Yesterday was a day of rest and unwinding, after all the gifts were packed away. We have so many chocolates, cakes, nuts, candies and cookies left to eat, oh dear. L and K made these spicy gingerbread cookies using a recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen. They are delicious, with just a hint of sweetness. The kids like to dunk them in a cup of milk.
We went over to my mom's on Xmas Eve. I baked her some salmon with zucchini strips, being careful to use no salt, just herbs and spices. She said it was delicious. She has all the symptoms of heart failure and the doctors have advised a no salt diet. I had a damaged baby photo of her at 10 months old restored in time for Christmas and gave her an 8 by 10 inch framed photo as a gift. She loved it. L and K exchanged gifts with their cousins. A cousin of mine who recently moved back to Toronto dropped in to say hello.
On Christmas morning I went for an enjoyable early morning walk, I felt I needed the exercise. Then, we opened gifts. I usually get the kids a lot of gifts then I realized it's just more for me to pack away every year. They are older and it's not as if they still believe although they look forward to Christmas. So I just got them a few nice things and I think it was a good idea.
In the afternoon, we went to M's sister's place for a large family gathering as we have been doing every year for over 20 years. We met M's nephew's new baby daughter, just one month old. She is gorgeous. M's niece has a 19 month old son, so the next generation is well underway. The turkey was moist and delicious.
M's sister had photos of their recent tour to Africa scrolling on the TV. Their group of 24 people flew into Nairobi, Kenya before heading out to the National Parks. They stayed in some lovely resorts with fabulous views overlooking the parks. A highlight of the trip for the group of seniors was the hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti. They brought back some gorgeous photos of the wild animals in their natural habitat.
One of M's sisters was looking in good shape and she told me she lost 5 pounds simply by not eating after 6 pm. She felt it aided her digestion and she is now sleeping better at night. I'd love to lose 5 pounds.
We got home after 2 am, it was a long day and I was exhausted.
