on the 4th day of Christmas...

Today we are being visited by a major winter storm. I thought that my gifts should be of a more personalized manner.

For daughter a package of scrap booking supplies, they are some three-D stickers with her initial. Hubby received some Toffifee, which have been a hit with the whole family. Guess I need to buy a full size box, not this sample size.

My son has spent the day reading the book he received, 'Horrible Facts: the grim, the gruesome and the ghastly' from Brain Benders. I didn't make it through the first two pages with its stories of tapeworms and other very gross examples. My son says its perfect and he is almost half way through. He loves books of facts and such.

PS, the Tassimo did make it onto the counter today and daughter says the hot chocolate is 'awesome'.

on the 3rd day of Christmas

We have been debating the purchase of a new coffee maker for the past while. All agreed upon the Tassimo machine. Hubby and son were visiting a friend and used his machine. They both felt that the coffee was quite good.

Even though the machine is destined for a space under the tree, today they received their personal supplies. Daughter, a package of hot chocolate disks, son received cappuccino and hubby, the coffee disks.

Thanks to Tassimo for the picture that you are viewing.

on the 2nd Day of Christmas...

On the Second Day of Christmas I gave to my true loves...

My daughter was thrilled with the pink, glass Christmas Tree. It stands about 15 inches tall. So why a pink tree? I was browsing in the store one day and saw this tree and thought my daughter would love it, but perhaps the price a bit much, so didn't purchase it. When looking through a local magazine a week ago, I came across a pic of all the similar sized trees on sale at that particular store. I asked my daughter if she was interested in a tree for her room and told her that I had seen one I liked and if she chose the same one, I would buy it for her. Without one moment of hesitation she pointed out the same tree. The rest is history...

For my son I gave a laminated sheet of guitar cords. I could hear the pleasure in his voice as he pulled it out of the package and realized what it was and commented to all in hearing range.

At my Bookcrossing meeting last evening, one of the other members suggested that I 'catch' this Rough Guide to James Bond book and bring it home for hubby.

It is now in his possession.

This 2002 publication profiles each movie including actors, director, a synopsis of the plot. Further in the book is a chapter on various James Bonds, a chapter on James Bond Girls, followed by Villains, Gadgets and music and more. This pocket size book is a mine of Bond facts and pictures.

On the First Day of Christmas I gave to my true loves...

For the previous 13 Christmas's I have hung this advent calendar. The first year my sister Nancy helped me fill all the pockets with chocolate. It was only minutes before it fell of the wall with a crash and bundles of chocolate went rolling and bouncing across the room. Ok, so i learned to only put a few days of chocolate in it at one time.

As my children got older and more daring, I had to resort to filling i t one day at a time as they were prone to sneak days ahead.

This year I didn't put it on the wall until this morning so I could take this picture. Instead I thought I would surprise them with gifts for the 12 Days of Christmas. I haven't been able to determine whether they should start today, or does the counting start on the 25Th and continue into January. Using gift givers license, I decided to start today.

For the first day of Christmas I gave to my true loves, Sweetness. We can all use more of it some days. Hubby promptly ate his, son sort of grunted a thanks, and daughter shook her box of Smarties and put them in her lunch bag.

I don't know what I'll give them next, but I hope to have fun searching. I do plan to stop at the music store...

The Mitts are still working

I got out for another run on Monday. Yippee, the mitt effect is still working. We are having freezing rain today, so will see how it goes tomorrow. Might have to walk instead.

Hind Shadow Mitt

I haven't been doing much running lately. It started with a sore foot about 3 weeks ago, and then I just didn't get back outside. I don't have a treadmill, so I always run outdoors. Its been nasty weather here lately so I really didn't want to go out.

Yesterday my neighbour (also a runner) brought me a new pair of running mitts. They have a wind proof layer on the top of the hand, a breathable palm and most wonderful is the terry covered thumb. Terrific for wiping the nose. Its been awful taking off the mitt to get out a tissue, now I don't have to, I am so excited. Well, truth be told, I was so excited this morning that I went for a run. 4k and every step reminded me that I hadn't been out for a while, but I sure did feel good. Oh, I love these mitts.

Who would have suspected that a pair of mitts would have done so much for me.

Now to wait for hubby to get that hot tub installed, imagine what that will do for my post run routine!!!

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

I watched this movie several months ago and it struck me that I didn't know the stories behind many of the main characters. That is, the Gentlemen. These include: Allan Quatermain, Captain Nemo, Dorian Gray, Agent Tom Sawyer(?), Mr. Hyde and the Invisible Man, and also Minna Harker.

Yes, I know who they are, but I don't know their stories. It set me to wondering whether I would have got more from the movie if I did know their histories.

I have set myself the task of finding and reading the following:

Dracula by Bram Stoker (Minna Harker)
Captain Nemo by Jules Verne
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells


Currently reading:

King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quatermain, by H. Rider Haggard

it shall be interesting to see whether my current understanding of each character is anything near what the author originally put to paper.