Along came a spider

Hydrangeas have long been one of my favourite flowers. My grandparents had huge bushes in their front yard that bloomed unbelievably every year for over 50 years

I don't know whether it's the pinky, blue, purpley colour, or the memory of my grandparents that attracts me to the flowers, but I can't pass by them without stopping for a second look.

I had to get out my camera for these hydrangeas near my brother's home in Vancouver. I was so entranced by the colour of these that I didn't even notice the spider hiding out in the flowers until I saw the web.



The spider is barely visible, but if you look carefully you can just see the legs.

Leaves

When I was in Vancouver at the end of September the leaves were just beginning to turn. I couldn't resist photographing these.




I think my mom asked me last year if Poland has all of the same fall colours as we do in Canada, and yes it does. The Planty is beautiful this time of year, and I was out in the country this weekend and saw fantastic red and orange foliage. Maybe I can convince some visitors to come next fall.

Yum!

The pumpkin pie is done and after eating a small piece I can declare that it is pretty tasty. So tasty that I had to have another small piece.

Maybe I won't take it to the office tomorrow after all.

It's in the oven

I had a bit of trouble with the crust, but after I added more oil and water it seemed to hold together. So far so good.

Another 30 minutes or so in the oven and I should be able to give it a taste test, before I decide whether or not I can inflict it on my team at work tomorrow.

Pumpkin Pie

To celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving I decided to give in to my craving for pumpkin pie and attempt to make one. I'm not much of a pie maker - I can't remember the last time I actually made one and I'm not sure I've ever made a crust from scratch, although I do own a rolling pin in Canada and recall using it, so maybe I have.

I had the same idea sometime last September and ended up ordering canned pumpkin from a Canadian food company. But, since it didn't arrive in Poland until January, there was no pumpkin pie last year.

In preparation I emailed my mom asking for her recipe, and my dad scanned a page of instructions on how to make pie crust from Mom's ancient cookbook. I can't cheat and purchase a frozen pie crust as the Poles don't eat pie.

Mom reminded me that I'd need a rolling pin and that made me realize I didn't bring a pie plate with me either. So, I headed out to the mall late this afternoon to see what I could purchase.

I found a rolling pin at my first stop, but nothing that resembled a pie plate. Cheesecake pans, flan pans, pans of assorted shapes and sizes, but nothing that seemed just right for a pie.

Two stops later found me in the grocery store looking for condensed milk (check), and then searching the kitchen aisle for a pan. I finally decided on a medium-sized pan for tarts and flans. Not quite the right depth or shape of a traditional pie pan, but I am sure it will do.

I'll find out tomorrow when I attempt to make the pie. If it's anything like my other baking adventures in Poland, the pie will be slightly unusual by Canadian standards.

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime enjoy your own pumpkin pies and all the rest of the Thanksgiving edibles.

Tongue biter, teeth grinder

While I was in Toronto last week, I saw my Canadian dentist. Since the face swelling, lockjaw incident in June my teeth have felt out of place, which if you've never experienced it, is really, really irritating.

My dentist did a complete exam, during which he said things like, "evidence of tongue biting" and "cheek chewed on right side."

He showed me said evidence. I thought my tongue was just naturally grooved like that on the sides.

Apparently teeth grinding, which is related to tongue biting and cheek grinding, is very common in women between 30 and 50. The diagnosis is that I do all three when I am sleeping and that I somehow I strained my jaw muscle which caused my face to swell.

He's making me a mouth guard to wear at night on my next trip home.

Toronto

Five days in Toronto is definitely not long enough.

However, it was long enough for me to vote (my timing was perfect for the advance polls), see my doctor, dentist, and hair stylist, buy 3 pairs of shoes, spend a fabulously girlie day with S and D at the spa, drinking tea, eating, shopping, drinking wine, and eating some more, celebrate not one, but two 40th birthdays, attend Nuit Blanche, and even work.

Oh Toronto, I forgot how much you have to offer me. I should have stayed longer.