Long time no post

It’s been since June I last posted any updates or information, mostly reviews. May through October are months busy with gardening and harvesting, so there’s little oomph left in the old girl to actually apply myself to writing a blog post and keeping followers apprised of what I’m up to, what I’m writing (or not), what I’m painting (or not). You get the picture.

So, here I am at the end of October, belatedly offering up a bit of an update.

 

Summer activites

Whew, but it has been a busy summer! What started out with a quote for perennial garden maintenance, turned into a major landscaping project, in which we had River’s Edge in Walkerton tear out the old herb garden, and terrace the area with armour stone. They also set in place the new stone step off the mudroom door. It’s all rather gorgeous, if I do say so, and they did a very professional job of that and the garden maintenance. We since planted up the bed with pink hydrangea which apparently will go quite blue once we amend the soil.

Of course, before any of that started I planted up 16 hanging baskets, and 20 pots of flowers, all of which I grew from seed, and planted the vegetable garden. We calculated that I grew about 150 pots of seedlings. Good gravy!

Then, because you apparently can never have too many sheds, we purchased a dedicated board and batten garden shed, larger than the existing implement sheds (mostly filled with Kubota tractor attachments and such. That led to another construction job which Gary undertook, building a retaining wall and filling the area with 3/4 clear gravel as well as completing the service drive on the east side of the house. All very lovely and functional.

Which, of course, then led to the planting of 10 white spruce trees. Earlier we planted to pawpaws and another flowering crab, and took out the broken cherry tree which had split during a violent wind storm.

Himself also built an armour stone crib for the second greenhouse we purchased in the spring an 8′ x 10′ tinted carbon fibre wonder with a sink and stainless shelves and ohmigod. He’s hoping to have that finished by close of November before winter weather sets in. Honestly, I don’t know how he does all this.

Of course, all of that activity had a dramatic turn, in that after taking a Sail Canada course and getting his skipper’s license, he bought a 28′ Ontario Yacht by name of Wight Spirit, happily ensconced at the Wiarton Marina. Turns out he’s a natural. Also turns out our son is as well, who remembered well his time with the Toronto Brigantine program when he was a youth. On the other hand, it would appear I’m deathly afraid of big water. But not to be daunted, I’ve figured out strategies to conquer not only my agoraphobia, but aquaphobia. Why spend your life in fear when there’s so much wonder to witness?

On the health front

I’ve spent a considerable portion of this year having oral surgery to address neglected teeth. So far have had all my molars removed, had three bone grafts, one post for an implant, a crown, a filling, and more to come. There are another three posts to go in, and crowns for all four, removal of the lower front four teeth, and a bridge made and placed. I’ll be lucky to be done by the end of 2025. Have a very professional, communicative dental surgeon in Hanover. Picture posted for reference regarding this latest surgery, which is now in the aubergine stage.

There have also been some other mental health issues having to do with depression, but I’m dealing with it, quite positively, and refuse to be ruled by darkness and memory of past abuses. I’m acutely aware of the finite nature of the rest of my life, so wand to spend that in contentment, pursing creative and pleasant activities with the love of my life.

The winter?

Well, I’d like to finish Hekja’s Lament, maybe start in earnest the sequel to From Mountains of Ice, paint another series of watercolours, and of course come February start cuttings which will graduate to seedlings. I have several short story ideas in the works, and also hope to hammer out some of those and get them off to markets.

Himself has plans to renovate his studio, which written like that sounds like an oh-so-easy project. But remember this is a 150 year old stone house, which means nothing is level. I imagine that will take him all winter.

Other than that, life here at The Old Stone House continues on pleasantly.