Another Christmas Successfuly Over...

...and now the pics!
We spent 11 hours on the road through the White Mountains getting to Montreal. An afternoon of shopping on Sherbrook St (window only - $$!!) and answering questions about Bijou.
Then an evening with my sister Sue and family enjoying an east coast seafood casserole. Sorry those pics are in the camera I later left in Ontario!
Then on to Whitby for a night and wonderful turkey dinner with friends. (and getting a new camera)

Dueling computers?!
The 20th and on the road again. Jim dropped me at my daughter Sara's in Toronto where I watched the sweat shop production of "bath fizzies"

Ivan is not fond of Lavender!

Look good enough to eat!
The 21st to Milton for a visit with Jim's daughter Kristen, son-in-law Rick and baby Jack (Jim spent the bulk of his time here while I did the gypsy life!)

We played Rock Star

and


did some downward dog!


and danced on a new quilt (handmade by Aunt Amanda) to Raffi tunes.


Back to TO for shopping - OMG! they walk alot in TO! restaurants

and made won ton supper...


and an evening in Kensington Market for the Festival of Lights to celebrate the winter solstice.

The 23rd at sister Ann's new condo digs on the Esplanade...the party room on the 33rd floor! The view,


the BIG screen TV and lots of finger foods from the St Lawrence Market- good fun!

Christmas eve and Sara's future in-laws?? came for an evening of east coast seafood chowder and a buffet of meats, cheeses and sweets.


Christmas morning...well what could be better than an excited 6-year old in the morning?!

Then off to Caledon to brother Paul's where the entire family gathered for a gift exchange,

visit and yep! more great food!

the ritual watching of the "turkey popper!"


I was delivered at 11:00 p.m. to Milton where Jim and I planned to leave from the next morning but after we both laid awake for a few hours,

as quiet as mice,
we loaded the car and with coffee mugs in hand
to the dog blew a whistle
and away we flew like the down of the thistle
over the road and out of sight
Wishing all a Happy Christmas and a very good night!



additional pics....click to play!

My Christmas Card...

Girl's Night at the Movies...

Dorain and Cath

lovin' the movie!

...with the new "big screen" TV installed (finally!) I invited some neighbours for a showing of Julie & Julia and a tasting of the famous Boeuf Bourguignon.
Even though a snow storm was raging outside, 5 of us enjoyed both the movie and the meal...however the 10-12 hours required to make the dish answers the question "why all the recipes are adapted"!

Kathi, Storme & Dorain


Chocolate Yule Log
Some of the Murphy's (my NB adopted family) came last Sunday for a dinner celebration, but again the weather played havoc and a few calls to neighbours resulted in a party of fourteen anyway!

some snow...and still better than last winter!

And the firefighter's dinner...Chief Brian and me!

Procrastinating....

...from studying, cleaning and any other tedious chores. So Jim got a special dinner tonight:
Mussels with sabayon
and
Stuffed "Pork Packages" in Lemon Sauce with
Portebello Mushrooms, Broccoli and Egg Noodles
I'm told it's a keeper!
Going to try it cold, sliced on a tossed salad.

the recipe...

the result

Lobster Season has Begun!!...

...WOO WOO!! Jim's excited for sure!









Jim, Bijou and I took a walk around West Quaco (the other side of the highway) at sunrise and low tide this week. The weather was warm and the day clear, so good to get some pictures.

This is a mother seal with 2 pups watching us watch them...they're quite a way out, and unfortunately, my camera has a limited telephoto (click to enlarge)
















Bees are all snug in their "cozy" but because of the on going warm weather they keep coming out to fly and check out the wrapper.















We had a firefighter and his wife for dinner this week (they're from Ontario as well) and a new St Martins arrival from the Yukon. Good eats, good company and lots of fun...well maybe too much fire department talk!





Jim and Rob dig in...

Table decorated for a fall meal...

Cath and Laurie wait for a pass...





miniature pots of chocolate cream ...
"coffee and donuts"













Now back to the studying for the 2nd last exam on Monday...one more in December and we're both Level I, official firefighters!

A Lot of Training...

Jim and Eldene try out "foaming" a roof


The morning with the new firefighter recruits...lunch put on by the United Church (every church puts on breakfasts, lunches, and dinners...somewhere every weekend!) oooh, Jim loves that!....























...then an afternoon of training with a "woodsman" on my chainsaw. (Note the excessive gear - Elmer's idea! I least I'm very visable)














Who says that country life is boring!?

We are having the BEST weather ever! So trying to get out for a 10,000 step walk every day (yep the Christmas training regime!) in the hopes of removing some excess weight....cause...

WE'RE GOING TO MEXICO THIS WINTER!!! ....I know, I can hardly believe it myself! Elmer finally gave in when I said that I was going for sure in February to visit my friends. So...

"Buenos diaz! ¿Cómo es usted? Me llamo Kate. ¿y usted?" need lots more practice, but off to a good start?

Update...kinda...

I know I have been very remiss in updating this journal, but the reality is there has been nothing really worth commenting on lately.
It is said that Canada is a country of only two seasons; winter and getting ready for winter...and nowhere is that more true than here!
The bees are partly winterizeed, I'm just waiting for some snow to wrap the "cozy" around them and to place some straw bales for a wind break. Too early and the field mice will take up residence!
And speaking of the cutey-pie mice we have had a huge reduction in indoor population since having the basement foamed. To date only 3 bodies - a far cry from the 15 or more last fall and none are frolicking around my feet in the morning!
Jim's friend Father Yvon Brault (from Maryland) came for a weekend visit and was given the full tour of St Martins as well as a local potluck. Jim took him to mass on Sunday, and he regaled the congregation with his theatrics! A wonderful guest and of course a great excuse to cook.
A dinner party with Yvon, Jim and Kathi Walsh saw an opportunity to bake up a vat of seafood casserole and a spin on coffe and donuts for dessert.

Father Yvon and Jim

Jim and Kathi Walsh

I took a quick trip to TO for Thanksgiving - a traditional get together for my family at the cottage and more time to spend with the kids.

the traditional turkey carving and Rebecca picking!

...and the traditional beach walk...last year we were swimming and spending the day sun tanning!


My daughter Sara completed her Masters in Urban Environmental Planning and had her convocation - and Woody Harrelson too (though I doubt he did the work the students did!)...how proud am I!?




















Then Jim, Bijou and I took a 3 day jaunt to Freeport Maine to do some shopping - not much in bargains but we had a great hotel and wonderful meals (our measurement of all or vacations!)
Jim had the BEST fillet Mignon EVER!!!

The hotel is for the dogs too!

It is a very pretty town, historical buildings used for the shops and services. There is the mother of all L.L. Bean stores - hunting, fishing, home, clothes...they've got all the bases covered!
McDonalds in Freeport

On display in LL Bean are 2 moose that got their antlers locked in battle (see the sidebar) and died in that lock. Only the antlers were found, but the moose were reconstructed (using 9 other moose hides) using a taxidermy process that had only been done once before . This was pretty awesome to see the size of these two guys...but sad to think they had a long slow demise.
And of note, one of the firefighter's husband was charged and hit head on in the chest this week by a bull moose - he's fine, even after being run over by the 2 cows that the bull was protecting!

The morning after getting home was firefighter training and a good one it was! We're coming close to the finish of our theory training - 2 more tests and we should be Level I by the end of the month.

Jim learns the pumper system
Buddy system on a charged hose
Ian, Shawn and Laurie focused on the straight stream

A t-shirt given to me by friends in ONT...still struggling with the instructions!

It's Been Awhile...

...but now that the bulk of all renos are complete, we're back to some semblance of normalcy. Gardens needed weeding, hoeing, deadheading, and belive it or not ...watering! Although the bulk of the summer was wet and cold, late August and all this month have been more like summer - hot and dry.
And now is the time for transplanting, tilling, mulching etc...etc...

We spent 10 days in Ontario, partly to celebrate my parents' diamond anniversary (60 years). The entire family - 28 of us! all stayed at the various cottages in Ipperwash for the weekend festivities. I stayed for an extra week to spend time with my kids and parents and old cottage friends. Though the weather was not so "beach-y" the visit was great.

it should be noted that getting a pic of this group is akin to herding cats

...but we do love a party!


The shingles on the barn are now finished and match those on the house (Jerome is toooo happy!) as well the downstairs is insulated and a full wall of deep shelves to store stuff that would usually find itself in a basement (we have a cellar - very different from a basement!)
The upper floor, which started out being finished as a place for Jim to go and do whatever he does (lots of books and binders etc) or what is quaintly referred to here as a "man-cave" is also insulated, electrified, dry walled and painted. The south wall was supposed to have a large window, but the banker found a great deal on a 5' patio door instead...

Steve, Shawn and Rob working on the cave

and well...Jerome did such a bang up job on the finishing and lighting and paint colour...it's now designated too nice for a man cave but rather a "studio" or "wo-man cave"!
Therefore last week, we invited a few people to a Low Country Boil dinner, cold wine and beer and some honky-tonkin' bluegrass.

a VERY informal dinner!

and a bit of confusion over how to attack the food!


but...we all managed to chow down



Thus the demise and passing of the room's delegation was duly noted by the men(and Dorain) wearing black arm bands. (sigh)...


...and the gals (and Todd) dancin' ...

...and yogain'!




This is a pic of a swarm of bees that landed in an apple tree.

After countless calls to other beekeepers in the area, I finally located and empty hive (1 hour away) that I could borrow in an attempt to capture them and give them a home for the winter.
Unfortunately by the time I got back they had left. But the good karma was in the attempt!

Now...back to the farming and prepping for winter!