A Day Book . . .

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...

Its still really dark. It is only 3*C/37*F and cloudy. The sun is just starting to come up. It's cloudy and isn't supposed to get much warmer than this today. Maybe only 2 degrees so quite a chilly Halloween. A mix of sun and cloud, but dry. Happy Halloween!  I am all ready for the Trick or Treaters. I have plenty of candy and potato chips to hand out. I love seeing the costumes and feeling the excitement of the kiddies.  Some of the parents dress up too. Last year we had a full sized dinosaur dad!

I AM THINKING ...

This is the Autumn Apple Cake with Toffee Glaze I shared last week.  I got this comment left on it this morning:

"I have made this cake twice for a charity cake sale and it was a big hit. It looked fabulous and sold out quickly. I didn't make the apple crisps because of the timing of the events but sprinkled some little fudge cubes on top to decorate instead. The second occasion I was really up against it for time so didn't make the caramel glaze but extra buttercream and put that on the top instead. It was still gorgeous and sold out. It's a great recipe!"

This has made my day already!  And its only just started.  That's why I share my recipes. I love it when people try them and then enjoy them. I love it even more when they are kind enough to share their experience with others, especially when it is positive!

 

(source)

I AM ALSO THINKING ...

About the lovely day I had yesterday with my sister and my dad. It rained most of the day, sometimes very heavily, but it was nice to be together. We took my dad to his Doctor's appointment first and he got a clean bill of healthy and then we went out to lunch. We tried a new place we had not been before called Callister's in Coldbrook.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but was very pleasant inside and very busy, which is always a good sign. True to form, we had fish and chips and it was really good. It came with a tea biscuit and real butter (not margarine) coleslaw, tartar sauce and we could have had vegetables also, but we knew we couldn't eat them as well.  They pleased dad by giving him a children's cheeseburger and chips, which was very kind of them.  We were amazed at the pies that kept waltzing by us, but had no room for any kind of dessert.

I kid you not, they are all about six inches high!  We were amazed. Cindy and I have decided next time we are up that way we are popping in just for a cheeky slice of pie and a drink!

After lunch we took dad to see his cardiologist and have his pacemaker checked and then we headed home.  We stopped at the Cambridge Convenience briefly and then dropped off Dad, then we headed back down towards ours. We stopped at the SuperStore on the way which was super busy and then a few little stops. We had just pulled into Cindy's and dad was arriving for supper, so it was a very long day for us all!  I headed back home to some cats who were very happy to see me.

Family times are the best of times.

 

Just trying to help me make my bed

CORNERS OF MY KINGDOM ...

Cinnamon helps me make my bed every morning. As soon as she sees me heading into the bedroom to do it, she is on the case!

 

Making sure I got the corners just right

She is with me every step of the way. Its so cute.  I really don't mind it at all. It is a game we play together and she seems to really enjoy it.

We always have a little cuddle at the end of the exercise. And a bit of a play time. She enjoys that as well. These little fur balls add such a wonderful dimension to my life.  I enjoy them both so much!

IT HAPPENS ...

I had Dad over for supper on Saturday night. Cindy and Dan went golfing and then Cindy wanted to take them out for supper using the gift certificate that the place she worked at gave her when she retired. I am always happy to have Dad over.  My oven stopped working right in the middle of me cooking supper. The element burnt out. I will be calling the landlord today and hopefully it won't take them too long to replace it. I really need a working oven.  It wasn't too much of a problem on Saturday evening however as I just finished everything off on top of the stove and all was good. These little things sure add a bit of excitement to life!

UH OH ...

I signed up to take a writing course through BBC Maestro. I have been humming and hawing about doing it for months now. You have to keep the old brain ticking, and the courses were on special at the moment so it was not overly expensive.  We will see how it goes. People are always saying they want me to write a novel. I am not sure I have one in me, but it will be fun trying and what else have I got to do really.  Its a better way to exercise the old brain than just sitting in front of the television.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH ...

I had ordered this as a gift for someone and look how it arrived. Not in a box but in a paper envelope. And crushed.  Just not good enough. And it is not eligible for return. It is really difficult to find where you can get a refund on Amazon. I will try again today to see if I can figure it out.  This is bad though. Very disappointed.

CRAVING ...

Apple Pie Jam.  I wonder if there is a way I could small batch this. It looks fabulous.  I bet it would be great on biscuits, or filling a cake, or just eaten by the cheeky spoonful. 😁

SAD ...

Saddened by the news of Matthew Perry's death.  I love the show Friends. I was not able to watch it when it first came out as my ex husband did not like that kind of television show. He would only watch science fiction, cop shows, etc.  So it kind of never was on my radar. I finally started to watch it on reruns in 2010 and I fell in love with it.  I can't tell you how many times I have watched it from beginning to end since then. I have been watching it all over again recently and am in the episodes where Ross is getting married to Emily and Chandler and Monica are just about to get together. Now they are tinged with a special sadness.  He was a great comedic actor who, like most comedic actors, was able to bring laughter to the masses but unable to find happiness in his own life.  It is tragic really.

I HAVE DECIDED ...

Sunday nights are going to be romantic movie nights for me and I am going to watch a romantic film that I have never had the opportunity to watch each Sunday night.  This week I chose The Lake House. I thought it was pretty good and was very happy with the ending.  

ALSO WATCHING ...

Being Human on Britbox.  I have watched the first episode and am hooked. I don't know how I missed this when it was on the telly in the U.K.  Well done, as most BBC shows are! I have five seasons to catch up on, which is great!

I AM READING ...

Bridges of Madison County, by Robert James Waller 

“The Bridges of Madison County” is a novel by Robert James Waller that was published in 1992. The book explores themes of memory, loss, sacrifice, desire, dreams, loneliness, love, sexual satisfaction, and contentment 1234. The story revolves around the relationship between Francesca Johnson and Robert Kincaid. Francesca is a married woman who falls in love with Robert, a photographer who is visiting Madison County to take pictures of the covered bridges. The novel explores the choices that Francesca and Robert make and the consequences of those choices. It also examines the impact of their relationship on their lives and the lives of those around them. The book has been adapted into both a movie and a musical

I have only just watched the film and fell in love and now I am reading the book.  I just had to after seeing the film.  So far so good.  

 

(source)

SOMETHING I REALLY LOVE ...

Ripe pears. I really love ripe pears. I have not had any yet this season. Time to rectify that. Must get some  . . . 

 

(source)

MAKES ME SMILE ...

They're having tea.  I love that. I can almost hear the conversations taking place.

 

(source)

TRACING THE GOODNESS ...

Scripture study and prayer, family outings and dinners, cats and cuddles,  friendships, home, faith, all is well in my little corner of the world. Each day may not be a good day but there is something good in every day. My life is filled with the abundance of grace and my cup runneth over.

 

(source)

A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *.˛.In order to love who you are

you cannot hate the experiences

that shaped you.•。★★ 。* 

~Andrea Dykstra•。*。*˚

•。★★ 。* •。★★ 。* 

IN THE KITCHEN ...

There is nothing new in the kitchen today, so I am sharing my Apple Dumpling recipe. Always a winner!  So much so that Coleman Andrews included my recipe in his book on English Cooking. I was really chuffed to be included!

And that's my day book for this week. I have loads to catch up on!  I hope you are all well and happy and that this is a very good day for you!  Happy Halloween!  Don't forget!

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And I do too!