August Begins

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Well, here it is, August! August came in with a big thunderstorm and downpour this afternoon.  It was most welcome, and I could almost hear the sighs of relief from the flora and fauna.  The rain started just as Attila arrived home from work, finding me in the garage listening to the rain on the new metal roof, enjoying the dryness of it all. July was a month where the humidex reached from 30C to 35C almost every day. It looks like August will be more of the same. It isn’t my favourite kind of weather. The humidity is so cloying. Tonight’s dinner was a quick and easy Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole.  This recipe has grated cheese stirred in after cooking, it was very nice.  Attila loved it.  There isn’t much I love since I am eating such a low sodium diet, nice is as good as it gets. When I was shopping earlier in the week, I bought a bag of beautiful looking grapefruit.  We have been eating them in the evenings as a snack.  I love grapefruit, and for years I could not have it because it was contraindicated by my medication.  The medication changed and now … Continue reading →

July

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Thursday, July 26, 2018 Attila and I have had a chat, not a long chat, but a very fruitful chat. This domestic relationship is like an onion, layers and layers and layers. So another layer was uncovered. I must say that the two of us are developing, with each other, some new and effective communication skills. It was a tension easing discussion. These kinds of chats are work, but feel like a job well done when accomplished. Another sunny day has dawned. It will be hot and muggy again today. July has been a month of hot humid conditions, which I do not like. It rained hard all of yesterday morning, so the gardens are much refreshed, and might even welcome this sunshine. The rain barrels are full again. The Heliopsis that was transplanted from my Granny’s garden is about seven feet tall now, and blooming. It is beautiful, and in a few years it can be propagated by dividing the clump. So many blooms in the garden, Scarlet Runner Beans, Echinacea, Clematis, Heliopsis, Cosmos, Giant Marigold, Marigold, Bindweed (humph), Catnip. The Catnip is interesting, in that it has grown about three feet tall and the seed heads are visited … Continue reading →

Is It Soup Yet?

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I think I am back.  After staying up until almost 3:00 a.m. working on recovering from the damage the hackers caused, then rising early this morning to tackle the project again, I think I am up and running.  If you notice anything weird, please let me know. I don’t know if this successful hack attack was a personal attack, or a random hacker attack exploiting one of the many weaknesses that exist on web sites.  If it is a personal attack, shame on you, karma will get you either in this life, or when you are beyond the advantages you now possess.  If it was a random hacker, well, welcome to the internet. Hot and muggy here today, I did not  spend much time out of doors.  I did poke my nose out a few times, just long enough to decide, nope.  One of my forays was to a local discount food store, to pick up a bag of milk for Attila (I am lactose intolerant, none for me), and four 2 kg bags of mixed vegetables that were on sale.  The vegetables are a key ingredient in my Instant Pot recipe repertoire. Although the weather is cloying, I feel … Continue reading →

Ei tartte auttaa!

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Ei tartte auttaa! translates into English as Do not need help! Recently I read that this is a trait often found in Finnish males. AHA! This phrase describes exactly Attila’s approach to life. He does not enjoy working on projects with another person, as he regards input from others as “help”. Inanimate tools are his only companions when he works on a project. This means that he can tackle a project like the garage, and see it through to completion without any input or assistance from anyone else. This worked well as far as getting the garage project started and finished. That is the up side of this particular trait. There are downsides of course, but right now I am enjoying the up side. Here it is Monday. I am sitting in my easy chair, contemplating the day. Dinner is planned, an Instant Pot Chili will be prepared on the back deck this afternoon. The ground beef is thawing on the counter, the kidney beans were cooked in the Instant Pot a few days ago, they are sitting in a jar in the refrigerator waiting to become an ingredient. The rest of the ingredients are assembled on the counter and … Continue reading →

Uncle

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Saturday, July 21, 2018 Suddenly, this morning, I’d had enough! This garage project has been the centre of existence at Mist Cottage since mid-May. And before that it was the window replacement and attic insulation projects that required intense focus. Attila has been working really hard on the garage project, and I have been working really hard taking care of every other aspect of domestic life. To my surprise, this morning I was done! Attila isn’t done, he is working away today on the last of the exterior elements, and after that is complete, and it will hopefully be complete today, the rest of the project is finishing work, which can take the rest of eternity as far as I am concerned. Uncle! I became aware that I was done when we were chatting this morning, about the day. Suddenly I made an unhappy emotional comment about not having spent much time at the Rideau Camp. Aha! There it was, the wall, my patience is beginning to vaporize. With any luck Attila’s efforts today will be successful enough that it will no longer be necessary to devote all domestic energy to the project. There will no longer be a reason … Continue reading →