Wednesday 1 January 2020

A New Decade

A lovely Christmas was had by all. Here are some remaining pictures that I hadn't posted yet:




After baking the gingerbread and sugar cookies previously posted about, we took part in a family tradition, once I had both kids home, of decorating. I made a basic royal icing (with no meringue powder as I just can't find it anywhere in my little closest town). Then, being the basic, simple cooks that we are here, I did the old add food colouring and use little zip lock bags with a tiny corner cut off. Who needs fancy piping bags?


We ended up with tons of Christmas goodies. Some were set out on the 24th when we had MIL, us, and the kids' boyfriend / girlfriend. More were taken to "the city" when we gathered at my brother and sister-in-law's house. Some went to daughter's boyfriend's home. Some are in a bag in the freezer to go back to college with son, and still others are being consumed by yours truly as I sit on the couch, watching old episodes of Poirot and pretending that calories don't count if you make it yourself.

Speaking of... have you noticed all the commercials for weight loss programmes now? You will not be reading about any New Year's Resolutions here. Just carry on, live a good life, be a decent human being, and all that.

I am happy to say that Christmas is all packed up and put away, apart from the Christmas coffee cups (we have A LOT) and the outdoor strings of lights on the rail fence. Even the tree has been stripped and dragged behind the chicken run to be burned in the spring. In the meantime, little birds can use it for shelter.


Here is a Christmas morning picture of father and son in their new "hoodies". Son is sporting his new Champion sweatshirt (remember when Champion was just a normal brand that nobody considered anything special? Now it's a "thing" and costs twice as much!). and husband is wearing one designed by daughter with a take on the TCM logo (Turner Classic Movies), to RCM for his first initial. Husband and daughter bond over movies. He's barely taken the thing off these last few days!

I've read a couple of books over the holidays - including the latest Janet Evanovich which is always good for a laugh and an easy read.

I really do need to find another author, as I'm often all caught up with my favourites and then twiddling my thumbs for the next one, or signing out a book from the library that I just can't sink my teeth into. Ah well, not a bad pursuit to take on in the next little while.

We had pretty much a green Christmas with strange mild weather and above zero temps. It was the same thing 20 years ago, as I was ready to give birth to my son in early January, it had rained and the snow had melted. In the last day or so, we got all of our snow back and more. I was glad that son and his buddies didn't have far to go for their New Year's Eve celebrations in the blustery weather. Husband and I were VERY low key - armed with take out Chinese food (which we drove through the blustery weather to pick up because nobody delivers out here) and one glass of wine for me and a can of cider for him, we didn't even stay up to watch Rick Mercer ring in the new year!

Prior to Christmas and right around then, our old house decided to surprise us with some nasty water leakage in the basement. Husband and son were able to take advantage of the melt to dig around the foundation and determine the issue. As always, fearless husband was able to fix what he was able to fix and clean up ensued. Ughhh. Glad that's over with.

After three rounds of left over Christmas dinner, I figured nobody wanted any more of it, so the chickens had a good feed of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and stuffing. They thanked me by laying well the next couple of days.

I still have a few days before I return back to work. During that time will be son's twentieth birthday, and saying goodbye to him as he returns back to college (with Christmas cookies in hand), and hopefully some well earned relaxing, even though I'm not very good at that.

Wishing everyone out there in blogland a very happy, healthy new year!

48 comments:

  1. Wonderfully colorful Christmas cookies... I like :-))
    Have å happy new year with your loved ones. Viola

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  2. Hope you have a great 2020. Are you retiring this year?

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    1. Thank you, Karen. I retire one month after this year is done, at the end of January, 2021.

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  3. Who doesn't enjoy Christmas cookies and while watching classic mysteries? It sounds like a great way to start a New Year! Here's hoping yours is fuill of all good things, including no resolutions, which I never follow anyway. Actually, I have thought of some and may share them in a future post. Thanks too for your well wishes and blog comments this past year. You will definitely enjoy retirement and we consider it the best non-job we've ever had!

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    1. I actually prefer Miss Marple to Poirot, but that's all that was on. Retirement still has a full year to wait, so I can't get too excited yet.

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  4. Sounds like a really lovely time. Happy New Year!

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  5. Happy New Year Jenn! Those gingerbreads are essential for Poirot viewing so get a calorie-exemption. Anyway, ginger's just a spice!

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    1. If only it was just the gingerbread cookies... there were other ones as well.

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  6. Happy New Year! Husband and son look delighted with their hoodies...I think. :)

    Enjoy the remainder of your time off.

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  7. Glad you've had a good rest. Enjoy your last year before retirement!

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  8. I just finished the last of the cookies today and put all the Christmas decorations in the basement, so I guess life will be back to "normal" tomorrow. Happy New Year Jenn, to you and all your family! (We're having trouble with our chickens eating most of the very few eggs they are laying. I have some leftover mashed potatoes - do you think that will help? lol)

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    1. Oh dear... egg eaters! Doubt the potatoes will make them stop, but they sure love mashed potatoes anyway.

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  9. Have a wonderful new year Jenn.
    Hugs-x-

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  10. Lovely cookies. No meringue powder! Oh well.

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    1. Nope - you see it in every recipe, but this turned out just fine and hardened up well.

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  11. Your Christmas cookies are really pretty. Next year I'm making them. I'm probably the only person on earth who has never made and decorated Christmas cookies. Sounds like your family had a good Christmas. Enjoy the rest of your time off, and Happy New Year!

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  12. -such festive Christmas cookies. I, too, use a plastic bag with the corner cut off in lieu of a proper icing bag. It works just well.

    Happy New Year!

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  13. Happy New Year! Getting back to “ normal” is never easy.

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    1. I'm ready to be over the whole Christmas thing, just not ready to return to work, ha ha!

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  14. Jenn wishing you & yours a very happy & blessed 2020. I am looking forward to putting the last of the Christmas decorations (tree) away, I have to do slowly as it saddens Mr Man & he fights to keep the trees up until 12th night. I am with you in trying to find a new author (I've done all Louise Penny books-thank you for the recommendation). ... Mary-Lou =^..^=

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    1. She does have a new one, though! I haven't read it yet. I think I have a hold on it at the library. I need to start writing down the names of authors that other bloggers mention.

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  15. I LOVE this post and hearing about your Christmas -- the hoodies are great and your cookies are beautiful. When you see my Christmas posts (which aren't up yet) you'll see why my cookies, though decorated and fun, were not particularly pretty! Yours are gorgeous!

    I won't be packed and put away for awhile as I'm in the midst of tearing the kitchen apart before a re-do. When it comes, it will be fast, based on schedules other than mine so I need to be ready. I confess, in parts of the house I'm ready for Christmas to be gone. Not the lights, though. Never the lights.

    Have you read Jacqueline Winspear or Susan Elia MacNeal's mysteries (England, WWI and II and between for Winspear; WWII for MacNeal)? Martin Walker's "Bruno" mysteries? I'll have my book post soon and you might find a new author there. I read one Ann Cleeves (a new detective so only one in the series) but now I want to read her Vera and Shetland books. Also, Georges Simenon Maigret books -- short, good mystery classics. Enjoy the new year!

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    1. Hi Jeanie! Truth be told, the really pretty cookies were likely my daughter's creations! Son and I did our best, husband stopped after about two! I have not read any Winspear or MacNeal, but I've read all of Ann Cleeves. Loved them!! I will write down those other names.

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  16. Lovely biscuits and your Christmas break sounds just right! I'm a Miss Marple fan, either Joan Hickson or Julia Mackenzie. The settings and the clothes are wonderful but the plots are always impossible, full of twists and turns, so I can never tell who the murderer is going to be.
    All our decorations are still in place, I'm not too sure when is twelfth night, shall have to check. The house always looks bare after they come down and it takes a while to re-adjust.
    Wishing you a happy, healthy year ahead.

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    1. I'm kind of odd in that once Christmas is over, I'm very ready to dismantle and store away for another year - always before Jan. 1st.

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  17. I've never made cookies that needed icing. I see you all like your ginger cookies and gingerbread at this time of the year and looked up a few recipes. I love ginger. Maybe next year.
    Ginger cookies and Agatha Christie would be my choice for relaxation at this time of the year .... If I lived elsewhere lol
    Happy new year!!

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  18. Your cookies are beautiful! I have never had the patience - or steady enough hands - to pipe icing that well. It sounds as if you had perfect holidays and must be really enjoying the time off. I've resolved to read actual physical books this year. I have gotten two for Christmas, so I'm off to a good start. Janet Evanovich is a hoot!

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  19. We watched the first 15 minutes of Rick Mercer and then off to bed. Just couldn't make it to midnight! Happy New Year to you and your family!

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  20. Your cookies look delicious. Hmmm, this is the first Christmas that I did not have a lot of cookies to munch on. But I did have some chocolates and chocolate covered cherries to snack on. Yum! I've started taking down my tree and putting things away. Don't burn your tree, give it to the animals to eat. Well, that's a thought anyway. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

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    1. I always get a box of chocolate covered cherries every Christmas, too.

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  21. Happy New Year. Wishing you lots of Joy and Happiness in the new year.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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  22. Really enjoyed this whole post. Your decorated Christmas cookies look soooo much better than mine which I tend to refer to as "rustic" when they are frosted. Our chickens are still (STILL) molting and although I've not run out of eggs, we haven't had the extra dozen or two to give away. Sending a very happy New Year to you and yours. Time to start counting the days now until your retirement!

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    1. I had a couple that molted. The one is still looking a little rough, and her comb is very pale. I don't know if this is part of it, or if she isn't well. Apart from that she seems fine. I know your husband was a teacher - what was retirement like for him? I shouldn't start counting yet, there's still quite a chunk of time to put in.

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  23. Sounds like you had a wonderful holiday!!! I had off Christmas and the day after (I took vacation days, we do not get any holidays off grrrrr) but other than that it's been work, work, work....sigh. I'm tired. The big tree stays up until at least January 6th which is Little Christmas, the Feast of the Epiphany...and also my Dad's birthday. So I'll take down all the other Christmas stuff this weekend, and the big tree next weekend. I'm loving the twinkle lights, and enjoying them a little longer is not a bad thing at all! Happy New Year to you!

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    1. Oh, that's nice that you keep it up for your Dad's birthday. I'm not familiar with the Feast of the Epiphany. Happy New Year!

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  24. Some book suggestions: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, Educated by Tara Westover. I have read and enjoyed all three recently. Currently I am reading The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell and it is quite the page turner!

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  25. Your Christmas sounded both fun and hectic.. but isn't that what it's all about? I hope your new year is a great one... all year long.

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