A New Coffee Ritual

Because I often write posts ahead of time and then stick them in the queue, I may not pay attention to special days, like this New Year Eve. Therefore, before we get to the title topic, permit me to acknowledge the day.

I made this photo three years ago, tonight, and added the words just now. Bob and I went to the Township recreational area, got there early to claim our spots, and waited in the cold for the fireworks. The received wisdom from proper photographers is to get your shots early before the air fills with smoke. Being a contrarian, I took this one late in the show because I somewhat like the red smoke.

If I were to return, I would change my vantage point if possible. I would move off to the right, out of the frame above and try to shoot with the schoolhouse in the foreground and with the fireworks overhead the building. Alas, I am not inclined to make a solo excursion, but if Bob or Nick were to call, I would probably go again.

Regardless, Happy New Year or Happy New Year's Eve. I don't don't which is the more proper wish for today. I don't know much when you come right down to it.

Onto the scheduled post.

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There is a new coffeehouse on our Main Street, called Ritual on Main. We had a little business to take care of downtown, and as we walked by, we decided to drop in. It was busier than we had thought, all being run by one woman – poor thing – on a day between Christmas and New Year. She did well, considering that some coffees required special attention, and some customers also wanted breakfast sandwiches. By the time we left, there was another server to help.

I pulled out my phone to get a pic of Sue with lots of background; I like the awnings, if that is what you call them The backlight made the exposure on Sue difficult.

Sue took one of me. The light worked in her favour – or mine, if you prefer. You notice that I am wearing my new chapeau, not that I like drawing attention to myself or my most wonderful cap, you understand.

As is Sue's wont, she made a collage. That is her drink, bottom centre — spiced eggnog, which she enjoyed. Just plain coffee for me, thanks.

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Now, for a public service announcement in this fractured post.

Since my hat has made another appearance in this post, I will add that Mulewings mentioned that she likes such caps but can't find one like mine. This one was purchased online from Beau Chapeau in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario. If one doesn't want to order cross-border, I can tell you that they are manufactured by the British Company, Failsworth. I haven't gone to great lengths to track American suppliers, but the Village Hat Shop in San Diego does sell them.

Christmas Silliness

While we do not participate in the recent Ugly Christmas Sweater craze, we do get a little crazy in our own ways. Look at the first photo if you don't believe me: big red socks outside my pants.

The kids each got hoodies but wouldn't pose properly, clowns that they are. The stickers were added by Sue in post; the hoodies were plain, otherwise.

We no longer sit down to Christmas Dinner but snack instead, but Shauna passed around crackers anyway. We pulled the crackers and donned our crowns.

While there were many gifts, I will share this unique one. It doesn't fit with the Silly theme, but I want to share it anyway because I don't plan to do any more Christmas posts. (You're welcome.) At the rate that I am going, it will soon be Easter if I don't stop. The kids made a unique gifts for us: a booklet of coupons, which we can redeem at will and more than once too. It was cute, well done, and well received.

Morning Coffee Date, Shovelling, Grocery Run, Yardwork Help,
Danica's Taxi, Making Dinner

We should probably take them up on the morning coffee date, but then they would probably claim that 11:59 meets the criterion.

JJ and I Sock It To Ya

JJ and I both received socks in our Christmas stockings. Each bore a message pertinent to the recipient. We tried them on together. Of course, I put mine on backwards, which led to mirth. Here I am in the process of rectifying my stupidity.

I got it right eventually. 

The message is apt in each case. I am the Coke guy, and JJ is the Skittles guy.

JJ's feet are bigger than mine although mine might seem bigger because they are closer to the camera. I do not have large feet for my height. Speaking of height, I am still taller than the lad, but he's still only 15, so I may lose that bragging right in days to come.

While I am at it, let me share two other gifts: first the hoodie.

You would think that a 77-year-old grandfather wouldn't be into sports team attire. Well, you'd be wrong.

The other item is on my head in the photo below as it was in the first pic in the post.

What a fine cap for Christmas! Don't you love the curve of the peak? It's a great cap.

While I have other caps, both for summer and for winter, I wanted a nice, dark, winter-weight cap. It's quite warm although sans earflaps it won't suffice for the very coldest of winter days. It replaces the one that went floating down the river a few years ago. 

By the way, Jonathan is also wearing new, Christmas duds. Unlike some boys his age, he doesn't mind getting clothes for Christmas. That being said, they must meet certain rigorous criteria.

Caturday 73: Cat on Catmas Day

While we opened our gifts, on chriCatmas Day, Sabine chilled (so to speak) by the heat of the roaring tv fire.

Nightshirts and Nightgowns

There is a sketch of Scrooge walking about in his nightshirt, cap and candle. Someone on BlueSky (I think) mentioned what a delightful image it is. I cannot recall the exact comment, but it was a positive one regarding his attire. I went in search but couldn't find it. However, this will do for now.

 I called it a nightshirt, above, but wondering if I were correct, I checked with Mrs Google.

To put it simply, a nightgown is typically a loose, flowing garment worn by women, whereas a nightshirt is a more versatile piece that can be worn by both men and women and usually resembles an oversized shirt. Nightgowns have a long history and are traditionally designed for women.

Once upon a time, I thought that I would try wearing a nightshirt in lieu of the usual pyjamas. 

It wasn't meant to be, for the shirt spent the night pretty well wrapped around my neck.

Sue, on the other hand, wears nighties, and only nighties.

Not realizing that this was a firm preference on her part, for we had only been married for two decades at the time, I once purchased for her a fairly expensive pair of Oprah-recommended pjs for Christmas. While she may have worn them once or twice in consideration of my effort, that was pretty well it.

Nope: she wears nighties by preference. 

Unlike me, however, her nighties never ride up. Never.

Hmm.

 

I Was Blowed

It was 3:45 on the morning of Christmas Eve. I happened to peer out my window and saw that the snow plow guy was doing the driveway across the street and would be attending to ours momentarily. I watched in the darkness for a few minutes, for that is as long as it takes, as you shall soon see.

The way that it works, is that they do a first pass, but they return for a second after the  plows have kindly left another pile at the foot of the driveway. In this instance, our guy came after the street plows had dumped their pile, but then the sidewalk plow would do their thing and dump another pile.

Usually, I miss the plowings, but on this morning, I caught both passes and had my phone ready for the second one. And here it is, for your viewing pleasure. You can see that although we call it a plow, it simply blows the snow from the driveway onto the lawn.

This leads me to think of my grandfather's phrase: Well. I'll be blowed! He was British born, and the only person I have know to say that. My mother didn't pick up the saying, and my other  British grandparents didn't say it — not according to my remembrance at least. I am not even sure why I remember Grandfather Arthur saying it, for he's been gone for almost 70 years. However, we did live with him a number of years when I was about 3 to 7 years old, so there was opportunity.

I had to look up the saying.

Probably a hyperbole expressing that the speaker is so surprised it is as if they have been blown over by a gust of wind: compare blow me down and blow me over, and also knock someone over with a feather, which have the same sense.[1] Used as a euphemism for I'll be damned; compare also blasted. (Wiktionary)

By the way, my mother often said another phrase mentioned in the above quote: "You could have knocked me over with a feather."

The Wonder of Christmas

You have seen this photo before, I think at least twice already, but I love it and have added a caption, and I think it is just about perfect for Christmas Day.

I think I'll slip this next one in here too because I would like to get it posted, and it will seem late tomorrow. I made this card to go with Sue's Christmas present, but I forgot to include it when we ported the gift over to the kids’ where we will soon be opening them. I’ll give Sue the hard copy before we leave . . . assuming I remember, of course.

For a number of years, we would sleep over at the kids’ on Christmas Eve, but my bodily issues plus my ongoing sleep problems make it better for me to be in my own house now. So, we spent Christmas Eve over there, came back here to sleep, and will head back over soon now that it is Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve 1973

I am almost certain that we took these pictures 51 years ago on this very day, December 24 1973. Of course, cameras back then only exposed the negative and recorded no other data, so I can't be 100% sure. Aside from the date, I can tell you that they were taken using a 35mm Pentax Spotmatic II with a 50mm lens. 

You have seen this next and final one before, but I love it, so you have to see it again.

I almost forgot that I made this collage, which contains a little more than just Christmas Eve in the top right photo, but I think it fits well with the others  

We travelled every Christmas for about ten years before we began having it on our own home. We would travel the 200 miles from Sarnia to Toronto and would stay at my parents house for Christmas. They lived in Mississauga on the western side of Toronto. The next day, we would trek to the eastern  side of the city to celebrate Christmas with Sue's side of the family.

Because we were always on the road at Christmastime, Sue would decorate our own domicile by December 1st, so we could enjoy the Christmas feeling at our own place for awhile. She has continued the tradition ever since, even though we have been at home for more than 40 years. 

Merry Christmas

I am going to post my Christmas card today, but I think that I have old photos to keep posting for the next two days if you happen to be around here.

Last December I determined that I would use this photo from the Mill of Kintail for this year's card, and I didn't change my mind when I looked at it and others this year. So here it is, to all you fine folk who, for some strange reason, visit this blog.

I also mentioned the other day that I had another version an the audacious pants card. It doesn't show the pants as well, but it is otherwise seasonal.

Those are my cards to you. I hope you have a most wonderful Christmas or whatever it is that you celebrate in this season. If you celebrate nothing in particular, or if the season is difficult for you, I do wish you joy and happiness, however that manifests itself to you.

I have since found another candidate from Sue on her phone, so I am appending it here.

Finally, here is yet another appendage: a little collage from our birthday breakfast yesterday.

52

It's Shauna's 52nd birthday, or at least it is the day that we are celebrating it. I have set this post to publish at 10am, which is when we'll be sitting down at the restaurant for breakfast with her and the kids. I may be giving her the real versions of the card and composite photo just as you are reading this, just so she won't have seen them before.

It has to be a breakfast celebration since anything else would interfere with the kid's work schedules. Danica will be off to Perth to work at the seniors residence that Shauna oversees, and Jonathan will soon be at the grocery store, carrying groceries out to the folks who have ordered pickup.

This is our card to her: front and then inside. 

Not too long ago, I posted some newly scanned photos of the two-year old Shauna, but I kept her first birthday photos aside for just this moment, my fav being this one ↓ that I used for the front on the card that you saw above.

But I also did something which I haven't done in quite awhile: made a full collage. 

Once upon a time, I would composite collages by hand, and I made a number of photo albums using this technique. Now, Sue can do composites easily and quickly using automated phone apps, but I did this the old-fashioned way by dragging each picture into photoshop and then arranging them. All of the photos, except maybe the sleeping one were taken on the day of her 1st birthday: December 20 1973. (Due of circumstances, we are celebrating a few days late this year.)

Here are two more of the photos in the composite that I think deserve their own space.

As I experimented with developing b&w negatives and prints way back in '73, I can tell you that I had no concept of how I would be sharing them and to whom I would be sharing them, 51 years later. The personal computer had yet to be heard of. Even then, which was about 10 years later for me, computers basically only crunched numbers or displayed text. It would be another 17 years after I took these pictures before Photoshop would be released.

Addendum

At the last minute, Sue asked me for a greeting to tape to a folder that would contain other bits and pieces. Rather than just type Happy Birthday, I found a scan of an old slide. This was taken on Christmas Day 1972 as we were about to leave the hospital to bring Shauna home. I replaced the background for a bit of photo fun, including eliminating the doctor who delivered her and who was standing beside us in the actual, unaltered photo. Forget the baby. Look at my hair!

Christmas Around the House

Today, for your viewing pleasure, I have a few Christmas around-the-house photos by Sue. That is all.

And this . . . 

My Audacious Pants

When I left the house yesterday to visit the boys for a kaffeeklatsch., Sue followed me out the door and demanded that I stop for a picture.

As soon as I arrived, Nick made a similar demand.

It was the pants, you see. My pants, indoors or out, are always plain, except for maybe bedtime and Christmastime. And since it is Christmas time, I decided to let my hair down, so to speak, but not my pants I'll have you know. No, those pants stayed up — flamboyantly so. And so the local paparazzi insisted on recording the occasion, likely for future extortion.

You may also note that my hands are weird in the second photo. I had my thumbs up but just put thems down, for I realized that thumbs-up gesture has been forever spoiled by . . . well . . . you know who.

As is her wont, Sue fancied up several versions. I'll keep one for actual Christmas, perhaps, but I will post this one for now.

A Happy Seasonal Combination

On a search for Christmas stocking stuffers, we walked into The Granary last week where we were greeted enthusiastically and told that there was a  20% sale of chocolate products on that day.

In passing I note that The Granary is a locally-owned health food sort of store.

We purchased several items including a Camino hot chocolate mix. I am not sure what specific variety we purchased, but this image will serve the purpose.

We are also pleased to know that Camino is a Canadian company in our region and that it is also a fair trade company. Who could ask for more?

A day or two later, I found myself in the liquor store where I purchased Baileys Irish Cream whiskey. We tend to do this come the Christmas season.

We don't drink much hot chocolate, and we don't drink much alcohol, but my oh my! has this combination of Baileys plus Camino been a most wonderful dessert drink for the past four nights!

I just might purchase another bottle to get us through the entire Christmas-New Year season.

Not on a Shelf

Have you been seeing the latest meme, taking off from Elf on the Shelf? Most aren't Christmassy although the first two could fit very loosely.

Here are a few more.

Shrek on a Deck

Ewe on a Pew

Buck on a Truck

Ghost on the Toast

Seinfeld on a Minefield

Taylor on a Bailer

Willie on the Chilli

Shall I see myself out now?