Sophie & her dog(s)

She sure loves her pooch

She signed on to dog & house sit over the holidays. She even stayed there for 2 nights (Nadine's parents live in the other 1/2 of the house). She was so good with high-strung Harly. We took it as an opportunity to try a new off-leash park. Kindly see which dog is so much dirtier than the other (sigh).

(But guess who got stuck shovelling the sidewalk and clearing the Sivaks car after the snowfall...)

 

Let it snow, Toronto!

First time I have skied on Christmas Day!

High Park at its most magical

Great way to start the day!

Our tree just blanketed in snow

The neighbours got up to some fun!

First time I have skied on Boxing Day too!

 

And Christmas Day dawned

 The looongest week was over and there were gifts and food and a walk in snowy, magical High Park

Christmas Eve dinner was lox & bagels

Breakfast was scones, clotted cream and jam - all home made!!

Delicious!

And dinner (for the teens) was a tofurky, while their dad had the real fowl.
The holiday really is about the food, right?

 

Nice to see some sibling love these days - or maybe they were cold!

Sophie opening her tall present

and enjoying it

And then some skiing on the weekend

The lead up to Christmas

It was going to be a different Christmas no matter what. 

But also an opportunity to see what traditions needed to be maintained, 

plus the addition of a new thing or two.

The weekend before Christmas we had the annual viewing of the Grinch, complete with a wacky seasonal treat - this year, dill pickle flavoured candy canes!!

The lights needed to be strung

Not bad!

Wild Christmas lights needed to be seen to be believed...

They were near Nadine & Colin's and fortunately not the view from our window!

Probably not a new tradition but oh so lovely.

The porch was once again very very busy

The house needed to be decorated

We continued on with the tradition of "a cuisine new to us". From Tea & Bannock we picked up a "Navajo taco", a bison burger, a salmon burger on fry bread, bannock with cranberries and a cedar tea. Delicious (and thank you, roomie Kate!). We missed your appreciative explorations, George & Lorraine!

Carolling with the neighbours continued

No childhood Christmas would be complete without Nana's Christmas socks for that loooong week before the big day.

                                And the eve of the Eve, we had our traditional  stories by the fire

 

There has been a whole lot of baking & making going on this month

Yum, just yum

Re/learning how to make pastry

The practice (berry) pie for a pie exchange (1/2 went to Mike & the kids, 1/3 went to neighbours, and I ate the rest - I swear!!)

bonus mince pies

I am part of a group of friends doing "daily delights" for the month. One day it was "giggles" and we were encouraged to put eyes on things. Sunday, my personal delight was my tastebuds, so I chopped up my squash face...

The exchange pie - with more bonus mince tarts - and the roasted acorn & butternut squashes

And since I was on a roll that morning - red pepper pesto. It took a looong time to clean up the kitchen!

Next up, holiday baking!!! Candy cane cheesecake, blondie squares, 

maybe some gingerbread people & shapes, and yes, more mince pies!

(January, I want to do sticky toffee puddings, February - ginger cake, March - chocolate mousse. Am I getting ahead of myself?!)

First time for everything?

Seb asked if we could start a new tradition of a Christmas tree; I said "nah". But then, hey, we could have it just once! So we went and chose one at a lot on Roncesvalles. It is 6 feet and then some. And we carried it home on our shoulders (lovely memory).

Here, Seb and our "COVID Winter roomie", Kate are setting it up.

A few days later we did the lights

And then winter came (and went)

and we got serious about decorating it

(I think he looks like a bearded elf in that hat!)

My first tree as an adult!!

 

 

Decked out

Sophie got some (a lot!) rings for her birthday

She has very happily snapped up my rain boots ("Wellies!" she exclaimed)

And she had a vision test

And may need a nicer version of these for reading

 

Geek chic like her pal, Amara