A Great Day of Thanks

 Monday began frantically. I got up at 6:00 and was busy, busy, busy until I put the turkey into the oven at 8:30. By the time Di got up, the house had a lovely fragrance of thyme as Tom cooked in the oven. We called Jane, who was iffy about driving in the rain, and she was en route, so we were a go for our Thanksgiving brunch as planned.

Sheba and I decided not to go for a walk until there was a break in the rain. So, I got onto the chaise to chill before Jane arrived and I had to get back into action in the kitchen. She arrived just past 10:30 with cream for the coffee of both women. (I never have milk or cream in the house because I don’t use it.) I made her a nice big mug of hot coffee to welcome her and to warm her up.

We ate just past 12:30, and everything went perfectly. The turkey was cooked and was nice and juicy. My Brussel sprouts and the stuffing—everything was just fine. We ate leisurely and after dessert, I took Her Highness for a walk. By then the sun had come out and so Jane enjoyed a clear and easy drive home.

Di and I snacked through the remainder of the day and the evening, and we watched several episodes of Bad Sisters, but it lacked the punch of my first viewing.

Today has begun with a dull grey morning. I don’t know what Di and I will do today.  We’ll improvise. She goes home tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Day!!

Sunday got off to a lovely slow start. It was brilliant outside, so Sheba was content to wander the yard while I caught up on some emails and watched a fellow whom I follow on YouTube who posts his weekly vlog every Sunday. I fed the brood and lit a fire as well, and then Her Highness and I went for a walk together. It was most uplifting to be in the forest on such a gorgeous day.

Di arrived at 11:00. She got settled and then she and I went to The Surf for lunch. As happens often at this restaurant, we had to wait for ages for our food, but it is such a magnificent spot for dining, so full of atmosphere, and with an unparalleled view of the sea, time passed quickly. We ate enthusiastically and then made our way home.

We took Sheba for another walk and then settled in for the evening. DI was thrilled to bits with the prawns I made for her in a butter, lemon, dill sauce, and we had a side salad and later in the evening, the blueberry tart I’d made. For entertainment, we watched Water for Elephants.

•

This morning, I have been very busy. I did all the dishes from last night, then I prepped the turkey for cooking and got it into the oven at 8:30. Jane is coming to join us for a mid-day meal—at least that is the plan. She hated driving in the rain and it’s pouring this morning, so she may cancel and Di and I will have a huge meal to eat by the fire to ourselves.

•

The results of the 15th annual Epson International Pano Awards have been announced. Here are a few of my favourites:

It's My Day!

Saturday was bright and sunny, but it was a cold morning (5°). Thankfully, it reached wonderfully warm temperatures in the afternoon (18°). It was a great day for the Studio Tour festival. All the participating artists have huge white flags flying on the street and in some places, I saw many cars parked outside the home studio of lucky artists.

From 6:00 am to 9:30, I was non-stop motion. I did laundry, dusting, recycling sorting and bundling, vacuuming, and making up all the guest beds. I moved a bunch of books from the house to the studio, cleaned the guest bathroom; being a domestic goddess is not a job for slackers. 

Just before 10:00, we went to the last Farmers’ Market to get Sheba’s favourite treats, and to just be there soaking up the atmosphere for the last time this season. It might have been a sad day, but I got to come home and watch the magnificent Andrew at work on David’s yurt.

I had to spruce up the house for Di’s visit, but I also had to plant the decorative grasses that Pete brought over the other day. And I baked a Blueberry Tart for us to have tonight with our dinner. Finally, at 2:00 I quit, and after chilling for a bit, we went to the South End to meet up with Merrill and Issa, my former neighbours whom I adore. They are staying with Ray and Ellen, and their host have gorgeous miniature sheep which we fed. They are so, so cute, and it was thrilling to be so close to them and to have them eating from my hands. We didn’t stay long, but it was thrilling for me to be with Issa again. When we left, it was dinner time for the brood, so I fed them all and settled in for another night of television.

Today is bright, sunny and quite windy. It’s going to be a beauty of an afternoon again, but the mornings are cool. Dianne should be here around 11:00, so we’ll have the afternoon together and tonight, dinner and a movie together. I love watching films with Di. We are hugely compatible.

And tomorrow a Turkey feast.

The Big Weekend

 Friday began with a bang! The first thing that I did when I got up was to open the freezer to see if there was any frost or ice. And there was none! Nada! And when I booted up my computer, there was an email telling me that my new air fryer was available for pick-up at the post office! Woo hoo!!! Soon there’ll be French Fries at Pinecone Park! 

The day was bright, but cool. There was a haze in the sky that prevented us from enjoying a warmer brighter day, so rather than planting the grasses brought me, I went into the village to go to the post office and to go to the pharmacy.

One element on my stove cannot be replaced. Pooey. But I am not going to replace the whole stove just because one element isn’t working, so one of the two broken elements will be fixed, and I’ll do without the other. I have a one burner convection apparatus for when I need an additional burner. I’m glad that I’ll be seeing Jake again when he comes to install it. What a guy!!

 By early in the afternoon, I was totally beat. Clearly, our long walks together tire me out. I was very happy to light a fire and install myself on the chaise longue for some ASL review and a magazine to read. I needed to chill before tackling more chores.

Rejuvenated, I visited Dave to see how work was progressing, and Andrew, the handsomest, sexiest man alive, asked to borrow my game of Tile Rummy. It’s a great game. So, I baked a blueberry galette to take over with the game. Andrew loves my desserts!

•

Today is a big day here on Gabriola. It’s the last Farmers’ Market of the year, Thanksgiving is our official end of the tourist season (which is a good thing), and today is the first day of our three-day Fall Studio Tour when most of the artists and crafts persons on the island open their studio for visits and sales.