Merry Christmas to all.............

This date, December 22nd, was my beautiful mother's birthday so I am celebrating that today. Here we are sitting under the tree with her - circa 1956.

I am off to my son's for the holidays so last chance to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I will be back here either late this year or on January 1st - see you then.

Love to you

Carol Ann

Merry Christmas to all of my Wilmot school mates

I am loving every second of reconnecting with my Wilmot School friends. We are planning a reunion next summer - all those who attended the one/two room school house are invited to attend.  This photo was taken in 1953 so I was 7 and Lois was 10.  Grades 1 - 6 were all in the same room at that time - the second room would come later. Trust me, you don't want me to tell you which little girl is me................I will let you figure it out again.To all of you that I have had the pleasure of reconnecting with since the Wilmot school project was formed on Facebook I am thrilled that we are in contact after oh-so-many years.  Merry Christmas to you and I look forward to seeing you  sometime during the weekend of July 28-29th.

Love
Carol Ann

Christmas week

Here we are - it's Christmas week!  For those, like me, who start celebrating November 1st there has been lots of celebrating. I miss my mom more than usual during this week for a number of reasons. She too loved the holidays, I was fortunate to almost always be with her at Christmas time - and sadly she passed away on December 20th so in that vain I am a bit sad at this time too.  It is always tough to lose a loved one - it seems even more so at this time.  Love you mom!  CA xoxo

Westjet update

I must share with you that my sister did hear back (and promptly too) from Westjet. She has been reimbursed for Christmas gifts stolen from her checked luggage.  It's a start...........and the people she has heard from have been understanding, apologetic and helpful so giving credit to those who deserve it...........

Jalen and his Gingerbread house

My handsome grandson made yes made this Gingerbread house.  Quite a school project I would imagine - I thought Gingerbread houses all came from the store after money was exchanged. He has put me to shame LOL.

Lexi has a new favourite hobby

Lexi loves to keep an eye on dishes going in to and out of the dishwasher. In fact she loves it so much as  you can see here she actually sat on the door to keep a very close eye on things.

She is thrilled with her new favourite toy obviously - the dishwasher!!

Greetings

I have missed a few days here. How are you?  My post-pneumonia health has me down and out a bit again...hate it when that happens.

It is such a busy time of year and to miss a day or three is significant.  I got caught in the rain yesterday going to and from my doctor's office. I think it was about 15 degrees and with heavy spring like rain.  Unbelievable!  Even if you felt like shopping yesterday in downtown Toronto it would have been difficult to do so.

So today it is raining again and I am tucked away inside - with no intent to venture outside....maybe tomorrow.

Have a nice evening. 

Love Carol Ann

Good Monday morning to you

Two final work weeks before Santa arrives and not to be negative but for those who don't like this particular holiday don't worry - two weeks from today it will be Boxing Day.  Seriously I have a number of friends who really don't like all that goes with this holiday season and I do understand that. 

For me, and I think I get it from my mother, I love the season which is why I begin decorating my little home for Christmas in November.

Love

Carol Ann

Cookie Jar Marble collection

If you have an old glass-bear-peanut-butter jar why not fill it something other than cookies and keep it out as a decoration.  I loved my bag-full of marbles as a kid and could win the entire collection from any boy or girl in Wilmot - and I often did.

Fast forward to today and Jalen is a bit past the marble stage and Lexi is too little to play with my collection so it sits proudly waiting for her to be a bit older.  (I will let her win at least initially.)

Saturday has been a crazy day in the stores. I hope you didn't even attempt to shop today.

Love
CA

A message to 'The Holders of the Heart"

I am receiving so many Christmas cards from those of you who have a Comfort Heart.  Many, if not most,  I have never met in person.  Thank you for being in touch at this time of year, thanks for the pictures you send, thanks for the gifts of 'anything-heart-like' and thanks for your kind words.  With support like yours there are over 255,000 Comfort Hearts in the hands of people all over the world.  If I could I would write to each of you individually. I know many of you follow my blog and I hope you will be okay with me acknowledging you here.  With love to you from the heart.....Carol Ann

My friend Valerie

I don't send very many Christmas cards and when I receive my annual card from Valerie and Mario I always feel that my card to them just didn't measure up. 

I am not sure if this is called needlepoint or cross-stitch (that's how much I know) but I have this wonderful collection of cards from Valerie and they are all hand made. We even have a Christmas ornament on the tree with skis on one side and "Jamie" on the other side dating back to when James was still Jamie and racing with the Toronto Ski Club (now, that is a story!)

My Wilmot friend Beryl Holman has a great saying relative to giving and receiving Christmas cards.  Her motto is, "I don't give to get.  But, I don't give if I don't get."  I love the expression and it explains why I receive fewer cards each year  However, it's all good.

Hope Thursday is treating you well.

Love
Carol Ann

My Wilmot NS friend Phyllis Pedicelli (and Tony too!)

Phyllis (back row left) and I grew up as neighbours and best friends-forever in Wilmot Nova Scotia.  We are best friends to this day.

This beautiful picture of Phyllis and Tony and their family arrived today in a Christmas card.  What a wonderful way to stay in touch and share the visual of a family over time.

Thanks Phyllis.

Love

Carol Ann

My friend Nancy.....

My friend Nancy is a fantastic cook - and she can bake anything, literally anything. Often she starts to make something at the last minute and still everything she makes turns out perfectly. 

Nancy mailed a box of fudge to me recently (to put a few pounds back on me) and I am enjoying every tiny speck of every piece.  I am not sharing it with anyone either!!

So what is the story behind this particular cake you ask?  Well....this story involves her husband David (more about David in a second.)  You see, David offered to help Nancy by taking the cake out of the oven.  He dropped it somehow and this is the result.  They did make the best of it  though - as you can see there are a few large pieces that could be salvaged.  I would have sat on the floor to ensure even the smallest piece was eaten.

David is a wonderful man.  He is so involved with his family, he loves all of his family and shows it.  He takes great care of everything, including his antique car.  I guess technically Nancy is an antique too right Nancy? LOL  Seriously though, David is a very sincere, dedicated and loyal man.   (He's handsome too by the way.) I don't think there are many men out there like David - maybe you got the last of the good guys Nancy.  Hate it when that happens.

Love
CA

Can you find me?

This is just too funny!  Can you find me in this photo?

I finally joined Facebook because of the 'Wilmot School project' that was formed.  I get to connect with women and men who went to the one room/two room school house with me in Wilmot Nova Scotia.  This photo was taken in the basement when they were adding the second room to the building.  I think this was a Christmas pageant of some sort and it was likely circa late '50's.  I love it!!

Westjet - shame on you!

My sister Connie flew to Toronto this past weekend to be with a friend who is battling cancer.  Connie had purchased a number of Christmas gifts to help her friend through this rough patch (and my gifts were in there too!)   She arrived the required two hours prior to flight time in Halifax on Saturday morning. 

When her luggage arrived in Toronto - the gifts were gone.  Who in God's name would rob someone of holiday gifts for others?  A baggage handler of some sort I fear and maybe even in Halifax since the bags were checked so early.  Westjet stresses to arrive two hours early - I am sure this is not so you can be robbed by their owners. (They call everyone on their team/staff an owner as per their commercials.)

Connie has written to the President of Westjet. She doesn't want anything from him.  She simply wants him to know that she is heartbroken.

I am a bit more angry than she is and I WON'T LET THIS DROP!

I don't normally blog about my anger - but there you have it.

CA

Yorkville Christmas

I thought you might enjoy this Christmas tree standing proudly on Cumberland Street in Yorkville.  I walked through the area with friends last evening and it was so beautiful I had to take a picture.

Have a nice Sunday you-all!

Love
CA

Snow in the Barrie area

And Jalen loves it as you can see.  I am hoping the snow is not on the ground to stay - that would mean no more driving there for me until the spring. Sometimes it melts - albeit sometimes it does not melt for months and months.

Such a difference between weather in Toronto and the Barrie area.

Busy Saturday?

Christmas dinner #1

It is such a busy month isn't it?  Some years ago when I lived in Halifax I began a tradition with my friends Barb and Faith (and Cheryl when she lived in Toronto.) The first Friday of each month we would meet for dinner - I know that sounds like a very simple plan but if you don't plan it, often it just doesn't happen.  Life gets in the way.

Origionally we met at the City Grill in the Eaton Centre and then - again life getting in the way - the restaurant closed.  Not a bad thing though because we began going to different restaurants, sometimes new to us.

Tonight we will meet at a great pasta place in Yorkville for drinks dinner and "Christmas cheer" as Faith calls it.  We exchange gifts -Barb makes out gift - cookies and they are the best in the world. I sometimes start eating them en route home from the restaurant. Maybe I will take a picture this year and share the cookies with you.  That way I don't have to actually give you one!

You have a good Friday my friend.

Love

Carol Ann

Here we go - it's December!

Each year I have the joy of helping James, Tracey, Jalen and Lexi decorate their Christmas tree. This year we had Lexi put the first ornament on the tree (sort of) and Jalen gave us his all-grown-up look as he stood beside the tree fully decorated.

Have a great great day!

Love

Carol Ann