Holiday Express ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome Friends to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. 

The holidays are coming fast!  They are loaded onto the Christmas Express  train and there is no stopping them now.

Are you ready for them this year?  

Well it's been a very busy few months and it hasn't helped that I've had a very long lasting cold. I feel okay one day then get a set back the next. This has hampered my ability to get things done. So basically I'm going with the flow. Everything will get done when it gets done. There's no point in stressing as this is the season we should make time to reflect and rejoice in the birth of our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.

 1. Is your tree up? How tall is it?
what color lights? 

Yes, thankfully I managed to put up the tree. I bought a pre-lit tree a few years ago because decorating is not one of my favourite things. Now all I have to do is add some Christmas baubles and I'm done, lol.

The tree is 7 feet tall with clear lights. It is a very narrow tree to fit into different areas of my small home.  I love it!

Are there lights in the window? On the door?

No lights on the window or on the door though I do have a wreath on the door with some string lights. I also have lights on the mantle along with some greenery.

 2. Got a menu for Christmas Eve and Day?

No menu for Christmas Eve and Day as we'll be spending Christmas with my niece who has asked for Italian food.  By that she means spaghetti but we'll see what else is on the menu at the restaurant. Our dinner will also not be exactly on Christmas Even or Christmas Day but it will be close to the day.

3. Who is coming for Christmas or who will you visit?

Yes, one brother and my dear hubby and I will travel to  my niece and brighten her holiday.

 4. What is your favorite Christmas memory?

I was able 6 years old, maybe even a bit younger. I remember the house was so beautifully decorated. The tree glowed so prettily in the dark with the lights and the artificial snow spread across the branches. I'm sure there were other decorations as well and it all looked so magical.  For sure I remember the nativity scene came out each year and took pride of place.

That year I a beautiful 'walking doll' was under the tree for me.  They were all the rage at that time. I remember how pretty she was and how much I enjoyed her. My mom told me many years later that that Christmas was a hard one financially.  She had bought the tree many months before and she was so thankful that she did. 

I always marvelled at how much my parents were probably stressing and suffering over the idea that Christmas wouldn't be as good as usual for the children but my childhood memory is that of a very special Christmas.  It wasn't so much the gift I received though I really enjoyed it. It was the magical atmosphere that was created. 

Wishing each of you a wonderful, blessed and magical Christmas.

City Lights

I never tire of the city lights especially when the days grow dark early. I'm always happy to see the lights which illuminate my path.

 Thank you for visiting this Skywatch Friday post. Have an awesome weekend.

Holiday Specials ~ Tuesday 4

Thank you for joining in for Tuesday 4, begun by Toni Taddeo and kept in her memory. Christmas is fast approaching for billions of people.

1. Do you have a favourite Christmas carol and if so is there a particular version you especially like?

My favourite Christmas Carol that I sing if I'm at church is "Oh Holy Night".  I don't have a favourite version. I just love it no matter who sings it. I also love the entirety of Handel's Messiah and try to attend a concert to hear it every now and then during the Christmas season.

2. Do you have a special dinner for the holidays? What foods are included? 

In past years, the Christmas Dinner consisted of turkey with stuffing and gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted veggies like Brussels Sprouts, various salads, cranberry sauce, pickles, a variety of appetizers and desserts.  Now with only two of us, sometimes three, I've opted not to make the large turkey. Instead I make a roasted chicken but the others foods remain the same. On New Year's Day we often have a roasted ham, sweet potatoes or scalloped potatoes and various appetizers and desserts. The leftover ham is good for a few meals and for making pea soup.

This year I may not be making a Christmas meal. We're going to visit my niece and she has requested an Italian meal.  She simply loves all kinds of noodles and is looking forward to spaghetti.

3. Holiday movies ... which do you like to watch?

I don't watch Christmas movies every year but there are a number of them I enjoy when I'm able, such as It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, Home Alone and Home Alone 2, and Miracle on 34th Street.

4. What traditions do you continue to keep year after year for the holidays?

Actually I'm in the process of doing away with most of the traditions because our family has gotten so much smaller and for years there haven't been any young children with whom to celebrate.  The generic kind of traditions that I've kept are sending Christmas cards, making handmade gifts (a newer tradition of about 7 years) and calling one or two loved ones on Christmas and/or New Year's Day.  Oh I guess also, we open gifts on Christmas Day not on Christmas Eve and I decorate every year even if I'm not expecting to be home. I like to see the lights before and after Christmas but I take them down before the Epiphany.

Last year, I said I wanted to start making new traditions.  Depending on what happens in the the world, one of the things I'd like to do is travel to a warmer climate.  If we do start this new tradition we'd probably do it before or after Christmas so we can avoid the crowds of people and potential travel delays. 

First Friday in December - Skywatch Friday

It's that time of year where it gets dark very early.  During the day, the sun mostly hides behind a gray sky.  The twinkling lights at this time of year brings cheer to the outdoors and to me whenever I have to venture out. 

Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post.

Have a great weekend. 

Readiness for Christmas

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope this weekend finds you well.

In my last post I mentioned having gone to the Christmas Market. Today I'm sharing a few snippets of the market with you.

Each year I try to take in one, sometimes 2 special events that are geared to Christmas. This year I decided to go to the Christmas Market.  I also hope to participate in a Christmas Wreath Making activity tomorrow if all goes well.
 

Wishing you all a happy end to November and a great beginning to December.

If you're up to it, I'd love to hear how you are getting into the holiday spirit this year.
 

The Season of Light - Skywatch Friday

Hello everyone,

Well we've almost completed another month and we've got less than a month to go before Christmas Day is upon us. I hope you are enjoying the pre-holiday period so far.

I want to wish all Americans a very Happy Thanksgiving. I know it's a busy time as you have to deal with Thanksgiving and Christmas in a relatively short period of time.  If you've made it this far you're blessed.

The following photos were taken downtown at the waterfront near the Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre. You can see it was very dark and you can barely see the sky even though it was only 6 p.m.  I had just been to the annual Christmas Market and was on my way to the bus stop.
 

Thanks for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post. Enjoy your weekend.
 

Another Friday in November ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope this day finds you well and looking forward to the weekend.

I've had a good week. I'm feeling much better than I was a week ago and that's always a good thing.

I also had some good news. My nephew returned for a brief visit from Oklahoma, USA and we had a chance to catch up on each other's news over dinner. I always love spending time with him and his lovely wife.  He asked me when I will visit him and I said I would consider it when the weather is warmer.  

Travelling south of the border is not something I really want to do at this time but I would consider doing it for him.  Whether it will work out remains to be seen because I know it's going to be a very busy early part of 2026 but at least it's now on the list of things to consider.

One of my nieces had her first child a few weeks ago.  Earlier this week, I learned that her younger brother and his new wife are having their first child this summer. So there is a lot to celebrate as far as new life and family expansion is concerned.  My niece and nephew are the 2 youngest children of the brother next to me in age. He is over the moon at the moment with these new and upcoming additions to the family.

The city has had a lot of rain over the past month or so but there is enough variety and drama in the sky to keep me entertained.  The sky is ever changing. All I have to do it look up.

Thank you for stopping by and paying me a blog visit for Skywatch Friday. Wishing you all the best of the weekend.

One Saturday in Early November

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Today I'm sharing a few photos from the neighbourhood.  It was one of the rare days in the week when it didn't rain!  Although you can see it was a pretty cloudy day.

I hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you are in the world.  Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post. Have a great weekend!