Here’s hoping for a happier New Year!
Sharon McCutcheon and Michael Fousert on Unsplash
Archive for the ‘Holidays’ Category
Optimistic Me
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, optimism, Thoughts on January 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Sharon McCutcheon and Michael Fousert on Unsplash
Boxing Day
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, community, home, Thoughts on December 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Today is Boxing Day, a Commonwealth holiday unfamiliar to most Americans, and a national holiday in Canada since 1871.
And it has nothing to do with fighters in a ring with a bell.
While its history is a little fuzzy, traditionally Boxing Day was thought of as a time for alms-giving, and for lords and ladies to distribute gifts to household servants, dependents and the poor. It was originally known as Offering Day.
Fiction-related note: Charles Dickens mentioned Boxing Day in “The Pickwick Papers,” which was published as a monthly serial in 1836 and 1837.
These days, Boxing Day in Canada is more like a second Black Friday, an excuse for big sales and shopping shopping shopping.
I have no servants but as you may know, I like to contribute to the community and causes that matter to me. So today, I’ll help support some of the groups out there doing good.
No boxing necessary.
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Merry Christmas!
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, home, Thoughts on December 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »
A First
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, cooking, family, home, Marcus Samuelsson, Thoughts on December 24, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Today is the first time I will be making Swedish meatballs for Christmas Eve. I’ve helped my father, many times, but have never made them in my own house.
The recipe we grew up with was my grandmother’s. Every year we would pull out the little wooden recipe card box and find a three by five index card in her handwriting, with my father’s annotations at the edges. You could tell which one it was by all the lingonberry stains.
I loved that it was a family recipe, and that every time we made it I remembered Christmas as a kid at my grandparents’ house in Chicago.
I will admit that I didn’t exactly love the recipe. A decade or so ago we all admitted that maybe, just maybe, the meatballs weren’t all they could be (sorry, Grandma!), and tried an alternative. Here’s what I had to say about that:
… a few years ago we made the shift from Grandma Johnson’s handwritten recipes (so homey!) for dishes like Swedish meatballs and limpa and roast pork to the spectacular versions of same in Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit. Yes, an Ethiopian-born immigrant throws down on traditional Swedish food and wins big. See what I mean? The food still says home, only better:)
— The Universal Language? | J.R. Johnson
So this year we’re doing the new old family recipe. It won’t be the traditional Christmas Eve smorgasbord with family, but it will feel like the holidays.
Mr Man and I have already made the quick-pickled cucumbers and are letting them steep (half the sugar though, and no apologies!). As soon as the juice is at full flavor it will be time to make the meatballs.
Until then we’ll kick back, listen to classic Christmas music and make the most of this Christmas Eve.
God jul everyone!
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Shouldn’t It Be You?
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #stupidpandemic, holidays, home, inspiration, Thoughts on December 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »
One thing about adulthood is that you get better at peering behind life’s facade and seeing its complexities.
That’s not always fun, but the good part is that you get to decide what to make of it for yourself.*
If there is a wizard behind the curtain, shouldn’t it be you?
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This holiday season won’t be what we hoped. I won’t be seeing my family in person this year. I keep reminding myself how tiring the drive is but it’s thin consolation.
What isn’t thin is that I can rest easy knowing that I won’t be passing on any Canadian Covid, or even the flu, to my immunocompromised family members. That’s a whole lot of yay.
We also now have the option of making this holiday whatever we want. An author I follow had a good take on this idea so feel free to head on over and take a gander.
It’s ok, I’ll wait.
It’s not like I’m going anywhere.
“This won’t do.
You still have a right to peace and happiness this holiday season, whichever holiday you choose to celebrate. Decide what that happiness is and go for it.”
— Ilona Adrews
Excellent idea.
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* Also, if you want to have ice cream for breakfast, dangit, you can.
We Earned This One
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, family, holidays, home, Thoughts on November 25, 2021| 1 Comment »
Lest We Forget
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, Armistice Day, memory, Thoughts, Veterans Day, with thanks on November 11, 2021| Leave a Comment »
To the veterans in my family, and yours. Thank you.
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Because they stand on a wall, and say “Nothing is going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch.”
— Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway, A Few Good Men
A Little Adventure
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, Egypt, Thoughts, travel, Tuesdays on October 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Lots of work today, so maybe you can hang out at the pyramids until I’m done?
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I Should Explain, Thanksgiving Edition
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, holidays, Thoughts on October 11, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Despite yesterday’s post today is officially Canadian Thanksgiving, but (according to Mr. Man) it’s traditional to celebrate the Sunday before and have one’s turkey or other hangovers on the holiday Monday. That way you’re recovered and ready for work on Tuesday.
So sensible, these Canadians!
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Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, holidays, pie, quotes on October 10, 2021| 1 Comment »
“Cut my pie into four pieces, I don’t think I could eat eight.”
― Yogi Berra
J.R. Johnson 
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