Happy New Year!

New Year.. new beginnings.

I've always loved that concept....

I've just finished writing my last chapter for 2011.  I took a gamble on the last few pages, and it paid off.  It went out with a "bang", amongst great company; good food; lot's of laughter and camaraderie.  One of the best New Years in a long time.

My new book is already in the making, and is open to new opportunities and experiences.  The pages are blank and I'm looking forward to filling them.

I don't make resolutions for the coming year.  I draw from past experiences in seeking a good balance in my life. Mind, body and soul is what I focus on.

My aim for Chapter One is to make a conscious effort to surround myself with people I enjoy and bring me positive energies.   I'm also hoping to fill Chapter One with my Simple Pleasures of yoga and hiking.

I have a feeling that 2012 will make a good year.  After all, I'm the author of my life.

Happy 2011 - We're at the starting line again!

2011 is here and that means we all get a fresh start again.  I love the feeling of leaving the old behind.  New beginnings are great and on January 1st, we are all at the starting line again.  Who cares if we didn't make it to the finish line last year.... We get a 2nd chance to settle  unfinished business, and fulfill our hopes and promises from last year.  And if you're fortunate enough not to carry over from last year... Good For You!

I'm gonna try to get to the gym more often, eat healthy and make more time for all my amazing friends.   How about a regular tune up on the home front; perhaps I'll finally plan those special "dates" with hubby that I didn't do last year.  I'm finally gonna put prints in those empty picture frames on my living room walls. It's only been 2 years since I hung them. 

2010 wasn't a bad year, but it's certainly not gonna make it on my vintage list.  It had its good moments, but they seemed to be overshadowed by the never ending tread mill which was going faster and faster with no chance at getting off. No wonder, I have to carry over from last year..

My treasured moments from 2010, all has to do with spending time with family and friends.  A trip to Cuba with friends in February.  A long weekend trip to Tuscarora with good friends.  A beautiful gesture by a new friend.  A day in Port Perry with a special friend, and lastly the realization that my children are all growing up to becoming mature, kind and caring young adults. 

2011 is off to a good start though.  I'll be in the sunny Caribbean in a week,  which will give me a much needed rest and a good start to the New Year.

I'm hoping that 2011 will be a well balanced year, without any major roller coasters.  As for any plans, I'm hoping to achieve some, and if not, there will always be next year!

New Year - New Beginnings

The decorations have finally been put away, and Christmas is officially over. Each and every year, I keep reminding myself not to over-indulge during the holiday, and yet again I've done it. I've eaten too much, drunk more than I should, and slept less than required. Once again, I will start off the New Year with the promise of a "clean month, free of excessive "binging", and trying to lose the ridiculous weight gained during the past month. As a friend said yesterday, "We (westerns) spend part of Christmas wishing we didn't eat so much when parts of the world spend Christmas wishing they had enough to eat". That is so true; we are all about wants rather than needs.

I am a self proclaimed junkoholic. If I have that one piece of chocolate, one scoop of ice-cream, chips, candy etc., I absolutely have to have more. I cannot stop until it's finished, or I'm finished. There's evenings when I battle my own demon regarding the chocolate in the cupboard. I usually listen to the "voice" that's telling me that "one can't be that bad". Of course, I never ONLY have one. I could probably do with a CAA group (chocoholics’ anonyms).

So for January, I will avoid any parties involving food. I have a simple regime for diet, and that is to pre-plan my meals. I know what's healthy and good for me, but the difficult part is execution. So, if my meals are planned the day ahead, I hopefully won't stray off the menu. January is also the month when I like to be creative with all the food I have in my pantry. I tend to over stock the pantry, and as many items are not as favourable others, they get pushed to the back. I like the idea of "cleaning out" in January. I only purchase dairy, fruit & vegetables until we've "emptied" the pantry. Any perishables left undesirable at the end of the month gets donated to the food bank. I spend less money on food, and very little time at the grocery store.

Yesterday, I made a big batch of 9-bean-soup, healthy, hearthy and filling. I wasn't sure if the kids would like it, but I was surprisingly pleased when they all had seconds, brought the rest for lunch and told me to make another batch. If I've done one thing right with my kids, is to have opened up their palettes to the wonders of different foods and flavours of various cultures. They all love their vegetables!

It'll be a tough month staying away from all of the foods I crave, but mind over matter...I'll do it.

Are You Ready for Christmas?

"Are you ready for Christmas?” was the question of the week. Perhaps, it's a conversational breaker, such as asking about the weather or perhaps they are genuinely wondering. What exactly are people referring to when they ask that question? Are they wondering if I have the house decorated, presents bought, cookies baked, or food prepared?

I am proud to say that I've finally realized that we don't need to go overboard to celebrate Christmas. Surely, I've baked some cookies but not like in the past where I'd start in October. Surely, I've prepared some food for Christmas Eve, but not weeks ahead but rather a few days in advance. And yes, I bought some presents, not for 35 people as I've done in the past but for my 3 children. It's nice to be able to ignore the commercial frenzy created around Christmas.

I'll spend my Christmas Eve with family and friends, good food, and Christmas carolling. We have our traditions such as drinking our glögg (Swedish mulled wine), a smörgåsbord for dinner, and rice pudding for dessert. We'll also follow traditions and sing silly songs while we have a "snaps" (a shot of aquavit), in between courses. As a little girl, I would watch my grandmother gently shake her head "no" as my father was about to pour the aquavit into the tiny little shot glass placed in front of her dinner plate.  My father would ignore her  indication of no, and Grandma would glance around the table with a smile on her face as my father filled her glass . This ritual would repeat itself yearly, so I was waiting for the moment when she'd make a face as the liquor went down her throat, and her face would slowly turn red. The adults would all laugh and glasses would be refilled for the next song and “snaps”.  I now know how she felt. I'm not too keen on the aquavit but I don't want to be a party pooper, so I go along. The purpose of the aquavit was to cleanse your stomach and pallet in between meals, especially after eating herring.
For the rest of the Christmas holiday, I plan to take it easy and enjoy the things that bring me happiness such as a brisk walk in the cold; curling up on the sofa with a good book; a relaxing yoga session; laying a puzzle with my daughter, and meeting up with friends.
"So, am I ready for Christmas?" Sure, bring it on. I've managed to avoid traffic jams, line-ups at the mall, and hopefully an over-charged credit card come January so I'm feeling good.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays. I love the aroma of turkey cooking in the oven and pumpkin pie for dessert.   The glowing light from the lit candles bring ambiance to the room and when glancing out the window one can see the changing colors of the season.  The sound of laughter from the very young to the old brings out the best in everyone. Thanksgiving is also one the of holidays where food, family and friends are what we focus on, rather than other holidays such as Christmas where gift giving seems to have become the main focus; candy at Halloween; gifts and chocolates at Valentines; and chocolates at Easter again. So, it is nice to have one holiday where one doesn't have to think of gift giving...

Growing up in Sweden, Thanksgiving was not a statutory holiday and other than being recognized on the calendar it went unnoticed. I remember my 1st Thanksgiving in Canada whereby a family I met on a 3 week holiday in Florida invited me to share in their Thanksgiving meal. I was 19 years old at the time, and I remember thinking how nice it was of them to invite a complete stranger into their home. But this is what Thanksgiving is all about, being thankful for what we have but also to reach out to others and share amongst one another. No one should have to be alone on Thanksgiving.

This year, good friends of ours invited us to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. We love to visit their home. They are a large family with strong family values and since we don't have an extended family in Canada, it is nice to be included in their family celebrations. So, this year I am thankful for all the simple pleasures I got to enjoy this year and for all the wonderful people in my life and for the realization that less can be more....