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Tricia's Musings

Random Thoughts about life in general, living in the big city of Toronto

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You are here: Home / Archives for Recreation

Frost already? Time to get the yard work done!

October 19, 2008 by Tricia

Early this morning (6 a.m.) I was awoken by the sound of my dog retching in her crate. She must have eaten something that upset her stomach the day before, poor thing. I got her out and comforted her and after a while I could tell that she was feeling better so I took her outside to do her business.

Let me tell you, I was extremely surprised when I emerged outside to see that the car was covered in frost! I knew it was going to be cool last night, but I didn’t think we’d get frost! At that moment I knew that I was going to have to do some yard work today in order to prepare the garden for winter.

We have a number of tropical plants that needed to be brought in. Passion flower vines, another vine that I haven’t identified (might be a trumpet vine), and of course the cannas all needed to be brought inside. I also had three orchids, a Thanksgiving cactus and a Christmas cactus in the enclosed front porch and they all needed to come indoors as well.

As I was scurrying around outside gathering up all of the plants that need to be overwintered indoors I noticed that the lawn had a good covering of fallen leaves so once I was done putting the plants indoors I set out to find our rake.

Our rake is broken! The wooden handle was snapped off near the base of the rake. I guess I could duct tape it back together as a quick fix, but we might as well get another rake. So once I came inside I started looking online for a rake. I’ve decided that I want to get a Pivot Leaf rake as it’s an ergonomic design so it will be easier on my back when I’m raking.

This type of rake isn’t the cheapest on the market, but as I said if it helps keep my back from aching when I’m raking it will be well worth it. Now if I can just find one that’s on sale I’ll have it made.

I guess over the next week or so Chris and I will be outside doing a lot of yard work. It looks like winter is going to come early this year if that frost on the car is any indication!

Is it starting to get cool in your area too? Did you get your Fall yard work done yet or are you going to have to scramble to get it done too?





Filed Under: Canada, Gardening, Home and Garden, Home and Lifestyle, Items to Try, Shopping, Toronto Tagged With: back, broken_rake, Christmas_cactus, cool, cool_weather, ergonomic, frost, garden, indoors, online, orchid, overwinter, passion_flowers, pivot_leaf_rake, price, rake, sale, Shopping, sore_back, Thanksgiving_cactus, tropical_plants, vines, weather, yard_work

Lovely fall asters in bloom

October 19, 2008 by Tricia

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IMG_1840 copy
New York Asters

My New York Asters are in full bloom.

Every time I look out my kitchen window it seems as if the plant has grown larger. I guess it’s just that more and more blooms are coming out and that makes it seem so much bigger each day.

It’s absolutely lovely though. There must be hundreds of small Asters covering the plant.

It’s getting cool here now in Toronto, but on nice sunny days I still occasionally see a bumble bee hovering around the Asters or some of my other flowering plants.

Filed Under: Gardening, Green Thumb Sunday, Photography, Toronto, Tricia's Garden Tagged With: Asters, autumn, bloom, blooming, fall, flower, flowers, Green_Thumb_Sunday, GTS, New_york_asters, purple

Practice makes perfect

October 18, 2008 by Tricia

I don’t know if any of you happen to also read my husbands blog “Guitar Licks“, but if you have been reading it lately you probably already know that my husband is about to try out as the guitar player for a progressive rock band.

Chris and Sofie
Chris and our neighbor Sofie

This is a big thing for him. He started playing guitar when he was 9 years old and in no time he became quite well known in his home town for his talent. He even played with a few bands in his teens that toured across North America, but by the time he reached his 20’s he knew he didn’t really want that “rock n’ roll” lifestyle, so he just started playing to entertain friends and went to college for a non-music related career.

When Chris and I first met he was playing guitar every day and he was GOOD! Really good. I kept encouraging him to join a band at least part time, like a garage band, just so that he wouldn’t have any regrets later in life. I mean, when you have that much talent (he plays 13 instruments and plays them well) you shouldn’t just let it die, right?

Well, he never did find a band that he was interested in playing with, until earlier this month anyway! Remember I said we went to the Nuance progressive rock festival a couple of weekends ago? Well Chris talked to all the bands, but he really clicked with this one band and it just so happens that they are looking for a guitar player. So Chris is going to meet with them next Thursday for a jam session and I guess perhaps an audition.

I know that the band won’t be disappointed in his playing. He’s a little rusty since he doesn’t play every day or even every week anymore, but he put his equiptment together this morning and he spent oh … about 6 hours going over the bands music and I expect that he’ll do the same tomorrow and Monday (his day off work), so he’ll be ready for them on Thursday.

Practice makes perfect doesn’t it? I hope it does in Chris’ case since he’s a perfectionist!

Along with the sound of guitar playing filling the house all day I’ve also had to listen to Chris list off all this equiptment that he’d like to get if he starts playing with the band regularly … Oh my … I’m going to have to work 24 hours a day on my sites to make enough money to pay for this stuff! LOL Along with a new amp, wah-wah pedal, and a digital voice chorus pedal he’s also mentioned that he’d like to get one of those talking watches (to help remind him when to practice and to remind him of other things – like eating!). I think we’d better start looking on Ebay for some of these items because I know we can’t afford to buy all of them brand new right now.

Anyway … We’ll see how this goes. As I said, Chris is extremely talented so I think the band will give him a try. I’m just happy to see him playing again and trying out for band. I’d hate for him never to try playing with a band again and then have him regret it when he’s too old to really get out and do it.

Do any of you play musical instruments or sing? Do you practice or play with a band?

Filed Under: Home and Lifestyle, Items to Try, Life with Chris, Music, Recreation Tagged With: audition, band, Chris, guitar, jam_session, Music, need_guitar_player, playing_guitar, Progressive_rock, rock, try_out, wahwah

Happy Turkey Day!

October 13, 2008 by Tricia

I’m sure that most of my fellow Canadians are feeling more than a little full right now! Well I am anyway since today is Thanks Giving.

I think that I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago that we were supposed to have a big family get together, this year it would have been with my husbands family. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. My sister in law moved to a new house on Friday (a little earlier than planned) and being busy all weekend to complete the move kind of put a dent in the family get together. So this year Chris and I had Thanks Giving at home on our own.

This year I made Rosemary Honey Dijon Turkey breasts, accompanied by mashed potatoes, stuffing and sweet peas. In a little while we’ll have a slice of pumpkin pie … well if my stomach ever empties enough to make room for a piece of pie, that is!

The turkey was really easy to prepare. I used:

  • 2 cloves garlic, cut in slivers
  • Tiny sprigs fresh rosemary OR 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried
  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) honey
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
  • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

I mixed the honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, salt, rosemary and slivered garlic in a bowl and then I drizzled the mixture onto two boneless turkey breasts that were about 350 grams each. I then baked the turkey breasts at 350 F covered for about 20 minutes, and then after basting them I cooked them uncovered for another 20 minutes.

Can you say … Tasty? Yum!

I usually roast my whole turkey or turkey breasts, however I couldn’t find my small roasting pan when I looked for it earlier today. I have no idea what happened to it .. maybe I lent it to someone and they didn’t return it.

I loved that small roasting pan. It was great for doing a whole small chicken or two large turkey breasts in the oven. I’m going to have to keep an eye out for a sale on Roasters. I’ll bet as the American Thanks Giving and or Christmas approaches I’ll find some deals online!

Can you tell I love turkey dinners? – that’s just another reason why I have to get another small roasting pan … we should have turkey more often.

Fellow Canadians – did you have a big Turkey dinner this weekend? Which day did you eat your big meal … or did you have more than one big meal? LOL

I’ll bet that my American readers and looking forward to celebrating Thanks Giving too.  I know it’s one of your biggest holidays.  I’d love to hear what you’re planning for your holiday celebration and what you plan to eat.

Filed Under: Appliances and Accessories, Dining and Restaurants, Family, Home and Lifestyle, Items to Try, Recipes, Recreation Tagged With: cooking, Family, garlic, home, honey, honey_dijon, lemon_juice, mashed_potatoes, missing, peas, pumpkin_pie, recipe, roaster, roasting, roasting_pan, rosemary, small_roaster, stuffing, sweet_peas, Thanksgiving, Thanks_giving, turkey, Turkey_breasts, turkey_dinner

My passion flowers are finally blooming

October 12, 2008 by Tricia

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It’s been a strange gardening year.

There was plenty of rain so for the most part the plants were getting enough water and we saved money on the water bill, but I think that since it was overcast quite a bit some of my real sun loving plants might not have gotten enough light.

My passion flowers (I have 5 or 6 plants ) barely bloomed all summer. I’m actually noticing more blooms now that it’s cooling down than I did in the height of summer.

IMG_1712 copy

Passion flowers certainly are pretty when they bloom though aren’t they?

Filed Under: Gardening, Green Thumb Sunday, Photography, Recreation Tagged With: bloom, blooming, garden, Green_Thumb_Sunday, grow, GTS, lovely, overcast, passion_flower, plant, Summer, water, weather

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