Project 52 - Merry Christmas!

This week's prompt Merry Christmas was a bit of a difficulty for me, because we did not do Christmas in our house this year. Our decorations are somewhere in storage and because none of our kids was able to make it to this neck of the woods for Christmas we opted not to celebrate at this time and postpone our celebrations with them until February when we will be seeing the family. 

 

If you look down at the last couple of posts, these photos were taken of someone else's celebrations, some of the Christmas tree and decorations at my work, and Christmas light photos we took on a drive one night. I love looking at Christmas lights! 

Weekly Top Shot  

 

In our neck of the woods, we have had a Green Christmas. It did try to snow a bit the day before Christmas, but it was wet and slushy stuff that melted quickly by the afternoon. Green Christmas's are usually the norm for us here. Lots of rain too, hence the water drops! 

Love the creamy bokeh backgrounds you get when you focus on the water drop!

 

Macro Monday 

Its a bit of an ongoing challenge for me to take photos of waterdrops, where you can actually see something in the waterdrop!  

I worked all through Christmas and will work through New Year's as well. Love to let others with children have the time off for their Christmas instead. 

Hope you all have a safe and prosperous New Year. 

Our New Year is full of new and unknown possibilities, starting first with moving at the end of January. That will be an adventure!!

Mellow Yellow Monday 

Anyone care to share their New Years Resolutions??!!

Project 52 - Anticipation

Some are waiting and anticipating!! Families are gathering together for the holidays. 

Some of my family will be celebrating Christmas this year at my sister Elaine's place. My brother arrived there from Victoria and my niece Tracey and her fiance Mark arrived last night. My daughter Lora and my son Eric live close by as well. 

Unfortunately, my Hubby and I won't be able to make it there for Christmas but we will see everyone in February, and I am anticipating that!!

 

We were invited last night for Turkey dinner celebration at my friend Anya's house. We had a lot of fun, a lot of coversation and visiting, and met a new friend! I think that is what the holidays are about. Reconnecting, Connecting, Relationships. Not about the presents at all. 

 Macro Monday

 Presents are wrapped, cookies are baked, now it is just to wait!

 Ruby Tuesday

Mellow Yellow Monday

 

Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year. 

Stay safe.

Project 52 - Christmas Cards

        

I couldn't show you a picture of me madly writing out Christmas Cards or anything like that, or even how I display them because I have not put up any cards so far so instead I decided to try my hand at creating a Christmas Card or two on my computer, using a couple of my own photographs.   

Mellow Yellow Monday

 These photos were taken at a photoshoot my hubby and I did for a gift shop named Inspired Arts and Gifts.

Macro Monday 

Project 52 - Oh, the Rush!

 

Straight out of the Camera Sunday

 Christmas is just around the corner, but it is not causing me any thoughts of rushing around and preparing for the big event. The thing that could cause me some anxiety is this! We have finally sold our house and completion date for the sale is the end of January. I am not stressed right now because I know I have a bunch of time between now and then to do the multitude of things that need to be done. Ask me again in a month though and I will be rushing around like a chicken with no head! And a few of the things I will be rushing around doing will be those things I think I have lots of time to complete right now! Isn't that the way it always goes!!

My Hubby and I got to go out to a Arts and Crafts store last weekend and do some photography there for their webpage. These are a few of the photos I took at the store, and I think they speak of some of the things I am most grateful for!

 

Ruby Tuesday 

 

 Macro Monday

 

 

 

 

If they had a sign for health, I would of snapped that one too!!

Project 52 - Food

 I spent most of my life disliking cranberries and especially sauces. I think that's because my experience with cranberries came mostly from canned sauce or that jellied canned sauce you get at the store. You know the kind, the one where if you open both ends of the can you can slide that stuff out onto a plate in one fell swoop. I never liked it, it tasted like the metal can it came from with too much sugar for my taste. The taste of the berry was gone.

Problem is that my Hubby loves the stuff, especially slathered on a nice chunk of roast Turkey. So I went searching for some form of Cranberry Sauce that would rock his world and actually make me like the stuff. 

So I found quite a few different recipes and kind of cobbled together this one which I actually like. Who knew! 

Ingredients

 

1 12 oz package fresh Cranberries

1 Pomegranite, seeded

Zest and juice of one lemon

1 in. Chunk of fresh Ginger, grated

1 Cup Berry Sugar

1/4 tsp. Salt

2 minced Jalepenos

1 finely diced Granny Smith Apple

 

Put all ingredients except the Apple and Pomegranite into a pot and simmer on the stove for about 15 minutes.

Add the diced apple pieces about five minutes before Sauce is cooked. I like my sauce chunky and I liked that the pieces of apple had held their form during the cooking. 

 

Remove from heat and stir in the Pomegranite seeds into the hot sauce. I sprinkled the whole thing after putting the hot sauce into a bowl with fresh minced Cilantro. 

 

I found these wonderful Artisan baked crisps, Cranberry and Fennel flavoured crackers at our local market. The combination of chewy dried cranberries, spicy fennel seeds and pepper and crunchy cracker was perfect. 

 

I served the Crackers with Double Creme Brie cheese or with a chunk of Blue Cheese.  

 

My favorite combination was the Blue Cheese, Cranberry Sauce on the Crackers.

The tart cranberries, the crunchy crackers and the creamy smooth salty cheese was awesome.

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday

These with a nice glass of red Wine, something bold and jammy! Well, what more could you ask for, except maybe good friends to share it with, good conversation and laughs, making good memories!

Project 52 - Harvest/Autumn



One of our local farm markets where we buy fresh vegetables, meats and dairy. I don't have my own garden but love to buy seasonal and fresh groceries from the markets.

This particular farm has a petting zoo for kids to the side of the market. A Pumpkin field across the street as well.

Project 52 - Happy



One of the things I am happy doing is feeding birds. This set of pictures was taken at Campbell Lake Park in Aldergrove.

Feels so cool to have these tiny birds land on your hand. Thier little feet tickle when they hold on!

These little guys must be used to having people feed them. They were not afraid to come and land on your hand to have a bite to eat.

When my Dad was alive he loved to go out and feed birds. He wasn't particular about any kinds of birds to be fed, he would feed them all.

When we went over to Victoria to visit we would go out with him and feed birds.

It brings back good memories to go and feed the birds.

I really enjoyed this day of feeding birds with my Hubby. It made both of us very happy! It was a good day.