November Crunch is On...

Apparently a snow squall warning is in effect for these parts- meanwhile the sun is shining. I am not complaining!

I am considering this photo of Lily and her Christmas mouse for Christmas cards this year...

Cheery....no?

My chili stretcher week was a success (chili with buns; chili on top of a baked potato with sour cream and taco salad - romaine, scoop of chili, grated cheddar and crushed tortilla chips) but there are still 9 more days of eating before the next budget takes over. I grocery-shopped on Monday and used $20 of PC points in addition to the $70 that was left in the food budget. Not to worry (though no doubt I will anyways) as I have put a meal plan into place. After reading all of your posts the past 10 years or so I don't know why I wasn't meal planning sooner!!

Upcoming yummy dinners include Tuna Melts, Chicken Fajitas, Salmon Patties, and/or Salmon Steaks, Stuffed Peppers, Jerk Chicken and Breakfast for Dinner. 

That's not quite 9 dinners but I get two meals out of some of these recipes and sometimes more if Kazi eats at her boyfriend's house or goes out with friends like she did last night. So I'm pretty confident that I'll make it to the end of the month before the end of the contents of the fridge :)

My Snowflake Box (extra savings squeezed weekly out of my misc budget) currently holds $620 with about the equal amount being added in December. Christmas is paid for - hurrah! And my PC points will cover extra food, what I need for baking and stocking stuffers. Yes, I still do a stocking for Kazi although she is 27 years young. She says it's her favourite gift. All I do is go to the Superstore and purchase lotions, facial masks, hot chocolate, toothpaste and other drugstore type items and then wrap each one with the odds and ends of leftover Christmas wrapping paper. Covered by points it costs me nothing but time. So why mess with tradition?

I don't usually do a lot ahead of time though I do have a turkey frozen since the Thanksgiving sales. I have gifts for one of my brothers (he's so easy to buy for) - I bought him a book by an author we both love about the "WILD" parts of Scotland, a CD called "The Secret Path" written by Canadian superstar rock god Gord Downie of the band "The Tragically Hip" who recently passed away from a brain tumour. The CD is about a young indigenous boy who ran away from a residential school in winter and was found frozen to death. True story. My brother makes his living as an oil painter and told me the last time I visited that he wants to explore stories of Canada's First Nations people for inspiration for his paintings. Whenever he tells me these things I tuck them away in my mind as gift ideas :) The other thing I got for him is sheet music for Mendelssohn's song about Fingal's Cave on the Isle of Staffa. My brother plays piano and we plan to see the Isle of Staffa next year if all goes well! 
I'll post the song by Mendelssohn in a separate post.

Now if only the rest of my family was so easy to buy for! My great-nephew is 10 and I have not a clue about what 10 year old boys are into these days - his Thomas the Tank Engine days are over unfortunately!

Suggestions??? Anyone???

One Piece of Tape

Hot pink tape, that is...

Had a physio assessment today. The verdict is Patellofemoral Pain Symdrome, otherwise known as PFPS. It's sounds serious but it's not. Another common term for this is "runner's knee".  And my pink piece of tape really helps. Usually your kneecap glides smoothly up and down in a groove in the thigh bone, but due to a variety of reasons (injury, overuse, etc) it can slip a bit to one side or the other causing pan. One little piece of tape, placed properly, can make a huge difference.  

I go back for another session next week when I'll get retaped and will get some tape to take with me on our hiking trip coming up SOON! I also have a few exercises I can do to build strength in other muscles around the knee so feel more confident about hiking. Oh, and Annie, these Gowalk shoes are the absolute best!! My feet are in LOVE!

I think I've raved about this store on my blog before but more raving is required! Last year my rain pants were a pain in the patootie! Yes, that's a word. They kept the rain out and the sweat in! When I took them off my pants underneath were soaked. I checked out MEC's online store and they have rain pants with zippered vents. Yippee!! With only a couple weeks left to go I went to their London store to try them on. They were great except the legs were way too long - I hate being 5'3" sometimes! However the store clerk said (and checked on her computer) that through the online store I can get a petite medium with a shorter inseam. Double Yippee!

I ordered them Monday afternoon and they arrived today - and shipping's free! I love you MEC! Oh, and MEC stands for Mountain Equipment Company. A membership costs nothing but provides you with lifetime return if something goes wrong or is defective. 

This week just gets better and better! Monday evening was The Tragically Hip concert. Their front man and lead singer, Gord Downie, has been diagnosed with incurable brain cancer. Being the amazing Canadian that he is he figured this was the perfect time to go on tour across Canada - give his fans one last opportunity to celebrate together. He is a class act. I'm not sure how well known they are in the States, let me know if they are, but here in Canada I don't know anyone who isn't a huge Hip fan. They are the best rock and roll band in Canada since Burton Cummings and The Guess Who!

A bunch of us who were fortunate and determined enough to get tickets met for dinner before the concert. Look at my amazing strawberry salad! It was as good as it looks!

Gord and his band sing about Canada - its traditions and landmarks - with such a quirky style uniquely his own. He also physically interprets his music as he sings which is hilarious and touching at the same time.

I don't know if anyone is familiar with the Red Skelton Show which all Canadians gathered to watch every week back in the 1960's but Red had a character he called Clem Kaddidlehopper. Well, I saw Clem Monday night after the second encore as Gord went cross-eyed and turned his hat sideways. All of these personal little weird and wonderful asides are absolutely treasured moments.

It was an emotional night filled with poignant and teary moments. When Gord gently touched the face of one of his musicians I just lost it. I cannot imagine the pain they must be going through knowing this will be their last tour as The Tragically Hip. Tragic indeed.

It was a sold out night filled with sadness and joy. 

I'll post a song from youtube.