Grateful ...

... for air conditioning. I can't complain about the weather today. Mainly because I'm inside a cool house, watching the Olympics. Outside, it's a different story.

How hot is it out there? As you can see from the clipped image from the Environment Canada website, it's "stinking hot"!!!

The weather is supposed to get back to "normal" in about a week. We'll see ...

Jewels

Everyday brings a new treat in the flower garden. Some are annual flowers; some are perennial flowers. All are beautiful in their own way.

This flower is a hibiscus I bought at the garden centre, earlier this summer. It's doing well in its original pot, now nestled in one of the front flower beds. I'm hoping I can keep it going inside this winter.

Other jewels from the garden include tomatoes and herbs.   We have a bunch of regular and Roma tomatoes almost ready for the table.  Nothing beats a fresh tomato from one's own garden, especially when sprinkled with fresh basil.

Happiness is ...

Time to Rusticate

In case you don't know the word rusticate, it means to go to or live in the country. Unfortunately, I cannot do the latter but, fortunately, I can do the former. I'm feeling the urge to do some short trips into rural Manitoba, despite the hot weather. I'd like to see how the crops are doing right now, see what's being harvested early, and take a few photos along the way.

I might also visit some old friends in the Carman area. It's been awhile for that also! There's one elderly couple that I visit regularly. I give my old paperbacks to them because they have a hard time getting to their library. They seem to appreciate them. Another elderly couple recently moved off the farm into a condo because the yard work was getting to be too much for them. They always seem to have freshly made cookies and coffee when I visit them.

But, mostly, it's just good to get out of the city and see the country. It seems that no matter what city I live in (and I've lived in several, including Toronto, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Winnipeg, and Ottawa), I spent a lot of time travelling in the surrounding countryside. Happiness is ...

The Passionate Reader

A passionate reader is someone who makes time in his or her life for the love of reading. In other words, the person simply loves to read.

All you really have to do to become a passionate reader is to find books that would interest you (e.g., mysteries, suspense novels, biographies) or books that pertain to your interests (e.g., photography, art, cooking, nature). And, it's very easy to find those books, especially if you live somewhere that has a great library (or you have the necessary funds to purchase any book you want!).

With some exceptional well-written books, you can celebrate the beauty of your language. Such books are written with intelligence, sensibility, and generosity, and a sense of the wider dimension. Some books are just a way to relax with an absorbing and undemanding story, interspersed with a little excitement. They are an absorbing way to forget about your problems, to escape the stresses in your life.

Without my passion for reading, I’m not sure my passion for writing would have been born.

Age

I saw a photo on 500px (a photo-sharing site like Flickr) this morning, entitled "old man with a pipe". It was very disturbing because the fellow looked younger than I do.

I know, I know. You are only as old as you feel. Well, first thing in the morning, I feel damn old. The photo didn't make me feel good at all.

I can only take heart in the fact that this old dog learns new tricks every day. Like yesterday, after changing my password for my Hotmail site using my laptop, I discovered that my iPad wouldn't open properly until I gave it my new Hotmail password. I gave it the password and it still wouldn't open.

Then, the old dog mentality saved me. It was as simple as "reboot, reboot, reboot'. Well, only one reboot was needed; then, it accepted the new password.  Seems that it had to 'forget' the old password before it would accept the new one.

So, what to do about the 'old man with a pipe' image? Simply, page on to the next image.

Leftover Meatloaf

Modestly (?), I must admit I made a great meatloaf for supper two nights ago. It was also a big meatloaf. I'm not sure I could better it in the future (partly because I didn't really follow a recipe; I don't even remember all the spices I used, let alone the amounts used).

I do remember that I used ground hot Italian sausage mixed with lean ground beef in a 1:4 ratio. I think that was a key step.

So, now faced with leftovers, I went on-line this morning to find some recipes for leftover meatloaf. I came up with two recipes that were mouth-watering:

• Meatloaf Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
• Cheesy Meatloaf Sandwich

These are both appealing, in part, because I have buns in the freezer that I can thaw and toast to serve as the sandwich bases. I also have the extra ingredients to cook and mix with the leftover meatloaf.

Maybe, I'll even make a tossed salad as a side dish.

Man Plans ... God Laughs

Summer in the city. This summer, our city is hot. It's 34 as I write this. I haven't even been outside today except to tend to the dogs and to make sure the tomatoes have enough water. In this heat and sun, they need daily watering. All of the potted plants do. I may have to break down soon and start watering the flower beds. The perennials are struggling a bit but the bark mulch we use helps keep them from drying out too much.

I'm always planning to do "stuff". You know, the dreaded "to do" list. These plans rarely go according to my schedule. The only things that happen when they're supposed to, it seems, are things like trips to the dentist, doctor,and optometrist. If the weather sucks, things like a haircut, mowing the lawn, weeding, or oil change, can wait for more tolerable weather (read "lots of false starts").

Ever notice how city traffic thins out in the summer, especially on the weekend? People are no longer rushing to work or driving their kids to day care, sports activities, or the mall. I think most Winnipeggers either have a cottage at one of our many lakes or have a friend who has a cottage. The rest either camp in one of the provincial parks or rent a cabin. The city is much quieter in the summer.

Except at some of the giant box stores. They always seem to be packed with shoppers. The Christmas rush seems to be a daily one at our local Costco. The crowds there are simply unreal at times. It always amazes me to see someone push a cart out of that place with a ton of stuff followed by someone with a loaf of bread. Who in their right mind would go to Costco to buy a loaf of bread? Maybe, these people just like or need to mingle with other people?!

After a 'meat loaf/potatoes and dill/green beans' supper tonight, Marg and I were off to Safeway for some needed groceries. From air-conditioned house to A/C car to A/C store and back. I know, I know. I'll be complaining about the frigid weather soon enough.

A Lot of Words

This is my 579th post in this blog. That's a lot of words. I hope those who read my posts have enjoyed them and that they've made you think. I've used a "wordle" generator to create an image that includes some of my key words over the past couple of years. Key words to me anyways.

These are some of the words that go through my mind when I sit down to write a new post. There are lots of other trigger words I think of as well but you get the idea.

Sometimes, I sit down to write and nothing really comes to mind. Those days, I don't fight it; I just cancel out of the blog site and come back another time. That's happened a lot lately. I have to remember that this blog is, first of all, for me and, second, for my regular readers.

So, keep coming back occasionally, to see what I've written. It may even be about you or something you've inspired me to think about.

It's time ...

... I posted something here. Lately, with the ongoing heat wave (when will it end?!), I've not felt like doing anything. I'm a wuss when it comes to temperatures over about 25 degrees. I was definitively born in the right country for normally cool temperatures. But, lately, I feel like I'm living in Central America. Tomorrow, it's supposed to go up to 35! I am eternally grateful for air conditioning! With the thermostat set at 21, I'm quite comfortable in a T-shirt and shorts.

Right now, I'm running full virus scans on my two computers to make sure I don't have a virus because someone/something is sending out a spam link to everyone on my email list. My apologies if you get one of these emails. Please don't click on the link; just delete it immediately.

Fortunately, it has been cooling off at night, going down to about 16. Marg has been taking the dogs for walk then; otherwise, it would be too hot for them, wearing their fur coats.

I've put up this old photo of me snow-blowing at the old Carman home site. I does make me feel cooler and reminds me that, as hard as it is to believe, this heat wave will eventually end.