WOOD AND SOUP

We got it done! The whole 10 cords are nicely stacked in the garage. Well, my rows are slightly off kilter and have a few more spaces. Helen and the lad did a fine, neat job; their rows are like a piece of art, especially when you compare them to mine. They only teased me a little, then seemingly accepted my statement about the air circulating better with more space between the pieces. I’m guessing that I only imagined one of them murmuring “IF they don’t all topple because it isn’t tight enough”. Just in case that WAS what I heard, when I put my truck into the garage tonight I parked it a safe distance away from the wood.

Because of the toll on my body, which is not used to so much physical activity at one time, I wasn’t up to getting much else done this weekend. Helen’s husband joined us after our labour for a coffee and a chat. I didn’t want to be rude and start doing my washing or mopping my floors with them sitting there! (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!) When they left, I realized I had no edible food in the house except for Justi’s tantalizing little jars, and those are meant to accompany the main course; not be it! Armed with three recyclable bags, I headed for the grocery store.

One should never shop for food when one is hungry. I spent far more than I intended. Even worse, most of my purchases were fruits and vegetables, so I can’t pretend that it will last me for a month. When I got back home, I lugged the 5 bags (yes, I bought 2 extra) upstairs, then realized that there were more things that needed refrigeration than there was room in the appliance. Sunday is ‘cleaning-out-fridge-before-things-jump-out-at-you’ day, but I was stacking wood, remember? Sunday is also homemade soup day…and maybe I shouldn’t talk about both events in the same paragraph? It doesn’t sound very appetizing. Honestly, my ‘leftover’ soups are known to be very tasty. Because I use whatever doesn’t run away when I open the fridge door, I couldn’t for the life of me give anyone the recipe. (Kidding.)

I did salvage some beef pieces - threw them into a pot with green peppers, shallots, sliced some mushrooms and carrots, added fresh cilantro and cumin, a bit of garlic and a touch of hot sauce, a little Worcestershire, a chunk of frozen beef stock, whole grain brown rice and red kidney beans. (The recipe thing works if I write it as I go, LOL!). The mixture simmered while I discarded whatever wasn’t good from the fridge before restocking that huge, hungry bugger. By the time I finished the task, my concoction was ready for the taste test. YUM! Delicious! It never fails.

It is now midnight. I’ve done the Jacuzzi, the fires are stoked, (it’s frisky cool here in Canada!), the doggies are snuggled up on their cushions, and tomorrow is a workday. It’s time for me to crawl into my comfy bed and, hopefully, fall into the arms of Morpheus.

Hoping you are all having sweet dreams, my friends, and that you can feel my warm SMILE when you wake in the morning!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

STILL WAITING ON BABY

In spite of the drive to work taking at least 2 hours yesterday, the rain was welcome. The lane here is not paved and, because of it being so dry, the dust was continually floating into the house and settling everywhere. I’m not an avid house-cleaner at the best of times; lately there was no choice but to do daily swiping with a wet rag. I was pleased to note that it wasn’t necessary last night. Even more important was to hear on the news that the deluge helped control the forest fires still burning north of us. The Weather Network is predicting more this afternoon and for the next two days, which will certainly improve the situation. I say, bring it on!

To wind down from an afternoon of arguing with a clerk from our greedy government’s offices, I decided, even though it was already 8 PM when I got home, to cook up a pot of soup. Food for the soul. I find cooking a relaxing occupation, and soup is something I really enjoy creating. The many windows in my kitchen were wide open, music was playing, and three doggies were lying out of the way on their cushions, avidly watching my every move. No, I haven’t acquired a new hound. The third one was Lucas, the husky-wolf female who belongs to my neighbor, but who feels at home in my house. She is such a pretty animal, and very graceful and feminine compared to my two pits – the typical ‘out-of-my-way-coming-through’ males.

We are still waiting on that baby to make his/her appearance. Littlest brother, Bali, will be 3 on June 7th. Maybe baby wants to share a birthday? Bad idea. Because of the expense, you usually end up with a smaller gift, LOL.

I don’t have a lot to say this morning, and that’s probably a good thing. I’m going to finish my coffee then hop into the shower and prepare to make the trek into the city again. Man – vacation is going to be SOOO nice!!

Here’s wishing you a good day, folks. Keep wearing those SMILES!

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