Necessity is the Mother of Invention

    The stove is still not fixed but a part has been ordered - to come in `two to five business days`! With this being the Thanksgiving long weekend that means it will be at least the middle of next week until I can cook again.

   What to do in the meantime? First I figured I could get by with my toaster oven and microwave. That was OK for a couple of days but limited my choices of meals. However, today I got out my crock pot and simmered a big batch of stew all day. It is almost ready and smells delicious! 

   Also I realized my rice cooker can be used to boil or reheat loads of things. Today it was soup from the freezer and tomorrow I will use it to prepare the roast potatoes for the Thanksgiving lunch. Luckily daughter is hosting the meal at her house but my roast potatoes are on the menu by special request. I like to parboil them first and will take them to her house to roast. I`m sure I will think of lots of other tasty meals using these appliances. 

   I am trying to be philosophical about the whole experience (leaky tap, wet basement, falling down fence etc.) but have come to realize I have plenty to be thankful for, especially to be able to celebrate the holiday with family.

Expenses

    Expenses keep adding up. Yesterday my stove went dark (only way to describe it, nothing worked), but luckily, just as I finished cooking dinner. A guy is coming tomorrow to fix it (I hope!) but tonight it is leftovers heated in the microwave. The worst part is the initial visit is $120 just to evaluate the problem and give a quote. If I go ahead with the job that payment is deducted from the final bill. So, who knows what it will turn out to be. 

    However, I haven't heard back from the wet basement repair guys or the chap who is to fix my back fence, so no money laid out there yet. Maybe I can put them off until the Spring?

   I have decided to get a new liner for my pool as it is looking rather shabby and I suspect I have a small leak. That will be done in the Spring but, wouldn't you know, they want half the cost paid up front. I will try and put them off until next month.

Last Trip to the Dermatologist

    Final visit for treatment to my ear but - halleluiah! - I got the all clear and no need to return. I am so relieved, I wasn't even upset that I had to wait half-an-hour for my two minute visit. I skipped out of the clinic with wings on my heels, I can tell you!

    We had tennis planned this morning but it was a drizzly start. It has been on and off rain since Sunday and we were itching to get on the courts. However, we persevered, dried off the courts as much as we could and hit the ball tentatively for half-an-hour. Finally the drizzle stopped and the last hour was fairly dry. Not many opportunities to play before the courts are closed at the end of the month so we have to make the best of it while we can.

    One more thing to check off my "to-do" list - got the plumber here to fix a leaking tap and it took him literally 10 minutes to replace the leaking part. It was the line leading to the cold tap and he replaced the other one while he was at it. No charge as I have a Parts Plan with the energy company, well worth the monthly premium as plumbers here are expensive!  

    

The Last Barbecue

     I'm afraid I am not one of those hardy souls who BBQ all winter, so I had my last BBQ last weekend. Just sausages but they were yummy with a freshly picked corn cob. Yes, I did find the farmer who comes down here with his crop and sells it from the back of his truck.

Can't claim this beautiful display - it's one of my neighbours who definitely has a green thumb.

Another view of my neighbour's front border.

The barbecue sits on the front porch with this lovely planter. It comes indoors when the weather gets chilly.

It's just a table top BBQ and is stored in the garage for the winter

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It's powered by this propane tank which is just about empty - it's done the whole summer.