It feels like Monday and Friday at the same time

Conditions at 5:30am -2* and clear
Expected later - 9* and SUNNY!!!

What a beautiful morning this morning. It's cold but he sky is clear and the stars are brilliant and it's very calm - not a breath of wind anywhere.  It's going to be a beautiful day today.  I spent part of yesterday afternoon restocking my wood pile inside, and re-securing the tarp on the pile outside. When we get lots of wind for days on end, it takes quite a beating and I need to secure it again when it's over.

I did some sewing in the morning but ran out of thread so I'll have to get more today. It was such a treat to have a day off in the middle of the week. I did some odd jobs around the house, a couple of loads of laundry, and tried my hand at a pot of baked beans. But these beans weren't baked, they were simmered on top of the stove. The recipe came from a book I have on cooking in cast iron and was meant to be used in a large cast iron pot over a camp fire. Golly gee, I just happen to have a large cast iron pot with a lid, that's never been used. So I soaked the beans overnight Wednesday, and they were ready to simmer yesterday morning. I had some smoked sausages in the freezer that I added as well. They didn't have the deep flavour that comes from baking in the oven for many hours, but they were still pretty tasty - this coming from someone who really doesn't like brown beans! The recipe make quite a bit so I called Brenda and we collaborated on lunch. I brought over my pot of beans and she made fresh biscuits.  Everyone was out and about so the two of us ate lunch and the others ate as they arrived. After a cup of tea and viewing Brenda's amazing pictures of the zip line she went across in New Brunswick (that looks like so much fun - I really want to try it!) I came home. I got a few little jobs done around the house and Brenda arrived later in the afternoon to tell me she was going to the new playground in Fort Augustus to try out the equipment. So, being as that seemed like a good idea, I followed in my car. We were actually quite impressed with the adult exercise equipment that's there.  If a person were to do these things every other day, they would have a good workout. At least one piece is not as easy as it looks and really provides quite a work out.

Last week I was watching Alton Brown and he was making a smoothy with lots of good things in it.  Then the next morning I turned on the TV to set up a couple of things for taping, and there was an info-mercial on for the Magic Bullet and they were making smoothies.  I know Brenda has one and I called and asked if I could borrow hers for a few days to try it out. Then later in the day I received a coupon in my emal for 20% off anything at Bed, Bath and Beyond. So I checked their website to see if they had them and sure enough, they did. Long story short, I ended up buying one for myself. I have to say I love it. I've used it everyday for smoothies for my breakfast. Sometimes in the evening I feel like something sweet, so I've been making a thicker smoothy, using more frozen fruit and the texture is like a sorbet. It's a great little treat that's fat free and totally healthy.  The one on TV is $99.00 but the one at the store was only $39.99. It came with all the stuff the TV one has except for a blender attachment and juicer piece but I don't need either of those. The TV one also includes a second Magic Bullet for free, but I only need one, so the TV offer isn't really a great deal. So now for my breakfast I have a fruit smoothy and a small bowl of homemade granola - lots of healthy stuff to start off my day. My eating habits by myself sometimes aren't the best, but they're improving.
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It's Friday today, and tonight I think Brenda and I are going to go ................get ready for it......................... ... curling.  There's a place she read about in yesterdays paper that has basic instruction for beginners so you don't feel or look like an idiot. We can't fathom going to the Charlottetown Curling Club and slip sliding around with the likes of Cathy O'Rourke or her girls watching from the sides! Brenda figures it will be good for me to at least have an idea what's going on next February when Fran and the girls are here for the Scotties tournament. 
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A couple of years ago I discovered a program called 'Elf Yourself" and the results are quite funny. I spent part of yesterday playing around with it.  Click on this link to get a glimpse of what you might see when we all get together at Christmas to cook, especially if there's alcohol involved.
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/euNTiCUxfn0sClaT4HmV