Happy Valentines Day! Jodi, Allison and I had our first Urban Tapestry practice at Allison's and John's new house. I can see why A & J called it a Tardis house; it's much bigger inside than it looks from the outside. Anyway, it's gorgeous, with lots of storage space which is STILL EMPTY despite the fact that they're nearly finished unpacking (!).

The photos at the top of the page were taken during our winter cottage visit, when we stopped to eat at 3 Guys And A Stove. The food's good, but one reason we tend to stop by is the JEFF FACTOR.

A while back, the restaurant was bought by Jeff Suddaby (pictured at the top of this page to the right of my Jeff), who is the host of Who's Coming For Dinner.

Jeff Suddaby pushes his personal brand in the restaurant very hard. You can get JEFF the coffee. JEFF The Rhubarb, Strawberry, Peach Jam. JEFF The Hot Red Pepper Jelly. Plus lots and lots of other JEFFs. You can sample JEFF products at each table, and shelves of JEFF stuff for sale on the main floor.

Not only that, but there are JEFF ads and posters everywhere (including the women's restroom), plus a giant tv screen running a video all about (of course) JEFF. And just in case you were hovering on indecision about whether or not to buy some JEFF, there's even a big sign letting you know the Top 10 Reasons To Take Jeff Home:

Anyway, the whole JEFF thing was pretty amusing (and only a tad creepy). Plus I admit the brainwashing marketing worked - I was buying a bottle of JEFF The Maple Cranberry Salad Dressing before I could stop myself.

And suddenly I realize that I never did talk much about our cottage trip in Blatherings. One of the highlights for me was how absolutely quiet it can be. There's pretty much nowhere in the city that you can find such peace unless you lock yourself in a soundproof room.

Of course there's no running water up at the cottage during the winter (the pipes would freeze), so Jeff and one of my nieces chopped a hole in the ice for water. We brought some water in jugs from the city, but also boiled lake water. Packing for winter cottage trips is always interesting because you're always aware that you pack has to be pulled on a sled across the ice. The more weight there is, the harder the crossing will be.

Other pics/highlights...

A bonfire out on the ice:

A marten spotted outside the cabin window on our last morning:

My sister and my nieces improvised a birthday cake for Jeff (much easier to smuggle/carry cupcakes across the lake than an entire cake):

Making ice candles:

Running out on the frozen lake in the snowstorm:

In case you're wondering, we have no indoor plumbing at the cottage; there's an outhouse up on the hill. A tad cold in the middle of winter but it just adds to the adventure.

And the bonus: no mosquitoes, woohoo!

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