Another Visit Comes to an End

After a seventeen day visit my parents have returned to Ontario. It was such a wonderful visit. As usual we accomplished a lot and ate some great food. This visit was very special to me as it meant I was not alone during my first Christmas with out my children and extended family gathered around. That my parents were willing to leave the rest of the family in Ontario to come spend it with me on the farm shows how loving and selfless they are. I can't say how much I love them and how grateful I am for them.

One highlight of our time together was amazing seafood that mom cooked. Coquille St. Jacques with Digby scallops, fish cakes, and a chowder made from local lobster. These were all paired with amazing wines and champagnes from vineyards both in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

As always, no visit from mom and dad is complete with a list of jobs we want to tackle. Our two main ones this time were:
1. Splitting wood that has accumulated over the past year. Dad and I went out and rented a splitter and within three hours we had a cord of good burning and Shannon manageable wood! I had never split wood this way before and loved it!! We could not believe the size of wood and amount of knots that this splitter could manage.

2. We wanted to get as far as we could on finishing a bedroom. This bedroom has been a thorn in my side since almost the day we moved in when we started the process by tearing up the carpet. We have since removed a wall, dropped a chimney, removed two small closets, replaced a window, replaced drywall, and this past visit, we painted the ceiling and walls, replaced the electrical outlets, stripped and sanded the floor and finally, on their last day here, mom and I got the first coat of stain on the floor.

Hopefully by the time mom and dad return in the spring, I will have the trim up, a new door on, a light fixture hung, and be sleeping in there!

Not only will I miss mom and dad but so will Dixie. Between the hikes, and frisbee, and evening cuddles, she absolutely loves her great grandparents.