Memorandum Monday October 31st

Linking in with all the Monday Memo writers through our hostess, Sian at: From High In The Sky

Good morning & thank you all for the many good thoughts, prayers & well wishes for Mr Man's eye surgery & recovery.  Surgery went fairly well with only a small complication.  Mr Man is an easy bleeder, so during the removal of the scar tissue from behind the eye, a blood vessel broke & the surgeon could not get the bleeding stopped, so they had to do a lazer stitching.  Because of this, a gas bubble was added to the eye, which keeps the stitching off the new lens & Mr Man has had to keep his head in a forward down position for 7 days following the surgery. Sleeping has been difficult & I will say no more about that. Today is the first day since last week that he has been able to lift up his head.  Second follow up appointment is tomorrow.

So what is new from the patio?  Not a lot of activity on or off the patio.

The corn field behind us was harvested.  Such a big machine & to think in a few weeks time it will be part of the Parade of Lights with Santa & Mrs Claus a top the combine.  It was quite noisy & dusty while the harvesting went on & shortly after it was done, the noise was from Canadian Geese enjoying the fallen corn.

We received an Edible Get Well gift basket from one of Mr Man's work collegue/friend.  Such kindness.

Mr Man found it quite yummy; not me so much as I am not a dark chocolate fan (gasp).  I peeled off the chocolate & gave it to Mr Man to eat.  It was made up of cantaloupe, pineapple, green apples, grapes & strawberries (which had very little taste).  The fur girls for some reason enjoyed nibbling on the greenery which was kale.

It seems that the last week has been a very difficult one for so many of the blogging community for various reasons.  Know that all of you are in my thoughts & prayers & I am sending lots of healing energy out as I have received an abundance of it back.   Be well my blogging tribe.

One Photo, 6 Words: Long - October 28th

The idea is to take one photo & write six words which include the word of the week.  Linking in with Miriam & the other short story tellers at:  Miriam.  This week's word is: Long. 
 

Long roots, helps search for water.

This is the tree I followed all year

SNAP - Pumpkin Imitation

Linking in with the SNAP Community along with our hostess Helena at:  SNAP.      Have a peek at what everyone else has found as a two to four photo collection this week & then join in -  you know you want to.

This week my SNAP collection is about how with decorate with the not real pumpkins

I like the creativity some folk use with the imitation pumpkin theme - it is after all the most sincere form of a compliment. 

Memorandum Monday: October 24th

Linking in with the other Monday Memo writers who are updating us on all the newest things seen, done & heard, through our hostess, Sian, at: From High In The Sky

Hopefully as everyone is reading what is new from the patio, Mr Man will be coming out of a successful eye surgery.  Thank you all for your kind thoughts & prayers.

 It is a new bag of peanuts for feeding the Blue Jays.  You can look out on the patio & see not a sign of any bird activity, then throw the peanuts out & even before the first peanut hits the patio, there are dozens of squawking Blue Jays.  The cats love bird theatre!  Oh yes & look who also turns up - a very wet Charlie!

New on the baking front, I have found a recipe for Maple Shortbread (Canadian Living magazine) & while I have not yet baked them, I have a new maple leaf cookie cutter, a new jug of fresh Quebec 100% pure maple syrup, along with a new roll of parchment paper already for a day this week of baking.  This will do nicely as a treat before the traditional Christmas goodies get made.

 On Friday & Saturday I had renewed energy for the clearing out of cupboards & closets, which has seen me take a huge black bag of clothes to the charity shops.  I think some of this energy is due to nervousness about today's surgery.  Still it feels good to tidy & sort, not only clothes, but crafting paper, which I will be donating to the local kindergarten class. Even the food cupboards got a clear out.  I really do not need to have 10 cans of cream of mushroom soup!

The fur girls received a new box that has been entertaining them for  hours.  I love how they share all new adventures together.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead; one that is filled with new adventures, stories & connection.
 

One Photo, 6 Words: Night - Oct 21st

The idea is to take one photo & write six words which include the word of the week.  Linking in with Miriam & the other short story tellers at:  Miriam.        This week's word is: Night. 

A nose as black as night

this is Sooty Paws

SNAP - Seeing Red, October 19th

Linking in with the SNAP Community along with our hostess Helena at:  SNAP.    Have a peek at what everyone else has found as a two to four photo collection this week & then join in; you know you want to.

This week my Seeing Red SNAP collection is some of the local & at home red in the gardens.
 

My Burning Bush

My Evening Primrose

 

Virginia Creeper on Old Barn Wall

 

Burning Bush Against Old Barn Wall

 

Memorandum Monday - October 17th

Linking in with the other Monday Memo writers who are updating us on all the newest things seen, done & heard, through our hostess, Sian, at: From High In The Sky

What is new from the patio?   Even though all the patio furniture is put away, it seems we, Mr Man & myself,  are not the only ones that enjoy a sit on the patio.  This is Charlie, our resident American Gray Squirrel & an Eastern Red Chipmunk, Chippy.  Normally Charlie will chase other squirrels & chipmunks away.  Being this close together is new & Charlie was making some growling sounds - he does not like to share. 

We had new view of  Guelph Lake.  I think the lake is at its lowest level.  I certainly cannot remember it ever been so empty!  Guelph Lake is a created lake, part of the Grand Valley's system of flood control.

View - south east

 

View - north west

 Normally you cannot see the sand/dirt & in the first photo of causeway (road) you can see a water stained line in the stones.  All evidence of a dry summer.  Autumn is not providing us normal levels of rain either.  Thankfully forecasts are for a snowy winter.  Thankfully you say?  Yes in our weather world, we need a good amount of snow for protective coverage of most plants & then the snow becomes water & potential for rain making.  Dry winter, dry summer = not good.  This was something not so new to me but overheard recently in farmer discussions at the physio clinic.

Mr Man had a scheduled surgery date of October 13th but has been postponed due to surgeon's emergency schedule.  New surgery date is Monday October 24th.

We finally have hired someone for front desk/reception coverage at the physio clinic - our new staff member, Victoria,  starts today for training.  After Mr Man's surgery, I plan to take a few weeks off to tend to him.  
 
Hope everyone has a marvellous week ahead of them.  I will leave you with this thought for the week: I was quiet, but I was not blind.  Jane Austen

One Photo, 6 Words: Strong - Oct 14th

The idea is to take one photo & write six words which include the word of the week.  Linking in with Miriam & the other short story tellers at:  Miriam.   

This week's word is: Strong. 

This one, has very strong opinions

SNAP - Scare Me Not

Linking in with the SNAP Community along with our hostess Helena at:  SNAP.    Have a peek at what everyone else has found as a two to four photo collection this week & then join in; you know you want to.

This week my SNAP collection is some of the local scarecrows found as decorative Autumn accents in front gardens.

A Dapper Fellow

Traditional

Sweet Ride

Twins

I don't think they really keep any crows or other birds away.

Memorandum Monday - October 10th

Linking in with the other Monday Memo writers through our hostess, Sian, at: From High In The Sky

What's new from the patio?   This weekend we have put all the patio furniture away, emptied all the flower pots & had our last barbeque of the season.  A some what sad time of year.

I bought myself a new set of  pottery dinner ware that is Autumn & Thanksgiving inspired.  I thought a treat to celebrate all the extra hours I have put in at the clinic.  I am most thankful they were on sale.  I like to use leaves as a theme for Thanksgiving rather than pumpkins as I am not a fan of orange for decorating. Mr Man kindly set the Thanksgiving table for me, while I was busy preparing a new to me recipe for pumpkin cheesecake.  A recipe that Queen Elizabeth II ate 3/4 of her portion when served to her at Winnipeg's Dubrovnik Restaurant in 1984.

We were putting some garden debris into a wooden compost barrel in the field behind us & I notice that there are at least 50 sunflower plants growing beside the compost barrel & all along the edge of the fence!  All the seeds I feed the chipmunks, squirrels & blue jays have been hidden for future nibbling but apparently forgotten & are now growing.  It is too late in the season to expect any flowers - our weather is expected to drop to 0 tonight.  (sad face). 
 

There was also some large mushrooms growing.  I was hoping for some puff ball mushrooms but I am not sure these are edible.  Too many Midsomer Murders to risk trying ...

We had a Sunday drive to see the changing leaves on a new to us side road.  The new sign was indicating a lowering of the speed limit on the road.  That speed is kilometers not miles per hour.

As we sit down to our Thanksgiving dinner today I am going to leave you with the thought that I am most thankful for elastic waistbands.  Hoping everyone has a wonderful week ahead of them.

PS: yeah to our national baseball team - The Blue Jays.

One Photo, 6 Words: New - Oct 7th

The idea is to take one photo & write six words which include the word of the week.  Linking in with Miriam & the other short story tellers at:  Miriam
This week's word is: New.  I am playing with this word this week.

This week, I have nothing new

SNAP - Colour Change

Linking in with the SNAP Community along with our hostess Helena at:  SNAP.    

Have a peek at what everyone else has found as a two to four photo collection this week & then join in -  you know you want to.


This week my SNAP collection is of the neighbourhood maple trees in the process of changing colours.  Depending on the type of maple tree & how the light catches them, they are all at different stages of colour change.  

I am looking forward to a Thanksgiving weekend drive out to see more of the local colour changes.

Memorandrum Monday - October 3rd.

A morning greeting wave from underneath my umbrella as it has been 3 straight days of rain, drizzle & fog. Linking in with Sian & the other memo writers at:  From High In The Sky

What news do I bring from the patio?  Well I have several new to me items to report on.

New season of Poldark started & I finally had a chance to watch. Oh my, cool me down now,  the lead actor, Aidan Turner is most delicious. Oh most delicious! Thank you Ireland.  Ladies my thoughts are too racy for day time blogging.  If you have not seen, DO, catch up with season one first.  Enjoying the filming in Cornwall & the history of the region.

from the Internet

New season of Indian Summers was another I needed to catch up on. I know it is not actually filmed in India but Malaysia (where this week's F1 Race was). Gorgeous location.  Interesting history woven into this story of India's fight  for independence.  I also find it SO interesting to see Julie Walters in a less than nice role.  Certainly not Mrs Weasley.

from the Internet

In keeping with tv - I am so sad to hear of the new changes to The British Bake Off series.  What will it be without Mary Berry, Sue & Mel.  Rumour has it Saunders & French could be the new hosts.

I was invited to join a previous clinic colleague at her ladies church group - A Ladies Dessert Evening - there were guest speakers from Gleaners Canada group.  This ministry was very new to me, but the work they do has been going on for years.  They take donated surplus veggies & sometimes fruit from local wholesalers/farmers/grocery groups.  They clean, chopped & freeze dry the veggies & then turn into a soup mix. The fruit they freeze dry & serve as "candy treats".   They provide tons & tons of this product to countries in need around the world.  Most interesting ministry.  The second guest speaker was from Medical Ministries International, a group providing, primarily optical & dental care although with some types of surgery.  Another ministry group totally new to me.  The lady from MMI shared the story of her journey in MMI, which had the theme of heartbreak & found joy.  While she spoke extremely fast, I enjoyed her talk.  My dessert was homemade cherry pie - that is not new to me.
 

from the Internet

Two other new to me workshops or gatherings I have been invited to attend are; the Womb Blessing event & The Red Tent event.  The Womb Blessings invites women of all ages to join in.  There are blessings given to the empty womb, the angry womb, the wounded womb, the full womb, the missing womb; the finished womb; well you get it.  The Red Tent event is based on the book & the old world traditions of separating women from the group in the celebration of  that "time of the month".  While I get why & what,  of these gatherings, I would probably put them into the new age types of events & not sure either are for me.  Have you heard of these two types of gatherings?  Have you participated?

I hope everyone has a fantastic week ahead of them.  In Canada this week it is all about the preparation for Thanksgiving, October 10th.   

 
My thought for the week is really something for me to remember:  "Tell the negative committee that meets inside your head to sit down & be quiet."  Ann Bradford.