Gorgeous!

    Unbelievably warm today - it actually reached 24C this afternoon! I walked over to Sir John A. Macdonald C.I. to vote in the advanced poll this afternoon and I was sweating when I got home. Later, I fertilized the lawn and pulled up most of the mint, in preparation for planting next year's garlic.

   Thankfully it was still quite cool for tennis this morning and we started in sweaters but soon we were stripping off a layer or two. Susan and I started out with singles, then were joined by Stan and Cam for a quick set. By then I was done but Stan and Susan joined Kathy and Victoria for another set while I went home and Cam went to hit with Gordon. It was surprising that there were not more people there - perhaps they were home cooking their Thanksgiving turkey or had gone out of town for the long weekend.

   I used my barbecue to brown some ribs for dinner and had them with potatoes and fried onions and mushrooms. Unfortunately the meal required quite a few dishes which are still sitting in the sink! So must get cracking.

Saturday Chores

     Just the usual Saturday chores - laundry, grocery shopping and a bit of gardening. The morning was cool but brilliantly sunny. Some clouds this afternoon but still pleasant enough to sit outside for a while.

    I made my favourite breakfast today - an egg muffin. I make this in the toaster oven in a ramekin. First layer is chopped green onion, mushroom and red pepper. Then some torn up bread over which I pour a beaten egg mixture. I add a little milk to the egg, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of herbe de provence. Finally it's all covered with grated cheese. This is baked at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and comes out looking like a muffin. Delicious! A glass of orange juice and some toast and coffee later keeps me going until lunch time.

Feeling Guilty!

   Three days since my last post but they have been busy days (or that's my excuse anyway). We had lovely fall weather on Wednesday and Thursday so I was trying to cram in lots of stuff before it goes. Today was on-and-off rain but still mild, so another busy day.

   The Athertons left for their cruise on Wednesday, not without event - car trouble, but luckily not too far from home. They should now be aboard the cruise liner in Boston harbour, or maybe even out to sea. They are headed for Bermuda where the temperature is a balmy 27C. Lucky them!

   I had my first Yoga class yesterday and managed all right until we had to stand on one leg - I just couldn't hold it for more than a few seconds and I don't think practice is going to improve that. I can do it wearing shoes but not in my bare feet, funnily enough. Still playing tennis outdoors for another week but I checked out an indoor drop-in tennis program  at another Community Centre which I might utilize if I am stuck for exercise. It was quite fun as it was a small group but it may get busier once the outdoor courts close for the winter. We shall see.

   I made some chutney this afternoon using eggplants I had grown. They weren't fully ripe but, once cooked, became quite soft. It also had tomatoes (from the garden), onions and red and yellow peppers. Even with all these vegetables it just made two small jars but I'm sure they will be tasty once the mixture has had some time to mature.

   I went down to Don Mills for tennis this morning after Fitness class and despite the rain. We got two good sets with just a few sprinkles while we were playing and I was home by 12:30. That's the last Friday tennis. Boo hoo!  Chicken drumsticks in the oven and new potatoes ready to boil. The farmer with the corn truck had his last load for sale this week so I stocked up on cobs, so that will be my other vegetable. No dessert required after a feed like that!

Getting Ready for Winter

    A stay-at-home day yesterday, just a little gardening, until the evening when I went to dancing group. I was on tea duty so got there earlier than usual to set up. Just a small group but we had some fun dances.

    Tennis this morning - next week is our last week outdoors - and it was very nice , no wind and quite mild. I stayed until 11:30 then a quick stop at home to change and pick up some lunch. Next stop bridge lessons and I got in quite a nice group. I played a couple of good hands, much to the disgust of the opponents. They went down on their contracts.

    After such a busy morning I didn't feel like doing anything else for the rest of the day - I didn't even go out for a run after dinner. By the time I had eaten it was already dark.

   The robins have been madly stripping the berries from my Mountain Ash trees. They swallow the berries whole in a couple of gulps - it's fun to watch. They must be stocking up before their flight south.