Saturated Sunday - When it rains, it pours

A year ago today, our first winter began on the first day of November.  This year it seems like the weather is holding really good.  Although the temperature has been single digits, if it's dry, it is still a golf day for me as long as it does not rain.  When I checked outside this morning, it was cloudy on one side and a bit of blue sky peeking on the southern part.  I opened my email and there's a tee time for me.  Of course, I'll play.  Then an hour later showers.  OK, no I am not golfing.  Half an hour later, the clouds started moving and the sun is really trying hard to beat the clouds.  I called my golf buddy and he said, we should just go.

It was amazing the front nine was sunny and started to get warm.  We finished the nine holes and started our way to the back nine.  The clouds started getting a little too dark for my liking.  On #12 we started hearing thunders and by the time we teed off on #13 the wind had picked up and the rain really poured.  We found a little shelter behind the small wood structure and the rain turned into hail.  Now we are stuck for at least 15 minutes waiting for the rain/hail to stop.  Then finally we got a little break and started heading for the club house but halfway to our shelter, the rain started again.  Everything was wet, cold and freezing.  It was hard to believe how an hour and a half ago, the weather was so beautiful and then it became really nasty.  I guess we were trying to take advantage of the last week of golf.  This is really the part that I miss about living in California.  Golf available the whole year round, of course except when it rains.  And you remember the song, "It never rains in  California, but when it rains, it pours.

Manyways Monday - Cakes or cookies

How many ways can you use apples?  Apple bread, butter, cake, cookies, pie and sauce.  So when I see two apples in the basket and I need to make something sweet, I start checking out Pinterest.  Oh no, there's way too many choices.  So I check the recipes that only uses two apples, because that's all I have.  The first one that came up is a French Apple Cake.  I checked all the ingredients and surprisingly enough, I have them all.  Now I am excited and started getting ready to bake.  While reading the instructions, I stumble upon another treat.

A chocolate chip shortbread cookies and of course I have all the ingredients because Jeff makes the ever popular triple C (chocolate chip cookies).  I forgot to mention that I am baking these two treats to take over to my friend's house for dinner.  She ask me if I was making anything special since she knows that I have a lot of goodies in the freezer.  I told her I am trying two new recipes that I found.  These two new recipes are the easiest ever but oh so yummy.  I know this because my friend's other guests were complimenting me with the treats I brought and couldn't stop eating the cookies.  Anyway, here's what they look like.  One thing that I love about the French apple cake is that it is not very sweet and it's moist and little fluffy.  On the other hand the cookies are a little too crisp/crunchy for me, so next time I will cook them on a lower temperature and lesser time.  Otherwise it's a keeper.

Fain Friday - Live Laugh Love

Why fain?  Actually I had to look for a special word to describe this Friday.  While getting ready for golf, I received a call from our friend/neighbor.  He said Wendy's gone.  What do I say? What can I do? Why so quick?  So many questions in my head, but no answer came to my mind.  So what did I say? I'm so sorry. Thank you for letting me know.  OMG, what is all that.  I really did not know how to process this sad news that I just received.  It's not about me.  Today I would just like to give honor to our friend Wendy.  An amazing lady who was lively, loving and always smiling.  Although I have known her only for a little over a year, she was the one that welcomed us to this new neighborhood.  She was the one that introduced us to everyone.  She was the one that made sure I meet different groups that she has.  The ladies morning golf, the ladies from the bridge group, and the Red/Purple hat ladies.  Even when she is not feeling 100%, you would never hear her complain.  She would attend our monthly event and truly enjoy everyone's company.  And when she needed to rest, she would quietly say goodbye to the host and head on home.  The last time we got to see her was three weeks ago at one of the neighbors home for dinner.  Although she had difficulty swallowing food, she joined us for dinner bringing her own consomme and vegetable drink.  She was enjoying the company, our stories and we had lots of laugh and stayed later than normal.  There one thing she hated, the Christmas song "the twelve days of Christmas". We found out about this when we did our 2017 Christmas Caroling around the neighborhood.  We would sing either two songs and have one drink or have two drinks and sing one song.  We will miss her so very much and this neighborhood would not be the same.  

Wendy and me during my 65th birthday party.  

The neighborhood aka Street People lighting a candle for Wendy.

Wishy Washy Wednesday - It still worthy

This is what happens when I am all over the place.  So many things on my plate and I still want to make sure I complete a post for my blog for my followers.  But what can I share?  It has to be something catchy, interesting or worthy of checking out.  When I am out and about, I am always watching out for something unique that might be useful for my blog.  Well, today is your lucky day as I have a few to share and although some are worthless, the others are possibles.  Hopefully they were all worthy of your time when you stopped by today.

On Hole # 2 at the golf course, I found this tree stump with mushrooms on top.

Simple tool and inexpensive but very useful for relieving my muscle and joint pains.

My BFF aka brother from another mother sent this very special wall hanging for our CPBB.

We found a new home for the old wooden Inukshuk - right side of the house still visible from the road.

I found this simple reminder for people like me who can't remember to drink a lot of water.

When I saw this at the fabric store, I could not resist and I had to buy it.  Still contemplating on what to make.

Sensitive Sunday - The knee bone connected to the hip bone

At what age do you start feeling that you are getting old?  Is it when your bones starts to crack or when your muscles are always aching?  Maybe this is not a topic I should be posting but lately my knee and the right gluteus minimus muscles (had to look it up).  It all began a couple of days after I had worked for 13 hrs for the local election.  Although I feel better standing than sitting, there were a lot of hours of standing and maybe it was too much.  While I was at the doctor's office a few days ago, I sort of mentioned this to him and he asked if my knees were swollen - NO, are they still in the morning - NO, do hear them cracking - NO.  This is when he said, you should do stretches and go for walks.  OMG the two things that I should be doing but I am not.  The husband of my BFF in Discovery Bay is the one person that I look up to.  He is very religious about stretching and exercise even when we were on vacation, on our cruise, or just visiting.  The same couple goes for their walk which is another thing that Jeff and I don't do. Well, I should say, do not do it everyday.  We do go out for walks every now and then.  So now that I am feeling all these aches and pains, I might have to force myself to do both (walking and stretching).  As the golf season comes to an end, I will definitely have to go back to using the elliptical.  Since Jeff has already bought his season pass to the ski resort so he can snowboard whenever.  That will be his winter sport.  I on the other hand won't be doing that but might take up snow shoeing.  Really?? Our neighbors mentioned it to me and I said that as long as I get the nice green color snow shoe, then there's a good chance I will go.  LOL.  For now I have to try my very best to do the simple things that does not cost a lot.  WALKING and STRETCHING.  The reward for doing both is a once a month hour massage from my favorite RMT.  What is moral of the story? It's just a reminder not to wait until you're old to do these simple day to day things.  I actually believe that both are so good for your bones and your muscles.  OK I need to do it.

Favor Friday - Anything for my daughter

The past weeks has been all about sewing baby items.  After I delivered the order last week, I got a phone call from the mom of the woman who was expecting.  She mentioned that she saw the items I made for her daughter and ask if I could make a cover for the mattress for the baby bassinet.  Since I already knew the colors and patterns, I said I would do it.  Of course I immediately head out to the fabric store and got what I needed.  The following day, while sharing with my own daughter some of the things I have been sewing, she ask me if I could maybe do some baby stuff also for her boss.  This makes me very excited.  A project for my daughter.  She gave me her request for the color and pattern.  I sent her some photos and she liked the first pick.  Within 48 hours, I was able to complete the first order as well as well as the one for my daughter.  It did not take me a long time to finish the items because I was already in the zone.  Anyway, the order has been picked up and the package for my daughter is on it's way.  Hopefully her boss would love the surprise items for her new baby. Just realized that I forgot to take a photo of the mattress fitted sheets I made. Oh bother. You can just imagine it, the pattern is the polka dot blue and grey.

Burp pad as an additional item.

So comfy and so soft baby blanket.

Changing pad for travel.

Burp pads, bibs, binkie holders and baby mitts (non scratch)

Weathered Wednesday - It was time

A year ago when we bought the house, there was something in the front of the house that was sort of a sign.  It was made of wood and it also had the number of the house.  The first time I learned about this piece of artwork was when I lived in the Northwest Territories.  It was called Inukshuk (a structure of rough stones stacked in the form of a human figure, traditionally used by Inuit people as a landmark or a commemorative sign).  

Since the one we had was made of wood, I knew that somehow we would have to replace it with rough stones as it would be more like what it should be.  As there were many other items that needed more attention, we sort of put this item on the bottom of our list.  The winter, spring and summer has come and gone and the wooden inukshuk was looking very weathered.  It was actually a little wobbly as the post or screw that was holding it to the ground was very lose.  The past weekend's weather was sunny and warm.  We took advantage of it and headed to Just Rocks (a great place to search for the perfect stones).  It was located just outside of Vernon off Highway 97.  When we arrived there, we can see the variety of stones and rocks piled by sizes, types, shapes and textures.  We were told to drive to the back and get on the scale.  We got weighed (us and the car) and we proceeded to the area where we could pick what we needed.  Once we found the pieces to complete an inukshuk, we loaded them in the car and we got weighed again.  Then we went back to the office and paid for the granite rocks.  The next day Jeff removed the old wooden one and stacked the pieces and was able to get two inukshuk.  Here's the before and after photos.

Old wooden one.

First try, the little one.

Second try, the big one.

The final one. If you look at the back, you will see the little one.