Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt (WPSH)

 Eileen, at A Bracelet of Days, is once again hosting the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt.  You can check out the details here: WPSH

Here's the list of items Eileen would like us to find, December 1st 2021 - March 31st, 2022:

1. Party time!
2. A Star
3. Something you use every day
4. Form or shape
5. Diagonal
6. Currency
7. A rainbow
8. In profile
9. A single letter of the alphabet
10. Tree(s)
11. Represent your zodiac sign or your Chinese year animal
12. Symbolic of the country you call home
13. Graffiti/Street Art
14. A tea break/coffee break
15. An external light
16. Half
17. Wheel(s)
18. A gift
19. A decoration
20. Small

• Alt A: Free Choice
• Alt B: The weather today
• Alt C: Square(s)

The first link up will be in the first week of January, at Eileen's blog. Good luck everyone and remember to have fun! 

Me On A Monday - November 29th

 

It's the start of the busy festive season & most towns are trying to resume as normal as possible the tradition of the Santa Claus parade.  Last December many were just out right cancelled, but a few like our little village had the parade participants in a stationery position & the public drove by.  

This year though, it's bands, dogs dressed as elves, lots of kids on floats & the big guy & his Mrs all decked out. This is a daytime parade of the town just up & over from our little village.  Our village parade is a nighttime event & it's all the farm equipment decked out.

Sunday we had snow & it fell in big white fluffy flakes, it look very much like a snow globe scene. For many, they need the snow to get into the feeling of Christmas.  I was safe & warm inside, crafting a few more cards & trying to get the fur girls to co-operate for their Santa photo ... you've heard the expression, it's like herding cats ... 

I cannot show you all the cards I've made, these are just a few of my creations. 

But I will share with you, the card I made a few weeks back for the library ladies that went with the box of chocolates. The reading girl & stack of books is from a CTMH stamp & die set, that is on loan to me.

And I love when Canada gets some positive applause around the world ... not sure this video is it; Woody The Talking Christmas Tree made the Australian show, The Project & the USofA Jimmy Fallon show ... you decide cute or creepy.  I'm in the camp of creepy, but yet I cannot look away!

Woody The Talking Christmas Tree 

Wisdom

 Sending Happy Thanksgiving wishes to our American friends.

"Always give without remembering & always receive without forgetting."

Me On Monday November 22nd

 

 

Sunday, the 21st was Stir Up Sunday; from the Anglican Common Book of Prayer:  "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people".& I made my Christmas cake as tradition dictates. 

Although not a moan, just an observation; the supply chain break has affected baking supplies. No where in my 25 kilometer radius was citrus peel to be found, & I got the last scoop of red & green candied cherries.

My baking supply store tells me that getting many of the usual Christmas baking needs this year has been in minimal quantities or not at all. And to make matters worse, the mud slides & flooding on the west coast of Canada (British Columbia) much of the supplies of anything coming in to their ports, will be delayed coming east, until roads & rails can be re-built, and/or fixed.

This year's Christmas cake recipe had some free fall adjustments; instead of citrus peel, I upped the amount of candied pineapple chunks, & there's two extra scoops of mixed fruit peel instead of the required amounts of cherries.  Just for good measure I added in an extra slog of Grand Marnier !  It can't hurt.

And my parting thought for the day is; Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes; small, large, circle, square, thin crust, thick crust, stuffed crust, extra toppings …

Wisdom

 

"We need to stop just pulling people out of the river.

We need to go up stream & find out why they are falling in."

                        ... Desmond Tutu

Me On A Monday - November 15th

 

Currently Thankful: Mr Man's eye surgery on the 13th went well.  The doctor doing the procedure was very pleased with his work & says that he may consider doing in Mr Man's other eye in 6 months.  I was very surprised by the number of people having this procedure done on the same day.  Apparently lazar drilling holes in the eye is now common treatment! Also very thankful that the threat of snow went north of us.

Currently Watching: the farmer turn the field over. I hadn't actually heard the tractor, what alerted me to this was all the seagulls flying over head, there were about 100 white seagulls enjoying what ever it was the turned over soil brought up for them.  If history is repeated, next spring, he will plant corn.

Currently Thinking About : Christmas Cards.  My 2021 Christmas card intention was to make an assembly line of all the same card. But after 5 of the same card, I was very much like that dog from the movie "Up" ...squirrel & off I'd go when I'd see some other seasonal paper in my stash & my thoughts would go to "oh I think "x" would really like that paper", now where are those embellishments that would work with that paper & oh wouldn't that embossing folder make for a nice background?  So I started to re-think my Christmas card making; if I'm going to make cards, I'd rather put in the time making an individual card for the recipient.  So hence my Christmas card making is slowing down but I am certainly having lots more fun making.  What about you, do you make your cards?  Try to find a card that matches the person you are sending? 

Currently Celebrating: many November birthdays & this is one of the cards I made for my friend who is about to move house.  Not wanting to add to things she has to pack, I bought her a big variety box of hot chocolate, 1 for everyday before she moves. 

Currently Considering: for my 12 Days of Christmas Blessings.  I found a couple of items about creating blessing bags & distributing. These could include bags for the homeless, a woman's shelter or a local seniors residence & it triggered my own idea for making blessing bags for an animal shelter.  All 4 would be worthy causes. What I ponder is, make 3 bags for the 4 different types of shelters or all 12 for 1 shelter? And for scrap booking the 12 Days, I have paper with the traditional 12 days of Christmas song motifs displayed on the paper. This project is coming together rather nicely. 

Currently Viewing:  the 4th season of Shetland & we have decided we need a break. Season 5 can wait a week or so. This story was very well acted, but an ending that left both Mr Man & myself rather upset.  Not wanting to give the ending for those that have not seen; we wanted a happier ending for a particular character. 

And I'll leave you with this thought ... " you know you are old when the music you listen to while cleaning, was once the music you danced to in the clubs!"

Remebering

On the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour, we shall pause to remember.

 

In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow
         Between the crosses, row on row,
       That mark our place; and in the sky
       The larks, still bravely singing, fly
    Scarce heard amid the guns below.

    We are the dead. Short days ago
    We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
       Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
                              In Flanders fields.

    Take up our quarrel with the foe:
    To you from failing hands we throw
       The torch; be yours to hold it high.
       If ye break faith with us who die
    We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
                                In Flanders fields.  

 

written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. 

Lt Colonel John McCrae Statue-Guelph, Ontario

 

 

Wisdom

This quote was recently sent to me from a very wise (older) lady & I thought it was worth sharing.

"you can not skip chapters of your life, that's not how it works.  You have to read every line, meet every character.  You won't enjoy all the chapters. Some chapters will make you cry for weeks, some will leave you with the feeling you don't want to read any more of it or read things you don't want to know. You will have some pages that you don't want to end or re-read. 

But you have to keep reading. Stories keep the world revolving so remember to live yours, do not miss out on any chapters."

Me On A Monday - November 8th

 

Currently Thinking About: more of a return to in person shopping other than grocery shopping. I've shared that this whole pandemic has not been kind to my anxiety levels.  A lot of my shopping sources over the last 19-20 months had excellent curbside or delivery services, but many of them are now eliminating, reducing or charging for these services. I know it's time to start a return to a familiar routine.  Vaccination rates & a reduction in new cases in my area are all good & the province has a plan for booster jab rollout. I would like to do a little clothes shopping & now that the library is open to those able to show proof of vaccination, I'd like to wander the shelves & just look at the books.

Currently Thinking About: do we call it a booster shot or a 3rd COVID Vaccine Jab?

Currently Thinking About: some new ways to reinvent some holiday (Christmas) celebrations.  I've come to the decision to do another gratitude project; the Twelve Days of Christmas Blessings.  As we get closer to the time, I'll share more of this formulating project. For me the 12 days start on the 26th of December, Boxing Day & carry through to Twelve Night in January. It will be part of my December Daily album, although this year's celebrations start in November (Stir Up Sunday is November 21st & Advent begins November 28th) & Twelve Night in January, so is it right to still call it my December Daily album? ... oh another thing to think about !

Currently Thinking About: how is it that the library DVDs are so scratched & almost unplayable?  You take the DVD out of the case, put into your player, then return it to the case. Even accounting for finger prints, Mr Man spent at least 10 minutes cleaning with special DVD sprays & cloths to fix the scratches of the 1st disc of Season 3 of Shetland; even then there were a few pixel disruptions. We are SO liking Shetland.

Currently Thinking About: these fungus in the photo below, are the most disgusting ones I've ever seen.  I've never seen red fungus before & this type is a first in my garden. Have you ever seen such mushrooms before?

And I will leave you with this repeat of a thought ... "I’m gonna carpe sooo many diems when this is all over."

31 Days of Thankful -26-31st

 

Source: Internet

For October I'll be posting Thankful Tuesday & sharing what I have been grateful for during the week.  

With this post, it wraps up my 2021, 31 Days of Thankful, which I have found as always a good reminder to stop & say thank you for all that I have been given & blessed with.

October 26th: during one of those endless Zoom meetings, we had a break so we could free chat (it almost sounds like we are now free range chickens ...) I chatted with a woman I knew to be an avid scrap booker & I had several weeks ago introduced her to uTube Scrapbook Quebec. Well I mentioned that I really like Dorothy's dish & cutlery border & doesn't Zoom scrapper say "oh I have that punch" & has offered to punch out several strips of that border for me!  Gosh I like scrap bookers.  

October 27th: a real change in the weather for the good - gorgeous all day sunshine & milder temperatures, so nice that the windows could be open all day.

October 28th: installation of new bathroom ensuite counter was quick, professional & worth the investment. Corian gave us the option to have the sink molded right into the counter; an option we really like.  

October 29th: last minute grocery order still gave us a workable pick up/curbside time option.  I am considering an in person for the next shop, the location of the grocery store is in the city next to us & they haven't had any new COVID cases in 3 days, an encouraging sign. Also got a free package of plant protein "chick'n" tenders from the grocery store. I have yet to try, but on the menu for Tuesday of next week.

October 30th: from the library, (finally) the 2nd disc for the Accused series to be complete, along with series 1 & 2 of Shetland. Thought we'd try this new to us series.  Lots of watching materials for the rainy weekend.

October 31st: Halloween was a rather non-event in our neighbourhood; I guess too windy, too rainy, too chilly.  Thankfully a quiet evening with no wild bonfire parties and/or fireworks.