a few days ago I shovelled a path to the garage and then moved a chair and table inside it… also put cushions on a few chairs in the space…
a bit later I dragged the propane fire pit from the deck, down the steps, across the lower deck, and into the garage…
took a few minutes to get the flames going, but eventually I figured it out…
just before my friend arrived, I took out a few blankets and got the fire started…
we had a lovely visit, distanced, masked and fairly warm… eventually my feet got cold – no socks – and she headed off…
she brought me an amazing bouquet of flowers that isn’t just beautiful, it smells delightful…
I had been thinking that we wouldn’t be able to visit, as I am not having anyone in the house for the next few weeks, so it made it a particularly special time…
it snowed quite a bit overnight and when I looked out the bedroom window this morning I thought I had best get out and clear the sidewalk… particularly after my learning earlier about not leaving the snow to get stuck, lol…
when I arrived in the living room the sidewalk was clear;-)… obviously the snow clearing fairy had come by…
that was nice and I sent a text to my neighbour, who may have been that fairy…
later I went and shovelled the deck and hot tub area as the tub needed water… I hadn’t realized how much snow had fallen…
I am so pleased with my extendible hose as it makes adding water much easier…now the hose runs up the stairs and out the back door, instead of through a vent in the wall…
then, while the tub was filling, I shovelled as far back as the garbage can…
a bit later, while I was eating lunch, I heard a snowblower going and thought it was the neighbour behind doing his driveway, but when I checked my garage camera discovered it was the snow clearing fairy cleaning my driveway…
what a generous gift;-)… the driveway is long and this will save my grandson’s back when he stops by for a short garage visit in a few days…
had a wonderful time with my BS buddies to celebrate Christmas, even after the decision to stop gathering in person…
this morning a charcuterie board arrived from DeLuca’s and I divided it into five along with a veggie tray, crackers and pistachios… there was ranch dip with it and I made some fresh hummus to go along with all the other goodies…
a couple of elves fetched gifts and then dropped them off at other locations with the boxes of food…
shortly after that we gathered by Skype and enjoyed our meal… there was lots of conversation and laughter… eventually we went around the rectangle and opened gifts…
lots of thought had gone into each offering… there were cozy things, handmade goodies, items for the kitchen, donations and love;-)…
we slid back into Skyping without a hitch… we had only been meeting in person since the end of July…
these are some of the most special people in my life…
yesterday I made the decision to go into my own personal lockdown…
it was a very hard decision at this time of year, but I have been struggling with the worry of getting sick after all these months of taking such care…
so, my Monday/Tuesday group will meet by Skype tomorrow for our Christmas celebration… I’d ordered a charcuterie board and I will divide it up with some veggies… two of my friends will pick up gifts and then drop off the snack packages before our call…
lunch and goodies via Skype… just like we’ve done before, lol…
and I won’t be having my grandson over for lunch on Christmas Day, although possibly he will stop by for a short visit in the garage… or go to my daughter’s for Christmas dinner…
presents will be picked up, phone and video calls made…
I have all the things I need in the freezer (I think) to make a lovely chicken dinner on Saturday…
another solo Christmas, and although I will miss everyone, I feel I will be safe…
and at this point that seems the most important thing;-)…
I’ve had a booster shot scheduled for the second week of January at my doctor’s office and had checked with a nearby drugstore to see if I could get one sooner as the rules recently changed… unfortunately there were no appointments left at the moment…
got a call this morning from a friend as one of them wasn’t able to get the vaccine today and they offered me the spot, after checking with the pharmacy…
left home at 10:30, wearing my KN95 mask and was back, all boosted, by 10:50;-)…
just last night I heard that this mask is currently the best protection…
very relieved to have all 3 shots as there are plans for a small gathering on Christmas…
I’ve been thinking a lot about how blessed and fortunate I am… and I’ve been taking time to focus on gratitude…
yesterday I spent a few minutes enjoying this sunrise from the bedroom window…
it was so pretty and the fact that I had the time to enjoy it is such a gift…
today I spent a good portion of the day sitting in the living room, beside the Christmas tree, reading a book by one of my favourite authors, and watching the various birds come and go from the feeders… even though it was foggy outside it was a lovely way to spend time…
I took this photo this evening…
most presents are wrapped, nearly all cards are written, and advent treats have been opened for the day…