Boxing Day

As we await the incoming Boxing Day Blizzard, already working its way up the East Coast, I'm reporting on our holiday festivities--thus far. We're still in the earliest days of Christmas: "Christmas Second Day," as they say in St Croix, where the Chap spent a few years. (Before I knew him.)

On Christmas Eve, I whipped up the fabled family custard.



Then we went to church, which was packed, for the annual Carol Sing followed by our Christmas Eve Eucharist.



On Christmas morning the dogs were easily distracted by the contents of their stockings: new rugged chew toys from the kennel-keeper, who takes such good care of them whenever we're in the UK and Montreal and elsewhere.

Jewel doing her impression of "Jaws".



Somehow wee Ruth manages to gain possession of all the toys.



But Jewel got her toy back again, with a little assistance from me.



The contents of the humans' stockings. Lots of consume-ables, and many surprises from London.



I received a little mirror--



--with the image of a favourite painting from the Wallace Collection in London. I took this photo of a few weeks ago.



So many amazing and wonderful gifts from generous family and friends. We were also generous to ourselves! Santa brought the Lodge a set of flannel sheets with dancing sock monkeys. Because I really, really love sock monkeys!



The Chap gave me some flannel jim-jams with doggies printed all over. Because I really, really love dogs.



I discovered that when you renovate your kitchen, new cookware is a popular gift item.



Ruth is telling me how much she likes Christmas, while Jewel cuddles.



The Chap roasted the duck to perfection, and we had simple sides of haricots verts sauteed with prosciutto, and wild rice with mushrooms and chestnuts.



After watching the film Joyeux Noel, about the 1914 Christmas Eve cessation of hostilities/fraternisation during WWI, we were ready for pumpkin pie.



I look forward to posting some snow photos soon, after a nearly snow-less December. Our blizzard is expected this afternoon and is supposed to rage all night and into tomorrow. The Lodge is located in the weather-map band forecasting 16 to 18 inches. We got out the yardstick and determined if true, the snow depth would level out somewhere near my lower kneecap. We'll see.

The Chap is walking the girls while we can still get about. Our near neighbours--German & German-American--are sweepting the surface of the little lake, clearing the scant half-inch of snow for their Christmas skating.

I'm enjoying the warmer delights of hot coffee and my soft new fleece-y zip-front shirt. Until there's snow to play in, I'm enjoying indoor pursuits--new books, DVDs, gadgets, and knitting.