Lots of work has filled my days lately, but my mind keeps straying to home and family stuff. Our kitchen is done and it's a beauty. I will echo Bob's comments that John Marriage of JSM Contracting did a superb job leading the project from start to finish. His father, John Sr., made an outstanding contribution as our painter and the juniors of the crew, Derek and Jason, were great helpers. Our electrician, Kevin, was quietly meticulous and thorough, not only giving us all the lighting we needed, but safely disconnecting the old baseboard heaters throughout the house. (I can't find his last name right now, but will hunt it down for my next post.) Jeff Kirkwood, our plumber, whose business name matches his sense of humour (Royal Flush) took pride in his work and clearly enjoyed doing it well.

In our family news, Aunt Dorothy (Gransden) died Sunday night, peacefully at 80. The same evening, Claire took off for her new life in the UK, arriving safely. She is spending a few days in Cornwall before starting her job at the Edinburgh Zoo.