this is bittersweet

Good morning, happy Saturday!  Back from Santa Ynez, which I will blog about later in the weekend, and up at a decent hour this morning.  I haven’t gone out on a walk yet.  Instead, I’ve been doing the easy parts of taking down Christmas and putting it away.  The last time seeing so many of these items that evoke such memories and emotions until the next holiday season.  I hate having to do this, but I will appreciate having the condo back to normal and tidy.  A bittersweet start to the weekend, I admit.

Christmas 2025

Christmas was a mixed bag.  Weatherwise, that is.  As I posted before, I woke up to the sun peering through the trees at dawn.  There were blue skies for the most part as I took the little girl out for a nice walk. 

Few other people up and out at that time.  I love the peace of mornings like that.  Conrad and Van were in bed a goodly while Christmas morning, so I brought Olive home then set out on a walk of my own

for a little over four miles.  The rain and wind of the day before had left something of a mark in the neighbourhoods,

but for the most part, it wasn't too bad.  A clear, mostly sunny morning for a walk. I called my sister, and as I strolled, she and I chatted away.

It took a while for everyone to get up on Christmas morning, but we had no urgency.  Dinner was all to be reheated - we'd picked it up from Julienne the day before -  so I didn't need to worry about getting home and into the kitchen.  So I spent a lot of the morning messaging friends with Christmas greetings, and after the guys were up and we'd all showered and dressed, we headed to Starbucks and then came back to Van's where he got in the kitchen

and made us eggs, bacon, and flapjacks. 

On a sidenote, I'd looked all over for Saskatoon berry products when we did our BC trip this summer, and found none.  Boo.  But I found Saskatoon berry syrup online and ordered us some, and it's become a favourite for us with our flapjacks.  Good stuff!  I may need to order more.

Anyway, breakfast done - and it was past noon at that point - we finally opened presents to see what Santa brought. 

We didn't have a lot of tangible things this year, at least not until Conrad and Van got to their stockings later, because we're now doing experiences for the most part.  So there are trips ahead for the three of us and for me with each of them separately.  That should be nice.

Conrad and I got home by around 2 in the afternoon and had time to relax and even nap.  Van and Olive came over later on for dinner.  Cocktails to start, shrimp cocktail and veggies with dip and some potato chips, and then I set the ham dinner out on the table for us all. 

It was tasty, and it was easy!  We had leftovers on Boxing Day and that didn't even take care of all the ham or beans!  Ah well.  I opened a bottle of a nice NZ Pinot Noir

that Conrad had brought back from his trip this past August, and we toasted

and enjoyed that.  After dinner came the stockings at last, and of course the little girl had her own. 

Look at her! 

You know she ended up on Santa's nice list this past year.

Van and Olive headed home a while after that, and I sent Conrad, who was yawning a lot, upstairs to bed while I did all the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen.  It was nice to get up on Boxing Day to a clean kitchen!  That work took me until about 11:30, at which point I felt a little too alert to head to bed.  I read downstairs, listening to Christmas music, until about 1:30 at which point I finally felt like I was tired.  And I was.  I was out like a light, putting an end to a lovely, relaxed Christmas Day. 

the lead-up to Christmas

I'm writing this after dinner on Boxing Day, leftovers from Christmas (of course!).  It's a nice, easy evening, which aligns with the past couple of days.  Rain aside (and we do need rain, but less at one time and more often), it's been just the most delightful Christmas in some time.  No entertaining, little cooking.  A really good time of it.

Christmas Eve eve, the 23rd, Conrad and I took ourselves to Maestro for the last time this year.  We're heading out of town Sunday, and we have leftovers still to eat, so yes, our last time.  We sat at the bar, as usual, and had drinks to start.  I've been loving the Fall Sour that they've had as a seasonal cocktail lately, so I had that. 

Conrad went with a Last Word. 

I love that he loves those so much.  We shared plantain chips with guacamole

and then the lamb shank, which was a huge portion, wow!

It was an early dinner, and we had the rest of the evening to enjoy, so we came home and put on some Christmas music and read.  I enjoyed a chocolate martini as well. 

The night wound down, we headed to bed, eager for Christmas Eve.

And then it was Christmas Eve.  And it was raining. 

We have a rain gauge on our roof, and it recorded almost 5 inches of rain on December 24 alone.  Official records are sure to be less, but we still had a month of rain in one day, more or less.  Conrad and I made our way - with umbrellas! - to Amara to enjoy breakfast sitting inside,

then came home to toss our clothes in the dryer and relax before heading out on errands.  We got things done on Wednesday:  picking up food, wrapping a few gifts, setting the table for Christmas. 

An accomplished day, not an overwhelming one.  We even made time to swing down by the Rose Bowl to see how much water was running in the channel through the arroyo. 

The answer:  clearly more than usual!

By the end of the afternoon, we were organized and packing up the car and heading to Van's for the evening an overnight.  We had presents to put under his tree

(and one to open early

so that we could use them for the cocktails).  Pre-dinner drinks,

and then a BC wine with dinner (2023 Joie Noble Blend). 

Van made us lobster tails and baked potatoes and peas,

and we dined very well, indeed.  Bellies full, we unwound after dinner (and Olive found her way over to her favoured Plan C). 

There was dessert, but even better, there were Grasshopper cocktails to sip after dinner.

We went to bed by 11, awaiting Santa.  No, not really, but the nostalgia of that is fun!  Just the same, though, we'd had a lovely couple of days in the lead-up to Christmas, and more enjoyable time was to come. 

Christmas dinner

I'm starting this just before midnight, but I think it may be Boxing Day when I finish and post.  Dishes are done, Van and Olive have gone home, Conrad is in bed.  That leaves me.  Contented.

Lots to blog in days ahead once again, but let me close Christmas with our dinner.  A nice table set for the three of us. 

I made a mustard sauce for the ham, but our dinner was otherwise courtesy of Julienne. 

All reheated, nice and simple.  Van and Olive came over, and we had light bites and cocktails before moving to the table.  Our wine was a lovely New Zealand wine

Conrad brought back from his trip this past August.  And the food was good.

So cheers to Christmas, cheers to Boxing Day. 

We've had a truly delightful, relaxing celebration, if that's possible.  And I shall blog more soon! 

Merry Christmas!

After a day of much rain yesterday (and I may post about that after tomorrow), I woke up (late!) this morning to see the blessed dawn of Christmas Day.  Sunshine peeking through the trees along Van’s balcony.  A glorious start to my favourite day of the year.

Merry Christmas!  I shall blog more after the holiday, for sure.  For now, enjoy your day, please!

holiday spirit

I maintain that there are no ugly holiday sweaters, merely holiday sweaters.  To be worn and celebrated!

Thus...

Not my only Christmas outfit of the week, I promise! 

set for the season!

It was a nice Saturday.  Me, back in the kitchen.  Some friends over for dinner and put to work on the tree.  A torta rustica served up. 

Some drinks and conversation and Christmas music.  And all of that leading to today:  a condo cleaned up after a busy day yesterday, a tree in the living room,

holiday cheer decorating the inside and outside of the condo.

I love this time of year so darn much!