Thursday, October 29, 2020

October is Already Gone!

 Hi friends, 

I hope you are all doing fine and enjoying the change of seasons. Since I last posted a few days ago the weather has warmed up considerably and I can now turn down my thermostat. Usually when it warms up at this time of year it means rain so I expect that over the coming days.

When it's raining it's a good time to cosy up with a good book and hot drink.  Here are the next few books in my reading pile.



Book number 59, reading goals 2020.


Book number 59, reading goals 2020.

Book #60, reading goals 2020

 

The red blob in the bowl is home made ice cream which I made Tuesday night in my Vitamix blender. This is a photo taken as an afterthought after the ice cream had been sitting for about 20 minutes. It is made of a frozen wild berry mix, chia seeds and cream. Yum! It's one of my favourite snacks. A variation on this is making a smoothie with a vegan protein powder, berries and water (no milk, cream or yogurt).


I went late night shopping on Wednesday night for a carpet/rug cleaner I have been eyeing. It was on sale at a local store. It is also available on Amazon for the same price but I prefer to get it in the brick and mortar store when I can.  I also bought stain remover and soap cleanser for the machine.  Now I am all set to clean the carpets. My goal is to do a thorough cleaning of all the traffic areas before I start decorating for Christmas.  I don't plan on moving the furniture unless it's chairs or plants or something small.

On the way home from shopping there was a beautiful sunset over the Fraser River. Unfortunately I could not stop to take a photograph for you.  By the time I got home and started dinner it was quite late.  By the time dinner was ready I was feeling a bit light headed and I ate too much as my blood sugar was probably a little too low.

The stuffed pork chops were just right.  Normally the pork chops on offer at the store are very lean.  But these ones were quite fat and had a lot of marbling.  This turned out well because I like roasting my meat for a long time but sometimes they get too dry if they don't have adequate fat.  We had sides of caramelized onions, mashed potatoes and a simple salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and avocado in a dressing of Balsamic vinegar and grapeseed oil.  Everything was delicious. It sounds funny for me to say that but I can appreciate my own cooking and I'm happy when whatever I've made hits the spot otherwise it would be a waste of food and cooking effort.


 
Since I haven't had time to take some good photos I am sharing some that I took in early October of 2019.



Here is another photo from my archives.

This one was taken at the Stanley Park downtown along the beginning of the seawall (south side)

This dog had so much fun running into the ocean to fetch the stick. It always amazes me how dogs never seem to tire of playing fetch with their owners. As you can see I shot this photo into the sun. I always read you shouldn't do that but personally I like to do it from time to time.


 

These little bird photos are also from my archives. I'm afraid I don't capture birds very well because they move too fast for me.  I am not one hundred percent certain but I think the first bird (first 3 photos) are of a sparrow. It looks somewhat bedraggled because I believe it was a super hot summer. I think the last two photos are of little chickadees. These are the two main types of birds that come to my patio besides the hummingbird. Update:  Thank you to Eileen over at Saturday's Critters for identifying the first bird which is a finch not a sparrow.






Given Saturday is Halloween I am posting a few photos of spider webs.  I do not celebrate on October 31st but I know many people do. I'm finding people are getting quite creative about the way to celebrate since the health officials are strongly urging people not to go out door to door.



I cannot believe how fast this month has gone. I know I say that quite often, lol but it is so true that time passes far too quickly. I don't want to waste a minute of the time I have. I don't count relaxation like reading or watching television as wasted time for the most part because we all do need to build relaxation in our daily lives so we can stay happy and enjoy life more.

Speaking of happiness, I found a graphic some months back and meant to share (I don't believe I ever did). The suggestions for being happy apply at any time but maybe this year they are more important than ever.

 Tell me dear reader, do you agree with these suggestions for happiness and do you have any additional suggestions?

 

Thank you for stopping by. Please stay safe until we meet again in this space or yours.

I will be linking up with 

Skywatch Friday

and

Saturday's Critters.

Monday, October 26, 2020

A Gentle Start to the Week

This was the view on Sunday evening as I headed out to do some late night grocery shopping and make a stop at a pharmacy a bit further afield. I was a bit tired since I have a cold so I got a late start.  I'm glad I did get out because I needed the air and the walk. It was a bit chilly and the first time I've needed to wrap a scarf around my neck.  It's been especially cold here over the past several days, especially at night.  The temperature is down to 3 or 4 degrees Celsius at night and around 7 during the day. By the end of the week it should go back up to around 12 Celsius.

 

 
When I'm tired, I certainly don't feel like making dinner so I'm always proud of myself when I manage to get dinner ready.  I usually try to keep my menu very simple.  On Sunday night I sliced up some potatoes, onions, yellow bell peppers and sirloin tip steak, seasoned with a bit of pepper and a few splashes of soy sauce,  put it all in the dutch oven and roasted it for about 45 minutes. I ate mine with a scoop of my favourite chili oil. Delicious.
 
 
 

 

On Sunday I was also able to declutter and recycle several large metal coffee cans and lots of plastic containers that fresh berries come in. I really wish they would package berries in paper containers like they used to. I guess because most of the berries are imported the juices would soak through the paper.  Sunday afternoon a woman came by to pick up a couple pair of shoes I gave away.
 
I also washed this small star quilt I gifted to my mom many years ago and which now belongs to me.  The dowel holding the quilt and the wall also needed a good cleaning from all the dust that accumulates.  All the walls need a good washing but that is a large job so I just do some cleaning here and there.  It's better to do a little at a time than to do nothing at all.  Another of the many jobs I have to do around my home is to remove the one wall sconce (I gave the other one to a friend) and put up two new ones that I purchased some time ago. The sconces I bought are black as that was the only colour available.  I'd prefer to have 2 white ones so I've been holding out until I can find them.  If I can find white ones, the black ones will be put up in my living room area and I will then get rid of the floor lamps.
 

 

When I went shopping last night I picked up some wild salmon on a really good sale. I marinated it overnight in honey garlic sauce and baked it for Monday's dinner along with roasted, caramelized cauliflower and steamed brown rice. 
 
I can see in my photos that the last two dinners look quite bland and colourless.  Usually I try to make them more colourful because one eats with the eyes first.  But they were delicious anyway and nothing was wasted. If I can get to the grocery store again before Thursday's sale ends, I will buy 2 more heads of cauliflower.  At $3.00 a head, it is a bargain.

 

In January 2019 I travelled to Paris with my nephew.  We had a great time and both of us would like to return some day, maybe during the Fall or Spring seasons.  This year I've read a number of books set in Paris.  The most recent one was written by Kate Betts, an American fashion journalist who began her career at Fairfield Publications European office in Paris.  I found the book very interesting because she met the top fashion designers of the day: Karl Lagerfeld, Yves St. Laurent, Christian Lacroix, Christian Louboutin, Thierry Mugler and others.  I am not a fashionista and I do not follow the fashion trends but I found it interesting to have a peek into the world of Parisian fashion through the eyes of an American expat.


Unfortunately, Canada's Covid numbers have been escalating since our Thanksgiving weekend a few weeks ago.  New and various restrictions are being brought in in various provinces including British Columbia where I live in an effort to contain the virus. I continue to keep as isolated as possible and wear my mask whenever I have to go out and do business.  Otherwise there is not a lot of excitement around here in day to day life. That is fine by me because it allows me to get the tedious jobs done.

If all goes well, I'm hoping to have different scenery and photos for you over the coming weeks and months. Just bare with me for a while longer. 

What about your dear reader? What is keeping you busy and occupied during these Covid times?

Until I read from you, please stay safe and take care.

A Few Days in March ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers. I hope Spring is treating you well so far. It's been roller coaster weather where I live with mostly ...