White Christmas

Seventeen centimeters of snow fell in and around metro Halifax today, guaranteeing a White Christmas. The landscape is postcard perfect. We are awaiting the arrival of the Ontario foursome and trying hard not to think of our French family  as we miss them so much. And in this holiday season, we are in awe of Brother's branch of the family, who have been soldiering on in the face of trials and tribulations, and managing in that the same amazing manner that has seen them pulling together and coping so marvellously in the past.

And inside:

Below stairs, for a while this week, there was a different dusting of white:

The festive layer there was crack fill dust.

The hardwood maple staircase is finished now and it is lovely. The maple laminate floor is complete. The ceramic tile has been installed inside the back door. The baseboard heaters are installed. The walls and ceiling have been primed. Next week, the ceiling will be painted, the trim installed, the doors hung, and the electricians will come back to install all the light fixtures, smoke alarms, thermostats, door bell, and activate the all the plugs and switches.

A few post Christmas challenges remain:

1. Assembling the Ikea bookcases, cabinets, chests of drawers, and television bench.

2. Sorting through the large amount of basement "stuff" in rented storage - at least 50% of it will not be coming back! (Maybe Heather Jay would like to have a lovely honey colored Argyle pine cannonball double bed frame???)

3. Choosing a finish color for the walls and painting - I am counting on many consultations over Christmas, with input from everyone at the dinner table.