Sunday Catch-up...

Another very busy weekend on the east coast of Canada! It started Friday after work when Brad and I met the usual suspects for drinks and then Brad and I grabbed a quick bite at our fave Greek place before heading out a friend's 56th Birthday Day party. And wow. She really doesn't look a day over 40! Honestly. She's aging very well! There were some interesting people there that we met for the first time, including a very cute Lebanese guy (ethnic Lebanese that is, he was born here in the city), and... ahem... his wife, who was, of course, a nice gal too. There was also a gal there who was originally from Jamaica. Seveal people remarked that they would LOVE to go to Jamaica. I bit my tongue... I wouldn't go to Jamaica for love nor money, and I always try to talk my friends out of going there as well. Jamaica is an extremely homophobic country. Many gays have been murdered there and many more chased down the streets in broad daylight and beated to a pulp. It's a backward, crime-ridden, homophobic cesspool that shouldn't get a penny of Western money until it cleans up its act big time. "So let's get together and go someplace else!"

In any case, Saturday, we both got up early and went to the farmer's market. Brad bought 6 quarts of strawberries and is making jam as I type this. I bought my usual fresh basil (this time, for a change, I'm going to make a red Thai potato curry with most of the basil), some beet greens and a head of organic red lettuce. We then went to the bakers and got our weekly bread (a cob each of rustic rye and sourdough). Yesterday afternoon, I went down to visit mom with my friend Jessica, whose mother is also at the same special care home. While we were there, the sun actually came out for an hour or so, and I was able to talk mom into sitting out on the deck with me for a half hour or so. She realy enjoyed it. It was in the shade and it wasn't too breezy for her. And the views there are spectacular - of the manicured lawns and the beautiful lake, with all kinds of birds flitting about. "I had no idea it was so lovely out here," she said! Not that one can blame her - with the weather we've had basically since she moved in there, there hasn't been much cause to sit outside!

Jessica and I drove home and stopped to pick up some more strawberries (I have a strawberry/rhubarb pie in the oven as I write this) and we both got a cone of ice cream as well, mine a chocolate chip cookie dough, and Jessica a maple walnut. It was a very New Brunswick day - sitting on the rocking chairs provide licking our cones, people coming and going vegetable purchases in hand. As we continued on our way, we ran into a thunder storm with a torrential downpour of rain. Unbelievable. There has not been a day in recent memory when it did not rain at some point!

Brad and I went out to dinner at a local restaurant with a couple of friends we don't see enough of (Petie and Mo). They are a gay couple whose social calendar is even busier than ours. We had a great evening with them and got caught up, and we invited them down for an overnight at the cottage we're renting in August. After we got home, we had time to watch 2 more episodes of True Blood. What a great show! I'm really liking it a lot! A few more episodes, as we'll have Season I under our belts.

It was yet another dull and overcast day when we woke this morning. I walked Kaiser and Brad walked Jasper. I got my biking in today, which I missed yesterday, then I mowed part of the back yard, showered, and made the strawberry rhubarb pie from scratch. (I just took it out of the oven). Brad's off to his dad's for supper tonight, after which we're heading up to Georges and Barb's for a quick visit with them and with George's mom, who is visiting from Saskatoon.

Have a good week all. Here are a few pics, again to make up for the last a Skinny Saturday yesterday... I'll try not to miss that feaure again next weekend!