Now I Know Why...

...animals hibernate in winter and Canadians go south!
Our deep freeze (-30's) ended yesterday with a day of rain, but that came on the heels of 12" of fresh snow (it actually drifted up to the kitchen window!)

...so now what we have is a giant skating rink that extends from the road to our door.
Jim and I took turns breaking and removing ice from the front of the barn doors to set the car free! Bijou on the other hand loves to be outside ...all day! Hope springs eternal that the deer will again appear for her canine pleasure!

But we stave off cabin fever with a number of strategies: Scrabble, Skype, Facebook, cooking, baking, entertaining...and then for me there's Jazzercise on Mondays, Tai Chi on Tuesdays and we both signed up for the volunteer firefighters on Wednesdays! (Jim figures he'll help out with paperwork and reporting!) There are of course still little finishing projects requiring out attention, but we both seem slow to get back into the reno/redecorate mode! Perhaps when the carpenter and/or plumber come back, we'll find some motivation?
We finally found the required range exhaust unit needed for the carpenter and that project can now go forward once he has some time.

We had friends again this past Sunday and unbeknownst to all, the snow never let up during our evening at the dining table...until they stepped out at 9:00 p.m. into shin-deep snow!

I have a new friend in my kitchen! This "baby" arrived yesterday after years of hoping to have one on my counter! Great deliberation over model and attachments and though the Professional was on my wish list...with just two to cook for on a regular basis...I went for the Artisan model...ahhh the compromises we make!



This is our very old apple tree that took a nose dive during the last round of high winds (which of course everyone says is very unusual?!) We'll have it cut up in the spring and may even get a hand made wooden bowl from the trunk. Though it's sad to see it come down, it was on its last legs (roots?!) and only produced about 8 apples last fall...


...and given we have about another 25 trees of different varieties, the loss is not in produce!

The Perigee Moon...

...also known as the Wolf Moon as it is the closest to the earth and therefore the brightest...and I guess gets all the canine packs "howling at the moon"!

We had a day of fresh snowfall...and Bijou finds howling or even moving around much is a waste of energy! She prefers to stare at the door, willing it to open, regardless of the coat of snow!


This moon is bright enough to read by when there is no cloud cover.
I tried taking pics both at 8:00 p.m. and then again at 5:30 a.m. But even setting the camera on a solid (tho ice covered) surface, they are a tich blurry...and Bijou insisted on standing in front of the one pic!

8:00pm from the back yard


5:30 am from the front yard (the camera is tilted...not the house!)

This special moon was at its peak the night of our "evening in Paris" dinner party for friends. Unfortunately I got tied up in hte kitchen and didn't grab the camera, other than one of the table setting!



The dinner was one of the first put out from the new kitchen...and if I do say so myself, turned out well.
So all I have is the menu!
To start...
Marinated and grilled Tiger Shrimp on skewers with red horseradish sauce
Pistachio Pate on brioche with red onion jam
The main...
Chicken Cordon Bleu & Hollandaise sauce
Dry roasted corn, maple glazed baby carrots, and snow peas
Oven roasted red potatoes with Rosemary
To finish...
Chocolate pots-of-cream with Raspberry coulis and creme fraiche
Almond Tiles

We're very happy with the final look of the dining room and living room

...and the drapes have added some additional warmth to the rooms with an insulated liner.

Thanks to my sister, Ann for the art deco dining room light! Perfect for the house and decor!


...Now, for a rug or two ...I'm awaiting Jerome's input as to where to put some pictures and lighting!

Winter Hobbies....

...the finishing touches!
There's still the "tarting-up" to do...light fixtures, trim, tiling, range hood, and sewing, sewing and lots of sewing!

Drapes (8 panels) for the dining room/living room from the fabric I picked up in TO...frustrating when you don't have the tools/facilities! Jim went into the city to pick up scissors, bobbins, and something to accomadate a surger spool (very large!) to fit a regular machine...which is borrowed, so there was a learning curve there!

Winter is here with high winds and bitter cold, so now's the ideal time for these "hobbies" and indoor past times.

Happy New Year to all!

watch the rooms "morph" into what we've accomplished (with alot of help and $$$$!)...speakers!