Hello Blog Friends!
I am resurfacing after COVID and, although still slightly fuzzy, have been able to make quite a lot of progress over the past week.
A speaker has been found for the Harvest/Thanksgiving Team Gathering- Guylaine Chartier; whose name regular readers will recognise! Guylaine has a long “cred” list and her most current role at CTM is Director of Communications.
in other good news of the week- someone is “considering” editing the Special Events section of the 2026 Program Manual and someone else wants to get more details from me, before agreeing to edit the Games. One person has indicated they will contribute “a couple of songs” to Carols & Cocoa and one family has signed up for the Harvest Cook-Along series, with a promise to reach out to friends in the hopes of encouraging some new participants.
All of this might a seem like “small potatoes” in the big picture of the Day Camps world, which I inhabit but each small victory represents a number of emails, text messages and phone calls!
As Communications Director, Guylaine has been sent the various fliers and the 2026 Application Form for uploading to the home page of the CTM website and I have posted all the promo information on FaceBook and Instagram as well as emailing 3 lists of Alumni names to promote the upcoming Team Gathering. I twould be good if to report that progress has also been made on the sections of the Program Manual for which I am responsible but, other than reading over the content from the previous (2018) version, nothing concrete has been put (metaphorically!!) on paper. Sigh.
Oh!! I did also complete a rough draft of my 2025 report for the Annual General Meeting, final details and photos will be added at yearend.
Towards the end of the week, it seemed an effort should be made to find four alumni who would be available to lead reflections for the Advent Study Program. So, yet again, the lists of Alumni names were pulled up and scrolling began in earnest! Update to follow…
Outside of office hours, my informal “café” is back in business- Monday, Mikaela joined me for a lovely lunch visit, bringing with her a sweet gift of two, hand-carved wooden spoons that she and her husband had brought back for me from a Caribbean holiday (see photo!!). Then, on Wednesday evening, Jessica and I enjoyed our monthly visit and supper. This time, I went with Mexican/Autumn vibes and we enjoyed a spicy pumpkin soup, accompanied by Mushroom Quesadillas. For dessert we had spiced hot chocolate, slices of watermelon and ginger cake.
Finally, today, I will soon be welcoming Mae Anne to lunch. Over the last two summer months, we did not manage to fit in our regular visits, she both changed jobs and moved house, but I hope we will be back on track over the autumn. Although it is technically still the end of summer, early last Sunday morning, Thomason and I heard and spotted the first flock of Canada Geese flying over. The geese are harbingers of both autumn, when they leave for the southern US states, and spring, when they return to the north. Their iconic calls are well known to all Canadians.
Right now, it is time for me to close the laptop and finish preparing lunch for Mae Anne. I did do a fairly small Bake this morning as Sue and her husband are off, next week, for 2 weeks in the UK and she plans to take along her two, GF loaves, so it was essential to get them made.
Mae Anne and I will be having Seafood Chowder, which I made yesterday, as soups are always better when reheated, and this morning I baked some Cheesy Einkorn Biscuits as an accompaniment.
The Mushroom Quesadillas Jessica and I had on Wednesday were really simple to make and very tasty, here is the recipe…
Mushroom Quesadillas
- 4, 8” flour tortillas (preferably homemade)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 8oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced, ¼” thick
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp chipotle powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup grated cheddar
Heat a large cast iron skillet and add the oil. Fry the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, until they release their juices. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and spices and sauté until fragrant. Remove the mushroom mixture to a bowl, wipe out the skillet and return it to the stove-top on medium heat. Place 1 tortilla in the pan and layer with ½ the mushroom mixture then ½ the cheese. Top with another tortilla and press down lightly. Cook until the cheese begins to melt, then flip and cook until the other side is browned Remove to a plate and keep warm while you repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Cut the quesadillas into quarters, using kitchen shears. Serve immediately (I served ours with a creamy pumpkin soup- autumnal vibes!). Serves 2.