Memorandum Monday - December 5th

Good morning to all the Monday Memo writers & linking in with our hostess, Sian at her blog:  From High In The Sky

What's new from the patio?  Most of our activities have been inside, although there were a few final moments out there on Sunday.  A few last minute things to get stuffed into the garden shed before the snow comes blowing in.  Oh I ache to be out there again, sitting on the patio with my tea & a good book (insert heavy sigh here).
 

Thursday saw me with a new big decision to make.  Let me give you some background to that decision.  I was preparing to send off my few homemade Christmas cards for December 1st - my attempts are/were nothing like some of those gorgeous stamped cards I see being created on "your" blog ... anyway, I was licking the envelopes shut when I noticed red on the envelopes,  then I noticed that there was some sort of red drool from me!  I had cut my tongue on an envelope & now I was bleeding all over the cards I had made.  My decision - do you think anyone would notice or care about a streak of red on the card/envelope?  In the end I had to toss.  Tongues bleed easily & a lot plus it hurts when you get a paper cut on it.

Card Before Attempts To Send

A new way to count down the season - I made this little clipboard Advent Countdown which I am keeping on the mantel in the bedroom, so every  new morning I can remember to change.

This weekend saw us attending a new to us live Christmas concert Saturday night, The Barra MacNeils - a Canadian Celtic group.  We enjoyed the old world carols sung in Scottish Gaelic along with a few jigs.  While I could not understand the words to those sung in Gaelic, several of the carols are favourites so I know the jest of the song & the music, ah the music takes me to that place of Christmas anticipated magic.  
 

from their F/B page

I spent most of Sunday afternoon baking squares (bars) & cookies; 3 types of squares (bars) & 2 types of cookies.  This is definitely a hygge activity - the house smelt amazingly & I felt all domestic.

I have a new pair of Christmas socks.   I personally do not think there is any such thing as an ugly Christmas sweater, but these socks pay homage to that belief. 
 

I will see you later with 5 in 5 on the 5th.   I hope everyone has a great week - my Christmas cards are going to be late this year.

One Photo, 6 Words: Short - Dec 2nd

The idea is to take one photo & write six words which include the word of the week.  Linking in with Miriam & the other short story tellers at:  Miriam.   This week's word is:  Short . 

Short holiday message; Drink? Don't drive.

SOAP BOX MOMENT:   This week the police's holiday R.I.D.E. campaign kicked off & in a 24 hour time frame, over 150 impaired drive charges were laid - what don't people get about no driving when you have been drinking (or taking drugs).  R.I.D.E. = reduce impaired driving everywhere.

SNAP - A Place To Sit

Linking in with the SNAP Community along with our hostess Helena at:  SNAP.    Have a peek at what everyone else has found as a two to four photo collection this week & then please join in.

This week my collection are places to sit & be reflective.

Memorandum Monday - Nov 28th

Linking in with the other delightful Monday Memo writers through our lovely hostess, Sian at:From High In The Sky

What is new from the patio?  A fair amount of focus looking forward & in particular, to December Stories scrapping. My new resolve to not purchase anything new was tested on Friday, when I was in Waterloo, which is very close to the only local scrap store left.  Of course I had to visit.  

I did sign up with Get It Scrapped, Debbie Hodge's free December Stories mini workshop.  I really like the new to me idea of recording stories of December in a new way.  First lesson - The Herald's of Christmas.  Yes, yes, yes, a new perspective to the telling of the stories & remembering.  Sing it Taylor - shake shake shake it up.

I cannot decide which album to use this year, in the past all my Christmas albums have been red, but like so many other things, I am feeling the need for a little shaking up. (I can hear Taylor Swift singing) I have two to choose from; the standard & classic deep ruby red (photo shows a bright red, it's not) or the green herringbone.  Both are 12X12 & from the stash.

I also have to make a choice about a title page.  Both "joy" pages would require a little more bling & I do have some red, green & clear bling rhinestones.  I will add the year to the bottom of the page.  The Simple Stories sheet of page is complete on its own - umm what's a girl to do?

oops - how did this new sheet get in there?!?!

I have started some of my foundation pages & from my stash, I have some pocket pages that were suppose to be 12X12 but the manufacturer missed the mark; almost, but not quite.  I think I will use them for the stash of quote cards.

I am using these tags as my day markers - I have right through to the 31st of December. Each one has a little pocket so I can add some journaling thoughts.

My calendar so far just has the numbers on - that package only went to the 25th, so I have some other little squares that fit for the 6 days following.

 I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead.  My thought for the week is:  Tea is wealth itself, because there is nothing that cannot be lost, no problem that will not disappear, no burden that will not float away, between the first sip and the last.  

My Gran said this all the time, but it is from The Minister of Leaves, The Republic of Tea.

PS - I do apologize if anyone now has that T.S song stuck in their head.

One Photo, 6 Words: Narrow - Nov 25th

The idea is to take one photo & write six words which include the word of the week.  Linking in with Miriam & the other short story tellers at:  Miriam.   This week's word is: Narrow. 

Narrow rows, but choice is big

SNAP: Nov 23rd - Reflecting Reflections

Linking in with the SNAP Community along with our hostess Helena at:  SNAP.    Have a peek at what everyone else has found as a two to four photo collection this week & then please join in.

This week my SNAP collection are some of my photos which reflect my  learning curve in taking water reflection shots.  I have found that you really need a combination of good daylight, calm waters & the remembrance of taking your camera with you all the time, which then allows you to take advantage when all the elements come together.

From Last Autumn - not enough sunlight BUT oh those colours

 

Spring in the conservation park

 

Summer - Good light, calm waters

 

My Personal Favourite & I think my best so far

Memorandom Monday - Nov 21st

Linking in & saying good morning to all the Monday Memo writers through our hostess, Sian at:From High In The Sky

New from the patio:

Winter has sent a calling card of her impending arrival.  I shall try to greet Her with new warm boots, freshly laundered mittens, hats, scarf & coat.  I will try not to fight with Her too often, but only if She promises more sunny days than not.

Friday afternoon the 3 cedar sisters had their not new winter hoods put on which was just in time for the icy wintry winds blasting through all Saturday & Sunday. 

Saturday was one of my new activities planned; the Joy House Tour. My friend & I snooped around visited 8 truly unique & amazing homes. We drove from house to house in almost ever type of weather, but mostly heavy rain & wet snow.  Thankfully we had our umbrellas so during the wait times outside each house, we could keep some parts of us dry.  Having naturally curly hair the wet did not impact it negativity.  Very strict about no photography in the house & to take photos of the homes, I had to be on public sidewalks or roadways - security staff were every where to ensure!

Our first visit was first on everyone's list - the Victoria Mansion, who's owners are a prominent family in Guelph that own a very large auto parts manufacturing business. One highlight of this house was a charming calico cat rubbing in between all the visitors.  The owners have kept the inside & outside of the house true to the period that the house was built in.  Victorians it seems liked a lot of stuff!

The rest of the Joy House Tour homes ranged from a moderately sized renovated home; a century home; a converted home which had once being a estate home, converted to 5 apartments & now back to ground floor single dwelling with 2 apartments above; a very large estate home on acreage (their pool house was as big as most homes), a recent custom designed build; a retirement bungaloft & a home within an adults only community.  All the homes featured basements with family living spaces; the acreage estate home had a small room with simulated ice for hockey slap shot practice, which was right next to the 14 seat home theatre room!  

 

I am glad I participated but not sure this would be on my pre-Christmas activity list again & for me there was no clear "my favourite" home.  I did come away with a few simple decorating ideas for Christmas.








 AND the Tim Hortons new Christmas cups are out!!  For those that don't know - Tim Hortons in Canada is like Starbucks in the US of A.

front

back

So that is my Monday memo for this blustery Monday ... happy week to all. I leave you with a poem about November.

"November comes And November goes, With the last red berries And the first white snows.

With night coming early, And dawn coming late, And ice in the bucket And frost by the gate.

The fires burn And the kettles sing, And earth sinks to rest Until next spring."
-  Elizabeth Coatsworth