Rain and Wind....

       It's the beginning of another week. This past week was more or less uneventful, except for a great luncheon date with good friends. Lots of laughter and good conversation, along with a wee bit of foolishness, which is par for the course with us. They say laughter is good for your health. Hoping that is true.

We have some snow on the ground, but according to weather forecast rain and high winds are coming this evening and tomorrow. We shall see. The rains and wind have been buffeting the folks across the ocean, and down in the southern U.S. Floods, floods and more floods. One really doesn't know what to think about what strange weather is happening everywhere.

In Nova Scotia, the weather is quite variable but not with the extremes that happened last winter. Most of us have fingers crossed along with toes and eyes that the storms of last year are not repeated this year.

I haven't taken any new pictures, but I hope to get a few to share with you in the next little while.

It has been a quiet day today. I was very pleased with our choir this morning. At our biggest, we are 9, well,10 if you count me. This morning there were only 5, but they sang so beautifully. It is always amazing what God can do through us, when we choose to serve and do our best. They hadn't practised since before Christmas.

This is the week we start back to regular activities. I hope the weather co-operates.

My dear little Sadie would have been 12 this past Thursday. I still think of her, hear her and miss her so much, but it is getting easier most of the time.

The wind is picking up as I type. Wondering if the power will stay on tonight........

A Great Way To Begin the New Year

             I really do not do a great deal of celebrating during Christmas, finding most days very quiet. Things have changed quite a bit since my girls were little, and then when the granddaughters were small. I haven't stayed up to greet the New Year in a good many years. I prefer to celebrate with Australia or New Zealand, and watch their firework displays on the news.

However, yesterday was a special day of being with my girls, as I call the four of them. Two daughters and two granddaughters, the shining lights in my otherwise dull life. When I am with them, happiness seems to bubble over. They are my blessings.

Dawn drove Lindsay, Rae and I to Summerville to visit Heather, Rupert and his mother Barbara. Then, Heather treated us to a delightful meal at nearby The Flying Apron, where we had a wonderful meal and enjoyed exploring the premises. We had lots of laughs and great food. I so enjoyed myself. I kidded that I don't get off the mountain that much, so I am just like a kid with a cookie jar, or something like that.

I took lots of pictures, because I found The Flying Apron a magical place, warm and inviting and extremely enjoyable. It felt like I was on vacation and even had to buy a t shirt as a souvenir. I am a little nuts that way, but you would have to be me to understand my strange ways.

I shall take you on a little sight-seeing tour of this wonder place. The Flying Apron is an Inn and Cookery, offering Culinary Staycations and Getaways, with four, 4-Star rooms, a licensed dining room, garden patio,(which would be lovely in the warm months), an art gallery featuring local artists each month, and they also offer a Cookery School taught by their German Master Chef. I do not have any idea how old the building is, but because of the age, and what Chris and Melissa Velden have done, it is a treasure in Summerville, and people come from all over for their gourmet meals.

our nutty lovely gathering

another dining area

a gourmet food shop

Moving from the dining area to a lounge area.

The 4*rooms are up stairs

This lounge area is unique, and soon there will be a used book 

sale area here.  The Cookery School room is beyond the doors.

Lindsay quite liked sitting in front of the fire, (though I have no proof,

since I didn't get a picture of her there)

so when she would disappear, this is where she would be.

Another room for the local art. These were all pictures

done with needle felting. Amazing.

Here we are back out in the dining area with Chef Chris

behind the counter,

Melissa behind the counter where there were

lots of yummy desserts.

Another section of the dining room

Our server, Nancy, with whom I enjoyed lots of

laughter and joking. She's a sweetheart for sure. I might even

call her a kindred spirit..........

All in all a wonderful afternoon spent with family,

and the very welcoming owners and server.

Then we went back to Ironwood..........

one of my most favourite places!

Off to see the woolies

Look a the white face behind the sheep in the foreground.

She looks like an elf.....

So, I thank my girls for an absolutely wonderful day to begin this new year, and 

thanks to the Flying Apron for a great eating experience. (That is saying something,

coming from a person who rarely thinks of food). I only eat because I have to, but

once in a while I do enjoy it, and this was one of those times.

If you would like to check out the Flying Apron for yourself, here is their page.....

www.flyingaproncookery.ca 

The best of the New Year to all.

December 30

Christmas tree down and decorations taken up stairs, but not put away. That is a chore for today. The left side of the stairway going up is cluttered with things, and I take one or two items up on my way. The oomph has left me again so I can see that getting the rest of the things up and put away is going to take some time.

We had a nice little snow storm yesterday, leaving about 20cm on the ground. Our driveway is not ploughed, so I am house bound, not that I would be on the road which looks a bit icy.

A special family of carollers come to share Christmas music

each year. One of my favourite things about Christmas.

Granddaughter L trying to take a picture of C & R.

Not a very spectacular tree, but it served its purpose. In

the background you might notice a choir collar. Yes, once

again, I wore it home from church......nobody noticed......

This is sort of mid-storm I think

The birds enjoy the seed pies.

I think this will be my last post

until the new year.

I hope to do better at

blogging in 2016.

Wishing everyone a very

Happy New Year!

December

I cannot believe that it is December 20th, but it is. I get my dates and my days mixed up, but I am pretty sure that Christmas Day is very close...........

Ummmmmm..........

I can't believe that it is December 22nd, but it is........I sure didn't get much written on the 20th did I?

There have been so many days when I sat down to write something on this blog, but as you can tell from the date of my last post......well, let's just say I have been inactive. I don't know why, but there are times when even though I have the urge to write, I do not have the energy, or I do not have any bright things to say.

Life goes on, and the days of December have passed quickly. Last minute felting, and church/church related activities become a bit of a blur. Our small but mighty choir has done a wonderful job of offering special Christmas music. God blesses us, as eight voices sing out with all the fervour of a 20 voice choir. It has been nice to get back to directing, as my talented assistant took over the piano, so that I could lead. It is most difficult to do both, and a really nice change. I think I may be a better director than piano/organ player.

It has been my pleasure to play for a few church services at our local assisted living home. The folks so enjoy the music and hymn singing, and the Pastor is wonderful.

Christmas shopping done. Presents wrapped (almost), tons and tons of baking done (Not), though some dear friends have dropped of some yummy goodies. It has been a little sad, as I miss my Sadie helping me get things done for Christmas. I had to do all the stuff alone instead of having Sadie following me around, supervising the wrapping, sniffing the presents and laying under the tree....and listening to me sound off or sing or just talk to her about what was going on in my mind.....she never judged. Strange, isn't it how a little dog can be so much a part of what you do.....

Well, enough of that......I haven't taken many pictures of late, either, but I will share what I have.

First Snow, now gone

Downy Woodpecker having a little snack

Felted bears

Granddaughter L with her school Drum Line performing at the local mall

in Santa Claus Parade

Ditto

My Christmas Card this year

And now

as Christmas nears

and with it the good wishes

Friend to friend

family to family

I wish each of you

who read this

a Christmas of

Joy

Hope

Peace and

Love

May the spirit of this season remain with

you in the days and months

to come

November. Really?

The beginning of November, with the red and orange leaves fallen on the ground, and the yellows and browns still clinging to the trees. I am still clinging to the trees as well, trying to prolong the coming of winter and its snow. Bare branches are reaching for the grey clouds moving swiftly overhead. Hang on little leaves, hang on.

The previous ten months seem to have passed in a flash, and we ask where did the time go. How could it possibly be November when just yesterday the summer was beginning. Wasn't it just yesterday? Now the days are shorter, the evenings darker and the wind colder.

Harvest is over on the farm. Another sign that the winter invasion is coming closer. I am so pleased that D was able to make a donation Feed Nova Scotia. She has been able to do this for the last 3 years.

I did manage to do a little bit of felting for a few days. It is a dangerous hobby when you keep putting holes in your thumb. Needless to say, it is important to stop the bleeding before continuing to felt the white wool, or else......candy canes...

It is not as bad as it looks. My thumb was stinging a bit so I squeezed it and four little spurts of

blood appeared from four little jabs. When I make small things my thumb is a larger target. :)

Just a few of my latest creations

The evening skies can be very strange looking

but beautiful

It has taken me three days to get this much down 

so I shall stop here;

Until next time,

may your days be peaceful

Colours Around the Farm

........Not too many words this time, just a few pictures I took yesterday when I had the opportunity to sight see on the farm........

What am I Doing?

The last day of September already. October will bring with it more activities and special services and the month will go by in the blink of an eye. Days run into each other, and with my dark cloud accompanying me lately through the days and nights, each day is a struggle. I detest it when this happens, and you would think by now I would know how to fight it, how to get through it, how to manage it.

Staying up late to watch a lunar eclipse, and then watching a leader's debate two nights later, and being unable to get to sleep until the wee small hours of the morning, is not conducive to a decent frame of mind. I should know better of course, but I have a feeling that I would not have slept even if I had gone to bed at a decent time, since last night I saw 2 am. I lay there thinking I should get up and do something, but I haven't the energy to do so, and then I lie there willing myself to sleep, willing myself to turn off the thoughts that circle around in my head. I have not done one creative thing in the last week or two, except for a few cards. I can't seem to get going, and wasting time also makes me feel inadequate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now it is the 2nd of October.......and it has been raining and probably will continue to be rainy for a few day more, even in to next week, hopefully with a few breaks. It makes apple picking a bit of a chore, picking in the wet, but I see the barn door is open, and D is starting her day. It's pretty wet out there, but the faithful pickers are arriving.

I have no pictures to share in this post, but perhaps between the showers, if I can get up the energy I can take some in the orchard. No promises............