Memorandom Monday - Nov 21st

Linking in & saying good morning to all the Monday Memo writers through our hostess, Sian at:From High In The Sky

New from the patio:

Winter has sent a calling card of her impending arrival.  I shall try to greet Her with new warm boots, freshly laundered mittens, hats, scarf & coat.  I will try not to fight with Her too often, but only if She promises more sunny days than not.

Friday afternoon the 3 cedar sisters had their not new winter hoods put on which was just in time for the icy wintry winds blasting through all Saturday & Sunday. 

Saturday was one of my new activities planned; the Joy House Tour. My friend & I snooped around visited 8 truly unique & amazing homes. We drove from house to house in almost ever type of weather, but mostly heavy rain & wet snow.  Thankfully we had our umbrellas so during the wait times outside each house, we could keep some parts of us dry.  Having naturally curly hair the wet did not impact it negativity.  Very strict about no photography in the house & to take photos of the homes, I had to be on public sidewalks or roadways - security staff were every where to ensure!

Our first visit was first on everyone's list - the Victoria Mansion, who's owners are a prominent family in Guelph that own a very large auto parts manufacturing business. One highlight of this house was a charming calico cat rubbing in between all the visitors.  The owners have kept the inside & outside of the house true to the period that the house was built in.  Victorians it seems liked a lot of stuff!

The rest of the Joy House Tour homes ranged from a moderately sized renovated home; a century home; a converted home which had once being a estate home, converted to 5 apartments & now back to ground floor single dwelling with 2 apartments above; a very large estate home on acreage (their pool house was as big as most homes), a recent custom designed build; a retirement bungaloft & a home within an adults only community.  All the homes featured basements with family living spaces; the acreage estate home had a small room with simulated ice for hockey slap shot practice, which was right next to the 14 seat home theatre room!  

 

I am glad I participated but not sure this would be on my pre-Christmas activity list again & for me there was no clear "my favourite" home.  I did come away with a few simple decorating ideas for Christmas.








 AND the Tim Hortons new Christmas cups are out!!  For those that don't know - Tim Hortons in Canada is like Starbucks in the US of A.

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So that is my Monday memo for this blustery Monday ... happy week to all. I leave you with a poem about November.

"November comes And November goes, With the last red berries And the first white snows.

With night coming early, And dawn coming late, And ice in the bucket And frost by the gate.

The fires burn And the kettles sing, And earth sinks to rest Until next spring."
-  Elizabeth Coatsworth