Me On Monday - December 7th

Linking in with Sian & All The Other wavers.  You can connect through Sian's site:  http://fromhighinthesky.blogspot.ca/

This past weekend, which already seems so long ago, saw me having breakfast with a friend on Friday to celebrate her up coming birthday, a perfect way to start the weekend

Afterwards I had my visit with Santa, he was very jolly & seemed quite agreeable to my request for a horse of my own, a pink tutu & a tiara & I promised him I would not wear the tutu & tiara while riding my horse.

It looks like Christmas has thrown up at my house - it's all decorated, even some of the kitchen cupboards get decorated.

 Mr Man questions why the bathrooms have to be decorated - get over it honey, I love Christmas. Our weather forecast has no promise of a white Christmas.  Which apparently is contributing to people feeling blue. Hard to believe I'm in Canada & we have no snow.  I personally don't need snow for Christmas to visit upon me.  Mr Man on the other hand, says he does need snow to feel Christmasy. 

My boss gave me a small budget to decorate the clinic - he had no idea what would be unleashed - it's festive, but not screaming Christmas, I realize the need for seasonal sensitivity to patients.

I did some more baking; mincemeat tarts & I ventured into making  pastry from scratch, it's not a developed skill of mine. Latest food obsession; gingerbread.  I know how My Month In Numbers will end this month, too many calories.  

Someone, I'm not pointing fingers or naming names, ate about 15 days worth of chocolate in the Advent pockets "oh, sorry". I didn't know ...

Sleeping cats are the sweetest of sights, especially after 20 minutes of me trying to decorate the big tree with their help & assistance, oh there were a few raised tones of "stop that" "no" "I said NO".













I pulled out one of my favourite Christmas things for the horse theme in the family room, it's a Christmas stocking holder (& yes that's me riding in the photo).

On Saturday after I had a visit to a scrapping store, Two Scrapping Friends in Waterloo, Mr Man, who is very interested in model trains, decided that we should see if the close by model train club was open, so off we went to St Jacobs.  The club was open & in full force, with about 5 operators running the very large model railway - it's all O gauge.  Timing is everything, while we were wandering around they have an hourly "night time" session & during this session there was a Santa train - no photography is allowed during the "night time" but once it was over I could snap away.  Visiting a model train show seems to have become an annual Christmas tradition for us.

On Sunday was a candlelight service in memory of 14 woman killed at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec, December 6th, 1989. The shooter didn't like feminists. Quebec has tougher gun laws as a result.   It has become a day to mark the hoped for end of volience towards women world wide.  We took a moment to also remember those 14 people in California, who recently lost their lives in a senseless gun rampage.  Gun laws have to change in the US of A. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead of them. I hope that love, joy & baked goods can be found in abundance for all.  I know I will be having a second helping of gingerbread muffins.

Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt

The Lovely Eileen & her friend Joy have created a list for a Winter Time Photo Scavenger Hunt. Thanks ladies.   You can link in at Eileen's blog:  http://in-my-playroom.blogspot.co.uk/  

I am starting off with a Snowman, which our westerly neighbours son, Duke, made at the end of our shared lawn. It's "funny" how he built this because our little Christmas gift to him & his family is a snowman building kit along with some snow moulds. 

Here's the list from Eileen's blog : 

1.   A robin redbreast

2.   Tinsel

3.   Outside lighting

4.   A star

5.   A snowman

6.   A puddle

7.   Berries and/or nuts

8.   A wreath

9.   A tree that has lost all its leaves

10.  A windy day

11.  Your favourite pudding

12.  A fancy button

13.  Street art

14.  Afternoon tea

15.  Candle light

16.  A chimney

17.  A ladder

18.  An arrow

19.  A fountain

20.  Cutlery

21.  Your own handwriting (this one is compulsory and cannot be substituted)

If you find any of the above hard to get you may substitute one or both of the subjects below, except No. 21 which is compulsory.

Alt A  A supermarket trolley or basket, filled with shopping

Alt B  An animal statue

Alt C  Metal railings

Neighbour's Little Boy, Duke, Made

Pairs - Look Who Rode Into Town

Lining in with Helena's Pairs at :http://helenascreativemaven.blogspot.ca/

My Pairs this week are a zoom out & a zoom in.  These elves were in great abundance at a greenhouse / gift store.  They were to be found in a variety of colours; some all purple; all white, all green, some in black & white, many in seasonal dress of green & red.  Most of their faces were a little creepy to me.  All were too expensive for me to buy.

Zoom Out - The Trees With Elves

Zoom In - A Green & Red Elf

My Month In Numbers - November 2015

Connecting months with Julie at : Notes On Paper

During November 2015 I heard about or was directly involved with what seemed like a lot of losses & I have to say overall, it has been one of the first times I was anxious for the month to end.  I will be thankful that December has now begun & with it comes with a lot about celebrations.

So, to my numbers for November:
 

My Feet In Boots

 
Walked = 300,185 steps
Drove = 289 K
Dinners made at home = 27
Happy Visits with friends in person = 3 
Birthdays celebrated  = 7
Funerals & Celebrations of Life = 3
Weddings Celebrated  = 1
Blog Posts By Me = 16
Dentist Visits  = 2
Long Distance Catch Up Calls With Friends =1
Mr Man Away = 9 days
 Worked In The Clinic  = 6 days
Worked For The Clinic Out of Office =10 days
Christmas Trees put up = 2 (only 1 is decorated so far)
Outside Christmas Lights Hung = 6 strings
Outside Angel =1
Shrubs Removed = 3

Christmas Cakes Baked = 2
Christmas Cookies = 2 kinds X 2 batches 

Cookie Dough With Pecans

Bags to Recycle Centre = 2 - probably the last for the year
Mr Man's Eye Appointments = 3
Professional Photo Fund Raiser Shoot = 1
Snow Tires put on = 4 (they are SO ugly)
Baking Tins sorted = 12+

 

Pretty Christmas Baking Tins - Fill & Give

Chiropractor Snapped & Cracked  = 3 visits
Massages of Pleasure  = 2 (there goes my paycheque)
Books Read = 2 (very slow month)

Brooded over hurt feelings - too much time wasted


  

Me On Monday - November 30th

A wave to Sian & the other wavers - you  can connect with them through:   http://fromhighinthesky.blogspot.ca/

This past week & weekend saw most walks outside enjoying the late afternoon sun / a lot of the time in my walks was spent in  reflective thought on how quickly & how much has happened in 2015 / F1's last race of the 2015 season, well done Nico / two (artificial) Christmas trees up, only one decorated / a constant repeating of  "not my circus, not my monkeys" / telephone chat with a friend /  one of the two fur girls is going through a growth spurt which is being accompanied by a naughtiness phrase  / feeling baffled by The  University of Ottawa's decision to cancel a free yoga class because of concerns over cultural appropriation  - cannot use the word Yoga any longer in course description / photos taken Saturday at the Blue Barn Doors fund raiser - photographer was lots of fun & her big dog very friendly, he posed with us, my hair looked good /  new food obsession is garlic bread/toast/rolls - really how much is too much garlic? / watched the 2 hour season ender of Indian Summers, I didn't like where the story went, but I am looking forward to season 2 / pulled out the Christmas movies to start watching along with Christmas CD's for listening / temperatures dropping, still no snow / enjoying the Food Network's Holiday Baking Championship, there's no yelling or berating of bakers, I have my favourite bakers / lots to look forward to this week in a seasonal & social way.

OK Monday, I'm ready,  let's wrap the month up on a good note & begin the next month - December, which is like the clasp on a necklace, where the other months have all been the beads.

This trail reminds me of 2015 winding down, 2016 just around the bend, out of sight

2015 Christmas Manifesto

 

A Holiday Season Dedicated To Making

The Very Best Memories

With Lots Of Seasonal Sparkle, Music, Love, Movies, Treats & Activities

Of Being Together

To Record Our Christmas Celebrations In The Wonderment Of How Many Different

Ways Each Year We Can Document Our Christmas Preparations & Events

Every Year Has Its Special Moments & Experiences To Capture & Record.

Welcome Christmas 2015

White Amaryllis With Odd Red Streaks

Piles

Linking in with Helena at http://helenascreativemaven.blogspot.ca/

This week's Pairs are about trees & what we do with then when they fall:   A Pile Of Wood & A Wood Pile.  

The tree in the field with the pile of broken branches & trunk from another fallen tree, have been left there, the remnants from that horrible damaging ice storm, two years ago this December 22nd.  There was SO much damage to all the wood lots - many people have still not gotten around to cleaning up, the cost of cutting & removing is too much for many to bare.  I am sure this pile has been providing shelter for some field mice, skunks, rabbits along with some food source of insects for the birds.  

A Pile of Wood

“This leaf has fallen from its mother and withered. Yet the tree does not mourn the loss. While barren, it stands tall, ready to bear the burden of winter, for it knows that through hardship comes renewal.”  DJ Niko, The Oracle


The Wood Pile is a neighbour's fallen maple from this year.  The tree had been damaged in THAT ice storm, but it seemed to be doing OK until a wind storm this September.  The wind felled the entire tree in one thundering blast.  Luckily no one, nor their house, received any damage.  Now they let the wood cure for next year's fireplace offering.  All things to a purpose under heaven ... or something like that. 

There is a sadness to all this & yet renewal of the existing trees, plus this year they put on quite a beautiful Autumn colour display.

A Neighbour's  Wood Pile