So, we made it up to the farmhouse this past weekend, and as promised, here are a few photos...
The little man inspects the new plaster, and makes suggestions for additional decorative elements.

The farmhouse floors have been refinished, but I didn't really get to see them, because they are safely under wraps while the painters paint every known surface in the place. I cheated a little , though, and pulled back a bit of the paper in the upstairs hallway.
Wow.
Remember, the floorboards looked really really sad when we first bought the place. But now? I think they are going to be lovely....

A few photos of the kitchen .

This one shows the wee built-in bookcase for the cookbooks (in the center of the picture) and through the doorway on the left is the pantry, with oodles and oodles of shelving...The big doorway on the far right gives you half a glimpse of the french doors in the breakfast room, which ONE DAY will lead out to a lovely garden, but which currently lead out to a muddy, orange-clay-filled pit. In the foreground is the Island-of-My-Dreams. Okay, here's another shot, again with the cookbook shelves, the doorway to the pantry, the big doorway to the breakfast room, and more of the Island...On the far right you can just make out the range hood...

More of the range hood and the island. The island has been designed to store all sorts of goodies, from all angles. It will also house the steam oven, and we plan to plonk a large sink right next to the raised part (we raised part of the island so as to block the view of the island counter top when one is sitting in the breakfast room. Why clean up when you can just hide your filth???)

The library shelves !

And Now For Something Completely Different:


This will only be meaningful to those of you who spent a lot of time in the 60s and 70s, watching Canadian tv. These public service announcements pretty much made up the entirety of "educational tv" during my formative years. Enjoy.

Skinny's. An absolutely imperative lunch stop while visiting Grene and Grandstan. Go for the burgers, onion rings and beer. Stay for the "atmosphere".
Two fine patrons of Skinny's.
Hi Grene! Hi Frannie!!!

Things to do on a cold (ish) beach in December......


Turn your feet several shades of fascinating blue by walking in the water:



Bury Treasure:

(I was thinking of calling this shot "I thought you said you were going to leave Dada's head ABOVE the sand." But changed my mind.)
Wander aimlessly:

Analyze the adhesive properties of wet versus dry sand, and the longevity of adhesion of same through rigorous frolicking:

We had a Merry Christmas. How about you?

One of the best things about Christmas is being able to play on the beach at Grene and Grandstan's house. Even if it was so cold that we had to wear our fleece jackets to the beach, the sun was still shining and life was good.


Lest you think it was ALL sunshine and sand, let me tell you about Orlando's "ICE" exhibit. Yes, a place the size of a football field, kept at temperatures BELOW 9 degrees (F.) and FILLED with ice. We got to wander among beautiful ice sculptures - created by artists from Harbin, China - and slide down an amazing ice slide, and get really really cold. We thought of Grandma in Pennsylvania, and the weather in Canada...
Nice blue parkas, no? They give you one as you walk into the exhibit, for which you are immediately grateful.