THE WEEKEND

The Weather Network did it again – two nice bright days for the weekend they predicted. I guess one out of two ain’t bad. Saturday was splendid sunshine, not too warm – beautiful. Sunday was rain, sometimes drumming down, sometimes falling gently – also beautiful. I enjoy sitting out on the gallery watching a storm. I know one is supposed to stay inside, away from windows, etc., but how can you feel the real essence of the weather from inside? The roof ledge kept us dry; I say us because Grump-puppy and the beautiful Louka (her owner told me to get the name right!) were there beside me, each choosing a spot as close to me as possible without actually climbing on my knee. When it started to pour, Bud elected to hide in the garage instead of climbing all the stairs.

My brother, the Bird, and Fran showed up with ribs, already prepared for the BBQ, and a bottle of wine for supper Saturday night. I had made lemon tarts, so we were all set for the complete meal. Bird spent some of his time trying to repair my microwave oven. The plastic part of the door catch broke when I was using it that afternoon. I’ll have to invest in a new one – there is no way to fix it correctly, and it would cost just as much to send it away to a shop.

On Sunday I needed a ‘baby-fix’, so I called, then went to visit my son with his three sons, LOL. Nalou was his quiet, cuddly self; and Bali, ever the live-wire. The energy of that lad is astounding. The baby, Tao, has changed so much in such a short time, as babies tend to do. I took my fill of tickling, and hugs, and kisses before leaving. The glow stayed with me the rest of the day.

My daughter and granddaughter stopped at the house for a short time last evening. Shan left with some of the Salade d’Amour I had prepared during the afternoon. There is a little too much garlic in it; so much that taking some for lunch at the office today might not be a good idea. I’m not sure that the clients would be as tolerant as the doggies are when it comes to garlicky breath.

There was no news from my associate during the weekend. No news is good news? I’m not so sure. Whatever the results, good or bad, we’ll somehow handle it. In the meantime, there’s a list of things to be done for our new project – the residences. One of the houses we visited is quite old and, even if it is ideally situated and extremely beautiful (if you’re into older buildings), I’ve contacted an inspector to go over it. I’m not sure the wiring and plumbing is up to par, and any renovation expense of that type will have to be deducted from the purchase amount. Due to vacation and lay-offs, I’ll be alone at the office this week, so it’s going to be a juggling act to keep things on schedule. I have a feeling the doggies will be spending many hours alone for the next few days.

It’s time to get a move on. Enjoy your day, live it with a SMILE!
Everyday may not be good, but there’s something good in every day- Author unknown

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

FIGHTING THE BUG.

What about this weather, eh? In spite of the frequent visits to the bathroom, and the other uncomfortable virus symptoms, I was able to admire the picturesque spread provided by Mère Nature during the weekend. The maple leaves have just a touch of red and gold, their colours a perfect contrast to the evergreens. The same pattern was visible here and there on my mountain, whose majestic reach touched the bluest of blue skies. From my gallery I watched two little chipmunks scurry back and forth from ground to trees, losing them in the bright, yellow mustard weed, then spotting them again…the autumn preparations of gathering and storing before the snow falls. Bud ignores them, his experience telling him the chase is a lost cause, but the youngest pit, Grump-puppy, does his best to be their major pain in the butt. He tries to climb the tree where they have taken refuge. They chatter down at him loudly. Now and then he’ll let out a short bark, drowning out their incessant scolding. I was curled up on my swing, rocking lightly, taking it all in. I pulled my bare feet in under the warm, fuzzy tiger throw and let the medication and the relaxing sounds of a beautiful day outdoors do their thing; push me gently into the arms of Murphy. What a wonderful atmosphere in which to snooze!

By Sunday I was feeling better, although still slightly shaky. I decided to make a huge pot of soup, the renowned cure-all for any illness. Cooking relaxes me, and the creation of soup is one of my favourites. I call it a creation because there is no set recipe – you just throw whatever is on hand into the pot as you go along. This time it was two chunky butcher bones, saved beef stock, strips of round steak, lots of chopped, fresh veggies, a cup of noodles, a bit of barley and rice, some herbs and black pepper…and voilà! Add a couple of pieces of fresh buttered bread, and you have a feast fit for a king! The aroma filled the house, and the doggies made regular stops by the kitchen door, noses in the air, tails wagging hopefully. I treated them to a ladle each poured over their dry food, and the three of us dug in. Mmmm….good!

My brother, Bird, and I will be heading to the Cancer Clinic this morning. Because of the long drive, and the time spent there, I won’t be going into the office. I expect we will stop off at my home on the drive back to fill his water bottles (he prefers well-water to the town stuff), and, of course, a soup care package. Afterwards, I’ll hopefully be able to do the revision of our Healthcare project that I was supposed to this weekend before the virus so rudely interrupted my plans.

Here’s wishing you all a good Monday with nice surprises and warm SMILES, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Ciao!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec