A Couple of Busy Days

    The DMTC banquet on Friday was a blast! I even got up on the dance floor although that didn't last long. The buffet was as good as usual and I managed to restrict myself to only one return visit and just fruit and one chocolate treat for dessert. Nevertheless, I went home stuffed and didn't eat again until late Saturday morning.

    A quiet day on Saturday until 6:15 p.m. when I went to Metro to pick up the sandwich tray. I was too early at the dance as I had mixed up the time but at least I had time to set up before people started arriving. I only sat out two dances and even managed the tricky ones (with a little help). There were leftover sandwiches which I brought home and stored in the freezer for a special treat at our social group on Monday.

   Today has been an "at home" day and I got a start on the Fall cleanup by using my weed whacker to trim all the borders in the back yard. It's a job that needs to be done after the pool is covered as it makes a bit of a mess, but the garden is looking much tidier. I still have the raspberry bushes to cut back and later, when frost is imminent, the vegetable patch. There are still some tomatoes ripening but I may have to pick them while they are still green.

   I have to have a fat free dinner tonight (whatever that means - everything seems to have some fat in it!) but I will try with a piece of baked fish and plain vegetables. Then I have to fast until it is time for my ultrasound tomorrow morning. After that I will come home and have a very fatty breakfast!

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.