Category Archives: family

contemplating…

12 Tuesday Jan 2021

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this morning I started a new activity…

for each of the next 24 days I am going to read and think on one of the cards that I received last year for Advent…

I really enjoyed the process then and am looking forward to this time of reflection each day…

I am going to start each day with a time of looking at the artwork and contemplating the quote on the back…

today I was thinking about how much sunshine can affect my mood and feeling of well-being… when the sun is shining everything seems more upbeat and positive…

where I live, we used to have a lot more sunny days… they are particularly helpful during the cold winter months, as even the cold seems more bearable in sunlight and blue skies…

I was reading some data which showed we averaged 51% sunny days between 1981 and 2010… for the past few years we have noticed that there is less sunshine that’s there used to be…

this morning, as I look out the window, the sky is blue… gonna be a good day😊…

hoarfrost…

10 Sunday Jan 2021

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what a wonderful day yesterday… slept in, and when I got out of bed, saw hoarfrost on the trees out the bedroom window…

as I passed the window on the staircase, I spotted a bunny having a snack… first one I’ve seen on the deck this winter…

and the views out the window were wonderful… I even went outside a couple of times to get a few photos… some when it was overcast…

and some in the sunlight…

so beautiful, and a reminder of a day with my beloved when we took a drive to photograph hoarfrost…

threshold…

05 Tuesday Jan 2021

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on New Year’s morning I was walking on the treadmill and happened to turn on the front camera to see if any birds were at the feeder…

there was a man standing there, so I ran upstairs to see what was going on…

it was a young friend with a gift in his hand… he said he was looking for coal… I had him step back, and put out a gift bag I had put coal and a scone into… anticipating that my middle grandson was coming over…

then he stepped over the threshold and put down the gift and gift bag and stepped back outside…

my daughter had sent a number of items to her friends and they had packaged them up and delivered them to my door…

for years we have done first-footing… this was by far the fanciest package, lol…

there was tea, charcoal shampoo, chocolate covered fruit, a Christmas cracker, little bottles of alcohol, sourdough chocolate, a delicious fresh banana chocolate chip muffin, an adorable tin with a cute gingerbread person in it and a fresh orange… and of course the chunk of coal;-)…

what a wonderful surprise… truly, I am blessed…

scraped…

02 Saturday Jan 2021

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my son-in-law and grandson came over today to shovel…

of course, he helps, lol… the oldest grandson tends to drop off the shoveler and run a few errands for me…

an excellent job, as ice and packed snow were scraped off and everything looks tidy;-)… he also spotted a piece of siding that had come loose so he went and found the ladder and then got it hooked in… it may need a bit more work in the spring…

I went outside with a mask on to visit with them for a few moments… as they were leaving he covered his face with his hat and came and gave me a big hug…

nice to touch someone;-)…

truffle…

01 Friday Jan 2021

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yesterday I had delicious snacks and dinner thanks to the kids in Ottawa…

early in the afternoon I started with some Prosecco popcorn, followed by sardines, olives, crackers and a bit of zucchini basil soup I prepared…

my supper consisted of beef bresaola, canned lobster, truffle potato chips and red peppers… it was a play on our usual New Year’s Eve dinner of steak and lobster…

then for dessert there were some delicious star shaped shortbread with a piece of chocolate in my holiday cracker…

of course, I couldn’t get the cracker to snap, as per usual…

throughout the day we chatted off and on and I focused on their time zone so that I could get to bed, lol…

ended the night with some sparkling wine and their voices…

charcuterie…

30 Wednesday Dec 2020

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this photo was taken last year on this day when I was in Ottawa… we made a few plates with veggies, crackers, fruit, cheese, duck, and chocolate…

I think we were ahead of the current charcuterie craze, lol…

today, after I saw this picture, I made my own fancy plate…

it was fun to enjoy the items and remember our delicious lunch a year ago…

so blessed to have had that holiday… looking forward to the day we can do it again…

unusual…

25 Friday Dec 2020

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this morning the living room looked lovely and I enjoyed the serenity as I sat in the quiet and enjoyed the lights…

the Ottawa kids and I Skyped and we opened our presents together… following our usual pattern, in this unusual time, we opened the gifts one at a time… it was great fun… they liked all their gifts, which made me happy…

one of my gifts from them was all the fixings for my New Year’s Eve dinner… usually on New Year’s Eve we have steak and lobster, although for the last number of years that meal has happened on New Year’s day… there was beef carpaccio, lobster, truffle chips, olives, red peppers, cookies, a lovely glass of wine (with gold in it) and a festive cracker…

there were also gifts from a number of friends, filled with goodies… I am blessed…

a bit later the Winnipeg kids FaceTimed as they opened the gifts I had sent over… I didn’t do so good with their gifts as two of them had received the same gift from their parents, lol…

yesterday I peeled potatoes and turnip, made stuffing, and produced Thai Shrimp soup so that there wouldn’t be too much to do today… I had decided that, even though I would be here alone, I wanted a proper Christmas dinner… it was delicious;-)…

it was a different, but very nice, Christmas…

forty-seven…

24 Thursday Dec 2020

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tonight, as I sit in the living room listening to Christmas music and enjoying the lights, flowers, and tree, I am remembering many Christmas Eve’s that have taken place in this house over the last forty-seven years…

once the girls arrived, our parents came here to celebrate the season…

when the kids were on their own and some had their own children, they came here for years… there were family members sleeping everywhere… had to be careful where you walked to be sure not to tread on anyone…

only in the last few years have we gone to the kids’ place which made it easier for everyone…

so many wonderful memories and fun times…

elves…

22 Tuesday Dec 2020

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today my two older grandsons came by… one got dropped off so he could shovel, while the other went out for a few last minute items I needed… the main one being food for the fish;-)…

while he was out and about, the younger was shovelling… there was a lot of snow and it was heavy… put out some hot chocolate to warm him up…

the shopper returned and the elves loaded up the car with presents and goodies for their house…

a bit sad to see Indi with snow on her… she doesn’t have a garage for protection these days…

good news is that all the gifts have been sent on their way;-)…

beverages…

17 Thursday Dec 2020

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on Tuesday my shopper/courier arrived after stopping at the liquor store to pick up some beverages;-)… little bottles of wine, not sure why, lol… and a bottle of my favourite sherry, which I haven’t had for years…

he took away a parcel for Canada Post and a couple of treats for him…

a bit later I received a delivery of groceries from Diversity Foods which included eggs for their house…

last evening my son-in-law stopped by on his way home from work and brought me some sidewalk salt… he took home the eggs…

still waiting on four deliveries from online purchases and thinking we might start a new tradition of after–Christmas presents…