Heading home

 After almost 6 weeks on Salt Spring, we expect to be heading home in a few days. It has been great spending time with old friends in an old familiar area.

Robbie and Ranger (house sit dog) are getting along but Robbie is just being polite... he clearly isn't interested in knowing the first thing about Ranger but he tolerates him.

While we were here we decided to go on a strict reduced calorie diet and we have both lost just over 10 lb so far (3 weeks-ish). Once we get home we have full physicals booked (arranged before we left) and once that is over and bloodwork complete we will be switching to a Keto diet. 

I've been doing a ton of research about it and it seems to make sense to me... other people have been doing Keto for many years and are in fine health because of it. We will be giving it a try. 3 months to start and then we will regroup and make the decision on whether or not to make it a lifestyle choice. Also, after 3 months you are able to re-introduce some extra carbs, because by that time your body will be trained to eat fat not sugar. Anyway, we're giving it a go.

Excited to get home to our friends and our home, Xmas is around the corner and the tree must go up. Dec 1st as some may recall is the day I put our tree up every year. Also, remember to change your smoke alarm batteries.

I have to say, I'll be glad to get home to the Alberta mindset too!

Garden deck is growing great

I happened to be on the upper deck and looked down for some reason, I don't recall. I have to say, I was some impressed with myself for all the fantastic looking greenery growing down there.

L-R: Horseradish, Tomatoe, Chair, Tomatoe, Horseradish, 6 Strawberries, 3 romaine (in front) Lemon Balm, Broccoli Microgreens

L-R: Lemon Balm, Broccoli Microgreens, Lemon Balm, Radishes (in front), 3 Potatoe

I had to get a picture of it because I have a black thumb generally and historically so..... Wow, seems the Rabbit Poop may have done some good!

We are having some seriously hot weather finally. I think it was 25C yesterday, and on the water -- that's hot.  Today = Shorts! The glow will definitely attract some satellite coverage until they figure out it's just my sexy legs....

On another note: It will soon be Xmas! :D  HaHaHaHa

 

Christmas comes early 2020

In her last blog my friend and distant neighbour Deb from Kastle's Journey posted about filling their home with Christmas cheer early because-- well, it's 2020 and we all need a little extra cheer this year. This post inspired me to do ours as well.. traditionally, I put up Xmas on Dec 1st every year but I think Deb is absolutely right - we all need a little extra cheer this year.

Having moved to this house from living in our RV for 2.5 years, because I made the decorations last year, we needed some stuff so off to Canadian Tire we went and I bought a bunch of decorations and because we had tied the shopping to Brad's massage, I was doing it on Black Friday.... yup, that Friday. I managed -- but someone almost lost a kneecap... ;)

This is the tree we picked up for $10 off of the exchange on Salt Spring Island 1.5 years ago, we used it outdoors last Christmas as you may recall... so it needed a good wash first off. Then a good shake and finally left to drip dry in the corner with the fire on to dry it out. Once dry, I set to work putting it together... turns out, we didn't need more stuff after all and now I have to take some back. I did use the tinsel and garland and I am keeping the nutcrackers and acorns for product pictures but the massive box of ornaments I spent $80 on is going back next massage day (Monday)...

Having purchased a 200 light string to run along the pathway outside I noticed as I was setting them out that they were indoor... yup, it was black friday alright... so crazy I bought the wrong lights, so I strung them up around the windows instead. I think it looks pretty good but this picture doesn't really do it justice.

Back to normal life now:

Pickled beet challenge

I am in the process of making a deal with a local woman famous for her pickled beets to use her product for selling freeze dried, I put her quart of beets on 1 tray and mine on another ( I only processed the one but made 2 several weeks ago). I must say I much prefer the flavour of mine but we shall see what they taste like once they are processed in betty as that can make a big difference.

I am making pictures to use for my online store.

I have submitted the paperwork for the local online shopping store but have yet to hear anything back. I will finish setting up my etsy store in the meantime because as we all know bureaucracy rushes for no one.

I have a decent amount of the candied items prepared now and have begun the vegetables and fruits. I now have 3 different size bags: Small for the Unicorn Poop, Large for Asparagus and Astronaut Ice Cream Bars and Medium for everything else. Naturally, I will have a large option for fruits and veg as well.

Santa arrives and Vape update

My Dad (and childhood santa) flew in yesterday. His seaplane was due to arrive at 4pm so imagine my surprise when he called at 330 to say 'I'm here'... and even more amazing, just 20 min after waking up at 330am to catch his flight at 6 the airline called because his flight was delayed 2 hours... yet he still managed to get across the country and arrive half hour early.... during Xmas. I forgot to ask what airline did this amazing feat but will inquire today.

We got him all set up in his cabin, plenty of Xmas treats, a small tree and prezzies... can't forget the prezzies!

My Daddy

The cabin was cool when we first arrived so Brad started a fire.

The Prezzies

Kitchen

Its a really cute log cabin, roughly 20' x 25' with a deep dish bathtub (you all know what that means :D) and a king size bed.

Last Tuesday I gave up the vape... I had reduced to 0 nicotine and kept puffing that for a month or so - some of you may remember that my plan was to vape the Black Licorice flavour (good taste) while reducing the nicotine levels from 18mg/L to 0mg/L and then switch to the flavour Brad has been using which is a cigarette flavour (nasty taste) and then stop vaping all together.... this I have now done. Finally.

Brad is at 0.75mg/L and only a couple of weeks behind me, he started vaping slightly after me also.

Now that the nicotine has been eliminated my only issue to deal with is the habit... so I bought a lot of gum, Spitz sunflower seeds and an adult colouring book to keep my hands busy while trying desperately not to eat all the Xmas snacks we've had lying around.... Massive diet and exercise regime in my immediate (well, after New Years) future.

 Adult colouring book about the different provinces in Canada

$1 Loonie and $2 Twoonie

If you follow along you know that my microwave/convection heater died a couple of weeks ago, so my Xmas baking was limited to the stove top, so I made chocolate covered pretzels and bought everything else because the new oven wasn't due to be delivered until Dec 27....

The new Microwave/Convection oven arrived late Saturday and we managed to get it installed before Dad arrived on Sunday.

Mystical forest and a gift

Yesterday we went for a walk at Duck Creek Trail and I haven't posted pictures of that area for quite a while, so here is a new dose - fresh off the press. Incredible beauty. I especially love the carpet of moss on all the branches.

Our new landlord has asked us to keep an eye on their flock (ducks and chickens they keep as pets), while they are away in January, and we obviously agreed since its really no bother.

About a week ago, I had gone and sat with our new landlady for a couple of hours while she was selling her crafts at a local craft fair. Chatting as you do when getting to know someone new, I mentioned that I was watching craft fairs for a small foldable cribbage board made by a local artisan out of driftwood, but was having trouble finding one appropriately sized for our small space.... 

Yesterday she came by with a gift... for xmas and for watching the birds in Jan. What an amazingly thoughtful gift and these boards are not what one would call inexpensive. Thank you kind lady.

Last evening, I handed Brad his arse. Karen would be so proud...

Absolutely love this new crib board

Presents under the tree

I've been saving boxes, Tim Horton's coffee pod box, cracker box, every box... but in such a small space - where can you store them?

I searched around the property and found some medium sized but heavy rocks... wrapped them in saran wrap so as not to get said boxes dirty, and -- wrapped them.

Tim's box (we buy the 48 pod size)

Wrapped in saran wrap

Plain brown wrapping paper is $2 and change at the post office.

Tada

Robbie is guarding them.

The rocks will keep the boxes from blowing around in the event of wind and I found some fabric strings in my crafting kit to wrap bows on them. Real present like. I don't expect anyone will steal them, but if they do... jokes on them.

Aaaaaaarrrggghh!

Well, I did it. I started to bake.

I turned on the oven and let it warm up while I made tart crusts. Checked the temperature and learned that I have to set the temp 25F higher than I want it to be to get it to where I need it to be. Learning the easy way...

However, as this is the 2nd time I've ever turned this propane oven on -- the stench is literally running us out of the house. Brad isn't sure he can sleep in here tonight. Clearly they used OFF to clean the oven before we bought it and I've only heated it up once before so YIKES it stinks in here.

Brad has asked that I leave it until we either repair or replace this one.

Suffice to say, I'm thinking of outsourcing to Safeway.

25 Days to Xmas and Chili

Well everyone, welcome to December 2019.

The 'normal' err 'little' err 'rv' Xmas tree has been put up. Hence, Xmas can commence....

I know its small but I still think its cute, especially with our stockings there.

The extra stocking is for my Daddy

I picked up this little baby tree (a real one) to put in Dad's cabin so he can have a Xmas tree too. In the New Year we shall plant it, somewhere.

Salt Spring has an annual chili tasting competition. We didn't go last year, I don't remember why but we weren't about to miss it this year so off we went downtown for 4pm.

An old and decorated fire truck

These two haven't had their picture taken for years.

I assume no introduction is required.

There is a Choir 'Viva Chorale' singing all the Xmas classics

...and a slow moving line.

So everyone who puts their chili in the competition is rotated randomly around the circle so that no one can play favourites. No one knows who's chili is who's. There are official judges, Buzzy is one, and they go through the sampling line first and do the technical judgy stuff. Then the common folk get in this very long line (with periodic heat lamps for warmth). No one in the line knows what the hell is taking so long.... until they get up there. 

This sampling thing is no easy task: there are discreet differences and speciality flavours (TJ's coffee shop made a coffee and chocolate chili as an example) so deciding on your one singular favourite is not something you can do lightly.

The line from the finished end of it

The rest of Centennial Park all lit up in lights too.

It was a great little community event and while I actually only did like 1 (the first one actually) of the 15 or so chili samplings -there was such a variety and a real sense of community in the humour of the people in the lineup. Everyone was jovial (how fitting) and enjoying themselves (thanks to the heaters), and there were all ages enjoying a night out.

So glad we took the time to go.

Every day now for probably 5, maybe 6 days I've been planning to do some Xmas baking. Still haven't even begun. Gheesh, hopefully tomorrow will be the day. Shortbread sure would be nice, eh?.

OH, and my convection oven croaked. I set the timer so I wouldn't forget the laundry and then later I could smell hot rubber... the microwave, or convection was on. I've no idea which but I pushed stop and then it went completely dark.... We checked the fuse, the plug, etc. and nothing. Then we checked the warranty we spent a fortune on and voila - its covered. Whew, these things aren't cheap! More on this, I assume, later.

Obviously this leaves me with only the propane oven... Yikes. Yes Deb, I got the thermometer.

Merry HoHo everyone!

Outdoor tree is up

I had so many decorations both made and bought that space was becoming a problem in the rig, so..

I put the outside tree up, a couple of days early.

I had also picked up some white Xmas lights for the driveway, its so dark there of a night that you can't find the car

This will be permanent lighting, not just Xmas but we will need a timer for it.

Well I think its cute.

I also got some presents wrapped inside.

The inside tree will still go up Dec 1 - as per.

My phone was crushed somehow

It is down at the shop being repaired. We can pick it up around noon today, if that's you that called, sorry but I'll have to ring you back tomorrow.