Thursday, December 26th -Good Boxing Day to you all

It's approximately 10:40 pm on Thursday evening. I'm just waiting for James' airplane to arrive at about midnight so thought this might be a good time to do my routine post, just a few hours early. That way I can sleep a few extra minutes in the morning.

We had a lovely Christmas Day. Very relaxing for sure. I spent the morning baking a cake to take to the Van Gaals for dinner and Lloyd played outside on his tractor trying to move some of the snow around.

We arrived at 3:00 at their house and had a very lovely time. Everyone was home and we were so pleased to have been invited to take part in their holiday feast.  Drinks were drank, food was eaten, gifts were exchanged - all in all a really great day. So a big thanks to them for having us.

Boxing Day was quiet as well. I spent the day doing last minute laundry, cleaning, etc in preparation for our family' arrival. This will be another amazing race, and this time, James will be the winner. He's arriving tonight via Air Canada. Greg, the other two kids and the two dogs will be leaving early tomorrow morning. We're hoping for good travel weather for them. Then Patti will arrive sometime on Saturday. Depending on her ability to perhaps leave work a little early, she may be here mid morning. But time will tell.

Brenda, Meghan and Caitlin came over earlier this evening so the girls could get the tour of the craft room. It was a bit chilly up there as the heat has been turned down for quite a few days.  We had a quick tour and they were suitably impressed. Then it was back into the house for a quick glass of wine before calling it a night. They have a busy day of shopping ahead of them tomorrow.

In the meantime, it's time to think about getting ready to head into town. We are meant to get 5 to 10 cms of new snow tonight. The radio said it would start sometime after midnight but it's been snowing pretty good here for a couple of hours now. Best to leave in lots of time.  I expect it will be a late night. I'm sure James will want to have a cup of tea and a chat before he heads off to bed!

December 25th - MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013

Good morning everyone, and Merry Christmas!

It's a slightly overcast day, with a light snow falling. The trees are covered, making it a picture perfect morning. It's quiet at the Denny house this morning, but in the next couple of days I know that will change.

We spent a lovely Christmas Eve last night. Lloyd and I went into town to the service at the Salvation Army church. It was lovely to finally meet Lloyd's boss and his wife and daughters. It was a lovely service with lots and lots of Christmas carols. Some were sung by the children and it was a perfect Christmas Eve.

On our way home, we stopped in at the Van Gaals, who had also just returned from their Christmas Eve mass. The house was filled with people, lots of chatter and excitement. We enjoyed a lovely meal that Brenda and Meghan had prepared earlier in the day as they waited for Caitlin to get home form Edmonton. It took a while and she finally got here - without luggage - but I'm sure they would rather have her home than the suitcase with the Christmas gifts in it!  She' s really hoping it turns up before she has to fly back out west.

It was a lovely evening and we much appreciate being invited to share in one of their time honored family traditions.  We will once again be imposing this afternoon, as we are invited to their home again for Christmas dinner. They really are true friends and for that we are very grateful.

So, a big Merry Christmas to all of you and we'll catch up again on Friday!

Sunday, December 22nd - special birthday edition - Happy 13th Birthday, James!

A really big Happy Birthday to our oldest grandson, James!  I can't believe he's now a teenager. Won't be much longer till going to visit his 'Old Grandma" will be a chore rather than a treat. I know that's the way the world is supposed to work - they grow up and have lives of their own. That's why this time is so incredibly special to me. I'm looking so forward to having them visit later this week.

Have a high flying birthday, James, wherever you spend it today!

The only other really big news this weekend is, once again, the weather. Looks like we're in for another snow storm - third one in a week! I presume this is what PEI weather was like many years ago. People always speak about how winters used to be.  I took yesterday off work and we spent part of the morning clearing snow. It was piled half way up the door to the craft room so it took a while to clear. But Lloyd got out his trusty little snow blower, and with that and a couple of shovels, the job got done. It was pretty mild yesterday and we were supposed to get freezing rain in the afternoon, but by 8:00 last night, it was still just raining. It knocked down a bit of snow but we still have lots. Now this morning everything is covered in a blanket of new snow.  It's looking like Southern Ontario has taken quite a hit with freezing rain and we may be next. We'll just have to see how it all plays out over the next 24 hours.  He was having some trouble with his tractor but installed some new parts yesterday and now it's running good as new. Just in time to move some more snow around the yard later today.

Oscar surveying his new friends!

So, let me tell you about Oscar! A number of weeks ago, to make a long story short, we acquired a rooster. Now, this rooster has been living alone in what was once the tree house.  I felt so badly for the poor thing being in there all alone when Lloyd was away and we had that incredibly cold weather. But he got through it. Lloyd has been in search of some hens to put out there as well, and we finally have some. Someone on Kijiji had hens for sale. We went out to their farm yesterday and picked up 9. Now Oscar has lots of company.  We know they are older laying hens, but just how many eggs we'll get is still unknown.  I put the following ad, along with a photo of Oscar,  on Kijiji on Friday morning, as a laugh, and was surprised that it got 293 views by Saturday afternoon.

Hello there - my name is Oscar! I am a handsome black rooster seeking female companionship. I live in a lovely spot but find it quite lonely at times. Especially this time of year when the days are so short. I am seeking two or three females, preferably those who are currently laying eggs to keep me company. If you know of any such females for purchase, please give my owners a call. I'd be most grateful!


So I put the following update on it last night. 

Thank you Kijiji - my fondest Christmas wishes have come true and I now have a virtual harem of 9 lovely hens to keep me company on these cold winter nights! 

Now the views are up to 315. ( I never would have thought to look for a date under  the Livestock Section!)

Okay, guess it's time to get dressed and go out and play in the snow some more!

PS - Welcome home Meghan (1)!

Friday, December 20th - more snow on the way

What a week it's been!  After a stormy day on Wednesday, which saw us being sent home at noon, Thursday was a major clean up day. It was sunny and not so cold, an absolutely lovely day. Today is heading for a high of -8 and more snow tonight, perhaps 10 cms by the end of the day tomorrow. Then the big news is another storm system coming through on Sunday. This one has the potential to bring either lots of snow or freezing rain, or maybe a combination of both. They are currently saying southern Ontario may get lots of freezing rain. That puts us in mind of the terrible ice storm of 1998, I think it was. We were SO fortunate at that time. We had been to New Hampshire to visit friends for New Years and the rain had started just before we got home. In fact the first sign of slippery conditions was when we tried to turn into our driveway and slid right past. After that all hell broke loose and it turned into a huge event. Hopefully this one won't be as bad, especially so close to Christmas when many people will be traveling.



We have a large amount of snow in our back yard, unprecedented for this time of year, at least since
 we've been here. I saw on the news last night that the ski hill will be opening this weekend - the first time in 10 years it's opened before January.  Let's hope it stays that way. The kids love going to Brookvale.

When I was coming home on Wednesday afternoon, the driving was terrible. I got home and called Patti and told her to just stay home. I couldn't imaging heading out on a two day drive in those conditions. But after chatting she assured me they could take their time. These things are usually cleaned up the next day and if they have to stop and wait out a storm somewhere they can do that. I suppose that's one of the pluses of coming after Christmas - there's no pressure to make it there for the big day.






This year, as in most years, it falls upon me to decorate for Christmas at work. We have quite a large tree, but unfortunately, in that big space, it kind of gets lost. So I decided to extend things just a tiny bit and add some snow flakes to the windows. I purchased some large plastic flakes and proceeded to put one in each window. Not an easy task, as these windows are very high. Good thing I'm not afraid of heights. I stayed one Tuesday evening, while waiting for dance class, and borrowed a big ladder and set about hanging one in each window. They actually look pretty good. The bonus I hand't counted on is when it's a really sunny day, we get these great shadows on the opposite  walls. Just adds one more little festive touch.

The kids had their annual Christmas play on Wednesday night. This year was a repeat of CATS. I had planned to go up for it but in retrospect, with the weather we've all been having, who knows how long I might have taken to either get there or back. I'm assured there will be pictures forthcoming.  Instead my evenings have been filled with other tasks. Last night I baked another batch of cookies and tonight I'll do the same. I thought about going out to the craft room to put some stuff away, that's piled up on a the sewing table, but the snow has yet to be removed from in front of the door at the back (and there's a lot of it!) Lloyd had planned to do that yesterday with his tractor, after our neighbor had blown most of the snow out of the main part of the lane. But he had some trouble getting it to start. Hopefully he has it fixed and can move some snow around today.  Just  as well, I really needed to stay inside and do some work. Lots of time to play out there in January!

Wednesday, December 18th - more snow on the way

All day yesterday the radio was warning of a big storm on the way. This morning those warnings are still in place but so far nothing's happening. The radio is telling us to expect 20 to 30 cms of snow while the weather network is predicting 25 to 30. It's not snowing here yet, at 5:38 so the drive to work should be uneventful. The trip back home this afternoon might be another matter but I guess we'll just deal with that when we get to it. I know Brenda's hoping for a snow day today and that may still come. It's not so much the snow fall as the high winds causing white out conditions that are scary. Oh well, it is Canada and it is December - should we really be surprised by a snowstorm?

Lloyd finally made it home on Monday evening. What a mess the weather made of the flight schedules on Sunday. So much so, that on Monday they were scrambling to get people to their destinations any way they could. In the end Air Canada sent three passengers bound for Charlottetown, over in a taxi. A little longer to get here, but get here they did.  So now he's finally home safe and sound.  In retrospect, in light of the fact that a) he didn't get to fly his plane, and b) it took a day and a half to get home, it wasn't a totally successful venture. The pluses were he was able to visit with his brother and he also brought back some items I had Patti pick up for me at Ikea.

Brenda and I had our last dance class for the season last night and finished it off with a visit to the Old Dublin Pub. There are tables at the back beside the window that overlooks the street (it's on the second floor of the building). It's a beautiful sight at Christmas, with the old buildings and the Christmas lights. With the snow on the trees it looks for all the world like a scene out of a Dickens novel (okay, except for the coloured lights).  The first year we sat up there, it was a Friday night, I think, right after work and there were Carolers dressed in old fashioned costumes singing below on the street. It was a very festive sight indeed.

Well, now that my hopes for a snow day have been dashed, I'd best go and get ready for work. Let you know on Friday how it all played out!

Update: it's now 6:15, it's still not snowing, but I received a text from the radio station advising that the schools are all closed for the day! Congrats Brenda!!! However, since it's still not snowing I'd better get to work!

Sunday, December 15th - it's a dark and stormy night...

What a wild weather weekend. I saw a quote the other day on the internet that said something like "this isn't global warming, it's global weirding!" and I'm inclined to agree.  The weather on Friday and Saturday was bitterly cold. The temperatures hovered around the minus 16' or lower point, but the wind chill was minus 31. Brenda and I went to town a little after lunch on Saturday afternoon and it was freezing!!! We had a few errands to run in town but having company made it much easier and a lot more fun.  It kind of took our milds off the fact it was so cold.

Sunday morning dawned much milder, finally. I had a bunch of stuff collected that was going out to the garage and I needed to bring in some wood. Saturday was just too cold for any of that. But early Sunday morning was much more hospitable for outdoor activities.

But right on cue, the snow started falling around 9:20 in the morning. As I write this, it's 5:32 pm on Sunday evening and it hasn't let up one bit. At times it sounds like sleet hitting the windows so I have no idea what's going on out there. The wind picked up after lunch and has been blowing the fluffy stuff all around so I have no idea how much we've really gotten to far.

Lloyd is trying to get home from Ottawa but that's not happening today. He might, if he's really, really lucky, get to Halifax sometime tonight. Granddaughter Meghan will be pleased to learn that he may be spending the night on a bench in the Halifax Airport! - something she's all to familiar with.  The flight to Charlottetown from Halifax has been cancelled so his only hope is to get out in the morning. If he doesn't make the first flight, he may have the option of the shuttle that runs between the two cities. With luck, he'll get back to the island sometime tomorrow.  In all honesty, I'm not disappointed that I don't have to drive into town tonight.



Other than that, not a lot going on. I've been chipping away at sorting out the house and did a bit of baking today as well. One thing I was wanting to make was English Muffins but I was having trouble finding the rings you use for these. But fortunately Brenda and I had a tour through the mall on Saturday and the kitchen store had just what I was looking for - English Muffin Rings! Who knew! So I tried my first batch. They turned out not too badly but I found several variations for recipes that I will try over the next few weeks till I find the one I'm happiest with. All in all, not a bad first effort.

If we're really lucky, we might have a snow day on Monday and I can spend the day out in the craft room putting away all the stuff I carted out there this morning!

Update: it's Monday morning and the radio tells me we are only going to get a few flurries today - perhaps 5 to 10 cms worth. On what planet is 10 cmd of snow a few flurries??? As soon as I get shoveled out the back door, I'll make my way to work. Lloyd didn't get to Halifax after all last night. After finally getting a seat on a plane (first class to boot) they got half way to their destination and then turned back and returned to the Ottawa airport.  I had talked to Patti earlier and she was supposed to fly to Halifax last night as well. She figured they could maybe wait on the same bench! Somehow I doubt if she got there either. Hopefully they cancelled her flight before she got half way there as well.

Friday, December 13th - will this be a lucky day?

Friday the 13th  - It may or not be lucky but it will surely be cold! That's pretty much all that's new today. It was frightfully cold yesterday and continues on into today. It's currently -16' at 5:30 am  that feels more like -23'. Can't wait to drag the garbage bin to the end of the lane! Better dress warmly for that. But it will warm up to -8' later that will still feel like -15'. Oh well, it is winter (well, technically, not yet) and this is Canada...

One of the fellows at work yesterday commented that this is middle of January weather , not December. The up side is it should warm up on Sunday - when we get our 15 to 20 cms of snow.  We'll have to see what happens.  I suppose it's better to get this weather now instead of over the holidays. Won't be good for those driving to holiday destinations.  Patti and Greg are considering driving out so,  if they do, hopefully, the weather will cooperate.  It would also be nice to not have such cold weather when the guys help Bernie put the tarp back on his barn over the holidays.

Not much else is new. Lloyd left Toronto yesterday to fly to Ottawa to spend a few days with his brother Dennis. Then it's back home on Sunday - as long as the pending storm doesn't interfere with flights.

I'm still puttering away at getting the house in order. It's coming along and you can actually see some progress. The big challenge has been keeping the house warm. When there's no one here for 11 hours it tends to get pretty chilled. It certainly was last night when I got home. I was a bit late - around 6:15 as I had an appointment right after work for my flu shot. Now that I've gotten it, I don't anticipate getting sick again around the holidays. One of the girls as work has been really sick but still coming to work so I've been trying to stay well away from here. Certainly don't want a repeat of last year when I was sick the entire holiday.

I'll continue with my cleaning efforts tonight, and hopefully tomorrow. I've asked for the next two Saturday's off and hopefully I'll get them. I still haven't done any baking yet but my plan is to do some next week. I can bake one batch of cookies each evening while Lloyd is sleeping. That way they will be all finished and put away before he gets up for work. Not quite so tempting for him. After his visit away I'm sure he'll be wanting to get his eating back on track. I know I need to. I don't do well when I don't have him here to look after me! He's right - a bowl of vegetables for supper isn't great - not when said vegetables are in the form of popcorn.

Wednesday, December 11th - a disappointing week for Lloyd

I'm not sure what the weather is in Ontario this morning, but it's a cold and windy one out here.  The temperature at 5:15 is -7 with a wind chill of -16 and that's pretty much where it's going to stay. It was much nicer yesterday morning when it hovered around 0. There were a couple of inches of nice new snow and no wind. It was a beautiful morning. This morning, not so much!

Poor Lloyd has had a disappointing trip. He had hoped to be able to fly his plane, something he hasn't yet had the opportunity to do. Unfortunately it's having some sort of mechanical problems and they're having trouble figuring out what it is. I guess they finally gave up yesterday and I heard via the grapevine that they've put it away for the winter. I know he's extremely disappointed and very frustrated right now.  But spring will come and they'll get it fixed and it will all be good.

Did I mention that in just 10 days from now, it will be the shortest day of the year? And did I also mention that after that, the days will start getting longer? That can only mean one thing - spring in just around the corner, albeit a very wide corner, but around the corner just the same. After new years it will start to lighten up by the time I leave work so that's a good thing. I don't mind driving in a snow storm in the daylight nearly as much as I do driving in the dark in a blizzard.

Speaking of blizzards, it appears that we may be in for some snow on Sunday - maybe up to 20 cms.  But then again we were to get up to 15 cm yesterday and it really didn't amount to much so we'll just see. Hopefully if we do, it won't impact flights.

A quiet couple of days. I worked on the spare room on Monday night and now the rest of the house looks like a tornado passed through. The kitchen has a pile on the island that's going out to the garage so it looks much worse than it is (says she optimistically). We had our dance class last night so nothing got done but tonight I can get back to it. With Lloyd due back on Sunday, I have a deadline - good thing I work best under pressure!

Sunday, December 8th - a day early for THE BIG REVEAL!

Okay, we still have a bit of fine tuning to do, for the most part our space is complete! It's hard to believe we are fully moved into the completed craft space.  Our hope was to get the rest finished this weekend and we did. I was excited to share it with all of you and couldn't wait till Monday morning!



Friday evening was an outing for Brenda and I. A local fire department was hosting a centerpiece making workshop that we decided might be fun. We knew the gals running it so it was an easy place to walk into. They had certainly done their homework. Being on a budget, all materials where natural ones found in yards and woods. We each brought a container to work with and they provided everything else - including wine and cheese! Does it really get any better.
Brenda did hers in a small glass bowl that was lined first with birch bark. A great idea I never would have thought of. We picked up quite a few tips while we were there.  Mine was in a  more rustic container, that has special meaning for me because of the person who gave it to me a long time ago. I was pretty pleased with my creation so I've taken it to work to sit on my desk. That inspired me to spend my Saturday morning at work putting up and decorating the tree. Now it will be very festive when everyone comes to work on Monday morning.

So, I left work on Saturday at noon as it was really quiet and I wanted to get some work done. There was lots of stuff to take out to the garage. I had brought it all down stairs early in the morning, after Lloyd left for the airport at 4:45.  I spent the afternoon moving and sorted and putting all kinds of stuff away. I had suggested to Brenda that if she felt like it, to pop over after supper. She arrived right on time as I was sitting at my desk, actually working - on my Christmas cards! She had brought wine, and cheese and crackers so we snacked rather royally.  We still have a few bugs to work out - little things we hadn't thought of but we'll eventually get everything we need out there.  We worked and chatted and snacked till around 9:30 when we called it a night.

I headed off to bed shortly after as it had been quite a long day. I was awake early on Sunday morning and was anxious to get to the loom - the last large piece of the puzzle. I knew Brenda would be over after church to help so I set about taking it apart. Then I just worked away and before I knew it, I had all the pieces outside and upstairs. I had planned to wait till she got here but I just got carried away in the moment, I guess. It was quite cold and very windy so I guess that inspired me to hurry up and get in out of the cold! So,  I was quite ready for some help when she arrived. It was an easy task to move, not such an easy one to reassemble it. After a couple of oooops, we finally got it together. Our task then was to decide just where to place it and we both liked the same angle. Once that was done, we sat down and pretty much finished up my cards. It's so much quicker when you can hand off jobs to someone else. One more bit to add then I can address them and get them in the mail.

So, without further waiting, here it is!  

1) The scrapbooking desks. This is the area that will likely be used the most. The area in back in the media area. This houses our scrapping supplies (well, come of them) as well as the computer, printer, Cricut, and anything electronic. It's especially nice to have some music on there to listen to. Thanks to Lloyd for installing the speakers before he left for Ontario on Friday! Also thanks to Brenda for picking up the speed frames for our desk drawers.

2) The weaving loom finally has a space to live! The warping board on the floor to the right, is still to be attached to the wall. Notice the spinning wheel motif on the wall? Brenda and I found that a week ago at Value Village when we were waiting for our dance class. A very different piece  you'd really need just the right place to hang.

3)  Our refreshment area. The fridge just fits under the butcher block table. The coffee maker and tea kettle will come in handy (when we run out of wine??).  The fridge is also a great place to store snacks for those necessary breaks from working really hard! Missing from the shelf above the table? The wine glasses and tea cups we used and are waiting to be washed and returned.

4) Sewing / work table. The sewing machine and serger will be moved out there and this large table will be used as a cutting, sewing, whatever needed, table. It's just waiting for some new trim around the edges but that will wait till the new year.

5) The Visiting Crafter's Meghan's craft table. I'm sure when she's here it will be well used. We had 6 plush easter baskets that were just too cute to throw away after the eggs were gone so I kept them. They work well as containers for markers, pencil crayons, etc. Functional and cute!

Over all, I think it's going to be a pretty great place to hang out. Thanks so much to Lloyd as well as Brenda and Bernie, who have also had a hand in it's creation!  It turned out just as I had envisioned.

Friday, December 6th - time to kick into festive mode

Not a lot going on and the only really big news the past couple of days was the weather. As predicted, Wednesday was a pretty nasty day. Started out rainy so the drive in to work was okay. Then it quickly turned to snow with really high winds. Not a great day to be outside. We did get a bit of an accumulation, but it's really hard to tell with all the wind blowing it around everywhere, just how much we got. Lucky for me a lot of customers cancelled their appointments so I was able to get my snow tires put on before heading home. It was still pretty blustery when I left work, but with most things in the province closed for the day, traffic was very light. I took the back way home and just took my time. No problem. It took a little longer to get home but nothing too serious happened.

 That is until I was coming home last night and as I rounded the bend in Websters Corner, I could plainly see the ribs of Bernie's building - a very large covered building, which was no longer covered. It's a devastating sight to see and a pretty frustrating situation for him. We know what the guys will be doing over the Christmas holidays. It can be replaced but from what I understand it's not an easy job and will require many hands. But, being the island, I know those hands will all show up when the time comes. Just a modern day barn raising I suppose. It's hard to imagine the wind can be so powerful. We truly are at the mercy of Mother Nature sometimes and all our modern technology is pretty much useless at times.

After the fury of the storm, Thursday was a milder day with no wind. Now this morning it's 4', heading for a high of 8' and rain. That should pretty much finish off our snow. With luck we'll get some more before the holidays but it's not unusual for us to not really get much in the way of snow before the new year.

The past couple of nights were spent getting stuff ready for Lloyd to go to Ontario. I have a couple of little things that I want him to take with him so have been doing some last minute details.  I have lots to do to keep me busy while he's away. When he does get back it will only be 10 days till Christmas so I want to try and get as much done as I can while he's gone. Once the rest of the craft room has been cleared out, I can get busy on that space and then work my way through the rest of the house. At some point, I will also need to dig out the Christmas decorations as well. I'm not sure a week is going to be long enough for him to be away! 

Wednesday, December 4th - could be an interesting weather day today

It's a very blustery, rainy 2' at 5:15 am but it's feeling more like -6 with the heavy winds. It's likely to drop to 0' later, with a wind chill of -9. We have a rainfall warning for this morning, and a wind warning, with gusts up to 100 km/hr. Add to that mix the possibility of 5 to 10 cm of snow and it could be a very interesting day before it's over. No worries, we'll just deal with it.  I may throw my snow tires in the back of the car this morning and see if they can squeeze me in later this afternoon. It might be time.

It was a busy night here on Monday as Brenda moved stuff from the house and I put the baskets away. I sorted some but there still needs to be some fine tuning. It still looks like a large amount of stuff to move but it's not really that bad. I spent some time yesterday putting it all into one pile and it's manageable. We didn't do anything last night as it was just way too mucky outside. Tonight's not looking too great either. No problem, I can set about doing a bit more sorting upstairs and hopefully we can move a bit more later in the week. I'm hopeful we can move the loom on the weekend and that will be the last piece of the puzzle. It's such a great space, I hate to come in once I get out there. So, once again, thank you Lloyd!

I have to tell you about the picture. A couple of weeks ago, an elderly lady came into the dealership and asked if I was the lady who lives in Pisquid. When I said yes, she turned to her husband and said "Go to the car".  She's the sister of one of the previous owners, and her brother had said she might have some old photos of the house. Well, did she have a picture! It's a large, framed, hand coloured aerial photo of the property taken in 1967. That doesn't seem so long ago, but when you do the math, it was 46 years ago. How did I get so old?  I was a teenager of 15 in that year. Anyway, there have been a LOT of changes in that 46 years, although the house still looks exactly the same, except for the colour of the roof. It's amazing to see what was on this property not so long ago. Wish it was all still here.(on the other hand, if all those buildings were still here, I wouldn't have my amazing craft space, so I guess everything does happen for a reason).

 I'm so grateful to her for giving it to me - it's a priceless artifact to have. The funniest part of the whole thing? There's a tractor sitting in the shadow in front of the barn (if you click on the photo, it enlarges) and it looks exactly like the tractor that now lives here! Probably the same vintage!

Monday, December 2nd - that means the Christmas Dishes can move to the everyday spot for a while!

After a cold Saturday and a much milder Sunday, we're heading for a high of 5' and maybe a little rain in the morning. It's 2' at 5:30 and the temperatures are predicted to stay mild for most of the week. Great opportunity to get those Christmas lights up! All I have to do is find them.

It was indeed a busy weekend, as predicted. Friday evening, I picked up some pizzas (again - this could be our new Friday Feast!) and the Van Gaals met us at our house. The object of the evening was to make apple crisp for 60 people. Turns out we could have fed 100 but that's another issue. Lloyd and Bernie had graciously offered to help with the peeling. Of course there was machinery involved. Each was equipped with

Dueling apple peelers

their own apple peeler. Brenda and I couldn't help but laugh at the conversation that was taking place. Why one worked differently than the other, what technical pieces needed to be adjusted, etc, etc. Turns out that both peelers operated the same - peeling, coring and cutting the apples all at the same time. Who knew? That left Brenda to put the apples in the pans as they were peeled and I put together a topping. When the apples were all in the pans we added sugar and a bag of cranberries to each pan, then the topping.

They were put into the oven and a while later they came out nice and golden and delicious. That was

a good head start. Saturday I imposed upon Brenda, who had to go to town, to pick up the rolls. Lloyd was helping Bernie with some cement that was being poured, when he got home from work at 8:00 and I set about prepping. Fortunately Lloyd had taken all the turnips, carrots and potatoes to work with him and spent the better part of his night peeling and cutting up all of those. I am very grateful that he did as it saved a lot of work on Saturday morning.

I had made myself a check list and hung it on the door so I could easily keep track of what needed doing and hopefully, not forget anything.

By early afternoon, I was in pretty good shape. I sent Brenda home with a turkey to put into her oven to roast, while I put three in mine, and then stuffed the pork roasts. Lloyd had gone to bed when he got home around 10:30 and he slept until 4:00, which was good as I knew it would be a busy night.

Finally it was show time. He loaded up the car and headed over to the hall to check out the set up while I finished up a few things here. Then when he got back, I went over to cook the veggies and do what little things I could do. He stayed home to debone the turkeys and make the gravy. Brenda brought her turkey over when it was done and they both brought everything else over to the hall.

The set up wasn't quite the same as we had initially expected so we had to make a few modifications but it all worked out. Everyone was fed and we're told they really enjoyed their meal. Our mission was accomplished.  It was lots of work but it's nice to have it over now so we can concentrate on more important things!

Sunday morning wasn't nearly as cold so we used the opportunity to move all the wire shelves and baskets from the spare room upstairs to the craft room outside.  I brought all the baskets downstairs, Lloyd carried them out to the garage and I carried them back up the stairs. Now I know why my calf muscles are a little stiff this morning. Lloyd says he now has a much greater respect for Will and Ethan, who initially carried all this stuff into the house on moving day way back when.  With the racks out there, Lloyd was able to install the top I bought to form a desk. Then the computer, monitor and printer went out. No internet as yet but apparently that will come.  We also installed the miscellaneous desk, that coincidentally will be the visiting crafters desk i.e. Meghan's Desk!  Tonight I'll start sorting through the baskets and reorganizing them as they've gotten extremely messed up. Time to do a bit of editing I think.

It was especially nice not to have to worry about what to make for supper on Sunday either. It was the volunteer supper at the Rec Centre. We enjoyed mussels, BBQ steak, baked potatoes, potato salad, coleslaw and a wide assortment of dessert, including a really yummy coconut cream pie (sorry you missed it Brenda!) Needless to say, the diets kind of went out the window this weekend. 

All in all a very productive weekend. Young James also had a very productive weekend. He and his mom and sister were in Ottawa at a speed skating meet all weekend. I'm told it was VERY cold there on Saturday - minus 19' without the wind chill and lots of snow.  Unfortunately they didn't have wi fi at the arena so we weren't able to use Face Time as we hoped, but Patti kept me informed by phone and text. He did quite well on Saturday and his point count had him in first place. I talked to Patti on Sunday morning and he was heading into a 3,000 metre race, the

longest distance he's ever raced. He's only ever gone 1,500 metres and that's a challenge so she wasn't sure how he'd do with the longer distance. Turns out he did okay because he finished first over all. Well done, James. I know he's pretty pleased with himself and rightly so. His coach looked pretty pleased in the photo Patti sent me. In past years he coached all three of his kids, who went on to skate in the Olympics. Looks like he's pretty good at his job. Definitely an asset to  the Cambridge club.

Friday, November 29th - a busy weekend ahead

After some really up and down weather, we've settled into a little more seasonable temperatures. It's currently -6, feeling more like -13' and that's pretty much where we will stay for the day, give or take a degree or two. The good news is the wind had died right off to a calm 23 km/hr. On Thursday morning it was 14' at 5:00 am. The wind was still howling like it had been doing for several days, but it was quite a mild wind. It felt like an early summer morning. But things did chill down during the day and now it's more like it should be. We received quite a bit of rain, but not sure if it was as much as was predicted. At least we didn't get the 30 cm of snow the Ottawa region got. Fortunately it will be all cleaned up in time for Patti and the kids to head there later today.

James is skating and Meghan is going to direct the face time segments. I'll be home so will be able to watch.

Brenda and I will be busy cooking for the dinner on Saturday evening. She and Bernie are coming over tonight to peel apples. Apparently they have a gadget that peels, cores and cuts up the apples. This I have to see! Because it's a piece of machinery, Bernie has even offered to run it for us. Gotta like that!

I did the shopping on my way home last night and I'm hopeful that I haven't forgotten anything. I still have another day if I do, and Lloyd will be working tonight and can pick up anything I may have overlooked on Saturday morning before he heads home.

It will be a busy day and evening, that much is for sure. We'll need Sunday just to relax a bit.

Nothing further has been done out in the garage except I went out for a bit last night and finished caulking the baseboards. I picked up a new heater on Thursday and it seems a bit better than the one we had. We'll see if it performs up to our standards!  We have to get Saturday out of the way before we can begin doing any more moving in. My house is a mess right now, with stuff all over the place, that's meant to go out there. I promise I'll have it all in order before company comes at Christmas!

Wednesday, November 27th - it almost seems to good to be true!

It's a cool 1' at 6:00 am, but we're expecting lots of wind - up to 100 km per hour -  and heavy rain today
and a high of 10'. Nothing like what other parts of the country are bracing for.  Rumour has it that Ontario and Quebec could get blasted by wintery weather today, with parts seeing up to 35 cm of snow. The Ottawa to Montreal area may be the hardest hit. Hopefully Mother Nature gets is all out of her system and the crews get everything cleaned up before Patti and the two older kids head to Ottawa for speedskating on Friday.

We can't believe the craft room is all finished, although I'm sure Lloyd is glad to see the end arrive. Monday evening, Brenda arrived right on time after supper. Lloyd was just finishing up the last few pieces of flooring along the wall, that had to be trimmed.  While he was there to help us, we managed to drag the two desks upstairs before he headed off to bed. Then Brenda and I wrestled the butcher block table and the fridge up as well. It wasn't pretty but no one got hurt and everything  is finally in place. That challenge called for a bit of a celebration. So we

broke out a bottle of wine and some nacho chips (I was all out of salsa so we had plain chips - boring!). We

spent the rest of the evening giggling like a couple of school girls over the fact that we had this really great space all to ourselves. We could only imagine the  projects we can now undertake with a place to actually work. Did I mention how terribly spoiled I am? Brenda completely agrees but doesn't mind one bit.

We still have lots to move and arrange but the weather isn't going to be very cooperative today. There's a little bit of caulking and touching up of paint on the baseboards that needs to be done and it will definitely be easier before we move everything in. I'm going to try and finish that up tonight before we move anything else in. We just needed to get started at it to help us focus on other things.

We have this catering job on Saturday and we really need to shift our attention to that. So realistically nothing else is going to be done out there in terms of moving things, until at least Sunday. Brenda may  be away so I can chip away at things and see what I can get done in her absence. I won't even have to stop to cook dinner on Sunday as it's the volunteer dinner at the Rec Centre, so dinner will be made for us. That will leave me all day to putter around upstairs and in the garage.

I have a feeling this space is going to be very well used. We're talking of having a bit of an open house and invite all the ladies we know to come over and check it out once we get it all set up.

Monday, November 25th - a busy but VERY productive weekend

 We woke up this morning to -6, but the high winds that just don't want to quite are making it feel much colder for who knows how many days in a row. It's pretty much going to stay that way for the rest of the day. We had a few flurries last evening but nothing to speak of. But I see this morning that parts of southern Ontario received up to 70 cm of snow. Yikes!

Because it was a cold and windy weekend, it was perfect for working inside the garage.
I took Saturday off intending to finish what I had hoped to start on Friday night. Didn't quite go as planned. Lloyd was over at the VanGaals during the day helping with some cement that was being poured so I picked up a couple of pizzas in town and arrived at their house just at they were finished and had come into the house. Talk about timing!  By the time I got home I was too tired to start painting on the primer as I had originally intended. In all honesty, the real reason was I didn't want to work for a short time and then have to wash up the tray and rollers, only to start all over again in the morning.

The final light fixture

Instead I went to bed relatively early and got a fairly early start on Saturday morning. I was about 2/3 done priming by the time Lloyd got home from work at 8:30. By 11:00 the primer was all on and drying. After Lloyd got up from a few hours sleep, around 1:00, we both headed out to tackle the painting. It went surprisingly faster than I had expected, especially with both of us working on it. We were all finished by shortly after 5:00   when we called it a day. We had just finished eating supper and were catching up on a bit of TV, around 7:30  when the power went out. I got out some candles and my book and Lloyd went to bed.

Sunday morning we were up early and headed back out to the garage. My job was to paint all the trim while Lloyd installed the light fixtures. I was amazed that it took us at least half the day to do that. Then it was time to do a final cleaning and bring all the tools and garbage downstairs. While Lloyd worked on the last of the switch plates, I brought in the packages of foam flooring. It was amazing how quickly and easily it went down, although a bit of trim along the one wall did take quite a bit of time. We were almost finished when Brenda and Bernie stopped in to check out the progress. Needless to say, they were suitably impressed.

Easy to put down and a joy to walk around on

We needed a few more switch plate and plug covers and since Lloyd didn't have to go to town until Monday night, I told him I would take him out for supper. So we headed into Stratford, picked up the plates at the hardware store and then made our way across the bridge to Cedars for some Lebanese food, something we hadn't had in a while. It was nice to sit down and relax after a couple of busy days.

After eating, we went back home because Lloyd was ever so anxious to finish up the last of the trim work on the edges of the floor and I put one last coat of paint on the balcony door. Then I came in to bring in some wood for the fire as we were out in the house. Unfortunately I wasn't paying very close attention to where I was walking and managed to step on a fair sized nail sticking out of a piece of
wood. Not to worry, I'll finish what I'm doing and get to in shortly. After finishing the wood and getting the fire going I headed out again to see how things were progressing. I went to take my shoes off and saw that my sock was soaked in blood - seems I did a really good job! Not to worry, inside for a hot bath and a

Trust me, there's a plan for these coloured 'zones' 

good soaking and it should be good as new in a few days. The main thing is my room is now all finished except for some baseboards that Lloyd will install over the next couple of days, in between helping Bernie.

I know he's glad to have it finished and I know for the most part he's pretty proud of the results. I on the other hand, am ecstatic!  I never really thought I would be in there so soon. Now I just have to get my stuff moved out of the house - that could take a while - but Brenda has offered to help so we'll get started this evening. It could take several days to complete the transition.

Friday, November 22nd - a hard working weekend on the way

So, this morning we're sitting at 1' and heading for a sunny high of 6' later. That's WAY better than what poor Caitlin is experiencing in Edmonton. She texted a day or two ago that it was -33' with the wind chill. Now this morning I see that they may receive up to 20 cm of snow. OUCH! Time to haul out the winter gear!  I guess if you're going to have really cold temperatures (well, maybe not quite that cold) you may as well get outside and enjoy the snow that comes along with it. Did I really just say that??? The person who always hated winter?  Brenda, what have you done?

No time for fun this weekend. Painting and more painting is on the agenda. The trim pieces all around the ceiling and over all the seams of the panels, and there are lots, are all primed. Tonight I can get out the roller and start filling in the middle spaces. I hope to get the ceiling done tonight and then tomorrow I can tackle the walls. My hope is to have that all done by the end of the day on Saturday. Then Sunday if Lloyd and I get an early start, we should be able to finish the final coat. Or at least most of it. There's still the trim around the windows and doors, etc to be done but that's small stuff compared to the walls and ceilings. The end  is so near, that I wish I had about 4 days off work to really get done but I just have to be patient. We have a catering job next Saturday so a lot of my energies next week need to go into that. The craft room will have to move to the back burner for a little bit.

Lloyd plans to go to Ontario the following weekend so I'll have some quality time to get things set up and organized. That's going to take some doing but I'm looking forward to it. Now everything will have a place where it can be properly utilized.

Wednesday, November 20th - Winter may be on it's way

This morning there's a very light dusting of snow on the ground. The wind is making the current -1' feel more like -8. That was evidenced by how quickly the dog wanted back in after doing his business. We're only going to reach a high of 0 today so it will be chilly for the entire day. Oh well, it is winter (almost) and this is Canada. Not like we didn't know it was coming!  Before we know it the time will be here to wax up the skis.

Quiet couple of days. Monday evening I was just finished supper and we were watching the circus  news from Toronto City Hall when we heard someone at the door. It was Brenda - all decked out in work clothes and ready to get back to the garage. Alrighty then, let's get to it. We headed out and in about an hour the two of us had pretty much finished off the caulking. Lloyd had put in the door but there's still a bit of trimming to be done around that and the window at the back end. I think I should be able to start priming the ceiling this evening. I've got the large table - 4 ft by 8 ft out there and it's very strong and sturdy and just the right height. It should work perfect as a platform to stand on and paint. My plan is to paint all the cross pieces first and then I can go in with the roller tomorrow night (assuming I get all the cross pieces done tonight). Break it up into smaller jobs and it will get done!

Last night we had our Tuesday evening dance class. At one point as we were dancing, there was a flash in the window and we had no idea what it was. Brenda thought Jordan's computer had blown up. Then I could just make out a bearded man standing in the window with a camera. Coincidence?  I think not. Turns out it was Bernie and his partner in crime, Lloyd. They had decided sometime last week to pop into town and check out the dancing. Jordan invited them in to watch for a few minutes. I'm sure they were suitably impressed. Apparently there is also some video - but I don't think we have to worry about becoming the next you tube sensation!

The best part was when they met us downtown for a bite to eat and a beer. We all met at the Gahan and enjoyed some great company and really good food. Thanks, guys!

Monday, November 18th - another productive weekend

It's a cool 6 ' this morning and headed for a rainy high of 13' later. It was an absolutely gorgeous weekend with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the 14' region. Not too shabby for the middle of November. It was a great time to work out in the garage. Saturday I wasn't much help. I worked in the morning and had a banquet at the Rec Centre in the evening. But Sunday we got at it nice and early. The trim, as I suspected, takes just about as long as the wall panel but most of it is done. I worked at caulking the seams while Lloyd finished up the rest of the last wall and the trim/ Brenda and Bernie came over and rolled up their collective sleeves and pitched in. Brenda was up on the ladder helping me with the ceiling, and what would have taken me several days by myself, is almost finished. There's just a small amount left to do, that I should be able to wrap in a couple of evenings. Once all that is done, we'll be ready to paint. I've picked up one light fixture that I found on sale, and I may pick up the rest on my way home tonight. Once we get the ceiling painted, then Lloyd can install those. From there it's just paint the walls and install the flooring and I'll be all ready to move in.


So, we were pretty pleased about our efforts this weekend. It made me happy that I didn't go to London instead. I received an email from Patti with a picture of the display window at Selfridges, a department store in London, all decked out for Christmas. It's made entirely of gingerbread and is about 6 feet tall. I'm sure the photo doesn't do it justice. I've never been to London at Christmas but if it's anything like the displays in New York City, I'm sure it's pretty spectacular. I really must go one year.


James was marching in the Guelph Santa Claus Parade with the Air Cadets. Hopefully they had the beautiful weather we had yesterday and not the rain we're expecting today.
 

Friday, November 15th - early Happy Birthday wishes!

It was quite chilly earlier in the week but this morning it's 4' and we should reach a high of 9' later with a mix of sun and cloud. Rumour has it that it should stay that way for the next few days and into the start of next week. Not hard to take at all.

It's been a quiet couple of days. Lloyd's been working hard out in the garage and the two long walls and one end wall are now covered. Not too much left to do before the trim gets started.  He's picking up the door for the top of the stairs tomorrow morning. He's going to hook the trailer up to his car this afternoon and then take my car to work later tonight. I'll meet him in town in the morning with the trailer so he can pick up the door. This will work as he doesn't have anywhere to park the trailer overnight at work so this is the next best option. He's done at 8:00, the lumber store opens at 8:00 and I don't have to be at work until 9:00. It will all fall nicely into place.

Other than that, nothing else is new. Oh, except Saturday is Patti's birthday. It's also, in our mind, the unofficial kick off to the holiday season! The Toronto Santa Claus Parade has always been the same weekend as her birthday, as well as the Guelph parade. When she was a kid, this was our signal that it was okay to haul out the decorations and put up the artificial tree. Now we wait till the beginning of December, as Lloyd thinks we're totally nuts otherwise!

Seemed like an appropriate cake!

The kids will actually get to watch the whole parade this year since they aren't sitting on a float. I forgot to ask if James and the Air Cadets will be marching in it.

Patti's going to have a nice birthday - in London, England. She's leaving on Saturday evening and gets back on Monday. She's actually going through Halifax and I'm soooo tempted to go with her. I could easily drive over to Halifax tomorrow, catch the flight, return on Monday and drive back. But, I have too much to do here. No shopping in exotic locations for me this weekend. I have to keep my priorities straight - but I LOVE London!  Oh well, maybe next time.

So no big plans for this weekend except work on the garage. We have a banquet at the Rec Centre on Saturday evening so that will take up some of our time but  hopefully I can be of some help on Sunday. He'll be glad when this project is finished! 

Wednesday, November 12th - the affects of a few snow flakes!

 It's a chilly -3 this morning but the wind is making it feel more like -9'. I guess the good news is the ground is bare and dry. There was some concern about black ice last night due to the rain we had received earlier in the day. I was surprised to see sand trucks out on my way home from town at 8:30.

It was truly a busy weekend, but a productive one. The weather on Saturday started out not so bad, but on my way home it started snowing - the first flurries of the season. Not much was staying on the ground, but it was quite snowy driving home.

I looked out later in the evening and the ground was completely covered in a fluffy white blanket - no one mentioned anything about that! ( I think that's what caused an avalanche of phone calls to work on Tuesday, with people panicking to get their snow tires put on. It was a VERY busy day, and likely won't slow down any time soon. )

 I had picked up paint on my way home from town on Saturday afternoon, even though I'm a ways off from needing that,  and we decided to get started on Sunday morning. The plan was to try to get the panels up on the ceiling while I was home to help with them  - not that I was a huge help, but sometimes all you need is someone on the other end of the board. We had some other tasks to finish first so by the end of the afternoon, we only had 4 panels on the ceiling.

Not to worry - Monday was also a day off, for me at least. It  was pouring down with rain so we spent the day inside the garage where it was dry and toasty upstairs with the heater going. We started out fairly early and had the rest of the ceiling panels nailed in place by lunch time. There is still much to do with trim to cover the seams, but the bottom line is, it's a work shop - I'm not expecting perfection but can I get that point across??? Hopefully the wall panels will be in place by the weekend, and then maybe I can help some on Sunday.The trim on the ceiling, doors and windows will be more fiddley so may take as long as the rest of the project to date. As long as I have my stuff moved out of the house before Christmas, I'll be really happy, and so will Lloyd. I'm afraid when Meghan (2) is here over the holidays, we may never see her. She's going to think she's died and gone to crafter's heaven!

Because Lloyd had to work on Monday night, he headed upstairs to have a nap in the afternoon. I had invited the VanGaals to join us for supper so I spent the remainder of the rainy afternoon in the kitchen. Can't think of anything better!  Brenda and Bernie came over around 6:00 and we had a lovely evening, catching up with them. Brenda had been to Halifax for the weekend to visit Meghan, who was there for meetings. Brenda also got to visit her aunt, and Meg got to visit some friends. It sounds like a lovely time was had by all.  Fortunately the bit of snow was gone by Sunday so no travel was interrupted.

So not an exciting weekend but a productive one.

I got some photos from Patti. It seems that young James made dinner for the family on the weekend, all by himself.

Making the burgers from scratch

 They had little burgers ( sliders) and Caesar Salad. Dessert was caramel coffee muffins with dulce de lece ice cream drizzled in caramel sauce.  Sounds like it was quite a feast! Hopefully he'll want to practice some of his culinary skills when he's visiting over the holidays. But then they've all always loved to spend time in the kitchen when they're here. Now we'll have to take turns. 

An appreciative diner

Patti suggested that he's been watching too much Food Network. Lloyd and I caught the last two episodes of Master Chef Junior last week. I was totally blown away by these kids - 8 to 13 years old and making dishes a good many adults would not be able to master. It was truly amazing. Just goes to show what they can accomplish if we just give them a little encouragement and the opportunity. Can't wait for the holidays! I'm going to sit back and put my feet up and let the kids do the cooking (yeah, right!). It's too much fun to miss out on.

Monday, November 11th

In light of recent political firestorms,these words 
bring it all into perspective on this, November 11th

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Joe has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Veteran died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Veteran died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a Veteran
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Veteran,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever-waffling stand?

Or would you want a Veteran
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Veteran,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Veteran,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his likes again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Veteran's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A VETERAN DIED TODAY."

Friday, November 8th - bring on the long weekend!

It's a chilly 4' that's only feeling like 0' and that's pretty much where we're going to stay for the rest of the day. But at least it will be dry, unlike yesterday that ended with lots of rain and strong winds. It's much quieter and dryer out there this morning but much cooler than the 15' we enjoyed yesterday. It is November, after all.

And we don't want it too warm this afternoon, we want it to feel a little like winter to get us into that seasonal mood.  Brenda and I are attending the first of many Christmas Craft Shows that are held here on the island each year. After a bite to eat when I'm done work, we're heading over the the show at the Confederation Centre. It's always a really good display. She's off today so is enjoying an especially long weekend. She's heading off  to Halifax tomorrow to visit Meghan, who's going to be there for the weekend. Looks like our weather should cooperate for a bit of a road trip.

I'm happy to be staying home and maybe I can be of some help out in the garage. Just about all the insulation is in place and yesterday Lloyd spent the day cleaning up - again. Now he's almost ready to begin putting in the wall panels. With any luck, we should be able to make a bit of progress on the weekend. Not sure how much help I'll actually be but we'll see.

The Dennison family has been quite busy this week. Tristen is in cubs and had his installation ceremony. He

looks very pleased and proud of himself. He's always looked up to his big brother and wants so much to be like him. But as he gets older, he's really turning into his own person. He tried hockey, and baseball, like his brother but they really aren't his thing, not like they were for James. But he truly loves his Karate and is pursuing that and now he's in cubs. I'm glad to see that he's finding his own path and doing the things that are right for him, not because they're something his big brother is doing. He's definitely his own little person and he'll do well. That's a good thing because I suspect that James' footsteps could be tough ones to follow in.

Speaking of James, he's also had a busy week at Cadets. He's been promoted to Corporal. I'm not up on the rankings but I assume this is an early step up the ladder. He looks so grown up in his uniform and he's really taking his cadets seriously.










He'll be marching in the Remembrance Day  ceremonies in Guelph on Monday. Looks like the boys have been very busy practicing and are well prepared.


This weekend both Meghan and Tristen will be skating at a meet in Brampton. James isn't involved with this one. Looks like another busy weekend for Patti.

Keep me posted guys, and send pictures!








And finally, a friend sent me this photo of a sign in Toronto - obviously no further comment needed:

Wednesday, November 6th - our first flurries

.

This morning it's a chilly 3' but we should reach a pleasant 9' later with a mix of sun and cloud - not such a bad day. Monday night as I was coming home from work,( in the dark!), it was flurrying and quite heavily in spots. But they were wet flurries and didn't stay on the ground. I picked Brenda up for a meeting a little before 7:00 and it really wasn't a night you wanted to leave a nice warm house to go out into.

With my meeting on Monday evening, and dance class last night, I really haven't seen Lloyd. A few minutes over supper on Monday and that was it. He was sleeping when I got home both evenings so we'll have to catch up tonight. He's adjusting very well to his new job and work is being done out in the garage. I haven't been out there since Sunday so have no idea how it's going but I know that some of the insulation is in. 

He's been fairly busy this past couple of weeks with check up appointments for his aviation medical. His last one was his eye test and he spent quite a bit of time with Dr. Jinx, discussing South Africa, as that's where he's from. Lloyd and his friend Jan spent a week there a number of years ago so he was keen to chat with the optometrist.   I think he's finally finished now for another year, I suppose. Hopefully he'll get to use his flying abilities soon if the weather cooperates and he can get to Ontario. This full time employment is cutting into his fun just ever so slightly. That was one of the pluses of being unemployed - he could fly up there whenever he wanted and stay as long as he liked. Now it's a different story.

 Patti and the kids school are looking for ideas for the annual "Sparkles in the Park". It's a massive light display put on each year by various local companies and it's really quite special to tour at Christmas. They school hasn't participated in the past but they are doing this instead of the Santa Claus Parade. They've had a float in the parade for years. Usually a flat bed truck, with bales of straw and the kids, some parents and staff decorate it according to the yearly theme and they all sit on the straw on the float. Now this year, the city (I'm assuming) has made a rule that no one under the age of nine years is allowed on any of the floats. Well that pretty much eliminates most of the school. I dare say that will eliminate most children's groups - brownies, cubs, etc. I thought a Santa Claus Parade was for the kids??? So the school isn't putting a float in this year and are doing the Park display instead.  Patti asked for my ideas, if I had any, and I could only

come up with one. I think I've been living in rural PEI a little too long! All I could come up with was to find an old piece of farm equipment ( I was thinking something like Lloyd's old tractor) and have a Christmas in the country or an antique Christmas theme. I can see lots of bales of straw, old fashioned decorations that the kids at the school can make themselves out of materials that won't be affected by rain. Vinyl wallpaper could be cut into strips to make paper chains for some trees,  packing peanuts could be strung like popcorn, you get the idea. Then instead of lights all over, just a simple spotlight on the whole thing. Perhaps some animals or birds of some sort, if they were waterproof. I know I've seen plastic deer on lawns before and certainly this time of year you can find fake geese and ducks and such. I think it could be done quite nicely but the idea has to go to the school committee. I'm sure they'll come up with all kinds of great ideas.It's just to find something that the kids can take an active part in creating. But they're all very creative folks and I know they'll come up with something fun.

Monday, November 4th - the plan is coming together

It's a cool, but dry 4' this morning and with a mix of sun and cloud expected later, we might reach 5'. What we see this morning seems to be what we get. Not so bad, really, when you look at other parts of the country that are shoveling out from under up to 30 cm of snow. Those days will get here soon enough.
We really have had  a lovely fall, that's for sure.

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day but had clouded over by the time I left work.  After a stop at the grocery store to pick up a couple of things, and a quick cup of tea at Brenda's, I headed home to see what I could do to help in the garage, if anything. The last of the wiring was being completed but not without a couple of challenges. It was suggested to me that the best thing I could do was make some tea, so that's what I did. Not a big contribution, but an important one, apparently. He headed back out to work a bit more and I did a couple of things in the house, including work on my floor plan.

 I spent quite a bit of time on Saturday working on it. I made a list of all the items that have to come out of the house (it's a lengthy list) and a list of the work areas I want to set up. Then I made a graph and determined the approximate measurements of everything. I've come up with something that I think will work - at least on paper! I needed to determine just what else I needed to pick up in the way of tables or work desks. Once I had everything in place on paper, I decided I needed two desks for scrapbooking. But not just any desks. They need to be both the same. My plan is to place them facing each other and pushed up against each other so we have two separate work spaces but are both together so we can chat while we work and not have our backs to each other. I decided two identical desks would do nicely. But where to find them? I went online to look for used office furniture and didn't I find someone in Mermaid, ( just down the road a piece) who had two desks, the very same, for sale. I emailed and sure enough they were still available.

Sunday morning I drafted Lloyd to go with me to see the desks and haul them home on the trailer. They were perfect - just what I imagined. Now they're in the small shed, waiting to move upstairs.  After lunch, I headed over to the Rec Centre to help with the annual spaghetti supper and Lloyd figured out the challenge he was having with his wiring and went  on to start on insulation. Two walls are now insulated!   Things should move fairly quickly now that the stairs and wiring are complete. I'm so excited to see progress moving along so well. My hope is to be able to start moving things in the weekend he's away, which will be here before we know it - in a couple of weeks. But we'll see. As long as I'm in there by Christmas I'll be happy. He has his own motivation - he wants to have the boys over for a little Christmas gathering and hopes to have it up there. I suggest that if that's the case, we'll be having a girls night over the holidays as well. I have a small artificial Christmas tree tucked away that will be going up there for sure. 

Lloyd joined Bernie and his sister, at the spaghetti supper and then we all reconvened at the Van Gaals for tea and cake later. Let's just say that our diets didn't do well yesterday. No worries, today is a new day.

James had a busy weekend. He had a speed skating meet in Cambridge on Saturday and Sunday. I haven't heard yet how he finished. Unfortunately they didn't stream this one online. I know he finished 2nd in his first two races but I don't know he he did in his other three.  They had a ceremony on Saturday afternoon to honour club members who have gone on to compete in the Olympics. Patti's taking an active role in participating in the club and was involved in the planning of the event. She sent along this photo of the banners after they were unveiled. Certainly a source of pride for those skaters and a real inspiration for those coming along behind.

Friday, November 1st - is this really November weather?

It's a balmy 12' this morning at 5:00 am. It's raining, has been for a few hours judging by the size of the puddle out in the yard. We should reach a damp high of 18' later that will feel more like 22'. I think this is the weather Ontario had yesterday, so thanks for sending it our way.  I was talking with the kids last night and it was raining when they finished trick or treating. Good thing Meghan went as a bubble bath - complete with balloon bubbles, shower cap and rubber ducky. But it was mild there so a little easier to take. Patti sent me a photo yesterday but I can't seem to find it this morning. My mail format has changed somewhat and I'm having a wee bit of trouble navigating the waters so it may take a while to figure out.

It sounds like they had a great time going out with friends. When they called they were still at Katy's house and there was lots of noise in the background. I asked Meghan if she got lots of candy and she said she got so much that she could barely carry her pillow case. But not to worry - they have a plan for all of it. It seems two of their other friends weren't able to go trick or treating because their uncle had passed away so the kids are giving a lot of their treats to Ben and Nicholas. I was pretty impressed with that.

Meghan is pretty excited. This is the annual ladies shopping weekend to Buffalo. She has a PD day today so she and her mom are heading out with the ladies for the day. Due to other commitments, Patti can't stay for the whole weekend as usual, but instead has to come back tonight and Meg is going to stay with the girls for the weekend. Patti says she's pretty happy too because she's giving Meghan the Christmas list - she now has her own personal shopper! Somehow I can see that being a career choice for Meghan somewhere down the road. She does love to shop.

Patti, meanwhile, will be assisting their home speed skating team at a meet they're hosting this weekend. That girl never ceases to amaze me with all that she's involved in. I imagine Tristen will be going with her but I doubt he'll be skating this time out. He's adjusting well to his new dental appliance. It was difficult at first but he seems to be managing. I was talking to him on the phone last night and it sounds like he's learning to speak around it, as he sounded perfectly fine to me.

It's been a relatively slow week construction wise. Lloyd's been a bit busy this week with appointments for his aviation medical. Today he has to go and complete a stress test. He was working on the wall upstairs that closes in the stairwell. There were some issues with boards not being straight and causing some problems but I know he'll get it all worked out. We tend to get more done now on the weekend. Tomorrow should be a nice day and Sunday is supposed to rain, so it might be a good day to work inside upstairs.  Speaking of that, I went online yesterday and typed in "craft room designs" and oh my gosh - I found literally dozens and dozens of photos of various craft rooms. So I saved those that had ideas I want to incorporate into mine so now I've got lots of planning to do. I should have had it all planned out before now, but I realize getting the walls and floor in, is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of ideas. Lots of  great ideas and decisions to be made.

Wednesday, October30th - a chilly halloween on the way

The past couple of days have been sunny and fairly mild but it's now turning colder in the evenings.  It's a frosty -2 this morning and our 5' later on is only going to feel like 1'. When I got home from work on Monday afternoon, there was a comforting fire in the woodstove that just envelopes you when you walk in the door. That combined with the smell of supper cooking makes it a pretty special place to come home to. Lloyd did some of the wiring work on Monday but it wasn't finished yet. However, when I got home from my dance class last night, the outside light on my balcony was on, casting a soft glow over what will be a lovely place to sit outside next summer. I'm so excited that it's actually moving along as well as it is. 

We had a great class. We asked Jordan to slow the pace a bit for us as we never seem to find the time to practice. He was totally agreeable to that. So we worked over and over on the steps we have and they're slowing getting better.
Brenda and Bernie will be away next week so I'll be the only student at our class. No pressure to do well there!

When we were finished  we headed off to the Globe, for the last of our Porktoberfest sandwiches and what a sandwich it was. We both agreed that this was the best one yet - a little heat balanced with creamy goat cheese, smokey yet sweet BBQ sauce and crisp greens on top. It was truly delicious.Being as the promotion ends on Thursday, we're fairly certain we won't be able to sample any more. We did get to try a few so that was good. It will be interesting to see what they do with this promotion next year.


On Monday night Brenda and Bernie had a chance to chat with Meghan from Italy. She's enjoying her trip and the group she's with. I'm sure there will be lots of tales to tell over the Christmas holidays.

It seems that Tristen needs a bigger mouth! Apparently he has a severe overbite and his jaw is too narrow so they've inserted an appliance into his mouth with a crank of some sort on it. Every day for two weeks Patti has to turn this crank a little to slowly push his jaw apart. Doesn't sound like a very fun experience. I told her to tell him that he's the bravest little boy I know. If a child is going to have something wrong in that family, it's going to be him. But he usually  takes it all in stride, although this one is going to be a little tougher. His mom wanted to take a picture for me but he wouldn't let her. Maybe tonight we can do a little face time so I can see how he's doing.