Shortly

We know when we are picking up the puppy, October 27th.  Less than a month away now.  Excited and nervous at the same time.  The puppies are almost five (5) weeks old now and getting much more active and interested in things other than food.  I am having very active dreams (read nightmares) about what will happen when we bring the puppy home.  Other times we are so excited we can hardly wait.  We took Miss Q to the Blessing of the Animals yesterday and told her that she needs to be calm and a gracious hostess to the new one and that the Bishop was blessing her to make her be good.  We know she loves Golden Retrievers, we just had a house guest for 10 days that she was really happy to have around.  It’s the puppy thing I am a little unsure about.  Puppies like to play and Miss Q doesn’t think much of that unless it is on her terms.  She did adjust to Margot and Hadley’s pup, Brew, so again I am thinking positive thoughts.  We will know shortly.

What Are You Eating?

I found this graphic from Easy Health Options this past week and it is too good not to share.  Do you wonder what you should be eating to keep your body in a healthy balance.  We hear so much on the news and social media about foods that promote either an acid body chemistry or an alkaline body chemistry.  You might have read that an alkaline system was a healthier system but you might not have known what foods promote that in your body.  Well here it is in a very easy to understand graphic.  It’s going on my fridge door, I hope it will go on yours.  Enjoy all these foods as often as you would like.  They really are good for you and not difficult to find or prepare, except perhaps the Kale.  Kale is something that really needs to be massaged to break down the fibers inside the leaves particularly if you are going to eat it raw.  Try some baby kale and mix it with spinach for your salad, throw some cucumbers, broccoli, celery, and chopped bell peppers and then some delicious slices of avocado and toss it with some good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  That way you get all those foods in one dish.  To see the whole graphic, please click on the picture.

 Walking this week – Another 100 done!

What a perfect week it has been.  The weather has been outstanding.  You couldn’t ask for better for walking or any outdoor activity for that matter.  Beautiful, crisp, clear days, temperatures in the 60’s, sunshine, blue sky and a few clouds.  In addition, the leaves are beginning to turn so it’s like watching nature with a paint brush.  There are a few very, very red trees but mostly we are looking at yellow and brown and the deeper red.  The lake has been gorgeous.  Most mornings very calm.  At night it is perfect for sitting in front of a big fire and enjoying some time to visit.  We had visitors this week and that is exactly what we did.  Just about five o’clock it starts to get quite cool here as the sun is over the hill behind us.  It’s not cold enough to need the heat but a big fire takes the chill off and provides and cozy atmosphere for catching up on activities.  I completed another 100 miles this month, in fact went over again but I am comfortable with the 100 mile goal so will make another for October.  I am pleased to have met the goal because we were on the road for 17 days so my routine was altered but not to any serious degree.  I love walking the hills around here and am really delighted that my dog, Miss Q, has been able to join me on a number of those walks recently.  She even did a 6 miler with me and was still enthusiastic at the end of it.  By the way, Happy Birthday Miss Q, she turned 11 on the 26th of September.

Maintaining an Old House

Just as maintaining your body and health is important so is maintaining the roof over your head, literally.  This past week saw a new roof installed in our house.  It had been 25 years since the last one was put on and that is more than anyone really expected from the roof.  Naturally it didn’t go without some surprises.  Lots of dry rot and old boards that cedar shingles had been attached to way back in the olden days that had separated drastically.  All had to be replaced by plywood which added time and dollars to the project.  The guys did a great job and cleaned up pretty darn well after a very messy job.  Once again we were blessed by gorgeous weather and they were able to get things done in a timely fashion.  Now we need a giant magnet to go around the property and find all the nails that went flying off the roof at various times.  In the middle of this, not only did we have house guests, but our neighbors began a major foundation job on their house.  The size of the trucks coming down that driveway was astounding.  The drivers are very skillful in their manipulation of those big trucks and they got down and back up.  However, negotiating around our trucks and cars made for an interesting dance on the part of all concerned.

On The Road Again

The winter porch went up this week.  It’s a sign of the passing seasons as much as the actual date of the seasons indicates change is coming.  I rather like the winter porch because it gives us a nice vestibule by our front door and a place to keep the recycle bins rather than have them in the front hall.  It’s not warm in there really but it does stop the wind from coming right into the house when you open the door.   Putting up the porch is part of the many preparations we must do before we depart for our southern home.  Between now and then, however, we are heading out west to Vancouver, British Columbia for our niece’s wedding which will take place next Saturday.  We are going to take a side trip out to Vancouver Island to celebrate John’s birthday and then head up to Whistler for the wedding.  We leave on Tuesday and return a week later so that means getting the winter chores done now.  The boat has been put away, the dock has been cleared off, the flower boxes cleaned out, and the porch furniture put away.  A few things left to do when we return but the house is basically winter ready because when we come back in December it will be winter.

My Favorite Recipe this Week is Blue Zones Lentil Soup

1 (15 oz.) can lentils or 1 pound lentils, cooked
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup tomatoes, stewed or canned
Salt and pepper, to taste

While the lentils are simmering in the stock, fry onion in a separate pan until soft.
Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. When lentils are done, combine with onion-tomato mixture and reheat, seasoning to taste.