the Valley House ™: Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it's off to work we go!

All work and no blogging makes Jenn annoyed! So, finally, here is a new post. Since school started in early September, I have been working a lot doing substitute teaching and art teaching. It's great to have the income, but blogging and what little housework I ever do has gone by the wayside. Brian has four weeks left of his course and has been a real help during the computer classes, as some of the participants had never used a computer before and needed help getting started. I have really enjoyed teaching two evening classes in the studio (formerly the summer kitchen) for adults and children. I just finished a six-week series, and will do a few Christmas workshops and start up again in January.

Sadly, Jasper is gone. We really miss him, and Marmsie demands that Brian play with her in the evening when she and Jasper used to run about and have a mad half-hour. So, Brian ties something to the end of a length of string for Marms to chase, and runs around....not quite as quickly as Jasper could, but he does his best!

Brian has got both tennis and golf elbow from sanding and varathaning the living room floor. I knew it must be painful when he visited the Dr.'s office, and is now going to have to go to physio. The floor, however, looks wonderful! The electric baseboards for downstairs go in tomorrow, and once a beam is replaced in the basement we will call a halt to major renovation projects for the winter.

Thanksgiving dinner was fantastic, with 25 family/friends in attendance. Brian did a wonderful job cooking and carving the turkey. We had a great feast followed by fun with games and prizes. The last guests left after midnight.

The next social gathering will be an open house here at Christmas, when Emily, Maher and Steph will be with us. Emily is taking a Zumba course to teach this fitness style of dance and hopes to give the female relatives a lesson over the holiday season. She is enjoying fashion styling for photo shoots, fashion writing, and managing the Ottawa Dress for Success boutique. Steph just turned 20, and we enjoyed a dinner and visit with her in Wolfville. She and four friends (all four are nutrition students, so nice meals will be prepared!) have rented a small house to live in for next university year. We were delighted to hear Andrew (also 20)hosting an on-line radio show that caters to Star Trek fans. He and a friend may visit here on a North American tour next summer.

Hunting season has started, so any walks up the mountain road are done early in the day, wearing an orange reflective vest. The coyotes seem to be howling more than usual, and they are now on this side of the river and closer than before. So Marmalade doesn't go out at night, and I tend to walk very quickly to the car if I am going out in the evening!

Frost this morning, and had to scrape the car windows...it's only a matter of a few weeks before shovels will be needed! We already have the snow tires on the car and the wood stove works a treat so we are ready.