Part 16: We're in this for the long haul...

Hard to believe it's been over 6 months since I last wrote a post, but these are strange times and Alan and I found ourselves just focusing on getting through it in the best way we could; being mindful of what is happening. We feel so much sadness for the world, for every business and family that is suffering... and especially for people who are in small living spaces and aren't able to get out in nature.

It was early April and my work had really slowed to a crawl... thankfully Alan was getting one great 3D animation project after another – we couldn't believe how fortunate we were; as a corporation with no employees or payroll, we weren't eligible for any government support. I did what I could, working on our website, and whatever came in, but in order to keep my sanity, I dove into the renovation project I'd started in March – turning the upstairs level of our house into a guest suite. There was a lot of work to do before the arrival of visitors in early July.

One day I was ripping up the rug in the main room, which turned out to be TWO layers of old carpet – so old they were disintegrating – when I uncovered 12" wide original floor boards!

I ran up to the studio to tell Alan the amazing news and called Rissers to ask what they would do. Upon closer examination, we realized the rest of the flooring was glued down and there was no way we could really keep them as original... oh well.

Back to scraping and stripping to get rid of the dark green and purple trim everywhere. It was a massive job and took me weeks...

I had a lot of time to think and the physical work helped me stay fairly calm. I was stressed about money and my lack of billable work. We put everything on hold – no new roof on the house, no widening of our driveway; it didn't look like we were going to have any events in our studio anyway... and we weren't going to be building a dock either. We had no idea what the future held, so we had to hang on to our savings and not overextend ourselves.

Like everyone, we weren't going anywhere, and I started to bake more than usual.

My flute lessons with Tricia were now virtual, which was fine although I missed having them in person.

Another big pandemic project was putting up the acoustic panels in the studio. Alan worked out the layout to perfection (I love this man for his amazing attention to detail) – making sure that the spacing was exact between all the panels by building frames to work as spacers. It took us a few weekends, but we got it all done and now the sound is great. It looks cool too!

April felt like the longest month ever and we slowly rolled into May. We felt so fortunate to be able to go to the beach and we went often – talking and easing our stress. The ocean and the sound of the waves... well, I don't think there is anything more calming.

Our friend Bernie made some masks and shipped them to us – very sweet!

Along with the baking, we were eating like kings – we both love to cook anyway, but this was more than normal – just to keep ourselves entertained. New recipes and old favourites: zucchini cakes, stuffed peppers, spatchcock chicken and roast potatoes, pork souvlaki and of course, Alan's famous pizza. If worse came to worse, we could open a roadside take-away. LOL

And we were zooming! In fact, the upside of this pandemic is that we have connected with family way more than normal. We zoom with Alan's dad every Sunday, lots of chats with friends and zoom dinner dates with my sister, Deb. Very nice.

The renovation was coming along and we were still hopeful that we'd be able to have guests visit, so I was busting my butt to get stuff done.

Finally all the green and purple was painted out to white – wow, what a difference. The entire space was light and bright and feeling fresh. For the walls, I painted the main room a very soft pink and the bedroom a very pale green.

Found these bifold doors on Facebook Marketplace for a steal and also a great antique mirror – it has a stamped metal frame and I painted it a lovely bronze colour.

The bathroom has all the trim done now – the walls will be painted a sand colour once we replace the shower surround... another project.

In early May, still feeling stressed about work, Alan suggested I start that novel I've been talking about for years... wow, could I really do that? I wouldn't be generating any income... it felt so indulgent. But I dove in and had 25,000 words written in just over a week. I have been thinking about this novel for so long that the story just poured out of me. In a month I had over 45,000 words. It's a true story about 3 of my family members and it gave me a chance to connect with family members to dig into their memories and make sure I had my facts straight. Long conversations with my uncle Ray were particularly helpful since I was writing about his siblings. That's all I'm saying about it for now – the novel continues...

There was no budget to put in a proper raised bed garden, so I had to settle for a collection of containers. We grew tomatoes, peppers, beans, pea and lots of herbs, even lemongrass and ginger! The herbs did particularly well and we enjoyed them all summer right into October. Every evening I'd watch the sky to see what kind of show we would be treated to.

On June 1, 2020, we celebrated our 6th anniversary. We had a trip booked to PEI but everything was in shutdown, so that got cancelled. My sister Deb was so sweet and sent us an e-transfer to buy a nice take-out dinner, which we did... from one of our favourite restaurants that we missed terribly, The Salt Shaker. It was quite good and we did a zoom with Deb to celebrate. She had a banner with 'Happy Anniversary' and we were able to purchase a bottle of champagne at the restaurant too. Love in the time of Covid-19!

At the end of 2019, we had provided a quote to take photos for Wiles Lake Farm Market in 2020. It sure didn't look like that was going to happen, and then out of the blue, we heard from them and they wanted to go ahead with the project! We were starting with the greenhouses and I needed to brush up on my plant shots! I had never taken the Lunenburg Harbour Walk, so off I went. The apple blossoms were still full and there were many flowers in bloom.

On June 9th, we took the photos of the greenhouses. What a beautiful place to spend the day!

A week later we were shooting the bakery items

And then the kitchen items... it was a great assignment and everyone who works there is terrific. It's a great local market, offering so much; from plants to ice cream. Check out our website www.lovebitesphotos.com to see all the photos we took.

By mid-June, it became crystal clear that no one would be visiting us this summer. They were putting an 'Atlantic Bubble' in place on July 3 and anyone coming into the province would have to quarantine for 14 days. So that was that. We were sad about this as it's been a bit tough to develop friendships here with the whole shut-down and now we weren't going to see anyone we loved in person for 'who knows how long!'

Weather wise we had a gorgeous spring and the summer heat was kicking in...we hardly had any rain or wind, and the days were warm and peaceful.

Alan's birthday was coming up and he had been working so hard that we both felt he deserved the beautiful table saw that he had been pining for.

It inspired him to design and start building a new headboard for us.

Kind of good news bad news... Alan has been so busy with work that he hasn't been able to finish this sucker yet. Every Sunday, his dad asks us 'so how is that headboard coming along?' We just laugh about it now – it's in the works!

June 24, is a triple celebration for us – not only is it Alan's birthday but it's the day we bought this place 3 years ago AND the day they broke ground to start the build last year. We took ourselves to The Beach Pea – another favourite restaurant of ours in Lunenburg. We hadn't been to a restaurant in months and it was weird with masked staff and only a few tables occupied, but we still had a lovely time. And the food, as always, was exceptional.

Canada Day was very quiet of course, until we heard some pops! Our neighbours we setting off some fireworks over the cove that we got to enjoy from our deck. When they were over, I shouted into the night, 'Thank you! Happy Canada Day!' to which we got a reply, 'You're welcome! Happy Canada Day to you too!' Celebration in the time of Covid-19.

July 3rd was a gorgeous day and my friend Dee and her daughter Kate came down from Halifax to join us for a kayak trip to celebrate my birthday! We had a fantastic morning on the water with Cape LaHave Adventures - these guys are great and since there are hardly any tourists this year, three of the guys came out with us. We saw lots of seals, and when we stopped on an island to stretch our legs, Deirdre brought out some cream puffs – a sweet treat. (She also had cake for our beach lunch afterwards – that girl! Love her!)

See that face? That's pure joy my friends... me, doing one of things I love most. And I must say, Nova Scotia is a kayaking paradise. We have much to explore!

We weren't doing very many social things, most events had been cancelled, but Petite Rivière Winery was having a 'social distanced seating' concert that we didn't want to miss! Donald MacLennan and Mike Dalton. So glad we went – it was fantastic.

The beaches were closed for a short time – too many people bunching up in groups – but they soon opened up again. Thank goodness! We love our beach picnics!

Jaws fans: watch this video to the end... LOL

We were enjoying our time together, just being at home – kayaking, going for walks at the nearby parks and sitting by the campfire.

By the end of August, I had finished all the painting in the guest suite and needed to take a break from that project. Why? Because I had a new project! LOL

Before we moved here, Alan and I had agreed that we were going to do our very best to not buy retail – search for items to refurbish, refinish and reuse. So, I had been watching kijiji and facebook marketplace for a dining table and chairs and I finally found something! I got this collection of chairs and table for $125. Happiness!

I was particularly happy about the table – it was made here in Nova Scotia and is really nice quality wood – probably maple. We carefully took it apart, labeling all the pieces and I set to work stripping it.

Meanwhile, the chairs were a mix of styles with cushions covered in plastic by the last owner who had a couple small children. What a surprise I got as I started to take them apart to reupholster!

First of all, there were 3 layers of fabric, so a million tacks dating back several decades. And then I discovered that the stuffing was horsehair and straw! That meant that these chairs date back to @ 1920 or earlier as that's when they stopped using these materials in furniture. Cool.

I spent 2 months stripping, sanding, painting...

Yes my friends, I painted all the chairs and table skirting ORANGE! It's allowed – in fact, encouraged – to use bright, fun colours here, so we did.

Mid-September I had the opportunity to go on a bus tour with an online class I was taking. Nancy, owner of Seaweed Tours, had a new idea she wanted to pitch to us. It was a really lovely day as we started the tour in Lunenburg. Nancy has spent most of her life in Lunenburg and her dad had the first pub in town that she used to work at – lots of great stories! We then explored a secret area of Blue Rocks that I did not know existed, then had a lovely picnic. Sarah was just launching her new business Lunenburg Rum Cakes and we got to do some sampling. Delicious! You can order her cakes and chocolate products online.

Later that week, we had one more photoshoot to do for Wiles Lake Farm Market. We had been waiting for the outdoor market to look just right. In other words, we were waiting for the pumpkins and squash to deliver. Luckily, I had amazing light that morning.

I also spent some time taking photos in Lunenburg – it has felt a bit like a ghost town this summer...

And then... Alan bought a drone. Why not practice in the studio?

He took this video of our neighbour's boat, the Tilicum. Oh what fun we are going to have with this new toy.

Back to my pandemic project... There was one chair that was older and more beautiful than the other four. So I stripped this one completely and Alan did some glueing for me – it was a real labour of love because the detail in the chair back was quite intricate, but I got in there with dogged determination, armed with steel wool, mineral spirits, and a tooth brush until it was perfect. This little chair took the mahogany stain so beautifully – it is my pride and joy.

Reupholstering the cushions was a new challenge – something I had never done before. Alan found an excellent video on YouTube for me to watch. Well, I watched it at least a dozen times – this is NOT easy and I have a whole new respect for professional upholsterers. With perseverance and a whole lot of frustration, I got it done.

The table top turned out beautifully after 3 coats of sealer and sanding between each coat. Another great Youtube video was watched and we learned how to get a smooth finish by using superfine waterproof sandpaper and creating a slurry of soapy water. Repeat that process with superfine OOO steel wool and wow! super smooth finish. Last step – a coat of paste wax. Oh my forearms.

Everything was almost done and I was determined to have our table and chairs in place for Thanksgiving. Alan helped me put it all back together. We soaked all the hardware in CLR and scrubbed the decades of crud off, and ended up replacing the piano hinges altogether. You might think we are crazy for going so bold with the colour but we just love it. Every day this set makes us smile.

On October 5th we had our very first event in the studio! The Bridgewater & Area Chamber was hosting a mayoral debate and needed a good space to social distance 3 people and provide a recording. It went very well and to tell the truth, it was kind of exciting to have people over! LOL

I'm doing quite a bit with the Chamber now. In early June they invited me to join the board and now I'm also on the Community/Member Engagement committee. It's an honour and we're working on some initiatives to engage members a lot more. It's challenging these days but... that's business in the time of Covid-19.

On the Thanksgiving weekend, we took one day off to go to the wine region. The province is so compact, it takes just over an hour to get to the other side. It still surprises us to see how different the terrain is there.

The Look-off at Blomidon Park is not to be missed. Neither are the wineries!

As I had hoped, the very first meal we had at our new table was Thanksgiving. We had much to be thankful for. Living in Canada tops the list. Living in Nova Scotia where we hardly have any cases comes a close second.

One of the things we like most about living here is how long and warm the fall season is. The colours of the leaves get more and more pronounced during the month of October. Just when you think they might be at their peak, you drive down a road and realize that it's even more beautiful than it was a few days ago. On top of that, the morning light is often very golden, so we got up early on October 18 to take some photos.

And so, it's Sunday October 25 and another month is almost over as we make our way through this pandemic. I've been reading a lot and one of the best books I've read lately is by Pema Chödrön, Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change. In fact, I read it through twice and I think it's really helped me to constantly remind myself that we are all in this together and the things that cause me anxiety are possibly causing millions anxiety. And I'm reminded that there are always people who are suffering much more than we are.

We will get through this. Until then, continue to find the joy in every tiny possible thing that you can.

(Click here to continue the story...)

Part 15: Pandemic Projects

It's hard to believe that its been 4 months since I last wrote an update! So much has happened and we're living in troubled times... but first, what we've been up to since the beginning of December.

In early December there was another festival taking place in neighbouring Mahone Bay. What a quaint pretty town for the Father Christmas festival! Once again, most of the shops got onboard to decorate and create elaborate displays. It was a lovely blue sky day and everyone was getting in the Christmas spirit.

In fact, it was such a nice weekend that I took some time to go over to Blue Rocks and take some photos as the sun was going down. The light here is so golden and you are almost guaranteed some great shots on a clear day.

Alan was in Vancouver for his mom's Celebration of Life, so I had the weekend to myself and headed over to Lunenburg for the 'lighting of the vessels' - another first! I've been loving how these small tourist towns take on the holidays. Lunenburg was decorated like a movie set. It was quite a cold night, but this Christmas Tree display at the town bandstand warmed my heart.

To complete the studio, and just in time for the holidays, our wood stove was installed! Thanks Safeguard Chimney Sweep & Stoves! So cozy!

We now live in the Christmas Tree Capital of North America, so from now on, you guessed - a REAL tree!

It was so fun to get out all our ornaments... my sister Sharla works with NGO's in the most dangerous places in the world which also allows her to travel a lot, and she has sent me the most beautiful ornaments from Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand... all over the world and I really treasure them, especially since they were in storage all last year.

With the tree up, we were so excited to have the crew over for a thank you party. We really can't say enough about the amazing job that Rissers did – the crew and all the trades were fantastic; the entire project took exactly 5 months – on time, on budget and attention to every detail. They didn't just build this beautiful addition, they made our dream come true. And we wanted them to know that.

It was December 16 and the very first event in the studio. We played a slide show of the project right from ground-breaking and they all couldn't stop watching it... I don't think they get to look back on the entire job like that very often.

In true maritime fashion, Barrett brought us a couple live lobsters! LOL I had never cooked them before, but I had seen the Kilted Chef demo, so I knew what to do and they turned out perfectly! So very delicious.

It was our first winter and we didn't know what to expect. We love weather, so the first snowfall was lovely.

I had fun finding 'East Coast' gifts for our little nieces and nephew.

The holiday season was very quiet for us... we don't really know anyone that well here yet. After all the activity of the build, we enjoyed the peace and quiet, and looking out at the cove...

I had heard about the 'lobster trap trees' that are very popular here and I really wanted to see one. Alan was busy on a project, so off I went to Barrington... and it was worth the drive.

I was so fortunate to be the only person there and I walked around and around this magnificent monument... covered with buoys to commemorate loved ones lost at sea; hand-written messages of love that just bring you to tears... It was really sad and beautiful at the same time.

We had a sweet little Christmas day, hanging out in the studio, opening a few presents by the tree... a fire was crackling and we enjoyed Baileys and coffee into the afternoon. Happiness.

On December 29, we had another party! We invited a couple people we have met here and all the neighbours! It was so fun when we discovered that some neighbours invited other neighbours... we're not used to that and we were so happy that they felt comfortable enough to do so. There is a real community on Burn's Cove and it felt so good to be part of it.

And then it was 2020 – what a great number, so much promise, so positive... little did we know what was coming. Early in January we had a beautiful big snowfall. It was pretty fun to be able to snowshoe on our own property!

We settled into the new year with great plans for renovations and projects and really loving the studio space; playing our instruments, looking out over the ever changing, freezing and thawing, tide in, tide out rhythm of the cove... sometimes a big bald eagle flying low... peaceful.

We found a great supplier online to order the blinds Select Blinds Canada. They had a terrific January sale on and the blinds were delivered @ 3 weeks later. They were exactly what we wanted and fit perfectly.

The next task was to improve the sound... and I set upon making velvet curtains for above the closet. Not only does it help stop sound from travelling down the stairwell but it creates a great storage area up there.

Stacked against the wall are the acoustic panels... next to be installed. We were busy in January but still made time to go for our beach walks...

I heard about a Ukelele jam that was happening at the local pub, Firkinsteins, and I thought, oh that might be fun, maybe a few people will show up and we can all sing and play... 30 people showed up! So fun!

More projects and Alan is loving his workshop! Do you know how hard it is to build a workbench without a workbench?

January rolled into February and I dealt with a very difficult situation with a long-time client... well, it happens in business. We dealt with it together, talking a lot and going for long walks. The boardwalk at Risser's Beach was particularly nice on an overcast stormy day. We actually love the ocean on stormy days almost as much as on sunny days. It's beautiful. And quite frankly, it was reflecting my mood.

Oh... and a little tequila helped too! If you are looking for a nice smooth tequila, try this one: George Clooney's Casamigos. Our favourite.

February is Lobster Month here on the South Shore. What a truly fantastic way to enjoy February. I still maintain that River Pub in Bridgewater makes the best lobster roll I've tasted yet! (sorry the photo isn't that great... I must have been shaking with anticipation LOL)

At the end of February, I realized that I needed to take a little break from reality. The business situation we were dealing with had really upset me – I knew that it was ultimately a really great thing to happen, but it was still emotional. So Alan insisted I take a little break. I booked myself into a spa and hotel in Halifax and had a nice 2-day get-away. It did a world of good.

On the way home, I stopped at Peggy's Cove. There was hardly anyone there and a fog was settled over the land. It was stunning. I spent a long while walking on the rocks, watching the waves crash and just feeling so grateful for being able to enjoy this kind of beauty.

By the time I got home, I felt recharged. I know Alan was really relieved to see me smile and be my joyful self again.

It was time to really dig in and start working on the house. We had guests booked over the summer and we decided to renovate the upstairs of our house to have a place for them to stay. It's a partial renovation that makes sense right now... we will eventually get to the downstairs reno of the kitchen and main living area, but we realize it's going to be a long process because we work full time and our first priority is our business.

So, while Alan has been focused on the workshop, I started renovating the upstairs. This is what it looks like to start... gotta love the kitchen cabinets! LOL

The first task was to strip the old windows. They are original to the house and have a dark green paint on them. First I used liquid stripper - pretty messy ...

Then, Alan ordered me a heat gun. That was better; still a lot of hard work but neater.

Steel wool and remover next and then sanding...

It's a big job but I'm getting there. A real labour of love as we make this house pretty again!

I've also been removing cabinet doors in the kitchen and bath and ripping out the old medicine cabinet... we're going to make new cupboard doors and everything needs to be painted.

It was early March and we were hearing more and more about the spread of the Corona Virus. It was getting scary as each day passed... and we were feeling the weight of the world, fearful where this was going. We were still able to go to the beach to walk and talk about it and made this video:

We didn't realize at the time that it would be the last time we'd be able to go to the beach. Our daily routine now is to stop for lunch and watch the Prime Minister's report. We're fearful but doing our very best to stay positive and think creatively.

Like everyone, we've never experienced anything like this. March was the longest month ever, as things became more serious and all non-essential business stopped. Our daily work life hasn't changed much since we already work at home and we surprisingly had a great March! But now as we start April, things are super quiet. We are using zoom to connect with Alan's dad – that's been nice.

So, today it is April 3. Exactly one year ago today, we arrived here at our house after travelling across Canada. Imagine if we had tried to do that this year – it would have been impossible. I started this blog shortly after we arrived and that seems so long ago... it's been quite a year for us. Lots of change, a hurricane, a beautiful addition to our home and now a pandemic to live through. We are hopeful to come through this and be able to continue with our plans and getting the driveway done to accommodate parking for events. But right now, most things are on hold.

We are so fortunate, at this time in particular to have a piece of land and woods that we can walk and breath fresh air, a beautiful cove to look on and watch the ducks, loons, eagles and sometimes a seal!

Stay safe everyone. Let's all do our part to get through this. We would really love to have friends and family visit this summer, and for everyone to get back on their feet as soon as possible.

(To continue the story, click here for Part 16)

Part 14: The final push and our 'black beauty' is home!

In early November, I noticed a handwritten 'to-do' list for the crew taped to one of the doors and we knew we were in the final stage of the project. The beams were installed and we just love them.

On Saturday, we popped up to Halifax to purchase some lights and fans and had time to meet our friend Deirdre for a coffee. We finished off our day with a fantastic dinner at The Wooden Monkey in downtown Halifax. We just love that city – its a really nice manageable size, easy to get around with lots of great restaurants. Have we mentioned how much we love living here?

Next, Adam installed the fans. They are industrial fans and we're not really sure if maybe they are too powerful... but we'll leave them for now and see how things are in the summer months.

And then the lights were installed in the laundry room and bathroom. We wanted something a bit nautical and retro in feel. We really like them.

The view from our studio is really lovely, especially now that the sun is setting right across the bay... and almost every night the sky is orange and red... really pretty! I don't think we'll ever get tired of this view.

Our 'pretty in mauve' bathroom is finished. LOVE.

The hook-up for the washer & dryer is ready... and all the trim is getting finished. Nice wide boards and simple style – just what we like.

And then the floors... I had in my heart a desire for reclaimed wood floors but as I mentioned in a previous post, the cost was sky high... so we settled for engineered hardwood – best for the humidity here and they are tough – even if they get scuffed up, it will just add to the sort of 'barn board' feel.

The Rissers crew is down to Ryan and Kyle most days – these guys have been here since day one. They are both so sweet and take a lot of pride in their work. I think they are getting used to me taking all these photos. Or they're tired of it. I'm not sure which. LOL

Its a beautiful fall day and time for a bit of a break with a walk at Miller Point Peace Park just down the road from us.

Suddenly the breaker for our well kept tripping and we had to call the plumbers in. Turns out we had to replace the submersible pump. The guys from Mason's Plumbing, who are doing all the plumbing on the new build, showed up on a Sunday to get it fixed. Thanks guys!

You just never know what's going to need fixing in an old house. They shocked our well while they were at it and its really nice now not to have a sulphur smell. "Always look on the bright side of life!" (Monty Python reference there...)

Ah, the stairs. They have been plywood for weeks and finally they are getting their treads!

We love our nice 4' wide wooden stairs, they make for a great entrance. Kyle gets the nasty job of sanding them... while Ryan does a great job of supervising.

The lights for the studio... we searched on-line for a nice industrial style and ordered them. We headed to Halifax on Saturday to pick them up. On the way back, we stopped in to Oak Island Resort to catch Rob MacLean playing there in the Fireside Lounge.

He's a great guitarist and singer (did a great version of Molly May) and we chatted with him about playing in our studio next year. He'd love to.

The fall weather has continued into November and we are still getting nice sunny days at @ 10º. The Lunenburg harbour seems to be gorgeous in any season. We are so fortunate to live 15 minutes from this beautiful town.

Out of the blue, we heard from SWOOP – the Westjet discount airline. Our second business is Food Photography and we had done the photos of their onboard menu last year. They were wondering if we'd like to do their cover shot. Yes we would! The fact that we are now living in Nova Scotia didn't bother them – they really liked our work, and all the food is packaged items, so we can shoot in-studio.

It was so nice to get back into shooting; with everything that's been going on, we haven't had much time to promote this part of our business. Alan is the food stylist and a lot neater than I am... here is one of the final shots they chose.

That night, I was back in Halifax at the Maritime Museum for a workshop with my friend Deirdre to make rope wreaths. It was a blast! The wreaths are so cool... using ship rope, you create somewhat of a celtic knot.

It was fun and great to spend some time with my old school friend Dee; we went for a lovely glass of wine at Obladee afterwards. "Obladee, Oblada, life goes on, oh..." come on, everybody sing!

We had really hoped to get our driveway cleared and widened before winter but... since we were delayed in the Spring, it just wasn't possible. So, Lee agreed to get one tree out and create the area for our courtyard as a compromise.

It means that we don't have the parking area for lots of cars, which means that we can't have 40 people or so for events until next summer. We're not disappointed – these guys did such an amazing job in 5 months and there is no panic... it will give us time to finish some custom work over the winter and get gardens and courtyard stones down in the Spring.

Adam was back to install the studio lights and they look great. They are the perfect size and we are going to replace the bulbs with Edson-style for a softer, warmer feel. We have lights in the studio!

On the 25th of November, the final few items were being ticked off the list. Everything was cleaned up, last touchups done and the garage and workshop were totally ready for us to move in.

The final task was to paint the stairs. We chose this pretty blue – a bit of whimsy and well, I just love it!

On November 26th, Ryan put the second coat of paint on the stairs and handed us the keys. We were done. It felt so weird after months of so much activity, suddenly it was quiet.

It was a pretty day and we decided to kick off early and head to the beach to celebrate.

Whenever we feel stressed or worried about things, we walk the beach – Alan had gotten some news that his mom, who has been in long-term care for many years, was in her last days.

Risser's Beach is one of our favourite spots... only 20 minutes away when we catch the ferry.

The next morning we got the news that she had passed away. Mary Ursula Wall (nee. Carr-Harris) was born in India on September 6, 1930.

She lived a full life – growing up in India, she went to school for a time in Italy and then England. Her family immigrated to Canada when she was a teenager and that is where she met Robin Wall. They married and had 3 children while living in Quebec, then moved the whole family to England (where Alan spent 6 years as a child), then back to Canada and Quebec. Then they moved to Williamstown, Ontario (where I met Alan); then Grand Manan, NB, where they built a studio and lived for a number of years; then Vancouver Island, then to Bowen Island and finally to Vancouver. Alan will be going to Vancouver for a 'celebration of her life' on Friday. That will be nice.

The first sound check. Really echo-y! But we'll fix that with rugs, gear and probably acoustic panels.

On the weekend of Nov 30 - Dec 1, we started moving in. What a feeling to dismantle our temporary office in the upstairs of our old house, and set ourselves up in this gorgeous new studio! We also moved some tools and toys into the garage and workshop.

As fortune would have it, we found some hand-knotted wool rugs for sale on Kijiji and drove to Digby to pick them up. They were a great buy and just perfect for the studio! Beautiful quality and already the sound is much improved!

We're still working out the layout, but the big rug seems to work well to define a 'stage' area. Slowly, the instruments are gathering from all the corners of our house where they've been packed away for months.

December 3rd and we've been here 8 months. Hard to believe all of this has happened in that short period of time. Mason's Plumbing returned and the washer and dryer got moved into the new laundry room. Our sweet little wood stove was delivered and will be hooked up this month. It's nestled in the corner of the studio and will be so nice on those snowy winter days.

We've spent the last few days just getting used to working in this great open space with a beautiful view of the cove... and playing our instruments. It's December 4th, the sun is out and the piano has arrived!

It's been in storage since March. Once again, it was really hard to watch as the guys from Dr. Piano moved her up the stairs and into the studio... nail biting.

I sincerely hope we never have to go through this expense and anxiety again.

So nice to see this beauty again. And now in a permanent home. That's right people, we are NEVER moving again! LOL

(click here for Part 15 as the story continues)