Dear Neighbor . . .

 

(source)

 FRIDAY, November 7th, 2025

Estate Lane, Nova Scotia

2 *C/36*F 

Mostly sunny day forecast

Dear Neighbor,

It's very chilly this morning, but oddly enough there is no frost on the ground. I remember waking up on the morning of my first day back in Canada in 2020 and there was a heavy frost on the ground.  I think it was much cooler that year.  My daughter Eileen, stopped by the motel room to wave to me from outside the window on her way to work.  It was a cheerful sight.

Cindy and I had a pleasant drive up the valley yesterday. First, I went and got my jabs at the Shoppers Drug Mart and then we went to Walmart. We both needed kitty litter, and I needed some cat food. It seems I am always buying cat food.  Cinnamon is so very fussy. She seems to turn her nose up at everything but the things that are supposed to be meant as treats. Those she is eager to eat and of course she likes the dry food. Cats . . . I forgot how fussy they can be.  Cindy has five cats in her house and none of them like the same thing. You can imagine how much fun that is!

 

(source)

We then trundled off up the valley. It was raining, not a downpour but a slow and steady rain that kept us company for most of the day.  Most of the leaves have now dropped and there was not a lot of color to look at, but occasionally we caught a glimpse of a tree whose leaves were still hanging on. Regardless it is a pleasant drive. 

We always take the old highway. It meanders through the small towns and village that dot the valley, and local farms . . . their fields now laying empty with nothing but black stubble, waiting. For what I don't know, but it has a purpose, I am sure. Occasionally there was a field dotted with unpicked pumpkins, here and there, having been left behind. 

Rolling hills and orchards, most of the fruit having long since been picked, but occasionally I caught sight of an errant tree, it's fruit laying on the ground beneath its outstretched and empty boughs.  Once upon a time it probably provided fruit for the family's pies and such, but now . . . it just lays there, left for the deer to enjoy. I hope that they do.

It dawned on me. I am a country girl. Through and through. Not for me the city lights and fast life. I prefer the day-to-day life here in these outlying small towns, with their large majestic, older homes and simple ways. 

Ours is a one-horse town. Not much has changed since its incorporation in 1909. Many of the older buildings still stand.  We have one stoplight at the corner of main and commercial street. Probably right about where you see that house standing in this photograph above. 

The Heart of the Valley, that is how its known, seeing as it is the half-way point between the thriving metropolis's of Kentville and Annapolis Royal. It has always been a beautiful little town, bordering on the Annapolis River to the south and the North Mountain to the North. 

Growing up I always thought of it as a Mayberry kind of a town. One where everyone knew everybody and with a great sense of community.  It is not so much that way any longer.  At least I don't think it is. There are still people here who have been here for generations, but there are plenty of new folk as well. 

Life is slow on its streets.  Many people gather off and on all day at the local Tim Horton's which lays right in front of the High School. Our father likes to go there. He greets everyone individually as he goes in and again as he leaves.

There are times during the day that the line up for the drive through reaches out onto the main road, blocking traffic.  That is the most annoying thing I suppose about this town.  A line up of cars waiting for their coffee fix . . . 

There are worse things in the world to cope with 

 than that.

 

(source)

Every warm and dreamy day now is a special treasure, to be savored from dawn to dusk. It is a treat to open up the door and breathe in the freshness of it to the very bottom of my lungs. The lovely gift of a Maritime Autumn.  Like listening to your favorite piece of music, you really don't want the song to end. 

Yesterday I had a lovely woodpecker visit my deck in the late afternoon. There was nothing there for him. I wonder should I be putting up some feeders now the colder weather is upon us, and the chipmunk has gone to ground. 

In the summer months when I put out seed, he emptied it in quick time. Padding his little cheeks until they puffed out in big balls on either side of his face.  It is cute to watch, but the bag of bird seed will only last a short time with such a greedy little Gus always coming back five or six times a day to do his best to empty it.

As I was preparing myself to get into bed last night, my eyes fell upon my old Bride's Book from my first marriage back in 1974.  My oldest son had left it with me the last time he was over to visit. I took a look through it for nostalgia's sake. Inside were papers from a game we had played at my baby shower for him. His other grandmother had saved them.

My heart felt very nostalgic as I happened upon my mother's prediction of the date, time, etc. of his birth. She got it right that it would be a boy and that he would be named Anthony Lloyd.  The date was wrong but she had the weight right on. I loved her little picture that she had drawn of him.   I had never seen my mother as being very artistic, but she was to a degree.  I have seen worse. It warmed my heart to see this. 

Also there was Cindy's prediction which made me smile. Her picture of the babies.  So cute. Thankfully it was not twins.  She got the date right. Spot on. May 29th. 

The time of day was wrong in both cases as he was born mid-afternoon on the 29th of May. My Doctor was the mayor of the town that was hosting the Apple Blossom Festival that weekend and Saturday was the day of the big ball.  He was very much in a rush to get this over with and get out of there and I felt his impatience all the way through the experience. He botched the finishing bits badly, leaving me with some pretty bad scarring in the nether regions. I still deal with the ramifications of that to this day.

But I was a mom, for the first time and I will always be grateful for this lovely son of mine. He has such a tender heart and is the perfect combination of looks from both of his parents.

It was fun to read through these.

Looking a the engagement photo I look quite besotted, I think. This was taken in front of the fireplace in the "Good" living room in my In-Law's farmhouse. The dress was e one I had made for my Senior Prom. In face this might have been the photo from the Senior Prom. 

We were both so young.  And I suppose we loved each other, but it was not the kind of love that lasts and endures. We both wanted very different things out of our lives and they have indeed both taken very different paths.

But we had our beautiful son and that is something I never regret. All I had ever wanted to be from a very young age was a mother and that was the gift.

 

(source)

This has been a very busy week.  Beginning with having my car winterized and the snow tires put on. They also changed my oil. I take as good care as I can of this car. It has to last me until I die, pretty much. It is ten years old now, but in very good nick.  I will need to get two new tires in the Spring, but I will worry about that closer to the time. The service center will order them in for me and get rid of the old ones, so that's okay.

When I got home from that I had a phone call appointment with my family Doctor, just to go over all of the recent blood tests from my hospital visits. Everything looked good he said. So that was alright.  He renewed my prescriptions, which was also good. 

Then I had the cleaners come on Tuesday. They do a brilliant job. I am really pleased with their work. Both the cats disappear as soon as they come in.  Cinnamon does make an appearance eventually and watches them working. Nutmeg never shows up until after they are long gone.  He is the largest of the two and can be a bit of a bully, but he is the biggest chicken.  He embodies the term "Scaredy Cat." That is just what he is. Funny that.

Wednesday, I had to double up on my work to make up for me being on the road yesterday.  I did go out for supper with Dad and Cindy on Wednesday night. We all had the fish and chips special. 

I hadn't been going to get that. I had thought ahead of time I would just have a sandwich, but when Dad told the waitress fish and chips specials all round, I didn't have the heart to disappoint and to be honest, I do rather love fish and chips. 

Two pieces is a bit much though. I could only eat the one and a portion of the chips. I brought the rest home to Sheila who really enjoyed them. I found the fish rather greasy, however. I think they just scooped it out of the fat fryer right onto the chips. I was not a fan of that at all.  Dad took a piece of his off and lay it on his napkin next to his plate and the napkin was almost translucent at the end from all of the grease it had soaked up. 

I had really bad indigestion after, right up until I went to bed. I think it will be a long time before I get fish and chips again. Dad really enjoyed his. He polished off both pieces, but even he said afterwards that he had eaten too much.

None of us had dessert. I only ever rarely do anyways.  I much prefer a homemade dessert.

And of course, you know what I did yesterday.  We got up to the Cambridge Convenience Store. They carry things from Costco. I picked up my pecans and walnuts for my Christmas Baking and some naughty shortbread biscuits.  Then we doubled back to Nichols Farm Market. I picked up a few winter squashes and some tasty looking Bratwurst Sausages (frozen).  We ended up at the Super Store in Kingston where I loaded up with water for the next week and a few other bits and pieces. Why is it when you go into the store for only a couple of things you always come out with more? I never come out with just the few things. 

 

(source)

Our brother is recovering well from his procedure. No insights yet as to what comes next if anything.  We remain very hopeful.  He has been getting out and about the last few days.  Still not doing a lot, but not in bed anyways.  Yesterday he and his wife went to a Tea Activity at her father's care home. It looked to be quite fun with live music and everything.  The day before he had gone out to breakfast with a friend.  He has also been working on correlating all of the photographs taken at the flying club throughout this years flying season and he managed, with help of course, to get his glider put away and stored for the Winter.

And then here we are with it being Friday and the end of the week.  I have lots to do around the house today so I will be busy enough. I like busy days. I like to feel at the end of the day that I have accomplished something. 

And with that I will end this missive and leave you with 

a thought for the day  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*Three things in human 

life are important.

The first is to be kind; 

the second is to be kind;

and the thirds is to be kind.

~Henry James  • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。*

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 

My recipe in the kitchen today is . . .  Easy Oven Meatballs From Scratch.  Meatballs that you can bake and then freeze ready to take out and use as and when you feel like having a meatball.  Much better than those ready-frozen ones you can buy and a lot cheaper too.  They just don't photograph very well. Most brown things don't.

I hope you have a lovely Friday. Whatever you get up to I hope that it brings you joy and peace.  Don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!