Home Show

Last weekend we went to the Home Show at the Tradex Center.  We were mainly looking for ideas and contractors for landscaping and building a cover for our trailer.  We came across a booth demoing FryAir...they were cooking chicken wings and B tried one...feed him...if he likes it...he'll buy it!!!!  Needless to say we now have a FryAir!!!  We did some appies on it the first night then did some kebobs last night...turned out pretty good, considering I didn't know what I was doing.  This thing came with a very tiny book, that doesn't tell you much, so I Googled it and found out a little bit more, but it was mostly by hook or by crook!!!!  I swear you get more detailed instructions with a curling iron than you do with anything else!!!!!

Puzzle Corner

In the basement of our new house is an alcove in which I set up a table to do jigsaw puzzles or play games on.  It's been working out really great! Here are pictures of the three puzzles we've done so far.

I heard the groundhog saw his shadow today so we'll have six more weeks of winter to work on more puzzles!!!

Shadowlands

Saturday afternoon we went into the Abby Arts Theatre to see "Shadowlands".  It's the story of a part of C.S.Lewis' life.  We used to go to Vancouver Playhouse on a regular basis but quit going a few years ago, so it was really nice to go to a live performance again!! The theatre is quite close to our new home and has good parking so we're thinking of subscribing to season's tickets...we'll see. We met up with a couple we know from our former church so we watched the play together then went to a Greek restaurant for dinner.  Had a great time visiting and catching up!

After church today we came home then later watched the Superbowl football game.  Unfortunately Seattle lost...but it was a close game! 

Today is also the one year anniversary of us taking possession of this house.  We still hadn't sold the old house, so for three months we slowly moved a lot of stuff out here and stayed here for a few days at a time then actually gave up possession of the old house and moved here in early May.

Robbie Burns Night

We met 3 friends at the local restaurant for "Burns Night".  The haggis was escorted into the restaurant by a piper and the poem "Address To A Haggis" was read.  We toasted the haggis with a "wee dram of scotch" and ate our Cock-a-Leekie Soup (sorry I didn't get a picture of the chicken soup with leeks, but it was tasty).  We had a choice of Haggis Stuffed Chicken Breast topped with scotch whiskey gravy, neeps and tatties (potatoes and turnip cooked together and mashed) and veggies, or a Haggis and Roast Beast (beef) Dinner served with scotch whiskey gravy, neeps and tatties and vegetables.  The beef was very thinly sliced and heaped up to kind of look like a flower...sorry I started to eat before I thought of taking the picture!  For dessert we had Rum Raisin Bread Pudding served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. 

While we were eating there was a group playing and singing.  We had so much fun and the food was so good we're talking about going again next year...we even liked the haggis...it was different,..the texture was kind of like liverwurst, but quite tasty...of course I think the scotch gravy might have had something to do with that!! The haggis is the little meatball looking thing in the front center of the plate and the beef looked prettier before I started to take it apart to eat it.

 

update

We had a wonderful Christmas!  The new house is lovely for entertaining!  We had 16 people from our senior's group at church come for a pot-luck luncheon and by putting a portable table at the end of the dining room table, had enough room for everyone to sit down and eat.  We put all the food on the kitchen island and it worked out perfectly.  We basically did the same thing Christmas Eve when the family were here for dinner.

The new house is feeling more and more like "home" now.  We're attending a church and joined a secular "Food & Friends" senior's group...we meet twice a month at a local restaurant and have lunch and sometimes there's a speaker or some "quizzes" to do...it's fun and we've met new people, which is good because I've been feeling rather "disconnected" since we moved out here.

There's 3 things I've always wanted to do but never got around to doing them. 

1. Twelve years ago with took the ALPHA course and started attending church.  I always wanted to take that course again because I was in a totally different mindset 12 years ago.  Our new church announced they were going to run ALPHA, so last night we had our first session.

2.  I always wanted to go to Robbie Burns night.  Next week a local restaurant is having a "Robbie  Burns Night", so we made reservations!

3.  I always wanted to give blood.  Sunday we went past the community center and saw the sign saying they had a clinic the day before.  I phoned, then looked it up online and there'll be another clinic mid March.  Because of my age I have to get the Dr.'s permission, so I'll probably be giving blood!!!

Christmas Decorations

Ready for Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for in good times and the bad, but it's good to have a day when we can really think about how much we have here as compared to other countries, especially things like the freedoms we have, health care, quality of life and so many other blessings.  Happy Thanksgiving!