Happy Canada Day!

 Happy Canada Day! Our country is only 157 years
old ~ still so young. So very proud to be Canadian!

~ Chy

Family Day.

Today was Family Day in Alberta. An extra day

off to take time with family and enjoy each other.

Happy Family Day!!

~ Chy

The Eve before the Eve.

 

Cleaned off my desk as the letters and
cards are all done for the year. Finished!

Visited our granddaughter, son and our

daughter in law, as well as their pup. It

was a lovely time and we look forward

to more visits soon over the holidays!

Christmas tree all ready for the celebration

that is before us. So quiet, after a busy day.

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care."

We're worried they'll fall off but so far, so good!

Good night to one and all. Sleep well. Dream lots!

~ Chy

Dreaming of Snow.

 

Still no signs of snow. I fear we'll have a
"snowless Christmas." It's so brown and

dreary looking. As much as I don't like

cold, at least white snow looks crispy clean!

Do you have snow where your home is?

~ Chy

A Little Dream.

Couldn't resist this sweet little Gingerbread lady.

We are trying to find one more inflatable for the

garden and this is what I'm hoping it will look like,

if we can ever find one! Until then, I'll just dream.

~ Chy

Travelling Tree.

The big Sloth, resting on the veranda.

Not really being a guard or a greeter.

The sweet Penguins being silly. And our

"guard dog" ~ the Corgi ~ watching it all.

A different view of Baby Yoda, Santa

and Bruce the Moose. Brings smiles to all.

We put our tiny tree that used to be in

our bedroom onto the vintage cabinet

this year. It's travelled a bit around the

cottage but I think I like it here the best!

~ Chy

Christmas Bureau.

Today, we broadcast from our local

Christmas Bureau. It was Delivery Day

for all the families who had requested

support this year for Christmas. Each

family receives gifts, chosen just for

them, donated from others like us who

can provide new items/toys/books so

that Christmas can still be special. I

love this day and feel so fortunate that

we could be on site. Above is dh and

df interviewing our Mayor. It looks

empty but I was strategic with my shots

so that I didn't capture anyone without

their permission. A heartwarming day.

~ Chy

Holiday Sweets.

We had a lot of fun baking then eating

the holiday sweets we created this year.

Just enough to fill us up but not too much

that we had to throw any away. Perfect!

~ Chy

Holiday Car.

Saw this on FB and just had to take

a shot so I remember this for next

holiday season. It's an old Little

Tykes car that has been repainted.

Love this idea! I often see LT cars

listed on Marketplace for pennies.

Can you guess what will be part of our

holiday display next season? Sweet!

~ Chy

Love Necklace.

It's a long weekend here in Alberta and though it's chilly today, more than last week when we took our jackets off, the sun is out and the sky is blue. Our Family Day weekend is always a favorite as the timing is perfect. In the midst of still darker days, we have a few extra days off to do whatever our heart calls us to do. For us, we chose to stay home as the cold and the snow did return the other day. We filled the fridge and the pantry with food, bookmarked some new shows to watch, ensured the cottage was tidy so we could relax and made a very conscious effort to not do any work. We did drive over to hospice on Saturday as I'm having a hard time putting the filing cabinet that was ordered for my new office together. Dh was able to help but we did run out of time as we had an appointment at the bank to do our annual RRSP contributions (Registered Retirement Savings Plan for those who do not live in Canada) and we had to leave the last few steps for another day. But it's almost done and I feel better that it's not sitting in a million pieces all over my office floor! We got to the bank on time and set up our contributions for 2021 so now we can get our taxes in to our accountant. Taxes must be filed in Canada by April 30th and though we rarely have to pay, we like to get them in as early as possible as we typically get nice refunds between our RRSP's and our donations and any write offs for the year. Dh has just accepted a new job proposal and he will be working from home 100% of the time now so not sure what he will be able to use as credits but too good of a position to pass up so we'll have our accountant figure out those pieces. All his job!

After the bank appointment, we headed over to our other house to ensure the walk was clear of snow and the heat was up a bit for the cold that was settling in. Dropped off some supplies for my mom at her care home (outbreak again so no long visit), picked up office supplies that were low, stopped in at HomeSense and bought the sweetest 2 pack of Easter hand towels for our guest bathroom (photos to come), bought a few groceries, treated ourselves to a danish from Cobs Bread, then headed home for the rest of the weekend to just chill. Today, I have a few items to put together for work tomorrow but doing that while I'm watching "Escape to the Country." It's been a lovely time and I feel like I've caught up on some rest. More energy now!

I should explain the photo above. Dh loves to find jewellry for me at Christmas and this year, he outdid himself, in my opinion. This necklace sparkles in the sun and the wings feel like a hug. The back is beautiful as well. I should have taken a pic of that. Another time, as the necklace is hanging upstairs on my jewellry hanger. I love that he puts so much energy in to finding the right piece and every one has a connection to our life in some way. I wish I could find him gifts with so much meaning. I try and he's always touched but I feel he just does it so much better. 

Hoping you had a lovely weekend as well. 

Back to work tomorrow but looking forward to it.

~ Chy

A New Month!

Welcome February. A new month! We've noticed that our days have been getting longer and the sun is out a bit more. Despite the Winter storm yesterday, today is chilly but sunny, with blue skies and sparkling snow. My first day of a week off and I have so many tasks on my long list to look at and then decide which ones to do, in between naps and working on the dollhouse in the art studio. My list:

* create new schedule for my new hires (2 new grief counsellors) while incorporating my other counsellor and myself in to the mix. We are now a lovely team of 4.

* re~organize our home office. Time to do a little purge and reset the desk at a different angle. I have a lot of Zoom calls through the week and I'm ready for a change of scenery.

* take down the Christmas trees this coming weekend. Family is not happy and trying to convince me to leave them up. To be determined. I've stated that gifts of white chocolate will entice me to move the take down dates to another time.

* gather receipts and documents for our accountant for our taxes. In Canada, taxes are to be filed by April 30th at the very latest. We usually do this in March but I'm going to get it in earlier this year as the next few months are going to be crazy busy with renos, landscaping and the Festival. 

* figure out our RRSP contributions (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) for 2021 (you can contribute up to February 28th for the year) and set up my auto withdrawals at work on our ADP platform. My employer is now doing matching contributions and I'm excited to double my amount each year until we retire. Getting closer all the time.

* purge our master bedroom closet and front door closet. Lots of clothes are sitting and it's time to pass them on. 

* work on our half bath to get it ready for the board and batten. A little wallpaper, a little paint and wood pieces to fit.

* we're super ahead of the game for the Festival but there is still a few things I'd like to tick off my list while I have the time. The more we do now, the less we do later. I'd really like to sit back this year and actually enjoy the Festival. I want to do this with our preschool too. Get ahead of the game and then when the weather is great again and we're outside more, I won't feel torn to be enjoying myself when things need to be done. My new motto for 2022: do it well before it's due to be done! I truly have the time to do this well.

You might be wondering why I chose the photo above for today's post. It just spoke "Spring" to me and it feels like we're getting closer to the season of renewal and change. Part of my week is also to take some time to "reset" how I look at work. I now have a chance to stop working so incredibly hard and start to give my team more tasks, especially with new energetic members on board. I shouldn't have to work at night and on the weekends. Though that time is at home, I don't see other staff members doing extra work on their off time. Here and there, yes. But every day, no! I've put a message on my email and will do the same with my phone and nothing will get done until I'm back on site next week. We'll see how long this lasts as I've become a bit of a workaholic ~ easy to do when you love what you do and you're always trying to achieve the best ~ but it's not sustainable. I'm so very tired and worn down and I'm sure why I haven't been feeling the best. Here's my chance to make this change. Wish me well! I'm on it ....

What to you do to make changes in your life?

When do you know changes are needed?

~ Chy

Thanksgiving Day.

To all my U.S. blogging buddies, sending you

a "Happy Thanksgiving" wish as you enjoy

this day of gratitude, family and tradition. I

love this holiday the best, though in Canada,

we celebrate and gather in October. We plan

to watch the Macy's Parade today. First time!

~ Chy

Sweet Snowmen.

And a gingerbread couple! Yes, it's time to unpack all my sweet snowmen and get them in their places around our little cottage. Last year, I didn't put them all out as we were stuck at home without visitors. But we hope this year we can have at least a few people over to honor the season. So out they came on the weekend when our neighbors were over to try on hockey equipment for their son. I had their younger daughter and youngest son take all the snowmen out of the hope chest I keep them in. They had a great time setting them out. I will rearrange but thought it was so sweet how they chose where to put them. I have a great picture of the couch but they are both in the shot so won't post as they aren't my children. I will post more once I have them in their spots. So sweet, so homey, so Christmacy.

                                      ~ Chy 

Blogtober: Day 10.

After a week of sunshine and warm temperatures,

we woke up to a rainy, windy Thanksgiving Day.

I'll post some pictures this week but we had a very

lovely dinner, full of great food and lots of laughter.

~ Chy

The Night Before ....

After settling in to our grand hotel, we

had lunch at our favorite Irish pub, did

a bit of shopping and then indulged in a

quick swim in the cool pool and a warm

soak in the hot tub. After showering, it

was our time to get ready for the "night

before the wedding" family dinner. We

headed off to a sweet Italian restaurant

and met up with our son and daughter

in law to be, and her parents and family.

It was a great night, with amazing food,

laughs and new memories. We left with

full bellies, aching sides and smilies on

our faces. Home to the hotel and long

sleeps to be ready for the wedding. It

was a relaxed dinner the night before.

~ Chy

The First Day.

Leaving on a jet plane to our son's

wedding and our holiday after at the

beginning of September. We traveled

with our dd and dgs to the coast. It

was such a great trip. And as always,

we started with "Cookies by George."

A concert to watch by the great

Ed Sheeran. Not a long flight at all.

The mama and the papa, excited to be

on board, with a not happy dgs glaring!

He doesn't like to be left out of photos.

He is a true actor/model from the start.

We ended up in preferred seating. A

really good experience with this airline.

Loved being on a new plane that was

so spacious and very, very comfortable.

Vancouver before we hit the runway.

So excited to see the ocean in the back.

And then we had to get on this tiny jet

to fly over to our little island. Not as

spacious, very little room and no service

but it's only a 12 minute flight. Fun!

~ Chy

Easter at Home.

Like all holidays in the last year, for Easter 2021, we'll once again gather together and alone. We'll set our dining room table for just the five of us in the cottage but truly wish we were putting the leaves in the middle and gathering chairs to ensure all have a comfy spot to eat. We'll engage with other family members by text, by email and by video link. It will be fun but some of it will feel lonely too. And then there will be people out there who don't think this is as serious as it is, those who will travel, though we are told to stay home, those who will continue to not wear masks, though it shows to helps stop the spread. For those who do not think of others but only themselves, I wish they could, for a moment, step in to an ICU and see how real it all is. If everyone did their part, maybe we'd be back to normal all ready. For now, we all do our part and keep safe, at home, until we've been vaccinated and we can be out freely again. I can't wait ....

A few photos from around the cottage for Easter at Home. The sweet bunny pillow we found last year for 1/2 price and love the pretty colors. The photo under that one is the tiny oval frame we found at the Antique Mall one day. I loved the picture and the opening in the back for dried flowers. I've placed some Hydrangea buds from last Summer. The third photo is the Easter bauble someone gifted to us. It hangs on our writing secretary, for now, then is tucked away until next Spring. The fourth photo is the pillow we found at the AM again, on another visit one rainy day a few years ago. As a gramma, it makes me smile. The fifth photo is a lamp from that same visit to the AM. Small with a china lamp shade, provides just enough light when I write at night. And finally, the sixth photo is a china lamb that we found at a charity shop in our region. With pink eyes and a lovely garland around its neck, the perfect symbol for this season. 

All for now. Wishing you and your

beautiful family a memorable Easter.

~ Chy

Spring Break.

This week coming up is Spring Break in our region. When I was home with my kids, I loved this week to do fun activities with our family, to travel or to just be. A break before the end of the school year that was always a very busy time. Now that I'm back at work and the kids are older, I still take this week off. A chance to finish up Spring cleaning, ensure our taxes have been filed (due April 30th but I always do the early), start to work in the gardens and take some time to just be. This year, with Easter at the end, I have a few extra days and am really excited and so very ready for this break. I always feel so much better after.

Do you have a Spring Break where you live?

~ Chy

Holiday Mice.

Sweet and festive holiday mice. The incredible

talent behind making these is so amazing. Enjoy!

~ Chy

Blogtober: Day 12.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving, which I will write about in the next few days. Today I've started my holiday of a week off (and one extra day!) and I have a long list of things I'd love to do while I'm home and not worrying about work. It's chilly but sunny and snow is on it's way by Friday. So lots to do. Wishing you an amazing day! ** Edited to add in that I forgot to press send when I wrote this yesterday, on the actual Day 12! Sending along now and hope you enjoy. **

                                    ~ Chy