December 27, 2012

A Few Of Our Favourite Things

 
 
The Christmas tree is always in the dining room so we can enjoy the fairy lights at every meal.
 
 
Movita's Awesome Yule Log
 
 
A Family Tradition - Ice Cream Snowballs

 
Melissa's Beautiful Treat Bag for Puppy Nora
 
 
Ornaments Old and New
 
 
Lucy Darling's Beautiful Handmade Green and Gold Ornament
 
 
One of Six White Angel Gabriels Who Are Well Over Sixty Years Old!
 

Cheryl's Traditional Orange/Clove Candle
 
 
Beautiful Antique Table Linens Sent From France
 
 
Truly, truly precious - a key chain and a brooch handmade by Lucy and Apolline in France
 
 
The Dunkleys had a wonderful book made about our woodland garden and sent it to us for Christmas. They have pictures from just about every aspect of the property, summer and winter. It is a lovely publication and we are so appreciative of the time and effort it took to produce it. The garden has taken many hours of hard work to develop but it has also been a source of enjoyment, a creative outlet, and this book reflects the love and respect for nature that motivated us.
 
 
A unique and imaginative gift - from our children and their partners.
This is a CSA (Community Sustained Agriculture) voucher, which will give us a box of fresh produce every week from a Nova Scotia farm. This is really much appreciated as we are great believers in whole foods and great supporters of both our own provincial farmers and crafts people. Making it even more special is the fact the food will come from Ironwood Farm . We have never met Rupert but Heather from Ironwood is a person who has always been dear to our hearts.
 
 
AND an entire box of treats from Ronce les Bains and Normandy!!
How lucky are we?! A gorgeous scarf, an agenda book, French cookies and candies, a gadget for taking air from a wine bottle before corking and 
 
 
                                                            A Treat Ball For Nora
 
and
 
 
 
A clever little device to insert in the top of a lemon.
When the lemon is squeezed, the juice comes out the holes in the spout!!
 
We want to thank our family and friends for their generosity, imagination and creativity, and, most of all, most important of all, the comradeship that enhances and enriches our lives.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

December 21, 2012

Flowers From A Fella In France



 
Now, this is why I call him Sweet Baboo.

December 18, 2012

Nora Is Growing Up

 
(All Photos of Nora Courtesy of Brittany Ernst)
 

I have had several requests to post more pictures of Nora. We are constantly taking photos but, unfortunately, most of them are not great as it is difficult to capture a moving target!
 
Nora is growing up. She no longer looks like a baby. Instead, she looks like a miniature Golden Retriever! Turns out she was the largest pup in the litter and we think she is going to be a big girl.
 
 
And today, Nora received her very first Christmas gift - a wonderful bundle of bones, rawhide, biscuits, and pretty pink poo bags so thoughtfully and beautifully packaged by Brittany at Woobie's Doggy Daycare. Brittany is marvelous. Her daycare is spotless and the dogs are either outside in a pristine, fenced off area, or in the large, open basement, or sometimes - Nora!- snuggling up next to Brittany on the sofa!
Brittany owns two Australian Shepherds and her parents own Nora's brother, Ralphie. We have been taking Nora to Brittany one or two days a week to help her socialize with other dogs and we have seen a huge improvement in how she interacts with other pups.
 
Nora Living The Good Life at Woobie's Doggy Daycare!
 

 
 
 



December 12, 2012

Shelf Life

 
Here is the start of a Christmas village on a hallway bookshelf.

When we were growing up, we didn't put presents under the Christmas tree. Instead, white felt-like cloth was laid around the base of the tree and we had a snowy village scene, complete with houses, fences, vehicles, telephone poles, ponds, small animals, fences, etc. As a small child, I could lay on the floor and imagine all the things that were taking place in the village that day.

December 10, 2012

Christmas Classics


Pattern: Basic Cabled Sock
Designer: Brainy Lady
Yarn: Cascade Heritage Solids and Quattro Colors
Needles: Circular - 2.25 mm


This is a sock that combines two classic elements - Christmas red and knitted cables.
Each time I cast on this pattern, I murmur thanks to Brainy Lady for the design and for her generosity in posting the pattern free of charge for other knitters.

And also back to tradition:

 
I couldn't stand it. As much as I liked the modern, wire mesh wreath, it just didn't seem like a Canadian Christmas without balsam fir.
 

 



December 03, 2012

Red on Parade

 
Pattern: Parade
Designer: Judy Kaethler
Yarn: Cascade Heritage Solids and Quatro
Color: Red 5607
Needles: Circular - 2.25 mm

I bought this pattern online at Twist Collective, one of my favourite online knitting magazines. The quality of the patterns and talent of the designers draws me to it like a magnet whenever the notice of a new edition appears.
Parade is one of those "go to" sock patterns that looks great in a wide array of colors.