Who is ringing in the New Year with you? Who do you wish could be with you, but isn't there?
I have spent many years ringing in the new year many different ways. There are lots of fine folks, that I love tremendously, who would be lots of fun to ring the new year in with....but there is only one person whom I truly cannot be without in order to ring each new year in with....and that is my honey-bear!
This year we are spending a nice quiet new years all snuggled in our apartment. In a while, we will be dining on juicy rib-eye steaks, home-made crab cakes, sauteed mushrooms, and crunchy salads. He will be drinking a lovely Merlot and I will be sipping chocolate martinis. Currently we are munching on red pepper hummous with rice crackers.....and before dinner, I will be slicing up some smoked salmon to keep us going until dinner. For dessert, we will be having something cool, frothy, and fruity that I will whip up later on.
The entertainment this evening will be movies, back to back, until we cannot keep our eyes open any longer! (or we find something else to do...hehe!) The movie lineup has yet to be finalized, but I sure it will be good! Good food, good drink, good company....all snuggled in front of some good entertainment!
Everyone, please have a wonderful, joyous, and safe New Year's celebration....wherever you may be and however you may be celebrating!!!
Its that time again.....
What is in store for this year?
What's the best photo you took this year? Show and tell!
This is tough as I have taken a lot of pictures this year....and I only got my new camera in June!!! :)
Some runners up for fav picture taken would be:
My in-law's grape arbour during a blizzard on Christmas day.....
** this one also taken on Christmas day is one I like better but it wasn't taken by me. It was taken with my camera but my husband took the picture so I cannot take credit for it!
Taken in False Creek...this is kind of wild looking with the sky in the circle....
I love this one because of the mirror reflection. Its grainy because its taken with my camera's infared system because it was almost pitch black at night when this was taken.
This one was taken the same night...kind of a cool angle....
I got a lot of compliments on this one.....
I always think this one is cool with the buildings and the clouds in the sky...it almost looks painted....
But my favourite photo is this one of the Inukshuk in English Bay.....
And I should also mention that my favourite photo taken of a person is of my 2 year old niece/god-daughter taken in the summer...... (she is actually 22 months here)
Show us a holiday memory
I don't have the picture that I wanted so this is my second choice.
This was the year I got my Fisher Price record player. Guess what? That thing STILL works! It was running a little funny so my hubby figured out how to take it all apart and clean it up so my little niece and nephew can now play with it. I LOVED that thing...still do...haha! :)
(p.s. my dad still has the same shag carpet in the living room....but it sooo needs to go! It was practically new in this pic as that room was built onto the house when I was a baby)
The other pic I wanted to show was also when I was a toddler. It was a great pic of me with my 2 brothers and sister sitting around me as I opened my presents. I was the youngest by a lot so it was fun for them when I was really little. Its a very sweet picture where we are all smiling and laughing as I was in "toddler awe" of a big nerf ball and some other little kid toys. Its probably a good thing I can't find that pic because my sister might kill me for posting a picture of her with her hair in rollers and her old cats-eye glasses! LOL! :)
The last few days have been a blur with trying to catch up on all the things that didn't get done after being sick for over a week. I didn't get everything done but have caught up quite a bit. I did get some baking done but not all....and the house...is still not decorated for Christmas yet. I am hoping to get that done as we didn't decorate last year and I miss my stuff.
This afternoon we are off to my Dad's for my family's Christmas celebration and then tomorrow we are off to the in-laws for theirs.
Every year, we alternate who gets "dibs" on us for Christmas day and have it coordinated with my brothers and sisters so that the years that we are with my family on Christmas day, we are usually all together which is nice. Although now that my brother and his family are living back east, I think that the "all together" thing is going to be few and far between. My brother and his family are out here right now for Christmas but they are not entirely happy about it as my SIL's family is being difficult with them which makes me really mad because its making them crazy and as such, making the rest of us crazy. Why does family bring out the worst in some people? And why do they choose to do it on holidays and suck the joy out of everything?
Plus my brother and his wife are just not good at being "visitors. This is the first time anyone has not lived within driving distance....so all our lives and theirs, we are all used to all being local for holidays, etc. And when they lived here, they often hosted. They are feeling uncomfortable with not having their own home and having some "control" during the holiday. Its an adjustment.....which I guess is life. Nothing stays the same and for that, we must go with the flow and always keep in mind, what is important.
Anyhoo, I must stop digressing on a subject that I am trying not to obsess about......
As I said, I did manage to get a little bit of baking done and the last of it is being done after I get this posted! I will be making my usual flourless cookies which totally rock and are perfect for my celiac niece. I still have to figure out a quick dessert for tonight. I think I will make a lemon mousse pie with a corn flake crust.
I tried something new this year and made peppermint creams. Wow....these are soooooo simple and easy to make and are fabulous and something my celiac niece can have. Peppermint creams are like York patties without the chocolate.
Anyways, I should get going and get on with the baking and finish wrapping pressents.
Everyone, please have a wonderful holiday spent with loved ones and enjoy the precious time spent together. Regardless of how you celebrate the season, I wish you all the best for you and yours. And above all, I wish you PEACE. Merry Christmas!
And I leave you with the recipe for peppermint creams which is so easy, you could even whip it up right now and impress everyone tomorrow! :)
Peppermint Creams
3 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp water
1 large egg white, lightly whisked
1 tsp peppermint extract, or oil
Mix the sugar with the lemon juice, water, peppermint extract, and enough egg white to make a pliable mixture.
Knead on a clean surface dusted with icing sugar. Divide into 4 sections.
* note - If too wet, add more icing sugar as required. If too dry, add more egg white as required.
Roll out each section separately into a long sausage (size depends on how big you want the pieces to be).
Slice the dough into neat little rounds or form into balls and flatten slightly with the back of a fork.
Place all rounds or flattened balls onto a flat pan/tray covered in waxed paper.
Place tray somewhere safe and dry for 24 hours, until pieces are thoroughly dry.
Once dry, store in an airtight container.
Recently, Red Pen posted about Less Can Be More and Tamzen posted specifically about Heifer International as a way of illustrating about giving gifts that gift back.
Another great option for giving gifts that give back is to support Ten Thousand Villages.
If you are not familiar with Ten Thousand Villages, it is a not-for-profit, self-supporting Fair Trade Organization designed to benefit artisans. They market products from handicraft and agricultural organizations in low income countries, providing consumers with products that have been fairly purchased from sustainable sources. They are part of the world organization of Fair Trade Organizations whose mission is to improve the livliehoods and well-being of disadvantaged producers. Their philosophy is that world trade should have a conscience and that artisans should receive respect, dignity, and fair value for their work.
Stores are popping up all over North America in both Canada and the US. Check them at their website www.tenthousandvillages.com where you can read more about they are all about.
You can support them by buying products at one of the 160+ stores in North America or online. You can also purchase a "live gift" much like Heifer International.
With so many things, that we buy, coming from overseas, its nice to shop with a conscience and know that someone is getting paid fairly for their work.
WTF? Ok, who gets married in public restroom? I want...no...I need to see a picture of this. This cannot be for real.
Bride in toilet paper dress to tie the knot in Times Square restroom
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK - Here comes the bride, all dressed in white.
Two-ply, extra-soft toilet paper, actually. Lovebirds Jennifer Cannon and Doy Nichols of Lexington, Ky., are getting hitched today in a public restroom in Manhattan.
She'll be wearing a gown fashioned from glue, tape and Charmin Ultra Soft and Ultra Strong toilet tissue.
The intricately detailed dress was designed by Hanah Kim, winner of the 2007 Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest, sponsored by Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com.
A company spokeswoman say the wedding ceremony, to be attended by family and friends, will take place in Times Square at the Charmin Restrooms.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
Story from TELUS NEWS:
http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?pn=oddities&articleID=2840732
edit:
Actually a picture of the dress can be found here. Its not bad. I certainly hope it doesn't rain or get any champagne spilled on it! :) But get married in a restroom? rrrrrrright......
Who do you want to be caught under the mistletoe with this holiday season?
Submitted by An Ebony Epicurean.
duh.
And we don't need mistletoe....we're good! :)
Some people are seriously deranged.....
Mall Santa says woman who sat on his lap gave him a big surprise
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DANBURY, Conn.
The woman who sat on Santa's lap was naughty, not nice.
Police say a woman has been charged with sexual assault after a Santa at the Danbury Fair mall complained the woman groped him. "The security officer at the mall said Santa Claus has been sexually assaulted," police Det. Lt. Thomas Michael said of the weekend complaint.
Sandrama Lamy, 33, of Danbury, was charged with sexual assault and breach of peace. She was released on a promise to appear in court Jan. 3.
Police quickly found and identified Lamy because the suspect was described as being on crutches, said Capt. Bob Myles.
A call seeking comment from Lamy was answered by a recording Tuesday morning. A woman later called back and said: "It's a false report and I don't have any idea."
Police did not give the name of the disconcerted Santa, but they said he was 65 and felt badly because children were waiting to see him.
"He was apparently shocked and embarrassed by the whole incident," Myles said.
A man who teaches hundreds of prospective Santas each year - (Santa Tim) Connaghan, president of RealSantas.com - said he's never heard of a similar incident, though it's not unusual for adults to want to pose with Santa.
"I've had some very nice ladies sit on my lap," said Connaghan, who did not train the Danbury Fair Santa.
"Once in a while they'll say: 'I hope Mrs. Claus isn't going to be upset.' You have to be discreet and kind and say 'Oh no, she'll be OK. You can sit here, but only for one photo."'
© The Canadian Press, 2007
Story from TELUS NEWS:
http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?pn=oddities&articleID=2840154
268 bank accounts in Victoria drained in 1 week in latest scam
(CBC) - Eastern European gangs are believed to be behind a debit card scam in Victoria, B.C., that has drained money from hundreds of people's bank accounts, Saanich police said.
Police have found five fake PIN pads in Greater Victoria over the past week and money has reportedly been stolen from 268 local debit card accounts during that time, spokesman Sgt. John Prince said.
"They're organized Eastern European gangs.... We know there's a large group in the Lower Mainland that does this. They sweep across Canada so people need to protect themselves," Prince told CBC News.
Price said a group of thieves usually enter a store and while some distract the clerk, others switch the store's PIN pad with one they have modified.
"The consumer still does the true interaction with the PIN pad, however, there is a remote chip that allows someone off-site to gather the personal information of the consumer," said Const. Brad Brajcich of the Saanich police.
The thieves then used their computers to download the magnetic code and PIN number of every customer who has used that Interac machine, transfer them to bogus debit cards and steal the money, Prince said.
Police believe there are more fake PIN pads across the Lower Mainland.
Kai Schmidt, a Vancouver resident, said $400 was mysteriously taken from his account on Sunday.
"We were positive we hadn't taken the money out, so obviously it must have been stolen," he said Thursday.
Police offer the following tips to avoid being the victim of a debit scam:
For customers:
- Check if the PIN pad has been tampered with before handing over your debit card. Look for raised screws on the back, the absence of a serial number, or the machine looks like it doesn't fit.
- Check your bank statement often, daily if possible, for any illegal activity.
- Call the bank at once if you are suspicious about anything in your account.
For merchants:
- Pay attention around the cash register because "fake" customers will try to distract you while they switch debit machines.
- Check the PIN pad regularly throughout the day and look for signs of tampering.
- Put labels or stickers on PIN pads so they're easily identifiable by staff and to deter thieves from making a quick switch.
Canadian banks have the obligation to reimburse victims of debit card scams, said Maura Drew-Lytle, a senior media relations manager with the Canadian Bankers Association.
"If you're the victim of fraud, you can get your money back. And sometimes the banks with their monitoring systems, they can get your money back before you even know it's gone," she said.
A total of $95 million was stolen in debit card scams last year, she said.
Story from TELUS NEWS:
http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?pn=regional/british_columbia&articleID=2838294
