MAKING PROGRESS

THINGS ARE STARTING TO FALL INTO PLACE.

ALTHOUGH I GUESS I SHOULD SAY THINGS ARE BEING PLACED, 

NOT MUCH FALLING HAPPENING.

ONLY DROPPED AND BROKE 1 ORNAMENT SO FAR!!!

WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO OUR FIRST SNOW FALL!

I COULD HAVE WAITED A LITTLE LONGER.

THE CHRISTMAS CACTUS HAS OPENED UP BEAUTIFULLY

ALTHOUGH THE WHITE FLOWER IS TAKING ON MORE

PINK THAN IT USED TO HAVE.

MAYBE THE BRIGHT PINK IS RUBBING OFF ON IT!  

NOTICE THE SNOW ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE THE WINDOW?

THIS IS THE BACK YARD EARLY THIS MORNING.

 

ON SATURDAY THE GRANDCHILDREN HELPED WITH SET UP 

OF MY CHRISTMAS TRAIN.

WE HAPPENED TO PICK ONE UP FOR A DOLLAR AT A

GARAGE SALE THIS SUMMER AND WITH A LITTLE

TLC, IT IS WORKING.

NOT SURE WHICH TREE WILL HAVE ROOM FOR IT.

IN THE MEANTIME THE KIDS HAD FUN PLAYING WITH IT.

 GETTING IT SET ON THE TRACK JUST RIGHT!

MICHAYLA HELPING WITH SOME DECORATING.

SHE HELPED GET SOME PINE CONES READY FOR THE TREES.

 POSITIONING SOME OF THE TREES.

THAT MEANS MY GRANDMA'S TABLE WILL NEED TO BE MOVED.

MY SEWING ROOM BECAME MY 'STAGING' AREA.

I DID TRY TO KEEP THE MESS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

BUT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THAT EFFICIENTLY!

 RON GETTING READY TO HANG THE WREATH ABOVE THE FIRE PLACE.

 SOME OF MY VINTAGE ORNAMENTS.

I HAVE ENOUGH TO DECORATE A LARGER TREE THIS YEAR.

 STILL STRUGGLING WITH WHAT KIND OF A TREE TOP I SHOULD ADD.

 A FEW OF THE OLD ORNAMENTS IN PLACE.

 MY GROUPING IN THE OPPOSITE CORNER FROM THE VINTAGE TREE.

 I TRIED TO CHANGE UP THE COLOURS A BIT.

ONE IN THE BROWNS/CHOCOLATES,

ONE IN GOLDS

AND ONE SILVER.

NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE FINISHED RESULT.

 THE HALLWAY MIRROR IS A REPEAT FROM LAST YEAR

AT RON'S REQUEST. HE LIKES THE BRONZE/AMBER EFFECT.

 THE TREE AGAINST THE WALL IS A HALF TREE

IT GOT A GOLD AND RED TREATMENT THIS YEAR.

I HAVE NOT HAD MANY TREES DECORATED IN REDS

OVER MY MANY YEARS OF DECORATING!

BUT WITH MANY OF MY VINTAGE ORNAMENTS BEING

RED AND BRIGHT PRIMARY COLOURS, WHY NOT?

 I STARTED MY PATIO TREE WITH THE TREE TOP.

THE SNOWY OWL GOT THE PLACE OF HONOUR ON THIS TREE.

I AM STILL FILLING IN SPACES AS I FIND A FEW MORE ORNAMENTS

IN MY MANY BOXES.

 THE MILK GLASS LIGHT FIXTURE HAS A FEW OF MY MERCURY GLASS

ORNAMENTS AND PINE CONES.

LAST YEAR I CUT A WREATH SO I COULD SLIP IT ONTO THE CHANDELIER.

SO MUCH EASIER THAN TRYING TO PLACE SOME GARLAND.

 THE TOPS OF THE CABINETS HAVE A COLLECTION OF MILK GLASS.

AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR THEY GET PUSHED TOGETHER A LITTLE 

AND SOME GREENS AND LIGHTS ADDED.

NEED TO TRY FOR A BETTER PICTURE.

SO AS THE SNOW CONTINUES TO FALL TONIGHT I CAN ONLY

DREAM ABOUT WARMER DAYS TO COME.

 TO HELP ME THROUGH THE WINTER, I HAVE TRIED TO DEHYDRATE

A FEW DIFFERENT KINDS OF FRUIT.

I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED THE PERSIMMONS AS WELL AS SOME PINEAPPLE.

THE TRAYS OF FRUIT READY TO BE DEHYDRATED.

A GREAT ADDITION TO MY NUT AND DRIED FRUIT TRAYS FOR 

CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINING.

ANOTHER WEEK OF SORTING, ORGANISING AND DECORATING AHEAD.

THEN TIME TO DO SOME BAKING AND HAVE FRIENDS BY TO ENJOY

THE CHRISTMAS SEASON!

IT IS TIME!

THE CHRISTMAS CACTUS IS IN BLOOM.

IT GOES OUT FOR THE SUMMER AND WEEKS AFTER BRINGING IT IN,

BOTH THE PINK AND WHITE BUDS SWELL AND IT 

IS TIME TO THINK ABOUT DECORATING!!

 FOUND MOST OF MY TREES. STILL LOOKING FOR MY HALF TREE

AND CORNER TREE.  I THOUGHT I WAS ORGANIZED. ALL THE BOXES

WERE LABELED AND LISTED ON AN EXCEL SHEET.

 WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE 2 TREES?

 WILL NEED TO HUNT FOR THEM TOMORROW.

 

A FEW WEEKS NEEDED TO DECORATE AND GET THEM ALL SET UP.

WATCH FOR UPDATES!

RON GOT HIS LIGHTS STRUNG BEFORE WE HEADED

TO ONTARIO.  WE HAVE HAD A FEW VERY NICE DAYS SINCE

WE CAME HOME AND HE HAS ADDED A FEW MORE LIGHTS.

TRIED TO GET A FEW PICTURES BUT DID NOT SPEND ENOUGH TIME

GETTING SET UP. WILL TRY AGAIN ANOTHER DAY, AFTER A FEW 

MORE CHANGES!

HAPPY FALL!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE DO WITH OUR TIME.

IT SEEMS LIKE JUST A FEW DAYS AGO I POSTED AND HERE IT IS NOVEMBER.
WE HEADED OUT TO LAC DU BONNET TO SEE THE KIDS.
MICHAEL WAS OFF FOR 2 WEEKS BEFORE STARTING A NEW JOB.
HE HAD A LONG LIST OF PROJECTS TO DO.

 THE WEATHER WAS BEAUTIFUL AND THE COLOURS WERE GREAT!

 I BROUGHT A SEWING MACHINE FOR MICHAYLA AND WE
HAS A FEW LESSONS. SHE IS LEARNING TO SEW AT 6.

 PULLING THE DRAW STRING THROUGH THE CASING OF
THE SMALL POUCH SHE SEWED.

THE BOYS TAKING A BREAK - PLAYING BALL WITH GRANDPA.

THE SAW GETS A BREAK - LOTS OF MOLDING LEFT TO CUT

 KK'S BUBBLE GUM PINK ROOM!

RON SPENT A FEW DAYS IN EARLY OCTOBER GETTING THE
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN PLACE, JUST IN CASE THE WEATHER
TURNS NASTY WHEN WE GET BACK.

WE HAVE STILL NOT HAD FROST AND IT IS OCTOBER 9, TIME TO 
HEAD TO ONTARIO FOR THANKSGIVING.

RELAXING IN THE SUN!

PART OF OUR OCTOBER WAS SPENT DRIVING TO

ONTARIO TO VISIT OUR 2 CHILDREN WHO

LIVE IN KITCHENER AND HAMILTON.

WE LEFT WINNIPEG UNDER CLEAR SKIES

WITH BEAUTIFUL COLOURS!

LOTS OF GEESE FLYING SOUTH. WE HOPE THE SNOW WAITS A WHILE

WE NOTICED A LOT OF FIELD WORK GOING ON.

SUGAR BEETS BEING HARVESTED.

BOTH RON & I SPENT MANY SUMMERS WEEDING

SUGAR BEETS BEFORE THEY STOPPED GROWING THEM

IN SOUTHERN MANITOBA.

THEY ARE STILL BEING GROWN IN NORTH DAKOTA AND

HARVEST WAS IN FULL SWING.

THE COLOURS ALONG THE WAY WERE BRILLIANT AGAIN 

THIS YEAR.

BUT MANY LEAVES WERE DROPPING QUICKLY. WE SURE

NOTICED THE DIFFERENCE ON OUR RETURN.

HEADING INTO DULUTH SUPERIOR WE SAW THIS BEAUTY.

REMINDED US OF FRIENDS WHO OWNED SOMETHING

SIMILAR NOT TOO LONG AGO. .

ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE STOPS - A FLEA MARKET.

CROSSING THE MACKINAC BRIDGE YET AGAIN.

WE ENJOY THE SCENERY ALONG THE UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN.

THEY ARE ALWAYS REPAIRING OR PAINTING THIS BRIDGE.

I GUESS THAT IS A GOOD THING AS WE WOULD

REALLY LIKE FOR IT TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE WHEN WE DRIVE ACROSS.

 WE HAVE DONE THIS TRIP A FEW TIMES AND HAVE

SOME PLACES THAT WE LIKE TO SEE AND STOP AT.
IN KITCHENER WATERLOO ST. JACOB'S FARMER'S MARKET IS
A PLACE WE HEAD TO BOTH SATURDAYS. 
THE LARGE BUILDING THAT WAS LOST TO A FIRE A FEW MONTHS
AGO IS BEING REPLACED.
WE TALKED WITH A FRIEND WHO HAD BEEN SELLING MAPLE SYRUP IN THE BUILDING FOR 35 YEARS. HE WAS OUTSIDE, CONTINUING TO SERVE HIS CUSTOMERS.

PICKING UP A FEW BELTS. 

 WE GOT ALL OUR VEGGIES FOR THE SOUP AND VEGETARIAN LASAGNA.

 CANNING BORSCHT ON THE FIRST SATURDAY. WE MANAGED A
DOUBLE BATCH - AND YES, IT IS 10:00 P.M.
25 JARS DONE!

SUNDAY MORNING CINNAMON BUNS! YUM!

CLEANING TIME ON MONDAY. ALSO GOT SOME
HASH BROWN CASSEROLE INTO THE FREEZER AND
A LARGE PAN OF SCALLOPED POTATOES FOR LEFTOVERS.

 WE DID GET SOME DOWN TIME VISITING HOLLAND PARK
GARDEN GALLERY IN BURLINGTON.
THEY HAVE SOME WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS IDEAS.

A FLOWER I WOULD LOVE TO GROW!

THE TREES JUST GETTING SET UP.

I WOULD LOVE TO DO A TREE IN THE PATIO SIMILAR TO THIS ONE!

BACK IN HAMILTON, WE DID SOME CLEANING AND FIXING.
A NEW SHOE RACK AND COAT HANGER AT LORI'S

 AND A NEW FAUCET FOR THE KITCHEN SINK.

BACK TO WORK!!

WEEKEND 2 IS LASAGNA TIME
ABOVE IS THE MEAT MIXTURE WHICH INCLUDES HAMBURGER,
BACON AND FARMER SAUSAGE AS WELL AS LOTS OF
ONIONS AND PEPPERS.
THE VEGGIE LASAGNA HAS
PORTEBELLO MUSHROOMS, PEPPERS, ONIONS, BROCCOLI, SPINACH AND
RICOTTA CHEESE

 A TOTAL OF 5 PANS COMPLETED AND BAKED!!!

MORE BORSCHT! WE DID 4 POTS OF THIS SOUP TOTAL!
44 JARS CANNED AND ENOUGH LEFTOVER FOR A WEEK
OF HOT LUNCHES.

THE FREEZERS ARE FULL AND THERE ARE 2 RACKS OF SOUP IN
BOTH FRIDGES!

 TIME TO HEAD HOME!

WE REALLY DO NOT LIKE LARGE CITIES.WE WILL GO A LONG WAY TO
AVOID CHICAGO! WE HAVE SEEN ENOUGH OF IT!

WE TOOK THE I80 SOUTH OF THE CITY AND THEN TURNED
NORTH ON THE I39.
THIS IS THE WEATHER WE RAN INTO. WE SURE WERE GLAD
THAT IT WAS INTERMITTENT AND WE KEPT DRIVING OUT OF IT.

DON'T MIND IF THIS STAYS AWAY FOR ANOTHER MONTH.

COMBINING CORN IN SPITE OF THE WEATHER.

WE DROVE OUT OF THE SNOW BY THE TIME WE GOT TO WISCONSIN.

THE DELLS!
AND HEADING HOME.