Better Weather

   It is slightly warmer today, even got up above freezing this afternoon. The wind seemed to be coming from the south east so we may be in for a few days with more seasonal temperatures. No sun, though, and a light dusting of snow has turned everything white again.
 
   I managed to get James outside for almost an hour today, shovelling snow (me) and jumping in and out of snowbanks (James). He was completely snow covered and I had to strip off his outer clothes before we went inside. It is quite a production to get him in and out of snowpants, making sure the snow cuff is down over his boots, and securing his mitts so no snow goes up his sleeves!

   In the afternoon we went to Judy's school to watch their concert rehearsal. James thoroughly enjoyed himself, joining her Kindergarten class for the performances and a snack afterwards in her classroom. Unfortunately, this change to his routine upset him somewhat and he had a "hissyfit" when we got home. Luckily he exhausted himself and fell asleep so I had a quiet hour to myself. Then we were off to Swiss Chalet for our annual family get-together over the Festive Special (chicken, stuffing, cranberry sauce). The eight of us had a very pleasant meal, much more civilized than in previous years as the kids mature!

A Day at Home

   Got several calls for work this morning but decided to stay home and catch up on chores. First off I wrote my local Christmas cards then, in a sudden burst of energy, sliced up some lemons and ginger to make marmalade. I have decided to use some of my preserves as gifts this year as I seem to have accumulated quite a pile of jams, marmalades and chutneys - more than I will ever be able to consume before the next crop.

   More snow shovelling today as it snowed pretty much all morning. It wasn't as cold and there wasn't as much of the fluffy stuff so the job went quickly. However, if this is a taste of how winter is going to be this year, we will all be mightily sick of the white stuff by March!

   A brisk walk down to the mailbox and that should be the last of the Christmas mailings for this year. However, I have a few cards on hand in case I receive one from someone I have forgotten. One last chore - a trip to the library for a book waiting for me. Now I can relax with the fire on and something to nibble before fixing dinner. Tonight it's ham and roasted vegetables but I will skip dessert - until later in the evening, that is. There are mincemeat tarts calling to me from the freezer!

First Winter Storm

     It's not even winter yet and already we are inundated with snow!

   It was quite a storm yesterday - strong winds, frigid temperatures and lots of snow - 12 cm here and even up to 40 cm in other areas. In fact, where the wind had blown the snow into drifts, it was probably quite a bit more. 

   Today was a day of shovelling. I had to do it in batches but, as I wasn't planning on going anywhere, there was no pressure to get it cleared. Sad to think we won't see the grass again until March or April.

   Only two other chores to do today - bake some mincemeat tarts for the freezer and get the lights on the Christmas tree. I had promised James that we would put up the ornaments tomorrow.  So now I will be able to keep my promise!

On the Go All Day

   James arrived late today - Judy is home sick so Dave had to bring him over after he dropped the other two at school. This gave me a chance to get started on the sausage rolls although he was there to help with the final step and to claim some credit in making them. Then we were off to the play group and a visit from the big man in the red suit (forgot my camera, unfortunately), and a feast of goodies.

   The sausage rolls were popular but I also liked the egg salad sandwiches, the spinakopita and the mini-quiches. James ate mostly cookies and other sweet treats. I ate enough for lunch and thought we could skip it today but by 1:30 James was hungry again so I fixed him his usual soup and grilled cheese. The up side of that was that he went for a nap without a whimper and I had to wake him an hour and a half later.

    In the afternoon I got a call from Judy saying she was still too sick to come for James so I drove him home around 4:30. Then I continued downtown for a cooking demonstration at the Queen' Quay Loblaws store. The traffic was pretty bad (first I tried the highway, then side streets but neither were moving faster than a snail's pace ) and I barely arrived in time, having been on the road for nearly two hours. However, it was all worth it as the chef was entertaining and instructive and the meal, when it finally arrived, was excellent. We were served four-vegetable tarragon soup, poached salmon with maple brandy sauce and broiled asparagus, and  a delicious raspberry and blueberry flan. The drive home only took about 25 minutes and that included a stop for the Ride police. What a relief I didn't stop at the Wine Rack store in the mall where they were giving out free wine samples!