Boxing Day

There is something magical about Christmas that evokes a real feeling of joy. It's not just that Santa has come or we are in the perpetual state of giving (and receiving!), but there is something in the air that makes us...well, happier I guess.

I missed Christmas at home last year and it was hard. That said, Christmas in Italy and in the south of France certainly wasn't anything to complain about. It's just that I missed that certain magic that comes with being home for the holidays.

I certainly got my fill this year. I was with my father and mother for a long time for the first time in a long time. It was a welcome change, let me tell you. I usually spend my time with friends when I'm home from abroad and this time I changed it up a little. My Dad was kind enough to organize some informal drop-ins with principals in our city, so I got a bit of exposure to the kind of school I hope to work in come September. More on that later. At Mom's, it was all about cooking and complimenting (as well as some Scrabble-playing). Pretty great way to spend the better part of a week, thinks I.

On Boxing Day, as is the annual tradition, we all piled in the car and headed to Niagara Falls to my Uncle Gary and Marcy's house. There were kids all over the place and I must admit I liked it (there was also cured meat all over the place and I clearly loved that). The drama from the day before (more on that later) melted away as we watched excited tots marvel over gifts and mow their way through mashed potatoes (or was that just me?). All in all, a great day, a great way to end the holiday season. Here's a bit of what I saw through the lens...



My cousin Mia got this talking, um, electronic rabbit of sorts and it actually responds when you talk "to" it. What a hoot. Anyway, the cousins couldn't keep their eyes off of it...joy abounds.



Sandra just loving baby time...






Marcy just loving sister time



Nonna was partner-less this day, but managed to do just fine opening up her gifts ;)



I still can't believe Carmen is getting married. Isn't she still five years old? Time does move on. Only five more months and she'll be a wife. Wow.



Loving my father's newly undyed silver hair. What a star.



And yes, Mia is wearing a Canada Day headband on her adorable (intelligent) little head. Well done.















Ah yes, we left with full bellies and rather full hearts. Thanks for having us ;)

Christmas Morning

Well, the sh*t hit the proverbial fan on Christmas morning, but before all that could happen, I had just enough time to whip up Panettone French Toast ala Giada DiLaurentis. It was SO good with maple syrup, I can't even describe it. I made it later at Laura's parent's house and used traditional panettone (you know, the one with raisins), and it was rather gross (since I hate raisins) but THIS one I made with the cake-y panettone...the one with all the flavour of raisins without the raisins. Best of both worlds, thinks I.

Here's what it all looked like...









One last cup of coffee before facing the music...



...but more on just what that music was in a bit.

Christmas Eve

It was high time I got back into the kitchen in Canada and proved to Doug (who had commented on it earlier in our lives) that I could get the timing of a BIG dinner juuuust right. I so did it.

I made turkey and stuffing (thanks to Laura's mother), asparagus, gravy, Gordon Ramsay's mashed potatoes, and Caesar salad. It was stupendous. Though I'd made enough for six (easily), we managed to polish off everything but the turkey carcass. I'm patting myself on the back as we speak ;)

Ah, the true picture

"Beautiful pictures are developed from negatives in a dark room… So if you see darkness in your life be reassured that a beautiful picture is being prepared."

Quote courtesy of KVELV

Library Swoon

Image courtesy of Things She Loves.

Meet the Fockers

Mom and Doug invited Erik and I over for dinner to meet the Fockers, as my mother likes to say. She prepared this lovely cheese tray (which was quite quickly devoured)...



...which naturally pleased us greatly...






The Guinness was a-flowing (how Christmas-y?)



...as talks turned very serious.



Not in the kitchen though. We were busy touching this gorgeous leg ;)



...picking a perfect wine...



...topping it all off with a dab of butter...






...and timing it all just so.



It was all glitz and glamour in the kitchen...






...until it was time to kick back with a glass of wine.




A little taste of England (the Harrod's bag I brought back for Mom last summer)



...and a dabble of Christmas decor



...to go with this Buddha, naturally.





I whipped up some gravy (my only contribution of the night, mind)...




...to go on this leg of lamb.



Thanks for a great night. Twas spectacular.

First Day with my Nikon

For Christmas and my birthday and for every birthday that follows the one that just past ;) my father gave me a Nikon 5100 camera. I was beside myself...an adult camera that is all mine. I clumsily turned it on and gave it a whirl before collapsing into bed on my second night home.

In honour of my father, here is a motto that's been serving him for years...



The rest are just some shots of the Christmas decor and some things I found around his house...















I was one happy camper, indeed.

Running in a Winter Wonderland

A long flight (with a three hour layover in Newark where the security guard at the airport actually SWORE at me) is best ended with a long sleep. This said long sleep is best greeted with a long run. So at the crack of dawn on the 18th of December, I was hitting the pavement rather hard, loving the little bit of snow that seemed to fall juuuust for me overnight. I couldn't resist taking my camera (the Blue Beast of course!) and snapping some of Canada's splendour...

Watching the sunrise in my home country made me feel so warm and wholesome. There is something so magical about OUTSIDE, isn't there?






Ah...and the Skyway Bridge ;) Some things just scream, "You're HOME!"