What I Learned This Christmas

Many lessons were to be had this Christmas season.

I learned that...

...I suck at crafts.  I strong-armed Paige into making evergreen swags with me and she ended up doing all the work while I tied a ribbon around my head and drank wine.

...December 23rd is Tibbs Eve.  (Thanks, Courtney!) 
According to the Urban Dictionary: 
"December 23rd. In Newfoundland tradition, it's the day you get drunk and celebrate Christmas with all of your friends, before having to spend all of your time with your family. 
A sacred practice, you don't miss Tibb's Eve lightly."

...my former Grade One student Sarah Jennings (now 16 years old) will have her hand-made flower arrangement delivered to me no matter what.

...Christmas morning is always fun, no matter how old the 'kids' get.

...I love a walk in the woods on Christmas afternoon.

...a tree chopped down by your own hand makes the best Christmas tree.

...I love it when my daughter cooks me dinner.

...my husband can rock a nightshirt.  Not many men can.

...it's nice to have friends drop by on Christmas afternoon for a wee drop o' egg nog.

...turkey dinners are one of many favourite meals.

...Miranda Hart is one hell of a funny lady.

...watching BBC Christmas specials is my favourite after dinner activity.

...my husband is a very blessed man to have his grandmother as a big part of his life.

...I love it when my cousins come up for a visit.

...there ain't nuthin' my husband can't cook.

...my mom getting out of the hospital after a successful operation was the BEST Christmas gift of all.

...family is the most important thing.  But I already knew that.

Getting A Christmas Tree in 14 Easy Steps

Step 1.  Cram seven adults, one dog and one puppy into a van and drive to some powerlines.

Step 2.  Have some fun on the ice with a puppy.

Step 3.  Discover that all the evergreen trees have been removed from under the power lines.  You have no choice but to venture into the forest on Crown Land.

Step 4.  Get your friend to find the perfect tree for you and have him climb it.

Step 5.  Get your friend to cut the tree down for you.

Step 6.  Walk out of the forest with your tree.

Step 7.  Pose for a group shot.

Step 8.  Walk out of the forest and back to the vehicle.

Step 9.  Cram seven adults, one dog and one puppy back into the van.

Step 10.  Get the tree home and commence drinking rum and egg nog.

Step 11.  Haul out your fifteen boxes of vintage Christmas decorations and wonder if you should get more.

Step 12.  Press your youngest child into service when he comes over for breakfast the next day.

Step 13.  Remember at the last minute that you threw away all your burned-out Christmas tree lights last year.  Send your husband to the store to buy new strands of white lights.  HATE the new LED lights.  They are not white but grey-blue.

Step 14.  Decide to live with the ugly LED lights.  For this year anyway.  

Merry Christmas everyone!

A Fabulous Fall

We have been blessed with the best weather this fall.  Lots of sunny days.  No rain.  We, on the west coast, are not used to things being this dry.  Especially in October and November.

Before the rainy season hits and causes us to forget what a sunny day even looks like, I want to post a few photos that I took at the end of October when we were invited out on a last foray into the forest looking for chanterelle mushrooms.

Headin' in...

We found lots of things on the forest floor besides chanterelles.

Even the trees are magical.

Joe and his prize.

There's a reason Squamish is called the 'Shining Valley'.

And then there's this guy.  This guy who rolled in some seriously rotten salmon carcasses and needed to be swaddled in a sweater before being allowed inside the vehicle.

Our haul for the day.

The mushrooms went from this...

...to this.

I can hardly wait for next autumn's mushroom season.

Chanterelle 101

Friends of ours took us out mushroom picking on Sunday.  This is one thing I had never done in my 20 years of living in Squamish.

After mid-morning lattes and thick slices of apple cobbler we set off in search of the gorgeous chanterelle.

A mere 3 minute drive from our house and we were in the woods.  This is one of the things I absolutely LOVE about living here.

Into the forest....

First we got a tutorial in what a chanterelle is and what it is not by our resident expert.

The mushroom whisperer.

Chanterelle on the left, not a chanterelle on the right.

I wasn't too successful in identifying a chanterelle.  I found lots of mushrooms.  And a few times I thought I had bagged one.  But the elusive fungi eluded me for most of the morning.

 Not a chanterelle.

Not a chanterelle.

Not a chanterelle.

 Definitely not a chanterelle.

 Not a chanterelle.  But this fungus looked positively floral, causing me to comment to my fellow pickers, "Fungi are flowers of the rainforest."

Of course, Joe found chanterelles.

Finally!  I found some chanterelles!  With help, of course, from Mr. Mushroom himself.

So proud.

Happy hunters.

And then there's this guy.

Lunch!

Thanks everyone for a most enjoyable morning.  Let's do it again soon.