New Year's Changes

I just got back from the last trip I have to make to the Doctor in 2008. I am amazingly well considering the alternatives. Blood pressure is great. Eyes are just showing signs of allergy not serious sight problems. Inflammation is easy to deal with. Attitude is good. Full cancer work up in a few weeks and then done for six months. It is becoming so much less important to life.

Susan and Georgine's deaths have taught that no one has a lot of time to waste. Bruce Elkin reminded me that little tasks done consistently turn into great big accomplishments.
So I am starting the new year with a clean house, a clean bill of health and clean sheets. This works well for my fetish, which includes a soft, red flannel nightie, cocoa, clean sheets and good company. The company is very good this year and looks smashing in his red long johns! I have tried and tried but he won't wear the nightie or even the red flannel night shirt sewed for him.
We have discovered a cocoa nog chai latte just by splooshing things together!

I had to turn invitations down this New Year's Eve. Haven't had to do this for a few years. I am booked up socially for the next few months and this is now more like pre-cancer life. Can't take energy for granted, however, and will preserve far more time than before. New words for the coming year are savour and enjoy!

Lovely Hilary is staying in the studio. She is smart, talented, funny and considered.

Michelle Sirous Silver is working in the studio right now for the next little while. She is a rug hooker and needs a place to work for a little while. I'd love to have a larger studio and have all kinds of amazing people around but space is a bit tight right now with incoming projects. We will have to just lend her the studo when we can. She would certainly be a lovely person to have around.
Work is now coming together for the spring and summer. Sketches and plans are getting made. Themes are being explored and opportunities are showing up in large ways. Collaborations are forming and the possibilities look very bright and enticing.

I can't wait for the New Year to start! Happy New Year everybody!

Booge Woogie Christmas

The best Christmas! Most of my children and their spouses arrived safe and sound. There was a hole where Dane was supposed to be but we were all glad he was safe an warm in house in Winnipeg.

So dinner guests included a female Indiana Jones, a rebel city planner, our own real bar tender, an actress, an avalanche rescue specialist, paramedic, an oncologist, two artists and a dog named Rat.

Food was served all day.The piano was armed by the onclogist who plays a mean boogie woogie and the city planner who has a wicked baritone. I did a mean version of my hog hollar and the actress did a perfect Morrocan mountain call. Rat got terrible gas and cleared the place twice until she was banished to the van.

The snow is now hip deep and almost impossible to walk in. More like heavy whip cream.
Tim and Chris, of course, have decided to go sailing in the morning. What? I'll throw a bucket of ice water at them if they like.

There no drama at dinner. Unbelievable for this mob.

Everything is now cleaned up and I'll use the next few days for stitching. Have been saving antique French linen for the occassion. Time to load up with movies and books.

P.S. My neice gave me a flower labeled in English and Latin. It is a wild flower from near I grew up. Called wild shooting star. G. G. Adams would be thrilled.

Sheet Ice

The streets are either ice ruts or sheet ice. I ventured out after Christmas cleaning and navigated in he bright, snowy sunlight with my faulty eyes and balance. I couldn't find my pickled herring anywhere. All I can say is that it wouldn't be the holiday without baba ganoush, spicy olives and turkish delight.

More baking tonight. Will make Irish gingerbread and proper shortbread and real sugar plums.
A version of rumballs will be attempted.

Best news is that they have now managed to repair the Winnipeg house and Dane will be back in it for Christmas Eve! Wish he was home but am happy that he will be safe and warm.

Unitarians

The best part about being Unitarian is that I get to celebrate everything if I choose. Tonight I choose Hanukkah.

Tonight I am going to a second night Hanukkah party with a whole range of people from Jews to Anglicans. I love latkes, apple sauce and sour cream. I love candles and Mogan David (if you don't count the night we stole and drank a huge bottle from Darryl Nagler's parents when I was 15. I still gag at the thought!)

We once missed a Hanukkah party when Brendan was 9. He made us light candles after he made a makeshift menorah. "Tradition is tradition!" he explained.

I am not quite sure about Unitarian traditions other than lighting the chalice, peace marches and arguments.

Figgy Pudding

No escaping. I am it! Most of my children will be here for the holiday. Therefore I will get into the spirit of a creative holiday.

Parcels have been shipped to my family and Tim's family and a few friends. Shortbread and Almond Roca are being cooked and Tim is steaming his Christmas Puddings from Great Granny Waddington's recipe from Haworth, England.

There is still no heat in Winnipeg, gas electricity and water are turned off and a new storm front is blasting all across Canada. Dane and tenants are now safely housed in hotels.

All I can do now is cuddle up to my sweety, drink hot chai with Baileys or mulled wine and look out at the beautiful snow. Ahhhhh!

Mulled Wine Recipe

1 bottle of red wine
1/2 cup apple cider
1T orange peel
3 cinnamon sticks
1t ground cloves
1/4 t ground nutmeg
candied ginger to taste
allspice berries about 10
1 oz. brandy
1/3 cup honey (I like mountain wild flower)

Throw into the crock pot on low and wait for about an hour.

Make the above with no alcohol if you like by not adding the wine and brandy and substituting a carton or a quart of apple cider (non- alcoholic).

Santa

Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus!
He came in the form of a ferocious insurance adjuster named Brett and his side kick, Mr Hard Ass the lawyer!

They listened to our tale of rack and ruin and leaped into steeley eyed action in less than one hour. The lawyer had decided to greet the sales rep who was sent to intimidate my son and tenants into claiming responsibiity for all the damage the contracters made.

Inspectors swarmed the place, made business licenses appear, etc.

My exhausted son and husband were assured that not only would the work be done properly but damage would be repaired in a timely manner or the best, most expensive journeyman
would be called and charged back to the culprits.

Don't mess with me! I'll pull out my cancer card and show you how many heros come to my rescue.

Now back to my creepy little sock monkeys!

Outhouse

I was toilet trained in an outhouse at 40 below! I am a tough woman.

Circumstances have illustrated the "Butterfly Effect" this week. The "Butterfly Effect" is a theory that something as small as a butterfly flapping it's wings can have an impact on wind currents throughout the world.

This week has been awful. Last Wednesday my husband's first wife died after a terrible and long illness. My step children and the whole family are deeply sad. On Thursday a small washing machine connection pipe dislocated in my house in Winnipeg. The persistent water flooded the basement and drowned the motherboard on the furnace. The furnace turned off in incredibly cold outside temperatures. The furnace repairmen came to fix it. Next morning the heat wasn't on yet and they returned to discover the thermostat fried during the night. The house got so bitterly cold that the tenants fled to warmer houses and my son trundled on waiting for repair people. He left to warm up and returned to a house smelling of gas despite turning of everything. He went into the basement and gas was bubbling up.
The repair people returned and an argument ensued about how the work that had not been done properly. My son told them to protect the motherboard whih was moved when the ceiling pipe burst on everyone. Second motherboard destroyed. Pipes started popping.

To make a long story short. The house is now evacuated. My son is now sick with the flu. He failed hs exams. The tenants are homeless. One of them is now on suicide watch. The insurance are arguing responsibility.

We are all doing amazingly well despite all this crap! Everyone in our litle family is figuring out how to help. Money is being pooled. New homes are being sought. Pop bottles are being collected.

We might not be able to fix the house now until spring. We are also checking to see if the new apartment next door wants it for a parking lot.

My children and I may be whiny but we are resilient and tough. All trouble passes with time and effort. We are very creative people and can think our way out of this. We work hard and don't get stuck in the detals. Things don't alway happen the way you expect them to but change happens whethr you want it or not.

Change is what you make it.

I am going to see if I can put my mendng skills together on some pipes.