On the Go All Day

   James arrived late today - Judy is home sick so Dave had to bring him over after he dropped the other two at school. This gave me a chance to get started on the sausage rolls although he was there to help with the final step and to claim some credit in making them. Then we were off to the play group and a visit from the big man in the red suit (forgot my camera, unfortunately), and a feast of goodies.

   The sausage rolls were popular but I also liked the egg salad sandwiches, the spinakopita and the mini-quiches. James ate mostly cookies and other sweet treats. I ate enough for lunch and thought we could skip it today but by 1:30 James was hungry again so I fixed him his usual soup and grilled cheese. The up side of that was that he went for a nap without a whimper and I had to wake him an hour and a half later.

    In the afternoon I got a call from Judy saying she was still too sick to come for James so I drove him home around 4:30. Then I continued downtown for a cooking demonstration at the Queen' Quay Loblaws store. The traffic was pretty bad (first I tried the highway, then side streets but neither were moving faster than a snail's pace ) and I barely arrived in time, having been on the road for nearly two hours. However, it was all worth it as the chef was entertaining and instructive and the meal, when it finally arrived, was excellent. We were served four-vegetable tarragon soup, poached salmon with maple brandy sauce and broiled asparagus, and  a delicious raspberry and blueberry flan. The drive home only took about 25 minutes and that included a stop for the Ride police. What a relief I didn't stop at the Wine Rack store in the mall where they were giving out free wine samples!

Tidying Up

   I finally cleaned the oven this morning - I had a spill a couple of weeks ago which actually ignited the next time I turned on the oven. It has been getting progressively more charred each time I used the oven so a cleaning job was well overdue.

   I also cleared and cleaned the hall closet and put together a couple of bags of assorted scarves, hats, headbands and outer gear to deliver to the used clothing box at the church. Hope someone is able to make use of some of the items. On the way home I popped into the drug store for my 'flu shot - it is so convenient  compared to making a medical appointment. I read recently that these shot are only 50 to 60 % effective although the pharmacist thought it was more like 80%. But it helps by reducing the symptoms if you do contract the virus.

   This afternoon was also busy - I had a teaching assignment lined up and trundled off there for 12:30. It was French but I managed to struggle through. Then home for a quick snack then off to the cinema to see "Philomena", starring Judi Dench. A rather moving story based on real events but I won't spoil it for you by revealing the ending.

Saturday Chores

   Back to frigid temperatures, -2C this morning with a bitingly cold wind. The sun was shining but it didn't do much to ameliorate the chill. So I was sprinting from the car to the store and back again while out running errands. Judy ordered me some copies of a photo of the grandkids to put in my Christmas cards so I picked them up at Walmart this morning and will get them in the mail tomorrow. I also got some seed bells for the birds which I will hang from the front porch. James and I like to watch the sparrows swinging from them as they peck at the seeds.

    I made a concerted effort this afternoon to finish my current library book, "Sweet Tooth" by Ian McEwen (quite a surprise ending!) as there was another book waiting for me at the library. So, another trip to the mall but now I am all set for a day indoors tomorrow.

   I defrosted some scallops for dinner tonight as I feel like something fairly light. I will have them with pasta and a mushroom and cheese sauce. I have lost 5 lbs. this month and hope to keep it off during the time of feasting that is coming up.  Best not to weigh myself again until all the festivities are over!

Getting Cracking

   I was up and off early today to Bayview Village Mall, where I got started on the preparations for Christmas. The day was amazingly mild, already 9C and it got up to 14C and the sun came out before I returned home. I ordered a capon from Pusateri's, my usual choice for the Christmas bird. Normally I don't shop there as it is rather upscale and expensive but it's one of the few places I know that has capons at this time of year.  It will be a 10lb bird, almost as big as a turkey but, hopefully, more succulent. There will be 10 of us for the meal but, as three are kids, that should be big enough. I am hoping to farm out the preparation of the accompanying vegetables to the other ladies to keep things simple for myself. Apart from the bird I will cook the stuffing and potatoes. And, of course, the plum pudding for dessert is all ready just to be heated up.

   Next stop in the mall was "Mastermind", a store that has a huge selection of educational toys for kids. After a bit of searching I managed to find age-appropriate games for all three grandkids that should also be fun, and one was on sale! I just hope they like them. That's all the gifts I'll be buying as the adults among us have agreed to give to charities in each others' names instead of gifts, an eminently sensible solution to the problem of choosing something appropriate for each other.

   Then on to the liquor store as I had decided to treat myself to a cooking demonstration in the New Year. The one I chose is called "Mainly Mushrooms" and includes tips on how to select and prepare exotic mushrooms and sampling such delicacies as Tuscan Roulade and Mexican Chocolate Truffles. Sounds delicious and I can't wait to attend.

   Last stop was Starbucks in the Chapters store for a Decaf Tall Latte - I really didn't need it but it's become an essential part of this pre-Christmas trip to the mall. I will be back on Christmas Eve to pick up the capon and all the trimmings for the Christmas feast.

   As I said, it was a very mild, pleasant day today so, just before lunch, I strung some Christmas lights on the bushes by the front door. James has been bugging me to get out my Christmas stuff but I have been procrastinating. Maybe this little touch will get him off my back!