Welcome 2011

This is it, the end of 2010. We are going to welcome 2011 today. Won't sum up the past year since you have a good idea what it was about if you have read the blog and if you have not then perhaps it is time to try it.
Have a wonderful evening and all the best for the New Year.

2011!

Time to start thinking of the New Year.
1. I have booked courts for next Monday, Sunday was already done. Tomorrow, I will be one of a number who will book for Wednesday. Oh my, there is plenty to be done.
2. Have work to be done on the heating system, that is planned for next week Tuesday. I will plan to be home the whole day. When the first part was done, I was called on every once in awhile to help answer a question, sort out a problem.
3. Getting travel plans underway. My goodness, there are plenty to do. Michael and I are going to Portugal in the spring, the Maritimes in the summer and to New England some time in the fall. We will go and see some one's presentation and then visit the Red Lion Inn in Massachusetts.
4. Want to start planning some of the home renovations. The coach that was given to us by friends needs some TLC, and we have been talking about an island in the kitchen. Both good ideas.
Will have more ideas as the days go by.

Amaretto Cheesecake

We have friends who love Amaretto, especially the husband. Because they are coming over tomorrow, I baked an Amaretto Cheesecake. Time to start making new recipes. Want to finish my cookbook. Guess that I was inspired by Julia Child's biography. She was certainly a force to be dealt with.
Here is the recipe:

Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
2. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs and the 3 tablespoons white sugar. Add the melted butter and mix well. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch, and mix until smooth. Add sour cream, vanilla, amaretto liqueur and salt. Mix until well blended. On low speed of an electric mixer, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour batter over crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes. Remove from oven. Loosen around the edges with a knife and cool on a wire rack while still in pan. Refrigerate, remove from pan when completely chilled.

Merry Christmas 2010

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and happy holiday. Hope that you have time to spend with family and friends.
All the best.

Christmas Cards for neighbours

Christmas cards are still coming from unexpected sources which is nice. I don't mind responding to those. I am up to date except for the fact that I have not put out the cards that we have received for display. There are quite a few. I always thought that once I retired the cards would diminish a great deal but that is not the case. Putting out the cards is a job for today as well as getting up some decorations. Want the house to look festive.
Today, I will get cards ready for the the neighbours so that they can be delivered tomorrow. Do not want to deliver too early causing neighbours to feel an obligation to us. Realized that our neighbours have an extensive collection of pewter ornaments. The pewter ornaments are from Amos Pewters in Mahone Bay. Amos Pewters makes a lovely unique ornament each year. We have been giving them an ornament each year for over 20 years. Soon their tree like ours could be decorated with just pewter ornaments. That would be a lovely site.

Cards from lost friends

Today, the cards that I was preparing were for friends who I had not heard from for quite some time. Does that happen to you? One of the people had not contacted me for quite a few years and now she has separated from her partner, I don't think that they got married and she wants to get together. I will wait for her to make the next move. I have sent a card in response. Strange after all these years, it has been since my retirement and I retired over 4 years ago.
Another person is a person I met at music camp a number of years ago. I had forgotten about her since we do not correspond during the year. Time to change that. She is a nice person who has had family problems the past few years. The same kind of problems that we all experience as our parents get older.
The third card today was from someone I have served on a board with for many years. All of sudden he has sent a card. Not sure why this happened this year. I did send a card in return. I try to do that when there is time and we do have 4 days of mail left.
Will be interesting to see what tomorrow's mail brings.
Actually, I forgot there was a fourth card for someone who I had not heard from since her wedding 2 years ago. I thought that I was no longer part of her life but it seems that love and marriage had taken over her life. Now she is thinking about others.
Will let you know if there are any exciting cards tomorrow.

Christmas Entertaining

Now that the cards are out, most gifts have been purchased, I will play my last Christmas concert tonight, it is time for entertaining. The real part of Christmas, getting together with friends is the focus. That is the best part of the holidays. Having time to enjoy with friends. Michael has already purchased some wine so it is now my responsibility to come up with menus. I think that I am going to make things that can be left in the oven cooking while I enjoy friends. Not spend my time slaving over the stove. That is for another time.
Will post some of the recipes.
Happy holidays.

Elliott Carter still composing

Since I am still very much involved in music, I was fascinated to read that Elliott Carter is still alive and composing. He is now 102! What a feat and to be composing is wonderful. Wonder if his secret is Carter's little liver pills. That is the source of his wealth. He is part of the family.
Just read in the paper today that the New Music Concerts put on a concert that featured his music that he wrote since he reached the age of 100 plus.
The reviewer was quite complementary about Carter's music. This is at time that many centenarians would be in a senior's home trying to survive not write music for concerts.
What an inspiration! Not sure what I want to be doing at 102 but working at something is the trick.

Cards are done!

The Christmas cards are done. If you know me and do not receive one, it is because I am planning to see you during the holidays or the card got lost in the mail. I sent many cards. As I mentioned in the previous post, it is my way of staying in touch. Not everyone has e-mail which is another way of keeping in touch and I still like to send a card to those people.
Now that I am done, there are no more excuses, time to clean and get things ready to entertain. Have to make plans to meet with people and have some over. It is a nice time of year as long as you do not try to do everything.
Hope that you are enjoying your preparations.

Christmas 2010

It is that time of year again. I am busy writing Christmas cards. Catching up with people and also remembering people. It is amazing how many people touch your life. Some of them do drop out and others take their place. There are friends who are environmentalist and they do not send cards because they are saving the planet. I agree theoretically but still love to send and receive cards. Have not had received today's yet. Everyday there has been at least one card. I think the number will increase as we get closer to the holiday.
Can you believe that I am up to the letter N. I am working my way through my phone book. I do have cards that I will deliver personally. Most of those are done already.
Some people will get a newsy letter to accompany the card. Fun to reflect on what you have accomplished the past year. Good way to think of goals for the coming year.
Hopefully, I will not miss anyone.

Missed Rehearsal

As you know, yesterday we had snow. Not too much in Toronto proper but in the outlying areas there were significant deposits of the white stuff. I was supposed to go to a rehearsal last night in one of those areas that according to the news broadcasts had plenty of the white stuff. I play one piece and it lasts about 10 minutes at the most. I also double the cellos and double basses. For this, I was supposed to travel for about 1 hour to a rehearsal and then back home. What I saw on the television suggested to me that it would be wise to stay home, not travel in the snow. Amazing what some people think is appropriate. Perhaps, he did not check how much playing I actually have to do.
Will let you know what happens.

Snow!

It is strange but I have been saying for months that this winter will be more difficult than last. Last year, we got a couple centimetres of snow the whole winter. Not a good things since many plants need the snow cover and some areas need the snow run off for water. The impact of lack of snow was not too bad since the summer was rainy.
It has been snowing for 24 hours on and off just a dusting so far but I think that it will start to amount to more. I am hoping that it is not too severe because I have a rehearsal tonight but if the snow has accumulated I will not go. Better to stay home and practise, not worth being out on the roads sliding around with others.
Hope that you enjoy the snow because it will be a snowy one this year.

Bookings!

Some of you may know that I do some volunteer work. Recently, I was asked to help find a performer for an event at a non-profit that I help with. I worked on this and have done this for someone else in the past. The other person always gave me the assignment and I found someone willing to perform. This time, there was a new contact. She asked me for a performer. I found someone and then she told me that she had someone else booked. Wish that I had known that and I would not have wasted my time. Hate it when someone does not tell you what they are doing and then lets you know once you send information about the performer that you found. Madding!
Oh well, will have to make sure that I know the terms that we are working with in the future.

Contractors and good ones!

Oh my. It seems that this is a rant that I have been on. Now that there are supposed to be people coming to do some work at 8 a.m. I am ready. Not doing anything noisy. Trying to make sure that I am close to the front door. It is now one and a half hours after the people are supposed to arrive and no show. I have called the company and they claim that they should be here and should have called if they are running late. Well, it is 9:25, no show and no calls. I have my cell phone clipped to my waist, not taking any chances. Have made sure that the number at the front of the house is uncovered.
I have the feeling that I need to learn how to do more of the work myself. Unfortunately, digging out a crawl space and then insulating it is not my line of expertise.
Hopefully, the people have not had an accident. Will keep you posted.