I shouldn't be typing up this quick post. I should be standing in front of a bunch of small children, doing morning attendance. Alas, I had to cancel due to feeling really awful yesterday and not knowing how I would be doing today. I didn't want to cancel last minute, in the morning, because I know what a nightmare that is for principals or vice-principals to try to find a teacher in the morning.
Yesterday morning I felt so horribly dizzy, the whole world was moving. I had a scheduled physio appointment and husband drove me, as I didn't trust myself to drive safely. The physio was part of my lymphatic drainage / post breast cancer and radiation treatment that I've been getting and I didn't want to miss it and have to reschedule and I knew I would just be lying down for it.
The rest of the day was spent on the couch. This morning I am about 85% better with a hint of dizziness but I'd love to be 100% as we have two things planned this weekend.
On better notes, our lagging Fall colour has certainly caught up and the colours are gorgeous! I never tire of seeing the leaves change and put on a beautiful show. As well it is the Full Harvest moon right now, or the "Super Moon" as some are calling it and it is gorgeously white and bright. We had our first frosty morning yesterday, but the temperatures are supposed to go up nicely this weekend, so we get a bit of a reprieve.
Husband managed to investigate and diagnose a problem with our in floor heating system (our old house has had a few different heating systems over the years) which is good because the local company that he called and booked a technician with failed to show up and didn't seem terribly bothered that they messed up. So, husband ordered a pump, knows which pump needs replacing and will do so when it arrives. Handy guy to have around!
Chickens are molting. Cats are diligently catching mice, and bringing some to us (lucky us). Life carries on.
There were birds flocking on my lawn just a few moments ago. It's supper time and I looked out the kitchen window to see a large flock of, I think starlings, on the lawn. There was also a black squirrel and a cottontail rabbit. It's like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom out there.
The weather was so lovely today. I've been cutting back the Black Eyed Susans from the perennial beds in small increments (so I don't wreck my back - again). They self seed so prolifically, I want to get as many out as possible before the seeds start to fall. I had already dug out the last three potatoes, and the remaining small carrots and beets from the garden yesterday. I had also gathered up the last little tomatoes that had fallen off and were starting to rot on the garden and gave them to the hens. I also pulled out tomato cages and nested them all together for storage during the winter.
Today I picked the last of the green beans and pulled the plants. I rototilled the garden so that it would be lovely and ready in the spring. I hardly ever do this, usually because I have plants in the ground and then frost comes and it's just too much and too difficult to get it all done in the fall, especially when I was working full time. But this year, it was not too bad and I'm glad I did it. I also did something that I NEVER do, but thought I should, which was wiping down my tomato cages and other wire supports with soapy bleach water to kill any spores and plant diseases that could over winter. Where I got the energy to do all of this, I have no idea because it darn near killed me and I had to stop the rototilling for a couple of hours, and then I finished it later.
As well, I just could not be inside on such a beautiful Fall day. I purchased one really big pumpkin from the Amish down the road for $8.00 because I had to have something bright and Autumnal on the property. I would like to pick up a couple of brightly coloured mums and maybe a couple more smaller pumpkins to finish it off.
Son has been in his new apartment for one week now and has started his new job, but so far he is just sitting listening to power point presentations. He and I text usually once a day or a bit more depending. He's been out purchasing a few more things for his new home (mostly kitchen-y things, garbage cans, rugs, ...) and he sounds like he is settling in well. A big thing for him was shaving off his beard (he's had a beard since highschool, he's now 24). He always kept it neat and relatively short, but for his new job, he has to be clean shaven ( I think he can have a moustache, but I'm not totally sure), so big adjustment for him. He won't send me a selfie - ha ha.
It's almost time to check my potatoes (from the garden today), and sit down for supper, so I shall bid you adieu (did I spell that correctly?) and I hope you all have a very nice Fall weekend!
Blogging has not held the same interest for me lately (last few months). But to prove I am still alive, I shall do a quick catch up. We have been busy doing this and that to prepare for son's moving out of the house. He interviewed for, and got, a good job in line with what he went to college for (please note that in Canada, university is where you get a degree and learn to become a specific profession like doctor, lawyer, or you get a degree with which you can do nothing, like philosophy, and college is where you learn a specific skill and are more likely to get a job, but no guarantees). Anyway, he managed to find a one bedroom apartment in a city about an hour and half away from here and about a 25 minute drive to his new workplace. For interest sake, with housing the way it is in Canada, a decent (but not new, not fancy) one bedroom apartment will cost him $2,045 a month, all utilities included (except internet which I know is not a utility). It is insane.
He has been purchasing some necessities like a set of dishes, a set of pots and pans (on sale of course at Canadian Tire), a set of glasses. He just bought a couch and loveseat (very used) for $150. I offered to strip off the cushion covers and give them a good wash. I'll be doing that today because I can hang them on the line in the sunshine. We have a toaster and microwave that he can have. He will take his current bedroom furniture. We have rented a small U-Haul to move him on the 26th. It's a three storey walk up. Oh my aching back! But of course, son will do most of the heavy work himself, or with husband.
We are very happy for him. It has never been his life's dream to still be living at home at 24 years of age, (and he's been working steadily in construction - also not his life's dream, but still a good job), but now he can do his own thing, have his own life, be on his way to earning a better pay, have benefits... We will finally be empty nesters. We were for a while when he was in college, but then covid came and changed the world and screwed young adults out of a regular university / college experience and both of our kids came home from their places of higher learning and we were no longer empty nesters, but instead had everyone back together again. (Canada, especially Ontario, had extreme lock down measures).
On other notes, summer has returned. It is gorgeously hot. I managed to process just a few bags of tomatoes (I just blanch them, so I can peel them, squeeze a bit of the seeds out and put them in ziplock bags in the freezer). It was not a stellar garden year unfortunately, but toasted tomato sandwiches have still been enjoyed, beets have been pickled, potatoes have been eaten, as well as carrots and green beans.
I have taught three days now as an occasional teacher and have a few more booked for the next few weeks. I like being back. I will also like the pay cheque. We have booked a week away later in November to someplace warm. This is an effort to also keep husband's seasonal affective disorder somewhat at bay, as well as just because it is cheaper to do in November. With son out of the house, we shall have to ask daughter to pop around to check in on the two cats and top up chicken feed, etc. She's very good to do that, and gets free eggs out of the deal!
I've been trying to keep up with daily (or almost daily) walking. I am enjoying the newly changing leaf colours here and there. It is very cricket-y and a lovely time of year.
Where's my header photo? Why can't I find the background I've always had in "theme"? I'm not in the mood for this. Anyone??
For thirty some odd years, Labour Day has been a poignant day for me. As a teacher, it represented everything from excitement, dread, regret, and a colossal gearing up and organization of a great number of other human beings.
Many years felt like summer had slipped away without really having enough enjoyment and relaxation. This was always due to our self-imposed routine of using July and August to accomplish projects that we were just too exhausted to complete during the school year. As you know, if you are a regular reader, husband is not afraid to tackle anything and will never hire anyone to do something that he feels he can do himself. That meant that I was chief cook and bottle washer ( and child wrangler and yard worker and cleaner upper after the project…). We are well aware that we created our own hell with this practice and ironically we still fall into this behaviour even though husband is fully retired from teaching and I pick and choose when I want to work.
Of course, there was always the excitement, anticipation, and general inability to sleep on the night of Labour Day ( just like the students themselves). Some years were better or worse than others depending on the grade I was teaching or the group of students I was getting or the administrator I was working under.
As well, as a mom of two, it was the usual getting my daughter and son ready to go back to school- new school supplies, new clothes, trying to back up bed times and waking times, and probably a hair cut or two thrown in there. Of course there was less of this as they got older, but then it was moving into dorm rooms or rental houses and all that entailed.
This year, believe it or not, I’m already booked to work on the Thursday and Friday of this first week of school. Normally I wouldn’t touch the first week with a ten foot pole. Lord no, let their regular teacher get them settled and into some kind of routine before I step foot into a classroom!! However, these two days will be for wonderful teacher for whom I’ve filled in before and she will undoubtedly have everything planned to perfection, so I’m confident it will go smoothly. ( or not, but I can handle anything for two days).
The day here is sporting a brilliant blue sky and wispy clouds. The breeze is a bit cool. I sat in the sunshine and finished an Ann Granger book. But I’m still feeling some of those same old Labour Day feelings. Husband even said yesterday that he had had a “ school dream” which I think perhaps only teachers can understand. I hope I can sleep well tonight.
Today I picked beets out of the garden, ripped the tops off and fed them to the chickens, washed the beets, cut them up, boiled them and ended up with this beautiful bowl.
Now, even if you aren’t a fan of the flavour of beets, you can’t deny their gorgeous colour. In hindsight, I should have chosen a different bowl, as the colours seem to fight with each other.
I love cooked beets, served hot with butter, salt, and pepper. Husband prefers pickled beets, served cold. Son despises beets but will sometimes eat one piece to make me happy.
Today’s efforts had to do with pickling beets. It’s a bit of a job, but not a difficult one. Here is the end result.
Please note the use of Joanne’s tea towel, an ever present favourite in my kitchen and something that has been in many blog photos over the years! Still love the colour choice!
Again- look at the colour with the sun shining through the jars. The lowly beet is a thing of beauty. ( The rabbit plate was a gift from daughter who always knows what to give people- and who also likes beets but prefers them roasted).
Normally at this time of year I’m knee deep in tomatoes and such but it wasn’t a stellar year. I should pickle some beets. Apart from droning on about this and that, I looked up something like “ten fun questions to answer “ and ended up finding quite a few.
I will start with five, randomly chosen from a big list that I found. Please feel free to chime in with your own answers in the comments.
1. Do you prefer cooking dinner or going out?
Now, I think my answer would be cooking dinner. It’s always less expensive to eat at home and what would be best is the whole immediate family together for a meal even something simple and informal. As well, I often have trouble deciding what to order at a restaurant and then question if I made the right choice!
2. What’s an unconventional animal you wish you could have as a pet?
We have two cats and I currently have eleven chickens. I don’t think people should keep exotic animals as pets for a lot of reasons, but I have an affinity toward alpacas ( have you heard the sounds they make?!?), I love and admire owls and other birds of prey (“ should have got a falcon”), and just looking at a picture of a capybara makes me happy! But I would never have any of them as pets.
3. Do you often give people second chances?
This is a tough one for me because it depends on many factors. The age of the person may allow for second or third chances because young brains are still developing and learning and figuring out limits. But if you are an adult and you’ve done something that you deliberately lied about, that hurt people, I tend to have the “ fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me” attitude. I don’t easily forgive and forget big things.
4. Do you sing in the shower?
I’m a very private singer if I’m belting something out. Alone, in the car. Of course I’ve sung a lot in teaching ( yes, I can carry a tune and have a decent knowledge of music but I don’t have a great range). I’m just quite self- conscious about letting it all hang out.
5. Would you rather spend the day at a botanical garden or an art museum?
Such an easy one for me. The botanical garden would be my choice. I would be in my happy place, taking in the beauty and energy of wonderful gardens.
Happy Wednesday everyone and comment if you wish!
We spent a lot of time gearing up for husband’s 60th, including construction completion from him, details on the pool house. Son built corn hole boards, daughter ordered a fantastic cake.
The weather did not, however, cooperate. We caught the tail end of Debby, I think, with wind, clouds, a little rain and a little sun. We started out at the pool house and the wind picked up and a bit of rain fell so we took a vote and moved everything into the house. I had only run the vacuum around and cleaned the bathroom, but everyone piled in and we still had a great time.
I am terrible for not taking pictures at parties, but I did get a picture of the cake. Those shiny details are actually chocolate and everything on the cake has special meaning for husband. It was utterly delicious and even with sharing with guests, there was still so much that I froze some today for another time.
We had burgers from a local butcher and I made pulled pork, coleslaw, macaroni salad, and potato salad for the dinner. For appetizers, I made deviled eggs ( those all got eaten!), Tostito chips and salsa, cheese and crackers, a big fruit platter, little mini sweet peppers cut in half topped with cream cheese and topped with Everything Bagel seasoning or red pepper jelly, and my first attempt at pickled eggs ( apparently they were good).
We have lots of drinks left over likely because it wasn’t a hot day with people in the pool. The weather wasn’t conducive to playing corn hole either but we played just as a family the next day and that was fun.
It was nice to have our family and friends together. I feel like I can relax and chill out now. I have a couple of books to read. Husband and I just started watching The Black List on Netflix and are loving it ( yes, I know we are a little late with it). My garden is only just so-so this summer but we’ve had green beans and some peas and lettuce. I just picked my first two ripe tomatoes ( yay!) but it won’t be a bumper crop. I’m not sure I’ll get any sweet bell peppers, but there are jalapeños. I’ll pickle some for son. There are carrots, beets, and potatoes, but I grew ONE zucchini!!! Who only manages to get only one zucchini?!? (me). Regardless, I still love to do it.
I hope August has been good so far for anyone reading this!
We have two wooden porches and they’ve been neglected for a couple of years. I spent a lot of time hand scrubbing with deck wash and they’ve gone from dingy blackish/ green messes where the rain hits them to lovely clean spaces. As well, the wide wooden steps up to the deck of the pool house were also looking bad, so that got dealt with as well.
Husband has been very busy constructing a small pump house for the pool and doing the wiring and the plumbing. It is very near to completion. Prior to this, the pump and all other mechanical things relating to the pool have been in the back corner of the pool house which is elevated. Husband has wanted to move things to ground level for years and this was the year!
I’ve been weeding and dead heading and fertilizing and watering on an ongoing basis. The party is this Saturday (4 more days) and I’ll be busy with food prep and last minute tidying. I’m hoping for good weather but the pool house is covered so we will be fine providing we don’t get gusty rain, then the whole thing will have to be in the house which I REALLY don’t want.
That is the pool house this morning ( it’s overcast and rained through part of the night). Husband built the pool house. The pump house is located toward the back and you can’t see it in the picture. We still have to tidy up construction materials before Saturday.
We bought a new seating area set as our old wicker set was showing its age. (Half price at Home Depot!)
This is looking down from the pool house onto the pool deck. You can see our house in the background. That’s a cord for our little robotic pool cleaner in case you were wondering what that blue cord was. Best money we spent on the pool! Husband also built the pool himself as a kit. Of course we hired for the excavation, and the cement work of the deck, but he did everything himself with some grunt work from the rest of us. The kids were still rather young then.
It has been a good summer so far and I’m looking forward to the rest of August before I potentially get back into some supply teaching. We ate our first carrots out of the garden and have had beans, peas, lettuce, and potatoes as well!
Send good weather vibes our way here in Ontario for Saturday!🙂
It was a lovely hot day. I went to a big farmers market with a friend and bought a giant cauliflower, some raspberries, Ontario grown peaches ( surprising at this time in the summer), some pepperettes for husband (smoked bacon), and an Olive sourdough loaf.
I came home and read by the pool. I have a book that is due back tomorrow so I need to finish ( Kate Ellis - The Killing Place- happy little title).
We are supposed to get some big rain tomorrow. My tall delphiniums are already on quite a slant. I know the rain will beat them down more, so I decided to cut a few and make a bouquet. I’m no florist, that’s for sure, but I put them together with spirea and Russian sage.
They will only be good for a couple of days but at least I can enjoy them inside.
I’ve been watching the hummingbirds come to my feeders. I’ve tried to get a picture but it never does it justice so just assume they are a lovely couple of ruby throated hummingbirds, both male and female.
Murphy treated me to a bird this morning, a fledgling I think. I did the old “ drape a tea towel over the bird and gather it up” routine and put it out in the shade on the edge of the property. It seemed fine, but you never know.
It’s a beautiful time of the evening. The temperature has decreased a bit. I should get back to my book.
I made old fashioned short cakes for strawberry shortcake dessert tonight. They are more like a sweet tea biscuit, like my grandmother and mother used to make. The berries are mashed with a bit of sugar added and then you split a biscuit and pour the berry mixture over top so the juices are soaked in.
It is the long weekend here for Canada Day. We have nothing planned and I’m totally fine with that. I just don’t need to be in amongst a crowd, standing around to see the sights, and in the case of much of this weekend, being rained on. I’d much rather just be at home.
I had a lovely moment yesterday morning when I was reading in the porch. I’d been seeing a flicker on our and the neighbour’s property. I heard a different kind of bird sound and saw mommy ( I think) flicker feeding one of two young flickers atop the arbor! It was such a sweet scene.
https://images.app.goo.gl/TK45mcAjsZA45Roq7
If you click on the link, you will see a picture of a flicker bird if you are not familiar.
I have no idea what just happened to my first paragraph which now has a bullet point beside it. Can’t figure out how to fix it, so it shall stay like that.
The other day, Mama Pea posted about her garden and mentioned pretending to be Ruth Stout, planting her potatoes I think. And that made me think of how I hadn’t read ( or re-read) my copy of Ruth’s book, How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back in quite a while.
I used to read this book every year when I’d get the gardening itch, but it was still too early to do anything.
We sat on the porch with after supper coffees ( decaf for me) and enjoyed the rumbling thunder, odd lightning flash and a nice steady rain. Then the gods decided to turn it up a notch and the winds picked up ( REALLY picked up) and the rain turned diagonal and the hail started. I had a quick peak at the weather apps to see if there was a tornado warning.
And then it stopped and this happened.
Her’s the other end.
The skies still looked like this but the sun was breaking through.
I do like a good storm. Right now I hear the peacocks calling from down the road and the crows cawing.
Today could have been a very bad day, but it turned out fine. I may write about it, I may not. But right now it is fine.
Spent a big part of the day planting my urns, pots, and window boxes. No pictures of those because they are in that “ I just got planted and I’m not big enough yet and I’m a little traumatized “ look about them.
I can’t let June get by without a couple more flower posts. No need to comment, I’m just sharing what makes me contented.
I also have deep purple and light yellow bearded irises.
As well, the lovely iridescent at twilight centaurea also known as cornflower is in bloom.
The weigelia is just starting.
The purple salvia is crawling with bees.
This hosta called Barbara Ann is stunningly huge.
And finally, my cranesbill which never fails me, providing swaths of colour, is also just starting.
Today I spent a lot of time weeding, much of which involved digging out tall grass that was growing in amongst perennials in different beds. It’s painstaking work but so satisfying when done. I think tomorrow I might buy annuals to go in my urns, pots, and window boxes. I think I’m going for a variety of colours rather than limiting myself to a colour scheme. I just feel like I want a riot of colour this year!
The title is a bit misleading. It’s been rhubarb time for a couple of weeks already but I haven’t done a ton with it. I made a strawberry rhubarb pie to take to a friends’ cottage and I made strawberry rhubarb crisp for husband, son, and I.
I still have frozen rhubarb and jars of strawberry rhubarb jam from a couple of years ago ( yes, they keep that long).
Daughter and future son-in-law invited us for dinner tomorrow night. Nice! I got a text the other day asking if it would be possible to make a rhubarb type of dessert to bring along. Well sure! So tonight I am making the unfortunately named “ Rhubarb Dump Cake”.
Forgive me if I’ve posted about this before. I’m too lazy to check my side bar to see if I have ( or if I even included it in my side bar!). This is easy peasy. However if you are someone who prefers their dessert not sweet, low cal, and generally sad and miserable, this is not for you.
1. Spray the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish. Add four cups ( or more so you get a decent covering on the bottom of the baking dish) of freshly sliced or frozen rhubarb.
Aren’t the colours gorgeous?
1 1/2. Let the cat in. Sigh.
2. Sprinkle with a 3 oz box ( small box) of strawberry jello.
3. This is where some recipes differ: 3/4 cup white sugar. ( other recipes don’t call for sugar) I sprinkled on a little less than what was called for.
4. Sprinkle a full package ( dry) of yellow or white cake mix on top.
5. Melt 1/2 cup of butter and pour evenly over the top. Do not mix together!
6. Pour aprx. 1 2/3 cup to 2 cups of cold water on top.
7. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for aprx. 45 minutes to an hour. Remember, don’t stir it altogether.
When it’s done, there might be some small patches of dry cake mix, but that will be dealt with if you eat it with a little cream or milk or vanilla ice cream!
Here it is out of the oven ( Joanne’s tea towel!)
There are many dump cake recipes out there. I’ve made the one that uses a can of blueberry pie filling and a can of crushed pineapple. I’ve also made a pumpkin dump cake that uses a spice cake mix that is so good! True, none of these are going to be featured on The Great British Baking Show, but when you want something quick and dirty, a dump cake with some vanilla ice cream ( get the French vanilla kind) is the way to go!
