Happy Canada Day

Saturday... six and a half hours on the same tack, fair winds carrying us to Fifty Point. The marina is  in a park, with hiking trails and beaches. Very picturesque.

This was a club cruise. We left at 9:30 in the morning, and people who had set out at 9:00 missed the breeze and ended up motoring. They arrived at 3:30 pm, we arrived at 7:00 pm. As we approached the harbour, there was a beautiful ribbon of light traveling towards us from the horizon.

Sunday was spent biking into Grimsby and then back again. After that we enjoyed the company of fellow Bluffers, playing bocci and enjoying a convivial meal. I'd estimate the cruise had about 13 boats trek there and back, and we got a chance to chat with some people and get to know them better. Turns out Nairn and Ann are from my hometown.

Monday we headed back and unfortunately the winds were not with us. It was ten hours bouncing up and down, the motor droning on and on.  White caps and swells up to 2 meters. Strong wind warnings in effect. If we didn't have to get back to work we would have stayed a few days to wait for more favourable conditions.

Maureen joined us for the return trip, and after about 9.5 hours on the water, as we were geting close to the club, a huge wave came over the side and drenched both her and Rob. Thankfully it was near the end instead of the beginning, because the two of them would have ended up chilled to the bone. With such cool temperatures it was hard to believe it was July 1st.

Sweet Tooth

Serena works for a spy agency and her first big assignment has a literary bent.

She needs to recruit a writer who will promote the cause, someone on the left who can speak to the right. Award them a generous pension so they can devote their talents to writing stories that undermine the fashionably liberal mentality of the times and shift popular thought.

Stories within stories. Serena reads his galleys, and some foreshadow events that are yet to unfold. She finds herself falling, and then deeply in love, holding a secret that will drive her lover away if she tells. Does she?

Characters in the story discuss the stories, giving different points of view on the probability of events and judging literary merit.

In addition to the short fiction within the novel, the characters mention other novels in passing that are now on my 'to read' list: The Rachel Papers, by Martin Amis and Swimmer in the Secret Sea, by Willian Kotzwinkle.

.... I think this may be my next pick for the BPYC Book Club.

Sittin alone at home in my backyard...

Got home late from work, and gave Rob a call to see when he would be home. Of course, I fully expected that on such a fine day he would be out on the water and I wasn't wrong. I could hear the brisk wind blowing and I admit, I was a bit jealous when I heard Yondering was getting a speed of 6 knots.

Until I realized that would give me some time in the garden to just sit and relax.

In the front garden, the Nelly Moses is happily showing off on the front porch, enjoying its season. The first roses are blooming and in the pink. The peonies are  shedding their last.

The back garden is green, green, green. The Beauty Bush has dropped all it's petals and there is nothing but the potted annuals in flower, but the clematis are about to burst. Henry is recovering from his calamity last year, and it looks like he may have some company with Josephine and a jackmani.

Despite the heat, most everything is looking surprisingly lush, although Daphne seems a bit thirsty. I think I may cool myself off and water the garden at the same time.

First Summer Sunday

A very nice Sunday, indeed. Had one of those mornings where you wonder where the time went. Hanging out at home, just reading the paper, tossing in a few loads of laundry. Then it was off for an afternoon sail with Rob & Alex, and my brother Dave and niece Emma. A nice, light breeze and a flat lake. "Training winds." So Emma took the helm with a gleam in her eye. After the time on the water, we went over to Dave's for a barbecue with the whole family. Therese found this recipe at allrecipe.com ....  a multiple prize-winner. Definitely a keeper, with absolutely delicious results!

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Hours

Ready In: 13 Hours 30 Minutes Servings: 12

Ingredients:

6 pounds pork spareribs 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1/4 cup salt 2 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper 3 tablespoons sweet paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste 2 tablespoons garlic powder 5 tablespoons pan drippings

1/2 cup chopped onion 4 cups ketchup 3 cups hot water 4 tablespoons brown sugar cayenne pepper to taste salt and pepper to taste 1 cup wood chips, soaked

Directions:

1.	Clean the ribs, and trim away any excess fat. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, 1/4 cup salt, ground black pepper, paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Coat ribs liberally with spice mix. Place the ribs in two 10x15 inch roasting pans, piling two racks of ribs per pan. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
2.	Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Bake uncovered for 3 to 4 hours, or until the ribs are tender and nearly fall apart.
3.	Remove 5 tablespoons of drippings from the bottom of the roasting pans, and place in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion in pan drippings until lightly browned and tender. Stir in ketchup, and heat for 3 to 4 more minutes, stirring constantly. Next, mix in water and brown sugar, and season to taste with cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, adding water as necessary to achieve desired thickness.
4.	Preheat grill for medium-low heat.
5.	When ready to grill, add soaked wood chips to the coals or to the smoker box of a gas grill. Lightly oil grill grate. Place ribs on the grill two racks at a time so they are not crowded. Cook for 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Baste ribs with sauce during the last 10 minutes of grilling, so the sauce does not burn.

Pranayama workshop

By the end of Saturday's workshop at YCT I was reminded of a few fundamentals and inspired to incorporate more yogic breath into the course of every day.

Bramhuri (bee) breath helps calm a racing mind... whenever I do it, I remind myself to do it more often!

Other things I'll try to do more often

• Indulging throughout the day to return to equilibrium, as required.  Even 5 minutes or 20 breaths can help to do the trick.
• adding a short breathing break during the afternoon slump at work to help refresh body and mind
• adding another short break at the end of the day, when I get home but before getting dinner on the table
• different postures in pranayama (seated on floor, on chair, back to wall, back to bolster)

Don't strain the breath; take the basic shape so breath can come.
For energy, extend the inhale.  Retain and hold that breath.
To relax, extend the exhale. Pause before beginning the next inhale.

I couldn't hear all the instructions properly, so I promised myself that when I got home I'd check out how applying Bandhas might help: Jlandhara, Mula, Uddiyana. More internet research led me to sitali, something done in hot climates that might help reduce  effects of hotflashes... can't hurt to try a little bit to see if it helps.

Luckily I have access to great teachers at YTC to help answer questions, but in the end I think you just have to try and see what works best for you in the situation you find yourself in, and you can only do that if you DO that.

In future I will have to learn to ask for a spot closer to the front, even with my hearing aid I didn't get as much out of today's workshop as I could have... I found it very, very difficult to hear Marlene's detailed instructions and strained to listen from my spot at the back. Then I just surrendered and hoped a few familiar phrases would float through, and that I would entrain with the breath of other bodies in the room.