Snuggy Dance

Christmas Wrap Up

We started the season off with a cocktail party on the 19th. It was a lot of organising and work but so worth it. It was nice to see everyone dressed up and I enjoyed all the company. We do have wonderful friends!

A loverly Christmas as usual altho it was very strange not having the girls here for pizza Christmas eve. They arrived about 10:30 and I made them pizza then.

Slept til about 9 and then did our regular morning thing. G'ma was here too and I know she enjoyed seeing the girls and then Dan for dinner.

Not sure if I am embarassed or proud ----- but the girls and I managed to polish off FIVE bottles of prosecco during the day.

Iain took his mom home on Boxing Day during a terrible ice storm. Later in the day Robin showed up. The next day was the Carleton Place bird count day so we were up @ 6 and gone for the day. Iain and Robin went to Amherst Island the next day but I begged off that one. I needed a day or two or three to recoop from our holiday.

Spent a very quiet New Year's Eve sipping champagne and eating scallops and watching hockey.

Went to Sio and Will's for New Year's Day brunch. So nice seeing them. Holly and Dan were supposed to come but couldn't get themselves going

So now we are trying to get back to our regular schedule. Not an easy task. I have spent most of today organising all the Xmas stuff and there is a lot of it.

Oh yes I made a tortiere for the first time this year and it was quite tasty.I made a vegetarian one for Sio and am interested to see how she liked it. So two new things added to our Xmas celebrations --- a cocktail party to get things going and a tortiere for Boxing day dinner!!

Olympic Morning

Sunday morning coffees in hand Iain and I ventured to the end of our street to witness the passing of the torch. It might sound lame but it was a very neat moment!!

Freezing @ The Falls

Iain and spent the wkend in Newmarket to celebrate Robin's BD. We had a great supper at a Thai restaurant and then back to 1003 for a drink or 2 or 3 and then off to bed. Up at 6 AM and off we toddled to Niagara Falls in search of cave swallows and various gulls. It was unbelievably frigid there. I must admit I spent a lot of time in the van only getting out to take a few pics. We headed back around 3 and made it back to Robin's in time for pizza and wine. Left Sunday around 10 and tanking up on a starbucks off we went again. Got home at 2 and there were 3 little pussy cats who were ecstatic to see us arrive home.

Today the repairman came and fixed some wiring on the oven so hopefully that is it and I can get started on some hollyday stuff. Hope to get going on the decorating this week and I have an experimental recipe for a tortiere I want to try.

So beautiful

On Thursday Holly , Tiana, and I went to Sinders to do some dress shopping. It was a very emotional day for me. She tried on quite a few dresses but we were all in agreement that the very first one she put on was "THE ONE". Holly said that the dress made her shaky and I'm sure it was because it looked absolutely fabulous on her and she knew it too! Unfortunately Sio could not be there as she had just started her job and we did miss her. Hopefully she can get in with Holly soon and see it on her. The saleswoman put a veil on her and it was complete. I almost had a meltdown but I managed to keep it together until I got home a started telling Iain about it. Of course Iain being Iain laughed at me for being so emotional about it. Even now when I think about how lovely she looked I get a little weepy. I am not sure I will have enough tears in me during all of this.

G-R-R-R-R-R!!!!!

I am not a very happy girl these last few days! Last week the motor on my oven went kafluuy and I couldn't use it. On Monday the repairman came and within about 1/2 an hour my oven was back working YAHOOY. Then yesterday after baking some experimental cat treats (which BTW were a success -- the gang loves them) no more heat. I don't know what is wrong with it other than the bottom element is cold. So now after talking to him this morning I won't know what is going on until MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was actually planning to do some holiday baking and some cooking for going on our road trip this wkend. Those plans have been thwarted. I hope by Monday all will be fixed and I can get back to my plans.

Anyway Iain and I are heading to the big TO on Friday. It is Robin's BD so we are going to take him for dinner. He usually comes here for Iain's Bd and takes us out for that. There is an adventure happening as well. We are all trudging to Niagara Falls for some birding. I already have my birding bag packed -- a book, some knitting and my I Pod. I also plan on taking a nice comfy blanket. So you see I will have a great time! Hopefully I will get some nice pics.

When Disaster Strikes

Had Sio and Will for supper last nite. I spent ALL morning making lasagna. They arrived about 5:30 and we sat had a drink then Papa came home and lasagna was ready to come out of the oven. As I was removing it from the oven all hot and bubbly and ooey gooey with cheese it proceeded to jump from my hands and fall you guessed it face first on the kitchen floor!!!! I believe I was saying a few expletives as the episode was in progress. So there we were Sio Will and I (Iain was upstairs changing) looking at this beautiful lasagna splatted on the floor. So what is there to do -- LAFF!!!!! Iain saved the day by scooting off to Independent and get pizza. We ate pizza and watched the Sens throw another one away. I made a lemon meringue pie which did survive my carnage.
We had a lovely visit. It was terrific to see them and they managed to get their laundry done.

GO SENS GO

Iain has been in Korean for the past 6 days with 3 more to go. I had lots of plans for myself but unfortunately a heavy duty battle with PMS ensued and needless to say those plans are still in my draft folder.
I have been in the garden cleaning up this wkend. Even though it is fall cleanup it is really nice being in the sunshine. I am hoping to get some tulips planted later on. I didn't think I was going to get any in since we have had soooooo much rain this summer and early fall. I also started some Halloween decorating. Every year I say I am not going to put out those awful spider web thingys and every year I do. What is Halloween decorating without them???? They are a real pain in the derriere to take down and I always find them in my spring and summer garden.
I decided today to take a stab and doing pie dough again. I haven't been having a whole lot of luck with it ---- it seems to always come out heavy. So I was using the premade ones -- convenient but not terribly tasty. Well I found a great dough recipe in my Canadian Living cookbook and made a couple of baby pies. I am inspired again!!! I have dough leftover which I am making into another couple of baby pies and freezing them. I will probably end up doing more experimentation and giving the girls some pies.

Dance Turkey Dance

Pasta Bake with Sio and Will

Had a great lunch with Master Dan's mere et step pere. They live on a farm and have a few farm animals -- chickens, peacocks, turkeys, and a goose.

There are lots of things to start discussing about the big coming up for Holly and Dan.

Just one more

Had a great week in NS. We left Friday afternoon and made it to Montreal in what we thought would be plenty of time. Boy were we wrong. Montreal - Friday afternoon - Construction!! Need I say more. Took us close to an hour and a half to finally get thru and then we were off. Spent the nite in Edmunston. After throwing back a heineken and the worst pizza --- off to sleepy land. Awake bright and early and off again. Made it to Radcliffe ave about 4 ish.

It was fantastic spending time with everyone. The boys are getting so big. Chase is such a sweety and really love Iain. Had a hard time saying his name so ended up calling him "E". Of course we waited til the last nite to let loose. Probably bcs everyone was there and bcs that was the nite i got the call from Holly that she and Dan were engaged. So @ 3 am we had the "just one more" and went off to bed. Iain wanted to leave by 11 and @ 10:54 were headed out. I am just getting too old for all this emotional stuff. Made it to Levis and just plopped into bed. Iain says I was being anti social but I think I was just totally exhausted!

Stopped by Holly's to see "the ring". So lovely and very sparkly!! Finally made it to CP and had time to sit in the backyard with a glass of wine.

Bikram Treadmill?

Well Sio has left the building! Yup yesterday we loaded up the huge truck and barrelled our way to Springland Drive. Took us about an hour to unload the truck and after only one panic episode ( OMG the sofa won't fit thru the door) we were organising things in their apartment. After a supper of pizza and prosecco we went on our merry way. Yes I was a little weepy but that is just lame me! A little hug from my other sweet girl and I felt a wee less weepy.

Our little girls have grown up!!

Late summer pics