Some more gardening

    Picked all the green tomatoes this morning and composted the vines as we are expecting low overnight temperatures this week.  There's nothing worse than having to dispose of slimy tomato vines! In the process I found three small eggplants but I have left them as is to see if they get any bigger. I'm hoping they are not as susceptible to frost as the tomato plants.

   I also potted a geranium and a poinsettia that have been flourishing in the west-facing border. Once they have adjusted to their new homes I will bring them indoors with all the other pots. That's a step I take reluctantly as it means that winter is on the way. Every added day they can stay outdoors is a bonus!

   Just a small select group at the tennis courts today. One net is down and some of the windscreens, courtesy of Tamara and Washington, so we only had two courts to play on. But they were filled. I just hit for 30-40 minutes then headed to the coffee shop for a special offer ($1 off) then back home, all on my bike, so I feel I got plenty of exercise.

   Judy completed the half-marathon today - way to go, Judy! It must have been a chilly start as my thermometer was only showing 4C when I got up this morning. However, she managed a good time, 2h 27m. and got well deserved praise from all sides.

   Bought a delicious piece of Borgonzola cheese (no, that's not a typo, it is actually called that) and ate almost all of it on a homemade French loaf I had in the freezer. It was delicious. Now I have potatoes roasting in the oven and three small lamb loin chops marinating in the fridge. I will BBQ them soon and cook some green beans. Should be well and truly stuffed  in an hour or so!

Three Days in One

   Wednesday: James here and we had a nice morning at "Sing, Play, Learn". He didn't nap but stayed quietly in his bedroom reading while I lay down. Dinner was a quinoa salad, with red pepper, corn and cucumber, sprinkled with lemon juice and olive oil. Went to Petronella in the evening but didn't stay to the last dance. Carole was whipping through the program for the Kingston workshop but I'm not going so didn't mind missing a dance or two.



Brilliant tree colours.

Thursday: No tennis this morning. Four guys were on Court 1 but no one else showed up so I just headed back home. It was a little on the chilly side anyway. Later in the morning I headed down to the Collision Centre to get an estimate for the scratch on my car. It was still too much for my budget but the guy cleaned it up a bit and suggested I try some touch-up paint before deciding on repair. Next stop the Toyota dealership and a $15 purchase which sufficed to cover the scratches. Now to see if it prevents the area from rusting! Cooked chicken thighs in a pasta sauce with potatoes, mushrooms and sweet potatoes.

Friday: James here again and today he did nap. He was pretty beat, and quite fractious so I wasn't surprised when he nodded off after two stories and one song. Went to Wendy's group tonight and she taught the dances for the Stouville dance tomorrow. It's a nice program but I don't think I will attend it either.

Last Koffeeklatch

   Up early to make some sausage rolls - my contribution to the potluck lunch today. I got in three good sets of tennis before lunch then stuffed myself silly.  Lots of great dishes, salads, an especially tasty herring salad of which I had two helpings, spring rolls, fried rice (several kinds), dumplings, sandwiches, devilled eggs (Kathy's contribution), and several desserts. I managed to restrain myself and just sample two but one cake came with a delicious butter rum sauce, yummy! Harold brought his special Mulligatawny Soup which was spicy but so heartening.  Something must have been very salty as I have been drinking gallons of water all afternoon. There's always too much food when we have a potluck - everyone brings way more than they could eat so, of course, there's an overabundance! The summer club is now over and the bubble for the winter tennis will go up later this week - that's it for me at Don Mills until next Spring.

My Fall Planter

   Staggered home about 1:30 and dived into bed for a short nap. No supper tonight (or at least not until much later and then only soup and a small sandwich). I brought home a slice of pumpkin pie which I will have as a late night snack.

   Tomorrow is garden refuse pickup day so I spent an hour this afternoon trimming bushes and filling the bins. Soon it will be time to start raking the leaves but most of them will go in the composter. Got another tomato from the garden and another is almost ready to pick. Hope the frost stays away a few more nights!

Holiday Fun

   Last Tennis Social of the year. The Thanksgiving BBQ with salads and a pie contest. And tennis thrown in for good measure. It all got underway around 10:00 a.m. with round robin play - a good way to get to play with folk you don't normally see at the courts. I had three good sets but was worn out after that and ready for lunch.

   Hamburgers, sausages, pasta and green salad were followed by the entrants in the pie contest. Unfortunately I didn't get to sample the winning pie - pecan - but there were lots of apple pies, a pear pie and a pumpkin pie, and an apple crumble, all delicious, all homemade, and I didn't have to do any baking! There was a good turnout considering it is late in the season, and the weather cooperated beautifully. Tomorrow is our last Koffeklatch and later in the week the bubble goes up for the winter tennis club so our season is almost over. It has been a good year, all in all.