November 2021: Month in Review

November is my favourite month of the year! Here's what happened.

Painting above: Stag on Watch (c.1883) by Rosa Bonheur


November Excursion: Butterfly World

My spouse and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary with a trip to the island. We went to Butterfly World and it was a delight as always. It's nice and warm/tropical inside and we enjoyed our time there very much. I forget it is always a little unnerving to have the butterflies swooping around so much, but it is enchanting. The tortoises were very active and the macaws oddly peaceful as they had their lunch. My only regret is that we didn't see the iguana! We tried a couple times to spot him in his enclosure but no such luck that visit.  There was a little parrot who was being quite cheeky and puffed up at us so we scrambled away before we got any further on its bad side.


Most-liked Chore: Being grateful for emergency preparedness

It's been global news that BC has experienced phenomenally damaging weather this month. My home town, Abbotsford, has been particularly ravaged. While we have been fine here in New West, I am further thankful for our past investment and organization of emergency preparedness in our household. It's great peace of mind to know that if we were to be in a dicey situation that we are ready for the oft-quoted 72 hours if needed. I take comfort in knowing that a relatively easy and practical chore has us so well prepared.


Least-liked Chore: Calling it quits on failing plants

Alas, some of our green thumb experiments have failed rather spectacularly and now, near the end of the year, we are quietly seeming to call it quits on some of them. Some we have managed to revive rather miraculously from the brink of death -- where there was once just a fully trimmed down stump, there are two new unfurling leaves. Others are billowing away sadly on the balcony, as if putting them ever so slightly closer to nature is an apology for the way we have treated them.


November Recipes

Lentil Soup by Recipe Tin Eats

I loooove lentil soup. This one by Recipe Tin Eats reminds me of one that I used to get when I was working in Gastown. This recipe is easy, cheap, and delicious. Don't skip out on the lemon at the end or try a swirl fo balsamic vinegar to finish your bowl!

Baked Mac and Cheese by Damn Delicious

I had never tried using onion powder in place of an actual onion when making mac and cheese before and I must confess it was very good and tasty! I make my mac and cheese with shell pasta and throw in some broccoli for a little bit of healthiness. 


November Quote

The mellow November sun was streaming into the room. The sky was bright blue, and there was a genial warmth in the air. It was almost like a morning in May.

- from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde



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