Two things happened today that got me thinking about gift-giving in general and stressed-out Christmas gift-giving in particular. First, my mother-in-law sent the kids mini-loaves of raisin bread and it arrived today, and I am not exaggerating when I say this simple gesture was met with extreme joy and glee. Never has a lunchtime been so […]
Archives for 2013
Clark, Audrey’s frozen from the waist down.
December 5, 2013 by 4 Comments
I know I complain – often? – about the crabby old ladies on the seniors’ bus who swarm the Co-Op when I’m grocery shopping and who snap at the sole cashier for being the only one working, like he has a choice in this matter, and who bang the back of my legs with their […]
I don’t know what to say, Audrey, except it’s Christmas, and we’re all in misery.
December 3, 2013 by 17 Comments
Here’s the scene: me, at the table, surrounded by envelopes and holiday cards, armed with an address book and a notebook, the same notebook that I’ve written Cards Sent and Cards Received in for the past eleven Christmases, with pens and stamps and special return-address labels that I ordered this year, with a motif of […]
Grandma Fern
December 1, 2013 by 11 Comments
My whole life, Grandma Fern and I lived a thousand kilometres apart, but I’d spend large chunks of summer vacations visiting with her. The summer that I was six, she woke me up at three in the morning and we watched the Royal Wedding together; we were equally enchanted by the dresses and the fairy tale. It was […]
December Advent Acts of Kindness, Crafting With Cat Hair
November 27, 2013 by 5 Comments
Yesterday was such a wonderful, beautiful day. I looked out the window at around 4:50 pm and the most beautiful sunset was happening; the sky was deep orange and pink and the snowy ground was glowing pink as well. I called the boys to come and look at it. I tried to take a picture […]
Nicole’s Favourite Things: Sears Wish Book Edition, Part 2 – the Old Lady Edition
November 25, 2013 by 7 Comments
Normally on Monday mornings when I’m asked about my weekend, I squint a little, trying to remember any pertinent details, when it dawns on me that really, I did nothing of note. But not this weekend! It was action-packed, baby! Kind of – Friday was a day off and so I took the kids to […]
In my day, the Sexiest Man Alive only had one tattoo, a forearm anchor.
November 22, 2013 by 9 Comments
Every year, I – and several of my friends, what’s up Hannah, Nan, and Beck? – tackle the important work of disseminating the annual People’s Sexiest Man Alive list. Side note: Sexiest Man Alive? Does that wording suddenly seem strange to anyone else or is it just me? Remember when Matt Damon won the honour […]
