Farwell to 2010

This was the year that...

• I turned 35 
• I quit the hospital and went back to Maxwell
• We brought home Lulu
• Our basement suffered from three separate floods
• We learned to lay a floor
•  I got my new DSLR camera
• I started blogging about food
• We discovered Three Dog Bakery
• I had the best pizza I have ever had in my whole life, Mushrooms, caramelized onions, walnuts and blue cheese
• I went to see Jann with Aimee and Jodi
• SZJ- VI
• We got a new car
• I got to paint the basement orange
• We had Easter dinner out of doors
• Oliver turned 4 and we had a party
• Grammy had a car accident
• Phil and Nat got married
• We got a new driveway and a new retaining wall
• Lulu turned 2
• I stopped colouring my hair. Go Grey!
• Gil grew a green thumb
• I discovered FIFA world cup soccer (and the hot Argentinian goalie)
• I lost 30 lbs but then found it again behind the sofa
• We spent an amazing afternoon sailing in Chester with dear friends who we never get to see
• I hired and fired two people
• Aimee and I discovered the awesomness of pool noodles.
• Gil got a new tattoo
• Hurricane Earl
• I wrote a novel
• I started a photo blog
• Gil sent me LOTS of flowers
• We celebrated 4 years of wedded bliss
• Gil ate a $100 steak
• I went to my first Con
• We had an amazing weekend at White Point
• Cha Baa Thai opened in Burnside
• I had the best shower of my life (in Seabright)
• Gil's sister Amy came to visit from Ottawa
• Gil and I formed the Breakfast Club

 There were other things for sure, lots of things some big some small, most not mine to tell but it has been a big year, a hard year and as scary as it is for me to be going head long into 36 I am happy to see the end of this year and even though it is really just another day I look forward to the blank slate.

The Baby Boom

It has been more then a year now since Gil and I made the decision to focus on our selves and our marriage rather than adding a child to our family. I don't need to tell you that was a hard choice for us but ultimately we did what we had to do to preserve our selves, our marriage and our sanity. That does not mean that I suddenly decided I don't like kids and does not mean I stopped wanting to be a mother. I don't think that is something that ever goes away. Most of the time I am fine. Honestly. I feel like we made the right decision and I am proud of is for making the unpopular choice  and sticking with it and yes even having to defend ourselves and that choice from time to time.
But I have to be honest with you there are times when it is really really hard. Christmas is hard because there is so much about Christmas that is all about children.
And baby booms are hard, especially when some of those impending miracles seem so ill timed or ill advised.
It is not hard for me to be happy for people, honest, but babies are not accessories or pets. I find myself editing in my head as I am typing this which kind of sucks because at some point I have become afraid of what other people will think of me. I am trying to NOT sound like I am saying people with no money should not have children and that is really not what I am trying to say. I am trying to say that children should be born to people who are able to take care of them. Anyway I can't seem to find the right words at the moment, I have PMS so that is not helping. There is a baby boom at the moment and I feel sad. I own it. I won't apologize for it. 

The Count Down to.... 2011

Things have been pretty busy with the holidays but today I have decided that I need to take some time to update. I have a butt load of other things to do to get ready for our first annual New Years Day Levée but sitting down to write is just as important and I need to start MAKING the time for it. 
So far this has not been a very restful vacation for me. Gil is sick and yesterday I was down for the count with a migraine but god bless Aimee who came and took me for groceries in the evening so I am not trying to cram it it all in tomorrow when the stores are going to be a mad house. Of course I feel at the moment like I don't have enough food but in the end, like always, it will turn out to be way too much. LOL I try and keep that in mind but it is not my strong point. I am definitely an over planner. I am glad not to be doing a birthday party this year I don't think I could cope with planning two events this close together. The sad thing I have been "planning" this Levée for a year but somehow it still comes down to the last minute. Maybe 2011 will be the year I get organized... maybe.

The one charm of the past is that it is the past. ~Oscar Wilde

I had a very interesting revelation this weekend. In the midst of a migraine headache and a Christmas party I had a profound awakening.
I had the chance to speak with an old friend of mine who used to be a very good friend of mine and my roommate and we had a falling out a very long time ago. Somehow our causal conversation about what was new turned into a dissection of what happened between us and in the process I heard some very weird rumors about things that I had supposedly said and done back then that contributed to the demise of our relationship. For a moment I found these ludicrous stories hurtful and it started to dredge up some very old and painful feelings. I wanted to hear more and I wanted to have the chance to defend myself. I wanted to tell my own stories about the person who had said these things about me but then it dawned on me clear as day in the middle of the noise and the craziness and the conversation. It doesn't matter. Really, it has no bearing on my life now. It was more then 10 years ago. I don't hang out with those people anymore, I am not in the same place I was. I am in my life with my husband and my house and my dogs and my job and my friends and I love my life. I have a great life and what happened in the past is there, in the past. I have lived and learned and I am not going to get stuck in it. And you know what? That feels great. Honest to god it makes me feel light and happy which this time a year is a gift, a Christmas miracle.

Nectar Social House - The Brunch Experince.

On Saturday morning Gil and I rolled out of bed very late, it was already after 11am which for me is just you sleeping the whole day away but we'd had a very late night and I had been up at 6am to take care of the kids. We cracked our eyes to find that is was a cold day and it was pouring rain so I was strongly just staying in bed but Gil bribed me out of bed with the promise of breakfast. We bundled up and headed out into the rain and I confess I wasn't feeling the love because I was over tired and it was really awful outside but Gilly was excited because it was after 11:30 which meant that the brunch world had really opened up for us and he had been dying to try Nectar Social House.

We arrived only moments afters they opened, we were greeted at the door and our wet clothes whisked away which was nice because no one likes sitting with wet wool. We were offered our choice of table or booth and the waitress came right away with hot coffee. While Gil was busy perusing the menu I was busy taking in the scenery. It is definitely as much a fest for the eyes as the mouth and the staff was more then willing to let me wander around be be snap happy.

Is it just me or do they look like gourds?

Our Waitress was very nice but not in our face which was good and our food came very quickly which was pleasant since it was early in the day and it could have taken a while to get the kitchen up and running.

I ordered the Asparagus crepes

                                

Scrambled eggs, bacon and asparagus rolled into crepes served with smoked apple wood cheese sauce and house made potato wedges

It was really delicious. The cheese sauce was nice and light. I love hollandaise sauce but sometimes it can be a bit heavy so the light sauce was lovely change. I think that the only thing I would change would be the amount of asparagus,I think it could have used more personally.

Gil ordered the Eggs Bombay

 

Poached eggs and sausage served on basmati rice, smothered in a mild curry sauce, and sour dough 

toast

Gil was kind enough to allow to to have some the sausage and I have to say it was just about one of the tastiest things I have ever eater. It was spicy but not hot, I wanted to order another one just for myself.

We took out time, ate slowly and had a great conversation and had our coffee topped up and it was a really lovely morning. We even more pleasantly surprised when the cheque came and the total was only $32 and change. We were really happy with every aspect of our Nectar experience and we can't wait to go back and try a few more things on the brunch menu. 

Friday night....

Watching TV is so weird. Every couple of minutes they interrupt the action to show me a very mini show that makes me hungry and want to buy a car or take a trip somewhere. I guess I have been watching too many downloaded shows.I am enjoying some chill time in front of a TV while I babysit for a friend of mine who lives up the road from me. Both little girls are sound asleep so we are chilling out, my man and I. Sadly rather then making out on the sofa as we may have done if we were 15 we are each sitting with our laptops each doing our own thing. LAME, Funny but lame.
I am trying to find something interesting to say but I find my brain being suck out by the pretty picture box. It is also not helping that it is after 11pm so I am totally falling asleep. I am such an old lady.
It is weird the news is showing snow storms all over the place, Europe is practically in a state of emergency and New York is insane but here it is just day after day of rain. Today was down right balmy. I want snow dammit. Just enough to make it pretty. Enough to make it feel like Christmas is only three weeks away!