More Snow Coming

   Cloudy with snow flurries this morning and only marginally warmer. Still wearing winter clothes! I was feeling very stiff and sore this morning for some reason so skipped my usual Monday step class. Just pottered until noon when I went for Bridge. Home again by 3:00 and that is me in for the night as dance class tonight has been cancelled. A heavy snowfall is forecast although no sign of it yet. But I am quite happy to stay home where I will be warm and cozy in front of the fire.

   Salmon for dinner and I think I will try poaching it in wine and lemon juice. That will be a first for me. Unfortunately, being at home has meant I have been nibbling (in this case chocolate biscuits left over from Saturday's dance) so I will have to watch my food intake for the next few days.

   Tennis on TV from somewhere in the States where it is very hot - how I envy them! A Canadian, Vasek Pospicil, is playing at the moment and he has just taken the first set in a tie break. Hope he can sustain this level of play!

Spring Forward

    The clocks changed last night so we have an extra hour of lovely sunlight today - and it is sunny, has been all day. Too cold to sit outside, though. It was -12C this morning and managed to get up to -7C by the afternoon.

   Very busy here and there yesterday, finishing off with the monthly dance in the evening. I came home pretty exhausted with very sore feet, soaked in the tub for a while and felt very relaxed, then couldn't seem to drop off to sleep. I think I managed about 6 hours.

   No breakfast this morning (other than some yogurt) as I was expected at Judy's by 11:00 a.m. for brunch. I took some home made hummus and veggies, some smoked salmon and a bowl of berries to supplement the usual brunch dishes. It was to celebrate Elliot's 11th birthday but no cake today as we are watching our weight! I won't need much dinner, maybe just the leftovers I brought home plus some of the French toast and egg mcmuffin Judy made.

   An early night tonight I think!

Still Winter

   A quieter, less hectic day today. Woke up to snow flurries but nothing on the ground. It was -5C this morning (-12C wind chill) and never really changed all day despite some sunny periods.

   Out by 8:45 for fitness class then hung around at the seniors centre until almost 11:00 a.m. Next week is the last week of fitness classes for this session so we plan to go out for lunch after. Then we have a couple of weeks off until the next session in which I am still hoping to get a spot.

   Lunch, a nap, then read for most of the afternoon. I am currently reading a P.D. James book and, although rather dated, it is quite a thriller so I am enjoying it. Karen came over to pick up the kit for the 50-50 draw at the monthly dance tomorrow. She is about 20 minutes from me on foot and dropped in while walking her dog. They stayed to warm up for a while as it was very cold and windy. Saved me a chilly walk anyway!

   I finally got started on my next painting project - the shelf where I keep my plants at the bay window. It gets quite stained from accidental water overflows and needs to be painted every couple of years. I also cleaned the wooden shutters which will keep for another time. They are still in pretty good shape.

   Not much on TV tonight and I just have to heat up leftovers for dinner so probably an early night. The  stewed beans turned out quite well, almost like chili without the meat. It's grocery shopping day tomorrow so I am trying to use up all the perishables. My list has gotten quite long so I hope I have some PC points to cash in!

A New Recipe

   Here`s my day for today. Left for tennis at 9:30, played until 11:45 then a quick change of clothes. Arrived at the senior`s centre at 12:15 for Bridge (played better today, had good hands and made quite a few contracts). Finished at 2:45.

   Picked up a bunch of bananas on the way home so they will be ripe by the weekend. Started dinner and had it cooking by 3:15. It`s a bit of an experiment. I soaked some navy beans overnight and got them simmering for an hour while I had a nap, cooked up some bacon bits , onions and mushrooms, added this and half a can of tomatoes. Flavoured with garlic, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar and brown sugar (it called for molasses but I had run out). In the oven for 2 hours at 275 degrees F. Added the bean water from the simmering and baked for another two hours.

   It`s not going to be ready for a while but when the beans are tender I`ll cook some cabbage as a side dish. It does smell good. Hope it`s palatable.

   The weather was cooler but still pleasant today. I indulged in a hot cross bun when I got home from Bridge. It`s never too early to start celebrating Easter. I like them with butter and loads of honey. Definitely not part of my diet!