COMFORT IN THE CONSTANTS

I went to the mall a few days ago. I have not been in the mall for months, probably not since pre-Covid times! As you can imagine, things have changed. Everyone is masked and hand sanitizer is priority #1 before any shopping in any store. 

But, some things have stayed the same; some things are constant. And I find that comforting. 

The train set, the SAME train set is up and running. There is the little parade, and the dinosaur day care. Several trains are chugging along on different tracks, like nothing had changed from last year. And in that little world, encased in glass for easy viewing, nothing has. It still delights little and big humans; noses pressed to the glass, watching the trains go by. 

Today my daughter came over to bake cookies. This is another constant. We have been baking cookies together practically since she arrived on the scene and changed my world. We made chocolate covered wafers and decorated with crushed candy cane and sugar sprinkles and some with toffee bits. 

As you can see, she is expecting her second little one due in March! My third grandchild and another world changer! 

This is Randi back in 2016 baking shortbread

These were the cutest little cubes

We first tried these cookies back in 2016. They were so good and easy, we've made them yearly.

We all need some constants in our lives, things that are consistent and give us a sense of comfort in their familiarity. Especially in 2020! For me, Christmas baking with my children and now grand children is a great comfort. 

And knowing the trains are still chugging around the tracks at the Mall helps too!

 

ANYTHING GOES IN 2020

 So, clearly, this is not your average year. Like most of you, I just had my first COVID birthday. Now on a typical year, my birthday consists of a cold, dark gray November day, possibly snow on the ground and a fine dinner in a warm restaurant with friends and family. 

But there’s a pandemic at the moment so...anything goes!

We’ve had a record breaking run of warm and sunny weather. I figured I might as well take advantage of it and have a picnic! For my Birthday! Anything Goes!

I made arrangements with “The County Picnic”(find them on Facebook) to pick up my basket of goodies complete with a blanket and all the necessary accoutrements for a perfect picnic.  

Andrea will set you up right!

A gorgeous, sandwich with cheese and a spicy tomato sauce

And a basket full of cheeses, jams, hummus, bread, crackers, olives, pickles, apples and other goodies, all locally sourced from Prince Edward County

And instead of Birthday cake - Birthday donuts! Works for me!

We enjoyed our picnic with our good friends Tom and Jolie, who have journeyed life with us for about 30 years.

Coffee to go!

Tom and Jolie happen to live in a beautiful area of Prince Edward County. For picnics, location, Location, LOCATION is important!

Me, and the Old Man (but for the record, I’m the older one..)

I’ve never had a birthday like this in November and likely I never will again. But, there is a pandemic going on. It’s 2020. Anything Goes!

ALL THINGS OCTOBER

 It's been a weekend filled with All things October!

Like raking leaves.....Lots of leaves....

And since I was raking leaves might as well have a fire going

And since I had a fire going, I thought I would try my hand at roasting chestnuts! You have to score them first because your options are a gentle bursting or a possible chestnut explosion!

They come out, after about 20 minutes on the fire, to look like this:

And, since I was raking leaves, and roasting chestnuts on an open fire, might as well toast a few marshmallows (cause there was an open fire)! Even better, let's throw those toasted marshmallows into a chocolate chai!

Now we are talking All Things October: raking leaves, fire-roasted chestnuts  and a chocolate chai with toasted marshmallows! 

But wait, there's more...it just happens to be October 31 

aka Halloween! 

So, let's throw in a few adorable grandchildren in costumes:

Caleb as Donald Duck (the cutest ever)

And Soren getting his first real Trick or Treating experience as one of the Paw Patrols (the cutest ever).

Crunchy leaves, trick or treats, jack-o-lanterns, fires, chestnuts and chocolate chai - time to head inside and bake up a batch of gingerbread cookies.

All Things October!