Fall Is Coming

Only 19C and overcast all day, and we had rain this morning. I spent 45 minutes driving to tennis only to play two games (about 10 minutes) before the rain began in earnest. However, I wasn't the only loony-tunes to show up and twelve of us had coffee and a chat before heading back home.

    Out to the lab for my ECG this afternoon, and then a bit of gardening in between showers. In about half an hour I need to get "gussied up" for the tennis club banquet so am trying to restrain myself from spoiling my appetite by nibbling (well, maybe one more glass of sherry!). The Donalda Club, where we have the banquet, always has a nice buffet dinner and a beautiful spread of desserts. I won't stay late, just long enough for the toasts and presentations - and there are usually a few door prizes. I will take my camera and try to get some photos.

   Meanwhile I must check put the videos of the dances we will be expected to know for tomorrow's monthly dance. Some are quite tricky and I will need to have my wits about me if I don't want to mess things up! Wish me luck.

   I see I have over 9,000 views of my blog since I started writing it. I wonder why I never get any comments. Any takers?

Some Checkups

    Non-stop yesterday - New Retirees brunch at Bluffer's Restaurant in the morning, then straight to the senior's centre for my duty in the coffee bar. We had a meeting to improve the standard of cleanliness, but only three of us showed up, and we are the ones who wanted things improved! Most of the other volunteers are rather set in their ways and are unlikely to change. It's hard to lay down rules when you are working with volunteers as there is no incentive to improve. There have been complaints about food handling and we are to wear rubber gloves when we are filling the cookie trays or preparing the meat pies.

   In the evening I went to Petronella. Maureen taught us a few of the dances on Saturday night's program but also a couple of new, tricky dances which will need more practice. It was a good night nevertheless.

   I set off early for the lab for a chest X-ray this morning and had trouble finding it as it was in the East end. I also have an EKG tomorrow and an ultrasound on Monday (all routine tests) but that should be it for another couple of years. It's good to get it all over with. The rest of the day was reading, sleeping and making a batch of sugar cookies. I used the culinary lavender I bought last week and it did give them an unusual, subtle flavour. Fish for dinner tonight - I am trying to eat light as I will be out for dinner both tomorrow and Saturday. Then it will be a few days of dieting!

Autumn Equinox

   In case I forget, tomorrow is the autumn equinox, the half way point between the Summer and Winter Solstice, and traditionally the start of autumn. It hardly feels autumnal today with the temperature still hitting 27C most days and the nights in the high to mid teens. I can't go in the back yard at the moment as my neighbour has a barbecue belching out smoke to roast her huge crop of red peppers. My red peppers have done well this year but nothing compared to her humungous crop!

    I have made a batch of spinach dip using kale from the garden in place of the spinach and am snacking on it now. It's got garlic, feta cheese and chopped red peppers in it and is quite delicious with tostitos. That just might be dinner tonight as I was out for lunch today. It was RWTO lunch and we had salad, very tender roast beef (with horseradish this time), potatoes and vegetables followed by ice cream in some sort of pancake and coffee. Another meal out tomorrow then I must cut back. I'm scared to step on the scales!

A beautiful rose in my garden - no scent, unfortunately.

Trying to Use Up the Kale

     Yesterday Norton 360 (my security app) wouldn't let me in to any of the blogs I follow, including my own! I think they were trying to sell me a new version but at least I can now check in on everybody. I wonder if they also had the same experience.

    I had my last swim in the pool yesterday (actually two) and would have swum today, after cutting the back grass, except I had arranged for the pool guys to come this morning to drain the system and put the cover on. I thought we were done with the hot weather and called them last week. Next September, if it is as warm as this year, I will leave it open a few more weeks. The water was getting a bit on the cool side (this morning it was just 70F) but when you're hot, it is very refreshing. It's been pretty hot today and at 5:00 p.m. it is still 27C.

   Bi-annual checkup with my rheumatologist this morning and he has sent me for some tests later this week. Other than that he is quite pleased with my state of health and I don't have to see him again until April. After my visit with him I went to the Mall to order a sandwich tray for Saturday's monthly dance (it's our group's turn to contribute food) and then got my hair cut.

   Nothing much for dinner tonight - maybe some butternut squash soup which I made this afternoon - as I am going out quite early to dance group. We always have tea and treats around 8:30 so I don't need a proper dinner. Right now I am steaming some kale from the garden and will use it in a dip tomorrow. There is still loads left and I will have to try to come up with some inventive ways to use it!