Dreary and Foggy

   I think it must be an instance of temperature inversion (cold air sitting on top of milder air) as today it was very foggy until about 400 p.m. It is still cloudy but has cleared a bit and stayed mild.

    The car got its rust check this morning and had all systems checked for the winter. Nothing needed repair which is good news and, even better, it was done in 2 hours.

    I went straight to Bridge where Marie and I had great cards. I made several contracts, one of which was a small slam. I will definitely keep that seat next time!

    Leftover quiche with pickled beetroot for dinner, then I am off to dance group. David is to bring the treats tonight - hope he remembers!

Busy Saturday

   Saturday started off with a visit to the Fall Fair at Knox Church. I met some friends there, had a coffee, bought some baked goods and preserves (red pepper jelly and Seville marmalade) and, what I had been looking for in particular, a pearl necklace for $5!

   In the afternoon I picked up two of the grandkids for an outing to the Ceilidh. Traffic was heavy but we got there on time. They danced almost every dance. They were nice, easy dances, Natalie had done some of them before and really enjoyed them. James was really there for the pizza after, but he was a good sport and joined in several too. His favourites were The Gay Gordons and the Dashing White Sergeant.

    As well as pizza there were lots of sweet treats and fruit after the dancing. We were well fed and even took some home. I got them back to Markham by 7:15 and got back to my place before 8:00. There was no need for anything else to eat but later on I had some sushi leftover from lunch. Sushi really should be eaten the day it's made.

   A quiet day today - too wet for tennis this morning although it was mild, so I got some chores done. I want to leave the house reasonably tidy when I leave on Thursday. This afternoon was demo practice but for some reason I seemed to have run out of energy (too much housework?) so I left during the last dance. When I got home I spent 10 minutes or so tidying the books in the trunk of my car. They are for the book sale at the RWTO lunch on Tuesday but I weeded out a few that I don't think will sell and I will donate them to the Senior's Centre tomorrow.

     I have a nice piece of salmon for dinner which I will have with some salad and green beans. No dessert - I spoiled myself yesterday!

Back to the Exercise Regime

     Out early for Fitness class this morning - I am finding it harder to get up in the mornings as it is dark later. Today it was almost 8:00 a.m. before I surfaced. Then I had to rush to be out by 8:45. I am quite out of shape despite playing tennis all summer. I really must be using different muscle groups. I made it in time and stayed for half an hour after class to have a coffee and chat.

    Home to do a bit of gardening before lunch - I am tackling the lilac tree and the mint at the moment - then lunch and a nap for half-an-hour. I watched some tennis later in the afternoon then walked up to the mall to return a library book. It seems wasteful to take the car for such a short distance. I found a pair of loafers on sale for my holiday walking and wore them home to break them in.

   Nothing more on the agenda except a couple of my favourite shows later this evening. Lots of leftovers to eat up. I already had some bruschetta with one of the tomatoes I brought in from the garden the other day. It ripened up really quickly once I brought it indoors. Then I will treat myself with a mincemeat tart!

Bounty of the Garden

   More frost forecast so I cleaned out the vegetable patch this morning. I managed to salvage a few tomatoes, peppers and kale but they may have to ripen a bit more indoors before they are fit to eat.

I roasted the red peppers for tonight's dinner and used some of the kale as well.

    Although it was a chilly morning I went over to the tennis courts but no one else came. It was very windy so I just stayed long enough to finish my coffee before coming home to work in the garden. I still have a few more tasks to complete, especially to get some compost on the roses and the tender perennials, but I'm not going to bother raking leaves - they can just blow around the neighbourhood!

   I walked over to the Senior's Centre this afternoon, just for a chat, and stopped in at the drug store for a prescription on the way home. The trees are really beginning to turn and I found some colourful leaves. It didn't get much above 13C today but the sun was shining so it felt quite pleasant out of the wind. I picked up a new (to me) jigsaw puzzle while I was there which will keep me occupied if the weather remains cool.

Maple leaves  

    I have made a vegetable quiche for tonight's dinner with the peppers, kale, cheese and some olives. I'm trying to empty the fridge before I leave next Thursday and won't be buying much on Saturday. With the leftover pastry I made a couple of mincemeat tarts which will be a nice change for dessert. I have been overdoing the chocolate recently. This is a good night for television, first "Miss Marples" and then "A Place To Call Home", both on PBS so no commercials!