Catching Up, Catching Up...Not Caught Up Yet !

I don't think I will ever feel I am completely caught up with what I want to have accomplished and keep accomplished in my lifetime, I wholeheartedly believe I will require a few more lifetimes if I am ever to achieve that feeling of  being "caught" up.

Now I need to ask myself, "what am I trying to get caught up on?"  Good question, cause all it ever seems like is an never ending whirlpool of housework being incomplete...*sigh*, I give up and surrender, for the sake of not going MAD, as it will never end in this lifetime, or several more if I was so blessed to be given a "Cat's Nine Lives"....LOL.

Yesterday another little "dent" was made and my kitchen looks back to normal with just the "sticky" floor needing washed.  However the leftover remains of boiled over peach pie is gone and once more my oven is as sparkling as it will ever be, until the next time I forget to place a cookie sheet below the next pie I bake,  and the counter top is wiped clean and organized, along with the sinks disinfected and sparkling clean for the time being.


*Sigh*, something I find myself doing quite often is "sighing".  I "sigh" when I get frustrated, tired, worn out, all the exasperating sort of everyday things life brings my way...I am sure I have a *sigh* for every occasion...lol.  *Sighing* must make me feel better, since it is almost like taking a "big" breath then releasing it..."big breath sighing", there is a new one...*sigh* I must get on with this and momentarily give up this *sighing* business for the time being.

We had a surprise visit from my Cousin Vi, and her husband, Ross, (remember the guy who lives in Port Elgin, just over the wrong side of the tracks from my hometown of Southampton, Ontario?).  They were out for a drive, and going to see their daughter, and her family, who have their boat docked at the Wiarton Marina, so thought they would stop in for a quick visit with us. 

They had not been here for some time, so Vi and I had a nice little visit, and Rob took Ross out to the back 50, to check on some logs sitting out there waiting to be chunked up and split for firewood.  After our visit, I got Vi a couple of Zucchini, beets and a sweet onion from the garden to take along home with her, and she also got to see our chickens in person (they can be so funny to watch).  Once again, since I had so much on my mind, I forgot to take pictures.....I am so slipping in this area lately!!!

Ross and Vi took their leave, and I went back to getting my kitchen in order.

Mid-afternoon Rob and I decided to drive over to Owen Sound, as the No Frills grocery store has Cook's Half Hams on for $1.00/lb., a steal of a deal, and we also needed a few other things, so off we went.  Two hours later and about $200.00 less richer, we arrived back home with our purchases.  It wasn't too bad though, as we had dog food, Aiden's Birthday gift bought, as well as a couple of more Christmas gifts purchased, plus our groceries which don't take long to tally up a bill.

Once everything was put away, I was able to return a couple of phone calls to people who had called when we were gone.  First to my brother-in-law, Cecil, then to my sister, Jeanne, then to my brother-in-law Darol, and finally to my girlfriend, Colleen.  Everyone seemed all to be fine.

Darol, and his wife, Delores, who so happens to be Rob's sister are on their way up today so Darol can go fishing.  This was a surprise, as they have not been here for at least over a year.  A surprise as Darol had a huge contract to fill this past Summer in his business of upholstery, so the surprise being that he is taking a couple of days off work !!!  Wow, good for Darol !

Once finding out they would be arriving here just before lunch time today, Rob and I scrambled, last night, to get those couple of "other" outstanding household chores I was going to do today done.  All ready to go with just the bathroom needing a good wipe down.  Supper will be easy, as I took a Roast of Beef out and that will go into the slow cooker, along with some veggies, then I will make a broccoli salad to serve as a side dish.  Supper all planned and simple.

I will be very late doing my "blog" tomorrow, as I am meeting up with my girlfriend, Reenie,  at 7:00 a.m. to head off to the Keady Market, then Bandit and Lexus have an appointment with their Veterinarian in the early afternoon, so it will be another busy day.  Too busy to get up any earlier to do my blog, unless I am not too tired to do it tonight.....*sigh* I  am thinking I will be too tired.

My friend, Diane, and I occasionally email back and forth to each other.  She is also a member of Cindy's Recipe Exchange, and had asked if I had a recipe for Chili Sauce.  It just so happened that my sister, Donna, had made up a big batch of Chili Sauce last week, so I called her for her recipe, since Rob and I are not big fans of Chili Sauce, I do not make it.  Here is my sister, Donna's "tried, tested and true" recipe for Chili Sauce:

Chili Sauce

Chili Sauce ~ Recipe compliments of my sister, Donna Robertson (Masterson)

Ingredients
12 cups peeled ripe tomatoes cut in 8 sections

 3 cups finely chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped onion
1/4 cup pickling salt
2 cups white vinegar
2 tbsp. mustard seeds
Pinch (1/16 tsp.) cayenne pepper
1 medium finely chopped green pepper
1 - 5 1/2 oz. tomato paste

Method

To peel tomatoes, pour boiling water over tomatoes and blanch for 1 minute; peel and cut each tomato into 8 sections, then measure out 12 well packed cups (NOTE: 1 Quart measure filled 3 x to 4 cup line = 12 cups tomatoes)

Stir celery and onions in together with tomatoes in a large bowl or container, sprinkling salt over top of all, then stirring in. Let all stand overnight on counter top.

In the morning, drain excess liquid through a colander, but do not press. Turn all into a large pot (non-enamel), adding sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds, and cayenne; boil for 45 minutes or until tomatoes and celery have turned into a mushy consistency; stirring frequently.

Once consistency has reached mush, add Green Pepper and tomato paste, boiling a further 30 minutes or until Green Pepper is tender and sauce has reached a chili sauce consistency.

Pour into sterile jars and seal.

Yields approx. 6 pints, depending on consistency of sauce. Donna tripled this recipe and got 14 pint jars and 1 jam jar.

When my sister, Jeanne, and husband, Cecil, were last up visiting from Newfoundland four years ago, they had gotten to taste Donna's Chili Sauce when there visiting with her.  Cecil had then made the statement that is was the "best Chili Sauce he had ever tasted", so I suppose we can take that statement to the bank and deposit it....lol.

There were two pictures I wanted to and forgot to share a couple of days ago.  I found one almost perfect Shasta Daisy bloom left, and my Hibiscus flowers have started to put on a "show".

"Almost a "perfect" bloom, but to my eyes it is "perfect"."

"The compliments I get year from year about the dinner plate size of my Hibiscus flowers."

I love going out at any given time of a day to peruse my flower beds.  It will be a sad day if I was not ever to have a bed of flowers wherever I might find myself living.  I really think flowers give me a "certain energy" I can not explain....maybe it is in the amazement of their beauty that gives me that peace and energy I have been feeling when I gaze upon them....

Okay what is that Wiarton Weatherman guy saying today?

Today:

Sunny. High 23. UV index 6 or high.

Tonight:

Clear. Low 15.

Yes that looks like it is to be another Summer day.  I will keep it.

I really have to get the plug unpulled from my behind and get a move on here.  Things to get done and people to see, so here I go off and running, as always, into my day ahead, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard" .