christmas parade 'after party' photos..............

This year was the first year for the Christmas parade 'after party'! I thought it would be a fun time to have everyone back to the house for some hot chocolate and cookies to warm up with after standing out in the cold watching the parade. And I also gave Brody his advent calendar this night so that he can start counting down the days to Christmas soon! This year the weather wasn't too cold but the wind was wild! We almost got blown away! All was well though and we had a fun time especially with Brody watching this year and being able to take it in a little bit more.

Our table was set with yummy cookies all ready for eating. My 'melt in your mouth' butter crescents looked like they had snow drifted on them :)

Hot chocolate was ready for all to enjoy too! Brody loved the marshmallows!

My pretty girl Brianne enjoying some hot chocolate!

Here's my little Brody enjoying his 'warm' chocolate and cookies too!

Megan, Wil and Brody enjoying family time together.

We all had a great time and I look forward to next years Christmas parade 'after party'! Another family tradition for all to enjoy! May your family or friend traditions rise up to meet you and bring you joy now and all year long!

Blessings............

Traditions........

I've been working on a project for the last several weeks that has been very special to me. It was a hand crafted Christmas advent calender for my grandson Brody. It's not so much the project that is important, but rather what the project means to me and hopefully to him and even his family as he grows older and the tradition it will bring to each Christmas observed.

I need to start out by saying that I have a very small immediate family. It consists of only myself and my three children. Add to that my partner Jim and my daughter's fiance and we number 6 people. And don't get me wrong, I'm not longing for a big family or anything of that nature because I love my little family just the way it is. I'm not sure I could adequately express in words just how much they all mean to me. So as a way of expressing my love for them I truly enjoy our times together and try to make any occasion special. It is twofold in essence because I want to create these experiences for all of them to enjoy and remember and yet all the joy that it brings returns itself to me. A little selfish maybe but it's ok I think.

This leads me to tradition.....family traditions. 'Tradition' is described as 'a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past'. The word 'tradition' is derived from the Latin tradere or traderer , literally meaning to hand over, to transmit or to give for safe-keeping. Traditions are most often carried forward from many generations past and are present in families today and move forward from there again. It's a bit different for my family in terms of the fact that I am the one creating these traditions for all of us and with that I feel somewhat a sense of responsibility as the matriarch of the family.......a good responsibility though. For me it is a wonderful gift that I can give to my family and have them take these traditions into their future lives.

We are social beings who all want to feel a sense of 'belonging' and 'connection' in a world where there is such a huge level of disconnect from others. With traditions we can come together as a group where there is a common element and it bonds us together even for a short period of time. Imagine for a minute that something gets in the way of a family tradition. It can create a sense of loss and disappointment and it could feel like something is missing. There is not a whole lot left in life that can be considered a constant. Traditions can be that way though. At least that's what I think. For myself I believe our traditions as a family keep us together and make us stronger.

My hope is that my calendar for Brody will bring with it a tradition that he and his family will look forward to each and every year. It is my gift to them.

My hope is that you have traditions in your life that you look forward to and can carry them in your heart with love and remember them for years to come.

Blessings to all...........

a new week.....

I have been on holidays for 3 weeks and it has been wonderful. We spent 2 weeks on an amazing vacation in Italy and we truly created the time of our lives. It was 'a little bit of heaven'. We returned with yet another week off which was well needed for myself in terms of the jet lag and time changes. It seemed that I needed at least that much time to get back on track.

Yesterday we had our Thanksgiving dinner with my children and as always it was a treasured time. My family is not many in numbers but the love we share is on a large scale. For me it is always a special time when we are together so it was a nice way to end the holidays.

So today I'm back to my work at the hospital and I remain to be on abbreviated hours and we will see how that goes. I had a difficult situation at work a while back and I am still working through that at my workplace. It will be fine. The vacation away was a great healer in that regard.

Fall is in the air and yet the temperatures have been marvelous. Our days right now remain warm and balmy. I am good with that and yet the crisp fall air that is very likely on its way will be welcomed also. It will beckon soups and stews and warm, cosy blankets to wrap up in in front of the fireplace. For me that conjures up a smile and contentment. Throw in a good book and I'm all set.

This week I'm excited to be going to see my dear friend Mae Moore perform a benefit concert in London. It will be great to see her again. And, I will be spending the evening with a great friend Cathy so it's wonderful all around.

Yesterday we got tickets to go and see a new play at the Grand Theatre about Julia Childs titled "Mastering The Art". I love everything about her so I was thrilled to see that this play was going to be performed at the Grand. I'm excited!! Cooking is something that I'm expanding lately and she of course is the best! I can't wait to go and see it. It will be awesome!

Our newest family member Cooper is adjusting well to our home and Abby is doing her best to welcome him in the house. It's fun to have 2 furkids in the house! Well....at least that's what I'm saying today.

Happy Monday to all.............have a great week!