Tonight we were sitting down for dinner getting ready to eat and I looked outside and saw the MOST beautiful sight…
You have to be pretty quick to catch them! They visit us often, usually in the wee hours of the morning sometimes in the backyard and sometimes under the crab trees in the front yard.
Thanks for stopping by!
Cozy inside…it’s a BLIZZARD out there!
Yesterday these were the headlines for Nova Scotia…schools were cancelled, flights cancelled and delayed, Facebook was a buzz with people posting questions and comments as to whether the storm had started. It was windy, very windy all morning as we waited…
and waited… and at about 1:30pm yesterday it started. Snow and wind and yes siree, a good old fashioned East Coast Maritime Blizzard. It snowed and blowed all night!!
So today, again, there’s no school and we are cozy inside ( after shovelling) Well, I didn’t shovel this one. David had to work early so he was up at 3am snow blowing and a little guy came knocking on our door this morning wanting to shovel the driveway so James hired him! And then James went out and helped him and they did the back deck instead. We paid him ( gotta encourage them when they’re young) and then James finished the driveway with the snow blower.
So now, we are cozy inside eating pancakes with maple syrup because it’s Tuesday and it’s Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Tuesday! Yum!
The sun is shining and everything is melting…ENJOY your storm day!
It’s the YEAR of THE MONKEY!
As the sun rises…Today January 8th is the first day of Chinese Lunar New Year!
For many of China’s lunar holidays, people of northern China like to eat jiaozi (Chinese dumplings). Why are jiaozi so popular? Why do people always choose to eat jiaozi during the holidays?
Writer and lecturer of studies of Chinese ancient civilization, Wang Fengchen, explains that the earliest jiaozi were eaten in the Three Kingdoms Period when there were wonton in the shape of a crescent moon. Moving on to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, people ate jiaozi, back then called wonton, together with noodle soup. Only in the Tang Dynasty did people start to eat jiaozi without the soup. During the Song Dynasty, the name “jiaozi” began to evolve.
Apart from their rich history, jiaozi have been popular for many other reasons. Wang thinks jiaozi are the favorite food for the northern Chinese. I have to agree!! He says, They’re not only delicious, but also very simple to make. Different places have their different ways of making and eating jiaozi. For example, in some of the southern cities in China, jiaozi are made in the shape of ear of wheat, while people from the north tend to make jiaozi like crescent moons. People from some places like to eat jiaozi together with noodles, implying a wish for great fortune. Based on the auspicious shape of jiaozi, it usually has implications for wealth or a good harvest, which is why people like to eat jiaozi for luck and especially at New Year.
At the beginning of the hottest part of the summer, the beginning of autumn, the beginning of winter, the winter solstice, as well as the lunar New Year eve, people will eat jiaozi, rewarding past successes and hoping for good fortune in the following days. Chinese people have the tradition of being thrifty in managing a household, and as jiaozi are a delicious delicacy, people like to save them for important occasions. After being passed down for a thousand years, eating jiaozi has become an important part of Chinese culture.
And eating jiaozi on the 1st Day of the New Year is tradition. Guess what’s for dinner tonight?
Jiaozi!!!
and meatball soup and noodles!!!! Lots of favourites!!
新年快乐…快乐猴年 🐒
It’s that time of year…Super Bowl Sunday!
The Denver Broncos meet The Carolina Panthers.
Lady Gaga sang the National Anthem!
Got my jersey on ( ok so sadly Cowboys aren’t playing, but it’s all I got lol) ✓
Got some eats ✓
Let’s Go Broncos!!! 🏈
Great commercials ✓ Love the commercials.
My 2016 favourite…The Honda truck with the Goats
An AWESOME half time show ✓ Cold Play…Bruno Mars…and Beyonce
And the winner of Super Bowl 50 is…The Denver Broncos!!!! 24-10
It’s sure been a busy day! Goodnight all.
Some days I miss China more than others and today is one of them. So even though it is Super Bowl Sunday here in Canada and I am anticipating watching the game later (and will make some fun treats for that. It will be a two post day) it was all about Chinese New Year’s Eve.
This is the biggest holiday in China and the New Year’s Eve Family Reunion meal, CCTV New Year’s Eve Gala and Fireworks is “the thing to do” on this evening, which is actually morning and noon time here. So we did. I watched the Gala LIVE, and made some of our favourites including jiaozi, we lit sparklers before our meal ( fireworks is tradition ) and enjoyed our favourites. James even got a red envelope ( hong bao) because he is “young” and also because it is his year… The year of the Monkey. I also chatted and called a few of my Chinese friends and family. I’m so thankful for technology and excellent internet for live streaming.
Oh how I miss China…新年快乐！
I’ll take it!
February 5, 2016
February 5, 2015…not so nice
Have a good weekend! It’s the start of Spring Festival/Lunar New Year in China, Carnaval in Brazil and it’s Super Bowl Sunday! LOTS of fun!!!
There’s no question I LOVE the beach!
“This really is my favourite beach! We are so blessed to live this close to such a beautiful beach.” I said to my husband as we were driving, yes driving, on the beach yesterday.
There aren’t too many places that you can drive on a beach but Crescent Beach is one of them and it’s not far from our home. We usually don’t drive on it. We usually like to walk this beach, like on January 1st of each new year. It’s tradition. But this is our “go to beach” and we like to visit often.
The first couple days of February have been so unbelievably mild and sunny that yesterday we went for a drive to the beach and because the sun was soon setting, rather than walk we just slowly drove the length of the beach and watched the waves roll and the beautiful glow on the water. There is something so relaxing, so soothing and peaceful about this to me. Ahhh…
I often say we should buy a place or land and build here, so we can have this EVERY day but, I also like the convenience of living right in town too. Hmm…
If the remaining weeks of Winter could be like this…I wouldn’t mind it a bit. However, in a day or so I’m sure there will be another snow storm. We’ve just got to be thankful and enjoy the nice ones.
No Shadow!!! And what that means is…
It’s Groundhog Day and Shubencadie Sam, the local rodent Spring predictor, didn’t see his shadow this morning and go scurrying back in to his borrow. So…
It’s an EARLY SPRING folks!!!! Yay!!
It’s February! The short month ( well not this year) It’s a new month and my January Photo Challenge is finished. I have to say I enjoyed it for the month of January. It was different just to post a picture with no words. It kinda takes the “pressure” off, not that there’s any real pressure to blog, but January is … well, it’s January…you know…
So with January 2016 behind us , here’s to a brand new month. Have a terrific Month of February!!
See you soon ❤
PS~ So I just had to add to this post. It feels like Spring has sprung this afternoon! Sun shining, warm temperatures, a little breezy… wow, what a great 1st day of February.
Just An East Coast Girl 