A Very Busy Day

When I turned on my computer yesterday morning at 5:15, I noticed that Julien and his family are due to arrive today. I thought they were arriving on Sunday, do yesterday was all about shopping (with the last of my available money), cooking and baking. This morning, I must vacuum and make up the guest beds and clean the guest bathroom. There’s always a lot to do when guests visit.

We were at Nester’s shortly after 8:00 so that I could be home all day in case the courier arrived with my new debit card. On the way home, we stopped at Rollo Park to walk, and then I came home to make a big batch of African soup (I hope they’re not vegetarian), and a blueberry tart. 

I also prepared a pistachio crusting mixture to put atop the cod I bought to serve for dinner tonight. It’s a mixture of panko, crushed pistachios, honey, olive oil, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. It will go on top of the fish while it bakes. I also made the very complicated sauce in which I plan to serve the cooked fish. 

I blended well quite a bit of corn, a jalapeno, lots of basil and a bit of water. Then I strained the mixture in cheese cloth, cleaned the blender, and poured the filtered mixture into the clean blender, adding coconut milk, olive oil, shallot, lime juice, honey and salt. That gets blended and it looks beautiful and enticing and it tastes divine. I can hardly wait to eat this dish tonight.

I was non-stop busy all day. I finally stopped at 16:00. I’d been going hard since 5:30! It felt so, so good to get on the chaise and to get off my bone spur foot. I fed the brood before getting into the evening position, and I was content to rot there until bedtime.

The best thing to happen yesterday was receiving my new debit card. I must talk with Issam, my bank manager, on Tuesday to get the pin added to my card. Then I’ll be able to withdraw money from my account. Next week, my new VISA card comes.

Beth wrote to tell me about a program on the CBC about scammers. She wrote: “They're doing a program on scams, how nearly half of all Canadians will be scammed, how common they are, how easy it is to be scammed. Surely it would help you feel better about your own experience. They're brilliant at what they're doing, and many, many people have fallen prey.” It made me feel much better to read her email. 

This morning will be busy. I’ve beds to make, a bathroom to clean, and a rice dish to make to serve with the cod, but I plan to chill from mid-day on so that I am rested when Julien et al arrive sometime mid-to-late afternoon. I. believe that they are leaving tomorrow to go to Tofino.

Although I love company and Julien is a great friend, I’m already looking forward to tomorrow when I say goodbye and I return to peaceful solitude. Yesterday exhausted me and having three people here, one a very young one, will be trying, I fear. Julien’s visit marks the end of the holidays. I have no more visitors on my calendar for months and months.