Christmas 2012

Some Christmas highlights;

Flowers from Costco

Goodies

We always have my inlaws and my Mom (not shown....she was pouring wine...) for pizza Christmas Eve.  My father in law is 86 and my mother in law is 82, they amaze me...they are so young acting.

Trimmed up window over my kitchen sink

Someone got a new toy for Christmas

Beautiful sunrise Christmas morning

We had two snowstorms over Christmas....over 16 inches of fresh powder...just perfect for a little x-country skiing with my honey.

Happy New Year!

Pre-Christmas Festivities

We have been busy here visiting, baking, wrapping in preparation for the big day.  On our way to the city to pick up a few things we noticed this lovely snowman at a nearby farm.  You can't tell how big he is but he is made from wrapped large hay bales.  The bales are wrapped to keep them fresh for the cows to eat in the winter...and I guess the white wrapping makes perfect sense to make a giant snow man.  His buttons are made from used circular saw blades, and his hat from a giant black plastic tub.  He stands about 30 feet high.

I got to spend a bit of time with my favorite little elf..my great-nephew Christian.

And we had our annual family Yankee swap with my mother, sisters and all the aunts, uncles and cousins on my mother's side of the family.  This year's theme was red and green...and I really didn't know I'd stand out so much in my bright green shirt...but oh well.

Our oldest son Cameron arrived home from university last night (with all his clothing rammed in a bag...dirty..) so after a bit of laundry I'm going to enjoy the day with both our boys at home.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Snow Day

Yesterday was a snow day here with 40 centimeters (16 inches) falling in 24 hours.  School was cancelled so we had a nice day at home.  Just as I was relaxing with a cup of tea happy that we were all safely inside (or so I thought) I got a phone call from our older son who attends university in a nearby city, he and his buddies were on their way to the ski hill to go snowboarding.  (Why oh why must boys always give their mother something to worry about?)

I'm almost finished up in the pottery studio, just waiting for a couple Christmas orders to be picked up then I shut it down for January and February.

The wreath I made for the barn was completely covered in snow...

The front door looks quite festive too.

I really hope the snow stays because it sure looks festive around here.

Happenings

I'm beginning to think this blog is mainly pictures of food...like this delicious breakfast bun that our local bakery makes.  It's basically made like a cinnamon bun but instead of cinnamon and sugar it has layers of scrambled eggs, bacon pieces and grated cheddar cheese....all rolled up in delicious bread dough.  Scott and I made a quick pottery delivery last week and stopped at the bakery for take out breakfast.

It was a beautiful day...and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here...except for the dirty windshield on the car that I took this picture through.

Our neighbors are away again so Isaac is doing their barn chores this week.  Last night Scott walked over with him to help him out in the barn and the water in the sheep's bucket had frozen and when they dumped the ice out of the pail...they thought it looked like something I would want to "put a candle in or something" so they brought it home to me.  Oh those men do surprise me sometimes....who knows maybe they are secretly reading my Martha Stewart Living magazine when I am not looking.  I put a tea light in and viola...a lovely ice lantern that would make Martha weep.

And I discovered this little gem:

which is precisely how I feel about tea.

10 on 10 December 2012

Joining with Rebecca  today for 10 on 10.

I had a busy day today working in the studio and decorating for Christmas.

#1 We woke up to a bit of snow (it didn't last long)

#2 Working on the last Christmas orders in the pottery studio

#3 Lunch hour dog walking

#4 Little felt houses

#5 Festive door

#6 Teapot fresh out of the kiln...now packed off and on its way to the new owner.

#7 Pasta al Pomodoro for supper

#8 Tree is up and decorated

#9 Outdoor lights

#10 Woodpile

Christmas time in coming...

After a busy weekend away at a hockey tournament we spent Sunday afternoon decorating a bit outside, I made this wreath with some greenery snipped from the yard and was so happy to find this Scandinavian-looking ribbon at Michaels for the bow.

This is a familiar scene..hockey jerseys on the line...this year's schedule is crazy but we are trying to enjoy it as Isaac graduates this year and will be off to university next year.

Still making lots of butter dishes for Christmas orders.

And a couple of teapots that start out looking like this...nice and smooth white clay....

Then slip (clay material watered down to cream consistency, they colored using stains).....in this case black slip is brushed over the white clay and allowed to dry until it is no longer sticky.

I then draw on a design and carve away the black slip revealing the white clay underneath.  Red underglaze is added to the bird on the lid and the berries on the teapot.

Another teapot, this one carve with a bird, leaves and berry design...also black slip over white clay.

Right now the teapots and butter dishes are cooling in the kiln after their bisque firing.  Tomorrow I will glaze them with a clear glaze and pop them back in the kiln for a glaze firing.  I'll post finished pictures later in the week.

A little Canadian Pride...eh?

Thought I should share a bit of this super video highlighting some amazing things to do in Canada...there was a nationwide contest where people sent in footage of their favorite things in Canada, the winning entries were edited together to make this short 2 minute video.

My neighbor's son is in the back of the canoe going through rapids...the clip is 18 seconds into the video.

Canada video

There's more here than moose and polar bear (although they are both in the video).

Yarn-a-holic

This is the lovely view from our local yarn store

It's actually more than a yarn store...it is attached to the oldest woolen mill in Canada.  Briggs and Little Woolen Mill has been producing 100% pure wool yarns for over 150 years.  Every part of the process from raw, unwashed fleece to beautiful yarn is completed here.  

They have had two fires with the most recent being in 1994 when this new building was constructed.

Inside there is every color you can imagine...

And some beautiful knitted items for sale completed by local knitters, like these "thrummed" mittens

You can also buy antique bobbins from old machinery that was used in the past at the woolen mill...people do all kinds of interesting things with them.

I really want to buy one of every color...

I would also love to take home this giant antique basket which they store the yarn "seconds" in...it was woven by members of a local first nations community.

I have plans to knit some rainbow mittens so I came home with a few new colors so I finally have  all 7...(red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, violet).  They sell all their yarn in hanks so now I have to wind it all into balls then start my rainbow mittens.

If you remember watching the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver you might have seen the sweaters on the Canadian athletes...the wool came from Briggs and Little Woolen Mills;

You can buy the pattern and yarn kit to make the Olympic sweater...which I just might do...after the rainbow mittens.

Boys-

Both our sons have been so lucky to be able to be enrolled in French Immersion since Grade 1.  All their schooling for the first 4 years was entirely in French then the amount of English instruction gradually increases until they take 75% of their subjects in English and 25% in French by Grade 12, resulting in them being fluent in English and French upon High School graduation.

This year our youngest Isaac (front, far left with the hunter orange hat) is so happy to be enrolled in Outdoor Pursuits for one of his classes in the first semester of his grade 12 year.  They have had such fun, hiking, geo-caching, overnight camping, zip lining and constructing a new bridge over a steam on one of the hiking trails behind their high school.

Last week they hiked into a beautiful waterfall (it was hunting season hence the hunter orange).

One of the added bonuses of French Immersion both my boys noted is that generally the girls outnumber the guys.....although I'm not too sure Isaac's doing much to impress them....

Back again

So, I had no choice but to buy a bit more storage on my Google account.  I hate having to pay a monthly fee for something...but I really enjoy blogging so I guess it's worth it.  Now I have Google Drive (whatever the heck that is), which promises to improve my life greatly...if only I could figure it out.

Today I'm making soap for Christmas gifts.  My sisters and I decided to only give each other things we can make.  They laughed a lot when they told me this because I like to knit, make soap, pottery and jewellery and they are not crafty at all..they think they are getting the best end of this deal but I recently reminded them that they make wine...so I think I will do alright.