WHERE DO I BEGIN.....

Some would say.. start at the beginning.... easier said than done... I need to blog the VERY day some thing happens because lately... "things happening" seems to be a daily event, and everything is soooo blogable.. (I think that's not really a word).. so, here is my blogmise(like promise, but with blogs). I will blog every day this week with all the stuff that I need to share....

Things to blog about.... my bathroom.... my dad's bedroom reveal.... my pre-pre-pre-birthday surprise.. my pre-pre-birthday surprise, my pre birthday surprise and yes... my birthday..

Now, here's how I figure things... I need to blog about the new look for my bathroom but since its 90% done, and I am waiting for a new sink, which will then have new faucets, and to put the shelves up.. I won't do that blog today. Second.. my birthday isn't really until tomorrow.. even though I have been celebrating it since Saturday.. I won't blog about that yet either..

today's blog.. will be my dad's room! So here is the story. My dad lived in the downstairs of our house. He had his own bathroom, bedroom, storage room and family room. His entire existence was contained in those rooms. A life time of mementos tucked in every corner. At first, after his sudden death, his rooms were a comfort to me, when I went downstairs to put things away, or move things, I often stopped in for spell. But after awhile they became a sad reminder, provoking tears each day, and a longing. Eventually, it became an albatross, because I knew I needed to clean out, but I just couldn't. That's a whole different stress. And, its very true, the longer you leave it the hard it becomes. But with Terry's help, we started on a Friday night and by Sunday afternoon, things were sorted, boxed or tossed. I started with massive tears and we ended with laughter and funny stories.

During a shopping day with my decorator God, named Paula, I mentioned how none of us would ever think of his room as anything but his room, and nobody would want to stay in the room, since it was Grampas. Dad and Paula have long since had a fun relationship where dad teased Paula over her decorating escapades at my house, and she always threatened to re do his room (which was hideous). He, was a very stubborn man, and refused to have anything to do with updating his crowded and cold looking room. Paula was only half joking most of the time, as she would have loved to re do his room into a masculine, functional room for him. Well, from this grew the idea that she would re do the room. Into a guest room but with his spirit in mind. I had no problem with this idea, but I really don't enjoy making those kinds of decisions and decorating in general and was thrilled when I suggested that she go for it but without my involvement. I would provide a loose budget and she could have fun! My only stipulation was no baby blue! I hate that color.. well, I am sick of that color, since that is what this room was for 20 years!

This is my dad's room... don't be alarmed.. we bought dad a new bed in Feb and he was trying it out.. sadly this is the only picture of his room I ever took (mostly because its not a pretty room) there is blue carpet on the ledges, brown curtains, 20 year old wall paper on the bottom half.

After a month of planning, whispering and little "before I come, you have to do this" jobs... Paula arrived Saturday morning... loaded down with items. Now, the rest of the story is that I went to Halifax for a power Xmas shopping day.. and left the house, fully aware that she and Terry would be working their buns off all day...which is why I called at least once an hour to see how things were going... what a fun day i had shopping, knowing that this was going on....

Before Paula's big day, Terry and I emptied the room, stripped wall paper, removed the blue carpet off the ledges and steam clean the carpet. Then Paula introduced us to the new color (which we had to paint)... the paint color is Para Paint Ultra Suede..."Green Pea".... somewhat significant since I HATE peas and Paula took this as a sign from my dad that this color was perfect for the room... me hating peas has always been a funny joke to him... and Paula didn't even realize when she picked this color that this was its name.!!!

Paula and I made the headboard, which I intended to blog, but got so excited as we made it that I forgot to take pictures... but this is Jerry and Terry hanging the curtains.. and you can see the headboard.. and you can see the the curtains are a perfect match to the walls... Green Pea... as well... Terry is working on a new light fixture.. you can really see the new wall color

and now the room.. from all angles... First the evening look, by the light of the lamp. The next is the daytime pictures, and this is the angle you walk into the room. So warm and inviting... The wall art... so awesome...The sweet little chandelier Terry was hanging...

A hanger for guests to hang a towel or jacket on. It is holding my dad's favorite cane on it right now but written on the back is a beautiful dedication of the room by Paula... toooooo beautiful to describe

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the beautiful chair for sitting or stacking things on... and the chocolate brown dresser that the TV will sit on, once the electricity is re routed...My new guest room is warm and welcoming and a secret little hideaway... I can't believe how lucky I am to have someone so talented, gifted and generous with her time... as my friend Paula.. The words Thank You just are not enough...

In the midst of Bathroom renovations

No bathroom lighting..at all....no shower curtain... no towel racks...no mirror....no toilet paper holder... We have had degrees of "no" bathroom for the past 2 weeks.. well, really 3 weeks, since we have been away for almost a week during the bathroom "Make over".

In September, I decided that I really needed to upgrade my bathroom, but affordably. We are in the 1970 Seafoam Blue color palette and Paula assured me about 3 years ago, that my bathroom color was coming back into fashion and even more popular, because its is now the bedroom and livingroom color choice for several designers. She was right.. its back. Its everywhere.. so why not take advantage!!!

A can of paint, new towel racks, new lighting, new sink and taps (old one was rusting), shower curtain and towels. Throw out the old medicine cabinet, the hooks on the wall for towels.. the laundry baskets on the floor. The result... warm and welcoming bathroom, clean and uncluttered.

The before pics are at this blog... and below is the work being done....

I can't take a pic of the finished product until the sink, taps, shelves and pictures are installed... by next weekend hopefully.

The X Ring

In frightening similarity to this year's month of May.... our most recent sad and heartbreaking occurrence was immediately followed by a joyous and long anticipated occurrence. We arrived home from Ottawa in the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday and after work and unpacking, we jumped in the car early Wednesday morning and drove 3.5 hours to Antigonish to witness Michelle's and Scotts' X Ring Ceremony.

It was unbelievable how much excitement was throughout the campus. Students start their countdown on their very first day on campus. 1179 days til X Ring. A lifetime of time to a brand new university kid.

After spending so much time away from work, I felt pains of guilt for taking yet another day off to go to "a ring" ceremony. But we understand the importance of the X ring, and the significance of receiving it, and fortunately my friends and co workers understood as well. The day was gorgeous. A nice quiet drive for Terry and I. Much needed, as well, even though we spent the last 5 days together, we hardly got to speak to each other. 3.5 hours in the car, taking the same route we have taken for years with our kids in the back seat to visit grandparents... the drive on X ring day was full of funny stories, memories of drives and visits to Cape Breton. We had time to reflect on the past few days, as well as the changes in our lives since those long drives to and from the island.

We arrived at the kids apt and Michelle answered the door dressed in her grad gown, and Scott dressed up in his custom made three piece suit from his dad's adventures in the Middle East. Very handsome, both of them. We had quick hugs and snuggles with the kids and their pets and then we started our short walk to campus. I thought there were sort of nuts.. walking through town with black robes on... but once we got closer to the university, it was like a scene from HARRY POTTER. 1000 students in black robes moving at great speed all towards the big Keating Millenium Centre where the ceremony would take place. They walked us to the parents room.. the big gym next to the arena. Parents are not allowed to be in the ceremony...but the university was kind enough to stream the video camera feeds to a big screen for over 1000 parents and families there to witness. The master of ceremonies was herself receiving her ring this day, as well, and therefore her unrehearsed enthusiasm and overly large smile was so genuine that it melted the hearts of all parents. Although we were in the other room, I felt like I was right there.. the excited permeated the walls and floors of the gym. I cried through the singing performances, I held my breath while they recited the oath of St. Francis Xavier and I shivered when I saw both Scott and Michelle tap their large gold rings on the tradition wooden kneeler of the cathedral, that was brought in to the center for this specific purpose. Tradition was in years gone by that the ceremony happened in the Big University Chapel and at the end of the oath.. the students tapped their rings on the pew ahead of them. Since the ceremony has gotten bigger over the last 30 years, they have had to move it to the Arena and that tradition has had to be reinvented. I can tell you, these new X Ring receivers did not feel cheated by this change, whatsoever!

I have no pictures of the kids receiving their rings, but there are tons of pics afterwards with hands proudly pressed to their hearts (conveniently showing off the ring!) A family of friends who started this journey together.. Scott and Michelle... Friends united by the X ...... and girlfriends forever
Vanessa and Mick started their journey at St. FX together as roommates... so cool to intertwine fingers together 1179 days later!

Its an awesome reward for these kids, and a great honor for us to have been a part of their day. I am so glad I went.

The City

I need to get out more. I really do... I am like a swivel headed toy instead of the car passenger. Everything is sooooo amazingly exciting... I have been in the city for about 48 hours and so far I have seen.....

**3 fire trucks at an apartment fire alarm. You know a big apartment building, with hundreds of apartments... and amazingly.. nobody ever evacuated the building. Three giant fire trucks with very nice looking firemen, who slowing walked up to the entrance of the apartment building like they knew there was nothing wrong.... One of the firetrucks was a BIG ladder truck too... very cool.

**a car accident with one fire truck, 2 police cars, and ambulance, the jaws of life and stretchers... and it was in the middle of a very busy intersection and life went on for the hundreds of cars that were trying to get where they needed to go.

**a near car accident right in front of us, with cars drifting into other lanes, and honking horns and fingers flying....

** a huge restaurant that just served Sushi... very cool.

**a woman talking on a cellphone and waving expressively with her other hand (ok visualize this, she didn't have ANY hands on the steering wheel) and she was driving fairly fast down a busy road. We followed her for at least a minute and her hands never touched the steering wheel!

**another car accident where two cars collided head on, and we arrived after they had been pulled apart and we drove right between the two cars (with some direction from a very bossy looking woman on a cellphone.)ummmm... I am seeing a pattern.... maybe that's why talking on cellphones is illegal now in Nova Scotia.

**and today...another car accident right in the BIG intersection at the St. Laurent Mall, at 5PM... on a Saturday...with over 1 million Christmas shoppers trying to get home for supper.... included me!

but by far.. my favorite big city vs little village eye opener is the Superstore... yup... the Superstore. I have driven by it at least 12 times so far in the past few days... and I react differently each time.... from disbelief to mad giggling fits to head shaking awe! I only wish I was still here on Thursday!

soooo, have I told you I hate flying....

I have flown several times in my life, but the last time was well over 14 years ago. The longer I avoided it, the more I started to fear it. I have always felt that there is something unnatural about a big 20 ton metal object full of people flying at 500km an hour, 40,000 ft in the air. I live 2 km from a military airport that had several big planes dance around the skies, taking off and landing several times a day... just for fun!

Well, as we barrelled down the runway this morning at 6:25am, I clenched my teeth, gripped the arms and slammed my eyes shut. I unconsciously held my breath and chanted.."they know what they are doing" over and over again. After a little while, I started breathing, and I opened my eyes and things were ok. I looked around and everyone was going about their business. We were sort of leveling off and the sky was actually beautiful. I sat for a while, listening to every sound the plane made, ever creak and buzz. The attendants weren't one bit nervous when we seemed to drop and shutter a bit. They scurried back and forth with headphones, snacks for sale and then finally the free stuff. Coffee, Tea, Tomato juice, fruit juices and water. And for the free dining choices... digestive cookies or Bits and bites. So, for me, coffee and tiny bag of bits and bites! Terry and his mom, snoozed and dug out my ipod headphones and enjoyed the tiny little TV that had like 20 channels, and at 6:45 in the morning I watched "Holmes on Homes" and then Real Renos...

All in all, the flight was enjoyable, and landing in Toronto was pretty amazing. The city was spectacular from the air and landing was sort of freaky, but with my help on the brakes (my hands and feet were planted squarely on the seat and floor in front of me) we managed to stop on dime. After an hour's wait in TO and some serious people watching to pass the time, we did the whole scary take off and sharp incline to the sky.. 20 minutes of level flying and then back down for another teeth clenching landing and we were there. I had hearing problems the rest of the day with that landing but seeing everyone was a great distraction to the intermittent buzzing that I would unexpectedly experience. Flying over Ottawa was very cool, and with a light snow on the ground, it made the whole view very cool. The Rideau looked amazing.

Happy Birthday Kimmie..

Our family has had some sad times this year, but not today. Today we wish my little Kimmie Trigg Happy birthday. Kim is my sister in law, Terry's sister. The one born after him. She is the middle child (like myself) shes married to a fantastic guy and she is mother of two wonderful girls.
Kim is kind hearted and caring, really smart and a good sport. Our lives intertwined from very early on, when I was 16 and she was 13 and we were in the same "teen town" at our home in Sydney. I was a grown up teen, and she was a newbie... who would have thought 30 some years later we are still spending weekends together, sharing family joys and family sadness. Our kids both go to St FX and we both have black labs. She was my daughter's first babysitter and I am God mother to one of hers.

Kim and Stephanie ... 1985

Kim and Caleigh-2002 (I think)

Happy birthday, Kim.

You have been a great friend, a super sister in law and an awesome auntie!!! I hope today is special in its own way and know that we are all wishing you the best...

16 inches...

yup, over night. Between midnight and 10am. geesh... 13 inches in the driveway at 10 and then up to 16 by supper time... and its still coming

The birdfeeder in the front.. in the morning

Bird feeder in the back yard...

Garden Dragon fly that stayed out too longNew ideas...

Michelle and Scott bought Mollie these most embarrassing pink shoes for winter fun... and Mollie has had them on a couple of times but today was her first snow play... they didn't last any longer than 15 minutes... she wore them...no problem... but she blew the bottom out of one and it filled from the bottom instead!!!
The snow is heavy... wet..... plentiful...

the beginning.. there is always a begining.... hat hair.... runny noses....snowy jackets....wet mitts....sore elbows from shovelling.....wet dog smell.... snowballs on the floor.... the dull din of the weather network on the tv ALL THE TIME....cranky cat..... grocery store conversations about the weather

The beginning .... hot chocolate, baking cookies, stews and chilis, joyful Mollie, no raking, school cancelations, warm hats, scarves and mitts..... snowmen, inside the house and outside too.