We had two new people at Knitters group this morning and some lovely treats. We have produced (not me personally, I am very slow) quite an accumulation of Twiddlemuffs but I managed to distribute some of our other creations (again, not me personally) to a Veteran's hospital. Now the job is to get into some Long Term Care homes with the Twiddlemuffs. 

    After the meeting 5 of us went for lunch. I had a Caesar salad which was very good and just the amount I wanted. Dinner tonight will be leftover chicken thighs and cabbage so not much preparation needed. Then I am off the Dance group where Nigel has promised us a very tricky dance, "The Glasgow Highlanders". Stay tuned to hear whether we mastered it or not!

The Bard

    We had a big dump of wet snow the other day and I am still trying to remove it all from the driveway. There was only one day when I was restricted to home so it wasn't too disruptive.

   Luckily this all happened after the Burns' Night supper at my Scottish country dance class. We had a great turnout and, after some dances, one of our class members performed the "Address to the Haggis". Then we consumed the beast along with lots of other goodies - a very successful evening!

Eating Out

    I have been very naughty this week, overindulging at the expense of my bank account. Normally I eat out, at the most, once a week and some weeks not at all, so this trend is rather troubling.

   Tuesday was the monthly retired teachers' lunch which I had already paid for by cheque. It was lasagna and salad with rhubarb pie and coffee for "afters". The speaker was "Officer Bob" (I think I have mentioned him before, his topic this time was Romance and other scams specifically aimed at seniors. He's quite funny while imparting an important message.

   Wednesday was my youngest grandson's 13th birthday (all three are now teenagers and quite a handful (glad I'm not either of their parents). I was invited to dinner to help him celebrate and it was steak, roast potatoes, salad and a green veg followed by yummy birthday cake. The conversation at the table was lively, to say the least, and ranged through a variety of topics which were all hotly contested. I barely got a word in edgewise! That meal just cost me his birthday present (money) and a card so I got off lightly.

     On Thursday I attended the Probus meeting and was persuaded to join some friends for lunch afterwards. Six of us went to a local all-day breakfast joint which I had been to before and knew to order lightly as the helpings are enormous! Even then I still had to bring some home for dinner - I had Spanakopita and it wasn't even that good, but I ate it all regardless so I didn't have to cook any dinner that night. It cost more than I thought it was worth but I gave the waitress a nice tip as she treated us well. I don't think I'll go back there again.

    So now my waistline and my wallet need a bit of a break so I will be eating and spending less next week.

   One bonus - I picked up a Tim Horton's coffee before the Probus meeting (our coffee break is still cancelled and I had gone there straight from my Yoga class) and had earned enough points to get my "small decaf double-double" free!

Masking

     My Bridge group has just voted to continue wearing masks (I voted for optional masking). We are all seniors but mostly in good health and have discontinued our snack break. Some members have been unable to return because for some reason they can't wear masks. Others have said if masking becomes optional they won't be attending. A problematic situation!

    My dance groups (where there is much more contact and heavy breathing) also wear masks and, in addition, sanitize hands between dances. However, both groups have reinstated tea break where we remove our masks and sit in small groups. 

   Are we being over cautious in one situation or too relaxed in the other? I didn't wear a mask last week when I went to see a movie but the theatre was quite empty and I was able to keep a good distance from the other patrons. Same in restaurants, masks off as soon as we sit down to eat.

   I'm thoroughly confused as to what is the best policy with new strains popping up regularly. What are your experiences with mask protocols?