So here I am, way way behind in blogging again and I don't even have the craft fair as an excuse. It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, which have been the chugging-along kind of busy but nothing spectacular. I'm still talking regular pictures, so I'm using them as a reminder of what I did when!
On November 11 we went with the girls to the War Memorial for the morning service, and had a playdate with "baby Katherine" in the afternoon, who is socializing very nicely indeed for a two-point-five-year-old. That Sunday we went to the Botanical Gardens for a walk, something we almost never do since it's difficult to get to without a car (which we have until the Pateys return from the mainland). There's a bunch of sunset and sunrise pictures detailing the only times I've been outside during the ever-shortening daylight.
We went to the aforementioned NLCDA Fine Craft and Design Fair last weekend, which was awe-inspiring as usual. Eleanor and I went for a little while on Friday evening, and I struck upon the idea to play "scavenger hunt" with the five items on the poster: gloves, a plate, a cushion, a mermaid, and something else I forget. We found all of them eventually, or at least found the craftspeople who made them (some were already sold). This kept Eleanor busy for a good while - nice to have something to focus on. The four of us went back Sunday, and bought quite a few presents. I went to Granny Bates' kids-book book club for the first time, since I saw the notice that they'd be discussing a favourite of mine, The Golden Compass; it was fun, and they're reading Skellig and Inkheart for the next two months which sound like good reads, so I'll see if I can get around to going again. Jean had a couple birthday parties, and we've decided that before she goes to an evening party, the day up till then has to have been a stellar example of good behaviour - she's just wiped at suppertime and prone to meltdown. She did have a couple of good evenings out, though, so she's on probation, and we're thinking about Brownies for the near future. We had supper chez Bauer recently (Giovanni Cabot's Pizza, boy were they good, and the whole menu looks delicious, here's Karl Wells' review) and brought the violins. Katie and Sam have started flute and piano respectively, so all four kids (and I!) practised and played together, more or less; we have to do that again soon.
The rest of the violin news is in its own post!
The biggest upcoming upheaval is my trip to Moncton for an all-Atlantic conference with work. I haven't traveled in three years (I remember it as when The Two Towers came out, since I saw the movie props exhibit at the ROM in Toronto when I was there) and am not used to the routine, so I have long long picky lists of things to take with me and to do before I go. I am seriously thinking of taking the violin - I slacked off for a few days a few weeks ago, and regretted it as soon as I picked it up again - and there may be geocaching, and used bookstores to investigate. (Work? Seminars? Incidental.) Never mind that the weekend is already full without having to pack added in: violin group class on Saturday, I want to have the fambly over Saturday since we haven't done that for ages, Sunday is Choir Soup Sunday plus the Santa Claus Parade plus a birthday party for Jean, and my flight is at 2 PM. I'll miss Bob's birthday, but with any luck there will be cake on Saturday. I'll miss several concerts and shows I would have liked to see, but that would be true whenever I went. I have the Advent calendars done, since I won't be back until late on the 1st. And then we will truly be in the countdown to you-know-what.