Wednesday 2 October 2013

Last Post Before Vacation!

I'm a bit behind with my blogging, I know!  Who knew there would be pressure in the blogging world, apparently there is no escaping it!!

The weekend visit with both out sets of parents was a big success.  They came into the city mid afternoon, picked up keys to the country estate and headed off there to get dinner organized. 

When we hit the highway at 5pm traffic was pretty much at a standstill due to an earlier accident and rainy weather causing more havoc.  It took us 2+ hours to get from the city to the country estate, where the parents were holding dinner until we arrived.  We need not have worried about them, as they had the wine flowing liberally and were having a great visit as they waited for us!  Shortly after our arrival we sat down to a sumptuous dinner of roasted pork loins and lots of garden fresh veggies from Chuck's parents place in Pemberton.  Followed by apple pie and ice cream. 

 
 
Parents Visiting

Saturday morning, Mom and Dad unpacked my good china and got the dining room sorted out for me which Chuckles parents went for a walk.  Afterwards  we piled into Chuckles parents mini-van and I  took them for a country tour.  For my parents it was a trip down memory-lane, including a drive by our farm where I grew up.  Dad insisted we turn the car around and pull off the road out front of the old place so he could have a good look.  It has changed a lot, with many trees removed now, and a new house built in what was our side pasture.  The old house still stands, but it looks pretty forlorn now.

We toured past the massive horse properties that have sprung up everywhere, and we stopped for a shopping break at the Co-op.  The Co-op was mostly a feed mill/store with a small general store attached when I was girl, but it has been expanded into a large grocery/department store with a massive parking lot.  I went to the office with the intention of taking over my family's old co-op membership number, but that was less-straightforward than I thought it would be, so I just signed up for a new number.  However, I did learn that my families old number was still active, so my Dad got in touch with them and found out that there's more than $200 in dividends payable to him, so he has embarked on the paperwork trail that will eventually lead to getting these paid out.  (They said they "might" waive the usual 6 month waiting period to claim old dividends, knowing that he is 88 years old!!)

We went back home and had lunch on the deck, enjoying the sunshine.  After lunch Chuckles parents went off to Harrison for an overnight stay, my Mom and Dad went for some quiet time, and I cooked up the evening meal as Saturday was Chuckles birthday, so we had a family dinner which included my oldest son and his partner.  Before dinner, Jason got a ride-on lawnmower lesson so he mowed the grass, then we all played bocci ball around the yard for an hour before we lost the sun. 

 
The birthday boy giving Jason instructions on the mower


We had a huge curry feast for dinner, at the request of the birthday boy, topped off with birthday cake.  After dinner we had a big bonfire out in the back pasture, burning off a lot of the branches and trees we have trimmed since we bought the country estate.   All in all a fun day for everyone.

Sunday is typically soup making day for me.  I made a big pot of vegetable soup and Chuck's parents arrived back at the house just at lunchtime.  They had picked up corn on the cob and some sausage, so we had another huge meal, it's a wonder I am not as big as a house with all the food we seem to eat!   After lunch Chuckles parents left for home.  Jason came over for coffee and so did an old girlfriend of mine who I knew Mom and Dad would be delighted to see.  So we had a relaxing afternoon visiting before it was time to drive back into the city to take Mom and Dad to the ferry.

We are finding living in our workspace to be quite comfortable and convenient.  We have been able to partition off a large space as our living area, and with kitchen and bathroom facilities right here, we have everything we need!  We have been going up to the rec center for our swims regularly and we are walking distance to shops, the beach, parks and everything.  Heck, this is so comfortable, we might just put the country estate up for sale!  (Kidding)

Last weekend I painted the foyer at the country estate, leaving only the hallway and laundry room as areas still to be painted imminently.
 
Foyer before

 
Foyer almost finished


 I was tallying up the paint we have used this summer between getting the city house ready to sell and getting the country estate decorated the way we want it, and here is the list as far as I can recall:

City House:
garage = 4 gallons
exterior - 8 gallons
interior - 4 gallons ( of which 2 gallons were left for use at country estate)
fence stain - 1 gallon
Country estate:
ceiling paint - 4 gallons
Primer - 9 gallons
Wall Colours - 17 gallons
so far: 47 gallons - yikes!

I estimate that it takes about 2 hours to apply a gallon, so that is approaching 100 hours of painting!  Cripes, anyone need any painting done, I truly can say I have experience!

In between all of the painting I have managed to fill 3 above ground planters with composted soil and have planted garlic and lettuce.  The lettuce bed has a corrugated plastic sheet overtop of it, so it acts like a greenhouse, and I have little lettuces sprouting now.  I am not sure how they will fare as the temperature gets colder, and they will have to survive without watering for two weeks as I am going on vacation with my family next week.  I hope they do ok.

This week has been filled with the last minutes preparations for our vacation.  I think I am ready!  Bags are packed, nails are polished and my tip money is in my purse.  All inclusive, here I come.










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