Pumpkin Cake Roll and a New Year, a New Day, a New Chapter

"New Year's Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today, carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand. Only dreams give birth to change."            
                                                                                                           ~Sarah Ban Breathnach~

Happy New Year!

It's taking me a bit of time to get rolling this year. Our holiday celebrations took a toll on me. I thought I was doing amazing. The house was sparkling, (and decluttered!!!) the tree and Christmas decorations were up, most of my baking was done, and all the presents were wrapped and hidden safely away from curious little ones asking questions like, "is Santa real?" and "how does he get through the glass that covers our gas fireplace?"

I was pretty proud of myself. We got this Grand Fir and the huge poinsettia that's in the living room with points from the  Super Store. Little things like that really helped so we could stretch our dollars at Christmas time.

Then on the Thursday before Christmas, during our twin daughter's violin recital, I started to feel hot and dizzy. That was the beginning. Even though I pushed through the few next days, buying a horde of groceries on Friday and then on Saturday doing all the final things to ready our house for our returning, out of town children, I knew some kind of virus was taken me hostage.

Victoria before the December recital

Kathryn a bit before the recital...the recital when I started to feel ill.....but the concert was GREAT!

And sure enough, as Christmas loomed, a roaring headache took hold, my body was feverish and I started to cough. I had contracted a respiratory flu virus. I think I could even trace the moment it flew into my mouth. The weeks before Christmas, our three youngest took turns being sick and one evening, as I was reading with Victoria, she turned to me and coughed right in my face. In slow motion, I could feel the invisible virus laughing and jeering at me. I think I may have staved off the illness too as my immune system has been really strong but in December I was burning the candle pretty low, and it pushed myself beyond even my limits.

And those limits are far.

I have built a strong endurance muscle over the years. I think a lot of women with large families have this muscle. It's called, "if you don't do it, it won't get done."

Since I have three Christmas babies, (Clark born on Dec 20th, Harrison born on the 19th, and Grace was born on Dec 5th. She was actually due on the 18th. Can you imagine having children's birthday's on the 18th, 19th, and 20th and then doing Christmas!!! Thankfully she arrived a few weeks early. Suffice it to say, I have had a few holiday seasons were I was nursing a newborn, throwing birthday parties, caring for older children, buying and wrapping presents and then stuffing and cooking the turkey; WITHOUT ANY HELP..

 Yeah so my limits and ability to get through difficult times are tremendous.

 But this year, that virus really took the edge off things.

Being sick while trying to push through teaches valuable lessons. That there are times in life when you have to really listen to your body, slow down and do just what needs doing.And sometimes you have to ask for help.

Hmmmm, imagine that....asking for help.

There is a certain sense of strength that comes after pushing through a tough time and finding yourself on the other side. But being able to ask for help teaches us to be humble enough to realize that we can't always do it all.

And it's okay. 


Somehow I made it through the holidays. On Dec 23rd, I had to ask my oldest son to cook the rib roast and pull together dinner and he did an amazing job. On Dec 24th, Alyssa and Grace iced the dozens of gingerbread and sugar cookies I had made. Even Will trudged through the deep snow and fed the chickens a few times.

As Alyssa was combing through her books and belongings and deciding what to take back to her new home, she tossed me a book that she had already read.

Guess what it's called?

"The Art of Asking." by Amanda Palmer

And while I have not read this book...yet.... I thought it was pretty remarkable that our oldest daughter, who is just in her 20's, has already contemplated something that I have taken a lifetime to learn. Maybe we do build our own endurance muscles when we do it ourselves. I know Alyssa certainly has since she picked herself up and flew off to London to teach for two years without hardly knowing a soul. She had to move several times, schlepping her suitcases onto buses and trains and got herself all over London on various teaching assignments.

 There are times in our life when we push our limits and build our muscles and there are times when we hit a wall and have to ask for help. She learned that when she was over on the other side of the world she could rely on herself but she also knew that having a support system of friends in place was crucial if she needed to ask for her. I remember in one instance, her apartment flooded and she needed to find a place to stay and her friends were there for her.

Anyway, aren't our children sometimes our BEST teachers?

The holidays glittered in so many ways.

We made wonderful memories. We had a lot of laughs. We had some delicious food and drinks. With our children growing older, I realize that they can help and have strong muscles too. If you never ask, you will never receive and so part of the joy of this holiday was receiving. Our older ones were more than happy to help me and even our younger ones, built a bit of muscle too. We realized that being a family means helping each other, especially when times are tough.

When mom is sick.

William is learning to play chess at school and got a chess set for Christmas....not this one....his new one is in a lovely wooden box and actually has other games included with it.

On Christmas night the kid's put on a Christmas concert for us. William literally lights our family up with joy....I'm so glad that we pursued having our last four children. It wasn't easy, and we certainly didn't have support of our family and friends. Our society also doesn't value large families and certainly having them later in life is frowned upon.  But when you are writing your own story, you need to listen from within and follow your heart. JOY COMES...and in our case, it came in the form of a beautiful boy named Will. And before him we were given a piece of Grace when our daughter Grace Eliabeth arrived in time for Christmas 2002. Then in 2011 we were given a miracle and a reminder that hope is the key when Kathryn Mira and Victoria Hope were born. So Grace, Joy, Miracle and Hope are present each holiday now.

This is our son Harrison's 1st plate of food on Christmas.....hey, where's the ambrosia? Each one of the kids were in charge of a certain part of dinner....it was a family affair.

 That was the real magic in the air this year....along with my barking cough.

Alyssa took some wonderful pictures with the old Canon camera we gave her many Christmases ago.......and here are just a few of our Christmas memories.

Kathryn and Victoria are 6 this holiday and always have each other's back. They are the BEST of friends

Grace just turned 15 and has been one busy girl this year. She is working on her grade 9 RCM piano level, working on her grade 7 in voice, sings in the school choir, andt completed her bronze cross in swimming. For some reason she didn't think she was busy enough so she signed up for Junior girls basketball team. As I type this she is leaving for a tournament out of town.She laughs when she hears about what most teenagers are flipping out about....boys, or social stuff. The typical teenage drama doesn't faze her. She recently told me that she thinks focusing on her extra curricular activities and getting straight A's in school is keeping it real.

Alyssa and Grace are almost 13 years apart, like my oldest sister and I, and like B and I, they too are the best of friends. They share many of the same interests. Piano, swimming, and over Christmas they enjoyed just hanging out, baking, icing cookies, and they even spent a bit of time in our Hobbit's hollow crawl space where they caught up on a few of their fav Netflix shows...."Stranger Things," being one of them.

\Harrison was happy to be home and eat food this Christmas. He says the food at the University is not always the greatest....and he really missed his friends as well and spent a lot of time catching up and, ahem....partying...but hey, he just turned 19 he's legal to drink now. One of the gifts he got for his birthday before Christmas was a small bar fridge for his residence room. Hopefully now he can get a few healthy snacks to supplement those cafeteria meals.

Mitchell is going to be finishing his Science (Psychology major) degree in a few months. I found it rather funny that considering he works part time at the downtown Victoria, "Serious Coffee," that he wasn't sick of the stuff....but over Christmas he could often be found with a mug in his hand. He's such a cool guy and so fun to be with. He tells the greatest stories too and has a very interesting perspective on life....an old soul for sure!

Our oldest son Clark just turned 25 before Christmas and really enjoyed hanging out with the family and seeing friends over the holidays.He can always be counted on to shovel the drive=way, help out with the little ones and amazingly....he learned to make a wicked rib roast dinner...the BEST I've ever tasted and I'm not much of a beef eater.

The little kids love hanging out with their big brother. Clark helps the little girls with their violin, and he sometimes reads in animated voices to William.....I loved hearing him read Harry Potter to him before Christmas. The BEST is when he comes home with treats after a day that he has worked at the Science Centre. The one sad thing about having a large family is often the older kids are out of the door while the little ones are growing up but it's been nice that Clark could attend University in the Okanagan and continue to share in his little siblings daily life. What a great bond and many memories they have shared together. After Clark's personal pictures were taken, I asked the kids if they wanted a picture with their big bro and they flew to be at his side with big smiles on their faces.

 

Alyssa told me that when she returned to Victoria after Christmas, a remarkable thing happened. It felt like she was going home. After years of traveling back and forth to University, and then her two years teaching and adventuring in the U.K. she is happy to settle down and find a cool groove where she can teach and write....and yes travel. Sometimes you have to leave home and experience elsewhere to realize REAL home feels like to you. We are so glad you found your place by the sea Alyse....and now we can visit!!!

Honestly, I felt like death warmed over in this picture but somehow David and I pulled off another Christmas with our family

And I give you the Reynolds family Christmas 2017....thanks for pulling the pictures together Alyssa!

My husband David was his usual super dad self. He drove to the coast and back on the 23rd, picking up the kids from the Vancouver Island ferry terminal. He swung by Ikea to pick up a new mattress for the attic we have been renovating. Then to top things off, over the Christmas holiday, he made our oldest daughter a few furniture pieces for her new digs by the ocean in Victoria. And finally, he took the kids back on New Year's day. Driving them home all the way to Vancouver Island in one day. Getting them food at Costco the next day and returning back to the Okanagan in time to return to work on Jan 3rd!

Alyssa was given an espresso machine and coffee maker for Christmas but of course now David had to make her a beverage table for her new appliances. He used this cool grey barn wood for the top and the lower shelf and painted the legs etc all black....it was so amazing! I WANT ONE! (what a trooper 'cause the garage was FREEZING!!!)

Alyssa took a ton of books back with her and of course, if you give a mouse a cookie...she needs a bookcase to go with all those books...here is her new bookcase in calla lilly white with a beadboard backing...very old school and perfect for her blue, white and grey decor at her oceanside place in Victoria

Okay and if the beverage table and the bookcase weren't enough, our birch tree is dying so David used some of the old wood to make her a lamp for her bedroom. This birch tree was planted when Alyssa was just a little girl so there is some history there and a nice piece to take back to Victoria.....I'm going to get David to make more of these lamps for the other kids....I think it's neat for them to have something off the our property....and a memory from Lakelin Reach, our homestead

 AMAZING Man!

And woodwork talent must run in the family since William, Kathryn and Victoria, made these cute barn board snow men for their Christmas gifts for us....these are keepers!!! Thank you to their wonderful school teachers. They are so blessed to have the BEST teachers in the world.

And just so we don't forget, Christmas 2017 was very snowy. Thanks to our three strong sons, they kept the driveway clear

So Alyssa, our oldest is back to her high school English gig in Victoria, our son's Mitchell and Harrison are back to the University of Victoria, and all the younger ones are back to school. Clark our oldest son did his second LSAT before Christmas and he just found out that he did extremely well. He received a 166, which is in the 93rd percentile, so Whoo hoo! a little celebration happy dance happening here. I know he would tell me to knock on wood, but hopefully he will be accepted to law school next fall, and as his best friend who is already in his 2nd year of law said, he would be absolutely shocked if he didn't get in with that kind of score. Time will tell but that is exciting news for the new year. Maybe all those debates we had will finally pay off! Great work Clark!

So life is humming along here to a degree. Although if I'm being truly honest, I'm a bit bummed. Today my writing group started a new workshop session and I will not be attending.

BUMMER!

I knew it might me iffy, since despite being really careful and choosing the best, most useful gifts for our children at Christmas, we did go a bit overboard. Then there was the expense of bringing them all home and getting them back with food in their cupboards.

And to top it off, during the trip to he Island, even though David was driving extremely carefully in the snowy, winter conditions, a car flew by them and a large rock flew up and shattered our sun roof on our van. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Well, thank heavens no one was hurt and the impact didn't startle David to lose control of the van and crash, but well, in the end that was an expense we hadn't counted on. Interestingly enough the deductible we have to pay is exactly the same amount as my writing workshop fee.

Isn't it interesting how that works out!

How life gives you choices and you have to pick a path.

Hence,  I'm at home writing, instead of sequestered with my writing mentor and buds this morning.

BUMMER!

I was really looking forward to digging deeper with my group and getting some meaningful writing accomplished in the next three months. As I was straightening up the house after the kids went to school this morning, I was kind of depressed that I wasn't getting ready to head off to join the group. How in the heck am I going to get my book finished if I don't have the guidance and support of my group of cohorts.

And then I gave myself a kick in the butt.

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit."                                                              ~Helen Keller~


Or wrote a book!

And with that quote in mind, I realized that as marvelous as my writing group is, as inspiring as my mentor L is, nothing can prevent me from writing what is often bursting from my soul. Unless I allow depression and pessimism to take hold.

This is a new year, a new chapter in my life and I can write whatever I want in my book. And damn, by the rich smell of my life's compost, this will be a fertile year. Not just for my writing, but for us finishing up the attic renovation, the second wall above the pool, and more garden space built in the back forty.

"When you lay the seeds of your dreams in the rich hummus of optimism, abundance grows." ~Lee Reynolds~

We are due to have another dump of snow in the next day or so and while we are still hibernating indoors to a large degree. This is a good time to get some words written, some borscht soup made, and print out the goals I want to accomplish this year.

 How about you? Have you written the first few lines of your new chapter? 

This is my latest mantra. A mantra that my Traditional Chinese Medical doctor used to say to me before my acupuncture sessions years ago, when I was trying to till the fertile soil of my body so we could conceive another baby.....as it turns out....our William..... And that mantra is: 

"This is a new day!"

 How do you want to live it?

Maybe reading a book, or making my Pumpkin Roll cake below. If you are spending a lot of time tucked under a quilt like me this winter, I'd love to share a whimsical novel I read over the holidays. If you enjoy a bit of fantasy, you are a homesteading fan, and love children or yearn for them, (and if you are a reader of my blog, I imagine some of that interests you) then you probably will enjoy this beautifully, lyrical book.

My winter, must read recommendation is: "Snow Child," by Eowyn Ivey.  

 
 I hope you love it as much as I did.

And now for my sister B's recipe for:

Auntie Bonnie's Pumpkin Roll Cake

She gave this to me years ago and my kids love it. It's super easy too so I don't know why we don't make it more often. Okay
 without further ado, here it is.

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 cup of granulated sugar
2/3 of a cup of canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Filling Ingredients

6 ounces of cream cheese
1 cup powdered icing sugar
4 tbsp of butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Beat 3 eggs on high speed of mixer for 5 minutes; gradually beat in 1 cup of granulated sugar. Stir 2/3 cup canned pumpkin and 1 tsp lemon juice. Stir together 3/4 cup of flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture

Spread on greased and floured 15x10x1 inch pan. Top with 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts

Bake at 375 F degrees for 15 minutes. Turn onto a towel that is sprinkled with powdered sugar. Starting at the narrow end, roll the towel and cake together; Cool

Unroll. for filling combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 6 ounces of creamed cheese, 4 tbsp of butter, or margarine, and 1/2 tsp vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread evenly over the cake; Roll; chill; slice and serve.....makes enough for a large family of 10....US! Perfect!

I whipped this up while I was still feeling very under the weather but boy was it good!

This is a lovely, light dessert, absolutely perfect after a winter dinner....or even after a light soup, salad and bun dinner. The spices are yummy and so warming. Absolutely perfect to take and share during a winter potluck.

Enjoy!!!

As the new year unfolds, I hope you open to the idea of writing the first pages of your 2018 book with optimism and joy. Let it be one that you can look back, turn the pages and smile.

Write it well.

And remember, today is a new day and anything is possible.

If you can't see the link above, check out the Celine Dion song, "A New Day." I remember hearing that this song meant a lot to her as she went through a lot of pain and struggle to have her first son. When he finally born, it felt like a new day had come. I can relate as you know, that was a mantra that I used when we were trying to conceive and it gave me hope daily that each day holds new possibilities in our life.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope
 

Magic in the Air and Christmas Shortbread Cookies

Our valley has once again been covered in a sparkling, blanket of white. Driving my kids to school this morning, I uttered the words I have said several times in the last two days. "Isn't it breathtaking?"

It's so stunningly, beautiful, it makes me cry.

As I write this post, it's snowing again lightly. You can't even see the lake below our house. Magical!

Although winter has it's draw backs in many cases; the biting cold and it took us longer to get going yesterday morning, as both David and I had to clear the drive way, but what it brings to my life is well worth it.

We are forced to slow down a bit more, take our time as we move out into the world. In that pace, a beacon of light shines into my soul and insights often occur. They are light houses, guiding me safely on my journey. Inspiring me to keep going.

 As the snow lightly fell as I was shoveling yesterday, I was thinking how each of us is like a precious snowflake; unique and stunningly beautiful. We have the ability to change the world by the choices we make every day. And yet, many of us squander that time. We rush around with our to do lists running through our heads like a chiming mantra.

Do we feel joy?

Do we feel peace?

Do we feel hope?

and most important of all.....

Do we feel love?

I can tell you the answer to that, at least from my perspective, and that is a resounding, "NO!"

While this is a magical time of year in so many ways, many of us are driven by the lists running in our heads. We are stressed and burnt out. We get sick easier, as we are not sleeping long enough to get a good rest. We are generally feeling unwell. It's like a vicious circle that keeps us down.

One of my sons, dealing with University exams and deadlines, was recently finding the stress debilitating. When he would call me in a panic, I would simply remind him to fill his lungs deeply and slow down to get grounded.

Stop and

BREATHE!

Are exams life and death?

Let's put things in perspective here.

We have a choice how we want to feel.

We have a choice how we impact the world around us too.

The other day when I was walking around the grocery store, list in hand, trying to get out as fast as I could so I could pick up the kids from school, I saw a neighbour in the produce department. I think she saw me too out of the corner of her eye and she quickly moved on.... probably with a similar list in hand. Just as well, I thought as I moved into the bread section, as I can get out of here more quickly.

Then we literally ran into each other in the dairy section. We had to STOP and talk to each other. I'm so glad too as that short little, sweet interlude, catching up on each other's lives; each other's Christmas holiday happenings,propelled me forward, reminding me why we are on this planet together.

We are here to support each other and make life more pleasant. I left the store with a smile on my face and I hope she felt some warmth too.

We can make a difference in each other's lives by caring about each other, by smiling and giving a hug, by wishing each other all the best in life, not just at this holiday time, but ALL year through.

My kids get this. They don't move through their days with lists in their heads or their hands. Nope...but if there was a list running through their little brains, its would be for them to experience

fun,

fun

 and

 more FUN!

 And they are naturally kind too. They don't need to slow down because they are already at a perfect, in sync pace with the world. They live in the moment. They breathe deeply. They laugh from the belly, and they hug without restraint.

Huh!

I can take a few lessons from them....oh and dogs and cats are good at teaching life lessons too.

So I hope that you are able to take a moment this holiday season.

STOP!

be still,

listen to the silence

and

BREATHE!

Chat with a neighbour, hug a child, sit with a pet.

Listen to the bells of silence,

They are ringing with magic.

Let it resonate deep into your soul.

Let the beauty of the season make you weep.

Rejoice.

This life is so precious.

You are so precious!


And speaking of magic.....I want to share my whipped shortbread with you. Yes, they are magic in a little cookie. I got this recipe from an dear, dear, co-worker, Elaine, years ago. She gave it to me when I was in my twenties and I've been making it every year since.

 Now it is part of our Christmas tradition. Each time I make it, I think of Elaine and smile.

If you don't have a great shortbread recipe, let this be part of your tradition too. Plus......it's so easy!

Last night, I stayed up late making these cookies and watching, "It's a Wonderful Life." "Yawn!", but it was worth it. This movie is also a yearly tradition. It reminds me how deeply each of us touch each other. Instead of giving gift cards to our children's teachers this year, we decided to give them a piece of our Christmas tradition....a tin of these cookies and some tea and a little snowflake ornament, reminding them how unique they are.

I hope you try making these cookies and years to come, and as you make them, you will think of Hope and smile.


Hope's Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

1 lb of unsalted butter
3 cups of flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Opt: package of Toblerone chocolate
Christmas sprinkles or glazed cherries

Directions

Cream butter, add remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy. Roll into balls, press down with a fork.
Decorate with little chunks of Toblerone chocolate and Christmas sprinkles. You can also grate the Toblerone and add it to the cookie dough. A classic for this cookie, is decorating them with red and green glazed cherries.

Bake on an ungreased pan at 325 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes

This morning I was getting the tins ready...glade I stayed up late and did my baking!

I

Magic is in the air.

Can you feel it?

Merry Christmas my dear blogging family.

You are a precious snowflake.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

A Simple Christmas~Snow topped Almond Cookies

My favourite month has arrived!
                                     Welcome December!

                                                                                                   Fa la la la la, la la la la!

Oh the joy of season with the twinkling lights and carols playing, fills me with happy anticipation. I've always had a quiet faith in the magic of this season and this year is no different. But with only three weeks until Christmas, I'm also feeling a bit stressed.

My husband, David and I have decided that this year, the holiday season will be different. Even though we have eight children, we are on a minimalist path. Oh, I know, it’s a bit of an oxymoron, to have a large family and be minimalists but it wasn’t always that way.

In the beginning, our four older children were raised in a very consumer driven household and they have been used to having most of their wishes and dreams wrapped up in fancy paper and put under a glittering tree. Over the years though, as our younger children arrived, we have become more concerned about the state of our planet. Even though, yes, we are guilty of over populating the world, we now hope to set an example and teach our children to be conscious consumers; walking the earth as gently as possible.

Still, their Christmas wish lists are spread out before me and I struggle to know what would be the best gifts to give them this holiday. Some of the lists were emailed from University, with detailed pictures of tangible items desired. Although there’s a post script at the bottom, relaying extreme appreciation for their parent paid, post- secondary education. Then at the other end of our family spectrum, we have pencil written lists that begin with, “Dear Santa, I hope you are well.” Do I want to burst these innocent bubbles of magical expectation?

 Victoria holding up a Christmas card that says BELIEVE....you can see the window seat behind her and our view of the lake and mountains

“Oh,” what will we give them this year?” I ponder, as I fill my  red tea pot with boiling water to steep some Earl Grey tea. I look around my cozy kitchen with the old school charm.  David renovated it himself a few years ago and I love it. He took off all the cabinet fronts and stained them a calla lily white and then brushed on a tea stain, so they look old and worn. Perfect to weather our large family!

My favourite part of the kitchen is the window seat, which frames the lake view below our house. I take my big tea cup and curl up on the red checked cushion and look out the window. Kalamalka Lake is a slate blue grey this morning and the hills surrounding it are covered in white, as if Mother Nature took icing sugar and sprinkled it liberally while we slept.

Looking out at the new snow, takes me drifting back to a Christmas over 50 years ago.

It was1963 and one of the last Christmas’s my Dad was alive. A year and a half later he was killed in a truck accident. That holiday, in our sleepy, little town of Hope, B.C. which was guarded by tall, forested mountains, we received a huge dump of snow. What a magical appearance it was to wake up and find a sparkling world of peaceful white, beyond my frosted bedroom window. 

I don’t know what day of the week it was. I had just turned four years old. My days and years blended into one another, like mom’s endless laundry blowing stiffly in the winter wind on our backyard clothesline. Dad probably had worked that day. I’m sure he was tired after a full day driving truck for the Esso oil company but after dinner on the night of that big snowfall, with a glimmer in his grayish green eyes, he suggested we go and play in the snow. My sister J,  eight years old at the time, whooped with joy and was the first out the door, having perfected the art of winter dressing. My older sister’s C and B who were both teenagers, stole furtive glances at each other, to see who would proclaim they were too grown up for such childish play. Surprisingly, they started layering on sweaters, coats and hats while jabbing each other playfully. Perhaps they sensed this moment would ring in our memories for years to come. 

My mom bundled me into my red, one piece snow suit, asking again, if I wanted to use the bathroom.  I shook my head, impatient to get outside and she sighed. She put on my wool hat and tied the bow then wrapped a red plaid scarf tightly around my neck. I could barely breathe. The final touch was stuffing my hands into the mittens that were tied to the ends of my sleeves. I waddled outside like a penguin, barely able to walk. 

My Dad was artfully throwing snow balls at my sisters, who were laughingly, dodging them, as they busily worked together making a snow man. By the time I came outside, the bottom half of him was already built and his lower half was not just one big ball, but a large bottom with a wide lap to sit upon.

The air was biting cold. The sky was ink black and looking up, it felt like we were covered by a heavy quilt of quiet stillness that went on forever. The snow was wet and perfect for packing. Our snowman grew quickly into a giant. I looked at our little white clapboard house to see mom moving around, through the glowing kitchen window. Occasionally, she would peek out and I would wave my snow covered mitten and she would wave back. My Dad and sister’s voices were muffled and seem to come from far away and yet my vision was crystal clear. Everything was sharp and in focus.

Me with our magical giant snowman

Mom brought out shriveled apples for our snow man’s eyes and walnuts for his mouth. Completing his look she reached up high to stick a black top hat on his head. We stood around our snowy creation and mom, wearing only her indoor clothes and an apron said, “brrrrr,” as she snapped a picture of us. In the picture, I was nestled between our snowman’s knees, surrounded by my sisters and my Dad. Although the picture was in black and white, the colours are vivid in my memory. 

Dad had never smiled so brightly.

Me with my three older sisters and my Dad in Hope, B.C. over 50 years ago

We piled into the house, with mom clucking over the fact that her grey, linoleum kitchen floor had more snow on it than our yard. With red cheeks and good cheer, we sipped the hot cocoa and nibbled the cinnamon, sugared toast, waiting for us on the kitchen table. Out of the radio, strains of Bing Crosby crooning, “White Christmas,” flowed into our warm kitchen, with the white cabinets and red checked curtains. Oh, nothing had ever tasted better or sounded so perfect, than sitting in our little home in Hope that night, surrounded by my family. 

My dad left a legacy. Even though we didn’t have much in terms of material possessions, it was the magical moments of simple living that allowed the notes of our days, to create the music of our life. These moments played a rhythm that rooted us deeply as a family. Now that I’m a parent, it’s my turn to make these musical moments for our children.

Thank you mom and dad for bringing simple, magical moments into my life

I am consciously aware that we only have so much time with our children and then we are gone. Whatever imprint we want to leave on them, whatever wisdom we want to share, the moments are ticking by. 

Coming back to this time, I sip the last of my tea and look at my children’s Christmas wish lists laid out on the kitchen table. With a smile I wash my tea cup and start to hum, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.”

                           I know exactly what I want to give this year.

I hope you enjoyed that little piece I recently wrote for my writing group. I regret not finding more time to write on my blog this fall. But there are times in life when I just need to live the experiences ....do you know what I mean? I think it was Rainer Maria Rilke who said, 

"be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

So that has been what I have been doing...living everything and not stopping to ask anything.

But oh! I love this season and want to share that joy with you. I hope with only three weeks until Christmas you take some time to truly enjoy the magic of the season. Let it seep into your soul and let the simple moments of life bring you the greatest happiness.

Speaking of simple moments; I have to share my recipe for snow topped almond cookies. With vanilla extract being so expensive, I have been baking with more almond extract. I forgot how much I love it. I hope you enjoy it too. When you frost these cookies with a white glaze, you can sprinkle them with red and green sparkles....or with toasted almonds to make them even more festive.

Come into my old school kitchen and let us whip up a batch to share with our family and friends.

This snowman was given to me by my mom, who loved Christmas and Christmas music...he plays the piano and sings

Snow topped Almond Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup margarine (I find the texture better when I use 1/2 margarine and 1/2 butter)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Glaze:

1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tbsp water

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a medium size bowl, cream butter/margarine and sugar. Add almond extract and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine well. Now scoop up teaspoon size cookie dough and place it on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Place in hot oven and cook for 8 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet. Glaze with icing sugar mixture and top with toasted almond slices and if making at Christmas time, add some sprinkles of your choice to make them look even more festive.

I made these for my writing group and took them in on our last day together...hope to see you all next year!

Now make a cup of tea and sit in your favourite place and munch on a few cookies. Don't you think it's the simple things that make us happiest in life? As you listen to the youtube video below, "Bing Crosby, singing; White Christmas," think about how you can create some magic this holiday season. Sledding or skating with the family?....or cuddled together watching a Christmas movie? Whatever it is, I hope peace, joy and love settles into your heart and stays for the whole year through.

From my family to yours......may the light and love of Christmas find you this season!

In the front row are from Left to right, Victoria, William and Kathryn/ in the middle are Alyssa, me and Grace and in the back are David, Harrison, Mitchell and Clark...and our cat Ryuuki

This blog post is dedicated to my Mom and Dad......and to our daughter Grace Elizabeth, who was born 15 years ago today. What a Christmas blessing you are!

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope