...Winding up 2019....

Well, 2019 has all but come and gone, and we are now, hopefully, beginning the last year of our cabin building experience... I remember my father building our home in Brampton... started when I was in kindergarten, and, I don't think the building and remodeling ever ended...  The Streeters had really had hoped to get more done this year, but the weather came in early, and we have been snowed out since the end of October...

Christmas proved to bring some fun things for the cabin, the first being Moosie!  Moosie hails from the GWN (Great White North) and we are thrilled to have him as part of our cabin.  Jim's Auntie Betty from Washago Beach, Ontario saw him, and couldn't resist.  We both agree that he has the cheekiest look on his face!  And, with the suitcase between his feet, he was ready to travel!  Thank you Auntie Betty - such a wonderful, generous present from the Blue Mountain area!

One of the presents that I gave Jim this year was a tandem bike... giggle...I think he liked it, not quite sure, but let me tell you the best part...  I order this bike online, and I go to pick it up at the store...  The lady comes out with this bike, on a cart and asks me if I brought a truck or a trailer.. basically, what was I driving?

Well, I drive a Kia Soul... not a particularly big vehicle, but, I like it.  I told her that I didn't think it would fit in my car, and she just said, "Let's try"... So, I'm game... They wheel this bike out to my Kia, and put all the seats flat and then hoist it into the vehicle... This first picture is the front passenger seat, reclined with a People magazine on it...

This next picture is the back seat...

And, the last picture of the vehicle is the very back.  The bike went from front to back, with no room for anything else... Even the driver, (me) was crunched to one side.  Giggle.. BUT, it fit, and I got it home.

Here it is, under the Christmas tree in all it's glory..

We have two vans and a pick up truck at the house... I don't know why I didn't take it - let's just say, this is an experience I will not forget..  Giggle... Jim has started putting the bike together... no handle bars or seats quite yet.. That's probably something that is going to happen in the next couple of days!

Many, many years ago, we were up north visiting my mother's family, and my grandmother Zinovia was making bread...  I don't know how she made the most amazing bread, being that she was super old at the time, and she had a wood burning oven that she baked it in.. But, it was smooth, and smelled amazing.  She never learned to speak English, or at least she never spoke it to us, always spoke Ukrainian and my mother translated.  On this one occasion, she was talking to my mother about baking the bread and she was explaining the importance of wheat, how it is the staff of life, and you should ALWAYS have wheat in your kitchen - that it signifies that you will always have food to eat, and your "apron will always be full".  I was just a kid, but that story always stuck with me, and I have always had wheat in my kitchen... and, my kids have wheat in their kitchens also.  This year for Christmas, Brad and Melody gave me wheat for my kitchen down in the cabin... such an amazing, beautiful gift.  It will be a treasure in my new kitchen.  Thank you.

Continuing on, Brad and Melody and family were at a craft fair in Ogden, and they found this little wooden cabin - said it reminded them of our cabin, and it is the perfect addition to the ornaments on our Christmas tree... I love it!  (And, it even lights up!)

I finally made it home to the "Ponderosa" (that's what my brother Bart calls my parent's property) this past year... major tug on he heartstrings here... The house is gone, the greenhouse is gone, the skidoo house is gone... but, a whole lot of amazing memories are left.  Duane and I walked through the area where the house used to be, and had a little emotional moment...  Jim put this collage together for me... I know this will be one of the first pictures  I hang in the cabin.. such an amazing, thoughtful gift.. Jim I love you for this...I know he must have had some help from a little elf up in the GWN, and I thank you.. It's beautiful.

Before Christmas, I told Jim that I would really like some seat covers.. and the ones I want were Snoopy and Woodstock... Well, Christmas morning, I open a gift, and sure enough, it's a seat cover with Snoopy on it... But, it's a toilet seat cover not a car seat cover.. Jim just had this devilish little grin and said, "You asked for a seat cover... and, I got you a seat cover"... Um.. I guess I can't complain.. I got what I asked for.. This is going to look great in the cabin's downstairs bathroom!  The kids are going to love it...

Brianne and Lowell and Coy got us a corn-hole game... I must admit, I really had to figure out what this game was, but I think it's going to be great!  These are custom made, as you can probably figure out, by Lowell's cousin.  I think it's going to be amazing!  They come with bean bags, and I am sure they are going to be a hit on hot summer evenings...  Love, love, love them! (I kinda like that Canadian flag look!)

I saw this little cartoon a couple of weeks ago, and it reminded me of a whole lot of things... relationships, employment and of course building the cabin...  What will the new year bring... lots of opportunities!

And a thought as we plan for next year, the adventure continues . . . .

Jim & Cheri