It's not even winter yet and already we are inundated with snow!
It was quite a storm yesterday - strong winds, frigid temperatures and lots of snow - 12 cm here and even up to 40 cm in other areas. In fact, where the wind had blown the snow into drifts, it was probably quite a bit more.
Today was a day of shovelling. I had to do it in batches but, as I wasn't planning on going anywhere, there was no pressure to get it cleared. Sad to think we won't see the grass again until March or April.
Only two other chores to do today - bake some mincemeat tarts for the freezer and get the lights on the Christmas tree. I had promised James that we would put up the ornaments tomorrow. So now I will be able to keep my promise!
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!
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.
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!
