~It's all gone..Christmas... onto a New Year ..

 

It felt wonderful to get out in the clean fresh air with freshly fallen snow today.

I have some great Christmas memories..

Dinner at my daughter's..

Christmas eve..

Seeing my entire family two days in a row..

Thoughtfulness of friends with cards and gifts.

I appreciate it all.....

There were 2 of these:)

Their home..is like a Christmas Lodge/Yellowstone..I love it.

Their first Christmas in this home..

I think I made too many recipes.. but this one is a keeper.. 

Susan's....We have been friends for over 20 yrs.. .. in many corners of my home and in all my Christmas treasures..she is a key figure of a great great friend.

Selfies everywhere:)

Que c'est beau..c'est beau..l'hiver...

However..

It came and went so fast..it won't be the best Christmas in my mind on record.

MY VERY fave part was being with my family.

No doubt about it.

Funny..handsome..darling sweet teenagers..17,15,14,13.

Loves of my life.

Older ones..  23 and 21..with new loves in their lives..OMG I met them at 6 and 8.. One is now an actuary moving to Toronto in love with a lovely girl..

The other pursuing her studies and madly in love also.

Honestly the nicest adults you could ever meet.

So that's all good..Right?

Well...

My worst pet peeve is ..no electricity.

THIS..is still in my most vivid recollections.

Prior to that.. we had ice storms and no power but at worst 4 days..

Ours lasted 14 days.

Two young daughters.. a dog..a house..no generator..we were new to this type of catastrophe.

Towards the end.. we were lent a generator.. none could be had..We bought one immediately after that..

Ours is still the same  ap.25 yrs old.

And honestly..it's quite a bit of work for Jacques to get it going..

No heat..no internet..no tv..

Even data on my cell was off..

From Dec 23rd  3PM until Christmas Eve ap 10PM..we were without power and it was cold. 30 hrs.

Thankfully  our daughter was hosting Christmas eve and they had power.

So we celebrated in warmth with the best company and great food.

The next morning I did brunch.

I felt like everything was off kilter and it's probably the worst brunch I ever served.The eve..I was softening butter for dough over a Bath and Body Works candle..

Anyway..

Not the Christmas of my dreams.

If I'm cold in a house..my soul freezes over.

There.That's it no more complaints.

Here you go..

Hohoho.

November was rough weather wise in Florida..as December became in Québec.

Funny..I don't miss Fl..even with all this..but I must say..  in inclement weather..(power failures notwithstanding) here..I have a home and many many hobbies..there. ... we are in a small unit..

Thus I painted 30 Paris People lol..

Since coming back home...nothing...no painting..

Lots of snow.. some snowshoeing..organizing..donating..

The tree stays up at least mid Jan..it lights up the dark nights.

I do hope your holidays were good..

I know many are missing loved ones..

And many are healing..

I wish you well....

xoxo

And I wish you whatever you are hoping for in the New Year.

Health..companionship..friendship..happiness..success.

You pick:)

It's all happening so fast..

 

I truly enjoy ornaments.Small adorable remembrances from friends and family yr to yr..

I pull them out..pack them up..yr after yr..and think of every giver..every maker.

Nothing matches..Mice live happily with glass and felt and shimmer and paper..

My son-in-law asked me how long it takes to decorate it.. 2 -2 1/2 hrs.

But we enjoy it until at least mid Jan.

Lights up the dark evenings of winter.

Wanted to share this app I posted on IG that I found on IG.

Boursin cheese..this one..truffle..  shape the whole thing with Saran..with your hands.. roll in fresh parsley flakes..once chilled again..then add slivered almond swag and pom seed baubles.Topper up to you..real food or last min glitter star.

I like that it's not a big cheese ball..that you stare at in the fridge so long after guests have left.

Serve w/ crackers..

Put on something sparkly and celebrate.

Sarah wrote that on my card that accompanied Miss Dearly Glamorous to QC.

This woman..is an inspiration.I hope to think we learn from example.

She is traveling a very tough road right now yet is finding the courage..to light up lives around her.

A few people I know are treading water right now for one reason or another.

We often think.."Why me"? 

We will never know why..

But it creates an empathy in us we may never have found.

Christmas ..  it makes us all feel deeper don't you find?

Have yourself a lovely Little Christmas Day.

Some of the stockings..so glad I made them when I did..would I have the courage now ?

The collection grows every yr.I love them all.

A faux fireplace..a plastic tree..so many Christmas cards..

But most of all..my mom and dad.

Thank you universe..For my present family.xoxoxo

Three Pines...

 

Have you watched the series Three Pines?

Louis Penny is a very prolific QC writer with a whole series of books and they made a series that we just watched and enjoyed..Three Pines..we have 3 pines right in front of our home so I am renaming our home Three Pines for winter..at least;)

Look at this darling card form Marie..It's Hallmark Signature..

She sends a card every yr..always special..It's flat..you unfold and it becomes a 3 d marvel.

This yr the cutest cottage..

It even has a fenced yard.

I started slowly but surely w/Christmas fare..

Having my daughters and family on their own before the whole families all together.

The no fuss puff pastry is a keeper.From a French feed I love..

Butter tarts..and nun's farts..yes I am so sorry but the direct translation from the French..Pets De Soeur..

And my different Pizzelles that are actually Gaufres Sèches Du Nord..

From our very talented Isabelle Lambert.

All this to say..

Winter has arrived:)

Have a lovely weekend.

Day by day..

 

Day by day I am enjoying being busy ..in the kitchen..thinking of others.. it's going to be over so darn fast..like the days of ours lives..a speeding bullet.

I heard about Céline Dion as I type this post.I hope she has the slow progressing Stiff Person neurological disorder.

Neurological Disorders are still so hard to manage and I feel for her.She will have the best doctors..but I am certain Kirstie Alley did too.

Time stands still for no one.

So I am enjoying these busier than normal days.

I am happy to be home.

I feel sorry for so many..

All the lonely people..:(

I made some sugar cookies..those plungers are terrific..I iced some and my kitchen was a disaster:) True.

But I learned a few things and enjoyed myself.

I like to play and am on my own in that dept..lol..

In Fl..I caved and bought a SHELL (get it?) madeleine pan.I made my latest and greatest recipe I shared here..And the bumps happened.I love this recipe so darn delish.I do up the vanilla.

Not sure if you remember the advent calendar villages I made for my girls..

When we came home..our eldest daughter had picked us up at the airport..gosh the wind and rain..awful..anyway she came in and there was one of my advent villages..my girls had refilled it for me.

I mean.Overjoyed and overwhelmed..Just the kindsness and thoughtfulness.

Small town love.. They create beautiful.

Many many many more..  I don't want to over do it:)

I hope you get to enjoy this season..I think the best part is paying it forward.Thinking about making others happy.Creating a warm atmosphere...without strife.. Calm..

That's the best part.

With gratitude optimism is sustainable~

No delays there and back.

The view for 21 yrs:)

My sweet path...

Funnies..

The beach was deserted most days..This is what it looks like when a storm comes in..

Changes so fast.

As you can see..

Our clear pretty waters turned very ugly shortly thereafter..

Vegetation always so pretty..

Up the way after Nicole..

During Nicole..

But then the sky gave us a show all over again..

This is the disgusting red tide..Warnings were posted at public beach..So sad...The shore strewn with dead fish..

 I love Michael J Fox.This is a quote from his book No Time Like The Future …one of the books I read while away.

It’s a five star book for me.I highly recommend this one..I’ve read them all..had not read this one.

So we had our swan song Florida trip.

A place we’ve found so much pleasure with for well over 30 yrs.

With Littles ourselves..Disney..beaches..With ourselves..and later with grand Littles.

Lucas came as a baby..Max..Noah..Oli..

3 of them came year after year.

You have no idea how many visual memories we have of the growing up here by the beach through the years.

Bittersweet to bid adieu.

But ready.

We walked the beach when we could..I read books and painted over30 people..

All accompanied with little short stories on Instagram.

It’s amazing what paper..pencil..paintbrush..pen..and a set of watercolors can do.

We arrived after Ian..but before Nicole.

Nicole played havoc on the weather ..and caused the horrible red tide we had on many occasions.At the end..even with a mask walking the beach was not an option.

So many dead fish by the shore and stench.

You can’t breathe without coughing.Sneezing is a symptom also.

This has been happening more and more..

And I have to say that although I have found travel exciting at times.

I find it not pleasant now with security..red tape..

Travellers found themselves so wise with just a quick carry on..

Not to be..

They were required to fill out Covid info and check in regardless.

Not happy campers.

Once checked in with baggages  even our carry ons were taken to be stowed.

It’s just so different.

I’ll miss my million dollar view..I’ve packed my memories in my mind’s eye..

But we feel it’s time.

I was grateful that  friends returned and we were able to visit…and chat on the beach.

We have always loved that there is no echelon of wealth here.We all occupy small places on the beach..virtually all the same albeit decor.We all wear beach clothes.No Chanel or Louis  Vuitton.

You can be a millionaire back home and unless you tell us..we would not know..as it's not a resort with pomp and circumstance.

We are all beach bums.

We missed our PA friends!Diane..Ronald..etc..

Everyone lives like a little beachcomber.With 70 spf lol hats..umbrellas..

Particularly Brenda and Gene🤗made my stay happier..It was feeling a bit  lonely without my Littles at times.

She 's funny and bubbly and kind.Her husband is an artist and also very kind.

With so many yrs here I have seen how many great conversations happen on a private beach with same time next year people.

Others didn’t make it for very valid reasons.

Things change..people age..illness happens.Covid changed a lot.

Time to be home.

To the best time of year.

The holidays await.

Our dear place..as painted by Gene our friend.That's J and I on the deck eating lunch:)I was so touched to receive this.It will be framed..there's 21 yrs in that watercolor.I'll sport my blue sea glass earring buying the frame..I thought I had a 5x7 I don't..so very soon.

And this is my friend Brenda on the beach:) Such a great sport..she was in shorts and I said ..feel like donning a dress?

Lol right away.

A good sport.So fun to have someone be game for things:)

And I'll always have my special memories.. and this sound..this beautiful sound..

First thing I did?

Baked a  no knead:)I need bread in my life.Anyone can make this bread ..easy peasy..I used to make a variation in Fl..but I like my things around me..After one month I was missing my business of baking..grocery shopping using my gadgets lol..

So all pics and videos are Phone pics and we all know they are not my strength..;)

Have a lovely weekend..

No snow here..yet.Fingers crossed for a very white Christmas.