The view through the kitchen window has been pretty dusty the past few weeks. I’ve been having most of the main floor of my house renovated. As anyone who’s done this knows, this means things get worse before they get better. Much worse. Furniture and household items have been all out of array, crammed and jumbled here and there, and it seemed my entire abode was coated with a patina of dust and I don’t want to know what else from wall replastering, bathtub refinishing and wall sanding. At times it seemed it would never end.

The project has now turned the corner, and over the last couple of days things have started to come back together. Jenn and Brent rolled up their sleeves with me Thursday evening, and we got the kitchen back together (well, my table is still sitting over top the coffee table in the living room, pending installation of flooring on Monday, but that hardly matters). Thanks to them both for being such an upbeat and hard-working cleaning crew. I’m thankful beyond measure that the dust and debris has been dispatched, and I’m now able to enjoy the fresh and updated results of all the disruption and labour.

Cooking during the past week completely lapsed, and so, sadly, did blogging. I’ve missed it!

We have a few more hours of work to get things back in order, but my first priority this morning was to be able to celebrate our progress with a proper sit-down breakfast. Although it was only a simple meal of toast, juice and coffee, what a pleasure it was to sit at a nicely laid table in front of the living room window.

I savoured the experience of enjoying a leisurely meal, relaxed conversation with Brent about preparations for Christmas and the lovely scene of fresh fluffy snow on the evergreens with the brilliant red berries of the barberry hedge in the background.

A simple pleasure restored is all the more appreciated.