Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

I realize that there has already been a lot of coverage and pictures and posts about the massive snowfall that Ontario received this past weekend- but here's my own experience of it.
I went to Waterloo for the weekend to visit rellies for Christmas. We had it all planned- my cousin Jo was picking me up at the bus station- we'd go get my hair cut and gossip over tea... then we'd pick up her daughters (I feel like they are my nieces and often refer to them as such for ease of explanation) Isabel and Emily who are 7 and 8. We went to se the movie "Enchanted" - very excited. Everyone loved it- and had popcorn and M&Ms and sugary beverages.
We left the theatre around 3:30pm and it was already starting to snow heavily. Jo knew that a storm was coming and so she dropped me off at my uncle Frank and Aunt Leagh's house and hurried home to get off the roads. Isabel (Belle to me and Izzy to others) stayed with me.
We hunkered down and had a cozy night watching Christmas specials while the adults drank Bailey's.

The next morning we woke to a winter wonderland. It was the BEST kind of snowfall. The whole city at a standstill- succumbing to the majesty of old man winter. But it was white and fluffy and beautiful- and not too freezing (if you were bundled up).


Frank, Leagh and I dressed up (I wore my new boots that I LOVE) and shoveled the driveway while Isabel made some lunch. I'm glad Frank had the snow blower- but it was still heavy going.

It was the greatest feeling to come in from the frosty outdoors be greeted with the old school scent of Lipton Chicken Noodle soup- with the warmth of the home. I loved it.

Belle and I then decided to brave the outside again to go for a walk. I got us to the end of the side street and said "Oh Belle I dont think we can do this. Tim Horton's is too far away- we might not make it."
To which Isabel replied (very sternly) "Sarah I'm not a giver upper. We're going!!" So I laughed and said "Alright Belle- Let's do this"
And we did. We made it to Tim's, had some milk and tea and got some groceries at the nearby Price Choppers and made it back to the house in just under two hours. It was a great adventure- and I'm glad I had her company.

It really was a bit of magic to have everyone tucked away inside and everything so quiet outside. When I got back to the city and wandered down Queen Street in Toronto- it was just so quiet and peaceful. For whatever reason I'm having a love affair with the snow this season- and loving all the peace and beauty it brings. (Maybe because we're Canadian and having warm winters is scary.) I say Let it Snow.

The Christmas festivities begin...

I had the most Christmas-y Saturday ever!! First I went to my dear friends Eric & Mario for a brunch. I made my hammalicious muffins (see a previous post for recipe) and chowed down on baked French toast and low fat bacon. Doesn't sound super yum but it was was. Then I got my ass beat down in a game of X-box- "scene it" and ran out of there in shame.
I actually ran out to go to my friends Robyn & Ivan's house to do some gingerbread house assembly. It was fantastic. Robyn made the gingerbread from scratch and we had all the ingredients to create a castle. Ivan came in to art direct. It was pretty intense as I was actually using tweezers in order to apply the silver balls. And Edlynne had this idea to take opaque candy, melt it down into shapes in order to form transclucent windows. no- this was not your average gingerbread house!!

I discovered Mulled wine-and we polished off 1.5L of the stuff- so good. (do not use powedered spices: uses the actual spices of cloves, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg- as well as orange rind).

Then we finished things off by watching, in the cozy basement, covered in blankets, my favourite movie of ALL TIME: "It's a Wonderful Life". Robyn had never seen it- and LOVED it (of course). Ivan had never seen it and I won't bore you with his (lack of) response.
I love that movie. It was such a wonderful day. Here is a pic of the final casa. Worthy of the most discerning elf surely.

For real??

Can someone please explain to me how this woman is ON TV?! She is on National TV making the stupidest comment- that just reflects badly on Christians everywhere. Just watch for yourself...

Sympathy for South Carolina

I just had my own South Carolina moment... I was thanking the former mayor of Toronto for coming in to speak about the United Way to our team of senior staff here at work. I hadn't prepared anything to say but while she was speaking I thought - oh if I'm called on to talk I could say x: and x sounded good in my head, but on the way from my head to my mouth it transformed into something else. Something like bflxy78xsz. I started to ramble and just throw words together- not in any sort of order or anything mind you- and I floated out of my body and looked down and thought "Sarah- STOP talking!! Just STOP IT!!"
I managed to tidy it up and say a proper thank you by the end- and people politely applauded, but I still feel just like Ms. South Carolina in the Miss. USA paegent.



Okay, I wasn't that bad, but then again my standards are a lot higher.