An Ordinary Day

    Not much to report today but it was a very pleasant day and I did a fair bit of gardening, went for a walk and generally enjoyed the outdoors. This morning I made a batch of cauliflower soup which we had for lunch, then put a loaf on to bake in the bread machine. It turned out really well for once. I used less yeast as my last few attempts have been hitting the lid of the machine and collapsing!

   I had a trip to Value Village this afternoon with a bag full of clothes I never wear. For that I got a 20% off coupon so scouted around and found new (to me) boots, two pairs of leggings and a very practical sweater for just wearing around the house. It has three quarter sleeves so I can put away all my T-shirts that are now a bit chilly. Value Village no longer has facilities to try on clothes so it was rather a hit-and-miss process. Their sizing is not always very accurate.

   Dinner tonight was salmon, French fries and brussell sprouts - no dessert but I may have a homemade oatmeal bar later. They are chewy but very good!

A Special Day

    Just 16C for the high today and a rather chilly start for our tennis game. I was the big loser today - quite the opposite of Tuesday - but blame it on the sun being directly in my eyes, being left-handed. The courts run north-south and the sun is much lower in the sky at 9:00 a.m. now that the days are getting shorter.

   Yesterday was my birthday - I am now a year closer to 80, horrible thought! Judy came over with a tasty lunch and some treats just before noon, then Steve and Alison took me out for dinner to a local restaurant. It was a treat to eat out after 6 months of home cooked meals! I had their signature minestrone soup (it is our local Italian trattoria) and eggplant parmigiana. Steve had veal parmigiana and Alison had chicken and pasta. All were very good.

   I brought in the remaining tomatoes and dug up the last potato plant this afternoon as we are due for some frost soon. It has been a good harvest this year. 

They should continue to ripen over the next week or two.

The last of the Swiss Chard will go in tonight's supper dish.

While the Leaves Fly

     A little cooler today but still sunny and pleasant enough to be outdoors. It had rained overnight (we really need some more rain!) but a good samaritan had mopped up the puddles on the tennis court so we were able to play right away. I was the big winner today with 6-2 in the first set and 6-3 in the second. That doesn't happen often!

   Things are not looking great here, COVID-wise. The numbers keep creeping up (700 new cases in the province, over 300 in the city alone) and there is talk of going back to Stage 2 with more closures and isolation. It is quite depressing to think about as winter approaches and we are confined to home. As a family, we have decided to cancel Thanksgiving dinner which is usually hosted by my daughter. They will have their own meal and we will do the same here. Just as well my son and DIL will still be here on the 12th. I am dreading spending Christmas alone!

   I did a bit of gardening this afternoon helped by Lucy the dog who was dementedly digging in all the fresh earth. Had to have her front paws washed. Twice! The green tomatoes and the last of the potatoes will have to be harvested this week, then the garden can be put to rest until Spring.

Just In Time

 Almost forgot to renew my car license - no reminder came and it's due at the end of the month. Luckily I was able to figure out how to do it online and the agency is not imposing late fines this year because of the pandemic.

   We had a BBQ tonight as the weather is still so mild - yummy sausages and baked bean casserole. It will continue very summery all weekend so no need to get out the winter woollies just yet!

One last beauty.