East Coast Culture – Page 9 – Just An East Coast Girl

Bridgewater is ready for Christmas!

The Annual Christmas on the LaHave Parade and Fireworks is a sure sign to know that Bridgewater is ready for Christmas!

Every year we brave the cold, bundle up warm, and walk from our home to downtown to enjoy some local festivities. The last weekend of November…there’s just so much to do.

But this year David couldn’t do it! Even though he got in for a massage today and is feeling a little better, his back is still not quite good enough to walk a long distance and to stand in the cold.

James to the rescue! Thanks James for doing this with me!! All bundled up and ready to go.

… and Abby stayed home to keep David company.

I love the parade sponsored by the Chronicle Herald complete with red noses.

There were some really good floats!

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And the finale is the fireworks!!

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New to Bridgewater’s festivities this year are 6 large hay bale snowman placed at various points around the town. They were donated by a local farmer and decorated by students from Bridgewater High School. It’s fun seeing their smiling faces as we are driving through town.

Well, The store fronts are decorated ( like this beautiful one at Treasured Friends) the lights are on and Bridgewater is ready for Christmas. There was a great crowd out for the parade and I’m sure everyone is in a festive mood.

I missed my sweetie tonight but made sure he had a red nose too!

It sure has been a fun filled couple days!

Hmm? I wonder if we will get snow tomorrow? ❄️❄️

Christmas By the Sea 🎄⛵🐳⚓️

All the way from the “Christmas Tree Capital of the World”…

It’s Christmas by the Sea this weekend!

Image courtesy of Peter Zwicker Photography Bacalao Studio. He does amazing photography!! Check out his website.

http://www.bacalaophoto.ca

We don’t have snow yet but I think this photo truly represents “Christmastime in Lunenburg” I live 20 minutes from Lunenburg, one of Nova Scotia’s well known Historic towns. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Town. People come here from all over the world .

This weekend in Lunenburg it is their Heritage Christmas and Christmas By The Sea.

There are actually 3 Christmas Festivals in towns close by this weekend, not to mention the small communities having events and then there is the Victoria Christmas at the Citadel and Lighting Ceremonies at various spots in Halifax. And of course I want to go to all so… yesterday I stopped into Mahone Bay for Father Christmas Festival pics and we drove to Lunenburg today. Tonight is Bridgewater’s Christmas On The LaHave complete with fireworks. These are the local ones. Next year I think I’m gonna take in some of the events in the city I haven’t seen.

This morning we bundled up, picked up some coffee and drove to Lunenburg.

Lunenburg is a well known fishing town by the sea, it is the HOME of the Bluenose II, and so much of the Christmas traditions and decorations revolves around that. It is also very beautiful!

And a few at night…

We didn’t get chance to take in the festivities, the lighting of the vessels, the Christmas by the Sea market and crafts and food tasting, we didn’t see the parade or the tree lighting at the bandstand BUT we got some beautiful pictures of a very special place…Merry Christmas from one of our favourite towns by the sea…

Peace & Love Around The World! 🕊

It’s November 25th…ONE MONTH TIL CHRISTMAS!!!!

which also means it’s time for the Annual Father Christmas Festival in Mahone Bay. This Festival is one of my absolute favourites! It really puts me in the mood and excitement for ALL THINGS Christmas.

It’s the little rituals and traditions in the small communities along the South Shore that I love and appreciate so much. This year’s theme is Peace & Love Around the World. 🕊 I like the dove ornament from 1991. It really captures the theme for this year.

In previous years when we go to the festival, David & I would grab a hot drink and wander around beautiful Mahone Bay and look at the many Father Christmas displays placed there by local business and committee members. However, today, David’s back is TOTALLY messed up! Yes, he periodically has problems and yesterday he came home from work walking with an S curve! There go my big plans for this weekend. He’ll be on the floor and on his back much of the weekend trying to get it straight.

Off to Mahone Bay I go, just to get some pictures because the displays are truly beautiful and today it’s not so crazy busy with people.

I missed strolling along hand in hand with my husband, but I was happy to get the pics and we’ll have other years to continue our tradition. He just needs to get that back FIXED, like NOW!!!!!!

I picked up my 2016 Pewter Christmas Ornament, like I always do at the Father Christmas Festival. This year it is a Cardinal. ” There is no better time to catch sight of a cardinal than in the winter, when his brilliant red plumage contrasts with the brightness of a freshly fallen snow. The more vibrant his crimson colouring, the more likely he will find a lifelong mate who can join him in singing rich, cheerful duets to bring sunshine even on the coldest and darkest of winter days. We all have unique qualities to celebrate. Stand out and stand proud. Make the world a brighter place.”

It is these simple pleasures that make me feel truly blessed for the peace and love we have in our country!

And Just for FUN…

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A quick stop tonight to get them with lights. It’s just so pretty!!

Hot off the Press!

The first shipment has arrived!

Our youngest son James enjoys photography! He takes beautiful pictures as he travels. He travels almost as much, if not more than my husband and I. Just for fun he thought he would compile a few of those images, ” Dramatic Skies” into a 2017 Calendar. This is the first time he’s done a calendar and they turned out great! A perfect idea for Christmas gifts. There are photos from Canada, China, Brazil, Cuba, Australia, and of course a few from Nova Scotia.

I can’t wait to put mine up!

In between the showers

It’s been a rainy weekend and I really had hoped to check off “finish decorating for Christmas” from my “TO DO” list.

So in between the showers ( we were in and out numerous times) today my sweet hubby & I got it done!

It’s been so nice having him home a few extra days this weekend and the great news is that he also took a vacation day for next Friday. That means just a 3 day (crazy busy) work week!

Surprise!

Andrew’s wife pulled it off! She surprised Andrew, our oldest son for his 28th Birthday!

His Birthday is today, November 15th, but they are working today, so Sunday night she took him to pizza delight to celebrate. Unbeknown to him family and friends would also be there!

Surprise!

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Happy 28th Andrew! Wait…How can my boy be 28?

Family Foto Shoot time

It’s that time of year…. November…when it’s cold…Brr…normally.

BUT TODAY WAS GORGEOUS!!!!

Time to get some family pics done for our Annual Family picture.

This year’s location…the beach! Crescent Beach, one of my absolute favourite places to go. And this year we took the dogs. It’s nice to have them in the pics too, at least every other year.

These are just the fun ones from my iPhone. James does our “Annual Pic” and that one I will post December 1st. I just really hope he got something we can use. It was fun because the dogs wanted to play and the sun was shining and to get 6 people and 3 dogs all looking at the same time and when the photographer needs to be in the picture too… haha…we shall see!

me-beach

More than just a GUY thing!

Another Saturday morning of cleaning up leaves and they are still not all down! We did a quick clean and I started just a little Christmas decor…I’m anxious but…

There is a “Guy Show” at Exhibition Park this weekend and “the guys” thought they would like to check it out. BUT, it’s more than a guy thing so Kristina & I went too!

There is a Guy Show PLUS a Christmas Craft Fair at the same place so we thought it would be fun to check out and do a little shopping too.

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Who wants to spend their whole Saturday working in the yard, that was so last week haha, And besides… David & I love to hang out with our kids ( missing one)

It’s gonna be Hootenanny!

Haha…oh my! This is the advertisement for a group that performed at our church tonight.

I am not a HUGE country music fan ( I like some) or Christian music with a country flare ( I like contemporary Christian music) … a hootenanny? …but Tim Neufeld from Starfield ( this group I know) … and once you get past the hootenanny part…it looked like it would be a good concert so we went.

Well…it WAS a Hootenanny! But that’s ok. It was really good and a lot of fun! Here are a couple pics. Oops, I really should have taken a video…