Taste of Christmases Past

When I come across Christmas cookies, like ones my mother used to make in my childhood, it takes me back...

As I recall, she did a lot of Christmas baking every year: Two kinds of fruit cake, mincemeat tarts, gingerbread cookies, shortbread, "snowballs" ...

Who ate it all? Did she take some to work? I don't remember, but there she was, doing all this baking annually. My mother's family (my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) did came over at least once during the holidays ... But my mother herself enjoyed these sweet treats in the evening with a cup of tea.

All these memories came back to me after I ate a homemade "snowball" at a Christmas pot luck... I  hadn't had one in years... 

Maybe I should make some - just for old time's sake, I wondered... But after looking up the recipe, I quickly realized it was a lot of work - and I'd probably be eating most of them by myself.

Instead I bought this bag of assorted "Lebkuchen" (German-style gingerbread cookies) - in the supermarket. They're similar to ones my grandmother used to make (without colored icing and sprinkles).

A taste of Christmases past... made in a bakery somewhere...  bring back sweet memories, too. 

Another Christmas Tradition

A few days ago, Terry and I had turkey dinner with our neighbors, Earl and Mary, at the Miller's Oven in Manotick. 

It's become an annual Christmas tradition. Great food and company... and dessert!

This year, Terry was the only one to have our traditional "mile-high" lemon pie!

To Buy "Bling"?!

I walk in a nearby mall most days a week. 

It's a bright and airy place to spend an hour - and it adds a significant number of kilometres to my virtual treks. Totalling those steps up, my walking app tells me I've done over 2000 kilometres so far this year!

But these mall walks may have a down side!

A few weeks ago, I noticed more and more sequined dresses and tops for sale.

Eventually I began to wonder if could use a top with sequins?!

A few weeks ago, that thought would never have crossed my mind...!

Here's a selfie I sent my daughter - from the change room - to get her opinion!

I didn't realize it - but I must be "the highly suggestible type" - to quote my son ... (who in turn is quoting Homer Simpson)! 

(How often do you need to see sequins before you want some?! Now that would be an interesting question to ask a behavioural psychologist.)

Oblate Cookies (Take 2!)

I recently brought my daughter a "goodie bag" of Christmas treats I had found at a nearby European grocery store. Among them was a package of "oblate cookies" - soft ginger cookies with a white base, that I started buying some Christmases ago. They are apparently a European Christmas treat that dates back to medieval days.

The white base looks like a communian wafer, my daughter commented.

It is, I replied. I looked it up once and even wrote a blog about it... But now I don't remember why monks started using wafers as the base. I'll google it again... 

So I did - and (to my surprise) up popped my original blog about the cookies: dated November 27, 2015!

As for the answer: one year monks were having a problem with their gingerbread cookies sticking to the pan. So communion wafers to the rescue! And a new tradition began!

Tip from Terry

A tip from Terry: 

Now that winter is here, and weather is colder, don't forget to regularly check the air pressure in your tires.

Changes in temperature also changes the air pressure. This is why Terry keeps a handy air pump - with a tire pressure gauge attached - just inside the front door. That way he can always check visitor's tires - if they look low.... and ours, too, of course.

(He has been known to leave notes in car windshields in parking lots, suggesting that tire pressure looks low - to have it checked.)

I'm glad the world has HELPFUL people like him around, to counterbalance those, like me, who simply don't notice!

Celebrating the Old and the New

Our daughter's Toronto neighborhood is a mix of "old" and "new"... (The "old" has not been forgotten!)

Next to a new building, there's an old train bridge serving as a pedestrian walkway...

An old water tank sits atop a new building.

Not sure if this "new" statue (of a crushed can) alludes to an old neighborhood industry or a new problem...

Or if the neighborhood pool hall USED TO be around here, or still IS.

I need a historical tour to appreciate all these landmarks.

Accumulating!

I recently came across this illustration - so true!

But the problem with me is that I still like to get stuff... and it ACCUMULATES!

It's hard to get ahead of the game! I sometimes think that my goal should be to give away TWO things for every ONE I acquire!

Shortest Days

These days, I like to be up to greet the sunrise... around 7 am. I don't want to miss a single minute of daylight!

Evening comes early,  around 4 pm. 

How well I remember - in my working days - leaving for work at dawn, and watching the sun set through my classroom window. Another day missed!

I don't spend a lot of time outdoors these days either - but I do spend more time looking out the window!

As I track the times of sunrise and sunset - a habit I started in the early pandemic years - I see we've reached that period of two weeks where there isn't much change in the hours of dawn and dusk... But when change comes, every period of daylight will be longer! Yay!

Thrift Shop Art

Many of my favorite pieces of framed art were purchased in thrift shops.

Years ago, I had no money to purchase paintings, but I came across this framed pen and ink drawing - in a thrift shop. And I could afford it! I took it home and it became my artistic goal: I wanted to be able to draw like that. It also became my "happy place" - with palm trees overlooking a harbor.

Is it a print or an original? Did somene sit and sketch it on location? Or did the artist work from a photograph, as I often do? I don't know - and it doesn’t matter. It's still my goal to be as skilled in pen and ink as the artist who drew this it.

Another framed piece of art from a thrift shop is this hand-embroidered cross-stitch. I used to do needle work so I know how much work went into making it. Cross-stitch like this is  too tiny for me to do these days. But it hangs in the front hall, informing all who enter that crafts are valued here!

My most recent thrift-shop art purchase is this photo - or perhaps painting - of clouds and light. I've been doing a lot of cloud paintings recently and I know how hard clouds are to paint.

I'm fascinated by contrast between the reddish cloud hanging overhead and the bright sunlight still shining on the silos. I may try to paint a copy myself. It's always harder than it looks.

My virtual walk on Route 66 has so far taken me almost 1000 km, through 3 states: Illinois, Missouri and now, briefly, through a small part of Kansas. 

As I look at the flat fields shown on "street view" of my walk here in Kansas, I am reminded of the movie, The Wizard of Oz, which I saw as a child. 

I can almost imagine a tornado-force wind lift Dorothy into the air and across the trees. (That may be my only memory of the movie.)

I'm looking forward to passing through  Oklahoma next, then Texas, and New Mexico (which I have never visited).

When I reach that point, I'll be looking forward to reaching the end - Arizona and California.

Why?!

I've seen this top-down sports car in our neighborhood in windy weather... Decided to keep the top down? Tough Canadian, I assumed. The cold doesn't bother him.

But now I see it - top down - waiting at a traffic light ... in falling snow... 

Questions fill my mind...

Does the guy plan to drive this way all winter?!

Won't his car interior be damaged?

Is he waiting for parts to fix the roof? 

Is this his only mode of transportation?

If I had a little sports car, this definitely wouldn't be me!

Winter Tree Trimming

It's always fun to watch the tree trimmers at work.

A few days ago, a crew arrived at our neighbors' house...

No ladders, no tree climbing these days.

This machine makes it easier and faster. (But those power lines look a little close!)

It didn't take long - and they were done...

... leaving nothing but tracks in the snow!

Accident!

This car accident - next to the college - happened on our first day of snow. Three cars...

Every winter, we have to learn afresh about winter driving... 

Hopefully it doesn't take an accident to remind us we have to slow down.

Quiet Sunday Morning

A few pictures of my quiet Sunday mornng in last weekend's "home" - a guest apartment in the building our daughter lives in.

Lovely view ... Only a few cars on the elevated highway (on the right).

Terry's still sleeping - tired after two days of driving.

I've been blogging.  

But now I'm ready for my morning coffee!

The start of a lovely day!

Family Birthday...

Happy birthday to my brother - seen here with me and our Aunt Marion, one of my mother's younger sisters. We're sitting on the back of our Uncle Bill's truck in Edmonton in the early 1950's. We often hung out at our grandparents' house.

A family story about my brother and that truck... My brother loved to sit in the driver's seat and pretend he was driving. One day, Bill let him do that after lunch while Bill took a quick nap. 

A few minutes later, Bill heard the truck start to move. He leapt off the sofa,  bounded down the front steps and onto the truck's running board in a matter of seconds.

The street had a slight incline and somehow my brother had dislodged the brake. But tragedy was averted! (And my brother was never allowed to "drive the truck" again!)

Cat "TV"

My daughter was making supper and her cats started milling around... wanting to jump up on the counter to watch and "help."

I decided to "help" too - by trying to distract them. I pulled up some videos for cats on my iPad: mice and insects crossing the screen. What's more exciting than that to cats?!

The cats came running - but they soon lost interest when the video disappeared every time they pounced on it...

(Technical difficulties!)

"Thrifting" Surprise

Terry and I recently spent a few days visiting our daughter in Toronto.

One of the things she enjoys doing is shopping in thrift shops... so off we went!

I'm drawn to art prints and vintage dishes - but how many colorful goblets do we have room for?

She's drawn to vintage handbags, shoes and jewelry.

Looking through a box of brooches and bracelets, she came across this lovely bead bracelet. It reminded her of the beaded necklaces my mother used to make...

It's so perfect... I wonder if it was made by a professional... she commented.

Thanks to initials on a large bead (JR), we discovered the website of Julie Rofman... a bead artist! I think it's one of her creations.

(Thank you, Google Search!)