Holidays – Page 9 – Just An East Coast Girl

Better than the Griswolds!

That’s what he said! David is home today after being away on work meetings the past week. He flew on the corporate jet so they waited until today to fly home which gave the weekend for a little exploring and a few quick visits with friends and family.

Last night after having dinner with his sister, they went out to see some Christmas lights. Well, one house of Christmas lights! It was better than the Griswold’s ( if you’ve watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation)

It is so amazing what some people do with lights this time of year. I would have loved to see this to walk through this Fantasy Land of lights. I am so thankful he took some pictures and video.

Here’s a peak…

Oh so beautiful…I can’t wait to grab a coffee and go for a drive to see some of the beautifully decorated homes here.

Glad you’re home hon!

All Over The World

I have been so fortunate, so blessed and I’m truly thankful to have travelled to some really interesting and beautiful places in December over the last few years. I was thinking about that this weekend …missing some places, events, people.

The World celebrates Christmas! They light things up. It is a special time of year…

Here are just a few places I’ve been thinking about…

Bangkok, Thailand

Phuket, Thailand

Shanghai, China

Beijing, China

Of course Shenyang, China

Seoul, South Korea

And I can’t forget Brazil…

Wow, it was fun to look back a bit…

All these places are lovely, I am so happy I’ve been there…there are so many more places to see. I often said I would love to spend some time in New York City in December but then there’s places closer to home…maybe Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara on the Lake. I have been to all these but not at Christmas time. BUT no matter where we are or where we travel, one very special place this time of year will ALWAYS be HOME!

Just hanging out in the kitchen

Today seemed like a good day just to be hanging out in the kitchen. It’s Saturday and it’s the first Saturday in December which means that Christmas Daddies is on television. ( Normally it’s on the first Sunday but this year is the first year for the new day Saturday) I REALLY enjoy watching this telethon. BUT, to be honest sitting all day…during the daytime in front of the TV doesn’t thrill me so I had an idea…

I can just hang out in my kitchen all day with the TV on and I can do my Christmas baking. Why not? It’s PERFECT!

And to start, well before I started Christmas baking…a new baked treat for Abby girl.

She was thrilled and VERY polite when I gave her the whole plate. One at a time was fine with her, no need to devour them all at one.

And then it was on to the really fun stuff. Cranberry Bliss Bars, Peppermint Bark, Almond Bark, Pecan Bark, Peppermint Patties and Peanut Butter balls. And poor David is not here to sample…he’s off exploring Charleston, SC today before he heads home on Monday.

Poor David…he’s missing out… haha

And…6 hours or so later…my table looks like The Land of Sweets…Who doesn’t love tasty treats at Christmas. These are the special ones, reserved only for Christmas time.

And the plus to all day baking in my kitchen, I saw the whole Christmas Daddies program with the grand total of over $410,000. pledged to go to make Christmas special for children in the Maritimes!!!

I have a bone to pick with you…

On June 5th 1873, two brothers James and Gilbert (G.W) Ganong founded Ganong Bros., Limited in St. Stephen New Brunswick.

In 1885, Ganong candy maker Frank Sparhawk invented the “Chicken Bones”, a pink,spicy cinnamon flavoured hard candy shell filled with bittersweet chocolate. Do you remember these?

Ganong Original Chicken Bones is a Canadian Holiday treat, passed down through family traditions and Holiday memories. This year celebrates 130 years of tradition. A Canadian tradition!

Yum! I just had to pick some up.

More than just trees from Lunenburg County

It’s Christmas Season and in Lunenburg County it means Christmas trees and wreaths. The smell of balsam fir delivered to homes all over the world.

One farm in particular…DeLong Farms and owners James(Jimmy) & Tina DeLong are very busy this time of year sending a little bit of Lunenburg County to various regions around the world.

Unfortunately I decorate too early for a real tree, but…I make sure I have a real wreath or two… love the smell (reminds me of my childhood)

And…there’s MORE than trees this time of year….

It’s OFFICIALLY Lobster Season. Atlantic Canadian Lobster is considered one of the world’s premier seafoods and is consistently in high demand. Canada currently supplies more than half of the world’s supply of hard-shelled Atlantic Lobster. The very nature of the harvest, where seasonal and regional fisheries dictate a fluctuating supply, means that there are times of the year when the product is a little bit harder to source than others. The lobster season in Atlantic Canada peaks twice year, once in the spring (April-June) and another now in December.

( Photos courtesy of Tourism Nova Scotia) 12314201_10153272132878519_7298897027833694956_o 11224416_10153266611133519_1002757909682827650_n fmshikujplghmjozhyd8

My favourite time of year to eat Lobster is December, but really I love it and will have it anytime. So these days as we are all thinking Christmas, some of the local boys are out Lobster fishing. Stay safe guys!

I just love where we live!

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Such an absolutely beautiful day along the South Shore and…yet another turkey dinner. Yes, I decided to make another (and pumpkin pecan lava cake for dessert)

Hope you enjoyed a wonderful day with family and friends!

This time of year

If you are lucky enough to live in a place where there are seasons…you will know that this time of year is one of the most spectacular! The colors are AMAZING!!!! The leaves put on quite a show.

I am thankful we live in Canada. While all the trees and their colors together are beautiful, I am a little partial to the red Maple.

Here are a few pics of the beauty around me this weekend on our Canadian Thanksgiving Long Weekend…

Feeling Blessed!

Man’s Best Friend 🐶

Dog days of Summer? Hot and sticky, high humidity!!! ugh…not fun. Today is raining so hopefully it will clear the air a bit.

In other dog news…

August 26th is National Dog Day! A Holiday to Honor Dogs

The U.S. Humane Society estimates that 47 percent of households in the United States own at least one dog. They are commonly referred to as “Man’s best friend” due to their impact on human society. It may be a holiday in the U.S. But I like it and so…

Here’s to you, Abby! 🐶

Fireworks!

Canada Day or Independence Day?

Well today is July 4th and because it rained on July1st the Fireworks in Bridgewater got cancelled until tonight. So…I suppose it’s both Happy Canada Day… and Happy July 4th to our Family and Friends south of the border.

They were beautiful!

Our Home and Native Land! 🇨🇦

After being in foreign countries the last 4 years. We are HOME in Canada this year to celebrate Canada Day, how wonderful is that! So happy! It didn’t even matter that it rained and was overcast and fireworks got canceled.