Ahh! Friday eve and I am in the city. No music at the cafe tonight but a concert at the FAirgrounds to raise funds for HAbitat. I LOVE Habitat but the last year's concert at the fairigrounds put me in to hypothermia. Anyway, no heat yet at the mill living space. MAybe tomorrow. I went down on Weds with a car full of stuff to deliver and to rescue the food I had left behind on Monday. The noise of the new construction and dust, etc, was so distressing on Monday, I just put stuff in the frig and left. I had hoped to do some pottery but it was too cold - both days. Had a great visit with friends on Weds after I collected the food.

So yesterday, feeling almost my good old self, I went down, again to try to pot - to no avail; I could not get the propane heater started. But I rescued some much needed winter clothes. Found some but not others. Will do for now.

The Kitchen has been in progress all week and yesterday was at the point where Bruno and I could consult about the rest of the cabinets. Then I went away for the writers' group and when I came back he had finished it - not at all in the manner to which we had agreed! Anyway, it is a beautiful K and I am so looking forward to finally unpack and organize K stuff!!!!! There will still be no running water for a while. I need to varathane the slate tiles for the back splash and oil the birch counters.

In two weeks, B will come back and do the K and LR floors - floating bamboo. (Or so he says.) I am holding firm on maintaining the black concrete floor in the sun room - as a heat sink and also because I intend to have lots of plants = lots of wet and mess and I do not want to deal with a wood floor. I also do not believe I should have to fight for what I want but he is so incredibly into "the way things should be done" HIS WAY!

I will need to take everything out of the one pantry cupboard we have been using - well it needs to go elsewhere anyway - so we can cut an inch off the bottom! There is an archway in front of it and with the insulation and plywood on the floor, the top doors now hit the frame of the arch. I have a beautiful curved cupboard, with curved glass in the one door - Don't break it!!! - where I can put the Limoges tea set we bought at an auction in September. Honest! I could not resist it and am really looking forward to putting it into the perfect cabinet. And having friends over for tea! I promised this to a wonderful couple who gave us a lovely window which will go in my studio.

Back in the city, the laundry has been getting done - warmer here! Dishes are washed, but pots still not getting made in the upstairs "studio." I took curtains down from one window and washed them but need a hand to get them back up. They are several shades lighter!

Oh, and we have a very young raccoon as of today. Someone at the SPCA phoned in desperation this afternoon, although i am not legal, it was me or death for this fellow. She had phoned all over Quebec and eastern Ontario trying to place him. He is too small to survive outdoors, even if he had not lived with humans since a baby. I have no idea how we are going to cope. He will have to be housed in the mill in a way that he will not be coyote supper. For now, he is in the bathroom, with food, water and stuffed animals.

My long term malady has abated a great deal. I feel almost my self but the cough lingers as the system still clears the particulate. Two nights of NO coughing but coughing a great deal of every day. Nice to sleep! But also good that particulate is clearing - lots of Pau d'Arco, sage tea, red clover tea and mugs of fresh apple juice with cinnamon, and vit C.   Who knows what helps! Oh, yeah - staying away from polluted air, wearing my new mask in toxic places. You think I might miss coughing when it finally stops. Hope it happens!