Hello Blog Friends!
This week has brought one piece of good news to the small world of Day Camps as we heard that another church in Alberta is planning to host the program this summer 😊. Of course we are still hoping and praying for several more communities to sign up, but each one that shows interest is a small victory!
With our annual general meeting happening tomorrow afternoon much of my time has had to be spent on the “office” side of things although I have managed to proofread the first full draft of the Signposts Program Manual and send off a list of minor corrections and changes to Jessica, our hardworking layout person. We did really want to have the manual completed this month but the timeline is shrinking rapidly so I’m a bit concerned about reaching our goal.
Another part of my brain has been working on assembling the Extended Day Program (EDP) and it is just as well the guide is almost completed as this latest church purchased it last year so will likely request one for 2024. In between chunks of program-related work I’m still hammering out emails to various contacts trying to increase the number of Day Camp applications. For many years there has been a running joke that the stock-in-trade answer to most of my enquiries is “contact us next year”. ARGH!!!!!!! Little do these people know that I will, most definitely, contact them “next year”, the problem being that if we cannot manage to run the ministry successfully THIS YEAR, there won’t be a “next year”. Sigh!
One afternoon was brightened by Jillian submitting the photos of the “registration time” craft samples she has made. There are three other team alumnae working on the crafts for various parts of the program, I have checked in with all of them and know that they are actually working, but no one else has yet sent any photos, so it was super exciting to see these arrive in my Inbox.
Yesterday some of my time was spent preparing a proper schedule for the Kick-Off event. This will not be happening until June 1st but with May only 10 days away I wanted to send out a first notice to all the host communities. People do really appreciate knowing what will be on the schedule at this sort of event and I do not blame them since no one wants to give up a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon unless it is for something worthwhile.
Outside of work hours there have also been several visitors scattered throughout the week. Both last Sunday and Monday I hosted High Tea parties, Sunday for some friends who visit a couple of times each year and Monday for the Theological student whom I mentor under the auspices of the Bishop’s Committee on Ministry. Both Teas went off well and as a bonus I had a few leftovers that provided a couple of lunches for me too 😊.And Tuesday Sarah stopped by for a quick cup of coffee and to pick up the birthday gift I made for her soon to be five year-old daughter, Serena. Sarah and her husband, Alexander are Team and DC committee alumni and their little family is precious to me. It was lovely when they were first married as they lived in a small apartment just around the corner but a couple of years ago, with a toddler and a second baby on the way, they moved to a house in the suburbs. Sarah still misses the neighbourhood and so combined her visit with a long walk around some old haunts 😊.
Very early each morning I have also managed to fit in the biggest of my spring cleaning chores-washing all the windows and curtains. The task is broken up over several days, starting in the basement and working up to the top floor.There are 25 windows, 5 doors and a glassed in front porch to tackle, so as you can imagine, it is not a job for the faint hearted. However the results, after a long winter, are always worth the effort!
Today is a Bake & Blog Saturday and this afternoon I’m hoping to make a start on a gift for a friend whose birthday is in late May. Evenings always include knitting nearly and the latest baby pullover is almost completed but I’ve been commissioned to make another one in the Fairisle pattern recently knitted for Charlotte’s baby so I guess baby pullovers have become a bit of a long-term occupation 😊.
Since, after several wet days, we have some sunshine this morning, I also popped outside and did a quick whiffle around the spring garden where I counted seven varieties of bulbs now in flower 😊.
There is a batch of bagels about to come out of the oven so we had better close off quickly. As it was chilly and damp on Thursday evening I made a “comfort food” risotto. Here is the recipe.
Tomato & Pesto Risotto
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ! Tbsp. each olive oil and butter
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ½ cup pesto (preferably homemade 😊)
- salt and pepper
Wash the tomatoes and place in a cast iron skillet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes until soft and caramelised. Meanwhile heat the stock to a simmer and melt the butter and oil in another large saucepan. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent then stir in the rice. Keep stirring until the grains are coated and turning golden then start adding the stock, 1 cup at a time. Continue stirring and adding stock as it is absorbed, keeping the pan at a low simmer, this should take 25-30 minutes in total. Once all the stock has been incorporated and the rice is soft and creamy, remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then ladle into 4 serving bowls. Top each serving with a portion of tomatoes and a couple of tablespoons of pesto. Serves 4, yum 😊.