Autumn has truly settled in around here. I think I only wore my Birkenstock sandals once this week and have grudgingly resorted to (sometimes) wearing socks. UGH!
For the past 48 hours we experienced a rather nasty wind and rainstorm that brought down many branches, knocked out power for several hours and sent a gazillion maple leaves swirling to the ground. Today it is still far too wet outside for raking or sweeping of leaves but later on I do intend to put on my wellies and go pick up some of the many small branches covering the property.
It is Friday morning as I begin this post since, as is so frequently the case, Saturday is looking pretty jam packed and it may prove impossible to carve out time for post writing. I will wait to publish until late tomorrow as some long-time friends are coming for High Tea at 5pm and I would like to include a few photos 😊
There has been quite a bit of Day Camp and CTM work this week with another Board meeting on Wednesday evening and the monthly Day Camp Committee meeting scheduled for next Monday. I’ve put together agendas, printed meeting documents, typed up minutes etc. and also done follow up on action points from the Board meeting. It was not very helpful to lose power for several hours yesterday as Janice was coming to lunch.
Janice served on Travelling Team for about 5 years, was a devoted member of the Day Camp Committee and for a number of summers was one of my “go to” helpers during Training Retreats. Since marrying in the summer of 2018 she and her husband have been living in Vancouver where she continues ministry work with IVCF at Simon Fraser University. Janice is in town for 10 days both for work and to visit family. It was most upsetting, with the power failure, not to be able to serve her the special lunch I had planned but I managed to scrounge together a cold lunch, provide her with some dry socks 😊 and have a really good chance to talk and catch up.
Thomason was not too appallingly badly behaved and actually took a nap for part of the visit. Janice was going on to visit other friends in the NDG area before heading back to her sister Jillian’s house on the south shore where she is staying until she leaves on Sunday.
Of course I also lost about half my work time yesterday as the Internet and phone go down when the power is off. So this morning, as well as getting started on this post I’m send off a number of emails that couldn’t go out before.
This afternoon I shall be baking for the High Tea as well as some edibles for Steven and myself and for dinner I’m making Haloumi Bake, which is very “fallish” and a huge favourite.
I guess I should now end off for today. I might tack on a bit after Tea tomorrow; otherwise I’ll just add more photos. But I can’t close off without a recipe 😊
My dear friend Michelle, who with her husband and brood of 4 children, lives in the UK, recently sent me her recipe for an apple cake. It requires applesauce (she has been making a ton with apples from a tree in their garden) so I made that ingredient a few days ago and will bake the cake today. It sounds yummy!
(I’ve included her comments and suggestions and plan to follow them myself!)
Michelle’s Apple Cake
Grease a 9×13” pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350º.
- 3 cups flour (I use a mixture of 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups white)
1 cup sugar- 2 tsps. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- ginger and cinnamon to taste
Mix together in a large bowl.
Make three holes and put –
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 10 Tbsps. oil (I use sunflower)
- 2 Tbsps. vinegar (I use apple cider)
-into the holes.
Add 1 cup applesauce and 1 cup water. Stir it all up and pour it into the prepared pan. Thinly slice an apple and arrange decoratively on top, and sprinkle over with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.
Bake at about 20-30 mins. (maybe a bit longer depending on oven).
Saturday Coda…
This morning I headed out to do more raking as it is bright and sunny and discovered to my delight that the Autumn Croci are in bloom (check out the photo above). Also the Newfoundland Mittens continue apace, although I wish I had a lot more time for knitting as I’m sure I will not finish, by Christmas, all the pairs I planned as gifts. The trigger mitts above are for one of my Godsons and the partly completed orange mitts for his brother.
It is now 4pm in the afternoon and preparations are seriously underway for the tea party. AGH!!!!!
Watch for the October “Guest Blogger Post” coming next Wednesday 😊