Hooray For Another "Wrong" Weather Forecast !

I have to be thankful this time for the Weatherman "incorrectly" forecasting the weather yesterday with the rain not beginning until 8:00 p.m. last night !!! 

Whoohooo my plans finally worked out, with nothing breaking them and the weather to my favor !!!!  LOL, 'bout time I should think .....

After hearing outside my window, and then sticking my nose out the patio door I have seen for myself that it definitely is really raining out there now ..... but I care not now, as some wood has been gathered, split and piled, and the lawn has been cut.  "Rob" is "good" ..... lol.

After we had coffee all out of the way, I was "gun ho" to get going, but there was a "minor" holdup .....

"How come it's "okay" when they are on the phone talking?  I have yet to figure this one out?"

"We "finally" got the wood splitter out and down to business ..... "

"This is all we have left from last Winter, as it being such a long Winter we did burn a lot of wood."

"This is the start of the wood being put in for this year.  Not too much yet."

"Here is my "Rob" hard at it.  Forget what I said about you earlier, Honey, you are a "good" man .... lol."

"This is the dog who always lays in the way of progress .... don't move yourself one little bit Bandit, we will walk around you !"

I think we made some good progress and got a couple cords or so of wood in before we had to call it enough for one day.  Once lunch was over with and the lawn was cut, we really did call it a "day" at about 3:00 p.m..

Once we got sitting with a coffee, I thought I would give our boy a call, so I phoned Paul.  You have no idea how surprised I was when he answered his Blackberry and told me he was in the Hamilton Hospital !  He could hardly talk .... apparently he had an allergic reaction, to what, is still a mystery, and this being the second within the past couple of months.  They kept him for at least 6 hours before they released him.  Thank goodness his cousin Stacy lives in Hamilton, as I was able to contact her to go pick him up from the Hospital to take him back to get his truck from the work site he had been at.

I personally know first hand how scary it is to have my throat close up and my face become unrecognizable.  Not a nice thing to happen, especially when you don't know what is happening to you in the first place.  If anyone has an Epipen, carry it with you, as it does "buy" you time to get yourself into a Hospital. Once Paul called me after getting back to his own home last night, he was taking his Epipen and putting it right out in his truck .... thank goodness, as he can't get into the allergist until at least February I believe.

Before we called it a day from being out in the great outdoors, Rob and I picked our very first ripe tomatoes off the vine this year .....

"Um mm I can't wait to fire up a pan of bacon and have these ripened reds on a BLT  I am hoping the frost stays at bay long enough for us to get a half descent crop in yet.  Such a late start it was with all the rain we had in the month of June, with our garden laying so low."

I belong to AnnaMarie's Steeped Tea page on Facebook, where yesterday she had posted an article on how "Green Tea Improves Memory, especially as you age".  You can well imagine why this article so quickly "caught" my attention .... lol.  Not only would I like to share this article with everyone I can, I would also love to share AnnaMarie's "Steeped Tea" website as well:

Green Tea Improves Memory, especially as you age:

http://www.steepedteablog.com/2011/09/green-tea-improves-memory-especially-as-you-age.html

AnnaMarie's Steeped Tea:

http://www.mysteepedtea.com/AnnaMarie/

I was introduced to AnnaMarie's Steeped Tea through her sister, Linda, who I am friend with.  There are some pretty good "gift" ideas on AnnaMarie's website for those "difficult" to buy for people, and those people you know that love tea, including one's self maybe?  AnnaMarie is also located not too far from us over in Hanover, but orders can be placed through her website and/or by calling her or emailing her also, just refer to her Website for those options.

Thanks AnnaMarie for sharing the "Green Tea" article, as I do have some in my cupboards, so this was a "gentle" reminder to me to get it out on my counter and start consuming it again on a daily basis.

Another "very important" article I came across in one of my Internet surfing adventures, was one posted by our very own "Explore the Bruce's" main man, Gem Webb, (other then Bruce himself, lol), which pertains to all of us LOVERS OF FACEBOOK .... all about the "new" Face, Facebook will be putting on very shortly.  Check it out at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzPEPfJHfKU&

 Thanks Gem for sharing this tidbit with us.

Just one more share item .... with Apple Season upon us, I also came across a new recipe I am hoping to try as soon as I get my bushel of Spys, hopefully after Thanksgiving, but in the meantime would like to share the recipe with everyone else.

This recipe for Almond Apple Squares was contributed to Egg Farmers of Ontario’s ‘Grade A’ Family Favourites cookbook by Rick and Edith DeGraaf

Almond Apple Squares

Makes 24 squares

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs
2-1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 apples (e.g. Courtland, Spy, Empire, Granny Smith)
Lemon juice (optional)
1/3 cup slivered almonds

Cream sugar and butter by beating with an electric mixer in a large bowl until thoroughly blended. Add eggs and almond extract; mix until blended.

Stir together flour and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture; stir together just to blend, but do not over-mix.

Spread half of batter evenly in a greased 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish.

Peel, core and thinly slice apples; lay slices on top of batter. Sprinkle apples with a little lemon juice, if desired.

Using two spoons, drop remaining batter in small spoonfuls over apples. The apples don’t need to be completely covered as batter will spread as it bakes. Sprinkle almonds on top.

Bake in a preheated 325°F oven until firm to the touch and lightly browned, about 40 minutes.

Tips:
* The squares can be made without the fruit layer. Press all the batter into the baking pan. Smooth out the top; lightly moisten with 1 tsp milk. Bake for 30 minutes.
* Try using pears instead of apples.

I told a "fiblet", as I still want to share today's weather forecast too .... lol.

So happy I could share that little bit of sunshine with everyone .... this Friday maybe????

I did remember to strap on my Pedometer yesterday !  I walked 10,623 steps, just over 5 miles .... wow, now if I could just manage somehow to do that everyday I would stay "fit" !  In the meantime, if I don't get myself up off this chair, I am going to cease up .... dang rain !

Another day ahead with that 2nd cup of Java calling out to me, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard".