soup.

   I had a very small weekly shop yesterday as I am trying to eat out of the freezer this week. I figured it was a good opportunity to make sure nothing is lurking in there from days gone by and I will start to restock it in a week or two. Yesterday was the last piece of fish and today the last two chicken thighs are roasting with some vegetables. There is still some ground beef to use up and bacon slices so that will take me through the weekend. Also, I have pretty much used up all the alcohol purchased for the Christmas and New Years celebrations so plan to have a "dry" January. I was invited to the Markham family on Tuesday and took the last bottle of red wine as grandson was cooking a brisket - his claim to fame, he is an aspiring chef - and it was very tasty. 

   As far as New Year resolutions go, my main one is to plan to downsize from a house to a flat or condo. This past year I have found the upkeep of the house, and especially the garden, has been a bit overwhelming so will try to get my head around living in a smaller space. And getting rid of the accumulation of junk acquired over the 27 years since my last move!

   

Snowed In!

    Lots of fun yesterday when the family (daughter and hubby, and three grandkids) were over for the Christmas meal. Everything went smoothly with only a couple of mis-steps, and lots of leftovers for me to eat in the coming days. I did send half of the plum pudding and some custard home with them as it was a big one. Gifts were exchanged although we had agreed to keep it simple this year, and quite a bit of wine consumed by the adults. Oldest grandson has reached drinking age but declined to indulge as he hasn't acquired a taste for it yet. Plus he was the "designated driver"!

   It started snowing and blowing a hooley early this morning so I haven't ventured outside. The snow is piling up on doorsteps and around windows, making any excursion outside pretty near impossible. It should stop soon and I will try to go outside tomorrow and view the damage, and see if I will be able to clear it with my little snowblower. It will depend on how deep the drifts are. Luckily I don't have to go anywhere until Monday. By that time the roads should be cleared. Meanwhile I have a new puzzle on the go and some books to read.

    It looked like we were going to have a green Christmas but it snowed overnight, very wet and heavy but, luckily, only a couple of inches, so not too much of a struggle to clear the driveway to get the car out. It should hang around for at least a couple of days. 
I had a couple of last minute errands to run today but I think (and hope) I have everything for the Christmas guests. 

   

     Had to post today so that I could include my favourite Christmas song which no one else seems to favour - Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas".

Snow And More Snow

    It started yesterday so I shoveled that. Then more overnight and I was out at 8:30 as I had somewhere to go and needed a path for my car, but it was still snowing. Got home around 1:00 p.m. and after lunch and a nap I was out again to clear off enough room on my driveway to park the car. I will finish the rest of the driveway after I post this. Snow is forecast several times over the next few days so this is far from the last of the shoveling for December. Some years we hardly get any snow until after New Year! And then there are still three more months of the darn stuff. The only positive aspect was that it wasn't very cold, around the freezing mark, but it is forecast to be -12C overnight tonight which is why I want to get it done now.

  I had some help, one of the neighbour's kids, which made a big difference but she (yes, it was a girl) has her own driveway to keep clear, so I can't count on her always showing up. Now I am in a quandary whether to pay her as she is still in High School so is probably saving for further education. I will wait and see how often she helps me then give her something although she very well might refuse it.

    Friends from the Seniors' Centre had planned a meal out today but, sensibly, we cancelled as the roads were really quite slippery. We'll reschedule at a later date although it's always hard to find a day when everyone is available. In any case we all had a huge feast last Friday at the Mandarin buffet so can do with skipping the overeating for a few more days!

The RODEO Ladies Eat Spanish

    After a quiet week of eating at home I have two meals out this week. Today the ladies who lunch ate at Tapagria Restaurant in Markham, just a short drive from our base. It was a very quiet room, not particularly Spanish in decor but charming nonetheless. We ordered Tapas to share - our group of four chose Jambon Croquets, beef empinadas and Scallops Rothschild. It wasn't a great amount of food but very tasty. The other group had similar but also battered squid rings. They looked delicious and we wished we had ordered them too! The most interesting event was the table of 8 next to us ordered a paella which arrived at the table in a huge pan into which they all delved with gusto. Next time that will be our choice!

    Tomorrow (doesn't that always happen, two in a row) the Seniors will be at The Mandarin buffet for the Christmas lunch. I must be careful not to overdo it so I will wear a snug pair of pants to remind me to watch the portions. There will be much jollity, loads of prizes and a sing-a-long, so it will be a fun afternoon.

   It has been really cold this week (I believe tonight it may go down to -12C) with a bitter wind and some snow but not too much. We will soldier on regardless and just keep well wrapped up. 

Looking Back Over a Busy Week

    It's been a busy week and I had to go back to my social calendar to make sure I didn't miss anything.

   We had a new player join us at Bridge on Monday and she's coming again tomorrow , so far, so good. But she does normally play at another table so we will just have to see how long that lasts. Tuesday was the monthly meeting of RWTO and it was a Christmas lunch of turkey, stuffing etc. with Carolers for the entertainment. We don't meet in December.

   Wednesday was my usual stint in the kitchen at the Seniors' Centre and it was quieter than usual as the fitness classes were cancelled. But it was also the first day of the Christmas Bazaar which brought in a few extra people. I didn't bring any money so avoided buying anything - trying to declutter! 

   Thursday was another lunch and Craft sale. Only bought some home made marmalade but there were some lovely crafts so it was fun to look around. The meal was good, too - roast beef and a mound of vegetables, all beautifully cooked.

   On Friday I had a ticket for the theatre and was supposed to meet friends for dinner beforehand but I wasn't feeling great so arranged to meet them at the theatre. Unfortunately, I lay down for a short nap and promptly fell asleep and nearly missed the show. Had a horrendous rush to get there and had to sit at the back for the first act, then got my (front row) seat after the intermission. The play was "so-so".

   Friday was also my granddaughters' 18th birthday but we put off getting together as we were both busy. So we went out for brunch today instead. It was nice to get her on her own as her brothers tend to take centre stage at family gatherings.

    Phew! That was one busy week and, truth be told, too much over eating. I will have to cut back from now until  the lead up to Christmas! 

Wine Tasting

   Yesterday I hosted the November meeting of the Wine tasting group. It was lots of fun with 9 of us trying out 5 wines and voting on their merits using a chart to check different attributes. This was only the second meeting of our group but was definitely the most fun-filled as you can imagine after tasting all the wines. There's quite a bit of wine left over so I will be enjoying it for the next few days.

   The theme I had chosen was "Wines from the southern hemisphere" and someone did guess correctly. The most popular wine was an Australian Shiraz, Jacob's Creek Double Barrel 2022, and the most expensive (which actually came in third most popular) was a Pinot Grigio from New Zealand, Oyster Bay. There were also wines from South Africa, Argentina and Chile. Our next meeting will be in January. Looking forward to that. 

   Today has been chilly with a few flurries so I have had a quiet day at home. I have started soaking the fruit for the Christmas plum pudding which I will start next Sunday. Funny to be already thinking about Christmas but the days and weeks will fill up quickly with seasonal activities, no doubt. 

Still Very Wintery

    The snow has finally stopped falling and, with a temperature of 4C today, has mostly disappeared. However, we are due some more tomorrow which is disheartening.

   I happened to be in the drug store this morning and noticed there was space at the counter so asked if I could get my shots. I basically snuck in between people who had made an appointment. So I opted for both the 'flu shot and Covid so that's done and dusted. Seemingly, the flu shot isn't targeting the current strain of the virus but I'm sure it's better than nothing. No side effects so far, I don't usually have any.

   My Monday Bridge group met yesterday for the first time since last Spring, but just three of us. We managed to coerce someone to be our fourth player and had a nice afternoon so will try again next week.  Usually there are a few people whiling away the time there, let's hope we are lucky again. Huge turnout at the Tuesday Bridge group, we needed an extra table to accommodate everyone who showed up despite (or maybe because of) the lousy weather. We had 11 tables!

Snow!

    It has been snowing all day here and, although at first it wasn't accumulating on the ground, now there are a good two inches of the stuff. I finally ventured out to clean off my car and put it in the garage as I definitely wasn't going anywhere any time soon. I do have to go out tomorrow, just hope the snow has started to melt by then. It's just too early for this kind of weather!

   Last Thursday the ladies who are eating their way around the world had a lovely lunch at a Russian place. It was called "Stroganoff" and that was what several of us had. My version was dumplings in a mushroom sauce which I had with a bowl of tasty soup - lots of meat and pickles in it. Other popular items were veal fillets stuffed with vegetables, and borscht. All very filling and another interesting outing. Next month is "S" so we are headed to a Spanish Tapas bar where we will have shared plates of tapas. I hope there are lots with fishy fillings as that was what I usually chose when in Spain on vacation.

   Dinner tonight is a warming bowl of Butter chicken with naan so that will keep the cold out. It was really easy (and inexpensive) to make with a little curry powder and, of course, a generous knob of butter!

Crafts and Gardening

   I am struggling to see while writing this as I have misplaced my reading glasses and one leg fell off my spare pair so they are balanced precariously on my nose. Have not appreciated how much my eyesight has deteriorated with age! Tomorrow I will have to shop at the dollar store for a replacement pair. Luckily they aren't too expensive there.

   Retired teachers' lunch today and very nice (if simple) it was. A salad, ham, roasted veggies and scalloped potatoes, with a very decadent chocolate and cream dessert with coffee for afters. It was also our annual craft show and, although I didn't buy anything (trying to de-clutter) it was fun to walk around and admire all the talented crafts that some of our members have undertaken.

   As the weather still remains quite mild and pleasant, I have been able to clear out most of the beds prior to winter. I still need to cut back some bushes but that can wait until all the other chores are done. Today I dug up most of the ever-spreading mint and some chive plants that threatened to overtake one bed. Next month that's where I'll plant the over wintering garlic. and let it sleep until Spring.

Thanksgiving and More

    This is Thanksgiving weekend here (not to be confused with the American Thanksgiving which, I believe, is in November) and the weather cooperated beautifully!

    I had already had one Thanksgiving meal with my friend Susan last Saturday, Swiss Chalet rotisserie chicken instead of turkey and all the trimmings. Yesterday was the "proper" meal at my daughter's house - pumpkin soup followed by a whole turkey cooked on the barbecue by son-in-law, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy and a couple of interesting salads (kale and quinoa and mango), plus my roast potatoes and more roasted veggies. Oldest grandson made a pumpkin pie and there was also apple crumble but I don't know who made that. As you can imagine I was pretty stuffed by the final course and had to leave early for a nap before I dozed off and disgraced myself. It was a full house, both grandmas, one uncle as well as the resident parents, the two students home for the weekend and youngest grandson. Much jollity ensued!

   Today was a much cooler and overcast day but nevertheless, more fun at the tennis club with some light exercise on the courts followed by a pot luck lunch. The food was plentiful (especially desserts, why is that?) and I wanted to try everything. I even brought some home and I am sure there will be leftovers on tap tomorrow for our last day before the courts close for the season. 

   It may take me a few days to work off all that overeating but, fortunately, no meals out are planned until next Tuesday so I should have recovered by then. My goal for the next few days is to just eat sparingly and only when I am hungry!

   

Ringing in the Changes

     I didn't go to tennis today as it had rained overnight and the courts would have been quite wet. it was a shame as next week is the end of the season at the outdoor club. After our last day on October 14th, the bubble goes up and it is converted into an indoor (more expensive) club. The $120 I pay for the summer season is a real bargain. In the afternoon I played Bridge and, although I didn't come up with enough points to win back some money, I played well with the cards I got and was quite satisfied.

   My friend Susan and I took advantage of Swiss Chalet's Thanksgiving special meal on Saturday and it was delicious! As well as rotisserie chicken (I like the dark meat), Caesar salad, stuffing and cranberry sauce, there was a choice of pies. I chose lemon meringue instead of the traditional pumpkin pie. Susan had coconut cream which would have been my second choice. This is the only time I will eat out this week which is quite a relief after all the overeating in September. I will have another Thanksgiving meal with the family next Monday which is the Thanksgiving holiday.

   This week also marks the start of the Fall fitness classes at the Seniors' Centre. I did register for two classes but only got on the waitlist for both. The classes are free so very popular and fill up online within minutes. I just wasn't fast enough this time. I will go anyway and hope someone doesn't show up. 

   Nothing else on the agenda for the next few days so I will continue working in the garden, getting it ready for its winter slumber. 

 

The Next Installment

    The eating out continues. Weeks can go by when I only eat at home but, for some reason September has been an orgy of over-eating! In fact I forgot to mention that the "Eating Around the World" group, having reached "P", ate at a Philippine restaurant, "Casa Manila", at the beginning of the month. It was one of the better venues we have experienced.  I had their national dish, spicy chicken with rice, and very nice it was too.

   In the last week of September there were two volunteer appreciation events; at one I received my 10 years of service pin and a certificate and at the other, after a very nice meal of beef skewers, salads and cake, the staff at the Seniors' Centre gave us another certificate and prizes. All very much appreciated.

   Now that we are into October it all starts over again with the letter "Q" which in this case meant BBQ at "Northern Smokes". I don't think I've ever had smoked meat which in my case was a Havarti Brisket sandwich with dill pickles and caramelized onions. The huge slice of meat was very tender and indeed did have a smoky flavour but it was more meat than I would normally eat in a week so I have had to eat sparingly today with a light piece of fish for dinner!

    The weather was ideal for tennis today - we only have a few more days left - and we were still in our summer attire as the sun was shining brightly with no discernable wind. I'll be sad when it is over until next Spring.
 

   

Having to Catch Up Again!

    Horrified to see I haven't posted once in September! I had to get out my calendar to see what (if anything) was worth reporting and there are a few special events. I'll split them over two posts.

   I have joined a Wine tasting group and we had our first meeting a couple of weeks ago. It was a fun afternoon at one member's house and we tasted 4 wines - theme was all Ontario wines -  and rated them. I liked them all and would probably try them again. We had some nibblies between glasses and after rating them we finished the bottles! The next meeting will be at my house in November.

   The next week was the Retired Teachers' lunch on Tuesday, Book Club on Thursday and then a theatre performance on Friday, all fun and entertaining. The book we discussed was "Go As A River" by Shelley Read and the play was "Baskervilles" put on by a local amateur theatre company that my daughter belongs to, a rather comedic and slapstick version of the Sherlock Holmes detective adventure. They had us in stitches as it was well done and quite hilarious!

   This past week has been extremely busy, really too much so for my liking! Wednesday was the New Retirees Breakfast where we host our new members and share examples of all our activities. My duty was to talk about the monthly coffee social, the Knitters and Crafters group which also meets monthly, and the weekly Bridge club. The breakfast was lovely, lots of nice pastries. That was also the day the pool guys came to close my pool but I was back in time for that. I had my last swim on the previous weekend so it has been a good long season.

   That's enough for now, I'll be back before the end of the month with the rest of my goings-on!

An Orgy of Eating Out

   I'm finally finished with the visits to the Nurses clinic. although my leg is not quite back to normal. It's still a bit numb  and puffy around the  wound site and throbs at times but I have been told this may last for a few months! Certainly better than having to visit the clinic every three days.

   I have talked in the past how days (and sometimes weeks) of eating out seem to happen in bursts and there is one such coming up this week. On Saturday I was passing my local church (not that I attend it but it is at the end of my street) and I was invited to stop by for a big lunch - hot dog, potato and Caesar salad, lasagna and a slice of watermelon. It was part of an outreach program and I was happy to participate. On Wednesday the Seniors' Centre is hosting a barbecue (hamburgers, potato salad and cole slaw with an ice cream bar for dessert, all for $7) and as I was planning to be there for my exercise class anyway, I will gladly join in for another tasty lunch. Finally, on Thursday, the Probus ladies are eating around the world again after a short hiatus as we try the food of the Philippines. I am hoping this meal won't be super spicy so I will be careful what I chose. I've been burned a few times in our recent forays!

   The weather continues to be very comfortable as summer begins to wind down. Sunny warm days and cool nights with the occasional rain shower. Perfect!

Still Some Summer Left

   Beautiful day today, sunny and pleasant. Tennis this morning, two sets, and I came home via Value Village and dropped off some items. I am gradually clearing cupboards and closets in an effort to downsize but nothing major so far. 

   I dived (not literally) into the pool as soon as I got home and swam a few lengths, had lunch and napped for an hour. Then did some garden tidy up followed by another swim as I was quite hot and sweaty again. There were a few more ready tomatoes to pick and another humungous cucumber which I will have to find some way to use. Yesterday I made a tomato and cucumber relish which used four tomatoes and half a cucumber but I can barely stay ahead of the produce! 

   Dinner tonight is again from the freezer, pasta, beef and kale casserole - that's it finished - and the last item in there is a veal chop which I will barbecue tomorrow. Time to start stockpiling again!

   I am reading a really good book at the moment, borrowed from a friend (it was her last Book Club choice). "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver. It somewhat reminded me of another book I read, "Educated" (can't remember the author) although it was a memoir, not a novel. They both dealt with surviving horrific childhood experiences, so, be warned!

What I have eaten today

     I have gotten into a bit of a rut foodwise and thought it might help to put down on virtual paper what I eat each day. Last week, as I was getting my dinner most nights at the tennis tournament (one of the perks for the volunteers) was a bit of a writeoff - it was either chicken or fish. So starting afresh this week I will try to record whatever enters my mouth.

   There were no meat specials at the grocery store this week so I have been eating from the freezer. Tuesday and Wednesday were sausage rolls with a broccoli casserole and a beef and pasta casserole respectively. Today, after I went to the nurses clinic for my leg dressing to be changed, I hopped over to the Asian Food mart and picked up some sushi as a treat. I am going to allow myself to eat out or have takeout once a week. So here's today's food intake.

   For breakfast I had a bowl of oat bran with a sprinkle of brown sugar and some oat milk. Usually I just have a banana and yogurt. I had a coffee with milk and cream, and a granola bar at the Seniors Centre mid morning. Lunch was carrot and lentil soup and half an egg salad sandwich with cheese. I had the other half for lunch yesterday. It was accompanied by a piece of apple and some celery sticks. This is my usual lunch.

    At 5:00 p.m. my secret pleasure, a glass of wine or beer and some crackers and cheese! Recently I have been making bruschetta with tomatoes from the garden but that requires bread which I am trying to limit. Dinner tonight is the aforementioned sushi which will be followed by a clementine for dessert and sometimes I will have a cookie or piece of cake or sweet bread. Evenings are tough for me as I often have sweet cravings and have been known to get into a chocolate bar. Then I can't stop which is why I keep them in the freezer! It's not much of a deterrent but it helps. 

   So, you can see, I'm pretty good during the day but lose willpower in the evenings. Anyone else have this problem?