July 31, 2012. Western Head, NS. Wayne Johnston.

He is a fine writer, originally from Newfoundland, now living in Toronto.  Dave and Irene gave me his latest book for Christmas and I have been saving it for Nova Scotia.  Now I am enjoying it thoroughly.   "A World Elsewhere"  is the name of the book.  In this book,  Mr. Johnston  shows off his command of words, with lots of word play.  He is an author who keeps this  reader on her toes.

The book is fiction but takes place partly at Biltmore, in Asheville, NC.   The names are all changed.  The descriptions of the big house and contents makes me tour the huge property immediately.

Wayne Johnston is the author of The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, his most famous book, telling the history of Newfoundland but as a novel.    His memoir,  Baltimore's Mansion, was also well received.  He writes like an angel but an angel with a good brain.

July 30, 2012. Western Head, NS. The Olympics.

It is a good thing it comes every four years but I love watching the Olympics on TV.   Even water polo is fun especially when I can switch from station to station and return to water polo only to check the score.   Today I got to see a bit of the kayak white water competition, and yesterday the table tennis.   So far, they have shown no field hockey coverage at all, and only five minutes of badminton.   A woman from the US won the gold medal in skeet shooting, hitting 99 out of 100 targets.   All I got to see was one picture of her smiling face.

At my disposal  all day I have three channels covering the Olympics, two Canadian stations along with NBC,  so by switching from channel to another I can catch up with most action shown on TV.  I know that all events are being filmed so I dream of the time when I can just dial up whatever sport I wish to watch, not just what is being shown by the  station.   I still love watching swimming, gymnastics and diving but I want more.  

There is something about being a human being that means we are never satisfied.    I like what I am watching, but I want more coverage of the minor sports.  I am pleased to be watching the Olympics in Canada.  Next Winter Olympics I must arrange to be living in Canada too!!

July 29, 2012. Western Head, NS. Escape.

The weather was wonderful and we had no company, so Friday morning, Ken and I escaped to the cottage.     No cell phone and no iPad.   Just lovely weather at a little cottage and a good book.  I sat at the deck beside the lake and read all afternoon Friday and Saturday morning.  In the afternoon, Ken and I attended a meeting of other cottage owners, then visited our neighbors who are building an addition.   We were so pleased with our escape from the real world that we stayed another night.

But there is a problem with living at the cottage and it is all my fault.   I don't sleep very well.   I have tried to figure out why.   Perhaps the mattress is too hard, or maybe too small.     After all, we are used to sleeping in a Queen bed and at the cottage the bed is a double.  Normally, I go to bed and fall asleep immediately, but not at the cottage.   Now the bedroom is very small and I suspect that the size of the bedroom is playing tricks to my mind.  I hope I get over this sleeping issue because we enjoyed our escape to the cottage, but I also enjoy a good nights sleep, so we came home.  

July 27, 2012. Western Head, NS. David.

Yesterday was my son David's birthday.  As he was born in 1969, that makes him 43 years old.   He is as fine a son as any mother would ever want, so I am fortunate to have a son such as David.   I called to congratulate him yesterday and asked him how he enjoyed being 43.  He was at work so of course did not wish to engage in lengthy chit chat but he did comment that considering the options, he was perfectly happy to be 43.

I have had several relatives called David.  My only brother is David.   He reminded me that when I called Mother to tell her of David's birth, they were all at a cottage on Lake Joseph, at a resort called Redwood Cottage.   Now Dave and Irene and Wendy own one of the same cottages.   Everyone was excited to hear of the new birth in the family.

And my Mother had a brother named David, so I had an uncle David, who was an Anglican minister.   He was the oldest in their family.  I often wondered whether or not my parents would name any subsequent male babies after my Mother's other brothers, which were John and Joseph.  No boy babies appeared, only daughters, Carol and then Ruth, so they were never put to the test.

David is a fine name and I am grateful to have David's in my life!!

July 26, 2012. Western Head, NS. Fisherman Joe.

Fisherman Joe is shining in our front yard.   His yellow slicker is again in pristine condition, thanks to Mal.   Since Fisherman Joe was first repainted three years ago by Mal, a spot of wood on the shoulder had rotted.   The rot was removed and filled , then all repainted.   It appears that the task of keeping Fisherman Joe in good repair has now fallen permanently into Mal's lap!

Pat and Mal have visited us in Nova Scotia every year since we  moved here.  At the beginning, Mal, who is a good worker, would work along with Ken's projects, so Mal became indispensable for any project.  Now we save tasks for Mal, such as Fisherman Joe.   Also, Mal replaces any light.   He leaves with every light glowing.   It has become his first task upon arrival.

Both Ken and I enjoy Pat and Mal's company.   Pat paints while Mal works.   They are very easy and helpful guests.   Every time we drive past Fisherman Joe we are reminded of their visit.

July 25, 2012. Western Head, NS. Cocktails.

We used to have dinner together most evenings.  Now we have a drink together several times a week.  It must be that we are all getting old and don't want to work so hard cooking and cleaning for a host of people.   Or perhaps it is just that we are all spending more time here in Nova Scotia.  Whatever the reasons, we are having a good time meeting and greeting and catching up on the goings on of the group at our cocktail hour.

Tonight we had a drink at Mary and Clif's home.  The evening was wonderful so we sat on their deck enjoying the weather and each other.  Pat and Mal leave tomorrow so goodbyes were said.  We meet at 5:30 and by 7:00 we had gone home,  so for the hosts, it is an easy and pleasant way to entertain.  We get to catch up with the news of family and friends, and talk about future plans.   It was Gill who first started our practice of not serving dinner for each other.  It has been a good idea.  Neat and tidy and pleasant, all complete in an hour and a half.     We like them.

July 24, 2012. Western Head, NS. Pasta Night.

Pat and Mal took us out to dinner.   Last year, The Best Coast Coffee Gallery started a pasta night on Tuesday night.   This little restaurant has only six tables and are only open for breakfast and lunch, but every year the owners add something  to their routines.   They open five months of the year, but the two lady owners are quite sophisticated cooks.

At Pasta night, you receive a three course meal for $20.  You have three choices for the pasta and no choices for the salad and dessert.  Coffee and tea is included.   The food was excellent, with the portions not huge.  I ate chicken curry pasta.  Delicious.

Three years ago they instituted a preset dinner on Friday night.   Three courses for $30.  You must have a reservation.    You don't know until you arrive what they will be serving.   It is fun.

This year, they have added an evening of entertainment on Monday evening.  Local musicians, of which there are many, entertain from 7 to 9, with a $10. cover charge.   You can order wine or beer or tea and coffee.  I am delighted to see these two ladies thriving.  Seven years is a long time to run a restaurant, even with only six tables in Broad Cove, Nova Scotia.

July 23, 2012. Western Head, NS. Joy of Antiques.

We have been buying furniture from them ever since we moved here.   Their place is in Petite Riviere, right on Highway 3.   I have always felt fortunate to have met a man who has great taste in furniture and who has the ability to put this old furniture in perfect condition.  If you buy an antique from the Joy of Antiques, you know the piece can be moved right into your home with no stop at the repair man.   It is a great blessing to have them close at hand, relatively speaking.

Saturday we visited them to purchase two chests for the Guest House.  When we were here in May,  Joy of Antiques was closed for the season, so I waited until we all returned.   It was worth the wait.   Tomorrow we pick up a lovely chest, made of pine,  in Nova Scotia.  Also a side table made of tiger maple.   On Saturday,  we brought back an inexpensive chest,  home made and rustic, to be used for luggage.  Also two wing chairs for the reading corner.  Only one has been taken up to the guest house.  The other sits in Ken's workshop awaiting the decision to take it up the stairs.   No reason to take it up if it will crowd the space.

The store is only open on Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5.   Tom, the owner, does not wish to keep longer hours.   It is worth dancing to his tune because he has lovely interesting furniture.  Now the Guest House is complete.

July 22, 2012. Western Head, NS. Breakfast.

It is common in Nova Scotia for groups to raise money by serving breakfast to the public.   Volunteer Fire Brigades do one every month.   The food is always the same and are more than you normally eat, even for a Sunday breakfast.   Pancakes, bacon, sausage, beans, eggs, coffee and tea and juice.    Ken and I like to support the local fund raising but we really prefer to stay home to eat.   This morning we attended breakfast in Milton, held at the Memorial Hall, in order to raise money for something or other, the four of us invited by Betty and Vinal.   For $7. we ate a lovely breakfast with good company.

After the ample breakfast, we went to the cottage.  The weather was perfect.  We read, swam, ate, and talked.  To top it off,  at 4:00,  Pat served  tea while we were sitting on the deck by the water.  And we ate Oreo cookies too.  What a wonderful day!!

July 21, 2012. Western Head, NS. Whales.

Whales were seen in Gull Bay today,  right in front of our home.   It was exciting.   Last evening  I spotted birds diving for fish, and wondered if we would see whales today.  Gill called at 9:00am  to sound the alarm: "There are whales in Gull Bay".    We watched them rolling along for an hour.  They seemed to just stay near the top of the water,   with their backs and flukes only coming out of the water, clearly visible with the naked eye.   We did not see much in the way of spouts.    We counted six or seven large whales  and several babies.

This evening it was even better as we saw many spouts, both close in front of the house and many further out at sea.  It doesn't really matter how many times you see these huge creatures.  It is always exciting.   After dinner,  I spotted the birds diving for fish and as we watched the fish, we saw our first spout.   They put on a show.   We watched for ages,  as they gradually moved around the Bay,  both babies and older whales, here for their evening meal.    The birds were as impressive as the whales.   Today was a wonderful day at Western Head.

July 20, 2012. Western Head, NS. Lazy.

I know that people do it all the time, but for me it is unusual.   In fact, it always seemed to me to be the height of laziness,  but this afternoon, I have watched The British Open golf tournament on TV and have enjoyed every minute.   It has not been boring a bit.

The fact of being retired has turned upside down the concept of laziness.   Throughout my life,  I was trained to do my duty and to work hard.   Now I have convinced myself that watching a golf tournament all afternoon is acceptable and might even be desirable.   Very often, I will spend all day reading, especially when we are living in Mexico and always thought that made me lazy.  Now I am watching golf on TV and  am loving it.  Ken is  working in the garden while Pat and Mal are preparing for a cocktail party at the Guest House tonight,  but I am doing nothing, being lazy watching the British Open golf tournament.  Does this mean I am lazy or smart?

July 19, 2012. Western Head, NS. Friends and Cousins.

Many times in your life, you meet someone you like,  yet the friendship never gels.   Perhaps you meet at a period of your life when time constraints provides no opportunity to get to know each other.  Perhaps one spouse does not enjoy the other person so you never get together again.   It is always interesting to me who ends up becoming a good friend, a friend that stays with you for your whole life.

The same is true with cousins.  I have had nine cousins, two on my Father's side and seven on my Mother's.   Only one cousin became a good friend, my cousin Diane, who died last year.   She lived with us for a year in Vancouver, when she was a nursing student.  Even though she was older than me, we were always friends, and remained so throughout our lives.

Her younger sister Mary never lived in the same city as us so I never knew her well and although she was always pleasant when we visited Vancouver, we were never close.  Now, both of us have lost our sisters, so perhaps we will become friends via the e mails.   It is always interesting to me who becomes a friend but I am hoping that Mary, who is a cousin, will also become a friend.  Time will tell.

Artist at work

Nova Scotia 2012

MS Grandchildren in Nova Scotia

July 18, 2012. Western Head, NS. Greens.

Ken loves having a garden.  Our problem here in Nova Scotia is that we arrive too late in order to eat the produce, having planted the seeds late in June.  The solution was to garden with our friend Vinal.  He prepares the soil and adds fertilizer before putting the seeds and plants in the garden  as soon as the frost is gone, so by the time we arrive, the garden plantings are flourishing.  

So far this year,  we have eaten radishes, lettuce and several types of greens.    Fortunately we like to eat greens of all kind.  Tonight we ate Swiss chard and turnip greens, along with a salad, all gathered from the garden just an hour ago.   When Andrew and Christina were here we ate collard greens too.  Delicious and healthy.  Soon we will be eating potatoes from the garden.  But right now we can feed the whole neighborhood with greens.   Unfortunately, Betty and Vinal don't eat greens so we eat them or give them away.

This year, we will remain here most of September, so perhaps we will be able to eat the tomatoes.   Every other year, just when the plants are full of green tomatoes, we leave for point south, leaving it to Betty and Vinal to eat.   But from now until we leave, we will eat the produce from our own garden.  Pretty nice!!

July 16, 2012. Western Head, NS. Leaving.

Everyone is leaving us. All the Ely family children and grandchildren have left as have our own. Our home is silent. I have been organizing sheets and towels and toys all day. It is not nearly as much fun as setting the house up for the family when they are arriving, but it is all part of the same package. I wouldn't be doing the leaving activities if the family had not arrived. This afternoon I actually read a bit in Commentary magazine on my IPad.

Normally I would be leaving out the toys for David and Suzanne and the children when they arrive very soon, but this summer their schedules just don't allow a trip to Nova Scotia so I will close up the trunks. It is an unusual summer for me. Pat and Mal are here now but after they leave our home will be empty except for us. I am not sure how I will act!! And of course my sister was coming in September but she died. I am entering a new world. But I bet I will muddle through.

July 16, 2012. Western Head, NS. Plans.

Planning is one thing.  Implementing is an entirely different matter.   The plan was for Christina and the girls to be picked up at 5:30 am by Mr. Gaskell, to be driven to the Halifax airport to catch their 9:21 flight.  At four o'clock in the morning, Molly woke up and was crying so Christina,  after attended to her,  checked their flight on her iPhone, only to discover that their flight was delayed two hours.  This made them miss all other connections, so she booked their flights for Tuesday.

When I came down to day goodbye at 5:15,  the children were still asleep so I knew something was amiss.    It was a Gift of Time for all of us.   The girls and Molly visited San Beach, just down the street from Gill, and tonight we will all dine at Lanes.  Both activities were on our list but ran out of time.   In life, plans fall apart but life goes on.  Tomorrow they will start their journey again.

July 15, 2012. Western Head, NS. Farewells.

Tonight, our friends came to say goodbye to Christina and the girls.  They have been here for two weeks but tomorrow they must return to Jackson, Mississippi.   Kate and Mary Frances have been away sine May 25.

The late afternoon was lovely, warm and sunny, so Ken built a fire and we sat in the Adirondack chairs down by the water and watched for whales while the girls chalked on the rocks.  We drank wine and talked and the children played.   Then an easy dinner for the eight of us plus Gill and Walt and Mary, requiring two tables end to end.  I like easy meals.  And the girls cleared the dishes and filled the dishwasher so when I returned to the kitchen it was spotless.  I suspect that Christina put on the finishing touches while Molly played in the bathtub.   For many reasons I will miss those girls.

Molly asked about dessert but we had none.   Pat and Mal bought ice cream today so bailed out the meal.  Everyone was happy.  After dinner,  Vinal and Betty came by to say goodbye.  Now all the friends are gone, Molly is asleep, and the big girls are watching their last DVD of M15.   We will meet them again in Jackson..

July 14, 2012. Western Head, NS. Ice Cream.

We will go anywhere to eat good ice cream.  Even Molly, who is not in love of driving,  will sit quietly when she knows we are on the way to the ice cream store.   This morning, we reversed to order for lunch.  At 11:30,  we six bundled into the truck and drove to Port Medway, to eat desert first, prior to lunch.   For two dollars, you get one scoop of ice cream in a dish, except the scoop is actually two large scoops.   The ice cream store is part of the post office and general store and is just up the street from the light house, park and dock.

Our routine is to buy the ice cream and walk down to the dock and the light house and sit and watch the boats coming and going  while we eat our ice cream.  It all comes under the category of simple charms.  Then after eating our dessert, we drove to the Pizza restaurant for lunch in Liverpool.    It is a place we seldom frequent but the food was great so we will return.  By 2:30, we were home so Molly could nap.  Great lunch, even though we did it all backwards.

July 13, 2012. Western Head, NS. Firemen.

Firemen do a lot of things.  They jump at the sound of a whistle and drive quickly to put out fires, but most of the time they wait.  In addition, they spend a lot of time being pleasant with the public, sometimes publicized and sometimes from the goodness of their heart.   Last Monday, we eight from our home,  were invited for dinner at Walt and Mary in Liverpool.   Near the end of dinner, there were noises coming from the normally quiet street, so Molly asked to go out to see the commotion.

It was the hit of the night for Molly.  The firemen were checking out the fire hydrant and while waiting, the assembled group of children living nearby, including Molly,  gathered around the fire truck.  The big burly firemen allowed the children to tour the big fire truck and sit in the drivers seat.  The children wore the fire hats.   The firemen did not need to be kind to these children.  They just did.  The children were thrilled.

July 12, 2012. Western Head, NS. Sauerkraut

Vinal grows the cabbage in the garden of our home and makes sauerkraut.    He  freezes several bags for us and keeps them in the freezer.  When we return, Betty makes a special dish made of sausage, pork and the sauerkraut, finally topping it with dumplings, the whole served over mashed potatoes.  It is delicious.  Last evening, Betty brought the meal over for our dinner.  Ten of us enjoyed it enormously.  Even Molly.   It is too bad Andrew is not here as he loves sauerkraut.

It is interesting what children eat.  Kate does not eat sauerkraut while Molly and Mary Frances eat it at any opportunity.   The other day at lunch at the Quarterdeck, I ordered mussels.  Molly was sitting beside me.  I offered one to Molly which she accepted.  She proceeded to eat a dozen.  Tonight I ordered fried clams at the restaurant.  Molly was again sitting beside me and when offered, ate a dozen.  Christina and I were both surprised.  It is interesting what children eat.

July 11, 2012. Western Head, NS. Our Band.

They are getting better.  Every year the competence grows.   Scott, the bandmaster, has had a good job teaching and training and encouraging the young and old.  His band camp every summer has seen several new young recruits to the band.   The concert at the Brooklyn band shell was the first of the year for us.  Thirty folks from Western Head came to hear the band.   We are strong supporters of our band.  The evening was perfect for an out door concert.  Often we are chilly but last evening it was warm and sunny with no need for jackets or gloves.  And the band was better than last year, which was better than the year before.

 Bandmaster Scott is returning to school.   He will attend the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario to complete a Masters Degree in performance on the clarinet.   His first degree in music was with the euphonium and we heard him play a whole concert as a quartet of trombone players where he was excellent.  A new Bandmaster has been hired so the continuity will continue.   There had been a band for almost two hundred years in Liverpool until it folded ten years ago for lack of a leader.  Five years ago,  Scott  put the new band together and with his enthusiasm and energy and expertise the band is thriving.   We in Western Head wish Scott well with his studies and we hope for continued improvement with our band.

Fishing

July 10, 2012. Western Head, NS. The Fish Pond.

It is endlessly interesting, watching the fish in the pond.   At the beginning of the summer season the fish are jittery and wait a long time to come for food.  After all, they have been looking after themselves all winter.  Now, every day, Molly and I go out and feed the fish to try to entice them to come out of hiding  and show themselves.

At first, one lone orange colored gold fish came to eat, but only for a brief time.  In the mean time, we watching a snail crawl slowly from one lily pad to the next, and finally ending up on the side of the fountain, where it presumably went to sleep.  And we watched a damsel fly feast on a water lily.  

Molly, who is four, fished in the pond using a piece of grass.  Eventually, the fish appeared, one by one.  We discovered that we have at least five fish, one with black markings on the dorsal fin with the rest orange, and three black spottled.  Molly says there are more but perhaps she miscounted.  It is a small pond but a pretty one, and is endlessly interesting, both for Molly and for me.

July 9, 2012. Western Head, NS. Painting the Rocks.

The picture was perfect.  Small child with auburn curls glinting in the sun, painting the rocks.  The Mother, with blond hair,  sitting on the grass helping the child.  Both mother and child ten feet from the sea.  It was picture perfect, and it is all in my minds eye, because I was sitting in an Adirondack chair watching the whole thing unfold.

Molly painted for almost two hours, carefully going from rock to rock.  Finally Kate and Mary Frances arrived and helped with the painting but that soon ended the morning.  It was another lovely day in the tradition of painting the rocks at our  Western Head home.

July 8, 2012. Western Head, NS. Canadian Football.

There are many reasons to be living in Nova Scotia for the summer.   Possibly, the most important are the weather and the topography and the people.   The view from our home is spectacular while the temperature is perfect.  The people are unfailingly pleasant and helpful.  While DC is hot we are cool.  We feel so fortunate to have purchased this place all those years ago.

Another aspect of living in Nova Scotia is watching Canadian Football.  The games begin in July because winter comes early so I can watch football all summer.  Last year I learned the rules, so this year I can dissect the games.  The players are smaller than NFL players and don't hit so hard, so the injuries are not as dangerous, but the quarterbacks are not good enough so the scores are low.  I already know what needs to be done to make the game better!!  I am enjoying the games but last summer picked Montreal to win the Grey Cup.  In fact, Vancouver won.  This year I am picking Hamilton to win it all.   Having a few games I have become an expert!!    I am probably wrong of course but I am enjoying watching Canadian Football.

Back to Nova Scotia

July 7, 2012. Western Head, NS. The First Party.

Today was Mary Mitchell's birthday, so tonight we held our first party of the year at our house.  It was great fun.   Appetizers  and cocktails both down by the water and on the deck of the house spread up the people and made it interesting.   The ten children moved from the grass and the fire area to the playroom to Connor the boat.   which meant that they were never still and were always happy.  The twenty-four adults just talked and watched.

For dinner we ate sea food chowder, made by my friend Betty Smith.   I also served chicken strips for those who are allergic to shell fish and also because most children do not like chowder.  We served  fruit and vegetables with the wine and beer, along with cheese and crackers and three types of fresh bread with the chowder.  A large birthday cake made by Mary MacDonald, with brownies by Frances Y. rounded out the meal.   Mary was pleased with her birthday party.  Next year she will be having a big O year.

Everyone helped clear up the mess.  Now, all the dishes are away and the house has returned to normal.  But it is a big job, having a party for 34, but worth every effort.

July 6, 2012. Western Head, NS. The First Fire.

The site for the fire pit is gorgeous.   Sitting on the deck in front of the fire, you look out on the ocean, so as you watch the bonfire, you also watch the waves breaking on the rocks.   It is a beautiful place.   This evening before dinner, Andrew built the first fire of the year.   One by one everyone gathered down by the water and the adults sat on the Adirondack chairs on the deck beside the fire while the children played on the grass.  

Soon, Andrew went searching for a bottle of wine while the girls scrambled down on the rocks in search of snails.  Eventually, Kate and Mary Frances cooked two snails on the fire but with no butter or garlic, the snails had no taste.  This was the first fire of the year, but definitely not the last.

July 5, 2012. Western Head, NS. Smoked Salmon.

The Nova Scotia smoked salmon is delicious.  Tonight for dinner we ate smoked salmon, capers, chopped onion, creamed cheese and sour dough bread.  Dave and Irene drove to Port Mouton, to the Mersey Point Fish Factory, to buy two large slabs of sliced smoked salmon.  The factory used to be located just up the road, close to Moose Harbor, but a few years ago they relocated.  It is worth a trip.  In fact, it is worth coming to Nova Scotia, just to eat the smoked salmon.    Normally, we eat it as an appetizer, but tonight we had cocktails at Gill's home, so we were not really hungry.   Thus, a smoked salmon dinner was perfect.

For dessert we ate chocolate cake, made by Christina for Ken's birthday.   It is a favorite of Ken's and as Christina and Andrew will not be here in August, we are celebrating early.   It is the richest chocolate cake in the world, but worth every calorie.    Such a wonderful meal!!

July 4, 2012. Western Head, NS. The Fourth.

No American flags were flying here in Nova Scotia, but we celebrated anyway,  eating hot dogs and hamburgers at the cottage and raising the Canadian flag up the flagpole.  It was a perfect way to celebrate Independence Day.

This was a first time to visit the cottage this year so Ken and I arrived early to set up the remaining furniture and to put away the food stuffs for the season.   Andrew brought all the boats down to the beach and set up the tables.   The weather was perfect.  All morning the sun was shining but by mid afternoon the clouds came out so no one got sun burned, which is a blessing.

Even the water was pleasant, which was a surprise to me.  It usually feels cold.  The girls were in and out of the water and the boats all day.  Christina even went swimming.  We ate both lunch and dinner at the cottage, finally getting home by 8:00.  it was a lovely day indeed.

July 3, 2012. Western Head, NS. A Lovely Day.

It definitely was not spectacular.  It was certainly not fancy.   But it was indeed, a lovely day.   We sat around the table and ate breakfast, chatting as folks appeared one by one.  Then Kate and Mary Frances and I went to the grocery store, they starting on one side and me the other, filling our baskets as we went.  Now the freezer and refrigerators are full, which pleases me.   Christina and the girls and Ken helped me put everything away.

Molly asked for Pizza for lunch.  Of course, we forgot to buy pizza but we had one box left in the freezer so we cooked it along with sandwiches for lunch.   This afternoon, Andrew and Mary Frances went kayaking in Lake Victoria while everyone else napped, except for me and Mary Frances.  And tonight, Christina cooked greens from the garden while Andrew grilled a medley of pork for dinner. It was 8:00 before we dined but it was worth the wait.  Fresh greens cooked with garlic and oil and served with lemon are delicious.

Kate and Mary Frances cleaned the table and loaded the dishwasher, while Irene finished up in the kitchen.  It was a lovely day at home with the family in Nova Scotia.

July 2, 2012. Western Head, NS. Company.

I am accustomed to having the freezer full and the refrigerators packed to the gills, but now I have a house full of company with an empty fridge and freezer.   In addition, this morning,  I invited friends to come and say hello to Dave and Irene and Andrew and Christina and the girls, before being told that the stores are all closed today.  Yesterday was the July the First Holiday so the stores are making their holiday today.  Thus the stores are closed.  Whoops.

No one will mind even though we have no wine.   I am calm.  It is not my fault.  I have two boxes of Asian appetizers in the freezer which we will eat.  And we have a bit of cheese.  We are out of scotch but we have a very large bottle of champagne.  It was given to us last summer and we will drink it all tonight.  If we run out, I will not mind.  We are all in the land of the living and we will enjoy each others company.  Who cares what we eat or drink as long as we are together?   Now that is my story and I will stick with it, no matter what, even though I have a house full of company and have no food or drink.   Now, the only question is whether or not my friends feel the same?  We will certainly find out!!

July 1, 2012. Western Head, NS. Canada Day.

Flags are flying everywhere.   In Owen Sound every car was flying the Canadian flag.   It seems so unusual for Canadians to be demonstrative but it looks festive.  Arriving in Liverpool today you could see flags flying from every telephone pole and every home.   Privateers Days is also being held here so the town is full of people and tents and cars.

The fireworks display will go off at ten o'clock.   It is to celebrate Canada Day and to end Privateers Days.  Andrew,  Christina and the girls will be arriving at about the same time.  I hope they get to see it when they arrive.  I will tell them that it was a welcome to Liverpool just for them!!