Delightful

Yes it is bitterly cold in Toronto.  The wind just rips right through you, even in your warmest clothes!  I heard on the news that the salt trucks have to add sand, chemicals, even beet juice to their salt when the temperature goes below -30C as it is more effective at melting the ice.  The salt trucks melt the ice and keep the roads safe for driving. Still it's a lot better here than in other parts of Canada like Newfoundland where they had snow higher than their doors!  Or -50C temperatures in Western Canada.

I received this pretty card from our newspaper carrier thanking us for the monetary ($) tip we gave him at Christmastime. I thought it was very sweet of him to enclose it with the newspaper the other morning. Giving truly is receiving!

Daughter L is safely back at her school.  This year, I find that I don't miss her in the same grieving kind of way.  It's like an acceptance that she is an adult with her own life now.   I'm always happy to see her and will always be there for her of course.  Some of her friends don't even intend to return home after graduating university.  I am lucky that for now she has found a job close to home.

Son K is also back at his college today for the winter semester.  K has been having fun with his friends playing the GTA5 video game until the wee hours of the night.  Sometimes his actual friends would come over,   sometimes it was virtual play usually with the same friends.  He enjoyed  go-karting, going to the movies with some other friends.   He still has his part time job as well.  It will be tough to get back to regular hours and school work.  The days are getting longer, which is good.

Pretty Platter

We've been hearing these loud bangs and night and couldn't figure out what was causing them, turns out they are ice quakes or cryoseisms where the ice expands under the ground causing loud booms.  Fortunately they are not dangerous.

On the topic of ice, have you heard about 'cryoblation'? It's where they are freezing breast (and in the future lung) cancer tumours with good results. The technique is minimally invasive. They use ultrasounds and a nitrogen filled needle to get to the tumours, then freeze (destroy) them and the dead cells will be re-absorbed over time.

This is a pretty platter my sister had given to me for Christmas. I quite liked it.  It said it was hand-crafted in Portugal.

Sunday Sketches - Mallard Duck

This mallard duck portrait is a page in my journal(5"h x 7"w) done in watercolour pencils. Happy Sunday Sketches!

84th Birthday

I am feeling tired and burned out from the season.  Have not been able to get to the gym, it will be great to get some sort of a routine back.  There seems to be a million little things to get control of.  I will turn 55 this year and I will be able to get a senior's discount from least at one drug store!  Of course, it means coming to terms with getting a senior's discount, but whatever.  And now they have started doing movies recapping the 80's.  That was my heyday, so it really makes one feel old!

I slipped on an ice patch in the garage a couple of days ago and fell flat on my back and my head hit the pavement. Luckily I had my sweater hood and coat hood on. Husband M witnessed it. I had to assure him I would be able to get up.  Fingers crossed, I am remarkably fine so far.

It's my mother-in-law's 84th birthday today. Husband M got her some topical pain reliever cream to try. It was expensive, but hopefully it will help her arthritis. We found a cute mug that says 'Happiness is a Loving Grandma' so we put the box of cream in there and attached a card I had drawn.

Paint Party Friday - Palm Fronds

For Paint Party Friday, this is a page from my journal (7"h x 5"w) in watercolour pencils. It was inspired by a photo I saw in the newspaper. Happy New Year!

Eggs Benedict

During the ice storm just over a week ago, our power was out, so we decided to go to a restaurant for a hot meal. We ended up at The Pickle Barrel restaurant. They offer all day breakfast items on the menu. So I ordered eggs benedict with smoked salmon and potato latkes. It was delicious with hot coffee.  A latke is a potato pancake, which I had never had before, or I may have had flatter ones.  I had actually ordered boiled potatoes but they ran out of those, luckily!  You can have the eggs poached soft or medium.  I had mine soft.

Eggs Benedict with Latkes

Happy New Year 2014

Warm wishes for the new year, no pun intended!  It is COLD outside.

We stayed home for New Year's Eve.  Daughter L had a friend over and they baked doughnuts.  Son K played Grand Theft Auto 5 with friends online.  We have been staying up too late over the holidays, so we were up to welcome in the New Year with champagne.  I had made a nice casual pork roast for dinner.

Daughter L had her regular checkup with the eye doctor this week.  She had an optomap (digital scan) done of her retina so she did not have to have her eyes dilated.  The doctor also did a visual field test.  We had to pay extra for these tests but we figure it is worth it.

We all ended up at the mall later on that day and found that the sales were still ongoing.  L got a great deal on new clothes, building a work wardrobe.  The truth is, she has too many clothes and shoes.  K also found some great deals on some designer clothes.  I enjoyed looking through the discounted boxes of Christmas cards and bought a couple that I liked for 50 percent off.  So I am all set for  Christmas 2014!