Sunday, March 28th was cool and overcast but I was itching to get out of the house and try out my new camera. Being without one since Christmas time has been like missing a limb in some ways. I headed out of town towards St. Stephen and took the turn to St. Andrew's. Since I was out and about by myself I was a little leary on going down roads I hadn't been on before...always afraid they will be a dead end and I won't have a place to turn around but that wasn't the case this time. The road I took was a dead end but had the nicest house at the end of it with this eagle's nest sitting on top of the hydro pole as well. The road runs along the Digdequash river and the house sits right on the banks. Beautiful spot.

I turned around and headed back towards St. George and took another detour to the left of the highway this time to see what was back in the sticks heading in this direction. A nice little waterfall in the Digdequash caught my eye so I pulled over to snap a few pictures. I really need to find someone in the area to go with me on these excursions that knows the woods and how to get down close to these spots...looked like a beautiful place for a picnic! So I continued on down the road happy to see that there were houses along the road so I didn't feel like I was heading into Deliverance country...the road twisted and turned, up and down hills and presented the odd pothole but it was a peaceful drive all in all. Soon I found my way to a road that pointed me back towards St. George and I was on my way home again.

Back in town I noticed the mist coming up from the gorge and the ice frozen to the surrounding trees and bushes so I wheeled into the Blueberry store parking lot and crossed the road to take a few more pictures. Moments like these make me feel like I am still just a tourist here but I can't seem to help myself. I love taking the pictures to share with my friends back in Ontario and also with my new friends here. It suprises me to find out that many of the locals don't venture off the beaten path so I feel it's my duty to let them know what's going on too...hahaha!!

So, that's it for today. The beautiful weather we had enjoyed the past few weeks has left us now and it's turned cold and overcast but I guess it's to be expected this time of year.

Fresh Starts

Don't you just love the longer days spring brings. More hours of sunshine and just an overall feeling of freshness in the air motivates us to take on those tasks we put off through the long winter months.


Today I am busy stripping beds and getting the guest bedrooms ready for friends and family I hope will be visiting this summer. The woodpile that didn't get brought into the house for winter is now being put away into the basement for next year, slowly but surely and the cleaning of the closets will begin soon as well.


Spring has sprung at the bakery as well. Sugar cookies and bunny cakes to celebrate the season and Easter holidays are brightening the shelves with their pretty purple, yellow, pink and green colours.


My first grandchild, Kingston, was born on March 18th, another new beginning this year. Although the circumstances around this blessed event are strained at this time I find peace in knowing that my blood and hopefully the best of my spirit have found a home in this new life. It's nice to know that you don't have to hold someone's hand to hold them in your heart.

Happy Spring!

A Mother's Prayer for her Daughter

May she always believe in herself...know that she is a gift to her mother and that her happiness is paramount. May her heart be open to those that seek her love but protected from those who do not appreciate all that she is.



If she is hurting, may the hurt lead to revelations of an inner strength she never knew she had. Give me strength and wisdom as a mother and woman to realize that I can't always make the hurt go away but can always be her soft place to fall when she needs me the most.



Let my advice be simple and true...help me not to be selfish or judgemental when she is making difficult choices. Let me be reminded that I have also made choices that no one else understood and whether they were the right choices or not I have learned from them and she will too.

I pray for my daughter that she will smile more often than she cries, that she loves stronger than she hates and that she forgives her mother for wanting to carry her burdens, for wanting to do physical harm to anyone that dares to deem insignificant the gift I cherish so dearly.

May the sun always shine warmly on her path, though clouds may appear, let it only be for a moment in time until she smiles again.

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

Another great holiday spent visiting so many of my friends. Here are just a few of the many people I got to connect with again. Some people are missing because my camera broke part way through my travels, others are not posted because I value my life! Unfortunately I wasn't able to see everyone that I wanted to but it doesn't seem to matter how long I stay there just isn't enough time and energy. How lucky am I to have that many friends!!! Pictured here from top left to right are:

Debbie, Shaun, Julie, Russell, Amy, Jake, Andrea, Tim, Sally, Sherrise

Not only do I have lots of friends but I just have to say I have the best looking ones too!!!

There are lots of people I need to thank as well. Thanks, Karen, for being there for me Christmas Eve to pick me up at the airport and also for being my date on New Year's Eve. I can't help but wonder if you have any lasting marks from the ping pong ball? Thanks to Kristie for the awesome Christmas dinner and also for taking me back to the airport. Thank you Brooke for taking time out of your busy life to have a sleep over with your old mom and for hanging out with me while I went visiting even though it meant the possiblity of having the youth sucked out of you! A huge thanks to my mom and dad for putting up with me for two whole weeks and letting me bomb around in the truck. I'm glad we got in a few games of marbles even though Dad won because he CHEATS!!! Just kidding...it was great. I was happy to meet up with Dave, Sonja, Michelle and Tammy for coffee too. Glad we are keeping in touch! Thanks to Bill and Brenda for inviting me to your New Year's party...lots of laughs! Thanks to Julien for inviting me to your hockey games...glad I got to spend time with you and your mom. Thank you Tim for breakfast at Angels Diner and for loaning me the book, I look forward to reading it as soon as I locate my glasses. It was great to see friends at Kelsey's again, thanks to Susan, Sherri, Julien, Amy, Shane, Kristie, Brooke, Melanie, Rob, Cindy, Mary Ann, and Rory.

My Friends from HBBS 2010

Left to right from the top

Brad, Jo-Anne, Lisa, Blain, Amanda, Mary, Ewelina

Unable to attend: Keith, Jodie, Linda, Alexis

It's always great to get together for lunch each time I return to Ontario with my friends from Hamilton Brant Behaviour Services. Working with such a great group of people is one of the few things I do miss. Brad (aka Willie...self applied nickname) and Blain never fail to supply stories that keep me in stitches throughout the meal and always made work fun. I'm not sure what Brad's aversion to Mary's hat is but I think it's stylin' and suits her perfectly! Best wishes in your upcoming nuptuals Mary and I hope you make it down for a visit on your honeymoon..can't beat the rates! Ewelina still looks like she walked off the cover of Vogue and my mentor Jo-Anne hasn't changed either...still has that smile that lights up the room! I'm also happy to say that Lisa and I keep in touch through gossip central (Facebook) from time to time and think it's hilarious that she still manages to lock herself out of the office on occasion! Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to work with Amanda as she joined the group after I moved but it was great to see her again too and she seems to fit in perfect...loved the digs about Brad's food noises...LOL! I have a neice that does that and it drives my dad crazy!

I'm happy that I stopped in at the office before lunch and had the chance to see Keith...BEST BOSS EVER!!!! ... to have a quick chat with Jodi, and a hug from Linda as well.

Remember that our door is always open and Lyndon and I would love for any of you to come visit. By the way, Lyndon suggests that should you ever need to hire another receptionist Keith should put "must know how to bake" as the number one prerequisite for the position and "will train for the office work" Hahaha!!!

Thanks again everyone for that awesome lunch and best wishes to all of you for the new year! Keep laughing!

First Snow Dec. 6, 2009

I guess it was bound to happen, after all this is December in Canada but I must admit I was hoping it would wait until late Christmas Eve. Waking up early and looking outside to see everything draped in white for the first time of the year is a kind of magical moment though. It brought back childhood memories of making snowmen and angels, building forts and tobogganing...but only for a few minutes. Then it sets in that driving is going to be more hazardous, shovelling needs to be done, the heating bill is going to take a jump, and the arthirits will no doubt flare up.

Days like this, in my mind, ache for Christmas cookies baking in the oven, a pot of homemade soup simmering on top of the stove, Christmas music playing and a steaming cup of cocoa in my hand. Yes, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and what most of us probably needed boost our motivation to do that baking and shopping we've been putting off. It's also a good day to write out and post those Christmas cards I bought last month and have been wondering if I am ever going to send them.

I booked my flight home for a two week holiday with my family and friends from December 24th - January 8th. My parents home in Hagersville will be my homebase for the duration of my stay so if any of my friends and family have the time, I hope we can get together for coffee and visits. I'm really looking forward to it and am making a promise to myself to see as many people as I can without wearing myself out so much driving all over the place that I need days off when I get back to recouperate. Hopefully there will be no snow Christmas Eve to delay or cancel my flight, would hate to spend Christmas in the Moncton airport!

Guess that's my update for today...better get those Holiday cards off the shelf and start writing. Happy Snow Day to all!!

November brought with it a nice suprise...a visit from my friends Christy and Taylor Patterson. With every visitor this year came beautiful weather and this visit was not to be an acception. The sun shone every day giving us plenty of opportunities in the 3 days to venture out to some of my favorite spots.

Large clam shells and sand dollars were treasures found at New River Beach and sea urchins were picked up on our visit to Deer Island.

It was so nice to catch up with my friends and I'm so happy they made the trip here and back to Brantford safe and sound. I'm sure they will return to discover more hidden gems here in Charlotte County.

Visitors in the Fall

In the collage are pictures of my September and October visitors. David Parks, Sonja Maden, Tammy Douglas, Michelle Job, Sandy Rittenhouse and Bev Carpenter.

In October my cousin Sandy Ritthouse and her cousin Bev Carpenter arrived. Thanks to Facebook we were able to connect after many, many years and I was very excited to have them come and visit! Every day was filled with road trips including St. Martin's, Hopewell Rocks, St. Andrews and Deer Island. We sampled Comeau's restaurant this time and let me tell you..their Scallop and Fish chowder was amazing!!! Loaded with scallops, haddock, and potatoes this chowder was more than a meal in itself.

The highlight of the visit was the night before I had to go into work while they were here. I had gone to bed early and left the two of them to watch movies in the living room with a nice fire crackling away in the woodstove. About an hour after I had retired there was a knock on my bedroom door. It was Sandy stating that the house was filling up with smoke!!! I jumped out of bed and opened the door to find that a blueish haze was indeed hovering in the air. We quickly went downstairs to discover that the vent on the woodstove was closed and the smoke was coming through the heat vents instead of up the chimmney. Once the vent was opened the problem was solved, windows were opened and the smoke eventually cleared out.

It was great catching up with the two of them, lots of laughs and good times. The only thing missing was my other cousin Kim but hopefully she will make it down the next time they come.

Now awaiting my next visitors...Christi and Taylor Patterson! Woo Hoo!! The adventures continue!

It was a beautiful fall day on Saturday so I hopped in the car with camera in tow to enjoy the beautiful colours of the season. Unfortunately the pictures don't do justice to the eye-popping
scenes but here they are just the same. The drive down Canal Rd and back out to the highway at Second Falls is windy and serene...won't be long now before the deer will also be out along this route once hunting season is over.

Visitors in September

David, Sonja, Michelle and Tammy arrived on Wednesday, Sept. 23rd after a long drive from visiting family in Nova Scotia. It was great to see familiar faces again and to sit up late talking and catching up with Tammy and Michelle and getting to know my new friends, Dave and Sonja.

Over the next few days they visited a few of the local stores and saw some of the beautiful scenery around the area. Although I had to work during their visit, I'm glad that they ventured out on their own to explore and even took the ferry over to Deer Island.

On my day off we stopped at New River Beach for a short walk and then drove into Saint John to the City Market to pick up some fresh meat from the butcher and a few gifts. Dave enjoyed the "Guitar Man" playing outside the market singing some country music and after leaving the man a small token of appreciation in his guitar case we continued on our way.

Saturday night the folks treated me to a dinner out at the Silverking Restaurant in Black's Harbour for a delicous and overwhelming meal of fried clams, scallops, shrimp and fish. That small seafood platter was enough to feed an army!!! Thanks guys! Maybe next time we go there they will serve beer in a can for you Dave!

After 3 days of eating and visiting Dave had to remove his belt from his pants, we thought he was going to have to resort to wearing a pair of Lyndon's track pants, what can I say? The man loves his mashed potatoes and gravey! Both Dave and Sonja expressed their desire to return in the future and I hope they do! What a great visit which ended all to soon and before I knew it they were off to return to Brantford.

I want to thank them for the beautiful gift for my bathroom as well as the gift they left in my guest book. Most of all thanks for coming to visit, and hope to see you all down here in St. George again in the future!

Moments

Moments

Moments

As I sit here staring at the blank page wondering what exciting news I have to share from the East Coast what jumped to mind instead was how everyone is always saying the summer flies by. Usually I agree thinking that summer is never long enough but today I decide to take a more positive appoach and look back at the moments instead of the months.
Yes, it has been an unusually wet and cool summer but it really hasn't affected how many awesome moments I've had.
Every day at work where the job is hot and demanding I have the opportunity to go outside for my breaks and overlook the view of the river with the occasional eagle soaring above me and the fresh breeze a welcomed relief to cool me down. It's always a great moment.
Every day without fail when I return from work my dog Maddie is so overcome with joy at my return, so excited to see me that she can't wait for me to sit on the deck and put my feet up so she can jump in my lap and try to lick my ears and face as many times as possible. Always a great moment.
After every rain it's amazing to see the extreme greens everywhere from the trees to the grass glistening and the smell of freshness in the air that it leaves behind when the sun finally shines through.
Moments like walking on the beach, playing games, or taking long scenic drives with family members that I don't see often enough now, nor did I when I lived within an hours drive of them. The moments are like a million tiny snapshots in my memory to pull out and cherish anytime I think the days are slipping by too fast.
Even in those dark and despairing moments when my heart has been breaking and there are no words to speak that will diminish the hurt, something will happen in a moment to lift the burden and despite myself I find that the good and beautiful things in life are still with me to help me through.
I've had a great time the past few months travelling around, seeing beautiful places and spending time with family and friends which I am truly grateful for but most of all I feel blessed that my spirit is nurtured daily with all the moments I have experienced. When I think in moments rather than months it doesn't seem that time has flown by at all.

Mom, Dad and Pat's visit June 12th to the 19th, 2009

We had beautiful weather and the lupins were in full bloom the entire week that my parents and sister visited. Every day was filled with sightseeing excursions, naps and food just as every good vacation should be. All the local shops and restaurants were visited along with trips to St. John Market Square and City Market, a ride on the ferry to Grand Manan island where we spotted our first whale of the summer, a drive to St. Stephen and Calais Maine for some shopping and a jaunt through all the stores in beautiful St. Andrew's by the Sea.

Vicious games of marbles were played every night after supper and we were joined one evening by our neighbours Sandy and Lise Livingstone...lots of laughs, jokes and questionable language filled the house.

Dad needed a comfy place to sit and relax while watching tv so he purchased us a new lazyboy recliner, a very nice addition to the living room...thanks Dad!

All too soon the visit was over, it sure did fly by as most good things in life do. God willing they will be back again next summer to complete their next leg of the Charlotte County Tour.

Cape Breton Collage

What Lies Beneath

Clank! Clank! The shovel had hit stone and the sound it made sent the tiny hairs on the back of neck to attention. I had made the executive decision to dig up all the stones outlining what I'm sure at one time in the history of this property was a beautiful garden. The borders of the two flower beds resembled two very large eyebrows in the middle of the sloped back yard and over the years grass had grown in amonst the stones. Rather than dig up all the sod in the flowerbeds which would have created an enormous amount of gardening work all summer to keep the weeds down, I thought it would at least be an improvement if the borders were dug out and re-layed to create a point of interest in the back yard.

Our new friend Tyler was looking for some extra money and was anxious to get back into landscaping which was a real benefit to me. We discussed the plan and he quickly set to work to remove the stones. Unfortunately for Tyler, (but fortunate for me) the stones were actually rocks with only the very top tips showing through the overgrown earth. What he uncovered after a couple hours of hard labour was approximately 80 rocks ranging in weight from 5 pounds to 50 pounds! He heaved and dug and cursed occasionally as the shovel hit yet another hidden treasure. Fifteen of the largest of the rocks were set aside to build a set of steps leading from the top of the hill off the deck down to the lower back yard where the rhubarb patch sits.

After digging out all of the rocks and raking the newly turned earth Tyler then set to the task of maticulously placing the rocks into place on top of the dirt. I thought some new topsoil would look nice thrown over top of the rocks and then swept down in among them to fill in the cracks so Lyndon and Tyler headed off to make the purchase. When they returned with the bags of dirt I looked out and was shocked to see Tyler removing all the rocks he had just put in place 1/2 and hour ago. I explained that I didn't think he needed to take the rocks out, just put the dirt around them but this was his job and I let him go to it.

With the flower bed borders complete he then set to putting the stone steps in place and started digging out the ground to set them in. It took us another couple of hours to get all 15 of the rocks placed and levelled but the result was great. I can now easily walk down to pick rhubarb and not have to walk sideways back up the hill with my arms full without falling.

Shortly after the job was done, we had enjoyed a nice supper and had some time to relax, there was a small knock on the back door. No one ever uses the back door so I was suprised to see a wee little girl there holding a sponsor sheet. She was collecting for the Jump Rope for Heart. I asked her if she used my new steps to come up the hill and she shyly smiled and answered "yes". I looked at Lyndon and said, "I knew if we built it, they would come!" Maybe the future name of my bed and breakfast should be "Field of Dreams".

Another Province Down

Where has the time gone? Here it is the middle of May already and I see it's been a month since I updated this.
Spring seems to be taking it's time getting here, although the sun is shining most days the nippiness in the air is still holding on for dear life. The grass is brilliant green, trees are sprouting new leaves for another summer and more and more people are out and about on the streets of St. George. Business at the bakery is picking up and looks like summer will be a very busy time there. Here at the house, not much has changed. I did purchase a new bed for my upcoming visitors and have had the tree that was growing up through the deck cut down as most of it was dead and what was living insisted on dropping little leaves and twigs onto the deck all summer long.
This past weekend was the May 24 weekend and with the sun shinning brightly, Lyndon and I decided to head out on a road trip. There was not enough time to go to Ontario so we headed further east to Nova Scotia. It takes 2 and 1/2 hours to get from our house to the Nova Scotia border where we arrived at 5:00pm Friday night. Although it is very close by, the landscape is quite different with less evergreens, more deciduous trees and more open space...farm land. We headed down highway 104 which is a toll road, cost $4.00 until we saw a sign that said, "This is the only exit to Halifax" so we took it. We arrived in Halifax around 7:00pm and drove around downtown, along the pier and then out to Cow Bay (by accident). I would like to go back to Halifax sometime to walk around. The downtown buildings seem very old but very well maintained. We stopped for the night around 9:30 and got a room at the airport hotel.
Saturday morning we headed out again around 8:30 and decided to go to Cape Breton and drive the Cabot Trail. It was a beautiful day again and the scenery was spectacular. There were lots of little bakery's and giftshops along the route which Lyndon begrudgingly stopped at so I could snoop around. The trail itself was full of twists and turns, eye-popping views and hair raising drop offs. All in all I'm so glad we went but don't think I will have the nerve up to do it again anytime soon. Lyndon on the other hand wants to go back without me to see how fast he can take that road! We arrived back home Saturday night, safe and sound just in time for the rain to start. I've now been in every province except Newfoundland but that's a 6 hour ferry ride so will need to save up some vacation time for that trip.

The sunshine was calling to me and I couldn't stay home...it was such a beautiful day I had to get out for a drive. We took the scenic route, taking the exit past Sussex through Fundy National Park. For the most part it was just a lot of trees but there was the occasional view of the water, one which I got a picture of. Once through the park we passed through a couple of small villages before getting to Hopewell Rocks. The park doesn't officially open until sometime in May but you could still walk around and go part way down the stairs to see the flowerpot rocks. You can check out this website for more info on this area. http://www.thehopewellrocks.ca/

After our walk we headed on towards Moncton which was another hour away, up and down hills and around some sharp curves, just taking our time and enjoying the day. Luckily no one seemed to be in a hurry therefore not riding my bumper! Since it was low tide at Hopewell, by the time we passed New River Beach on our way home it was high tide so I couldn't stop to take Maddie for a walk on the beach...oh well...another day. Here are a few pictures of our adventure today. Enjoy!

Last covered bridge on Rt. 114 View from a high point in Fundy Nat'l Park

Flowerpot Rocks at Hopewell....You can see where the water has worn away the rocks during high tide.