Spring Dreaming.

The last few years, we've had pretty mild

Winters. Not much snow, though we did

have a few good snowfalls. No real storms

though. Late Falls and early Springs. We did

appreciate these and hoped for many more

Winters but truly this year, we've had a lot of

snow! Lots of sun, a bit of cold, no storms

but snow, snow, snow! The good thing is we

we all hope it will help keep forest fires at

bay. So today, a little bit of Spring dreaming!

💗 Chy 💗

Hello February.

The shortest month of the year and often

the coldest here in Northern Canada. But

also the month of pretty flowers, yummy

chocolate and an extra abundance of love!

💗 Chy 💗

Book Collection.

Years ago, I watched a show about hoarding

and it scared the heck out of me that having

"collections" can lead to over crowding in a

home. Since then, and now that our children

are grown and the house isn't full of toys, we

have made a very conscious choice to still love

our items that we collect but ensure they all

have a spot AND that we don't have to have

every single item within a collection. This

has worked well for us. However, the book

collection we have amassed over the years is

a bit much! So much so we've actually joked

that we need to build an addition on to the

cottage that would be exclusively a library!

I know many people who read a book and

pass it along, and we do purge at least once

a year. But the books we have, we do read

again and again, and can't imagine parting

with them. Too precious to us! Is it actual

hoarding? No, it is our love of reading ....

💗 Chy 💗

Yes, I CAN Cook!

I may have said this before, but I'm pretty sure my kids grew up thinking I didn't know how to cook. The truth is, I love to cook and baking is a passion. But I can rarely get into the kitchen because my dh loves to cook and he took over the cooking when we got married. He wanted me to concentrate on my studies, on my career path and then our family. Even when he went back to University, he would be home early in the afternoon, and dinner was his commitment. Truly I didn't fight it, as I would rather cut the grass or play with the kids. So it was a great arrangement. Now that I have a very small contract after retiring from palliative care, I've been figuring out ways to get back into the kitchen. I collect recipes ~ grand dinners I want to create, baking to fine tune and scrumptious dishes to explore.

The photos above show my latest attempt to feed my family and have them love my dish, knowing the daddy guy had no hand in it! It's a Garlic Parmesan Cheese Tortellini Chicken and Broccoli. And I can happily report it went over very, very well. Easy to make, so tasty and everyone had more than one helping! I had one tiny helping that was leftover today for lunch. Next time, I'll make a double batch so we can have more the next day.  A great success!!

I'm off to gather more recipes ....

💗 Chy 💗

Into the Gray.

"The weather is a friend if you make it one.

I look forward to the gray, quiet time for

solitude, contemplation, reading, long

conversations with friends. Colors are softer,

sounds have more depth, the pace is gentler.

Instead of resentment at the lack of sun, snuggle

into the gray velvet quilt and make yourself

a cup of tea."  Written by Jennifer Jones

I love these words by Jennifer Jones. Such an amazing way to describe Winter in our region. It may be gray outside, but inside, we are full of life, activities, memories and love. I'm not always crazy about the season but love it at Christmas, and on those days where we can choose to stay home when it's nasty outside, or we're forced to stay home if it's too dangerous to travel anywhere. Those are the days we're extra thankful for our warm little cottage, and work that lets us have the flexibility to just be. Making a pot of soup, steeping our tea, and cuddling down with warm blankets and sweet lights make those gray days very precious. Yesterday was a brutally cold one, with temperatures hitting almost - 40 C. A stay at home day for sure. Today, the numbers were better but the wind did keep the air bitter. We spent some time at our new centre, folding laundry, putting the dishwasher on, hanging curtains and installing blinds. Though we are now open, we still have a small task list that we're trying to complete before we go on our trip. Just a few more items and then we'll be all done. Looking so good! I shared with dh today that it now feels like out 2nd home, not an office, or clinical space, but another version of our cottage here in the big woods. This one just happens to be in the little hamlet, though there is a forest to explore across the road. So happy we chose this amazing spot. 

Enjoy your Sunday tomorrow!

💗 Chy 💗

New Years Eve.

After a busy Christmas season, we had quite a quiet but very welcome New Years Eve to ring in 2025. Dh made an amazing pork roast, rubbed with his special mixture, then wrapped in thick maple bacon, with rosemary on top. Not in the photo are the beautiful veggies he also roasted. We've never been big meat eaters ~ we were actually vegetarians for years. But when I became protein malnourished, we added chicken to our diet, and then some pork. I can't tolerate beef but seafood has been helpful as well. I still can't eat very much meat but dh has worked hard to figure out what I can tolerate. This was a new recipe he created and it was beyond amazing. I even had second helpings the next day! He also introduced me to a blueberry gin that was so smooth and bubbly. We ate well this season! So yummy.

For the evening, I spent some time building 1 of 2 dollhouses for our new childcare centre. It was pretty easy to put together. Well made and strong, it should hold up well with our littles in our care. You can't see all the furniture in these shots but the rooms are outfitted quite nicely. With room for adding more in as we grow. I'm hoping everyone will enjoy these new additions to our classroom. I know I did!

I'm excited for 2025. This past year was one filled with growth, healing, new experiences and incredible opportunities. It also, like any year, had moments that were hard, times when I felt we were truly moving backwards, some not pleasant experiences and missed opportunities. But overall, a much better year than 2023, with freedom and a new level of authenticity that was very present in my own little life. 

Wishing you all the best year ever for 2025!

💗 Chy 💗

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year 2025!!

I've read so many posts tonight with a common

theme ~ an excitement to be done with 2024 with,

as so many have shared "the bad year I wish never

happened." I'm so sad for this common sentiment.

As someone who has had some not so great times

in my own life, including moves far from family,

the losses of parents and grandparents, the tragic

losses of 8 of our 12 babies, and disappointments

with moments that didn't quite work out. I'm sad

because even though any type of loss or not so great

experience can make us wish for better, there is a

lesson to be learned from the bad things that happen

to good people. Or the things we can't control that

make life difficult for a time. The lesson is what we

decide to do with anything that life throws at us. I

do firmly believe we have choices, not in what did

take place, but how we'll navigate it. We can give up,

lean in, ignore it, or grow and heal. I choose the last

one, even if at times it appears it will never be ok. I

do believe things can turn around, and with intention,

we can learn so it doesn't happen again, or we can 

be better than the experience. I hope this all makes

sense. I hope that whoever is having a difficult time,

remember that you are alive, breathing and every

morning is a new day. Namaste for whatever life

has sent your way. Be well. Stay safe. Live and love.

💗 Chy 💗

Goodbye December.

Very frosty month full of wonder and excitement.

The opening of our new centre. Welcoming new

team members, and sweet new families. Gifts to

share and kind words to the World. Twinkly lights

and yummy treats. Moving my aging mom to her

new home. Planning for a big trip. A great month!

 💗 Chy 💗

Christmas Eve.

My favorite Christmas Eve print.

Reminds me of sleeping at my

gramma and grampa's house as

a child. We had to kneel beside

the bed to say our prayers. It was

a warm, cozy spot and full of love.

💗 Chy 💗

Wintry Day.

We are officially snowed in today! Yesterday, a heavy snowfall warning was issued for our region and we quickly shifted our day around so we could stay home today and just work, while the snow fell silently outside. One promise we made to each other was that if we moved to the country, we would not chance our lives if the weather was bad. So far, for the most part, we've been able to navigate this each Winter. It was hard when I was at the hospice to travel all the way into the Big City but I managed to work thru it all. But now we have more flexibility and it's made Winter less stressful. The snow started last night and has been falling all day. Road reports have not been good. We plan to venture into town tomorrow for a Christmas breakfast with the Chamber and to visit my mom's new care home as she moves on Monday. But we'll wait to see if the roads get better. Not worth the risk if we can avoid it. 

The one thing I love about snowy days out here is how beautiful our landscape becomes. It's so quiet out here and the snow sits so prettily wherever it falls. In town, there is such a rush to shake the flakes off everything that it's not as breathtaking. We feel so very fortunate to have this beautiful spot we call home. And snowy days means we can be inside, cozy and safe in our little cottage.

Last night, we were at severals events, and in between dh commented how he was loving our activie social life but couldn't wait to get home to the cottage to be cozy and warm! I totally agreed. Loving this time in our lives but home is where we most often want to be. Today, I slept in a bit, knowing I didn't have to travel in, then had a hot shower, put on my cozies and settled in on the comfy couch to work away at several projects. We applied for funding for Summer Students, attended a webinar on marketing our new centre, caught up on emails, posted on Social Media, read a lot, wrote a bit and tonight, I hope to bake a bit for our Christmas Celebration on Friday for all our littles and the parents. On Monday, we'll work a short day, and have a Christmas lunch for our team, then head home to get ready for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We have our neighbors coming over a couple of days after the holidays to celebrate (we have them over each year) but the rest of the time will just be us. We do hope to visit with our son and his little family. Waiting to hear what their plans are, If not before, then after. Love the holidays every year!

Wishing you a beautiful evening and hope you are cozied down in your little cottage, wherever you live and with whatever weather you have in your neck of the woods! 

💗 Chy 💗

Before the Snow.

Before we had snow, I took these two

photos that showed a bright sun on the

way home from our centre one day. It

was bright and hopeful, before the snow!

💗 Chy 💗

A Favorite Decoration.

One of my favorite little Christmas decorations ~

our "I'll be home for Christmas." Means so much!

💗 Chy 💗

Snowed In.

As predicted by the many weather guys,

we were hit with our first real blast of

Winter. And it was big! Thankfully, in

our region, we just got tons of snow.

Some areas had power outages and wind

storms too. We prepared to as soon as we

heard the news, only going in to town on

Friday to meet a client, and got groceries.

Then we came home and settled in for

the next few days. The snow started on

Friday, continued all thru the night and

then all day and night on Saturday too.

It ended late last night but then did add

in a few more bits today. We've stayed

in, except to go out to shovel the very

light fluffy snow. Later in the day on

Saturday, our sweet neighbor came to

clear our driveway so we don't get stuck

in the snow. He did the lane too and it

makes it so much easier in the Winter.

We thanked him with ale and freshly

baked cookies that had just come out

of the oven. Truly, they are the best

family ever to have as neighbors! It

is not just because he has a tractor

but because they have been out here

longer and have so much experience.

We are so thankful for their kindness.

Have you been snowed in yet?

~ Chy

Blogtober: Day 29.

A bit of sun after a couple of cloudy

days. Feels warmer in the cottage too!

~ Chy

First Snow!

As we settle in to our new home, our

new centre, we've joked about the first

snow that would soon arrive. In 2023,

the snow didn't arrive until December.

But this year, after a meeting in our

kitchen that is still waiting for a real

window, I came around the corner

to my office and squealed out loud!

Snow was falling in big flakes. It was

not sticking on the ground but falling

so lightly from the sky. My team all

started coming to see and we had a

bit of a laugh that we were so excited

to see the "white stuff!" We know it

will soon truly arrive and stay, and

then we won't be so excited to see it

anymore. For now, it made the day

feel warm and cozy inside and gave

us the chance to do more bonding

over our heaping cups of sweet tea!

Do you love the first snow each year?

~ Chy

Thanksgiving ~ Part 2.

Scrumptious food. Leftovers when there is too much!

Silly faces, a tired Chef. New decorations for our

table this year. Stories to share. Memories to make.

These are what we'll remember each Thanksgiving!

~ Chy

My Spiders.

I love growing Spider plants. They are hardy, air

purifiers and they grow babies, that I clip and pot

up for more plants. So easy and the colors work

so well in our cottage. My green thumb is improving!

~ Chy

 

Our Deer Friends.

Our little deer friends on a warm Summer's day. We

still get a kick out of seeing wildlife on our property.

~ Chy