Just sayin' ...

The above statement is on my desk calendar for January 2011.

So daring even I can't believe I'm doing it??? 

I think I'll try losing weight!

It's a thought ...

Just sayin' ...

It's that time ...

Everyone has their favourite Christmas movie(s) to watch and mine is Christmas Vacation!

Not to take away from Charlie Brown's Christmas which is the holy grail of all Christmas viewing, but Christmas Vacation makes me laugh every year at the same corny slapstick comedy.

Lyrics to "Christmas Vacation"

It's that time, Christmas time is here

Everybody knows there's not a better time of year
Hear that sleigh, Santa's on his way
Hip, Hip Hooray, for Christmas Vacation

 Gotta a ton of stuff to celebrate

(jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
Now it's getting closer I can't wait
(jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)
Gonna make this holiday as perfect as can be
Just wait and see this Christmas Vacation

This old house, sure is looking good
Got ourselves the finest snowman in the neighbourhood
Ain't it fun, always on the run
That's how it’s done on Christmas Vacation

Lets all deck the halls and light the lights
(jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
Get a toasty fire burning bright
(jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)
Give St Nick the warmest welcome that he's ever had
We're so glad it Christmas Vacation

And when the nights are peaceful and serene
We can cuddle up and do our Christmas dreaming
(jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
(jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)

Peace and joy and love are everywhere

(jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
You can feel the magic in the air
(jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)

Let the spirit of the season carry us away
Hip, Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation

    Fa-la-la-la-la and ho ho ho

jingle, jangle, jingle as we go

Let the spirit of the season carry us away

Hip, Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation

(artwork by Susan Branch and Mary Engelbreit)

I know the "young ones" think Will Farrell and such actors are funny - they don't know funny if you compare them to Chevy Chase, Dan Ackroyd, Eugene Levy and that era of comeday. Now, those guys are funny!

And visions of candy danced ...

If you get a chance to go to the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, this is what you'll see!

This archway, decorated almost entirely of candy is at the entrance to the lounge.

 And this is the gingerbread tree at the entrance to the restaurant

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Just sayin' ... Merry Christmas!

I'm not buying into the politically correct Happy Holidays stuff.  It's Christmas!

This week there is no one out there buying presents for Ramadan or Hanukkah - they're buying Christmas (or other) presents.

Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, this entire country is getting a day off for Christmas (yes, that's a political hot potato best saved for another rant).

So, you non-celebraters of Christmas, suck it up and deal!  When you don't get a free day off, then whinge; not before!

Just sayin' ...  Merry Christmas!

Just sayin' ...

One of the things that we chicks have to deal with is hair removal from our legs.

Why we ever started this practice is beyond my imagination but it is what it is and who am I to change an historical rite of passage.

Now, if you're a kinda busy person (as I am) and you don't have that extra 10 minutes to do it  EVERY morning, sometimes it ends up just growing .... for a couple of days ... maybe even longer.

And then there is the very occasional time when maybe it's a week before you get to it.

But when you can't sleep at night because your legs are scratchy from those nasty spikes poking the other leg, something needs to be done.

BUT ...

When they get that long they actually hold up your tights!

Yes, those spikes do serve a useful purpose.  It's so lovely to not have to be close to a restroom when you are, say, shopping.

Sadly, when the spikes are holding up your tights, you'd better be doing some grooming.

Back to tights sliding down one's legs.

Just sayin' ...

Twinkle, twinkle ...

Last night the Squeeze and I went to the Festival of Lights at Van Dusen Gardens

 Entering ...

 These pictures do not - of course - do the experience justice ...

 Reflecting water ..

 These flowers are made with recycled water bottles ...

 There wre hundreds of them all over the Gardens ...

 These are taken around the pond area.  They have a show called Dancing Lights and the version we saw was to Carol of the Bells (the Squeeze's favourite Christmas song) ...

 This is in the garden area which the restaurant overlooks ...

We found him in the Gingerbread Woods.  Is he the Abominable Snowman?  The Abominable Cedar-Man? Sasquatch?

The Squeeze was happy once he had his hot chocolate, smokie and YES, mini-donuts!

All worth going to see - cost is $13/adult and, if you want it, the price of food.

My Imelda heart soars ...

Early in the fall I blogged about boots.  Every girl loves boots!  I HAD never been able to find a pair that fit around these muscular, rock-hard calves.

But there was, every so often, a pair of boots - they just didn't fit the criteria I had for boots ...

UNTIL ...

They are egg-zak-lee what I have always wanted.

(P.S. - my calves aren't actually as big as the top of the boot is round, I have the zipper undone.)

Now I just have to wear them in the house for a year or two to break them in and get them to fit to the point where I don't actually have to tuck my calves in to do up the zippers.

Sigh, who says you can have it all?

These are a few of my favourite things ...

(art work by Susan Branch)

 My lovely niece Brigadoon is coming home for Christmas this week!

 Hours and hours of watching Charlie Brown's Christmas!

 Boxes, bows, ribbons and bling!

 Decorating the digs!

 The anticipated red cup!

 Cranberry Bliss - I had my first one this year - what took me so long!

The view from our condo in the morning

(artwork by Susan Branch)

The little tree on my desk (I do something different every year)!

- some of the buses actually have glitter in the floor paint! -

- the Christmas hair cut and colour (always a good day)! -

- the constant changing weather -

- the smell of Christmas baking -

- the first Christmas card -

- Purdy's candy canes (there are none better) -

- saying Merry Christmas because even if it's not PC everyone gets what you mean -

- The Pickle (I'll take this fave any time of the year!) -