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?

Sweltering!

    Still too hot to go out and water the vegetables - I will wait until the sun goes behind the houses, another hour or so. I pulled a few weeds and trimmed some dead branches while I was still wet from my swim. I have worked back up to 12 laps and am determined to get that in daily for the rest of the summer. Having to miss so many days in June and July, I really lost some tone in my arms.

   I am getting loads of tomatoes (Judy took a bunch yesterday when she came over for a swim) and quite a few cucumbers. I used some of the tomatoes and a bunch of kale in a casserole the other day but, unfortunately, overcooked it. Eating it anyway, I added some canned tomato sauce to try to restore it!

   Last week was very busy as I was volunteering at the tennis tournament. I found it very tiring this year, mainly because of the heat, one night my shift didn't end until after 11:00 p.m. and I wasn't home until midnight. I can't remember the last time I have been out so late. But one bonus - I received my twenty years of service pin and got a ticket for a box to watch one of the evening sessions, food provided. It was a real treat. 

   We have been promised a break from the high temperatures starting on Wednesday but today has been brutal - 32C but feels more with the humidity. I may need another swim this evening.

   

Garden Update

     It's extremely hot again - 33C when I went out to water the vegetables so it was just a cursory soaking. I'll go out again when the sun goes down. The pool is up over 80F so I haven't had to use the heater yet this summer. 

   I picked another bowl of raspberries yesterday (they were delicious!) but that will probably be it for this year. I also got a 9 inch cucumber - there are more coming and I noticed the grape tomatoes are starting to redden up. There are loads of tomatoes but all still green so far. They will all probably be ready to pick at the same time so will have to make tomato sauce for the freezer. 

   Too hot for tennis today but I did play a couple of sets on Tuesday while it was still relatively cool. This week I am watching a tournament from Washington D.C., it must be so hot on the courts I don't know how the players stand it!

Dim Sum

    It has been extremely hot here since I last posted and I have been sheltering indoors for the most part. But, finally, this week I have been able to get in the pool to cool off. I now have a waterproof dressing on my leg and am hopeful that that may be gone soon. Things are looking up! 

   Of course, sod's law, it is set to cool off starting tomorrow but the water is a blissful 83C so should still be pleasant. I am also going to try some tennis although my time on the court may be short lived. I went to our annual Wimbledon party last week and only managed a couple of games as the heat was so oppressive. Tomorrow should only get up to the mid 20's and if there's a breeze it will be quite pleasant.

   Today was ladies' lunch and just 7 of us met at "Perfect Restaurant" for Dim Sum. We tried about 15 different dishes and the grand total was just $13 each including a tip. The dishes arrived at the table in wicker baskets which were passed around and I think I had more than my share as I couldn't pass up anything remaining. Refills of green tea kept us hydrated and the conversations were fun and entertaining. Just a light supper tonight, I think.

   

Pick-your-own

    What with all my other concerns I almost forgot to get out to the Berry farm before they were all gone. It has been extremely hot for the last few days (high 30's with the humidex in the 40's) so I went extra early - the sun was barely up! Seniors are allowed to pick between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. without having to reserve a spot so that suited me very well.

   I just picked one basketful and was home before 8:30. I made a batch of Strawberry Rhubarb jam this afternoon and tomorrow I will make a batch of just strawberry jam. I got 8 jars today and hope to get the same tomorrow so that will last me through the winter, plus I still have some of the 2024 batch to eat first.

 I still have lots of rhubarb left so must think about picking it for a pie, cake or the freezer. By the end of the rhubarb season it's getting a bit tough so I use it to make rhubarb and mango chutney, another favourite treat of mine. All these things are also useful as hostess gifts or to share with family and friends.

   It was my granddaughters High School graduation today but I didn't attend as it was just parents - it's a big school. However, we had a small celebration yesterday at home and, yes, cake was involved! 

Update

    The trip to the surgical clinic at the hospital was successful but has resulted in me having to visit my local clinic daily to get the dressing changed. This may go on for weeks! The doctor at the hospital removed a huge blood clot and seemingly it's tricky to get these healed. I'm just happy to have the care I need handy and free of charge. Thank goodness for our excellent health care system. 

   This has curtailed my activities somewhat but I am well stocked up with good books, can still get to the library and there's tennis to watch on TV. It won't do me any harm to take it easy for the next month or so. I can still drive, do my grocery shopping and keep up with my housework and gardening. I am on another round of antibiotics which are making me queasy so, who knows, I may even lose some weight!

This Too Shall Pass

   Went yesterday to get the basal cell carcinoma spots removed from my nose and neck. It was an early start as I had to be downtown by 8:15 a.m. and was taking public transit. Things went smoothly, no complications, and I was done and on my way home by noon.

   Well, that's over with and, fortuitously, I got a phone call from the plastics clinic today with an appointment to get the wound on my leg fixed on Thursday. So, things are finally falling into place. 

   One unfortunate result of these two procedures is that I probably won't be able to use my pool for much of the summer. It is just now getting nicely warmed up and very tempting to plunge in, but I will have to be patient and wait out the healing period.

   Today was the first steamy hot day we have experienced so far and I would have loved a swim. I am taking it easy for the next few days but should be back to my normal energetic self by next week!