Last Day of 2018

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They call it New Year’s Eve. It is so wonderful to share it with you. Well, what a day. Reviewing the past 365 days has been a journey, it was a year of extremes. One year ago today I was experiencing one of the worst days of my life. 2017 ended and 2018 began with Attila telling me he no longer wanted to be married to me, or to live with me; that he didn’t want to think about me. Now, one year later, he tells me he wants to be married to me, and that he loves me, and that he loves our home. 2018 was a roller coaster of a year. Life is not the same for me now, now what it was. And yet I can say that some of the change has been welcome. It is a new relationship, this relationship with Attila. It is untested, familiar yet not familiar. I am skeptically optimistic. So I am saying goodbye to 2018 with few regrets. It was a tough year. Perhaps 2019 will be a kinder, gentler year for me. It certainly looks hopeful. The world around Mist Cottage seems to have descended into madness. And yet … Continue reading →

Blogmas Day 25: Merry Christmas!

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Christmas morning is always an early morning for me. The early morning reverie is my time to remember loved ones who shared Christmases past, and to mourn the loss of innocence that continues to exist in the world. I often shed a few tears. I don’t share this time with anyone, but sit in the silent hours of early morning darkness, gazing at the gaily lit tree, honouring what was and is good. Eventually daylight creeps into the room, heralding the morning. In the present tense I feel thankfulness for having a cozy home, good food, and someone to share it with. Attila and I exchanged gifts, listening to Carols, our favourite is Pavarotti. Our gifts to each other are either food, or practical items. Attila got loppers from me, and I received canning and baking equipment from him. We will enjoy using our gifts! We have spoken to Attila’s Mom this morning, she is spending Christmas morning on her own, with no plans, and I think she is feeling a little lonely. We had a nice chat. We live in different countries, and the distance is too far for visiting. Thank goodness for technology. Attila’s brother and his family … Continue reading →

Blogmas Day 24: Plenty

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Today is a day of plenty. My tummy bug seems to be on the mend, but I am being cautious about overeating, or overindulging in Christmas treats. So far, so good! Attila is wrapping gifts for the grands, who we hope to see them sometime after Christmas. Attila is wrapping a gift for me. My gift for Attila is waiting to be wrapped. My Mom sent along a gift for me, and it sits under the tree. Although gift giving is important to us, it isn’t the main event as far as Christmas is concerned, we focus on food, and light in this, the darkest time of year. I, in the meantime, have been busy baking goodies for my daughters, using the last of the Mincemeat we made when we lived in the country house. They like my homemade Mincemeat, so every Christmas I bake Mincemeat Squares for them to take home with them, and enjoy when the mood strikes. Next year they will be getting my Green Tomato Mincemeat, that I made this last autumn. Early this morning I started to prepare a Christmas Pudding. I love Fruitcake and Christmas Pudding. I didn’t make Fruitcake this year, it needed … Continue reading →

Blogmas Day 23: Bug

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Somehow I’ve caught a tummy bug, with accompanying cramps and chills. I have been bundled up under my crocheted blanket, cozy on my easy chair, all morning. Another cloudy, dreary day out there. It is so warm and welcoming in Mist Cottage. When I am not feeling well I love the sounds the house makes. The ticking of the clock, the dull roar as the furnace fires up, the sound of the furnace fan as it blows warm air all over the place, and the muffled sounds of Attila’s activities, as he putters around doing his thing. There is snow on the ground here, and sounds out there are muffled and muted, barely perceptible. I don’t like feeling ill, but it does slow one down enough to “smell the roses”. Hoping this thing passes quickly, there is a lot of good eating coming up! Worldly Weather -7°C Date: 11:00 AM EST Sunday 23 December 2018 Condition: Mostly Cloudy Pressure: 102.2 kPa Tendency: Rising Temperature: -6.5°C Dew point: -9.7°C Humidity: 78% Wind: E 5 km/h Wind Chill: -9 Visibility: 24 km Quote “We can’t all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.” … Continue reading →

Blogmas Day 22: Green Beans

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The first day of winter has arrived. I awoke at 5:00 a.m., wandered into the living room, turned on the Christmas lights, and fired up the laptop. It was still dark outside at 6:30 a.m., and I assume it will be another dreary, grey day. Now that people have moved into the rental units, we have streetlights behind the house as well as in front of the house. This affects the interior lights and shadows, and will take a bit of getting used to. No nightlights needed to see our way around after dark. Attila and I went grocery shopping last night. The store wasn’t that busy, which was surprising, considering how close to Christmas it is. We bought a few wee treats for Christmas Day, a bit of chocolate, a few light crisps, fresh fruit, and fruit juices. Hopefully it won’t be necessary to venture out again until late next week. The sun came out in the afternoon, and the temperature rose just above freezing, so the snow on the roof drip, drip, dripped down. Attila decided he wanted to do BBQ chicken, his favourite. I won’t be eating it, it isn’t my favourite. While he has the charcoal … Continue reading →