At the Driving Range and Ubiquitous Knitting

Sometimes after work Bruce and I go to the driving range.

No, I don't hit golf balls. But I usually grab a cup of coffee and a sweet treat. (I know, I really shouldn't. Starting tomorrow.)

So there I sit.
I can wait. I can wait for anybody. And I can wait for a long time.
But only if I have my knitting with me.

Now, to find someone to fit this...

White Houses in New Brunswick

When we were in the East I noticed that house after house was white. I'm not sure why but perhaps it's a vestiges' habit from the 1800s.

More Pictures of Our 2nd Trip East

Just pictures (mostly). No time to write and/or think. Be forewarned. My last post was so long I thought I would quit before an epic novel was written. Not that any of it was made up--more like a coffee table book--oversized. Jered at the sing. His sister Bethany behind him.

Before the sing began. (I think Will is tying his shoe--or something)

Jennie H. and Joann B. at the conference Jan B, Phil and Pam B.

Abby and JoAnne

(Another three year old) Hannah

Willy and Wally

Some of the young people

More Cottage Pictures:

The path to the girls' dockMore of the path to the girls' dock. (It was a long way from the cottage.)

The girls' dock (to the right of the cottage)

The back porch--where we spent our time on rainy days at the cottage.

Three of Gordon and Pearl's guests of the past:

More beautiful colors of the Eastern Fall

Outside the rest home where Jan's father lives

2nd trip east in five weeks

Flying use to be fun. In the past I looked forward to getting on the airplane and enjoying the experience. Not anymore. The seats are too small and your neighbors are too close: front, back and sideways. If you want something to eat you either have to bring your own food or buy it from the airlines. For eight dollars. For a just warmed up sandwich. Non-alcoholic beverages are free. If you take advantage of that you end up using the washroom three times in a 5 hour flight. (Ask me.) Now all you want is for the flight to be over. Especially if you travel with someone who has never liked flying...even in the glory days...and just endures the five hour torture chamber and who chalks up the experience as another test in the pathway and knows he will be a better man for it in the end. I guess I could go first class. Hummm. Novel thought. Too bad even economy class costs so much.

Enough of my complaining.

They said we missed the real show. I say the show we saw was spectacular.

We passed by so many lakes while we were in Ontario. I could have spent all my time by any one of them. They were so peaceful. They skies were clear, the water smooth and the weather was just perfect.

We're just not use to all this color with our evergreen trees predominating here in the west.

We stayed with Rob and Jan who also had their grandson with them that week. I called him my "little alarm clock". His room was right next to ours and every morning before his feet hit the floor I heard, "Granny, Granny, Granny, I need you!" And then pitter, patter down the hall to Granny's room. It's a great way to wake up. I highly recommend it. It makes getting use to the three hour time change a little easier. (Notice, I said a little easier. I don't think I really got use to the change until it was time to go home. Even then, I slept in til eight the day after we got home. That would be noon in the east!)

Rob offer to take us to Gordon and Pearl's summer cottage the day after we arrived. Needless to say he did not have to ask twice. Both Bruce and I spent many happy times there when we were young. Too bad we were never there at the same time! That would have been the best!

We spent a good while contemplating the times we spent with G and P and the happy fellowship we had with so many other young people back in the 70's.

A view of the lake from the right side of the cottage. You can see the remnants of the ping pong table at the bottom right. This is where we and 39 other young people spent many hours breaking the ice and trying to get to know one another.

In the early mornings you could hear the loons calling across the lake. I had never heard them before coming to the cottage.


This is what use to be the girls' outhouse. No, there were no facilities in the house, that I know of. And there was no electricity. Imagine doing without a hair dryer, electric curlers and a curling iron for one whole week. Perhaps the most important week of your life since your future spouse may have been at the cottage with you!

Gordon's old car that they used to go "touring" throughout Canada and the US.

Beyond the car is the (now) overgrown field where we spent hours playing softball.

That little bit of land in front of the mass of trees is the Girls' Island. Only the brave dared to swim there and then only with a rowboat escort (of girls and by rule).
Reminiscing at the main dock.

On the next to the last day we had canoe races here. This was one of the only times the girls and boys were in the water together. The other was when a young man wanted to take a girl for a canoe ride.

One year some of us girls gave Robin an early morning dip off this dock for her birthday.

The meeting room where we went while visiting Gordon and Pearl. This is also where the conference was held just recently.

We were able to visit with many friends at this conference. Some we hadn't seen for years and some were new acquaintances.

Jim H. and Carol S.

Mark and Marion S.

After the Conference--Jamming at the Dock

Just another peaceful, tranquil scene on one of Ontario's thousand lakes.

Rob and Jan have this view off their back porch every day of the year. I suppose that sometimes there is snow and ice.

madaline's coffee

When SAJ blogged about madelines a while back I had to google it to see what she was talking about. I still don't know what it was that she was referring to but I came across this. Now this is some kind of espresso stand! I could use one of these. Maybe I can get one of my four kids to convert their VW's into something like this.

Do Not Leave Home Without It

By that I mean "knowing how to connect to the internet while in a Starbucks while you are away from home"! Bruce just asked me if I'm on yet. Yes, but it took me an hour and I JUST GOT ON. Whew. Now that our trip is just about over I can go to any Starbucks and get on-line and use their connection for two hours for free. (I wonder if my first hour trying to log on counts? They kept saying I was logged on to AT&T but I just couldn't get on-line.)Well, I guess it will be a short work day today.

We came from Scranton/Montrose Conference this AM. It was great! Not as small as I thought it would be and I knew a lot more people than I knew in St. John. It was good to see so many familiar faces and make connections with new ones.

We're going back to Vestal tonight for dinner at Mark and Marion's and then meeting Then we leave from there to go home on Tuesday. I'll have pics by then. You'll see a lot that you know.

Massachusetts

I think I'm in Massachusetts. At least that's what all the signs seem to say. It was so late last night when we got in to the motel that we just didn't really know. We are on our way to New York and are on the 90 going west. That's another story--when you travel in the east bring a bag full of change for the turnpikes and then once you get on don't expect to get off in a mile or two--try 30. We got off the turn-pike to check out a (too expensive) hotel and got back on the pike to check out the next exit. Wrong move. We were already beyond tired and couldn't get off the turnpike even if we wanted to. Thirty miles later we drove up to this dive where I now sit (at least they have Internet connection!). All we wanted to do was sleep. Good thing. It's not a place you want to write home about. Why am I?

Just to let you know where we are. And where we are going. We should be in Scranton/Montrose by Friday. But today we plan on getting a real cup of coffee in Albany, NY. We're hoping for a Starbucks there but I don't know if Starbucks is as serious about these Easterners as they are about us there in the West. We'll see. I'll keep you informed. Definitely.