Christmas Eve - What are you doing?

What are you up to today? 

My thoughts are with all the people to the north & west of me who have no power.  5 years ago I froze when the ice storm left us without electricity for 8 days.  I'm thinking of Rupert who mentioned here in the forum that he was worried.  It's a tough thing to have happen and especially on these days - when family get-togethers are planned and celebrations are taking place.

So I am thankful that my power is on.  I will finish making cookies and wrapping gifts.  Christmas day will be quiet in my house, with just a few of us hanging out together, eating, drinking, and watching movies.

Merry Christmas to my Wizzley family!

Merry Christmas to you as well. I'll be cooking and cleaning because I have a lot of company coming tonight.

I will be doing a little baking today, but other than that just relaxing until tomorrow. I'm hoping everyone at wizzley stays safe and warm. Merry Christmas!

Season's greetings to you all!  And hope that Rupert and all in the North are getting by.

I've not been at all well over the past few days.  This morning I woke up all upset, because I felt like I was getting better yesterday, but this morning I patently was not.  (Don't waste too much sympathy. It's only a ridiculously bad cold.)

As the day's gone by, I've felt progressively better.  Which now leads me to a huge dilemma.

You see, the reason any of this matters is that it's Christmas Eve.  This is the day traditionally when all my extended family get together, in a house hopping fiesta of food and alcohol (except whichever poor person is driving...). 

• Option one:  Miss out on my family's annual shindig, and all the other festive cheer, by staying home alone.
• Option two:  Go and risk infecting MY ENTIRE FAMILY with whatever bug I've got.

In consultation with a higher authority (41 is never too old to be Mummy's little girl in situations like this), she decided that I looked well enough to go.  With a pass from my mother finally deciding matters, I promptly got changed.  While I was doing that, Mum made me my favourite breakfast and I got all teary over it.

About five minutes later, I threw the whole thing back up again.

Back to option one... maybe.  Because ironically throwing up has made me feel better than I have in days!

Hopefully I'll definitely be better by tomorrow, as that's when we have our Christmas meal down my brother's house with all my nuclear family.

I hope you feel better Jo! It's horrible to be sick on holidays.

Merry Christmas to all of you, dear friends! 

Jo, can't you wear a face mask (with a Christmas theme painted on it), so you won't spread any germs when chatting it up with your nuclears?

Many thanks for your concern Pam and Jo. Here in Waterloo, about 80 km west of Toronto, we dodged the worst of the ice storm and our power remained on.

I was out on the driveway trying to deal with the ice (not much success) when I heard a cannon shot behind me followed by a huge splash. My neighbour's massive willow tree lost about a third of its bulk and landed in the creek that runs behind us. Fortunately for my neighbour most of his tree fell on our property without doing any serious damage. Big trees and branches were coming down all over the area and, as the ice is still on them (after the storm we went into a deep freeze), many more will come down if we get any wind. A light snowfall last night makes everything spectacularly beautiful. If I knew how to do it I'd include an image.

Friends and family in Toronto have not been so lucky. My 91-year-old mother-in-law has been chased out of her retirement home for lack of electricity. You'd think with the Harrods-calibrated fees they charge they would at least have a back-up generator. Anyway Grandma has shelter with family that has power; her 91-year-old husband is in hospital will multiple ailments, but at least he's warm.

Some in Toronto won't get power back before the weekend. But, as always in such crises, just about everyone switches into helping mode and we all make the best of it.

Jo. My Internet-acquired medical degree suggests bed rest and hot toddies.

Best wishes to all for Christmas and health and happiness in the New Year.

Well, it's my birthday today. So of course I've spent some time filling in job applications. As you do on your birthday...

(Found a corker of a role at the Royal Society of Chemistry which was only advertised last night and only has 10 applications so far, though. It's similar to one of my previous positions, so I know a lot more about the job than I sometimes do when I apply for things.)

Went out for a walk with my husband first thing so that the ebay items I couldn't post yesterday in the storms are out of my hands before the whole place shuts for Christmas.

Had some champagne at lunchtime, and as my godmum most definitely isn't coming round later - she's in Ireland with a sick rellie - we'll be having some more later before a supper served at a decent time for a change. Normally when she comes round we end up eating at 9pm or later because she can talk the hind legs off several donkeys.

Hope everyone is keeping warm and cosy. We have power here but there are many around who don't. Internet is up but mobile phone coverage is flooded out. Driving down yesterday from our place was hary and I was very glad my husband was driving rather than me, as the wind was high and the water had flooded the road in several places.

Jo, get well soon hon. My mum has the lurgy too, which is not ideal for Christmas.

Happy Christmas All. Rupert, beware of large branches and icicles!

Hi Jo, get better soon!

Paula: Happy Birthday, and many happy returns!

Merry Christmas tomorrow everyone, and a great New Year!

Jo, I was thinking a mask too as I read about your ailment, and believe it or not hot toddies work wonders, as I guess Rupert knows as well.    And I'm very happy to hear from you Rupert!  Hope that power continues to stay on for you.

Here is my recipe if you don't know how to make one:

Tea, honey, lemon, and whiskey (scotch), or your preference of alcohol.

Hope you are well very soon, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY Paula!  Good luck with the job search.

Gotta go make cookies.

Happy merry birthday Paula!

Merry Christmas to all, Jo I believe Rupert and Pam are on the right track with the hot totty cure. 2-shots of Canadian Club, 1-teaspoon organic honey, and a cup of hot water straight from the teakettle, shaken not stirred.

Hey Rupert, come to think of it, a couple hot totties is just the cure for those wintery ice storm blues.

Best wishes to all, peace on earth and good will to all my Wizzley friends.

Totties, ahem, are something quite different where I come from Mike. Quite enjoyable in their own way, but not at all suitable for married men to contemplate, although the object of pursuit to young, unattached males, if you get my drift.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/totty

A toddy, on the other hand, is also enjoyable but in a socially acceptable way.

Ain't the English language just a minefield?

Boy is my face red, didn’t think before I suggested a “Hot” totty as a cure all Rupert. Please forgive me, as an old married men myself I should know better.  

Happy birthday, Paula. Hope you feel better soon, Jo. Merry Christmas to all.

It's 3am here and I can finally go to bed. I spent the day working and then the last few hours baking. I would have done it earlier but hubby was prepping tomorrow's dinner and then I had to get to midnight mass. The problem with baking is that 45 minutes waiting for the cake led to me working on personal fun projects that I haven't done in many months and I got on a roll. The cake is made (not burnt since I'd set the time) and had been sitting allowing me to go to bed for the last hour or so, and I've been up writing. Oops!

Hoping my daughter doesn't get up too early later on. She's usually an 8am waker-uper, and doesn't really understand Christmas yet, so hopefully that's the time today. I want a few hours sleep before dealing with Christmas Day.

No family today; just the three of us. My parents are coming tomorrow (Boxing Day) though. Fun, fun, fun!

Well, Merry Christmas!!!

Sounds like you've been extra busy! I hope you get some rest.  Merry Christmas!

Good grief Alex! You've been busy hon!

My excuse for being able to spend so much time online at the moment is that my client is having a push on the website in the new year and needs content.

Which she does and she will and which I am duly lining up. Along with several other articles for several other websites too.

However as the door is not yet open to the world from the bedroom I'm typing away furiously here making the most of the downtime before Christmas hits in full force. No applications today unless I prep them and send later in the week, though. Some things do take a break for Christmas.

Have a good Christmas all, and I'll be seeing you in about 36 or so, when the world comes back to normal.

Nadolig llawen all!  (That's merry Christmas in Welsh.)

Belated happy birthday to you Paula. <3

Majorly impressed with Alex's industry.  Baking at 3am is serious commitment to the seasonal cheer. :D

I'm very, very familiar with hot toddies, and I've been liberally dosing myself on them since the first sniffle.  My recipe is this:

• Boiling water
• Lemonade
• Bitter lemon (because it was there!)
• Honey
• Lots and lots of whisky

However, I hadn't contemplated that a hot totty in bed might equally chase the chills away.  Totally missed a trick there!

PS  I'm much, MUCH better today.  My bug timed it to perfection to the point where I'm barely sniffing, and all else has been knocked into touch. :D

I'm happy to say that the 3am baking paid off and the family enjoyed the cake. Good job since I'd worked so hard on it! Even my dad, who isn't a dessert person, tried some and went back for seconds! I'll be making my homemade baileys tomorrow night just in time for the New Year since I now have some whiskey in the house!

I hope you all had a brill Christmas!

So, if we all PM you our addresses, do we get a special courier service bringing cake and Baileys? :D