Do you Americans have Labour Day? This is our last long week-end of the summer. It is too early to put the docks away or even close up the cottage but it is perfect for long scrabble games, starting pickles, tidying up the garden, or going for a lazy sail. The fella has driven to our old neighborhood to pick-up the step-dot and take her for a sail. We were going to go canoeing but my back is still a bit stiff and sore from moving so maybe tomorrow. I said I would stay here and continue to putter at making this, our temporary retreat, even more cozy than it is.
The biggest problem is that the fella emptied out his workshop and can't either leave his tools outside, in the back of his un-cabbed truck or store them in our container. In this delightful garden flat we have a bedroom (also doubling as my shrine room), a great room which includes kitchen and dining and living, a bathroom, and a biggish closet. So ... we have shop vacs and saws and bags of nails and on and on dripping out over everything. Urgh. Last afternoon I baked my very favourite cake to bring upstairs to a small dinner party. It is Vodka Orange Sticky Cake and oh it is a wondrous concoction - here is a link to it. Note well - this is a cake for adults! It was tricky working in a new kitchen and this is a kitchen that came out of a pottery studio that came out of a garage. We had to run a few long construction type extension cords so I could whip and pulse and so forth. It turned out luverly and it is such a great thing to have at a dinner party as it is one of those real showboats. Festooned with candied orange peel and great long hot peppers and soaked to the brim with this yummy orange juice and vodka syrup - what's not to love?
Today I emptied out bottles of condiments that we moved but didn't want. Then I gave the useful jars to our landlady and put the others way down the driveway in the garbage and recycling bin.
Later on this evening, the fella and I will meet our pal Annie for dinner at Fid. We dining out on our couch change of seven years - counted and rolled by Annie during our move. Seems like a good deal. The silver change will buy us a heavenly dinner and the copper change will give a nice donation to Medicins San Frontiers.
I think I will write for a bit at about three. Just an hour ought to put me in good stead with my muse. Tomorrow I might do some more or I might spend the whole day out on the water with the fella. Hard to say.
These are the things a long weekend are for - unwinding the tightened up nerves from too many deadlines, maybe doing something - maybe not. Noticing what still blooms in the garden and how graceful the seedpods look on the weeds. I watched a bumble bee twisting and tumbling in and out of a glad flower. How sexy was that? The dog is snoring. The new Hilary Mantel on our e-book beckons. I might read it out in the garden. Yes ...
1 comment:
Jan - Puttering around can be a great way to spend a long week-end. :-) And that cake sounds yummmmy! I hope you enjoyed your dinner out, too. Oh, and thanks for mentioning Medicins San Frontiers - what a great organisation! Yes, it sounds like you're making the most of the extra time. :-)
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