Friday, July 30th - what a great birthday!

 After a really good night's sleep, we were all up early.

We had some pastry left over from pies yesterday so we rolled it out and put rounds into muffin tins yesterday. This morning we made the filling for butter tarts and got them into the oven so they would be baked and cooled in time for Bernie to take to the shop for coffee.

Our friend Helena came over to have tea with Brenda and me and she really enjoyed the tarts as well.

It was a pretty quiet morning as we'd planned to celebrate Ethan's and my birthday on Saturday at lunch. 

It was a pretty drizzly day so after the papers were read, it was time for lunch. Homemade soup, homemade rolls and tea for lunch. Then it was off to a local trail to go for a walk. Rain had sort of stopped but got a little worse as we walked but at least I got to see some of the greatly improved trail down the road from Brenda.

 

Later in the afternoon we went to Montague to the Bogside Brewery for their entry in the pei lobster love promotion. Helena picked Brenda and me up and Bernie met us there. After ordering our choice of craft beer it was on to the food. Lobster rolls, onion rings and fries made for a mighty tasty meal.

On the way home we stopped off at the grocery store to pick up some supplies for Saturday's birthday lunch. Then it was home to change into comfy clothes and watch some TV before bed. Exciting stuff for a Friday night - but I'm loving it!

Thursday, July 29th - I'm glad to be here!

 What a really great day I'm having. I drove down to PEI on Wednesday and Thursday. Had a great trip. Wonderful weather both days and smooth driving along the way, in spite of the wrong turn I made that added time to my travel. But it was a very scenic drive and I did get to my intended destination on Wednesday so it was all good.

On my way from the bridge, I stopped in to see our friends Charles and Laura. They didn't know I was coming so were very surprised when I walked into their shop. They were just getting ready for a tour group to come in so hopefully we can plan to get together sometime later in the week, although it's filling up fast!

I arrived at Brenda's just in time for lunch. Timing was always my forte. Her now almost one year old grandson, Boden, was visiting so I got to meet this little cutey for the first time. Fortunately he didn't seem too bothered by this crazy lady who just walked in like she belonged here!

When Boden left I was put to work helping with pies. Brenda had picked a bunch of raspberries and blueberries for pies. She had the pastry already made so it was time to assemble. I helped with the rolling of dough while she prepped the filling before they were packaged up and put into the freezer. Fortunately one was kept out for our supper. Ahhhh, it's so nice to be home!

Once the pies were dealt with, it was time for some fun and relaxation. So off to the beach for a walk along the shore. It was a gorgeous day so we had to take advantage. Down by Crowbush, there were 2 large tents set up in preparation for a function's dinner on the beach. It brought back some fond memories of working there and shucking oysters for guests by the water. 

After spending some time at the beach, we returned home to make dinner - fresh caught fish, new potatoes and beans from a farmer down the road, washed down with a nice white wine from Nova Scotia (after a pre-dinner shine punch!). Then fresh baked homemade pie for dessert. Really, does it get any better than that? Never mind your 100 mile dinner. Everything for this meal came from within a couple of kms. Doesn't get any more local than that.

After supper was finished, I headed out to visit our old neighbours, Frank and Laurie. Usually they would be in the Azores this time of year, but not this year. It was nice to catch up with them.

By the time I got back, it was pretty much time for bed. It had been a pretty busy couple of days.

Saturday, July 24th - what's six months between friends!

 Seriously, it's been a long time but things are finally starting to look up just a little bit.

We are finally out of lockdown, although Waterloo region took a bit longer than the rest of the province. We are now in stage 3, which means there are still some limitations but life is again livable. 

Because we were locked down, there really wasn't much going on so as they say, "Nothing to write home about". So very true.

I'm back at the store in the office but only 3 days a week for the summer. I had my first cataract surgery back on June 10th and it went very well. Much easier than I had expected. Now I just have to wait till my name gets to the top of the list again for the second eye. I'm told it will likely be about 6 months or maybe longer. No worries, the new eye works very well so life is so much better.

Now that most of my friends have had both shots of vaccine, we are able to gather. Last week we had a lovely lunch at Katie's in her back yard. There were 6 of us altogether. We arrived at 12:30 and left at 4:45. Let's just say a splendid time was had by all, just catching up and chatting. 

Then Wednesday evening I went to the movies with my friend Kay. It's been such a long time since we could go out anywhere. It was really a treat.

Then last night, friends Stephan and Trish came over for supper. What a great day I had, spending time in the kitchen making a nice meal for someone else to eat! When we were finished eating we went out to the back yard where I had the fire pit all set up for a bonfire. My neighbours, Sandra and Wes joined us as well as Alan, my neighbour on the other side. It was a lovely warm evening and the conversation continued on until about 10:30. All in all, a really great time with friends old and new.

It's been a really great week after so much down time.

The other great news is I'm heading off to PEI on Wednesday. I plan to arrive sometime Thursday. I'm really looking forward to it.  I've had both my shots and I've received my PEI pass from the government so I should be good to go. Nancy had contemplated going with me. I would have dropped her off in Halifax on my way but her family was hoping to come up from the states at the same time. They weren't sure they'd get across the border but fortunately it all worked out and they are here. So I will be traveling solo. No problem. I've never minded that trip. Just open the windows and crank up the tunes and I'm on the road again.....

Since I'm traveling alone, I will be able to stop over and visit my ex-brother in law on the way back. It will be nice to catch up after a lot of years.

Stay tuned for further updates!