Virtual Vermut

Happy Friday my friends. And because it's Friday, you know it's time for Virtual Vermut! I almost got lost in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I'm glad I made it in time to show you some of my favourite shots like our Christmas socks

my favourite advent calendar I actually crafted a couple of years ago from a piece of large green felt, magnets, beads and some trinkets from Michael's.

And then I would want to show you some of my favourite tree decorations.

If we were meeting for vermut this afternoon I would tell you I really felt like Santa once all the gifts were wrapped and re-hidden in this large - ahem- garbage bag.

I had to remind everyone to not throw it out, but there was little danger in that as it is a most rare occurrence when someone other than me takes out the trash.

If we were raising our glasses today I would tell you that the day of Christmas Eve was really cold. How cold? So cold even the dog got an ice beard when we went out to deliver Christmas cards.

And we finally got a little snow - not that I am complaining - but someone in the house was bellyaching over the possibility of a green Christmas.

We were able to take a walk on Christmas day and leave some special rocks in some of our favourite places.

And then since we were getting a little silly I would introduce you to my optimistic thermometer, to which I always need to subtract an additional five degrees (celsius). This morning it read this

when it fact it was this outside.

But as painfully cold as it's been the last few days, we had one day near freezing when we were able to go out for a ski. Riley had wanted to do this trail

since last year. And my muscles will tell you that we did every one of the 11 kilometers of the Rabbit trail which was kind of foolish (at my age) since it was our first time out this year.

But it was worth it because we saw a couple of babbling brooks

tee pees

and I saw a lot of this

Drinking our hot chocolate later we made some art out of the donut sprinkles

If we were meeting for vermut today I would ask you if you have chosen a word for 2012. I would tell you that I didn't choose one for last year and I almost didn't want to pick one for the coming year but with certain events these past few weeks I have decided my word for 2012 is going to be "me". This coming year I intend to take better care of my body and spirit and put myself first on a regular basis. And if I had a fall back word it would be "no" because I intend to put that word in regular rotation in my vocabulary. And then because my vermut has run out I would say let's go drop in at Kate's at The Catalan Way to see if she has unpacked her bottles yet and maybe give her a hand with her dogs whilst she goes away for a few days. But I would say I have dibs on Blue because she stole my heart the first time I saw her.

$300.57

$300.57 of groceries. Not including the turkey.

Releasing Ceremony - Welcoming Back the Light

Wordless Wednesday

{Virtual Coffee}

Wow, look at that! Five days until Christmas, I don't know who is more excited in our house. So, if we were meeting for coffee today you would find me sipping sweet, chocolaty coffee while I dance around the studio with Seal and Amy Winehouse, and for that you might want to put your sunglasses on.

If we were meeting for coffee today I would check in and see if you are in the holiday spirit. I have had head my head down for so long just trying to fit it all in that when I allowed myself to look up today I felt a lot lighter, despite what is still dogging me on my endless list.

If you were coming over for coffee today I would make you drink plenty of it so you would have to avail yourself of the facilities and you would remark on how clean my bathroom is. I spent considerable time in there this weekend not availing myself but cleaning and scrubbing and washing so that, for the first time in a long time, everything in there was sparkling clean at the same time.

I would confess that often times I just clean the one thing that seems the most in need but this week even the bowl cleaner

and the plunger got their due

as well as the baseboards and the floor. Luckily it is a largely wood bathroom so the dirt shows less, or maybe I just stop seeing it after a certain point.

If we were meeting for coffee today I would show you the cat we saw in the dollar store

and say that I would have that expression on my face too if I was expected to dress up like that, and show you some L-O-V-E we found at Starbucks, courtesy of the Jones company

and admit that we must be singlehandedly keeping that coffee shop in business as we run around this holiday season.

If we were meeting for coffee today I would say that after a near breakdown with plenty of tears on my part, Riley's unfortunate situation at school may be coming to a head. I am hoping that the principal actually heard my words between my hysterical gulps and snivels and that she is not just trying to appease me, I would be relieved to truly believe changes are afoot.

And to lighten the mood back up a bit I would show you the plethora of Christmas cards we have received

despite my ingrained habit to not send out any of my own and it makes me grateful for each and every person who sends them out without expecting to get one in return. A humble thank you.

And I would leave with this one last shot for our hostess, Amy,

who so loves vintage. It is from a neighbour's front yard and it reminds me of growing up and what was around my old neighborhood. Don't forget to drop in over at Lucky Number 13 for some holiday hillbilly lattes. May your coming days be merry and bright!

Virtual Vermut

Oh my stars, if we were meeting for vermut today I would say I am sorry for dropping off the face of the earth and wonder, has it really been two weeks since I showed up here? I would tell you that I have been really sick - flat on my back sick with some kind of super bug that wouldn't succumb to any of my usual bag of tricks and so I just had to ride it out.

If we were meeting for vermut today I would introduce you to Harriet

who you couldn't help but notice since she is sitting right on the end of my nose. Harriet, the virulent pimple that appeared the night of the office Christmas dinner, naturally.

I would tell you that one of my latest challenges has been how to have time to both live and to blog about it but I wouldn't have to tell you that I have let the blogging part slide, including leaving comments for those who always show up for me and I would want this to serve as a humble apology for lurking.

If we were meeting for vermut today I would show you some of our outdoor lights lit up

but admit that it is not easy to take decent pictures in the dark.

I would tell you we got our Christmas tree last week

which is a little bigger than this one

but we are still waiting for some snow to make it feel a little more festive.

I firmly believe I can live without the white stuff but I know it is coming and so we might as well have a bit to brighten up these dark, dark days which would be a nice segue into a light bulb moment I had last week.

After unscrewing a burned out light bulb I noticed that it was 52 watts. Not 40 watts. Or 60 watts. But 52 watts. Have you ever?

I would tell you we got the warm and fuzzies last Sunday when we joined the scouts going door to door collecting for Christmas baskets.

It was astonishing the sheer amount people gave from their cupboards which took the sting out of those who peeked from behind their curtains and didn't open the door to us.

If we were meeting for vermut today I would ask you if you ever felt the irony when, once you have managed to twist yourself into a perfect pretzel in a yoga class, the instructor says, "breathe naturally" when you can do anything but. And I would ask you if you thought it was an insult or a compliment when, after spending two hours in a chair at the hair salon, nobody at home notices a change in your look.

If we were meeting for vermut today I would tell you that during my blogging absence I have had to deal with some pretty ugly stuff, much uglier than Harriet. And I would tell you with certainty that racism is alive and well in my son's school. I have been sitting on the fence over one particular incident, many have advised me to go higher up on the ladder, all the way to the school board and without revealing the details I will say that it left me angry and shaken and it was probably a good thing that I was as ill as I was when it happened because I didn't have the energy to have a full blown reaction and knowing my temper, you would agree my Virulent Virus was a blessing.

And while we were on the subject of Riley,

I would tell you a story that would make you cry. Yesterday I took him to see Santa after school, we hadn't yet been able to get to the mall for our annual visit. When he was asked what he wanted for Christmas, Riley said, "peace on earth". Santa asked if he would like something just for him and he answered, "No, no - I'm good". Santa was kind of stunned and admitted that was a first for him. So with that attitude I am putting my anger and trembling legs into my releasing bundle

that I will be burning on December 22nd as part of Pixie Campbell's Mother of All Releasing Ceremonies. I have been accumulating plenty of things I would like to release, material and emotional baggage that I am ready to fire up and send off. Judgment makes up a big part of my bundle and I would ask you why it seems easier to release judgment towards a total stranger than towards someone you are close to. I am throwing in fear and uncertainty and mean spiritedness and impatience and a whole lot of other things that no longer serve who I want to be. That will be some bonfire and I will say that I will try to take some pictures to show you next week. Then I would say let's go over to Kate's because she is back in her Catalan digs with Bonnie and Blue and could use some help with her bottle of vermut.

Friday Haiku - the viral edition

oh dear, my nose is

whistling like a cheap kazoo

pass the tissue box