No one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the
stories that you have to tell. -Charles de Lint, writer (b. 22 Dec 1951)
Winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon marking the shortest day and the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere this is the December solstice and in the Southern Hemisphere this is the June solstice.
Stephen Carthew Have a happy, cosy and hilarious time you both. Patrick James Dunn Happiest of Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year to everyone at Old Oak. Stefano! Chloë flies into Penticton tonight to be here until the 28th. Snowing lightly so certainly will be a White Christmas here. Fondestos from Cora Lee's kitchen where "snowball" production is in full mode!
Hello! Just a quick email to wish you all the best for the holidays and the new year ahead. I've posted my Xmas cartoon on my blog. Here's the link: deborahsawyerart.blogspot.com/2015/12/happy-holidays-2015.html. All the best! Deborah
Hi Deborah! Thanks for the lovely, lovely card! Both of us chortled at your "twist" on the North Pole! Trust you are well. Had a wonderful whirlwind of a time in India with close friends, from Naramata, Lynne and Peter. Back home on December 11th. Will see them on Boxing Day at our Open House. Come on out and drink some Okanagan mulled wine!
Must away as I need to shovel walks, [It snowed, lightly all day yesterday and last night.] and split kindling. Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling. Happiest of Happy Christmases and a Healthy New Year from us both to you, Deborah! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Brenda! Thanks for the lovely, lovely card! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Patrick James Dunn Sorry, I have no time to write a long rebuttal as I've much vacuuming to do while Cora Lee is out shopping. I can''t give her any more hard evidence of my compulsion, (I, for one, freely admit my addiction when I'm riding by myself!), as she wants to give me a year's worth of OCD therapy for Christmas! I told her malt would be better to suppress the urge to vacuum but she just replied: "Thanks for the hostility!" Happy Christmas to all "The White Room" HazMat people everywhere!!!
Pat, Still keeping my gym work going with an occasional ride to UBC or the like when it's not pouring. Reading Grisham's Rogue Lawyer which has started quite well. Plenty of Christmas cakes made 2 of which were purchased for $400 this year at a fundraiser for the visually impaired. Refused to attend the function but I understood it went very well.
That new house of yours looks very cozy. It's amazing how well you've organized it after such a short time, especially with such a long holiday. Haven't heard from George for a long time. Hope he's doing OK. Don't know anything about the Sevens but might try and watch a few games if possible. All the best to you and Corinne. Ray
Hi again Raymond! Thanks for the kind compliments on our house. We are certainly enjoying it although there always seems to be scads to do to make things work more efficiently and aesthetically, whether with furniture or kitchen gadgets, placement of pictures and rugs, and on and on. Nevertheless, Mme Coriandre enjoys trying things out, this way or tother, and I simply shake my head and bend my back!
Just in from shoveling and splitting wood. Will have a bite to eat and then read a few more chapters of The Crossing before I head out to tidy up the garage a bit. Need to do some real re-arranging, once hols are over, as Henryk put many of the boxes and tubs that were there on the shelves he built while we were away. However, need to place them in some sort of logical order, in terms of ready access with respect to ones we need more so than many which we probably shouldn't even have brought with us! Am planning to ask Dusty help me design next stage of shelving as we still require shelving for suitcases and outdoor cushions, tools and recycling tubs, not to mention all the boxes of books still left to unpack! I think I might well have to break down and start taking a box at a time, (Once I've looked through them all, carefully, title by title, of course!), to The Book Shop, on Main Street, as they will buy used books. No need to remind myself that Cora Lee wanted me to do this as soon as we arrived! Why are The Sisterhood so often so maddeningly right?
Congratulations on your Christmas Cake fund raising effort! Bravo indeed!!! On the home preserving front, Cora Lee did quite a few quarts of pickled beets and ripe tomatoe pickle this past September and early October. Have been enjoying both ever since. Going to try our hands at borscht when she is back from yoga class and a few errands. My Mom, then Clara, would make the soup, particularly to have on Christmas Eve, a Ukrainian tradition, along with other non-meat dishes. As well, Lady Dar made a batch of snowballs yesterday and will finish off rest today. Another long-term plan, in addition to a number of raised garden boxes, is to acquire a fruit dehydrator. Quite a few people in the hiking group have brought along dried fruit to share and I have been most impressed with the tasty results. There is so much fruit, (not to mention garden produce), that one seems able to obtain from friends that one hardly even needs to buy it. At any rate, want to take advantage of the various fruit and vegetable ripening seasons now that we live here and have such ready access to the wonderful produce.
There is the annual Winter Solstice snowshoeing foray to Green Mountain, (towards Apex, I believe), this evening at 7:00 pm. I did buy a pair of snowshoes at Costco yesterday but I'm not sure if I want to try them out, my first time ever, on such an occasion as I don't really wish to slow down the more experienced group. Think I'll probably wait until the next outing which will be in daylight. At least I'll be able to see what I'm supposed to be doing even if I can't quite manage technique initially! From talking to other novices, activity doesn't seem too, too difficult. Have you ever been out? Anyway, best leave off and head out to the garage. Hello to Sylvia. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Patrick & Corinne, It sounds like you are enjoying life in the Okanagan. What’s not to enjoy with all that wine around you! I had my annual party the other day and we all lamented the fact that Patrick wasn’t around. However, I should tell you that Victor whom I met at your party a year ago, is going to do a course credit work with me starting in January. He’s hell bent on refreshing my Swedish. Obviously, connections happen at your parties. All that booze.
Next year will be my last working year and then freedom from the slavery of law awaits. I look forward to skiing and biking when it’s nice, or not, if that’s my desire. And, then there are all those piles of books that have been bought and not read…and who knows maybe I’ll come for a visit and take part in your potluck hikes? Meanwhile, a very happy Christmas to you and Corinne and all good things to come in the new year, health and happiness and all that jazz…Cheers, Liisa
Hi Liisa! Thanks for the lovely note and kind wishes! We are certainly enjoying living in Penticton and our new home. Certainly sorry we weren't at your annual Christmas party. Fabulous, fabulous last year! You are too, too kind to say I was missed although we certainly miss you and the wide circle of other friends we've left behind. Great that Vittorio will be working with you. Please say hello to him. He is a terrible correspondent so please remind him of this fact. I've heard from Patrizzio The Younger, in Oslo, more often than Vittorio! In any event, don't wait until you retire to visit. You are welcome anytime. Loads of room, plenty of bikes in the garage and wine in the cellar!
Yoga Woman just walked in and is already barking out orders so best leave off and head out to the garage to smoke dope and drink malt in peace and quiet!!! Fondestos from Lady Darjeeling. Happiest of Happy Christmases and a Healthy New year to you Liisa, from us both. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: Penticton Creek this past Sunday; Lady Dar guarding malt cabinet in corner; live Blue Spruce we hope to plant in front yard; Santa getting ready to climb down the chimney! Front porch and snow covered wood pile; chopping block; Front door: Unfortunately, even with all the snow, it isn't a White Christmas as Cora Lee will only drink highly alcoholic Reds! She claims it is so that her full wine glass will match Frosty's scarf and toque! Picture was done by Dusty, a number of years ago, and we have put it on our front door, to welcome friends and family over Xmas hols ever since he painted it. Cheers and Hic!
Hi Colin and Jo-Anne! Trust you are both well and Christmas is under control! Happiest of Happy Christmases and a Healthy New Year to you both, Jo-Anne and Colin, from both of us. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Patrizzio, Seasons best wishes to both you and Cora Lee! It’s good to read that Chloe will be joining you for Christmas. How is her project going?
It’s great to see that you are fitting-in nicely with other Pentictonites as evidenced by the obvious great time you had at your potluck in the woods! Will be thinking of you on the day of your Boxing Day party - we are hanging in Vancouver (without Jennifer but with Julie) for Xmas and will have some friends over on Boxing Day. We plan to open a 1989 Ch La Conseillante (amongst others) that day!
Santa has already bestowed Bill with a great gift -in the form of a successful surgery on Dec 8 at Lions Gate! Will see the surgeon on Jan 19th and find out about my rehab. Already I’m 100% nerve pain free down my leg. We look forward to hearing stories of your India adventure later in 2016. May you be blessed with a light coating of fluffy snow for Christmas. Have a fun and healthful new year. Bill & Denise.
Hello Roma and Leonard! How wonderful to hear from you! Trust all goes well with you and family. Thanks for the lovely, lovely card and kind wishes! Sorry I've been such a terrible correspondent. No excuses but plenty of reasons, as I'm wont to say!
Lady Darjeeling, (Her nickname while we were travelling in India but I like it, in spite of the fact we've been back since December 11th!), sends along greetings to you both. We three, (Chloë is flying in to town close to midnight, tonight!), have tickets for new Star Wars movie tomorrow afternoon so will see that and then dash home for a bowl of borscht before attending a Christmas Eve service at Oasis, United Church Cora Lee has been attending since we moved. Then back home for a late dinner, preparing some dishes for Christmas Day, wrapping presents, etc. Will be quieter than in many other years but we've all been on the go for seemingly such a long time that we all are looking forward to a chance not to have to rush anywhere and simply relax in front of the fire with large glasses of wine! Happiest of Happy Christmases and a Healthy New Year to you both, dear Roma and Leonard, from us both. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hello O Susannah and Champagne Charlie! Trust all goes well. Happiest of Happy Christmases/Hanukkahs and a Healthy New Year to you both, dearest Susannah and Carlos. Cheers, Patrizzio!
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