Today is sunny and bright but I’m home nursing one miserable cold.  This particular strain has been spreading through the office for the past month and I’ve been fighting it all week.   Yesterday I spent the day in bed with a headache, watery eyes, stuffy nose, feeling like I’ve been run over by a truck.

Today I feel well enough to make a big pot of Chickpea Chicken soup.  Hopefully the home-made stock, the spices and an extra dose of vitamin C from sitting in the sun will cure what ails me.

Catching the rays is definitely the cure all for Porsche.

We spent the better part of an hour watching two adult bald-headed eagles and one yearling catching the wind to soar above the wetlands.   Our two pairs of binoculars  are in constant use.   The eagles live in the hills high above our home.  Earlier in the week DH noticed this guy sitting in the trees behind the house, which is the closet we have seen one yet.

The temperature was a balmy 5 degrees so we walked down through the wetlands, across the ice and counted 15 muskrats houses.   DH pointed out deer tracks, squirrel tracks and cat tracks.

For supper I used the leftover roast chicken in Chicken lettuce roll ups salad.  This I served on a bed of lettuce, topped with green onions, grated carrots and chopped almond.  A serving of frozen kung pao chicken and basmati rice completed the dinner.   It tasted better than any take out Chinese, plus we didn’t have to drive 30 kms to pick it up.

Later we sat in total darkness so we could count the stars.   Another crazy fun-filled day in the country.

In the crock pot the beans were bubbling.   The flax side bread was waiting for its turn to pop into the oven.  And in the refrigerator was a seven layer salad.  Not a bad way to spend a cold (minus 14 degrees) day in January.

Apparently once a man has a work bench he can do anything………….so when I arrived at the apartment this evening these pictures were on my email.

This is what DH accomplished today. He fed the cat. Then he pulled out the side counter, made it even with the rest of the cupboards. Then he fed the cat again. Built an interior shelf. Gave the cat some more food. Then finished it off with a butcher block counter top. After which, he fed the cat again.

All under the watchful eye of this little guy, who munched apples under our tree. While the cat took a nap!

The old year ended with friends Brian and Jennifer from Miramichi dropping in for lunch.  Due to the weather calling for freezing rain they left mid afternoon for the 2 1/2 hour drive home

DH and I spent another quiet New Year’s Eve at home.  After a delicious supper of pork picata, we watched reruns of Barney Miller……………living on the edge!

Today we sorted through numerous boxes of Christmas ornaments, sorting out the ones we wish to keep.  The others will be sent to Value Village and the Salvation Army thrift store to find another home.   This took most of the morning as I oohed and aaahed through the many boxes, some containing ornaments my parents bought before I was  born.  Each passing year takes it toll on an ornament or two as they become more brittle with age  The smaller ones are now packed away in egg cartons for extra protection.

At the bottom of many of the boxes were a treasure trove of  crepe covered Santas, popsicle sticked ornaments, and wrapping paper chains made by children and later grandchildren, which are still too valuable to part with.  Added to the numerous cards drawn by the grandchildren, I’m surprised I managed to part with anything.

The birch Christmas tree decked with snowflakes, silver cookie cutters and white ornaments was so pretty, we will have the same type of tree  next year.

So Happy New Year’s to you and yours.  May 2012 bring you a year of health, wealth and an abundance of ornaments made by tiny hands filled with love.

Who knew  a movie about a Suicide Help line on the verge of bankruptcy on Christmas Eve would find a place in our hearts.  To me it is the epitome of Christmas, it is all about people helping people,  saving what is in your heart,  accepting one another regardless of personal idiosyncrasy and the birth of a baby on Christmas Eve.  It is not for everyone, but if you have an off beat sense of humour, this movie is for you.

Each year DH and I sit down to have a good laugh, once we hear the sounds of “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas” to a background of a California beach and even before the fruit cake hits the windshield, we are holding onto our sides with laughter.

This week has been perfect.  I’ve attended my nephews’ elementary school Christmas concert, shopped the City market, braved the malls with my Mam and ran into many familiar faces.  I know I am truly home for Christmas.

This is the first weekend since the beginning of November that I did not to travel for work.   Sunday would end with me staying at a hotel after a four and a half hour drive.

DH was raised on a farm, 3 miles from where we built.  To celebrate his return, we are decorating reminiscent of his childhood, with as much natural items as possible.

Early in October, DH started a two weeks job which also finished this past week.  The job was out in the middle of the woods, so he had many a hour to walk amongst the trees. During his lonely hours as the paint inspector, he collected beautiful pine boughs to make swags for the front door.   When he was a child, his parents would cut pine boughs for their friends in the city.

Along with the pine boughs, he gathered red dogwood twigs and the top of a birch tree which was a victim of the clear cutters at the job site.  More about the birch tree in a future entry.

This afternoon we collected more dog wood, pine, spruce, and a variety of dried flowers which grow on our hill.  We crafted an arrangement for our door stair door and two pine swags for the front entrance.   The perfect way to spend my first Sunday home!

I was a bit disappointed as this was exactly what I wanted for our kitchen.  A couple of time I thought of getting DH to save the pictures of the island, hoping he could build me a good facsimile.

When I arrived home Friday, DH and kitty met me in the driveway.  DH greeting me with a hug and a kiss, Kitty whining with tales to tell of how neglected she is when I’m away during the week.

Usually we all go in the house together, so I thought it was a bit strange when DH kept kitty out on the deck.

When I opened the front door, I was greeted by this:

Yes the island was sold………….but to us!  DH bought it and kept it a secret all week.  I immediately burst into tears, a sure sign I am very very happy.  When kitty is there, she bites DH each time this happens.   While I kept wiping my tears away to get a good look at the latest addition to the kitchen, I knew DH was wise to keep kitty on the deck.  I couldn’t stop crying tears of happiness.   The vase of asters and golden rod brought on another wave of tears.

The kitchen island was custom made for a couple who first spotted a similar island during a holiday in England.  As it would be too costly to have one shipped to Canada they took numerous pictures and had one built locally.  It is solid maple with a butcher block top, The bottom drawer holds vegetable and is slotted to allow air circulation.  The two top drawers are huge, enough to hold all of our kitchen gadgets and tableware.

The previous Sunday when Andrea and family visited, we had 11 people sitting down to supper.  DH and Andrea’s husband Ron opted to sit on the chesterfield rather than attempting to squeeze in at the table.

Now with the island DH and Ron will be able to enjoy a front row seat during future family dinners, as the kitchen stools I bought years ago at an auction fit perfectly at the island.