Merry Christmas postcards from Montreal pt. 1

Merry pre-Christmas 😉 

Today, I decided to go downtown to take a walk. I haven't felt too Christmassy (is that a word?) yet so I thought it would be a good idea to pick up some festive vibes from the city. I have to say that covid times have hit the downtown area pretty hard (at least, McGill Ghetto and the Plateau). It was really quiet and so many stores/restaurants have shut their doors. I haven't gone downtown since the summer and there was, even in the past few months, a noticeable difference. On the more Christmassy side of things, I did notice that people were really friendly and smiling much more than usual. It was almost like everyone else that I saw were also trying to put some festive vibe out there as well. 

My highlight was going into Eva B (see here). This used to be my favourite vintage shop when I was in high school (yes, it has been around THAT long) and it is still really cool and going strong. The first 3 pictures that I posted below are from there. While I was there, I bought a pair of cool old Adidas pants for $10... not that I needed them but how could I turn down such a find!!!

I walked up St Laurent to Mt Royal to St Denis, down Duluth and back to St Laurent. The snow started just as I was getting back to the car.... and maybe some holiday vibe started to creep in 😉

This is part 1 of my Merry Christmas postcard scam for you all xox

 

Happy 4th advent

 Happy 4th advent... I mean, Happy Sunday Football 😉 Nicka is mad because his team lost... Alexander seems to think that NFL players are deliberately trying to sabotage his Fantasy Football chances... Andreas is disappointed in his team's efforts... and Oliver is not happy with his bedtime... Good thing for chocolate and wine 😉

Can't believe there are only a few days left until Christmas xox

More musings from the home office

Andreas hates summer... he complains from May 1st until the first snow hits the ground. Things on his hater list include sun, heat, more sun and heat again. He says he prefers winter because there are no bugs... I don't think that he really cares about the bugs (by the way, I am the one who usually gets bitten) but he hates the fact that it is warm enough to have bugs. The only saving thing for him about summer is the BBQ.

I hate winter... I complain from the first snow until around May 1st. Things on my hater list include cold, snow, ice and when my face hurts. I prefer summer because it is warm enough to have bugs... even if I am not such a fan of bugs (and I get bitten all the time)... and it is not really about the bugs, just the heat. This says something about my dedication to the season. The only saving thing for me about winter is being able to stay inside.

Yes, we are married ;) Must be a real pleasure for the kids ;)

Random internet meme... but oh so appropriate!

Musings from the home office

What?!? Another post from me?!? On the same day that I confessed my 3rd advent tardiness?!? Oh well... maybe a pre-Christmas miracle 😂

Since I am working from home and cannot bother my beloved colleagues, I thought that I would send out some random musings to you all instead. I thought I would do a public service announcement to warn you of some evils: Ferrero Rocher chocolates. E-V-I-L. This is from personal experience.

You are welcome 😉

Glimpses from the weekend (happy belated 3rd advent)

Yes, I know. I am slow 😉 Sunday suddenly became Monday and then it became Tuesday. Anyway, happy belated 3rd advent!

We spent the weekend trying to tie up the semester and get work done before the holidays. The boys have their last week of school so lots of last minute homework and studying 😉 Andreas and I are finishing up the semester so we were busy with grading and doing all the other things that we never managed to get to since September 😉 On Sunday, we celebrated the advent (and Sunday football 😉). For their present, the boys each got a gingerbread cookie decorating kit. I had assumed that, especially for Alexander and Nicklas, that they would just go for eating everything but they all actually decorated their cookies. For me, that was the best part of the advent... they may all be getting bigger but they can still find some fun and magic in the holiday season.

Wishing you all a good week xox

Happy 2nd Advent!

The boys are all finishing off their homework, still happy from a Toblerone sugar high. Wishing you all a happy 2nd Advent and a good week ahead xox

Anniversary walk and holiday decorating

Yesterday was our 16 year wedding anniversary. 16 years... wow, time flies! We had a quiet evening with the boys and a Zoom glass of wine with some friends.  It was really nice. This morning, Andreas and I decided to go out on a "date" walk in our local woods (nothing like a cheap Coronavirus outing😉). It is pretty amazing that it is December and all the snow we had last week has melted. The weather is grey but warm... I will take that any day! 

We got home in time to meet our Nutcracker Christmas tree delivery man 😃 It was a fundraiser for Oliver's school (good cause) but not getting needles all over the car was so worth it as well (really good cause). Andreas did all the decorating (his yearly job... I just drink coffee and supervise 😉) and it looks really nice! He thinks that I ordered a short tree but Alexander came to my defense and said that it was perfect for me because I am short too. Thanks... I think 😉 Every year, someone gets to pick the tree topper and this year Nicklas gave his turn up to Andreas who seems to end up with the choice most years. This time, in honour of 2020, there is a masked balloon on the top of our tree. Couldn't get more fitting for this year than that! 

Now, I am sitting on the couch, eating some popcorn that I stole from Oliver's stash and enjoying the Christmas tree lights. Wishing you all a relaxing Saturday evening xox