INN-sane

Best laid plans and silent deterrents!!!!

2012-02-23T21:21:00.000-04:00

I have changed my departure date about three times now, for various reasons, and today I finally got down to packing the car with an amazing amount of STUFF!!!! There are things stowed in places I'd never considered as cargo space before today! We, (Riley the cat, Miss Daisy the pup, and Moi) are ready to hit the road Friday morning.... 3am!!! Except for yet another delay..... 20 cm of snow expected over night. If I were to drive through the snow all day, my 12 hour drive would probably be 20 hours on slippery roads. Better left until another day.
Sooooo.... tomorrow I will wait out the storm and work on the website!
Shovel anyone?

Say it three times fast!!!

2012-02-22T22:29:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, I have struggled over naming this business. There are so many things to consider, and every time I thought I had it....something would come along to force me in to looking for another idea. I had originally thought we could take the heritage aspect of the house and find a name that would best represent the history of the inn. It did not take long to figure out that the history of the place belongs to the island and the history of the building has never been ours for the taking. I decided I could not serve this business best by trying to be something we are not. The next consideration has to be the ability to be picked up by web crawlers during Internet searches. Also not an easy feat. For instance... some names we absolutely loved. Then a Google search would render 5,000 options for that name and I knew that was too vast a competition for our little business. Always in the back of my mind, a little voice that has served me well, with a message that has also been valuable in times like these..."do what you know". Simple enough! Right? So what do I know? Well.... We are an inn, on an island, in the Bay of Fundy..... and...? and ? and? then what.... right? Nothing came to me! I had an idea one morning, that I should describe my favourite thing about the inn, in one sentence! "I love the breeze off the bay in the afternoon, fluttering fresh air across the island on a hot day." I truly do! And there you have it. Bay Breeze Inn on Grand Manan Island, became the name! I can hardly believe it!!! FINALLY!!!

On to the next challenge....

By George I think we've Got It!!!

2012-02-18T22:35:00.001-04:00

After what seems like an eternity...and much frustration, we have a name.... one that is easy to remember.... and effective on the the Google search!!! Very important! The confirmation should arrive tomorrow, and then I will share it with you. Also.... we have made it past the first page of the website....although still not ready to publish, it is coming right along. This week I set my sights east again and head back to the island. The car will be loaded for bear as I have tons of supplies and can't wait to get busy on my next set of hurdles and plans! Blogging should also get back to a regular pace... thank goodness!
It has been a good break, and now I am fuelled!!! Pumped!!!! READY!!!

Number SEVEN....

2012-02-03T18:31:00.001-04:00

Start a countdown to your summer holidays! Plan, plan, plan! Even if you are not sure of the dates yet, you can decide what it is you want, or where you want to go on vacation. May I suggest a sweet little island in the Bay of Fundy? 1 506 662 8854. Make a reservation! (call after Feb 22) Come see what I've been talking about. AND... if this year is not an option for you, set your sights for another! Whether it's an away-cation or a stay-cation, remember we all deserve a vacation. Something to look forward to. How many days until you turn off the arm clock for a week or two?

June on Grand Manan Island

Number SIX.....

2012-02-03T07:18:00.001-04:00

Dream!!! Curl up with a warm throw and a seed catalogue, or go on line. Dream about the summer garden you want. Order some seeds or plants. If you live in Ontario, try
Rockwood Gardens www.rockwoodgardens.com,
or on the east coast try, Vesey Seeds www.vesey.com
You can plan now..to refurbish an overgrown area of the garden or split the perennials, or plant that favourite tree you've always intended to. If you have your order placed by mid April, the plants are delivered in early May. You simply plant them in four inch pots and keep them on the windowsill until the weather warms. Some plants come as small plugs with green leaves and some are dormant roots that you can will to green with soil and water! Go to the public library and take out a couple of gardening books or magazines. Fuel your imagination!
When you get home today, make some spa water. Simply slice a few fresh strawberries, or cucumber, and add to a pitcher of water in your fridge. Drink! drink! drink!...so good for you!

What a wonderful day!

2012-02-02T23:16:00.001-04:00

Not that the sleep was anything amazing, or the awakening for that matter. I've been up since just after four this morning. Even with the early start, the day was more drag than progress.
I think I was losing sleep over a new hairdresser, if you can believe it! I am so used to my usual scissor wizard, Elaine, in Brantford.... and boy do I miss her, SO, for three years I have tried several recommendations, and for varying reasons, they failed to impress. This time however, I happened across a shop, and she happened to be free, and gave me a fabulous hair cut. That was three weeks ago. Today, I dared to be brave and let her colour the locks. You'll be pleased to know it turned out more than fine. On my way to my appointment I stopped by the parcel depot to pick up two parcels. We missed the delivery of said parcels last week some time. One was expected, the other was a mystery.
Two winters ago, when I was in waiting for whichever business plan would work in my favour, I had time on my hands some days, so I decided to write. At first I wrote random family folk stories as a matter of record for future generations, and then I got the idea to write my life story, for my daughter. One year, and three illustrated, handwritten volumes later, I gave her a birthday gift not unlike our relationship, cherished and honest.

To write from memory takes a bit of concentration which lead me to the rediscovery of many things I'd inadvertently forgotten, such as being ten years old, and how much I loved my tenth year. It presented me with an idea. I decided to go for it. I bought ten hard covered journals, and wrote the first story in each book. The story of my tenth year. I called it "The BOOK OF TEN" I mailed the books to ten friends. People I felt sure would love the idea. People who love to read and write. I asked that they too write the story of when they were ten years old and then pass it along to someone else ...and so on, and so on! I often wondered what happened to my books. After two years I surmised, in the absence of the return of my books, that they'd been lost. At the bottom of someones 'to do' pile on a desk, or under seasonal clothes in a bedroom drawer, or in the 'around to it' pile on the dining room table.... never to be remembered again.... until today! I tore open the package once I arrived to the waiting room at the hair salon. My heart quickened. It was one of my books! And as I feathered through the pages, there they were, handwritten stories from people who remembered, and wrote about what a special time year ten was for them.

There are pictures, and illustrations. Memories and penmanship! SO...FABULOUS!

I couldn't be more pleased!

This little idea has gained some momentum too, since the girls at the salon want to now add their stories. I'm a bit hesitant to give up this book again, and hope very deeply that the other books return as well. From here forward, I think I will accept the stories by mail and add them to the book, so as to honour and protect the stellar work in our precious book, thus far. After reading the stories, it is ever evident to me that this could be a book worth publishing, perhaps as a fundraiser!!! And... after reading the wonderful stories I am beaming ear to ear from the simple joy of remembering being ten years old!, which tells me other people would like it too!

Now... I invite you to take part.

Here are the guidelines that have worked so far....

1. Please sign and date your story.

2. Try to submit your story within the next 30 days, and ask a friend to do the same.

3. Pen to paper only.

Feel free to decorate the pages with artwork or photos.

It is an opportunity to express your creativity.

4. Try to keep the story to 1000 to 1500 words.

5. The paper size of our book is, 8 inches by 6 inches.

I will make every effort to share the stories at some point, once we compile the Book of Ten.

I honestly hope you will take part.... Tell me about the ten year old YOU, what you loved to do, your discoveries, your family, your dreams..... then mail the story to....

Deb Tremblay

Box 251 North Head, Grand Manan,

New Brunswick, Canada

E5G 1A1

This is how MY story started....

"I loved year ten. I remember falling in love with aromas, learning to thread a needle, and knot the thread. We made sock puppets in Mrs. Ward's basement on hot summer afternoons. I had RED sneakers that summer, beginning a life long passion for RED shoes. My sister was three, and just about the cutest human to ever be born to the planet. She and I were bookends to two brothers. Our family was special only unto itself. Pretty usual actually. We were loving, naive, flawed, and wonderful.... in my opinion.".....

I hope you will be inspired to write, and share. If you have one of the BOOKS OF TEN, I hope you will feel inspired to write in it and pass it along.

Some day you will be glad you did.

Thanking you in advance!!!!

Deb

Number FIVE....

2012-02-02T17:08:00.000-04:00

When you wake each morning, spend five minutes longer in bed, awake. Start with your toes and make your way to your eyelids, waking and stretching each part to life. Then get up and make a goal to drive to the nearest greenhouse today. Enter. Breathe the warm moist air. Visit the plants, feel them, drink in the positive energy. Can you hear the chickadees outside? They had the same idea! Admire the determination of the little plants to make it through tough winter chills. You can too!

Buy a four inch tropical plant. In September, you will look back at the then large plant and remember how it touched your soul one cold winter day.

Number FOUR....

2012-02-02T17:05:00.000-04:00

Is there LOCO in your MOTION? Play some lively music! I like the Gypsy Kings this time of year. They always wake up my heart to HAPPY! Then, set your dining table as if it were a summer evening. Bright colours.... napkins..... candles. Make your best green salad...(never under estimate the power of green food at this time of year).... and pick up a BBQ chicken on your way home! Voila! Easy dinner and bright happy feelings! This Spanish music will make you want to 'shake your booty' :) or grab your favourite dancer and bust a move...together! Heat something up!

Number THREE...

2012-02-01T17:08:00.000-04:00

Love thy self and you will beam love! Be a goodwill ambassador! You will feel better when you make someone else feel better. Look around your life for someone to cheer. Do it anonymously. It can be as simple as putting a cup of coffee on their desk, or cleaning off their car, or sending a little note in the mail. Think of the things you would like, and do it for someone else. What goes around...comes around! Warning.... this can be addictive! When I first moved to the Ottawa valley, a darling friend, Joyce, came by and left pussy willows on my door step, the first spring. I found them when I arrived home from work. It became a personal tradition she bestowed upon me every spring, AND, in the fall she also left gladiolas she grew in her garden.
A very loving friendly gesture!
Invite someone to tea!
Make your best scone recipe, brew a hot pot, and...
talk talk talk!!!

Number TWO!

2012-02-01T06:25:00.002-04:00

Paint your outlook with a dose of PROMISE!!! Look at the room you spend the most time in.... remove all indications of winter. Bring out your bright coloured things and photos of warm happy summer times. Buy some colourful flowers at the supermarket, or a small green plant. Take a look at your house plants. Rid them of dead leaves. Perhaps polish their leaves or give them a 5 minute warm shower and improve the quality of the air in your house, and give them their wake up drink of diluted fertilizer. It's time for them to wake up too!

Spend five minutes breathing deep (perhaps while lying on your yoga mat in the sun!!!). Polish your summer sandals and wear them around the house. Paint your toenails an invigorating colour. Practise the ART of living well!

7 posts! LETS BEAT THE WINTER BLUES!!!

2012-01-31T10:24:00.002-04:00

By February I am usually ready to feel spring, to have brighter morning skies, to let go of winter. Unfortunately winter has not let go of it's grip on us. Some of us are lucky to (some years) escape on a sunny holiday south, but some years those treasured moments are not in the cards. SO.. I have a few ideas about beating the winter blues, I thought I would share, and if you have some, by all means share with me!

Number one.... Fake it until we make it... to spring!

One of my favourite things about January is the austerity it brings with it. The extreme plainness of my house after the abundance of Christmas is put away for another year. I find it peaceful and the house feels simple and spacious. By February I am craving the warmth of the sun, and even though it is getting stronger, the cloudy days can cause me to wonder if it will ever feel warm again. Time to throw back the curtains and raise the blinds to the highest position. Let whatever SUN comes, in! You'll notice the pets find the lonely ray of sun across the floor and roll in it, stretch, and sleep in the warmth. Lay your yoga mat here and lie in the sun for 15 minutes. Feel the heat. Stretch, nap or meditate. Feel the simple warmth.

It will do you a world of good!

#2 tomorrow!

Mornings like this...

2012-01-27T10:45:00.002-04:00

We have awaken this morning to ice rain. It is a bone chilling reminder of the ice storm of '96. An experience that lasted eighteen days at our house. 18 days of no power, no water... no hope it seemed. The municipalities around us were back in business as soon as a week after the storm, but Powerline and Dangerfield roads took for ever to fix. I swear it was at least five years before I could bare to light a candle again! The evening the lights finally came on, I giggled and ran room to room celebrating the light!!! AND... I left the lights on all night! After almost three weeks in the dark, you would too! Today, we are better prepared for such things, but it doesn't make us any less wary about the lack of power we have over nature and her storms. So, it's a home day for me.... doing an inventory of the leftover wares from the tea shop in Simcoe, to determine what we need and what we have plenty of! In other words I am making a mess of our tiny cottage!!! That's usually when company comes to my door! Ha!

AND... how about the subject of hosting!

2012-01-25T13:48:00.000-04:00

Each year my daughter and I try to squeeze out a mother daughter weekend and get away together. It is one of my life treasures. Sometimes we plan together and sometimes I do the planning, as was the case a couple of years ago. With time at a premium we decided to keep the travel to a minimum. She lives in the Kawartha Lakes which is an area rich in little pockets of wonderful, for weekend getaways. I started my search on the internet. Came across a little place in the country, Shimmering Stream Bed and Breakfast (name changed out of kindness for Mrs. Innkeeper) The website promised tranquility, unmatched scenery, quaint stone farm house with in-house spa services, home cooking, charming hosts, and privacy. All the things we wanted. The location was about 20 minutes outside of Lakefield which we also found appealing, as we like to shop! I drove to Kelly's Friday night. Saturday morning around eleven, we set out on our weekend adventure. We drove the country roads a little longer than expected because of unclear directions. Not daunted, we happily giggled our way down the country roads of discovery. Since she was born with a sense of direction, and I was not.... she kept us in the relative vicinity until check in time, 1pm. We drove up to the farm house. It looked established and well cared for. We parked. Got out of the car. Opened the trunk. By this time a stout man of about 65 joined us beside the car indicating he could carry our luggage and proceeded to choose the lightest bag and head off towards the house. With minimal groans I grabbed the hugely heavy Kelly bag! Honestly...we were just going over night! We entered through the original entry doors of the old stone house which put us at the bottom of an old wooden staircase, adjacent to the obvious dining room. Sparsly decorated principle rooms with curious antiquities and an echo! The kitchen, visible through partially open french doors was to the rear of the house. He proceeded to tell us his wife (Karen) had been called away suddenly and he (William) would be our host for the weekend, and then added that he knew nothing about these sort of things, but how hard could it be? They had been in business for more than 16 years. Any of you that have met my daughter know she stands tall at about six feet. Her room had a daybed for someone perhaps 5'2". We decided she and I could switch. The room across the hall, my room, was decorated old English, cottage style. Bright yellow and royal blue. Hers, an Asian theme gone terribly wrong. It looked as though she would be spending the night in a fire red Asian thrift store. We were amused. She was to share the bathroom with the only other guests for the weekend, who had arrived the evening before. We decided she could share mine and leave them be. The host disappeared. He reappeared later with news about our afternoon spa treatments. There would be none. OK?, but we had reserved in advance? His wife took care of this also. So he had taken the initiative to make appointments for us at the best known day spa in Lakefield. Our appointments, 3pm. In the meantime we had a splendid lunch at a favourite little cafe' not far from the spa where I swear I had the best chicken sandwich I have ever had. On to the spa. Noisy and draughty, first impression. There are children running hither and yon. Nice and bright though. We are met by our attendants and taken to our respective rooms. Twenty five minutes later, I am seated back in the waiting room, waiting on Kelly. Shortest facial, ever! I told Kelly as we were paying our bills, "I just paid someone $50.00 to wash my face, AND...15 minutes of that time was a nap! Hugely disappointing! Back to the bed and breakfast. We picked up or evening dinner on the way, as well as a couple of books. We were seemingly alone on the farm. Eerie! We spent all our time in my room. Gave up on the Asian thrift store room. We went outside to take in the promised view of the shimmering stream. Without standing on Kelly's shoulders, the view was out of my reach. The next morning, Kelly and I made a mental note not to recommend this bed and breakfast as we felt it fell short of the website promises, and that was before breakfast! She and I arrived to the dining room precisely on time. We each had a napkin indicating our place at the table. Sat down. The room echoed. We started to whisper. William appeared, looking stressed. He once again told us he could not cook or entertain. Brought us some cut up melon with rind on, and yogurt in plastic store containers. No dish. Once he realized, he returned with two large plates. I can't help myself giggle now. It is too funny! Finally, he arrives with a warmed bottle of maple syrup. Promising! And then returns with a huge, flat, belgian waffle for each of us. No knife and fork. I inquired as to whether the other guests were coming down to breakfast, hoping we could break the deafening silence with some conversation. William tells us that, for some reason, they chose to eat breakfast in town today, on their way home. I can't imagine why??? Just as breakfast is finishing, William takes a seat. The pressure is off. We must only pay our bill and leave. He asks about our spa experience. I decided to tell him the truth. He is somewhat shocked to find that we felt it was less than perfect. I recommended he not refer his weekend guests there again and told him about my experience. Rather expensive for a face washing. Hardly a relaxing spa experience. He dove head first in to telling us how he loved that spa because they had cured his foot fungus. Took his slipper off and showed us where it had been as he explained how bad it had been. I nearly fell off the chair and of course the look on Kel's face was more than enough to put us both over the edge. She was up and taking things to the car. So done with William.
So you see.... all hosts are not created equally either!

Getting Better!

2012-01-17T15:13:00.000-04:00

Week three of the physio game and I am seeing significant improvement. Feeling very encouraged. Mind you, if I absentmindedly do something without conscious execution, I can be brought down with the pain, but on the lighter side I can now raise my hand above my head again! Woo Hoo! I can't tell you how happy this makes me! Restores my confidence in the therapies too!~

Are you a good guest?

2012-01-15T22:46:00.000-04:00

It's been three or so months now that I have been talking to accommodation business owners..... friends of mine. People who are willing to be frank and honest about their best and worst days with guests and the workings of an accommodation type business. A few threads of commonality are popping up with each interview. What an education! Now I am wondering....WHAT WAS I THINKING?
In general, people do not respect boundaries; neglect to read and comprehend signs, are too familiar, are louder than they think they are, make assumptions based on other assumptions, and destroy furnishings without trying!
This begs the question, ARE YOU A GOOD GUEST? I think one of the big assumptions guests make is that inns or bed and breakfasts have the same resources as big hotel chains. That there are various peoples behind the scenes to take care of their every need. Not so! Many hosts would make you feel this is so because of extraordinary service and care to detail, not to mention being extremely organized and generous, when in fact most small accommodation businesses are managed entirely by the owner, a person, who by changing hats throughout the day, manages to see to the many tasks related to having a revolving guest business, day after day. They are masters of intuition, of grace and pleasantries. Of making you feel at home. Perhaps we have never taken the time to wonder if in fact we are good guests, even when visiting friends and family. I'm guessing most of you, like myself, have never given it a minute of thought. So lets...
Lets look at the annoying things they deal with daily. "make yourself at home" they say, when in actual fact they mean treat our home better than you would your own, because lets face it, we all look for holiday experiences that raise our quality of life for a few days. We don't choose places that are 'like home'. Don't show up in the kitchen wearing a towel to ask for toenail clippers, or foot cream. ewww! Don't have run on conversations about your myriad of health issues. Don't monopolize the hosts time, they have work to do! Don't strip the bed when you leave. Each place has a laundry system. Untangling the clumps of sheets makes them first wonder what damage you've done and are trying to hide, and then annoys them when they have to sort through it, when it could have been dismantled in a manner that suits the laundry system for that day. Don't throw wet towels and bathing suits over wood furnishings or leave them lying on hardwood floors and carpets. Don't spray perfume all over the bedroom. The next guest could be allergic! Don't dye your hair and stain the bathroom fixtures and towels too! Make up remover also removes colour from towels and face clothes. Flat out ruins them! Don't move the furniture. Don't start conversations with.... 'you don't mind....?" because they probably do mind! Read the house rules! Park where you are told. Admit when you break something. Don't steal art work or antiquities. Don't be late for breakfast unless you plan to skip it. Don't lie about smoking in your room, and secondly.... don't smoke!!! Check in and out on time. Don't arrive with surprise guests.
Say Thank You. Makes you wonder..... If in fact you are a good guest!

The devil behind a disarming smile!

2012-01-10T16:29:00.001-04:00

Week two of therapy on the sore arms. My physiotherapist, Nicole, is the sweetest, nicest girl, but I swear the devil is lurking not far off. I was so sore after the first session I could do little more than dangle my appendage the next day. It didn't help when on Sunday while helping C shop for a new wardrobe, I backed up against some boxes sitting on the store floor at the end of a display, and lost my balance. I instinctively grabbed for the clothing rack to gain my composure, with the sore arm, and whoa... it was on wheels!!! So, ere go I.... reeling off course and crashing against the sore arm when I hit the wall displays. The pain was indescribably brutal. I cried. After I gained my composure I realized the arm was aching worse than ever. It is a set back... hopefully minor. At least I am within reach of the devil physiotherapist! Right? Ouch!

Morning ALL!

2012-01-09T12:35:00.000-04:00

The first week has literally flown by! AND the calendar has filled up to the 17th almost effortlessly!
Nice to have been missed.
On my agenda today.... updating an old cell phone and data plan, which is no easy task. When did faceless communications get so #(%*#$ complicated!!! Loverman wooed me here, and has now disappeared until Friday, which is the day I leave to go visit Miss K's. Hmmmmmm! Nothing outside of the usual here! When I am not on hold with the telephone people, I have been doing market research and plotting ideas on a static web plan, trying to reason my way through many considerations, like.... policies and procedures, something I run away from usually, but in terms of business operations, clients like the fine print, and rates, menus, logistics.... and the list goes on! Each decision hinges on the others as well, which speaks to the necessity of getting it right the first time, which may take a bit longer than I thought. Soooo.... I decided, to create a static site for information purposes, and once we iron out the finer details, we will put the requirements on the desk of our very capable friend N.L. if she will have us, and wait for her genius skills to make us look good! Ha!
On the procurement side of things, for the INN, I have whittled away at the list and hope to continue that process over the next few weeks. Then I am off to the gift ware show in Toronto at the end of the month to see if I can find some treasure for our little 'in house' tea shop. Not missing a beat....

Helllloooo!

2012-01-03T12:09:00.000-04:00

A little lapse in posts!!! I am now in our cosy house by the river in Ottawa! Happy New Year all!!! The vista here is superbly winter which was a bit of a shocker after the mild winter conditions of Grand Manan. We have a wind chill of minus 28 today..... yikes! So...we are cleaning closets and catching up on house chores. It's been awhile since this house had a clean sweep! I've been away for 9 months! The river has closed over and the snow machines are active! I almost prefer the winter vista to the summer, as the days are bright and the sporting, fun to watch from indoors!...by a warm fire! HA!
After a couple more days of getting in touch with my Ottawa life, I will set out to reconnect with my friends! Can't wait!
The blog will slow a bit, (but not crawl :) as I begin the task of designing a website, and preparing for summer reservations. I had promised people I would be ready to accept reservations by mid January, and give or take a day or two, I should be on time. For those who are paying attention to the countdown....
we are 171 days from opening! @(**&%#@ My heart flutters when I think of the amount of work that has to happen between now and then, BUT..... on we go!....Small goals add up to the BIG picture!

A Joyful gift!

2011-12-28T16:43:00.000-04:00

For future reference, I made a present for my Dad for Christmas that elicited a great response, not just from him, but from the MANY people who took part. I had an idea that he could receive message from people he cares about, each morning. A great way to start the day. Like a calendar, but far more personal. Then it hit me.... put it in a box, which then turned out to be jar....a JOY JAR! I learned a lot about my Dad in doing this and heard stories I had never heard before. It reminds me that sometimes we pass through the same experience, but our memories are completely different, and it is always good to hear other perspectives!

I emailed and phoned as many people as I could, with a simple request. To submit a motivational quote or inspirational story or memory to me via email. I then printed them and put them in a jar. Each day he will take one out and share a moment with the thoughts of that person. Awesome! They told two people and they told two...and before I knew it I had an unbelievable response! Then I decorated the jar in a funny homemade way...and it became a present. The first story he read was about a fishing trip on which he and his friend had lost track of time and became lost as night fell. Funny! It was a trip down memory lane for sure.

Here is the JOY JAR... a simple idea....extremely personal and delightful!!!

Just thought I would share the idea with you!

Priceless!

2011-12-27T11:58:00.000-04:00

A FAMILY CHRISTMAS!

20 dozen cookies

19 pounds of turkey

18 trips down the island

17 loads of laundry

16 sinks full of dishes

15 overnight guests

14 batteries

13 spilled beverages

12 slamming doors

11 wee one boo boo's

10 pounds of potatoes

9 dozen chocolates

8 sleep deprived parents

7 bags of garbage

6 fall down fits of laughter

5 Grandparents

4 car loads of presents

3 doggies

2 missing presents

1 toppled Christmas tree

Priceless!

All's well that ends well!

2011-12-27T03:21:00.000-04:00

On the 23rd afternoon, aboard the 3pm ferry, the first entourage arrived! 24hours later, the final four. The rooms at the inn were full! A family size casserole dinner and chatter. Oh my, how very normal we are. Before we knew it, it was Christmas Eve. Our busiest elf (Kelly) had organized the gifting, in room six, (aka... the make believe room) since that room is awaiting renovation and we needed a large space to accommodate a lot of STUFF! Everything from Christmas crafts to stockings to secret plans!!!

The wee ones were passed from knee to knee in the living room. Christmas hugs for the Granny's and Grampy's. Our Christmas was moving at the speed of light! (Thank goodness for preplanning!)

Each of the family picked their number from a basket upon arrival, and then went to check the board.

Number 7, my favourite, turned out to be my nephew Matthew, and number 12 this year was my Niece Ashley. She did not request much at all from the family. Not one foot or shoulder rub. Just beverage delivery service. We got off easy!!!

The wee ones...

Bradley

Courtney

Were amazing little guests!

And before we knew it, we were snuggled in our beds with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads!

I awoke just after three and began the preparation of a Christmas Family breakfast. By the time the coffee concierge awoke around five, I had the breakfast almost complete.

Christmas Morning Breakfast Menu

Mango Pomegranate and Homemade Orange Maple Yogurt Parfaits

Home Baked Brioche

Fresh Fruit Salad

Ham and Cheese Quiche

Turkey and Cranberry Quiche

Fresh Orange juice

....etc.

I came down the stairs to find this....

The elves had out done themselves, and everything was organized and ready. The room glowing like glitter on a Christmas Card! Stockings overflowing with wonder. Peaceful and beautiful!

And then the family stirred just before eight, and pandemonium ensued! What fun!

My Dad in his festive Santa hat! Mr Christmas himself!!!

Taking a picture of us taking a picture!

The first time Ashley is with her family on Christmas Day.... ever!!! Her brothers LOVED this! We all felt blessed to have her with us!

Midge

Ashley and Lance

Dad and Midge

The Family!!!

Cheers!

Hope Your Christmas was as Merry as ours!!!!

Tomorrow I will tell you about the JOY JAR we gave my Dad....stay tuned!

The Eve of the Eve

2011-12-23T06:43:00.000-04:00

We are just hours away now, from the onslaught of family. Excitement is in the air. While trimming the tree, I found these in the ornament packing....

In 1994 Claude and I hosted a family Christmas. We always have a craft area to keep little minds and hands busy. That year we built bird houses and made tree ornaments. My nephew Michel made these Mr and Mrs. Gingerbread decorations for us. He is now in his 20's with a daughter of his own. He will probably recognize how precious these are..... but will be mortified when I post them on Facebook, which Aunt Debi MUST do..... because Michel is easily embarrassed and easy to tease! His friends will love this side of him!

Merry Christmas Mike!.... you softy!

A Christmas Mystery

2011-12-21T15:10:00.000-04:00

Some years we have a quiet Christmas, like our third year in Simcoe. We felt we had been working hard and perhaps a few days of quiet time, at home, would be best. Kelly decided to join us.
The picture below is the Simcoe house at possession, before restoration work began.

By year two the exterior was transformed, to this...

We usually like to address the exterior as soon as possible, as it sends a message to the neighbours and community that the suffering is over! The inside however, had major repairs underway, so we cordoned off a place in the formal dining room to set up a tree, around which we placed three comfy chairs. Our kitchen renovation was coming to an end which gave us a place to cook a wonderful Christmas dinner. Who could ask for more? The gifts were ready and the tree trimmed. Kelly and Lucy (chocolate lab) arrived just after lunch on Christmas Eve. We spent the evening catching up on each others lives, watched the pets open their gifts, and then called it a night. Just before retiring I set out a plate of family favourite butter tarts to thaw for Christmas Day.

Christmas morning, a new fall of snow. The dogs played and ran in the snow like little children at a sandbox park. I started breakfast. I found the butter tart plate empty on the counter. I grinned curiously wondering which of them had been to the kitchen stealing butter tarts in the night??? Claude came in to start the coffee. Claimed he knew nothing of the tarts. I had my doubts as we have caught him 'mouth full' in the kitchen before...blaming Sophie (the retriever) for eating all the cookies!!! Kelly came down to breakfast and I asked her if she enjoyed the butter tarts? She assured me sincerely that it had not been her, and, was not happy with whoever had not shared!!!

We now had a butter tart mystery!!! Although I had not let either of them off the hook just yet! Just after lunch, the turkey was stuffed, and I went to the pantry to retrieve the roasting pan, and in mid-step remembered having moved it to the drawer in the range. Opened the range and found the roaster with a little foil tart liner lying on it's side. Hmmmmm???

Looked for the other three foils. Nothing!

I put the turkey in the oven, set the timer and returned to the dining room for a family movie. Kelly's favourite...A Muppet Christmas! I questioned the family once again about the missing tarts. Denial! Late in the afternoon with the smell of roasting turkey wafting through the house, I decided to set the table for dinner. I'd left the table cloth in the dryer. Off to the laundry room, which was located just behind the family dining room (not to be confused with the formal dining room) which is adjacent to the kitchen. As I was walking through the family dining room past the old marble fireplace I heard a high pitched noise, like laughter on steroids. I froze. Listened. There it was again. Coming out of the marble fireplace....

I stopped, removed the items sitting on the mantle and hoisted up the marble slab. HEAVY MARBLE SLAB.... I peered in. Three little chipmunks and three foil liners. They were on a sugar high, laughing like the butter tart thieves they were! My family still brings it up every Christmas.... but the part they tease me most about is the next day. I printed a picture of a chipmunk and placed it on the wall beside Riley's (our cat) food dish. It had a big X through it. I told him they must go!!!! I looked out one day not long after that and Riley was laying on his back on the grass bouncing a chipmunk up in the air with his hind legs!!! He got a reward!

Room Four!

2011-12-19T21:52:00.000-04:00

My first expected guests of Christmas are on their way to the ferry as I write, and I just finished sprucing up their room. It is ready with a floofy bed, warm fresh linens, and little presents waiting. On Saturday I got the idea to take some old bi fold doors from a closet we reconfigured, and make a head board for room four. I wondered how nice that might be. to come in from a long drive to a completely new room, warm and cosy. So, Claude got busy on the rebuilding of the bathroom walls and I got busy with these.....

....old doors and my idea. I can't tell you how many setbacks we had, mostly because it was a first time project, and the template always takes longer as you learn from your mistakes. The frustration proved to be worth it though, so much so, that I am taking the remaining doors and installing them in number 8 in the same fashion. These are not INN linens in the photo. We are using home linens for Christmas. The linens in this room are soft cream and gold. I'll have to show you that picture another day. :)

This would work equally well with bi fold louvre doors too, which would look quite at home in a cottage or country house

Room four, before we started...

I hope they like it!

De-LIGHT-ful

2011-12-18T07:48:00.001-04:00

My little orange slices have dried perfectly, and the barren tree has edible adornments all over it now. Today I plan to add ginger cookies! Once this is complete, the little tree, otherwise forgotten after hurricane Irene, will be a buffet tree for the sweet toothed family on it's way! Everything on it is edible!....AND when the sun passes it in the afternoon, the little slices of orange smell fragrant and glisten like little windows of orange coloured glass! Sweet!

Forgot....

2011-12-14T18:49:00.000-04:00

This was the fireplace when we arrived!

Christmas is in sight!

2011-12-14T18:38:00.003-04:00

The living room is acceptable for the holidays. Whew! I made a huge mistake with the paint at the beginning of last week, and thought I had sunk my ship, BUT after sleeping on it I came up with a solution and managed to pull it out of the problem. The preparations on this room were vastly different from the dining room even though they are next door to each other. The living room had years of plaster damage from a leaky chimney and I also discovered a leak from the second floor or higher had disintegrated the plaster and window wood on one of the windows. Every day it seemed, I was digging a deeper hole for myself. I managed to fix the window enough to get it to spring when we can take a better look at the problem and install a better window. That sounds easy, but that fix alone took three days. The water damage around the ceilings and fireplace took two days of hurry up and wait. I had to repair and then wait for it to dry.... and then further repair. The bigger problem place was the wood panelled area by the five front windows. The repair from water damage was significant here and took many days of reaching up to individual squares of woodworking and repairing the cracks and split wood. You would wonder how a small area could take so long to fix. I kept asking myself the same thing. As usual the answer is.... the quality of the finish rests in the hands of the person doing the prep work and having the patience to do a thorough job. There were some days when I was all in after only two hours, because I was on a ladder, neck bent up, working with arms raised. My tennis elbow did not approve! Then we came to the paint day. Very anticipated!!! I did the little test to see if we were dealing with an old oil finish or a latex finish. Turned out to be latex. Off to the hardware store with my fabric samples from the chairs on order, and two hours later we were in business. Not so quick. I started painting and realized the paint was having a problem adhering to the panels of wood. At one point I thought perhaps I had put on caulking that was not paintable. Not the case. Then I wondered if I had expired paint, since low VOC paint has a shorter shelf life than the lead or oil paints. Not the case. I felt ill as I watched the paint literally sliding off the wall. In all my thirty years of renovations, this is a first for me. I read and re-read the paint cans trying to figure out what went wrong. I took my woes back to the hardware store and talked to Kerry, the resident expert. I dared to say out loud what I thought it might be. He confirmed that I was probably right. @($&@^#
My paint test, which has never failed me, was right, for the last layer of paint, which was applied to an area of wall about 5 feet by 3 feet, in the area where the most water damage had been. BUT... the rest of the woodworking was a semi gloss oil. The place where I had tested had been top coated with a latex to cover the water stains, no doubt when it was put up for sale. SO.... you can see why I would have confirmed a latex paint was the last paint used. This little problem was HUGE! overall!!! I then had to wait a week for that mess to dry, even though it was not adhered to the wall. Then some of it came off on my hand when I wiped the wall, and the rest I decided to leave. I then primed the entire area with an oil primer, which is the correct way to transition from oil to latex..... but, because we are correcting a mistake and the layers need time to cure (30 days) I have left the living room wood working with just the primer coat until the new year. It has adhered well, and is drying solid. Whew! The latex will be sandwiched between to oil layers, and once this is VERY dry, I can transition us to latex. What a pain in the keester that was!
The rest of the living room is fine and ready to go for the holidays...

Our tree will be delivered on the weekend and family starts arriving Monday to help decorate and get ready. It is fast upon us, is it not?

Still no word on whether our chairs will make it for Christmas, but I am wishing none the less. It would be awesome!

I understand we have some new followers to the blog, who are renovating a house in Hudson, Quebec. Welcome!

Hope things are going smoothly with your renovations.

That's it for today...

The Machines Are Here! Joy to the World!

2011-12-14T17:42:00.000-04:00

After a considerable wait, our laundry machines are here. Humming and whirling instead of clunking and groaning! Eco friendly, water saving, computerized machines. It marvels me when you remember the old ringer washer I sent to the Swallowtail restoration project (Circa 1950) (Suds and Duds June 6/11, post) when I arrived. My how the job of laundry has changed over the years! YAY...for that! This will make things easier at Christmas as well, with wee ones..... and towels, towels, towels!

AND.... I now have a stove in the kitchen.... woo hoo! I had to walk to the old kitchen to cook since arriving. So, prep in one kitchen and go to another to cook, and then forget about things and end up with burnt offerings! It was 18 steps to the old stove, and a mere 2 from the prep area now! This is a wonderful Christmas present! AND...a couple of fridges and a freezer. I tell you, when you have the right tool for the job...it makes all the difference.
It's a good day on the island!

Deceivingly Delightful Christmas Gift!

2011-12-12T15:15:00.004-04:00

Kelly graduated from university the same year I turned 50. After years of hearing us chatter about wishing we could, my sweet husband gave us the gift of gifts. I opened the small birthday package. A bit confused at first, when I saw a picture of Liza Minnelli. They encouraged me to open it further. It was a movie case. So I did. Still not clear. "OK?... thank you for the movie?" The name of the movie, 'New York, New York!' I finally clued in!!!! It was a mother daughter trip to New York City. I was so excited!!!! Immediately we contacted our travel agent Vinnette and started planning the finer details. Reservations were not simple as we were going days before Christmas. Our trip would be four days in length. So much to do in so little time! She found us a small hotel on Broadway. Old in character and cosy. We flew in early on Friday, checked in and stepped out on foot as fast as we could. We were 42 blocks from Times Square. The walk did not phase us one bit. Weeks earlier we had made our reservations for theatre tickets for Saturday night. I had wanted desperately to see The Odd Couple, but it had been sold out for months. It was the last week of the opening six starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Brad Garret. So we changed our focus to Hairspray, showing in a small off Broadway theatre, tickets were just $100.00/ea. unlike the $250. price tag on the other show. Friday night we walked and walked. We stopped and gazed in all the store front windows, visited lingerie shops, music warehouses, ate at a street eatery, and walked back the 42 blocks to bed at about 10pm. Kelly was the first asleep. I lay quietly reading some tourist brochures I'd picked up along the way, making plans for the following day. We started our Saturday at a restaurant next door to the hotel. It was a scene right out of any movie based in New York. There were some interesting characters to amuse us over breakfast. We discovered there is a lottery for theatre tickets every day in Times Square at 2 pm. For the matinee's mostly but on occasion people return tickets or popular shows suddenly have an unannounced feature showing. We decided to go there Saturday afternoon and see if we could see another show. The rest of the morning was fascinating as Kelly insisted we go to THE WORLD'S BIGGEST TOY STORE, FAO Schwartz, on Fifth Avenue. The streets were so busy there were policemen arm in arm holding back the crowds at street crossings when the lights changed. You could quite literally lift your feet off the ground and be carried across the street by the crowd. There was a line up around the block at the toy store. It was such a beautiful day, although a bit nippy, we decided to do it anyway. They were letting 25 or so people in at a time. The gate keepers were dressed as toy soldiers! Awesome! Right? Once inside you immediately revert to your childhood wonder place, as your eyes dart from one delight to the next. The employees are paid to play!!! This would have been the perfect job for me!!! The children were so orderly and fascinating to watch. I could have spent the weekend in the doll section where the doctors and nurses were delivering the new born dollies to the waiting Mommies in the waiting room. So adorable! There were complete rooms made of Lego, and the inventors of some toys were present to sign and package your purchases. Everything you ever imagined a toy store could be was on a massive scale. Even the stuffed animals were four stories high! Unbelievable! By the time we left that store we were parched. Kelly decided we needed to go to Starbucks. My first time. The line up was LONG, the seating, PACKED! Kel suggested she get in line and I get us a seat. It was then I discovered I'd been robbed. My back pack was open at the top. What they assumed was a wallet was actually a receipt pouch. Gone, and a ring I had taken off because wearing jewellery while walking in the streets was discouraged. It could have been worse I decided. It must have happened when the crowd carried us across the street. I knew Kelly was going to lecture me about this one! While I waited for her, I sat observing the people around me, like the two men next to me who were deep in conversation about the coffee they were drinking. Who had picked it, how they brought it down the mountain, roasted it without harsh chemicals or singing. I was fascinated! I thought to myself.... 'apart from hoping I hit the cup with the boiling water when I make my morning tea, in my half awake stupor, I have never wondered who picked it, how they carried it, or even where it came from. Kelly returned to the table. I told her about the robbery. We were both a little dismayed for the moment but then decided, lesson learned! When we left the coffee shop we discovered we were elbow to elbow with Barnes and Noble bookstore. I bought my first book about tea. It was already afternoon by this time, so we headed to the lottery line in TImes Square. Tickets were $25.00 There were about 100 people in front of us in the line. Kelly and I were talking and observing things around us when a cell phone rang. The man in front of us answered in a loud New York fashion. Realizing he was in ear shot of many, he stepped out of line so as not to be annoying. I said softly to Kelly, ' I'm going to let him back in line when he is finished his call' "Remember our talk?" she cautioned. The one where she told me this is not home. Can't talk to just anybody and the fence post Mom! "Stay with me, and no going off with strangers...." She is of course, right. There are signs everywhere, if you are of the mind to observe them, about tourism fraud and cautions about many things! Still....' I'm letting him in!' When he hung up the call I said, 'Would you like back in line?' He turned and smiled, 'Would you like to go to a show?' I gestured to my daughter over my shoulder and said 'Are you hitting on me, because that is my daughter behind me?' He was talking kind of fast and encouraging me to follow him. I stepped out of line. "We have to go right now, it starts any minute" It was almost 2 o'clock, matinee time. We were walking together now, at a brisk pace. I looked over my shoulder. Kelly was three paces behind with a curious look on her face. I knew I was going to be in trouble... again! My mind was a whirling dervish too as I reasoned if he tried anything the two if us could throw him down. I mean I wouldn't want to encourage my temper. I'm unstoppable! As we walked I asked questions... like... why he had four tickets ?, and what was he doing in the lottery line ?, and excuse me if this sounds a bit too good to be true, and what show did you say it was? The Odd Couple!!! Now he had my attention! Kelly was close behind. 'I don't have a lot of money on me' I told him, 'how much are the tickets?' He answered, "Give me what you can". As we reached the theatre I told him I felt a little odd about it all. There are warnings everywhere ...after all! "Would you feel better if I came in to the theatre with you?" 'Yes, yes I would!' Kelly tapped me on the shoulder. "Where are we going?" 'To see the Odd Couple' By this time we had reached the theatre. The marquee read "The Odd Couple starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. My heart started to quicken. Honestly...could this be happening? Inside, the ticket teller addressed him by name, took our tickets and handed us back the stubs. She told us the show had just started, but she would see us to our seats at a lull in about 4 minutes. We sat at the back of the theatre in high back velvet chairs. Honestly I would have been happy with that. " Do you feel ok about this now?" he asked. I handed him $150.00 As he turned to leave he said, "Not everybody in New York is out to get you, Merry Christmas to you and your family, enjoy your visit" and he was gone. The usher took my arm and escorted me to our seats. The front row, centre four. When Matthew threw water on Nathan, we felt it. I loved every minute of it and more! I could not believe I was sitting there.
And that's another Christmas story!
(The reason he was in the lottery line was to try and resell the tickets he had bought for his wife and brother and sister-in-law, arriving from Florida) He had received word that morning that the sister-in- law had suffered a heart attack. They were leaving to go to Florida immediately. He arrived late to the line, and missed the 1pm deadline to resell the tickets. I just happened to be his next best bet.)

Has the spirit found you?

2011-12-11T11:21:00.001-04:00

If the spirit has not arrived for you yet, stop waiting and go find it. It is surprising what will come if you open yourself to it! In other words 'fake it until you make it' :) I've decided to tell you some Christmas stories from my life over the next weeks, as renovating will slow to a crawl with company expected and an enormous amount of cleaning that must happen to accommodate that! ;)

One December 23, it was almost closing time at my tea shop. A fellow had been lingering in the shop for more than twenty minutes. He declined assistance, but obviously was waiting quietly for something. When the last customer left the store, and just before I was to lock the door for another year, he came forward from the corner of the shop, introduced himself and our conversation and friendship was underway. He had been curious about the shop and had intended to come in long before that day. We were instant friends. Thats the day I met my friend Jeffrey Sidway (and later Irene), two of my favourite treasures from our days in Simcoe.
That same year a lady had also lingered in my shop, alone, for a considerable amount of time. I approached to see if she needed assistance. She could not answer me for the tears. I stood quietly and waited. When she found composure she told me she had come to find a gift for her two daughters who love tea. I knew there was more..... She stammered a bit and asked me "how do you buy a present and break your children's hearts on the same day?" A silent coma fell over my otherwise happy little shop. I locked the door. Invited her to sit. Put the kettle on. By the time I returned with the tea, she was seated in the sunroom in a cosy chair, staring out the window. I regained her attention with my arrival. I poured, and then she poured...again. We sat quietly a little longer. She wrapped her trembling hands around the cup, and began to speak. Her cancer had returned for the fourth time. She had no more fight in her. Her decision was made, and the next day she must tell her family. I had no words, at first. I called upon my deepest compassion and asked if she needed someone to be with her when she broke the news. For me, this was an enormous offer. This is not my strength! Her kind eyes turned my way at the obviously surprising offer. "You don't even know me". 'True.' Although it would comfort her greatly she felt it might not be a comfort to her family to have a stranger in the room at that moment. I agreed, somewhat relieved. By the time we reached the bottom of the pot, I thought of a way to be with her and not there. She calmed herself over the hour, and told me she had not said it out loud herself yet, and needed to. She thanked me. She found renewed reasons to purchase the gifts, as we had decided they would be the last ones she would ever purchase, why not be corny, loving, and endearing all at once! We even laughed a few times. Before she left, I asked her name. Janet lived on the other side of town, on a street I'd not heard of. I made a mental note. All night long her spirit was with me, torturously. I felt deeply for her family.
My gesture was small, but the next day, I asked my friend NJ to deliver a package to her home at precisely 3pm. NJ had been down a similar road to Janet. The perfect messenger to send. NJ had no idea, all she knew was that she was making a special delivery for me. A favour. I package up warm scones, tea and shortbread cookies and sent her on her way. Janet answered her door and told NJ she was not expecting a delivery. NJ asked her if she recalled the lady at the tea shop. " Yes?" "She asked me to deliver this to you" "Please come in" said Janet.
The end.

Ahhhh! Christmas!!!!

2011-12-10T05:26:00.001-04:00

I slept last night with visions of sugar plums dancing in my head! Last evening on Grand Manan was the first ever (I'm assuming soon to be annual) Christmas Home Tour, and what a crowd pleaser it turned out to be. The whole evening was enchanting. As we drove the island to begin our tour, almost every home had indoor trees lit, and Christmas lights, gleaming! Some of them are so breath taking they defy description. If you are wondering where the Christmas spirit is this year, it is here on the island! The tour included three homes and a visit to a church hall after all, to enjoy live entertainment, snacks and beverages, and a crafter's market. There was not a minute I did not thoroughly enjoy! Each house decked out in it's finest, with cheer, laughter and love bouncing off the walls. I can appreciate the work behind an evening like this, with Christmas trees in almost every room, and bedrooms that twinkle with the promise of dreams adventured in the minds eye of a child. Each house breathtaking and unique unto it's own, in their interpretation of Christmas and what it means to their family. Can you tell I LOVED it? Loverman arrived yesterday afternoon for the holidays, (YAY!!) and last evening was our first evening out together in a very long time. We met charming people, had an enchanting time, and came away with the JOY of Christmas. You simply must come next year....stay at the inn, and see what I mean!

Sooooo beautiful!

2011-12-07T11:09:00.001-04:00

Last evening Miss Daisy and I set out on our evening walk just before nine. I had thought we would take our stroll down Airport Road and look at the houses all decorated for Christmas. We made a left out the driveway and headed in that direction. Steps in to the walk I realized it was much warmer out than had been forecast. I drew down the zipper of my fleece. By the time we reached Airport Road, I had forgotten about the lights and went straight on to the beach. The tide was in, and the sky clear as a bell with a million stars begging for attention. The sound of voluminous waves rushing the shore, lit only by the beacon of Swallowtail, was all the invitation I needed. Daisy and I sat on a rock and listened. Pure Joy! If I had not witnessed the calendar I could have believed it was an early spring evening. The kind you crave in February. You know, the first walk of spring that fills your lungs with clean, fresh air and makes you want to walk all night? That was the feeling! There was a misty rain and the sound of the waves... and nothing else! Soooo... beautiful!
Came home and checked the thermometer.... 12 degrees! Gorgeous evening for December!

A baron tree!

2011-12-05T19:08:00.000-04:00

Why do you have a dead tree in your house? How many times have I been asked this over the years? It's been called a Charlie Brown Christmas tree more times than I care to remember, but it it much more than that to me.

I put it in a location where I will pass it many times in a day.

This year, the front hall.

It sits there baron for a few weeks, fuelling thoughts. It helps me to remember, by being in sharp contrast with everything else at this time of year, that many parts of the world have an existence that is just this; baron, needy, and painful. It helps me to curb my extravagance and focus on the true gifts of Christmas, with it's humble stature. It's nothingness, reminds me if ever there was a time for giving, it is now. There is no better time to be thankful for my many blessings, than now. It reassures me that everything has value, especially simplicity. Never take things for granted. These are the good years and I am lucky to be of good health in this time.

A tree represents all that?

Well in fact it does. It helps me put my generous self forward. Close to home and close to heart. The tree does not stay baron, for just as with many things, if you turn your attentions to it, generate a little love, it can become something entirely different. In an advent sort of way, I add things daily until it is brimming with bright colours, promise and hope.

There is JOY in my dead tree branch.

AND.... JOY in my heart!

Getting in the spirit!

2011-12-04T15:59:00.000-04:00

I've decided to take a day away from the paint brush. That's not to say I am not working, I am just not working on the usual stuff! Every fall around mid October I start to preserve fruits for Christmas. Pomanders. Have you heard of them? You stud citrus fruits and apples with whole cloves, and then bury them in a spice combination of ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, alum etc, and wait six weeks. They come out preserved and smelling divine. You then put them in a bowl in your living room and enjoy the aroma all through the holidays. It is better and sweeter smelling than any potpourri you can buy. Well this year, with many distractions at hand, I missed the boat, and did not make my pomanders. I also make preserved fruit slices some years and dry them to hang on the tree. Also very fragrant. This year, we are shortcutting through to a new version. When these fruit slices dry they look like little pieces of stained glass on the tree, and while they are drying, the entire house smells like...well, Christmas. Citrus and cloves!

(I'll explain the dead tree in the next post)

You will need....

A couple of fragrant, plump oranges or grapefruit or lemons, even limes.

Whole cloves,

a knife, paper towel, and cutting board.

Slice the oranges horizontally across the centre in slices about 1/4 inch thick.

Stud the orange slices with whole cloves and lay on a paper towel over night.

This helps if the oranges are overly juicy.

When you have a minute the next day, hang them with ornament hangers from your tree branches or with ribbons in front of a sunny window. The house will be especially fragrant when the sun passes the window.

I can hear your inquiring mind asking what about bugs? Not ever have I had fruit flies from this, but if you do get them I have an easy quick remedy. Just email me and I will tell you all about it. Do they rot? No! Cloves are what they used in tombs to preserve ancient mummies. It works the same on the orange slices.

It is an easy fun, homespun thing to do for the holidays!

OH YES... and the left over bits of imperfection...orange peel and cloves, should be put in a baggy in the freezer. I'll tell you why in a few days.

To paint or not to paint!

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000-04:00

I'm sure I must appear to be paint thirsty most of the time, and I DO love the warmth paint can deliver to a space, but I do have a conscience about historical craftsmanship and if it is a reasonable leap to repair or salvage, I usually opt for that route. I was having talks with myself, as I often do.....about the fireplace mantle in the parlour. I reasoned it had stood here for more years than I could ever know, and although it had been over stained a dozen times covering the original oak finish, it is a remarkable piece. Ah.... stain over oak...first clue! I sometimes take my afternoon tea sitting quietly in front of the current project. I am amazed the things I solve over tea! It is probably one of the driving factors that sent me head long in to the tea business! The more I looked at the mantel piece, the more it drew me in. It is sitting off centre by a whole inch. Curious! I got the ladder. Once at the top of the considerably tall mantle piece, I could see behind it quite easily. It is a good two inches out from the wall in places. Another clue! 'Get a flashlight' I say out loud! With flashlight in hand I peer into the dark space behind the mantle. One would expect to find brick and mortar here. Not so. There have been all sorts of things shoved in the cavity. Children's toys, Christmas tinsel, random bits of games, etc. etc. AND being almost two inches from the wall, it's no wonder the fireplace smoked back in to the room when it was lit! We never bothered to find out.... and removed the chimney because it was unsafe...remember? The gaps have been filled and over filled with spray foam....highly flammable stuff! Oh dear! Then I spied it..... the trace on the wall of the original mantle. Shorter, simpler in design I imagine, and I'm quite sure it would have been red pine like the rest of the wood in this house, not oak. Disappointingly...gone! So now I'm less enchanted by the soaring mantle in the living room and decide to paint it, instead of stripping it. There are quite a few repairs to the face of the wood, and holes to be filled from years of nails haphazardly driven hither and yon, which is most unfortunate because there are built in hooks beneath the shelf for things like stockings at Christmas! No nails required! Last evening I primed the mantle. It already looks like a completely different piece. I think it is a HUGE improvement to the towering black shadow that hung over us in the corner whenever we sat in that room.
As you can see, I decided to continue work in the living room/parlour, knowing full well it would be even harder to leave and return someday to the unfinished jobs. I've decided to do the best job I can and fix the window next summer, which will be a disruption, but I can have my afternoon tea in the dining room that day! Win Win!

Water problems...again!!! Geesh!

2011-12-01T09:43:00.000-04:00

It is warm and peaceful this morning on the island of Lovely. The ferry was over an hour late leaving on the first run today. Not sure what the delay was, but everything else is as usual here. Delightful!
I am once again in somewhat of a holding pattern as I discovered one of the windows in the living room has rot above and below it. I had thought the window was the problem, but now recognize the problem exists higher up the exterior wall. Water will, as water does, find a gravitational path to the ground. In its path, destruction if undetected or left. We can fix this, I'm just not sure we can fix it now...in the winter months. I'm toying with completing the room except for that area, OR..... leaving it all together and using my energy elsewhere. Always something!

This pleases me!

2011-11-30T20:29:00.001-04:00

A knock at the door, last summer. She came to tell me about when this was her grandmother's house. She recalled with tender thoughtfulness, playing as a child in the kitchen. Mr. G. told me one day that he played in this house as a boy too. When he was all of 4. He asked if the french doors still remain. They do. Another lady remembered playing here as well; that children were welcomed with cookies and milk, and this impressive house had built in cupboards in the kitchen (rare for this island in those times) with a bottom drawer of toys, just for children. It was the Johnson family that lived here then, and clearly Mrs. Johnson loved children and visitors. I know she loved this house!

I had decided when I began the living room, to do something a tad unpredictable, and, as with most decisions, I sometimes struggle at first, and then usually something happens to assure me I'm headed in the right direction.... or not! Today as I was scrapping and repairing the woodworking around the parlour windows, some paint flecked away. Much to my delight and surprise, the exact same colour of paint that I have mixed and waiting for the panels, was the original colour!!! I could hardly believe my eyes! This house was once decorated with warm colours, as is evident in the wall papers I have uncovered, and now the woodworking ..... (you'll have to wait and see what colour!). The last, and telling, layer of paper in the kitchen was a rich French toille in blues and whites. It must have looked amazing next to the red pine cabinets! Warm and happy! Mrs Johnson, loved her house. We know the living room was bumped out to the width of the front porch to enlarge the living space, I imagine this happened after the house was moved from Net Point. Houses really do tell a story if you listen and look closely! Slow but sure, I feel the rich story of this house is unfolding, to an eager audience.
I once had a boss, years ago, that taught me any number of life lessons. One that has rung true over the years is 'to never fall in love with your house'.
"It is an investment. Maintain it. Make it work for you. Emotions have no place in business", he said. After eleven house restorations, I believe this too, but there must be SOME love. I think I have found my way to some of these questionable dwellings at the last possible chapter. They are usually so grossly unloved and derelict that no-one has cast a shadow across the the threshold in a very long time. I did not set out to do this as a vocation. I am drawn inexplicably to these desperate challenges! I'm not sure what appeals to me in that moment. I dare say it is love. Perhaps a love of history, or the throw back to simpler times in an otherwise fast paced world. I'm not sure. I feel, no matter what the condition of the old house, that it is a privilege to be part of the history, and for me, part of the 'come back' story! The restoration of the Paris house was so vast, the historical society was ready to reclaim it, with pride, when we finished, but they, as well as the government had neglected the historically relevant house for so many years, people felt sure we were going to tear it down. It had been the residence of Charles Arnold, a renowned Canadian botanist credited with saving the french wine industry in the late 1800's when France fell under a blight. He developed a disease resistant grape, and together with the then President of the Unites States, travelled to France to deliver the plants! Imagine!!! I would have never known this if not for taking Charles Arnold's house under my wing and deciding to give it a new chapter in history. Recently, I looked in the rear view mirror as I drove away from the last restoration, in Simcoe. I could barely recognize the property from when we arrived five years prior. The transformation surprised even us! After being a six unit apartment building since 1943, we dared return it to the grand dame of Norfolk. People started coming to the door relaying stories of their love for the gracious old place. Funny, since it had become old and invisible for more years than anybody could recall. So.... maybe we need a measure of LOVE to reclaim the dignity of our history, to respect the work of our ancestors and their vision of house and home. Whatever it is.... I think I will have to break the rule this time. Love the place....love the people...love the house! Does this surprise you?

This irks me!

2011-11-30T06:00:00.002-04:00

Every year, heading in to Christmas, there is an email that circulates with angst about the words Merry Christmas verses Happy Holidays. It gets posted and tagged, tweeted, copied and posted again with words that engage hatred and disgust. It is the season of JOY !. If a person gifts you with a joyful message, from their heart, why would you want control of the message? If you know in your heart what you believe, why would a couple of words deter you from your beliefs? Can we not enjoy our celebrations and embrace the fact that there is good in others even if the message is not the same as ours? The very fact that someone lifts their heads from whatever distraction they have in their palms or laps and greets you with a joyful message, is a step in the right direction.... Take it, Reciprocate it, EnJOY it and Pass it along! Let good come from your lips and heart. If two words can generate such hostility in our hearts, isn't that proof enough that we need to find the JOY in this season, and not be short sighted or caught up in the angst associated with this message. How about being genuine, receptive, appreciative and JOYful.... by sending messages of LOVE, JOY and PEACE. Let good beget good. GET CHRISTMAS!!! Make a joyful noise!

2011-11-29T21:06:00.000-04:00

On my return to the island, beneath a clear, star filled sky and laughing moon, I see the elves have been busy. There are lights glistening all across the island. Christmas lights! Even in the otherwise dark hills. Little candy like jewels,

glimmering in the nights pitch.

I've been away, to the mainland to do a little painting at my Dad's, which I had to cut short due to a muscle spasm in my back. I also had a visit with some of my gal friends. We entertained ourselves at Christmas in the Village...

of Gagetown.

Such a wonderfully warm day, we walked about in shirt sleeves in the afternoon! It was a nostalgic visit for me, as Gagetown has been a long time favourite of mine. We did a little shopping and chatting, and eating of course!

We visited my all time favourite 'old' house and took our pictures on the front porch as we fantasised for a brief minute, about the fabulous grandeur of it all.

This house over looks the Saint John River and sits like a jewel in the centre of town with an unassuming elegance. I fell madly in love with it long before it was restored, and now my heart quickens when I see what a marvellous restoration has been done. It is inspirational.

Now, we are just 26 days away from Christmas, and roughly 205 days until we open the inn. Is that possible? Oh yes it is..... I had better get to work!

634 hours until Christmas!!!

New Again!

2011-11-24T18:31:00.000-04:00

Of course there is a budget...and of course it comes in to question at almost every decision! Geesh! Last summer when our friends Irene and Jeff, as well as Penny and Jack were here, we girls were throwing decorating ideas around hither and yon. I was wondering (out loud) how I could arrange the living room area to accommodate guests comfortably but still have ample room to move about the room, especially since one of the dining tables is in that room by the window, and we will need access to it, easily. These are some of the brightest women I know, and sensible. Then out of the blue (as sometimes happens when you brainstorm out loud), Irene said, "Why don't you put the sofa in the media room, and have big comfy chairs around a coffee table in here?" It had never occurred to me!!! The more we talked about it, the better it sounded. Lets face it, a three seat sofa, is really only comfortable for two, or one laid out!!! Nobody rushes to be the middle seat. I believe we all like our little piece of personal space. If we employed this seating idea, then one guest could surf the Internet in one chair, another could read, another could have tea with a friend. I loved the idea. I know personally, I love a comfy chair! I started looking around. Lots of chairs, but nothing I would spend the kind of money on, that they were asking. Worried a little, but not yet daunted, I decided to ask MORE questions at the furniture store. Could I? or... Is it possible? Can you help me get this?.... They assured me they could get whatever I needed from any Canadian furniture source. That sounds impressive, but who are they and what do they have to offer? I made an appointment with the person who would eventually help me get this done. After the hour we were no further ahead. There were road blocks neither of us had considered....AND I was unaware she was in her last week of working for the store, and so not terribly motivated to solve my dilemma. I had a thought one day.... what if?.... and drove straight to the furniture store to ask. No problem...sort of... The fabric swatches they had were four years old, from when they had opened the store, four years ago. New swatches would have to be ordered. OK...we are moving in the right direction! Woo Hoo! Three weeks passed before the swatches made it to the island. I made my decision in under five minutes. I had previously asked them to contact the Brentwood company and see if they still made the 'Classic' model chairs I have at home. They responded they do! We have loved these chairs for more than ten years and they have held up well (except they need new upholstery in the next year of so) They are deeper than usual and wider than most, so you can curl up in the chair and read, or sleep or just sit! Six to eight weeks to delivery. I was delighted. Blew the budget by almost a $1000,00, but still delighted. Then the call came. No can do in the six to eight week window, as the plant slows to a crawl in December. It will be a January delivery (much like the last time I bought a chair from them) Most unfortunate as I would have loved to have them for Christmas, but.... what can I do? I sometimes think though, once you become less demanding of people they feel more motivated to deliver, so we are hoping for a wee miracle!
So back to the budget, that I blew so willingly when I fell in love with my chair idea. Something will have to be trimmed waaaaay back in that room. I had a budget for a coffee table? hmmmmm? Then, I went to the thrift store and saw this for $34.00

A little rough, but with a little elbow grease and patience I could replace $500.00 of the chair budget Very motivating.....right? OK, so it is a lot rough. Probably used for more than coffee in it's other life. I checked it over...very solid. Came from Ashley Furniture originally. Solid wood (and glass supposedly) Bought it!

Sanded it down. Stained it, and Voila! we have a coffee table for the eventual parlour, that incidentally matches the 'Classic" chair style...perfectly!

Now what about the other $500,00? Not sure yet..stay tuned! I'll find a way!

Blanketed!

2011-11-24T11:38:00.002-04:00

Good day all... it is as quiet on the island of Lovely today, as it was the day before the storm, and when all is said and done we have about 1 or 2 centimetres of snow, which is adorned with a bright and shining sun, which in turn makes everything bright and happy.....Soooooo..... the feeling of Christmas is in the air. When I took Loverman to the airport on Tuesday, there were MANY people Christmas shopping. It is upon us. Only 31 days until Christmas... 734 hours to be exact! I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to drive past the shoppers and home to the warm fire and tea, knowing we are out of that race!
In preparation for my guests, who are just 28 days away, I have just about finished the Christmas cards, that need mailing.... a little secret.... Each January when the cards go on sale I buy what I need for the next year (we all do this right?) but.... I sit down right then and address the envelopes,(while I have the addresses handy) put on the stamps and then store them in the closet. Then when the time comes for cards again, I have half the job done, and I am energized to write a little note and seal the envelope. It has cut the card time in half!... at the time of year when time is such a commodity!
Blogging will be a little bit on the back burner over the next couple of weeks. As my friend Becca said.... "I'm so busy I hardly find time to read your blog" So you can just imagine the challenge of trying to get to write it every day! I will plug along posting updates as I have the opportunity, but the wonderful thing about blogging, is that it will be there when you DO get a minute.
The wonderful comment emails, about the dining room restoration, have fuelled me on to do the thing I swore I would not do! I emptied the living room yesterday! I am going to try to get it done before the holidays guests arrive! Crazy idea! You energize me!
I have ordered chairs for the room, hoping they would be here for Christmas. Apparently not! The company has deferred the order to January, so PORCH rockers in the living room for the holiday, it is! I've sent out the family email which lists the requirements for a large gathering. They then look at the list and email what they would like to do. It alleviates one person doing all the doing! When my Christmas guests arrive, they pick a number from the basket by the door. The corresponding number is posted in the main hall (or on the fridge door, depending on the year) on a list of jobs that need doing to have a great Christmas. This involves EVERYBODY in the sharing event, and in subtle ways teaches our juniors how to host a holiday event, and helps them learn about our family traditions. The first year I did this, one of the jobs was to prepare vegetables for Christmas dinner. It just so happens the men of the family chose the numbers for peeling carrots and potatoes. It was a fun family moment when they had to ask how to use the carrot peeler! This little idea helps everybody realize the effort behind the event. There is also one number.... 12, as in the twelve days of Christmas.... that does NOTHING.... a gift from the hostess, AND, gets waited on (within reason) all Christmas Day...by the entire family! Adds a little fun and anticipation to the the chores! This is one of the many ideas we employ over the holidays. I will try to post more as we go along, as I think some ideas might be helpful for other families. When the grand children get to serve dessert and tea, or the appetizers, they feel very important...and so grown up. It is charming!
Let us be well and away with our festive plans then...and check back every once and awhile whilst I prepare a holiday for a deserving family, and keep my mind peeled for ideas for January blog posts when, hopefully we will all have a little more time to ponder! 733 hours left...get cracking!

Holiday trivia..... Do you know why we have so much RED and GREEN over the holiday season?..... hmmmm?

Come to tea!

2011-11-20T14:38:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I hosted my first tea guests for afternoon tea, since arriving to the island. It has been almost three years since I last hosted high tea. I floundered a bit and took much longer to prepare the tea than I remembered, but enjoyed every minute! Tea time was at three and my guests, Jonathan and Nancy were prompt with their arrival allowing us to settle round the table and enjoy tea, effortlessly.

It helped me to remember the many faces I have shared a cuppa with over the years, especially at the tea house in Simcoe.... like my friend Beth who drove from Woodstock a couple times of year for memorable afternoons of tea; and my friends Rhonda and Sharon who always seem to arrive when I most needed cheering. They still delight me with lovely memories and friendship!...and what about Gwen's giggle?

One day after a wickedly busy afternoon there stood a quiet spoken pair of ladies in my doorway, wondering about the prospects of tea? I had just dealt with an unruly gal and felt a little dishevelled and less than cordial.... maybe. I told Darlene and Jennifer, if they could be patient I would love to serve them tea. Good decision! They are two of the nicest, caring women I have ever known and have the privilege of calling... treasured friends!, and now they are planning to come to tea on Grand Manan...if you can imagine!

My sorority sisters from Paris made my heart soar with their laughter and fun when they came to tea! What did I ever do to deserve such fabulous women in my life? AND... lets not forget the gentlemen folk. My friend Jeff and his good friend Dan (I called him Dr. Dan) came for manly afternoon tea, occasionally. Loved them! AND then there was Jeff's dear Mom and delightful Aunt Roberta! My favourite of all was a woman about 25 years my senior, Joanne D. We were instant friends, like old sweaters in a drawer! She wanted to learn to cook and I decided I could encourage that. I spent time, over tea, teaching and talking. She told me in all sincerity, how difficult it is to make new friends as you age, and your cherished friends are passing. I have since made a conscious effort to befriend elder ladies, in her honour. Tea brings out the best in everyone....especially me!...and today I remembered so many of you when I tipped the pot for the first tea guests at the inn.

Missing you all... but so grateful, you came to tea!

Deb

What's in YOUR oven?

2011-11-18T10:08:00.002-04:00

This morning the sun has risen on a chilly island! Minus 2. What better time to turn on the oven and bake something yummy. After all, my special visitor will be here later and would enjoy a little somethin'- somethin' with his cuppa tomorrow morning. I have a warm fire crackling in the dining room and sun streaming through the window. Makes me feel joyful to be here! I decided to make some banana bread..... and here is the recipe, developed by MOI.

Uber Healthy Banana Bread (or muffins)

In a medium size bowl....

2 egg whites

1 T hemp oil (for your arterial system)

1 T soft (non trans fat) margarine

1/3 cup skim milk

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

2 large or 3 medium bananas, mashed

Mix with an electric mixer until very well incorporated.

In another bowl.....the dry ingredients...

Mix,

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 T ground flax seed (aka flax meal) (for the omegas)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Combine this well.

Then...

Add 1/2 cup of fun stuff, like... walnut pieces, dried cranberries, chocolate chips,.... or any combination that suits your fancy.....

... and all at once, add the dry mix bowl to the wet mixture in the other bowl. Mix just enough to moisten everything.

Put this mixture in prepared muffin tins OR loaf pans. I get two loaves from this recipe. One 3.5" by 6", and one 3" x 4" (because there is always a neighbour or friend that could benefit from a warm banana bread). If using one loaf pan, allow a longer baking time. Shorter for muffins!

Bake 350* about 35 - 40 minutes. During the baking time, your house will smell divine which will motivate you to get up and do any number of things, after which you can sit down and have a cup of tea and a slice of warm banana bread when it comes out of the oven.

This version has dried cranberries and walnut pieces! Yum!

Awesome!

Right?

Who Knew?

2011-11-17T14:59:00.001-04:00

Loverman bought me flowers yesterday. He doesn't know it yet, but he will be pleased with himself when he arrives tomorrow and sees how beautiful they are. While at the florist, she said.... "I absolutely love that you painted the house Dory Buff. It's gorgeous! The islanders love that you used a Grand Manan colour." 'Thank you!, I did?' "You didn't know?" 'Had no idea. I picked the colour off the back of one of my cookbooks and had the colour made to order' Oh yes, years ago the fishermen used dory boats to get to and from the bigger boats and for line fishing. They painted them bright yellow to be seen. It is a Canadian east coast historic colour. I honestly had no idea.... I just happened across liking it! I came home and googled the name Dory Buff and sure enough it is a true East Coast Historic colour....even in Newfoundland!
So there..... I did something right!...quite by accident, but right!

Finally a dining room worthy of Her Loveliness!

2011-11-17T14:44:00.003-04:00

I can't tell you what a joy it is to put the paint brush down on this one.

Lets have a peek shall we?

Said dining room before!

Another view from before! So glad the flowery wall paper is history!

And this is the lovely cupboard that Jen gave us! It fits so perfectly here, I'd be lost without it!

And one more.... and I will stop being boastful....

In late afternoon when the sun pours through the windows, the whole room glows with the warmth of a cocoon!

Ahhhhhhh!

It all comes back around!

2011-11-17T14:26:00.001-04:00

My friend Jonathan once let me know in an email that he was interested in any old shutters hanging around the house that I had no use for. He and his wife, seem to have a similar respect for grass roots decorating and the older treasures of this island, like moi. A lot of time passed before I found a day to go to the basement and have a look at the MANY old shutters stacked against the work bench covered in any number layers of dust. I dragged them all up stairs. Fantasized about the possibility of using them on this old house, and how cottage appropriate would that be? Not one shutter matched the sizes of the windows in the inn! Not even if I added some strapping or shaved a little off with a saw.....which is why they were kept in the basement to rot further, I'm guessing! They were all off.... by a country mile, as the saying goes. So I sent Jonathan an email...."about those shutters. I have some. You are welcome to them." He responded that he would drop by and have a gander. Later that same day..... he took a look and decided to pass confessing that he had just sent some to the dump himself. We all know some things are just not retrievable. I said I would follow suit as I had no use for the remainders as well. They needed fixing or tweaking and are awkward work for the most talented carpenter! A couple of weeks ago a great gust of wind threw them across the back door, annoying me to no end. I wasn't sure if was annoyed over the mess or the fact that I had yet to take them to the dump!....I had been putting it off! I threw them on top of the collection pile for 'Yardman' to take away, and for some reason set two hinged shutters back on the step. They stayed there another week while I thought....and thought...and thought some more.

Finally I decided to make a fern stand. I LOVE ferns, and although I don't have any ferns at the moment, when the renovation is complete, I will have them everywhere! I drew up a plan. Then it hit me..... lets one better, and wire it to be a lamp. Cool right? Off to the hardware store to see if they sold lamp workings. They did! I got to work. Three hours later I had this...and that includes a paint job!

It is hard to tell in this photo, but it lights the hall beautifully in a subtle sort of way. The lamp works are hidden up inside and are fluorescent...(stay cool), and I put a 12"x 12" flat top on it for my eventual fern. I am very pleased with the result. Jonathan is coming by on Saturday, and I am excited to show him that I didn't throw ALL of them to the dump, just the dumpy ones!

Working hard!

2011-11-15T21:57:00.001-04:00

It has been a long couple of days. I have been busying myself on a couple of fronts. I think I will be able to deliver pictures by Thursday of the dining rooms, and finally kiss that job goodbye! Also very motivating is the visitor coming this weekend. Loverman...is coming! YAY! That is why I shall not post pictures until he is mid air, as I would like to show him first hand what I've accomplished. Bear with me..... I couldn't be more ready to talk about the 'after' stuff and plan the next agenda!

Another Saturday of furniture fix ups!

2011-11-12T14:12:00.000-04:00

I just spent he morning running down the island to purvey supplies for the week ahead. I am feeling a little more confident about the dining rooms, as the paint has stayed on the walls, AND the walls have stayed standing! No joke...one fell down last week! Anyway, as I continue to do little jobs and endless coats of paint on the trim, I have started to look at the furnishings for the said rooms. Last summer, two of my visitors, Penny and Irene, started the painting of the chairs for the dining room..... and there are other treasures to attend to as well. Everybody always remarks about the furnishings that came with the inn. I can tell you it was NO gift! We paid for these seemingly treasured antiques, and have since learned they are barely holding on and up! There has not been one piece of furniture that did not need fixing, or finishing or SOMETHING! On the other hand, they have at least ended up with the girl that knows what to do with them...and so she did....
This inn has been in operation for almost 50 years under various persons, in keeping. I imagine some of the furniture pieces are original to the island. I have no way of knowing. The previous owner covered every piece of wood in the place with ebony lacquer. The kitchen cupboards, all the doors, the floors, the stairs, all the tables, chairs, stools, bedside tables.... you name it...they went crazy with the ebony stain and high gloss varnish! Anybody who knows me well, knows how I feel about any environment too dark and too shiny! Hence the painting of all the wood work, white! I would love to return the wood to it's original red pine finish, but there is neither time nor money in this girls budget for that. So.....paint it is....
There are two buffets in the dining rooms. One, a gift from our dear friend Jen. We absolutely love it and have found it to be a work horse!!! It holds an amazing amount of STUFF, and we are seriously short of dish storage...so VOILA! and thanks Jen! You will see a picture of it when the dining rooms are complete. It will be the natural wood one....the one she refinished beautifully! The other one....

seen here in one of the photos I took the very first day when we arrived, is very dark and cumbersome feeling in the smallish dining rooms. (incidentally the mayhem in this picture is very indicative of the way we found the inn. In total disarray)

If I paint it white, in an area where we expect high traffic, I will regret the up keep of a pristine finish. It was a puzzle to me at first. Then I had a chat with daughter of mine (which I often do if I need help jumping off...or in) and said "I am waffling between one choice and another." She said, in her matter of fact way....."______" and so I did...paint it red! It was so shocking, I couldn't sleep the first night, thinking I had ruined it! Something about it was not right. Two days later I decided it was glaring and too slick looking for a country house, so I dry brushed it with black paint and now it pleases me, AND... suits the dining room of this old country house.

I removed the mirror shelf as I thought it was too much for a casual space. It is Kelly's job to find us appropriate art work to hang over the buffet.

That is what I have been up to the last two days!

Good Remembrance Day Morning!

2011-11-11T11:34:00.001-04:00

A rainy day here today. This font just showed up on my page and I have no idea how it came to be here! Too fun! There...fixed it.. It's funny because whatever that font is, it is not one of the options on the blog site! hmmmmm.??? Ran out of paint his morning on this never ending dining room project, and so jumped in the car to go get more. Noticed as I drove the island that it seemed unusually quiet. I was enjoying the mournful grey vista with the low clouds and rain over the bay. Then it hit me.... Oh my...it is Remembrance Day! Never mind the paint then, I tell myself, and turned the car around. The only places open on this island today are the dump and the dollar store. All else is closed. So I came home and made a loaf of home made bread and found another project to busy myself with. I mean I have oodles to choose from!....and contemplate my thanks and remembrance as I work on.....

2011-11-09T19:18:00.000-04:00

I've been less able to blog lately, for several reasons. One, my WIRELESS Internet service required wire all of a sudden....and try getting that fixed....on an island!!!, and MY wire is short , which means I could only blog in the coldest corner of the house. Not fun. Then....I have been trying ever diligently to up do and re-do the adjoining dining rooms. It has been BEYOND frustrating! Without sounding like I am complaining.... it has fallen out of favour with me on more than one occasion! Finally today I managed to get some colour on the walls. It looks promising! Although I still have miles of trim to paint as I'm taking the ebony high gloss finish to white. So far it has been four coats of paint and still there are shadows.!!! It is brilliantly bright, but SUCH a LONG process! I had made a time budget when I started almost three weeks ago, to be finished by last Friday. I suspect I might get out of there by the 20th or 21st! I think I must be slowing down!!! I feel like I am working in slow motion! SO..... tomorrow I will get up again and try to motivate myself to face the rooms that are losing interest for me .... Fast! Renovations at times are .... frustrating, dirty, confusing, untimely, backwards....and so on and so on.... Nothing new...but it has been blocking my Chi!

An Extraordinary Morning!

2011-11-09T14:34:00.001-04:00

It was early, even for me, but I made my way down the island to my friend Norah's place. I was her guest for the a phenomenon that is well entrenched and anticipated by everyone on the island, the second Tuesday of November, every fall. The kick off to lobster fishing season. The morning could not have been more beautiful.... as you know the weather has been unseasonably warm. As I drove towards Ingalls Head, over my left shoulder the promise of a sunrise, with saturated hues of plum, orange, flaming red and deep purple across the horizon. Nothing terribly visible except the pronounced shadows of the Woodward's Cove wharf and the boats moored on mirrored water in a high tide basin. There were many cars travelling the other direction. I'm guessing to catch the first ferry. I arrived to the house, hoping it was the right one. She had told me to go in through the garage, as there is not a front door. Help myself to coffee and she would be back from the wharf by 6:30. That all seemed OK to me. Then it occurred to me.... what if I in fact I have the wrong house, and surprise someone making a streak from the bedroom to the bathroom in the early morning? Yikes! Right? I opened the door from the garage to the hall. Quiet. "Hello?" No answer. "HELLO!' I decided to brave the stairs. No persons.... but at the top of the stairs.... a stunning view...through and beyond the windows over the balcony and further to the flotilla of boats. Awesome! I found Norah on the deck taking in every second of the excitement. It was eerily beautiful as the many boats, loaded for bear, were inching out of the harbour in a controlled holding pattern, toward the beginning marker. To begin the trek before lobster season is officially declared open, by the department of Oceans and Fisheries, is a fineable offence. So, after weeks of preparation, they swallow the anticipation for yet another controlled moment. Some feel the first day is a huge indicator of the season, and that the best fishing happens in the first weeks. The sun had not yet crested the horizon when two shots were fired in to the air. Flare guns, after which yoo-hoos! and hoorays! bellowed from the boats as they picked up speed and headed out in to the vast Bay of Fundy. In a distance we could see a fleet leaving Whitehead Island and made mention of Fisherman's Wharf and Seal Cove. This would mean hundreds of boats, all on a mission. Never have I seen such a thing, and after watching from afar for weeks as they prepared the traps, gear and crew, it is a wonder to me how they can make any money at all...considering! I do not eat lobster, but I have a new found respect and appreciation of the work behind the catch of the day!

Nostalgia!

2011-11-06T17:04:00.002-04:00

When I was little girl, I remember sitting in my grandmother's pantry (we called her Mum Meade)..... curious, like most children. I was fascinated by the bowls and pans; jars of spices and preserves; tin cans of flour and sugar; all the things that make a kitchen hum! There was even an old tobacco can on a high shelf with money in it. A house slush fund maybe. So I got to thinking this weekend, when I decided to up-cycle some of the findings from the garage and basement, maybe I could capture that feeling with one of the cupboard doors. You will remember they looked like this...

Now one of them is a chalk/message board

And the other... a salute to the pantry....

I have room yet for a few more things which I am sure will cross my path eventually, but memories are evoked every time I see this.

Then there were the drawers....

Remember?

I really had to think on this one a bit, but then it hit me....

ahhhhhh!

You know how we sometimes collect things unintentionally. Much as it has been with me and cookbooks! I failed home economics in school one year....and believed I was a failure at just about everything after that. I mean, if the one thing you love is a failure, what are you to do about the rest? I started reading cookbooks, wherever and whenever I could get my hands on them. When I babysat for people in the evenings, I would bake something...anything. So determined to learn, and get it right! I now have about 6 or 7 hundred cookbooks. My favourite treasure! I read a cookbook before bed like it were a rip roaring mystery! LOVE IT! I've become so well known for this that I've been gifted, by some of my favourite cook's, (now deceased) with their favourite cookbooks at their passing. Truly an honour, and believe me when I tell you they are in the best hands possible. Treasured and revered. So... back on topic, we all have accidental collections. With that in mind, I did this with one drawer....

My...how sewing and household duties have changed!

And this with the other.....

An assortment of keys I've been holding on to! Perfect for this shadow box display. I will hang these treasure boxes on the dining room wall when and if I ever get it finished! Grrrr... And hope they will evoke a memory for some one, or elicit conversation! At any rate....these things did not end up in the landfill! Hooray for that!

That was my weekend of treasure revival and nostalgia!

The other little projects will have to wait until another weekend of creativity comes along....because you can't force it you know!!!!

Can you hear the swish of the brush?

2011-11-05T08:26:00.000-03:00

Working on my weekend projects....

Things I've found around the house!

2011-11-04T09:18:00.000-03:00

Since arriving here last March, I have found curious things around the house. Of course I edited this dwelling BIG TIME when I first arrived, but some things are able to be re-purposed. Over the next few weeks I am taking aim at the following...

2 old kitchen drawers

2 old kitchen cupboard doors

2 smaller drawers

Several old shutters

Pieces of what I think was a high chair

A small wooden table I actually found at the Salvation Army store for $4.

A tired and slightly stained old cross stitch.... but the message is lovely!

And in the bottom of the old trunk I found in the garage and fixed a few months back, this little piece of paper. Crumpled and stained. Fabulous!

All these things have talked to me in one way or another, and as winter comes on and I am ready for some indoor projects, I will attempt to give them new life. This weekend I will start with the drawers. Check back on Monday to see how I made out.

Plugging along!

2011-11-03T12:25:00.000-03:00

I have been in prep mode for more than ten days now, on the dining room. It was not evident at first how damaged the walls and woodworking are. It has been a HUGE frustration for me. Just as I seem to be finding my way clear of the endless FIX mode I then find yet another problem. I've taken a day away from sanding and the taste of compound dust, to clean! The place was starting to look like the old innkeeper was back. NOT GOOD! So, now the washing machines are humming, the fireplace is crackling away, the oven is roasting vegetables for a pasta sauce, and the vacuum has been running non stop all morning. Sometimes you just need a GET ORGANIZED DAY!....And that would be today!

Be Open to the possibilities! Believe!

2011-11-02T09:24:00.002-03:00

I was third in line. It was dark, fresh, but nippy. I could see the trail of headlights making their way down the island to catch the first ferry of the day. Yesterday, was an away day for me. One house resident needed cat food and I needed supplies as well. A car pulled up in the lane beside me. We were shoulder to shoulder in line. I see him scrambling around in the car, adjusting this and that. Windows go down. Windows go up. Interior lights on, then, off, and then on again. Finally he happens upon the glasses, and puts them on. Horror passes over me with the thought that he just drove the island in his blind state! He looks in the rear view mirror and scrambles around again. Finds it, and decides to comb his hair. The old green Subabru (as my father says...u..r...a...bus) :) had one broken window sitting cockeyed in it's frame, so, not quite closed. The side view mirrors were holding on with a lavish display of clever McIverisms and duct tape. Back inside the car, I see him pulling down the eyes, stretching his eye lids, as if to pry them open. Then he put on some earrings and lipstick. I decided there and then perhaps I should put on my glasses! The dressing did not stop there, but my story can't handle the rest....
On the ferry, it is quiet at first, as it usually is with the first crossing of the day. but then... 40 or so school children were unleashed to run a muck for the voyage. And, they did not disappoint! What ever happened to the idea of chaperons? The ferry crew were busy! In this case they could actually say..."don't make me go get your father" ...apparently an ferry employee!!! Things settled down after a bit. I got my tea and toast and settled in my usual seat, just as the sun breached the horizon. Fantastic! My second gift of the morning. (I always feel the first gift is waking...on this side of the grass) Without invitation and most unexpected, a FIN WHALE decides to guide us towards Black's Harbour. It was HUGE and glorious with the sunrise over the tail fin. Then with out missing a beat, a Minke whale appeared as well. I was definitely awake!!! So awesome!!! The day had started a bit rough for me, when I engaged the car in D and it rolled forward....CRUNCH, so I put it in R... CRUNCH! What the ?.... Back in the house I traipse to retrieve a flashlight. Upon further inspection, the storm of ALL SAINTS NIGHT...had lodged two paint cans beneath my car. They had been under the back step, left there by the painters with the drop clothes and brushes etc., prior to the storm. One had a lid, which meant it also had paint, and one was empty. I pried the lidded one free with a random limb left lying on the grass by the storm, and could no way move the other. I decided to back up, and back up until it dislodged. The bottom carriage of the car warped the can until it let go. "Seriously ?"..... !!! I thought! So, a whale sighting removed all the angst from the morning's start. Not another soul on the ferry even noticed the wonder of it all as they chatted and complained about their lives over coffee. I decided it was my personal gift.
My day of errands went well, but was very tiring since rising at 4:30 to be ready for the early ferry. When Miss Daisy and I returned to the ferry terminal to catch the 5:30 ferry back, we were about an hour early and laid back for a nap, in the car. Taking the supper crossing means you also get to watch the sun set. AWESOME! And it was a gorgeous sunset. I was wondering to myself 'what the chances would be to see a whale in the sunset?', just as I had seen one in the sunrise. I grinned to myself! Then as if on command a big HUMPBACK WHALE came up, breached and showed off a gorgeous tail, and was gone! I could hardly believe my eyes! Three whales in one day! AND.... not another soul noticed again! Could it be that the small gifts in life are there for the taking if we are OPEN to them. Perhaps look beyond ourselves to something precious! That was my ...AWAY... day , yesterday!

Listen UP!

2011-10-31T15:24:00.000-03:00

Ok, all you 'hope to be' renovators....Listen Up! I heard back from the Lepage company about my favourite product.... and swiftly I might add too! I am so excited it was NOT discontinued as I was informed by more than one store. The packaging and the name have changed.
I am not quick to endorse much, but I can not do my work without this little treasure. Some genius at Lepage 'whipped' a version of wall compound with a touch of glue (or the like) resulting in a product that performs like no other for wall repair. It is so good, the repair is virtually undetectable and stronger than prior to the repair! AWESOME I tell you...AWESOME! The product....

(formerly Instafil)BIG... is the key word here, as their Prep product is not nearly as impressive, in my opinion. This BIG product can be effective from surface to surface. So while repairing walls if you need to fill holes in the wood working also....you are good to go......providing it is a surface to be painted that is. This means one less step or product to buy and that makes all the difference to me.

I have become so adept with this product for plaster wall repair, that you would be hard pressed to find the work on a wall and I never have to sand.(a method I developed after years of experience) It can accommodate wider than usual crack repairs and fills nail holes immaculately. Can you tell I LOVE this product, which is why I was so bummed when several suppliers assured me it was discontinued. This is better than wall compound or any comparable product. It is wall compound with THRUSTERS! If you plan to do a small job and just need to fill holes (also available in smaller tube) or have a mega repair job, get this delightfully whipped, light as a feather compound on your team. It is less than $5.00 for the size pictured here.... 300ml, and remember, a little goes a long way! You will thank me for this one!

In the rafters!

2011-10-29T14:02:00.002-03:00

I met our neighbours (from Montreal) this morning at the Save Easy. They have come for a few days to close up their two homes for winter. One on Grand Manan, one on White Head Island. In conversation I learned there is a major storm expected here today and tomorrow with winds up to 100km/hr and possibly snow. YIKES! I had no idea, since I rarely turn the TV on except on Tuesdays to catch X Factor. Anyway... I came home and checked the marine forecast, and sure enough.... STORM WATCH... in big red letters across the screen. Thank goodness for my encounter with my neighbours. I remembered Big G's warnings about storms that travel up the Eastern seaboard and decided not to test his theory. After finishing at the grocery store I made a quick trip to the hardware store for lamp oil. Last bottle on the shelf. Whew! You may recall that he told me to get to the store because the food empties from the shelves... quick, and black out supplies are not to be had. I'm a believer! I am more than ready for the most part. Lots of wood, food....Check!, shovel, storm windows...on...Check!.... but I had yet to fill the lamps with oil. One of said lamps has a faulty top, and so it is not safe to use, but I remembered in the summer we discovered a tin box in the rafters, of lamp parts. Today was the day to rediscover that box.

As you can see it was full of cobwebs and dust!

I managed to fix the lamp with one of the attachments though, and then noticed this at the bottom of the box.

It has been long suspected that the famous sailor James Lawson once resided in this house. He is attributed with having saved 8 of the twenty one men aboard the Lord Ashburton when she crashed upon the rocks off Eel Brook Cove on January 19, 1857. The men aboard were virtually swept overboard and swam for their lives in the devastatingly cold water of the Bay of Fundy. It was a harrowing day for this island, when towns people awoke to bodies strewn across the beach at Pettes Cove. This shipwreck and more than 250 others have settled in to the folklore of the island with both curiosity and tales. There is not a resident here who does not have enormous respect for a STORM WARNING!....back to James... In his valour attempt to get help for the men he scaled the rock face cliffs in snow, ice, and winds (that are believed to have pinned him to the rocks) to the point of exhaustion, and in his bare feet. He was found early the next morning in a nearby barn nearly lifeless himself, but alerted islanders to save the men. He spent five years in a rehabilitation hospital in Saint John after partial loss of both feet and severe frost damage to his hands. He is said to have been so grateful to Mananer's for their kindness that he returned here to live once his recovery was complete. Then.... he took an island bride.

He lived out the rest of his years on Grand Manan, until his early 80's before passing. His final residence is about a quarter mile down the road, but some believe he lived here in this house at one time making a meagre living as a shoemaker. A trade he learned after losing his feet and having difficulty finding footwear, and realizing he needed a vocation.....

When I found these... at the bottom of the old tin box, I visited a photo of him on line (you can Google Lord Ashburton Shipwreck survivor James Lawson/telegrapghjournalphotos). It makes you wonder. Right?

Very old pieces of thick leather cut to heel a shoe, and the piece they were cut from. The museum is going to LOVE this!

Anyway.... my lamps are now fuelled and ready to light the night should a power outage occur....

These too have a story to tell. The second one was my Dad's when he was a lad. He also gave me the red one. The black one with flowers on it was a gift from my Aunt Eva and Uncle Bill when they visited my old stone farmhouse on Bedell Road in Oxford Mills, Ontario. The last one was a find in our last restoration of the house in Simcoe, and the first one was waiting in the cupboard when I got here.

Storm Ready!!!!

Not Kidding!

2011-10-28T16:05:00.000-03:00

I wasn't kidding about the million and one holes.... this is just one cornice!

What's Cookin'

2011-10-28T11:51:00.003-03:00

A Veggie Stew in the crock pot and an Apple Pudding in the oven. The Inn smells like...
"Home Sweet Home"

Apple Pudding

(Easy Easy! Less sweet than a crisp. Fast to make. Delicious with frozen yogurt!)

Pre-heat oven to 350*

In a 9X9 baking dish.....

4 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Arrange slices in the bottom of the baking dish.

Pour over.... 1/4 to 1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice

(depending how moist you would like it)

Sprinkle with 2 T. cinnamon sugar. (not the type you put on your toast...recipe below)

Set aside for a minute.

In a medium size bowl....

1/3 cup sugar

2 T soft butter (or margarine)

1 cup flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt (scant)

Add enough milk to make a spreadable dough (like thick cake batter)

Spread over apples. It will not cover every little apple slice.

No worries.

Sprinkle dough with 1 T cinnamon sugar.

Bake approximately 30 minutes

Serve with ice cream, frozen yogurt or cheddar.

YUM!

Cinnamon Sugar....

(can be kept in your cupboard in a small container for months!!!)

To make approximately 1 cup.....

1/2 c white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup cinnamon

Mix well with your hands to incorporate the sugars

and cinnamon well.

This is an intense cinnamon sugar for use in baked goods. Use it to top desserts, muffins, sweet breads, cinnamon buns etc.

What I've been up to...

2011-10-28T09:51:00.001-03:00

Finding my stride again after a bit of rest and so decided to strip the walls in the dining room.

Once the paper was down, where it would come down (that is) the damage became glaringly obvious!

This is my least favourite job, as it is messy, wicked on the hands and mostly a hurry up and wait job with messy sanding. My favourite product to do plaster repair has been discontinued, which makes me more than regretful and cross, so I contacted the company. Have not heard anything yet, but in the meantime, the work must continue, so I am using wall compound which works, but not as beautifully or as integrally, in my opinion. How do we repair plaster that has given into it's age?

You first secure it back to the wall, and I find drywall screws work well to adhere it back to the lath behind the plaster, but because the plaster is often broken or cracked, it is a delicate procedure to keep further damage from occurring. I use washers and screws with a gentle drill to ease the plaster back in to place. Then....

I put a generous amount of wall compound over the washers and screws, topped off with fiber tape gently pressed in to the wall compound. This will harden to a firm, integral wall again, after which I will reapply another coat of wall compound, sand and continue on as if it had been a perfect wall all along!

As I said, it is a 'hurry up and wait' type of job though, so while I wait for it to dry, I will repair the million and one holes in the wood working! Holes from nails used to hold up lights and pictures! No respect for wood! I have been in this room three days and feel as though I have accomplished nothing, but a HUGE mess. I keep whispering to myself (yes, I talk to myself plenty) that careful thorough prep work promises an excellent result. Lets hope....

While I work....

2011-10-28T09:28:00.000-03:00

My biggest fans nap by the fireplace.... Riley and Miss Daisy!

Men don't talk like that! :)... apparently!

2011-10-27T08:02:00.000-03:00

Frank and I made our way out the store door with another eight cans of paint. We arranged the cans in the cargo bin, closed the trunk and said our goodbyes. I climbed in to my car as he was climbing out of his van. He came around to the drivers side of my car. "Are you the lady painting the yellow house, down by the ferry?" ( I'm wondering how could he possibly know it was me?) 'Yes', "It looks nice, really catches your attention when you come off the ferry" 'Thank you, that colour was a challenging decision at first' He is a contractor from Saint John who works on Grand Manan often. He continued... "I was over to the ferry office to get my ticket for tomorrow. They were all a buzz about your paint colour. They said they LOVE it!...wondered if I did too? I had to tell them, men don't talk like that, but I do like it."

Little Devils!

2011-10-25T12:21:00.000-03:00

If in fact it is the right time of year to be tricked..... last night was my turn to be the receiver of a prank.

I did not hear a thing. Did not smell it. Had no idea.... but... while

we slept we had a visitor. A nosey visitor, whose inquisitiveness implored him to open a can of .....

PAINT!

Then, investigated further...

Was in a creative mood I think!

Decided to see how it would look on the new wood supplies.....

Walked across to the other side of the porch....

and then down the stairs and away.

Yup.... the Raccoons are out for Halloween.... EARLY!

How does your garden grow?

2011-10-20T21:47:00.001-03:00

In May as I was packing to leave for the island I took a long look at my Ottawa garden and apologized under my breath for the neglect it would endure over the summer in my absence. Just before leaving I shelled about a dozen sunflower seeds (they germinate faster that way.... good to know right?) And threw them on the soil beneath the dining room window, figuring when I returned in the fall I could have vases of flowers around the house....which I ADORE!
The seeds were thrown down and forgotten, all in a matter of minutes.

I never thought to mention this to Claude. When he returned to the house in July, he arrived at night. Slept hard, and awoke in the morning to a bright sunny day and decided to open all the blinds and let the sun shine in. He was shocked beyond description when he raised the blind in the dining room and could not see out. Instead he found this!

Debi strikes again! :)

Checking In

2011-10-20T21:44:00.000-03:00

Nothing to report tonight, because I am at the home where I grew up, packing up the folks to move tomorrow to an accessible apartment. We have made quite a mess today in our efforts to 'get organized', but I am confident the confusion will lessen once the movers arrive and clear a path by removing the bigger pieces. It has been a long day. We all must rest now and prepare for tomorrow...our most demanding yet and no doubt long as well.

Beach Glass

2011-10-19T17:06:00.000-03:00

Whenever we go to the beach we find ourselves picking up beach glass and bringing it home like it were a valuable treasure. I am not the only person fascinated with beach glass. Every tourist leaves here with glass, rocks and shells tinkling in their pockets. I have collected the little gems in all colours since arriving in March, and then on a rainy Sunday afternoon when I am feeling creative, I feel inspired by my surroundings and make little picture windows like this....

Ta Da!

2011-10-18T15:32:00.001-03:00

It is finished except for the sealing which can be done anytime after three days. More importantly, we are legal for winter heat with a fireplace that is safe and insurable! This was no easy task! The old fireplace was useless. Bought another one. The chimney, although never used was outdated and did not meet today's codes. Upgrade. Then we did not meet clearances for chimneys to windows and walls. Buy a thermal thimble chimney pipe (reduces clearance allowances to six inches) Once all was cleared for a GO, we could not sit the fireplace centre (or esthetically pleasing) because of the codes in relation to windows (there are windows on either side of the fireplace) Retro fitting a fireplace.... no fun! Warm fire on a cold windy night....priceless! (better be!)

Little jobs that add up to a lot!

2011-10-18T11:18:00.003-03:00

We are packing up today in preparation for our trips away from the Island. C is heading back to Ottawa and back to work, and I am heading to the mainland to assist in the move of my Dad and Midge to an accessible apartment. So the laundry machines are humming; the oven is about to ring ready with the cookies for Claude's travels; [and incentive to those who show up to assist me at Dad's :)] Miss Daisy is asleep by the fire, and I am about to launch myself in to preparing sandwiches for' Loverman' to take with him on his long drive. He is in the dining room grouting the rocks he laid yesterday for our hearth, and MM is outside painting as we have a nice 15 degree day.... OF SUN!
I always hate leaving here, even though it is just five days. Hard to explain, that it is the ordinary, uncomplicated life here that helps me focus on the important things in life, and once you have a taste for that, nothing else comes close. I will count the hours until I return and get to busy on the next frontier which I believe will be either #4 or #2. Not sure yet!
While C was here, he accomplished many small jobs that have added up to an impressive result. He finished rebuilding the bathroom of room 7, painted room and bathroom of 7, and will install the new claw foot bathtub this aft. He also repaired, primed and painted the entire back hallway, which is equivalent to 5 rooms (in area size) when you account for the ceilings and walls on two levels with a high stairwell in the mix. He also installed new lighting on our porch, brought in the wood for winter and chopped enough kindling to keep me supplied until he returns in December, (true love), and yesterday he reattached some of the plaster in various rooms, that had pulled away from the lath. (I will finish the finesse part). He also removed a closet in number 4 to make room for the plan for it to be my sitting room attached to my bedroom area. That was holding me back for awhile.... So I am more than grateful to be able to move ahead with that project. In conclusion.... we make a fabulous team!!!!
The cookies are out of the oven now, and smelling divine!
These are his favourite cookies.... old fashioned cookies that my Mom made for me as a child and later Claude renamed them 10 o'clock cookies because he loves them as a mid morning snack. Cake style cookies are not made as much these days, but if you have a pension for raisins, and soft cake cookies, you will enjoy these.....

Ten O'clock Cookies

In a stove top sauce pan, measure 1 cup of Thompson raisins. Add water just to cover the raisins. Heat to a boil and set aside to cool. About ten minutes later, when cool, add 1 tsp baking soda.

Stir and set aside.

In a medium to large bowl, combine the following:

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup shortening

2 eggs

Mix well until creamy. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla. Mix again.

Add the raisins, Mix

Add 2 cups all purpose flour

and 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats.

Mix well to combine.

Drop by spoonfuls on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake at 350* about 12 - 15 minutes (ovens vary)

Make sure they are ready for 10 o'clock though....as per tradition at our house! :)

Fall Glorious Fall!

2011-10-17T15:06:00.002-03:00

Rock on Dude!

2011-10-17T13:04:00.000-03:00

As most everybody knows, my 'Loverman' plays the guitar, and quite well I might add, but today he is in to a different kind of rock.....

As he is working to expand the hearth in the dining room.

When I arrived there were three fireplaces.

One in the old house, kitchen.

One in the living room, filled with insulation and cardboard,

And one in the dining room...., which had never been used! Problem was, they brought it from the USA, and it did not meet the criteria for insurance in Canada. SO... it just sat there for 20 odd years. I don't have much patience for useless things, so it exited the building shortly after our arrival. Then it was glaringly obvious with a vacant hearth and hunk of chimney looming in the corner, that the story was not over. The quadrant of the building containing the dining room and commercial kitchen has but one small heating element. In the winter months that whole corner feels much like a walk-in freezer. Not acceptable! (as my friend Pat O'Reilly would say). I had not budgeted for this and we did not realize until we were here in the winter months, just how cold it was in that area of the house. Then....I heard of an Alberta couple that had moved just over a year ago, to the east coast, and in fear of freezing to death the first winter, installed a Pacific Energy 27. After one winter, she decided she hated wood heat for all the reasons her husband loved it. Guess who won that battle! A one year old Pacific Energy stove meant a $2,000.00 saving for me! I bought it for $1,500.....after having the chimney inspected for it's usefulness and to insure it was insurable. I am after all a fire fighter's daughter!!! Then of course we had to bring it up to the code changes that have occurred since the chimney was installed, and now we are having to extend the hearth to meet the 18" clearance on all open sides of the burning unit. So....we could not change the tiles beneath the fireplace because they were installed before the brick face was put on the chimney. Locked in for good! We went shopping to match or coordinate tiles to make a border and extend the hearth. Nothing! Then I saw square tiles made of beach rock. (Hmmmmmm I thought.) We live five minutes from a beach full of rock! I asked the tile guy what was to stop me from using my own beach rocks. Nothing!.... and as you might have guessed.... we went to the beach for numerous walks over the summer and have brought back MANY rocks knowing full well a fall day would come and we would put the 'artiste garçon' to work.

It is still early to tell whether this was a bad idea or not, but I think it will be better than a random tile selection that would be glaringly obvious...forever! We DO live by the beach, and it DOES suit the place. Pictures later of Rocker Dudes masterpiece!

A Treasure!

2011-10-15T15:23:00.000-03:00

Since acquiring a wicked case of tennis elbow in my left elbow, I have decided to respect the pain and take some time to let it heal. What better time to start looking into, and researching the history of this old house. When we fix these old houses, we generally learn about them as we go along, and after the work is complete I set out to find out what I can through the local historical society records, archives or museum records, even neighbours can add their version (or recollection) if given the opportunity. I always have fun trying to 'read' the property as I work. I find old places speak to you and offer explanations if you are observant and not in a rush to SEE what is in front of you. This place has already given us a hint of a rich and interesting past. I can't remember if I told you that this house originally sat cliff side to the Bay of Fundy about a kilometre from here on Net Point. It was moved, as far as we can figure, about 75 to 80 years ago to the current address. I was told this move took two horses, two weeks and two men! Imagine! This was no small house, even then, but they did refer to it as a 'cottage' leading us to believe it was built by an affluent family.
Yesterday, a neighbour dropped in with an application form requiring our signatures. (there has been a property line dispute between this property and the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station, next door, for five years) We decided to initiate the process to settle the property line issue, once and for all. I made tea. We got to talking! Although not an islander, she is as fascinated and informative about this house as anyone has been to date. You can tell she has an affinity for the island, much like all of us 'from away'! After tea and signatures, we said our goodbyes and got back to the work at hand. Later in the afternoon an email arrived with this picture attached....

FASCINATING!

RIGHT?

It looks like a seaside cottage with simplistic appeal. I would have fallen for it equally back then, as now.

So.... fast forward to the current day, two additions later and more than a 100 years (age of this house is still unknown to us) and we have this....

Can you see what is written at the bottom of the old picture?

I think we have a name!!!!!

Woo Hoo!

Apple a day!

2011-10-14T16:09:00.002-03:00

When I was a youngster, I hated apple sauce, but adored apples, and still today have 'an apple a day!' I am a believer in the old adage 'keep trying things you don't like', because just as our bodies renew themselves every seven years (some years with better results than others =~} , our tastes also evolve and change. All that to say I now like apple sauce, BUT....it must be my own applesauce. A little recipe I made up that I use in numerous ways. Thought I would share it with you.

Apple A Day, Applesauce. (Cooked)

Start with a cooking apple, like Northern Spy, Alexander, or Cortland.

The first time you make it, make a small

batch and figure out how to customize the

sweetness and quantity to suit you.

Make enough to last a couple of days in the fridge or make a bigger quantity and freeze in pre-measured containers, for up to six months.

This is not a measured recipe, per-say.....

..... more of a guideline....

Peel and core three large apples, then dice the
apples to about half inch size pieces.

Place the apple pieces in a stove top sauce pan.

Add about 1/8th to 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice, and the same amount of water.

Cook over medium heat until the apples

become mush. Remove from heat.

The cooking part is about ten minutes.

Use a potato masher to mash any apples that

remain in chunks.

Cool slightly and add...

1 - 2 T. maple syrup

(I prefer it less sweet. This is where you decide how sweet you would like it to be)

Add, 2 drops (no more) pure vanilla extract

Add, 1/8 t (or to taste) cinnamon

Stir to mix. This makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce.

Serve!!!

Serve? How?

A warm bowl of fresh made apple sauce with a piece of home baked bread and a cup of tea will always please!

Warm Applesauce over frozen yogurt with toasted walnuts.

Applesauce on your morning toast.

You can replace up to a third of the fat in a baking recipe with applesauce without affecting the texture and taste. (It will however, affect the longevity of the baked good)

Applesauce on hot cereal with raisins! Yum!

Applesauce with melted cheese on top and a ginger cookie on the side...a passport to another sphere!

(with tea of course)

FYI.... after a tummy upset or at the onset of tummy aches, eat applesauce which has extraordinary high levels of pectin that will soothe and heal the gastrointestinal system, gently.

Making applesauce on a rainy day like today, makes the whole house smell fresh and wholesome too!.... so use it as aroma therapy!

It's all good!!

An Uphill Battle

2011-10-14T06:17:00.003-03:00

The frustration of getting the INN painted is going to be my undoing....I fear. It has been my biggest frustration to date. You may recall the ambling plan that started in May with my endeavouring to FIND a painter, which was quickly followed by being in a long line of other property owners WAITING on the same man. He first promised to be here to paint by the first of August. Did not show. Then the mid of August. No show. You would think by then I would have moved on. (I can hear your thoughts) BUT.... it is near impossible to find painters on this island, and I have NO experience with exterior painting, so I doubted my ability to do a good job. I have since reconsidered. Said he would be here by the first of September. NOT! I then started a new set of worries, as the fall can bring with it heavy dews and temperatures that make it hard to adhere paint and then have effective drying time. This is too costly a job to play with precarious weather conditions. Then in Mid-September, the old fish bate truck pulled in to my yard. He'd be here on Monday. Whew! We were having unusually great fall weather.... I felt a bit more at ease. Big G. has been doing this for 40 years. I had all the experience I needed right? You would think!
He said he would have two helpers. He showed up with one. MM, young, and in need of work. Big G put him to work scraping. What he lacked in experience he more than made up for with a willingness to WORK. I like that! Big G would arrive in the morning and give MM his orders and leave. He was still finishing a job mid-island. I tried not to stress. When he finally arrived to work, he started priming the east side of the house. Then he missed a day due to rain. MM showed up and scraped anyway. Big G came back with MM the following day and one continued the priming, the other was now working on the trim. I now am noticing that MM, although lacking in finesse for the work, is MUCH more thorough, and has the patience to jab and and seek out the crevice spaces. Big G, not so much! I made a few more observations. Big G almost laughs me off and assures me it will be fine in the end. You see the entire house must be primed and painted (all surfaces including trim, windows, and basement) with a 4 inch paint brush because it is a shingled exterior. Shaker style shingles. Each shingle is unique and needs thorough painting on all surfaces...top, sides and just under the bottom edge, which also mean you can get drips....VERY easily. I mention some obvious drips. Big G laughs and tells MM to be careful in a joking manner and laughs me off. I am now at a mild but firm simmer! When they leave at the end of the day, I have coffee cups all over the place, and spilt paint by the drive way, dirty rags blowing hither and yon.... you get the picture....and THEN.... he announces he can't do any more this fall. Has to get ready for lobster fishing which takes a month. I will be the first property for painting in the spring. What was I to say? After Big G left, MM continued his work up the ladder. At break time he sheepishly offered to return to paint the following day...."if the weather holds". By this point I am stressed by the fact I have $1,500.00 of paint sitting in my back hallway. Have paid wages to a man who has left me more than a little frustrated, and now have a very inexperienced MM up a ladder looking for more work from a woman who is less than enthused about the whole stinking mess. "Leave it with me" I retracted to the house for a cup of tea and a moment with my thoughts. The wisdom of tea.... Once alone with my self and my pot of tea, I reasoned that MM had been consistent in his work ethic, and was WILLING TO WORK. I decided to go to the hardware store and do some investigating about MM before continuing. It is after all, a small place and everybody knows everything there is to know about everybody else, so why not ask.
It was coming up on a week when I had to leave for Ontario and did not feel comfortable leaving MM to paint in my absence. That was also weighing on my mind. At the hardware store, I talked to a few folks whose opinions I respect. We discussed MM. I heard things like... "if you can get him to show up for work", and "inexperienced" and "too young to be doing a job that requires years of experience" You get the picture.... not many people in MM's corner, which is something I also find about small communities, suppressing limitations!!! Once they peg you, you are pegged! Again, with my thoughts, I drove home in a silent car, so I could think! I got back to the house and there he was, jabbing away with a tired paint brush. I started a conversation that let him know my level of disappointment. That I had been painting for more than 30 years and felt this was worst display of workmanship I had seen in a long while, BUT...."here we are" He once again assured me he would work for an agreed upon hourly wage...would take direction, and was willing to learn if I could direct. " I could use the work. I have a mortgage payment and no job until fishing starts in November" (has a house....hmmmm)
Big G never returned after I returned from my week away, but MM came knocking, (hmmmm) I've decided I like MM and I like that he has a work ethic, and respect for his home, his father, and his dogs. I can work with this. He is VERY inexperienced, but ASKS permission and is WILLING to take direction. All by himself, he has finished the priming on two sides. Top coated two sides, except the porch area which I feel is a place where you can see cut-ins up close and I decide to take that on and show him in the process what a proper end result should look like.
He has painted the trim on all the windows on two sides and I cut in the trim work. We both scraped the basement and two sets of steps leading to the porch and painted these together. His awareness is improving and he leaves his work areas clean every night. He is never late for work, Never takes advantage of my time, and asks before doing. We are getting somewhere! All that said, the paint job will not be complete until next spring when we get warm weather and lobster fishing is over..... and MM comes back to work.
In the meantime, MM made his mortgage payment, I have 75% of two sides complete, with MM returning this weekend to hopefully tidy up the remaining effort! ....and I close with this thought.... give a young person a chance. How can they possible get experience unless we nurture their willingness to work by teaching and tolerance!

:)

2011-10-12T18:44:00.001-03:00

Met 'Fear This' at the hardware store this morning. With the usual grin on his face he asked. "How are things at the beehive?" Cheeky devil! He is referring to my very YELLOW choice of paint for the exterior and his comment from earlier in the summer when he asked.... "What colour you going to paint this place anyway?" 'Yellow', I answered. "It'll look like a big bumble bee" he grinned. ..."or a house for Big Bird" He does know how to torment! I can never get a hold of this very talented man who is in constant demand, unless we collide at the hardware store. so I jumped on the opportunity. 'You still working on the house in Seal Cove?' "Yup, startin' the gyproc today" 'Since you are booked up can you suggest someone to install my windows before winter?' "Well.... I'm the best (another grin) I could come measure them up for you so you can order the inserts. Probably $279.00 each. They are 3'x5' aren't they?" 'Roughly. After we measure I will secure the order" I decided to go with this for now. If I get the windows ordered, it will be another month until they are delivered. Once they are here, if it happens I can find a carpenter here and there for a day or two of work, then I will have the windows ready to go. Most all the fishermen fish lobster full time until after New Years. I may have to wait until then for installation. Not ideal! Lets hope 'Fear This' has a day free before then and can fit me in.

FYI

2011-10-11T20:14:00.001-03:00

You may or may not (depending how observant you are) have noticed the look of the blog changing a little, as I learn more. Two features have been added that you may not have noticed. There is a bar at the bottom of the page to enter your email address to have the blog sent to your inbox should you desire that, AND.... we have added to the feedback area, little reactions icons.... as I understand some of you were having trouble with the the comment section. Thought this might be fun!

Did he really say that?

2011-10-11T20:07:00.001-03:00

Off to the paint store this morning to purchase primer and paint for room number 8, as well as the main halls, AND... the exterior basement walls, AND... the exterior steps on both ends of the porch. This in itself took about an hour to accomplish, and then we had to get some groceries..... so kiss the morning goodbye! So.. the paint counter man is mixing my colours and idle chat evolves. Friendly banter. And then I heard him say, .... "paint is much like make-up on older women, Looks good from afar, but up close.... far from good!" and he laughed as if it were the first time he'd heard or said something like that. I had to chuckle. Up until this morning this man has never even engaged in conversation, and then this! :) .....I'm guessing still waters run deep!!!
The full harvest moon delivered this year, did it not? We had incredible weather for the better part of a week to the point we could sit out at midnight on the porch, in sleeveless shirts under a GLOWING balloon moon with a calm ocean and skies all a twinkle. It is days like these that make you glad to be alive! I live all year for the harvest moon, which arrives on or near my birthday usually, making way for the Hunter's Moon of October, but when the Harvest moon repeats it's bounty twice in a couple of weeks, it is referred to as the FULL Harvest Moon, or the Kindly Moon, and who could argue with that after the week we have had. And so todays anthem must be..... 'To Go Home'.... M.Ward (available on iTunes)

I'm Thankful

2011-10-07T15:28:00.000-03:00

In keeping with all that comes with Thanksgiving, I am thankful for....

The most wonderful family....EVER!

A husband that adores me.

Friends that accept and love me for me.

My health

My creativity, and freedom of expression.

The wisdom in hindsight, and

The ability to dream......

and Miss Daisy....of course !!!!~

All together now....

2011-10-07T15:12:00.003-03:00

When it is your turn to host Thanksgiving and all that entails, remember this, for every year we get a little better at being hostess, and at the same, time get a little tired form all the work. Breakfast will be a breeze.... and delicious! (T=tablespoon, t=teaspoon) I have never had a guest that did not love this breakfast, and it is perfect on a fall morning! Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups one percent milk (soy milk works here too)

4 T maple syrup

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 cup dried fruit (i.e. raisins/cranberries/apricots....etc)
1 large apple diced, peel on, cored

1/2 cup of nuts (like almonds or walnuts)

Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste...in other words a little goes a long way, especially at breakfast.

Mix together and bake in an 9X9 pan, at 375 about 30 minutes.

Serve hot, with warm milk and brown sugar, and watch it disappear!

If you wish to fancy it up....make this topping....

2T butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 t cinnamon.

Crumble to mix and spread on the oatmeal before baking.

Yum!

Happy Thanksgiving ALL!!!!!

...and so it goes

2011-10-06T17:30:00.001-03:00

Claude has spent the entire day putting the wood for winter in the basement. Funny story.... In mid summer I decided once the work on the new fireplace began, I should order the wood for winter. I asked 'Fear This' where I could get wood. He gave me several ideas and ended with "But... go see____ he's the cheapest." So the very next morning I walked across the street where Mr. M works and asked about the possibility of getting some wood for winter. "I take the orders a year in advance" (Oh dear!) "...but, Mr G. said you'd be popping by for some wood and I'll tell you what I told him, I may not have as much as she wants but I will give her what I have" (things were beginning to look up) "how much are you looking for?" 'I was hoping to get two cords of soft wood and two of hard wood.' "Hardwood I can probably do, but I am almost out of softwood. I'll do my best" 'Thats all I can ask" "I'll begin my deliveries in early August." We chatted a bit more about price and payment and I left....'Very good, and Thank-you'. Never gave it another thought until September rolled around and I realized there had been no delivery of wood. Hmmmm... Another walk across the street. Yes... he had intentions of coming and things got in the way. "Will be delivering starting today" Great! First there was one truck load, and then another and then two more, followed by a knock at the door. 'Mr. M....good to see you, I guess you've come for some money, and thanks for the wood' I now have a stream of wood from my back stairs at the basement to the corner of the back driveway. Already I was feeling toasty just looking at it. And, in my moment of joy, forgot his name. 'I'm embarrassed to say I can't remember who to make the check out to' He grinned, Robert...... Robert M." 'Oh yes...'
Just before I put the amount on the check I said it out loud so as to get it right the first time. '$1,000.00 right?' "No, $500.00" I looked at him quizzically. "I have only delivered the first half. I will see how much I have left before I charge you" 'Ok fair' I signed the check and he was gone calling over his shoulder, "Thanks now..." as he descended the stairs to his truck. I closed the door as the light bulb went on in my head (finally right?) Every year I order four cords of wood in Ottawa for our little cottage house, and I had reasoned that the same amount would serve me well this winter here, since I am staying only part of the winter. What I didn't realize is that in Ottawa my neighbour sells me a face cord, and here it is a full cord. I have enough wood until 2014! oooooopppps!
So, as this fall day draws to a close, the wood is in, I've made the cranberry relish and spice cake for my weekend guests, and I have cleaned and chopped all the vegetables for Thanksgiving dinner. The beds are ready and the rooms are clean. All this, well before the ferry went out of commission and travel to the island was halted. The new ferry refused to start today. Problem one. Next problem... the other ferry can take over except the problem ferry is sitting in the one and only ferry dock. It must be moved before the other ferry can approach. Weekend travel to and from the island just took on a whole new meaning. Our guests will still come and go.... eventually, but once again we are reminded of the importance of being READY.... for the winter months! In a BIG way!~