Where in The World Is The Motorhome?

Some of you have been inquiring about the Motorhome.  We left it in Toronto when we flew back to Alberta in the Fall last year.  With the multiple snow storms we've had we have not had a chance to pick it up since we moved to Ontario.  I'm very happy to report that my wonderful husband and his best friend, Rob, drove to Toronto a week ago and picked it up.  It is now parked in our driveway at "Green Acres" but we didn't have a chance to clean it out and back it into the shop before another snow storm hit.  We've decided reluctantly to sell it so if you know anyone interested let us know.

Its hard to let go of it because we have really enjoyed the adventures we've had in it but, alas, we now have other priorities on the old homestead.  Still, if I won the lottery I guess we'd trade it in for an upgrade and then really travel a lot.  Until that happens, reality is....THE MOTOR HOME IS FOR SALE.

We've had a lot more snow here than this area is use to in the last few years.  We relied on a good neighbor that came over with his tractor to dig out our driveway a few weeks ago.  Since then my hubby bought a new fangled shovel that works better than a regular snow shovel but not as good as a snow blower or tractor.  We've decided that a snow fence might be the way to go.  We know that a riding lawn mower will be expensive so we've decided to save for that instead of a snow blower. Dang, I wish we had both but they are pretty expensive.  I just keep my fingers crossed and keep hoping we've seen the last of the snow.  I know I'm dreaming!

Our neighbor up the road came by with his tractor and helped clear out the driveway.

This was a couple of weeks ago.  

Woke up to snowin' and blowin' again today!!!!

At this rate we're going to need our neighbor to dig us out again.  This photo was taken this morning.

...and remember folks, there is no place like home and home is where the heart is.

Discovering Buttermilk

Since moving to Ontario I have discovered I like buttermilk. I originally bought buttermilk for baking breads and other recipes.  I remembered that my parents use to drink buttermilk because they liked it although as a child I did not.  So now that I'm an adult I decided to give it another try. I am surprised how much I like it.   I LOVE the yogurt-like taste and the creamy thickness that reminds me a lot of the pro-biotic liquid drinks currently on the market today. Fermented foods and drinks add friendly bacteria (microflora) to your gut that will keep you healthy and strong. 

Next I noticed that I started feeling better and actually began craving the buttermilk.   I've noticed lately that whenever I eat something spicy or put in other things not so good for me, my upper abdomen becomes painful.  The only thing that calms it down and deminishes the pain is a glass of cold buttermilk.   I now buy it regularly like milk or half and half. 

According to http://www.ayushveda.com buttermilk is highly effective in reducing the amount of heat in our body and this is why it is very popular during the summertime.  It also states that if you are having digestive problems it is advised that you drink buttermilk to help.  Buttermilk is rich in potassium, Vitamin B12, phosphorus and calcium.  Another vital ingredient in buttermilk is lactic acid produced by lactic acid bacteria that helps keep our immune system stronger. The protein of buttermilk is more easily digestible as compared with milk. Buttermilk is low in fat, has less calories than skim milk.  It is a refreshing and healthy drink and may assist in your diet plan to lose weight because or the low fat content.


Give it a try, you might like it. 

Life in the country doesn't mean free water after all

Woke up this morning to hearing the pump in the basement running again.  Dang, and just when I thought it was safe to do laundry again.  Ha! Ha!


I thought it was just the water softener running through its weekly cycle but it stayed on for a lot longer than normal.  I told my hubby, 'something is wrong cause this thing is running a long time again'.  Sure enough when I went to make coffee, I got that sputtering water sound.  I know that sound.  Its not good.  We had to have the well replenished AGAIN!!!!  


The water delivery guy told me this seems to be the norm out here in this area because of a low water table, not something we were expecting to find out.  We managed to stretch the water for 2 months this last time by being conservative.  I'm being told that it is quite common out here to have water trucked in to your well to the tune of $100 every 5 or 6 weeks.  We are already considering replacing the septic tank and now it would appear we should also budget for a cistern so we don't have to rely on the well.  


I didn't know the difference between a cistern and a well but looked it up online.  A cistern is a large vessel which is used to hold a reserve of water (right now our well is pretty much "acting" like a cistern).  A cistern is a container which is used for the purpose of storing water; cisterns can be found in various sizes all over the world, both above and below ground. A well, on the other hand, taps into a supply of groundwater, such as a spring or underground stream. Wells are built by digging into the Earth and inserting reinforcements so that the sides of the well do not collapse.  This info was found from http://www.wisegeek.com.  Glad somebody knows what they're talking about.

Now, having said all this, I heard that my uncle's health took a turn for the worst suddenly.  This is posted to here to remind me to bring me back to reality and remind me that my 'well' problems seem so minuscule compared to many things.  I'm still praising God for our health, our families, a mortgage free home, my husband's job, a little money in the bank, the peace and quiet of living in the country and many other things.  Thank you God.  Help me get through -- one day at a time. 


One last thought:  since my posting about the death of a man I had just met, I promised myself that I would start acting on the Lord's prompting to talk to people who cross my path.  So, facing the fear, I spoke to the guy who delivered my water the other day.  I wanted to make sure he had been introduced to the One who laid down his life for him.  He assured me he knew God and was ready to go whenever his day comes.  I don't want anyone to miss out on heaven because I was afraid to speak up.  We face rejection every time we travel upstream with the message of truth.   


Isaiah 53:3  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.


John 1:11   He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

Thankful for True Love's Kiss

Two marriages behind me and ready to sign off on ever having true love, I met the man of my dreams. He wasn't the most handsome by Hollywood's scale but his smile, and the twinkle in his eyes as he looks at me, made my heart melt. When he holds me I feel safe and secure.

My husband meets all my needs on this earth and then some. He is my Shrek and I am his Fiona -- and we live happily ever after, till death do us part, in our own love nest. Every day I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for allowing this man to enter my life. My dreams have all come true. I am and always will be thankful for my 'true love's kiss'.

We never know how long we are here

I sent our condolences to a family I do not know, who lost a loved one we just met for a couple of hours one day. If you read this, you will understand why my heart was deeply moved by this man's sudden death by a stroke.

To the family of Charlie De Plancke -- 0ur hearts go out to you.  We just moved to Port Rowan and just met Charlie through his septic business as a new customer. When I heard the sudden news of his passing, we were quite bothered about it because we had just met him a couple of weeks ago when we had some septic / plumbing issues. He was a stranger to us until that day he came to assess our septic issue. His death really bothered me even though I didn't know him. He was in our house and stood outside on our front porch talking with me. I told him that he reminded me of my brother, who had passed away. I never asked Charlie whether he had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I don't know if he was at peace with God or not but I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to find out by asking him when I had the chance. He seemed like a really good-hearted man and it was a reminder to me that people cross our paths every daily and we never bother to ask if they are headed in the right direction. None of us know how long any of us have until we meet the Lord for the final time. Having lost everyone in my family and being the only one left, I truly know the pain you must be feeling as the remaining family of Charlie. My prayer is that God will comfort you and draw you close to Him during this grieving time in your life.

De PLANCKE, Charles Camiel - passed away suddenly on Saturday February 5, 2011 at the Brantford General Hospital. Charles De Plancke of RR# 1 St. Williams in his 51st year. Charles operated Bayside Septic Service Inc. for 22 years. 

Birthdays with grandchildren are worth the wait!

So nice to be able to plan short visits with our family if even just for a weekend.  All we have to do is jump in the car and we're there.  I remember a time in my life when 6 hours in the car was a big deal but when you've lived thousand's of miles away from family, 6 hours is nothing to drive now.  Before we moved to Ontario we would be fortunate to see my son and his family every other year, which included the added cost of airfare whether it was us or them -- somebody had to pay the price.  


We were able to drive to Michigan to celebrating our grandson's birthday.  Crossing the border we had to give up our clear sandwich bag of unidentified dog food for Teddi.  We've learned that the next time we cross we have to bring it in the original bag and we cannot bring Lamb & Rice dog food regardless of the brand name. Thankfully I only packed enough for 3 meals and it wasn't that big of a deal to give it up. Left early Saturday morning and arrived about noon (6 hours later).  It was so nice to be able to just jump in the car and drive to where they are.  

We had a great time with my son and daughter-in-law too.  Grandpa and Sage played outside in the snow for awhile on the first day we got there.   Our daughter-in-law made a beautiful "Spiderman" birthday cake.  I think an impatient little boy may have tried getting into it before he was suppose to.  My son made an awesome potroast dinner using a pressure cooker and roasted potatoes in the oven.  The next morning he made pancakes, bacon and eggs.  We had a lot of fun just visiting.  Grandma really enjoyed the baby cuddling and bonding time.  I cannot believe how much the baby has grown since Christmas.

When we crossed the border on Sunday coming home, we paid the toll to cross the bridge as usual.  They gave us our change in U.S. funds.  I was excited to see the $1 coin for the first time like Canada has.  I had heard they were making these but had not seen any yet.  Cool!  

We stopped outside of London at Costco on our way home.  I may have picked up the flu with all the traffic in and out of Costco.  It could have been the flu from my son and daughter-in-law's house because they all just had it a week ago.  Who knows?  I got sick the next day after we got back but it was only a 24 hour bug so not too bad other than the standard flu symptoms one does not enjoy.  

All in all It was a great car trip.

You Can't Heal When You Suppress

The feelings that began bubbling deep inside explained why I suddenly felt my own stomach acids churning.  I was about to be overcome with emotion, the tears and sobs literally only seconds away.  The regret followed like a wave as I wish I could change the past.  I wish, I wish, I wish....no amount of wishing is going to change it.  I had just remembered something from my past and realized that with this regret, I hadn't forgiven myself yet.  The regret:  'failure to be the kind of mother I wanted to intended to be'.


As the memories and emotion captured me for a moment it was as though time stood still.  Then before I knew, without thinking much about it, I found myself shaking it off.  "Get control", I heard myself saying, "Snap out of it!".  I suppressed the emotions pushing down, down, down, way down.  Deep breath in and.........hold it, wait.......ok,....and exhale.   And.....the moment has passed.  I'm okay again.   (Wow, that would be a great relaxation technique for anxiety control or panic attacks.)


Then, without warning, I heard God speak to me, "You can't heal when you suppress."     I knew instantly what that meant.  I don't know what came over me.  We're talking about a woman that cries at the drop of a hat, or at least use to.  And now, I'm burying my feelings and the failure that has bothered me more than I realized. 


Tonight when I was shopping for my daughter's birthday present this is when I became emotional.  I was fortunate enough to know what she wanted because reluctantly she finally told me.  When I found the the item online, I struggled a bit with the price trying to get the best deal I could.  Nothing wrong with that but suddenly, I felt urged not to worry about it and to just get her exactly what she asked for.  I also felt impressed to throw in an extra item not asked for and so I did.  As I looked at the final total, wondering even for a second if I should spend that kind of money, I felt an overwhelming love for my daughter.  I said, "Yes, because she's worth it."   


It was at that moment that emotion hit me.  I realized just how much I love her and how precious she is to me as my daughter and my best friend.  I would feel lost without her. We encourage each other every week somehow.  We've prayed over the phone together.  We talk online nearly every other day, sending emails a few day a week, sharing back and forth different things that make us laugh, inspire us or teach us something.  I love my daughter so much but it was just now I was filled with regret.  I should have been a better mother to her.  I was so young, too immature and self-centered to see it back then.  We are making up for lost time now.  My daughter is who she is despite my failures, despite my success as a mother and because of who she has struggled to become -- her own person. 


What happened after this realization hit me?  I knew the only way to salvage the moment is to instantly get onto my computer and write about it.  Confession is good for the soul and it is certainly what God asks from us.  Confess your sins and he is faithful to forgive us our debt, our sin, our trespasses.  Then we can forgive too.  We can forgive ourselves. 


So hear I sit with you.  As you read this, I am forgiving and releasing myself from guilt, regret and a sad heart.  Thank you, Jesus, for your mercy and never ending love.  Thank you for true understanding and forgiveness.  Thank you for giving me the grace I needed throughout all those years raising my family.  You know what I struggled with and all the sacrifices but the most important sacrifice was yours.  Thank you for my salvation and my freedom that you purchased by your blood. 


Letting go and watching the heavy burden become a helium-filled balloon disappearing up and out of sight.


Psalm 103:11-12   For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."    Notes on the Bible by Albert Barnes [1834] :  So far hath he removed our transgressions from us - That is, he has put them entirely away. They are so removed that they cannot affect us any more. We are safe from all condemnation for our sins, as if they had not been committed at all.

How wonderful it feels to be a grandmother

I was just thinking how wonderful it feels to be a grandmother.  I know that grandchildren and grandparents have a special bond that others cannot understand unless you have experienced it.  I know my children grew up truly knowing their grandparents well, looking forward to visits with them and just enjoying life with these awesome seniors on their side, always.  When I was growing up I do not remember a lot of happy memories spent with my grandparents but there was a lot of competition back then.  My grandparents had a lot of grandchildren  -- so cousins who got to see "grandma & grandpa" a lot more than me, well, I just missed out a lot.  When I did see them, it was more like a warm memory of their house, their food, just listening to their voice.  

I really want my grandchildren to know me and my husband as their grandparents that played with them, listened to them, kissed all over their faces, hugged them till they almost popped, went places with them and experienced life with them.  We hope they always have fond memories of us and always feel loved and accepted and special because they are.

Dedicated to my grandchildren.

Passing the Test

Thumbprint (Bio-Metric sign in) required to work here.

I thought I had found the perfect job online.  It was working from home as part of a call centre.  This is great, I thought.  Then the last thing I read was they would need your thumb print for security purposes.  I thought, "you've got to be kidding me -- where is this world headed that we have to prove our identity this way".  Welcome to the big world of big brother.  Remember there will come a time that is prophesied that without taking a certain mark you won't be able to buy or sell any goods or services.

I know that we are all being set up for world globalization and dominating tracking systems.  Everyone is online, signed up, signed in, logged on, phones, cell phones, pagers, GPS, etc.   How do you go off the grid if you wanted to?  I've signed up to so much online stuff now and I am so hooked on my electronics that I cannot imagine living a simple life without any help.  I get freaked out just thinking that I might not be able to get online today.  

There is coming a day, my friends, a day of ultimate testing.  The day that your heart and mine will be judged and we will also give an account for what we chosen to believe, chosen to act on, chosen to speak and live.  That day is coming.  Don't fall for this deception.  If you are left behind when Jesus returns for his church, whatever you do don't take the mark.  I pray you will remember what is being said here.  If you are left behind you will be given this horrific opportunity but remember if you take the mark, you are paying allegiance to an evil power that will include you in his eternal imprisonment in torment. There is still hope for you but the Bible says you will have to suffer the consequences.  Why not turn to God now because we do not know the day or hour when Jesus will return for us.

How can we avoid becoming deceived?
http://www.vcmagazine.org/article.aspx?volume=11&issue=5&article=deceived


Rev 13:17 So that no one will have power to buy or sell unless he bears the stamp (mark, inscription), [that is] the name of the beast or the number of his name.  Rev 14:9  Then another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a mighty voice, Whoever pays homage to the beast and his statue and permits the [beast's] stamp (mark, inscription) to be put on his forehead or on his hand. 

Revelation 14:9-12 And a third angel followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or anyone who receives the mark of his name. This demands the perseverance of the saints, who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.”

Happiness is getting your indoor plumbing back

Finally after 5 days of a backed up sewer lines unable to wash dishes using the sink, take a shower or simply flush the toilets, which has made it really gross around here, we finally got the frozen sewer pipe opened. It was between the basement pipe inside and the septic line going outside. I now have a whole new respect for the modern convenience of indoor plumbing. We'll probably still have to invest in a new septic system this year but at least we currently have running water throughout the pipes and into the now-pumped-out septic tank. Christmas and Thanksgiving are holidays that apparently are hard on your drains. According to recommendations you should encourage your guests (ok, I say just tell them straight out but nicely) to wait a minimum of 10 minutes between showers/baths so the pipes can drain out. If not, you may be dealing with a congested septic system. The other night when we had out-of-town guests for the weekend, we got in a hurry and didn't wait because we didn't know this 10 minute rule between showers. Grant it, we already had an overtaxed septic system with all the guests from Christmas and a nearly full septic tank at the time, which we were unaware of. Other than being concerned about running out of well water, neither of us thought about the septic system.

To resolve our current situation, we first had to get the septic tank pumped out at the tune of $180 and this still did not resolve our issue because something was blocking the flow into the empty tank. Second, the septic tank specialist told us he would have to get someone to dig up the outside lines so they could assess the situation. They also told me to flush a few times, resulting in an overflowing toilet, more gurgling in the shower and kitchen sink and a real mess on my hands as I'm running around with beach towels and a mop trying to sop up the overflowing toilet. Meanwhile the bathtub in one bathroom and the shower in the other bathroom are both backing up again with even more sludge than the last time.

It is at this point I have to express my gratitude that I married a smart man!!!! My husband did not go for that idea of digging up anything outside until we first tried some other options on the inside. He also knew that there are specialists like Roto-Rooter that have a fiber optic sewer line inspection camera to evaluate rather than digging up the lines. So my hubby went to town for some large plastic buckets and a giant funnel. Then came the nasty job of removing the cover inside the house that runs through to the septic tank outside. Opening the pipe very slowly, we began catching the nasty waste water with a 5-gallon bucket hanging from the pipe. With liquids come solids, right? So, yes, we dealt with poop but at least we could clearly see the problem – a large round blockage of ice. Everything before the blockage has now been drained into buckets. We then have to carry them outside and around the house to transfer it into the septic system using the giant funnel. Next, with much difficulty, we were finally get a plumber that can come out and break up the blockage of ice with a huge machine. It worked well. In less than an hour, we were now free of ice blocking the drain and we are free to flush again! We can take showers again!!! We can do dishes again!!! It was such a relief.

Lesson for the day: Be smart, do your homework and don't jump at an expensive suggestion without doing some research.


There is no place like home and home is where the heart is.

Life in the Country

Some of you remember my eluding to the learning curve regarding life in the country.

Let's review what we've learned through our rural experience so far:

1. We've run out of well water costing $100 to refill -- don't do 5 loads of laundry in one day.
2. We've used 75% of the filled propane tank within one month of moving in -- refill cost $500.
3. We've had uninvited furry guests coming in out of the cold -- we're still trapping them.

This weekend we had a new experience. We invited some friends to come out for the weekend but just 20 minutes before they arrived our plumbing backed up and wouldn't drain. I had dishes in the dishwasher that I hadn't done yet and I'm about to finish dinner adding even more dishes. So I can't use the sink because Brian comes to tell me the shower wasn't draining. Since we've moved in we've noticed the gurgling sound that comes from our kitchen sink whenever the washing machine drains and whenever the shower is being used.

We don't know if the septic tank is full or if we have frozen drainage pipes somewhere. In the meantime we entertained our weekend guests with non-flushing bathrooms, which included the guys making use of the rugged outdoors while the gals didn't flush the toilet.

Monday morning rolls around, our guests are gone, we still can't do dishes but the good news is we are able to flush. We chose not to do any dishes yet until we get a professional assessment of the situation.

At this point, I maintain my mantra "There is no place like home and home is where the heart is."

Rural living in Ontario

Adjusting to life in the country and living in Ontario.
Rural living certainly has advantages and disadvantages.

UPSIDE:

Beautiful and serene countrysides

Less stress in my life, opportunity to really become healthy...already lost 7 1/2 pounds in one week (now that the holidays are over) just by changing type and quantity of food consumption.

No traffic to listen to or contend with. We rarely drive near Toronto.

The people make you feel welcomed. Very friendly and eager to help with information or directions or introducing you to other folks. Most shocking is that even the stores and services are friendly, customer focused and go the extra mile.

The weather is better although this year it isn't the norm they are use to but its really not as cold here, even with the snow we've had, compared to out west.

Church only 5 minutes from our house. Almost all our neighbors go there so not only am I meeting the people at church but also getting to know our neighbors.

Groceries are cheaper here, obviously depending upon where you shop. There is at least one house on every road that has something for sale they make, produce or grow. Farm fresh eggs just up the road from us; Firewood readily available most everywhere (we use our wood stove a lot); Fresh fruits and vegetables (in season), locally grown. We are planning to have our own garden this year. We are looking to buy at least a quarter side of beef somewhere. If only I could find fresh milk too that would be awesome.

DOWNSIDE:

Car insurance --- almost three times higher than what we were paying.

Sales tax -- yes, we have to pay higher sales tax on everything!!! That sucks. In July 2010 the the Retail Sales Tax (RST) was replaced by the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). The provincial portion of the HST is 8% and the federal portion is 5% for a combined HST rate of 13% tax.

Internet --- not easily available in this rural area. I still have my turbo stick that works for internet with some limitations. Many people out here can't get internet service because of the signal or the cost of buying a hub $300 plus monthly rental. I'll stick with the turbo stick for awhile but this has forced me to confront my computer addiction and instead of sitting at my computer all day I am more active and have a real social life.

Country critters --- still can't get use to setting traps every night to catch these well-fed country mice. This has become a regular morning routine, going around checking the traps in the morning and resetting them if we've caught one and we have always caught at least one every single day for 2 weeks. Its not fun anymore!!!

Propane --- We just had the tank refilled today, it was over $500 and a bit of a shock. We've used a lot to heat the house the first month....moving into the house with the doors open; making sure our guests were comfortably warm during the holidays plus all the cooking and baking (our stove is propane also).

Electricity -- Haven't got the bill yet but I'm expecting it to be high the first time. Until recently we had company and there were times we had every light in the house on but we are doing much better about turning off lights we aren't really using.

Water -- we have a well so its free BUT we made the mistake of using too much at one time and ran the well dry and had to pay $100 to have water hauled in. Of course, I don't know how much the people used before they moved out. They could have done up all their dirty laundry before they left and then we came in with two weeks of dirty laundry from traveling on the road. I'm learning how to reduce our water consumption (something everyone needs to do). I don't take our resources for granted anymore. I've made simple changes like not letting the water run while I brush my teeth. Conserving water isn't hard it is just a learning experience.

Food -- Planning and traveling for groceries and supplies to make sure we're stocked up.
Although I stocked up for Christmas guests, we also had to re-stock the deep freeze and pantry with the essentials used up before we moved or given away.

*** I'm still glad I moved here and confident it will be positively worth the sacrifices made and the changes we are learning to make in our lives as we adapt to Rural living in Ontario...but still, 'there is no place like home and home is where the heart is'.****

Divine Guidance

I get excited when I see God working in mysterious ways. Sometimes it seems like a coincidence but I believe in divine guidance leading us to divine appointments.

Since I wasn’t feeling well today I felt an urge to go for a walk to get some fresh air. Though the temperature was warm enough for a nice walk, I still struggled with the decision whether to go or not. I couldn’t shake the urge to go and that my husband should go with me.

Fresh fallen snow glistened under the warm, bright sunshine this afternoon as Brian and I set out on a walk to the end of the road and back. We never got to the end of the road and in fact, we didn’t get very far when we found ourselves passing a neighbour’s house just up the road from us. A woman came out to check on her barking dog. We introduced ourselves to one another and started talking. An hour later we had met her husband and one of her daughters while still standing outside in the fresh air. We discovered some interesting facts about our community. We were also surprised to find out that the wind turbines were not as close as we originally thought. Even though they look like they are almost in the field right behind us, they are really about 100 yards away, directly across from the Thiessen’s home. Even when we were driving down the road we never noticed it until we actually walked by them and stopped in front of their house.

Turns out there were many remarkable things regarding our meeting of our neighbours Bill & Hilda Thiessen. We realized that we had met Bill before. Ironically on the same day Brian was at Canadian Tire in Simcoe on an interview/store tour, Bill came in as a customer. I had just shown up seconds before to see if Brian was done with the interview. I remember while we were standing there on the sales floor meeting the manager, customer Bill Thiessen walked up to Brian (who wasn't officially employed yet) and Brian asked, "Can we help you find something". That was before we even moved into the house. Now meeting Bill this afternoon he told us he doesn’t really know why he went into the store in Simcoe that day. He said he remembered Brian because he thought how much Brian looked like his brother-in-law. Another interesting thing is that that Bill and Hilda built their own home and use to build a lot of houses before Bill’s accident. Now he runs the security on all the wind turbines in the area plus they own a few themselves.

Another ironic connection other than the carpentry craft they have in common is that Bill and Hilda want their kitchen refinished but Bill can’t do that kind of work anymore, although he has a huge supply of wood in his sawmill. They also go to the community church around the corner where we’ve considered going. Their son is the pastor there. One of their daughters does physical therapy from home across the road from her parents, which is also owned by the Thiessens.

They told us about our neighbours. One of them up the road sells farm fresh eggs. Although we stood outside talking for over an hour I wasn’t cold but then snow began falling heavier and heavier until we were all covered in white stuff and I noticed that Hilda was shivering. Finally we had to end the conversation and get back home and let these folks go back inside.
The snow is falling heavy now covering the countryside. I’ve never heard such quiet before. It’s beautiful and so peaceful here. So many emotions flood over me as I stand on my front porch looking across the empty field to the farmhouses barely visible. It reminds me of a painting by Courier and Ives, the style my mother loved to paint. This setting would have been one of her beautiful landscapes if she were alive to see us now. I am filled with gratitude and awe that I am really here in this gorgeous setting.

It seems like a dream that I should wake up from. Now as I sit by the warm, crackling fire, I am filled with joy that God has blessed me with this beautiful home in this serene location. I’m taking in everything to appreciate the “now” moment and all that is included with that. I believe every day will be filled with anticipation of the new things God will bring to light as He continues to amaze and enlighten me.

Charlotte
There is no place like home and home is where the heart is.

Groupon, the new coupon

Hi. I've discovered the new coupon shopping plan using our techno world. Have you ever heard of Groupon? I recommend it. If you decide to participate be sure to let me be the one that recommended it to you and I will get $10.00. Here is my referral www.groupon.com/r/uu14275021

I recently paid $35 CAN for $100 USD worth of Photo Books, Cards, and Calendars at Picaboo.

I also bought the groupon to the Railway City Brewery to get a tour, three samples and a $20 gift certificate for the price of $10.00.

I'm not wanting to advertise for any particular business but I'm trying to say this new wave of coupons online was on TV and hitting popular status for online shopping.

Our Family Christmas 2010

Naturally I have a story to tell about the funny side of our family Christmas in the new house.

Two days before my son and his family arrive, the well runs dry. We have to make a call to some guy who hauls in water to refill the well. In the meantime We have to inform our guests that we have a shower schedule with only 2 showers per day. Dishes were done on a regular basis with limited use of the dishwasher and laundry. Its just when you have a house full of people rural living becomes a slight inconvenience.

The first evening the kids were here, I found a surprise in the pantry. We have mice!!! My husband says, 'you live in the country now, get over it'. So as I take everything out of the pantry I'm worrying about how many we might have, how they got in and how do I get rid of them quick because its unsanitary. I put all the food from the pantry into plastic bins. The next day we pick up Haylie from the airport while Coley goes into town to pick up mousetraps. I set the mousetraps up despite sudden flashbacks of the movie, "Mousetrap".

Haylie's family couldn't make it. She faced the fear of flying and came on her own. It was so incredible to see her for the first time in three years. She looked fantastic. Coming across the border we stopped at the Duty Free. We soon found out why that wasn't a good idea for us. We didn't know that you had to be in one country at least 48 hours to buy something duty free. So we ended up paying an extra $60.00 on top of the items we purchased to get a discount. That was about a 20 minute delay but after six hours round trip, we made it back to celebrate Fawn's birthday after dinner.

We found out the hard way that if you don't put out your garage along the designated side of the road, the garbage truck won't even stop. Not only did we miss the garbage pickup once, but twice. My husband said "The last time they came around 1:00 in the afternoon". No sooner had he said that when the garbage truck zoomed by about 9:00 Monday morning. Now we have 3 weeks of garbage stashed in the workshop/garage. Its even funnier when you think about the mice issue combined with growing garbage. Its like swimming upstream? Trash day is tomorrow and the mousetraps have been keeping busy.

Christmas Eve, with everyone in bed, I slipped on the ice outside while taking out the trash and sprained my right ankle. Ironically that was almost exactly 2 years to the day when I slipped on ice and broke my left ankle. I hobbled up the stairs outside, grabbed some ice and a wrapped my ankle. I managed to get up the stairs to the bedroom. The next day I told everyone what happened and was I ever sore on Christmas day but I had lots of help from my family while I rolled around in an office chair. We had fun in spite of it.

Within a couple of days my ankle was good to walk around at the light festival in Simcoe we all piled into two cars and drove into town. It was really cold and a slight breeze made it feel even cooler. It was memorable for the grandkids especially.

My family really liked the new house. I think they felt right at home. Sage and Teddi got along like best buddies running through the house together. Sierra and Teddi (the dogs) don't get along so we have to follow the changing of the dogs' routine. We only had one near attack but it was diverted.

We did a lot of driving this past week. Brian drove to meet his sister half way so he could pick up his mom and bring her back to our place for a couple of days. Coley, Fawn and the kids left Tuesday morning. On Wednesday Haylie, Brian and I drove Isobel home, about 8 hours round trip. Haylie and I managed to get in some shopping on the way back. We also went shopping in Simcoe right before she left. We drove her back to Detroit to catch her plane on New Years day.

It was the best Christmas ever. Having my family all together is all I wanted. I am so thankful to God for answering my prayers.

There is no place like home and home is where the heart is.

2010 completed

Today is the first day of the first month of a new decade...Jan 1, 2011. For me, the end of a decade is complete.

Christmas is over and the kids have all gone home. It was my best Christmas in 25 years. I just moved into my new home in the country. Now I'm left with a mixture of sadness, relief and curiosity.

Sadness that the pursuit of my dream is completed. I have longed to have an old-fashioned Christmas with my children and grandchildren. I have also longed to live in the country. Now I have a new home, living in a new province, living in the country.

Relief that I can actually rest now and start to enjoy the comfort of my new house and life in Ontario. I've just completed a major accomplishment and deserve to sit back and enjoy it. I want to finish setting up my decor while getting comfortable with my new surroundings, learning the lay of the land, meeting new people. No matter what I do, I know I will be taking a nice break to enjoy simple life for awhile, destressed, calm and relaxed, I deserve it.

Curiosity toward my future. What new adventures await me? What goals and dreams to aspire to?I'm open to the beginning of a new chapter in my life....

....to be continued!


There is no place like home and home is where the heart is.

Theres no place like home!

Well, we are finally in our new house and loving it!!! It has been a crazy adventure from day one.

After being in our new house a little over one week, we now have almost finished unpacking, setting up the decorating touches and are almost ready for Christmas.

It has been a crazy but I think we are starting to finally unwind just before the kids all come home for Christmas.

So exciting....got to get the new photos uploaded.

Simcoe, Ontario

Well, another Charlotte story to tell.

Sunday morning Brian and I packed up. My son told us about a fantastic place in Grand Haven to have breakfast, Morning Star Cafe.  So we piled into our individual cars and met at the cafe for breakfast. It was outstanding!!! Then we headed on our way from there. .

We drove to Detroit, Michigan to the airport so we could get familiar with it for when we pick up Haylie, Sean and Chloe flying in from Kansas on Christmas eve morning. We found the airport without any trouble but when we tried to find the bridge or the tunnel to cross over to Windsor, Ontario, we missed them completely. We followed our GPS and it tried to take us back to the Port Huron/Sarnia crossing, which was way out of our way. We lost an hour just getting back on track and finally crossing over to Windsor.

We were heading to Rob & Michelle's house in Brantford for the night but when we hit London, Ontario we called them and cancelled our plans. We drove right into a horrible blizzard with white out conditions and traffic was crawling on the 401 heading East. We could see there were at least 10 cars in the ditch and guard rail plus a semi jack-knifed and there were tons of emergency vehicles on the other side of the highway. They were diverting westward traffic off the 401 to the 402. We finally got off the 401 near Ingersoll, driving to Tillsonburg and took the #3 to Simcoe. It was really scary driving in this awful stuff. London hasn't seen this kind of storm for 30 years the news said shutting down schools and roads with 4 - 5 feet of snow blown in from Lake Huron.

We found a really cheap motel room with a kitchenette just west of Simcoe called "Fairview Motel". They have weekly rates so we booked the room for four nights and are staying here since Monday till Friday morning. I'm looking for a job but this is a difficult time of year to get work.

Brian got hired by Canadian Tire basically before we moved, they just wanted to see him for a face to face interview but with his background they snatched him up and made a place for him. We arranged our cell phones to be changed to local numbers; we're arranging house insurance and have a meeting with the lawyers on Thursday; I found a hair salon today and finally caved -- wiped out the gray roots and got it cut and styled -- I feel like a million bucks right now.....it was just the pep in my step that I needed.

The weather has me a little worried though -- the snow just won't stop coming down. Everyone here is shocked and caught off guard. They haven't seen this much snow in years. Anyone who has ever heard my 'whenever I move' story in the past, may be thinking, 'oh yeah, Char did it again!'.....just when we move here they get a freak snow storm. LOL

A few more days and we'll be in our house. Worrying a bit about how this weather is going to affect delivery of our furniture but all I can do is pray and trust the Lord to handle this. Hoping we get everything taken care of that needs to be done. So excited. The next time you hear from me, we will be IN our new house and hopefully I'll have a job.

Grand Haven, Michigan

So we are in Grand Haven, Michigan and Sage is sitting on my lap while we look at pictures on my laptop. Snuggling with Sage, watching Toy Story together, hiding in a blanket tent, eating fruit loops, read "Curious George", wearing his Spiderman costume we bought him.

Today Grandpa and Sage built a snow-woman. The final touches were a little unusual -- a coconut bra and a grass skirt. We later decided it would be great to put both arms going the same direction like "she" was doing the hula. So funny!

We've been here since Thursday afternoon and will be leaving on Sunday heading to Ontario.

Davenport, Iowa and Genosea, Illinois

We spent the day driving across the state of Iowa. Now staying in Geneseo,Illinois, just outside Davenport, Iowa. A much better day for driving today and the scenery was better too -- at least Iowa has something to look at. We are only 5 hours from Grand Haven, Michigan and should be there tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait to see our grandbabies.