Social or Solitary Seasonal reflections

On the third day of Christmas, as today is, spending some time reflecting on my experience this year as to years previous. Although I have missed being north, one of the similarities has been the very cold weather and “ wind chill “ factor, weather in which one tends to “hunker down” and do more inside activities than outside. With this, one can take time for both solitary and social activities, but one that are simpler and at hopefully a slower pace….visiting with friends, reading a book, playing board or card games, midnite Christmas Eve service, baking, time writing or helping out in the community. It has been a meaningful change from the often production of the season…big dinners, gift giving, mad shopping.

However, it is also a time of being in touch with others, often through seasonal newsletters or Christmas cards. This year, other than the business promotion cards, I got two cards with handwritten notes and a dozen emailed greetings and family newsletters, both appreciated. I remember earlier days when married with young children, I would send 75 cards with a few lines and then for a number of years, mailed out my seasonal “ missive “ newsletters with photos and stories. Then came the internet, email, digital photography, facebook and blogging….oh joy…. easier to be in touch, but still with a touch of nostalgia of the pleasure of sending a receiving those hand written notes.

This brings me to one of the other reflections of the season and that is the importance of relationships with family and friends. Now I am NOT talking about those obligatory ones, “ Now if you don’t turn up for dinner at Aunt Matilda’s along with all the other cousins, and parents, offence will be taken” but those relationships that have meaning. Several for me have jumped out this season….one is those friends I have developed in my work in Nunavut and often the contact that is maintained through the internet. Wrote recently “I think we get granted the privilege of sharing slices of each others' lives and it is often when most appropriate and needed. From crazy hikes straight up behind your place to dog rescues or just plain tea, I appreciate your friendship and those times in …..”

Where is your " community "?

Personally a number of circles in swimming, writers, maternity staff at work and my parish aka " Ladies Wine and Cheese"

Another is longer term childhood friends or the aunt who sends the handwritten note. My trip to the BC coast this fall and Camrose in the spring allowed some touch base. Christmas Eve attended the 10 PM service at the church in which I raised my kids, sitting in the balcony, a favorite place for 20 years. Earlier stopped by at the home of a Polish family, Mr. & Mrs. S. had always been the retreat place for three teen girls when out of sorts with our own parents or upset with boyfriends. Mrs. S. now in her 80s, told me I should be calling her by her first name ( egads is that difficult ) and reminded me of the time when two of us girls tented in the backyard, but I drove my motorbike, the neighbours seeing the bike, had been upset, at the “ boy” who was sleeping over.

And then there was a quick chicken dinner at Swiss chalet with my sister and family…. actually talked to the kids NOT through facebook!

So Christmas Day was the dogs and I! Morning snacks and gift opening, Memories of Syd...   his candle and Xmas mug to me last year and later, Dysis curious about my dinner …not a lot different than cosy Christmases in Arviat or Kugluktuk opening a few gifts, church, attending Inuit games and dinner with friends.

More Gatherings on Open House: December 30th

This is a late entry and some shots of an open house drop in I did over the holidays, in which I invited a number of friends and neighbours. Not certain who would show, found that the group of 15-20 was quite eclectic with some interesting connections made:  aka two who grew up in the same Westmount district of Montreal, just one street apart, albeit a generation apart. Social work and gardens were topics of discussion with Anne and Donna and of course my friend Dianne, organized the serving of tea. It was fun to pull out some of the " good stuff ". This was my mom's punch  bowl which I unwrapped from a basement box! Balancing dogs was interesting and Dysis managed to hide under the table.

For my friends a more complete photo display is on my facebook album.

.....wishing all a blessed Christmas! 

I'm working at the hospital and "on call", so seeing lots of newborns, reminiscent of the Christ Child!

Found these trivia on the cold weather....http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/forces of nature/windchil.html

The coldest wind chill recorded in Canada was at Pelly Bay, Nunavut, on January 13, 1975, when 56 km/h winds (a wind chill factor of 3,357 watts/m²) made the temperature of ‑51 C feel more like ‑92 C. Pelly Bay is now called Kugaaruk.

The average high temperature in Yellowknife in January is ‑23.9 C. The average low is ‑32.2.

Temperatures in Ottawa are similar to those in Russia's capital. For the month of January, Ottawa's average high is ‑6.3 C and average low is ‑15.5 C, while Moscow's average high is ‑7 C and average low is ‑13 C. Average highs and lows for July, the warmest month, are also close for the two cities.

The wood frog, which is commonly found across Canada, has what's called freeze tolerance. In winter, the wood frog hibernates on land, usually using only a pile of leaves for shelter. Because this leaves it exposed to the cold, frost penetrates its skin and freezes its internal organs, halts blood flow and stops respiration. The heart stops beating and muscles stop moving. The wood frog's body functions return to normal when it thaws.

The dark night will soon be replaced by the return of the sun. This photo was in Arctic Bay in early Feb 2007.

On the home front, after an initial disastrous attempt, now successful short bread cookies.... my learnings when halving a recipe,  do so on all the ingredients. Thanks to Ainsling who came over to help.

For those who were fortunate enough to know their grandmothers and now are perhaps grandmothers themselves, you can perhaps relate to my  recent re-discoveries.

The daughter emailed me looking for some family apple pie recipes as she had just done some baking of short break cookies and wrote “i got, from my aunt, a recipe for my granny's shortbread cookies. I don't think that i have had some of those since before she died, about 5 years ago. they are amazing!!! ” http://www.dreamingovertheocean.blogspot.com

Pulling out a  storage box from the cold room, I discovered a small steel box probably from the mid 80’s, in which I collected  3 x 5 “ cards of recipes and categories from beverages, main dishes, desserts etc. What amazed me was not only the time spent obviously literally cutting, pasting and gluing onto cards or handwriting, but some of the additional comments written.

An example is:

Apple Sauce Spice Cookies  “ Great for upcoming parties. Just put in the freezer until needed. Bring out one hour before guests arrive. May substitute raisins, nuts, chocolate chips to equal value, of course! “

All the measurements are imperial and no concern for calories or amount of sugar or type of fat.

Then the recipes from my mother in law. I have memories of one daughter at 14 with the kitchen filled with flour making 8 apple pies as Christmas gifts using…

Granny's “No Fail” Pastry

Put one egg, 3T lemon juice and enough water to make one cup...mix and set aside in fridge. Sift together 1/2 t. baking soda, 5 cups flour, 2T sugar, 2 t. salt. slowly add 1 lb. of Tender Leaf lard, cutting into a consistency of oatmeal.  Add egg mixture, mix lightly, form into a ball.  Chill and use as needed. Makes 3 double pie crusts and extra dough can be frozen.
© Olga Payne

Granny's Shortbread Cookies.

1 pound butter
1/2 cup white sugar (berry sugar if you have it),
1/2 cup brown sugar, well packed OR
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
4 cups of flour
Pinch of salt
4 T cornstarch
1/2 t. vanilla
Cream butter slowly adding sugar
Add vanilla, mix sifted flour, cornstarch & salt to above
Roll out, cut, Bake 20-25 minutes @ 300 degrees F.
© Olga Payne

But one on the most interesting discoveries was the perception of 6 year olds of how their moms and grandmothers prepare dishes they like.

Spaghetti

Ingredients: 1 can of tomato soup,1 half of hamburger, 2 handfuls of Spaghetti
Put the Spaghetti in a pot and then mix in tomato soup and hamburger. Makes 4 servings

Sarah

Peanut butter and Jam Sandwich
Ingredients: First you need 2 slices of bread, a knife full of peanut butter and spread it on 1 slice of bread and then you need a knife full of jam and then you spread the jam on another slice of bread and then you put both of the 2 pieces of bread together and you are done!

Donovan

Quiche
Ingredients: 3 eggs, 3 ounces of milk, chop half of bacon, buy pie crust

Heat oven to 400 degreese. Crack eggs in bowl and pour milk. Shape crust ( any shape ) and put tin toil on top. To keep down use rice or kidney beans over it. Take out rice or kidney beans and then pour the milk and egg mixture into the crust. Cook at 400.

Anon.

Chocolate pudding
My grandmother makes the best chocolate pudding. You need a chocolate pudding mix and blender. Put in and churn.

Damien

Muffins
Ingredients: 2 eggs, 1 glass of milk, 1 bowl of bran

Butter the pan and put the ingrents together. Put in the oven for 15 minutes at 10 degrees.

Rebecca

An electrician I am not! but made a valiant effort....

Between putting up more outside Christmas lights and finding extension cords for hook ups and keeping the Honda battery charged ( so I thought ), the breaking point of my independence came when the plug heads on the battery charger broke off, as well as the one for the car.  Terry, my neighbour, came to my rescue, attaching a new plug to front of my honda at about minus 30. Dysis investigating all in the back driveway Finally in the garage but not until after figuring out which extension cords and plug-ins were working.

My evening project was tackling the battery charger disassembled and re-assembled on the kitchen table. Now what wire attaches to what screw? When opened up a jumble of parts & need to remember how it was taken apart! After re-wiring battery charger and attaching a new plug...tada! it worked!....now lets hope the honda will start in the morning!

Today    
               
Periods of light snow
Low: -24 ºC
WindChill: -36 ºC
Wind: N 15 km/h

Tomorrow

Chance of flurries
Low: -27 ºC
High: -21 ºC
POP: 60 %
WindChill: -36 ºC
Wind: N 20 km/h
 

Last decorations finally on with Makayla's help as over to do some homework Eh Dysis...not for you! Advent calendar...Dec.9th Makayla with her aunt's childhood stockings Carebear decorations from 20 years previous. Love those slippers on winter nights. Fully decorated tree and lights...night setting on camera

am NOT  pleased with sequential strings of Xmas lights! Yesterday morning the fir tree had expanded but toppled over with needles and gravel from the bucket. Two hours spent trying put upright, tie with strings to support upper branches and sweeping up needles. So how does one water without spilling on hardwood floor....carefully on hands and knees using wine bottle.

Yesterday included work and an evening gathering of friends, so lovely fir smells and Christmas music gave the project breathing space.

About 11 PM last night decided to attach the lights. The plug out let is in the bottom most remote corner of the livingroom where the tree is set up...so again on hands and knees put in the extension chord. Five strings of regular and minis later ( and I swear I had tested them all ) plug in and AHA....the lower half of the tree lit up and top in darkness. The culprit was one cord of sequential minis that if missing even one they all go. Removed and replaced with a regular chord of larger bulbs, all was well with a delightful glow.

Dogs seem non-plussed on all of this!

The next chapter will be decorating and my hope I don't have a Charlie Brown tree with needle loss!