It's been a long time since I last wrote. I'll have to re-cap two separate trips to the cottage. 

On April 26th, Lorenzo & I took the U-Haul over, loaded up with all our cottage furnishings - beds, mattresses, night stands, lamps, appliances, pictures, mirrors, dishes, etc. 

The place was rather a mess...

All I remember of that trip was working non-stop until about 11pm for two nights. We didn't watch a movie, or play Scrabble, or do anything enjoyable. It was just work - assembling beds, hauling in the mattresses, cleaning, etc. I washed the hardwood floors, put clean linens on the beds, washed windows, etc. 

Lorenzo put the big happy knobs on the cabinets...

..and they look really nice....

He installed the dining room light...

and installed the kitchen shelves...

I'm not exactly pleased with the shelves. The bottom shelf should always be parallel to the bottom of any adjacent cabinet. It has to be balanced. In this kitchen, they had to be placed too high on the wall for my liking due to an electrical outlet. Oh well...

We carried in the washer and dryer but Lorenzo couldn't install the washer because one of the connecting hoses had a slight leak. So many jobs went this way - what should have been straight-forward would turn into a huge fiasco. And we forgot to bring the rails for the top bunk, so that didn't get done either.

On the second (last) day, we loaded up the truck with all the tools we no longer need...

Lots of sorting through boxes of wires, gadgets, and miscellaneous crap...

I covered up the ugly leather couches with fleece blankets and pillows from Ikea. They don't look half bad now...

And then we staggered home. We showed up around noon and everyone was sleeping. Our three kids were not exactly perfect angels while we were gone - even though we had a family member stay here. We were not impressed at all. My house needed vacuuming. The bunny-box hadn't been emptied. The stove was sticky. Loads of laundry were piled up in the basement waiting for my attention. I was just drained - and very ticked off. When I was their age, my parents would have returned to a house that gleamed. Why is this? Better trained? Or was it fear? In any case, we decided that they'd have to come with us on the next trip.

This occurred on Friday. We pulled the kids out of school, packed up the dog, the rabbit, bags of food, and a bunch of other stuff, and took the 10am ferry. When we arrived, it began to pour rain. The kids unloaded the truck at breakneck speed and once it was all in the cottage, I made a pot of coffee and brought out the scones we'd picked up at the bakery....Our first family meal in the renovated cottage. My daughter hadn't seen anything since we'd purchased it two years ago and she just ran around exclaiming - she was just thrilled with everything.

The next few days were spent assembling the top-bunk of the bunkbed which entailed three trips to the hardware store, installing the kitchen lights, mowing the lawn, putting up hooks, etc. Lorenzo is still recovering from hernia surgery and wasn't supposed to be doing any heavy lifting, so I had to haul his heavy tool bag around. I'd say, "Step aside, weak man!" I installed the mirrors for the closet doors by myself and it was kind of nice not being interfered with. He was impressed, which made me feel useful.

My cousin and his wife were there also, and one day he scooped up the boys and took them crabbing on his boat. We also had a lovely dinner at their house on Saturday night - roast beef, prawns, corn on the cob, baked potatoes...what a feast. Afterward, we sat around the fire playing guitars and chatting. What else...? The kids walked down the road to my aunt & uncle's who said the kids were welcome to use their pool table which turned out to be a god-send. I guess our cottage is boring. No pool table, no ocean view, just two parents who never stop working, it seems. It was nice to make a big bacon & egg breakfast in my kitchen, though. 

The weather wasn't very good - drizzly rain with periodic sunny patches - but it was still nice to be there. I can't get over the bird-song. I'd just sit on the porch and listen....

We got the boys to haul the old stinky couch off the porch and throw it into the pile of stuff to be carted away...My younger son didn't want his picture taken. Oh well!

Keep going, boys...

My daughter brought her guitar case (see above) but forgot to add her guitar. I swear, I have to think of everything. The sun came out just in time for a nice dinner at the Springwater....this is my younger son. He ate two entire entrees....

Here's my weak husband - the one who made me do all the heavy lifting...

On the last day, my cousin's wife and I went to the Fernhill Centre which has two very nice stores. There used to be a great little restaurant called the Wild Fennel but it closed down last year, unfortunately. They made the best peanut-butter pie you've ever tasted. And buffalo burgers! We were really sad when they closed the doors...

The Tree Frog is a clothing store which sells beautiful things made from organic cotton and bamboo. Sweaters, tops, dresses, leggings; apparel for both men and women. Organic soaps and homemade candles, interesting jewelry and scarves, carved wood boxes, etc. Everything is gorgeous, but we didn't buy anything. This store smells so good - of lavender and cedarwood and other lovely things. You walk in and you just feel happy.

Next store to this is the Envisions Gallery which sells locally made pottery, crafts, glass-works, etc. Beautiful things - I bought a fish to hang on the wall. This is probably my favourite gallery - it is even more impressive than galleries on the mainland...

Then all of us met up for lunch. That was the only leisure on the entire trip!


I took a few pictures but I don't want to post them yet. It was hard to set up good shots with four people around, the dog, the rabbit, and hoodies and shoes lying all over the place. We've worked so hard for two years and I want the final pictures to do it justice. And there's a few more little things that need to get done.

The plan was to stay on Mayne Island until Monday evening, but our three annoying teenagers acted as though they were being condemned to a sensory-deprivation chamber. It was really, really, annoying. So we changed our ferry reservation and returned on Sunday night instead. Lorenzo and I were right choked about it, but there is no joy in dragging three complaining kids around. On the whole, they were good - I can't complain, really. They just wanted to be with their friends doing the things that teenagers do. It's a tough age....for us.

On Monday, which was Victoria Day, I did a ton of laundry, washed the hardwood floors, cleaned and cleaned....I was so tired I felt like I was going to crack into a million pieces. Right now, I am under the weather. Sore throat, aching bones. My left wrist, which was just starting to heal, is in pain again. I'd like to sleep for three days straight. I have never been a morning person, but on Mayne Island I wake up practically at the crack of dawn, wide awake. It's pretty incredible for someone like me. But as soon as I'm back in the city, I never feel truly rested. I slept really well at the cottage - no bad dreams - just a deep, restful sleep every night. I can't wait to go back, just for that reason alone.

So, that's it. This weekend, Lorenzo and I have a long list of things to do around here. I might get started on some painting and I have an antique sewing machine I've been meaning to refinish. It never ends...  Owning two homes is a lot of work; I don't think I really imagined how tiring this would be. At least we've crossed the finish line - it feels good.

Ciao for now.