Hello Blog Friends!
Hopefully, we are now properly back on track with our weekly posts. I must confess I’m mourning the lack of emojis but have faith in Guylaine’s ability to find a solution, otherwise we will have to wait until the final transition to the “new to me” laptop takes place.
Once again, a fair amount of my office time this week was spent on blog-related issues. Over several afternoons I methodically scrolled through the media library deleting duplicate images and then learning how to resize the photos without decreasing the number of pixels, thus avoiding blurriness (imagine a smiley emoji here!). Then I had to edit the 2 draft posts to include explanations of the interruption in regular posts as I have been receiving solicitous emails and texts asking if I am okay (so sweet).
At other times final plans were being tweaked for the Harvest Team Gathering, happening just a few hours from now. Readers for the 2 scripture passages were lined up, the PowerPoint template was edited and I checked in again with our Speaker to see if she needed anything else. IF all the people who have requested a link actually log on, we should have a great turnout.
The 2025 Day Camp Program application form is ready to go live on the CTM website. As we were having our monthly DC committee meeting on October 2nd I had decided to wait until after that to send the files to Guylaine, in case anyone had any last minute suggestions regarding changes. With everything okayed, I sent it to her on Thursday morning and expect she will, shortly, post it on the website homepage.
Tuesday, late in the afternoon, I had an online meeting with a long-time Day Camp Coordinator who, on their community’s evaluation form, had asked if CTM had any plans to reinstitute the travelling team model. The DC committee members felt it might be more helpful if I set up a meeting rather than attempt to explain, via email, why we do not believe we are called to revert to that model. I had reached out to ask if they would like to video chat and my invitation was accepted. It was a pretty good meeting and I hope the church community will now have a better understanding of the reasoning behind what was a very difficult decision.
Wednesday evening we gathered, online, for the monthly DC meeting and so I was able to report on all this to my fellow committee members. We also wrestled with a number of upcoming issues such as finding one more committee member (not for lack of trying on my part!), badgering someone to take on the role of chef for an episode of the next Cook-Along series, and we are still hunting for a person to edit/update the 2025 program manual sections on Games. I gave updates on how things are going for the Team Gathering and the Advent Study Program and we also talked quite a bit about arrangements for Carols & Cocoa.
Of course we discussed the funding campaign and I was able to share with them the news of my conversation with Bishop Helen in Qu’Appelle Diocese where we hope to be able send a donation towards a children’s ministry project on Gordon’s First Nation, which they are planning for next summer. All in all it was a productive meeting, with only one committee member absent.
That morning I hit the “publish” button on Mail Chimp to send off the Harvest/ Thanksgiving issue of CTM’s newsletter “Networks”. It was really good to check that item off my list.
The week was interspersed with a several visits (both in-person and online). Monday Bishop Mary joined me for lunch and I was able to give her the slippers onto which I had sewn suede soles we had ordered. In turn she handed me her red mitre, which needed a size adjustment. That entailed my adding a corded hatband, quite a painful hand-sewing task! Wednesday morning Jessica dropped by with a couple of grocery items she had picked up for me. We enjoyed some tea and crumpets before she dashed off to her next stop.
Yesterday I met on FaceTime with Anna, a long-time Day Camp groupie, who now lives in Halifax with her husband, 2 sons and a darling rescue dog, Léo. Her husband, Charles, is a Military Chaplain, stationed at the Naval Base there. We had not had a proper talk for several months ,so it was lovely to catch up.
Although the weather has turned cooler, it has been for the most part, a sunny week so work has continued on cutting back various plants in the garden. All the irises and lilies have now been trimmed down and I have also dealt with the Wild Chrysanthemums, Golden Rod and Lily of the Valley. The latter quickly turn brown and slimy as it cools down so it is important to deal with them promptly!This morning I also performed one more autumnal task- laying the coco matting on thr front stairs. It is a bit shabby but will ‘do” for another year!
Today’s Bake has included a bunch of Autumn treats- Butternut Squash and Sage Galette, Cranberry, Orange Sourdough Bagels, Apple Crisp and Oakleaf Demerara Sugar Shortbread.
The latter seems like a good choice for this week’s recipe. Of course you do not have to have leaf-shaped cutters, but they sure look pretty as part of an autumn table setting! A good tip when making shortbread or biscuits is to freeze your butter then grate it into the mixing bowl. This makes cutting the butter into the dry ingredients so much easier.
Demerara Shortbread
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups unbleached flour
- ¾ tsp. coarse salt
- ½ cup Demerara Sugar
Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Grate the butter onto the mixture then blend it in with a pastry blender or fork. Bring the dough together, shape into a disc and wrap tightly then chill for several hours before rolling out to ¼” thickness on a floured board. Cut into pretty shapes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 325º oven. It should be golden in colour and firm to the touch but be careful not to let it burn. Cool on a rack and serve with a nice cup of tea.