tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post3598413140747509586..comments2023-10-11T04:09:53.564-07:00Comments on materfamilias writes: Christmas Week Reflections materfamiliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-30295151511842215372017-01-02T14:45:22.942-08:002017-01-02T14:45:22.942-08:00Frances, I think I may have your doll pattern -- i...Frances, I think I may have your doll pattern -- in an old Canadian Living Christmas Crafts book. In the book it's called Merry Mary. Email me (lynjames54@gmail.com) and I can give you details (and if it is, I could lend you the book if you would like). (I don't think I can post a picture of it here in comments.). Lyndonnybhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17045144642404479715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-36488412559498624982017-01-02T13:10:29.128-08:002017-01-02T13:10:29.128-08:00Isn't it fun?! She was here for the day, but w...Isn't it fun?! She was here for the day, but we got busy making pies, etc., and then it was almost time to go, and I could tell she was disappointed we hadn't managed to paint. So pleasing to know how much happiness you can pack into fifteen minutes and a paintbox!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-53378504531525240962017-01-02T13:09:15.391-08:002017-01-02T13:09:15.391-08:00Glad to hear you've enjoyed the holidays, and ...Glad to hear you've enjoyed the holidays, and I'm very excited to hear what changes you're making to your online presence in 2017. (never any need to apologise!)materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-67647748720979841942016-12-31T17:01:25.668-08:002016-12-31T17:01:25.668-08:00so fun to see 8 yr old painting along side nana!! ...so fun to see 8 yr old painting along side nana!! Can't lie, we miss you here. But happy to see you building a beautiful "city" life. Alison Watthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09768315542282472901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-35474359669974256862016-12-31T08:59:19.626-08:002016-12-31T08:59:19.626-08:00I have had a very nice holiday season. Now I am co...I have had a very nice holiday season. Now I am considering the new year. I will be making some changes - some pretty big ones or so they feel to me - in near future. All to do with my presence online. I am taking very small steps now. I am sorry I am here less right - that is not part of my plan for the future but an artifact of the time needed to figure everything out.LPChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18209861350905135093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-9166071890484027432016-12-30T06:45:35.894-08:002016-12-30T06:45:35.894-08:00Thanks Marob -- it was a great run, and it doesn&#...Thanks Marob -- it was a great run, and it doesn't seem to have made the niggles any worse, so I'm going to try again this morning.<br />I love the sound of your house-full -- in fact, that's something I miss, the easy visiting that happens in between. . . especially when they're still at the stage that they have friends living nearby who pop in to visit. Mine are a decade to a decade and a half ahead of yours, sounds like, and this next shift is good but, as Beth says above, there's something strange about it as well. Savour the moments, that's the lesson, I suppose. Over and over, that's the lesson. . . <br />So glad to hear you find something worth coming here for. I'm still hoping this might be the year we meet in person. Meanwhile, Happy New Year to you as well.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-32522118008232533552016-12-30T06:41:15.127-08:002016-12-30T06:41:15.127-08:00So impressed you've brought Quebec to Germany ...So impressed you've brought Quebec to Germany in your tourtiere-baking. For a good history from The Canadian Encyclopedia, see this: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tourtiere/<br />You are so lucky to have "your" lake -- savour that scene to get you through the next few months of work. . . materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-42873740488039456842016-12-30T06:38:31.816-08:002016-12-30T06:38:31.816-08:00The table worked so well, L! It seats 10 easily, a...The table worked so well, L! It seats 10 easily, and even 12 comfortably enough with the potential to squeeze few extra in a pinch.<br />I don't suppose that doll you made came from a pattern in Canadian Living magazine, did it? I've tried to track mine down, but no luck. I'd like to see a picture of yours. Happy New Year to you and yours as well!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-44173816886807216862016-12-30T06:36:50.971-08:002016-12-30T06:36:50.971-08:00Welcome back and Happy New Year to you!Welcome back and Happy New Year to you!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-6795725145550231042016-12-30T06:36:22.310-08:002016-12-30T06:36:22.310-08:00Thanks Carol! Some very wise words here, and a bea...Thanks Carol! Some very wise words here, and a beautiful reminder of what really matters. (I laboured for so many hours over a Vogue-pattern felt Wendy House that fit over a card-table, all windows and shutters and latching door, etc. that my than 6yo daughter says now was one of her big Christmas disappointments, though she disguised that well at the time. To me, hand-crafted Christmas gifts were the standard that had to be met).<br />I hope your brother continues to heal and you'll be together and strong at Christmas next year. Perhaps the tree will even have ornaments -- sounds as if you already generate enough of your own light!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-36435221260160042522016-12-30T06:32:51.831-08:002016-12-30T06:32:51.831-08:00K, you're so right, especially for a family ou...K, you're so right, especially for a family our size. The upkeep of a larger place gets tiresome, and it's surprising how well you can manage on less, albeit with compromises.<br />I can't believe you've been in Mtl for five years!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-503141228108202702016-12-30T06:31:05.175-08:002016-12-30T06:31:05.175-08:00Thanks, Dra. So far, I couldn't bear to rent o...Thanks, Dra. So far, I couldn't bear to rent on "our" island, but we have thought of renting somewhere on another island or in another nearby vacation spot. And the kids do seem to like our new spot (and our proximity for baby-sitting!)materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-36337960930935256312016-12-30T06:29:44.349-08:002016-12-30T06:29:44.349-08:00I'm not sure I'm ready for that to happen ...I'm not sure I'm ready for that to happen -- just the two of us at Christmas -- and I can see how it might feel flat. We've talked about when it might, though, and we've also imagined going away, just the two of us, at Christmas. You're right, change is not a choice, but that doesn't mean adjustment is easy. Still, I'll bet you'll have shaken off the flat fairly soon, and then we'll have a whole new year to adjust to. . . ;-)materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-45793895029729203492016-12-30T06:27:38.207-08:002016-12-30T06:27:38.207-08:00It does sound as if we're at a similar stage. ...It does sound as if we're at a similar stage. Lovely, isn't it, but yes, there is something strange to it as well. And the word "fragile" has really lodged with me somehow. Going to come back to this, I think, in a future post. Thank you for sparing a few minutes for running after those wee ones.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-5158508917673122232016-12-30T04:48:59.417-08:002016-12-30T04:48:59.417-08:00Hi Frances - I really enjoyed your potpourri of mo...Hi Frances - I really enjoyed your potpourri of moments, as I did enjoy following your European travels. As you might imagine I loved the picture of the warehouse. Hope you enjoyed your run, and niggles not too bad - its a dilemma I think that often those most lovely running days in winter are also potentially most dangerous underfoot. I won't fully share my own reflections just now,save that I am also in a period of change ( having left my permanent FT job in Nov and work plans are fluid ) - but fully addressing that change is on the back burner till the first week of January. Right now I have both my girls at home , and awaiting a few more young folk - boyfriends, friends et al to celebrate Hogmanay ( New Year's Eve). We have a small house filled with too much stuff - so I can relate to your change from family home to apartment- our home will w be a bit like a student sleep out for the next few days - but also full of lively chat and different viewpoints, which is a joy.<br />I purposely came to read your blog as have a big does of writers block, with my own writing somewhat abandoned. <br />Has been as always good reading - and just the jolt I need.<br />Wishing you a very Happy New Year Marobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16072482102236818383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-77562738994188621782016-12-30T02:40:49.263-08:002016-12-30T02:40:49.263-08:00Change is non-negotiable – so true! This year, lif...Change is non-negotiable – so true! This year, life has brought changes for several members of my extended family: new jobs or new homes in new countries. In the end, we could not arrange the traditional family gathering for Christmas. Then the equally traditional get together at my house on Boxing Day, including my sister plus family and two very dear friends with their partners was sadly thinned out because one friend’s father had fallen ill and could not be left alone. <br />On the other hand, I may have started a new tradition. I googled a recipe for tourtiere and tried it out and the result was well received. I’d love to know more about the history of that dish. <br />At the moment, I am looking out at “my” lake in the pink winter light, with ducks and seagulls paddling around. A bit of continuity here.<br />Eleonorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-44934330213341854652016-12-29T15:59:59.197-08:002016-12-29T15:59:59.197-08:00I have been cocooning and embracing the festive se...I have been cocooning and embracing the festive season...not much computer time at all.<br />Your new table looks like it will be large enough for most of your family get togethers..well done! <br />I made a doll for our daughter around the same time you made yours...I must take a picture sometime soon and share her with you.<br />Happy New Years to you and your family Frances.hostess of the humble bungalowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06453827257671312902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-45530774513425431812016-12-29T11:43:46.825-08:002016-12-29T11:43:46.825-08:00Haven't read any blogs for a week now. I didn&...Haven't read any blogs for a week now. I didn't read or write or comment or anything while I was in New Brunswick. Now I've lots of catching up to do. Hope the rest of the holiday season is good to you Frances. Happy New Year. Now I'm off to look at old videos of Debbie Reynolds. Sue Burpeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07282970328494769657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-72990928323576936242016-12-29T10:04:10.429-08:002016-12-29T10:04:10.429-08:00Oh, I can just imagine you there -- of course you ...Oh, I can just imagine you there -- of course you found an ex-pat used bookstore, perfection! ;-)materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-77629915059870573572016-12-29T10:03:42.334-08:002016-12-29T10:03:42.334-08:00It's reassuring to know that there is "ot...It's reassuring to know that there is "other crazy" out there -- although I wouldn't truly call your comment crazy. We had to live in a rental on our island when we a) lifted the old cottage right up to have a proper foundation/crawlspace put underneath it; and b) had a two-storey addition built alongside...So much went wrong (builder had a nervous breakdown which at first was suspected to be cancer because he lost so much weight!) and deadline was extended too often -- But we survived and lived there long enough to forget the horrors (although my husband swears the lobotomy is what achieved that for him, ha!) and have many, many good years living in the home we planned -- as will you, I'm quite sure.<br />And change, yep! Plus trying to avoid stress isn't a bad idea, but it can surprise us, right? and pop up where it's least expected.<br />And I do believe that this place will really hook me as the weather warms up -- not so convincing in the grey rain and cold. . . materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-82603825681372675672016-12-29T09:58:30.637-08:002016-12-29T09:58:30.637-08:00Thanks Patricia. It is lovely and light-filled, ev...Thanks Patricia. It is lovely and light-filled, even on grey days.<br />materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-70756063072363743562016-12-29T07:23:28.213-08:002016-12-29T07:23:28.213-08:00I just love the light in your new home and the Chr...I just love the light in your new home and the Christmas table was beautiful. Mad for plaid, I am.<br /><br />Love the story of the bike. My dad made my son an absolutely beautiful rocking horse for Christmas when he was three, but it was huge. He couldn't ride it by himself until he was about 7, and at that point he was not interested in it. It is in storage along with my daughter's beautiful refurbished dollhouse.<br /><br />It is so hard to let go of Christmas traditions that have been cultivated over the years; I drove my family crazy trying to recreate my mother's Christmas after she passed away. But ultimately, these important holidays are about family, not stuff, not the right china, the heirloom silver, or the favorite aunt's macaroni and cheese but simply being together and loving each other. <br /><br />The week leading up to Christmas this year for me meant visiting my brother in the hospital two hours away. Thankfully my daughter lives 30 minutes away from the hospital so we were able to sleep at her place. He was released Christmas Eve but he is weak and we will not have Christmas with him until he is stronger and the kids can get more time off from work. At my house, I managed to get lights on the tree, but not the ornaments. I decided that I could live with that because my brother is alive and healing, my kids are happily employed, my house is warm, my belly is full, I live where I want to be with the man that I love. The rest is gravy... CarolAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-27223578136175392952016-12-29T05:16:12.089-08:002016-12-29T05:16:12.089-08:00I loved the glimpse of your grandchildren and the ...I loved the glimpse of your grandchildren and the interior of your new apt.! For so many of us, space to host all the family on a handful of occasions is way too big for everyday life, unless someone wants a big place for other reasons.<br /><br />@donnyb: We now spend Christmas the way we started, just the two of us, with both our sons at our DIL's mother's, several hours away. Instead of everyone racing back to the city on icy roads, we prefer to wait till it's calm, and host a relaxed dinner here sometimes between Christmas and New Year's. The first year or two we did this (5 yrs now), I felt flat like you, but now my heart has synched up with my brain, and it's fine.<br />Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-47263869526886535402016-12-28T22:52:34.855-08:002016-12-28T22:52:34.855-08:00The column with lights,white flowers on the piano ...The column with lights,white flowers on the piano and festive table with red checked tablecloth,the light and the view-I like it<br />Interesting-we all are in some kind of change or adjusting<br />You could always rent a house on your island (or elsewhere) for the summer with your grandkids and kids,if this is what you wish,although I like the part of your new urban life that you've showed us. I am sure the kids like it too<br />DottoressaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-4858052102793361502016-12-28T17:45:19.806-08:002016-12-28T17:45:19.806-08:00Christmas for us was very different this year -- i...Christmas for us was very different this year -- it was the first in over 35 years of marriage that it was just the two of us. Our daughter could not get home for Christmas, but could get home for 10 days in November. Our son chose to come home at the same time as his sister so we celebrated "Christmas in November" (with all our usual traditions). But that left me, in particular, feeling flat all December and especially on Christmas Day. Change, as said above, is non-negotiable -- but still is an adjustment. I'm still processing all this. Best wishes. Lyn (South Surrey).donnybhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17045144642404479715noreply@blogger.com