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

Me On A Monday - November 19th

Currently


Embracing:  Winter's earlier than normal arrival last Thursday & Friday.  Yes, embrace, dress warmly, go outside & breathe the air...

Also Embracing, that after two grueling weeks, I've took a weekend sabbatical from everyday life to restore & nourish myself. I got out all my scrapping stuff; punches, cutters, paper, embellishment, albums & got caught up on my pages in my day to day album, my garden album & worked a little on my 31 Days of Thankful & December Daily.  It was a wonderful thing I did for myself.  Mr Man & the Fur Girls were fully on board with the plans as long as they got fed.

Thinking: about December Daily.  It is one of my favourite projects in scrapbooking, it was also the way I was introduced to many of my favourite bloggers which I followed (silently) for years, which led me to so many others that I now follow daily & not just in December!  Thanks Ali for that daily link in. 

A Happy Discovery: going back to my December Daily; a couple weeks ago I found at the scrapping store for 25cents a 12X12" calendar page, it was in a bright green & blue not my tradition colours for Christmas, but at the time I thought I could cut the blue off & mount on red paper.  When I was going through some of my Christmas stash of papers, I made a happy discovery - I had lots of the same green, blue & with red, papers that would work with the calendar page.  So maybe I have my colour pallet for this year's DD - a real change up of my usual but change can be good can't it?

Peace:  in a difficult & long drawn out good bye, I've made peace that my role at the clinic needed to end.   I'm SO good now with that decision. Done!  Now to make peace with getting my hair cut - I need to trust my stylist & let her bring out the scissors in full force!  I really haven't changed my hair style in years, lots of trims but nothing radical - I think I'm ready for another significant change.

Hope everyone has a good week & don't forget to do something that nourishes & restores your self, no matter how small, you must do it...

"when you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul & brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life."  Jean Shinoda Boden

Take Three Thursday - It's Beautiful

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 
Eileen at:A Bracelet of Days

Recently on a walk in the local conservation park, I was suddenly struck with an over whelming feeling of "I live in such a beautiful piece of the world."  I was feeling such joy.  A light dusting of snow made the trees, rocks & water feel magical.  

 I am trying to embrace winter complete with snow, cold & all that is not summer & I was dressed appropriately so the cold was not getting to me, but I had a shiver or two truly noticing Mother Natures handiwork.

From our national anthem -  O Canada our home & native land  ... ... with glowing hearts we see thee rise ... ...God keep our land glorious and free!

Me On A Monday - November 12th

Good Morning - I trust that you are all well.

Now that Remembrance Day is over & the 100 bell rings were done at 5pm across Ontario ...

we are now seeing all the beginnings of Christmas being displayed. Many stores deferred putting out their Christmas / winter decorations & celebration pieces in respect to Remembrance Day services.  Many conversations & arguments around whether it is respectful or not to wait for Christmas to be display until after November 11th ....  this year there were more businesses waiting at least until noon of November 11th.  The 100 bell rings were to mark that it was 100 years since the end of World War I - The Great War.  In our little village our church is the only one with a bell.

Our church is preparing for the biggest fund raiser of the year - our Christmas Bazaar; one of the biggest draws is the money tree & the wine tree raffles.  We are all asked to contribute a bottle of wine & a new five dollar bill for both of these "hot" items.

Last Sunday & Monday I attended card making workshops.  The   same cards were made at both classes.  The Monday night workshop was one I organized for 8 of the folks at my church.  Everyone had such a fun time, a lot of laughter.   I've been asked to organize another for late January or February when everyone is feeling the winter blues.   They loved the Stampin Up demonstrator.  Below are the three cards we made.  The card on the right is from Sunday's workshop, the one the left from Monday's workshop.  Just little differences.  I felt my tree ink blending turned out better at the Monday workshop.  I changed my salutations from what was her models were on all the cards ... I am a rebel. 

 Inside the two above, I've stamped a grouping of thistles that match the paper.  To get a blue/purple blend, you stamp in one colour (I used blue), then blot just the thistle head with another colour (I used purple).   I really wish you could see from my photo, but there is a little bit of sparkle sheen to the thistle paper.

 Also not much change up on the hope card.  I think my bow is neater on the card to the left. 

On the tree cards above, the Sunday night workshop card is on the bottom, the top one is from Monday night's workshop.

"The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them."   Elizabeth Gilbert

Take Three Thursday - Lights

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? 

Have a peek at what others have found this week:

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

This week my threesome may seem a little dull & one of those of a little head scratching.  What I noticed is that our little village/township/county is in the process of changing the standard street lights.  We are moving to LED lights - this for various reasons but the primary one is cost & as tax payers we can all get on board with that.   One of the secondary reasons is a cause Mr Man has been active in & that's reducing light pollution in our communities.  As a amateur astronomer he is very aware of the amount of bright lights being produced by our villages, towns & cities.  We cannot see the night sky.  The new LED lights give a good amount of light, they face down rather than up or horizontally. Also there's a citizen motion to turn off lights in the parks or at least reduce the number left on all night.  Many of the parks are strictly for some type of ball playing so there should be no one using the parks over night.

I watched the two repair men for about 30 minutes, the time it took to remove & replace the 3 lights on the street that I was wandering for my morning walk.  By the end of the day, all the lights in our neighbourhood had been replacement.  Sorry that the photos are dull & dark, but that's our weather right now - typical November.

The old light

The New LED Street Light

New LED Street Light With Timer Sensor Built In

Me On A Monday - November 5th

Remember, Remember the 5th of November  ... ah Guy Fawkes  Day; those bonfires would be a source of welcome heat this chilly morning.

Source: Internet

Reading:  the Mitch Albom series of Heaven books; The 5 People You Meet In Heaven; The Next Person You Meet In Heaven & Phone Calls From Heaven.  Easy reading but definitely some real thoughts to sit & think on.  I wonder who my 5 people will be & who, if any I have influenced an aspect of their life. I think a scrap story page about 5 who I think have influenced my life.

Watching:  maple leaves fall like rain.  We have one large maple tree that we call "The Rock Maple" & it is always the last to lose its leaves, often not until end of November.  I am encouraged that it is co-operating by an earlier than normal shed so we can get the leaves cleaned up before serious snow! The first photo was taken about 8:30am & the second about 11:30am Sunday morning from the same window.

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Making:  this is 1 of 3 cards at my regularly scheduled monthly card workshop & I'll be making 3 more tonight at a card workshop at my church.  I'm a small part of our newly formed Pastoral Care Team; I'm the card sending division & I used several of my own made cards to send.  I was given some lovely feedback & asked if I would organize a workshop for the P.C.T.  One of  the church elders has signed up along with his wife.

Feeling Scared:  and quite over whelmed at my job for so many reasons, so a decision had to be made.  In the last 2 weeks several very nasty events plus he paid us late again.  In the last 6 months he has paid us on time only twice. There's difficult & then there's very disrespectful.  A few weeks back I met boss man's father who told me that boss man depends on me, considers me his rock at the clinic, couldn't do it without me ... blah blah.  Just words, no action to back up these statements.  So after 5 1/2 years there, with full support of Mr Man, I hand in my notice at the clinic today.  I do have a very short term contract that I can mostly work from home for 6 weeks.  2019 I have big plans for you, it includes a new rewarding & satisfying new job!

Thankful:  I received this beautifully wrapped box of chocolates from the physio therapist at the clinic last Tuesday as a thank you & good bye gift.  I have kept the glass beads & ribbon in tact & I think I can make it into a Christmas tree ornament.

Planning:  I've finished the journal parts of my Thirty One Days of Thankful, printed out the photos needed, assembled the papers & embellishments & have two days blocked off to assemble - Nov 17-18.  Mr Man has been given warning that there's no cooking, no house tending, it's two days of crafting for me.  I've also got planned a catch up for my other mini album project; a sort of One Little Word & Move More combination.  While I've not signed up in 2018 for either of these online lead workshops, I've created something akin.  I'm also hoping to get started on my December Daily.  

"If the plan doesn't work, then change the plan, not the goal."

"A goal without a plan, is only a wish."

"A dream written down with a date becomes a goal.  A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan, a plan backed by action makes your dreams come true."

"Without  goals & plans to reach them, you are like a ship that sets sail without a destination."