as I was walking around the main floor getting steps in, I was contemplating the saying on the picture over the pass through…
it says live every moment, love beyond words, laugh every day…
such a great reminder of how I want to be…
I am always so pleased when I make sure I see what is happening in the moment…
today, I watched the downy woodpecker without trying to get a photo of it… as it moved from spot to spot on the suet feeder looking to get the best access to the snacks, I was able to enjoy the red patch on the back of its head… this photo is from yesterday…
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😊…
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…
had a quiet day yesterday… spent time taking photos of ornaments on the tree and the orchids…
a friend dropped off the fixings for turkey dinner which I warmed up at supper time… it was a lovely treat and made for a relaxed and enjoyable meal… ended the day with hot lemonade in my new mug and gifted shortbread…
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;-)…
today I got a lovely surprise when the doorbell rang and a bouquet of flowers was delivered…
I have been missing fresh flowers and they were even on my christmas list…
they were from a dear friend, and I have spent a good portion of the day taking photographs of them…
I have moved them from area to area as the day has gone on…
often I look up words to see if I have already used them for a post title, and today I found this post… it was for an event that this friend and I were both working on, lol…
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;-)…
herbiggirlpants 