Reflections

So, we're coming up to the end of yet another year. Can you believe we are a full quarter of the way through the 21st century already? I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. And yes, technically that happened a year ago at the end of 2024, but let me process. In five more years, I will have spent more time in the 21st century than in the 20th. Which is wild.

So, 2025 was a busy year for us. The big news...well, there were two big news things. Three, maybe. The biggest was that our family business, Come to the Table PEI, got big here on the island. We started out with doing pop-up markets in parking lots in different towns, then settled down in the Summerside Farmer's Market by late February. Since then, we've busted our butts to make this business a thing, and it has done quite well by us so far. Much better than we had expected. And now that we have a new stone bake, triple-decker oven on its way, our production is going to ramp up quite a bit. I just hope we can keep up with the expected demand come tourist season.

The second big thing was my surgery. I knew in the back of my mind I would need it eventually; I just thought 'eventually' would be later. But it wasn't. The surgeon told me that if I'd waited another six months, I might not have made it. That was a sobering thought. But the surgery went well, and now I'm working on building up my strength and my endurance. After all, we're still on a farm, and there's work to do. It's possible I'll need to have the surgery again in a decade or so; we shall see what happens then.

The third big thing was that we went back to Ontario for a week, our first trip back since our move five years ago. In fact, it was five years to the day when we landed at Pearson Airport and went to see my mother. It was nice to see the people we saw, although we didn't see everyone; my sister was in Portugal, and our trip was split up due to the inconvenience of going to a baseball game right in the middle of the trip.

But that was an awesome game. My 55th birthday, and Tanner and I took the train to Toronto to go watch the final game of the season, which the Jays needed to win to clinch the AL East. And needless to say, they did, putting an absolute beat-down on the Tampa Bay Rays to secure the top seed in the AL on their way to a heartbreaking World Series loss to the Dodgers. Two outs away. They were so close...

Anyway, the trip was a bit rough; Garrett doesn't travel well, and Tanner had his own issues. But it was important for us to finally go back and see people we hadn't seen in five years, including some old friends as well as family. I'm not sure when we'll go back again, since it did take a lot out of us. And I caught something on that plane that hasn't disappeared yet. Three months, and I'm still coughing.

So, that's a brief look at the highlights of 2025. We're still raising chickens, although pigs are still off the table until my health is improved. But I can't wait to see what 2026 brings us. It's always an adventure, and anyone who's read my blogs knows that I love adventure.

See you all next year!