My New Years Resolution

New Years!


Wow!
I got to thinking about my past New Years Resolutions because you all are posting yours for this year!


Some of you are posting warm wishes and kind thoughts.


Some are posting memories of family and snowflake nights of stars.


Some are posting incredibly funny commentaries on life with illustrious speeches.


I'll tell you about my New Years Resolutions of the past:


I was alone for 14 years until I met Dick when I was 44. I was married a couple of times in my youth and sure a few fellas came and went, but after the first two nasty, nasty husbands... I wasn't going to be tricked again and it was just easier to be by myself.


I got to liking myself and actually still prefer my own company to many others' and hence why I like this Blogging thing...


And so during those years of solitude I would make the same resolution every year.


It was this:


Get up every day.


You think it's easy? Think about it for a minute?


I almost didn't one day, but I got up at 4:30pm on a Sunday and took my sorry ass off to bed at 6:30pm, but I still got out of bed that day.


May everyone be able to get out of bed every day of this year 2010. No Space Odyssey here, just my wish for everyone to have some sort of normalcy in your days, that's all and to not have any reason what so ever to wallow in the sheets in misery!



Happy New Year!


PS... Wallowing in the sheets with someone else or a good book is accepted!

An Old Household Hint: Tinfoil and Mice!

I have a little secret that only a few farm people my way know about.


Plagued by mice in your house because you have holes and cracks they can crawl through? Do they come in around the sink pipes? 

And traps and poison just won't do?


Stop them getting in! 

Did you know that they don't like plain old tin foil?

  

Come Spring, just pull it all out, tuck it away so you have it again for next winter!

Gas prices today.

I had to go buy diesel today and there was a lineup! 

Probably because it's just before a holiday and everyone expects the price to jump!

The good news is, gasoline was 87.9 cents a Litre! 

Diesel however, was 88.9 cents a liter, but I have to keep the old girl's tank quite full when it's this cold, or she won't fire.

(Due to ice crystals in the fuel!)

I waited about ten minutes to even get to the pump, of course because I can only use one pump and it also dispenses gasoline.

(Nice Escalade in front of me! Me want one!)

87.9 cents a Canadian Litre and you say hunh?

Here is the conversion to US:

There are 3.87 Canadian litres in a US Gallon

so!

That means it costs $3.32 Cdn for a US gallon

Equals (at today's currency exchange rate) is

(drum rolllll)

$3.18 US.for a US gallon at our prices!

OK! Now how much did you pay today?

 

My Christmas Gift: A lesson In Giving

My sweet man blew me away this year and I had to share it with you!


He has witnessed me working away at my blog. Coming home after working a full day, cooking and sitting here at this table in the kitchen so I'm not too far from him... working on these Blogs.


He has listened to me moan and drip about my camera. (It was my mom's and I inherited it when she died.) 

He asked if I needed one and I exclaimed 'No'! Because I didn't see spending the money when it's just my little Blog... I know you understand...




Then, after everyone had left Christmas night and we had sort of tidied up.. Dick did the dishes as I sat in my Lazy Boy, my whole being just humming from exhaustion...


He goes downstairs and comes back up and plops this package on my lap! Here's what it was!

You see, I had been shopping with a friend and brought home the Black's flyer with all their cameras shown. I had narrowed it down to a Canon and this Nikon, but I liked and circled the Nikon because it has more features. I circled it in pink high lighter so that when the time came, if ever my old Canon broke, I could just pick up the flyer, go to the store and buy one.

He blew my away! It was the exact one I had picked!

 

He went into a Mall to buy it!

He didn't buy one that he or the store clerk thought was better.

He didn't buy one that was cheaper or more expensive.

He just bought the one I wanted.

Do you all know how important that was to me?

No wonder I love the man more every day!

Old photo with my Canon

New photo with Nikon

 

The closeup's are awesome and I haven't even finished the demo and manual yet!

Take today as a holiday.

The house is quiet. Not very many lights turned on. You've just had a snack of leftovers. Didn't matter what it was, you've eaten so much in the last few days, just something to tide you over until the big leftover reheat for supper.


You should clean up the wrappings, you know, put the bags in the recycle, scrunch them up good so that you only have to use one of your last remaining garbage tags. (Thank heavens the year is almost over and you have a whole new stack of 2010 garbage tags!)


You should get the vacuum out and clean up the dog hair your sister's daughter's new boyfriend's dog shed while invited over for dinner.


You should put in the storage cupboard the big turkey roasting pan. The top shelf is where the gravy boat and meat platter go. You should go drag the step stool out and put those up there. Yep...


You should start sorting the cards you received and update the list for 2010. Unh Huh..


You should.... Oh Heck!


Go sit on your Lazy Boy and swing the foot rest up!


Go find the remote! There's a good movie on the W Channel!


Go get some of those cookies or candies out that the vultures didn't find and eat!


Go, close your weary eyes and nap through the day...


We are old! Who cares what we do! It's not like if anyone stops over, they'll hold it against us!


They'll simply explain it away...


Oh! They're too old to deal with the holidays!


Oh! They're too old to see the dog hair!


Oh! They're beyond watching what they eat!


.....Well rest assured... tomorrow is coming still for us...


...so tomorrow, worry about all those things.


.... today, take a holiday for yourself!


If it's one thing age will teach you: All those chores will still be there tomorrow, none the worse for wear at all from you having put them off for a day.


But tomorrow you might feel like doing them!

In the dead of winter I have a gift of summer

Remember my post from Thursday, October 22 about rescuing my tomatoes from the back yard? 

Well, these are the last of them and I am going to eat them today. Imagine! December 26th and I am going to eat tomatoes from my own garden! 

This is what they looked like when I picked them.

And they have been sitting on my kitchen counter ever since. 

One by one, They have turned a sunny yellow and yes, I have eaten them!

As I pop each one into my mouth, I close my eyes and days of sunshine and warmth flow back into my mind's eye and I am able to bask in summer's goodness and glory!

I'm so glad I rescued these little tomatoes!

A gift for my sister.

If you been reading my Blogs, you know my mom died two and a half years ago. She was an enormous influence in our lives and one of our best friends. You could just tell her anything! 

 

This is actually a photo my sister took.

We didn't have much time to clean out moms house... that's a story I won't go into right now...  and my sister didn't want any of her personal things. I know it just hurt too much for her.

So, I've had some things here and I just thought....

these things were my mom's

Her favorite lipstick. In her younger days, she always wore red, but after 70, she wore this pink.

Her change purse. I can still feel her when I hold it.

She had to have wider fingers on her gloves because of arthritis. My sister also shares that.

the card I wrote

All wrapped and under the tree!

Do you think she'll like it?

A Simple Christmas

Rushing here and there. Flying from store to store, arms laden with bags and boxes. Flinging the door of your home open to slap your purchases on a table... Oh! they needed wrapping... Did I buy bows?


A list! I need a grocery list! Does sister's new honey have any allergies? Snap! I forgot to take the turkey out of the freezer! Dick! Can you get the turkey... Oh! you did it already? Thanks!


... And off you tear, cleaning, wrapping, cooking. You fall into bed a lump of worn out mush and the only thing jangling is your nerves.


This has been the story of my Christmases past and the day would sprint by and I would hate it and be exhausted by it.






We decided we needed to change. 




You see, life keeps getting in the way of happiness for us! We want something simpler for our days where there isn't a monster hiding around every corner intent on destroying said happiness and so we don't follow the conventions as much as we used to.


A simple Christmas becomes something you have time to enjoy rather than a chore. Fewer items on the dinner table means you have time to sit and visit with your family instead of slaving in the kitchen for hours. Fewer selections on your plate means each one can be the most savory morsel you could have in your mouth or one that has a dear memory attached to it. Fewer gifts means that each box can be lovingly adorned instead of so many that you just wrap and slap a sticky bow on top. Staying at home means that you can sit and cuddle your honey or babies and they will remember that instead of hours in the car whining 'Are we there yet?"


If it's only a phone call from the Desert you get, you will hang onto those words and relish them instead of those same words being smothered in a room full of noise that you don't remember the next day.




Do not think today that because you couldn't afford all the expensive gifts you've given in the past that you have suffered today. Each item you have given this year has been thought through and carefully picked, because if you can only afford one, you've had the opportunity to make it special.


Do not feel that you are missing out! Choose the moments and smiles to store in your memory, knowing that your family is also storing those same memories.


Do not see the things that aren't there this year because of lack of funds. The things that are still there are what's important. Your loved ones. Plain and simple.


Do not hear the complaints of the past years: I'm so tired. I'm so broke! You will hear actual conversations and 'you made this? How awesome!" ...instead.


Do not touch each thing in your day with regret and should haves. By cutting out all the extras you normally provide, you have showered them with love and thoughtfulness.






I know this has been a difficult year. Our savings and investments have suffered. Jobs are being lost and hours cut. We have not had the disposable income we used to have. We are allowed to feel that we have suffered because we truly have.




We do still have each other and love is still free and it's always the simple things that fill in the gaps and please remember!




Merry Christmas!  Suzie says so!

Collecting Angels

A collection is a simple thing. It's a matter of whatever pleases you.

Angels please me no end and I have a few I'd like to show you.

Adorning our mantle. Straw angels. How much better could it get?

 

 

 

My mom.. Kay.

Dick's Dad... Harvey.

 We have decorated!  and there from Thrift shops.

Christmas Cookie Recipe... Children: Don't try this at home!

One of the best recipes for Christmas cookies ever...




Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies




1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
4 very large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila


Sample the Cuervo to check quality.
Take a large bowl,
check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,
pour one level cup and drink.


Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter
in a large fluffy bowl.


Add one peastoon of sugar... Beat again. At this point
it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another
cup just in case.


Turn off the mixerer thingy.


Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup
of dried fruit.


Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.


Mix on the turner.


If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry
it loose with a drewscriver.


Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity..


Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves
a sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo again.
Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.


Add one table and the other 2 leggs.


Add a shpoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can
find lying around in the kitchen.


Greash the oven.


Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall
over.


Don't forget to beat off the turner.


Finally, toss the bowl through the window, finish the
Cose Juervo and put the stove in the wishdasher.
Cherry Mistmas !

Displays at Pinafore Park #2

This pavilion in the background looked so stately with it's wreaths!

Not all were lovely! A bit if humor here!

Some nice cutouts.

One of the country churches.

Skiing on the grass?

Gingerbread yum, yum!

The mice that weren't stirring.

All the Christmas Characters.

One of my Hobbies: More Faces of the Market

This fellow is one of my favorite market people. He is very South American and very Gallant! When Dick and I were at the market a few weeks ago together, this chap and I flirted shamelessly, I must admit! 
All in good fun though! He gives free samples of his delicious coffee!

No market would be complete without the tiny donut machine and this one just keeps cranking out those little circles of pleasure!

The mushroom ladies were in the season's spirits!

This woman looks so sweet with her antlers on!  I was going to snap the smoked meat hanging behind her, but she is more fun to look at!

This is where I buy the most of our meat. (When I'm not buying my cousin's!) These sweet Amish people are from Mitchell, Ontario and have a butcher shop there. They also have a stall at the Aylmer, Ontario market on it's Tuesdays, but working full time, I never get to that. They're meat is so delicious because it doesn't have any drugs or chemicals.


I bought six T-Bones and Six smoked pork chops to BBQ (or grill in American) on Christmas day.      Yum! Yum!

This robust fellow is also found every Tuesday in Aylmer and we always smile and nod whenever we see each other. 

As you can see.. He's the tool guy!

And last, but not least, I couldn't help but snap this little girl. Perhaps wishing for some grown up jewelry from Santa?

Well, thanks for coming along. I hope you've enjoyed watching my people as much as I did!

The faces of the market. Call it a hobby!

I love to go anywhere and watch people! There is nothing more fascinating than a human being in the process of just living and today, at the market, I had the best time with my friend! I took tons of pictures and will post them today and tomorrow so you to tag along!

This fellow was intent on pedaling a peeler, seed scraper tool. He would peel a fine sliver of cheese, offer it to whomever was standing next to him and if they refused, (which was every single time I saw him offer,) he popped the morsel in his mouth. From the contented look of him, he works a lot!

This couple is a fixture at the market and make and sell jewelery and other oriental pieces.

This young man was touting the freshness of his piglets and rabbits and they must be.. he was busy!

Concentrating on slicing a wheel of cheese. Drat! I can't remember what kind! Sorry!

One of my favorites! I call him Baconator!

I have tons more and will post more tomorrow! I love the market! Yaay!