The Little Sparrow Survived The Glass Wall !

"The Cowbirds  and Blackbirds seem to enjoy the feeder as well as the sparrows.  Not as attractive, however I am sure they do have a "purpose"?"

"The much colder temperatures also brought heavy frost, having to be cleaned from my vehicles windows before I headed "North of the Checkerboard" for my weekly shot in the arm by the Good Doctor."

I was rather "smug" and "pleased" with myself this morning when I had asked Dr. Loney if he could also take my blood pressure and it had read "perfect" !!!  I had been weaning myself off of medications, to the point I had totally ceased taking any blood pressure meds, the past month or so.  I have been striving so hard to eat properly and exercise, both facts attributing, I am sure, to my lower blood pressure.

Happy, happy, happy I am !!!  Just hope I can keep maintaining it .... as I think good diet and exercise is much better then "popping" pills if we don't have to; although when needed, Doctor prescribed medications are necessary, and should be taken under your own Doctor's direction.

It had been some time since I was last in to see my Mother, between my own busy schedule, a couple of really bad weather days, as well as there being a "Respiratory break-out" at the facility where Mom resides preventing Aiden and I from visiting when he was here.  Finally I got to see her today !!

"Mother was so pleased to see me.  She has always "loved" getting her picture taken, so unlike myself ... lol."

I was happy to hear from Mother that they have adjusted her diet.  Mother has put quite a bit weight since her move from our home.  She also seemed pleased with this new change with her diet adjusted.  Mother has such a tiny frame to be carrying a lot of weight, which I am sure is a burden to her body.  She does love her "comfy" rocker chair I must say !  but she did assure me they come get her for group exercise sessions when scheduled.  Oh man, why worry as she will probably outlive me, as well as a few others !!!

My sister, Donna, and I were having a pretty good laugh today when I had called her.  She had reminded me about the time when us three girls and Mom were all sitting around a table together, wherein Mom stated she was going to "live to be a hundred", and our oldest sister, Jeanne, piped up and said, "yeah & I will probably be to0 old and feeble to come to your party!" ...... LOL, we are still laughing about that one !

Mom and I also had a couple of "laughs" ourselves today at the expense of a couple of others, whose names I won't disclose to protect ourselves .... he,he, he.  It was a "great" visit.

I got myself home to find Rob was already up.  He told me he hadn't been too fussy on the Peach Muffins I had baked yesterday, so I got down to making his most favorite ones.

"Right from start to finish.  Notice my Muffin Mania book is in a plastic sleeve, so hopefully it will last me longer ?"

"The "Best Ever" Banana Muffin.  I do have to admit they are pretty dang good & one of Rob's most favorite."

Best Ever Banana Muffins
Recipe Courtesy of the Muffin Mania Recipe Book


2 c. mashed bananas (4-5 med.)
3/4 c. white sugar
1 egg
1/3 c. melted butter or margarine
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour


Mash bananas; add sugar and slightly beaten egg.  Add the melted butter.  Add the dry ingredients.


Fill greased muffin cups and bake at 375* for 20 minutes.
*Yields - 9 large muffins, or in this case 12 med. muffins


Karen's tips to lighten this muffin:
1.  Reduce the amount of butter or margarine to 1/4 cup.
2.  Reduce the amount of white sugar to 2/3 cup.

I took the No. 2 tip.

Once I was done the muffins it was time to get our Dinner going.

"Pounded tenderized round steak, dredged in flour, then coated in egg and panko crumbs, and cooked in Olive Oil."

"Pan fried Zucchini with Mrs. Dash's Salt Free "Garlic & Herb" Seasoning."

"Dinner was very much enjoyed by the two of us this day."

"For some "odd" reason it always seems like I have a pile of dishes by my sink to be washed?"

With one load of dishes done up, I left the other, as Rob and I had to run some errands downtown Wiarton, before he had to put on his "Crabby Cabbie" later this afternoon.

The paint we had bought for the spare bedroom we were redoing did not cover very well, nor was the same colour as the "chip" we had chosen.  Before the Hardware store, our first stop was our local RBC bank, where ....

"The girls at our local branch are getting themselves "geared" up for the upcoming "Walk for Cancer" and the local "Dance For A Cure" on the 14th of April, 2012."

"All this for only $10.00?  Best be getting your tickets before it is all SOLD OUT !  Ya snooze, ya loose, ya know?"

"Darryl, one of the owners of the Hardware Store, was very helpful in assisting us with our dilemma. Sold us another gallon of paint, but not first without applying an "oops" credit to our total."

"Loved the "Customer Service & I love supporting and shopping "local" whenever I can !"

Wiarton Library's Annual Easter Egg Hunt.  Too bad the Grandboys weren't coming up for Easter Weekend."

We finally returned home with enough time for Rob and I sit to enjoy a coffee together, before he left for his "Crabby Cabbie" work.  While waiting for the kettle to boil there was a "bang" on our patio window.

"Awwww, a little sparrow had hit the window ... I was so worried it had broken it's neck, however it must have just knocked itself silly, since it had been gone after awhile."

A friend had read my "blog" posting from the 20th of March, HERE, wherein the local Wiarton firemen had been burning some brush down on the shores of Colpoy's Bay.  For whatever reason, I didn't go up to them to ask them what they were doing that for, but my friend kindly emailed me today and explained to me what had been going on ... here is the explanation:

I saw the Fire Dept that same night doing their burn but didn’t notice you guys. It was supposed to happen last Fall but didn’t maybe because of high wind so often. The town got a license to eradicate the phragmites along the shoreline. The grass looks nice but grows up to 5m tall, chokes out everything else and totally blocks the view of the bay. It looks pretty good now. Owen Sound tried it last year down near Kelso Park and scorched a lot of the trees as well.

 

Wikipedia: Invasive Phragmites (European common reed) is an invasive plant causing damage to Ontario’s wetlands.

Thanks Paul.  I am glad I no longer have to wonder what they had been doing down there, every time I stroll through that part of Bluewater Park.  Curiosity satisfied !

Tomorrow I have a "big" day planned for myself, as there is three loads of laundry to be washed, dusting and vacuuming to be done, and lots of other stuff that could be done (as always), since I have been otherwise occupied all week, it has once again caught up to me.  Also we are meeting visiting family members for lunch as well, so I best be getting rested up by calling it a night here shortly, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard".