Bill and I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We have been taking it a bit easier here at Land’s End as winter rolls in. With the wood pile under cover and pantry full we no longer feel guilty sleeping in until 7:00am these days. The goats are dry so there is no milking to do. The hens are moulting getting their winter feathers and taking a rest from laying eggs. The new hens are just starting to lay now so we haven’t had many eggs to gather lately either. These are the lazy days for us when we catch up on sleep we missed and spend more time indoors by the fire.
This part of Nova Scotia has been spared much of the storms that headed our way. Last Wednesday we only were blessed with about three inches of snow. The temps dropped well below freezing last night and we are suposed to have a snow storm tonight and turn to rain tomorrow!
I made a trip to the city by shuttle bus two weeks ago and stayed a week with my children and grand children. They are all away for  Chrstmas so I thought I would visit before they left. Everyone was working so with time on my hands days I decided to tour Halifax th economical way!
For $2 one can ride the bus and get a free transfer that is good to reuse for two hours. So I went south and north and east and west visiting and  stopping to visit different sites in the area. I had a lot of fun , saw the local attractions and met an awful lot of nice people along the way! I hadn’t  been on a city bus since my grandson was little and we went for a bus ride for the fun of it around Halifax. This time I had an objective of learning my way around the city so I don’t have to wait for someone to take me here or there. Crossing streets was hard with limited vision but most strangers are glad to assist if asked.
The best fun is meeting people of  all different walks of life from a relocated farmer who moved to Nova Scotia to a young woman who has been touring North America for two years by bus and living in hostels. It made me realize how diverse the population here is.
The trip up on the seven passenger van was three hours. We made a detour to the airport to pick up someones luggage air Canada lost and another pasenger. Coming home took six hours because we waited and hour and half at the wharf for the Coast Guard boat to come in . A man on it wanted to go to Yarmouth! Transportation is slow here without a car.
At home I have been busy baking cookies and cakes and all the good things I can’t have to eat but enjoy giving to others. The kids enjoyed the baking I took to them also. I put up the little cardboard star Nick made when he was little, the knitted snowmen Bills’s Mum made, The nativity my grand daughter gave me years ago and strung the one strand of mimi lights in the window. The 12″ red wire tree is decorated with miniture balbs. It was a gift from a friend.  My Grandma’s Christmas doilies are on the tables  the angel music box is on the old pump organ. It now looks like Christmas!
I sat last night in my rocking chair watching the tiny lights reflect on the white walls of the dining room. I thought about Bill’s parents, my Dad and grandmother and son all passed away and  with us now only in spirit. I thought about the first fami;y who lived in this house with their ten children and imagined the laughter and fun they must have enjoyed on Christmas. I thought about happy times with my own children who are else where this year. There are lots of good memories and there came a peace over me that flooded the room . Life changes and we must adapt but no one can take away the happiness shared with family and friends in past years. It lives on in all of us. Bill and I will be sharing Christmas dinner with one of his brother’s and his wife this year so we won’t be alone.
We hope everyone who reads this has a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! God bless you all.
