There seems to be a sentiment around the internet and among some of my friends that 2011 wasn't all it was cracked up to be 365 days ago.
And I'm going to have to (at least partially) agree.
This was a trying year for many, many reasons. I wrote about some (but not all)...some of them were scary, some of them disappointing, some of them frustrating, some of them heartbreaking, but through all of it I think we were lucky. We have a great family and group of friends who were supportive when we needed it, who offered an ear, a shoulder, a meal, babysitting, or a hug. And we have a little girl who offered the best hugs and back rubs and cuddles and stories and anecdotes every single day and gives us the best reason ever to get up in the morning. And considering everything, we came through it all relatively unscathed.
And now 2011 is a few minutes from being over. And I'm excited for 2012. We have plans for some of the things we'd like to do in 2012. We've spent the last few days celebrating Christmas with family and Alex and I have been discussing where we think 2012 will take us. We figure there might be some travel, some renovations, and possibly a move in the year ahead. We might not travel very far and we'll likely not cross any borders, but we think we'll head somewhere we haven't been recently (and probably somewhere J hasn't been before...)
So at midnight we'll raise our glasses to 2011 and bid it farewell (or maybe just show it the door) and welcome 2012 and hope that the surprises it brings for us will be good ones.
Happy new year friends...may 2012 be happy, healthy and safe for you and yours.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
The best gift I've ever given
This is part of the Christmas Memory Challenge series, the brainchild of one Ms. AndreaClaire.
I know the point of this challenge was not to talk about gifts. But I need to talk about this gift. Because it wasn't a gift of stuff.
I never know what to give my parents for Christmas. My sisters never know what to give my parents for Christmas. Last year we decided we weren't going to give them more stuff. Instead we contacted the Salvation Army and they paired us with a family who needed some assistance last Christmas. J came with me to pick out some of the gifts for the little girl and then the day of our scheduled delivery, J came with me and my sisters to buy the groceries.
Dropping our packages of was super emotional - the family didn't have much and they were so gracious and grateful for what we were able to give. They gave a card in thanks.
On Christmas morning my parents opened the card and for the rest of the holidays, my dad kept telling us how this was the best gift they ever received. But this gift that we gave them gave us something too.
We're doing the same thing again this year. I can't speak for my sisters or Alex, but I've been a little more careful about what I spent my money on this year in hopes that I could increase what I have to spend on the family we were paired with this year. J doesn't think it's "fair" that some children won't have gifts or enough food today. She was excited to pick out something for someone else and wanted it to be extra special because there wouldn't be too many gifts for this family. The family we had this year was again very grateful for our help and we received a lot more from giving this gift to another family than we would have if we had just given someone in our very lucky family some more stuff.
I know the point of this challenge was not to talk about gifts. But I need to talk about this gift. Because it wasn't a gift of stuff.
I never know what to give my parents for Christmas. My sisters never know what to give my parents for Christmas. Last year we decided we weren't going to give them more stuff. Instead we contacted the Salvation Army and they paired us with a family who needed some assistance last Christmas. J came with me to pick out some of the gifts for the little girl and then the day of our scheduled delivery, J came with me and my sisters to buy the groceries.
Dropping our packages of was super emotional - the family didn't have much and they were so gracious and grateful for what we were able to give. They gave a card in thanks.
On Christmas morning my parents opened the card and for the rest of the holidays, my dad kept telling us how this was the best gift they ever received. But this gift that we gave them gave us something too.
We're doing the same thing again this year. I can't speak for my sisters or Alex, but I've been a little more careful about what I spent my money on this year in hopes that I could increase what I have to spend on the family we were paired with this year. J doesn't think it's "fair" that some children won't have gifts or enough food today. She was excited to pick out something for someone else and wanted it to be extra special because there wouldn't be too many gifts for this family. The family we had this year was again very grateful for our help and we received a lot more from giving this gift to another family than we would have if we had just given someone in our very lucky family some more stuff.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Dinner
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
I have a big family. Which means we have a big Christmas dinner. And it's awesome. It's not as big as the roast beef night (usually) but on a small year it's only about 20-25 people...the biggest dinner we had, my aunt and uncle rented tables and chairs and there were something like 45 people in their living room and dining room. Usually we have free-for-all seating, but having a sit down dinner was huge that year!
Dinner is pot luck - usually the host cooks the turkey (and sometimes when it was at my grandparents' house with two kitchens, the ham) and some of the other stuff and everyone else brings at least one dish to share...everything from traditional (mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts etc) to the non-traditional like sushi, Thai spring rolls and Swedish meatballs.
After the feasting there is a rousing (and super competitive) game of charades. We all know who we want on our various teams...my uncle will throw in his token "country" song...the best one was something along the lines of "My love got run over by the wheels of an eighteen-wheeler." When we were kids, my grandma often talked us into doing a little carol singing or making up a little play.
Our Christmas dinner this year will be much quieter - only eleven people and only one child.
I have a big family. Which means we have a big Christmas dinner. And it's awesome. It's not as big as the roast beef night (usually) but on a small year it's only about 20-25 people...the biggest dinner we had, my aunt and uncle rented tables and chairs and there were something like 45 people in their living room and dining room. Usually we have free-for-all seating, but having a sit down dinner was huge that year!
Dinner is pot luck - usually the host cooks the turkey (and sometimes when it was at my grandparents' house with two kitchens, the ham) and some of the other stuff and everyone else brings at least one dish to share...everything from traditional (mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts etc) to the non-traditional like sushi, Thai spring rolls and Swedish meatballs.
After the feasting there is a rousing (and super competitive) game of charades. We all know who we want on our various teams...my uncle will throw in his token "country" song...the best one was something along the lines of "My love got run over by the wheels of an eighteen-wheeler." When we were kids, my grandma often talked us into doing a little carol singing or making up a little play.
Our Christmas dinner this year will be much quieter - only eleven people and only one child.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Christmas morning breakfast
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
One of the things I look forward to most about Christmas morning is the breakfast. We ALWAYS have cranberry coffee cake and fruit salad and hot beverages (hot chocolate when we were kids, "special" coffee as adults) with whipped cream. In recent years we've also added my dad's scrumptious cinnamon buns, but those only happen when we're in Kelowna.
This breakfast has found its way to our house...this was our only Christmas in the Blue House and you'll notice that the whipped cream is in a can...I made meringues that Christmas with hand beaters. There was no way my arms could handle doing whipped cream too...
Christmas breakfast was important at our house - so important that it took precedence over gifts...we opened our stockings and then ate and then opened gifts. When we were younger sometimes we got to open one gift before we ate, but not usually...this is a tradition we're going to try to carry on this year with J.
One of the things I look forward to most about Christmas morning is the breakfast. We ALWAYS have cranberry coffee cake and fruit salad and hot beverages (hot chocolate when we were kids, "special" coffee as adults) with whipped cream. In recent years we've also added my dad's scrumptious cinnamon buns, but those only happen when we're in Kelowna.
This breakfast has found its way to our house...this was our only Christmas in the Blue House and you'll notice that the whipped cream is in a can...I made meringues that Christmas with hand beaters. There was no way my arms could handle doing whipped cream too...
Christmas breakfast was important at our house - so important that it took precedence over gifts...we opened our stockings and then ate and then opened gifts. When we were younger sometimes we got to open one gift before we ate, but not usually...this is a tradition we're going to try to carry on this year with J.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Pyjamas
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
On Christmas Eve we usually got to open one gift - Alex did too. And usually it was pjs. Sometimes the pyjamas were Christmas themed, sometimes they weren't. This year little J is getting reindeer and snowflake pjs on Christmas Eve...nice and toasty warm for Christmas morning AND perfect for photos!
On Christmas Eve we usually got to open one gift - Alex did too. And usually it was pjs. Sometimes the pyjamas were Christmas themed, sometimes they weren't. This year little J is getting reindeer and snowflake pjs on Christmas Eve...nice and toasty warm for Christmas morning AND perfect for photos!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Christmas in Trail
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
When I was a kid, my parents didn't like to travel much around Christmas...who could blame them? We lived in Kelowna and pretty much anywhere we would want to go would involve driving in the snow. But when I was 11 and then again when I was 12, they decided we should go to Trail for Christmas.
My grandpa lived in Trail (where my dad grew up) and my aunt and uncle and one year old cousin lived up the hill in Rossland. Christmas in Trail was very different from Christmas in Kelowna.
First of all, it was quiet. Christmas in Kelowna is a multi-day, boisterous affair. The first year in Trail I think there were nine of us. Maybe ten. One toddler. Two in their late 70s/early 80s. The second year there were more because another aunt and her family joined us.
And we had to go to Mass on Christmas Eve. And the Colander restaurant figured prominently. And there was some drugstore Christmas shopping. And lots of snow. And my grandpa was up first. Before all the kids. Armed with his camera. Sitting in an arm chair, facing the stockings, ready to record our faces when we came around the corner.
I think that's my favourite memory of our Christmases in Trail - how excited Grampa got. We only got to spend three Christmases with him (well, I think I spent my first Christmas with him too, but I don't remember it) and it was pretty special for sure!
When I was a kid, my parents didn't like to travel much around Christmas...who could blame them? We lived in Kelowna and pretty much anywhere we would want to go would involve driving in the snow. But when I was 11 and then again when I was 12, they decided we should go to Trail for Christmas.
My grandpa lived in Trail (where my dad grew up) and my aunt and uncle and one year old cousin lived up the hill in Rossland. Christmas in Trail was very different from Christmas in Kelowna.
First of all, it was quiet. Christmas in Kelowna is a multi-day, boisterous affair. The first year in Trail I think there were nine of us. Maybe ten. One toddler. Two in their late 70s/early 80s. The second year there were more because another aunt and her family joined us.
And we had to go to Mass on Christmas Eve. And the Colander restaurant figured prominently. And there was some drugstore Christmas shopping. And lots of snow. And my grandpa was up first. Before all the kids. Armed with his camera. Sitting in an arm chair, facing the stockings, ready to record our faces when we came around the corner.
I think that's my favourite memory of our Christmases in Trail - how excited Grampa got. We only got to spend three Christmases with him (well, I think I spent my first Christmas with him too, but I don't remember it) and it was pretty special for sure!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
New Traditions
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
When Alex and I got married we knew we'd be amalgamating some of our traditions and making some new ones...the new ones are fun! This will be our third Christmas in Vancouver together: the first year, our new tradition was that we only spent part of the day together and then Alex went to work; the second time, my friend Paula and I took J to the aquarium while Alex recovered from his silly work schedule; this year, who knows what special new tradition we'll come up with, but depending on how the day goes, we might end up back at the Aquarium.
Edited after Christmas: No aquarium this year...
When Alex and I got married we knew we'd be amalgamating some of our traditions and making some new ones...the new ones are fun! This will be our third Christmas in Vancouver together: the first year, our new tradition was that we only spent part of the day together and then Alex went to work; the second time, my friend Paula and I took J to the aquarium while Alex recovered from his silly work schedule; this year, who knows what special new tradition we'll come up with, but depending on how the day goes, we might end up back at the Aquarium.
Edited after Christmas: No aquarium this year...
Monday, December 19, 2011
Uncle Harry's Roast Beef
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
I have a large family and an even larger extended family. I know I've mentioned it before, but in my family there is no distinction between cousins (first cousin, second cousins, eighth cousins nine times removed, they're all just cousins) and in the same way we don't really draw a line between families. Uncle Harry is my mom's aunt by marriage's uncle by marriage or something like that. But he's just Uncle Harry.
Because my family is so big, Christmas celebrations tend to span three or four or even five days, depending on the year. Often we would go to my aunt and uncle's house after church for appetizers, have Christmas dinner at another aunt and uncle's house, our house or my grandma's and then have a ginormous Boxing Day party to eat Uncle Harry's roast. As our family grew, the day for the roast moved a few days further from Christmas, but it was a family tradition.
Uncle Harry would come from Alberta with a side of beef that would be cooked slowly all day and was always perfect. There was usually a ham. And a million side dishes. And lots of people. I'm positive that there were always at least 40-50 and I know that a few times we were pushing 75 or 80 people. And they were all related somehow.
When I was younger my aunt and uncle had a large piece of property on the way to Big White. My uncle would flood part of the back yard and we'd skate like crazy people. When we got older and the community centre had a rink, my uncle stopped flooding his yard. Instead we'd traipse down the side of the highway with our skates over our shoulder and skate in the dark, under the flood lights (maybe the ice rink was a tennis court in the summer?)
As much as I looked forward to all kinds of things at Christmas, Uncle Harry's Roast Beef party was certainly something that got me very excited.
I have a large family and an even larger extended family. I know I've mentioned it before, but in my family there is no distinction between cousins (first cousin, second cousins, eighth cousins nine times removed, they're all just cousins) and in the same way we don't really draw a line between families. Uncle Harry is my mom's aunt by marriage's uncle by marriage or something like that. But he's just Uncle Harry.
Because my family is so big, Christmas celebrations tend to span three or four or even five days, depending on the year. Often we would go to my aunt and uncle's house after church for appetizers, have Christmas dinner at another aunt and uncle's house, our house or my grandma's and then have a ginormous Boxing Day party to eat Uncle Harry's roast. As our family grew, the day for the roast moved a few days further from Christmas, but it was a family tradition.
Uncle Harry would come from Alberta with a side of beef that would be cooked slowly all day and was always perfect. There was usually a ham. And a million side dishes. And lots of people. I'm positive that there were always at least 40-50 and I know that a few times we were pushing 75 or 80 people. And they were all related somehow.
When I was younger my aunt and uncle had a large piece of property on the way to Big White. My uncle would flood part of the back yard and we'd skate like crazy people. When we got older and the community centre had a rink, my uncle stopped flooding his yard. Instead we'd traipse down the side of the highway with our skates over our shoulder and skate in the dark, under the flood lights (maybe the ice rink was a tennis court in the summer?)
As much as I looked forward to all kinds of things at Christmas, Uncle Harry's Roast Beef party was certainly something that got me very excited.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Cookies
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
I loved making Christmas cookies. I remember the table covered in flour as we rolled and cut gingerbread. Yum. My mom made Forgotten Cookies and there was always a box of shortbread under the tree from my great-grandmother.
Gramma Ross died just before J was born, but her memory lives on in her cookies. Last year I think I made three pounds of butter worth of shortbread. J is now the chief gingerbread cutter-outer. I make my mom's Forgotten Cookies but I also make sugar cookies and spice cookies and who knows, maybe this year I'll make some thing new too...
Edited after Christmas: I made one batch of gingerbread, one batch of shortbread and half a recipe of sugar cookies. That's it. No one got cookies under the tree this year...maybe next year!
I loved making Christmas cookies. I remember the table covered in flour as we rolled and cut gingerbread. Yum. My mom made Forgotten Cookies and there was always a box of shortbread under the tree from my great-grandmother.
Gramma Ross died just before J was born, but her memory lives on in her cookies. Last year I think I made three pounds of butter worth of shortbread. J is now the chief gingerbread cutter-outer. I make my mom's Forgotten Cookies but I also make sugar cookies and spice cookies and who knows, maybe this year I'll make some thing new too...
Edited after Christmas: I made one batch of gingerbread, one batch of shortbread and half a recipe of sugar cookies. That's it. No one got cookies under the tree this year...maybe next year!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Setting out the nativity
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
We didn't have a nativity scene until I was, oh, eight maybe? I can't remember when, but I do remember getting it. My grandmother was a garage sale fiend. If we spent the night on Friday, Saturday we'd get up and pile into her car and go garage saling with her. She'd give us a couple of dollars to spend on WHATEVER we wanted. And this day, I'm sure it was mid-summer, I insisted I needed a nativity scene. It was banged up and chipped, but it was mine.
For a few years I tried to make the three wise men march across the living room to the "stable," but it didn't work very well.
I don't know if my parents still have the sad, sad nativity scene, but we pulled out the one Alex's parents gave us a few years ago and set it up tonight. J had a great time helping me unwrap all of the animals and people. She was not thrilled that there is no baby Jesus yet, but she'll get over it...
We didn't have a nativity scene until I was, oh, eight maybe? I can't remember when, but I do remember getting it. My grandmother was a garage sale fiend. If we spent the night on Friday, Saturday we'd get up and pile into her car and go garage saling with her. She'd give us a couple of dollars to spend on WHATEVER we wanted. And this day, I'm sure it was mid-summer, I insisted I needed a nativity scene. It was banged up and chipped, but it was mine.
For a few years I tried to make the three wise men march across the living room to the "stable," but it didn't work very well.
I don't know if my parents still have the sad, sad nativity scene, but we pulled out the one Alex's parents gave us a few years ago and set it up tonight. J had a great time helping me unwrap all of the animals and people. She was not thrilled that there is no baby Jesus yet, but she'll get over it...
Friday, December 16, 2011
The Office Christmas Party
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
Uh, so this was supposed to post yesterday morning, but I've been having major issues with the auto-post function in the last few weeks (blogger bug? operator error) and I didn't think to check yesterday to see if it posted... And it didn't. So here it is a day late.
When I worked in London we didn't really have one Christmas party - we had multiple Christmas gatherings for various reasons. Mostly because we jumped at the chance to have a little party for ANY reason!
I moved back to Vancouver and began working at the dark cave in the corporate world. I had only been there for a few months the first Christmas - the invitation said semi-formal, but the staff definition of semi-formal was interesting...I went and got a new outfit just for the party, but probably half of the people looked like they came in their work clothes. T-shirts and jeans. Not suits.
The next two years I got to organize the party...and I had way more fun! It was a long, long, long night, but it was fun. The last party I organized was the best of the three for sure...we rented a whole bar, the food and custom drinks were awesome and bang on, the company paid for cab rides home...I left almost last because I was the holder of the cab card...
And of course the next day, because the party was ALWAYS on a Thursday night, everyone was a little under the weather, but the CFO usually arranged for the greasiest pizza in town to arrive just before noon.
Then I left the corporate world for the public sector. And my boss was Jewish. And there were only four of us in the office. And parties turned into holiday lunches. At nice restaurants. YUM. Two years ago, I moved to another department. Last year there were only two people in that department and my boss was on vacation for the month of December. This year we've grown to three and today we're heading out for a long lunch and an early weekend.
Happy Friday!
Uh, so this was supposed to post yesterday morning, but I've been having major issues with the auto-post function in the last few weeks (blogger bug? operator error) and I didn't think to check yesterday to see if it posted... And it didn't. So here it is a day late.
When I worked in London we didn't really have one Christmas party - we had multiple Christmas gatherings for various reasons. Mostly because we jumped at the chance to have a little party for ANY reason!
I moved back to Vancouver and began working at the dark cave in the corporate world. I had only been there for a few months the first Christmas - the invitation said semi-formal, but the staff definition of semi-formal was interesting...I went and got a new outfit just for the party, but probably half of the people looked like they came in their work clothes. T-shirts and jeans. Not suits.
The next two years I got to organize the party...and I had way more fun! It was a long, long, long night, but it was fun. The last party I organized was the best of the three for sure...we rented a whole bar, the food and custom drinks were awesome and bang on, the company paid for cab rides home...I left almost last because I was the holder of the cab card...
And of course the next day, because the party was ALWAYS on a Thursday night, everyone was a little under the weather, but the CFO usually arranged for the greasiest pizza in town to arrive just before noon.
Then I left the corporate world for the public sector. And my boss was Jewish. And there were only four of us in the office. And parties turned into holiday lunches. At nice restaurants. YUM. Two years ago, I moved to another department. Last year there were only two people in that department and my boss was on vacation for the month of December. This year we've grown to three and today we're heading out for a long lunch and an early weekend.
Happy Friday!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
O Christmas Tree
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
It's almost time for the tree...almost...
I loved tree decorating day at our house. Sometime the tree came from the woods by my uncle's house, sometimes from a neighbourhood tree farm, once from the hill in parents' backyard, and sometimes the tree just appeared.
There were two big boxes of decorations, one was the box for the yellow vacuum my parents had for years. The decorations were carefully stored in the big box - it was like a puzzle - my mom knew how to put the small boxes back just so, but it was so much more fun for us to take the boxes out. There were the gold teardrops, the glass bells, the red glass baubles, the sugar plums, the scary santas, the little angels, the very special homemade decorations we started making when we were, oh, two years old.
There was also cheese (not that I ate it, but it was important), crackers, maybe antipasto, veggies, egg nog in special glasses with green crests and metal animals (chocolate milk for egg nog haters like me).
The lights went on first. Then the decorations...most of the decorations got placed on the tree with a story.
Now that I have my own family, we're following some of the same traditions. We don't have a lot of the special homemade decorations...yet...we do have a craft loving three year old. We have a couple of boxes of decorations and they have come from all over the world, so there are stories. We have treats and goodies - Alex gets his egg nog out of a carton, not the real stuff like my dad made because I'm still an egg nog hater. Unless there's enough rum in it to make me forget it's egg nog.
The tree goes up on Saturday...I don't know who is more excited, me or J!
It's almost time for the tree...almost...
I loved tree decorating day at our house. Sometime the tree came from the woods by my uncle's house, sometimes from a neighbourhood tree farm, once from the hill in parents' backyard, and sometimes the tree just appeared.
There were two big boxes of decorations, one was the box for the yellow vacuum my parents had for years. The decorations were carefully stored in the big box - it was like a puzzle - my mom knew how to put the small boxes back just so, but it was so much more fun for us to take the boxes out. There were the gold teardrops, the glass bells, the red glass baubles, the sugar plums, the scary santas, the little angels, the very special homemade decorations we started making when we were, oh, two years old.
There was also cheese (not that I ate it, but it was important), crackers, maybe antipasto, veggies, egg nog in special glasses with green crests and metal animals (chocolate milk for egg nog haters like me).
The lights went on first. Then the decorations...most of the decorations got placed on the tree with a story.
Now that I have my own family, we're following some of the same traditions. We don't have a lot of the special homemade decorations...yet...we do have a craft loving three year old. We have a couple of boxes of decorations and they have come from all over the world, so there are stories. We have treats and goodies - Alex gets his egg nog out of a carton, not the real stuff like my dad made because I'm still an egg nog hater. Unless there's enough rum in it to make me forget it's egg nog.
The tree goes up on Saturday...I don't know who is more excited, me or J!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The Best Christmas Tree...ever
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
This was the happiest Christmas tree we ever had. Everyone who walked into the living room smiled (or laughed) when they saw it.
Tomorrow? More about Christmas trees.
This was the happiest Christmas tree we ever had. Everyone who walked into the living room smiled (or laughed) when they saw it.
Tomorrow? More about Christmas trees.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Love Actually
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
In 2003 I was dragged to see some movie I hadn't even heard about. Kelsey might have actually seen it once before she made me go with her. I wasn't convinced...and then the movie started. And it immediately became one of my all-time favourite movies. Ever.
It made me miss London and I sent hours daydreaming about how I could get on a flight and go to London before Christmas for a visit.
Tonight, as part of our annual holiday traditions, my sisters are coming over to watch Love Actually. I can't wait for 8:00 tonight!
[Other favourite Christmas movies? The Sound of Music. Little Women. The Snowman. Miracle of 34th Street (the original one) Rudolph. Mickey's Christmas Carol.]
In 2003 I was dragged to see some movie I hadn't even heard about. Kelsey might have actually seen it once before she made me go with her. I wasn't convinced...and then the movie started. And it immediately became one of my all-time favourite movies. Ever.
It made me miss London and I sent hours daydreaming about how I could get on a flight and go to London before Christmas for a visit.
Tonight, as part of our annual holiday traditions, my sisters are coming over to watch Love Actually. I can't wait for 8:00 tonight!
[Other favourite Christmas movies? The Sound of Music. Little Women. The Snowman. Miracle of 34th Street (the original one) Rudolph. Mickey's Christmas Carol.]
Monday, December 12, 2011
Choir
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
When I was a kid, I sang in the school choir. And every year we sang somewhere, not just at the Christmas concert in the school gym. Sometimes we sang in the mall on risers in front of the horrible fountain (that's not there anymore) by the Santa line up. Sometimes we sang at the big, week long Christmas concert at the Evangel Tabernacle.
One year my mom went away to England and Ireland for three weeks just before Christmas. It was an exciting three weeks. We had a calendar filled with notes and stickers and stuff to count down when she was going to be back. She and my dad and the babysitters (I think there were three, maybe four?) and probably my grandma had a well coordinated schedule and plan. My dad was in charge of doing our hair in the morning. We were eight and four. One morning, when we were already running late, my younger sister, Teamhardcore, stuck her tongue to the metal stair railing. It was cold that winter. As in it went down to -27.
Anyway, the point of this is that year the choir sang at the Evangel Tabernacle. We all had to wear black pants and white shirts and the choir director provided us with red bows to wear around our necks. They weren't exactly bow ties, more like big hair bows pinned just below our collars. Someone, likely one of the three of us, tugged on one of the tails of the bow. My dad tried to fix it. But I had a straggly ribbon instead of a bow. And we sang Mary's Boy Child. And it was on TV. And I was at the end of the row and my straggly bow is glaringly obvious. And I'm sure my mom and dad still have that tape.
But I loved singing in the choir. Loved it.
When I was a kid, I sang in the school choir. And every year we sang somewhere, not just at the Christmas concert in the school gym. Sometimes we sang in the mall on risers in front of the horrible fountain (that's not there anymore) by the Santa line up. Sometimes we sang at the big, week long Christmas concert at the Evangel Tabernacle.
One year my mom went away to England and Ireland for three weeks just before Christmas. It was an exciting three weeks. We had a calendar filled with notes and stickers and stuff to count down when she was going to be back. She and my dad and the babysitters (I think there were three, maybe four?) and probably my grandma had a well coordinated schedule and plan. My dad was in charge of doing our hair in the morning. We were eight and four. One morning, when we were already running late, my younger sister, Teamhardcore, stuck her tongue to the metal stair railing. It was cold that winter. As in it went down to -27.
Anyway, the point of this is that year the choir sang at the Evangel Tabernacle. We all had to wear black pants and white shirts and the choir director provided us with red bows to wear around our necks. They weren't exactly bow ties, more like big hair bows pinned just below our collars. Someone, likely one of the three of us, tugged on one of the tails of the bow. My dad tried to fix it. But I had a straggly ribbon instead of a bow. And we sang Mary's Boy Child. And it was on TV. And I was at the end of the row and my straggly bow is glaringly obvious. And I'm sure my mom and dad still have that tape.
But I loved singing in the choir. Loved it.
The Hug Bug and Santa
On Saturday, we took J up to the local mall to catch a Charlotte Diamond concert and then visit Santa.
Charlotte Diamond was awesome…J sang along to all of the Christmas songs and some of the other songs and really wanted to take a Hug Bug home with her. It was so much fun!
After the concert we wandered down to the other end of the mall so that J could visit Santa - we had no idea what her reaction was going to be. Last year we didn't go and when she was one, she went twice - and we had mixed reactions.
This year, J saw Santa and was so excited. He walked past us to get to his chair and she started waving and calling his name. Luckily there were only five people in front of us, so J didn't have to wait too long...I'm not sure she would have been able to contain herself.
She brought her That’s Not My Santa book to show Santa. Because she didn’t get to show it to him at the Santa Claus Parade. You know how it is.
She checked to make sure his beard was real.
Smiled for the camera (sort of).
And then had a very serious conversation about what she might like for Christmas…and the kids at Children’s Hospital…Visiting Santa was a by donation fundraiser for Children’s and we had explained that to J. She asked Santa for a watch and then decided to ask Santa to make all the kids better before Christmas…we were quite proud of our little girl.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Visiting the man in red
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
Orchard Park Mall had a courtyard outside of Boppers (that was the name of Mariposa's little sister, right?) and that was where Santa set up every year when I was a kid. There was also a Santa at the Capri, but he wasn't as good...at all...
I don't know if we went every year, but I remember going more than once. We'd get dressed in our best holiday outfits, get our bangs trimmed, and head down to stand in line to ask Santa to bring us something on our Christmas lists.
There were years of three smiles, years with some tears and I'm pretty sure there was at least one year with only two kids (me and one sister...) and possibly a year or two with my mom.
Oh Santa Claus pictures...
Orchard Park Mall had a courtyard outside of Boppers (that was the name of Mariposa's little sister, right?) and that was where Santa set up every year when I was a kid. There was also a Santa at the Capri, but he wasn't as good...at all...
I don't know if we went every year, but I remember going more than once. We'd get dressed in our best holiday outfits, get our bangs trimmed, and head down to stand in line to ask Santa to bring us something on our Christmas lists.
There were years of three smiles, years with some tears and I'm pretty sure there was at least one year with only two kids (me and one sister...) and possibly a year or two with my mom.
Oh Santa Claus pictures...
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Lights Go On
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
As a parent of a three year old, I am particularly aware of the excitement of Christmas this year. I didn't get the limits my parents put on Christmas at our house until I was in my late teens and while I understood in theory why certain things didn't start until certain dates or ended by certain dates, it became crystal clear when I had a kid of my own.
My cousin (fine, second cousin three times removed, upside down and sideways. or something) Melissa is the same age as I am. We grew up together. We were in the same classes at school. She was one of my best friends. And her birthday was on December 10. And every year my sisters and I looked forward to December 10. Not just because I, inevitably, got to go to a birthday party, but because December 10 was a magic date at our house.
That was the day the Christmas lights went on. They were usually up for a number of weeks before that, but that was the day the outside lights went on.
Why December 10th? Well, my mom figured it was far enough from Christmas that we wouldn't feel like we were missing out, but close enough to Christmas to actually be Christmas season and close enough that her little darlings wouldn't drive her totally mad with excitement before the big day!
When do the lights go on at our house? Ummm...well, we don't have outside lights because I don't think they're allowed, but this year I might just get out the fairy lights for the living room. We'll see.
As a parent of a three year old, I am particularly aware of the excitement of Christmas this year. I didn't get the limits my parents put on Christmas at our house until I was in my late teens and while I understood in theory why certain things didn't start until certain dates or ended by certain dates, it became crystal clear when I had a kid of my own.
My cousin (fine, second cousin three times removed, upside down and sideways. or something) Melissa is the same age as I am. We grew up together. We were in the same classes at school. She was one of my best friends. And her birthday was on December 10. And every year my sisters and I looked forward to December 10. Not just because I, inevitably, got to go to a birthday party, but because December 10 was a magic date at our house.
That was the day the Christmas lights went on. They were usually up for a number of weeks before that, but that was the day the outside lights went on.
Why December 10th? Well, my mom figured it was far enough from Christmas that we wouldn't feel like we were missing out, but close enough to Christmas to actually be Christmas season and close enough that her little darlings wouldn't drive her totally mad with excitement before the big day!
When do the lights go on at our house? Ummm...well, we don't have outside lights because I don't think they're allowed, but this year I might just get out the fairy lights for the living room. We'll see.
Friday, December 09, 2011
Strings
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
One of my favourite Christmas memories is of helping my dad hang the outside lights and string the tree.
Well, not really hang them, since by then we were banished to another part of the yard so that we didn't distract Dad, knock the ladder over, step on or get tangled in the lights. And the same thing happened when it came time to string the tree.
But I had the ever important job (which sometimes I had to share). So important. Screw the bulbs into the string and find the ones that were burnt out. Oh, and alternate the bulbs, but not in a pattern. Because we had six colours - red, yellow, orange, green, blue and purple - and I'm sure they came in a package of six, one of each colour. So no patterns. And no doubles. And because I'd always end with a handful of orange ones, then I had to go back along the ones that were already screwed in and switch them up.
I loved my important job and I'm kind of sad that the new super-efficient LED lights don't need the same preparation.
One of my favourite Christmas memories is of helping my dad hang the outside lights and string the tree.
Well, not really hang them, since by then we were banished to another part of the yard so that we didn't distract Dad, knock the ladder over, step on or get tangled in the lights. And the same thing happened when it came time to string the tree.
But I had the ever important job (which sometimes I had to share). So important. Screw the bulbs into the string and find the ones that were burnt out. Oh, and alternate the bulbs, but not in a pattern. Because we had six colours - red, yellow, orange, green, blue and purple - and I'm sure they came in a package of six, one of each colour. So no patterns. And no doubles. And because I'd always end with a handful of orange ones, then I had to go back along the ones that were already screwed in and switch them up.
I loved my important job and I'm kind of sad that the new super-efficient LED lights don't need the same preparation.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Green Tissue
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
There were always so many things that we looked forward to every December. One of the big ones? Mandarin oranges.
I loved the crinkly green tissue paper, the easy to peel skin, the sweet, juicy segments, and the special mandarin orange smell. When my mom brought that first orange box home from the grocery store, it always felt like Christmas really was on its way.
Mandarins were expensive. We got one, maybe two a day. On Christmas morning there was always an orange in the toe of our stockings* and oranges in the fruit salad. On Christmas day, I probably managed to get myself three or maybe four of the coveted fruit.
I was torn between excited and disappointed when, in my early 20s, I moved to Vancouver on my own and discovered bulk mandarins available at the fruit and vegetable stores almost year round and that the boxes arrived at the grocery store sometime in November, maybe even October. I think the first two years I lived here I ate my weight in mandarins and I'm amazed my skin didn't take on an orange hue.
*I looked for the papers for those naked oranges in the garbage can for years, but apparently the oranges in Santa's bag are paperless.
There were always so many things that we looked forward to every December. One of the big ones? Mandarin oranges.
I loved the crinkly green tissue paper, the easy to peel skin, the sweet, juicy segments, and the special mandarin orange smell. When my mom brought that first orange box home from the grocery store, it always felt like Christmas really was on its way.
Mandarins were expensive. We got one, maybe two a day. On Christmas morning there was always an orange in the toe of our stockings* and oranges in the fruit salad. On Christmas day, I probably managed to get myself three or maybe four of the coveted fruit.
I was torn between excited and disappointed when, in my early 20s, I moved to Vancouver on my own and discovered bulk mandarins available at the fruit and vegetable stores almost year round and that the boxes arrived at the grocery store sometime in November, maybe even October. I think the first two years I lived here I ate my weight in mandarins and I'm amazed my skin didn't take on an orange hue.
*I looked for the papers for those naked oranges in the garbage can for years, but apparently the oranges in Santa's bag are paperless.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Knit one purl two
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
Alex and I did the bulk of our Christmas shopping today (I know the challenge is about everything but gifts...but...well...) A few years ago for Christmas, I made stockings for my parents. I also made scarves and mitts and toques for what felt like half the world. Today I picked up some yarn to make a gift for one of our relatives. The year I made the stockings? I was up until 2 am trying to finish all of the gifts. I didn't make it. A couple of people got hanks of yarn and a picture instead. And I couldn't even hold my knitting needles...Christmas presents were in production until, oh, March that year.
Tonight the click, click, click of needles took me straight back to that Christmas. My hands will thank me though...I am only making ONE gift this year.
Alex and I did the bulk of our Christmas shopping today (I know the challenge is about everything but gifts...but...well...) A few years ago for Christmas, I made stockings for my parents. I also made scarves and mitts and toques for what felt like half the world. Today I picked up some yarn to make a gift for one of our relatives. The year I made the stockings? I was up until 2 am trying to finish all of the gifts. I didn't make it. A couple of people got hanks of yarn and a picture instead. And I couldn't even hold my knitting needles...Christmas presents were in production until, oh, March that year.
Tonight the click, click, click of needles took me straight back to that Christmas. My hands will thank me though...I am only making ONE gift this year.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Let It Snow
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
As the credits for some syndicated North American "chick show" rolled past, everyone sighed. The guys (my uncle and my seven year old cousin) were thrilled the "chick show" was over; the girls (my aunt, my twelve year old cousin and me) had rested long enough after a meal of meat fondue to bundle up and go out for an after dinner walk.
It had been my strangest Christmas yet. It was only the second one I had spend away from my immediate family, and, different as it was, I think it was as close to spending Christmas at home as I would ever get without spending Christmas at home. We had Christmas dinner a day early. Santa had totally different traditions. It took us five hours to open a small pile of gifts - that part was lovely. Because I was in Switzerland and had to lug everything home to London, my gifts were small. There were more gifts than usual under my aunt and uncle's tree...I brought gifts and I received gifts. We spent a leisurely Christmas morning and afternoon opening gifts and savouring them. There was no turkey to cook. There were no guests coming to visit. There was no rush. We got to try everything, read a chapter of a new book, listen to a new CD before moving on to the next gift.
After our dinner of fondue and our post-dinner laze in front of a random (and probably not very good) North American TV show, we decided to go for that walk. Christmas day had been sunny and clear. Geneva had been a bit chilly, but nothing unbearable and it had been a green Christmas. We bundled up and wandered through the neighbourhood. My aunt and uncle lived in a neighbourhood made up of mostly apartments and many people had their lights blazing and curtains open. We had a great time making up stories about the various Christmas parties we saw.
I was happy with my second Christmas away...although I missed the snow, it was a lovely day.
And, just as we approached the front door, the snow started falling. A white Christmas after all...
As the credits for some syndicated North American "chick show" rolled past, everyone sighed. The guys (my uncle and my seven year old cousin) were thrilled the "chick show" was over; the girls (my aunt, my twelve year old cousin and me) had rested long enough after a meal of meat fondue to bundle up and go out for an after dinner walk.
It had been my strangest Christmas yet. It was only the second one I had spend away from my immediate family, and, different as it was, I think it was as close to spending Christmas at home as I would ever get without spending Christmas at home. We had Christmas dinner a day early. Santa had totally different traditions. It took us five hours to open a small pile of gifts - that part was lovely. Because I was in Switzerland and had to lug everything home to London, my gifts were small. There were more gifts than usual under my aunt and uncle's tree...I brought gifts and I received gifts. We spent a leisurely Christmas morning and afternoon opening gifts and savouring them. There was no turkey to cook. There were no guests coming to visit. There was no rush. We got to try everything, read a chapter of a new book, listen to a new CD before moving on to the next gift.
After our dinner of fondue and our post-dinner laze in front of a random (and probably not very good) North American TV show, we decided to go for that walk. Christmas day had been sunny and clear. Geneva had been a bit chilly, but nothing unbearable and it had been a green Christmas. We bundled up and wandered through the neighbourhood. My aunt and uncle lived in a neighbourhood made up of mostly apartments and many people had their lights blazing and curtains open. We had a great time making up stories about the various Christmas parties we saw.
I was happy with my second Christmas away...although I missed the snow, it was a lovely day.
And, just as we approached the front door, the snow started falling. A white Christmas after all...
Monday, December 05, 2011
A Grown-up's Christmas in Wales
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
When I was 22, I spent my first Christmas away from home. I was scared and excited and sad. Christmas has always been a special time for me - it was about family and tradition and when I was 22, I was living in London and I was far away from my family and pretty much every tradition we had.
When I left home in the summer, I wasn't sure what my plans were for Christmas, but just a few weeks after arriving, I received a letter from my pen pal, inviting me to Christmas on her family's farm. Now, my pen pal, Julia, wasn't quite what most people expected from a pen pal. She wasn't 22. She was even 21 or 20 or 23 or 24. She was older than my parents. And she technically wasn't *MY* pen pal. When I was going to university, my Sparks wrote letters and sent crafts to her Rainbows. When she heard I was coming to London, she was thrilled she might have a chance to meet me. And spending Christmas with her wasn't as strange as it sounds - she has five kids and they are close in age to me.
Anyway, I loved Wales. It was cold and grey and windy and full of sheep, but it was so beautiful. We went to midnight mass in a cathedral that was colder inside than it was outside. Every room in Julia's house had its own kerosene heater. Her home was two converted barns joined by an addition that housed the bathroom and entrance way and maybe pantry and I'm not convinced it was insulated. I'm positive it wasn't heated. And it was cold. I didn't take a shower for the three days I was there because the thought of taking my clothes off and getting wet made me shiver uncontrollably.
I had a lovely time - Christmas was unlike any Christmas I'd ever experienced, but it was fun. I had a great time with Julia and her family and I felt so welcome...
And I just got a letter (and Christmas card) from Julia today and they just installed central heating! What a Christmas gift!
When I was 22, I spent my first Christmas away from home. I was scared and excited and sad. Christmas has always been a special time for me - it was about family and tradition and when I was 22, I was living in London and I was far away from my family and pretty much every tradition we had.
When I left home in the summer, I wasn't sure what my plans were for Christmas, but just a few weeks after arriving, I received a letter from my pen pal, inviting me to Christmas on her family's farm. Now, my pen pal, Julia, wasn't quite what most people expected from a pen pal. She wasn't 22. She was even 21 or 20 or 23 or 24. She was older than my parents. And she technically wasn't *MY* pen pal. When I was going to university, my Sparks wrote letters and sent crafts to her Rainbows. When she heard I was coming to London, she was thrilled she might have a chance to meet me. And spending Christmas with her wasn't as strange as it sounds - she has five kids and they are close in age to me.
Anyway, I loved Wales. It was cold and grey and windy and full of sheep, but it was so beautiful. We went to midnight mass in a cathedral that was colder inside than it was outside. Every room in Julia's house had its own kerosene heater. Her home was two converted barns joined by an addition that housed the bathroom and entrance way and maybe pantry and I'm not convinced it was insulated. I'm positive it wasn't heated. And it was cold. I didn't take a shower for the three days I was there because the thought of taking my clothes off and getting wet made me shiver uncontrollably.
I had a lovely time - Christmas was unlike any Christmas I'd ever experienced, but it was fun. I had a great time with Julia and her family and I felt so welcome...
And I just got a letter (and Christmas card) from Julia today and they just installed central heating! What a Christmas gift!
Santa Claus Parade
Last year we went to the Santa Claus Parade for the first time. We had a great time, so we decided to make it part of our annual traditions. We invited some friends and walked across the bridge into downtown. We aimed for the last block as we did last year, but the parade had a new route this year and the last block was further north and still very much in downtown than it was last year. We ended up finding a good spot at the end of the route and much to the girls' delight, right by "Santa Claus."
J and I actually ended up on Global News (on Mike McCardell's segment) because of Santa. This gentleman was super good natured and well aware that his appearance caused a bit of a stir this time of year. He told me left his chair at home because he didn't dare sit down at the parade with all those kids around. J was thrilled to be sitting close to him and she and her little buddy fought over who got to sit closest to Santa!
Once this "special bus" came along, J probably would have been content to go home. She got to sit next to Santa and the "special bus came back!" She loved it last year too....she really wants to go for a ride on this bus, but told me it's just for grown ups....
After the parade we went for an early dinner with Miss I and her family. The girls were happy to sit for this picture together. Miss I and her family are moving to Alberta in a few weeks and the girls are going to miss each other. There were tears last night at bedtime because J was sad her friend is leaving.
And with the parade over and done with, our house is officially in full Christmas mode...
Miss I and Miss J look pretty innocent, right? HA! It's all an act...
J got a hug from this tree. She was so excited! I thought I got a picture of it, but apparently, all I took a picture of was the ground and some feet.
J loved this airplane...it reminded her of the airplane at the Giants games. The handlers could make the balloon do some amazing things!
J checking out the gingermanbread. Yes, you read that right. At our house we make gingermanbreads, not gingerbread men.
The parade guest of honour.
Goodbye Miss I. We'll miss you.
And with the parade over and done with, our house is officially in full Christmas mode...
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Goodnight
This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.
I had no idea what I was going to write about today, but it came to me when I was putting J to bed and she asked for Christmas songs and then asked me to sing my favourite.
One of my favourite parts of December was that bedtime songs changed. Christmas carols were appropriate substitutes for the month leading up to Christmas. For some reason I associate Away in a Manger with my dad and Silent Night with my mom, although I have memories of both of them singing both. When J asked me to sing my favourite, I sang Silent Night. I had already sung Away in a Manger when she asked for "the baby Jesus song" and I think that Silent Night might be my favourite.
It is such a beautiful carol and I loved the book Johann's Gift to Christmas. I think the most beautiful rendition of Silent Night was one that I heard somewhere (quite possibly Pax Lodge) and everyone sang it in their own language...
But back to the bedtime songs...my room was at the front of the house and we had a flat roof, which meant the lights hung in a straight line above the windows. There was a small gap in my blind and I remember pulling the blind away from the window to look at the lights while my mom or dad sang to me and then I watched those lights until I fell asleep.
And on that note...goodnight!
I had no idea what I was going to write about today, but it came to me when I was putting J to bed and she asked for Christmas songs and then asked me to sing my favourite.
One of my favourite parts of December was that bedtime songs changed. Christmas carols were appropriate substitutes for the month leading up to Christmas. For some reason I associate Away in a Manger with my dad and Silent Night with my mom, although I have memories of both of them singing both. When J asked me to sing my favourite, I sang Silent Night. I had already sung Away in a Manger when she asked for "the baby Jesus song" and I think that Silent Night might be my favourite.
It is such a beautiful carol and I loved the book Johann's Gift to Christmas. I think the most beautiful rendition of Silent Night was one that I heard somewhere (quite possibly Pax Lodge) and everyone sang it in their own language...
But back to the bedtime songs...my room was at the front of the house and we had a flat roof, which meant the lights hung in a straight line above the windows. There was a small gap in my blind and I remember pulling the blind away from the window to look at the lights while my mom or dad sang to me and then I watched those lights until I fell asleep.
And on that note...goodnight!
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Sealing and Stamping Envelopes
This is part of the Christmas Memory Challenge series, the brainchild of one Ms. AndreaClaire.
When I grew up, getting mail was an exciting event. I was a kid long before the internet took hold. Heck, I was technically an adult before the internet took hold of our lives. I even had pen pals.
I loved Christmas card writing. My mom would sit at the dining room table and sometimes, when I was quite young, I'd get to sign the names. She would write a note on the blank side of the card and for a few special friends she'd include an actual letter. Pictures were inserted into some of the cards. And starting the first week of December, colourful envelopes outnumbered other mail in our mail box.
There was a race to get the mail first and we were usually allowed to open some of the cards.
Now, even with the internet to make the job less tedious and less time consuming, I still look forward to Christmas card writing. We have a list six miles long - living at Pax Lodge will do that to you...I have friends who live just a few blocks away with whom I still exchange MAILED cards.
When I was at Pax Lodge in 2001, we had a card writing party in my room one night. Now, when I sit down to write my cards, the first ones I write are usually to those ladies (and now their families!)
Writing cards makes me happy. I love dropping the colourful, stamped envelopes in the mailbox...the internet is great, but there is something special about real, paper Christmas cards!
PS Canada Post has a great campaign this year - "Ever displayed an e-card on your mantle?"
When I grew up, getting mail was an exciting event. I was a kid long before the internet took hold. Heck, I was technically an adult before the internet took hold of our lives. I even had pen pals.
I loved Christmas card writing. My mom would sit at the dining room table and sometimes, when I was quite young, I'd get to sign the names. She would write a note on the blank side of the card and for a few special friends she'd include an actual letter. Pictures were inserted into some of the cards. And starting the first week of December, colourful envelopes outnumbered other mail in our mail box.
There was a race to get the mail first and we were usually allowed to open some of the cards.
Now, even with the internet to make the job less tedious and less time consuming, I still look forward to Christmas card writing. We have a list six miles long - living at Pax Lodge will do that to you...I have friends who live just a few blocks away with whom I still exchange MAILED cards.
When I was at Pax Lodge in 2001, we had a card writing party in my room one night. Now, when I sit down to write my cards, the first ones I write are usually to those ladies (and now their families!)
Writing cards makes me happy. I love dropping the colourful, stamped envelopes in the mailbox...the internet is great, but there is something special about real, paper Christmas cards!
PS Canada Post has a great campaign this year - "Ever displayed an e-card on your mantle?"
Friday, December 02, 2011
Opening the mailbox
This is part of the Christmas Memory Challenge series, the brainchild of one Ms. AndreaClaire.
One of my favourite parts of this month is opening the mailbox and finding a stack of white and red envelopes in it. I love checking out the special Christmas stamps. I love the anticipation of opening each envelope and pulling out a special card with a handwritten note inside. Maybe a letter or a photo will float out. I lived overseas for a number of years and I met many wonderful people. Life is busy. I don't have time to keep up with everyone, but once a year my mailbox fills with greetings and updates and stories from around the world. And it's pretty special. We got our first card yesterday, all the way from New Zealand.
One of my favourite parts of this month is opening the mailbox and finding a stack of white and red envelopes in it. I love checking out the special Christmas stamps. I love the anticipation of opening each envelope and pulling out a special card with a handwritten note inside. Maybe a letter or a photo will float out. I lived overseas for a number of years and I met many wonderful people. Life is busy. I don't have time to keep up with everyone, but once a year my mailbox fills with greetings and updates and stories from around the world. And it's pretty special. We got our first card yesterday, all the way from New Zealand.
Thursday, December 01, 2011
The Advent Calendar
AndreaClaire is doing a Christmas Memory Challenge over on her blog. The challenge is to post 25 memories that have nothing to do with gifts. And, because I have nothing better to do decided not to do a picture advent this December, I'm going to join her challenge. You can too. Let her know.
My first story is about our advent calendar.
When I was a kid we had a chocolate advent calendar once. ONE TIME. The entire time I was a kid. Our neighbours had five kids and both mom and dad came home with five advent calendars. So they kindly brought three over to our house and two to the neighbours on the other side and we got to have chocolate advent calendars. Once.
I'm actually not bitter...that was a pretty special year and we got to have our usual advent calendars too. Mine was a manger scene and every day behind the door was a short bible verse telling the Christmas story. I loved it. My sisters each had calendars with sparkles, and I admit, I was a bit jealous of the sparkles. I think my advent calendar is still in one of my parents' Christmas boxes. I remember we all got new ones one year (the paper doors start to wear out after a while) and yes, mine had sparkles, but I still preferred my manger scene.
Two years ago when we went to England just before Christmas, my lovely, elderly, British cousins gave me some money to buy something special for J. I wanted to get her something lasting, something that wouldn't wear out, that I could tell her a story about. We looked and looked and finally I decided that I would get her an advent calendar from Harrods. It's red velvet and it has little pockets for each day and a fruit cake marker to move along the days.
I made little notes to go inside each pocket and every day J gets to do something special that is (mostly) related to Christmas. This morning she opened a special craft to do with her babysitter tonight. On the weekend her little paper will announce that we're going to the Santa Claus Parade. It was lots of fun to put together and I hope it will be a nice tradition for our family.
And those elderly cousins of mine? Well, I am so glad that I thought to get something for J that would last. Both George and Persis died earlier this year and the advent calendar will give me the perfect opportunity to tell J about them, this year and for years to come.
My first story is about our advent calendar.
When I was a kid we had a chocolate advent calendar once. ONE TIME. The entire time I was a kid. Our neighbours had five kids and both mom and dad came home with five advent calendars. So they kindly brought three over to our house and two to the neighbours on the other side and we got to have chocolate advent calendars. Once.
I'm actually not bitter...that was a pretty special year and we got to have our usual advent calendars too. Mine was a manger scene and every day behind the door was a short bible verse telling the Christmas story. I loved it. My sisters each had calendars with sparkles, and I admit, I was a bit jealous of the sparkles. I think my advent calendar is still in one of my parents' Christmas boxes. I remember we all got new ones one year (the paper doors start to wear out after a while) and yes, mine had sparkles, but I still preferred my manger scene.
Two years ago when we went to England just before Christmas, my lovely, elderly, British cousins gave me some money to buy something special for J. I wanted to get her something lasting, something that wouldn't wear out, that I could tell her a story about. We looked and looked and finally I decided that I would get her an advent calendar from Harrods. It's red velvet and it has little pockets for each day and a fruit cake marker to move along the days.
I made little notes to go inside each pocket and every day J gets to do something special that is (mostly) related to Christmas. This morning she opened a special craft to do with her babysitter tonight. On the weekend her little paper will announce that we're going to the Santa Claus Parade. It was lots of fun to put together and I hope it will be a nice tradition for our family.
And those elderly cousins of mine? Well, I am so glad that I thought to get something for J that would last. Both George and Persis died earlier this year and the advent calendar will give me the perfect opportunity to tell J about them, this year and for years to come.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Two in a row?
We did it! We stuck to the plan last week...Can we do it again???
Monday: Leftover spaghetti with bacon meatballs
Tuesday: Salmon Cakes
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Beef Barley Soup
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Cracking Burgers
Sunday: Burritos (plus more for the freezer)
Check out Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie for more meal ideas.
Monday: Leftover spaghetti with bacon meatballs
Tuesday: Salmon Cakes
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Beef Barley Soup
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Cracking Burgers
Sunday: Burritos (plus more for the freezer)
Check out Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie for more meal ideas.
Creamy Potato and Dill Soup
Mmm...yesterday I made soup for our lunches this week and it turned out so well. We all tasted it before dinner last night and I think if I hadn't already started dinner, we would have just had soup.
We'll be eating this all winter.
3 lbs potatoes (about 8 small), peeled and diced*
1 large carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp butter (you could substitute oil, but butter gives it more flavour)
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
2 Tbsp dried dill
2-3 strips of bacon, optional
salt and pepper to taste
*Medium to large dice is fine
Melt the butter in a heavy pot over low heat. Add the onion and garlic, stir occasionally until soft, do not let it brown. Add the carrots and cover. Let it sweat for 6-8 minutes. Add potatoes, cover and sweat for 3-4 more minutes. Add the broth, water and dill and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots and potatoes are very tender.
The soup was tasty without the bacon, but Alex and I both felt it was missing something. We had bacon meatballs for dinner and as I was preparing the bacon for the meatballs, I realized that, hey, bacon would be awesome in this soup. I chopped it and cooked it in a frying pan, drained it well and added the bacon to the soup. Now it's heavenly...Alex thinks it would be yummy with grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top too..
We'll be eating this all winter.
3 lbs potatoes (about 8 small), peeled and diced*
1 large carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp butter (you could substitute oil, but butter gives it more flavour)
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
2 Tbsp dried dill
2-3 strips of bacon, optional
salt and pepper to taste
*Medium to large dice is fine
Melt the butter in a heavy pot over low heat. Add the onion and garlic, stir occasionally until soft, do not let it brown. Add the carrots and cover. Let it sweat for 6-8 minutes. Add potatoes, cover and sweat for 3-4 more minutes. Add the broth, water and dill and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots and potatoes are very tender.
The soup was tasty without the bacon, but Alex and I both felt it was missing something. We had bacon meatballs for dinner and as I was preparing the bacon for the meatballs, I realized that, hey, bacon would be awesome in this soup. I chopped it and cooked it in a frying pan, drained it well and added the bacon to the soup. Now it's heavenly...Alex thinks it would be yummy with grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top too..
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Getting ready to hibernate
36.39, 36.40, 36.41, 36.42 Try 50 new recipes
I love long weekends.
This weekend turned into a hibernating weekend for us...there was lots of cooking, some furniture rearranging, some deep cleaning, a ton of laundry and way too much time spent with the computer. Oh and what felt like a never ending sink of dishes.
We're trying to get all of our CDs loaded onto the iPod and it's a huge task. We have between 500 and 600 CDs. That's a lot of CDs. I did close to 200 over the summer and over the weekend we've done another almost 300. That leaves not quite 100 left. I'm going crossed-eyed. But if I get stuck on a desert island with my iPod, I have 17 days worth of music to listen to...if the batteries last that long.
One of the things on my list for the weekend was to lift up the mats on the living room floor and clean under them (I tend to do my "spring cleaning" in November. You know. To get ready for Christmas). We're having Christmas here this year and that will mean rearranging the furniture in our living room so that the tree has a home.
Because our living room is wide open and has only two walls there are limited places to put the tree. And by limited, I mean one. The tree has to go where the couch is, so the couch needs to move...
This is what J and I have come up with...she was SO excited to help. She kept going in to tell Alex that the furniture MOVED! The rocking chair probably needs to leave, but my inner pack rat is not letting it go...just yet...
Alex and I are enjoying our cosy new living room...I think we might stay with this arrangement even after the tree is gone. For some reason it feels a whole lot bigger than it did before....
I also spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen this weekend...I've been trying to fill the freezer so that nights I have to go out after work are not crazy with meal prep...
So, we had Black Bean Chili (I love my slow cooker) and then last night I froze some and we added a corn bread topping to the rest and baked it (inspired by Oh She Glows). J told us she didn't like the chili anymore, but she liked the cake, except the crunchy parts. I used the corn meal muffin recipe from the Purity cookbook - it's the one we always used when I was a kid. It's pretty much this recipe.
And I finally made the spaghetti with bacon meatballs recipe from Real Simple. There was so much going on in our kitchen that I ended up heating the sauce in the small slow cooker because I didn't have an unoccupied pot big enough to hold it!
It was a hit...Alex and J loved it, although J loved the soup even more. I made some potato and dill soup for our lunches this week and J had a little as an appetizer, but a little turned into THREE bowls! I guess I'll be making that again.
It was tasty. Recipe to come!
It was a good weekend...I'm glad to go back to work tomorrow though...my hands are feeling the effects of all those dishes!
I love long weekends.
This weekend turned into a hibernating weekend for us...there was lots of cooking, some furniture rearranging, some deep cleaning, a ton of laundry and way too much time spent with the computer. Oh and what felt like a never ending sink of dishes.
We're trying to get all of our CDs loaded onto the iPod and it's a huge task. We have between 500 and 600 CDs. That's a lot of CDs. I did close to 200 over the summer and over the weekend we've done another almost 300. That leaves not quite 100 left. I'm going crossed-eyed. But if I get stuck on a desert island with my iPod, I have 17 days worth of music to listen to...if the batteries last that long.
One of the things on my list for the weekend was to lift up the mats on the living room floor and clean under them (I tend to do my "spring cleaning" in November. You know. To get ready for Christmas). We're having Christmas here this year and that will mean rearranging the furniture in our living room so that the tree has a home.
Because our living room is wide open and has only two walls there are limited places to put the tree. And by limited, I mean one. The tree has to go where the couch is, so the couch needs to move...
This is what J and I have come up with...she was SO excited to help. She kept going in to tell Alex that the furniture MOVED! The rocking chair probably needs to leave, but my inner pack rat is not letting it go...just yet...
Alex and I are enjoying our cosy new living room...I think we might stay with this arrangement even after the tree is gone. For some reason it feels a whole lot bigger than it did before....
I also spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen this weekend...I've been trying to fill the freezer so that nights I have to go out after work are not crazy with meal prep...
So, we had Black Bean Chili (I love my slow cooker) and then last night I froze some and we added a corn bread topping to the rest and baked it (inspired by Oh She Glows). J told us she didn't like the chili anymore, but she liked the cake, except the crunchy parts. I used the corn meal muffin recipe from the Purity cookbook - it's the one we always used when I was a kid. It's pretty much this recipe.
And I finally made the spaghetti with bacon meatballs recipe from Real Simple. There was so much going on in our kitchen that I ended up heating the sauce in the small slow cooker because I didn't have an unoccupied pot big enough to hold it!
It was a hit...Alex and J loved it, although J loved the soup even more. I made some potato and dill soup for our lunches this week and J had a little as an appetizer, but a little turned into THREE bowls! I guess I'll be making that again.
It was tasty. Recipe to come!
It was a good weekend...I'm glad to go back to work tomorrow though...my hands are feeling the effects of all those dishes!
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Quick Meals
We have discovered that we really need to make sure our weekday meals are quick. Leftovers and the slow cooker are both great for that and we're building a book of faster, simpler recipes in hopes that soon Alex will be able to take over some of the week night cooking so that we can have other meals too. That means I've been making some old favourites and writing down the recipe and the method. Because I cook a lot from memory and Alex is just learning to cook...It also means we won't be experimenting with new recipes very often during the week. But that doesn't mean it can't taste good!
Monday: Homemade Chicken Soup
Tuesday: Leftover Soup
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Beef with this sauce
Thursday: Leftover beef
Friday: Black Bean Chili minus the salsa only because avocados have been suspect lately (we love them normally)
Saturday: More leftovers
Sunday: Pasta - maybe spaghetti and meatballs
There are more menu ideas at OrgJunkie. Does anyone have a quick and easy recipe I could share with Alex?
Monday: Homemade Chicken Soup
Tuesday: Leftover Soup
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Beef with this sauce
Thursday: Leftover beef
Friday: Black Bean Chili minus the salsa only because avocados have been suspect lately (we love them normally)
Saturday: More leftovers
Sunday: Pasta - maybe spaghetti and meatballs
There are more menu ideas at OrgJunkie. Does anyone have a quick and easy recipe I could share with Alex?
Friday, November 04, 2011
The demise of Get Fit Chicks
One of the blogs I used to post on has ceased to exist. I'm still not sure what happened, but it's not there anymore. I have started to repost my posts from there over here because, well, I like some of them. It's a painstaking process as I'm attempting to update links etc, but it's taking FOREVER. So, if you see a post and the links don't work, please let me know. Or if the post references another Get Fit Chicks post that doesn't exist anymore, I'm sorry. I've tried to break all of those links.
What I should have been when I grew up
Um, does that even make sense to anyone but me? Because maybe I'm still not grown up?
I'm working on a project at work that involved a bunch of research about some stuff that happened here years ago. This is the kind of work I really like. To access some of the files for this project, I had to do some digging in the archives. I did my initial research online - you can access lists of the contents of the various fonds, but you can't actually access most of the documents (yet?). Then I contacted the archivist and she pulled the boxes I needed and then I had to go down to the archives to look through the documents.
I spent over three hours in the archives yesterday, taking notes and photographs of the things I was digging through.
The reading room down in the archives is lovely with lots of lights and it's warm and it's relatively quiet.I loved it. I didn't want to leave.
While I was flipping through all the bits and pieces (I had three boxes of files to go through), I realized that I should have become an archivist. That might satisfy my pack-rat tendencies in an appropriate environment and then I could come home and feel good about being a semi-minimalist.
Yeah.
Note to self: for your next life, archivist is an appropriate career path.
I'm working on a project at work that involved a bunch of research about some stuff that happened here years ago. This is the kind of work I really like. To access some of the files for this project, I had to do some digging in the archives. I did my initial research online - you can access lists of the contents of the various fonds, but you can't actually access most of the documents (yet?). Then I contacted the archivist and she pulled the boxes I needed and then I had to go down to the archives to look through the documents.
I spent over three hours in the archives yesterday, taking notes and photographs of the things I was digging through.
The reading room down in the archives is lovely with lots of lights and it's warm and it's relatively quiet.I loved it. I didn't want to leave.
While I was flipping through all the bits and pieces (I had three boxes of files to go through), I realized that I should have become an archivist. That might satisfy my pack-rat tendencies in an appropriate environment and then I could come home and feel good about being a semi-minimalist.
Yeah.
Note to self: for your next life, archivist is an appropriate career path.
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Progression: Pack Rat ---> Wanna be sort of minimalist
Okay, AndreaClaire is the inspiration for this post. I'd been tossing it around in my brain for a while and yesterday's post was the first part of that thought process. AndreaClaire said:
There were a few things that helped...Laura's week 4 post gave me a bunch of questions that I find very helpful (they also showed up in this week's post! Imagine that!).
Oh, and my little daydream that didn't go away for a few months about moving away to a far away land, that helps me decide...I ask myself if it's something I'd have to take with me if we moved and could only take a few things and if the answer is no, well, then it's gone.
And thinking that maybe everything in our storage unit was garbage and realizing that I don't care about much of it made me think that I might feel the same way about our other stuff. I've gotten rid of as much stuff this week as I usually do in about six weeks...it's unbelievable.
Maybe in a few weeks we'll notice a significant difference in our house...
Fingers crossed!
I need you to come over and teach me to toss sh!t out. Seriously. I could toss everything in my storage room right now without looking at it and I'd have no idea what I was missing!I was wondering how I went from needing to keep everything to feeling like I could let a whole lot of stuff go.
There were a few things that helped...Laura's week 4 post gave me a bunch of questions that I find very helpful (they also showed up in this week's post! Imagine that!).
1. Can I afford, in terms of space, to keep this item?I also thought about why I was keeping things, but I didn't really come up with anything. I have a list of questions from somewhere else (maybe FlyLady?) and one of them is something along the lines does this item make me feel guilty or unhappy. I'm better at identifying what I feel about things which has led me to feel better about getting rid of things.
2. Could the space that this item takes up be put to better use?
3. What am I saying NO to in order to say YES to this item?
4. What’s the worst thing that’s going to happen if I get rid of this item?
Oh, and my little daydream that didn't go away for a few months about moving away to a far away land, that helps me decide...I ask myself if it's something I'd have to take with me if we moved and could only take a few things and if the answer is no, well, then it's gone.
And thinking that maybe everything in our storage unit was garbage and realizing that I don't care about much of it made me think that I might feel the same way about our other stuff. I've gotten rid of as much stuff this week as I usually do in about six weeks...it's unbelievable.
Maybe in a few weeks we'll notice a significant difference in our house...
Fingers crossed!
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Out, damned stuff
I am a pack rat.
That isn't a secret I keep from anyone in real life or on this blog.
I keep stuff.
I keep too much stuff.
I know it. I'm trying to get better about getting rid of stuff, but it's a work in progress. That's why I decided to do the 52 Weeks of Organizing Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie is hosting and you'll also notice some organizing and purging items in my 101 in 1001 list.
I'm getting better at getting rid of stuff. I'm slowly teaching myself not to feel guilty about getting rid of things we never use or don't like. Because we're never going to use them. Really.
This weekend we discovered that we will be getting rid of a bunch of our stuff, whether we like it or not (it's a long, on-going story...everything is fine, nothing bad happened) and you know what, I've discovered I'm actually okay with that.
I did a quick mental survey of our house earlier and the only things I'd be sad to lose, that I felt were irreplaceable are some photos, my Pax Lodge books, and our Christmas decorations, but really, if something happened to our stuff and all I could take away was Alex and J, well, that would be fine too.
Somewhere in the past ten months something inside me has shifted. I'm not attached to stuff anymore. I've figured out that it's just stuff. Sure, I have a lovely blue-glass, mouth-blown vase that I got in Camden market and a handmade pottery water jug we received as a wedding gift and a Swarovski crystal butterfly Alex gave me years ago, but we can replace that stuff if we need to. Maybe not with identical things, but with something.
We've tossed a lot in the last few weeks (it will soon be showing up on the tossed out stuff website) and there is more to come. And I'm good with it.
I've noticed it's extending to other areas of my life too. I was horrible for archiving 90% of what came into my gmail and filing 95% of my work emails I received. I know what I need to keep for future reference and what I don't. Just because I have tons of space doesn't mean I need to keep every single email I get. I can delete the ones that say "thanks" or have the directions to a meeting that happened a month ago.
It's totally liberating. And I love it. I feel lighter. Hopefully there will be a marked improvement in our apartment soon too!
And so far, I haven't regretted a single things I've tossed or deleted. I haven't even missed them!
That isn't a secret I keep from anyone in real life or on this blog.
I keep stuff.
I keep too much stuff.
I know it. I'm trying to get better about getting rid of stuff, but it's a work in progress. That's why I decided to do the 52 Weeks of Organizing Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie is hosting and you'll also notice some organizing and purging items in my 101 in 1001 list.
I'm getting better at getting rid of stuff. I'm slowly teaching myself not to feel guilty about getting rid of things we never use or don't like. Because we're never going to use them. Really.
This weekend we discovered that we will be getting rid of a bunch of our stuff, whether we like it or not (it's a long, on-going story...everything is fine, nothing bad happened) and you know what, I've discovered I'm actually okay with that.
I did a quick mental survey of our house earlier and the only things I'd be sad to lose, that I felt were irreplaceable are some photos, my Pax Lodge books, and our Christmas decorations, but really, if something happened to our stuff and all I could take away was Alex and J, well, that would be fine too.
Somewhere in the past ten months something inside me has shifted. I'm not attached to stuff anymore. I've figured out that it's just stuff. Sure, I have a lovely blue-glass, mouth-blown vase that I got in Camden market and a handmade pottery water jug we received as a wedding gift and a Swarovski crystal butterfly Alex gave me years ago, but we can replace that stuff if we need to. Maybe not with identical things, but with something.
We've tossed a lot in the last few weeks (it will soon be showing up on the tossed out stuff website) and there is more to come. And I'm good with it.
I've noticed it's extending to other areas of my life too. I was horrible for archiving 90% of what came into my gmail and filing 95% of my work emails I received. I know what I need to keep for future reference and what I don't. Just because I have tons of space doesn't mean I need to keep every single email I get. I can delete the ones that say "thanks" or have the directions to a meeting that happened a month ago.
It's totally liberating. And I love it. I feel lighter. Hopefully there will be a marked improvement in our apartment soon too!
And so far, I haven't regretted a single things I've tossed or deleted. I haven't even missed them!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Spooky Nights
Happy Hallowe'en! Are you eating "gross" food tonight? We're not...we're keeping it simple. We were going to take J trick or treating yesterday at a local Hallowe'en event, but life had other plans for us.
So, J and I are meeting up with Fiona tonight to do a block or so of Fiona's street. J was SOOOOOOOO excited to wear her costume today!
Usually we have macaroni and cheese for dinner on Hallowe'en, but due to the changes in plans and all the other "life" that is happening in our world right now, we're not having it tonight. But it will make an appearance soon. J has asked for it!
Monday: Tortellini Soup
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Spaghetti with Bacon Meatballs
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Salmon Cakes
Saturday: Visit with Alex's parents
Sunday: Chicken and Dumplings
Hmmm...does that look suspiciously like last week's menu or is it just me? No, the last half is the same as last week. Last week was nuts and some things got moved around and some things had more leftovers than expected and other things didn't get made and then there was life kicking us in the pants so we ordered takeout and ate leftovers forever. But it's all good.
For more menus, including some that are Hallowe'en inspired, head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.
So, J and I are meeting up with Fiona tonight to do a block or so of Fiona's street. J was SOOOOOOOO excited to wear her costume today!
Usually we have macaroni and cheese for dinner on Hallowe'en, but due to the changes in plans and all the other "life" that is happening in our world right now, we're not having it tonight. But it will make an appearance soon. J has asked for it!
Monday: Tortellini Soup
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Spaghetti with Bacon Meatballs
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Salmon Cakes
Saturday: Visit with Alex's parents
Sunday: Chicken and Dumplings
Hmmm...does that look suspiciously like last week's menu or is it just me? No, the last half is the same as last week. Last week was nuts and some things got moved around and some things had more leftovers than expected and other things didn't get made and then there was life kicking us in the pants so we ordered takeout and ate leftovers forever. But it's all good.
For more menus, including some that are Hallowe'en inspired, head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Comfort Food
It's getting cold and I'm seeing a definite change in our meals - heavier, less raw, not sure the last time I saw a salad. Good thing we all seem to enjoy broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and other winter vegetables.
Monday: Black beans and grilled shrimp
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Channa masala (yup, we love it!)
Thursday: Spaghetti and Bacon Meatballs
Friday: Salmon Cakes
Saturday: Visit with Alex's parents?
Sunday: Chicken and Dumplings
Head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more meal ideas.
Monday: Black beans and grilled shrimp
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Channa masala (yup, we love it!)
Thursday: Spaghetti and Bacon Meatballs
Friday: Salmon Cakes
Saturday: Visit with Alex's parents?
Sunday: Chicken and Dumplings
Head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more meal ideas.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Kitchen Tweaks
I'm generally happy with how my kitchen is organized. I'd love to have more space, particularly a proper pantry, but as it is now, it will do. We're working on a solution for a pantry that involved our small storage closet, some shelving and the assistance of Alex's dad.
I can't really complain about my kitchen. It's small, but it works. I'd love new paint, a back splash, new counter tops, different flooring and different (or at least painted) cabinets, but those are cosmetic issues and they will eventually get changed. Eventually. One day.
There were two spots that were bugging me a bit - our miscellaneous drawer and a corner cupboard when I keep cutting boards, cookie sheets, muffins tins and other flat things.
The drawer wasn't too bad for a catch-all - there were many, many, many sets of take-out chopsticks (I'm not entirely sure when we had Japanese or Chinese take-out last), a bunch of ketchup and soy sauce packets and a few weirdo kitchen utensils that we tossed, but that's it. With the exception if the roast lifting fork things, the turkey baster and the rolling pin (they're in another drawer), everything is in here and sorted.
It's amazing what three small containers can do for one unruly drawer! Everything had a place before but the whisk attachments for the hand blender and the mixer kept getting crushed, the pastry cutter floated around and the eight bazillion chopsticks where just really annoying. We have beautiful, lacquered chopsticks a friend from Japan brought us and we usually use those. We ask for our takeout without chopsticks and that usually keeps the number of extra chopstick to a minimum. If we were ordering chopstick food and there were more than six people, we could just ask for chopsticks then. I've never heard of a chopstick emergency...
I also tackled the corner cupboard. I had read somewhere about using tension curtain rods to make a rack for cookies sheets and other flat kitchen things, but I had been unable to find ones that didn't need hooks to attach. I was out a few weeks ago at a discount department store (you know, the one that sells off stock from other stores...starts with a "W") and was looking for something else and I saw this. It was less than $15, so I figured it was worth a try.
Our pans were all leaning against one another in the corner cupboard - well, flat-ish stuff, not just pans. There was a roasting pan and rack (not pictured because it was in the oven cooking a turkey) three cookie sheet, a pizza sheet, a bunch of cutting boards, and some muffin tins. T Hat glass loaf pan you can see there sort of held them up, but not really. In reality everything just slid down until the loaf pan ran into something else and nothing moved.
It drove me nuts! The kitchen in the blue house had a funny narrow cupboard with wooden dividers just for stuff like that.
This is the result. And it's so nice. Nothing falls over. There's no avalanche of flat stuff every time we take something out of here. The rest of the things in this cupboard have more space. It's great.
Side note: Does anyone know why we have holes cut in the tops of the corner cupboard (like the one you can see in this picture)? Both corner cupboard have similar cutouts. Does it have something to do with installation?
I'm slowly getting back on track with my 52 weeks of organizing list, so I'm linking to I'm an Organizing Junkie.
I can't really complain about my kitchen. It's small, but it works. I'd love new paint, a back splash, new counter tops, different flooring and different (or at least painted) cabinets, but those are cosmetic issues and they will eventually get changed. Eventually. One day.
There were two spots that were bugging me a bit - our miscellaneous drawer and a corner cupboard when I keep cutting boards, cookie sheets, muffins tins and other flat things.
The drawer wasn't too bad for a catch-all - there were many, many, many sets of take-out chopsticks (I'm not entirely sure when we had Japanese or Chinese take-out last), a bunch of ketchup and soy sauce packets and a few weirdo kitchen utensils that we tossed, but that's it. With the exception if the roast lifting fork things, the turkey baster and the rolling pin (they're in another drawer), everything is in here and sorted.
It's amazing what three small containers can do for one unruly drawer! Everything had a place before but the whisk attachments for the hand blender and the mixer kept getting crushed, the pastry cutter floated around and the eight bazillion chopsticks where just really annoying. We have beautiful, lacquered chopsticks a friend from Japan brought us and we usually use those. We ask for our takeout without chopsticks and that usually keeps the number of extra chopstick to a minimum. If we were ordering chopstick food and there were more than six people, we could just ask for chopsticks then. I've never heard of a chopstick emergency...
I also tackled the corner cupboard. I had read somewhere about using tension curtain rods to make a rack for cookies sheets and other flat kitchen things, but I had been unable to find ones that didn't need hooks to attach. I was out a few weeks ago at a discount department store (you know, the one that sells off stock from other stores...starts with a "W") and was looking for something else and I saw this. It was less than $15, so I figured it was worth a try.
Our pans were all leaning against one another in the corner cupboard - well, flat-ish stuff, not just pans. There was a roasting pan and rack (not pictured because it was in the oven cooking a turkey) three cookie sheet, a pizza sheet, a bunch of cutting boards, and some muffin tins. T Hat glass loaf pan you can see there sort of held them up, but not really. In reality everything just slid down until the loaf pan ran into something else and nothing moved.
It drove me nuts! The kitchen in the blue house had a funny narrow cupboard with wooden dividers just for stuff like that.
This is the result. And it's so nice. Nothing falls over. There's no avalanche of flat stuff every time we take something out of here. The rest of the things in this cupboard have more space. It's great.
Side note: Does anyone know why we have holes cut in the tops of the corner cupboard (like the one you can see in this picture)? Both corner cupboard have similar cutouts. Does it have something to do with installation?
I'm slowly getting back on track with my 52 weeks of organizing list, so I'm linking to I'm an Organizing Junkie.
Fast Approaching
Just in case you need a reminder of how far (or close) Christmas really is...
Usually it's a few weeks before I really start thinking about December, but for some reason this year I've started already. But 65 days seems like a long way away, so maybe I can forget about it for a while. But you know, in a few weeks, I will be checking this site regularly. (oh, and this is correct. It looks like there's an extra hour there, but that's because there is...we gain a hour when the clocks change in November)
Usually it's a few weeks before I really start thinking about December, but for some reason this year I've started already. But 65 days seems like a long way away, so maybe I can forget about it for a while. But you know, in a few weeks, I will be checking this site regularly. (oh, and this is correct. It looks like there's an extra hour there, but that's because there is...we gain a hour when the clocks change in November)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Pulled Pork (Beef)
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Last week on our menu for Sunday we had written pulled pork. We were looking forward to this dinner all week. Except when I went to the grocery store, I couldn't find a pork roast over 1 lb. And it was late enough that the butcher had gone home, so I was left with what there was in the meat case.
I hummed and hawed and discovered there were three pork roasts that added up to close to 3.5 lbs, but they were three different cuts and together they cost, oh, $38! That's just way too much to pay for pulled pork! But beef was on sale. I got a 3.5 lb roast for $10. A huge improvement!
I decided to just cook it exactly as I would have cooked the pork and it was SO GOOD. Yum!
J loved it too - we let her pick the vegetables and as always broccoli is one of her favourites. I think next time we let her pick, we'll specify that they should be different colours (although peas and broccoli are two of my favourites too). We got a good four meals out this. I'm looking forward to trying it with actual pork too.
Last week on our menu for Sunday we had written pulled pork. We were looking forward to this dinner all week. Except when I went to the grocery store, I couldn't find a pork roast over 1 lb. And it was late enough that the butcher had gone home, so I was left with what there was in the meat case.
I hummed and hawed and discovered there were three pork roasts that added up to close to 3.5 lbs, but they were three different cuts and together they cost, oh, $38! That's just way too much to pay for pulled pork! But beef was on sale. I got a 3.5 lb roast for $10. A huge improvement!
I decided to just cook it exactly as I would have cooked the pork and it was SO GOOD. Yum!
J loved it too - we let her pick the vegetables and as always broccoli is one of her favourites. I think next time we let her pick, we'll specify that they should be different colours (although peas and broccoli are two of my favourites too). We got a good four meals out this. I'm looking forward to trying it with actual pork too.
Is it Monday somewhere?
I didn't get this up on Monday. Or yesterday. So here it is today. Partly because I need to be able to refer to it when I'm not at home.
Monday: Leftover slow cooker pulled pork that was actually beef
Tuesday: Chicken and white bean chili (recipe to come) with homemade bread
Wednesday: Leftover chili with cornmeal muffins
Thursday: Something special for Alex - Tater Tot Casserole, Shannon-style
Friday: Dinner out for the grownups. J will either have leftovers with the babysitter or she has asked to make pizza
Saturday: Take out (probably Italian)
Sunday: Alex's choice (and he'll be cooking) - he hasn't decided yet but my guess is either fish or a hearty soup or stew...
This week is a funny food week partly because it's our anniversary - that's why we're having tater tot casserole and going out AND ordering in. I linked up to I'm an Organizing Junkie and I hope that next week I'll my life together enough to get my menu up before it's half cooked and eaten!
Monday: Leftover slow cooker pulled pork that was actually beef
Tuesday: Chicken and white bean chili (recipe to come) with homemade bread
Wednesday: Leftover chili with cornmeal muffins
Thursday: Something special for Alex - Tater Tot Casserole, Shannon-style
Friday: Dinner out for the grownups. J will either have leftovers with the babysitter or she has asked to make pizza
Saturday: Take out (probably Italian)
Sunday: Alex's choice (and he'll be cooking) - he hasn't decided yet but my guess is either fish or a hearty soup or stew...
This week is a funny food week partly because it's our anniversary - that's why we're having tater tot casserole and going out AND ordering in. I linked up to I'm an Organizing Junkie and I hope that next week I'll my life together enough to get my menu up before it's half cooked and eaten!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
A pancake lover's pancake...
36.37 Try 50 new recipes
My house smells like Christmas. And I'm okay with that even though Christmas is still over two months away.
I saw these tasty looking pancakes and knew we were going to try them. I didn't realize it would be so soon...J asked for special pancakes this morning (we're a pancake family and Sunday is usually pancake day at our house)and I immediately thought of these.
They were so thick and fluffy and light. I realized I need to replace my ginger and nutmeg, because there just wasn't enough of those flavours (and when I smelled them before I put them in, I thought they were a bit weak), but that's my fault not the recipe's.
We'll be making these again for sure - I made two changes - I doubled the recipe because 2-3 servings doesn't usually manage to fill up the hungry people at our house (there were only 3 pancakes left and I'm sure they'll be gone before lunch) and I didn't have Greek yogurt so we used 3%.
I have made a few of Jenna's recipes and I've loved all of them...if you're looking for something new, I recommend her site for sure (she does vegetarian and vegan recipes as well as meat).
My house smells like Christmas. And I'm okay with that even though Christmas is still over two months away.
I saw these tasty looking pancakes and knew we were going to try them. I didn't realize it would be so soon...J asked for special pancakes this morning (we're a pancake family and Sunday is usually pancake day at our house)and I immediately thought of these.
They were so thick and fluffy and light. I realized I need to replace my ginger and nutmeg, because there just wasn't enough of those flavours (and when I smelled them before I put them in, I thought they were a bit weak), but that's my fault not the recipe's.
We'll be making these again for sure - I made two changes - I doubled the recipe because 2-3 servings doesn't usually manage to fill up the hungry people at our house (there were only 3 pancakes left and I'm sure they'll be gone before lunch) and I didn't have Greek yogurt so we used 3%.
I have made a few of Jenna's recipes and I've loved all of them...if you're looking for something new, I recommend her site for sure (she does vegetarian and vegan recipes as well as meat).
Thursday, October 13, 2011
A Broken Magazine...
I'm all for technology, but first the "suffering" caused by lack of Blackberry and now this. Check out the link and watch the video.
This make me sad. Yes, I am a self professed paper addict. Yes, I read real books still (we don't have an ereader or tablet of any kind). Yes, I still have two subscriptions to magazines and pick up an occasional magazine on my way through the check stand at the grocery store. The last lines of text on the video make me the saddest: "For my one year old daughter, a magazine is an iPad that does not work.It will remain so for her whole life. Steve Jobs has coded part of her OS."
Steve Jobs didn't do the coding, the parents did. J is a three year who has grown up in the same world of technology as this kid. True, we don't have an iPad or even an iPhone in our house, but you can bet J knows how they work. She's known for a good two years. But she also knows how a magazine works. She knows how books work.
Will tablets take over part of the book and magazine (and likely newspaper) markets? For sure. But I don't know that tablets will make books, magazines or newspapers obsolete. While there are still people who love to read "real" books, magazines and newspapers, there will still be "real" books. I imagine that one day soon the majority of that stuff will be available on tablets, but I'm not convinced the paper products will go away.
That said, I would have loved to have all of my university texts available on a tablet. Can you imagine how much lighter my book bag would have been!?!
PS Sorry about all grumpiness today...maybe it's a sign that I should be in bed long before midnight. Like hours before midnight. I'll try that tonight...
This make me sad. Yes, I am a self professed paper addict. Yes, I read real books still (we don't have an ereader or tablet of any kind). Yes, I still have two subscriptions to magazines and pick up an occasional magazine on my way through the check stand at the grocery store. The last lines of text on the video make me the saddest: "For my one year old daughter, a magazine is an iPad that does not work.It will remain so for her whole life. Steve Jobs has coded part of her OS."
Steve Jobs didn't do the coding, the parents did. J is a three year who has grown up in the same world of technology as this kid. True, we don't have an iPad or even an iPhone in our house, but you can bet J knows how they work. She's known for a good two years. But she also knows how a magazine works. She knows how books work.
Will tablets take over part of the book and magazine (and likely newspaper) markets? For sure. But I don't know that tablets will make books, magazines or newspapers obsolete. While there are still people who love to read "real" books, magazines and newspapers, there will still be "real" books. I imagine that one day soon the majority of that stuff will be available on tablets, but I'm not convinced the paper products will go away.
That said, I would have loved to have all of my university texts available on a tablet. Can you imagine how much lighter my book bag would have been!?!
PS Sorry about all grumpiness today...maybe it's a sign that I should be in bed long before midnight. Like hours before midnight. I'll try that tonight...
Suffering? Seriously?
On my way to the office this morning, there was a segment on the radio about the current lack of service for Blackberry clients (as of 8:20ish am Pacific Time, service has apparently been restored). And many of them were complaining that they were suffering because of the outage. SUFFERING.
Seriously?
No, really?
Suffering? I can see a three day outage as being a big pain and a huge inconvenience, but I don't think it's quite suffering. There are enough examples of people really suffering right now on this planet that calling a Blackberry communication outage suffering just trivializes them. We used to be able to function on a daily basis without Facebook, Twitter, email, Google and whatever else in our pockets. We used to be able to make plans by TALKING on the PHONE (which still worked on the Blackberries) and the meeting people at a predetermined time and location. We used these funky things called maps, printed on paper, to figure out where we need to go.
It was only the Blackberry network that went down, so those business folks who have been inconvenienced could probably still use their other technology (tablet, notebook, laptop, desktop (!), iPhone (because I know a number of people who use both), printer) and make do until the network got fixed.
Yes, three days is a long time to not have your Blackberry working, but it's not like it was three days without food or water. That would actually be suffering.
Yeah, I'm a bit cranky today.
Oh, and full disclosure, I'm a Blackberry user and I'm not sure that I was affected, but my Blackberry is primarily for my boss to find me, and since the phone still worked, my Blackberry was doing its job.
Seriously?
No, really?
Suffering? I can see a three day outage as being a big pain and a huge inconvenience, but I don't think it's quite suffering. There are enough examples of people really suffering right now on this planet that calling a Blackberry communication outage suffering just trivializes them. We used to be able to function on a daily basis without Facebook, Twitter, email, Google and whatever else in our pockets. We used to be able to make plans by TALKING on the PHONE (which still worked on the Blackberries) and the meeting people at a predetermined time and location. We used these funky things called maps, printed on paper, to figure out where we need to go.
It was only the Blackberry network that went down, so those business folks who have been inconvenienced could probably still use their other technology (tablet, notebook, laptop, desktop (!), iPhone (because I know a number of people who use both), printer) and make do until the network got fixed.
Yes, three days is a long time to not have your Blackberry working, but it's not like it was three days without food or water. That would actually be suffering.
Yeah, I'm a bit cranky today.
Oh, and full disclosure, I'm a Blackberry user and I'm not sure that I was affected, but my Blackberry is primarily for my boss to find me, and since the phone still worked, my Blackberry was doing its job.
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