Overnight Snowfall

This is what we woke to this morning. It had started to lightly snow last evening around 2200hr. But the forecasts were conflicting. One said we were to get 1-3cm of snow and another said 5-10 cm. Amazing how forecasts for the same area can be so off. It's now almost 1000hr. and it is still snowing. We were planning to go to town this afternoon and do the exchange of christmas gifts that weren't the right size or were duplicated.........we'll see.

Oma Playing on the Wii

Oma took quite a liking to Emma's Wii. Whike she was here she played with Emma and I. We bowled, golfed and watered skiied. She had a great time.

Christmas afternoon and evening

Peter and family joined us in the afternoon and had supper with us.

Sasha being rough with Paul :-)

Board Game time.

Opa and Oma....what a great picture!

The boys hanging out.

Emma with Isaac and his new DSi.

Christmas Morning

Gift opening!

Brenna received the Voyageur Series on DVD's

Emma and her yoga mat.

Paul with a jig from Lee Valley.

Opa reading the tag on the gift....a gift from Bren. and Em.

Oma's gift from the girls.

What a surprise........an itouch.....can you imagine!

Christmas Eve at Peters

We had supper at Peters, a delicious chicken stew that is a St. Amand recipe....one that I hope to get, meat pies, salad and desserts.

Mr. Claus!


Junior Claus!

Mr. Sasha!

Present time!

December 23rd at Isaac's Hockey Practise

Spectators at the practise!

On Wednesday we went out to Rothesay and watched Isaac practise hockey. Sasha had a great time running around the rink, climbing the stands and playing with the new friend he made.

Isaac # 18



Getting ready to shoot!!!!!

Christmas Question # 24 & #25

Favorite for Christmas dinner? The whole dinner and it’s great to have people to share it with….that is what I miss the most, having family around on Christmas day.

What do you want for Christmas this year? Nothing in particular….I just SOOOOOO enjoy watching everyone else open their gifts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!

Merry Christmas to Me!!

Today I received a wonderful christmas gift. I was offered and accepted a permanent part-time position in the OR at the hospital in which I currently work. I am guaranteed 3 days/week. I officially start on January 4th. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!!!!!!

Christmas Question #23

Favorite ornament theme or color? None…..my tree is a collection of ornaments over the last 30+ years, ornaments from my 1st christmas away from home to this christmas......some of which I hope to pass on to my children or grand children. I even have ornaments that belonged to my grandmother and were passed on to me.When putting the ornaments on the tree I recall who and when I received that ornament. Needless to say it takes awhile to decorate the tree. Every year I buy an ornament for the girls, so when they get established on their own they will have memories of christmas to take with them.

Christmas Question # 22

Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Stressing about getting everything done and buying the right present for everyone!

Christmas Question # 21

Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning. One year as a child we opened them after midnight mass and there was nothing for Christmas day…it was awful.

Christmas Question # 20

Angel on the tree top or a star? ALWAYS an Angel. For years I had one that my mother had made and now I have a gold wire one for the artificial tree and a cloth one for the real tree.

Grand Falls Reeling After Fire Destroys 4 Buildings

The town of Grand Falls, N.B., is reeling after a fire on the main road destroyed four buildings, costing some people their jobs, others their businesses and some their homes.
Broadway Boulevard looked like a battlefield Friday, with the smouldering remains of a furniture store, day care, pool hall and beauty salon.
The blaze started about 9 p.m. Thursday in the Dooly's building, then quickly spread through the downtown district, officials said.
More than 120 firefighters, including crews from three fire departments in Maine, fought the blaze amid strong winds and freezing temperatures through the night.
"This is the biggest fire that I've fought, and I've been here 23 years," said Grand Falls Deputy Chief Yvon Pelletier.
"We thought that we had it under control, and then the wind picked up and it just moved the fire from one roof to the other building, from one building to another," he said.
The fire was out by Friday morning and no injuries were reported. But five families, who lived in apartments above the businesses, are now homeless.
"We lost everything. Everything. Everything," said Claudette Pelletier Brunet, who lived in one of the apartments with her husband and two mentally challenged sons.
"We don't have nothing. Not even a comb, a lipstick, nothing. No toothbrush. We have to buy everything. Everything," she said.
The community is now rallying to help the affected families. Donations can be made through the Bank of Montreal.
The fire razed four buildings that housed Senechal Furniture, Broadway Daycare, Dooly's plus a beauty salon. Several other buildings also sustained smoke damage.
Grand Falls Mayor Marcel Deschênes said he was called about the fire at around 9 p.m. on Thursday and was on the scene for most of the night.
"It could have been a lot worse. Just across the street from there is a gas station and we had the wind pushing the sparks across the boulevard," Deschênes said.
"So at one point it was chaotic there and we didn't know what would transpire. We were lucky."
Two excavators were brought in to push buildings down and prevent the fire from spreading.
Fire officials remained on the scene Friday afternoon to monitor hot spots and assess the damages.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The mayor said this blaze isn't the first to take down buildings on Broadway Boulevard.
"We had a fire in that area there in 1974. We bounced back from it and I'm sure these people after they get through the trauma of this, they'll pull up their sleeves and rebuild. We hope so," Deschenes said.

Christmas Question # 19

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? I think so....but don't test me!!!

Christmas Question # 18

Travel at Christmas or stay home? Now we stay home. We use to travel every Christmas when the girls were little, but I REALLY ENJOY being in my own home. This year my parents will be with us for Christmas, and we will all be at my brothers for the 24th.

Christmas Question # 17

Favorite Christmas song? James Taylor’s album “At Christmas”. I enjoy “Baby its Cold Outside” sung with Natalie Cole. The whole album is great!

The Holidays Have Begun

Today as of 1600hr. I am officially in holiday mode. It's VERY COLD outside, we have a roaring fire going in the stove, christmas music playing and Paul and I are wrapping christmas presents this evening. I am SOOOOOOO looking forward to my days off leading up to Christmas!

Christmas Question # 16

Lights on the tree? 800 colored lights

Christmas Question # 15

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Carmel Popcorn…….I use to make one batch, but now with the girls being adults and boyfriends as part of the family I end up making 2-3 batches.

Christmas Question # 14

Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

Making Room for More Food

Paul and Emma cleaned out and organized the freezer today. We decided there was no room for any christmas cooking so we had to correct the problem. I don't know about the rest of you, but things end up at the bottom of the freezer and you completely forget they are there. We even found a stray Teddy Bear ( the eatable kind.....Longwood knows what I mean) at the bottom. So it was definitely time for a cleaning. Today we bought a couple of oriental packs and mozza sticks from M&M's. Our turkey has been bought so this week I'll start the baking. There will be the ususal teddy bears, almond fingers, sugar cookies, short breads, elmers squares and Emma wants to add some dutch cookies. I can't forget carmel popcorn....I'm sure there will be a few batches of that. Mom is bringing date squares, mocha cakes, some fruit cake and her homemade fudge. If I want to eat any of that I'll have to visit the treadmill more than once a day!

12 Days Until Christmas

Only 12 days until christmas. Our home is decorated. Most of the shopping is done, now it's just the wrapping and baking of goodies. Emma writes her last exam on Thursday. Brenna writes her last on Wednesday. Jack will be home on Saturday, and they both can't wait....he arrives by train into Moncton, it's a sin that we no longer have a train coming into Saint John. Brenna will be home on Saturday or Sunday. My last day of work is this Wednesday.....horray, can't wait, and Paul is done on Friday....another horray. Mom and Dad will be down close to christmas to spend a few days with us. I am looking forward to having everyone home and simply sitting back and enjoying it all.....not going to work, the food, family home, time with friends.

Christmas Question # 13

When do you start shopping? Boxing Day, seriously I do.........I get a pile of stuff during the Boxing Week sales.

Christmas Question # 12

Favorite Christmas Movie? It’s a Wonderful Life…..and I only started watching it once I was married. It's a great christmas movie.
Film lovers have often contemplated where the “real” Bedford Falls might be located. The movie hints its location is somewhere in upstate New York. However, the physical similarities between Seneca Falls and Bedford Falls are striking. Seneca Falls has a traditional New England main street, a steel truss bridge, and many Second Empire Victorian homes (like the large, old Granville house in the movie). Both towns have a canal; both main streets are 300 yards long; and in 1945, when the move was shot, Seneca Falls was a mill town, just like Bedford Falls. Seneca Falls also had the globe street lamps seen in the movie and even had a median on a portion of its main street.
The community of Seneca Falls is so sure it served as Capra’s inspiration that they have created an It’s A Wonderful Life weekend. This year, Seneca Falls will be celebrating the 62nd anniversary of the film December 10th through 13th. Events include screening of It’s A Wonderful Life narrated by Karolyn Grimes, who played ZuZu in the film, holiday pictorial postal cancellation, pictures with Santa, train and horse-drawn wagon rides, dinner with Zuzu, and much, much more! The Seneca Falls downtown is decorated with replicas of the Christmas lights of Bedford Falls, and the shops and restaurants serve up It’s A Wonderful Life fare.

Christmas Question # 11

Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can’t think of one, honestly.

Christmas Question #10

Mail or email Christmas cards. Mail, I'm still old fashioned I guess. But I certainly don't receive or send out as many cards as I use to.

Christmas Question # 9

Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, it’s a large ceramic set I made for my parents and it was regifted back to me 2 years ago.

Christmas Question # 8

Easiest person to buy for? My mother!

Christmas Question # 7

Hardest person to buy for? My father, no question.

TNB production of 'It's A Wonderful Life"

Yesterday we went to Fredericton. We left at 1100 and when we reached Welsford it was snowing, but that was short lived because by the time we reached Petersville Hill it had stopped. Once in Fredericton we payed a visit to "Scoop and Save" to pick up some chocolate for christmas......what a great store. Then it was off to pick up Brenna and her BF. We were in Fredericton for the afternoon showing of 'It's A Wonderful Life" presented by TNB. This was only my second time at the playhouse. It really hit home how fortunate we are to have a venue like the "Imperial Theatre". Unfortunately Brenna was swamped with school work and couldn't take time out for supper, so it was Paul, myself and Emma. The drive home was clear until, once again, we reached Petersville Hill and it was snowing......and it snowed hard the rest of the drive home.

Christmas Question # 6

Favorite gift received as a child? I have no idea...

First Snowfall of this Season

This is what we woke to this morning. I was up at 0700 and by 0900 they had already plowed the court, sooooooo I guess we will have to get out and do some shovelling..........winter has now begun.

Christmas Question #5

Do you like eggnog? Yes….with a little Captain Morgan’s Dark Rum :-)

Christmas Question #4

When do you take the tree down? After New Years…..it is usually down by the end of the first full week of January, before we return to work.

Christmas Question #3

When do you put up the tree? Last weekend of November or first weekend of December. Actually we just finished decorating it yesterday.

Christmas Question #1 & #2

I have 25 questions in relation to christmas, one for each day leading up to Christmas Day. I'm a day late but I'll post one a day with my answer and I would love to hear from everyone else.


Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both, I buy them at the boxing day sales for the next year.

Real tree or Artificial? Artificial....one of the best things I ever bought.

Mom and Dad's Christmas Tree

Weekend in Grand Falls

Friday night we headed north.....we had supper, packed and left around 5:30PM. It was a difficult drive in the rain, the road was SOOOOOO black and it was hard to see at times.

Saturday was a busy day. We startedwith a big breakfast of pancakes and bacon.Then we rolled away from the table and put the christmas tree together. Before lunch, Paul and I took Mom to town; they were having a clinic for the general public to get their H1N1 shot. Both Mom and Paul got theirs....I had received mine at work the first week they were out. Then we took Mom to the library and she got a library card and took out a couple of books and movies. That afternoon we decorated the tree and house.

Paul's birthday was on Sunday and because we would be travelling, we celebrated it on Saturday evening. Mom made a lovely meal and cake and ice cream followed.

That evening we had a serious game of cards, double deck rummy, and Oma was the winner. Unfortunately the birthday boy was the loser.

Sunday we went to church with Opa and Oma....chatted with John & Giselle and Louis & Carmen after mass. We had breakfast at the Big Stop in Grand Falls and were on the road around 1:00pm. It was a beautiful but cold day.

Olympic Torch Leaves Grand Bay

Emma thinks the torch was carried by a student from RVMS.

Look Who's Holding the Olympic Torch

Olympic Torch Arrives in Grand Bay

Emma was off this morning and was able to watch the torch arrive in Grand Bay.

Unexpected Visit

Peter and the boys dropped in on their way back from Mom and Dads. It was a short visit but great to see everyone. Isaac's English has come a long way and it was great to chat with him about school and hockey. Sasha didn't make strange for very long and was at home very quickly going up and down the stairs and playing the piano. Isaac had to bring in all the toys he had brought back from Grand Falls.....toys that were Peters when he was a young boy.

Winterizing and Getting Ready for Chriatmas

Last week we managed to get most everything done in preparation for winter. We raked, mulched and mowed as many leaves as we care to talk about. Paul put the two mowers away until next spring. He brought out the snowblower and parked it in the garage ready for the first snowfall which I hope isn't any time soon. He helped me plant the last of my tulips; Triumph Tulips in pink and Lily flowering Tulips in assorted colors. The last couple of springs something has been eating my tulips, I never see any tracks and Dad thinks it's a rabbit. Hopefully whatever it is , it will leave the new ones alone, at least for a couple of years.

On Wednesday we put out the Christmas lights. For years we had put lights on the house but a few years back we stopped and only put them on the tress at the front of the house. When Brenna went away to university, she expressed how upset she was that we no longer put lights on the house........SOOOOOO Paul started putting lights back on the house. I know it's early but the weather was warm so we took advantage of it.

Day Trip to Fredericton

Yesterday, Paul and I were on the road by 9:00am. We picked Brenna up and had breakfast at Cora's. Then it was off to run errands, get groceries and back to the apartment for the afternoon. We put together a new CD/DVD satnd, put up a wall shelf over the TV, put up patio door drapes and mounted a keyboard shelf on her desk. Before leaving we fed her once again at East Side Marios ( I use to love eating out when in school, Paul would visit and take me, the poor student, out for a feed of chinese) We were home by 6:00pm. Emma spent the day home and was out for the evening at a fund raiser. Jacks cousin was diagnosed with cancer this summer and has spent alot of time at the IWK. This was the second fund raiser, with a silent and open auction. Emma said they raised $15,000.

Band Stand on Broadway

This is a picture of the town band taken in the early 70's on the band stand. Can you find Paul, myself, Anne, just to name a few?

What a beautiful picture.

We played with the town band many a summer evenings, many years ago, on this bandstand.

I found this picture, posted on the weather network, taken this fall by someone locally.

How Broadway has changed over the years.

There is no more town band :-(

Happy Birthday Sesame Street

Sesame Street celebrates 40 years.

I was too old when it started on TV ( now I'm dating myself) but the girls got alot of enjoyment out of it. Ernie was Brennas favorite, she would sleep with him every night....it was actually Emmas stuffed toy but Brenna took such a liking to it that we had to buy another.

Thinking of Natalie

Open your purse for the ywca of calgary
presented by 101.5 ENERGY FM and CTV

Look at which celebrities are already on board, donating their own gently-used purse, or autographing a Coach purse.
- Canadian singer/ songwriter Jann Arden
- Black Eyed Peas leading lady Fergie (autographed a Coach handbag)
- Elisha Cuthbert - actor on tv show 24 and girlfriend of Calgary Flame Dion Phaneuf

Friday, Nov. 20, 20096 - 9 p.m.Hotel Arts, 119 12 Ave SWTickets $20 per person

Once opened......it could move communities.....Enjoy an evening of elegance as you admire and bid on the most gorgeous purses. Includes a silent and live auction as well as a fashion show.

Remember These?