From Me To You

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It's the hap- happiest season of all!

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Finally I have some holiday decorations around the house. Looking forward to cutting down our tree on Sunday and decorating it.  I can't believe how the holiday season has snuck-up on me this year; I still have so much to prepare.  Are you ready for the Holidays?



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Friday Fill-Ins #203

Would you like to play along?
Just click on the image below.

So...here we go!

1. I wish you all joy, love and peace this holiday season.

2. "How did I let this holiday season sneak up on me again this year?"...that's what I'm thinking.

3. Please bring a bottle of Pinot Gris  and a couple glasses and join me for sip.


4. Life is so amazing.

5. One of my fondest hopes is for a warm home, loving family and friends and to feel blessed going into the new year ahead.

6. I love getting visits here from all of you, and your positive support and sincere comments you leave behind are appreciated. They really do mean a lot to me, and sometimes they help me through some tough times, and I just wanted to say thank you!!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing at home, tomorrow my plans include starting and hopefully finishing my holiday shopping and Sunday, I want to enjoy the day with the family wandering through a u-cut tree lot looking for the perfect(for us) tree, then heading off to hubby's uncle and aunties farm for a family gathering!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

On this perfect October day

Hubby and I decided we needed to grab a coffee before we headed out to my parents for Thanksgiving dinner. We just had enough time to take the scenic route home which turns the regular 5 minute drive into a 30 minute drive. The weather today was beautiful, we rolled the sunroof back, opened the car windows wide, pulled out of the Tims parking lot with Frankie Valli's "Oh What A Night" cranked way up on the stereo, then we hit the road. The wind blew our hair wildly about as we sang our hearts out (we may have gotten a strange look or two from people on the street). What? They don't drive around blasting Frankie Valli???

I don't think people understand what music is about anymore. I think most youngsters are hyper stimulated when it comes to music; it doesn't touch their heart and soul like it did to my generation. But I digress...(another post, for another time)

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with the family. I'm so thankful to have my husband and children with me on this wonderful day. I'm also thankful for loving family and friends and for this life I cherish. Oh, and music. I am thankful for music and a voice to sing out as loud as I want.

Happy Thanksgiving, Columbus Day, Indigenous People's Day, Día de la Raza, Farmer's Day.  Heck... Happy Monday to everyone!

{Some weekend photos}

1. Turtle Cheesecake, 2. White Chocolate Lemon Tartlets, 3. Thanksgiving desserts, 

4. Bluejay, 5. Autumn Colours, 6. Thanksgiving Twilight

Saint Patrick's Feast Day

Celebrating our Irish heritage today 
with a good hearty feast

Crock Pot Irish Stew
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
2 pounds boneless lamb cubes for stew
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 medium onions, cut in 1 inch chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch slices
1 celery rib, cut in 1/2 inch slices
1 turnip, peeled and cut in 3/4 inch cubes
2 parsnips, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch slices
1 pound red-skin or golden potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Mix the flour, salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon thyme in a medium mixing bowl. Add the lamb and toss until evenly coated; pat off excess flour and reserve flour mixture. Heat half the oil in a deep skillet (I’m totally going to admit that I used the bacon fat from breakfast this morning). Add the lamb to brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Add the onions, carrots, celery, turnip, parsnips and potatoes. Saute until browned and barely tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a 5-6 quart slow cooker; place lamb on top.

Add the reserved flour and remaining thyme to the skillet and cook over medium heat until the flour is slightly brown, about 1 minute. Add the broth, heat to boil, and continue to cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Add Worcestershire sauce. Pour into the slow cooker. Cover and cook 3 to 4 hour on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.

Add some Irish Soda Bread and 

you've got yourself a hearty meal for St. Patty's Day

Irish Soda Bread 2 cups (250g) plain flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

65g margarine, softened

½ cup (125ml) buttermilk

½ egg

FOR BRUSHING:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

40ml buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.  
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and the egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.  
3. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

Once In A Blue Moon

Tonight is the 13th full moon this year - blue moon, and New Years Eve, it's also the end of a decade.  It is so cold here tonight and there are no stars in the sky, but the blue moon is glowing through a thin overcast of low laying cloud, just enough cover to give it an ominous glow. I was just out on my deck to take a few photographs of the moon. The cold was so biting, I had hurry back inside, closing the door quickly behind me. There was a "whoooosh" of cold air that followed behind me and blew out my candles that were lit on the table. The weatherman is telling us there is another nor'easter headed our way tomorrow evening - a messy start to the new year.

This past week flew by so quickly, as we gathered with family and friends to celebrate the holiday season. We ate (way too much), sang, and shared laughter and some tears over stories of holidays past. I feel so blessed to have this time, this family, these friends, this life.

This New Years Eve we have decided to stay at home, order in Chinese, curl up by the fire relaxing and watching a movie or maybe turn on the tv and watch other celebrations around the world.  Looking foward to the a fresh start in 2010.

From our house to yours; wishing you all a Happy New Year!!

Cherish the past. Enjoy the present. Welcome the future.

Wish all of you a splendid 2010!

This time is precious

There is a hush over the land that comes just before a heavy snowfall. Can you hear it? The trees stand motionless, holding their breath in anticipation for Nor'easter that's headed our way. The night sky is starless and thick with snow clouds. As I walked along the edge of our property tonight, the treeline was barely visible in a the the veil of mist that hung heavy in air. The smell of woodsmoke that billows from the neighboring chimneys speak of winter; the northern wind brushes big fluffy snowflakes against my cheeks confirm this too. There's a quiet stillness in my spirit tonight. I have this calm feeling of being at peace with who I am and where I'm at in my life. I feel as if change is near, that I must prepare to change with tides in the new year. There will be a few feet of snow down before this night is done -- lots of shoveling tomorrow. I turned my face up to the snowy sky, stretched my arms out to the side and make believe I'm weightless, adrift up, up, towards the heavens.

My dear friends, thank you all for taking the time to stop by Slightly Off-Center from time to share my life here -- I treasure each one of you. May you be blessed in this new year and prosper in all that you do. Take a few moments during the holiday rush to try and remember to appreciate the small things in life. It’s in between the small, unexpected moments where you can see the real beauty that is all around us.

A few of my favourite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

The Sound of Music was always a Holiday tradition when the kids were little. The kids and myself would gather in the living room, all decked out in our comfy-est jammies, hot chocolate and cookies handy, excited to watch the movie. The kids would curl up and watch the movie while hubby and I decorated the tree. I'm not sure why The Sound of Music was classified as a "Christmas movie", but for some reason it was always on TV during the holidays and a seasonal favourite nonetheless.
I miss those days...

This year we all gathered at home to decorate the tree but "The Sound of Music" wasn't what the kids chose to watch, it was "A Hunting in Connecticut". A big -Bah-Humbug- to them!!

{Christmas 2009 Tree}

Today I was thinking about how much I miss some of the little holday tradition from when the kids were younger. So I compiled a list of my favourites from Holidays past.

1. Christmas Concerts
2. Christmas light watching
3. Kids homemade gifts
4. Letters to Santa
5. Listening for Elves or Reindeer
6. Making tree ornaments
7. Baking 10 different kinds of cookies
8. Making the gingerbread house
9. Singing Christmas carols
10. Holiday Movies ( The Grinch, Frosty, Rudolf - The Island of Misfit Toys, Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, It's A Wonderful Life, Sound of Music,  )

What are some of your favourite Holiday traditions or favourite traditions from your past?

good will toward men... Am I A hypocrite? You be the judge

Yesterday I was asked why I still celebrate a christian holiday if I don't believe in God.  My answer to this person was, while I don't know if there is or isn't a God... I do believe and celebrate in the teachings of  Jesus (the man).  They didn't quite get it I guess and (in not so many words) suggested I will rot in hell for my blasphemy.  ( hehehe  I love my parents!)

I consider myself agnostic. I don't believe in religious institutions that stand between an individual and his/her beliefs. I want to say first off, that ever since I was a young child, I've been to church, to Sunday school, and even married and had my children Baptized in a Catholic Church. But I have always felt a certain air of conformity that just felt somewhat stifling to me. I consider myself a very logical person -- and their reasons that God is real did not seem very logical to me -- and further more, I can't understand why they were trying to prove the existence of a God, if the belief  is based purely on faith (which by definition:  cannot be proven by evidence or reason).

Now I'm not saying that that a God does not exist; there very well could be some sort of higher power... I just don't know.  So many people do great things in the name of God.  Then again... there are many bad things done in the name of God too.  Some believe that their God or their beliefs are only way, creating intolerance and division between groups causing all sorts of problems in the world.  I think Jesus was an admirable, great  man --but just a man -- who was a great teacher and who stood up and died for a just and worthy cause, definitely for the good.   I see him as a historic figure - one of great historical importance.  A person can doubt God's existence and still follow the teachings of  Christ... can't she/he?

I don't think Religion is bad thing.  In fact, I think there are wonderful Religions out there with various aspects  I enjoy learning about and find interesting.  Most faiths have a few common fundamental principles. Such as:  Honor your parents, Don't judge others, -- and my personal favourite -- You are forgiven!

Peace on Earth, good will toward men.
KJV Bible, Luke Chapter 2 verses 7-14

It's (not) beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

When I was a kid one of my favorite months was November. Not only because it was my birthday month, but because it was the month before my favorite (December), when the temperature dropped and the frost set into the ground making a great base for the first snow fall, the lakes would start to form a skim of ice and I knew it would only be a matter of weeks before we (us kids) would be out skating on the pond in our back yard.

I was thinking of how different winter was when I was a kid while hubby and I (mostly hubby) were putting up the holiday lights on the house. We were up bright and early this morning taking advantage of our unseasonably warm temperature today, decking the house with white lights, putting up swags and wreaths, cleaning up the yard, pulling weeds and raking leaves; my flower garden still has a few plants in bloom even after the first frost a couple of weeks ago. I even dug out the snow shovels that were stored in the back of the shed in anticipation of shoveling snow possibly in the next few weeks. I put the lawn mower to the back of the shed, but today felt like a great day to give the lawn one more cut... if only I had had the time.

The only thing reminding me that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas is the lights that decorate the houses in the neighborhood.

A day to remember our fallen

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Happy Halloween

I have my pumpkins carved and my treats ready to go.  Looking forward to greeting all the little ghosts and vampires who visit my house on All Hallows'Eve.

Happy Canada Day!

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Happy St. Patty's Day!

Here is a little green in honor of St. Patrick's Day today. I grew impatient waiting for Spring to come so I decided to grow my own little patch of lawn inside.  Spring starts in 4 days... Yipee!

From Wikipedia:

St. Patrick's Blue, not green, was the colour long-associated with St. Patrick. Green, the colour most widely associated with Ireland, with Irish people, and with St. Patrick's Day in modern times, may have gained its prominence through the phrase "the wearing of the green" meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing. At many times in Irish history, to do so was seen as a sign of Irish nationalism or loyalty to the Roman Catholic faith. St. Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish.

Sometimes they do pay attention

I awoke to a bouquet of pink tulips, brewed tea and chocolate truffles. I love tulips in the winter, reminds my that spring is just around the corner.

Hubby must have remembered me saying this last week as we passed by the tulip display in the floral department -- awww, such a thoughtful guy my hubby!

{hugs to all my valentines out there}

Farewell 2008

Where did the year go?
It's hard to believe 2008 has come to an end.

Are you all ready for a fresh start in 09?
I know I sure am... I have some wonderful dreams and wishes for the new year ahead.

What are you wishing for 2009?

Weekend Update

Happy Monday! I had a wonderful Christmas and a lovely, relaxing weekend .

A few weekend highlights:

Had a delicious family dinner at my parents house Friday night -- homefries and hot turkey sandwiches, a Boxing Day tradition.

Lets see, what else happened this weekend...

Saturday, hubby got up early and headed out to the Future Shop to purchase a new laptop for our son -- got a great deal on one which was a bonus! He also bought me a new graphics tablet and some ram for my computer... gotta love boxing day sales.

{small amount of snow fell Saturday evening}

Sunday we got up early and went to the used record store. Hubby got Alice Cooper Goes to Hell, News of the World - Queen, and About Face - David Gilmour. We spent most of the afternoon relaxing at home listening to his new tunes, then headed out for spaghetti at his parents house.

And that's about it.... how was your weekend?

T'was the Night Before Christmas...

when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

{Wordless #23}

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Wishing you all a safe and lovely holiday! I will try to pop in before the new year but will be back full swing in 2009.

See you all soon xxoo

Lest We Forget

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians are asked to pause and remember the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives fighting for freedom and democracy during the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Afghanistan conflict and during peacekeeping missions...
(read more)

Tricks & Treats

All the Jack-O-Lanterns are carved and the treats are all ready for All Hallows Eve. I'm looking forward to seeing all the little ghosts and goblins running through the street with their bags full of loot.

1. Evil Jack (Mine) 2. Treats 3. Haunter (Baby girls)4. Treat boxes 5. Haunter & Jack 6. Set for Ghosts and Goblins

Thanksgiving Weekend

Ahhhh, what a lovely Thanksgiving weekend I had.

Saturday hubby and I went furniture shopping, we found some nice pieces for the family area, can't wait to get started on that project. Sunday we took a shot to the valley for some colourful fall scenery (see photos below). And finally Monday, we had a tasty Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings - a perfect fall weekend, if you ask me.