Goodbye Diesel. Hello Real Grocery Store

Friday – 

Friday was a sunny but cold day.. We spent the morning sleeping in and then the early afternoon was spent catching up on writing, relaxing and simply hanging out at the cottage.

Mike had bought a sugar bread that is exactly what it sounds like.. Bread with a sugar glaze and chunks of sugar inside.

Sliced and served with butter made a nummy, easy brunch snack.

Mike wanted to go for a walk.. I did not.

The indoors are safe and comfortable and unnecessary to leave unless it’s for a real need. So after multiple times of pleading for me to go out, I slowly readied myself to endure the outside elements.

Leaving our cottage we walked down to the river and along it for a short ways before arriving at the conference centre his uncle owns.

We sat down at the restaurant there to have a warm drink.

Coffee for me.. I chose the non espresso version and it was still stronger than most coffees I’ve ever tasted 😁

Mike got a macchiato and an apple tart.

Walked back to the house via the road so we could check the post box.

Jem moment : “Brown paper packages tied up with string” 😉 and envelopes and flyers.

Just mail really.

It’s such a simple pleasure ☺️💌

Back at the house Mike was in contact with someone who wanted to purchase Diesel 🙁 

I didn’t want to deal with two cats in the house and as they get bigger they don’t play so nicely with each other. 

Mostly it was for cleanliness reasons. 

And he had to go before we all got more attached to him. 

So we attempted one more photo of the four of us and then packed him up and took him to his new home. 

After dropping him off Mike took me to the Netherlands version of Costco. 

I was pleased.

Finalllllllly quantity and sizes that look like they will make more than one meal.

Mike said he’d never seen a grocery cart that full even when his mom had four kids at home😝 

If he didn’t want me to buy much.. We shouldn’t have gotten a freezer 😏

It was a satisfying store and I look forward to going back.

Before moving here I never thought I’d be excited about certain grocery stores😜

We packed it all into the car and began the 40 minute drive home. 

Fiji was thrilled to see us after being home alone for the first time.

We went straight to grocery unpacking and repacking, fridge rearranging and food prep. 

Strawberries were on major sale, Mike loves smoothies, so of course that means buy 8 cartons.

Mike took charge of packing stuff into the freezer for me.

By the time it was all said and done it was midnight but worth it 😁

Free day tomorrow too so we stayed up to watch a little “white collar” and enjoy hot chocolate and ” slagroom ” (whipped cream)

Saturday – 

Mike got busy and started the leaf removal from our cemented patio area and the walkways around the house. 

He took Fiji out with him for his first outdoor adventure!

He wouldn’t leave his side 😜

We headed to IKEA to find a bedspread and some curtains. 

The bedroom is now starting to come together nicely.

I can picture things more than Mike, (typical guy) so he’s always a little bit confused/concerned about my ideas until we can actually bring them to life.

He likes most of the results so far I think 😋

Soccer game tonight sooo guess what we were watching 😏 

I painted a little while Mike watched the game.

Supper was frozen pizza and glass bottle Coke and Fanta 👌🏻 

Jem Moment : Beverages from glass bottles. 

Why is soda better from glass? Does anyone know? Probably, but we don’t care about the science of it, fact is it’s better and it was available at Makro so it’s now also available in our house 😏

Sunday – 

After service John and Inge wanted to come to the house so John could see what we’ve done to it so far. 

I wasn’t sure what I had in the fridge to feed anyone so we checked for an open grocery store… They don’t seem to exist here.

Sunday everything is closed.

If a stores open it may open later in the day for a few hours type thing.

Grilled some chicken for wraps and tried the new “sour” pickles we had purchased. 

They were not sour. At all.

Inge told me the only place to get pickles more sour than those would be at a specialty shop probably.

Such a refined pickle pallet I have it seems 😜

Lunch was wraps and pizza.

Found a really tasty frozen pizza brand annnnd it fits in our little oven so I think I’ll be buying more 😝

It’s odd what foods are sooo normal to me are all new for them.

Like the wraps.

Everyone asks what food is “Canadian” or if it’s a Canadian dish.

Anyone willing to tell me what exactly Canadian food is? 😋

Besides maple syrup… I don’t know what would be considered a truly Canadian dish.

They stayed for the afternoon and we visited and also enjoyed and apple tart (cake) that Inge had baked and brought with her.

The boys wanted to watch soccer..😏 

I began work on another painting. 

Inge and I arranged when she would be coming to visit during the week.

After they left we stayed doing more of the same, painting, soccer watching, Internet surfing for more home items etc. 

Living near church makes for a much longer day after service is over, it’s nice but an adjustment. 

We look at the clock expecting it to be 11:00 and its 7:30 😋