First Christmas in Newfoundland...

Well it's that time of year, my favourite, Christmas!  It is my first in Newfoundland, I tell you they know how to do it here, everyone is really getting into the spirit.  Lights are up, tree and decorations all up, Christmas cards sent, baking being done, invitations out for parties, dances, home visits.  

The weather is co-operating, snow is down and it is cold, get out the shovels.  Everyone bundled up in their winter coats, boots, gloves and scarfs.  Soon the snowmobiles will be on the go.

Darby and Rielly have their Christmas sweaters on and a new bed to sleep in right in front of the fireplace, toasty warm...

Going to Christmas bake sales, Turkey and Prize Bingo's, Christmas dinner's, Christmas company parties, Christmas Dart Party and Dance, fun times to be had.  Our choir at church singing all the beautiful Christmas carols, decorating the church, Christmas service at the hospital, singing carols oh how I love that.

I just would like to remind everyone to keep the CHRIST in Christmas.  I would like to also take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas to you and yours...God Bless...

Love Edye & Bill, Darby and Rielly...

In our new home...

Hi everyone, guess what, we are in our new home!  Oh how happy I am, to have a home that is paid for, no more mortgage, hooray!  


Now we are in the process of making it our own, unpacking, painting, putting our own touches to it.  We've had a new deck built on the back, the one we replaced was small with no handrails, the new one is bigger with banisters and a handrail up the stairs, I'm a lady with a hip and knee replacement and no handrails means falling on my butt!!!  So feel much safer now.  We have put in a series of electrical outlets, one for the dryer in the basement, oh yes we have a basement!  Didn't have one in our last house and boy is it great to have the extra space.  I even have a pantry, there.  Our biggest project is putting in a shower, there is only a bath tub in the bathroom and boy I didn't realize what an undertaking it is going to be!


The house has three bedrooms, so lots of room for visitors!  There is a lovely floor in the front room, but my two Yorkies where sliding all over as they have been used to carpet, so we got a area rug for them, not sliding now!  Our things are fitting quite nicely here and can't wait to put up my pictures.  Just have some patching, sanding and painting to do first. 


I must admit having artificial or I like to say bionic joints, walking up stairs has been a great challenge, now we have stairs up the deck, front and back, stairs into the basement and up to the second floor.  These will either defeat me or make me stronger, I'm hoping for the later.


But I will tell you, that a year ago we never thought we would be here in Newfoundland let alone in a new house, we where facing perhaps loosing our home in Ontario, as my husband's job was sent South and our savings where pretty low, not even sure how long we could keep paying our mortgage.  But I will tell you the truth, God is good and He will take care of you if you put your trust in Him.  And we did and He did, if it wasn't for Him, we wouldn't be here or have a new home, mortgage free!  Thanks be to God!


Well that is all for now and will post more as things happen...

Bought a new home...

We've now been in Buchans for almost 3 months and in a few weeks we will be moving into our new home!!!


A dream come true...when we got here we where looking for a home of our own, to purchase a permanent residence...we are currently renting our sister's house and it's all well and good, but you really don't feel settled, especially when you know your looking to buy. 


So we will be moving only two doors over from where we are now!  Super do not have to rent a moving truck!  A good friend has offered to help and our Grandson will be here at the same time and I'm sure he will help out also.  Most of our stuff never got unpacked so it should be an easy move, not like our first move here, from Ontario to Newfoundland, now that was a big move.


Our home in Ontario was a small house, just one bedroom but had a very large lot.  Our new place is a 3 bedroom house, so lots of room!  Not a big lot, but I look at it this way, not so much grass to cut and snow to shovel.


Still loving it here in Buchans...really looking forward to moving in and making it our own.  


To come, wanting to explore more of this beautiful province, get to see relatives on the coast.  Stay tuned more to come...

Bought a new home...

We've now been in Buchans for almost 3 months and in a few weeks we will be moving into our new home!!!


A dream come true...when we got here we where looking for a home of our own, to purchase a permanent residence...we are currently renting our sister's house and it's all well and good, but you really don't feel settled, especially when you know your looking to buy. 


So we will be moving 

Lucky Strike Festival...

Well the end of July and what a good time, the Lucky Strike Festival is here..July 28 - August 1, 2011


Lots of things to do, Thursday evening, Lions club drive in Bingo...hmm..didn't win :( ... for the kids Fishing Derby at the Dam...

Later that night, Meet and Greet, with Local Talent, at the Curling Club...great music, super singers...a good time had by all.


Friday, a Scavenger hunt, Community Bonfire...wow was it big, fire truck there just in case...then the Dance at the Stadium..


Saturday, Softball Tourney, Poker Run and Moose burger sale, Beans and Toutons supper, Lion's club bingo...full card...$1000 prize, didn't win :( ... Adult  Dance, live band "Break down"...they where good...


Sunday, Ecumunical Service @ St. John the Divine Anglican Church...then Family day at Red Indian Lake, with the Lions club Bobber race...didn't win :(


All in all a great weekend, had by all...

Living in Buchans - Starting out...

Now that we are here, wow it's beautiful here...the country is so scenic, just like a post card, taking pictures and posting them on Facebook, all of them look good, I don't think you can take a bad picture.  The air here is so clean, it smells so wonderful.  Now I know why everyone loves it here.  We where walking home one night, and I looked up in the sky and I swear there must of been a million stars, incredible!  


Now lets talk about the people here, they are super!  You can walk all over other places and never talk to anyone, anywhere else, well not me I talk to everyone...lol, but here people say "hello", with a smile! Why I never moved here before now I will never know.


We have pretty much settled in to our place, we are renting at first until we find something to buy, it's a small town and there isn't a lot for sale, but we have let everyone know we are looking, so hopefully we will hear of something.  I sure hope so as I know I will feel a lot better in our own home, but for now we are comfortable, happy and together, that is the main thing.


Been out to friends for dinner a few times, yummy good food and good friends, what else can you ask for.  I just love good food, it doesn't always love me, but I can tell you for anyone who hasn't had Salt Beef or Riblets, Peas pudding, etc. purely Newfoundland food are sure missing out!  Oh yes Fries, dressing and gravy another Newfie treat! 



This is a small town, but not the smallest in Newfoundland, I believe the last census was in 2006 and there was 761 people, something like 425 residences.  We have a grocery store, Colemans, a multi-functional store, what I would call a Variety store called Hiscocks, it has all the stuff you would find in a variety store, but more, grocery items, Post office, Sears outlet and a Liquor and Beer store, something great, eh!?  It had two restaurants, but one burned out a couple of months ago, but they owners of that restaurant just opened a Chip Truck and there is the Boardwalk Bistro.  There is a Community Mart, which is open during the summer, a Fire Station, Recycling Depot, they pay for your bottles, I'm been recycling in Ontario for free, see another reason for liking it here!  Also there are two Bars, one is the Union Hall and the Buchaneer, oh yes there is also a Home Hardware, so here in Buchans we have all bases covered.


For anything else, i.e. Walmart, Dominion, Sobeys, shoe stores, etc. you have to go to Grand Falls/Windsor, which is 100 kms away, but it is a nice drive.  It is not like driving along the highway in Ontario, you drive down the Buchans Hwy, and on both sides it's forest lined, and you get to see Red Indian Lake on one side of the road.


One day we went out to Red Indian Lake, I'm told is is approx. 6 miles wide and 45 miles long, great fishing, Trout and Salmon, I believe.  It is beautiful out there, with cabins sprinkled around the area.  I keep being told to watch out for Moose, along the highway and pretty much anywhere, there is a sign on Trans Canada Hwy into Grand Falls, that says "Slow down, watch for Moose, there where 660 collisions last year!  Scarey stuff, I travel with my camera always to have handy should we see one, been told of Bears as well, I did see an Eagle and the only other wild life I have seen since I've been here is a Rabbit, walking in the middle of the road!  I'll keep my eyes open and let you know when I spot a Moose.   


Well my friends, this is my blog for today, will keep you abreast of any new things as they happen.

Getting to Newfoundland...

I was living in Ontario, with my wonderful Husband, Bill and we decided to move to Newfoundland.


It's been exciting making arrangements to move to another province, away from family, Son, Christopher, his wife Virginia and our wonderful Grandchildren, Christina, Zachary and Sarah.  Also our friends and our home church, Kespres...


Thinking about technology, we can keep in touch on Facebook, via email, there is always Skype, and the good old telephone!  But non-the-less I will miss everyone terribly.


But onward, having to sell a home and planning a move is big stuff.  It took us just about 2 mths to sell the house, and then the packing began and the fateful words from my hubby "Your not taking that, are you?"  Boy I can tell you that by the time we where leaving I was going to kill him if I heard those words again!  :) But the packing was dreadful, so much thrown away and a little saved, with hubby saying, we can buy another one when we get there!


Arranging the move was a great deal of work, the logistics of it was frightening.  Canceling all of the services, making arrangements for new services on the other end, getting a moving truck, driver, airline tickets, soft kennels for the dogs and figuring out the money for all of that.  Heady stuff...but I got it all done and we where on our way.


Saying good-bye to everyone was hard, but so many good people visited for the final time, asked us for dinner, offered their place to us, it was heart warming.  The last good bye was the hardest, seeing our son and family was tough, but good.


The plane ride was good, we never got to sit beside each other, can't explain how that happened.  The dogs where in soft sided kennels so they could be in the cabin and under the seat in front of us, they where stars and traveled so well, we worried about our 17 yr old Darby, if she would survive the flight and she did, thank the Lord!  It was the first flight for both of them.


Arriving in Gander, the flight was good, even though we had to change planes in Halifax.  At the airport our good friends Bern and Vera, where there to pick us up, thank you again!  We got our luggage, it was all there!  Then the drive to Buchans!  (2-1/2 hours away)  We got there with no moose sightings, great driving Bern!


We got to the house, with just our suitcases and some groceries, bought at the local store.  Our furniture comes tomorrow.


Our first entire day in Buchans, it was a super day, the furniture was coming today and friends came over to help, thanking them all for there assistance.  Getting settled in...


The first thing I noticed is the air here is so clean and smells so good!  We where walking home one night and I looked up at the sky, and I saw what I thought was at least a million stars, the sky was full of them, I've never seen so many stars in one place!


The people here are the best, we've been welcomed above measure!  People coming over to ask if they can help, being asked out for a meal, asking us over to visit, just plain good folks! 


We've been here a month now, and I can say I'm still loving it!  Stores aren't as accessible, but you make due.  It's a long way into the next town if you want to get to Wal-mart or any other big store, the stores here in town are great, but supplies are limited, but that's OK, we just plan a road trip into GrandFalls/Windsor if we need something else. 


Been told to watch out for Moose along the highway, as sometimes there can be some bad accidents, so I have my camera with me always to catch that great picture, which I post on Facebook for all my friends back in Ontario and Newfoundland.