This picture is fairly accurate of how our yard and fields look nearing the end of the second week of December. We did not shovel snow once in November. We did have snow maybe twice that lasted two or three days, but nothing to speak of. November here is mostly a month of rain which seems to have continued into December. We just endured two days of fierce winds and heavy rains, then enjoyed a mild sunny day and now back to a downpour. As I look out into our front yard I see that the grass isn't as green as in the above picture and the fields are cradling puddles. When I bought new winter boots several weeks ago, I also bought a pair of rain boots!
As I walked to the mail-box just five minutes away this week, I heard the chickadees. I promised myself I'd get our bird houses up on posts next year so they will hopefully nest in our yard like they did back in Ontario. Of all the colorful and beautiful birds there are, I'm very drawn to the little chickadee. We entertained gold finches and hummingbirds at our feeders this year plus too many blue jays to count. My nemesis this year turned out to be either squirrels or skunks as they dug up many of my tulip, daffodil and allium bulbs. They didn't eat them, just made it so I had to replant them half a dozen times.
We could easily have cut down one of our many small spruce trees for a Christmas tree this year but as our house isn't finished inside, I opted for 3 small artificial pine trees I bought many years ago. I put lights on the two larger ones and the smaller one set up in our new entrance-way. Hubby has built a nice sized room complete with coat closet, shelves over the new window for mitts and hats plus assembled a large heavy plastic shelf for boots and shoes. I overdid it this year, purchasing a few too many coat or hat hooks but we will hang our favorites.
In our excitement of moving to gorgeous Prince Edward Island, being busy renovating (still), entertaining a lot of company and planting veggie or flower gardens, we did not get caught up in too much homesickness for Bracebridge or other areas of Ontario. Now "some" of the dust has settled, we are hearing from friends and family members how much we are being missed. My husband's daughter is finding it difficult to be so far away from us. It goes without saying that being a sentimental and emotional person, I've been missing family and friends a "LOT". Especially our dear, one and only grandchild, Claire who will be four in January.
I have taken to sending her postcards every couple of weeks and now her mother is mailing us postcards and sometimes large brown envelopes containing Claire's artwork. I really look forward to my "real" mail. I've always liked sending and receiving Christmas cards so hope stamps stop going up in price. It's getting very expensive. I enjoy including a Christmas letter that I make copies of in the cards of people we don't see often. It makes me stop and think of what we've accomplished each year.
As hubby and I celebrate 17 years together this coming Saturday night by going dancing we often think of our friends and family back in Ontario who would join us when dancing most Friday nights. We know this Christmas will be very different without seeing family and I imagine sadness will creep into our day as we think of who and what we are missing. There are always pros and cons to a big move. hearts and minds get conflicted. Thankfully Skype brings us closer, right into each others living-rooms.
Our first Christmas in our house, our second Christmas on the Island. A new experience for us and for those we left behind. Everyone is in our hearts and we send along very Merry Christmas Wishes and a hope for a wonderful 2015. We are buoyed up by the fact that our family and friends enjoy visiting us here. This encourages us to carry on with our renovations to make our house and home a welcoming place for all we entertain here. Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
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