Take Three Thursday - Watching

In an effort to notice more of the ordinary in my life, I have decided to share what I have noticed this week in Take Three Thursday.   The idea is to take 1 - 3 photos that are linked some how; by theme, by colour, by date, by moment,  by points of view. There is no formal link in but please feel free to join in.   

This week I've noticed which of my Christmas movies seem to pair well.  All of these movies come from a long family history.  My Grandmother is the one that started with the class black & white movies & then my Mother added hers to the list & every few years a family classic gets added to the list of our traditional must watch at Christmas time movie list.  What are your must watch Christmas movies?

These are the ones that I have watched so far this season.  The first pair are: Bill Murray in Scrooged, a take on Dicken's A Christmas Carol.   Carol Kane as the Fairy of Christmas Present is some of the funniest parts ... this movie is not for kids.  The other is Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation - glad I don't live next door to Clark Griswold.

The second set that I think go well together are two originals both in black & white movies:  Miracle on 34th Street - it's all about the Christmas believing magic.  The second in this pairing is about the magic of Christmas prayers; The Bishop's Wife.

And the third pairing are all about the curtain pulled back on Santa

I know that many consider It's A Wonderful Life as a must see during the holidays, but neither Mr Man or I really think George Bailey had a wonderful life - all those around him because of him in many ways had a wonderful life, but not poor old George.  

And moving just outside of the threesome of Thursday, a must see on Christmas Eve is A Christmas Carol, black & white with Alister Sims as Scrooge.  Near the end after all three visits if you watch you will notice the stage hand in the mirror when Scrooge is checking himself out after the visit of the 3 ghosts.  Film history!

Me On A Monday - 10 On December 10th

Ten on the 10th - my top ten things I love about Christmas

1. The reason for the season - baby Jesus.  I love the Christmas story even if it's unlikely Jesus was really born in December, I like that we take a season to celebrate the difference a baby can make.

2. Christmas Magic, the possibilities of those wishes coming true & of being delivered with love.


3.  The food.  All the special holiday treats, especially cookies so beautifully decorated, those stuffed filled squares, those munchies brought out only at this time of year & let's not forget those special creamy drinks

4. Eggnog - oh yes, so creamy so good, so rich, with or without the booze.  There's so many things you can add egg nog to, cake batter, cookies.

5. The music.  I love Christmas carols, especially the ones that I know the words to.  Oh Come All Ye Faithful is a favourite.

6.  Christmas movies.  Love always wins at Christmas.

7. Cards, I like receiving & I'm really liking my new found interest in making them to send to family & friends.

8. Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, Par Noel, - I like a guy that wants to bring you a beautifully wrapped gift, specially chosen for you.

9. The joy & friendliness that everyone conspires to be part of. 


10. Lights, twinkle ones, candle light ones, multi coloured ones; on the tree, on the house  

Take Three Thursday - The Sweet Side of Christmas

In an effort to notice more of the ordinary in my life, I have decided to share what I have noticed this week in Take Three Thursday.   The idea is to take 1 - 3 photos that are linked some how; by theme, by colour, by date, by moment,  by points of view. There is no formal link in but please feel free to join in.   What have you noticed this week?  

Christmas treats everywhere is what I'm noticing.  All the special chocolates sold & shared at Christmas.  Lindor are some of my favourites along with Quality Street.  Thankfully both can be bought at the bulk stores, so just a small hand picked selection for at home.

Cookies, I like cookies, I would take cookies over cake any day.  I watch the Christmas Cookie Challenges every year.  The decorating is truly a talent, not one I have.

Ah the smooth & usually sweet Christmas drinks, especially those with an egg nog base - but not to much or those digestives woes return.  Using candy canes as a stir stick - well it just makes it all the more festive.

"a balanced life is having a cookie in each hand." 

Me On A Monday - ABC of December 3rd

The ABC’s of Christmas

Angels Announcing Advent

Believe, absolutely Believe or you’ll get underwear

Cookies have no calories for Santa, but for you, there are many; cards, sending & receiving

Deliver gifts that you would want to receive

Exclaim joy

Feed the child in you

 

Gingerbread houses need to be built 

Holly

Insist on only the finest ingredients, such as pure vanilla in your baking

Jim jams - a new pair for Christmas Eve (pajamas)

Keep the reason for the season first & foremost

Lights, lots of them, inside & outside

Music & movies of Christmas, the old classical & the new

No naughty behaviour

Ornaments, lots on the tree & all about the house

Plants of the Christmas variety should be real, unless you have cats/dogs

Quality chocolate at Christmas is a must

Reindeer, all 8 of them with the occasional extra red nosed one

Sing, but not too loudly & try to know the words

Toys, donate one for a girl, one for a boy

 

Unwrapping of gifts, big or small

Visit Santa, write him a letter, tell him your deepest held wish

Weight gain is a probable side effect of Christmas

Xempt no one from merry making

Yule logs - simulated with a gas fireplace accepted

Zebras in a Santa hats DO make an acceptable festive ornament

Take Three Thursday - Pretty Holidays

Good News - the postal strike is over or at least diminished - the workers have been legislated back to work - so that means a weekend of card making!


This week my three are from the Patio Vault, foretelling of the season to come - Christmas.  One of my four favourite celebrations.

Please have a peek at what others are noticing this week - to name a few:

Karen with her beautiful cards & tags: Random Reflections
Maggie with lots of birthday celebrations: Farmer's Wife Day By Day  
Miss Wookie with interesting & pretty flowers: Mrs Wookies Wanderings 
Eileen with some renovations & adventures in a cloakroom: Bracelet of Days
Ruth with amazing scrap pages & wanders about London: This West London Life 

Me On A Monday - The November 26th Edition

Greetings and good morning one & all. I hope & trust everyone had a good weekend preparing us all for the adventures of the week.

Pondering: whether I'll send Christmas cards this year other than those I can hand deliver.   Canada Post workers are engaged in rotating strikes across the country which has several retailers worried about sales for the Christmas season of gifts & cards. Amazon.ca has even spoken to the government about loss of sales.  SO, our federal government has been debating in parliament whether they should legislate the workers back to work - oh that makes the postal workers very angry!  I think this is a situation with no winners & I don't want my cards caught up in the dispute of no delivery or work to rule banter, especially since making cards is a lot of work, a labour of love yes but to be lost in the mail ...

Receiving: lots of emails reminding me about picking One Little Word for 2019.  After I get over the shock that it's going to be 2019, I realize I haven't given any thought (yet) to picking OLW.  I've liked this year's choice of Focus - I may just keep it & re-use next year.  What about you?  Given any thoughts to picking one little word for the year?

Source: Internet

 Planning: Christmas seasonal events.  We have our tickets already purchased for a concert, the Barra MacNeils, a sibling, singing, playing group from  Nova Scotia (east coast) Canada.   Their name comes from the Scottish island of Barra which is the ancestral home of Clan MacNeil. Their music is quite eclectic, but with a Gaelic flavour.  We saw them in concert 2 years ago.  They do a rendition of O Holy Night that gives you goose bumps.  Now I need to find one or two more events to attend, ones that don't have a high cost to them.  A few of the churches have carol concerts & they ask for either a free will offering or a donation to the local food bank.  Both of these charges are within our budget plans.

Source: Internet

Watched:  we recently saw two movies at home on the TV movie network; Christopher Robin & Crazy Rich Asians.  We liked both, there was no violence, no swearing.  Christopher Robin was our favourite of the two, a really sweet movie.

TV Watching:  While folding laundry, I've watched a few back to back episodes of the Christmas Cookie Challenge, which is most appropriate as I've been assigned to baking a few dozen cookies for our church Christmas Bazaar this weekend.  I'll be making nothing as fancy as the bakers on this show.  Some of the cookies are works of art & I would hesitate to eat them.  I don't like to try anything new when I'm baking on this scale - tried & true is my motto; Lemon Chocolate Chip & Eggnog Cinnamon Bar (cut into shapes).

"an apron is just a cape on backwards"

Take Three Thursday - Pure As Milk

In an effort to notice more of the ordinary in my life, I have decided to share what I have noticed this week in Take Three Thursday.   The idea is to take photos that are linked some how; by theme, by colour, by date, by moment,  by points of view. There is no formal link in but please feel free to join in.   What have you noticed this week? 

Please have a peek at what others have noticed this week:

Maggie at:  FarmersWifeDayByDay    
Karen at: Random Reflections  
Miss Wookie at: Missus Wookie's Wanderings  

This week I want to talk about how many if not most Canadians are getting their milk.  We purchase our milk in bags - that's right, bags.  Although Canadians aren't the only ones using this method of delivery, but every time my American relatives are "home" they laugh & seemed amazed that we have bagged milk.  While readily available throughout Canada, Ontario & the rest of eastern Canada seem to be the provinces that truly embraced it.

1%, 2%, Skim & Whole Milk come in 3 X 1 litre bags.  It's great that each of the three bags has the expiry date printed right on it.  No more guessing or smelling!  Plus bags are easy to fit into the freezer.

A special designed milk pitcher/holder for the individual bags.  I've seen some pottery pitchers that are really nice.   Umm something to go on the Christmas Wish List.

One of the tools used for opening the bag, which is usually magnetic to keep on the refrigerator  - I use scissors, I have enough gadgets.
 

   
Yes, we also get our chocolate milk this way.  

You can read more about our bagged milk here:  Wikipedia - Bagged Milk