Spring Break

One of the most relaxed weeks of the year for the girls is the busiest one for Naomi! Bummer how that timing worked out, but Naomi made it over the registration hump and the girls had some time to mostly wrap up their reports for those adventures in Europe. They even got to spend some time with Grammie and Grampie. 

I went down with them on Thursday and spent the night. We helped our friends make some maple syrup on the way. They made it through another winter on their homestead - impressive how they keep hanging on and improving their situation. I also managed to pick up a new client, friends of my parents, and they have a big job for me. Two Morris chairs and a matching couch. 

Spent a few days getting the workshop cleaned up and organized. Continuing to collect more materials for the greenhouse and got the basic design digitalized. So helpful that the solar modeling is built in so the windows and overhangs can be appropriately sized. Picked up some new light fixtures yesterday to bring the kitchen a bit more up to speed. Installing them will be tricky. 

Hopefully my parents and the girls can make it up today without much trouble. In the middle of another snow storm! It started out as ice. Temps around freezing. Sheets of hail with lots of thunder and lightning. Haven't experienced that before. So strange. 

Amélie taught her sister how to use the snowblower.

The basic concept.

The pro in action.

Cleaned up and ready to go with the new sanding platforms!

It's been a while since we got to have a nice dinner out.

Fun on the ice.

Smart Chipmunks

It's been fun watching the chipmunks run around this week. We thought they might be in trouble when a big blizzard was forecast. Also thought Naomi and the girls could enjoy another sorely needed snow day! We ended up with a grand total of nothing. I guess the chipmunks are smarter than the weather people. The waves sure were impressive this week! Naomi and I got to enjoy a walk on Presque Isle. 

It is now spring break for the girls, but it's also one of Naomi's busiest weeks of the year with registration. Hopefully we will get a bit more snow in the next couple days and the girls and I can enjoy the ski hill. Abigail will have some friends over today and maybe Amélie will on Monday. Abigail and I got her shelves installed. She did most of the work. Now her room is cleaned up! What a project.

I managed to finish up the cabinet for my mom, and now I have a chance to get the workshop organized before the next project. That's a long time coming. Maybe I can get to the garage too! Still collecting materials for the greenhouse before they get too expensive. Maybe a this coming week will have space for that run to Menards. The waves sure were impressive this week! Naomi and I got to enjoy a walk on Presque Isle. 

Putting up Abigail's shelves.

Seems like 'lake' isn't quite the right term.

Replanted tomatoes. Trying different soil.

My part is pretty much done. Just need to get it in the car! So heavy.

Dancing on Ice

It's been a very hectic week around here! Naomi took the girls to figure skating practice every single night this week except for Monday. Their big annual show was yesterday. My parents came up and our friend Pish came down. It was a lot of fun to watch the girls. They gave two performances yesterday. The second was after dinner. We went to the first one, after lunch. My parents and I went out for dinner while Naomi stuck with the girls. She is friends with one of the other moms so she likes going there. 

Naomi sure could use another weekend, or perhaps a massage chair! Maybe she will come along with me to Menards today to sit in the one they have on display there. We are looking at another blizzard mid-week, now that most of our snow is gone, so she might get some time off again. 

I made some good progress on the cabinet for my mom this week. Got the drill press and table saw set up to make mortise and tenon joints. That's a new one for me! I bought the special drill bits but didn't know you needed a whole assembly to make them work on the drill press. Luckily neighbor Rick had one I could borrow. Now that everything is set up, which took the better part of a day, it works really well. I will need to do a lot of these for the Morris chairs which is my next project that I plan to make for my parent's neighbors. Got the screws Naomi brought back from the Netherlands in use already, but one of the boxes was mislabeled! What a bummer. 

The next project.

Abigail's shelves are almost done!

Giving the snowboard a try for the first time.

Mislabeled screws.

My first mortise and tenons.

Lots of fun to watch!

March Blizzard

We have been waiting for one all year, and it finally came! Bummer the snow won't stick around so that we can enjoy it longer, but it was fun while it lasted. Today is the start of mud season. Naomi and the girls had Wednesday and Thursday off of school, so it felt like a bonus weekend. 

The ski hill has been amazing, finally got the east side (natural snow only) opened up. Went with Naomi and the girls on Thursday and then with a friend on Friday. We were going to go for just an hour, but the snow was so good that we decided to have lunch there - actual restaurant food and not like a cafeteria - and the barely made it back in time to be home for the girls after school. 

Mud season starts today. Ugh. My least favorite time of year. Coincides with the time change which is also a bummer. Amélie is at a sleepover, so she will have a rough day or two, and this coming week is the figure skating performance, so the girls will be super busy with that. Hopefully I can make some good progress in the workshop as not much happened down there last week! Almost done with the sanding platforms. Worked on some design elements for the greenhouse too. 

At the ski hill before the blizzard.

Trampoline hole almost filled!

Cool drifts.

Pathway to the back door.

Working hard on the sledding hill!

The start of an igloo in the trampoline hole.

Ski hill after the blizzard. All the way on top!

Got some seeds planted.

3x with the snowblower this storm.

New Teacher

Back into the routine this week. Naomi had a tough time adjusting, but now it is spring break, so this will not be a busy week for her. The girls just jumped right in. They are happy to be back in school. We got to see their classroom and the work they have been doing. They also got back into figure skating and piano, with a big figure skating show to work hard for in two weeks. 

I got the compost bin filled up, and had to add a couple boards to contain it all. Not quite big enough for the full year. I am about two months shy. Also managed to do a bit of snowboarding before it got too slushy on Friday. Got a snowstorm and it's cold again, so we will do some skiing this morning. Had fun sledding yesterday. The girls also made it to judo while we did some shopping. 

Had a chance to start on the cabinet for my mom's bathroom. Ran out of wood quickly, so I had to dig through the reserves. A couple more panels to glue up then I can start trimming, sanding, and assembling the case. Started watching 'Homestead Rescue' with Naomi and the girls. The girls really like the show. Also interviewed a new teacher and hopefully he can start this coming week.

Fun that my dad put one of my pictures on the cover of the magazine he edits!