Christmas approaches...

Embrace the Lunacy.

I have had a lovely evening singing carols with Kate and decorating wreaths and making a fake Christmas tree out of a squashed wreath. Then I fell asleep and awoke to go downstairs to fix all the little snowflakes, snowmen & trees to go into the glaze firing and have now come upstairs...it's 5:20. Some people are getting up at this time! Poppy had to fall asleep on some cushions on the bedroom floor. I come upstairs. It's crazy. I shall have a glass of Grand Marnier and enjoy the moment...embrace the lunacy...what a life...Poppy has come upstairs and is asleep in her nest, Kipper is stretched out on the floor between the kitchen and dining room (where the heating pipe goes through) and is squeaking, and the fat Minnow is on Mary's chair grooming herself. At this very moment all is well with the world. Nothing horrid has happened yet. But I have no doubt that it shall soon....but right now: peace. (and a potential hangover... this Grand Marnier is aptly named)

Mystery Tour of Ohio, November 30th - December 2nd 2010

Just returned from another Duncan Mystery Tour in the Magic Bus (or the Cupholder, as the Duncans call their Ford Starcraft...and it does have a lot of cupholders, but because the van is 20 years old, they are carved out of wood.)

I awake on the morning of Tuesday November 30th at 5 am and have to hurry to leave in order to be at Don and Carol's at 7am. Then transfer to D & C's PT cruiser for the drive to Niagara Falls via Tim Horton's, where Don has to buy a big breakfast (or at least as big as they can do in a Canadian Timmy's) for an acquaintance...although I misunderstand when Don says "he was soaked as a rat" and get it mixed up with "pissed as a rat". Anywho, uneventful journey

down, arriving in good time.

All pile in to the Cupholder where we are given loot bags of maps of the route, red hot tamales, $10 seed money for the casino and a lucky reindeer scratch and win lottery ticket. We have two winners - Carol and Malcolm. Then a nice border crossing over the Rainbow Bridge - no line-u

ps, pleasant officer.....this is a very good start to the adventure.

Drive to Clarence, Buffalo environs, to the Cracker Barrel for breakfast. We are seated at a great table in front of the roaring fireplace with Christmas Music playing...Much joking about the menu of course, nobody has grits or biscuits and gravy but we do have a slap up breakfast. Then we have "40 Minutes in the Gift Shop" where some of us manage to spend money...including Don, who has bought some handbells. Much time is spent in the back of the bus practicing the handbells and various tunes...the most successful of which is "chopsticks".

We arrive at the Lodi Station Fashion Outlets where the group is informed...40 minutes in the shopping centre. But it is a bit of a sad shopping centre - most of the shops a

re shut - but of course, we still manage t

o do some damage. Not least of all, Don, who is late back to the bus due to buying some fancy sneakers. But everyone is secretly pleased that it is Don and not they themselves.

Back on the road to Mansfield, Ohio, where we stop at a special gas station to eat Jalapeno Hots (fabulous hot dogs) and choose from many varieties of chips...

Back in the van we admire each other's choices and embark on a tasting of all the varieties of chips which have been found, including a blind taste-testing.

We arrive at the Best Western Hotel in Dublin Ohio at 5:40 - just 10 mins later than we had guesstimated. Irene is already there and we have a jolly reunion then into our rooms and meet up 20 mins later for our trip to Trader Joe's. Have a great "30 minutes" in there, managing to sample and buy lots of good stuff and then a tour of the town and the Christmas lights and back to the Hotel to the Spain restaurant for our slap-up birthday dinner.

We have the best sangrias ever, garlic soup, fresh, warm bread rolls with garlic butter and then very garlicky entrees - yum. Don's has a HUGE dish of paella and Malcolm some huge pieces of swordfish and what seems like triple helpings of all the sides. Don picks up an advertising slip for a girlie bar - he's calling it the Black Pussy Cafe & Chili Parlour and intending that he and Malcolm will go there later on.

Then we go back to Don & Carol's room where there is a delicious cup-cakes cake with an enormous candle and some Asti Spumante to toast Andrea and a lovely concert of Happy Birthday To You on the handbells. Off to bed pooped.

Meet at 7:30 am for breakfast at Tommy's Diner in Columbus. Delicious food and many laughs. Andrea proclaims that if we win the lotto we could go to Lapland to see the reindeer and Don says that that's where he and Malcolm had gone last night. Then he says that they had a special for Christmas: North Pole Dancing.

And then we set off again to the North Market in Columbus - meet at the door in 40 minutes. Followed by World Market , 40 minutes, and TJ Maxx, 40 mins, and then on the road yet again heading for Lehmann's - the Amish Superstore in Kidron Ohio. We have about 2 hours in there which goes way too quickly - what a place. Something for everyone.

Then back on the road to Erie and the Super 8 Motel for a quick check in and we waste no time going for dinner to the Quaker Steak and Lube where we have fancy lemonade cocktails and beer and wings and ribs (Carol has a tiny mac 'n cheese and a huge baked potato) and a great game of Simpsons Pinball, where Andrea beats us all.

Then off to the Presque Isle casino...

The first slots parlor to open in Western Pennsylvania, Presque Isle Downs & Casino features a 140,000 square foot clubhouse with 2,000 slot machines, 48 gaming tables

Malcolm and Carol - the winners of the lotto cards - carry on their winning streak and come out ahead. With the dingings of the slot machines ringing in our ears, we make our way to bed.

Sleep in till 8 am and meet downstairs and say our farewells to Irene and head off up the highway to Westfield Main Street diner where we meet with jolly locals and hear that the highway is closed.

Malcolm, a little worried about the bad weather, hurries us along and off we go again. And, yes indeed, the highway is closed and we are sent off. Luckily Malc and Andrea know the way, although there are some altercations. The snow is worse and there are large drifts and cars and trucks stuck and skidding. The Nagivator, as Andrea dubs herself, is reduced to cuss-words but the Cupholder comes through, helped by the snow tires, the Captain's brilliant driving and the Nagivator's coaxing.

Hardly any snow at all in Buffalo so we have 1 hour in JC Penney's and then on to Ted's Red Hots for hot dogs and fries, with the help of a coupon or two. Sometime during this day we also fit in a visit to Ollie's for some fine bargains and the Niagara Falls Fashion Outlet on Military Road where I declare that I can shop no more and will have to stay in the van. But when I spot a "Chico's" sign I am suddenly galvanised into action.

We all admire each other's purchases and tot up our bills and the Captain guides us through the customs at the Rainbow bridge where he declares our spending and the purpose of our trip but is chastised by the Officer and told not to talk and that She will Ask the Questions....which she does. Then she checks the occupants of the CupHolder and appears satisfied, although there was a hairy moment when she wonders if she will let us get away with not having an actual receipt from the hotel in Columbus!!!

We get a tour of the lights of Niagara Falls and finally arrive at Culp Street where, in the dark, we try and sort out all the packages and stuff them into the PT cruiser. Andrea is presented with the "Westfield Diner" insulated mug and her pink "The Nagivator" T-shirt (which Don had procured at the Fashion Outlet, having had to endure the whole life-story of the artist and then some...) Then off to Oakville and a re-stuffing into the Ford Caravan and I set off home, having had a brilliant holiday and a lot of fun and finished my Christmas shopping.

Andrea's 50th (!!!) Birthday Tour

Just returned from another Duncan Mystery Tour in the Magic Bus (or the Cupholder, as the Duncans call their Ford Starcraft...and it does have a lot of cupholders, but, because the van is 20 years old, they are carved out of wood.)

I awake on the morning of Tuesday November 30th at 5 am and have to hurry to leave in order to be at Don and Carol's at 7am. Then transfer to D & C's PT cruiser for the drive to Niagara Falls via Tim Horton's, where Don has to buy a big breakfast (or at least as big as they can do in a Canadian Timmy's) for an acquaintance...although I misunderstand when Don said he was "soaked as a rat" and got it mixed up with "pissed as a rat". Anywho, uneventful journey down, arriving in good time.

All pile in to the Cupholder where we are given loot bags of maps of the route, red hot tamales, $10 seed money for the casino and a lucky reindeer scratch and win lottery ticket. We have two winners - Carol and Malcolm. Then a nice border crossing over the Rainbow Bridge - no line-ups, pleasant officer.....this is a very good start to the adventure.

Drove to Clarence, Buffalo environs, to the Cracker Barrel for breakfast. We are seated at a great table in front of the roaring fireplace with Christmas Music playing...Much joking about the menu of course, nobody has grits or biscuits and gravy but we do have a slap up breakfast. Then we have "40 Minutes in the Gift Shop" where some of us manage to spend money...including Don, who has bought some handbells. Much time is spent in the back of the bus practising the handbells and various tunes...the most successful of which is "chopsticks". We arrived at the Lodi Station Fashion Outlets where the group is informed...40 minutes in the shopping centre.

Don waits for the "train"

But it is a bit of a sad shopping centre - most of the shops are shut - but of course, we do still manage to do some damage. Not least of all, Don, who is late back to the bus due to buying some fancy sneakers. But everyone is secretly pleased that it is Don and not they themselves.

Back on the road to Mansfield, Ohio, where we stop at a special gas station to eat Jalapeno Hots (fabulous hot dogs) and choose from many varieties of chips...

Back in the van we admire each other's choices and embark on a tasting of all the varieties of chips, including a blind taste-testing.

We arrive at the Best Western Hotel in Dublin Ohio at 5:40 - just 10 mins later than we had guesstimated. Irene is already there and we have a jolly reunion then into our rooms to meet up 20 mins later for our trip to Trader Joe's. Have a great "30 minutes" in there, managing to sample and buy lots of good stuff and then a tour of the town and the Christmas lights and back to the Hotel to the Spain restaurant for our slap-up birthday dinner.

We have the best sangrias ever, garlic soup, fresh, warm bread rolls with garlic butter and then very garlicky entrees - yum. Don has a HUGE dish of paella and Malcolm some huge pieces of swordfish and what seems like triple helpings of all the sides. Don picks up an advertising slip for a girlie bar - he's calling it the Black Pussy Cafe & Chili Parlour - where he maintains he and Malcolm are headed later.

Then we go back to Don & Carol's room where there is a delicious cup-cakes cake with an enormous candle and some Asti Spumante to toast Andrea and a lovely concert of Happy Birthday To You on the handbells. Off to bed pooped.

Meet at 7:30 am for breakfast at Tommy's Diner in Columbus. Delicious food and many laughs. Andrea had proclaimed that if we win the lotto we could go to Lapland to see the reindeer and Don says that that's where he and Malcolm had gone last night. Then he says that there was a special for Christmas: North Pole Dancing.

And then on the road to the North Market, Columbus - meet at the door in 40 minutes. Followed by World Market , 40 minutes, and TJ Maxx, 40 mins, and then on the road again

heading for Lehmann's - the Amish Superstore in Kidron Ohio. We have about 2 hours in there which goes way too quickly - what a place. Something for everyone.

Then we head off to Erie and the Super 8 Motel for a quick check in and we waste no time going for dinner to the Quaker Steak and Lube where we have fancy lemonade cocktails and beer and wings and ribs (Carol has a tiny mac 'n cheese and a huge baked potato) and a great game of Simpsons Pinball, where Andrea beats us all.

Then off to the Presque Isle casino...

The first slots parlor to open in Western Pennsylvania, Presque Isle Downs & Casino features a 140,000 square foot clubhouse with 2,000 slot machines, 48 gaming tables

Malcolm and Carol - the winners of the lotto cards - carry on their winning streak and come out ahead. With the dingings of the slot machines ringing in our ears, we make our way to bed.

Sleep in till 8 am and meet downstairs and say our farewells to Irene and head off up the highway to Westfield Main Street diner where we meet with jolly locals and hear that the highway is closed near Buffalo. Much joking and Malcolm and Don claim they will have to stay over in Westfield and watch the Westfield Girls' Basketball game. Don takes a photo of the ladies room and I buy some knives and an insulated souvenir mug for Andrea, and off we go, via a small visit to an antique shop...

Malcolm, a little worried about the bad weather, hurries us along and off we go again. And, yes indeed, the highway is closed and we are sent off. Luckily Malc and Andrea know the way, although there are some altercations. The snow gets worse and there are large drifts and cars and trucks stuck and skidding. The Nagivator, as Andrea dubs herself, is reduced to cuss-words but the Cupholder comes through, helped by the snow tires, the Captain's brilliant driving and the Nagivator's coaxing. Hardly any snow at all in Buffalo so we have 1 hour in JC Penney's and then on to Ted's Red Hots for hot dogs and fries, with the help of a coupon or two. Sometime during this day we also fit in a visit to Ollie's for some bargains and the Niagara Falls Fashion Outlet on Military Road where I declare that I can shop no more and will have to stay in the van. But when I spot a "Chico's" sign I am suddenly galvanised into action.

We all admire each other's purchases and tot up our bills and the Captain guides us through the customs at the Rainbow bridge where he declares our spending and the purpose of our trip but is chastised by the Officer and told not to talk and that She will Ask the Questions....which she does. Then she checks the occupants of the CupHolder and appears satisfied, although there was a hairy moment when she wonders if she will let us get away with not having an actual receipt from the hotel in Columbus!!!

We take a tour of the lights of Niagara Falls and finally arrive at Culp Street where, with the aid of a tiny flashlight and the light from my phone, we try and sort out all the packages and stuff them into the PT cruiser. Andrea is presented with her Westfield Diner insulated mug and a pink "The Nagivator" T-shirt (which Don had procured at the Fashion Outlet, having had to endure the whole life-story of the artist and then some...) Then off to Oakville and a re-stuffing into the Ford Caravan and I set off home, having had a brilliant holiday, a lot of fun, and finished my Christmas shopping.

Postscript to November 2009...

Well, must add a postscript here... It is now 21st November 2010 and nothing much has changed... I am still on my perch in the kitchen. The dining room and Barney are still the same. Still listening to BBC 7 - forgot about Bubbletown so was playing computer monopoly instead. The only real difference is that I am drinking homemade wine instead of scotch and it is Sunday the 21st and I am preparing for the Santa Claus Parade party at my place tomorrow. Joe, Ali and the boys and Emily, Angus and their darlings and maybe JFsley and Delphine, and Kate and Rando will gather here for brunch and a parade-watch. In that case, what am I doing still up? Seems I can't go to bed yet. I'm rather annoyed at myself. I love it when I don't drink, go to bed early, get up early and am nice and productive and yet, at the VERY SAME TIME, I appear to be rebellious and delight in drinking more wine, not going to bed, even though I shall regret it in the morning. What is that all about? Why are there two conflicting characters in this body. Is one Patricia and one Margot? And which is which? Or is it that the only exciting thing in my life is to disobey myself? Oh how sad!

But. actually, not true. Had an amazing week..we had CJ's uplifting memorial on Tuesday, Peter Rea's lovely funeral on Thursday (if funerals can be lovely) my jewellery class at Tosca's and the finale of the International House of Plastique class and the party at Clinton's afterwards. What fun. There are SO many wonderful people in this world. Okay...no more bullpoo. I'm off to bed. Good night....good luck.

A warm evening 3may2010

Sunday night - midnight. Today, Kate and I went to the bead show and then on to Hutchinson's Farms to buy geraniums, double impatiens, ornamental grass, and lots of other lovely stuff and then, starving, we set off, via Sideroad No. 2, to go to Oakville for Tartan Fish & Chips (not open Sunday or Monday!). Ended up at Tokyo Bay Japanese Resto next to the late Wiggie's beauty Parlour on Kerr st. Then back home to make jewellery for me. But just now, after having formed a pendant piece for my Mother's picture, a link for my Poppy necklace and also a branch and leaves for my wisteria necklace, I went out side. It is very balmy and smells wonderfully of the lilac next door. Heaven. Just wanted to record this moment for posterity.

What is that?

Well see...I spent all day all out of it, not being able to clean, to pot, to jewel. Nothing worked. Now it is 2:05. I should obviously have been in bed 8 hours ago. I have come to life. Had some wine. Feel great. Am I descended from an owl?

Did it work?

Last post was wondering if my brilliant plan to go to bed at 6 am had worked. Well - awoke at 10:30 with itchy eyes again and slightly fuzzy. But Karla and I got together at 12:30, had a nice lunch at the T-Bag cafe ( or whatever it's called - ex Dooney's) and started doing the flowers for Ashley & Rob Barnes' wedding. Woke up the next morning and re-did the large arrangement - big nightmares about it being too heavy and breaking the vase it was resting on.

Gogo doesn't sleep

That Karla! She said how she hadn't slept the last night and was fitfully tossing and turning all night. "Right!", I thought. "That's not happening to me!" Went out for a fun dinner with Don and Carol and Malcolm and Andrea (courtesy of Don & Carol) to a Thai all-you-can-eat in Oakville (I'm sure they lost that gamble) and thought - great! I can go to bed early at 10:30, nice and sober, ready for the morrow. No way. Thanks Karla. Great suggestion.

Slept nicely until 1:30. Scratched eyes and tried to read boring Noel Coward biography. went to toilet. Tossed and turned. Read again. Put eyedrops in. Put face cream on. Read again.. Great idea...give up and go upstairs and drink some wine and play computer games...always works. Sure, but now it's 6:10 and it's getting bright outside and I had originally intended to get up at this hour not go to bed! What to do? I know.. have a nap for a couple of hours (it's all in the power of suggestion - or. I guess it's called "the spin" nowadays).

Drat! Hope it works. Will let you know.. Night, night.......

23rd August 2009

It's Monday Aug 3rd 2009

Kate is driving and we are on Hwy 1

46 in Mass heading back to Toronto from Rhode Island. Kate is trying to get the sea weed out of her hair. She had the bright idea of going on the beach after a cute breakfast and having a lovely swim. Luckily for me I sat on the beach with my beach chair doing a sudoko. The sea was full of the red tide?? or seaweed or something. we have been to the Newport Folk Festival. Set off quite early on Friday morning and drove all the way through the wretched pouring rain getting in at about 7pm. We checked into our Rodeway Inn and went straight to downtown Newport for a bit to eat. Found the most amazing restaurant,


dark red walls, black ceiling and great art all over the place.



I had the best pan seared foie gras (!!) with a rhubarb glaze and two other amazing drizzles which I can't remember now - something about vanilla. Kate had the Ceviche of striped bass with yuzu and other great stuff. Then we both had the sea scallops with gnocchi and they were glazed exactly right - and a great bottle of wine. What amazing evening.

Seared Foie Gras ~ 14.95
Braised Rhubarb, Savory Vanilla Pudding, Clove Salt, Hibiscus Caramel

Seared George's Bank Sea Scallops ~ 27.95

Gnocchi, Snap Peas, Prosciutto, Liquid Olive, Sunchoke Sauce, Piquillo Pepper





It was pouring with rain when we got out so we got soaking wet and we were parked by a liquor store so we bought some wine and went back to our room to play cards. THere was a dreadful drunken party going on in the adjoining room which woke us up at 2 am. Kate had to phone the front desk at 5 am and then again half an hour later. Luckily it quietened down and we got a little more nap. Woketo a beautiful day and set off down town to find the nicest cafe for breakfast. The best portobello scramble - onion, spinach, portobello and cheese (and hollandaise for MK). Then off to the folk festival at Fort Adams. Had to walk a long way but through lovely parkland. Saw Billy Bragg, Ben Kweller, the Avett Bros, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings,Fleet Foxes, Iron and wine, the Decemberists and a singalong with Pete and Tao Rodriquez Seeger and friends, whilst sitting on the beautiful grass. Had delicious mediterranean salad and other food. Lots of people to watch and good atmosphere. Backdrop of the old fort. Pete is singing and remembering (50 year anniversary) and the moon rises over the old stone walls at the backdrop of the stage and the seagulls posing dramatically whilst behind us the sun sets beautifully over the bay. Took ages to get home but it was gorgeous and we stopped off at a different liquor store for more wine. Kate had to look at the photos of the salesman's grandchildren and then back for more card games and wine. Next day is overcast. We find another nice cafe for lobster benedict and portuguese french toast which we share. Then we get on the water taxi for the folk fest from downtown only to find we have missed David Rawlings Machine(!!) - great sadness. We catch Neko Case - Kate is refusing to see Dala (one of them being Amanda Walther who did the shrimp magnet costumes one year) and who she blames for the David Rawlings mix up. Kate goes to get an ice cream and they announce a special treat on the main stage from Toronto Canada...Dala (hahahahahahahaha). But it's the best ice cream ever. We catch a bit of Arlo guthrie and then go to see tim Eriksen and the shape note singers. I think we have come to the wrong stage because there are some glittery drums and TE looks very bizarre - can't be shapenote. Have we carried out stupid heavy shape note books for nothing? But I am wrong. It turns out to be wonderful and we sing along with our books. Then we go to the beer tent for a lovely beer and listen to Joan Baez while sitting at a picnic table on a pier. We decide to go back then and skip poor old Pete Seeger and get the water taxi back, stash our books and chairs in the car and find a gorgeous inn. We spy a corner table for two in the wide open windows on the second floor and are lucky enough to be able to sit there. georgeous clam chowder and I have moules and frites (only okay) and Kate has Cod with vegetables nicoise and capers. And a glorious bottle of wine. Then back to the room for a banjo session and an early night. So this morning we decide to find a nice cafe and are lucky enough to find a coffee shop on the wharf overlooking the fish market and some fancy ships and have the best scone and coffee and then off to the beach. Kate is all covered in the red stuff but luckily it is only 10 am so we go back to the room and kate has a shower and gets dressed and then on the road via a target. We get back seriously on the road at noon. What a brilliant weekend. It is a gorgeous day today so we can have the window open and it's not too bad in this silly van with the broken air conditioner and passenger seat window.

23rd June 2007

What a laugh Frances and I had at the post office in Hastings. We had bought too many clothes and souvenirs so we thought it would be a good idea to post parcels back to ourselves to save the extra weight charge at the airport. I must have parked at the wrong Priory Road parking or taken a wrong turn heading out of the parking garage, but it was a huge long walk to the post office and then a huge long line-up and then my parcel was over 2 kgs to the tune of one nightgown and I could unpack it all and take that out and then it would have been 10 GBP instead of 30 GBP! I'm afraid those jeans were just not worth it. So I unpacked my box and threw it out and took the jeans and the nightie back to the car. Frances was still at her cashier grappling with her parcel and was just about to cough up the huge amount of GBPs when they wouldn't accept her credit card (because of no chip) - she wasn't too pleased. We didn't have enough cash between us in pounds and then he said he would exchange her dollars for her but when she came to cound out the dollars at something like 130 she balked and wouldn't do it so he had to get the parcel back round the side and retrieve all the forms she had filled out and we set off back to the car with the parcels!!! Luckily it only cost a pound to park because we hadn't been longer than an hour (although it felt like it) . I nearly died laughing.

Then when we finally got to the airport the next day, Frances was horrified at the final cost of the car and they had the nerve to charge her more at the airport desk because the airport taxes had gone up (but luckily they didn't charge her extra for her luggage, so that saved the day). She was pretty peeved by the time I left her at the second tax return counter (she had to go to a different one because it was a watch she was claiming for !!!) so I'm glad I wasn't travelling back with her, even though she was first class. I didn't have to pay extra for the airport tax but I didn't dare tell her that! My flight was an hour late and then Kate was late picking me up but it was nice and breezy and I found a seat so I did another puzzle Paul had saved for me and relaxed.

13 nov 09

Well. what does it matter?.... I am drinking Dewars - Barney's everyday scotch - haven't had it in ages. It's the end of Friday the 13th. (November 2009) I'm sitting at my usual perch in the kitchen and looking to my right at the "dining room" and thinking....YESSS... how can this be bad? I have a great glass (waterford), listening to BBC7 and playing Bubbleltown.

I just can't believe that Barney is no more. Is that really all that is left of his mortal remains? In that, nice jar, but still... there? I am surely connected by the glass of Dewars and the urn on the cupboard? I stare ...and have a drink... this scotch is lovely! Haven't had it in ages. Drank, (if I was going to drink scotch).... Famous Grouse (famous grouch, I called it!)

Whew - woke up the next morning with a bit of a hangover!! I shall never drink again.

december 19th, 2009

It's Saturday December 19th and I'm enjoying the little lads as Joe and Ali go out to do some jobs. Ferg, Monty and I are sitting on stools in a circle and Monty falls off his, so Ferg gives him how own stool and goes to get another for himself. Then he uses the tippy as a table and puts a tiny poinsettia on it because "it's light as a feather". "Voila" he says "all decorated!"
So there we are at the Budgie Cafe (so named because of the mechanical budgie which oversees it= but it has had to be turned off because it is too noisy) and we are drinking plum tea and chatting. Kate turns up and is offered a cushion by Ferg. Then Randy turns up so Ferg gets him a cushion too and shows him around the Budgie cafe, calling him by name every two seconds (very impressive since Kyle didn't get past "that guy"). He's very talkative and is demonstrating how one serves as a waiter with one hand and the thumb has to be kept down so as not to tip the plate.

Then he's telling us about a computer game he has..".it has...er......robots....er....a movie....er.....games..er.....activities.....and hours of non-stop excitement" - all delivered deadpan. We laughed so hard and you could see his face trying to figure out how he'd made us laugh. He was quite pleased with the result though.

23 December 09

It's Dec 23rd 2009 and NOT Christmas Eve and I'm wrapping presents. Kate is out at Randy's. It's been nice and quiet but now the cats have appeared and are milling around and hissing at Poppy. Poppy was hammering away at a large red
carrier bag and I was sure she was just trying for a treat. So I say "There's nothing in there Poppy" and lift the bag up to show her...it's pretty heavy....I look in and....Minnow! Well, did I ever laugh! She didn't come out and there was much repeat hammering and Poppy was walking all over the bag.



I was worried about Minnow. So that all passed, Minnow came out, so I stood the bag up and I went back to wrapping. Then there was more hammering and I said "What now?" and I go to look and there's Kipper in the bag! More ridiculous laughter from me. They had great fun but they battered the nice shopping bag. Oh well.

February 10th 2010

Golly, I'd forgotten about the blogging. But now I want to say how great it is....Kate and I just got 30 bottles of our own wine (!!!) from Fermentations for $177... therefore $5+ per bottle - courtesy of Kate's birthday present to me last year. And might I just mention my Christmas present which was some shares in the Montforte Cheese Factory which entitle me to a certain number of cheese vouchers per year - but I've already used up quite a few of my vouchers at the St. Lawrence Market on those gorgeous cheeses. One particularly delicious sheep cheddar with garlicscapes and one with sundried tomatoes. Lovely. So now I am enjoying my first bottle of my wine - a pinot gris with a 1 sweetness and it is still good at home - I was a little worried that the glass I tasted at Fermentations might be lulling me into a false sense of security and that, once home, it would taste disgusting. But, I tried some before making dinner and now I'm finishing off the bottle and it is still gorgeous.

After making the wine we drove back through Kensington Market and I stopped off at Sanagan's meat locker (my new favourite discovery) for some more of their gorgeous meats. I got the best tenderloin steak (should I say roast-it was certainly big enough for two meals) which was well marbled and a deep dry red colour. I knew it was going to be great. I put on some Viking potatoes from the specialist potato guy at St.Lawrence north market. In the pan with two garlic cloves (which, when cooked, got mashed with butter and cream) and on top a steamer of some broccolli. Then I just pan-fried the steak (after having rubbed it with garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper, in my hot cast iron pan with some of the gorgeous olive oil from the Olive Pit on Queen St. It was the best meal I've had in ages. Just delicious. The steak was rare but not running at all - nice and dry. With huge flavour. And the rest of it was unbelievable. so...was it the wine...or was it the food? Wer weiss?

I wanted to post a photo of the backyard in winter - it's so lovely. But I can't seem to make this blog import the photo. Oh well, the backyard looks lovely. Nuff said... Ha Ha - just found out how to do it...