LOSS AND GAIN

A big loss this week was the passing of Pat's uncle Arnold Draves. Not unexpected, but Pat's last uncle. A consolation is that Pat was the last of her family to visit him at home, and that Pat had told him of our marriage only days before. In the 16 years I had known him, Arnold was a classic old-school guy: generous, modest, and full of stories that made everyone laugh. It's appropriate that our mailbox shows the overlap of  Draves and Dale and Wyszynski.

Meanwhile in Toronto there's a hurry to get the outdoor jobs finished before the real cold and snow arrive.  The rooftop TV antenna was finally anchored --- great view up there! Around the back, the garage now looks very classy with dark brown doors, paint, fascia and soffit. Still to be done are garage electrical and front porch handrail --- who's on first?!?!

Inside, the big gain is the kitchen backsplash tile job. It took weeks to find  natural stone material with some colour and warmth because what's in style these days is hard, cold  surfaces like glass or shiny metal. A fun step is laying out the sheets for best fit and colour flow. Then glue, cut, pray. It still needs sealer, grout, and valence but now the dishwasher can splash all he wants!