Good Morning. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Easter weekend.
Currently Wishing: we had left overs of Friday's pasta dinner. It was SOOO good. A stuffed butternut squash ravioli.
Currently : As of Saturday, April 3rd, we in Ontario are in a 28 day shutdown, which is not to be confused with a lockdown, well at least according to the experts. A shutdown means that businesses can be open but with limited in person shopping, no eating at a restaurant, take out only & no personal services. And we are to stay home unless we need to go out for essential things, like work, a doctor's appt. We were told by our Prime Minister & our Premiere to not gather with those outside of our immediate household over the Easter weekend, but from what I saw on Sunday, it seems our little village was exempt from that rule. I'll say no more for now.
Currently Reading : The Jane Austen Society, a pleasant & easy read. I would almost describe this as a beach read.
Currently Watching: Season 10 of Vera, we picked up the DVD set from the library on Thursday & enjoyed 1 of the 4 episodes every evening over the long weekend.
Currently Missing: the smell of Easter Lilies. I cannot have at home as the entire plant, even the pollen, is poisonous to cats. I always took long deep sniffs of the Easter Lilies adorning the church, but alas no in person services allowed. This comes from our diocese bishop who is not allowing us to return as yet to in person services because so many of the individual churches that make up our diocese are in the hot zones of the third wave with the B1.1.7 variant very rampant.
So I instead adorned my dining room table with fake red tulips - again cats ...
Currently Anticipating: the real red tulips, which are NOT in bloom as yet. Every thing is still brown.
And just like that, we begin another week. I am working on the SPSH list, which will again be a list that takes in to consideration that some of us may be in areas of restrictions and/or a return to lockdown conditions unless of course you live in Ontario were it will be shutdown ...
Doesn't it feel as if we are in a continual 'two steps forward, one steps back' scenario?
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph made me smile - I'm already looking forward to seeing what prompts you come up with this year!
Our tulips opened this week at the front of the house where we get more sun, I think we will have to wait awhile for the ones in the back garden to go from bud to bloom.
In Ontario we have taken what seems like 500 steps backwards. The weekend had reports of "young people" performing stunt driving which included setting the road on fire! I shake my head at the loss of reason.
DeleteGlad you are enjoying Vera. We have stumbled upon the older episodes of Silent Witness. Whichever we have seen of the early ones was so long ago -- in the 90s and early 2000s -- that they are new to us.
ReplyDeleteOh I like Silent Witness. Another favourite is Unforgotten.
DeleteYes, happy Lockdown Holiday, again. I've read all the Vera books, but maybe I should rent all the DVDs, too. I imagine there are episodes beyond the actual books she wrote, are there? -Jenn
ReplyDeleteJenn I think there are a few of the TV Vera that are written by others & not Anne Cleeve. I continue to shake my head at the reports out of North York; raves, stunt driving & rising COVID numbers.
DeleteThe butternut squash ravioli looks very good - did you make it yourself?
ReplyDeleteThe SPSH is top of my list for things to look forward to 😊
I did not make the pasta myself & it was so yummy, I want to go get more when this store returns; they don't do curbside pick ups :(
DeleteThe ravioli looks delicious! We started a re-watch of Vera last night, starting with season 1. I like that show and always look forward to more.
ReplyDeleteVera is always good for a re-run festival.
DeleteSo sorry you're back in shutdown! Here, of course, there's a great variation depending on where you live. Although the numbers are creeping up in our county, they remain relatively low. Hoping that doesn't change. Our daffodils in the back have bloomed and were beautiful. We bring them in since it's too cold to be out back yet. Looking forward to the
ReplyDeleteSPSH list--with thanks for creating it!
Other than my pots of daffodils, the garden ones are just starting to grow. The pot daffodils are the pink & white, so I'm very excited to see buds forming. I am hoping that this week COVID numbers decrease & temperatures rise.
DeleteYum
ReplyDeleteoh it was & now I search for more!
DeleteIt beggars belief how folks are just going about their lives with no thought for others' safety. Your ravioli does look scrumptious.
ReplyDeleteChris I rotate between anger & great sorrow over the behaviour of others. All the sci fi movies showed that when earth was faced with a common enemy, nations united. This world wide deadly virus seems to have divided countries, nations & communities.
DeleteI haven't watched Vera but I am enjoying the new series of Line of Duty.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for artificial flowers/greenery indoors. I'm not very good at keeping real plants alive for very long!!
These two kitties are the worse ever for live plant destruction. I miss having living growing plants in the house. I've not seen Line of Duty, I'll check it out as already at the start of the 28 days, we are searching for something to watch.
DeleteSorry to hear you are in a shutdown, but the caution may pay off in the long run. We are still cautious here, although the statewide mask mandate is lifted as of today. I fear that is a mistake. Of course, those who were doing their part in the first place will continue to be cautious and those who weren't will use it as an excuse to do even less.
ReplyDeleteOn a more positive, less judgemental subject, I was a little disappointed at how few lilies were adorning our church altar on Easter. That's usually a big thing to donate them in honor of loved ones who have passed and then take them home after the last service. Maybe the attendance was not going to be as high as I imagined.
I agree, those of us that are cautious & paying attention to science & medical advice will continue to do so. It's those that aren't that are driving the numbers up both in infection & hospitalization. Which can/does affect other health care things. GRRRR.
DeleteOur online church service showed only two pots of Easter Lilies.
Crikey, I feel for you. It does seem like two steps forward, one step back, doesn't it.
ReplyDeleteI can see a crop of red tulips about to pop in our front flower bed - the bulbs have been in for about 15 years and they appear to have found their second wind after a few years of not doing very much. :)
How lovely that your red tulips have taken on a second flourishing resolve. Today it feels like 6 steps back. I am working hard not to let despair take me down. Outside walk for sure!
DeleteSorry about all that, Mary-Lou - I assume as you were being so cautious anyway, the shutdown will not affect your day-to-day much?
ReplyDeleteI love "Silent Witness" but have only just started watching "Line of Duty". I have started from series 1 as I thought I might as well watch in order. Dad mentioned that "Unforgotten" was even better, but I'm not sure if I can get past series of that on my TV.
Thanks for your e-mail ... I have my thinking cap on re. SPSH, and will reply soon.
You're right, the latest shutdown makes no difference to us, we don't do in-person shopping & we are home all the time. Our Premiere is announcing stricter lockdown rules today (Wed) because the variant numbers are 60-70% of our cases & most of the hospital admissions are now in the 30 year old range! I like pumpkin ravioli, (I like anything pumpkin) the butternut is a little stronger in flavour but for either I usually make a white sauce but for this last batch we just had with a brown butter sauce. I know many like a tomato based sauce but I feel the flavours compete too much.
DeleteDamn! Forgot the main bit of my comment, which was that I LOVE pumpkin ravioli! I had it in Switzerland but have never been able to find it here. What sauce did you put on yours?
ReplyDeleteI love that Tweety and Sylvester set up in the tree! Did you do that? So cute!
ReplyDeleteThank you for explaining the difference between 'shutdown' and 'lockdown'! It's good to know!
Looking forward to the SPSH. :)
Hope your tulips bloom soon and you have a lovely week, even in shutdown!
Tweety & Sylvester are in someone's yard up the street from us. Their whole yard is covered in statues of cartoon characters. Not my taste, but I admit to smiles over Tweety & Sylvester change of season decorations & they certainly make use of the dead tree they are housed in.
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