Christmas Road Trip...

...two days on the road, one night in Montreal then finally into Whitby...without any weather to contend with.
I slept most of the way as I just finished 8 days of painting and 3 hours in ER having my finger sewn back together (thus the slow typing, sorry! read it sloooowly!)

The 10 days in Ontario were a whirlwind of; Tina Turner concert (thanks to Sara and Amanda), a day of hunting bargins in TO with Barb, dinner in Whitby with the "boys", 2 days of scouring TO's Queen St for the perfect drapery fabric (thanks to Bec and Sara, it was found), checking out as many restaurants as possible...



a pizza Christmas dinner with my kids,








a crazy bunch!

roast beef dinner with Mom & Dad, an evening at the cottage with Steve & Nancy, then some time with Kristen, Rick and Jack...and finally running ahead of TO's worst storm of the year!
Our thanks to everyone for the hospitality and good fun. (so much so, I took few pics!)

Back home and another storm kept us inside for 2 days...so Brian took the opportunity to install the custom made pot rack in the kitchen...it took two guys & some Moosehead to determine placement!





...the pot rack and designer/welder!


...a tree to make Charlie Brown proud!


10lbs of lobster arrive to thrill Corrine!

Merry Christmas to all...and a grrrrreat New Year!

A Day for a Road Trip...

...and away from house chores...'cause no one else is working here!

Jim and I did a run to Moncton just for a play day...and what a nice city! Great stores and shops to mosey around in...for those who like that sort of thing. (The banker has a preference for window shopping, whereas I prefer to buy things!)

We have now come to the conclusion that we have very different tastes in decor as well as what is a reasonable price for items. Thus we came home with a pillow top for our 15-year old mattress (can't agree on a real mattress) and a few kitchen tools ('cause a KitchenAid stand mixer is toooooo pricey...and "isn't there a hand mixer cheaper somewhere?")

We were on the roads coming home in the dark and the fog...and here's why we are extra careful...

...this was sent to me by our friend Gwen. These guys are HUGE! Locals are surprised I've yet to see a moose, but I'm not sure I'm that anxious to do so!

We had 20lbs of lobster delivered on Saturday night, so we were boiling up the rosy reds till 1:00 a.m. and then spent Sunday morning cracking, cleaning and freezing the meat for winter chowders etc. The kitchen reeks of the task and they make a mess in the kitchen, but the banker seems to like the work (one bite for him, one for the freezer!)


I have bought the paint for the dining room and living room and now just waiting for "Jr" Sampson to come round to help apply it to the walls. And if we can keep the momentum...the guest room and halls? I'm afraid if I wait too long, more "stuff" will appear in the rooms reducing the motivation to clear them for the work!

And speaking of "Jr" and his nickname (he is 75 years old!) nicknames (as well as -ies) are very common here. Chicky is Johnny Mo's wife and has a sister Honey (who delivers the mail) and a brother, Boo-Boo. Our carpenter Steve has a helper named Toe and a son called Buck. This caused us to raise the question...what are our nicknames? So Jim is now refered to as Miiiiiiiisterrrrr Kennnnnnnedy, apparently after a WWF wrestler and he's not sure why (feel free to send your comments!)...me? ...I'm not even going to ask what they name me!!


click to play (you can fast forward to 1:00 for the "meat of the show"!

Snow is Now Gone....

...and so are Reed and Amanda :(


Click to play

The First Snow...

...has arrived...and with a vengeance!
Nine cm?...or lots of inches! Phones went down, internet disappeared and many without power...and so it begins!

Amanda and I did an emergency run into Sears for a new snowsuit for Reed...as did most of Saint John. So we weren't alone in trying on multiple suits on a squirming 5-year old.
We did luck out in terms of finding 40% off the suit and 30% off the boots, so he's now ready for snowboarding when he gets back to snowy Ontario!
He also paid a visit to Brian the barber for a buzz cut (does it make sense to have a "naked head" when the weather turns cold?!)

and entertainment from St Martin's colourful character and his "pet" monkey!


Another reason to love living in St Martins (con't)...
During the snowstorm on Saturday, Reed, Amanda & I decided to walk to the village (mostly to wear down some "boy enthusiasm") and by the time we reached the Irving (a general goods/meeting place) we realized that Reed's little $2.00 stretchy gloves were not going to be suffice for the rest of his stay. But after asking for kid's mitts and told they didn't have any (just 'bout the only thing they don't have!) we trudged home for lunch and a nap. Later in the afternoon, we got a call from a women Jim met once and whose husband had overheard our request for mitts. She let us know she would leave a pair for Reed down at the Irving for us to pick up! And when we went to get them there were five pairs of beautiful hand knit mitts and a hat!

Amanda and Reed are leaving in a few days, and she has found the time here both long (the travelling from one end of the province to the other) and fun, and they have also fallen in love with out quaint fishing village and it's wonderful residents. But are anxious to get back to their own digs and "stuff"!

As to the house being prepared for winter...it came about a week too early...the hammock (the never sat in one) is still hanging in anticipation out in the trees...the composter is till awaiting assembly...the Christmas lights are still in the box somewhere in the barn...and speaking of the barn, still no room for the car and trailer!

BUT...all floors are laid ...after some experimenting with "leveler" in the TV room, Steve, Rob and Jim were finally satisfied enough to lay the vinyl that matches the kitchen. Now the challenge will be keeping it clean from using the room as an entrance as well.
The kitchen?...nope, no change...IKEA is still working on getting the final 2 cupboards delivered in white and have an estimated time of delivery for Dec 7th which gives us 2 days to install before leaving for Ontario...and the up bath is still only a very lonely toilet!



Three men and E-Z Flow Conference!

Almost There!...

...and soooo busy! I seem to have been surrounded by paint cans, brushes, rollers and sanders! (I'm finally contributing something!) And with a 5-year old in the house I constantly keep one eye on the clock for departing/arriving yellow buses,

homework (in kindergarten for god's sake!), naps, meals and tree climbing!

We have enjoyed Halloween trick or treat, Guy Fawkes burning and fireworks


playing board games, cards and exploring our area. Everything looks so different when shared throught the eyes of a kid.

And the kitchen! It's here!...well, half of it...2 cabinets were the wrong colour so the stove still stands alone!...But there is a sink (no more washing dishes in the bathtub) and pantry (no more going through Rubbermaid totes trying to find food) and a fridge with a whole door (no more skinny "French doors")...and everything up off the floor...oh yeah! and a new floor!

Before...looking to the east...

...and now



Before...looking toward the hall entrance

...now stands the pantry...with pullouts!

Before...the old sink (and backsplash!)...

... the new farmhouse kitchen sink and butcher block counter


Before...looking into the kitchen...

...still waiting for the 2 other cabinets though!



Before...looking into the TV room (the old summer kitchen)...

...and now looking into the TV room!

Before (even cleaned up!)...

...and after (toward the bathrrom/laundry room)

I am sooooo ready to start some serious cooking!

And more winter preparations...a culvert flushed out by the local fire department to avoid water building up and flowing over the driveway...

and the drive/parking extended right into the new doors into the garage/barn.
We have even started bringing boxes from the barn into the house and it's like early Christmas finding things that have been packed for two years! I suppose if we've gone this long without this stuff...we don't need it, but it is fun to start regrouping and reorganizing!

Oh...and an update of Jack?...he's as cute as a pumpkin!...

Pre-Winter Work...

...and the season is showing all the signs of approaching with increased speed.
The leaves are gone from the trees, leaving only the softwood evergreens and a few remaining golden Tamaracs. (Apparently, years ago, a bright "light" with the Irving Corp. thought the big bucks were in softwood, so the province was sprayed with a chemical to kill off all the hardwood and now, today the majority of the province is green all year round...and as to the price of softwood, we all know how that turned out!)

Another sure sign is the arrival of unwanted house guests...mice! Sometimes in the mornings, it's like playing dogeball while they scurry from the stove to the fridge to the pantry, and right past the sleeping Bijou's nose! Not only are they bold, but cagey - every "humane" trap I have set, they just take the bait and leave a trap for me to activate - empty!
So, poison bait is out in strategic places...and at least one I know of has met its demise.


Apples are bountiful this year, and our trees are no exception. I try to pick up off the "lawn" every day or so to deter the deer from making my back yard their buffet. Instead I drop a wheel barrow load over the ridge and into the bush, saving them the walk all the way up to the trees at the back door!

The barn/garage doors are complete, so we can now tuck the car (and bikes and new trailer) into a shelter when the snow flies...assuming the boxes finally get out of the barn and into the house!


But...best of all, Jr. Sampson was here for three days crack filling and sanding, so on to the painting of the kitchen...before the floor goes down.
The new applainces arrived this week and they now enjoy the daily routine of being shuffled back and forth for access to walls then put in place for meals!

"crack filling" all done...


primed and painted ... there really is some colour there!...and "portable 'ppliances!"

But wait! There's more! The kitchen cabinets from IKEA were finalized Oct 22 with Nov 4th the date I would hear from the transport company for an delivery date. (IKEA figured three weeks)
But...at 0830 on the 31st, the trucker called and said he was loaded and delivering around 1000!!!! And we had just started painting!!!

...And more!!! He was by himself and couldn't unload alone (all 2,000lbs) the 4' X 8' X 4 pallets! ...and just one more thing?...the truck was toooo big and toooo heavy to bring down the drive and to the house!!! So three panic calls to neighbours who willing came with trollies and trailers and muscular arms...we had it all unloaded and stored - you guessed it - in the barn!
This is the first time in 5 months that anything has been done not only on time, but ahead of time! There is just no point in trying to schedule/coordinate this project!

And the 31st? Halloween of course! And when you have a 5-year old in the house...well, it's just about the most exciting time of the year (revving up for Christmas!) We made a haunted house (like a gingerbread one) for his party at school (he goes to kindergarten every morning) and painted his face to look like a skeleton - ever tried to get face paint on a wiggling 5-year old?

He has been fun to have as a guest and says he loves his teacher Miss Brown and riding the bus each day. I like having something other than house reno to focus on!...and someone to play with - picking apples, climbing trees, exploring the bush, evening walks to visit Misty...



...but I do know two things now in my wiser years...have children when you're younger than 50 and four kids is alot!

Too Busy to Blog!....

We were on the road for a week of travel to Ontario and back for Thanksgiving weekend. A grueling drive, but the weather, so far, is good for this activity, though the snow is just around the corner!
I spent Thanksgiving in Ipperwash with all the family and old friends...and soooo nice to be on the beach enjoying warm weather and dinner outside!

Jim stayed with Kristen, Rick and baby Jack getting in his grandpa time, and I finally got in some holding time...and he is toooo cute!

We bought a small trailer to haul the cottage garden back to NB and after 3 days of transplanting the 6 gardens are FULL, now just waiting till spring and (hopefully) watch it all explode into a caucophany of colour!
The trip was more/less uneventful, other than a RCMP roadblock only 2 hours from home...the officers were checking safety etc and asked if our trailer was in good shape, we felt it was given it was brand new...to which he asked "is that why there is no plate on it?"!...but he kindly let us loose and on our way with the promise of getting one the next day (and of course the nervous Nelly, Jim did comply!)

Our electrician, Ken came on the Friday and completed all the bits and pieces of work that was needed to finish up all the electical...yeah! I now have more than one plug in the "kitchen". I use quotes here as the kitchen is really no more than a folding table, toaster oven and fridge. Clean-up is in the bathroom and everything in terms of food and dishes are spread out throughout the first floor (literally) of the house...and in constant motion of moving things from pillar to post depending on what tradesman is working each day....aaarrrggghhh! And only a month of this situation to go!

drywall and subfloor is in the kitchen...

and insulation and sub floor in the TV room...no more black and white tiles!

Feeling a tad guily about all the bounty of apples on the "farm", I finally gave in and picked up a bushel of a mixed selection from the different trees and spent a few hours making and freezing juice and applesauce. Hopefully next year they will be as productive when I'm more organized to put them away for winter!

...only one of the 25 trees...loaded!

Then in yet another step of preparation for the snow and cold, Steve and crew built new doors on the barn so we can house the car and other paraphenilla we have collected...assuming we'll soon be able to unpack the barn of all our household stuff!

...."hummmm...what do you think we should do now?"

...and a car has to fit in here too!?

This coming week is Jr Sampson "cracking filling" 2 bathrooms and the kitchen walls...followed by me painting like mad, then Steve will lay the flooring...and with luck the IKEA kitchen arrives on or around November the 14th. It is being delivered by a NB trucking company...so, hope springs eternal!

My oldest daughter is working around the Maritimes for five weeks, so Amanda and 5-year old Reed is using our place as home base. Reed is going to try out the St Martins kindergarten in the mornings, then he and I will explore the back bush and brooks, help at the mini horse farm and check out our beaches for shell and rock hunting. Add this to the reno mix, no upstairs W/C and no functioning kitchen....Grandpa Jim may need many bottles of scotch!



How we wile away the hours, and hours with family!

The Kitchen is Closed!...

...for a month (at least!)!...
Another busy week, with carpenters tearing out cupboards and cabinets. Removing and replacing floorboards, dry-walling and installing a newer, bigger window.

...before...

...the "how to" guys...

...awaiting pick-up...
So, for now there is only a range (with no working oven) only 4 stove top elements, a toaster oven and a fridge. Dirty dishes are in the bathroom sink and tub...and dishes and pots/pans are scattered throughout the house and barn. So needless to say cooking is down to soup, toast and cereal!

note the new window!

IF all goes according to plan (and I'm not sure why it would start now) the electrician will put in all plugs, switches and lights...Martin will do the plastering, Steve & Rob will lay sub-floor and flooring (wood floor is toooo far gone!) and with fingers crossed, IKEA will deliver cabinets and worktop, Sears the appliances...all by the end of October?!

But wait! There's more!
John & Benny spent Thursday under my direction (and I'm sure he was mumbling "crazy lady"!) cutting out all future gardens, removing sod and then replacing all with new topsoil. So when we return from Ontario with a trailer load of plants, they will be planted right into their new homes.
The banker was mumbling something else watching an excavator, two men and many dump truck loads for 8 hours!

...the circle for the "fire garden"...

...the "water garden" spot...
...and no pics of the "wind" (all grasses) and vegetable gardens...but you get the drift, right?!


Friday was the arrival of the new cement septic tank.

first the pumping out the old...

After a good hour of digging to remove the old steel barrel from the ground the new one arrived on a "boom truck" and without incident. Inspected and re-filled by day's end...we can now flush to our heart's content! Happy days are here again!!!



However, fingers are crossed over the condition of the weeping bed (known as a "drainage field" here).

And, though we're not ready for livestock, I did adopt a new pet...meet

"Fish"! (no name yet)...alpacas & horses to follow?!