A Hazy Shade of Winter

I know I live in Canada and most days, I'm proud to be a Canadian. But why, oh why, do Canadian winters have to be so long? And snowy?

I realize this year is not nearly as bad as last year. We didn't really get snow until after Christmas this year. As I recall, last winter we were buried from November until spring!

However, I've reached my max. I'm tired of shoveling. I'm tired of the groan my car makes in the morning when it's -20. I'm tired of winter boots. I'm tired of the puddles left from winter boots. I'm tired of everything looking so bleak.

I need sunshine! I need green! I need flip flops! I need a warm breeze!

Come on spring! Please come early.

Family Day

A few years ago, Dalton McGuinty and his Liberals created a holiday for us Ontarians in the middle of February. Family Day. One of his best legacies, I would say. It's so nice to have an extra day in the middle of the cold and snowy winter to get out and do fun things with the people you love!

To celebrate, all kinds of activities are planned in communities big and small. You can even go ice fishing without a license on Family Day weekend!

I spent my Family Day with my niece Kaelyn. To celebrate her 10th birthday in September, we had planned to go to Fanshawe Pioneer Village. Plans got changed and life got busy and we found ourselves in the middle of winter! She thought skating would be a good idea and I agreed. We considered the outdoor skating path at Storybook Gardens but when the temperature plunged to well below zero, we opted to skate our way around an indoor rink instead!

It had been about 8 years since I was on skates. I'm pretty sure the last time I went skating was when I took Madison for her fourth birthday! I was a bit apprehensive, but told Kaelyn we would depend on each other! It turned out that we were both better than we thought. Only one little tumble for her as we were getting off the ice.

In addition to the skating, we explored the community centre with a scavenger hunt, played a couple of games of Sorry! and, of course, "When I Opened Grandmother's Trunk". I taught her this game while we were ice fishing and it's become a favourite.

Was happy to spend my Family Day with such a cutie.

90 Reasons to Celebrate!

This weekend we gathered to celebrate a very special lady. My aunt Peggy turned 90 today!

When you speak to anyone that knows her, it's obvious what a treasure she is... much loved sister and mother, special aunt, cousin and neighbour and a cherished grandma and great grandma!

Peggy was twenty years old when my Dad was born and has always been more like my grandma than my aunt. She was present for most birthday parties, Thanksgiving and Easter dinners and special moments like a graduation or piano recital.

She is the most giving person I know and willingly sacrifices her own comforts for those that she loves.

She's a fighter. She entered the world as a "preemie" and proudly tells that they used a man's handkerchief for her diaper. She hasn't stopped fighting. During her days working at a factory in Windsor, she lost her index finger but that hasn't stopped her from crocheting and quilting!

She has proven more than one doctor wrong by overcoming an aneurysm, heart attack, broken ribs, broken hip and cancer. During one of these hospital stays, she told me that she would need to live until at least 90 to get everything done that she wanted to do. Well, she did it. And this week she told me that she's now aiming for 100.

I have no doubt that in 10 years we will be gathering for the celebration of a lifetime!

Showing off her new wrinkle cream :)

Breaking the Ice

It's been a full month since my last post, which was on Christmas Day. I feel like I need to "break the ice" and what better way than with a post about ice fishing?

Last year I tried my hand at this winter classic and had a lot of fun with John & the kids. In fact, it opened me up to a brand new hobby that led to a week long fishing trip in Northern Ontario!

When I opened my Christmas gift from John & Karen and the kids this year, I discovered my very own ice fishing rod & reel. I was officially welcomed into the club :)

We made plans for our first trip to Mitchell's Bay and I put ICE FISHING on my calendar for January 17th. I renewed my license, pulled my snow pants out of storage and packed a lunch. I was ready.

This time Dad joined us and we took the four wheeler for getting out on the ice. This made it a lot easier as we weren't pulling all the equipment with us as we trudged over the snow covered ice. John taxied Dad & Kaelyn out while Josh and I started walking to our destination. A man of few words, Josh didn't say much on the walk but shared little tidbits here and there about the conditions or technique. Love it.

We set up the huts and dropped our lines through the hole. Sadly the fish weren't biting much and the fish that we caught were too small to take home. That's ok though - I had a fun day!

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... The Nutcracker

I've always enjoyed doing "experience" gifts with my Grammie. There is no better present than spending quality time with someone you love. And, we always have a lot of fun together.

One year, during the holidays she mentioned that she had always wanted to see The Nutcracker. It did, in fact, seem to be a traditional thing to do at Christmas. So, I filed that away in my memory bank.

The next year when I saw that The Nutcracker was performing at The Imperial Theatre in Sarnia, I ordered tickets for the two of us to attend.

It was such a wonderful night together and memory for me to treasure. We enjoyed dinner at Swiss Chalet, the ballet and took the long way home so we could enjoy the Christmas lights on the homes along the river.

I hope you have enjoyed my 12 Days of Christmas memories as much as I have enjoyed remembering them.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... Volunteering

I'm not sure who came up with the idea or why it came about, but in 1999, our family volunteered at the Inn of the Good Shepherd in Sarnia on Christmas Eve. I think it was related to Jo-Anne & Nick being unable to join us until the 25th. Regardless, it is a warm holiday memory that I think we should replicate.

our 1999 family Christmas photo

My mom acted as the coordinator - contacting the Inn and getting instructions, list of ingredients, and prepared the menu. We served up chili with garlic buns - comfort food on a cold night.

I love how our family worked together as a team while setting up, serving and cleaning up. We were able to share some love with people that particularly needed it at that time of the year.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... The Potluck

This memory isn't one particular moment, but an annual tradition. I guess it started during my first year of working at The New PL. My friend Lisa and I were working on the morning show and decided to host a Christmas Eve breakfast potluck. It was AWESOME!


We had our staff lounge buzzing with people. We cooked up bacon, sausages, eggs, pancakes... we even blew a fuse and had to move one of the cooking stations to the hall. It was a great morning and people just loved coming together on this special day.

So, the potluck became a tradition. Over the years it morphed from breakfast to a full blown turkey dinner, with all the trimmings! As soon as the credits rolled, the newsroom was transformed to a family dinner table. We all settled into our roles - Jeff brought the ham, Jim did the potatoes, Scrappy made gravy and I always did the stuffing. Turkey duty rotated - depending on peoples' shifts.

I'll always remember teasing Ross relentlessly when he brought buns & butter. He put the butter in the fridge when he got to work (so it wouldn't spoil) and we had rock hard butter at dinner that ripped the buns to shreds. Poor Ross. He took a lot of ribbing over that.

The food was always great and the company even better.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... Scentsational!

After Jesse was born, the Koiters invited me to join them on Christmas Eve and wake up with the excitement of Christmas morning with the boys. It has been a lot of fun...and chaos!

One moment, in particular, will always remain in my memory. It was just too sweet not to tuck in there! It happened about five years ago, so Jesse would be four or five years old.

Christmas morning arrived when my door flung open and light poured into the room. A little face was beaming at me, telling me it was time to get up. I wasn't quite ready to get up yet, so I told him to come and snuggle with Auntie Janice. He turned the hall light off and crawled under the covers with me. We talked about how exciting Christmas is and how he likes it when I sleep over.

He snuggled right up to my face, took a deep breath in and announced I smell good.

I asked "what do I smell like?"
"You smell like Auntie Janice".
Hmmm, well. That's interesting.
"What does Auntie Janice smell like?"
Another deep breath.
"Like candy".

Ha ha ha...I laughed and laughed and then we both got the giggles. A great way to start the morning and a moment I'll always remember. What a cutie.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's Holiday Memory... Hosting

My first Christmas in my house, I decided I wanted to be home for Christmas. It was also my Grammie's first Christmas not in her house as she had moved into an apartment in October. My first thought was to have her sleep over on Christmas Eve. However, the logistics of stairs and other mobility issues kept that from becoming reality. The idea of hosting did come together though.

Two of my cousins - Josh and Deidre - didn't have anywhere to be on Christmas Eve so they came to my place. We had yummy snacks, played Rock Band and laughed a lot. We all know that Santa can't come until you're tucked safely in bed, so we headed there eventually.

In the morning, my parents, Jo-Anne, Nick and the boys arrived and we cooked up an awesome Christmas morning brunch. After the dishes were cleaned up, we played a few games and relaxed for the afternoon.

This was also the same year my Aunt Peggy had been in the hospital for several months. She came home just in time for Christmas. My cousin Esther invited us to share their Christmas dinner. What a special time to celebrate someone we all love so much.

This Christmas might not seem memorable in any particular aspect, but these multiple moments added up to be one of my favourites.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... The Peanut

What a wonderful Christmas memory this is.

It was December 24th ten years ago. My friend Charlene and I were meeting Jo-Anne & Nick for breakfast at the Riverdale. It was a nice way to start a relaxing day and the beginning of the festivities of Christmas. After we ordered, Jo-Anne brought an envelope out of her purse. She had some photos developed (yes...back in the day when you developed photos) and thought I might like to see them.

As I flipped through the pictures, everything seemed  normal until I saw a picture of her & Nick holding three...magic markers? I couldn't quite make out what they were holding but it looked to be markers. I casually asked what that was all about. Her response brought me to tears. They weren't markers...they were pregnancy tests! There were three because she couldn't believe the results and wanted to MAKE SURE! I was elated.

The only problem was... I was going to Petrolia that night to attend the Christmas Eve service with my parents and the rest of the family. Jo-Anne & Nick wouldn't be revealing their news until the next day. I was bursting to tell someone, but I could not! It was a painful 24 hours until they arrived at our family Christmas and shared the surprise.

I clearly remember Jo-Anne telling all of us that the baby was the size of a peanut. From that moment on, Jesse has always been my Peanut.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... The Fake Out

My brother John was quite a prankster as a youngster. One year, he had an idea to pull a prank on Connie for Christmas.

It was the year we moved into the new house and there were lots of leftover bits of this and that in the basement. Dad had recently installed a garage door opener and the box was just the right size for what John had in mind.

This Christmas photo was from approximately that era.

Connie had been asking for an electronic keyboard for Christmas and John decided to set his plan into motion. He filled the box with leftover bricks (naturally) and carefully wrapped the box. (see First Day of Christmas) Then he had mom write on a gift tag "to our musical Connie". The box was hidden under the pool table in the family room - but clearly somewhere Connie would see it before December 25th.

She saw the box. She took the bait. She thought she was getting a synthesizer! On Christmas morning, the presents were unwrapped one by one. It was finally time to get the "big" present from under the pool table. Connie excitedly ripped off the paper only to discover a box full of bricks and her brother laughing uncontrollably!

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... The Gift

I've had the privilege of being friends with the ultra creative and crafty Karla Ann and over the years I have received some pretty cool gifts from her. However, there is one that stands out in my memory.

I believe it was the year we graduated from college. She was either working part time or not yet working - so she had a lot of time on her hands :) One day, she told me she had the best idea for my Christmas gift. However, it was going to take a long time to make it, so I'd need to be patient. But...it would be sooo worth the wait.

I was curious. I asked questions. I asked for progress reports. I waited.

One of my favourite pages. She has a sense of humour!

Christmas came and went and the gift was not yet ready. What could she possibly be making? Well, it wasn't until the next Christmas that I finally discovered what she had been working on.

I was quite pleased with my gift for her that year. I had found a Vincent Van Gogh doll (with detachable ear) and Van Gogh mug that made his ear disappear when you poured hot liquids into it. I was pumped...she was going to love this gift. And she did! But, then I opened my gift. It was the gift.

She had created a 365 day flip calendar with each page being a different memory. She had carried around a notepad in her purse and when something would come up, she wrote it down. It contained birthdays of people that we like, snippets from our past and even a video tape. (yes...it was that long ago) On days with a TV on the page, I got to watch what was on the tape. It was insanely creative and awesome. I still have this calendar on my desk at work.

What a friend!

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... Christmas in Paris

I don't have to reach too far in the the recesses of my mind to remember this Christmas. It was only 2 years ago.

Around Thanksgiving, my cousin Carol Ann emailed me to ask if I'd be interested in meeting her in Paris for Christmas. I'd never had such a decadent invitation and I didn't know that I could really turn it down!

It was the first time I'd ever spent December 25th away from home before and I was concerned that I would be overly nostalgic that day. Well, I was worried about nothing. On Christmas Day, we had breakfast in bed, opened a few presents, lounged about in our pajamas all day, Skyped with family and then did a four course dinner aboard a cruise down the Seine. It was one of the best trips I've ever done!

Carol Ann & I were perfect travel companions - leisurely eating our way through the city of lights. It was a beautiful city to see at Christmas and a treasured holiday memory I can relive each year when I put the Paris ornament on my tree.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... I'll Love You Forever

Just three months after Jo-Anne & Nick got married, they moved to Thompson, Manitoba. They lived there for two years - in isolation. (look it up...it's about 8 hours north of Winnipeg)

For their first Christmas away, they sent a box of presents to be unwrapped on Christmas morning. We all received handmade native moccasins and gloves - fully lined and trimmed with rabbit fur. There was one present, however, that Jo-Anne instructed me to keep until all the gifts were unwrapped. It was for Mom.

As she tore the paper off the gift, her eyes welled up with tears. It was the Robert Munsch book "I'll Love You Forever". She tried to read the book to the rest of us, but the tears were now spilling over onto her cheeks and she just couldn't do it. Steve ended up taking over and reading the book for us as we all sat weepy and missing our first sibling to leave the nest.

Looking back, I really admire the courage it took to move so far away from home. During their time in Manitoba, Jo-Anne taught herself some awesome cooking and sewing skills. It was tough having them away, but great having them back.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... Snowed In!

Today's memory is from when I was about 10 years old. Grammie & Grandad came out to the farm on Christmas Eve and when it was time to go home, there was a snowstorm. They decided it was too risky to head out on the roads and hunkered down for the night.

Being "snowed in" can be a fun experience - as long as you're safe and with people you love. As a kid, it was so exciting to have unexpected guests on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning! I seem to remember Grandad bringing special chocolate for our stockings too.

When Grammie recounts the story, she likes to point out that the next day when they drove home the roads were just fine. But, out on the farm it seemed like "Siberia".

12 Days of Christmas

As a naturally nostalgic person, I love reminiscing. This year I thought it would be fun to do the 12 days of Christmas memories. Just a few little tidbits that I remember from Christmases past.

So, to kick off my series... Learning to Wrap

Seems like an unlikely story, but I remember learning how to wrap presents from my brother John. I watched as he meticulously measured, cut and folded the paper. I would hand him bits of tape to keep it place.

He taught me how to fold the ends into a triangle and cover the ends of the box. He also taught me the importance of never showing a "raw edge" of paper. Always fold it over to have a nice seam.

John & I had a tradition for a number of years of going to Lambton Mall for moonlight madness. We'd get all of (or at least most of) his shopping done in one night. Usually I would help him wrap up his packages once we got home.

One year, I got to help him with a very special gift on that shopping trip. An engagement ring! He had already picked it out, but I gave it my seal of approval when he picked it up at the store. What an honour to be in on the secret!

I'm in a New York state of mind...

The anticipation of something great seems to last forever. The "something great" is usually over in a flash!

That is true of my recent trip to New York City. For a number of years, going to NYC at Christmas was on my bucket list. The thought of marveling at the intricate window displays, wandering Central Park with a light dusting of snow and just enjoying the magic that happens at Christmas in a city that has plenty of its own magic... well, the thought of those things was just so captivating! I wanted to experience it.

Last week...it happened! There was no light dusting of snow - but I think, in the end, that was for the best. It was just as magical as I had hoped. We quickly learned to use the subway system, the difference between downtown and uptown and how friendly New Yorkers are! Everywhere we went, people were offering to help us find our way.

Seeing the window displays and Santa Claus at Macy's was a highlight for me. Miracle on 34th Street is, after all, my favourite Christmas movie! I also really enjoyed the Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes. It just seemed like the quintessential New York at Christmas thing to do. I loved it!

We crisscrossed Manhattan - on foot, subway, bus, boat, and double-decker bus! We managed to cram in a lot of sights. Some of my favourites included:

• the 911 Tribute Centre
• an evening cruise of the Hudson/East River
• seeing Monica & Rachel/Chandler & Joey's apartment building
• the Guggenheim
• seeing Matt Lauer & the rest of the Today Show gang
• a behind the scenes peek at Radio City Music Hall
• experiencing the lighting of the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Centre

Another favourite moment was one of the guides on our hop on/hop off bus. He was quite a character! He saw my reaction when he pointed out things of interest to me: the hotel the Beatles stayed at during their first trip to NYC, the building Tony Bennett lives in, etc. When he found out I love Paul Simon, he stopped the tour and got out his iPod. He wanted to play a song and see if I knew it. Clearly, he didn't think I was much of a fan because immediately I recognized the notes of the 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy). I excitedly told him we were staying near that bridge and I had my photo taken with it. I think he thought he was going to share some new information with me, but I had it covered. Ha ha. When it was time for us to get off the bus, he was disappointed. He wanted me to stay on his tour.

There were so many other moments to remember, but I can't share them all here! Already looking forward to my next trip back to this great city!

NYC

I love Christmas. I love the music, the twinkle and the magic that the holiday season brings. So, understandably, going to New York City at Christmastime has been on my "bucket list" for quite some time. I imagine it to be quite magical, indeed.

Earlier this year, I proposed the idea of a festive trip to the Big Apple to my mom and sisters. Unfortunately Connie won't be able to join us, but tomorrow I'm setting off with Jo-Anne & Mom to cross one more thing off my list :)

I'm so excited to see all the window displays, the rink at Rockefeller Centre and, of course, the huge tree! As luck would have it, one of my favourite performers, Tony Bennett will sing at the tree lighting ceremony. We have lots of fun stuff planned for the next few days. Can't wait! I'm one lucky girl.

Watershed Moment

Until now, my experience as a homeowner has been great. No major issues - other than picking a paint colour. I realize I have been lucky as other friends have dealt with roof, window or basement issues. Well, that changed this week.

On Monday night, I was getting ready for bed and realized there was no hot water. The power had been on and off during the day with those crazy-high winds so I wondered if something had flipped off on my tank. I grabbed my flashlight and headed to the basement.

Dad's first time playing Phase 10!

As I got about half way across my family room, I noticed a squish squish sound as my slippers made wet footprints on the carpet. Oh no. I opened the door to the utility room and saw water surrounding the hot water heater. I immediately turned it off and called Reliance. Well, no...actually I immediately called my Dad. Seriously, these are the situations Dads are made for.

The following 24 hours are a bit of a blur but it involved a parade of workers through my home. The carpet had to be ripped out and disposed of and I currently have industrial fans and dehumidifiers humming away downstairs. I finally got a new hot water tank at about 9pm.

Mom - killing time :)

My retired parents are nothing if they are not supportive. They arrived Tuesday morning with a shop vac in the trunk and ready to help. Apparently my optimistic outlook was not that realistic and when Dad saw my basement he quickly realized the little shop vac in his trunk was not going to be much use. They stayed with me for the rest of the day - for moral support. I can't thank them enough.

Although the saga is not finished (my basement is in complete chaos!) I'm thankful for small mercies. I'm especially thankful this did not happen while I'm away next week. And on the same day I was dealing with this, my sister-in-law called to tell me I had won $50 through a fundraiser at my niece's school. Now, it would've been really sweet if the cash prize had been enough to cover my insurance deductible, but I'm not complaining.

The current state of my family room

Shop 'Til You Drop

What better way to spend a Saturday than holiday shopping with a dear friend? Ya, that's what I thought.

Char and I had a great time wandering the stores at Great Lakes Crossing on Saturday. Such a great time that we were home hours later than we expected! But that's ok...we had a hoot.

A treasured tradition - dinner at Cracker Barrel - nearly did us in. Honestly... we had to take a detour and then missed our turn twice, but we finally made it!

Love getting out and experiencing the hustle and bustle!

Ran into Tony at the mall!