It’s early Sunday morning and it looks like the sky might clear. A spreading band of clear sky is approaching from the west, propelled by the high wind. The dense grey-blue cloud cover may blow away for a few hours. Our weather has been terrible.
Precipitation has covered our activity and everything around us for weeks now. If it’s not raining, it’s snowing and windy, always! However, when we look at the west coast of Canada with the flooding of recent weeks and this morning, parts of the Midwest and southern United States with the tornadoes, how can we complain? We clothe ourselves for what’s out there and carry on, enjoying what we can.
It’s been a busy few weeks. Christmas shopping is done and wrapping, one of my least favourite activities, is underway, a bit each day. I don’t have a lot to do but I dislike the task so much I don’t want to stay at it too long any one day. A bit of Christmas music helps. At least the cards and parcels are dispatched already.
Last week, we watched our granddaughters’ dance classes. The girls do seven classes between them, some over an hour each. Both girls work so hard it’s no wonder they are hungry and tired when I pick them up after class. These classes are quite a commitment for an eight and a ten year old but so far, they are both interested in modern, tap and ballet. Our eldest wants to do point classes when her instructor deems her ready for the task.
Cookie day with the grandkids last week was fun. We host the day, knowing it will be messy, with flour, among other things, spread around. We made sugar cookies which the kids enjoyed decorating and snowballs with the dreaded cocoanut spread about. It was a great day however and we made lots of memories.
This week the kids are decorating our tree. A nice meal afterwards, with dessert by the fire and the glow of the tree lights will make the day special. We are fortunate to live near family on this little island.
41 comments:
Your granddaughters' dedication to dance is inspiring to see! Dedication and passion are important values to cultivate in life!
Sounds like a really lovely and calm Sunday in december...
LOVE from Titti
Living in such a close proximity to family is a blessing.
Those activities keep all symptoms of cabin fever at bay. : )
Glad you are safe and cozy. I have the same method for wrapping, I can only do one or two at a time before I'm ready to do something else :-)
i did not need a picture to "see" your weather, you described it perfectly!!
it sounds like you are doing well...partaking in all of the traditional holiday fun!! i enjoy wrapping and i am almost done with mine, we only buy gifts for the little ones. if i lived closer, i would come and wrap your gifts for you!!
we have our cookie bake this saturday, i can't wait!! it sure was nice to hear from you today!!
Your weather has been share with the northeast except for always windy. Baking cookies with family is one of the best parts of the holidays.
Someone else who loathes wrapping!!!! I am very bad at it too.
The rest of the time sounds productive - and wonderful.
You put our grey skies and intermittent drizzle into perspective! I used to do cooking with young people with learning difficulties. We had outrageous fun but our recipes were unrepeatable as the amount of raw ingredients eaten and unexpected additions to the mix were never quite the same two weeks running. Some children needed a bath afterwards - and occasionally I needed a shower too.
The only thing we're missing in our weather is the snow and that ok by me. Sounds like you will have lots of fun with the grandkids coming and decorating your tree. Have a great week.
You're making something beautiful there despite the weather. I'm impressed, like Debra with the seriousness of the girls with their dance. So young and they already know how to apply themselves.
Ooh! I wish I could have been there for cookie day. I hope the girls continue to thrive in their dance classes.
The weather is what it is, Marie, and as you rightly point out we all learn to deal with it - sometimes by staying home and making cookies!
Hi Marie, “We clothe ourselves for what’s out there and carry on, enjoying what we can.” Well said and I second that! Our weather has also been terrible, but, as you said, nothing to compare with some of the other parts of the globe. All of this tragic weather was predicted by scientists who warned of climate change years ago. But knowing that doesn’t help if leaders around the world don’t take the necessary actions to curtail the damage we have done to nature. Our previous President was one of the worst to ignore the issue. On a happier note … I enjoyed reading about your recent weeks. I admire your life on Prince Edward Island! I send you wishes for a peaceful week ahead! John
Cookie Day is always worthwhile.
Christmas is coming along. Now working on tree.
Coffee is on and stay safe
I'm the wrapper here, and our big parcel is ready to ship to B.C. tomorrow.
Weather has been very different this year and continues different. We have very little snow and temperatures are above normal.
Oh, a cookie day sounds perfect for this time of year with kids that age. I don't do wrapping. I stuff gifts in bags and stuff some tissue paper on top. Seriously, I wrap like a 5-year-old.
I think it is nice to sometimes stay home and make it cosy around us with family!
Great post!
Looking forward to you Christmas postings!What you do, walks and what you have for christmas dinner.Ilove tradition:))
Have a nice day in Canada
That a positive way to think about your dreadful weather.. wish more people showed gratitude like that. Growing up my parents always said, look to those less fortunate and be grateful rather that those more fortunate with envy.
Decorating cookies sounds like fun.. you are lucky to be living near your grand children.
Happy Holidays.
We get a lot of rain every fall, but this year it's been ridiculous. Way too much, and it makes me grumpy but I still keep going out in it. I used to like wrapping presents, but we don't do that anymore. At our age, we don't need much of anything. :-)
Lovely, all.....
Making memories...
"Miss B.B."
🎄⛄🌟🔥🎄🎅🔥🌟⛄🎄
Sometimes it is nice to stay at home spending time with family. Making cookies sounds fun... You are lucky to live near your grand children.
A messy kitchen from making cookies with the Grandies sounds a perfect Christmas activity.
Your weather may be miserable but "dessert by the fire and the glow of the tree lights" sounds rather special to me.
It's too hot to even light a candle here.
I'm smiling at the thought of grandchildren and cookies.
Oh, so good to see your post...I assume surgery on your second eye went well.
The weather is crazy. It was shirt sleeve weather today, and supposed to be a bit warmer the next two days. It is supposed to be up to 60°F in a couple days!
I am with you on disliking to wrap. It used to be a favorite job...but not so. We buy so much less these days, too.
Again, so glad to see a post.
Cookie baking with grandchildren is so much fun (and messy). Your granddaughters are dedicated to dancing. It's good to develop a skill and talent when you. Our weather is better than it was, but still so much rain and dark skies. Still, we turn on the lights inside and dress appropriately for walks outside.
It is wonderful that you live close together. The best thing is to be able to accompany the grandchildren in their activities. I wish you a lot of joy in the future. Greetings to Canada.
We had some snow on the 3rd Advent ... it was heavenly - the white of the snow with the blue of the sky. (Unfortunately it's raining again now.)
We decorate our Christmas tree on the morning of the 24th ... the children do that with us too. Joy.
Such a wonderful tradition for you and your family. Cookie Day is a precious memory for the Grands.
Good for the girls and their dancing. It's quite a commitment.
I wish my cards were done and in the mail..I just can't seem to get going on them. They may turn into New Years cards this year...
Glad you live near family. I wish our younger son and family were close, but we do have a great time with extended family (see my current blog post)
Sue
SNOW....they did a ten yr study that said here in TN we will get mostly...NONE! Heart breaking since as a kid living here we had at least two good snows a yr.
Hello Marie,
Time spent with the grandchildren is the best time. Cookie Day sounds like a wonderful day. Wrapping the gifts is not my favorite thing. I am trying to brave the cold and go out for more walks. So far, we are lucky to have some mild weather. Take care, have a happy day!
Climate change is our tragedy and it will get much worse in the years ahead. Our weather has been perfect, but our time will come. Although the family lives about an hours drive away, we do not see them much over the holidays. Decorations are for us aloe.
I'm with you on the lousy weather. We've had lots of debris from the trees with all the high winds and rain; but it's still not like what others have experienced. But, I have been out and about less. The colder temps really bothers my arthritis so have been trying to do some exercising here at home. Some days I do better than others.
Got our decorating done, but haven't really shopped. We've stopped exchanging gifts with family many years ago. It got boring, all people were doing was giving each other gift cards.
Sounds like your cookie day with the kids was lots of fun.
All that you are doing sounds like so much fun.
I loved reading this, particularly the part about Cookie Day. I really miss making cookies with my mom and grandma.
Family time really IS what it's all about, Marie. Our time in America this year was the best I can ever remember, in spite of the emotional, mental and physical hoops through which we had to jump in order to get there. It seems like the joys of late come after birthing pains, but how much more they're appreciated. I'm so glad you can still have these memories!
Fabulous post
That is a great family time! You are lucky to have your family close by. Cookies! Yum1 Wish you had some pictures too.
Your Grand Girls really are dedicated to dancing. I think it is wonderful. I think it is important for children to have a physical activity they are interested in and if they are lucky enough to be talented that's even better. Dance is a really fun thing to share as a family.
family indeed is most beautiful and most precious thing on earth Marie and you are lucky certainly to have them close .
i so enjoy when you hare how you spent or going to spend day with grandchildren !
cookie day particularly sounds fun .i adore your ten and eight years granddaughter's devotion towards dance for me dance is deeply a spiritual experience and i think they chose the expression which they found best .
stay positive precious friend ,may sunlight keep making it's way to your island through clouds each day amen!
wonderful post
Post a Comment