Author: Lowell

Yes.  That is a boxspring that has been cut in half.  And yes, that would be our boxspring.  Fortunately, it seems to have survived the ordeal and is still fit to sleep on.

Work is continuing on our closet reconfiguration project.  All that is left is to finish the outside trim, hang the doors, and install the hardware.

When we opened the walls in the bedrooms, we discovered some knob-and-tube wiring.  If only the people that had previously had the walls open had done what they should have done, then I wouldn’t have to be the one making holes in the walls and ceiling, eating dust, and scratching my hands and arms.

The day came when we had to say goodbye to our Ingersoll house.  Tears were shed by all.  Let’s hope the new house will accumulate at least as many good memories as the old one did.  It treated us very well.

This is what our lives look like right now: not quite here and not quite there.  What little space there is is taken up by … paper dolls.  K has already been warned that, since she will have her own room in the new house, her paper dolls will be restricted to that space.  At the moment, she seems to have accepted the proposed rule, but the acceptance was very reluctant and I won’t wager any money that there won’t be some fights along the way.

The electrician was over early last week to remove the last of the knob-and-tube wiring.  Since then we’ve been patching the holes in the walls and painting.  It was sad to see our beloved burnt-orange dining room go.  Hopefully, it translates into more buyer interest.

If all goes well, our house will be on the market early next week.

Two weeks ago, we were finally able to take advantage of the summer and head out to the lake.  The original plan was for us to spend a few days camping at Caddy Lake, but on the day before we left a friend offered us the use of his cottage on Jessica Lake in the Whiteshell.  We could hardly turn him down, so we altered our plans.

First on the agenda was a hike from Red Rock Lake to Cabin Lake.  The trail crossed a beaver dam and we were able to keep mostly dry.  The kids, however, had their first encounter with “Fireweed” (otherwise known as “Brankrut”) and quickly started complaining about the deer flies.  Only the blueberries on the side of the trail were able to distract them from the constant buzzing.

When we arrived at Cabin Lake, we were greeted by a nice view and a small sandy beach.  We were eager to try our new beach shoes we had bought for the trip and started exploring the water.

Shortly after this picture was taken, L slipped on an underwater rock and skinned his knee.  We all know how that feels.  Eventually, with a little help from his parents, he worked up enough courage to attempt the walk back to the car.  We all made it back, none the worse for wear.

The next day was a warm one and we took full advantage of our proximity to the water.  L and K played in the clay at the side of the dock.  I tried my hand at doing a solo Capistrano Flip, thinking that if one is planning on doing more canoeing, as we are, one should know how to get back into a capsized canoe.  I wasn’t successful, but, having done a bit of research, will try it again in the future.

On the third day, we decided to go play in the water at Rainbow Falls.

One of us will forever remember this place as “the leech nest.”

So we decided to upgrade in the canoe department.  It didn’t come cheap, but I think it will be worth it.  We’re looking forward to many paddling adventures.  We haven’t decided on a name yet.  Any suggestions?

The new year has arrived and, with it, the close of another holiday season.  It’s always sad to say goodbye to the fun and parties that the holidays bring.

Christmas started for us at Grandma and Grandpa F’s house.  Some of us—we won’t mention any names—put in a few hours to insulate and finish their car garage.  We took advantage of the new space and spent much of the family day there.  Here Grandpa, L, and K are initiating the garage with a pillow fight.

Grandma F outdid herself and knitted cute dresses for her three youngest granddaughters.

Next came L’s birthday.  He wanted Lego so badly that it took him quite a while to reconcile himself to the chapter books his Mom and Dad so inconsiderately got for him.  (He got lots of Lego for Christmas.)

L’s piano teacher made him perform some of the pieces he had been working on.  Good thing his teacher was there to play along with him.

K got into the Christmas spirit and made a little hat (out of wrapping paper and decorative duct tape) for cousin M.

We took advantage of the last Friday before the start of classes to do some sliding on the hill by Omand’s Creek.

Our final day in MA dawned and we began to work our way back to Hartford for our flights the next day.  We did most of the driving first thing in the morning so that we could do lunch at another of our favourite hangouts: The Montague Bookmill.  It is an old mill deep in the hills that has been converted into a used bookstore and restaurant.  Their slogan is particularly apt: Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find.

We made one last stop by Northampton in the afternoon.  This involved a walk down the bike path to our Union Street apartment and ended with some ice cream.  Then, because it was on the way to our hotel and because we had never taken the time to stop by when we lived in MA, we decided to go see the Dr. Seuss park in Springfield.

We got to the hotel early enough to do some swimming in the pool.  The next day we caught our flights back to Winnipeg.  We all had a great time and are already looking forward to our next family trip.

We had to change our plans a bit and head to the coast to do our whale watching a day earlier than we originally planned.  We loaded the car first thing in the morning, stopped by historic Deerfield for some family portraits, and headed to Gloucester.  It was about a 2-hour drive and another 1.5 on the boat before we saw a whale, but the kids were quickly excited when the whales started appearing.  We ended the day with some fish and chips at the local tavern.