Summer, Part 3?!

Garth and Hugh discussing life and "the games"
TJ's garden was Santa-ed

The Mini Olympics winning team

Pot luck with the cousins at the farmhouse

Time flies up here!

First there was the week with just TJ and I. We worked a lot and got organized. It was relatively quiet and we had a nice time.

Then Katie came up for a week. We enjoyed visiting and spending time together. TJ was gone for most of the visit until the weekend and then he came for a few days. I think he had a great 3 days! Perfect weather, just enough activities to be interesting but not too many to be exhausting.

Then there was the massive influx of people and "the games". Lots of cousins and many get togethers. It is always so hard to fit everything into a day. Where does the time go? We aren't working, we don't really have any obligations up here but still the time seems to just fly by. Can a day really be comprised of waking, eating, doing a few chores, exercising, beaching, visiting, a couple of meals, more visiting, laughing, playing and more visiting and going to bed completely exhausted and very late, only to wake up and do it all again? The answer is YES! We love it too! There are so many people here during "the games" that it is hard to fit them all into one day so we just have a continuous cycle of visiting and hanging out, oh, and the games. We lost this year, not enough key players here that week. Guess they chose to have a vacation instead of playing in the games. Still, a great week and super great weather!

Then comes the family time. Rachel, Matt, Daniel and Kelly and TJ all here for 10 days. Talk about busy! That Daniel is one moving man. He has an amazing curiosity about everything around him. He also loves the beach. It is so much fun to see him think about things and figure things out so quickly. This age is so physically tiring but they are wonders to watch. We had a great time with all of them here. We also know why young people have kids, whew! We have also had the most perfect weather of the summer for the last week. August is the time to be here, mid August, for those of you who are planning a future trip up here. Warm to hot days, cool nights and plenty of sunshine, no jellyfish and warm water to boot! We love it!

I'll just share a few pictures for your reading enjoyment. By no means all of the pictures but just a taste of the summer. It really has been one of "those" summers! Thanks be to God.

Summer Part 2

The deck addition and future screened in porch.

Shore life in July has been very nice. This is the first summer we are actually staying in the farmhouse. I think I like it, but then again, this has not been the busy time at the shore either so being down the road is not a big issue yet. When more people show up I could feel different about not being in the middle of the action, then again, I might just like being away. We shall see.

Our first week here was full of work. TJ keeps a very fast pace when it comes to work....surprise! The garden was full of weeds and we weren't sure if there were any vegetables in those weeds or not. Turns out, TJ is quite the gardener. The lettuce crop is fantastic! Never one to do things on a small scale, TJ planted a garden big enough to feed a small town. Lettuce for everyone!

the lettuce crop

We cleaned the house, trimmed a few windows and have almost completed the bathroom, I mean....really completed it! Whoo hoo! This house is an endless opportunity to work. So many things to do, so little time, I mean money.

I must say the place is shaping up, still lots to get done but the vision is coming into focus.

Weather report: More sunny days than rainy days. That being said, it has not been fantastic just yet. Still a little cool and wet to be the perfect summer but I think things are looking up. Today is the perfect shore day and I hope an indication of things to come. Not complaining at all!

I think this past week was my vacation. TJ was back working and I was here alone for the week. Yup, that was my vacation. Katie arrives today, TJ comes for the weekend next weekend and then I will have another week until the next visits from Rachel, Matt, Daniel and Kelly and TJ. This summer is the summer of shift visits. Everyone is not here at the same time there is just a constant flow in and out of family.

So far, so good. What is not to love, right?

Summer, Part 1

Summer officially arrived on June 22 and it was actually summer like for about a week. Our friends, Bob and Donna visited from the 25th until the 30th. We had a great visit with them. We did all the usual tourist things, downtown Toronto, Niagara on the Lake, wine country, a few pubs here and there and hung out enjoying the lovely summer evening on the back patio. So nice to have good friends to share that with!

There were a few highlights from their visit.

Donna and I at St. Lawrence Market

First might be that they brought their new dog, Lily, and Lily and Sadie were very compatible! That is saying something for Sadie! The video is for my family's benefit. It is pretty cute.

Another highlight would have to be seeing Jersey Boys. We loved it! It was so much fun and very well done.

The final highlight would be our day visiting the Niagara wine country. We tasted some very good wines, bought many and then ended the day at home out on the deck, enjoying our purchases. The weather could not have been any nicer either. Bonus!

Now TJ and I are heading to Nova Scotia for the rest of the summer. Well, at least for me. Here is hoping for more sun than last summer and more warmth than last summer. I am looking forward to spending time with family and friends and living a slower pace life. That might be a stretch at the shore sometimes though. Not to worry, it will be great!

Line Ups!

Wanna know what causes Canadians to act like people in Louisiana or Texas when a hurricane is coming? The threat of a strike at the LCBO! (The local liquor commission, the only place to buy booze here.)

Today's news is that at midnight, the LCBO may be going on strike, closing all the stores for a while. Well, since we are having company for the next few days, I decided I should get a few bottles of wine, just in case. It looked like the grocery store before a hurricane! The shelves were almost empty, the line ups at the check out were about 20 people deep at each one. Craziness! One fellow with a British accent caught me in an aisle and said, "They should all be shot, this is ridiculous." Hmmmm, a little extreme. " I really was surprised at how many people were out loading up.

So, Toronto is now in the throws of a garbage strike, so apparently garbage is piling up all around. Ontario is possibly getting ready for a strike by the LCBO. I'll bet the garbage strike lasts longer than the LCBO (if it happens). Judging by the public reaction already.....priorities!
Just had to share that with you all.

Friends and Family

I think June is the month for friends and family, well, maybe the entire summer is if I think about it! I just got back from visiting St. Louis and Nashville. Kelly is spending the summer in St. Louis, working for the university, so I went to visit her last weekend. While I was there, we drove to visit TJ's brother, Phil, and his family in Nashville. It was a good weekend!

The Tree house

TJ built Erin and Declan, Phil and Carol Anne's kids, a treehouse while we were there. The kids had a blast, I think TJ did too! It was so nice to be around them and see the kids, who are growing way too fast.

Erin and Declan in the treehouse

Kelly and I had a great visit, mainly spent restocking her pantry and making sure she does not suffer from malnutrition for the rest of the summer. I think she will be fine now. We did do a few other things too like a movie, the park, the zoo, a museum and dinner out. It was great to see her and spend some real time together.

Next week we have friends from Georgia coming to visit for a few days. Should be fun showing them around Toronto. I am hoping for some good "patio weather" so we can sit outside and have dinner or happy hour.


When they leave then we are off to the shore for the rest of the summer! To more friends and family. All good stuff.

Fresh Air

I think one of my favorite things about living up here is the fact that I can have my windows open for many months. I just love the feel in the house when the windows are open. The house also smells so nice with the fresh air inside.
For most of my life I have lived in places that had to run air conditioning for about 8 months a year and then heat for the other 4 months. There may have been a week or two that were worthy of open window living. When we moved to Georgia, I remember how luxurious it was to have entire months when I could open the windows in the house and just enjoy the outdoors...inside. I loved it!
The past couple of months have been open window months. I realize that my internal thermostat runs a little cooler than most, I like it very cool! There is no sleep better than that in a room with the windows cracked and the temp outside around 50 and the blankets on the bed all cozy and warm. Ahhh! I just love it.
I noticed when we visited our friends in Montreal that their house smelled so nice and I really think it was because it was spring and the windows were open. Plus, I think the house was just very clean! I can't make that claim....It reminds me of when we would leave either Texas or Louisiana when we were kids and drive to Ohio to my grandmother's house in the summer, and her windows were always open and it always felt nice there, well except when they were having a heat wave, then it could be plain miserable. That is another post altogether.
I ramble on too long about something like open windows but I really do love not having to run the AC at this time of year. Don't get me wrong, as soon as it gets the least bit hot or humid....the AC will be on! Bummer!

Fun in the sun

The calm water in the morning

My sisters and I took a little trip to Florida last weekend. We try to get together once a year but it seems to work out to once every other year. Even though we see each other at the shore every year, it just isn't the same with kids, spouses, cousins, etc. around and we don't get the real vacation feel at the shore since one of us has to cook every night. This is a real treat for all of us and we each need this time for one reason or another.

Let me start by saying the weather could not have been more perfect. We were lucky enough to be there for a rare northern front, which meant that the humidity was low and there was a nice breeze. Amazing! The water was also great, no seaweed, calm in the morning and more waves toward the evening, a little something for everyone. Lots of wildlife sitings, rays, dolphins and even a shark. I luckily missed the shark, I hear it was small and harmless. Glad I missed it.

Help, don't let him take me!

Tammy and Lee Ann having fun with the pirate.

Our first night dinner was at Peg Leg Pete's, directly across the street from our condo! After a drink, appetizers, dinner and more drinks, we spotted this fellow on our way out and just had to have our way with him! Yes, it was like being on spring break again, as we left and were in the parking lot we realized there was an older couple in a car watching the photo shoot and cracking up, which just made us crack up even more! There was also one lady in her car not so amused, which also made us crack up. No pirates were injured in the taking of the photos.

LeeAnn, Tammy, Susan, Karen and Lisa

The shadow picture is supposed to be us striking a pose that would define us. I think LeeAnn is diving (the little mermaid), Tam is doing yoga, Susan is making muscles, Karen (mutual friend of all of us) is drinking a beer and I am giving her the beer and taking pictures.

Susan getting some excercise!

We were always the last ones off the beach in the evening. Long after all the families had gone up we were still sitting there having happy hour and enjoying the beautiful beach. Evening really is my favorite time on the beach, it is just so relaxing. One does lose all motivation to go up and shower and dress for dinner though after sitting on the beach for so long!

The Formation, the only picture of the 4 of us together.

A picture just like this, taken about 4 or 5 years ago was what instigated this trip. We did this same formation years ago and Tammy sent the old picture to each of us with the subject line- these people sure know how to have fun! It got the ball rolling for another sister trip. Why did we do it? Because we could. Notice the special skills Susan and I have for our role in the formation! Yes, we sure know how to have fun!

The video will be available online soon....hehehe!

All in all, the trip was a big success aside from the sun poisoning 3 of us got. Mine was definitely the worst. I did not have as much sun training up here as the others do in the south. We laughed and talked and cut up and played and ate and drank and just sat quietly and it was perfect. Sisters are great!