"With Caroling through the night...."

My signature scent. I have a pot  on the stove, and my small fondue burner working over time with a special blend of fresh rosemary, sliced lemon, and a splash of vanilla. Makes the house smell so nice! 

I love my faux candles! On a 4 hour timer, so magically just after I get home from work.... They just suddenly turn on! And then off by themselves when it's time for bed. 

Getting back to my stocking for a minute.....

So I was thinking about something..... Since "Karma is  Watching", as we all know, I had better add some things to my Christmas stocking wish list.   Let's add world peace, an end to child poverty, safe drinking water for everyone... Oh... And maybe that little black and white Kate Spade wallet that I was so tempted to bid on at the Manor's fundraising auction last week and didn't. Please Santa???  

Dear Santa... I've been very very good.

Sorry to keep you in suspense...  But YES!  The turkey was perfect!!    After only three hours the meat fell completely of the bones. No carving involved. I just put the pieces in a serving dish, drizzled some of the juice over it, and wrapped it securely with foil. Into a warm oven with the butternut maple casserole to keep warm till the guests arrived. I made the gravy with a port reduction, and as expected, it was a rich dark brown sauce.

Vintage decorations go very well with my old balls. I found this one, and one just like it, at a garage sale a couple of years ago. Both of them were in need of repairs, so one became "parts". 

It is surprisingly hard to take a picture of the old balls!!!!    I would love to do a photo inventory of my favourite ones.  Hmmmm.... that would be about 100 pictures! There's a challenge for a day when I'm bored!

Ok ok.... I can admit that these are NON vintage!!    Shhhhhh.. Don't tell anyone!  Actually salt and pepper shakers, but I keep them in rotation all year, using them in various vignettes.

I put my stocking up early so that Santa has lots of time to decide what to fill it with!!   Hint hint... Micheal Kors, Coco Chanel, ......  A girl can wish right???! 

World's Best Roast Turkey

I'm having company for dinner tonight, and I love roasting a turkey. The secret to my success is to start with a bed of baby bok choy in the bottom of the roast pan. These reduce down to almost nothing but help you to create the most flavourful and dark brown gravy you have ever had. At this point I add a bottle of beer as well. A Coors Lite was in the fridge, so in it went!

I liberally sprinkled sage, parsley, smoked salt and pepper all over the turkey.

Here she is heading into the oven. I placed a couple strips of bacon on the breasts  so that I don't have to constantly baste the meat. Then snuggled in some veggies such as stalks from the brocoli, big carrot hunks, and some cauliflower left over from last nights soirée.  Now into the oven for a few hours. This bird was only 9 lbs.. So I'm allowing 4 hours on 350, can always adjust as things progress.  

Home made scalloped potatoes in the crockpot.

The table is all set with Grandma Stewart's china.

White Alstromerias as the centrepiece. My favourite flower to use at Christmas time. Sometimes hard to find the pure white ones like these!   

Claudia came home from her skating competition with a hard earned third place medal. Obviously Jasmine was glad to have her back home! Good work Claudie!!   

Paul walker 1973-2013

Paul walker!!   I think I loved you!!     The first  "Fast and Furious" movie came out when Justin was 6 years old, and ever since then, the whole franchise has been a major fixture in our house. I can admit I truly enjoyed the movies!!   Hmmmm....  Wonder why???!!   Look at those blue eyes!   

December 1 2013

My old glass ball collection is growing! More than 20 dozen! Hence the garland of the dining room windows, and over the arch way in the living room, and up the railing... Oh wait.. The tree!!!   Two more weeks then the tree can show up. 

So I have begun to decorate our house, and I came across these three pictures in one of my tubs of decorations.  They are small prints, maybe from a magazine or something... They all have  identical frames.... The one on the bottom right I bought for .50 cents two years ago at the Salvation Army. The other two came from a yard sale in Latchford!   I would love to know their real story! I wonder if there are any more of the set kicking around town??

 And this is why I love the show Criminal Minds!!!   

Oneday!!!!!!    

Snow all day yesterday and still snowing this Saturday morning.

At least I put the garlands up before the snow!

Family tv night

Am I the last person to make hot air popped popcorn??!!   Both kids and I watching the new episode of Big Bang Theory with popcorn.

Was at the lake on the way to work this morning.   7:45 and the sun isn't even up yet.

Darn it! Forgot my binoculars at home. Saw some "LBDs".   (Little black ducks)

And this is why I sleep well at night!!

Rest in Peace Popeye

I miss you already.    Watch over us crazy boaters!  I will keep your spot on the dock warm.    

Every Morning!

Is there any other reason to get up at 6:30 on a Saturday?  

Keeping Warm

This past week reminded me that cold weather is coming. So I embarked on a little insulating project. This is Great Stuff!   I took the trim of the basement windows and filled the gaps in with expanding foam....   Now to find a way to get the stuff off my fingers.

Brrrrrrrr!!!!!!

This morning on the way to work, I had to drive past the marina to see if there were any cool birds hanging around. Saw a loon, and saw all the boats in dry dock waiting for spring.

Even some of the docks are in dry dock! 

A cold lake this morning! Still saw a small flock of ducks way at the very end of the break water. I was too cold to run out to the end with my binoculars and find out what kind they were..  Next time!    Like in April maybe..

Even though the lake was grey and cold, I still saw a loon and 4 ducks this morning.

It would appear that I had my snow tires installed just in time.  I was on a small adventure looking for my supply of greenery to begin decorating for Christmas. 

Filled the back of the Honda with pine, spruce, dogwood, and alder.  I have to get the branches into their containers before the soil freezes solid.  Won't be long and I can start decorating!!!!  

November 2013

A wise man (ok, my dad) once said.... "As long as the leaves of the tamarack tree stay on the branches, any fallen snow will not stay on the ground."    Hang in there!!!!

It was a very frosty walk on the marsh boardwalk on Sunday.

Yes I am a nerdy bird watching girl that looks for old bird nests this time of year!   

So this weekend was cold and rainy, so I decided to do a little painting.... In the living room. Here is a before picture...

And here is the after picture!   One "accent" wall painted "Purple Haze"   Was maybe hoping for a bit less purple, more haze... But I like it.

Listening to the new John Mayer album, "Paradise Valley" right now.    Would be great to listen to while driving down gravel country roads.  Who knows? It just might happen this weekend....

Out for a road trip through the countryside as usual this morning, and came across this rock. Who can resist directions spray painted upon a rock?!

Drove for about ten minutes down a "road not maintained" road, (one of my favourite kinds of roads to drive down), and it ended at Larder River. There was a twisty pathway off to the East, so the dogs and I headed off to see what we could see. 

We passed moss covered rocks, felt like a rain forest with everything covered in moss and lichens hanging from the dead branches.

Walked through an area that looked like it was covered in ice pellets, but the white dots were actually very very tiny mushrooms! I have never seen anything like this before!

When the trail petered out at a small lake, I noticed that what I had gone searching for... Was right in front of me!!!    I had initially left the house this morning hoping to discover Winterberry bushes, and there they were!!!   Brought home a couple of nice branches for vases in the house.

Bargin find of the day

Find of the day! A necklace at the local consignment shop! And.... It was half price!  (4$ if anyone is keeping track!)

Back out to "my rock" this morning. Chased the rain away and had about an hour to walk.

Gorgeous fall colours. Searched for the wild hazelnuts that I had seen in the summer. They remained elusive, have to bring a roll of flagging tape next summer! 

Highbush Cranberries.  Wild bird species count today.... About 7. Trying to get close enough to a large hawk to see some identifying marks.. But he is too fast for me! Maybe it will be there next weekend?

Lil' Sadie racing through the field. She loves the country!  Should get her into agility classes, she can leap into the back of the CRV from 6' away!