Nova Scotia..Sept. 26 to Oct. 4/2016

Faye and I left Hamilton on September 26/2016 on Westjet...I can't say enough about how well we were taken care of by the staff on Westjet.  I hadn't flown in many years so I wasn't very savvy about the procedures of flying but we were greeted immediately by staff who led us through the process.  Frequent flyers have no idea how intimidating it is for us novices when we enter an airport.  Apparently Westjet does know and has made sure we're led with kindness and politeness despite our lack of knowledge.

I met a lady on the plane and we yakked for the 2 hour flight...I think we're going to have lunch together when we get back to Hamilton.  LOL!

It was so wonderful to see Sylvia waiting for us at the baggage claim...Mickey waited in the car with Lucy, their puppy.  It was like we'd only seen each other a few days before.  That's real friendship!

We retrieved our luggage quickly and went out to the car where we met Lucy for the first time.  She's the sweetest little 8 month old puppy that is the light of Mickey and Sylvia's lives.  It was a long drive to their home (maybe 3 hours) because of an accident on the highway, but finally we pulled up into their driveway and saw their lovely neat and tidy home.  Once inside, we got the tour and then sat down to a tasty turkey soup dinner made by Mickey.

We yakked for hours and might have played Skip-bo but I'm not sure.  We did play most evenings for an hour or two and I love this new game!

Their family room and spare bedroom is in the basement and it is huge!!  It's the full size of the upstairs and, of course, neat and clean as can be!  Faye slept on the sofa bed and I settled into the huge bedroom just off the family room.

It was rainy the next day but Mickey took us to Margretsville and Port George where I bought my Nova Scotia souvenir (print of Port George).  Marilee arrived around 2:30 so we had another round of hugs...I hadn't seen Marilee since last winter.

Mickey and Sylvia had made us an excellent turkey dinner...I love my turkey!  That night Marilee slept with Faye and they both weren't happy with my snoring!

Marilee and Faye left early Wednesday morning for their own tour of relatives in New Brunswick.  Sylvia's friend, Patricia, visited for a few hours in the afternoon and Mickey went to the doctor for tests.

On Thursday, Sylvia and I drove into Middleton where we had lunch with her friends June, Shirley, and Janet...really nice ladies!  The restaurant was an old renovated movie theatre and the food was excellent!  June is an artist and was nice enough to have us back to her house for a glass of wine and a tour of her home studio.  She's very good!

After dinner we played Skip-bo and then Sylvia and I went down to the family room for a couple of hours of T.V.  Sylvia and Mickey are both early to bed and early to rise so she went off to bed about 9:30.  I seemed to be staying on my Ontario time and went to bed about 11 P.M. which would be 10 P.M. in Hamilton.  Just a note:  I had 2 nights of intense leg cramps which I get only occasionally.  They are simply awful and I was glad I only got them the two nights.

On Friday, Mickey drove us into Bridgewater where we had lunch and then made a too quick trip through Lunenburg.  I was completely overwhelmed with the absolute beauty of the houses in Lunenburg...more character than I've ever seen anywhere!  We then drove to Mahone Bay where they were celebrating the Scarecrow Festival.  Many houses were sporting wildly dressed scarecrows on their front lawns...really interesting!

On Saturday, Mickey had a golf tournament and dinner so he was gone all day.  Sylvia and I sat on the deck and drank wine and waited for her new kitchen table and chairs to arrive!  It matched her kitchen cupboards perfectly.  By the way, I'd alread seen photos of her kitchen and had noted her cupboards were exactly the same style and shade of the ones in my house.  We all went to church in the evening and I met many more friendly Nova Scotians.  I could happily live in Nova Scotia forever if only the rest of my family would move there with me.

On Sunday, it was rainy again so Sylvia and I went into Kingston to do a little bit of shopping.  We went into a huge Dollarama and I found a little timer for my apartment (note: this reminded me to look at it because I'm doing laundry and I'd forgotten to start it.  Damn!!).  I spend a lot of time on the computer and often forget about the laundry.

I took Mickey and Sylvia out for dinner as a thank you for being such wonderful hosts.  We went to a Chinese buffet that was excellent!  Mickey joined our Skip-bo game in the evening and beat us terribly!

On Monday, we all went to Digby where we met a lady who had a dog just like Lucy but not nearly as cute.  She was an interesting lady who seemed to be employed as a stewardess, health nutritionist, exercise trainer, etc.  I'm not sure if she was telling the truth but she was interesting to listen to.  After we went home, Sylvia and I took a drive into town to Guy's Frenchy, a sort of second hand clothing but some was new.  I only found an interesting looking little child size"Cubs" team shirt I thought I might sell on Ebay.  Sylvia cooked a lovely dinner for us and then we all played Skip-bo again.  I'm addicted!  Then it was time to pack to go home...sad to leave my friend but I had become homesick and was ready to go home.

On Tuesday, we left home a little early because Mickey wanted me to see the "Pumpkin People" in Kentville.  Straw figures dressed in clothing and having pumpkins for heads were all over the town.  Really cute!!  We got to the airport about 1 P.M. and said our goodbyes with loads of hugs but no tears, thank heavens.  I was easy put through Westjet's system with the help of a very friendly and nice employee.  I really have to write to Westjet and tell them just how much I appreciated the treatment I received from their employees.

I then walked up to where the airport restaurants were and immediately found Faye and Marilee!  I wasn't even sure where to find them but just knew they'd be in one of the restaurants...Tim Hortons, it was!  We had a light lunch and then got in the long, long line through security.  I was randomly chosen to be searched but was given the option of the scanner or some kind of wand scanner.  I chose the wand.  Once through security, Faye and I yakked and people watched until we boarded 20 minutes late at about 5:30.  Poor Marilee's plane wouldn't leave until around 9 P.M. but she'd had to return her rental car at 1 P.M. so that's why we were at the airport early.

The flight was great and we arrived in Hamilton at about 7 P.M. (2 hour flight).  We were starved so went to the Village restaurant for chicken marsala which we ate half of and took the rest home for Wednesday's dinner.  Faye stayed over at my place because it had gotten pretty dark and she was tired.  We had a gin and tonic and I, for one, slept like a baby all night!  Faye woke up with a wicked cold that she'd caught from Marilee and headed home first thing in the morning so I wouldn't catch it, too.

And so ended my lovely trip to Nova Scotia where I finally saw and experienced enough to make me feel as though I was actually there.  I'd only ever driven through it many years ago with Dennis, Faye, and Gary.  I'm happily ensconced in my quiet little apartment but will be picked up by Kim after work and taken to the senior center where I'll register for the craft show and then go to Cindy's for dominoes.  My family means everything in the world to me and I love them dearly!

On a sad note, Mickey is having some health problems that we're hoping are not as bad as they look.  He'll have a catscan today and Sylvia will let me know the outcome.