Family and Friends

This past week started with the visit of my brother last Sunday and ended with the visit of some good friends yesterday. Francois spent two nights with us.  Despite the cloudy and sometime rainy weather, we had a great time and we were able to even go on the deck on Sunday night and breathe in some fresh Muskoka air.  We showed him the Town and had a nice lunch at a restaurant by the water, while Cooper was at day care. We also did a bit of shopping.  I bought myself a nice little plaid Woolrich duffle coat and a throw blanket for the Muskoka room. As you can see from the picture below, it didn't take long for the Coop to get comfortable underneath the blanket....So, my brother's visit was a good one and I look forward to his return next year.

The rest of the week was relatively quiet.  Russell had our snow tires put on, I raked some leaves and  went for a few fitness walks.  I also made a batch of some butternut squash soup which was delicious.

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of having Nelson & Maggie and Paisley & Steve over for lunch (Nelson, Paisley and I were colleagues when I worked at JTI).  We had a great time and it was really nice to see them again.  We talked about all kinds of things and shared some good jokes.  I am tempted to share one funny topic of discussion that the guys indulged us in but since this blog is available for anyone to read, I will restrain myself.  Needless to say that we shared some good laughs.  The weather was not the best but we were able to walk around our property before they left.  Russell had a nice fire going all afternoon, Cooper was on his best behaviour and I enjoyed having everyone in our home.  Although Russell took a few pictures, most of the pics were taken by Maggie and Steve.  I look forward to seeing those when they are available.  For now, I include one picture although it is not of the whole group.

This week will be a busy one.  Russell and I are going to Toronto, or as my friend would say, "down South", for an overnight stay.  We will be staying in Yorkville. There are a few things that we want to purchase and can only get those items in Toronto.  While we're away, Cooper will be having a great time at Nathan's and Darlah's.  It's been a while since he has been there and he misses his Talemaker friends.  We are looking forward to also seeing the Talemaker crew.

Today is a quiet day.  The sun is out for the most part. This morning, we had some good play sessions with Cooper.  He loves his new playroom and plays retrieve like he never has before. We continue to practice his agility skills.  I went for my walk a little while ago while Russell gave Cooper a good brushing and line combing.  The rest of the day will be spent relaxing although I have to figure out what to wear when we go away this week. The dress code in Huntsville is slightly different than in Yorkville.......

Anne and Francois....

From the left, Nelson, Steve and Anne.

Cooper 'nesting' in the new blanket in the Muskoka room.

I wish you all a good week!