Xmas on the Lahave

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Christmas has arrived in Lunenburg County. I spent the afternoon wandering Lunenburg taking in the Xmas craft fair and the other good things that beautiful little town has to offer. Then this evening, it was off to "Christmas on the LaHave".
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In spite of our warm temperatures lately, it cooled off considerably when the sun went down. Molly and I met with friends downtown and warmed ourselves with cheesie popcorn and delicious apple cider while waiting for the Xmas parade. There were several musical guests to entertain us as we waited, and our singing and dancing helped us stay somewhat warm..
The parade finally made its way to us shortly after 6 pm. There were over 40 floats with Santa, of course, ending the parade and then getting off his float to mix and mingle with the little ones.Also included in the parade were the Fireman's Band, a group of gorgeous little tappers all dressed in white, a couple of local hockey teams, and more dressed and decorated doggies than I've ever seen. It was such fun!

The finale were fireworks over the bridge.
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Ahhh! Warm again, here at home in my jammies; and soon to be huddled under a blankie on the sofa waiting for "Once Upon A Time" to air.
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A fine end to a fine weekend; and a lovely official start to my Christmas season!
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Black Friday jealousy!

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Yes, United States of America! This Canadian girl is extremely jealous of your post- Thanksgiving, Black Friday sales.
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I realize that October is too early for post-Thanksgiving Black Friday sales in Canada. But gosh, golly, gee! We need a day for super-duper bargains up here.

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I don't mind battling crowds or waiting in long lines. It's all part of the hunt, right? And it gives me time to recharge my batteries and plan my maneuvers for the next epic battle.

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So why?
Why can't we Canadians get in on the stupendous pre-Xmas shopping savings without having to get in a car/train/airplane and travel to your lovely country to leave our colorful money in your tills?
Why can't we stay in our own lovely country and spend spit for merchandise up here?
And why don't our stores honor more than one coupon and have multiple discounts? Huh?
Why?
Why?
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But no :(
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We Canadians don't have a Black Friday.
No; we'll be having a Blue Friday because on the 25th, we'll all be crying in our much superior Canadian beer while you guys go out and pay - like - a nickle for 51" plasma screen or "I-Phone, the Next Generation"!
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Why, even our cutest little export is getting in on the fun!

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Bloody Americans!

(Wish I was with you today.)

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Typing in a Winter Wonderland

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It's our first snowfall of the year. 10-15 cm (5-6") are supposed to come down, so school is closed. I drove to work alone this morning just as the snow was starting: it was quiet on the streets, not quite fully daylight, and the snowflakes were light and fluffy. It was magical!
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I love being at work when it's snowing heavily. I'm by myself with the radio, a cup of hot chocolate and my emergency supply of soup and granola bars. I'm only 5 minutes from work, so by mid-afternoon when I slowly head back home, the snowplows and salt trucks will have done their job and the driving should be fine.
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In the meantime, I type and sing and sip and think of earlier days when the girls were little and we'd have snowdays. And with the festive season closing in, I was reminded of one of our favorite Christmas albums by Raffi.
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Snows are a falling on Douglas Mountain.

Snows are a falling so deep.

Snows are a falling on Douglas Mountain.

Putting all the bears to sleep.

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Enjoy!

Canadians are so friendly!

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Check out one of Canada's national symbols.


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I think he's probably on his way to work ............ as a Walmart greeter!
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Ain't he cute!
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A Birthday Celebration

My lovely little Brazilian girl turned 17 yesterday. A Mama has to treat all her children alike, right!
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So she started her day with a Canadian style breakfast in bed(room);

... balloons and presents (those fuzzy jammies will come in handy in another month!) . .... and an afternoon spent with friends and an evening out celebrating 2 Brazilian and 1 Mexican birthday. A full and happy day for her!.
But there was more birthday fun to be had. Today when all the family was together, we had a celebratory Brazilian dinner. I made "Feijoda" and "Pao de Queijo". The Feijoda is a typical Sunday meal that every household in Brazil would serve. It's a combination of bacon, pork tenderloin and different kinds of smoked sausage, sauteed with onions, garlic (and a touch of heat), lots of bay leaves, and then mixed with black beans. I cooked it yesterday then slow heated it in the oven today; the result was this rich, dark, delicious blend of flavors that I loved!

The Pao de Queijo are cheese rolls made with cassava (tapioca) flour. Cassava flour was bizzaar for me to work with as the moment it touched the heated milk/butter mixture, it became a glob! Beat in eggs and cheese -- strenuous work! Cool, roll (with floured hands) into balls and bake. They were crispy on the outside and chewy (I say spongy) on the inside. Strange texture for this Canadian woman and I imagined them doing funny things in my digestive system!But Mariana adored her meal and said I cooked everything perfectly -- just like her Grandma would make it! That is high praise indeed!
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And every birthday needs a cake. When she worked yesterday at Dairy Queen, my daughter Molly made Mariana an ice cream cake. You know, every international student that I've had stay with me has never had DQ ice cream cake before! ... a situation I always remedy (much to their pleasure).Isn't she beautiful! And such a sweet, happy girl!

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Just one problem. Now she wants her birthday every day!

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Not your ordinary Xmas slippers!

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Are you aging?

Are you up and down at night, feeling your way in the dark for one of your frequent nocturnal trips to the bathroom?

Do you sneak downstairs in the dark to root out that last piece of chocolate cake before the kids find out it's still there?

Are you tired of stubbing your toes and whacking your hips on sharp corners?

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Well say no more! I've found the perfect Christmas gift for us.

These LED slippers($40) allow you to easily move around dark areas without turning on any lights. Two powerful LED lights will illuminate up to 20-25 feet ahead and because of their build-in weight sensors, they automatically turn off when you remove the slippers. Ingenious!

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So now, I'm waiting for the release of the matching night cap with lights. Aren't you tired of clocking your head on the cupboard door? So far though they haven't developed this idea.

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But I did find this little beauty! Yes, I admit that it has it's drawbacks. It does require you to put the hat on your head and strap it under your chin. But it spins, people! It spins thereby giving you peripheral vision as well as straight ahead vision! Now you can catch the kids running back to their rooms when they hear you coming. Or your husband sneaking that forbidden cigarette in the laundry room.

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Technology! It definitely has it's plusses!

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Wedding in a blaze!

This is beautiful White Point Beach Resort in Liverpool Nova Scotia -- just a short 40 minute drive from my house. Or I should say this was White Point. Saturday afternoon the main portion of the resort (the most prominent part of the lower picture) burned to the ground. No one was harmed, and the hundreds of tame bunnies that roamed freely on the resort were fine as well.
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But I guess even fire cannot quench true love. I thought the following was a wonderful story.
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(Taken from a local news feature) "Nancy Rogers was lacing up her wedding dress and putting the finishing touches on her makeup when word came of a fire spreading through the lodge where she was to be married.
The 32-year-old bride-to-be walked out of her cabin at White Point Beach Resort at around 2:30 p.m. Saturday to see smoke pouring from the hotel's main hall.
And even though flames were shooting 20 metres into the air and black smoke could be seen for several kilometres, Rogers and her fiance, Michael, decided to plow ahead with the ceremony she had been planning for months.
"We decided that the most important thing was that we wanted to get married and we were only an hour late," she said Sunday from her home in Halifax.
"It was definitely a memorable day."
Rogers and some of her 45 guests, including a woman from Russia who lost her passport in the fire, were evacuated from their rooms and some of the cabins that dot the resort's white-sand beach.
She said it wasn't until after the ceremony that she realized how bad the fire was and that all of her wedding gifts and flowers had been destroyed.
"It was completely engulfed and everything was up in flames," she said. "We lost all of that stuff, but that's not important to us. We got the most important things."
The couple's wedding pictures include some that show the burning resort in the background, as well as fire trucks."
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Isn't that a wild story! What wedding pictures those will be!
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Reports so far say that the fire was not intentional; and the owners state that they will rebuild which is not just a relief for that little community but for those of us who love it as well. This is where all the overnight orientations for the international students are held. Also, my girlfriends and I have had many evenings eating at their first class dining room and drinking wine in front of the fire in our cabin later. It's a really special place.
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