Ehlana and Ethan:
The top local news for most of our friends
and neighbors was the great weather day as we started out the day with
temperatures in the high-fifties and then warmed into the low-eighties this
afternoon. That was a major factor in
the fun for our day too, but we also had a future plans meeting tonight that
Mom and Dad hosted; we’re moving into another phase where a lot is going to be
happening over the next couple of years; and all of that is very exciting too.
Tai Chi by the river was great thanks to
the warm; we followed that up with a standard weekday breakfast; and then our
school day was awesome because we got to spend a lot of time outdoors –
including most of the afternoon. That
might seem strange to some kids and teens in other places, but we can take our
computers anywhere in town and still have them link to the school systems; our
teachers love to be outside as much as we do; and it is possible to learn
almost any lesson by going out and exploring the world too.
Okay, sometimes our teachers just want to
get out and play too, but we’re okay with that! ;^)
The warm weather had everything to do with
our choices to go biking with our friends after school; we met up with the
usual gang after checking in with parents first; and then we hit the trails
starting with the loop around town the long way to the park. Those two hours of exercise and entertainment
were a highlight of our day, but we also enjoyed the barbeque and cold salads
dinner out on the patio with Mom and Dad; we helped with the dinner clean-up;
and then our guests began arriving for the meeting.
We don’t attend every future plans meeting,
but this one was fairly-important, and while we can’t usually talk about what
we know of our future even with Mom and Dad; this was one of those times when
we could offer some guidance and suggestions.
As we’ve already mentioned, the next couple of years are going to get
busier around here. We won’t cover the
entire meeting here, since that’s already written about in detail elsewhere; so
we’ll stick to some of our personal highlights.
First up – though not in meeting agenda
order; we’re happy with the progress and plans for the galleria shopping
project. The elevator installation is
the most-challenging part of the internal construction because of both the
engineering and the construction, but it was important to get it done to make a
lot of the other construction work easier.
That part of the project has been a challenge for Dad, Aunt Leanne,
Claire, and anyone else trying to work in stores or offices next to the elevator,
but it will be operational soon – if not cosmetically-finished. We don’t want to get bogged down in the weeds
of construction details, but in this and other cases; the finishing touches
will wait until after all of the heavy lifting is done. The biggest engineering challenge for the galleria
project this summer – and the one that will be most-exciting to watch – will be
the two-level atrium walkway that will connect the two buildings on either side
of Old Mill Road. Our guy friends are
really going to love watching that work – and the set-up for it is already underway,
but while we’re excited about a nearer-future with more shopping and
entertainment options; we’re also happy because that work will mean extra
visits from the Malloys and our Proctor cousins whenever Terry or Uncle Blaine
need to be here for the engineering or architectural needs of the project.
That ties in a bit with our next topic –
plans for our college graduates. In this
case, we’re talking about upcoming grads – not only this year’s class. Some of Cassie’s and Michael’s friends are
going to be involved in the galleria – either through the stores or in other
ways, but while they have had some involvement in these plans; those choices
have as much to do with wanting at least some of the new stores to be geared
toward kids, teens, and young adults.
Getting more tourism for the town is part of that plan, but again; we
don’t want to get bogged down in the details.
The Galleria will be opening in time for Memorial Day next year, so that
part of our meeting tonight was all about helping the prospective business
owners to get ready for starting those stores over the summer – whether that is
with making business plans and getting financing to working on plans for the
construction that will happen as each store is readied for the work that can be
done through this coming winter and into next spring. The next year is going to be very exciting
for everyone involved in those projects too; and we’re happy to be helping some
of Cassie’s and Michael’s friends with making their own dreams come true. We’re sure to have more on the galleria
project to write about this summer, but let’s move on.
We don’t have much direct involvement
through the family business for Quarry Lake, but have helped the owners with
help from some of our Magi friends/ and have personal interest in their plans
and success. For this year, they’re
looking to get new business from sports enthusiasts – particularly with getting
bookings for sports camps. They’ll be
opening a new, multi-use sports field complex this year, and if that works out
for them; we’ll likely get weekly busloads of kids and teens coming to town for
outings while at those camps. Once the
trail between here and Quarry Lake is completed next spring; we expect to have
campers do day rides to town; and that could work for sports training too.
This update is getting a bit long, so let’s
wrap the meeting news up with news for Cassie and Michael. This part of the plan still has two years to be
completed, but Uncle Blaine will be designing their new home sometime over the
coming year; and then construction on it will start next summer so that it will
be ready by the time they graduate in May of 2023. It is a bit early to start getting excited
about having them home again, but we are looking forward to having them home to
stay – and not just because we’ll be able to do co-ed sleepovers at their house
just as we’re hitting our tween years and our parents might start to have a
problem with us doing that here at home! ;^)
Let’s save the details for that little
project for another time and wrap up this report with the rest of our news for
the day. The meeting ended at a bit
after ten o’clock; we came upstairs for bath or Jacuzzi time; and the adults in
the house continued to have a visit for a while after we left. Mom and Dad are on their own in the office
now, but Dad still has work he’s getting done; so they may be awake for a while
– even if Mom helps him out with a time phase. It is getting late, though, so we need to go
and get some sleep. The future plans
meetings always leave us feeling good and very hopeful for our collective
future, and we’re going to take all of that happy with us into nap mode now;
so, until next time...
...this is Ehlana and Ethan Proctor; live
from the hidden home of the Magi of the Light – and May the Magi Force be with
you!
