The flood... and other nasties

We are finally almost back to normal. The flood, which occurred overnight on February 14th, receded. The damaged electronics have been replaced. The rugs have been dried and cleaned. The walls, ceiling and floors have been redone. After two months without an office to call our own, we are finally back at our respective desks and able to work normally. It was very depressing and, had it not been for a lot of work and keeping busy, I think I might have just fallen into a deep depression. It was still winter, the snow was ever falling, and our lovely little house was a disaster area.

In March, we went to Hilton Head with Matt, Brenda, Jackson and Logan. We had amazing weather, and there was a lot of swimming and fun had by all.

 

I was beyond amazed to see that Shadow, the lovely golden retriever who has been at the Disney resort since its inception, was still there! She is 18 now, only one year older than Jackson.

The boss and I finally went to Fort Sumter one afternoon. After all the years of visiting South Carolina, it was about time!

 

 We were blown away by the minimal cost of the boat ride and the tour of the island. Not to mention the abject folly of the general who decided it was a good idea to take his troops out in the middle of the river to an island at Christmas! The fort itself offered them scant protection from the onslaught of  opposing canon fire, and most of it was badly damaged almost immediately. I was glad to have seen it.

My wonderful friend, Sherry, came to stay with the dog. Apparently, they had a grand time together, and all was well.

Just after my birthday, in April, my children and grands all came up to Bracebridge to take me out for dinner. It was wonderful to see everyone, and the dinner was good too.

Mother's Day was quiet, as everyone was somewhere else. The following week was Erica's 45th birthday (how can I possibly have a 45 year old child!), and we were invited to her friend, Ange's, house for a party on the Friday. Again, Sherry looked after Acheson, and we had a wonderful time. We had to come back the following morning for the boss to go to work. Jackson drive us home in the pouring rain. Oh! I almost forgot! He now has his G2 license, so watch out, world! Fortunately, he is an excellent driver. He now wants to come up here most weekends to visit his girlfriend, Jordyn, which is great but getting expensive! He has to take the bus.

So here we are, already after Victoria Day (or, May 24, as it's commonly known now), and the weather is improving. We have had several bright, warm days, and of course the bugs are back. We thought to go camping this week, but the bugs are just too bad, and they really do a number on me. I think we'll wait a couple of weeks.

More as it happens...

A lot has happened since I was last here....

Sometimes, life just smacks you in the face, and you are left feeling dazed. I gave up on my blog because everything I had to write about was too personal, too much family. Well, I've come to the conclusion that writing about the s*** that happens in one's life every once in while is good for the soul.
So, here it is. March to July of last year were pretty normal. We took our wonderful new (to us) little Taylor Coach trailer on a few overnights in provincial parks, and we loved it.

It is tiny by most campers' standards, but it fits us perfectly. No bells or whistles (although the previous owner had a/c, which is incomprehensible to us!), but just enough room for the boss, the dog and me. We added a $99 fridge from Walmart, a porta-potti and an awning, and we were good to go. We have a screened room, too, which we set up for bug protection.
The place we like the best is Oastler Provincial Park, as it is small and offers campsites right on the Boyne River. It is also right around the corner from Parry Sound, where the boss does a lot of his work.

Then came July. We had friends staying with us because we all attended a reunion of Grey Power employees here in Muskoka. It was a grand party, and our friends came here for dinner, wine (lots) and a decent night's sleep.

Matt and Jackson also showed up and stayed overnight. I wondered why they would just show up, but I rejoiced at having my son and grandson here. I should have known!
Once our friends had left on the Sunday, Matt owned up that he and Andrea had broken up, she had asked him to leave, and he and Jackson were asking us for a place to stay. Duh. As if I would deny my son a place to be. They stayed for a few days while sorting out how to get to work, etc...

I don't often speak of Erica, our lovely daughter. She is my brick. She makes me hold it all together. She stepped in and took her brother and nephew in. They lived at her house for several months. Her youngest gave up her room for Jackson, and Jackson registered for the local high school. Apparently, it was love at first class, and he was so enthralled with life and school in the city. Erica also went through local websites to get suitable furniture (dressers) for Matt and Jackson's rooms. They were in a loving place. Kudos to my son in law, James, who facilitated the moving of rooms etc... No wonder he and Erica are such a grand team.only

My  only regret in all this is that I have not been able to communicate with my daughter in law. I would just blubber and cry, and that would be totally non-constructive. Perhaps, one day, I will be able to communicate with her.

Our elder granddaughter, Lane, started a new job in November at the Brickworks. She was a very determinded young lady.

She has since found other employment, which I hope she will enjoy equally.


In December, we attended a grand party in Montreal for my brother in law Robert's 75th birthday. Who knew we would be so old one day?

It was wonderful, and attended by both brothers, and family and friends. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Because his elders had inbibed copius amounts of wine, Jackson drove us home safely. We drove home the following day, thanking our lucky stars for the amazing weather.

All was well until just before Christmas (2015), when Brenda, Matt's lovely girlfriend, bought a house in Keswick. She particularly chose a 3 bedroom house so Jackson and her son, Logan, could have their own rooms. Jackson, being an only child and very spoiled (mostly by me, I'm sorry to say), was not happy to be uprooted to Keswick, an hour away from Toronto. He went through the Christmas holidays with a chip on his shoulder, which eventually dissipated once he realized that Brenda, gem that she is, would take him to the city most days for school. He has since learned to take the bus and the train, and so far, it's all good, as they say. The new family dynamic has been a learning curve for all.

In all this, I have become employed by Contact North, which is a distance learning facility. I love it! It is part time and involves supporting students who are trying to better their education. It has been somewhat difficult with only one car, but the boss and I are managing. He has been amazing. It's grand to be part of the working world again.

Last week, after being in Toronto overnight for a birthday celebration for the boss- his 70th- we returned home on Sunday to a flood in the basement. I was totally devastated. It reminded me too much of our flood at the old house on the lake. The insurance company was amazing. The remedial people turned up very quickly. We are in the process of getting back to normal.

More to come.....