New Year ....

I have no profound words to end out this year.

Just immense feelings of gratitude for the many

ways in which our world has banded together to

fight something bigger than all of us. It's not over

yet and there is much work to do, but we will go

to sleep later tonight with hope for what can be.

Happy New Year my dear blogging buddies!

Wishing you peace and good health for 2021!!

~ Chy

Hope for 2021.

No one will disagree that this year has been incredibly difficult on so many levels. Life stopped, then started again with restrictions and radical new routines. The virus that started out small in one community has spread Worldwide with a speed that has been hard to keep up with. We have made changes to how we work, how we live, how we play, and even how we die and how we grieve. Nothing is the same. We grieve for what was, what we can't have in the moment and we even grieve for people we have never met who have succumbed to the virus. We carry fear in our minds, our bodies and our hearts. We miss the activities that we once loved, and we have all done our very best to keep safe and healthy. At the end of any year, previous to 2020, many of us will often look back on the year and feel gratitude for the special moments, and hope the tough experiences were met with grace. We plan for the next year and some even make resolutions for change. But what do we do at the end of a year like we've never experienced before? How do we look forward to the future, when on an hourly basis, it keeps changing before we can even take it all in?

I've been mulling this over the last few weeks as I go thru the motions to close out my now full and very worn out daytimer. I love this time of year to reflect back on what worked, what didn't go so well and what can be improved upon. I truly wish to leave this Earth having lived my very best life. But how does this work, in the middle of a Pandemic? Here's what I've come up with to get myself moving forward as we say goodbye to 2020 and welcome 2021, with trepidation ....

Hope stands out for me as a word that is still here at the end of this year. Hope is free. Hope can be contagious. Hope can carry us through anything. Many hoped for a vaccine to eradicate this viral journey by next Summer. Many thought it wouldn't happen, that it would take years or not be effective. And yet here we are, in December of this same year, with more than one vaccine ready for distribution. We have hope the numbers will drop, even on days when they are super high again. We have hope our kids will fare well through this year where their schooling is different. Yet, they are still learning and growing and playing. We have hope that though it feels like life has stalled, we are still living, and moving, and being. 

We began the construction of the new residential in the Summer of 2019. In the midst of a Pandemic that none of us planned for, we managed to continue to work towards our long-standing goal of a residential hospice for the Greater Edmonton Region. We are ending 2020 with boxes to unpack, and staff and volunteers to train. We are so hopeful for the warmth, the care and the compassion that our residents who will soon reside in this special place as they journey toward their final moments will experience. And bright and beautiful spaces for our grieving clients, of all ages, to explore their unique paths as they navigate their mourning with our dedicated team. 

Hope began this project. Hope saw up through. And hope is all around us as we complete our final tasks as we work towards our opening day. 

My hope for you, as you enter 2021, is that this one small word will help carry you thru this New Year.

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 31.

Totally looking forward to getting

back to these carefree days ~ when

the word "Covid" was NOT part

of our daily language. It's slowly

getting there. We truly already

did appreciate life. But now more

than ever, it will forever mean so

much more, until the end of days!

~ Chy

Christmas Carol.

This year, our large theatre was not able to

provide "Christmas Carol" due to Covid.

This hit show every year is a staple in the

community. But they created a plan.

Shot over several days, this typically

live performance was taped and

then tickets were sold for the online

broadcast. We were gifted a ticket

for our family. Tonight we finally

had some time to sit and watch it.

And it was amazing! Perfect on so many

levels and a great twist on the story too.

We both acted in this theatre and it's

where we met, so this made it even more

special. A time we cherish and now a

way to make new memories. Loved it all!

~ Chy

Holiday Mice.

Sweet and festive holiday mice. The incredible

talent behind making these is so amazing. Enjoy!

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 30.

Currently, this is our Winter Wonderland. Not a lot

of snow at the moment, though I'm sure that will

change in time. Lots of warm, sunny days, which

means lots of melting too. Enjoying every minute!

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 29.

All week, it's been super warm but at

night very cold. So we wake up to

frosty trees all around our landscape.

Which then melts through the day.

But look at that sky. So blue and very

few cloud cover. Loving this Winter

weather so far. I know it won't last,

and soon we'll have frosty weather

all day long. For now, we cherish the

warmth we are experiencing. Love it!

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 28.

I was so excited to unwrap this gift on Christmas

morning. I almost forgot I had indicated that I

would LOVE to have this puzzle to complete while

we're working from home due to Covid. Though

it is 1,000 pieces, I think it's saving grace will be

all the "words." Just as I so love reading Susan

Branch's books, I will equally love reading this

puzzle as I work to put it together. Can't wait!

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 27.

 

I sometimes love that we have such dark
nights. The glow from different spaces
in the cottage, spilling in to other rooms,
gives such a comforting feeling and a
true sense of home, of hygge, of love ....
and of family. My grandmother's dining
set, warm wood floors, beautiful china
and silver sets, cared for thru generations.

These moments bring back memories of

being with family and creating experiences.

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 26.

There are so many amazing things that

I'm grateful for, even in this Covid year.

Our sweet little cottage. Living in the

big woods. My amazing, fulfilling career.

But what makes me work so hard every

day and love just as much is this guy ....

.... and sweet her. Our boys on the coast

and in the Big City and their families ....

.... and these two for always keeping

us all on our toes, all of the time ....

Good food. Lovely neighbors. Caring

friends. And my mama and our family

across the country. We are so fortunate

and every day, I give thanks for it all.

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 25.

We honestly have never had an early

morning Christmas. This year was

no different. We were up by about

10, ate a delicious brekky of cheesy

eggs, maple bacon, blueberry waffles

and hash browns. With mimosa's and

orange juice for the kid. It then took

over 1.5 hours to open our stockings

and all the gifts. We're slow but part

of that is we open one at a time and

everyone oohs and aahs and laughs

over each gift and our reactions. At

noon, we take a break and settle back

to watch the Queen's Christmas speech.

Then it's time to do a bit of a tidy, go

out for a walk, and then start making

our turkey dinner. Play with the kid

and take lots of pictures. Always a

fun morning, with new memories to

hold on to. A very special day ....

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 24.

After weeks of prep and dreaming,

shopping and cleaning, writing and

sending, visiting and sweet baking, the

eve/night before Christmas is always

my favorite time. A walk around the

cottage to make sure every thing is

set. And then we crawl in to bed with

a book or two until we all fall asleep,

content and excited for the morning.

A well deserved rest before the chaos!

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 23.

I bought this sweet and very soft scarf

when we were in Ottawa presenting to

Parliament. A special trip and a sweet

item to always remind me of this trip.

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 22.

A small tree with our sweet babies

names on it. Our babies in Heaven.

The turret holds the big tree, where all

the fun and memories are created. The

living room holds a place for reflection

in the light, and tears in the dark. This

is now our tradition each Christmas.

And we wouldn't have it any other way.

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 21.

Within this Covid experience, the World

has a chance to mend fences and build love.

I hope once this is all done, we continue to be

kind. Love first, peace follows. So hopeful ....

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 20.

Our sweet tiny Angel on top of

our tree. Soft and flowy and bright!

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 19.

A favorite recipe every Christmas is Candy Cane

Cookies. I love twisting them and then baking. 

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 18.

Our stockings were new last year.
I found them just a few days before
Christmas, on an amazing sale. I
want to add some pretty ribbon to
them. One day, when all my other

projects are done, I'll get this done!

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 17.

A few gifts under the tree before
the big day. We have so much fun

hunting for the perfect gifts for

each other, all within our budget.

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 16.

This is the first year we've had outdoor lights,

other than our inflatables and the garland around

the front door. And the two trees on either side

of the front door. We can't do the upper level just

yet as it's super high and safe. Maybe next year

if we can find a company. It looks like there are

missing lights but actually, it's just the trees in

front. All 1,000 lights are lit and accounted for.

~ Chy

Capturing: Day 15.

My favorite holiday song has always been and will

always be "Carol of the Bells." I love all the varied

versions of his song and never grow tired of it. At

home, when it comes on, my family calls it mom's

song! I was in a children's choir as a kid and this was

a favorite even back then. An old song but good!

~ Chy