Cistern Full

As I mentioned in Wednesday’s post, Thursday began with me climbing up onto my cistern to fix it. It wasn’t refilling, but by the afternoon, I could tell that my jiggering had worked. I was very relieved to have it working and to be able to fix it myself.

I didn’t sleep well Wednesday night, so Thursday involved a couple of long naps. I worked on the cake I took to dinner Last night at Kris and Steve’s. I tried making a marshmallow filling to separate the layers and it was a bit of a disaster. However, when I frosted the cake, the messiness of the mallow was hidden, and I know that all people will notice is the leaves.

Friday began with a large group walk. We were seven people and nine dogs, and it was mild and there was no rain. I got very tired and ended the walk with a seizure, but I had to hurry home to be here for a Zoom call with Dianne. That was fun! And then I fed the brood, had my own lunch, and then went to bed for a good long nap.

Next up was frosting and decorating the cake. I made chocolate leaves by coating Salal leaves with chocolate and then peeling the chocolate off. And when I was done, it was t ime for our afternoon walk. Again, there was no rain and it felt quite mild as we walked.

I wanted another nap, but I only had enough time to shower and change before going to Kris and Steve’s. I left Her Highness at home with Fred and Ethel. There was a fair size crowd invited, so I was not wanting Shebes adding to my stress. As I drove to Kris and Steve’s house, I was already looking forward to coming home and going to bed.

We were ten people, and it overwhelmed me. I stayed silent except for one story about PAL (Performing Arts Lodge). I wanted to leave earlier, but I waited until 9:00 and as I was getting my coat on, on came a seizure. When it was over, I rushed home, and I loved, loved, loved my reunion with Sheba. We went directly to bed.

When I arose this wet and dark morning, my cistern was full to the brim. I’ve still to oil the valve, but I will wait until a dry day to do it. I finished filling the hot tub and then turned on the heater. Soon, all will be working correctly at Pinecone Park. And today, I shall rest, rest, rest!

Cistern Troubles

Someone visiting me here left a package labeled “Laksa.” Laksa is a favourite dish of mine. I could get it at the Banana Leaf restaurant that was a block from my condo. It sat there for ages. I’m not inclined to packages such as this one. I like making everything from scratch, and I’ve made Laksa before. I made it, however, in Vancouver where I could go to the Asian markets for the many ingredients in the soup at Banana Leaf.

But a couple of weeks ago I tried it, and I was surprised to find that I quite liked it. But I added prawns and cilantro, and I will get some Asian radish at Nester’s to add as well. So … I went on Amazon where they sell the same packaged Laksa, and I bought 16 packages. Now, I use them as a base for various easy meals, adding whatever I want.

I baked a cake that is always a hit (I’ll add modestly). I got a great basic chocolate cake recipe from a woman in Vancouver whom I met through a baking course. It has 2 cups of coffee in it, and although I hate coffee, I love this cake. Plus, I add beets, and lately, because I have a new stand mixer, I add puréed beets to the batter (instead of grated beets). It makes the cake nice and moist and deepens the colour. Adding beats to her batter once won a baker in the USA, cakemaker of the year. That’s how I learned about using beets.

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I’ve never written here much about my beloveds. I always talk about walking Sheba, but not about her, or Fred and Ethel. 

My two passions from birth were the theatre and animals. I was given a book that was an encyclopedia of dogs, and I learned to identify every breed. I am mad for all animals, birds and fish, so having three wonders of my own brings me immense joy. I cannot believe how deeply attached I am to Sheba. We are a unit. When I feel her fall against me in the bed, the weight of her pressing against me fills me with joy. I feel bonded and nothing beats that.

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This morning, at first light, I could confirm that my cistern was not re-filling with water, so in the weak light of dawn, I was up the ladder and onto the cistern to open it up. It only took seconds for me to get it working again, but I will have to oil the switch of the floater valve. For now, however, it is filling, and I can then finish filling the hot tub and all will be back in order, but I’ll have to monitor the cistern until I oil the valve.

Happy New. Year!

The past two days were dull and ordinary and wonderful, just as today will be. I enjoy passing my days in solitude, never leaving the house except to walk Her Highness. The driest trails have hills, so I’ve not been walking with our friends as often as in the past, but I will this morning. They walk a flat trail at least once a week with me.

It’s wet outside. It’s been raining lightly and been quite bright the past few days. Monday, I turned on the lights in the house at 2:30 because it was so dark outside and in. 

I’ve decided that this will be the last Winter for my hot tub. Henceforth, I will only have it operational during the warmer months. I haven’t been in it for ages because I can barely lift the cover. It’s just too heavy. In June, I did something to my rotator cuff muscle, and it will not heal. It is the reason I can’t lift the cover.

Our afternoon walks were mild and dry on the last two days of 2024, and our evenings were like all my nights at Pinecone Park: fire, food and television.