garlands

 Christmas is slowly creeping into the house one shaggy needle at a time. Today I strung the garlands - they are 27 years old and getting a little worse for wear but I’ll make them live for another few years. I remember the first Christmas we were here putting them up for the first time; I was so excited and I suppose a bit of that excitement rubs off me every year much like the plastic needles fall to the floor. 

I went crazy sewing big gold bows using the most uncooperative fabric ever created. Thin and slippery it twisted its way through my (beloved ha ha) sewing machine. I look at them now and think that they were well worth the effort and swearing. 

There’s a window seat or bench built into the wall in a giant U at the south end of the room which is covered with plants from the deck. As I took down the valence and hung the garland at each window I was treated to a waft of fragrance from the herbs. Lemon thyme at one window, rosemary at the next. Sweet basil and more lemon thyme greeted me at the other windows.

Carm went on a quest to Canadian Tire for a step ladder and came home with an armful of coloured LED lights for me to string around the great room. Oh! Pretty lights! All my tiny lights are a warm white but the joy brought by coloured lights was a surprise. I kept them on all afternoon :-)

Yesterday Jo Ellen and Don joined us for Sunday dinner. I have memories of visiting my great-grandparents for an early afternoon dinner - 2 pm is the perfect time to enjoy sitting at the table with friends. I made a butterball turkey thing that comes in a box which turned out amazing in the instant pot. The gravy was made using thick chicken bone broth and basically made itself at the bottom of the pot. Oh my! And so easy!!!

I told Carm today that one of the most attractive things about him is how patient and calm he is with Spike. It would be easy to get frustrated with Mr. Naughty when he can’t hear or takes 15 minutes to pee but Carm never does. I hope Spike somehow feels the love and care that we give him.

Yesterday seemed to be tougher for Spike than usual. Maybe having guests over confused him but he walked and walked, never looking like he knew where he was. He wasn’t frantic but did seem mildly worried. I made sure to hold him tight at bedtime. 

Today however things seem worse.

We were heading to Trudie & Leo’s for supper tonight but Spike has had a downturn of some sort today. When I took him outside this afternoon he shook like crazy and had to be carried down the stairs but did make it up okay. Then he struggled to stand up to eat his supper on the slick carpet. He tried to bite us when we helped him up so I’m suspecting some pain somewhere. So Carm went to T&L’s while I stayed home to keep watch since he’s fallen on the floor several times today and been unable to get up... curse these slippery floors.

He’s holding his head weird, his eyes are squinting a bit and he’s definitely favoring a front leg.

On a bright note: It only took a few hours for the birds to find the bird feeder Carm put up today. I’ve also discovered a new 'Peaceful easy feeling' song: 'lovely day' by Bill Withers. Listen to it and let me know if you felt the mellow melt any stress.

Awesome!

“herbs scenting the air as I clambered around putting up the garlands”

“

Then I look at you

And the world's alright with me

Just one look at you

And I know it's gonna be

A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)

(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)

A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)

(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)

Bill Withers

accumulation

 Brightly coloured lights around the giant spruce now dazzle in the darkness. We were able to go around the tree 3 times which is only a fraction of the way to the top - we’d need a fireman’s ladder to get to the top. There were a few years that we didn’t bother putting the lights up (lazy or depressed I guess) so when we did we were shocked at how much the tree had grown.

Amazon brought me a present on Wednesday: pillow covers with patterns like Oriental rugs. They are exactly the cosy winter feel that I was going for. Pillows (and even better just covers) are a quick way to change up my decor and the storage is minimal.

With the Oriental theme in mind we dragged out an ancient carpet from the basement. I’d forgotten how rustic (read badly made) the rug is. We’ll see if I can get used to the imperfections, otherwise off to the thrift store it will go.

Adia is back on a full schedule of eating but unfortunately she’s reverted back to midnight poop outings. Boo Hiss!!! I’m not sure what to try next. I thought of feeding them later but I don’t want to mess around with Spike’s schedule.

Little stinky Spike had a rough day yesterday… first assault: clippers… second assault: bath. I only did his body and part way down his legs thinking that tackling hard bits at the same time might be asking for too much. Carm stabilized him with a kong filled with peanut butter while I ran the plugin clippers up and down and around. He looks not too bad and hopefully it will perk him up like a haircut often does.

We had snow today!

Tonight I inflicted Spanish Chicken in Bravas sauce on Trudie & Leo. I had skimmed the recipe off the internet (maybe from the Jacques Pepin Fan page site, you know, the one with the hoity toity people!) thinking that white beans, olives, and tomatoes could be good.

Awesome!

“cold hands warming up in the sun”

“coloured lights in the dark night”

“Spike having the after bath zoomies if only for a minute or two”

“warm burgundys setting the scene for winter”

flame thrower

 Poor Adia was starving I’m sure, but she slept through the night without a peep, or if she did peep I didn’t hear her as I was in a dead slumber. She had a light breakfast and tonight a proper meal - fingers crossed that the reset worked!

Today was sunny but cold and since my doctor sent a blood work requisition we headed to the clinic which happens to be near liquidation. After a 30 minute wait in the car and then a successful jabbing, we headed to the shop to look for the Costco flameless candles. I have one set, but gosh they are nice and I sure need a bright spot on these dark winter nights. We were lucky and walked out with a box. And a pair of sandals that slipped into the cart (ooops!).

Adia has to be in her crate when we go out - today when we got home Spike was in the dog bed beside the crate keeping her company. 🥰

It was a lazy, comfort food sort of night so the Thai Peanut Curry that was on the menu was tossed for plain jane grilled cheese sandwiches. I paired it with chocolate milk :-)

I feel much better than yesterday but have a lingering feeling of blah so have been cuddled up in my flannel shirt for much of the day. It’s like a fabric hug. Today I had a period of piercing anxiety again. I can’t identify the cause but there is something going on.

Awesome!

“the sunset was the exact same colour as the flameless candle”

“Spike keeping Adia company while we were out”

“the sunspot in the tub”

“nurse getting my vein on the first try”

midnight excursions

 This morning (afternoon?), lethargy and cold chills drove me to the sofa with a down-filled blanket cuddled around me. It was the sort of day where a mindless movie fit the bill. Thankfully there is a never-ending stream of Hallmark Christmas movies available. I tuned in ½ hour into the movie (about some magical gingerbread cookies! Hey!), but it only took a minute to get the gist. Miles of Christmas lights, a forest of trees, and some light romance was the perfect comfort TV. 

By the end of the movie the sun was coming out and my ground meats were thawed. Cue some music and the meatball recipe. Usually Carm does the frying but he disappeared so I muddled through it… deeply browned balls with a thick crust are the result. Boo hiss! I don’t use the stove often enough to get a good feeling for the burners. Note to self: make Carm do it!

Adia was a nightmare last night… she must have had a sore stomach as she wanted outside several times thru the night. I finally moved myself to the futon and got her to cuddle up with me. After rubbing her tummy for a while she fell into a fitful sleep. She might not have been feeling well but I can guarantee you that she was happy to curl up with me!

Since the time change 2 weeks ago, she’s been getting up at 12:30 or 1 AM to do her business. As you can imagine, it’s a super big drag! Today we are going to try fasting her at supper to see if we can re-adjust her guts to a more normal schedule. For years everyone has gone first thing in the morning, which is perfect timing.

Yesterday I made a giant pot of minestrone. A pot of soup always makes 6 servings: 2 right away, 2 for later in the week, and 2 for the freezer. Or 4 friends!

Later: supper is done and dusted and I’ll have to say that the meatballs were good :-) Despite a hot bath I’m still running hot then cold so it will be an early bedtime.

Awesome!

“a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds”

“platters of uncooked meatballs”

“getting in the mood for Christmas”

“Sunday gravy (meatballs and riblets cooked in a tomato sauce)”

database inventory

 Circles of gingerbread spun out of the oven a few days ago, a windup to Christmas baking with a special twist. Will I make 7 kinds of cookies this year? My head is saying no but my heart is saying an emphatic YES! It will be at least 2 or 3 weeks before flour will dust every stationary surface (and maybe some moveable ones as well).

I’m reading a book by Jack Keuroac about writing. It’s fascinating and inspiring but I don’t think it’s made a practical impact. He writes about keeping things simple and cutting out the excess, so I guess the paragraph above could say: “Made gingerbread. In a few weeks I’ll start making 7 different kinds.”  Or would it be “I made cookies, soon I’ll make more.” Which is better do you think?

After a day of rain and general yuckiness Thursday, we got some sun on Friday and Saturday.

We had supper at Trudie & Leo’s Wednesday night - Trudie and I had fun ‘cooking’ before supper so by the time dinner was ready we were starving and full of giggles. Crazy times!

I don’t know why but this year we are getting tons of leaves into the house. It seems like the trees outside the front door dropped 10x the leaves of previous years. Did they? Or has the weather been more conducive to dropping the leaves right under the trees rather than blowing them to the next township?

We had a fun virtual sibling night last night. Gosh, it’s not as fun as real life but much better than nothing.

Seventy two bricks of frozen ground meat & bone are safely saved in the freezer. It will augment the puppers suppers over the winter. We used to feed 100% raw but for the last 5 or 6 years we mix in some high quality kibble. Lucky dogs!

Driving home we passed close to a huge LCBO so we took the opportunity to get our Advent beer selection. Twenty four unique cans have been catalogued and photographed ready for the adventure. Of course I put on my geek cape and designed a database to store beer information. There’s even a page for each person to write a review 🤪

Awesome!

“walking down the laneway on a dark and rainy afternoon, everything is grey around me but as I walk towards the house I can see the glow of a welcoming light.”

“beef stroganoff dinner turned out great despite me not being 100% with it”

“with friends learning new skills”

“sinking my teeth into a perfect biscuit”

“pot in pot worked great in the instant pot”

vincent

Ever since the massive tidy-up last week I’ve been trying to keep up with the constant flow of stuff as it seems like things have a mind of their own and migrate to clutter spots themselves. Seriously though, I’m finding that it’s a near constant effort to keep up with it. I’m trying to work it into my routine (cause I’m all about routines!). On my way to bed is a  100% no go. I can fit in a bit while my coffee is making, but that’s also when Spike gets his eye drops and I take my CBD. What seems to work best is ‘see it - do it’... there’s a lot to see!

The tidying even slipped down the stairs to the basement pantry shelves. It’s one of our dumping off points so it was piled high with stuff and driving me crazy. It didn’t take long to straighten it out - how long before it’s a mess again?

Carm dropped me off at the drugstore this morning for my flu shot, only to find out that the message on their answering machine is WRONG and that they only take appointments… the message on the phone said walk-ins only. I did voice my frustration with THEIR instructions but the lady didn’t seem to get it. Argggh. She gave me an appointment for this afternoon leaving us just enough time to get to liquidation for a short shop. Then I got jabbed.

It was a nice day for a drive in the country with bright sunshine and dry roads. 

I went out with an empty stomach and by the time I got home was hungry with terrible acid reflux that still hasn’t settled.

Somehow the combination of all these events manifested itself into a wham o smack of anxiety and panic that lasted into the afternoon. It came as a surprise as since I started daily CBD I’ve only had a very few incidents. I feel that I should be able to get this in hand better but it was a struggle.

Sometimes it seems that keeping sane is a lot of exhausting work. At times there is a temptation to say to heck with it and head back to bed but luckily I have a little spark that keeps me going. Maybe everyone goes through this?

And then, just to make things worse for myself, I ran across this blog article: https://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/love-and-loss-letting-go-of-my-dog-with-dementia/

which had me bawling. We are (hopefully) a long way from this but it’s on the horizon. I suppose I’ve been grieving for a while… maybe that will lessen the impact of when the time comes.

Tomorrow they are calling for freezing rain and snow - ugh. Speaking of snow - yesterday we had our first tiny accumulation.

Pat came for supper last night: White bean & garlic stew. I’ve made it before but not for ages (maybe a few years) and had forgotten just how good it is. A dusting of pecorino would have raised this pasta fagioli (without the pasta),  from a solid four to a lofty five. 

A lovely treat surprised me at the mailbox tonight! Just when I needed a little boost :-) Thank you! I love van Goth and Starry Night is my personal favorite.

Awesome!

“getting the flu vaccine”

"Moon hanging in the sky"

“a surprise at the mailbox”

"And even though it all went wrong,

I’ll stand before the Lord of Song

with nothing on my lips but Hallelujah!” Leonard Cohen

pastis

 November blues are sending their tendrils of misery into my brain. I’m fighting it but it seems to be a constant battle. I feel like Gengis Khan fighting his way through Asia, always fighting, rarely resting but occasionally being rewarded by a bountiful pillage. It’s actually not that bad but the similie seemed fun.

Queen joined me in the tub today... lying back with my eyes closed, the music engulfed me with its awesomeness. It’s easy to forget about the world when I’m immersed in so many notes and words!

Carm did all sorts of get ready for winter stuff while I lazily prepped for tonight’s Vietnamese Beef Stew with Lemongrass & Star Anise. Together we got the slides on the camper closed, including patching a few holes in the slide seals. Fingers crossed that we don’t get water seeping through.

Spike has been in good spirits the last few days. No running off in the night, but some running up and down the laneway. 

The dogs have decided that squeezing in by my feet is the best place to spend the evening.

We’ve been following our 2019 trip to Europe - yesterday we were in the French Riviera on a tour of coastal villages. On one of our stops we stepped into a little bar to sample Pastis, a French abomination. In memory I dusted off an ancient bottle of Pernod (which is a close relative to Pastis). Our small glasses did not cloud over with the addition of water so perhaps the booze is too old (can that even happen?). We both choked it down and hid the bottle until next year!

Aside from the stop at the bar we toured an outdoor market where I purchased a heavy wool cardigan and some awesome soap. I’ve managed to keep the last sliver of soap going but it’s going to be done soon. Time for another trip!

Awesome!

“sous vide instant pot keeping the exact temperature”

“Adia zooming around the backyard”

“beautiful silver green colour of the fallen locust leaves”

“black rainy night”

“dry flannel shirt to cuddle up in when I got inside from that black night”

pasta al gomito in a formaggio sauce

 Just for fun I signed onto a Jacques Pepin fanpage site on Facebook. People post photos of their meals and talk about how they cooked them which can be interesting and funny. It’s pretty hilarious to read “pasta al gomito in a formaggio sauce with a tomato reduction” for Kraft dinner with ketchup! I made that up but you get my drift. So for last night’s dinner I’ll describe it as:

braised pork chops with a creamy Marsala mushroom sauce served on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and a side of roasted brussels sprouts!

My plating needs work!

  

It rained a lot overnight and into the morning but by noon the rain had fizzled out. I could see a bright spot on the horizon.

The colder nights triggered the huge locust tree at the front of the house to drop its leaves in a sudden avalanche. As I walk along the laneway crushing the tender leaves I am surprised that these decaying leaves smell so different from the poplars that line the hayfield. They are sweeter with an undertone of spice.

Awesome!

“Fluffy waffles”

“my new flameless candles”

“the smell of fallen leaves”

“the first few stars in a deep velvet sky”

“Spike and Adia hanging out together”

“Adia going to her mat automatically when she came into the house”

it's not only the drawers that are empty

 I can see clearly now the rain is gone… or can I? The last few weeks have drizzled into one slightly grey blur. I woke up this morning thinking that life is too long but quickly gave myself a shake and got on with my day, paying special attention to errant thoughts. 

I just rescued Spike from being splayed out on the floor for the second time in an hour. It’s heartbreaking. He seems, well, I don’t know, maybe unsure, clingy. He’s lying on my feet now. I think wall-to-wall carpet manufacturers have old dogs cause hardwood is a nightmare for the elderly canine. It might be time to get a few more scatter mats. Honestly, if I could carpet the whole place temporarily I would.

Last night after his pee he started running towards the hayfield. He clearly had no idea where he was and was too stunned to listen to me calling him as I ran after him with the flashlight. I don’t know if he was scared but I sure as heck was. Today I started trying to teach Adia to ‘find Spike’. I didn’t get very far - time to think up a better training plan. Years ago I taught Spike to find things, including Carm, and it seemed to be easy, but he was a quick learner.

I didn’t specifically teach him but I could take an item of apparel from someone, show Spike, then hide the item. After a ‘find it’ command he would start searching, always returning with that item and not one of the hundred toys scattered around the house. He was just that smart.

Through the years I wondered how it would be with Spike when he got old and infirm as he didn’t like to be picked up or man-handled in any way. I needn't have worried as he seems to appreciate the help.

I’d better find a happier topic as I feel my heart slowly being ripped out.

Carm had another golf game yesterday! That’s at least a happy topic for Carm! I enjoyed puttering around doing more odd get ready for winter jobs. Tuesday we got the tires changed and Grace's cage pressure-washed.

I ordered a few pillow covers from Amazon - time for a cosy winter look! They won’t be here for a few weeks so I’ll have to be a bit patient (why does that look wrong?).

Okay, now for a laugh… yesterday I was emptying 2 drawers in the camper, one with towels, the other with placemats and tablecloths. Well, I emptied the towels into a tall bin, moved the bin out of the way and opened the other drawer to find it empty! Gosh! I was freaked out. I couldn’t remember moving the table stuff but looked around the trailer some more, then ran inside to check the basement. I fired off a few messages to Mom and Kirsten and then wracked my brain. For the life of me I couldn’t remember doing anything with them. I went back out to the camper to check again. Nothing. I opened every drawer and cupboard to no avail… back to the drawers. Opened it and EVERYTHING WAS THERE!!!! I had been opening the drawer that I’d just emptied! 🤪😄🤣🤪🤣  Seriously! It still makes me laugh out loud :-)

It was sunny this morning for Remembrance Day ceremonies but alas, clouds accompanied by a cold wind moved into the area before noon.

Trudie & Leo came over tonight after supper for some laughs. We are having fun trying out the herbs that we grew this summer! Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme…

Awesome!

“brilliant stars made my late night trip outside with Adia awesome”

“mixing leftover soup with other leftovers and ending up with an even better soup”

“reliving our trip to Europe 2 years ago - photos and text right in my blog!”

one hour and fifteen minutes

 The temperatures have been dipping down to freezing every night and the winter sun has not been strong enough to warm us up beyond 10C. Some trees are holding strong onto their leaves but enough fell last week for Carm to close the pool before our overnight trip to Olaf’s… 

The Catalpa was fully leafed until the first killing frost (-5!) and then it dropped them all in one day. I wondered about taking the giant leaves to make an Adam and Eve type costume! Instead we gathered them up to dump onto a newly dug garden bed.

We had a little food celebration to mark 2 years since our Mediterranean cruise in 2019.

We are getting into a good swing for the winter: last Sunday Jo Ellen and Don came for lunch/dinner, and then Monday Pat came for supper. I made Pat prosciutto wrapped chicken thighs with a white wine, apple & onion sauce. It was the first time EVER that I’ve cooked something in a skillet in the oven which opens up a myriad of possibilities! The recipe (which I only sort of followed) is saved in my favorites as it was fantastic. Trudie and Leo came on Thursday night for Korean beef. 

Last night it took me ages to get Spike to settle into bed. He wanted down from the bed a few times and would walk around looking confused. Finally I hoisted him up for the last time, snuggling him against me with my arm heavy on his side. He quickly fell asleep. I think he was particularly clingy as we’d left him with Pat overnight on Saturday - it was exactly 2 years (to the day!) since we last went away without him.

Saturday we were excited to make the drive to Olaf & Stephanie’s new house! A mere 1hr 15min separated our laneways, just 10 minutes longer than a trip to Kirsten’s. Awesome!

Their perfectly styled decor inspired me to spend today tidying and rearranging… so much more could be done but that would mean moving large pieces of furniture, with one extra giant desk left over. Maybe if we get the basement figured out I can move it downstairs. As it was, I mostly only shifted stuff from one place to another… oh why can’t I actually get rid of anything?

Do you know anyone who could paint a few dressers?

The time changed on Saturday… boo hiss! As I write this it’s 4:15pm and the sun is already sliding close to the horizon. Tonight I’ll fire up a few of my led lights.

Carm’s off golfing, perhaps the last day for 2021? I’ve been blasting music all day which has been energizing the reorg. 

Awesome!

“peanut cluster cheesecake bites”

“gorgeous day for a drive”

“Country Roads blaring as we drove down the highway”

“fitting into my old motorcycle jacket”

“enjoying the memories that came with the coat”

“laughing late into the night”

‘I feel a power in me that I must develop, a fire that I may not put out but must fan, although I don’t know to what outcome it will lead me’. 

~Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait (1887)