Winding down

Another full week is nearly in the books. If it seems like I am fixated on time recently, you are correct. The days before I leave for my winter home are passing quickly. I've got a to-do list that is growing shorter by the day, but seems to get added t as well. 

This week, I finished the ornaments for my niece and nephew, completed a short scarf to wear under a jacket, and started on crocheted Christmas ornaments. I also managed to find gifts for D and Eli (from Santa), for my brother and SIL, and ordered an Ancestry DNA test for D - this will be her gift from Eli. She agreed this was something she really wanted. The gifts I've ordered should arrive sometime early next week, so I'll get them wrapped and tucked away in the closet. 

Every year I buy Co-op gift cards for my niece and nephew for Christmas through Eli's school fundraiser. It ia held in late November so this year, D will purchase them for me and arrange to mail the gifts to my brother's family. I've made certain that everything I've made or purchased will be light weight and easy to mail. 

I've been through my food box, most of which I brought back from Arizona in the spring. These were items that would not have done well in the extreme heat; spices, oil, etc. Checking through the list of banned items, I discovered the chicken boullion cubes cannot cross the border as they contain chicken fat. Ooops! While it is unlikely this would result in anything more than a confiscation, should the officer even check the box, I'll be leaving them behind. I am taking a box of tea bags, a few packets of yeast, and a bag of flour with me. These didn't appear on the list of items that are banned.

Outdoors, I pulled two more containers of annuals as they were looking rather rundown. The Gerbera daisies and petunias are still looking great - I'll wait until a really hard frost or...heaven forbid, snow. There is some possibility of that horrid word in areas of the province this weekend. We may see some rain on Friday, but unless something changes I think the flowers will last another week or two.

Iin the meantime, my daughter has installed Halloween in the front yard. She had a bit of an accident one afternoon when she was mowing the front lawn. The large pumpkin is gone. I was hoping to get a nightime shot for you, but I keep forgetting.

I worked at the thrift store on Tuesday for nearly 5 hours. Oh my, did I hurt after that stint. I was on my feet for most of the time, and though we have fatigue mats in the sorting room, I also spent a fair amount of time moving racks and reorganizing clothing on the store racks and shelves. Again, the sorting room was full of donations, there were mounds out in the back hallway and at least two more loads came in from the bins during the time we were there.

It was also our "Halloween sale" where everything collected for the holiday since last year was put out in the hallway leading to the store. There were two racks, one of adult costumes, and one for children, along with anything decorative you can imagine on the tables. Adult costumes were $5, children costumes $3, and the decorations were $2. We didn't get rid of everything but it was well picked over when I left just before 3 p.m. 

D and Eli dropped by as one of the donations was a guitar, and he is interested in learning to play. For $5, it was a steal. She also brought home several pieces of clothing for herself, Eli, and for friends. Average price was 48 cents per piece. Then the thrift store posted a basket sale on Thursday for just $10 a basket...she went back again, with even more clothing. This time the average cost was 38 cents per piece. I'll deliver the items for S and her children when I go into the city. D will mail other items before Christmas to her friend K. (I don't need any more clothing, though I suspect I'll go thrifting in Yuma this winter).

Knit and Natter on Thursday was quiet, with just G and I there. I'll see her again next week, as that will be the last afternoon session. J, the librarian joined us briefly while she cleaned cushions from the couch in the children's area. They both said that the afternoon sessions get busier in the fall as people finish their gardening or lake trips, and have time to attend. This is in contrast to the group I attended in the city. Many were snowbirds, and with colder weather there were only two of us there for most of the last winter I attended. I'll likely drop by the library the week I'm in the city before I leave just to check in.

It's a long weekend here, with no school for Eli on Friday or next Monday. We'll have our Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday, with roast pork loin - it is the other white meat (did you ever see that advert?) We season it with sage and poultry seasoning and there will be mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, mixed veg, and fresh buns. In other words, too much food!

To my Canadian readers, enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend, however you choose to celebrate (or not). 

Have a great week ahead everyone!