I can hardly believe it has been over a month since I last wrote an update. I guess that means I have been super busy which is in fact true. Pretty much the whole month of May I have been driving back and forth on 91 from 11 Jenny Lane to North Hatley, QC. Opening up a house after four months of being shut up and empty is really quite a big job. In addition, when I left last August 10th or so a family moved in and then another moved in after that until January 1st. So, as a result, since I haven’t been here since last August there was a great deal to do to get it ready for our family to enjoy.
I have spent the last six weeks cleaning and doing laundry. Exciting, right? There are six bedrooms with six beds that needed to be cleaned. I stripped all of them, started washing with bed pads, pillows (24 in all), sheets, bedspreads, pillow shams, the whole thing. Then I bought all brand-new pillow protectors as can be seen above. My property manager, Sue, came and helped me make all the bedrooms back up again. She and I made quick work of it as we have worked together for way too many years for me to count. I was also able to find someone to come and wash all the windows, inside and out, and wash all the screens – what a huge difference that makes. The house sparkles. We used to have the windows washed every other year but then Covid came along and the window washer guy wouldn’t come in the house, then he had a fight with my tenant so that was the end of that. So it has been awhile. Also found someone who is a super house cleaner which has been a huge help.
John and I put the porch back together again and I cleaned – washing railings and the floors, getting rid of cobwebs and cleaning all the furniture. It is looking pretty spiffy now. We got a new flag for the flagpole and it came with a small version which you can see below. My theme appears to be totally CAN/AM with a mix of flags decorating the porch.
Walking Facts
I wear an Apple watch which I really like. It keeps track of all sorts of things including hours of sleep and awake (ugh), heart rate and cardio fitness. When I arrived here at the beginning of May my Cardio Fitness was considered below normal at 18.4 which isn’t so terrible but it could be better. It is now, after walking the hills up here, above normal or 20.1 which is much better. I can feel it myself and certainly am getting back into shape again. It’s not that I don’t walk at home, I do, but I don’t have the hills I have up here. The dogs and I (along with Katie a few days) have found a good walk that takes about an hour and has some really good hills with great views of the valley back towards Mount Orford. It’s rather hazy right now because of the smoke from the wildfires out west but still gorgeous. We have seen a couple of deer and a few cows which made Percy bark as he didn’t have any idea what they were but he needed to warn me I guess. The cows just thought he was nuts. Our walks end with a good swim in the lake when we get home usually because they are covered in mud from running in the muck in the woods looking for whatever dogs look for in the woods.
It Feels Back to Normal
With the dock going in this week and the boat finally back in the water, it feels like home again. We are ready for family and friends to come visit. Here’s hoping the rain stays away. In New London they just had the 13th straight Saturday in a row with rain. Just wish it would head out west and take care of those wildfires.
Too Busy To Cook
I made this just before we came up here and brought the leftovers with me. I ate it every day for lunch with leftover salad and it was delicious every time. Simple, tasty and held up well.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon salted butter or olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 poblano peppers, chopped
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
2 cups salsa verde
2 cups shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
3-4 cups tortilla chips
avocado, cilantro, green onion, and/or basil, for serving
Instruction
Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In an 11 to 12-inch oven-safe skillet, melt the butter/oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are tender and softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In bowl, mix the cream cheese and yogurt. Add the onions/peppers, the chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine, then stir in 1 1/2 cups salsa and the chicken.
- Working in the same skillet used to cook the onions, add a spoonful of the chicken mix, then layer with cheese and chips. Add another layer of chicken, then cheese and chips. Repeat to create 3 layers, ending with the chicken, and saving a handful of cheese for topping. Add the remaining salsa verde, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
- Serve immediately, topped as desired!
