Best laid plans

Just when we figured we were on the home stretch towards our Baja home with a flight reserved for December 19, a monkey wrench flew in. Horizon Air have a moritorium on pets over the Christmas holiday season which we were not aware of until I tried to book Milkshake by phone with Alaska Air. They wondered if we could get to Seattle some other way - hitchhike perhaps?

So instead of travelling we are getting in the Christmas spirit right here in our Kerrobert home with a new [artificial] fibre optic tree, which doesn't require or allow other ornaments - a bonus since most of ours have migrated to Mexico. Outdoor lights include a reindeer on the porch that looks like he's munching on the shrubs.

Great joyful noise is coming from Dylan's room full of after school boys. That is what he misses most when we move south.

I hope you are all on track with holiday preparations and choosing peace over stress whenever you can.

Another taste of winter

I just love the job that Bob did on the hall tile.

We haven't found any living room furniture that sings to us so are making do with odds and sods.

Our Christmas lights are fairly pathetic this year but with all the snow I'm glad I didn't staple them all around the deck as I had planned. We have a few inside the living room but that is all.









Shovelling is easy when the snow is light and fresh.

Baja Bound

The decision has been made and the tickets purchased. We will have to live with a sullen Dylan for a couple of weeks until we arrive in Baja December 19th. Once we are there I believe he will adjust quickly to the warmer climate, to wearing tee-shirts and driving his quad. Mom is as well as she's been in over a month since her fall and broken arm. She is mending and doing more each day and has a good attitude. Today I wrapped a bunch of Christmas gifts that she had stockpiled so she was happy about that. The next couple of weeks we will be busy getting organized to close up this house and figure out what we can carry down with us. I wanted to post photos of our beautiful new flooring that Bob installed in our living room and halls, but haven't downloaded them yet - soon I promise.

We will need a ride from the airport - Alaska terminal in Los Cabos on Tuesday December 19, arriving about 4:30 - it will be a big order as there are three of us and Milkshake too!! Perhaps the Dillmans or Coleys will rise to the challenge/request.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Bob did a beautiful job on the tile in the entry and halls. I love it and now I want it everywhere, but I havent' told him that - yet. So far we have only rattan patio furniture in the living room and though it looks rather nice, it is the most uncomfortable stuff to try to relax in which draws us back downstairs to the comfy couches. Its nine in the morning and finally daylight. The thermometer outside the kitchen window reads minus 26 celcius-but hey, there's no wind! There is always something to be thankful for, even in a Saskatchewan winter.

In my ongoing quest to make the holiday season less commercial and stressful I have stopped sending cards, though perhaps that is more laziness on my part. The sad thing is that now we rarely see any actual hand written cards and letters come in the post box. I know my mom still loves to receive cards and letters, as most of us do. One compromise was to purchase some cute foam cutout cards from the Canadian postal service: snow man, cow, and xmas lights to send to some special folks, not that you all aren't special to me - you are! I have also strung some new led lights in a living room window and have a new craft displayed-I wish I'd thought of it or done it, but can't take credit. Susie Spence is putting mini lights inside glass building blocks and wrapping them in decorative ribbons-a popular new thing this year I understand. Since I still am not sure where we will be for Christmas I am sticking to a minimalist theme and may not even do a tree.

Last year in Baja we had a dried agave blossom for a tree - it was about 7 feet tall - and since they make tequila from the agave I figured it would be a good choice; however, my boys were not impressed and Dylan said it was the saddest excuse for a Christmas tree he had ever seen. Since I can't find a photo of it I thought I'd have some fun and show some of our great gathering of friends. I think we had 17 around the table for turkey dinner on the 25th. The back row of the gals were actually standing in the pool which was full of cold water - we lifted our skirts and were reminded of I Love Lucy stamping grapes.

Its not hard to tell who was having the most fun. Beverlee seems to be in almost every shot I took. We had a lot of fun laughing about Karen's purple velvet stretch stirrup pants too.