November | 2016 | letters from the lunchroom

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I had to give up on my Christmas knitting project due to my knitting disability. I was going to make a pair of mittens for Jess. My knitting mentor told me it was possible and then dismembered my sad display of knitting. So I turned to sewing. I have been meaning to make my kids an advent calendar for 12 years, and 2017 is the year it is going to happen! I just completed Day 22 last night. I have two days left to sew, and fill their advent pouches with treats and little gifts. After school, my oldest is going to help me cut, and arrange dogwood and fir boughs as a canvas for our advent calendar.

I have put so little time aside for crafting this year, and love that I have a project to work on right now. I’ve been on a strict sewing schedule for the last three weeks to get it all done my December 1st. I do love to craft and do anything creative with my hands. It is peaceful and meditative for me. I’ll need to find a new craft post December 1st. I guess I could try knitting again but not sure if I can reach beyond the scarf. I am very good at knitting but once the pearling, and the stitch counting begins I simply create a giant mess. Pair that up with some conversation and a glass of wine and I might as well give up all together.

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My girls also love to craft. Jess has declared that our Christmas tree this year will only be adorned with homemade ornaments. He set up Craft Central on the stage. There are a few tables with supplies mostly foraged from outdoors, a glue gun, scissors, paint and markers. A spray station will be added once ornaments are complete and ready for their layer of shine. He has also set up the band saw, and taught the kids how to use it. The two rules are go slow, and don’t cut your finger off. Really what’s the worst that could happen? I dare you to show me one nine fingered person who is not living a full life in this day and age?

Jess and the girls have also begun experimenting with their truffle recipe. They made a delicious batch the other night. Full production will start soon. We love to give these tasty treats to our neighbours and kid’s teachers. Since I’ve been busy sewing on the couch in front of the fire most nights, my role in truffle making is mostly spoon licker and truffle taster.

I would also like to add some carolling to my Christmas agenda this year. The word on the snowy street is that Christmas is all about agendas. I’d like to put agenda back into Christmas. Isn’t that the slogan I’ve been hearing lately? I have fond memories of going to my mom’s friend Anne’s house when I was a kid to sing carols with all the neighbours. I’m not sure I am one to go door to door singing for my neighbour’s but I would like to sing more. I think I’ll start belting it out at home, and see where that leads me. It may simply lead me to sing all by my loaf. That’s still better than no singing at all.

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Recently, a film crew came to film our house. We have been chosen as one of the 12 top homes to live in across Canada. It seems absurd to me that we are in the same category as Justin Trudeau, Wayne Gretzky, and Alexander Graham Bell’s original home. But who am I to judge? I just went along for the ride.

It did make me think about the amount of work we have done to this building, and all the different stages of it’s transformation that have occurred in the last three years. Now that we are heat stable this winter, Jess suggested we have an annual Celebration of Heat in the coldest month of the year, to remind us of how things use to be during our first winter. The celebration would basically consist of turning off the heat, and trying to cook dinner with our winter jackets and toques on. I think I may be skipping that party.

Below are some of the before and after shots of the old South Marysburgh Central School that we now call home. I thought you might want to walk down memory lane with me and have a peek inside.

Outside of our Building:

Before: