Adventures and housework

Just finished this post and accidently deleted it, so here we go again.

The title just about says it all.  Tuesday David wanted to buy some "rooting hormone" for the slips he took off our magnificent Tulip Geranium.  We were told about it by the lady who provided us with the original slip a year ago.  As well she has promised him a couple more slips this year, when we see her next Sunday.  So he found a place that had it and was open-not easy this time of year.  So off we went to Shelmerdine in Headingly.

For a change we took the South Perimeter to Roblin Blvd and then West, along the South side of the river.  Oh My!  The McMansions we saw! As well, a few older, smaller homes interspersed between, perfectly livable, but one just knows that they will probably be bought, and then torn down to make room for one more McMansion.  The other thing I noticed was the number of new housing developments everywhere, most still under construction or obviously very new.  A big issue during our recent civic election was the apparent lack of control the city has over the timing and placing of these developments.  This is probably linked to the city having no apparent long range plan for dealing with growth.  So we end up having to pay for all of the amenities these developments need while our roads turn to s--t. 

Yesterday was our very early Doctor's appointment.  In the past, he has managed to control the list of patients, and which exam rooms he wanted everyone in, but this time there was not one, but two, women behind the reception desk.  Much smoother, as we could arrange our next appointment without hanging around until the previous receptionist came in at 7:00.  She still did, while the women just moved down the row of desks, and tended to other things.

Since we were in the same part of town as David's Day Hospital appointment, and we usually go out for breakfast after these early appointments anyway, I had looked up Smitty's in the area.  I really didn't want fast food.  There was one somewhere around Garden City Mall.  It took quite awhile to find.  David finally spotted the sign, but there was no entrance from outside the mall.  So into the mall, at 7:25 in the morning, while David waited in the car.  But I found it, although I wasn't sure it was open, until I heard a tiny voice say "they're all in the kitchen".  So off to tell David and then a lovely cooked breakfast.  I asked if we could stick around for a bit, since there was only us and the two who had been here when we arrived.  She couldn't really say "no" with an almost empty room, so we sat a read our books until it was time to head to the hospital.  Then I went home, prepared our bills to pay later, and went to bed for two hours.

We have decided that, with the rise in the basic interest rate, we don't want to be paying the higher interests that may result, so decimated our savings account and paid off our Line of Credit ( still paying for the kitchen and bathroom) as well as both credit cards.   This will give us more discretionary income, and hopefully, end the need for plastic money.  Well, we can hope anyway.

Time to get back to the laundry.  Got the flu shot yesterday, so when I say "stay safe ladies" you can know I'm talking about more than Covid.

Here I am....

 .....with a ham sandwich and a cup of Celestial Seasonings Tea Fruit Sampler - and this sample is called Country Peach Passion. Don't laugh..I'll take it where I can haha!

And i just pulled out my bottle of St Remy Brandy...not to drink..but to brush on some Fruit Cake to freshen it up for a taste later. I still have two more cakes from our baking in 2021. And I hope none is on the agenda for this year, but that I do not know. 

We went shopping this morning early and did not have much to buy thank goodness but also had to fill up with gas. I had the vehicle in for  Service yesterday and go the four new winter tires, a new muffler, and the chip from the manufacturer to heat the front seats that was missing when we go the car last Feb, and the multi point inspection which was due. All came to too much $. It seems everything is happening at this very time when the pocket is bare. Sunday we had to take our Bailey to the Huronia Veterinary Emergency Clinic located in Barrie ( three hours down the highway towards Toronto) The entire day there in the parking lot while they looked after him ( we are NOT allowed to enter the building) and again, it all came to too much $.

Today I hope to get out side before the rain comes to continue with cleanup - leaves and leaves and more leaves all over. I plan to decorate for Hallowe'en over the weekend but disappointed that the weather to date calls for showers on Mon Oct 31.

Time to get back at at. Hope all is well there. Take care of yourselves and be safe please. 💗💕

If I thought Thursday was stressful, welcome to Friday!

 Thursday was cooking a stew, and running errands, while trying to find a few minutes to spend in the studio.  By evening, I was too exhausted to even shower, a rare occurrence.  Friday was also spent power cooking, this time the 2 lbs of ground turkey I had bought, thinking it was a bargain. I had spent time Thursday looking for recipes on the Internet for ground turkey, but not really fining any that would work for us.  So, I thought about it for awhile, and ended up making up my own recipe.  While I had originally been looking for two different approaches, I settled on meatballs.  Usually we make beef meatballs  all a certain weight (2 oz.) with the use of our scale.  This time I wanted smaller meatballs, as I thought they might be more versatile.  David finely minced onion, while I mixed in spices and a few breadcrumbs.  Along with the "usual suspects"--garlic, salt and pepper- I added Italian seasoning and cumin--both a common thread in the recipes I had read.  Then I used my 1 tbsp. coffee spoon to measure out the meatballs, but instead of rolling them in flour, I used pancake mix, also a suggestion from the internet. After browning off, they  were divided between two casserole dishes, one with Kikkoman Stir fry sauce added, (it had been in the pantry forever) and the other with Turkey gravy, and popped both in the even for about an hour.  We ended up with 9 good sized meals from $10 of turkey-pretty good, by my standards.

While I was doing this, David was preparing carrots for the largest pot of "pip and squeak" I've ever made.  We'll be eating it for days.  And-- while all this was going on, we were also doing the laundry.  It was about 3:00 when the cooking was finished, we had missed lunch, so put the veggies on to cook, too, and ate supper at 4:00.  

Neither of us did another constructive thing for the rest of the day--except having showers.  I'm still exhausted, and have no plans for doing anything more today.  There are some advantages to being old, although actual cobwebs still show up.  Deal with them tomorrow.

Challenging Day

 The title says it all.  'Nuff said.

There have been a lot of accomplishments and acquisitions over the past couple of days.  Yesterday I went to the group meeting in Lorette.  One of the ladies crochets winter hats, and I had said I might like one if it was a dark colour. Well, she turned up with one of those helmet like things with ear flaps, and braids to tie under my chin.  She also crocheted it in two layers so it's super warm.  It is in deep navy, plain in the inside and with a silver thread stitched in on the out side.  And, yes, I will wear it when I need to. But she didn't have change for a $20, so I have to pay her next week.

As well, the lady from whom I ordered a home baked fruit cake, also showed up with something for me.  Again, no change for a $20, so someone else I have to pay next week. It is a lighter cake, with lots of fruit, and about the size of a regular loaf pan, but maybe not as high.  I have now started to brush brandy on it and wrap it in cheesecloth (amazing what can be found in my studio).  However, we tried a tiny piece tonight, and it is very nice, but will probably benefit from the moisture of the brandy.

This week I bought the makings for beef stew, as well as two 1lb packages of ground turkey.  The stew got made today, without benefit of beef stew seasoning, and lots of flavourings from my spices on hand, and my imagination.  Not too bad, if I do say so myself.  I've been on the internet for ground turkey recipes, and was dismayed to find that most of these sites now expect to be paid for their recipes.  So David went out and bought some turkey gravy mix, and I did find a few recipes that I didn't have to pay for, so tomorrow hope to deal with the turkey--as well as the wash!

Today, the last of the 16-5 1/2" square Pineapple quilt blocks was finished.  I have been working full out on this and am very glad to see the last of the construction.  They all have to be sewn together in three different configurations, but that should be a breeze after actually having to make them.  Plus, I now have a large bag of 1" strips to use in my next charity quilt, leftovers from the hundreds I cut for those darn pineapple blocks.

My next job now is to get David's computer up and running after having a major clean out.   It was in the shop for a week. Thank Goodness for the left over brandy.  Again, 'nuff said, and good night ladies.

The snow doth cometh...

 One might say that we had our first real snow fall to welcome us to the coming winter season, and get us in the mood. Enough to have to clean off the car and shovel a little off the sidewalk, but as usual with the first fall snows, the sun came out mid day and all that glorious white stuff is all but gone now. As a matter of fact, i was able to go outside this afternoon and dig the last of the potatoes and clean up more tomato plants at the back. Not much of a potato crop this year but it will be enough for several feeds and tomorrow I will be making a nice big casserole of scalloped potatoes. Yummy....

Harry has been busy making dehydrated fruit as a treat to nibble on. The first batch was made a few days ago and turned out to be excellent so today we shopped for more fruit and now it is all cut up fine, marinated in a fruit juice and lemon mixture, and loaded onto 12 trays and in the machine.....it will take well into tomorrow to dry.

Tomorrow I am going to try making some raisin scones. I have wanted to try it and found a fairly simple recipe so wish me luck. i would like to eat them as a morning snack or breakfast perhaps. The recipe makes eight so i can't go wrong in having too much of a less than satisfactory result if that is to happen. 

All is quiet now as the animals have all been put to bed, so having my "nighty night" tea and then off to bed to see if I can sleep. Lately sleep has eluded me. And my body is starting to rebel haha!

Take care and be safe... watch out for that nasty Covid . The PHU is having a Flu vaccination clinic here in Sundridge at the Arena on Nov 9 and we plan to attend - otherwise the Pharmacy will also be providing them.  So many needles in the last few years..what are we to do?   😓

Gorgeous

 Hello,

I just read the Mouse Factory blog and I must say i am so impressed Pati with your work so far. As i said previously I followed on The Quilt Show when Dee Christopher did this Long Gone pattern as a learn live weekly show. I could not believe it then, and seeing yours to date, i still cannot believe that you have sewn this so beautifully - so many small pieces. I applaud your work and your patience.

Have a lovely weekend folks and be safe. Take care.

I guess you are the winner....

 Hi all,  👏

I guess you win Pati as I just checked you Cathy, and you are supposed to get flurries later. But we are getting rain so far and this week to come does not look like any snow yet.

I just came in for a break as I am working out in the yard with a nice winter coat and hat on and trying to get the little greenhouse fixed up for winter and ready for the Spring when we put a heater in. And since it is coldish and wettish, I have had to bundle up.

The first thing I did was clean up all the bear excrement around the yard.  I kept slipping on it haha! I should rake some leaves off the sidewalk and driveway but I may have to leave that as well as I am getting tired and cold. A nice cup of tea sounds delicious right about now. And I have no Tim's near me to splurge like you Pati (oh woe is me)

Hope all is well with you there... and be sure to take care on those roads as you drive - both of you!  Thinking of you....☺