Out With the Ladies Who Lunch

    Out with the Probus Ladies for lunch today. It's a once-a-month get-together and today we went to the Waterside Restaurant in Pickering. It's a very picturesque spot right on the lake and I went for a walk  along the boardwalk after the meal. I had ordered fish and chips but it was so filling (and starch-filled)  that I regretted it afterwards. I should have had the crab cakes!

   After the walk I felt better but had a rather long nap when I got home so hope I can sleep tonight. Just a light dinner tonight - and no snacking! I made a big salad with avocado and very tasty it was.

   Cooler again today and some rain this morning. I finished potting up my hanging baskets this afternoon and gave all my new plants a drink. The rest of the garden took care of itself.

Still on European Time.

Busy day - tennis 9:00 to 11:00 with Hendrina, Carol and Jasmine, home to check that the pool guy had got the pump and heater working (he had), over to the kitchen at the Senior's Centre for 12:00 - it was very quiet there again this afternoon so I closed at 2:00. Liquor store (stocking up as they are threatening to go on strike) then the garden centre and finally home by 3:15 for a nap. Phew!!

   It has been a beautiful day, not too hot, around 25C, and just a few clouds floating around. I went out around 4:00 to plant my purchases from the garden centre, two cherry tomatoes and a new climbing rose. I am very frustrated that I can't post photos but I will keep trying. I also bought three dragon wing begonias for the hanging baskets on the front porch but I will wait until it has cooled down before I tackle them.

  Chicken thighs for dinner. I think I will cook them in a spicy sauce from the "Looney Spoons" cookbook, that should keep them nice and juicy. Broccoli on the side. I will be having an early night again tonight as I can't seem to sleep past 6:00 a.m. so am yawning by 9:00p.m. It is taking for ever to get my sleep back on schedule.

A Techno Scare

   I had a very strange message on my computer yesterday, purportedly from Microsoft, telling me to phone them as my computer was in the process of being hacked! Also warning me of a complete shutdown if I didn't comply. Seemed a bit fishy to me so I closed all the programs and turned everything off as a precaution. It all seems fine today and nothing seems to be missing, thank goodness!

   That's by way of explaining why no blog yesterday. Today I will try to catch up. Yesterday I had a quiet morning watching the guys get the pool open. I walked over for Bridge around noon and had fun catching up on all the news with the Bridge ladies. Then home for the evening.

   It has been considerably cooler today with intermittent rain. We got in a bit of tennis in between showers before the final cloud burst around 10:30 a.m. We had all gone early due to the threatening skies. Once the courts were too wet to play we sat around chatting and drinking coffee (there was lots of that!) William found a tennis match on TV so I stayed to watch the first set then went home. It has been a great afternoon for gardening so I gave it a go for an hour or two. Now my bins are full of weeds and overgrown bushes and will be picked up tomorrow. Still lots to do so I will start filling them again right away.

   The pool is filled and the guys will come tomorrow to start up the system. So far so good - it is looking almost ready for a swim but still a little chilly for me! Fish in a curry sauce with peas for dinner tonight. I am having some veggies and dip for my pre-prandial snack so, all in all, a balanced meal!

Hot and Humid

  I am having a hard time writing my blog recently. By the time I have read all the other blogs I follow I have lost any interest in recording my thoughts, although sometimes one of them will provide inspiration. So today I am writing it first before I get to the others.

   I have been working like blazes for the last couple of days to tidy up the back yard ready for the pool guys tomorrow. Everywhere was very overgrown since I was away, and encroaching on the pool deck. Reminder to self - don`t take a vacation in Spring - too much to do in the garden!

   Today started off overcast and, after a few chores and despite a rather dark sky, I headed to the tennis courts. I was almost there when the heavens opened and I had to scurry home in a heavy downpour. That was it for tennis today! I made soup for lunch and a loaf in the bread machine. The rest of the day has been in the garden and it is looking considerably better.

   Leftovers for dinner tonight - mandarin chicken and a salad with the rest of the can of mandarin oranges with cream for dessert. Then just a quiet night in front of the TV.